Movie recommendations from fellow moviemakers that sound better than their own movies

I don't know if I ever want to see Licorice Pizza, but Paul Thomas Anderson really makes a case for Titane:

“Titane” is worth seeing. Proceed with caution: I have no idea how to recommend it, because it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t know entirely how I feel about it, but, my God, you are in the hands of a real filmmaker. I was holding on tight for dear life, and that is a terrific feeling.

Not exactly the same thing, but here are all the director Top 10s from the last S&S poll; I'm sure there are directors in here who haven't made even one film within shouting distance of the worst film on their lists.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/RedGreenBlue/2012_sight_and_sound_poll__individual_director_voting_lists/

Depending on their modesty (and their ability), I'm sure some of them would agree with that assessment.

You're right, it's kind of an unfair formulation--almost all of them would say that (I know Scorsese would). When I scrolled through the directors, I did notice the Scandal director in there; maybe there are a handful where the gap is noticeably large.