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Partly a love story that may never have taken place - partly a repetitive dream with opaque reality - but mostly an enigma with a labyrinth of dialogue and images. It's the comprehension of being comfortably perplexed. Last Year at Marienbad is one of cinema's most indefinable films. The film uses a group of well tailored prominent socialites and places them in Baroque château. The opening narrative repeatedly describes the setting and eventually gives way to its central characters – when a man and the woman who he claims to have met the prior year are brought together. Their ensuing discourse of a past encounter and their future paths is the central focus of the film.

In this myriad of dialogue and images – it may help for the viewer to know that several times throughout this film "Nim" is played. Nim is a strategical game based on a mathematical theory where players takes turns removing objects from a pile. Each move affects the decision to be made by the next player – reaction to action. Within this game there are a finite number of possible moves, and each successive move helps define the outcome. Traditionally the player to take the last object is the loser - but aptly - a variation of Nim exists where the player who takes the last object wins. The film applies this principle of binary mathematics to its characters and the exploration of possibilities within their relationship.

Last Year of Marienbad is puzzling film open to widespread speculation. Any claims of definement are purely conjecture - for this was Alain Resnais' intention. The film has exquisite cinematography and its accompanying music, while eerie, is somehow befitting of the narrative. Last Year at Marienbad is probably the most unique film to come from the French New Wave. It challenges the audience in ways few other films can. While some may dismiss the film as nothing more than slow paced nonsense, many others including myself consider Resnais' film a masterpiece.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is a film that intelligently blends social commentary with the lives of two individuals whose paths unexpectedly cross. Emmi Kurowski is an older widow who finds herself going through the motions of life without any meaningful relationships to share it with. To avoid a rain shower one afternoon she takes refuge inside a local bar and it's there where she meets Ali, a Morrocan mechanic who's much her junior. The two share a dance and their improbable relationship begins. What ensues is a union that sparks widespread aversion towards the couple and their resolve to overcome such animosity.

Fassbinder takes the cultural prejudice of a post war Germany and creates a film with universal appeal - one that is just as relevant in today's modern world as it was when it was made. He uses the central characters to depict the fears of not only themselves, but also of society in general. The pace he creates has a unique minimalistic quality and maintains an effortless flow throughout the entire film. Bridgette Mira's portrayal of the humble but enduring Emmi is outstanding and she anchors the film with great realism. A true understated classic of world cinema.

It's evident from the beautiful title sequence that Kwaidan vows to be much more than ordinary cinema. The film is comprised of four individual stories that share a common theme – a mesmerizing world where the living have apparitional experiences. The tales are derived from Japanese folklore and explore the battles between the internal soul and the outer spirit world. In each tale these two forces are uniquely brought together, producing a film that probes human existence.

Kwaidan is a remarkable film whose trance like imagery is both poetic and captivating. This film may very well have the best set designs ever created – they're truly spectacular. The brilliant use of colors, lighting, and sound are mixed seamlessly within each storyline. Director Masaki Kobayashi amazingly manages to use a tranquil narrative, yet at the same time inject intensity into each sequence. This treasure of world cinema should be experienced by all.