What have you watched recently?

Anyone who has yet to watch Dark Cuty should get off boards and get their hands on a copy of the directors cut.


Heres my thoughts on it from an old thread:
Great Sci Fi is something which we rarely see more than a fleeting glimpse of. Every year we get one or two sci fi films which do decently in cinema before disappearing into obscurity. Very few of them go on to be called classics though every now and again a sci fi film will cross over into the mainstream garnering not only critical acclaim but also commercial success, Blade Runner and The Matrix being the perfect examples of this. Both were films which slowly built into unstoppable monsters and are now looked upon as genre defining pieces of cinema.

One film which has always deserved more than the quiet critical appreciation it achieved is Dark City. Long etched in my top 5 films of all time it is one of the most visually stunning, intelligent and awe inspiring films ever made. Largely ignored upon it's initial release in 1998 the film slowly began to earn an underground following until the The Matrix was released the following year, and sent Dark City scurrying to the dark. The similarities between both films are numerous. Both concern an ordinary man dealing with a world hidden beneath his own and how he alone can save humanity. Visually both are strikingly similar, in fact The Matrix reused sets from Dark city and both share a similar atmosphere, though at the end of the day Dark City remains the superior film, it could even be subtitled the thinking mans Matrix.

The plot revolves around John played by an understated Rufus Sewell, who wakes up in a bathtub one day with no memory of whom he is. Upon discovering a dead hooker in his bed room Murdoch goes in search of his identity. Searching for him are his wife who hasn't seen him in weeks and the police who believe that he is a serial killer responsible for the murder of 6 women.

When approaching the film it really is best to know as little as possible beforehand, as it is one of the rare breed of film which sets out initially to confuse the viewer before slowly drawing them into its world and offering a glimpse behind the curtains. The original cut of the film featured a studio added voice over which gave away several of the films twists before the credits even rolled. Anyone watching the initial cut of the film is advised to mute their TV until Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) looks at his pocket watch.

So many reviewers have accused the film of being all style over substance but to take this viewpoint is to completely miss the point. Yes, the film is amazingly stylistic but the entire film hinges on the strong, layered plot which rewards repeated viewings. The newly released directors cut is a joy to watch, it allows the film to breathe and gives the characters more time to develop and slowly become more human before our eyes.The use of effects which rely more on imagination than computer trickery has lend the film a timeless look, as fresh today as it was a decade ago. Alex Proyas eye for detail is unmatched, take any scene, even the smallest most insignificant scene and watch as every part of the screen comes alive.

Remember the last time you sat down and saw something which exceeded all your expectations and truly surprised you? No, well Dark City is a film that will do just this. It's one of the rarest breed of film, it not only challenges the viewer but entertains them at the same time.

The recently released Directors Cut is the way to go for it not only contains the film as Alex Proyas intended but the theatrical cut also. So if you enjoy cinema which does'nt set out to lead you by the hand or enjoy great Sci Fi then you simply cannot go wrong with Dark City.