“Sightseers” – Directed by Ben Wheatley
It’s hard to pin down Ben Wheatley. Some see his work as smug, others find it striking (this critic has differing opinions, from project to project). “Sightseers,” a transgressive road trip farce (produced by Edgar Wright) was a polarizing release, confirming for some that Wheatley was too blunt, but others wickedly genuine. He clearly doesn’t care what audiences think of his movies, and that likely makes his work more attractive to some people. His incredibly odd, black comedies throw expectation to the wind, (“A Field in England”) defying genre with the wink of snarling satire (“Free Fire”). Despite how you feel about his approach to movie-making, Wheatley’s unique style of deadpan world-building (”High-Rise“) is what makes his films so tonally confident. Despite detractors, there is a reason so many talented actors (Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston) have sought to work with him.
“Teorema” – Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s artistic legacy has always been riddled with controversy. Between taboo sexual matters embedded in his movies, to the depressing realism, his harshest critics often cite as punishing, and his tragic murder – which very well could have been some sort of gang retaliation – he’s a director whose blunt legacy has become as well-known as his work itself. Pasolini was openly gay, and often forced to throw a veil over more personal themes, rarely addressing these things directly; he was frequently sued for obscenity and accused of creating pornography. His avant-garde feature “Teorema,” – which stars Terence Stamp as a mysterious stranger who comes knocking at a family’s door, before proceeding to seduce them all (and also features a score from fellow Italian contemporary, Ennio Morricone) – is a sexual mystery in the form of allegory. Shot in both B&W and color, the movie shifts between aesthetic styles and formats. It’s a dense but fascinating artful film exercise exploring divinity and desire.
“Toni” – Directed by Jean Renoir
An early influence on the “Left Bank” movement of the French New Wave (and one of Wes Anderson’s personal favorites), “Toni” is arguably a precursor to both French poetic and Italian neo-realism, with its on-location shooting and use of non-professional actors becoming a benchmark for later movements. Luchino Visconti was also an assistant director on the movie, and one of director Jean Renoir’s proteges. “It’s very beautiful, kind of lyrical and very sad,” according to (Wes) Anderson. A small town romance about labor and immigration, “Toni” is the only film by the seminal auteur on the channel that hasn’t gotten an official, physical release yet. Considering how much favor both Renoir and Anderson seem to carry over at Criterion, this one could very well be coming out from the collection very soon.
READ MORE: 10 Essential Jean Renoir’s Best Films
“The Trial of Joan Of Arc”– Directed by Robert Bresson
Inevitably always compared to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” (1928) Robert Bresson’s version of the Saintly story, “The Trial of Joan of Arc,” (1962) starred non-professional actors and was shot in very tight quarters. Bresson allegedly took issue with Dreyer’s portrayal, describing the silent movie version as full of “grotesque buffooneries,” in regards to the film’s performance style (according to an account in Paul Schrader’s, “Transcendental Style in Film.”) Bresson, a slow cinema auteur, forgoes cinematic dramatization – whereas expressionism was all the rage when Dreyer’s film was released (before poetic realism was a thing). Bresson’s spin on the French heroine never gained the same traction in the critical community as his other acclaimed classics (“A Man Escaped,” “Au Hasard Balthazar”) but some of his scholars still champion it as a quite the accomplishment, despite existing in the shadow of Dreyer’s original.
“Unrelated” (plus “Archipelago” and “Exhibition”) – Directed by Joanna Hogg
With the critically lauded “The Souvenir” just around the corner, Criterion is highlighting writer/director Joanna Hogg’s first three films on social consciousness and class environment. She began working in television before announcing her talent with the acclaimed “Unrelated,” in 2007. “Archipelago,” and “Exhibition” were her follow up features and they’re all available on the channel to stream. They all share some common themes with her newest picture, tackling issues of romantic longing, family friction, and detached patterns of existence. Another draw is that Tom Hiddleston stars in all of them before he was cast as everyone’s favorite God of Mischief. Hogg’s movies are sensitive, formally precise and naturalistic. Before her newest film, starring Honor Swinton-Byrne (Tilda Swinton’s daughter) drops – who gives a performance that our review raved about as awards-worthy – now is the absolute perfect time for a deep dive into her earlier dramas.
“Where is the Friend’s Home?” – Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Occasionally translated as “Where is My Friend’s House,” the first installment of Abbas Kiarostami’s unofficially labeled ‘Koker Trilogy’ is a realist coming of age film unlike any other. While not his debut feature, ‘Where’ was the movie that gained Kiarostami international recognition. Following the attempts of a young boy named Ahmed, who is desperately trying to return his friend’s homework – so he is not punished/disciplined by their teacher in school tomorrow; the film is a perfect introduction to the Iranian master’s unique body of work. It belongs in the same conversation as “The 400 Blows,” and if Janus Films upcoming Kiarostami retrospective is any indication, a release of the ‘trilogy’ is a good bet – with the box set likely featuring: ‘Where’, “Life, and Nothing More…” and “Through the Olive Trees” (which is a meta-masterpiece that was buried by Miramax in the ‘90s).
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Admittingly, we wish the list was a little less Eurocentric, and included more female auteurs. But publishing rights and economic sustainability can be a problem, hence the price point issue. It’s more financially viable to put out an unreleased film by a major director than to lock down the rights and spend the time restoring a Dorothy Arzner film, or a lesser-known Korean or Taiwanese flick, for example.
The best thing about the Channel, is how accessible it has made long unavailable titles. While it will likely never be possible to release everything that their loyal community of followers would like, the Criterion Channel is an exciting step in the right direction; a streaming service that cinephiles everywhere should sign up for immediately.
