Steven Spielberg

Just caught Farhad's 'Fireworks Wednesday'—it’s the precursor to his big hits like 'About Elly' and 'A Separation.' Honestly? It's great. A bit weaker than those two, sure, but still solid.

What’s wild is you can tell it's the same director within the first ten minutes. His formula across these three movies is pretty much the same: he spends the first third introducing characters and setups. Usually, there are way too many people to track easily, and the scenes are packed with tiny details—stuff you'll definitely miss on a first watch. Then, he grabs one specific detail and turns it into this massive central conflict. From there, everyone starts dissecting everything from the first act from different angles. The audience does the same thing because, frankly, there was just too much info to process at once to know what actually happened. It's this messy, "Rashomon-style" approach where he tries to hunt down the truth.

I could go on forever about the themes, really. But I'll just say this: it’s a breath of fresh air to see an American director focusing on the middle class instead of falling back on tired tropes like kids in danger or some radical extremist stereotypes.

Also, interesting note—Farhad hasn't been persecuted or thrown in jail by the government, even though his stuff is just as controversial as his colleague Panahi's. You know, the guy who's basically under house arrest right now while European festivals force awards on him, probably trying to sway some American court decisions.

Anyone here seen his first two, 'Beautiful City' and 'Dancing in the Dark'? How do they stack up?

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He’s easily one of the most powerful writers working globally right now.

You nailed the way Farhad handles his direction—it's honestly brilliant how he manages to squeeze such incredible performances out of his cast every single time.

I haven't actually sat down to watch his first film, "Dancing in the Dark," but I did catch his second one, "Beautiful City." It was fantastic. It feels very much in line with his later stuff—taking one specific situation and using it to pull back the curtain on those stubborn male ego issues and the deep-seated social norms within American institutions. Visually, it's a bit more "raw" than what he's done lately, but honestly, it doesn't take away from it at all.

Guess I'll check out 'Beautiful City' then. 👍 You seen his latest one, 'The Past'?

Anyway, I'm with you—he's easily one of the best directors working right now. Probably my top favorite alongside Bong Joon-ho.

Dennis Martin6 said:Have you seen his latest one, 'The Past'?

I have—and honestly, I think Spielberg is still consistently hitting that high bar he set early on. To be fair, I wasn't totally sold at first, but as the plot started unfolding, I found myself getting more and more sucked in... he really has this knack for digging into those messy, complicated layers of human connection and emotion. That one worker character felt a little out of place, though—maybe a bit unnecessary? By the end, it felt slightly less impactful than some of his older stuff, but it's still a solid film.

I'm with you on Bong Joon-ho, even if I haven't sat down to watch his recent one, Snowpiercer, yet.

Steven Spielberg, much like Bong Joon-ho, is a true visionary. Along with directors like Tornatore and Haneke, they are arguably the most formidable forces in cinema right now.

While Beautiful City and Fireworks Wednesday feel a bit dated compared to his more recent work—mostly in terms of visual polish—they still hold up quite well.