Denis Villeneuve names his favourite James Bond movie
French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is one of the most innovative directors working in Hollywood today. For their slick cinematography, epic storytelling, and masterful sound design, Villeneuve’s films have earned him four Canadian Screen Awards and three Academy Award nominations.
Influenced by the likes of the Coen brothers and Steven Spielberg, Villeneuve’s cinematic output has always been sleek and grand, often focused on world-building, setting, and visuals. In 2013, he borrowed from the imagery of Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, a giant, stainless steel and marble sculpture of a spider, to punctuate the themes of Enemy, while Arrival took Villeneuve’s towering world-building into alien territory.
Villeneuve’s sequel to Blade Runner 2049 was hailed for its exquisite, colourful cinematography and futuristic setting. Most recently, he took on the seemingly unthinkable task of adapting Dune to screen, which David Lynch famously failed at in 1984. Unlike Lynch’s version of the story, which bombed at the box office, Villeneuve brought in over $400million on a $165m budget. The ambitious project was also received positively by critics, who helmed Villeneuve’s visual effects and cinematography.
Though much of Villeneuve’s filmography has been celebrated for its impressive scale and ambition, the director has always retained heart and humanity at the centre of his filmmaking. Amidst the vast imagery and sci-fi of Arrival, the central story focuses on linguistics, love and family. Blade Runner considers humanity and identity. Even Dune focuses on human concepts such as empire and war.
Much like his output, Villeneuve’s own favourite films blend technical skill, impressive world-building, and heart. In an interview with BBC Radio 1, he fittingly confirmed Stanley Kubrick’s epic 1968 sci-fi 2001: A Space Odyssey to be his favourite film. After naming the near-perfect Apocalypse Now as his most watched film, “I studied that movie”, Villeneuve seemed keen to discuss his “guilty pleasure” favourites.
Though many might take offence at the beloved series being reduced to a “guilty pleasure” film, Villeneuve shared his love for the James Bond franchise. The director shared: “I will say that I’m a major Bond fan. There’s nothing like a good James Bond to cheer you up.”
More specifically, Villeneuve names Casino Royale as the Bond film he turns to, stating, “The first Daniel Craig movie is still one of my favourites of all time.” Casino Royale marked the 21st entry in the James Bond series and saw Daniel Craig’s Bond take on antagonist Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen. The film was the highest-grossing Bond entry until Skyfall overtook it in 2021. Villeneuve also names Skyfall as a favourite before sharing, “I went through these movies several times, I must say, in difficult periods.”
Since the character’s first adaptation to screen in 1962, James Bond has maintained a place in the hearts of British spy fans and film fanatics worldwide. The world-building of the franchise spans music, radio, literature, television, and film, making it one of the most epic character and world-building endeavours in film. It’s no surprise that this mammoth project gained the admiration of the ambitious Villeneuve and comforted him through difficult times.
