Fiction - Commercial - Corporate - Animation - Documentary

Zodiac – 2007


It’s easy to forget how little murder-mystery films tend to respect our intelligence. Along comes David Fincher, the most meticulous and unsentimental of current A-list Hollywood directors, with this hardest of nuts to crack: a fact-based story lacking any real resolution. We know this going in, and yet the suspense and thrill and frustration of the chase are unbearable. Finally, here is a detective story where you know as little as the detectives! And in true Fincher fashion, it is glorious to behold, even though it is closer to the steely precision of his work on Gone Baby or House of Cards than it is to the pyrotechnics of, say, Fight Club. The murder scenes themselves are a filmmaking masterclass, and never has watching two guys just waiting been so fascinating. Then again, said guys are Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal. If you haven’t seen this one yet, be sure to check it out.

Kinski Paganini – 1989


Sometimes, more IS more, subtlety be damned. This directorial debut from producer/start/writer/editor Klaus Kinski paints a vivid portrait of the titular composer by way of nepotistic casting and quasi-pornographic vignettes. If you ever thought sitting through a single one of Paganini’s works could be an intense experience, wait until you subject your senses to 90 minutes of a Kinski Remix. For bonus points you can watch it with the knowledge that Kinski had offered it as a joint-venture to Werner Herzog, who wisely refused, preferring a holiday in Bokassa’s Central African Republic. This might only make our must-see list because of today’s date, but we promise, we mean everything we just said.

Richard III – 1955


It is very much a product of its time, but do not let that deter you from discovering this masterpiece by Lawrence Olivier – cinema’s great Shakespearian scholar. Unlike many of the films we love, the beauty is not in the form, though the undeniable craftsmanship does eventually make an impression. The real achievement, as Shakespeare aficionados would have it, is in the text, and how expertly it has been edited, rearranged and supplemented (curtesy of preceding play « Henry VI » and later authors Cibber and Garrick). If that doesn’t inspire you – and it did us, as our films section will soon reveal – then Olivier’s Blackadder-inspiring turn as the protagonist should do the trick.

Phantom of the Paradise – 1974


Musicals ain’t what they used to be, but to be fair they never used to be like this. This is a one-off of epic-proportions: Brian De Palma riffs on the Phantom of the Opera, but also channels Hitchcock and plants seeds that will inspire the likes of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Star Wars. No summary can do it justice so let’s just mention that it’s a wide-angle bonanza, confirms the genius of Paul Williams, stars the original Darth Vader prototype and has the nuttiest prison escape montage ever put to film.

Extreme Animation – 1991-2000


We’re on a bit of an animation binge at the moment. Nothing wrong with a Disney classic of course but we’re talking Jan Švankmajer and Phil Mulloy. Technically, they are worlds apart, but they share a wonderful sense of irreverence. These are unique, dark and funny little universes we strongly urge you to explore for yourself!

Mary and Max – 2009


On first inspection, not an obvious Valentine’s Day movie recommendation, but as a love story between two human souls, this is essential viewing. It’ll bring every imaginable kind of tear to your eyes, make you laugh and leave you strangely uplifted. If you’re tired of cynical Hollywood romance, you should give this a try. Its rewards are boundless. And, as icing on the cake, the animation is pure genius!

The Grand Budapest Hotel – 2014


We didn’t think we’d officially pick sides, but really, who doesn’t? Oscar 2015 has some strong contenders, but none more-so than what is so far the apotheosis of Wes Anderson’s unique career. One of cinema’s coolest talents has just given us his most finely crafted, most visually accomplished and, indeed, funniest film. Delicious!

Marketa Lazarová – 1967


This is not your typical, squeaky-clean 60s technicolor Medieval epic. It’s as far from that as you can get, actually, and as un-Hollywood. Shot in gritty black and white, this is an uncompromising and filthy look at life in the Middle Ages, of Christianity clashing with the last remains of Paganism. It’s beautiful and terrible at the same time, and you can almost feel and smell the textures on screen, the film being a degenerate fusion of Terrence Malick and Sam Peckinpah.

Die Nibelungen – 1924


All fantasy epics every made have strands of Fritz Lang’s staggering masterpiece in their DNA, but few have the same impact. Long before Lord of the Rings, the German pioneer infused his fairytale with both magic and doom, innocence and cruelty, and an eye for composition second to none. It’s a leap of faith to invest 5 hours into a silent film, but you will not be indifferent to its power, even close to a century after its original release.

Tetsuo – 1989


Tetsuo is a testament to the power of the imagination, and what nightmarish visions you can bring to life with a bit of loose change, some B&W film stock and a seriously messed-up sense of humor. It’s in that same feverishly inventive category as the original Evil Dead and Night of the Living Dead, but has its own unique surreal style that is still shocking to this day!