When it comes to looking at a film about important issues, we have to make a difficult decision in our adjudication – can subpar writing be redeemed through good intentions? This is a question we often have to ask, with the general consensus depending on both how effective the supposedly poorer writing is in contrast…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Ikiru (1952)
Ikiru (Japanese: 生きる) isn’t a film so much as it is a deeply moving voyage to the heart of the human condition, told through a fervent form of compassion rarely found in even the most empathetic works of cinema. Praising Akira Kurosawa for being a gifted filmmaker is the same as calling Mozart a talented…
The Sky Is Everywhere (2022)
After nearly a decade of making small, intimate independent dramas that bordered on outright horror, it seemed inevitable that Josephine Decker would make something that veered towards populist filmmaking. Mercifully, her first foray into the realm of the mainstream was one that actually seemed very fitting for the director, in the form of The Sky…
Parents vs Influencers (2021)
It’s been a while since we had a film that was so truly and unequivocally consistent and vitriolic in its disdain for technology. Just when we thought it was safe to once again sink back into your pleasant void of social media, Parents vs Influencers (Italian: Genitori vs Influencer) arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, and…
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
Without any doubt, there are few writers that defined the concept of wit quite as well as Oscar Wilde, who essentially set the standard for much of modern-day humour with his scintillating, scandalous comedies, whether they were written for the page or the stage. The piece with the most notable cultural footprint is undeniably The…
Red Rocket (2021)
There’s something about the artistry of Sean Baker that seems both reliable and revolutionary – having achieved breakthrough recognition with his groundbreaking comedy Tangerine just under a decade ago (which came after a few years of mainly obscure work that went unnoticed by anyone not invested in the details of contemporary independent cinema), he has…
Tyrannosaur (2011)
Paddy Considine is one of those actors who many of us recognize, and whose presence we often appreciate, even if he’s not someone whose name we immediately can recall. However, he has proven himself to be a very gifted artist on countless occasions, to the point where his first attempt at stepping behind the camera…
Cool World (1992)
Purely on his contribution to the medium, Ralph Bakshi deserves to be considered one of the greatest animators in the history of cinema. His name may not be as well-known as some of his predecessors, contemporaries and artistic descendants, but his legacy has remained almost entirely untouched as possibly the most significant elder statesman of…
The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
Robert Redford has directed several fantastic films, with the likes of Ordinary People and Quiz Show being relatively well-regarded, with many dedicated supporters that argue towards them being much better than most efforts produced by actors-turned-directors. For a lot of his career, Redford struggled with shedding the image of being an irresistible heartthrob, taking on…
Limelight (1952)
Is there any name that evokes a more passionate response than Charlie Chaplin? Arguably the most recognizable actor to ever work in the medium of film (perhaps only overtaken by Marilyn Monroe in terms of being a pure icon that is known across the world), he earned every bit of his acclaim and status as…
The Postmodern Pelican 