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"Ice Palace" (1987) gives the strong impression that the people who made it found some really cool (in both senses of the word) locations, primarily the title site, and decided to film around them while barely constructing a "story" (although they did use a novel as their basis). There is sparse dialogue, no answers, absolutely no ending, just images and (mostly violin) sounds. There are several shots that look like paintings - but how long can you look at a painting before getting bored? The film suggests something lesbian, at other times something mystical, but very little comes to fruition. ** out of 4.

"L'Homme Qui A Perdu Son Ombre" aka "The Man Who Lost His Shadow" (1991) is, much like the few other Alain Tanner films I have seen, walking a thin line between tranquility and inertia - except this one too often crosses over to the wrong side. Not much at all occurs plot-wise, but Tanner does have an eye for locations. The film is basically a pure male fantasy: the man does not have to work for a living, he can take an indefinite vacation in a peaceful coastal Spanish town, he "writes" a little when he feels like it, he has a wise old mentor, a kid tucked away comfortably somewhere in Paris, and two beautiful women pining for him, which he treats indifferently and they still chase him around as if he was the last man on earth. His character is never very interesting (nice hair, though!), and a young, fresh Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi has the essentially thankless role of his wife. The Spanish duo of Francisco Rabal and Angela Molina fares better. ** out of 4.

Alain Tanner's "Middle Of The World" (1974) is a relaxing, meditative film that chronicles the 112-days-long (we're told this information from the start) affair between a Swiss engineer / political candidate and an Italian waitress. Tanner is an auteur: the film is highly personalized, and categorically not of wide audience appeal. Yet the landscapes are inviting (and so is the weather, for fans of snow and winter), some of the dialogue has a deadpan sense of humor, and Olimpia Carlisi is really beautiful. At 111 minutes it is a long sit, but if you're looking for something quiet this fits the bill. **1/2 out of 4.