Les amants criminels (1999) - François Ozon

Serioulsy can't really relate François Ozon to New French Extremity apart from Les amants criminels. This film is distinctively different from his more recent works. Ozon is the first french directors whom I admire but Les amants criminels is not the Ozon that I have always known. Maybe it's at that period of time it was a trend to make (a bit more) provocative films. Or people changed?

A Escondidas [en: Hidden Away fr: Fronteras] (2014) - Mikel Rueda

A escondidas did a really good job in conveying one single feeling and it succeeded in making us on edge, deliberately denying what we want to happen or see. Somewhat somehow we have all been there, right?

The last scene, it’s simple but extremely emotional. It contains hope but we could have guessed what happened. It’s not personal, the director uses that scene on propose and there isn’t a hundred ways to interpret it. I like it, because it represents life. Life is unpredictable and the only thing we could do is to be prepared and hope for the best.

Divines (2016) - Houda Benyamina

I guess films about the suburb (banlieue) population is a legit genre. People who are from the lowest social ladder try really hard everyday to strive or simply just to survive, most of them have one thing in common, anger. People who are just like us but not really. It’s hard to admit and nothing derogate. Some people just struggle to put food on the table. 

What makes Divines different from it’s genre? It’s funny, it’s light but it’s also hard to watch at times and it definitely doesn’t sugarcoat anything. There is this incredible friendship between the two young actresses which is something rare to see in this kind of genre. It’s interesting how they play with gender roles in the film, they put the female lead into dealing and the male into dancing. When he asked: “do you know how much my life would change right now?” There is a sense of irony, viewing that she was making fun of him working in security for a supermarket on the side while he was auditioning for a dancing company. Obviously she thinks she makes a better choice than he does but does she?

A little side note, the male lead… you will know what i mean when you watch it. Maybe it’s just me but I don’t think so.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - Stanley Kubrick

Do you know why woman were used to get married? it’s because they could lose they virginity and be opened to freedom and the things that they wanted to do. A stranger told Alice at the party. 

Gender roles play a big part in Eyes Wide Shut. What man think woman are capable of hence leading Alice (Nicole Kidman) confesses what could have happened, the big “if” which leads Dr William Harford ventures off to a sexual adventure.

Is it unfaithful having a dream about having an orgy in front your husband? Or is it more unacceptable telling your husband you are willing to risk your marriage for one night with a stranger you’ve just seen?

The confession scene is so powerful, the tension between the two leads is unbearable. Seriously, what are people thinking during the day? What is your thought when your genital are being examined. Any fantasy? Yes, the patient might got carried away by the possible “bad news” but what if everything is fine? To man (or Dr Harford) woman are not capable of being sexual, the mother instinct will keep them in line. What happened between Dr. Harford patient’s daughter amplifies his insecurity which made him doubt the reason why he is being “good”. Maybe it is a bit over exaggerated comparing being promiscuous to going to a high end sex club.

We couldn’t judge one person by one night or a dream against the rest of their life. Alice said to Will.

I think Eyes Wide Shut is a bit underrated. Psychologically it is a mind blowing experience.

Jules et Jim (1962) - François Truffaut

I know people say Les quatre cents coups [The 400 blows] (1959) is one of his best works but seriously, personally, I prefer Jules et Jim. Les quatre cents coups is a personal journey of what Truffaut went through as a kid, for which I admire. However, on the other hand Jules et Jim is more of an eternal story which no matter the time and cultural differences somewhat you could find something to relate to.

I am not talking being “friend zoned”, in my case, Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), it’s not a cliché that I relate myself as the female protagonist. I have valid reasons of my own. The fact she is candid, reckless and a little egoistic seem like a perfect description of me. I could totally see myself standing on the thin line, juggling my life as it comes. I guess I like playing with fire. Hope I won’t end up being burnt.

Jules et Jim is considerably really forward for it’s time, even today 3-way relationships are still being looked down on. Just because love is blind and it has stood before time way before our existences, it is still as represented as a taboo. I am pro-love, which means, just let people do whatever they want.

Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967) - Jacques Demy

Hitchcock said suspense didn't have to be fear, it could be a lot of other things. The anxeity of whether the protagonists will find love is almost unbearable, especially the character of Delphine (Catherine Deneuve). Demy playfully sugarcoats the tone and the visual of the movie which is absolutely brillant. 

"Anticipation" is strongly present in Lola (1961) and in La paraluie de cherbourg (1964), but all three of them have a different interpretation of the "wait", either hopelessly or desperately in love and in Les demoiselles de Rochefort, they are more like romantically looking for the love of their lives/ their dreams. It's not sad but it's the suspense that I couldn't stand. The more joyful it seems the more painful for the audience (ME) to anticipate the end, which is brillant how Demy links the audience and the film together with the same concept.

