The 169th Best Director of All-Time: James Gray

Gray. James Gray’s best work (though his top four films are all really strong and closely clustered) has come in the 2010’s so he’ll vault up this list in the upcoming years. His resume’s strengths are the whopping four films that land in the top 100 of their respective decade (there’s nobody left with that I don’t think) and the reoccurring Francis Ford Coppola-like classicism in his works. I’ll get to it more below but Gray is largely ignored in his native United States (sort of- I mean he gets the best of the best cast in his films) but revered abroad in many critics’ circles (especially in France—his films almost always debut at Cannes).

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is we-own-the-night-lkajdflkd-gray-lakjdfkl.jpg — It’s Gray’s third feature, *We Own the Night*– with shots like this– where I really started to take notice

Best film: Ad Astra.

After one viewing I think this is James Gray’s finest work—and I say that as a big admirer of Gray as an auteur– each of the last four films of his has made it onto their respective years’ top 10
Thematically layered, intelligently conceived, executed– and visually ambitious
Gray is a Francis Ford Coppola acolyte and one of the layers here is to see the film as such. It’s Greek Mythology and although Coppola doesn’t have a copyright on that or generational conflicts, father/son patriarchy — when you look at Gray’s oeuvre (not just the casting of Duvall or James Caan) it’s hard not to see in that context. The plot structure here in Ad Astra is from Apocalypse Now. Individual scenes seem to be taken nearly directly from that film (how about scene with Harrison Ford in Apocalypse Now where they tell Sheen about his mission). Tommy Lee is Brando, Pitt is Martin Sheen (complete with voice-over). The different stops along the way– the monkeys here (a nod to 2001 and a fascinating evolutionary statement) could be the playboy bunnies or Duvall stop— the moon is the French plantation, — mars the Do Lung bridge set piece, etc
The rest of the cast is fine but this is largely a one-man show and Pitt is more than up to the challenge. It should rank as one of his greatest achievements. His character has an impressive arc (starting out as the stoic low heart-beat-per-minute) and several showcase moments (like his ad-libbed voice message to his dad) in a transcendent film at or near masterpiece-level film
Like Gray’s 2013 film The Immigrant (Gray’s finest film prior) it is impressive world-building in the production design. He and DP Hoyte Van Hoytema (Nolan’s recent go-to since Wally Pfizer including Interstellar) have put together impressive action set pieces (the car chase on the moon is wild (don’t forget this is the director of the best car chase in the 2000’s in We Own the Night, the Roger Deakins Blade Runner 2049-like structures on Mars jaw-droppingly picturesque)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is james-gray-aldfjkal-ad-astra-aldkjf.gif — *Ad Astra*– thematically layered, intelligently conceived, executed– and visually ambitious

I think it broadens and enhances Gray’s last film- The Lost City of Z– both meditations on uncontrollable ambition, both sort Apocalypse Now– films frankly
There’s also an undeniable religious/theological dimension to this work—we start the film with Pitt’s fall from above, the search for answers from an absent father
I think all of this here constitutes a top 10 of the year quality film- very well composed, designed, and acted film. However, there’s an interconnected visual design used in 50-100+ frames that needs to be celebrated and studied. Gray uses a reoccurring photographical sun-spot in countless frames- it’s used at the very beginning and its carried on throughout. I’ve never seen it use like that as a formal reoccurring motif—beautiful and distinct. In the thousands of films I’ve seen— this is it—Gray must have labored over the film in every frame in such detail. He spoke openly about using Tommy Lee Jones’ voice in different pitches and speeds and frequencies in the sound-mix design and I believe this is the visual equivalent (showing Pitt, as the son the presence of his father throughout his journey). The sun spot motif is a gob smacking formal/visual achievement and it’s what takes this film from a top 10 of the year to a top 5 or even a masterpiece
Must-See top 5 of the year quality for now after one viewing

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ad-astra-alkdjsflkaj-gray-alkdjflkasf--1024x431.jpg — Gray uses a reoccurring photographical sun-spot in countless frames- it’s used at the very beginning and its carried on throughout. I’ve never seen it use like that as a formal reoccurring motif—beautiful and distinct

Gray must have labored over the film in every frame in such detail. The sun spot motif is a gob smacking formal/visual achievement and it’s what takes this film from a top 10 of the year to a top 5 or even a masterpiece

total archiveable films: 6

top 100 films: 0

top 500 films: 0

top 100 films of the decade: 4 (We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, Ad Astra)

most overrated: Absolutely nothing on TSPDT. If some in France think Gray is on Tarantino or PTA’s level I would take issue with that (he’s not) but there’s simply nothing overrated on the TSPDT consensus lists (either the top 1000 one – where Gray has nothing on it, or the 21^st century list (where he has five films listed). Two Lovers seems to be fairing the best—at the time I’m writing this it is sitting in a nice spot (for a 2008 film) at #1288 on the TSPDT list of the 1001-2000.

most underrated We Own the Night. Almost all of Gray’s works are underrated but this one is sadly sitting at #52 for 2007 films on the 21^st century TSPDT list—that’s a crime.

