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Cary Joji Fukunaga Film Club

PanchitoPistolesPanchitoPistoles 2.0
in General Movies & TV Posts: 4,619
We had a Danny Boyle Film Club, so I thought it would be appropriate to start a film club for our new director!

Filmography:

Sin Nombre (2009)
Jane Eyre (2011)
True Detective - Season 1 (2014)
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Maniac (2018)

Which of his movies, TV shows have you seen and what did you think about them? Are you planning to watch the ones you haven't seen yet? Are you planning to do a 5-hour Maniac marathon this weekend?
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Comments

  • 00Agent00Agent Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
    edited September 2018 Posts: 5,185
    I have only seen True Detective Season 1, which i really liked, so i will watch all his other stuff in the coming weeks. And also rewatch TD. I am looking very much forward to Maniac also.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    If Fukunaga bails on Bond 25, then it's confirmed these film clubs are a huge jinx.

    I've only seen season one of True Detective (some of the best TV I've ever witnessed) and Beasts of No Nation (incredible), but I'm just not sure if he'll be well suited for James Bond. I guess we'll find out eventually - it's certainly the most optimistic I've been about a Bond director since 2008.

    Maniac looks ridiculous; whether that's a good or a bad thing remains to be seen, but I enjoy him enough as a director to at least give the first episode of it a viewing once it's released this weekend.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited September 2018 Posts: 12,480
    Fukunaga won't bail. I'll bet on that. If I lose, I'll leave this forum.
    I have only seen True Detective, but I am sold based on that AND that other people who have seen his other work are strongly positive about that also.

    I think he is very well suited for Bond - like in every way I can think of, @Creasy47. Action, drama, emotional scenes, tracking shots, all cinematography, tone. Only thing that is a question for me is the music, that's all.

    And look what he got out of McConaughey and Harrelson, those two easygoing pussycats. ;)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I think he can do proper kind of humor for Bond, too. Not camp, not over the top, not stupid. Honestly, I don't remember being this excited about a director before. Ever. The directors I love (including Campbell) I did not know anything about ahead of time and therefore could not get very excited.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    Like I said, it's certainly the most optimistic I've been in the directing department in a solid decade. The man is very talented, eager to see what he brings to the table.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,413
    Season 1 of True Detective was great, very cinematic for a TV show.
  • JeremyBondonJeremyBondon Seeking out odd jobs with Oddjob @Tangier
    Posts: 1,318
    Fukunaga has some incredible skill, the guy is a master in building suspense and technical prowess galore. I am extremely thrilled he got the job. If he, however, would bail on Bond I'd be quite done with him ;)
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    edited September 2018 Posts: 3,675
    I got one question: why is his name that if he's an American?

    EDIT: Fukunaga was born in Alameda, California. His father, Anthony Shuzo Fukunaga, was a third-generation Japanese-American, born in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. I'll have a harder time pronouncing this than Danny Boyle. I'll just refer to him as The Director for now.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    JeremyBondon wrote: »
    Fukunaga has some incredible skill, the guy is a master in building suspense and technical prowess galore. I am extremely thrilled he got the job. If he, however, would bail on Bond I'd be quite done with him ;)

    Not sure I'd go that far, but losing another director this late in the game would most certainly be disheartening.
  • nobodydoesitbetternobodydoesitbetter
    Posts: 1,021
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.

    ?? The opening sequence in SP is brilliantly done! What do you think Mendes didn't do right with his impressive opening shot?
  • UnivexUnivex
    Posts: 6,710
    Jane Eyre made an impact in the sense that the palette and cinematography were gorgeous and the character work was brilliantly done. It really stayed with me when I saw it, and I didn't even know who Fukunaga was at the time.

    True Detective is really well written, acted, and its tempo was certainly to Terence Fletcher's liking.

    Can't wait to see Maniac.

    Haven't seen any of the others, but I'm looking forward to.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    nobodydoesitbetter wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.

    ?? The opening sequence in SP is brilliantly done! What do you think Mendes didn't do right with his impressive opening shot?

    "Brilliantly done"? Sadly it's not even a proper tracking shot, it's three separate shots spliced into one. Goodfellas and that moment in True Detective are how it's done. Hell, I don't even mind that it's stitched together if the scene itself demands it (see: most of the tracking shots in Children of Men.)
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited September 2018 Posts: 8,231
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    nobodydoesitbetter wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.

    ?? The opening sequence in SP is brilliantly done! What do you think Mendes didn't do right with his impressive opening shot?

    "Brilliantly done"? Sadly it's not even a proper tracking shot, it's three separate shots spliced into one. Goodfellas and that moment in True Detective are how it's done. Hell, I don't even mind that it's stitched together if the scene itself demands it (see: most of the tracking shots in Children of Men.)

    To be fair, it'd be nigh-on-impossible to pull off that Spectre sequence in one take considering the location restraints. It's a cracking opening despite not being a "true oner", almost flawless in its edits.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,926
    And that's film-making isn't it.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Thanks for this list. I'll try to check these out (except for Jane Eyre which likely won't be my cup of tea) in the next few months. The only one I've seen so far is True Detective, which I thought was terrific.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited September 2018 Posts: 41,011
    CraigMooreOHMSS wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    nobodydoesitbetter wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.

    ?? The opening sequence in SP is brilliantly done! What do you think Mendes didn't do right with his impressive opening shot?

    "Brilliantly done"? Sadly it's not even a proper tracking shot, it's three separate shots spliced into one. Goodfellas and that moment in True Detective are how it's done. Hell, I don't even mind that it's stitched together if the scene itself demands it (see: most of the tracking shots in Children of Men.)

