I personally love to watch movies, that I cant figure out immediately, and “Le passager de la pluie” also known as “Rider on the Rain” is one of them, and it’s so different, that some people probably won’t even like it. 

The film starts with a beautiful young woman in the South of France, played by Marlène Jobert, who is stalked, then raped by, a mysterious masked assailant. She shoots him dead soon afterwards and dumps his corpse in the sea. Later an American investigator, played by Charles Bronson, turns up, and to her horror he seems to know everything about what she has done. No matter how hard she tries, he’s always one step ahead. Only at the end, we learn what he really wanted from her.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUAZP-gx3iE

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Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, based on Mark Peploe’s story, who also wrote the screenplay. Starring Jack Nicholson, as frustrated war correspondent, Maria Schneider, Jenny Runacre, Ian Hendry, Charles Mulvehill and Steven Berkoff.

A journalist (Jack Nicholson) researching a documentary in the Sahara Desert meets a gunrunner who suddenly dies. When the journalist notices that they have a similar appearance, and has not much to do, he assumes the recently deceased’s man identity and accepts the consequences that it brings. Jack gives a remarkable, subdued performance, keep in mind when seeing this film that it is slow, but the payoffs are well worth it (especially the end).

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4oZ9xymXHE

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Thanks to “Prometheus” I remembered one of the greatest Sci-Fi thrillers of all time, “Alien”. Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. After you watched this, I would also recommend “Aliens” the continuation, directed by James Cameron. It’s nearly perfect in every way, storyline, characters, menacing threat, suspense, action, music, emotion, etc…both are with good reasons classics.

The crew of the deep space mining ship Nostromo are awaken from hypersleep to investigate a strange signal from a nearby planet. While investigating the signal, they discover it was intended as a warning, and not an SOS.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEVY_lonKf4

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A Rainer Werner Fassbinder film also known as “The Marriage Of Maria Braun”. This movie follows the life of a young German woman, married to a soldier in the waning days of WWII. Fassbinder has tried to show the gritty life after the end of WWII and the turmoil of the people trapped in its wake, and like always with brilliant writing.

Braun (Hanna Schygulla) is working at a bar for American GI’s and even after she hears from a fellow soldier that Hermann has died, will still stand by him as she sleeps with a black GI and comes close to bearing his child, but then her husband (Klaus Löwitsch) reappears and a murder occurs, he takes the rap so she can be safe. Later she works for a German businessman (Ivan Desny) and becomes his sometimes mistress and rising star in the company. Maria will do whatever it takes to be successful, but she’ll always be married.

Karl Oswald: You were different last night.
Maria Braun: Last night I slept with you. Today I’m working for you.
Karl Oswald: Afraid someone will think we’re having an affair?
Maria Braun: I don’t care what people think. I do care what you think. And you’re not having an affair with me. I’m having an affair with you.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYyx5DwWu0k

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A film adaption of Erich Segal’s novel “Love Story” by Arthur Hiller, starring Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal and John Marley. The movie’s premise is simple: the typical boy meets girl love story, with the cliché rich boy, poor girl angle. But I think its simplicity is part of what’s so great about it. I fell in love with Oliver and Jenny (and as corny as it may sound, I think their undying love for each other is ultimately what we’re all searching for), and their tragedy became my devastation as well. It’s generally your typical soppy chick flick, with the exception that the pair don’t “live happily ever after”, but probably the best one of its kind. A story like this has become so banal today, but it was surely one of the first of its kind. And with a terrific soundtrack! (Won Oscar for best music)

Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV and music student Jennifer Cavilleri share a chemistry they cannot deny - and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver’s wealthy father threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail. Oliver and Jenny continue to build their life together. Relying only on each other, they believe love can fix anything. But fate has other plans. Soon, what began as a brutally honest friendship becomes the love story of their lives.

Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxOs2ZGRALU