It is generally considered an unspoken rule of polite society that one should steer away from discussing politics and religion, especially with those who you don’t know since it can run the risk of offending the beliefs of others. However, both are subjects that are not only topics of conversation in just about every situation,…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
“Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering, and it’s all over much too soon.” The above quote is one of the most well-known pieces of writing in film history, appearing towards the start of Woody Allen’s masterpiece Annie Hall, and which has in turn come to be definitive of a very specific kind of…
Two-Way Stretch (1960)
From a linguistic perspective, few places breed innovation in how language develops and is used than prisons – these institutions tend to provide fascinating insights into how people change meanings of words ascribe entirely new definitions to existing terms, or even just outright create new phrases, all of which is usually done to establish some…
Starlet (2012)
Much like I suspect would be the case with many people, I first became acquainted with Sean Baker in 2015, when he had a major breakthrough with Tangerine, an extraordinarily ambitious dark comedy about two transgender sex workers that was notable for both its unconventional narrative, the fact that it was shot entirely on an…
Hard Truths (2024)
“You can’t buy time. You can’t sell it either” There are many reasons to adore the work of Mike Leigh. His meticulous attention to detail when it comes to developing his characters, his astonishing ability to capture every aspect of everyday life (which is often the reason he is considered a founding member of an…
Between the Temples (2024)
“Give me your hand and I’ll give you mine” Everyday life comes with various challenges, which should resonate with the vast majority of us who are forced to navigate day-to-day obstacles simply to meet the minimum criteria to be considered a functional human being. Yet, despite these shared challenges, it’s our individual response to them…
Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974)
It tends to be quite a rare occurrence to find a film marketing itself as exactly what it intends to deliver, and avoiding any sense of unnecessary hyperbole for the sake of drawing attention to itself – and in its honesty, it actually veers towards being quite remarkable in its own right. This is the…
Sing Sing (2024)
Starting a discussion on a film with a personal anecdote is not always appropriate, since the conversation should be about the artistry on display, rather than a bundle of memories. However, while watching this film, I was reminded about a visit I took during high school to a local prison as part of an educational…
La Moustache (2005)
The key to the success of any good film is often quite simple – have a good story and execution that matches or overtakes the level of ambition that went into its conception. Obviously it is integral to add other elements for the sake of diversity, but good art is really just a matter of…
Conclave (2024)
Society consists of several different factions into which we all fit, even if we don’t realize it or even actively strive to be completely detached from any classification, with some being more mysterious than others. For well over a thousand years, one of the most intriguing sections of society has been the leadership of the…
The Postmodern Pelican 