Quirky-

Opening with very compelling title credits, Richard Hobert's Ögat (The Eye) continues the suspense for the remaining two hours. Ingrid (Lena Endre) is in a seemingly perfect relationship with an outwardly perfect man, Frederik (Samuel Fröler). What Ingrid doesn't know is that Frederik is not quite all there. In fact, his obsessive jealousy stretches so far that he fakes a suicide in order to see Ingrid's reactions to his death (albeit, from afar and through 'spy-cams') and to validate her 'fidelity' to him after his untimely demise. When Ingrid's old friend, Mikael (Göran Stangertz), well known singer-songwriter, discovers the creepy truth about the compulsively infatuated Frederik, he sets out to protect Ingrid and unearth any further dirt on Frederik. The cast is uniformly excellent, with sufficiently tense moments and some great writing and direction from Hobert, this Swedish effort is quite entertaining - Ingrid's revenge at being so unmercifully tricked is a very satisfying moment

The ironically titled Fox and His Friends, Fassbinder's rather excellent study of a none-too-bright circus worker who wins a small fortune in the lottery, is a touching film that features a great performance from Fassbinder himself in the title role. A reflection on the class system and homosexual relationships of 1970's Germany, Fox and His Friends is unsentimental and guileless most of the time. Fox (Fassbinder) is one of the main attractions of a circus like festival, with his lover being arrested for tax fraud. Fox somehow knows he'll win the lottery, so when he picks up a wealthy man at the local 'pick-up toilets', Fox makes sure he reaches the store in time to lodge his ticket. Cut to Fox celebrating his 500 000 marks win, he's drinking in his usual tavern with the effete bar staff and clientele. Fox then somehow becomes involved with a somewhat arrogant and pretentious man, already in a relationship, who takes the naïve Fox for a ride, spending his money in selfish and extravagant ways. Fassbinder's melodrama is droll and poignant, with a tragically ironic ending. Oh, and you have to give extra marks to a director who inserts lengthy nude scenes of themselves in their films.