The actors (Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig - who?) are heavily made up with distorted faces and scenes are shot through the glass of a light bulb or the reflection of a crack mirror, evincing Bacon’s style without replicating it.
As well as being beautifully shot, the plot is gripping, detailing Bacon’s turbulent sadomasochistic relationship with his lover. Love is the Devil is a genuine must see!
- Old Joy (Drama 2006)
Old Joy was actually a pretty big hit with the hipster set but it is well deserving of a watch by any film fan. Lead actor is the somewhat legendary New York folk singer Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) and the soundtrack was provided by indie rock darlings Yo La Tengo.
The plot is quite simple, two old friends reunite for a camping trip in honour of their friend who passed away, and the dialogue is minimal. But the believable performances and gorgeous woodland scenery really give this film a special atmosphere.
Oldham is joined by Daniel London, and their on screen connection is palpable. The subtle drama is made all the more effective by the screenwriter’s intelligent restraint. Old Joy is beautiful and powerful film-making that is sure to resonate with you.
- Allegro (Sci-fi 2005)
This Danish film is a subtle science fiction that uses only the barest minimum of special effects to tell a powerful story. Zetterstrom (well played by Ulrich Thomsen) is a concert pianist who has never been able to find true happiness in his life, even after he's met and formed a relationship with his dream woman Andrea (Helena Christensen).
She decides to up and leave him Zetterstrom imposes a form of amnesia on himself that wipes out all memory of his life prior to her departure.
At the same time the section of Copenhagen where he was born and raised undergoes a bizarre transformation , suddenly becoming cut off from the rest of the world by some inexplicable supernatural force.
Needless to say, this is not your average science fiction movie, nor is it your average tale of lost love.
But by combining these two usually distinct genres into a single story, director and co-writer Christopher Boe delivered a quality movie that is both thought-provoking and haunting in its otherworldly strangeness.