The idea of the open road is appealing to many of us since the freedom and ability to engage in a momentary act of recklessness where actions seem to have very few consequences and the adrenaline fuels our wild ambitions is something that represents a very different way of life. This is why I suspect…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Gate of Hell (1953)
In the canon of remarkable Japanese filmmakers who were active during what is often considered the Golden Age of Japanese cinema, one name is not mentioned as much as it should be – Teinosuke Kinugasa worked for decades as one of the most reliably fascinating and skilled directors, crafting a series of exceptional films known…
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
Not many filmmakers can attest to pioneering an entire style of storytelling almost entirely on their own, which is the appeal of Ken Loach and his truly impressive career, which has stretched from the very start of the kitchen-sink realism movement, which he helped develop with films like Kes and Poor Cow, to the present…
Addicted to Fresno (2015)
They say family are the friends you can’t choose – at least this is a mangled version of a very popular sentiment that has been expressed countless times in the past when discussing the merits and flaws of a very particular kind of story, those which centre on family members finding out that they have…
Joyride (2022)
It’s never a pleasant experience to encounter a small independent film, excited about the prospect of discovering a new gem, only to walk away disappointed. Regardless of how much I tried to give Joyride the benefit of the doubt, nothing came about that felt like it could be justification for this film’s existence. The feature-length…
The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971)
“Workers of the world unite; you have nothing to lose but your chains” There are many quotes by Karl Marx that can be used to preface a discussion of The Working Class Goes to Heaven (Italian: La classe operaia va in paradiso), in which director Elio Petri carves one of the most scathing and unsettling…
Le Million (1931)
Some filmmakers develop a specific style and spend their career mostly following that particular niche, and there are some that cast as wide a net as possible for the sake of constantly reinventing their craft, different styles and approaches to directing that keep everything exciting and unpredictable. In the case of René Clair, you never…
Dheepan (2015)
Many of us take our position in life for granted – even if one doesn’t live a life of luxury, there is still consistency and comfort that guide our daily routines, which is something that is unfortunately not a universal experience, particularly for those in developing countries or those ravaged by war, civil unrest or…
A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973)
There has never been anyone quite like Jacques Demy, regardless of how many filmmakers claim to be heavily inspired by his work. A master of his craft, he spent decades tenderly constructing meaningful, daring films that were both visually stunning and narratively poignant, oscillating between comedy and drama with equal prowess and proving to be…
Mezquite’s Heart (2019)
Life is filled with countless challenges, and we all approach them differently – for Lucia, her dream has always been to become a harpist, following in the footsteps of her father, who has played the harp for years as part of their small Yoreme community in Northern Mexico, where it is a cultural tradition that…
The Postmodern Pelican 