“Sympathetic Psychopaths”

Man Bites Dog – Rémy Belvaux (1993)

Ben (Benoît Poelvoord) is a connoisseur of fine foods, a poet, a philosopher, and a composer. He’s also a serial killer. Man Bites Dog is the mockumentary in which he stars.

At any given moment, Ben is equally likely to be pontificating on the architectural merits ofFrank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie Style,” or explaining the best way to ballast a corpse to ensure that it will sink.

There is humor in the film’s absurdity, but its real comedy comes from Poelvoord himself. He is an electrifying presence, with a booming laugh and a gift for language. Not a film for everybody, but those who find humor in the macabre will certainly enjoy it.

Naked – Mike Leigh (1993)

David Thewlis stars as Johnny, a displaced and disaffected Mancuncian on the run in London. Much like the protagonist of Man Bites Dog, Johnny is clever, eloquent, and quick to pick a fight.

The film is a sort of odyssey in which Johnny explores London’s gritty underbelly and encounters a colorful cast of characters along the way.  

Something of note: The film’s script was generated during a series of improvised rehearsals and then edited by Leigh into the final screenplay. The dialogue is fiery and alive. Thewlis delivers a virtuoso performance, abrasive and compassionate.