What I saw in 2008

Summary

Watched 134 films in the year (not quite a whole year, more like 45 weeks)

I cast my net far and wide, watching films from 35 different countries (only saw 25 English speaking films)

Most films (by far) came from France (37)

Then, England (10), USA (8) Germany (7) Japan (7) Iran (6) Sweden (6) Scotland (5) Finland (4) Spain (4) Sweden (4) Denmark (4) Poland (2) China (2) India (2) Mongolia (2) Morroco (2) Mexico (2) Hungary (2) Italy (2)

And 16 other countries: Thailand, Ireland, Uruguay, Australia, Georgi, Colombia, Romania, Turkey, Iceland, Czechslovakia, Algeria, Belguim, Tunisia, Bosnia, Serbia, Argentina.

Sources of films: Lovefilm (23) Recorded from: past TV (51) recent TV (24) Bought/freebie DVD’s (20) Library (16)

I saw twice as many good films (i estimate 30) as bad ones (about 15 were crap)

Best 5 Films of the Year (seen for the first time)

  1. Alice in the Cities
  2. Whisky
  3. Le Fils
  4. Shadows in Paradise
  5. Take care of your scarf, Tatjana

Worst 5 Films of the Year (seen for the first – and last time)

  1. Exterminating Angel
  2. InterMission
  3. The American Friend
  4. Breathless
  5. Skin of Man, Heart of Beast

So-called “autuers” Louis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, and Wim Wenders get into this worst films list! (although Wenders did get on my best film list with Alice in the Cities)

I got to like Aki Kaurismaki’s films.

I got to realise i didn’t really like Tarkovsky as much as i’d thought i ought to. Admire yes. But his painstakingly slow films aren’t something i want to sit through too often.

I have a love/hate thing going on with Eric Rohmer’s films. They irritate me alot. And yet i’m drawn to sit through them for some bizzare reason.

Most French films seem to have this attraction/aversion quality for me. Maybe they represent something within me – and my English psyche – i’m keen to deny or disown, and yet can’t help but be fascinated by.

I’ve deliberately kept away from American films; i’m bored by American culture – especially the spoon-fed variety that comes off the production line from the  Hollywood “dream factory”. There are still some original films from the US, but you have to wade through a lot of schmaltzy drossy crap to get to them.

I’ve cultivated a liking for b/w English films portraying 1960’s social working-class realism.

Keeping this blog has made me more “real” and less pretentious about the films i actually like and feel genuinely moved by.

The better films are in bold.

Feb 2008 (4)

  1. The Death of Mr Lazarescu (Romania)
  2. Frozen Land (Finland)
  3. Broken Flowers (USA)
  4. The Day i became a woman (Iran)

March (8)

  1. The Captive (France)
  2. Young Adam (Scotland)
  3. The American Friend (Germany)
  4. Brief Encounter (England)
  5. No End (Poland)
  6. Abigail’s Party (England)
  7. Last Life in the Universe (Thailand/Japan)
  8. The Man Without a Past (Finland)

April (6)

  1. The Beat My Heart Skipped (France)
  2. Camera Buff (Poland)
  3. London to Brighton (England)
  4. InterMission (Ireland)
  5. Hidden (Austria/France)
  6. L’Amore Molesto (Italy)

May (13)

  1. Heaven (Germany/Italy)
  2. Shanghai Dreams (China)
  3. Downfall (Germany)
  4. Hero (China)
  5. The Lives of Others (Germany)
  6. Whisky (Uruguay)
  7. Brokeback Mountain (USA)
  8. Take care of your Scarf, Tatjana (Finland)
  9. Candy (Australia)
  10. Since Otar Left (Georgia/France)
  11. The Inheritance (Denmark)
  12. Human Traffic (England)
  13. Kontroll (Hungary)

June (18)

