Microcosmos review

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.