35. Alexander Payne
21st Century Filmography:About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011) Alexander Payne's
Sideways is the defining drama/comedy of the 21st century. Adapted from the Rex Pickett novel of the same name, it's a pitch-perfect blend of buddy comedy and dramatic portrait. That's to say, Alexander Payne's strength lies in the way he pairs these elements together with ease and conviction to create movies that are both humorous and touching - plus he knows exactly how important casting is in these cases. Both
About Schmidt and
The Descendants are equally successful in their tellings of beaten individuals who have to find something to live for - and were both released to critical acclaim.
First Feature:
Citizen Ruth (1996)Cream of the Crop: Sideways (2004)Next Up: -
34. Paul Greengrass
21st Century Filmography:
Bloody Sunday (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), United 93 (2006), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Green Zone (2010) Paul Greengrass is likely responsible for cinema's sudden shift to hyper-realistic, frantically-paced action sequences - so much so, that even James Bond had to take note and reboot the franchise. If the extremely hard-hitting, hand-held camera-based fisticuffs of the
Bourne series made a mockery of staler cinematic showdowns, it makes sense that just about everybody in Hollywood has tried to imitate Greengrass's action chops (for better or for worse) since. Despite being a talented action filmmaker, Greengrass is also a wonderful director of human stories - his remarkable
United 93, based on the 9/11 attacks, is so tastefully achieved and emotionally wrenching, that it puts any similar-themed projects to shame. The same goes for his powerful IRA drama
Bloody Sunday, made in 2002 on a TV budget.
First Feature: Resurrected (1989)Cream of the Crop: United 93 (2006)Next Up: A Captain's Duty (2013)
33. Jason Reitman
21st Century Filmography:Thank You For Smoking (2005), Juno (2008), Up In The Air (2009), Young Adult (2011) Jason Reitman is a special kind of talent. His films are tight, breezy, funny, and ingrained with those good life lessons that resonate without punching you in the face and saying so. Whether it's with the idiosyncratic
Juno (the Diablo Cody-penned comedy about teen pregnancy) or the brilliant
Up In The Air (George Clooney on perfect form), Reitman has proven in a mere 7 years that he is making some of the most confident comedy/drama films in Hollywood... and has received four Oscar nominations in that short time to prove it.
First Feature: Juno (2008)Cream of the Crop: Up In The Air (2009)Next Up: Labor Day (2013)
32. Fernando Meirelles
21st Century Filmography:Maids (2001), City of God (2003), The Constant Gardener (2005), Blindness (2008), 360 (2011) If you're not yet familiar with the name Ferando Meirelles, you owe it to yourself to get acquainted with his work. After all, Meirelles is the writer/director behind a film that might seriously be considered the greatest film of the 21st century so far:
City of God. An intimate, detailed and beautifully-rendered crime film about life in the slums of Rio De Janerio,
City of God is everything that a definitive modern masterpiece should be: powerful, lingering, epic, brutal and heartbreaking. A director of beauty, control and natural vision, Meirelles continues to stun and amaze in Hollywood: both
The Constant Gardener and
Blindless opened to critical acclaim.
First Feature:Maids (2001)Cream of the Crop:City of God (2003)Next Up:Janis Joplin: Get It While You Can (2012)
31. David Cronenberg
21st Century Filmography:Spider (2002), A History of Violence (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), A Dangerous Method (2011), Cosmopolis (2012) There was a crazy kind of resurgence in David Cronenberg's career as the 21st century reared its head: the Canadian director best known for his dark, obscure meditations on violence, body mutilation and sex, took on an adaptation of graphic novel
A History of Violence and was met with widespread critical acclaim for what emerged as a brilliantly taut and complex thriller. Cronenberg followed this with London-based crime film
Eastern Promises, confirming his status as a master filmmaker working in the second great period of his long career.
First Feature: Stereo (1969)Cream of the Crop: A History of Violence (2005)Next Up: -