5. Berberian Sound Studio
Admittedly, I saw Berberian Sound Studio last night, so it's fresh in my mind. Actually it's stuck in my mind and I can't get it out. The film stars notable character actor Toby Jones, in the only starring role I've seen him in, play a Foley artist who gets a job on an Italian horror movie, The Equestrian Vortex. Possibly the only moment of humour in the movie comes when Jones' character mistakenly thinks he is about to work on a movie about horses. The pacing is slow, but this only adds to the mesmerizing quality of the film. It slowly grabs you, until you edge closer and closer to the screen as the climax unfolds. This is a film about making films, and it's a joy to watch Jones recreate murderous sounds using only vegetables. We never see the horror film unfolding in front of his eyes, but as is always the case in horror- it's what you don't see is truly scary. The director shows great restraint in not showing us images from the film, and because of the low budget nature, we never actually leave the sound studio, since Jones bedroom is located in the next room. This adds to the claustrophobic nature of the film, and towards the end as the climax unfolds, the walls close in and we feel like there is no escape (from what?). Anybody familiar with the Italian horror sub-genre Giallo (and it's master Dario Argento) should check this out, as in essence it is a bit of an homage to films of that time. The ambiguous nature of the final third will not suit many viewers, but this film is so strikingly original, it feels like a film out of a different age, it will find an audience and I think it will find a following in time. In terms of psychological, mend-bending films go, this is a stellar effort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNCiGVQsd0