Recent Watchings

This morning my friend Camilla asked me to recommend some good films that I've watched recently.  Here is the list that I sent her, based on my recent Lovefilm selections and the other films these reminded me of as I went along...

Good films I have watched lately and the others this has made me think of:

Dogville – Is absolutely effing all-time amazing.  If you like this, see also: Dancer in the Dark, Antichrist and any other Lars Von Trier (although I think some of his are better than others).

Lemming – Really good French film with Charlotte Gainsbourg (who I am obsessed with).

Tetro – Slightly silly but really beautiful and has Vincent Gallo in it.

Somewhere – Sofia Coppola’s new one; I loved it but only if you like her sorts of films (i.e., dreamy and literally nothing happens!).

Buffalo 66 – Speaking of Gallo, have you seen this?  Possibly my favourite film ever, definitely Top 3.

Catfish – This is a scary and amazing documentary: may put you off Facebook.

Dogtooth – Weird and intriguing Greek film.

Mesrine (1 & 2) – Sexy French crime film with Vincent Cassel (from Irreversible) in it.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Best Woody Allen for ages.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed – Quite nasty little English film, but I thought really well done and had some good twists.

Leaving – Good French film with Kristin Scott Thomas in it (I also recently watched her in another French film, called I’ve Loved You So Long, which was very good but very sad!).

Tell No-one – Another sexy French thriller, excellent.

Ma Femme est Une Actrice – Lovely French comedy (see also: Heartbreaker and Priceless if you haven’t – both fantastic.  You have probably seen Priceless as it has Audrey Tautou in it being all sexy).

Happiness – Properly wrong and great black comedy; if you like this, you will love all of Todd Solondz’s films, he is amazing.

Interview – Lightweight but worth a watch, two-hander between Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller which I actually really enjoyed.

Cracks – Silly but absolutely beautiful 1930s-set boarding school film with Eva Green (I like anything all dreamy and coming-of-age-y).

An Education – Quite good, based on brilliant book by Lynn Barber.

Fishtank – Best English film I’ve seen in ages, in that modern gritty English film way.

Mister Lonely – Very silly, only watch if you like surrealist films!  I loved it.  It’s about crap celebrity lookalikes living in a house together.

Persepolis – Properly brilliant: it’s a cartoon, which I thought sounded off-putting, but I felt enlightened and absolutely loved it.

London To Brighton – Really, really good, quite harrowing.

Away From Her – Amazing, but watch on a day you’re feeling emotionally up to it; I had to have a break halfway through because I was literally hysterical.  But so, so beautiful and worth it in the end.  Strangely uplifting.

Volver – Fantastic Spanish film, one of Almodovar’s best and Penelope Cruz is obscenely gorgeous in it.  See also: All About My Mother (I think his best), Talk To Her; any of his others but those are my favourites.  Lots of fun.

La Haine – Classic modern French film (written and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz from Amelie and starring Vincent Cassel).