Microcosmos

The miracle of microphotography brings nature at its buggiest to the big screen. Snail sex. Mosquito Kabuki dancing. Ladybug frolics. Ants at the watering hole. A caterpillar death march. The victory of one small beetle over a twig and a ball of dung. Though they keep voice-over narration to a minimum, French filmmakers Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou don't exactly avoid the trap of anthropomorphization: you can't help but imagine those snails are caressing one another when their slimy coitus is enacted to the accompaniment of an operatic aria. But never mind — the spectacle is absolutely enthralling, and even a bit frightening. Buzzing bees recall helicopt...