American Psycho (2000)

I know American Psycho is an often featured film when talking style, suits or just still images taken from movies. Still I enjoy every single minute of this utterly good movie. The mockery of the 80's and the Wallstreet type of businessmen is just great. The delusion in which these businessmen mingle themselves every single day, the fake burden and responsibility they carry and their materialistic view on life. This hollow life is all too much for the narcissistic character of Patrick Bateman, the best role performed by Christian Bale to date. Perhaps the still of Willem Dafoe need some explaining, it's his face that has got so much character to it, he's the actor that could, in theory, play any kind of role. I had to capture it.

The following thought/quotation from Patrick Bateman is my favorite one of the movie and actually summarizes it quite good:

"Allen has mistaken me for this dickhead, Marcus Halberstram.
It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P,
and in fact does the same exact thing I do.
He also has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses.
Marcus and I even go to the same barber,
although I have a slightly better haircut."

The Limits of Control (2009)

I have to apologize for the low number of stills lately, due to visits to Berlin where celebrating the new year and last week my visit to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The five days Rotterdam where great even though the city hasn't that much to offer apart from the film festival, the world-famous Boijmans van Beuningen museum and some stores. From the movies I've seen I would strongly recommend Essential Killing, The King of Devil's Island, Black Swan and 13 Assassins. Okay back to another film by Jarmusch.

In the Limits of Control Jarmusch brings coolness to a higher level, partially due to the efforts of probably the greatest cinematographer alive right now; Christoper Doyle. His sense for composition, color, focus and depth is incredible. So combine the sense for style, items and details from Jarmusch with the superb cinematography by Doyle, there only lacks some substance in the form of very interesting dialogues about the subjectivity of art. Once again Isaach de Bankolé is present in this Jarmusch flick in the role of the secret agent. His mission is to destroy the bureaucrats that know what it takes to make art and how to explain it. He communicates with his fellow agents by codes hidden in fantastic 'Le Boxeur - Fabriqué au Cameroun' matchboxes. The Limits of Control is subjective to the bone and asks a little effort from your own imagination, as any good movie should.

The Endless Summer (1966)

If you love the seashore and if you're fond of surfing you will definitely like Bruce Brown's documentary, one of the first ever shot on surf culture. Still if you don't like surfing or even the seashore its very likely you'll love it. It's not just the ultimate surfer movie, actually I didn't select one single shot in which there's actually someone riding the waves. This is one of these documentaries that covers so much more than just the main-subject; it's about unknown cultures, a cool lifestyle, traveling, beautiful sceneries, silly and good humor but most of all about some cool dudes that know how to enjoy life. And of course the endless shots of some guys and girls floating on the waves are breathtaking, wave after wave.

From Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South-Africa, Australia, New-Zeeland, Tahiti to Hawai the two surfers, Michael Hynson and Robert August, are searching for the best spots to practice their skills and to discover the surroundings. Persol sunglasses, fisherman knits, slick haircuts, khaki chino's, waterproof watches, Vans sneakers, Fiat 500's, Volkswagen Beetles, suits and naturally the oldskool surfboards are all present. Bruce Brown really knows how to cover a certain subculture.

If you liked 'The Endless Summer' you should make sure you get to see 'On Any Sunday' real soon too. The second documentary by Brown covers motorcycling and dirt-bike riding and features Steve McQueen (as a professional driver) among others and has the typical Bruce Brown elements added to it.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Jim Jarmusch is one of these contemporary directors that know how to portray coolness in a very sophisticated way. Like Wes Anderson, but in a significant different design, although their mixing of the serious and comic genres with a high sense of dry humor are very similar.

I already featured some samurai in the traditional fashion. But with Ghost Dog Jarmusch choose to portray a samurai in the present, utterly well played by Forest Withaker. A quiet figure, very decent and dedicated, plus he's got some fantastic items and uses of things. A secret compartment in his wooden floor with a secretly situated key, the self-made boombox out of wood and car hi-fi, his communicating by carrier pigeon and the glossy dark-blue suit. Lots of shoe styles are found either, from the all red Nike Low Air Force Ones as the Reebok Pumps to classic American footwear like L.L. Beans (not featured) and the Red Wings worn by Isaach de Bankolé. Not unexpectedly, because of his love for ancient Asian practices, the RZA made the soundtrack for the movie.

Gama No Abura (2009)

Up until now the best film I've visited in the cinemas this year. It's the first movie directed by Kôji Yakusho, known as an actor. Yakusho must like style, for the fact that most of the caps I've selected from this film subjects his character (young and old) or his belongings.

The character played by Yakusho, Takuro, is a stock investor and sits behind his desk checking stocking quotes all day. His office is probably the nicest one I've ever seen: eight fully equipped iMac's (with the black backsides) and a corner with targets to hit with all the imaginable toy guns available. Then he continuously wears his khaki colored chino's, the fine leather jacket and completed with, not sure though, Red Wing 8181's and his Australian Akubra hat. And even when not at home, he makes sure to bring along his three MacBook Pro's in his trailer. And have a look at the Takuro character as a kiddo, he knows how to look cool and get at places he shouldn't be. Just superb. This film is highly recommended - and not only for style.