While nearly every film I write about in this thread can be traced back to various posters here, I intend to set aside more time to watch things specifically recommended for me by you. (Please, recommend away!) Thanks to some dogged prompting by charu, I'll start with a post dedicated to two films by a director she loves, Nobuhiro Suwa. M/Other is a languorous look at the changes in a couple's relationship when they're forced to take in the man's young son from a previous marriage. I liked the expressionistic way Suwa shows the emotional cracks forming, but the best part is his deft touch with the growing friendship between the woman and the boy, including an unusually perfect child performance, something I especially love to find in film. So, it's no surprise that I liked Yuki & Nina even more, as it takes this aspect a step further, the whole film being from the child's point of view. Beautiful Noë Sampy is asked to carry the film, as a sensitive nine-year-old girl struggling with her parents' divorce, and does it with simple aplomb. Co-directed by Hippolyte Girardot (because of its French setting, I suppose), this is a lovely film, with just enough levity and mystery to turn a sad story into one of resilience and hope.

I've been wanting to see Femina ever since Bandy posted those amazing clips in the 88 Takes thread here, but, for many reasons, I haven't till now. It was definitely worth the wait! With its surreal imagery, boisterous music, and a protagonist struggling to come to terms with her past, it reminded me of Pastoral: To Die in the Country. Though more schematic than that film, it's still a colorful, often disturbing, romp through her psychological influences and obsessions. The childhood segments are the best, an eerie mosaic of suspect memories, vivid imaginings, and nightmare. The camera movement during those scenes is so exhilarating (and the present so staid by comparison) it takes the edge off even the most traumatic moments. But, the present isn't merely more static, it's also more improbable than her memories. "More improbable than Joseph Stalin as her father?" you ask. Yes! Her awkward search for love, her foray into prostitution, and her final cleansing affair are weirdly unconvincing, entangled with puppets, dancing policemen, and faces from her past. In the end, her adult adventures feel just as suspect as those of her childhood, and the progress made (though real) is all in her head.