In a prolific career that has touched numerous genres and seen him tackle a wide array of stories, François Ozon has made a name for himself as a filmmaker that can do nearly anything, granted it is something that falls within his capacities as one of the finest portrayers of the human condition currently working…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
The Horse’s Mouth (1958)
In a revelatory documentary from a few years ago, which served to be an intimate and insightful portrait into the personal and professional life of one of cinema’s greatest iconoclasts, David Lynch spoke about a concept known as “the art life”, which he defined (or rather, loosely commented on, and which I’m paraphrasing here, based…
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
When it comes to comedy, you usually can divide those who dabble in humour into two groups. The first are those that stay true to the well-worn conventions of the genre, following the guidelines set down by decades of comedy filmmaking, essentially playing solely by the rules. The second group are those that take it…
Ishtar (1987)
There are two kinds of critically-reviled films – the first those that are panned upon their initial release almost universally, but over time acquire a more positive reevaluation, normally through being revisited by a new generation of critics, who find something special in it. The second are those that are torn apart when they’re released,…
Another Round (2020)
As one of the formative voices of the Dogme 95 movement that redefined how filmmakers produce art, Thomas Vinterberg is an established director who has dabbled in a variety of genres, from intimate comedies to the most sumptuous historical epic. However, where he tends to succeed the most is in his smaller films, the ones…
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Gangster films are a polarizing form of artistic expression – for some, they’re predictable forms of entertainment that don’t offer much outside of the bare minimum, while for others, they’re the epitome of enjoyment, fascinating glimpses into the machinations of the criminal mind. In the years before film noir was at its peak, there was…
Charlie’s Country (2013)
Despite constant urging by those around him, Charlie (David Gulpilil) has never wanted to leave the small community in which he lives in exchange for a more conventional life amongst what is considered conventional Australian society. His home has always been the bush, and he’s only known the Aboriginal way of life, which is something…
Porco Rosso (1992)
There are few filmmakers who are so associated with artistic integrity and unrestrained, pure expression of their vision, the mere mention of their names evoke a wealth of emotions in any viewer who has experienced their films. Hayao Miyazaki is undeniably one of the most beloved directors to ever work in the medium, with his…
Top Hat (1935)
Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) is a world-renowned dancer and performer who has quietly made his way to London, where he has been hired to be the star of a new revue by theatre impresario, Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton), who is very excited to have a major American performer as the lead in his show,…
Love at First Fight (2014)
Somewhere in working-class France lives Arnaud Labrède (Kévin Azaïs), a wayward young man who works as a carpenter, along with his brother (Antoine Laurent), who inherited the company from their late father, with their first solo assignment being to make him a casket after they realize that they may not be able to afford all…
The Postmodern Pelican 