    To be fair, it'd be nigh-on-impossible to pull off that Spectre sequence in one take considering the location restraints. It's a cracking opening despite not being a "true oner", almost flawless in its edits.

    I suppose it's impossible in the sense that the hotel is a separate location from the rooftop that Bond walks on (I'm pretty sure anyway - correct me on that if I'm wrong). If it wasn't, I don't see why it couldn't be managed utilizing a small Steadicam.

    Anyway, don't want to turn this into another Mendes bashing thread - God knows some of us engage in that enough. I do hope Fukunaga manages to give it another shot, unless that's something he thought only worked in True Detective and isn't some sort of staple of his as it is for other directors, like Alfonso Cuaron.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,057
    CraigMooreOHMSS wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    nobodydoesitbetter wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I certainly hope he gives us a tracking shot as impressive as the one in True Detective, to properly show Mendes how it's done.

    ?? The opening sequence in SP is brilliantly done! What do you think Mendes didn't do right with his impressive opening shot?

    "Brilliantly done"? Sadly it's not even a proper tracking shot, it's three separate shots spliced into one. Goodfellas and that moment in True Detective are how it's done. Hell, I don't even mind that it's stitched together if the scene itself demands it (see: most of the tracking shots in Children of Men.)

    To be fair, it'd be nigh-on-impossible to pull off that Spectre sequence in one take considering the location restraints. It's a cracking opening despite not being a "true oner", almost flawless in its edits.

    I agree.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited September 2018 Posts: 12,480
    Never mind Spectre on here. ;)

    I am going to watch True Detective from the beginning, starting tonight (I have the dvd). I will try to look up some of Cary's other work.

    I think this is a director who can handle different kinds of stories. He certainly can do action and realism very well. I think doing a Bond film might be a fun challenge for him, creatively. ("fun" in actual enjoyment, though it will be, as it always is, very hard work) I don't expect him to go way overboard in any area.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    After flying through Fukunaga's Maniac limited series and being wowed by yet another (from what I could tell, anyway - sneaky transitions could've been implemented, but since he didn't do so for the True Detective tracking shot, I'll assume the same here) tracking shot in an action sequence, I do hope he does so in Bond 25.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited September 2018 Posts: 10,592
    Loving Maniac so far.

    Also watched Beasts of No Nation last night and was mesmerized, particularily with the cinematography, visceral energy, and the performances he was able to get out of the actors.

    Really hope this works out.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    @jake24, Beasts of No Nation was very visceral, and unflinchingly brutal at times (the violence had me jaw-dropped in a few instances).

    Glad you're loving Maniac as well, it completely floored me with its bizarre originality and fever dream-esque feel throughout. Already itching to re-watch it, the show seems to demand it with how in-depth and confusing it can be.
  • Goldeneye0094Goldeneye0094 Conyers, GA
    Posts: 464
    I am really loving true detective season 1 so far that tracking shot in episode 5 is amazing!! I really have a great feeling about this fukunaga guy!!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    Goldeneye0094 wrote: »
    I am really loving true detective season 1 so far that tracking shot in episode 5 is amazing!! I really have a great feeling about this fukunaga guy!!

    It makes for one of the greatest TV outings I've ever seen. That season alone sells me on him taking over to direct.
  • UnivexUnivex
    Posts: 6,710
    Anyone seen Jane Eyre yet? Can't believe the guy directed it when he was 33.
  • JeremyBondonJeremyBondon Seeking out odd jobs with Oddjob @Tangier
    Posts: 1,318
    Univex wrote: »
    Anyone seen Jane Eyre yet? Can't believe the guy directed it when he was 33.

    Downloaded, not yet seen. It seems to resemble Barry Lyndon somewhat, which isn't a bad thing, of course.
  • UnivexUnivex
    Posts: 6,710
    JeremyBondon wrote: »
    Univex wrote: »
    Anyone seen Jane Eyre yet? Can't believe the guy directed it when he was 33.

    Downloaded, not yet seen. It seems to resemble Barry Lyndon somewhat, which isn't a bad thing, of course.

    Exactly. And Kubrick's the best influence any director can have IMO.
  • TR007TR007
    Posts: 1,165
    Just finished Maniac. Great show and incredibly well directed, but like many current shows, I do think it would have been much stronger cut down to a snappier 2 hour movie.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,511
    I've finished Maniac and...--

    --OK, it was:

    bizarre, haunting, Kubrik from 2001 and ACWO, funny, Inception, slap-stick, nostalgic, classic horror and modern horror...

    (and a Bond fan may see a reference-- or three!!)

    It was so many things in a mixed-up bag, but it was lovely and beautiful and about two people who found each other. And they fell in love.

    It was-- like TRUE DETECTIVE-- nothing you've seen before in one package.

    Call me over-fu****gly-whelmed.

    It was greatness.

    Holy. Smokes.

    And this guy is going to be the next Bond director?? Girls and boys of the Bond-verse, celebrate!!

    Wow-- as @ColonelSun had mentioned almost two weeks ago: EoN may have been looking at TV directors for a reason (please read the posts! they're very prescient due to his connections and experience in the industry...)

    And those attributes he was laying on the table for us were found in spades with the Fukunaga hiring!!!

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    Glad you seemed to love it as much as I did @peter, and I think @PropertyOfALady is a big fan, too. It's a hazy fever dream, a show that won't be for everyone, but I've recommended it to anyone I discussed it with since yesterday.
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