Film opinion: ‘Dune’, ‘Prisoners’ and more — Five of the best from new Bond director Denis Villeneuve
Ever since Daniel Craig’s James Bond last departed our screens in 2021, fans all over the world have been waiting to hear who will take over the 007 mantle.
Cary Joji Fukunaga’s telling of Ian Fleming’s womanising British spy, No Time To Die, received largely positive reviews, and with a big shake-up on the cards, the revelation that it would be Denis Villeneuve tasked with directing the next installment, pleased many.
The French-Canadian has become one of the most revered film-makers in the modern era of film, and Film News Blitz’s Joe Matthews is here to guide you through the best of his filmography so far.
5. Incendies (2010)
Villeneuve’s breakthrough showing came in the form of the French-language Incendies, telling the story of a son and daughter sent on a journey by the will of their late mother.
The reading of her will reveals to the two main characters, played by Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin and Maxim Gaudette, that they have another brother, and also that their father is still alive.
Their task is to find them and to deliver a mysterious message.
The film was nominated by the Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, only to be beaten by Susanne Bier’s In a Better World, and it sits inside the IMDB Top 100 films of all time.
4. Sicario (2015)
Featuring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin, Sicario follows a recruited FBI agent alongside a secret task force that takes on the battle with drug cartels in North America.
Many remember the shocking opening scene set in Chandler, Arizona, or the border crossing scene, which represented Villeneuve’s and cinematographer Roger Deakins’ film-making prowess in full flow.
The latter was recognised for his contributions to the film at both the BAFTAs and the Oscars, with nominations at both prestigious award ceremonies, alongside two other Oscar nominations.
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3. Prisoners (2013)
Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal play a devastated father, and a tortured detective, as they try to uncover the mystery surrounding the terrifying disappearances of two young girls.
Living in a nice suburban neighborhood, Jackman, playing Keller Dover, takes the law into his own hands when he deems that the police are not doing enough.
Prisoners is quite simply a ridiculous feat of film-making.
Once again, the film features among the most prestigious in the IMDB top 250, as well as giving Roger Deakins another cinematography nomination at the Oscars.
2. Arrival (2016)
Amy Adams stars in this thrilling story about a linguist who is recruited by the government to communicate with aliens that have landed at several locations around the globe.
She is joined by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker acting as the military presence, assisting her when they can.
On this list so far, we’ve discussed three Villeneuve films that broke into nomination territory at the Oscars, but Arrival wasn’t nominated for just one solitary award, but eight, including cinematography yet again.
This time it was with Bradford Young however, who became the first African American to be nominated in this category.
It was also nominated for the big one: Best Motion Picture of the Year, but was beaten by Moonlight.
Nevertheless, it did win Best Achievement in Sound Editing, and stands as the first Oscar to be won by a Denis Villeneuve film.
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Honourable mentions:
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) won two Oscars in 2018, but did not do as well commercially.
Conversely, Dune: Part Two (2024) saw great success in both areas, winning two Oscars alongside making over $80 million on its opening weekend.
Both, however, did help make the Villeneuve name one to look out for in the film industry.
Many have said that Dune: Part Two was the final straw in convincing the Bond board that Villeneuve was the right man to take the iconic franchise forward.
1. Dune (2021)
Despite the enormous success of the second installment in the story of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, Dune has to take the top spot.
Tasked with mining the spice fields of Arrakis, the Atreides house must combat the militant Fremen, who are defending their land, and facing war from the rest of the great houses if they’re unsuccessful in doing so.
The story, adapted from the novel by Frank Herbert, was an instant pop culture phenomenon, with references of the Lisan al-Gaib becoming increasingly prevalent online.
A pattern had begun forming at the Academy Awards, where box-office blockbusters failed to receive the recognition they deserve, but Dune was nominated for 10 (yes, 10!) awards.
It went on to win six, culminating in an unmatched awards season as the year’s most successful film.
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With these five films in mind, one could ascertain that the next Bond film is certainly worth looking forward to.
That said, we could be waiting for at least a couple more years, with Dune: Part Three set for release in December 2026.
Meaning, the Bond production could only start in 2027.
The wait may take us into 2028, but we here at Film News Blitz are more than willing if it means Denis Villeneuve is back delivering cinematic masterpieces again.
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