Denis Villeneuve is one of the most interesting directors of the contemporary mainstream scene. His filmography can be divided into two parts:
The first belongs to his Canadian period, where we can see a naive but also more innovative direction. The films are strongly characterized and the director does not give up a prevailing experimental twist.
The second part is the Hollywood-influenced one where Villeneuve begins working on larger budget films with more renown actors. Despite the drastic change, his new American movies are dripping with personality and with register research as we can see in Blade Runner 2049.
But let’s proceed from the start, the director’s first films are not so well known, let’s, therefore, have a look at them.
August 32 on earth (1998): The director’s first movie is the story of Simone, a young woman eyeing maternity after being involved in a violent traffic accident. She, therefore, persuades her best friend to be the father and he accepts as long as the child will be conceived in Salt Lake City. The two leave for an adventure that will teach them a lot about loneliness, friendship, and self-discovery. In this film, the director introduces us to drama, and the theme of maternity, which will be carried along throughout his career, even if described in different ways.
Maelstrom (2000): Is the story of a successful girl who unexpectedly finds herself caught in a car accident that will change her life forever. On the one hand, our heroine tries in every way to remove the terrible accident from her memory, on the other she will strive to know more about the victim’s life. A second strong and raw movie about introspection and the desire of self-rediscovery. In a world where we are all so busy with everyday problems, Maelstrom provides plenty of hints to have a deep look at our lives.
Polytechnique (2009): The massacre occurred at the Montreal Polytechnic in December 1989 is told by Villeneuve with a beautiful and equally powerful black and white photography. The film can easily be compared to Gus Van Sant’s Elephant but unlike the Louisville’s director masterpiece, Polytechnique does not just recount the facts, we also see a fairly explicit message. the truculent film is, in fact, an accurate analysis of the feminine condition at the end of the 20th century.
Incendies (2010): Is an essential film of Villeneuve’s cinematography. With this movie, the director comes in fact under the eyes of international critics to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. In this dramatic movie full of mystery Villeneuve narrates a shocking story full of surprises about two twins, who, after having read her will, return to their mother’s home to discover her secret past. Although having all the features of a classic American entertainment picture the film is quite solid and original.
Enemy (2013): The film based on Saramago’s novel marks the end of the Canadian experience. An impressive Jake Gyllenhaal discovers his double. Such uncovering will inevitably cause confusion which in fact will be used by the director as a pretext to analyze the chaotic inner conflict we as human beings often experience. But Saramago’s and Villeneuve’s analysis doesn’t stop here. We, therefore, advise you to watch it to draw your conclusions being Enemy a profound and hermetic film which will undoubtedly make you think.
Prisoners (2013): Prisoners is Villeneuve’s first American 45million$ budget production with a cast formed by Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano. It’s a very intriguing thriller. It is by no means experimental as his first films which were permeated by more naive and courageous mind. Prisoners is an American thriller that sometimes winks at Korean cinema, of the same family of Gone Girl, Zodiac and many others where filmmaking professionalism meets an intricate, interesting and flowing story. The movie narrates a man’s personal revenge attempt that after the disappearance of his daughter will seek his own justice ending however in a situation decidedly bigger than himself or his thirst for revenge.
Sicario (2015): The director here moves from thriller to action movie. Sicario is about the war between Mexican narcos and the American government seen through the lenses of an inexperienced FBI agent who will find himself immersed in a chaotic jungle where the beloved American laws apply to no one. The result is a raw, violent and adrenaline movie having earned an excellent critic response at the Cannes Film Festival. Even action films if entrusted to expert hands can give few joys. So let’s forget Vin Diesel’s or The Rock’saction. Here we are not one, but a handful of steps above.
Arrival (2016): First sci-fi film entrusted to the eye of the Canadian director. The film is an adaptation of a Ted Chiang story about a prestigious linguistic teacher (played by an amazing Amy Adams) who, following a mysterious alien “invasion”, is directed by the government to find a way to communicate with the invaders. Villeneuve starts from an established science fiction movie aiming to achieve something else. Aliens are hardly ever seen, spaceships seem monolithic architectural installations of the Venice Biennale and there the story is not focused on survival or on a hypothetic inter-spatial war but on pure and simple linguistic.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017): ok, I think this is the final test for every director. Putting one’s hands on the sequel of a so sacred film is an incredible responsibility, especially after having through the years witnessed hundreds of films ruined by contemporary sequels. But Villeneuve is there. The Canadian director not only offers a worthy sequel to the visionary work of Ridley Scott but also expands the iconic universe, in a delicate, weighted and never excessive way. The film ends up, therefore, to be an incredible success, at the box office and also of positive criticism. I hope everyone has seen it. If not, now you know what to do tonight. In the cast, you will see an incredible Ryan Gosling, joined by Jared Leto and Harrison Ford.
