French and French-language Films
Delicatessen: amusing dystopian black comedy that overdoes the oddball edge and comes out looking twee
Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, “Delicatessen” (1991) How to describe this droll French movie that
Early Summer: visually stunning film with message about effects of change on families
Yasujiro Ozu, “Early Summer” (1951) Calm and serene with a thin plot, “Early Summer” looks
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Fringe Dwellers: gentle comedy with limited message about a family struggling with racial prejudice and discrimination
Bruce Beresford, “The Fringe Dwellers” (1986) Based on the 1961 novel of the same name
Palindromes: dark comedy fable of Western society’s exploitation of children and value of life
Todd Solondz, “Palindromes” (2004) A dark comedic fairy tale about a girl trapped in a
North by Northwest: fun escapist enjoyment that encapsulates Hitchcock’s inner world
Alfred Hitchcock, “North by Northwest” (1959) After the intense “Vertigo” which initially wasn’t a great
French and French-language Films | Japanese Films
Inju, the Beast in the Shadow: a standard crime thriller with unrealised potential
Barbet Schroeder, “Inju, la bête dans l’ombre” (2008) Enjoyably silly movie about a literature academic
Se7en: well-made if not great film about good and evil in an indifferent universe
David Fincher, “Se7en” (1995) “Se7en” is a well-made film with some excellent acting performances and
The Man without a Past: heart-warming comedy about need for “identity” to survive in modern society
Aki Kaurismäki, “The Man without a Past” (2002) A heart-warming comedy about a man who
Spider Forest: amusing psych horror / art-house drama that maps an amnesiac mind’s networks
Song Ilgon, “Spider Forest” (2004) Amusing if eccentric film that straddles a grey zone between
Gasland: intelligent and unassuming documentary on fracking
Josh Fox, “Gasland” (2010) Written, filmed, narrated and directed by Josh Fox, this documentary is