Films I've watched for BFF 2012

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this film. It is hilarious. So the story is about a boy who thinks his parents are trying to get rid of him, but the real humour comes from his friends, family, school mates and teachers. In my mind, this is Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but in French and therefore classier, funnier and more aesthetically pleasing. I WILL be watching this again.

I don't know why I haven't seen this film before. It is a true masterpiece of french cinema and storytelling. I don't know what more I can say. It shows a slice of life in Paris along side that of an emotional young singer awaiting the results of a medical examination. Watch it for the beauty, for the city, for the girl, for the cinematography, for the emotion; just make sure you watch it.

It's a shame this is such a strangly timed film (to short to be a feature, to long to be a short) otherwise we may have shown it in the festival. If you get a chance to watch it anyway, I would highly recommend it. It is quite a surreal film, but beautifully done and a wonderful story.

I'll be honest; when I sat down to watch this film I knew nothing about it accept the title. It is not what I expected, but I loved every second. It shows a side of film-making which is rarely seen on the big screen, and allows an audience the righteous indignation that can be so satisfying. A must-see.

The fact that Gael Garcia Bernal is lovely to listen to and even more lovely to look at has nothing to do with why this is an excellent film. Ok, well, maybe it has something to do with it, but you get my point. This is a fantastic film, with a brilliant commentary on film-making and modern ethics. Beautiful settings, a brief history lesson, humour, indignation and a really heart-warming tale, what more could you ask for? (O, and it has Gael Garcia Bernal in it...)

I know nothing about cars. I mean nothing. I cannot drive and really have no interest in it. The closest I get are dodgems. Despite this, this film is fascinating. I was hooked from beginning to end, perhaps because it is not just about cars, it is about the planet, it is about multi-national companies, it is about politics and it is about human nature. Great film.

A wonderful documentary which looks through the eyes of eleven year olds from across the planet at the ever confusing world around them. I really love the way this film captures the innocence of the children's view. It is amazing how insightful some of them are, and also how much it says about their parents.

I wanted to try to describe this film without using the word fascinating, but I'm not sure that is possible. It is set in post-World War 2 Germany, an era I know little about, and follows the son of a writer of Nazi Propaganda who, to all intensive purposes, believed everything he was writing. Fascinating, right? It starts with a debate about whether something should be dismissed as bad literature because it is propaganda and traces the life of someone who cannot escape the shadow of his father, and is not always sure that he wants to. Well made, and yes, you've guessed it, fascinating.

This is a remarkable story about something I knew nothing about (as the best films always are). I love the contrast between the history and heritage which is bound so tightly with the blood feud and the teenage rebellion from their parents ways, in the form of texting and videos. Definitely one I would recommend.

I loved this film. Don't get me wrong it is truly dreadful. Despite the cast, the acting is shoddy, it is farcical and even the humour is off, but I loved it. My favourite scene was definitely ... well I was going to say Peter Sellers with all of his cats, but I'm not sure. There are too many terrible parts to pick just one. Also, as it was filmed in Bath, it is possible to play "I know where that is" with a lot of it. I managed to spot at least 3 Bath locations, and I know that Philip only spotted one. Is this a reason to watch it? Probably not. But just because it is a very poorly made film doesn't mean it can't be fun.

I will admit, this is not my kind of film. It is quite slow-paced and the ideas discussed are done in a way which is quite difficult to access. It is, however, full of philosophy, poetry and a very picturesque journey. Not my cup of tea, but it might be yours.