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.