In theory, based on their individual careers, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and François Ozon should not blend together as incredibly as they do in practice. They’re both artists that represent different styles and eras of filmmaking, with any sense of significant overlap between them (outside of Ozon’s outward admiration for the esteemed German filmmaker) being very…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
There are many lessons to be learned from The Bridges of Madison County – the miraculous nature of chance encounters, and the incredible challenges that come with bidding farewell to someone whose time in your life may be short, but their impact on it absolutely immeasurable. As one of the more unconventional films the oddly…
Street of Shame (1956)
Any cursory analysis of classic Japanese cinema will return a number of great filmmakers, but most notably consist of four names of artists who almost single-handedly defined the filmmaking landscape for most of the twentieth century, despite them coming from slightly different generations for the most part. They are Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Yasujirō Ozu…
Luca (2021)
As we’ve seen over the years, Disney-Pixar often make use of a variety of sources, whether directly or simply through mere allusion, when creating their films. Oftentimes, it’s easy to see what inspired a particular film, whether it be an existing text, a social idea or the most abstract concept. However, while watching their latest…
Pete ‘n’ Tillie (1972)
The promotional material for Pete ‘n’ Tillie, Martin Ritt’s ambitious adaptation of a short story by iconic provocateur Peter de Vries, stated boldly that “the honeymoon is over, time to get married”. There have not been many films that have been quite as sharp in exploring the trials and tribulations of a couple throughout their…
Affair in Trinidad (1952)
The reasons for the creation of Affair in Trinidad aren’t too abstract – years after burning up the screen in the iconic film noir Gilda, Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford were in fierce demand, especially in collaboration with one another. It didn’t take too long for the on-screen (and off-screen) lovers to reunite in the…
Hôtel des Amériques (1981)
Somewhere in the coastal town of Biarritz sits a hotel – in it resides Gilles (Patrick Dewaere), the son of the owner of the establishment, and a young man who has just returned from a trip to New York City. One evening, he is almost run over by a passing motorist, who turns out to…
So My Grandma’s a Lesbian! (2021)
We’ve all encountered them from time to time – the mindless, continental European comedies that are cheaply produced and tossed out on video-on-demand or streaming platforms for a quick diversion after a long day. They’re a dime-and-dozen, and while they can be very entertaining, they’re not always particularly good. However, there are some instances where…
The Wrong Man (1956)
Breaking from tradition was not always Alfred Hitchcock’s speciality, particularly in the subversive little quirks that defined his films. Regardless of how strange and bewildering his stories were, all of his films were distinctly his own. This required director himself to appear before the start of The Wrong Man, speaking directly to the audience as…
In the Heights (2021)
It’s difficult to imagine a time before Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the last decade, he has soared to worldwide acclaim, mainly due to the astronomical success of Hamilton, his biographical account of the life and times (and eventual death) of founding father Alexander Hamilton, all told through an urban kind of musicality that became a worldwide…
The Postmodern Pelican 