Listmania!
Small Triumphs
The Double Life Of Veronique [DVD] [1991]The Double Life Of Veronique [DVD] [1991]
Buy new: £9.08 / Used from: £7.99
Often lost amongst Kieslowski's colours trilogy and Dekalog. This is a superb intro to Kieslowski's talent. The moment where the two Veronique's glimpse each other made my heart skip a beat.
The Passenger [DVD] [1975]The Passenger [DVD] [1975]
Buy new: £5.18 / Used from: £4.50
Well it's not small but it is a triumph that this Antonioni masterpeice gets to be seen. Unforgetable atmosphere with pre parody Jack in cool form, Gaudi buildings, identity crisis and a great ending
Uzak [2002] [DVD] [2004]Uzak [2002] [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £4.44
Highly rewarding film for the patient observer, reminds me of Antonioni in pacing and atmosphere. Set in beautifull wintery Istanbull featuring fine performances and great direction from Ceylan.
Dear Diary [DVD] [1993]Dear Diary [DVD] [1993]
Buy new: £8.98
The kind of film i would like to make. Personal,critical,bursting with ideas and very funny. So many great moments from Jennifer beals,Vespas to torturing film critics..
A Man Escaped [DVD] [1956] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]A Man Escaped [DVD] [1956] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £29.99
This is a perfect example of how sometimes less is more. As good if not greater than Pickpocket for me the build up and craftsmanship of the protagonists escape is rivetting.
The Flower of My Secret [1996] [DVD]The Flower of My Secret [1996] [DVD]
Had to get Almodovar in this list somewhere. ' Talk to Her' or' Volver' are better films but for me this really is a neglected joy and 'Angel' the publisher character is a small triumph himself !
Onibaba [Masters of Cinema] [DVD]Onibaba [Masters of Cinema] [DVD]
Buy new: £13.88 / Used from: £9.99
Thank goodness for Eureka releasing these wonderfull Japanese cult classics. Amazing haunting images,great editing, violence, sexual fustration and political undertones. Superb..
Trees Lounge [DVD] [1997]Trees Lounge [DVD] [1997]
Buy new: £13.98 / Used from: £7.50
This gets the nod over the equally great Buscemi film 'In the Soup'. Both poignant and very funny this is one of the best American indie films of the fertile 90's.
Late Spring [DVD] [1949] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]Late Spring [DVD] [1949] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £15.40
Tokyo Story maybe his masterpeice but Ozu made so many beautifull humanitarian films capturing family life so well and importantly still relevant to this today. My ultimate Sunday afternoon film!
Wonderland [DVD] [1999]Wonderland [DVD] [1999]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.50
My favorite British film of the 90's, the critics liked it but so few have seen it. Very moving family portrait set in London swept along by streaming digital photography and great Nyman score.
Fallen Angels DVD (All Regions PAL) aka Duo luo tian shi, Duoluo tianshi [1996]Fallen Angels DVD (All Regions PAL) aka Duo luo tian shi, Duoluo tianshi [1996]
Fantastic looking film from HK auteur Won Kar Wai and his maverick DP Chris Doyle. Two very cool stories and a very funny touching father son relationship. Most people prefer ChungKing ..but c'mon !
The Cranes Are Flying [1957] (REGION 1) (NTSC) [DVD] [US Import]The Cranes Are Flying [1957] (REGION 1) (NTSC) [DVD] [US Import]
Buy used from: £11.45
Not quite 'small' as it won Cannes back in 1957 but not enough people have seen this film. Amazing cinematography from the great Urusevsky (also Soy Cuba) and a fantastic heartbreaking finale..
Summer With Monika [1952] [DVD]Summer With Monika [1952] [DVD]
Buy new: £6.48 / Used from: £9.49
Not as talked about as Personna,Wild Strawberries,etc but this remains one of Bergman's most memorable and idyllic summer set films and a great intro to this great sympathiser of the human soul.
Forbidden Games [DVD] [1952] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]Forbidden Games [DVD] [1952] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £23.02
A real tearjerker and one of the best films about childhood.. The film does'nt flinch from showing the horrors of WW2 but within this backdrop the children create these wonderfull 'strange games'.
American Movie [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]American Movie [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £14.07
This gets pidgeonholed into some Waynes World fallout genre but to the more astute obsever it far transcends its jokey premise. You cant help root for the determined Mark and his American dream.
Open Hearts [DVD] [2003]Open Hearts [DVD] [2003]
Buy used from: £3.81
Despite some awkward cinematic experimentation this is a superbly acted and heart breaking story of impossible love. Just read the amazon personal reveiws.
Festen [DVD] [1999]Festen [DVD] [1999]
Buy used from: £5.00
What a film and now a successfull play too. This heralded in the Dogma movement with a mighty crash that shook up the film industry with its revolutionary edge. I can still remember the excitement !
The World of Apu [DVD] [1959] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]The World of Apu [DVD] [1959] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £60.91
Just buy the Apu trilogy ! I like this more than Pantha Panchali. Ray truly was one of the greats. The love affair between Apu and Aparna is so beautifull. Ahh just sufocate me now !
Un Coeur En Hiver [DVD] [1993]Un Coeur En Hiver [DVD] [1993]
Buy new: £12.88 / Used from: £11.99
A film I still feel love sick for. I want to revisit the characters within and see how they are getting on ... Sautet worked very hard perfecting the dialogue for it and it shows. A masterpeice.
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner [DVD] [1962]The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner [DVD] [1962]
Buy used from: £12.00
A great intro to the films of the British New Wave led by directors Anderson, Reisz and this from Tony Richardson from an Alan Sillitoe story. Watch them all but this is the one that haunts me ..
Eat Drink Man Woman [DVD] [1994] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]Eat Drink Man Woman [DVD] [1994] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £9.82
It's all about the cooking for me, a real cinematic feast underpining a great family story and launched Mr Lee on too much bigger things. Still the best of his pictures I think.. Ozu would approve.
Close-Up [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]Close-Up [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £23.35
Sometimes Iranian cinema leaves me with culture guilt but after watching this I was simply stunned. You really feel for the man accused who identifies so strongly with art . What an ending too..
The Story of Qui Ju [DVD] [1992] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]The Story of Qui Ju [DVD] [1992] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £16.72
Now with' Hero ' in every Blockbuster store in the country this is where Yimou grounded his reputation in stories like this of a determined woman's plight to seek justice for her husband.
My Name Is Joe [DVD] [1998]My Name Is Joe [DVD] [1998]
Buy used from: £4.40
God bless Ken Loach !. This is possibly my favorite of his. Superb natural performances, wonderfull script both humorous and inevitably tragic. See also Sweet 16.and The Dardennes 'Rosetta'
Ivan's Childhood [1962] [DVD]Ivan's Childhood [1962] [DVD]
Buy new: £6.28
Tarkovsky's first full feature. It's not 'the Mirror' but both me and Sartre agree it is quite an unforgettable film, well, he would have said more than that. Horses eating apples on the beach..ahhh