The films of Claire Denis

10. I Can't Sleep (1994)
Minor Denis is better than most, but I Can't Sleep feels like an incomplete film. It tackles the real-life "Granny Killer," a serial killer who terrorized Paris during the late 1980s. Small segments of the film can be interesting, but most of it comes off as repressed and un-involving. It's not a bad film by any means, but in my opinion resembles Denis' weakest effort in terms of employing palpable feeling, which she does rather well with her later films.

9. Nenette et Boni (1996)
Claire Denis likes to recycle the same actors in her films, and this is the first film that she uses actor Gregoire Colin. He plays Boni, a late teen who dreams of romanticism. The film traces his fractured relationship with his now pregnant sister Nenette, played by Alice Houri. Like most of Denis' films, this one is very sensual, especially a scene involving Boni and pizza dough. Some would classify this film as a coming of age story, but it's almost as if we meet these siblings past their point of enlightenment. We can relate to these characters and their circumstances, which makes the film feel honest and authentic. Denis is great at inserting familiar songs into her films, and few are greater than the one right here.

8. Trouble Every Day (2001)
Denis' first stab at genre blends audacious and grisly horror with numerous quiet scenes. Trouble Every Day ends up being more tedious than anything, as it occasionally haunts, but more than anything leaves the viewer scratching their head. It includes a great score from Tindersticks, and a creepy performance from Beatric Dalle, but what we see on screen fails to resonate in the end. More often than not, the ambiguity in a Denis film is what makes it great, but this isn't the case with Trouble Every Day. It's worth noting that this isn't a horror film in the traditional sense, but more of a post-modern study of sexuality and violence coaxed in Denis' own aesthetic.

7. Friday Night (2002)
I would say this is the one film in the Claire Denis filmography that stays with you the most after viewing it. While I've only seen it once, it's made me second guess my initial reaction to it upon my first viewing. There is virtually no plot here, as Denis focuses more on the surroundings of the main character Laure, played by Valerie Lemercier. The film is frustrating at times, especially as I found it difficult to initially settle into the film and decipher what it was trying to do. A friend had previously described it as the most romantic end of the world film ever made, this statement is both accurate and absurd. As the film goes on, it's at once charming and ultimately liberating. The final shot alone makes me want to re-visit this film more than any other Denis film simply because of how honest and heartfelt it is.

6. Chocolat (1988)
Chocolat was Denis' debut film, one of three in her oeuvre that take place in Africa. Denis was born in France, but raised in colonial Africa as her father was a French civil servant. This is undoubtedly her most personal film, and definitely autobiographical to an extent. The film starts with a beautiful wide shot of a father and son in the ocean, we cut to a white woman with headphones on recalling some past memory. The film flashes back to the woman as a very young girl, ironically the girl's name is France and she lives with her parents in a colonial outpost in Cameroon. The film tackles relationships and race with such an assured hand, especially impressive given this is Denis' first film. The standout here is Isaach De Bankole as Protee, the family's African servant who develops a strong relationship with France. It's not only a coming of age story, but also an accurate depiction of repressed emotions between races and family members.

5. No Fear, No Die (1990)
Man and animal, paired together as one, but separate entities in Clare Denis' No Fear, No Die. Denis takes a look at underground cock-fighting, as two desperate men look to make internal and external human connections within their own secluded world. Denis regular Alex Descas plays Jocelyn, a subdued rooster trainer quietly boiling on the inside. It's a claustrophobic film in the way Denis seems to have the two main protagonists, the other played by Isaach De Bankole, trapped in their environment, both maintaining lifestyles barely above the poverty line. No Fear, No Die is another example of how Denis portrays sensuality so beautifully, and in this case, so violently. The underlying theme of masculine aggression in everyday business is the heart of the film, as the two men equivocally struggle to keep their sanity and friendship in the most dire situations.

4. The Intruder (2004)
What is easily Denis' most impenetrable and enigmatic film, The Intruder is able to hold one's attention for its methodical and uniquely rhthymic 130 minute run-time. I would deter anyone who isn't familiar with Denis to not watch this first when getting into her work. For most of the film, we follow Louis, a man nearing 70, who has heart problems and is seeking a transplant. This is all that Denis gives us, as the rest of the film plays like a puzzle where Denis gives us a piece here and there, letting the viewer decipher and make of it what they choose. It is however a beautiful film, filled with countless shots ranging from tropical and wintry landscapes. Above all else, Denis seems to have crafted a film about acceptance, this arrives in multiple forms, most notably Louis' attempts to reconcile with his son, himself, and his surroundings. It's a puzzling film, but mildly awarding if you're willing to give it time. It's best to not get wrapped up in the non-linear narrative, and just let the film take you to places you haven't seen before.

3. White Material (2009)
White Material represents another personal work from Denis, as the director revisits Africa in all its beauty and civil turmoil. The female protagonist is Maria, a near oblivious coffee-plantation owner played by Isabelle Huppert, who's looking to salvage her land and humanity among the violent turmoil around her. As the film opens, we don't know if we're at the begging or the end, as Denis often shuffles scenes out of place to keep us on our toes, but it's not for show, the editing in White Material makes sense and serves a purpose. Denis gives us some, but little back story on what has brought Maria to such an isolated and diluted state of mind. She listens to no one in her quest to do what she feels is just, even among all the violence and bloodshed closing in on her and her family. The film's mise-en-scene is vivid and palpable, resulting in a depiction of chaos so far away, yet so close to the viewer.

2. 35 Shots of Rum (2008)
Looks, glances, movement, body language, all of the previous forms of expression encapsulate the characters in 35 Shots of Rum. It's a quiet film, one that tells of the relations between a father and daughter, the young man living upstairs from them, and a female cabbie, each living in France. All four people blend together in some form of extended family that feels distant, yet so familiar to us. 35 Shots is vintage Denis for many reasons, it contains the most humane depictions of loved ones moving closeer and further away from each other through the most subtle and non-telling ways. By now it's no secret that Denis is not big on plot, 35 Shots represents another departure from traditional storytelling. The film isn't fractured or non-linear, but there is little dialogue and no signs of Denis spoon-feeding her audience here. The film contains a loving warmth that is present in so many scenes, most notable is this one, another signature moment where Denis uses music and dance perfectly. The film captures city life, transit, and personal independence in such an accurate manner, by the time the end rolls around, Denis provides us with a subtle last shot, both sad and life-affirming.

1. Beau Travail (1999)
A lot of Beau Travail is murky for me, since I've only seen it once, about a year ago. But it only took one viewing for the film to leave me with a lasting impression of not only the film, but for Denis as an auteur. The film tells of an ex-Foreign Legion officer recalling his once glorious life, leading troops in Africa. One of the troops, played by Denis regular Gregoire Colin attempts to add some humanity to the rigorous and sometimes monotonous life of these soldiers. It's all routine for these men, void of any real human interaction, the military routines dominate every aspect of their lives. The film is about losing, and maintaining the substance in our lives. It also plays as a certain competitive and sensual triangle between some of the men. Denis isn't concentrated on one particular view or theme here, molding the film into a rhythmic, yet harsh dance between these soldiers and their superiors, the most notable one played by Denis Lavant. I have never served in any type of Military outfit, but Denis frames and tells this story in such an admirably draining manner that feels supremely familiar. The film offers multiple viewpoints, each from the soldier's and officer's point of view. Each force is desperate to survive alongside each other's company, this dynamic comes full circle in the hauntingly beautiful final scene where movement, color, and rhythm all serve as clues to the fate of a certain character.