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"He's out there too much, too publicity-conscious," Evans says. "It hurts him. He should be more legitimately accepted and praised for his work as an artist instead of being seen as a flamboyant butterfly. He lacks mystery; directors far less capable are embraced by actors because of their mystery."—from "Ratner Boasts Box Office Prowess," Variety, July 30, 2007, Brett Ratner, Billion Dollar Director Day.

While it's touching that professional mentor/surrogate father/wingman Robert Evans displays such concern for his adopted showbiz son's reputation as an artist, we're glad that Var realized that there was no way to celebrate the totality of Brett Ratner's appeal without addressing his ubiquity on the Hollywood scene.

As illustrated in the paper's "Dude, Where's My Party?" collage, the director is shown in the only environment in which he's more comfortable than wandering a movie set, asking his AD, "Hey, did we get that take? That extra from the last set-up was totally giving me 'the look,' so I had to check into it. Eh, someone will fix it in post.": the social circuit, where he's displayed an uncanny ability to throw down with presidential candidates, A-list stars, and industry power-players alike. Say what you will about his movies (and their $1 billion in worldwide grosses! As they say, Money Talks), but there's no disputing that he's infinitely more huggable than similarly gifted peers like Tony Scott and Michael Bay.

[Image via Digital Variety]