Dave’s Movie Diary

I revisit Kieślowski’s Three Colours: White , a very different beast from Blue — part revenge story, part romantic comedy and part Polish Mr Bean. Karol’s humiliations, mad schemes and increasingly elaborate plan for revenge make this one of the trilogy’s most entertaining and unpredictable films.

I revisit Three Colours: Blue , a film I’ve always admired but never felt particularly close to. Juliette Binoche is terrific as a woman trying to shut the world out after unimaginable loss, and Kieślowski gives us plenty to think about along the way.

I revisit a film I’d completely forgotten despite watching pretty much everything Gary Oldman was doing in the early ’90s. With a ridiculous cast, plenty of sex and violence and one of the craziest characters I’ve come across, this is one seriously bonkers film.

I revisit Outland , Sean Connery’s gritty sci-fi thriller set on a mining colony on Io. It’s got great visuals, a creepy atmosphere and Frances Sternhagen stealing the show — but some seriously hammy dialogue and a villain who’d rather work on his golf game stop it from reaching its potential.

I revisit The Missouri Breaks , a film I remembered as a major disappointment from my VHS days, despite Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando being in the same movie. Nearly 50 years later, I found some great performances, beautiful scenery and a very strange Brando, but still wondered what the hell Arthur Penn was trying to do with it.

I revisit Eyes of Laura Mars , a film I hadn’t seen for years and remembered very little about. Watching it again took me back to 1978 New York, with Faye Dunaway surrounded by fashion, photographers and some very unsettling images — and I found myself wondering what exactly this film was trying to do.

I revisit this wildly unpredictable 1990 crime comedy featuring an absolutely unhinged Alec Baldwin, a terrific Jennifer Jason Leigh and Fred Ward trying to make sense of the chaos. A bizarre, violent and hugely entertaining ride that’s definitely Thursday-night/Friday-night movie territory.

I revisit this gripping 1991 crime drama about two undercover narcotics cops who become dangerously immersed in the world they’re investigating. Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh are fantastic, and the film’s raw depiction of addiction, great Texas atmosphere and Eric Clapton soundtrack still hit hard.

I revisit Magnum Force , the second Dirty Harry film, with Clint Eastwood back in San Francisco facing a very different kind of threat. There’s plenty to enjoy in the action, the city and the idea at the heart of the story, but I found myself questioning some of the film’s choices as the story unfolded.

I revisit Agnès Varda’s Vagabond , a grim, strange and incredibly absorbing film about a young woman determined to live completely on her own terms. I found myself fascinated by Mona — her freedom, her stubbornness and the risks that come with living outside everyone else’s rules.

A 1974 action-comedy starring James Caan and Alan Arkin - it’s a wild mix of buddy-cop antics, screwball comedy and spectacular car chases, and I take a look at what worked for me — and what didn’t quite land.

I revisit Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces , with Jack Nicholson delivering a brilliant performance as a man who seems determined to escape every life he’s ever had. Funny, sad and quietly devastating — a genuine 1970 masterpiece.

I revisit Jafar Panahi’s Crimson Gold , a slow-burning and deeply unsettling Iranian drama about poverty, humiliation and a man pushed to the edge. Hossain Emadeddin gives one of the strangest and most quietly compelling performances I’ve seen.

I revisit Geoffrey Wright’s Metal Skin , a ferocious Australian film packed with cars, violence, emotion and relentless energy. Aden Young is absolutely magnificent as Joe, with Ben Mendelsohn terrific alongside him in a film that throws the kitchen sink at you and never lets up.

I revisit Point Blank , the 1967 crime thriller starring Lee Marvin that feels like it somehow arrived several years too early. It’s brutal, strange, stylish and psychologically fascinating — and at the centre of it all is Marvin, barely saying a word but somehow telling you everything.

I revisit Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi thriller where you can go on holiday, shoot robots and basically do whatever you want — until the robots stop playing along. And James Brolin finds himself dealing with another rattlesnake, just like in Capricorn One — clearly the man didn’t have a snake phobia.

I revisit Walter Hill’s Hard Times , and Charles Bronson is the real revelation — a remarkably controlled, stoic performance that might just be my favourite of his. Add in James Coburn, some brutally sweaty bare-knuckle fights and the fantastic grime of 1930s New Orleans, and you’ve got one hell of a little film.

I revisit Tom Tykwer’s wildly inventive 76-minute blast of energy, where one tiny change can completely alter what happens next. Franka Potente is unforgettable as Lola in this stylish, frantic late-90s classic.

I revisit Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy — big trucks, big destruction, C.W. McCall and Kris Kristofferson in peak 1978 mode. A film that’s not quite The Wild Bunch , but still a pretty damn good time.

I revisit Damage, Louis Malle’s deeply uncomfortable drama about obsession, desire and the devastating consequences of crossing a line you can’t uncross. Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche and Miranda Richardson deliver extraordinary performances in a film that refuses to make any of it easy.

I revisit Patton , a massive World War II film with huge battle scenes, incredible performances and George C. Scott basically chewing through the scenery. Nearly three hours, but I never felt the length — just a great big piece of filmmaking.

I revisit François Ozon’s Under the Sand , a quietly unsettling drama about grief, denial and the disappearance of someone you love. Charlotte Rampling is superb as a woman struggling to accept what has happened.

I revisit Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead , the 1981 horror film that unleashed ancient Demons, possessed friends and some very inventive — and often gruesome — ways to kill them. I look at Raimi’s energetic filmmaking, Bruce Campbell’s Ash, the memorable tree attack and the film’s mix of horror, gore and dark humour.

I came back to The Fly after about 30 years remembering that it was pretty freaky. I didn’t remember that it was this good — or that I’d spend half the film wondering how Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis got away with being that attractive.

A stylish 1956 crime film set among the streets, characters and smoky atmosphere of old Paris. A beautifully shot, cynical heist story with gamblers, safecrackers and one very memorable trip to the casino.