Denis Villeneuve OC CQ is a French Canadian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction, for Maelström in 2001, Polytechnique in 2009, Incendies in 2011 and Enemy in 2013.
Denis Villeneuve is french but have started his career in Canada directing Incendies and polytechnic before coming to Hollywood. Due to his awe inspiring work he was given the offer for directing an English movie within Hollywood. And When Denis Villeneuve accepted, things changed.
Denis Villeneuve is a director that is very hot, some would argue he’s making films on the same level as Christopher Nolan which makes you think about what you have seen. Villeneuve’s latest film is Dune for which the trailer has dropped. Go check that out, and Dune Trailer Breakdown.
Here's our list of Top 5 Dennis Villeneuve Films.
1.Blade Runner 2049
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
A beloved movie with a cult following, that was the stature of the original Blade Runner before Denis Villeneuve took matters into his own hand. After 35 years the franchise was returning and expectations were high. Ridley Scott who directed the original Blade Runner served as a producer and helped with the script which he didn't want to be credited for. But his pick that Denis Villeneuve should direct the film was arguably the best thing that could have happened.
Denis Villeneuve not only made neo noir classic but elevated a source material that was considered too far ahead of time. Blade Runner 2049 has stunning visuals, great characters and mysterious elements that you wanna have answers for.
Blade Runner 2049 premiered in Los Angeles on October 3, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on October 6, 2017. The film was praised by critics for its performances, direction, cinematography, editing, musical score, production design, visual effects, and faithfulness to the original film, and was considered by many critics to be among the best films of 2017.
Blade Runner 2049 was nominated for and won several accolades, receiving five nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, winning Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. It also received eight nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, including Best Director, and won Best Cinematography and Best Special Visual Effects.
2.Arrival
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker.
Before directing Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve delved into Sci-fi first with Arrival. Arrival is not your average sci-fi film rather deals with complex emotions, and projects how we perceive time and space. The script was hugely recognised as one of the strong elements but Dennis Villeneuve elevated the script through his visual storytelling and maintain a constant threat of the what's to come.
Based on the 1998 short story “Story of Your Life” the film follows a linguist enlisted by the United States Army to discover how to communicate with extraterrestrial aliens who have arrived on Earth, before tensions lead to war.It received eight nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, and won for Best Sound Editing. It also received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for Adams and Best Original Score for Jóhann Jóhannsson, and was awarded the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2017. The score by Jóhannsson was nominated for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 60th Grammy Awards.
3.Prisoners
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis.
Villeneuve's first attempt at making Hollywood Movies looked like this, Prisoners is the underrated gem in this filmmakers filmography. Prisoners is your detective drama of Fincher infused with the nuanced sensibilities of Villeneuve. Prisoners is a drama which focuses on many dark elements and specially tests once patience to his/her surroundings.
The plot focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the subsequent search for the suspected abductor by the police. After police arrest a young suspect and release him, the father of one of the daughters takes matters into his own hands. The film was a financial and critical success, grossing US$122 million worldwide. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2013, and at the 86th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Cinematography.
4.Sicario
Cast : Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin.
Many argue that Sicario is the movie that put Villeneuve on the map as a worthy filmmaker. And The Binge Flix agrees. Before Sicario Villeneuve was another sort of indie filmmaker where as after Sicario he got major big budget offers lined up. Sicario is cut from the cloth of narcos, dealing with drug trafficking and cartels. On paper the script is strong but Villeneuve's art of silence and tension building is one where Sicario becomes more than just a good movie.
Sicario (in Spanish for “Hitman”) received praise for its screenplay, direction, musical score, cinematography, and Blunt and del Toro’s performances. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing at the 88th Academy Awards. It also earned BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Music. Its sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, was released on June 29, 2018.
5.Enemy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon.
Jake Gyllenhaal paired up with equally creative Denis Villeneuve, and both would go lengths to creating something as mind bending such as this. Enemy is a very abstract film where there are not many dialogue and film relies heavily on the actors emotional display and the image to tell the story. The spider elements are still something that has never been disclosed as to what they were and how they were incorporated in the story of Enemy. But enemy sure is something Trippy.
The plot goes like this, Adam, a college professor, spots an actor in a movie who looks exactly like him. Adam tracks down his doppelganger and starts living his life secretly, which gives birth to a complex situation. The film premiered in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013.It was then released on March 14, 2014, by A24. It earned $3.4 million at the box office and received positive reviews. The film earned five Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Director for Villeneuve,as well as a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for Gadon and Best Motion Picture. It was named Best Canadian Film of the Year at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2014.
The Binge Flix Conclusion
As you'll see the movie's listed above and would have already seen them you know how nuanced Denis Villeneuve's films have been and one can really put him on par with Christopher Nolan. Both filmmakers have their routes established as Cinematic filmmakers who both rely on Images rather as much as the dialogue in films.
Although Villeneuve takes the crown for infusing a sense of unpredictability amongst his films which are probably the strong point of the director. One can not expect low of his upcoming movie Dune which seems stuck in the midst of a Pandemic. However, Dune is all set for December 18 release.
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