The Top Directors Working Today: Michael Haneke

On paper, Michael Haneke is a classic European art-house director, and I know he has his supporters. I'm aware of his Greatness and I won't argue against him, but he's not a filmmaker I get excited to talk about. There's a cold formality to his work that keeps me at a distance, but I'll definitely see anything he does...if it garners a fair amount of acclaim.

He's made 21 films so far, but most people will know him for CACHE and one or both versions of FUNNY GAMES.

According to the poll posted on Filmspotting...

18% think he's a Great director and will watch whatever he makes.
18% think he's solid and sometimes Great.
13.5% get his Greatness but are not personal fans.
13.5% don't care for his filmmaking.
32% haven't seen enough of his work, but would like to.
5% have heard of him but aren't interested.

I'll watch whatever he makes. (though it's a love-hate type of thing)
-duder

Definitely need to see some others before I can vote. With that said, I have no plans to subject myself to Funny Games.
-Matt the movie watcher

Cache always gets bumped up on my queue and then bumped back down for something else. I've seen the original Funny Games, which I think is a great execution of a lesson I neither needed nor wanted, and Time of the Wolf, which is a phenomenal, intimate post-apocalyptic film guaranteed to irritate the people who disliked Children of Men because it didn't explain why the human race lost the ability to reproduce.
He's definitely a skilled filmmaker, doesn't ever pander, and knows how to manipulate his audience.
-arcnyc