  1. Story of the Weeping Camel (Mongolia)
  2. Monday Morning (France)
  3. Goodbye Lenin (Germany)
  4. Breathless (France)
  5. Italian for Beginners (Denmark)
  6. The 400 Blows (France)
  7. Junebug (USA)
  8. Alice in the Cities (Germany)
  9. Paris, Texas (USA/Germany)
  10. Skin of Man, Heart of Beast (France)
  11. The Cave of the Yellow Dog (Mongolia)
  12. The Limey (USA)
  13. The Woman Next Door (France)
  14. Tokyo Story (Japan)
  15. Shadows in Paradise (Finland)
  16. Goodfellas (USA)
  17. Shoot the Pianist (France)
  18. Minor Mishaps (Denmark)

July (9)

  1. Masjavlar (Dalecarlians) (Sweden)
  2. Nuts in May (England)
  3. The Lost Son (France/England)
  4. Kandahar (Iran)
  5. A Woman in Winter (Scotland)
  6. Maborosi (Japan)
  7. Bad Education (Spain)
  8. Billy Liar (England)
  9. Maria Full of Grace (Colombia/USA)

August (11)

  1. Sylvia (England)
  2. Exterminating Angel (Spain)
  3. Kasaba (Turkey)
  4. The Wicker Man (Scotland)
  5. On a Clear Day (Scotland)
  6. 101 Reykjavik (Iceland)
  7. Ali Zaoua (Morocco)
  8. Zatiochi (Japan)
  9. Scenes from a Marriage (Sweden)
  10. Venus Beauty Institute (France)
  11. Full Moon in Paris (France)

September (15)

  1. Le Grand Voyage (Morroco/ France)
  2. Annabelle Partagee (France)
  3. Western (France)
  4. I Stand Alone (France)
  5. The Low Down (England)
  6. Y tu mama tambien (Mexico)
  7. Morvern Callar (Scotland)
  8. Werckmeister Harmonies (Hungary)
  9. Ma nuit chez Maud (France)
  10. Une Liason Pornographique (France)
  11. Someone Else (England)
  12. The Colour of Paradise (Iran)
  13. Dear Diary (Italy)
  14. Summer with Monika (Sweden)
  15. Kikujiro (Japan)

October (13)

  1. Pan’s Labyrinth (Spain)
  2. Harry, he’s here to help (France)
  3. Devi (India)
  4. Bombon, el Perro (Argentina)
  5. Black Cat, White Cat (Serbia)
  6. L’Ennui (France)
  7. Late Aug, Early Sept (France)
  8. Ma Vie Sexuelle (France)
  9. After Life (Japan)
  10. Red Lights (France)
  11. A Winter’s Tale (France)
  12. Un Coeur en Hiver (France)
  13. Nobody Knows (Japan)

November (16)

  1. No Mans Land (Bosnia)
  2. Martha….Martha (France)
  3. Le vent de la nuit (France)
  4. Kings of the Road (Germany)
  5. My Girlfriends Boyfriend (France)
  6. Warrior (India)
  7. Legend of the Holy Drinker (Italy/France)
  8. The Sea Inside (Spain)
  9. Red Satin (Tunisia)
  10. Ivan’s Childhood (Russia)
  11. Through the Forest (France)
  12. Le Fils (Belgium)
  13. Claires Knee (France)
  14. Alice et Martin (France)
  15. Manhattan (USA)
  16. Kings and Queen (France)

December (21)

  1. Kagemusha (Japan)
  2. A Summer’s Tale (France)
  3. Mifune (Denmark)
  4. Five Easy Pieces (USA)
  5. Kes (England)
  6. Time to Leave (France)
  7. The Lacemaker (France/Switzerland)
  8. Andrei Rublev (Russia)
  9. You, the Living (Sweden)
  10. Exiles (Algeria/France)
  11. Nostalgia (Russia)
  12. Lemming (France)
  13. Still Life (Iran)
  14. Homework (Mexico)
  15. Closely Observed Trains (Czechoslovakia)
  16. Lasse and Lena (Sweden)
  17. Where is my friends house? (Iran)
  18. Through the Olive Trees (Iran)
  19. Autumn Sonata (Sweden)
  20. Stalker (Russia)
  21. Autumn Tale (France)

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