Denis Villeneuve names his favourite guilty pleasure
Denis Villeneuve is a name synonymous with cinematic gravitas. This French-Canadian director has wowed audiences and critics alike with his unique flair for meshing profound artistic depth with grand, eye-popping spectacle. Much like Christopher Nolan, Villeneuve deftly navigates the complex corridors of the human psyche, nature, and the universe, all while orchestrating visually-arresting scenes in films like the 2021 sci-fi behemoth, Dune: Part One.
When such a director, renowned for curating immersive experiences like Blade Runner 2049 and the haunting Arrival, engages in a conversation about cinematic influences, you expect revelations about art, philosophy, and the great epics that have shaped cinema. And true to form, in a chat with presenter Ali Plumb ahead of the release of his first Dune instalment, Villeneuve confessed his reverence for the 1979 masterpiece Apocalypse Now, citing it as the movie he thinks he’s watched the most. “I think Apocalypse Now. I saw that movie; I studied that movie,” he stated. “I saw that movie a million times. It’s a movie that, for me, is close to perfection”.
Navigating further into his cinematic journey, Villeneuve mentioned other greats like The Godfather and 2001: A Space Odyssey that he’s watched repeatedly – films that helped him better study “narrative” and “dramatic structure”. However, after continuous prompting, the Sicario director joked that they were getting close to “guilty pleasure” territory. Plumb, knowing his audience, jumped at the opportunity to find out what Villeneuve’s guilty pleasures were.
Without much hesitation, the maestro behind some of the most thought-provoking cinematic projects of the last decade cheerfully divulged, “I will say that I’m a major Bond fan. There’s nothing like a good James Bond to cheer you up.” It’s a choice that will undoubtedly resonate with many – the British institution that is 007 has provided countless people with comfort, with a classic Bond serving as the perfect antidote to a rainy or gloomy day.
When asked if there was a particular choice of Bond that he gravitated to during those soul-searching moments, Villeneuve made a slightly surprising confession; none other than “Casino Royale, the first Daniel Craig movie. Bond is still one of my favourites of all time… Skyfall… I went through these movies several times, I must say, in difficult periods”.
When one thinks of “guilty pleasure” and the Bond franchise, many would likely have the likes of Sean Connery or Roger Moore in mind.
To most, in fact, Casino Royale might not even qualify as a guilty pleasure – it revitalised the Bond series with such energy, vitality and success that Craig comes only second in the list of actors who have portrayed the British agent the most. Yet, it’s amusingly endearing that Villeneuve, an architect of cinematic marvels, finds solace in the thrilling pursuits of MI6’s finest agent.
So, while most of us appreciate the genius of Villeneuve in creating expansive, otherworldly universes, it’s comforting to know that sometimes, he just wants to watch the world’s most famous spy save the day. As we all know, cinema has much to offer, from the profound to the purely entertaining, and something is reassuring about the fact that the director behind the upcoming Dune: Part Two relishes them all.
