Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
The more I think about Under the Skin the more I find myself falling for the visuals and soundscape that fuel its stripped-down story of an alien harvesting men from the streets of Scotland. The eerie and the avant-garde imagery in this film are difficult to shake off, being both sublime and disturbing. Combining the formally experimental moments in the film with scenes that employ such a bold cinéma vérité-style approach to filmmaking, has resulted in a truly unique work.
Veerle Baetens as Elise and Johan Heldenbergh as Didier in The Broken Circle Breakdown
I experienced intense joy and sorrow while watching the highs and lows of the relationship depicted in The Broken Circle Breakdown. Similar to the masterful Blue Valentine, this Belgium/Dutch film is cleverly non-lineal in order to contrast the happiness at the start of a relationship to the trauma that comes later. Included in the mix is a great subtext about religious faith and loosing faith in what America stood for during the Bush Administration, and some amazing bluegrass music.
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip to Italy
While I enjoyed The Trip I loved The Trip to Italy, which not only features funnier interactions between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing versions of themselves travelling around Italy for a food article, but is overall a tighter, better structured and better developed film. It not only gave me some of the biggest laughs I have had watching a film for a very long time, but the melancholic observations on mortality and morality were surprisingly effective.
Godzilla
The new Godzilla film somehow manages to stay true to the spirit and basic mythology of the original Japanese films, while also feeling like a fresh and sincere reincarnation of the legendary franchise. And while in hindsight the film suffers from some weak characterisation, the spectacle and action sequences more than compensate. The restraint used in key sequences made those moments genuinely frightening and exhilarating.
Del Herbert-Jane as James and Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Billie in 52 Tuesdays
The Australian film 52 Tuesdays is a highly inventive and sophisticated coming-of-age film. The various limitations that the filmmakers set for themselves has resulted in a fascinating film that continually challenges the audience to reassess their perceptions. Shot over 52 Tuesday afternoons, the story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her mother’s transition to a man touches on issues of adolescent sexuality, gender identity and ideas of privacy with sensitivity and complexity.
Posted by Thomas Caldwell 
