I want to be Orson Welles when I grow up, honestly. I don’t think there has ever been a more fascinating cinematic figure than Welles, who never fails to surprise me with his exceptional skills, both as a performer and as a filmmaker, being someone whose career helped set the foundations for modern cinema. A…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Branded to Kill (1967)
Branded to Kill is the kind of film that makes me want to realize my dream of becoming a filmmaker so I can make films just like this. Perhaps not a film I could absolutely understand, it is one that exhibits an impressive amount of sheer audacity, and if there is something I admire in…
Zama (2018)
What a terrific film Lucrecia Martel has made with Zama. A powerful historical drama that transports the audience into the past, with the director’s meticulous style and dedication to her narrative providing a substantially fascinating journey to a period that has been somewhat under-represented in contemporary literature. I have mentioned it before, but I find…
Speed Racer (2008)
A decade ago, a film called Speed Racer was released. I was still a cinematic neophyte, and thus I took the thoughts of the critics as being the gospel truth and considering this film received an almost overwhelmingly negative response, I opted to skip it and go for something a bit more acclaimed. Now, having…
Let the Sunshine In (2017)
I initially felt awful for not enjoying this film, mainly because there were so many elements in it I normally love. It is a lighthearted French romantic comedy featuring one of the greatest actresses of her generation, directed by one of the most formidable filmmakers France has seen in recent decades. There was so much…
Female Trouble (1974)
I’ve expressed my utter adoration and admiration for John Waters on so many occasions. I find his work so engaging and unconventionally charming, not to mention one is not likely to find someone so suave and endearing as him. Yet, every time I watch one of his films, I find myself wondering exactly why it…
Educating Rita (1983)
I remember seeing a film on television when I was much younger. It was early on in my days a film lover, and thus I had a very rudimentary knowledge. Yet, there were two names I did recognize – yet I didn’t recognize the actors in the film. The film was Educating Rita, and those…
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Diversity in the arts is important. This is less of an opinion and more of an objective fact. Mainstream media has a tendency to often give attention to some groups over others, and the bigger the production, the less likely it is to find diverse representation, because of the outdated notion that audiences are attracted…
The Wife (2018)
I’d like to begin this review in a way that seems entirely implausible and perhaps a bit silly: I want to formally apologize to Glenn Close. I have never appreciated her fully, and have consistently failed to recognize her extraordinary talents. Perhaps it was her career constantly being given the scraps of her contemporaries (or…
Terrorizers (1986)
Before he made arguably one of the greatest films of the 21st century, the social epic Yi Yi, Edward Yang was a hardworking auteur intent on demonstrating the beauty of his home of Taiwan. His films have risen to the point of being cinematic hallmarks, and definitive moments in Asian filmmaking. I recently, based on…
The Postmodern Pelican 