Films like Los Angeles Plays Itself.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) reads as Neutral, measured, measured essay / cinema, inventive in texture. Ambivalent, mid-stakes, measured. Every film below is ranked by distance across the same twelve hand-scored axes — with what it keeps, and where it walks away. Not a genre dump.

Examined Life (2008) (2008) poster
1. Examined Life2008

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005) poster
2. No Direction Home: Bob Dylan2005

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Alila (2003) poster
3. Alila2003

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the heightened unreality; trades toward a cold, bleak undertow.

Tickets (2005) poster
4. Tickets2005

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the heightened unreality; trades toward a patient, unhurried pace.

Instrument (1999) (1999) poster
5. Instrument1999

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011) poster
6. George Harrison: Living in the Material World2011

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Day After Day (1998) poster
7. Day After Day1998

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (2002) poster
8. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart2002

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the cold, bleak undertow — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Heartbeats (2010) (2010) poster
9. Heartbeats2010

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the heightened unreality — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

The Big Durian (2003) poster
10. The Big Durian2003

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the heightened unreality; trades toward a cold, bleak undertow.

Turning Gate (2002) poster
11. Turning Gate2002

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the heightened unreality; trades toward a patient, unhurried pace.

Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (2000) poster
12. Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors2000

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the heightened unreality; trades toward a patient, unhurried pace.

These are Los Angeles Plays Itself’s neighbours — where are yours?

Rate five posters and the same twelve axes read you — then tonight’s pick comes from your own centre of taste.

Find my film for tonight — 60 sec →