- The Idiots
Dogme #2, directed by Lars von Trier. A group of people try to discover their “inner idiot” then try to take it into their real lives. Very much a fly-on-the-wall documentary feel to it and it raises all kinds of questions about attitudes towards other people. It is hard to watch at times but the effort is worth it.
- Buena Vista Social Club
A documentary by Wim Wenders charting Ry Cooder's trip to Cuba in 1997 to record an album with the stars of the now abandoned Buena Vista Social Club. As one review described it, “if you've never heard Cuban music this film will have you hooked in minutes, if you're already a fan it is an absolute must.” Most of the musicians featured have been “forgotten” for years but are still capable of playing wonderful music, despite a number of them being older than 80. Each of these performers lives is fascinitating in its own right.
- Swingers
Directed by Doug Liman, and tells the story of a group of friends searching for love in the hippest nightspots of back-alley Hollywood. Also includes a nod to Reservoir Dogs and a trip to Las Vegas together with an intelligent answering machine.
- Like Water For Chocolate
A life told through a cookbook. A story of unrequited love during the time of the Mexican revolution. Apparently a DougSoc favourite too.
- Clerks
“I'm not even supposed to be here today!” A (probably less than typical) day in the life of two clerks in a convenience store and a video shop where rather a lot of things don't quite go the way they intended them to.
- Mifune
Dogme #3, directed by Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, or how life changes very quickly and very definitely when a web of lies is unravelled. Definitely an oddball comedy, and well worth seeing.
- The Ipcress File
“My name is Harry Palmer.” Just who is really responsible for the “brain drain?”
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Bunuel's 1972 Oscar-winning film in which six characters are continually interrupted by both dreams and reality in their efforts to dine together. Wonderfully surreal and very funny at many moments. Well worth catching if you can see it.
- Ghost in the Shell
A wonderful Japanese Anime from the Manga stable that somehow makes the Matrix seem tame. The thermoptics scenes are great, especially when you see characters being beaten up by someone you and they cannot see. How close can Artifical Intelligence come to being sentient?
- Run Lola Run
Great German film from Tom Tykwer. “The ball is round, the match lasts 90 minutes and the rest is just theory.” What do we mean when we speak of love? Do we really spend all our time asking the same questions and giving the same answers without really getting any further? I loved the “And then...” bits for each of the three alternative endings and the whole fast-paced nature of the film which was complemented wonderfully by its soundtrack. The story revolves around the fact that Manni, a petty gangster in Berlin, has lost the money from a deal and his underworld boss is arriving in 20 minutes looking for money he doesn't have. It's a rush - go see it. I'd been waiting to see it ever since I heard about it from coverage of the Edinburgh film festival and it was well worth the wait.
- Tarzan
Disney back to form? Perhaps, I wouldn't know since it's been so long since I saw a recent Disney animated feature (except Toy Story, which was rather a different affair). I did enjoy it though, even if I do have to put up with having some of the songs going around my head for the forseeable future. Everything had a nice 3d feel to it and the story felt as though it generally worked. Where was Cheetah though, we have to ask...
- Alfie
Michael Caine is Alfie, a man very proud of his “birds.” The film manages to feel very personal since Michael Caine spends much of the time confiding in the audience informing us of his philosophy of life. It's certainly a film that is never allowed to get boring but manages to maintain a quality throughout that is sharply observed.
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