Foreign / independent / art house films

[munkybitch]

Sympathy for lady vengeance should be good. it's showing tomorrow and i've been looking forward to since I saw Oldboy four times at the cinema. that film just blew me away.
Can't believe they're remaking it with nic cage!!

[Chers penis]

Can't believe they're remaking it with nic cage!!

I saw this and immediatley called an ambulance because i was worried i had consumed several extra strong tabs of highly dangerous mind altering drugs without my knowledge. Please tell me that you are well and truly pulling the other one.

[splattermac]

Have any of you seen Vincent Gallo's Brown bunny? I've rejoined lovefilm.com and I've been waiting to see this film for an age and managed to miss the fact it has been released and you can rent it so top work lovefilm.com!



God what can I say without giving away the plot but it's a miracle I managed to avoid the spoiler for two years? I'm not going to recommend it because I fear personal attack. You might remember how Lost in translation had the whores at each other's throats over its artist merit and did it deserve the plaudits? Well this is a similar film in that nothing really happens but the nothing is spanning time and it doesn't have the colourful visuals and stylish soundtrack of L-i-t to keep you bobbing along. I tell a lie, something does happen, it's an elastic band stretched out slowly over an hour and then *thwap*, numbness turns to what-the-fuck!

I've been reading comments and criticism about the film and for the majority it appears to be a well hated waste of space and more shambolic than symbolic. Personally I was digging the symbolism, or the self-imposed narrative of my imagination at least. It really does allow you to watch it and make up your own plot. Some of the scenes were more photographic than motion picture, but not high art, more like off centre shots of people and places that you might find on a discarded camera. This is too high a praise but it illustrates a point. If you are familiar with the solitary figures in Edward Hopper's paintings then you'll know the feeling of not-so-happy America and things unresolved.

Don't watch the trailer. There are two and one of them gives away far too much and the other paints the film as some sort of summer of love lens flare road movie. You can't be sure which one you'll get so don't risk it if you are at all interested in Gallo's work.

[Sam]

I got the original Russian version of Solaris for my birthday and watched it recently. Anyone here seen it (I'm predicting the answer to that will definitely be yes)? If so, what do you think of it? The style of it was very interesting. Instead of the American view of a perfectly ordered world of space travel in immaculate space ships using infallible technology, everything was dirty, untidy, run down and broken. The way the whole film was made was also rather different to what I'm used to, at times I had trouble following the thread of what was happening and things didn't always seem to be all that clearly explained or put together. I wasn't sure whether it was accidental, deliberate, or just me being thick.

At the end of the film I found myself confused and not entirely sure of what to think. I think in a way though the ending of the recent American version was slightly more confusing. I did feel the Russian ending was a bit better though, it left me feeling that something momentous and incredible had just happened even if I didn't quite know what it was, whereas at the end of the American one you don't really get that.

Watch Tarkovsky's masterpiece "Mirror". It's very abstract and inscrutable but beautiful as fuck. The images will resonate with you for quite some time.

[sproggy]

Watched the 2003 film 'Evil' by Swedish director Mikael Afstrom the other night.



I managed to force Mrs sproglette to watch a film with subtitles and she thoroughly enjoyed it.  The main character slowly reveals himself (reminded me of tin-head from Brookside) as a shrewd , intelligent and selfless individual despite suffering horrendous domestic abuse.

I strongly recommend this, if only for the enormous feel-good factor and the cracking fight scene near the end.

[Ciarán2]

Warning: Spoilers, well kind of...

I went to see "Russian Dolls" today. Jesus bloody wept! I mean I have come to realise a problem I have, I'm not sure if it's just me who suffers with this but,  I CAN NOT RELATE TO SEXY PEOPLE. "Russian Dolls" is a parade of sexy beauties - it almost threatens to turn into a Carry On film at one point though. I mean the main character shags so many achingly, impossibly beautiful women...and turns down Audrey Tauou's character. It's all about this chap who realises that choosing the right person to spend your life with is like going through russian dolls. "Oh how awful, I'm almost 30 and can't decide which of these untouchable women I want to stick with, hmmnnn what an awful dilemma!" No, sorry, pal. You've NOTHING to say to me about my life, sling your hook. Fuck. Off. Out. Of. It.

And now I've revealed something of my pathological loathing for sexy people, my film review. It's alright...

[wasp_f15ting]

I got this in the Telegraph on Sunday, what an awesome movie.

The story is based on a play, and the play was based on Agememnon (sp?)

The acting is so well done. Its very sad, sad movie. Tear jerking at times, I didn't think British movies of this era were this powerful. I want everyone with access to this movie, to see it. Great plot, well acted and excellent play on emotions.

[Ignatius_S]

Saw The Green Butchers on DVD for £7 in Fopp - an absolutley charming black comedy that I heartily recommend.