Tabu – 2012

2015/10/29

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s probably that time of year when things get really colorful outside. Here’s some classy black and white magic to sooth your eyeballs, our film of the week, Tabu. It’s a beautiful, playful and original little masterpiece that shows how cinema can still surprise you, even without 9-digit budgets and giant robots…

City of Life and Death – 2009

2015/10/19

This week we’re turning East and focusing on a very brutal and powerful film: Chuan Lu’s City of Life and Death, a gritty, all-black-and-white depiction of the fall and occupation of Nanjing by Japanese troops. On a technical level, it is right up there with Spielberg’s WWII efforts while arguably showing a lesser known but more savage side of the war. It also dares to look deeper into the darker reaches of the human soul than those films, and the result is often painful to watch, and harder still to look away from. Unmissable!

Waltz With Bashir – 2008

2015/10/11

How do you make a documentary about something as abstract and subjective as memory, particularly with as politically thorny a context as the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon? In the groundbreaking Waltz With Bashir, Ari Folman takes us through an animated journey through war trauma and the unreliability of memory in times of conflict, all to the haunted tune Max Richter’s mournful score. It’s a daring and rewarding work, and when, towards the end, real footage finally intrudes, uncommented and raw, it delivers a shocking, memorable payload. Unmissable!

Secret Honor – 1984

2015/10/04

The prospect of a single-actor, mono-location film about the last days of disgraced US president Richard Nixon might not scream « quality entertainment » to most viewers, but the result, Robert Altman’s 1984 film with virtuoso performer Philip Baker Hall, is truly amazing, and a must-see for any aspiring actor.

L.A. Confidential – 1997

2015/09/28

Unfairly overlooked by audiences and a large enough proportion of Academy voters upon release, Curtis Hanson’s razor-sharp adaptation of James Ellroy’s magnum opus was born a classic. This rarest of mainstream films demands every inch of your concentration and rewards it with a devilishly clever plot, wonderful sense of detail and a cast at the peak of its powers. If you ever find yourself wondering why the world was once in love with Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey or even Kim Basinger, look no further. And, as if that weren’t enough already, it looks and sounds amazing. Yes, we’re clearly smitten.

Sans Soleil – 1983

2015/09/22

Chris Marker’s unparalleled achievement asks profound questions about the nature of space, time, memory and even cinema itself, and if that sounds like a boring prospect, do yourself a favor and find out for yourself. The documentarian/photographer/philosopher edits this unusual globetrotting video travelogue into a mind-bending, audacious marvel that is endlessly rewarding, everything a great film should be.

An Autumn Afternoon – 1962

2015/09/14

Of all Yasujiro Ozu’s quiet masterpieces on the decay of the traditional Japanese family, this one, his swan-song, might well be the most touching. It is certainly his most visually accomplished, refining his trademark style to its peak and enhancing it with a masterful use of color and composition. If we’re making it sound like an overwhelming experience, fear not: its real appeal is in its effortless, understated grace. Open your heart to this one, and we guarantee you’ll keep returning to it for years to come.

Mishima – 1985

2015/09/04

It takes a lot of confidence to make a film like Mishima, and even more clout to get it funded. Thank your lucky stars that writer/director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Last Temptation of Christ and Blue Collar) was at the peak of his artistry and had the backing of pals George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola. His elegant take on the life of the controversial Japanese author and playwright might be niche audience material, but it pulls out all the stops, down to a fiercly dedicated leading performance by Ken Ogata and score by Philip Glass. By most accounts, this one is among the finest films of the 80s and well worth your time.

Our Summer Double-Bill: Vikings!

2015/08/25

We’re on a globe-trotting spree this Summer, and of all our destinations, Iceland was the one that blew our minds away. Consequently, our late Summer double-bill is viking-themed. First, we have Kirk Douglas vehicle « The Vikings » (1958). It’s silly and slightly camp, and it’s everything you’d expect in all the right ways, down to a gravelly Orson Welles narration and wild turn from Ernest Borgnine as a Viking king. Then, we have the more subdued « Beowulf and Grendel » (2005), making awesome use of Icelandic locations and a pre-300 fame Gerard Butler.

Alice – 1988

2015/08/11

Czech animation genius Jan Svankmajer’s masterpiece is as far as you can get from Disney’s interpretation of the classic Lewis Carroll tale. While the later is famously deranged, this version is inches from being a fully-fledged horror film, claustrophobic and oppressive. It’s jittery creatures, from a psychotic white rabbit to a wonderfully disturbing take on the caterpillar, are the stuff nightmares are made of. Unmissable.