Another shockingly underrated film from Gray- I hate to admit it but the French (who adore Gray) are certainly correct in anointing him as a major auteur even when the MC critics (59 score) misevaluate him
The cast is wonderful- Duvall is just one of the many nods at Coppola and the Godfather again from Gray
The film’s narrative is really like a reverse version of the godfather – instead of Pacino, who is straight, getting pulled into the family business of crime—Phoenix plays the sketchy night-club guy who gets pulled into the family business – being a Cop. It’s shockingly similar
Another Brighton Beach/Brooklyn Gray film
A film of alternative patriarchs – certainly Shakespearian
Gorgeous lighting and sumptuous set design
Amazing work from Phoenix- his bloated face from drug use and bloodshot eyes
Gray is indeed an uncompromising auteur- apparently the film was delayed years and cost much more money because he refused to shoot in Toronto instead of real locations
50’s and 60’s music for the cop scenes and 80’s pop for the bad guys
One amazing set piece after another but the car chase is what many critics, even the ones here who underrate it, had to admire

One amazing set piece after another but the car chase is what many critics, even the ones here who underrate it, had to admire in *We Own the Night*– even this is a throwback recalling Friedkin’s *The French Connection*

Fantastic intro montage of black and white photos of cops
The finale- like the car chase- owes a lot to the French connection
Top 10 quality of the year film
Highly Recommend

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is we-own-the-night-lakjdfkla-gray--1024x550.jpg — An Antonioni frame obstructing shot here in *We Own the Night*– one of four collaborations with Joaquin Phoenix to date

gem I want to spotlight : Immigrant. So between his first film (Little Odessa) and second film (The Yards) it took six years. Then another seven between his second and third (We Own the Night). Gray doesn’t compromise. But in 2007 and 2008 Gray found his stride (his two best films to date) and one was a celebrated by critics as an artistic triumph (Two Lovers in 2008) and the other a pretty decent box office success (We Own the Night in 2007). I think this gave Gray enough confidence (maybe he never lacked there) and clout to spend five years creating a meticulously detailed and strikingly beautiful tragic drama—The Immigrant.

The lighting and décor of the utmost importance for Gray– a green yellow lighting that is part Gordon Willis and part David Fincher

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is james-gray-lakjdsflkjdfa-two-lovers-alksdjfklasjf-1024x431.jpg — gorgeous avant-garde shots like this submarined in a classical, yet sumptuously mounted tale of the immigrant experience

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is gray-immigrant-alkjdflkaj-2324-1024x427.jpg — is this not *The Godfather Part II?* I think this gave Gray enough confidence (maybe he never lacked there) and clout to spend five years creating a meticulously detailed and strikingly beautiful tragic drama—*The Immigrant*.

stylistic innovations/traits:

classical approach—but never boring or flat- always sumptuously framed (maybe all of his films outside of his debut)
Gray is a Francis Ford Coppola acolyte—We Own the Night and The Yards have so much Godfather in them. Greek mythology. Patriarchy. Family lineage. One of the layers in Ad Astra is to see the film as a Coppola film. It’s Greek Mythology and although Coppola doesn’t have a copyright on that or generational conflicts, father/son patriarchy — when you look at Gray’s oeuvre (not just the casting of Duvall or James Caan in We Own the Night and The Yards respectively) it’s hard not to see in that context. The plot structure in Ad Astra is from Apocalypse Now
Beloved in France (four films in the 21^st century debuted at Cannes).
Set in Brighton Beach/NYC (five of his seven films in NYC)
The Yards is the arrival of young auteur (31 at the time) James Gray
Gray’s marks as auteur draw tons of similarities to Coppola- the classic narrative here (which is really well done) owes much to the Godfather and American New Hollywood cinema of the late 60’s and 70’s—his casting of James Caan, Ellen Burstyn and Faye Dunaway also are a nod to that—both Burnstyn and Caan are terrific in The Yards. Coppola classicism in Gray—a book ready to be written by someone (if it hasn’t already)—Gray is patient, this is so well-done, crisp
Often works with Joaquin Phoenix (four of the six archiveable films)
The lighting and décor of the utmost importance for Gray– a green yellow lighting that is part Gordon Willis and part David Fincher (We Own the Night). It is an absolute time-capsule film (- looks like the work of Gordon Willis and Wexler as dp’s – I love that about Gray- I read an interview in like 2011 he had no idea who Marion Cotillard was (lol)… throw-back (my comment about The Immigrant). My comment about Lost City of Z– DP Darius Khondji has had a great career—starting with Jeunet, David Fincher’s Seven, Amour and now working with Gray in The Immigrant and Lost City of Z. Another- Natural lighting mix of Fincher’s and Coppola from Gordon Willis—shadow’s and lanterns—stunning work in the opening and closing shots
Mediocre metacritic scores (really just The Yards and We Own the Night which are below 60—the rest since have very good reviews)
French Connection-like car chase in We Own the Night- a stunning sequence – one of cinema’s great car chases
Like almost all of Gray’s work Lost City of Z is about social standing and class—Charlie Hunnan’s Percy Fawcett is a slave his “poor choice of ancestors” and trying to overcome his family name—which becomes ambition an megalomania