Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
Dir: Aki Kaurismaki, Chen Kaige, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Victor Erice, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders.
2002
*****
A some good/some great collection of short films produced by Wim Wenders and directed by an impressive ensemble of talented directors. All were given the theme of time and 10 minutes to do whatever they liked basically. The results were varied and wonderful. You'd have to ask Wenders why it's called The Trumpet though, I suspect it's down to his own love of jazz or something. This is the companion piece to The Cello. 

Aki Kaurismaki - Dog's have no hell - In this short film, Kaurismaki highlights the change 10 minutes can bring, a man starts afresh after being released from Prison. It drips Kaurismaki's dark yet colourful style and stars favourite actors Markku Peltola and Kati Outinen. 

Victor Erice - Lifeline - The film itself is shot in beautiful black and white and the story is uncomfortable viewing at first. It highlights the hopes and fears we all have, some times every second (or ten minutes) count. The salt and the sugar of life. 

Werner Herzog - 10,000 years older - Herzog's entry into the project is a typical Werner documentary. It tells the story of a tribe that was discovered in the 70's and has since been thrust into the modern world and has aged 10,000 years in only 30 years. Amazing stuff and very typical of Herzog's (brilliant) early documentaries. 

Jim Jarmusch - Int.Trailer.Night - This short highlights the ridiculous nature and concept of time by showing a ten minute break on a film set to be anything but what it was meant to be. Typically cool, delicious black and white and Chloe Sevigny was pretty good considering I don't usually like her. 

Wim Wenders - 12 miles to Trona - It's funny how it was Wenders who came up with the concept of this collection of short film and his is by far the weakest submission. It's a race against time idea that highlights the idea that time passes slowly in times of despair. It felt like a poor imitation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to me. 

Spike Lee - We wuz robbed - Spike Lee was once quoted as saying 
"Wim Wenders had better watch out 'cause I'm waiting for his ass. Somewhere deep in my closet I have a Louisville Slugger bat with Wenders' name on it". I don't know if this was before or after this film came out but I'm intrigued as to why he said it! Anyway, much like Herzog, Lee's film is a documentary into the rigged Bush election back in 2000. Old news now but still shocking. 

Chen Kaige - 100 Flowers deep - This is a funny comedy about a sad subject. The realisation of time passing and of lost memories. A good way to end the chapter. 

As a collection and because of a couple of real stand out films, this is a five out of five film.