Who is your favourite film director and if you had to choose a particular 'theme' or style a film or series of films were shot in, what would be your favourites?
Oh man that's a tough one.
I think my favorite director would have to be Christopher Nolan, and not just because the films themselves are incredible, but because he's such a purist with his craft. He refuses to transition to digital formats, he insists on using 35 and 70mm film stock - which is amazing. There's nuance and romance to film stock that can't be beaten. He even forbids cell phones on set, and doesn't even own one himself. I really admire his love and respect for the art of filmmaking.
I've also really come to love Denis Villeneuve. I haven't seen
Blade Runner 2049 yet, but I've heard great things.
Sicario is what really attracted my attention to Villeneuve's style, and then I saw
Prisoners which is equally incredible. He, like Nolan, has a very crisp and simplistic narrative approach that tends to steer away from productions that rely heavily on effects and computer generated imagery (although obviously
Blade Runner contradicts that).
FWIW, I really want to emulate the cinematic aesthetics of Wally Pfister, he's done a lot of work with Nolan until Nolan started partnering with Hoyte Van Hoytema for
Interstellar. That switch was only because Pfister had another commitment when Nolan was getting ready to direct the film, but Hoytema and Pfister both have similar visual styles.
Overall I like 'dark' films, like neo-noir and thrillers. Concepts that are character driven and take deep dives into the darkness of humanity. I like antiheroes, characters who have good intentions but struggle against baser instincts. I think what perfectly captures this is the 2011 film
Drive. To me that's almost a perfect film (directed by Nicolas Winding Refn).
Visually it follows a noir formula, a lot of dramatic lighting and shadow play. Narratively you have a character who, while trying to do the right thing, cannot seem to escape his own violent nature. I like the kind of "old school" convention that the main character doesn't have a name and actually has very few lines. It forces the ensemble of the cast to kind of carry the film equally, along with compelling visuals and tense themes peppered throughout.
