Dante 01

2008 Director Marc Caro

Co-director of Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children, this is Caro's solo directorial debut. It is a nightmarish tale of a deep space prison and the newly arrived inmate suffering from a mysterious alien infection.

Dante 01 is a maximum-security prison located out of harm's way at the edge of the galaxy. Upon arrival for psychiatric evaluation, the sole survivor of a horrifying alien encounter finds himself in the middle of a battle to harness his strange new powers. But the volatile force that now dwells within him is greater than anyone realizes.

This is not a remake or variation of Alien but a vision of universal hope versus human cynicism. The dark style that is Caro's trademark pervades this film and makes the outcome even more surprising. This film is a brave allegory about our nature, our beginnings and our destiny. The cast include a few familiar faces from both his previous films with Jean-Pierre Jeunet and there is enough originality here to give pause for thought.

The City Of Lost Children

1995 Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro

Caro & Jeunet team up again to produce a fantastically-twisted fairy tale chock-full of curious characters, spectacular stunts and unforgettable visuals.

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they will slow his aging process. A gutsy little girl and a sentimental strongman join hearts and hands to save a small boy's dreams from a madman's master plan. They encounter a barrage of weird and wonderful characters on their way, many of whom will be familiar returns from Amelie and Delicatessen.

Reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's harrowing Brazil this film is filled with dazzling visuals, ingenious gadgets and state-of-the-art special effects. It is a journey into the darkest recesses of the human psyche conjuring up nightmarish images and juxtapositioning them next to kindness and compassion. A great mix and quite a ride that will delight and disturb in equal measures

Delicatessen

1991 Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro

This is a unique and surreal dark comedy that has rightly received overwhelming critical acclaim.

In a post-apocalyptic society where meat is scarce, cannibalism is no longer unsavory. And when a young ex-clown takes a job in a dilapidated deli, he's completely unaware that the butcher plans to serve him to the building's bizarre tenants. But when the butcher’s nearsighted daughter falls for the clown, she'll go to absurd lengths to foil her father's plan.

This dark tale is played out in a brilliantly designed, gloriously surreal world reminiscent of the works of Terry Gilliam. Like Gilliam, Jeunet comes from an animation background, and has a fondness for extravagant visuals, absurd twists, and a sense of humor that combines sharp satire with broad slapstick and gross-out imagery. This mixture may displease the weak of stomach, but those attuned to the film's sensibility will be delighted by the obvious technical virtuosity and wicked sense of humor.