Nothing is quite as disheartening as the moment we realise magic is not real. We spend a large part of our childhood wholeheartedly believing that the world around us is populated by enchanted beings and mythical occurrences, which makes life seem much more whimsical than it actually ends up being in reality, proving that logic…
The Idiots (1998)
We’ve lost the art of provocation. Whether this is a result of audiences becoming more desensitised to controversial subjects, or the reduction in the number of filmmakers willing to push boundaries to the point where they risk their careers, we don’t see nearly enough feathers being ruffled anymore, which is close to a travesty, considering…
Solo (2023)
There comes a point in many people’s lives when they look in the mirror and realise they don’t quite recognise who they see on the other side, whether for better or worse. In terms of the protagonist of Solo, the ambitious drama written and directed by Sophie Depuis, it is a combination of both. Best…
Mile End Kicks (2026)
When it comes to being able to successfully pursue your dreams, some people are fortunate enough to have everything fall into place with minimal effort, while others tend to have to rely on a combination of ambition, hard work and sometimes sheer luck. I’d argue the latter category encompasses the vast majority of these stories,…
The Long Take: The Career of…Mel Brooks (1926 – present)
We’re truly fortunate to be living at the same time as Mel Brooks – I have a sincere appreciation for comedy as an artform, and few people have made as much of an impression on the subject of humour than Brooks, who has single-handedly helped bring about some of the most revolutionary developments in the…
Separate Lies (2005)
To what extent do we protect those we love? Is it possible to support someone through particularly tricky circumstances while still being able to maintain not only a very particular public image, but also your inner peace? This is a question that we often find being asked in instances where someone discovers a family member…
Jimpa (2026)
Family can be a challenging topic to address artistically, since it is a near-universal subject that most of us can relate to in some way, but it often tends to be quite specific, and what is motivating for one viewer can be entirely dull for another. However, these stories must be told, since there is…
Matador (1986)
How do you define an artistic revolutionary? Is it by their longevity or the extent to which they were willing to take wild swings, regardless of any potential repercussions from a society that may not have always understood them at the time, but still facilitated their rise to acclaim, even if unintentionally? When it comes…
Beating Heart (1940)
Had Robert Bresson been more inclined to make Pickpocket in the mould of the classic Hollywood screwball comedies that held quite a prominent place in the culture, it would have most likely looked very similar to Beating Heart (French: Battement de coeur), a charming and eccentric romantic comedy written and directed by Henri Decoin, who…
The History of Sound (2025)
The great American poet and historian Sidney Lanier once famously said, “Music is love in search of a word”, and considering one of his most prominent areas of study was that of music, it is quite clear that he was an authority on the subject. Anyone who has ever been in love, even for just…
The Postmodern Pelican 