They say that history is written by the victors and that those who lose usually fade into obscurity. J. Robert Oppenheimer is one of the rare historical figures that can be considered both a hero and a villain, a victor and loser in equal measure, and as evidenced by his famous statement “I am become…
Author: The Postmodern Pelican
Christmas in July (1940)
Don’t let the title fool you – there is not a single mention of the namesake Yuletide festivities anywhere in Christmas in July, and the decision to name it as such is quite bewildering since audiences will likely enter into this film under the belief that they are going to be receiving a charming and…
Living Out Loud (1998)
Despite what the movies may want us to think, heartbreak is neither neat nor easy to endure – it’s a harrowing process that causes us to feel as if we have had our entire existence shaken, forced to confront the fact that life is not always particularly happy and that there are many unexpected surprises…
Somewhere in Queens (2023)
If there is one sentiment that we have held as an unimpeachable truth for over a quarter of a century, it is that everyone does indeed love Raymond – or rather, the man behind that iconic television show and one of the most beloved comedians of the past few decades. His lovable goofiness, coupled with…
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976)
Despite being revered as one of the nation’s greatest artists, Robert Altman was known to engage in telling stories that showed a different side of the United States of America. He was not entirely enamoured with many of the popular and idealistic concepts that swirled around the national consciousness, and used many of his films…
The Passengers of the Night (2023)
“While we may not have had the life we thought we would have had when we arrived, we loved it here” Life is full of surprises – it is not a linear journey, but rather one with several twists and turns, most of which take us to places (whether physically or emotionally) that we never…
Miracle in Milan (1951)
The vast majority of countries have a small handful of directors that are known to have helped define the national cinema, taking on a folkloric level of acclaim and being seen as artistic legends, ingrained into the cultural iconography, as well as usually being viewed as the entry-point for newcomers looking to explore a particular…
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Ambition is an increasingly rare commodity to find in contemporary cinema – the vast majority of young filmmakers believe themselves to possess it, but very few of them allow it to be shown in a way that actually reflects on screen. However, we do often find those rambunctious directors that seem to be capable of…
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
The 1990s were not the strongest time to be a devotee of the work of Mel Brooks, at least in terms of his directorial output (he spent a good portion of this decade working on the musical adaptation of The Producers, which is arguably his greatest achievement as an artist), since none of the three…
Shortcomings (2023)
“I’m sorry you had to meet me at this point in my life – although I’m pretty sure you would have hated me anyway” These words appear at the start of the climactic moments of Shortcomings, the ambitious directorial debut of Randall Park, who adapts the graphic novel of the same title by Adrian Tomine,…
The Postmodern Pelican 