When it comes to film noir, there are a few titles that are unimpeachable classics – whether looking at the classic era where films like The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon were confusing audiences, or the more progressive melancholy of Farewell My Lovely and The Long Goodbye, we’ve been enticed and enthralled by stories…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Parents (1989)
Most of us have encountered Bob Balaban at some point, whether it be through film, television or another medium. An extraordinary character actor known for playing highly intelligent but reserved nebbishes with a slight air of pretension, he has become quite a memorable performer, known for his exceptional work across a range of different projects….
She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (1955)
“The sad and lonely days of my youth come back to me as the autumn winds blow” The concept of autumn lingers very heavily throughout She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (Japanese: 野菊の如き君なりき), the fascinating account of a lost love, as curated by Keisuke Kinoshita, one of the most unheralded masters of early Japanese cinema….
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021)
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is not a film that is going to break any boundaries. The adaptation of the successful but relatively simple musical of the same name (in turn inspired by the real-life Jamie Campbell, whose life was covered in a well-received documentary several years ago) is a charming but minor affair, the kind…
True Grit (2010)
When a work of literature has already received a film adaptation that is as close to perfect as one can get (or at least cherished as such), it can be difficult for future filmmakers to work with the same material. True Grit, the novel by Charles Portis, was previously turned into a starring vehicle for…
Bottle Rocket (1996)
While he remains quite a popular figure, Wes Anderson has had his fair share of polarizing reactions, with his recent work indicating that he is a director with a penchant for the quirky and overly-stylised, which has amounted in him receiving an equal share of devotees and detractors. I fall between the two – I…
CODA (2021)
Every year, you come across films that may not be entirely original or unique, whether in their storylines or the approach they take to the process of narrative or visual construction, but yet still remain rather endearing, even if they’re not entirely brilliant. CODA is one such film, with the story of a young woman…
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
The 1950s were filled to the brim with bizarre science fiction films, cheaply-produced works that could be easily accompanied with a more major production as part of the practice of double features and matinees – audiences just adored these kinds of films, despite their often jagged exterior. There were many that were highly influential and…
That Good Night (2017)
That Good Night is a film that came and went without much fanfare, remaining a relatively obscure piece of cinema that many people don’t realize exists, even though it’s a true gem of a film. Eric Styles created one of the most heartfelt odes to life in the form of his adaptation of the little-known…
Ordet (1955)
For just about as long as we have, as a collective culture, been observing the broad tenets of proper decorum, the principle of decent society being where one doesn’t dare speak on the subjects of either politics or religion has been in effect, since there are few topics that can divide a population more than…
The Postmodern Pelican 