Ridicule (1996) ****

Bound (1996) ****

Brilliant film noir directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, back in the days when they were still known as Andy and Larry. But even in 1996, this film already felt like it was made by female directors.

Trainspotting (1996) ****

Adapted from Irvine Welsh's 1993 cult novel, ''Trainspotting'' is one of the best films about drug addiction. Starring a young Ewan McGregor long before his Obi-Wan Kenobi days, and directed by Danny Boyle long before his promising career has crashed and burned with flops like ''A Life Less Ordinary'' and ''The Beach'', the film has been described as ''a singular sensation, a visionary knockout spiked with insight, wild invention and outrageous wit'' (Rolling Stones), ''exciting, energetic, thought-provoking (...) a kinetic movie, where everything, including the camera, keeps moving'' (James Berardinelli), and ''a desolate, fast, funny, scary film'' (Michael Wood, Slate). But, above all, it's a comedy, with classic lines like: "Take the best orgasm you've ever had, multiply by 1000, and you're still nowhere near it", "Fuck it, we would have injected Vitamin C if only they'd made it illegal", and "I hate being Scottish. ... Some people hate the English, but I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can't even pick a decent culture to be colonized by". And it's a sexy movie as well, with Kelly MacDonald (''Gosford Park'') in a hot erotic scene with McGregor. But ultimately, what makes this film so great is the realism with which the drug culture is depicted. It's not pretty, but it's not boring neither. We definitely don't want to live like them, but then again, we can definitely understand why drug addicts are living like that. It's not a pro- or anti-drug movie. It's better than that. It's honest.

Romeo And Juliet (1996) ****

Beaumarchais l'insolent (1996) ****

Love Serenade (1996) ****

Beyond Silence (1996) ****

Michael Collins (1996) ****

Tragic life of the Irish national hero.

The Frighteners (1996) ****

Take an idea or two from "The X-Files", add a touch of "Twin Peaks", borrow a motif from "The Terminator" and mix it with a large dose of "Natural Born Killers". Then put it in competent hands of Kiwi director Peter Jackson and you've got a masterful horror film - riotously funny, genuinely frightening, constantly surprising and incredibly innovative.

Emma (1996) ****

Very entertaining adaptation of Jane Austen's greatest novel. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the charming and intelligent heroine, who also happens to be quite vain and conceited. She constantly meddles in other peoples' affairs, with decidedly mixed results. It takes her a while to realize that, at 21, she might not know quite everything.

Brigands, Chapter VII (1996) ****

Black comedy about violence through the ages. Fascinating, clever, pitiless film.

Gabbeh (1996) ****

Iranian film about a nomadic tribe.

Szabla od Komendanta (1996) ****