I've been lucky enough to have a lot of spare time on my hands of late and during that time I've tried to broaden my tastes somewhat. As a result, I have found myself pleasantly surprised. French cinema has been remarkably consistent over the years, with director and writer Luc Besson being a personal favourite of mine. I recently watched 'Angel-A', a surreal romance which is essentially a love letter from Besson to Paris. If you haven't seen it, I can't recommend it enough. You may or may not find the link here, but don't tell anyone I sent you there.
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro is gaining reputation as one of the most inventive and creative minds in cinema, with his films often featuring amazing narratives and some of the best cinematography in recent years. In case you haven't seen it already 'Pan's Labyrinth' is mega awesome and most definitely worth the money. So buy it or borrow it off me, I'm generous like that. Also noteworthy is 'El Orfanato', super creepy thriller. It's got kids in masks in it, that's all you need to know about it really.
If you're looking for something a little more serious, you should try 'City of God', the story of two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. The whole thing's made up of loads of different stories, it's beautifully shot and gives an amazing portrayal of what life is like in the favelas of Brazil. The film was originally a novel by Paulo Lins, who grew up in the favelas himself; it's really interesting to see how that translates to film.
So go home, don't watch 'Die Hard' again and have a look what else is on. You never know, you might like it.
P.s Much love goes out to Coco Williams, who recommended and showed me 'Angel-A' in the first place.
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro is gaining reputation as one of the most inventive and creative minds in cinema, with his films often featuring amazing narratives and some of the best cinematography in recent years. In case you haven't seen it already 'Pan's Labyrinth' is mega awesome and most definitely worth the money. So buy it or borrow it off me, I'm generous like that. Also noteworthy is 'El Orfanato', super creepy thriller. It's got kids in masks in it, that's all you need to know about it really.
If you're looking for something a little more serious, you should try 'City of God', the story of two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. The whole thing's made up of loads of different stories, it's beautifully shot and gives an amazing portrayal of what life is like in the favelas of Brazil. The film was originally a novel by Paulo Lins, who grew up in the favelas himself; it's really interesting to see how that translates to film.
So go home, don't watch 'Die Hard' again and have a look what else is on. You never know, you might like it.
P.s Much love goes out to Coco Williams, who recommended and showed me 'Angel-A' in the first place.
