Son of Saul: a modern morality play in the midst of extreme evil
László Nemes, “Son of Saul / Saul Fia” (2015) Of all the stories László Nemes could have chosen to film to launch his career as a…
Horror
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Hollywood Goth drama undone by misanthropy and poor source material
Tim Burton, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007) US film director Tim Burton has long been fascinated with non-conformists and outsiders, especially those…
The Virgin Spring: a profound and moving work on vengeance, justice and the remoteness of religion
Ingmar Bergman, “The Virgin Spring / Jungfrukällan” (1960) Perhaps not so celebrated as “The Seventh Seal”, this morality tale on the nature of humanity, the remoteness…
Ex_Machina: style is part of the substance in a low-budget SF film that tackles complex issues
Alex Garland, “Ex_Machina” (2015) At first glance, Alex Garland’s directorial debut flim “Ex Machina” looks like the total triumph of style over substance but like its…
Invocation of My Demon Brother: not an essential film to see for Kenneth Anger fans
Kenneth Anger, “Invocation of My Demon Brother” (1969) If like me, you’ve already seen a considerable number of films by Kenneth Anger, this one won’t add…
Scorpio Rising: an amazing concoction of film collages, music and themes
Kenneth Anger, “Scorpio Rising” (1964) One of the most amazing concoctions of film collages and music soundtracks, “Scorpio Rising” is perhaps Kenneth Anger’s most famous and…
Troll Hunter: comedy horror flick works in popular Norwegian stereotypes and fears of a police state
André Øvredal, “Troll Hunter / Trolljegeren” (2010) Inspired perhaps by the example of “The Blair Witch Project” and “Man Bites Dog” from the 1990s and “Cannibal Holocaust” from…
Funny Games (English language version): an ultimately empty and boring remake that misses the point of violence in American films
Michael Haneke, “Funny Games (English language version)” (2007) Austrian director Michael Haneke originally had wanted to make “Funny Games” as an American film due to his…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Plumber: quirky character study commenting on the gulf between social classes and the sexes
Peter Weir, “The Plumber” (1979) Originally made for television, this low-budget film combines the psychological thriller with cheerful larrikin Aussie black comedy and light commentary on…
Oldboy: arthouse film trappings cannot disguise a flimsy plot, flat characters and an empty message
Chanwook Park, “Oldboy” (2003) When I saw this film the first time over a decade ago, I was impressed with its style and colour and the…