Denis Villeneuve x4 – Arthouse freak at Hollywood
The long-awaited new version of Dune is about to have its theatrical release – another attempt to screen a series plagued with bad luck (Lynch's version turned out to be a parody, Jodorowsky had to settle for a documentary). How did the Canadian director dare to take on this project? Denis Villeneuve seemed to be the only possible candidate, after appearing to expand his ambitions over the past years (what does it matter that Blade Runner 2046 was rather an atmospheric dud?). Despite the obvious differences between the way the Canadian film industry works versus the limitations that Hollywood directors face, I went through all of Villeneuve's films, trying to decipher his mechanisms. I put together a short list of four films from different eras of his oeuvre, all defining in extremely varied ways. It would be easy to say that Villeneuve started with love for Godard and ended up making Tarkovskian films – his journey is not as hyperbolic as it seems.
Journalist and film critic, with a master's degree in film critics. Collaborates with Scena9, Acoperișul de Sticlă, FILM and FILM Menu magazines. For Films in Frame, she brings the monthly top of films and writes the monthly editorial Panorama, published on a Thursday. In her spare time, she retires in the woods where she pictures other possible lives and flying foxes.
