When it comes to Hollywood, the popular adage “If it ain’t, broke don’t fix it” more often than not applies. That means sticking to stable formulas of movie making. Some directors have “muses” of sorts – go-to actors with women they can work well. These pairings have generated some of the most memorable recent films.
Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro
Last weekend gave filmgoers the fourth pairing of Martin Scorsese and his muse Leonardo DiCaprio in the thriller “Shutter Island.” Though time will tell whether or not that film will become another classic, the pair previously made the critical and box-office successes “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” and “The Departed” together.
Rumors abound that Scorsese will once again have Dicaprio in his upcoming film, a bio pic about Frank Sinatra. While working with Scorsese, Dicaprio has pushed his acting range in roles as varied as a revenge-seeking son, to a mad millionaire Howard Hughes and a conflicted undercover cop. He has proven to be one of the great leading men of the new millennium.
Scorsese had his original muse in Robert DeNiro, who appeared in eight of Scorsese’s most memorable films from 1973 to 1995, including “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas.” As if passing on the torch from one acting generation to another, DeNiro even recommended Dicaprio to Scorsese after working with him on the film “A Boy’s Life.”
Tim Burton/Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter
Burton’s best directorial work has come about when working with his go-to actor for zany performances: Johnny Depp. Since their first collaboration, “Edward Scissorhands,” Burton and Depp have worked together on six sequential films, including the highly anticipated “Alice in Wonderland” coming out on March 5.
Burton and Depp have proven to be kindred spirits in everything weird and wonderful, their trust in the other’s craft making each of their films better than the last. In every Burton film he’s in, Depp morphs his sexiest-man-alive-looks into unforgettable characters, almost unrecognizable compared to his usual appearance.
Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe
From violent action films to crime dramas and even heartfelt dramedies, the collaboration between Ridley Scott and actor Russell Crowe has heralded an interesting mix of films of all genres and styles such as “American Gangster,” “The Good Year” and “Body of Lies.” Their first and unmatched collaboration is “Gladiator,” which won Crowe an Oscar and also won the best picture Oscar. This year marks the release of their latest collaboration in Scott’s reimagining of the Robin Hood legend on May 14.
Pedro Almodovar/Penelope Cruz
Sometimes it takes the right director to bring the best out of an actress. Such is the case for Penelope Cruz, who has given some of her most compelling and daring performances with Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. Since her collaborations with the Spanish auteur, Cruz’s credibility as a real actress rather than some on-screen eye candy has been boosted tremendously. Almodovar, most known for his colorful, metaphor-laden cinematic style and flair for powerful female leads has directed Cruz in four films, including “Volvér,” for which Cruz received her first Oscar nomination and last year’s “Broken Embraces.”
Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale
Christopher Nolan’s reimagining of Batman through “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” helped give critical praise and respect to comic-book films, but without his star Christian Bale, the films would certainly not be as successful. Bale’s intense work ethic (after all, he bulked up 63 pounds on his terrifyingly thin 120-pound frame for the film “The Machinist” in order to get the part as the Dark Knight) combined with Nolan’s art-house filmmaking style have helped to transform the franchise into a thrilling crime saga. Nolan and Bale also worked on “The Prestige” between “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” displaying their knack for films of varied genres.
David Fincher/Brad Pitt
It might seem strange that one of the most popular movie stars of all time would work with one of the edgiest and most daring filmmakers of recent years, but in the case of Brad Pitt and director David Fincher, it works well.
Together, the Fincher/Pitt combination has created modern classics like “Seven” and “Fight Club.” Pitt has become a superstar partially due to his breakout roles in these films and has even gained critical credibility in his best actor nominated performance in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
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