Despite having flourished into one of the most acclaimed and arguably inventive filmmakers of her generation, Claire Denis has always been quite a reflective filmmaker, someone whose work is driven by her memories and experiences of the past. The majority of her most celebrated films tend to be examinations of postcolonial Africa, which comes from…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
Except for love, death and identity, one of the most common themes to find in fiction is that of friendship. Whether looking at the mere platonic companionships between individuals or those that become something more, literature tends to emphasize the importance of connections between individuals, particularly in the joy that comes in finding a kindred…
A Thousand Clowns (1965)
The concept of family means something different to everyone – for some, it’s the people to whom we are related biologically, while for others it takes on a deeper meaning, referring to those we choose to have as our closest confidantes. The point is that every family is different, and they usually change from person…
Back to Black (2024)
Every generation is defined by a genre of film that is inexplicably popular, and despite the rallying cries against them in terms of artistic relevance, audiences devour them en masse, primarily because they offer something that entertains and enthrals, which can be frustrating to those who can see through the illusion and can only fixate…
It’s a Gift (1934)
It seems that within every generation, there is at least one comedic voice that defines the humour, being the definitive voice of comedy during this period. The 1930s had some of the most exceptional, and we were truly spoiled for choice, with the likes of The Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Mae West and Laurel and…
Wicked Little Letters (2024)
It was the incredible Mel Brooks who once said “I’ve been accused of vulgarity. I say that’s bullshit”, a wonderful and witty quote from the master of comedy himself. This sentiment could easily be applied to the characters in Wicked Little Letters, a film that tells the little-known story of a community in the small,…
Paris Blues (1961)
There was a movement in the early part of the 20th century, where people from all around the world descended on Paris, which they saw as the epicentre for creativity and artistic expression, more than any other city on earth – New York City was too harsh, Los Angeles a cesspool of crime and debauchery,…
Civil War (2024)
“I believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.” The iconic photographer Diane Arbus isn’t mentioned by name in Civil War, the most recent directorial outing by Alex Garland, but her spectre lingers heavily throughout this film, as does the spirit of many people who dedicated their lives to photography, the…
Young Ahmed (2019)
There was a time when Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne were considered the heirs apparent to the role of greatest social realist filmmakers, their work being the gold standard for films about the lives of ordinary people navigating challenging circumstances, each one reflecting deeper conversations on the nature of life and death and everything in between….
The First Omen (2024)
Being a devotee of classic cinema can sometimes be a challenge, considering how much the industry has grown to be dependent on legacy sequels and reboots, which is particularly rife within the horror genre since it seems like every great horror film needs to be revisited in some way, whether through starting from scratch or…
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