Including Charlie Kaufman’s stop motion drama and a Terry Malick ‘musical’ – keep an eye on these.
Only Lovers Left Alive
Director: Jim Jarmusch
When: February 2014
Director Jim Jarmusch created some of his best films throughout the 1980s and early 90s, including the somewhat experimental Night on Earth, starring Winona Ryder; but he is perhaps best known for 2005’s Broken Flowers starring Bill Murray. As a filmmaker, the white-haired American has more in common with European aesthetics than those of his home nation, eschewing traditional narratives driven by plot in favour of creating mood and character.
Jarmusch’s latest film stars Oscar winner Tilda Swinton in a romantic vampire story. At first read it may not sound all that interesting – romantic vampire flicks have become run-of-the-mill fare in the wake of Twilight. Still, this is the individualistic Jarmusch, so the least you can expect is a thoughtful, plaintive, moody and grimly paced take on the vampire genre. It also stars the ever dutiable John Hurt, and has so far been well-received by critics. Jarmusch is one of those directors whose films are hard to get hold of – they’re expensive and rarely televised. The opportunity to see this limited release movie from one of modern American cinema’s great thinkers and explorers is too good to miss.
