Microcosmos review

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Bear with us on this one - it's not what you think. Admittedly, on paper, Microcosmos looks like the most tedious film ever made: an hour and a quarter of insects doing insecty things in extreme close-up, accompanied by a bit of classical music, a few choice words from Kristin Scott Thomas and greatly amplified insecty noises. But wait. There are three main groups of people who will love this bizarre film: entomologists (obviously); those with an interest in the practical side of cinema (they'll marvel at the incredible macrophotography); and people who liked to be, um, "relaxed".

When blown up to the breadth of a cinema screen, these insects are 10 times more bizarre than anything in the Mos Eisley Cantina. The effect is similar to the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it's certainly a lot more "mind-expanding" than those dodgy videos of flashing, swirly lights and weird noises that you can waste your money on.

Of course, we wouldn't advocate any form of intoxicant stronger than a nice drop of chablis. But, hypothetically, if you were to smoke some... "wine" and thus be in an amiable, munificent mood, Microcosmos would, in this hypothetical instance, be a bloody brilliant film to watch. Total Film's recommendation is to gather a few friends at home, pass a couple of "glasses of white wine" around the room, then head down to your local cinema for a truly out-of-this-world experience. But stick to "soft" wine. If you get seriously off your head on something strong (like Irn-Bru), the sight of an eight-foot ladybird could do you more harm than good.

A freak show of outsize proportions, this is nature as we're not supposed to see it. The Living Planet was never like this.

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The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.