Welcome to round two of Face/Off! For the next 12 weeks we will be pitting two directors who won their round one matches against each other and letting YOU, the commenters, decide on who reigns supreme!
You have to decide which director is better than the other? Various factors could play into your decision from who takes the biggest risks to who has the more distinctive style. Remember, it isn’t so much about which director has made the most money at the box office or won the most awards, but, in your mind, which director simply makes better films.
Let’s analyze the filmography of today’s challengers.
Sam Mendes
Who He Beat in Round One: David O. Russell (11 to 2)
1990s to 2010s Directorial Features: American Beauty (1999), Road to Perdition (2002), Jarhead (2005), Revolutionary Road (2008), Away We Go (2009), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), 1917 (2019)
Kathryn Bigelow
Who She Beat in Round One: Mel Gibson (9 to 7)
1980s to 2010s Directorial Features: The Loveless (1981), Near Dark (1987), Blue Steel (1990), Point Break (1991), Strange Days (1995), The Weight of Water (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), The Hurt Locker (2008), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Detroit (2017)
Only one can move on to the Battle Royale. Let the Face/Off begin!
Discuss in the comments below your favorite films from each director and who should advance to the next round.
