Comments on: Clean, mesmerizing, inspiring

Question: Clean, mesmerizing, inspiring

xicana63 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:45:47 -0800

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing films I've ever seen, can recommend others like it?

I caught this fantastic documentary on Netflix called Jiro Dreams of Sushi (seriously put everything down and go watch it) and I was completely memorized by the story, the art direction (if that's what you call it), the fluidity, everything about this film, especially what I consider the twist at the end. What other films have you watched that could compare? I'd say Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop could be included as far as a smart, captivating film but Jiro Dreams of Sushi in essence is simply beautiful.

Also I'm not asking for recommendations of documentaries only! Just recommendations of other films that you believe that not only the story but the essence of the entire film is beautiful.

By: un petit cadeau

un petit cadeau — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:54:51 -0800

Helvetica.

By: Lorin

Lorin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:54:53 -0800

Wong Kar-wai comes to mind, especially Chungking Express.

By: chrisulonic

chrisulonic — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:00:00 -0800

Between the Folds

By: chrisulonic

chrisulonic — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:11:19 -0800

oh, also Heima, but I don't think it's on Netflix instant.

By: roger ackroyd

roger ackroyd — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:11:19 -0800

Bill Cunningham New York.

By: nanojath

nanojath — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:14:19 -0800

Rivers and Tides

By: DrGirlfriend

DrGirlfriend — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:15:54 -0800

In the Mood for Love

By: StrictlyVague

StrictlyVague — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:19:51 -0800

Lost In Translation was pretty beautifully shot.

By: The Dutchman

The Dutchman — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:21:19 -0800

Microcosmos, if you have a projector and a nice big screen.

By: Rhaomi

Rhaomi — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:25:56 -0800

The behind-the-scenes mini-documentary for Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" project is both beautiful and mesmerizing.

By: amanda

amanda — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:46:40 -0800

Man on Wire.

By: Michele in California

Michele in California — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:13:49 -0800

Spirited Away and probably just about anything else by the same director (Miyazaki). IIRC: He does a storyboard of his movie plots and the storyboards are so awesome that they end up selling those in their own right after the films are finished. They (people in Japan) named a forest after one in a film he did.

By: smirkette

smirkette — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:23:55 -0800

Hard to tell from this trailer, but Bagdad Cafe has a very distinct visual style (and is pretty damn funny, to boot). Like the desert, it's grittily beautiful.

The cinematography in Pan's Labyrinth blew me away.

By: mannequito

mannequito — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:40:35 -0800

Paranoid Park

By: kaybdc

kaybdc — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:47:06 -0800

I got to see Jiro Dreams of Sushi at a documentary film festival last year and have recommended it to several people. I can't think of any thing similar, but the first film that came to mind when I read your question was Chunking Express. It is totally different, but visually stunning.

By: effluvia

effluvia — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:54:47 -0800

We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsey, also produced by Oscilloscope Labs.

By: TungstenChef

TungstenChef — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 23:16:37 -0800

The Secret of Kells

By: Uncle

Uncle — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 23:42:33 -0800

Cave of Forgoten Dreams

By: cali59

cali59 — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:03:29 -0800

I'm not usually one to watch documentaries, but I did enjoy Jiro Dreams of Sushi. For what it's worth, I also really enjoyed Little Dieter Needs to Fly. I'm not sure it has quite as clean a visual style, but I was very moved by the story.

By: OHSnap

OHSnap — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:07:46 -0800

The Fall. I've seen about an hour of it (the wife bailed on it and I haven't found time for the rest), but what I've seen is visually stunning.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:46:24 -0800

Melancholia was beautifully, achefully-beautifully shot. The story is beautiful, in it's way.

By: MuffinMan

MuffinMan — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:55:46 -0800

Etre et Avoir [spoiler-ish review] - a French documentary about a rural French primary school.

By: Su

Su — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 03:52:43 -0800

You might like the Made by Hand and Sparrow Songs series of short documentaries. They're generally between 5 and 10 minutes. Made by Hand in particular has a similar tone to the filming.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 05:55:08 -0800

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control would definitely do it for you. You can see where Gelb draws much of his inspiration from.

In terms of an unusual family of unusually talented people unable to come to terms with itself in an understated and sadly poetic way, see Crumb.

(And, good lord, documentary posters in the '90s were terrible. Both of those do nothing to represent what the films are actually about, or convey their tone or intent.)

By: zengargoyle

zengargoyle — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 06:28:26 -0800

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams and Ran are a couple Kurosawa films that had a good bit of can't stop watching thisitude.

By: palionex

palionex — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:41:47 -0800

I also saw a screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi and embarked on a course to find other visually striking works. A lot of the ones mentioned already are on my list of "to-watch".

Although I haven't seen it and haven't watched Baraka, I'm looking forward to seeing Samsara.

By: Egg Shen

Egg Shen — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:53:09 -0800

Babette's Feast or La Belle Noiseuse.

By: subtle-t

subtle-t — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:22:45 -0800

Encounters at the End of the World.

By: musicismath

musicismath — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:41:06 -0800

I Am Love is a beautiful film featuring Tilda Swinton that might be what you're looking for. It does visually remind me of some of Wong Kar Wai's style and there's a food-related theme in the story along with lots of gorgeous architecture.

(It's on Netflix instant!!)

By: jbickers

jbickers — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:34:51 -0800

Four Seasons Lodge.

By: subtle-t

subtle-t — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:29:08 -0800

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring.

By: mudpuppie

mudpuppie — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:35:25 -0800

Wild China is the most beautiful thing I've seen recently. Six-part docu available on Netflix streaming.

By: liquorice

liquorice — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:44:07 -0800

When I think of beautiful and mesmerising films that I have seen, I can only see in my mind every single film by Terrence Malick.

By: teriyaki_tornado

teriyaki_tornado — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:10:19 -0800

Its not a documentary, but I immediately think of Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppolla when I think of a film like Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The story is great, but just looking at the movie is almost better. Absolutely beautiful and chock full of Japanese minimalism and quietness.

By: taltalim

taltalim — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:45:04 -0800

I found Beasts of the Southern Wild to be aesthetically near-perfect. A feel-good movie, but in the best way possible (I tend to use "feel-good movie" disparagingly). Beautiful, beautiful imagery, a satisfying story, an absolutely loveable main character. I was rapt for every single minute of it.

By: rakish_yet_centered

rakish_yet_centered — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:43:43 -0800

While watching it tonight I thought of Koyaanisqatsi, and I'm sure it was something they thought of too since the sound track reminded me of Philip Glass.

By: ThaBombShelterSmith

ThaBombShelterSmith — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:14:26 -0800

Heima and Rivers and Tides.

By: of strange foe

of strange foe — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:03:36 -0800

"A bite of China" is a series of food documentary that has great visuals. It just came out earlier this year, and you can find subtitled episodes on youtube like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRHNa9qdtlw

By: hick57

hick57 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 22:01:05 -0800

One of my all time favorites is Wim Wender's "Wings of Desire". Beautifully filmed and very romantic.

By: xulu

xulu — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:38:05 -0800

Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Baraka

By: mayurasana

mayurasana — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:06:08 -0800

Before Night Falls.