Villeneuve is wonderful when it comes to the aesthetic aspects of a film. As far as tone or gestalt, I think he plays it a little safe. He doesn’t take risks in the same way that 80s/90s directors did, e.g. Verhoeven or Ridley Scott. His movies are very good though also somehow very mainstream.
Totally agree on the wonderfulness of his aesthetics: but slightly disagree on the idea that he's playing it safe with tone: Watch Enemy or Incendies, or even Sicario, and I think you're watching the movies of a director who has been chasing and perfecting his voice for many years. I find him similar to David Fincher, who also has a style that can feel mainstream at times, despite the lack of superheroes and action sequences.
Villeneuve is wonderful when it comes to the aesthetic aspects of a film. As far as tone or gestalt, I think he plays it a little safe. He doesn’t take risks in the same way that 80s/90s directors did, e.g. Verhoeven or Ridley Scott. His movies are very good though also somehow very mainstream.
Totally agree on the wonderfulness of his aesthetics: but slightly disagree on the idea that he's playing it safe with tone: Watch Enemy or Incendies, or even Sicario, and I think you're watching the movies of a director who has been chasing and perfecting his voice for many years. I find him similar to David Fincher, who also has a style that can feel mainstream at times, despite the lack of superheroes and action sequences.