History has puzzling patterns. Michelangelo Antonioni and Ingmar Bergman (two film directors who both explored the post-World War II malaise of European society) died on the same day in 2007. Ten years later another juxtaposition was just as revealing about American society. George Romero (who directed the most politically charged horror film of the 1960s) …
Beautiful depictions of sex and violence, vibrant colours, astonishing soundtracks and uncomfortable steadicam shots are often associated with the films of French-Argentine director Gaspar Noé. Hailed as a unique voice in cinema by some, and perceived as a mere provocateur by others, Noé remains as controversial today as when he exploded onto the seventh art. …
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho Aquarius is a strong testament to the value of family, memory and womanhood. Set in a seaside apartment block named ‘Aquarius’ in Recife, Brazil, its last remaining resident, 69 year old Clara (played by Sonia Braga) is a formidable opponent of the construction company ‘Bonfim’, who are doing everything in their power …
“Donnie Darko”, directed by Richard Kelly; is a fascinating cult coming-of-age film that calls to be experienced and solved many times. The plot is full of intriguing mental riddles that involve parallel realities and dreams, as well as feelings that transcend the definitions of “nostalgia” or “mystery”. Above all, this film has a kind of …
#6 Robert DeNiro and Bridget Fonda Tarantino’s Jackie Brown is my AK-47. Accept no substitutes. Aside from the slickness of the script, the funky unstoppable score throughout, the film just exudes sex and style. There is not much to say about the 10 second sex scene between Robert De Niro and Bridget Fonda, but its …
“Shame” is a harsh and compulsive film, directed by Steve McQueen. The film tells us about the life of Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a life that is almost perfect: he has a stable work, a nice apartment, good friends and women who adore him. However, something prevents Brandon from having a relationship that lasts more than …
#5 Jeremy Irons & Juliette Binoche Having written four previous pieces on sex scenes which have toasted my loins, the time has come to vent spleen on a film where I have been left both frigid and entertained in the most unexpected way. And, it is with an amused and a slightly annoyed disposition that …
On April 20, 1999, two teenage boys wearing trenchcoats carried a disheartening arsenal of military weapons to Columbine High School located in Littleton /Colorado, and systematically murdered thirteen students. Although this singular incident was horrible, it was just one of the eight deadly school shootings in the United States between 1997 and 1999, a number …
#4 Mickey Rourke & Lisa Bonet Never before has a film captivated me as much as Angel Heart. At an early age I started a polygamous relationship with it, marrying three of my favorite things: Mickey Rourke, the Occult and Chicken. My relationship with the latter is really quite simple, each Sunday a chicken is …
“Synecdoche, New York”, is an amazing and challenging film by director Charlie Kaufman. It is a film full of uncomfortable and courageous truths about human beings, which we constantly try to ignore through illusions and stimulating beliefs of transcendence. The theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is a depressed man, whose life fades quickly. …
