Brute Force (1947)

An original take on the prison break drama, with a generally different tone and plan of action to similar movies, and noteworthy for its clearly anti-authoritarian stance. It's an earnest as always performance from a young Burt Lancaster (cf The Killers) and Ella Raines is truly gorgeous. Noir elements evident in some of the photography and just slightly uneven plot.

A Night to Remember (UK, 1958)

The original and best of the Titanic films and the major British ensemble production of the 50's.

The Turin Horse / A Torinói Ló (HU, 2011)

Those familiar with Bela Tarr's work won't witness any major change of course here.

The name comes from anecdotal incident in which Nietzsche hugs a maltreated horse on a Turin street, before collapsing into illness and silence for his remaining 10 years. While Nietzsche has always been the subject of much scholasticism, nothing is/was known of the horse.

The director licenses that horse to a desolate, windswept, remote rural stone home of grief in late 19th century HU. The 'action' (much of it repeated) involves a father and daughter and occurs over a period of 6 days; the film clocks in at close to 2.5 hours of minimal, well shot, suitably bleak and grim slow-burning B&W.

An imminent nearby (natural) cataclsym is hinted at but not explicitly identified. Those seeking a link with impossible Nietzschian philosophy might do well to dissect the neighbour's speech.

As cinema for doom lovers, it's entirely satisfactory.

Atmen/Breathing (AT, 2011)

A slightly unlikely young offender lands a trainee job as a mortuary assistant (this element is not sensationalised), while remaining in detention by night. Facing an important hearing, certain small things on the outside could militate against him; he also briefly reunites up with his mother who gave him up for adoption at birth.

Directed by Karl Markovics, the lead actor in 2007's excellent The Counterfeiters (my film of the year that year), it's a believable, dispassionate observation of a young man with an uncertain future.

Moon (UK, 2009)

The future. From the moon comes a fair chunk of planet earth's energy needs, but what is the human cost to those who must harvest it? Yes, there's sci-fi going on here, but it's not of the 'hard' variety...

Dave Bowie's son Duncan Jones' directoral debut is good, and just made for the silver screen.

Polisse (FR, 2011)

A photographer joins the Child Protection Unit (CPU) in North Paris, becoming exposed to some hard cases. This more of a reference point than a central character (no pics are ever seen), she's just one in a cast of tens, of whose professional and domestic/love lives we attain some glimpses.

A solid, realistic, policier drama (reminiscent in tone perhaps of Le Petit Lieutenant) with a frequently difficult subject matter. The ending is a little sudden and puzzling. A significantly better outing than Maiwenn's cringeworthy Pardonnez-moi, and... another good French film.

Le Orme / Footprints on the Moon (IT, 1975)

Uhm, a vague mystery story/mentalist drama where little is certain, with a space-age subplot....Could you be bothered poring over the bits to try and make some sense out of it? Me neither.

Echoes of Last Year at Marienbad here perhaps, but in Turkey not Austria-Hungary, and in post-hippy colourfulness rather than sombre B&W. The reasonably nice photography and settings make it watchable.

Martha (DE, 1974)

Have usually - but not always - been disappointed by Fassbinder, and plant his work firmly in the overrated category. His unassailable critical rep is such that ordinary film fans/reviewers feel obliged to sycophantically toe the line, even if they don't really like it. The films I've often found to be of the "what the hell is so good about this"? variety. Cases in point: The Marriage of Eva Braun, Berlin Alexanderplatz. Slightly better: The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Effi Brest. The best of what I've seen thus far: Fear Eats the Soul, quite a daring film in its day, perhaps a precursor to politically-correct film-making before it ever became obligatory, hackneyed and ineffective. Likeable nonetheless for its simplicity and accessibility.

Martha then is a familial/marital melodrama, with as its centre the curiously beautiful strawberry blonde Martha and the relationship with her abusive husband, Helmut. It's a sad film but not without humour; visually, a feast, with rich saturated hues throughout, good props and nice trans-European settings (Rome and Konstanz). Surprisingly, this was 'only' a TV movie.

Glad I gave this one the benefit of the doubt. Showing as part of the 'Twisted Cornea' program of the Belfast Film Festival, in the small 'beanbag cinema' venue: an original, low-key cinematic experience, and one of the many natural incidentals which contribute to the city's unassuming cool.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (US, 2011)

Thirtysomething slacker\stoner Jeff, inspired by the awful Signs (yes, the one starring Mel Gibson), treats chance happenings as...signs...of, erm, deeper cosmic significance. His seemingly successful brother begins to doubt his wife's fidelity, while their mom fields a secret admirer in the workplace. Their collective exodus may seem a little convenient, but Jeff's leap into 'significant' doings is attained when he eventually abandons the search for same.

While the focus is primarily on Jeff and his brother, there are memorable performances from Linda (the sincere and striking Judy Greer) and particularly Mom (Sigourney Weaver). Mentioned in respect of the mumblecore subgenre of American indie cinema, it's a light yet articulate, enjoyable, throwaway kind of film.