When glancing at the history of cinema, it’s tough to see an assemblage of three or more filmmakers from the same region making films at more or less the same point in time and not seeing such an occurrence being described in terms of some homogenous entity – after all, it simply takes a few…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Creator (1985)
It is a set-up that is all too familiar to us – an eccentric professional in one of the many sciences that attempt to answer all of life’s most difficult questions decides that he is going to pursue something nearly impossible, against the wishes of his superiors and other trusted voices that express their dissent…
The Watchers (2024)
Few directors have undergone a more drastic shift in perception than M. Night Shyamalan, who went from being seen as a wunderkind with his breakthrough directorial effort, the remarkable The Sixth Sense, as well as supremely ambitious films like Unbreakable and Signs, both of which have a lot of merit in spite of some clear…
All Hands on Deck (2020)
There’s nothing quite like summertime when you’re young – the combination of cool air, warm temperatures and the refreshing iciness of whatever body of water we find ourselves in on a hot afternoon has always been something that one tends to remember quite fondly – and it only helps if we’re surrounded by friends and…
Monkey Business (1952)
There is an argument to be made that, when all is said and done, that Howard Hawks could quite possibly be the greatest film director in the history of American cinema. Perhaps it’s an idea more strongly argued by those who adore Hawks and his unique approach to filmmaking, but it’s difficult to look at…
Holidays in the Sun (2014)
Who of us doesn’t enjoy a pleasant holiday? The idea of escaping our day-to-day life and spending a certain amount of time basking in the sun or exploring some new location is always appealing, at least in terms of how most of us see these situations. However, for Srdjan Dragojevic, a holiday is a far…
Kika (1993)
For nearly half a century, we have witnessed the excruciatingly brilliant work of Pedro Almodóvar, whose efforts to find the perfect balance between highbrow artistry and intentional bad taste have resulted in several remarkable works of cinema that have challenged and unsettled in equal measure. The very definition of a provocateur whose artistic curiosities have…
The Last Stop in Yuma County (2024)
In the sun-baked plains of Arizona at some point in the 1970s, a diner stands attached to a gas station and motel. It’s a nondescript place that could exist in any part of the United States, and it’s very likely anyone travelling this region would have come across such an establishment, but perhaps not have…
Everything Went Fine (2021)
“Dying is easy, comedy is hard”, an adage that many of us are familiar with, and which tends to be used to describe any work of art that tackles life’s greatest inevitability with even the most vaguely comedic approach. We often find that humour tends to be a very effective way of exploring death and…
Mandabi (1968)
While it has been unfortunately under-represented on the global stage, African cinema has produced several truly incredible artists who left a legacy that many younger generations continue to chase, not only in terms of films produced on the continent but also their artistic ingenuity and bespoke approach to the narrative process. There is a valid…
The Postmodern Pelican 