Dark River: The best films I've seen

The Coen brothers have done it again. This is one of the most enjoyable film I have seen lately. O Brother is so completely character driven that in comparison The Big Lebowski seems to have a reasonable plot! I don't remember much about the Odyssey but several references are easy too spot (the sirens, the Cyclop...). Music is an important part of the film and even though I know nothing about Bluegrass I liked it a lot. Really funny. (09.2000)

I had seen this Hitchcock masterpiece many times on TV and video but seeing it on a large screen was a treat. The dialogs are really funny and sometimes insightful. It is an entertaining thriller with a lot a comedy in it but it is also a study on privacy. The print wasn't very good especially at the beginning but it was much better than the small screen. (07.2000)

The talent of Nick Park survived the contraints of Hollywood in this first feature length plasticine animation. Chicken Run is a tribute to The Great Escape with a lot of humour. The characters, or rather the chickens, really come to life thanks to the voice actors and the great animation. It is trully amazing how a few facial movements can express emotions. In one word: Hilarious. (07.2000)

I hadn't seen a film by Jim Jarmusch since Dead Man and his style is still very much the same. He is telling a story in a minimalist way (not quite as minimalist as Le Samouraī with which it has a lot in common), concentrating more on the moments when nothing happens. The only disapointing aspect of Ghost Dog is the music which I found intrusive and annoying but it's probably just that I don't like that kind of music. (05.2000)

American Beauty is a reflection on an America obsessed by appearances, prejudiced against everyone and everything, an America of dysfunctional families. The topic isn't new but some truly amazing acting brings everything to life (Kevin Spacey will get his share of awards for this one!). All the main characters in the film are disturbed to some extent but are shown in a humourous light. Lester's (K. Spacey) attempt to live life the way he wants to despite his unsympathetic family makes him rather likeable. A powerful drama with more than a bit of sit-com.

The Wachowski brothers are back after their first film "Bound". Again, the visual aspect is striking. The story is reminiscent of "The Terminator" (and others) and is quite logical. Nice Hong-Kong style fighting sequences. I saw this one twice. ;-)

Probably not David Cronenberg's best film but still complex and disturbing. Elements from most of his previous films (from the ones I've seen at least) are present. Virtual reality inside virtual reality inside... Excellent.

This film is truly amazing. Thomas Vinterberg filmed this familly drama following the concept of Dogma95 (natural light, handheld camera...). And the result is... amazing, but I said that already.

This is absolutely brilliant. Takeshi Kitano alternates quiet introspective parts with brief explosions of violence.

David Lynch masterpiece. You can talk about it for hours and still know only one thing: you didn't understand a thing! :-)

(French title: "Au loin s'en vont les nuages"). Excellent, excellent, excellent. Aki Kaurismaki in his usual depressive mood.