Sausage Party (2016) - Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Sausage Party is really a surprise, I thought It would be straight up stupid jokes but instead it is deeper than expected. And the food porn scene will forever be in my head, I think it is a way to say “Fu*k you” to all those dirty minds out there. I simply don’t know how to react to it. It’s brilliant and explicit, it’s so wrong but it feel so right at the same time. 

How interesting they are trying to deny the existence of GOD. All we need is to believe in yourselves no matter how isolated and despair you feel. As long as you are determined you will succeed even if God is in the way.

Elephant (2003) - Gus Van Sant

What makes Elephant stood out from it’s genre is it’s subtleness, just a normal school day, everything is completely as usual and who knows what would happen next. The editing makes the audience on edge since we all know the premise. The movie keeps going back to the same moment before it happens. The suspense is unbearable. 

Sant didn’t put any emphasis on the event itself nor any political statement which I found really interesting because he leaves it to the audience to decide and judge what’s good in believing we are born innocent which is the total opposite of the movie.

For some reason this movie makes me think of the Orlando Shooting. Violence doesn’t need any justification, we put a label on it doesn’t make it any less bearable or acceptable.

Swiss Army Man (2016) - Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

This movie is not for the faint-hearted. This is the genre I personally love the must. Sometime we don’t need to explain ourselves and calculate every single second of the movie. Just let it goes out of hand and see what happens. There are so many shocking moments which make you pounder the credibility of the movie but yet you just smile your way through. 

There are a lot of similarities between almost all of Quentin Dupieux’s films (for example: Rubber 2010)) and Swiss Army Man. In terms of running wild and out of control, somehow the comedic storylines magically merge with each other and become something unexpectedly intelligent and raw at the same time. Dupieux gives us the epic monologue at the beginning however the latter integrates a shocking surprise at the end. Both ways work wonderfully. We might not be used to these eerie ideas and craziness nevertheless, they are way too captivating to ignore. It’s hard to react to these kind of over-exaggerated visions. When they are nicely made, they could be one fine piece of work itself and would be forever immortalised. (There are more and more of these kind of movies in the market, I wonder is there a proper term to describe it or even a study on it.)

Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe deliver a fantastic performance. Ever since Harry Potter Radcliffe tried very hard to break out of his Potter image and he has proven himself a serval times already. Paul Dano, no explanation needed. He has been amazing ever since I knew him from Little Miss Sunshine (2005). 

Not to mention the social issue which is the foundation of the movie. It couldn’t happen then or later, it’s relevant. The isolation deduces from social media that causes the lost of touch between people is getting serious. We never talk about it but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. 

Swiss Army Man might be one of the weirdest movies of 2016, it might not be a big fan favour now, trust me, in maybe few years it will definitely be on the lists of must-watch cult movies of all time.

Mala Noche (1986) - Gus Van Sant

Sant directorial debut, filmed in 16mm B&W. 

Mala Noche is about chasing that something we dersire, the blurred lines in relationships. In term of editing, it could be better, it's kind of confusing at times but it did a good job in conveying the message and the tone of the film,

The Gus Van Sant exhibit at La Cinémathèque française is really a good introduction of his works, what inspires him, etc.

아가씨 (2016) - Park Chan-wook

The scene where Lady Hideko is reciting one of her uncle’s famous work in front of a first timer “book club member” Count Fujuwara. That fan trick and the chocking just sweep you off your chair. Simplicity, just a flick of her fingers plus her highly seductive intonation, there is no need to understand the content, the performance itself speaks louder than words. 

At first The Handmaiden might seem atypic for a Park Chan-wook film at least the first half. A smart decision to divide the movie in 3 parts. It resonates the revenge trilogy. The further we advance the more twisted the plot gets, which Park excels at in almost most of his movies. They are all looking for a way out, their freedom.

Unlike La Vie d’Adele (2013), the sex doesn’t feel redundant and less forced. Sex is not an easy thing to depict, it could easily stray to a more pornography vibe. The Handmaiden is one steamy hot lesbian fantasy from a man point of view, it is a bit too rehearsed to fit a certain mindset. Even though it is full of girl on girl actions somehow it feels too masculine. On the bright side, it captured the first sexual encounter vividly. The tension, the awe, the sweat, the climax, and those bells.

Still remember the first time watching the Oldboy (2003), I was completely in awe. The violence was teeth-cringing. There is this authenticity in his imageries that it’s hard to watch at times but you could not fight your curiosity. I wonder how could one imagine or create something as bloodthirsty as the revenge trilogy. (I still have to see Mr. Vengence) Park is the Asian version of Tarantino but less comic. A broken arm is a broken arm for Park, you feel it with the protagonist.

julieta (2016) - Pedro Almodóvar

Almodóvar said in an interview that every single colour used in the film meant something, from the wardrobe to the wallpaper. (a lot of directors do pay a lot of attention to colours but not all of cause like Gus Van Sant [not as much]) And julieta is different from his other films since the presence of female dialogues are less prominent even through the film is guided by the narrative point of Julieta.