Experimental, strange movies are often hard to connect with, but there are some gems which manage to push boundaries while still being deeply emotional. In some cases, the unusual structure or style of these movies is actually a big part of what makes them so emotionally resonant.
Film has the power to connect with people on a deep level, and the best filmmakers can use highly specific stories to explore more universal emotions. Even if the world or the characters don’t quite seem real, movies can still be powerful when the director has a clear vision and an intelligent philosophy.
Most ofWes Anderson’s moviescould be described as quirky and unique, as the director has developed a style all of his own over the years. While his more recent movies have wandered into self-reflective abstraction - still deeply rewarding in their own right - earlier hits likeThe Royal Tenenbaumsare the best introductions for the uninitiated.
Most of Wes Anderson’s movies could be described as quirky and unique.
The Royal Tenenbaumsis a story about a family coming together later in life as they deal with their unorthodox upbringing in different ways. It’s filled with acute character-based comedy, but it’s also one of Anderson’s most emotional movies.Gene Hackman’s performance as the eccentric patriarch breaks the Anderson mold, as he creates a character who’s easy to relate to among the atypical surroundings ofThe Royal Tenenbaums.
Porco Rossodeserves more love as one ofHayao Miyazaki’s best movies, andit’s certainly one of his most beautiful.The Adriatic Sea is the perfect setting for the historical fable, and Miyazaki creates several breathtaking images of Porco and his fellow pilots soaring through picturesque scenery.
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Porco Rossois a story made in the tradition of magical realism, as a pilot with a pig’s head lives an otherwise grounded existence. The origins of the curse and Porco’s journey to free himself from the effects of it are merely background details. The bulk of the narrative concerns his rivalry with other pilots and the creep of fascism in Italy in the 1930s. Porco represents a noble, righteous stand against subjugation.
Owen Wilson delivers one of his most charming performancesinMidnight in Paris,and he carries an unorthodox story through its broad swings. He plays a writer visiting Paris with his fiancée, but he starts to question his relationship as he finds a way to travel back to the 1920s each night.
Midnight in Parisis a time travel movie that doesn’t get too bogged down in the details. How the time travel works and what effects it has on the present are immaterial, since the main thrust of the movie comes from its intelligent deconstruction of the way people romanticize the past. Ultimately,it’s a story about making the most out of the present.
There’s nothing quite like Jacques Tati’s experimental comedies. His Monsieur Hulot character clearly takes inspiration from silent-era stars like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, but both color and sound are vital components of his appeal.Playtimeis arguably Tati’s masterpiece, and it’s still hilarious and uplifting over 50 years later.
Playtimeimagines a bleak, gray urban landscape bustling with business executives who move like schools of fish. It’s Tati’s role as the man who never fits in to bring a splash of vibrancy to this soulless world. His antics are frequently hilarious, culminating in a masterfully chaotic restaurant opening, butPlaytimeshows that it also has a lot of heart in the end.It’s a life-affirming comedy that transcends language.
6The Shape Of Water (2017)
Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar-Winner Is Strange And Beautiful
The Shape of Wateris a proudlyunusual romance movie, but its relationship feels more meaningful and relatable than most other movies. The story follows a mute cleaner who falls in love with a mysterious creature being held at a top-secret government facility, as their romance transcends their significant differences.
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The Shape of Wateris as original and unpredictable as any of Guillermo del Toro’s movies, but it’s much sweeter than some of his others.It’s also surprisingly funny at times, thanks to a charming performance from Sally Hawkins, while Richard Jenkins is also pitch-perfect. This humor helps tease out the human element ofThe Shape of Water’s sci-fi strangeness.
Little Miss Sunshinetells the story of a bizarre family road trip, as a dysfunctional family cram together in a camper van to take their young daughter to a beauty pageant. As the journey wears on, the cracks begin to form, butLittle Miss Sunshineis ultimately a story about human connection and love that leaves the audience smiling.
Little Miss Sunshinerepresents the perfect synthesis between character and comedy. Most of the film’s funniest moments come from knowing who the characters are and their specific niches within the strange family ecosystem they have constructed. Although they’re all flawed in their own way, they’re eminently likable.
BeforeJojo Rabbitcame out, it stoked plenty of controversyfrom people who feared that it might make light of its sensitive subjects. Instead, Taika Waititi’s comedy uses farce to deconstruct the logical fallacies that are necessary to uphold a fascist ideology. Waitit’s flamboyant, risible version of Hitler is key to this.
Jojo Rabbithas a great scriptwhich juxtaposes the fantasies of childhood with the half-baked patterns of thinking which sustain hateful, oppressive systems like Nazism. There are some dark moments, of course, butJojo Rabbitends with the hope of a brighter future.
Submarineis a strikingly confident directorial debut from Richard Ayoade. He has a great novel by Joe Dunthorne as his source material, but it’s impressive to see how freely Ayoade is willing to impose his identity on the film. He often uses flat compositions, abstract interludes and deadpan emotion to draw attention to the artifice of the story.
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AlthoughSubmarine’s dry wit borders on inhuman at times, the peculiar romance between the two young lovers gives the film a lot of heart. There are no romantic outpourings of love, as some other filmmakers might prefer, but Oliver and Jordana develop their own vocabulary of love.This is both disarmingly tender and darkly comedic.
After Liferemains an underrated gem. It takes place in the liminal void between life and death, where recently deceased souls choose one memory from their lives to capture and relive forever. Despite this abstract concept,After Lifeoften looks completely ordinary, with workers recreating memories using low-budget filmmaking techniques in a small, unassuming office-like setting.
After Lifequestions the very nature of memory, from the ways that people can deceive themselves to the idea that memories are a vital component of individual and collective identity. Hirokazu Kore-eda’s tender humanism helps him construct several intense vignettes, telling the story of people’s whole lives in just one moment.After Lifeleaves audiences with several big questions to ponder.
There’s a lot aboutMarcel the Shell with Shoes Onthat shouldn’t work, but it all does nonetheless. While the story of a one-inch talking shell who misses his family could easily become twee and sentimental, Dean Fleischer-Camp ensures that it’s just sweet enough without becoming sickly, and Marcel is a wonderful character.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes Onworks so well because it delivers a delicately-balanced mix of comedy and emotional drama.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes Onworks so well because it delivers a delicately-balanced mix of comedy and emotional drama. There are brief scenes which seem as though they would fit in with the series of shorts on YouTube, but these are balanced out by a mature story about loss, love and moving on.
