BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM reports from the Wellington Film Society. This week: a comedy of depression.

FOR A FILM that’s remarkably depressing, You, the Living is rather funny. A dark, colourless vision of modern life, its idiosyncratic touches mean the film never feels as alienating as its subject matter. With its rich, intricate shots and understated deadpan symbolism, the film manages to elevate its subject matter into a deeply moving howl. And while it’s a little too loose in terms of its narrative, there’s no denying its idiosyncratic touch is quite something.

BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM reports from the Wellington Film Society. This week: round one of shorts by the doyenne of the French New Wave.

AGNÈS VARDA’s films are so disarming because they are at once playful and philosophical without the two strands frustrating the other. Following on from screenings of The Beaches of Agnès and Cléo 5 to 7 at the New Zealand International Film Festival, Monday’s Film Society programme played a collection of her shorts where the two elements of her films were again evident. Even if some of her political films have dated somewhat, her love of her characters and her idiosyncratic approach to filming ‘reality’ remain as compelling as her best feature-length work.