5 Lesser Known Titles
That will introduce you to a brand new world of storytelling & filmmaking
Following the work of certain artists & performers has always been a fruitful experience, which in turn have led me to some startling discoveries. Here they are, in no particular order.
Do look out for these, as the year progresses.
Memoria
Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Tilda Swinton’s film trajectory has been an absolute joy to follow! From Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ to Bong Joon-Ho’s ‘Snowpiercer’ she seems to have done it all.
‘Memoria’ – which screened at the Cannes Film Festival a couple of days ago – seems to have hit it straight out of the park! But more importantly, Swinton’s choice of projects have always introduced me to intriguing and exciting creatives. This time around, it’s the Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul and his wondrous cinematic achievements.
After Yang
Directed by Kogonada
Kogonada’s mesmerising directorial debut ‘Columbus’ is a beautiful meditative triumph and needs to be seen by one and all. An exquisitely crafted tale and an ode to the ‘modernist way of building’, that follows the unlikely friendship between a young architecture enthusiast and the son of a renowned architectural scholar.
With ‘After Yang’, the South Korean born – American filmmaker takes on the speculative fiction genre by adapting a sci-fi short ‘Saying Goodbye to Yang by Alexander Weinstein.’
Haley Lu Richardson teams up yet again with the director, and is joined by Colin Farrell, Justin H. Min & Jodie Turner-Smith.
A Hero
Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Asghar Farhadi’s ‘A Separation’ (Amazon Prime) is a fine piece of evocative filmmaking that is poetic, complex and deeply layered – led by a tremendous cast in Leila Hatami & Payman Maadi.
I expect ‘A Hero’ to be another strong entry by the award-winning Iranian filmmaker who is renowned for his humanistic realism – capturing and depicting life through an unfiltered lens.
Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain
Directed by Morgan Neville
The tragic, untimely and unfortunate demise of Anthony Bourdain – a chef, author, adventurer and above all else, a stellar human being – was a gut-punch that reverberated across the globe.
Paris, 13th District
Directed by Jacques Audiard
I’ve been meaning to watch ‘Dheepan’ (Netflix) – Audiard’s 2015 Palm d’Or winner – but have always pushed it further down the watchlist.
Enter Noémie Merlant – who dazzled in ‘A Portrait of A Lady On Fire’ (Amazon Prime) – and my interest in Audiard’s work has been rekindled!
5 Better Known Titles
That will enchant, excite and delight the senses
A heady mix of psychological horror, action-packed dark-humour, whimsical portraits and sci-fi epics.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone!
The French Dispatch
Directed by Wes Anderson
The quirky, suave, nostalgic, albeit melancholic radiance that Wes Anderson infuses into his films is a sight for sore eyes. Each and every scene is carefully crafted and laid out like a picture postcard.
With an ensemble cast that leads most of his projects and the whimsical spectacles that ensue, Anderson’s films are events in themselves – ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ stands at the very top of my list.
‘The French Dispatch’ could very well be that gem that takes the crown this year though.
Last Night in Soho
Directed by Edgar Wright
From the wacky, brilliant mind that whipped up ‘The Cornetto Trilogy’, introduced ‘The World’ to ‘Scott Pilgrim’, and turned on the ignition with ‘Baby Driver’, comes a rather different flavouring for the season.
A psychological horror-thriller with Anya Taylor-Joy – who “absolutely nailed her role” in The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) – as an aspiring fashionista? Sign me up!
The Suicide Squad
Directed by James Gunn
The controversy over James Gunn’s tweets and a series of ‘fortunate’ events that unfolded saw him kicked out of the MCU, brought into the folds of a struggling DCEU and, ultimately (thankfully) re-instated as the the creative force behind ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’.
Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad‘ could re-invigorate and bring some sense of purpose back to a rudderless DCEU.
Candyman
Directed by Nia DaCosta
Nia DaCosta burst onto the scene with a robust directorial debut in ‘Little Woods’ – a crime thriller western starring Tessa Thomspon & Lily James. And will now be bringing her filmmaking chops to the MCU by directing the sequel to ‘Captain Marvel’ – ‘The Marvels’.
‘Candyman’ has been on my list for a while now, especially since Jordan Peele (Get Out) is part of the production team and has a penchant for creating some of the best horror films out there.
Dune
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
I can’t really think of anyone else being able to pull this one off.
Denis Villeneuve is the complete filmmaker. A masterful storyteller who is both passionate and smart with a firm grip over the larger visions and concepts of his projects. With a meticulous eye for detail – preparation fuels the best kind of improvisation, according to the filmmaker – with ideas and work flows clearly marked out months, and in some cases years in advance – completely in sync with either the process or the nuance of characterisation and storytelling.
The brainchild of one of the most prolific sci-fi authors of his time – Frank Herbert – ‘Dune’ is, without a doubt, one of the biggest films of the decade.