What Happened To All The Post-Tarantino Directors?

Kimberly Peirce, Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, Spike Jonze, David Fincher, Baz Luhrmann and Mark Romanek were supposed to be the next generation of filmmakers. What happened?

Sharon Waxman of the New York Times has a great article titled "The Mystery of the Missing Moviemakers".

"Is it a sign of timidity, or laziness, or some unexpected lack of drive? Is it a lack of interesting material? Is it the fault of the studio system and its emphasis on high-paying, mind-numbing commercial fare?" questions Waxman.

I must disagree with her on Russell's I Heart Huckabees which she calls "disastrous." I also found Aronofsky's The Fountain to be one of the best movies of 2006, but many people hated it (and rightfully so). She theorizes that 2007 may be a "banner year" for Kimberly Peirce, who hasn't made a film since 1999's Boys Don't Cry. Don't get your hopes up. Instead, read my hate-filled review of her latest: An American Crime Sundance Movie Review.

But she does have a point:

"The current lack of productivity among promising filmmakers in their 30s and 40s has become a cause for quiet consternation among producers and agents, not to mention film lovers. It is felt in the paucity of movies creating excitement around the Oscars, and in the desperate trolling for new talent at the Sundance Film Festival."

Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) blames it on a lack of community:

"We need to encourage one another.""It becomes a cycle that feeds on itself. One great work leads to another."

May-be he has a point? The great thing about Waxman's article is that she doesn't just ask the question, but offers a conclusion.

The Mexican trio of Alejandro González Iñárritu's (Babel), Guillermo del Toro's (Pan's Labyrinth) and Alfonso Cuarón's (Children of Men) have arguably created three of the best films released last year. Their three films have racked up 16 oscar nominations combined. They are friends, collaborating while still challenging one another to step up their game.

"If Alejandro says, 'That stinks,' I know he is not trying to hurt me, he's trying to help me," admits Alfonso Cuarón.

Read Waxman's article at NYTimes.com. [via: digg]