James R | On 13, Feb 2016

Not getting your arthouse fix from Netflix? Wish there were more indie films on Amazon Prime Video? Every week, we round up the new releases on MUBI, the subscription VOD service that hand-picks new and old classics from around the world.

It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend and MUBI gets in the mood with a charming triple-bill of romantic films, from It Happened One Night to Punch-Drunk Love. But divorce is on the cards too, for those who prefer their cinema with a little less sentiment…

Here’s what’s new to MUBI this week – and what’s coming soon.

Zoolander – Sunday 7th February

You can re-watch Ben Stiller’s crazy comedy about a male model brainwashed to assassinate the Malasyian Prime Minister any time and find more treats hidden in the pile. Proving Stiller’s talents as a capable helmer for goofy as well as sinister material, Zoolander seems like a silly character film from the outset, but with a script so insanely sharp, yet willing to go off on tangents for bigger laughs, the end result has become a cult classic. Read our full review.

Available until: 7th March

Taxi Driver – Monday 8th February

Remember when Robert De Niro used to make good movies? You’d have to go back 40 years to find Taxi Driver, an anniversary that MUBI celebrates by adding Martin Scorsese’s classic to their line-up. Bobby stars as Travis Bickle, an unstable Vietnam war veteran working as cabbie in New York, where the sleazy nightlife drives him to try and save a young prostitute (Jodie Foster). Scorsese’s iconic tracking shot highlights the violence of Bickle’s mind, but it’s Bernard Herrmann’s soundtrack that gives the film its power, as a mournful sax sings notes of false romance and redemption – and true alienation.

Available until: 8th March

All About Them (A Trois On Y Va) – Tuesday 9th February

As My French Film Festival returns for its sixth year, MUBI joins in with the release of All About Them, which follows a young couple who buy a house – but unbeknownst to Micha, Charlotte has been cheating on him with Melodie. And unbenknowst to Charlotte, Micha is also cheating on her… with Melodie.

Available until: 9th March

Io Sono L’Amore (I Am Love) – Wednesday 10th February

As Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash arrives in UK cinemas, MUBI takes us back to his 2009 film, I Am Love, which stars Tilda Swinton as a mother of three who left Russia to live with her husband in Italy – only to find her attention aroused by the friend of her son.

Available until: 10th March

History of Fear – 11th February

Never released in the UK, Benjamín Naishtat’s 2014 debut explores human anxiety and bourgeois angst in this tale of the fear that spreads through a private community after the power goes out.

Available until: 11th March

The American Dreamer – Friday 12th February

A global exclusive for MUBI, this rediscovered documentary captures Dennis Hopper at the height of his success in the wake of Easy Rider. Shifting between an insightful document of a complex artist and a self-reflective exploration of vérité filmmaking tropes, the movie finds the pathologically rebellious actor as an unlikely King of Hollywood for a day. (Hopper’s follow-up work, The Last Movie (1971), found him drifting further and further into eccentricity.)
Available until: 12th March

Punch-Drunk Love – Saturday 13th February

MUBI celebrates Valentine’s weekend by taking us back years before Adam Sandler made The Ridiculous 6 to a rare serious turn from the actor. He plays introvert Barry, who falls for the kooky friend of one of his sisters (Emily Watson). The result is one of Sandler’s best – and one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s most memorable films too. And not just because of the puddings and mattresses.

Available until: 13th March

Harold & Maude – Sunday 14th February

Hal Ashby’s 1971 romantic comedy is as dark as it is sentimental, telling the twisted story of a suicidal young man and the older woman he meets while attending a funeral – a hobby that they both share.

Available until: 14th March

It Happened One Night – Monday 15th February

Frank Capra’s 1934 flick, which sees a spoiled heiress (Claudette Colbert) flee her controlling father, only to wind up stuck with a cynical newspaper reporter (Clark Gable). Their odd couple exchanges were not only laugh-out-loud funny and endearingly sweet, but also went on to define the romantic comedy for the whole of cinema.

Available until: 15th March

Divorce Iranian Style – Wednesday 17th February

This 1998 documentary chronicles the ins and outs of the legal battle facing three Iranian couples, as they embark on the difficult process of getting a divorce in the Islamic Republic. The first of a Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini double-bill.

Available until: 17th March

Runaway – Thursday 18th February

MUBI’s Kim Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini double-bill concludes with this 2001 documentary, which follows a group of runaway girls in a Tehran shelter for women trying to escape from their abusive, patriarchal families.

Available until: 18th March

You Can Count On Me – Friday 19th February

Kenneth Lonergan bagged two Oscar nominations (Screenplay and Actress) with his 2000 debut, which stars Laura Linney as Sammy, a single mother living in a small New York community. She is joined by a supporting cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, and Matthew Broderick. It would be 11 years until Lonergan finally released his second movie, Margaret, starring Anna Paquin.

Available until: 19th March

 

Last chance to stream: Titles leaving MUBI soon

Catch Me If You Can

Available until: 14th February

Revolutionary Road

Available until: 15th February

The 39 Steps

Available until: 16th February

Loose Cannons

Available until: 17th February

Tectonics

Available until: 18th February

Black Book

Available until: 19th February

It Felt Like Love

Available until: 20th February

Weekend

Available until: 21st February

 
A subscription to MUBI costs £4.99 a month. For more information, head to www.mubi.com

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