WikiSecrets: questionable motives and agenda in documentary that smears whistle-blower
Marcela Gaviria, “WikiSecrets” (2011) Took in this documentary on SBS1 last night on the case of Bradley Manning, the US soldier arrested in May 2010 f0r…
nausika
Cat Soup: surreal meditation on life and death, time, religion and the universe
Tatsuo Sato, “Cat Soup” / “Nekojiru-so” (2003) Here is a beautifully animated surreal short film which superficially looks like a children’s film but is clearly intended…
Rubber Johnny: small dense film in which a universe of transformation and realised ambitions is contained
Chris Cunningham, “Rubber Johnny” (2005) Started small as a commercial based on the idea of a raver’s body morphing into different shapes as he dances, then…
Psycho (dir. Gus van Sant): a decent remake with a different message from the original film
Gus van Sant, “Psycho” (1998) A shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock original with much the same dialogue and even reconstructions of the original sets, this film…
13 Assassins: good guys fight bad guys in a changing world where old traditions and values are redundant
Takashi Miike, “13 Assassins” / “Jusannin no Shikaku” (2010) Is there a genre of film the prolific director Takashi Miike hasn’t yet touched? Eighty films in…
Melodrama, spy thriller hi-jinks and conservation activism a strong mix in “The Cove”
Louie Psihoyos, “The Cove” (2009) This documentary by American photographer and film-maker Louie Psihoyos combines spy thriller genre elements with an agenda to educate the public about…
Anxiety about industrialisation and technology and their effects on individuals and society in “Tetsuo: The Iron Man”
Shinya Tsukamoto, “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” (1989) Once again Tsukamoto has remade “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” in the form of “Tetsuo: Bullet Man”, the previous remake having been…
Russian Ark: visual travelogue through art and culture meditating on identity, history and time
Alexander Sokurov, “Russian Ark” (2002) At last a film was made with just one take and a well-executed and visually gorgeous film it is too. “Russian Ark” is…
Australian and New Zealand Films, British Films
Night of the Hell Hamsters / Eel Girl: two efficient comedy horror film shorts
Paul Campion, “Night of the Hell Hamsters” (2005), “Eel Girl” (2008) Film shorts are a flexible medium for telling particular kinds of stories or expressing ideas…
German and German-language Films
The Blue Angel: stodgy film best seen as a character study and sympathetic morality tale
Josef von Sternberg, “The Blue Angel” / “Der Blaue Engel” (1930) Famous as the movie that sent its leading lady Marlene Dietrich and director Sternberg (that…