Création de la serpentine (1908)

An expressive short film from the first years of the past century where a magician shows his tricks to a musician. Great effects and surreal cinematography from Spanish director Segundo de Chomón, an interesting trick film specialist of his age. His imaginative works were really astonishing.

Coriolanus (2011)

This is a very interesting adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, directed and acted by Ralph Fiennes. Caius Martius, a real child of Rome returns from the battlefields and gains honor and glory. He is proposed to be the Senator but he can't do it as he is so violent and despises the civilians. The politicians take the lead and push him to his limits and finally they banish him as a result. He is so furious that he turns to his enemy. Turrus, and asks him to join forces and attack Rome. Now the game has change and Coriolanus thinks that he is the winner. But never underestimate your enemy or the masks of friends. This is so great, watching modern heroes speaking the language of a classic novel. Coriolanus maybe is not the most famous work of Shakespeare but the whole package here does the thing. Astonishing cinematography, nice score and great performances from Fiennes, Butler, Cox and Redgrave.

 

Still life (2005)

A young man drives into a desolate town where something strange happens. When he involves into a car accident, he realizes that he is the only human around as the city is a residential for lifeless mannequins. Things get worst when he tries to find shelter into a house. Creepy and with a working scenario this short film really made my day. If the budget was bigger maybe we could have a better result though.

Ichimei aka Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)

Takashi Miike takes the risk filming a great remake of Kobayashi's classic Hara-kiri. The storyline is about the same. Hanshiro is an elder samurai tries to help his son-in-law, Motome and his daughter, Miho, to stand on their feet and raise their precious child. The times are difficult due to the unemployment of Hanshiro and the problems the new family face. When Miho's baby gets sicked, Motome takes the responsibility to find more money, entering feudal lord's Iyi mansion and ask the permission to act Seppuku aka Hara-kiri. His last effort to earn some money even if that costs his life will have an unexpected end. But fate has not finished with Hanshiro's family and everything will be ruined at a cold, rainy night. Hanshiro now has to end this story and close the death's circle that makes his soul suffer as he stands alone. Miike succeeded to perfectly picture the bad and uncomfortable situation of a samurai living at a peaceful period in medieval Japan. Astonishing cinematography and beautiful photography that make this film a classic already.

 

Telephoneme (2010)

This short animated gem is based to an educational film from the 60's, titled 'The Alphabet Conspiracy'. There was a young girl, Alice who boycotts her homework and falls asleep, traveling into another world where she conspires with a Mad-Hatter-type to eliminate books and words. But a linguist changes opinion to Alice about the importance of the language. So we can have a happy end as she wakes up and does her homework finally for the the good of humanity. A stunning animation that won lots of prizes worldwide.

TELEPHONEME | MK12 from MK12 on Vimeo.