The Essentials: The Films Of Denis Villeneuve

“Blade Runner: 2049” (2017)
If we are to judge motion pictures on purely visual terms, then surely Villeneuve’s grandiose take on the mythology of Ridley Scott’s dystopian cult classic would rank as one of the great films of all time. The images that the director’s regular D.P., Roger Deakins, constructs for this overwhelmingly immense neon-lit tentpole are so jaw-dropping in their alien majesty it’s easy to get lost in them and forget the movie’s clunky attempts at world-building, the regrettable treatment of its female characters, or Jared Leto’s camp, one-note turn as the movie’s villain. This is all another way of saying that “Blade Runner: 2049” is an intoxicating sensorial feast, almost certainly one of the most beautiful movies ever made, that nevertheless leaves one wanting. Which is small potatoes, really: when the filmmakers create a world that’s this immersive and fully realized, flaws like the ones we mentioned are easier to forgive. Ryan Gosling certainly broods masterfully as the LAPD replicant K, though we’d argue that “2049” really belongs to Harrison Ford, reprising his iconic Rick Deckard from the original and finding a bruised, affecting hurt in the character that was only hinted at in Ridley Scott’s picture.

“Dune” (2021)
Villeneuve has been dreaming about “Dune,” since he was a teenager. It’s been in his imagination, arguably been in his blood and DNA for decades. And thankfully, his gorgeous and spellbinding “Dune” does the dense Frank Herbert book justice without having to make any sacrifices to the gods of forward motion and cinematic entertainment. Villeneuve’s “Dune” is also dense, it’s a world-building affair, but a ravishing one that isn’t at the expense of character. Starring Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, the young heir of Caladan and Arrakis, “Dune” is essentially a personal story of destiny and identity— can Atreides shoulder the burden of purpose, prophecy and all the things everyone demands of him?—and then a more plot-driven, world-building story of galactic political betrayal on a grandly operatic scale. Featuring a spectacular supporting cast— Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Javier Bardem— all there to help support a greater story about opposing cultures and oppressive colonizers (which will hopefully be expanded in part two), the best way to put “Dune” is that today’s best actors all rallied behind Villeneuve and he brought his majestic, hypnotic A-game to deliver a rich, expansive and mystical experience that must be witnessed on the big screen. – Rodrigo Perez