1. Paul Thomas Anderson
While in my opinion he is a director whose films are easier to admire than to love, its hard to make a case that there's a more talented director out there than Paul Thomas Anderson as he's reached a level where every movie he makes is an event not to be missed. His first film after the cut-off date is Magnolia, a sprawling epic focusing on the interconnectedness of a multitude of characters in Los Angeles. The film is arguably among the most ambitious films ever made and its reputation has only grown since its release. Anderson's next film was the smaller but no less impressive Punch-Drunk Love, starring Adam Sandler of all people, which follows a lonely man with anger management issues. The film earned Sandler the best reviews of his life and the film is considered by many to be a modern classic. Anderson followed that with what many to be his magnum opus, 2007's There Will Be Blood. Following oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood became one of the most acclaimed films of the decade and features an all-time great performance from Daniel Day-Lewis. After a five year break, Anderson released the Master, one of 2012's most impressive, yet divisive and controversial, films. Loosely based on the rise of scientology, The Master is a brilliant but arguably unfocused movie that benefits from absurdly good performances from Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix. Voted the number one film of 2012 by Sight & Sound, the Master was acclaimed by many but missed out on a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Anderson is currently in pre-production on his next film, based off Timothy Pynchon's novel Inherent Vice. A technical virtuoso, Anderson is one of the best visual directors working today, having a host of tricks up his sleeve. Anderson also laces his films with a variety of themes that ensure there is enough beneath the surface to keep his films interesting on repeat viewings. Perhaps his most important ability as a director is his penchant for pulling incredible performances from actors as several of his films, such as There Will Be Blood and The Master, feature iconic performances from several different actors. Anderson's overall abilities and his imposing filmography make him the best director modern cinema has to offer.
Eligible Films: Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), There Will Be Blood (2007), The Master (2012)