When it comes to Daddy or Mommy (French: Papa ou maman), there are many ways to describe it – mean-spirited, misanthropic and morally bankrupt. It’s also one of the funniest films of the past decade, a comedy that doesn’t pay too much attention to how it is perceived, and instead tries to entertain the viewer…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Bitter Rice (1949)
As one of the more fascinating cinematic movements of the 20th century, Italian neo-realism underwent quite a transformation over time, with some of the most effective works being produced in the years following the end of the Second World War, when the focus of many filmmakers shifted from passive views of the Italian way of…
Nope (2022)
Sadly, many of us film lovers tend to be cynical from time to time, especially when it comes to someone established in one field crossing over out of their comfort zone and trying to make a mark in an entirely different field, since it can sometimes have mixed results. Half a decade ago, Jordan Peele…
The Duke (2022)
We’ve seen dozens of films like The Duke many times before – lightweight comedies often based on real events, featuring an actor or two that are considered veterans of the industry (and are normally British, but sometimes venture into other corners of the globe), and use the blend of humour and pathos to create something…
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987)
While it may not be particularly well-known outside of a core group of fanatics, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing is inadvertently one of the most important Canadian films ever made, both for what it says, and specifically what it represents as a whole. Written and directed by Patricia Rozema in her feature-length directorial debut, weaving…
The Door in the Floor (2004)
There is something about John Irving’s books that are so profoundly cinematic, despite them being works that are often quite intimate and internal. He’s become quite a cherished writer in terms of putting together stories that are deeply sentimental, but still have a jagged edge to them, which hints at much deeper meaning lurking just…
Both Sides of the Blade (2022)
Claire Denis is one of our greatest living filmmakers, which is partially the result of her versatility and ability to tell a range of stories that transcend genre and convention, but keep the same fascinating spirit that makes her one of contemporary cinema’s greatest revolutionaries, even several decades into her filmmaking career. However, one subject…
On the Town (1949)
As far as movie musicals go, there are few images more iconic than that of three sailors in pristine white uniforms gleefully leaping off their ship in the harbour and setting off into the Big Apple, while singing about what a wonderful town New York City is. The images contained in On the Town essentially…
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
When it comes to iconic characters that are derived from popular television shows, there’s always a temptation to expand on their reputation by giving them their own films, and while many of these have been quite successful, there are an equal amount that are simply not very good, proving that what works in one medium…
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
There is something so endearing about Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – the story lends itself to the kind of charming sentimentality that has good intentions, and notable avoids overly sickly sweet ideas in executing them. Based on the novel Mrs ‘Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico (which had itself been the subject of…
