RIP Jonathan Demme: A tribute to his remarkable run as a director

Demme directing Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs

Director Jonathan Demme has died at age 73. I'm sorry to say I wasn't even aware that he had been ill. Demme, despite winning an Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs was a truly underrated talent. He didn't make all that many films, but he had a remarkable streak of original, eclectic hits that defied any one genre.

I am particularly a big fan of a series of films he made between 1984 and 1993 -- and I will get to those in a moment. Demme was so versatile, he could make documentaries, dramas, comedies and top-notch thrillers. And he always made sure to put interesting characters and faces front in center.

When I think of him as a filmmaker I always remember his dramatic close-ups. The close-up has fallen out of style in recent years, but Demme was never shy about it. He -- like Sergio Leone -- would fill up a frame with an actor's face, often having them address their dialogue to another character straight to camera, lending a kind of intimacy to the performances.

Think about the monologues from Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs, or Tom Hanks' scenes opposite Denzel Washington in Philadelphia. Demme was someone who wasn't afraid to inject big emotions into his scenes and bring a deeply humanistic approach to all his work.

For an appreciation, here is a look back my favorite films of his:

Stop Making Sense (1984) - One of the best concert films of all time, featuring one of (if not the best) new wave band of all time. Demme stages this rocking documentary beautifully, starting with David Byrne alone on stage doing his quirky schtick, and with each new song he is joined by another band member, until the final numbers where the stage is filled with percussionists, singers and dancers and the whole thing feels so alive and infectious

Something Wild (1986) - A sexy and unpredictable black comedy featuring star-making roles for Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta and Melanie Griffith. This is one of those often overlooked gems that is ripe for rediscovery. Daniels plays a bored executive who gets caught up in the hijinks of a flighty woman (Griffith) that danger has a way of finding. The movie has a funky 1980s feel and it walks a delicate line between laughter and violence.

Swimming to Cambodia (1987) - The documentary that made Spaulding Gray a breakout star. The whole film is one enthralling and invigorating monologue, delivered by the silver-tongued and silver-haired gray. Demme adds so dramatic sound and visual effects, but never distracts from Gray's wonderful storytelling which really opens up what a movie can be.

Married to the Mob (1988) - This mob comedy, starring an against type Michelle Pfeiffer, could have been a silly farce, but Demme's direction keeps it grounded. Pfeiffer plays a recently widowed gangster's wife who is now a target for FBI investigators and her ex's old pals. Amazing music, costume and set design, and energetic performances make this another delightful 80s keeper.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Understandably, Demme's best known film and biggest hit. It's a flawless thriller, brilliantly constructed, performed and executed. It's also never gratuitous, despite its grisly subject matter (sadistic serial killers). So much more power is derived from what you don't see and this is something the inferior sequels failed to understand. One of the most quotable and memorable movies of the past 30 years.

Philadelphia (1993) - While some aspects of this AIDS drama are dated now, there is no denying what a groundbreaking and important film it was when it first came out. Besides establishing Tom Hanks as a serious dramatic actor, the movie also humanized the gay community and the AIDS crisis at a vital point and helped move the national conversation to some degree from fear to empathy. The all-star cast all has moments to shine, but its the connection between Hanks (as attorney dying from the diseased) and Denzel Washington as his initially prejudiced attorney that give this film its real power.