Fallen Angels

Coming back to it now, I realize just how much irreversible damage this has done to my taste in film. Discovering it as a lonely 16 year old at the right time on the right night, and feeling so profoundly “spoken to” by it’s language, I was worried it might not resonate so much with me now 20, but I’m so glad to be wrong. Goes without saying that this is a visual masterclass; the ultra wide angle lens, so intimate and personal runs in contrast to the alienation present in these people, in combination with the stunning lighting do wonders in crafting a unique mood, a hazy atmosphere that’ll scratch the deepest grooves of your brain for 90 minutes. But that’s not to say it’s just a pretty face, the emotional center of the movie, although understated, is very potent (2nd time that videotape scene has got me). It’s depicting a yearning for connection and direction in life, culminating in a final scene that is just the most intimate portrait of loneliness I’ve ever seen. I often don’t tie myself down to one singular favourite film because, come on, that’d be stupid. But if you put a gun to my head…