films seen
2
average score
2.25*
nationality
status
Alive and kicking

Movies


The Garden

Záhrada
1995 / 99m - Slovakia
Drama
2.5*/5.0*
The Garden poster

A surprisingly light-hearted arthouse drama that plays with absurd elements to keep it from becoming too sullen. While there are some memorable moments here, on the whole the film didn't really deliver as the cinematography and soundtrack simply weren't good enough. An interesting curiosity, but nothing more.


I like a good anthology, but when there are too many directors and the project is a little too vague or open-ended, it's difficult to turn it into something coherent (not just a random bunch of shorts bunched together). Visions of Europe is a miss in that regard, but it's still worth checking out.

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The title is pretty self-explanatory. 25 directors from 25 different European countries were given the chance to direct a short film about Europe. They were given free rein, which means you'll find many different ideas and approaches here, though few are actual straightforward narratives.

There are some pretty familiar and respected names (Tarr, Boe, Greenaway), but most of the directors are pretty niche and have limited appeal outside of their bubbles. There's a handful of memorable shorts, the rest is pretty forgettable, but it's at least quite varied and the shorts are well short, so it never gets too dull.