This Man is Dangerous – 1953

2021/05/14

Thank you fellow filmmaker Dan Stuyck for putting this one on our radar. International man of mystery Lemmy Caution (a very deadpan Eddie Constantine) jokes, slaps and murders his way through this incredibly convoluted tale of extortion, kidnapping, double and triple-crosses. What makes this one stand out is the surprising level of ruthlessness and some wonderfully self-aware one-liners. Seek this one out if you appreciate the finer things in life.

A Hidden Life – 2019

2021/04/14

Love him or hate him, Terrence Malick’s style is immediately recognizable and has its own, unique power. It can falter when applied to the wrong topic, but work wonders when matched with a compelling story. Thankfully, such is the case in this heartbreaking true story of a German conscientious objector at the dawn of World War II. Stars August Diehl and Valerie Pachner surrender themselves completely, with staggering results, and at its best, the film achieves an etherial kind of beauty that is seldom experienced in any art form. A must-see!

Out of Sight – 1998

2021/03/14

American indie darling Steven Soderbergh made his best film when he adapted Elmore Leonard’s breezy novel. This smooth, sexy caper is always on the move, always feels alive and sparkles with fleshed-out characters, witty banter and committed performances. And if you like this one, you can also check out its sister film, Jackie Brown, with which it shares a universe, an author and a minor character.

Phase IV – 1974

2021/02/14

This one is all down to execution. Genetically enhanced ants play havoc with two scientists’ experiment before moving to cruel mind games. The killer element here is the direction and macro photography by design legend Saul Bass: why, what, how? It doesn’t matter. What could have been silly or cheap is instead truly horrific and unique, and while we don’t say this often, we would love to see what a remake might look like, coming from someone with the right mix of talent and vision.

Little Women – 2019

2021/01/14

Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated triumph does more than dust off a beloved classic for an easy buck. It revamps and enhances it, injects it with life and an indomitable freshness, gives it a sense of wonder and joy. It also provides a showcase for some of the finest actresses of their respective generations, and despite faultless turns from Laura Dern and Meryl Streep, it is Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh who steal the entire show. Wonderul stuff!

A Passage to Marseilles – 1944

2020/12/14

As a double-bill with last month’s recommendation – and featuring more dastardly Nazis and patriotic derring-do – we present to you the unofficial sequel to Casablanca. This time, the focus is on men fleeing French penal colonies (so brutally illustrated in Papillon) run by the collaborator Vichy government, in order to return to Europe and fight for their country. Like Casablanca before it, with which it shares the key creative staff, the cast is the stuff dreams are made of: Bogart, Lorre, Rains, Greenstreet… Enjoy a seriously underrated treasure.

Five Graves to Cairo – 1943

2020/11/04

In one of his first big hits, golden age wunderkind Billy Wilder gives us his own spin on the WW2 spy adventure. The tight confines of a dusty Egyptian hotel make for a gripping, suspenseful tale, and no matter the gravity of the situation, it never eschews an all-too-rare ingredient of modern filmmaking: fun.

The Lighthouse – 2019

2020/10/14

Robert Eggers is certainly a talent to watch. After the haunting « The Witch », his sophomore effort strands Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe on a seagul-infested island where a towering lighthouse weaves a hypnotic spell. Shot in crisp black and white, this instant classic is part Lovecraftian horror film, part pitch-black comedy, and both stars turn in the performances of their lives. Looking back, this might well be one of our favorite films of the past decade.

The Right Stuff – 1983

2020/09/14

More than an apt title, this is a massive understatement for the suicidal glee with which America’s pioneering astronauts reached for the stars. With a solid foundation in Tom Wolfe’s epic novel, assured direction by Philip Kaufman and a cast that reads like a 90s Hollywood dream-team, this fantastic true story is just as inspiring as it was almost 3 decades ago upon release.

Hour of the Wolf – 1968

2020/08/14

Swedish legend Ingmar Bergman is remembered more for his psychologically insightful melodramas than for his genre films. That is a shame. Not to throw shade on his magnificent body of work, but for us, his greatest masterpiece is his only true horror film, a perfect little nightmare of a picture, starring the inimitable Max von Sydow.