Day 4, 5 Movies so far

"Dark City"

Dark City, released back in the 90's, heralded the arrival of Alex Proyas. It was widely acclaimed and has developed a cult following since its release. Well ... I didn't think it was that great. Sure, its visually unique, & features some really cool fx, but overall it was pretty average.

The biggest issue I had with the film is that its never equal to or greater than the sum of its parts. Individual scenes are great, but there's little holding the film together. The pace too, is rushed, jumping between scenes constantly, without really letting you get to know the characters. Speaking about characters, the performances are horribly marred by the editing. (wait till you watch Kiefer Sutherland in this - the guy is a ham factory!) The film also has a naivete about it, reminiscent of sci fi films form the 50's - when the Strangers (watch the film to find out more) 'tune' their reality, the director actually shows them doing it, as if you wouldn't believe it otherwise! The third act ends well though, with a spectacular conclusion - in some ways, this redeemed the film for me.

All in all, the film has a unique visual style and some interesting themes & ideas but little else that I could recommend.

"Best in Show"

Christopher Guest is a genius. No question. He makes a particular kind of film, but makes it extremely well.

This one's almost as good as his previous effort, 'Waiting for Guffman'. What, it lacks in the over the top quality of the latter, 'Best in Show' makes up in subtlety. This mocumentary, based on contestants at a dog show, in insightful, hilarious & touching all at the same time. Each of the key characters are memorable - stand outs being Micheal Hitchcock and Parker Posey's high strung and continuously squabbling couple. The film also has a free wheeling style, every scene seeming ad-libbed and improved. It's to the director's credit that he's able to keep context to the proceedings, while keeping it really entertaining. You have to watch this, and while you're at, why not get a Christopher Guest triple bill going, with 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'Waiting for Guffman'.

Day 2, 3 movies so far

"Sólo con tu pareja"

Few things are more exciting to me, than discovering a great movie by myself. Before you read about them, and before anyone else, said they were great - you discovered this for yourself!

"Sólo con tu pareja", is one such example. I'd never heard about it before, but it's directed by Alfonso Cuaron and that's never a bad thing. This is his directorial debut, and he then went on to make awesome films like Y tu mama tambien and Children of Men. Compared to his later work, this film's much more light hearted - its an out and out comedy (like Woody Allen's earlier films) and features a Lothario, who suddenly has the tables turned on him. The pace, like the dialogue is frenetic. The film never takes it self seriously, gives you little time to breathe & leaves you in stitches right through. Each frame is lovingly shot and displays Alfonso's eccentric sense of composition.

If you're in the mood for a fun (and racy) film of considerable quality, to unwind after a stressful day at work, this is a movie, I'd really recommend.

Day 1, 2 Movies so far

"The Devil's Backbone"

Ok, so I'm beginning with an awesome film. Guillermo Del Toro's probably one of the most imaginative directors out there - a real autre, who's films drip with the love of cinema. There aren't enough good things to say about this movie. The performances are fantastic - especially from Eduardo Noreiga, FedericoLuppi and Fernando Tielve. The cinematography reflects the mood swings in the film beautifully and the CGI is so subtle it only enhances the viewing experience. (Mr. Lucas - please take note).

All in all, I can't recommend this film strongly enough. Its rare to find a simple story, told with so much depth and sensitivity & that's saying a lot about a horror film.

"Heavy Metal"

For the uninitiated, Heavy Metal was a fantasy/sci fi comic book from the mid '70's. It featured outrageous stories, ultra violent action & nude, boxum women - in short, good times! The film based on the comic was produced by Ivan Rietman and has developed into a cult classic over the years. Its not surprising why - while this animated film barely manages to string together 4 or 5 stories, it is purely escapist fun, and feeds the geek fantasy in all of us. The animation too, isn't bad. In fact, each story features a different animation style, and is mildly entertaining in themselves. The voice acting is patchy, but features the talents of John Candy, Harold Ramis & Eugene Levy, amongst others. So, it isn't really up there with the greats, but its really fun. Just don't let the 'animated' tag fool you - this definitely, isn't for kids.