Curtis Hanson

Curtis Hanson is one of those directors that can take just about any subject matter and make it as entertaining as humanly possible. I mean, the guy made a freakin' Eminem movie somewhat decent for chrissakes, THAT requires talent. One of the things I love about Hanson is that while his direction doesn't exactly break new ground, it is always so surehanded, there are very few missteps emotionally or tonally. Take his latest film, In Her Shoes, for example, it is not on par with his masterworks, L.A. Confidential and the best film of 2000 Wonder Boys, but he takes what is typically a manipulative tearfest and manages to make a funny, poignant motion picture that never becomes too cloying or over the top (well, maybe in a scene or two, but it's negligible). Now, I'm not saying that IHS is sublte, b/c subtlety is not one its strong points, but hey, not everything has to be dramatically underplayed a la Lost in Translation in order to be effective (even if it is no Lost in Translation). IHS works because Toni Collette is phenomenal and is more than ably supported by Cameron Diaz and Shirley Maclaine. Another strong point is that just because the subject matter is fertile ground for hokey manipulation and maudlin sentimentality, Hanson manages to mostly avoid those potential pratfalls by never letting the picture get away from him. Just when you think it is about to go off the deep end, Hanson reels us back in, it's almost like he knows exactly when and how to check himself. He has seen other dramas and taken note of when, where, and how they went wrong and he has disciplined and trained himself not to make the same mistakes. It reminded me of another film, The Cider House Rules, which had the opportunity in so many places to go down the wrong path, but it never did because Lasse Hallstrom knew how to play it just right. It just goes to show that the subject matter doesn't have to be original and groundbreaking in order to craft an effectively moving film. It just requires a director who knows what the hell he (or she) is doing...oh and a good script, actors, cinematography, score and all that other stuff matters too, I s'pose.