The Idiots (DVD)

When Danish filmmakers Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterburg become disillusioned with the state of commercial cinema - an overfed, bloated, money conscious industry whose sole purpose was to create an endless parade of illusions and spectacles that had nothing interesting to say - they decided to strip down the superficial modes and conventions of special effects, special lenses and even lighting to create a new wave of cinema that was more honest and gratifying. The result was the Dogme 95 movement. First announced in March 1995 (hence the 95), Dogme 95 presented a challenge to anyone who was willing to take it: to make a film without the comforts of ...

Ok, this is possibly my favourite film of all time. Lars Von Trier is at his best working under the guidelines of the Dogme 95 manifesto, if you're familiar with Dogme you'll know what I'm on about, if not, it's best to read it up somewhere else, it basically concerns back-to-basics 'pure' film-making. I had to study this film on my Film Studies degree course and was blown away by it. BEWARE though, if you don't speak Danish and you don't get on well with subtitles, because throughout the film there are points when they are pretty tricky to read due to the fact they are white and sometimes on a bleached out bright/light background. THAT though is my only complaint with ...

this film gave me the confidence to take all my clothes off for a play i was performing - Advantages: all films should be made this way - Disadvantages: some scenes a bit shocking