photo: Emilie Norenberg
Admittedly we’ve been a bit slow on Film Club since our first entry by Janoksi. Luckily this second entry by master lensman Sirus F Gahan is well worth the wait.
If you’re unfamiliar with Sirus’ work then you’re not, you’ve just not made enough effort to acknowledge it when you’ve seen it. In fact this week he dropped two successive all-female clips in both Arms Wide Open and Asleep In The Flowers, which if you haven’t already seen, you should do so immediately after watching the films listed below.
1) Buffalo ’66 – Vincent Gallo, 1998
Vincent Gallo playing Vincent Gallo. Directed by Vincent Gallo. Shot on 35mm reversal by my favourite DP, Lance Acord, I was totally blown away when I first saw the images in this. I think I read that the dailies process for this was stupidly stressful, and took like 5 days, so no one knew if any of it would come out. That’s why we love Lance. a pretty bait choice for a top 5 film list, but whatever!
2) Elephant – Gus Van Sant, 2003
The most insane, soft, lingering tension. shot by the goat, Harris Savides (RIP). I remember watching this for the first time, and literally trying not to blink throughout those hallway sequences, so as not to miss a single frame!
3) Mystery Train – Jim Jarmusch, 1989
So many mental characters in this film, the whole thing could be really over the top but something about how natural the cinematography feels balances out the hectic triptych, and it all feels weirdly calming. R.I.P. Robby Müller!
4) A Serious Man – Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, 2009
Watching this film feels like living life kind of, if that makes sense? Also, shot by Deakins, that’s all that really needs to be said!
5) Y Tu Mamá También – Alfonso Cuarón, 2001
I first watched this film when I was totally broke, stuck in California, sleeping on the floor of my friend’s dark, damp, basement room in Oakland. I got unreservedly lost on the Mexican road trip for 106 minutes, which made me forget about my bleak, real life surroundings. Probably the most beautifully shot film I’ve ever seen, think I bought a 12mm prime after watching this, thank you Emmanuel Lubezki!
Honourable Mention –
The Eyes Of My Mother – Nicolas Pesce, 2016
This film is fucking brutal, but in a soft way, that’s also not soft at all.
