Below are Aube’s SELECTS:
Sorry, but I’m going to cheat already and pick a filmography instead a film. I started Gregg Araki’s films with the “Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy” probably around age 16 or 17. I saw ‘The Doom Generation’ (1995) then caught ‘Nowhere’ (1997) and Totally ‘F***ed Up’ (1993). Radical and beautiful. Absolute icons of the indie 90s.
I obviously fell in love with cinema way before I found out about Gregg Araki, but for me, watching ‘The Doom Generation’ was a founding moment. Dreamy non-place cocoons shaped by shoegaze, punk queer teen angst, apocalyptic love stories, fluid inner sexual desires, horror, comedy, Lynchian environments, the opening and ending credits… so much of what I love reunited inside small worlds of pure magic.
He defined the stoner movie with ‘Smiley Face’ (2007), and addressed the most terrifying and difficult topic with an overwhelming intelligence and fragility with his masterpiece ‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004). ‘Kaboom’ (2012), ‘Splendor’ (1999), ‘The Living End’ (1992), ‘White Bird in a Blizzard’ (2014), I just love to hang inside his worlds no matter what happens or the violence inside, and that for me is extremely precious. It might be weird to say, but just like with ‘Twin Peaks’, you feel safe in a place that is the opposite of safe. Cause they feel like dreams. They are enclosed. Just like many horror movies that I love for the same reasons.
Adapted from Daniel Clowes’s comic book. A contemplative tale with comedy at its finest. The grand Thora Birch, Steve Buscemi… Arakiesque, bittersweet, tender, superb.
Kounen’s first feature. What a first feature. A French gem built like the most violent cartoon. Unapologetic nose-breaking fun that doesn’t give a single f*ck.
Promos edited with footage of the feature they come with are usually the worst, but here is an anomaly gem. Sofia Coppola reuses shots from the movie to tell the most tender meta-narrative love story. She adds this new story inside the original one, breaks the 4th wall, and creates the most beautiful music video that manages to even complete her outstanding feature. A brilliant, masterpiece of a music video.
Defines a moment in time for an entire generation. Genderless pure love. Tenderness on a 35mm film through an idea so simple yet so powerful. Censored for oral porn at the time. Still censored on YouTube for minors. I might be wrong but I think something similar happened to Chris Cunningham’s ‘All Is Full of Love’, the most beautiful classic among the classics of same genderless pure love.
Shot by my friend Chris Ripley, the brilliant Pavel Brenner takes me into his dreamy world in 10 seconds. Simple yet with an ability to suggest a rich and tangible world of emotions inside the smallest bubble and through the simplest gestures. Sometimes, dancing hits in the most tender and precious way and I’m here for it (Ninian Doff’s masterpiece Genghis Khan is a different yet great example).
Another era definer. 0 budget, superb. Thank you François.
Absolute genius Nick Roney. What a piece. OK, the Twigs are one of my favourite bands but this is a gem of tender but sharp comedy.
By other genius, David Wilson. It’s radical, it’s fun, it’s passionate… can we also talk about that performance from Harry Clayton-Wright? With this one, his Arcade Fire ‘We Exist’, and lately his Zach Witness ‘Frankie & Levan’, David shows his unique talent to direct performances. And sometimes with music videos a great performance can be just what you want. They can go from extremely boring to bold objects of obsession. David’s make me obsessed. We need way more of this radicalness. PLEASE.
The writing, the world, the references, the OST, the story, the characters. An absolute cinematic masterpiece. I mean. Wow.
