There are some filmmakers who defy categorisation, since their versatility in terms of skill and tendency to explore a wide range of stories has often allowed them to challenge conventions, going in pursuit of something deeper and more profound, regardless of which genre in which they’re working. Very few directors have been able to achieve…
Category: comedy
Holy Days (2026)
There’s an old adage I’ve heard bandied about in the film industry from time to time – when all else fails, put a nun in the movie. Has there ever been a group of people more affectionately relegated to the status of human props more than the brides of Christ, whose distinctive manner of dressing…
Mile End Kicks (2026)
When it comes to being able to successfully pursue your dreams, some people are fortunate enough to have everything fall into place with minimal effort, while others tend to have to rely on a combination of ambition, hard work and sometimes sheer luck. I’d argue the latter category encompasses the vast majority of these stories,…
Beating Heart (1940)
Had Robert Bresson been more inclined to make Pickpocket in the mould of the classic Hollywood screwball comedies that held quite a prominent place in the culture, it would have most likely looked very similar to Beating Heart (French: Battement de coeur), a charming and eccentric romantic comedy written and directed by Henri Decoin, who…
Once Upon a Time (1944)
We have seemingly lost the art of whimsy when it comes to much of contemporary cinema. We tend to prioritise realism over eccentricity, which may lend modern films a more authentic feeling, but at the expense of the joy of seeing radically strange films that do often tend to be slightly more offbeat, but in…
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006)
As the general principle of filmmaking goes, sometimes the projects you deserve are the ones you make yourself. There are certain artists – particularly actors – who find themselves typecast in parts that feel very limiting and one-dimensional, and it’s only through setting out to write their own material and get it produced that they…
That Uncertain Feeling (1941)
Even the greatest artists have works that are less successful than others, and Ernst Lubitsch is not an exception. It isn’t even a matter of him ever having made a truly bad film, or even one that wasn’t worth watching, but rather that there are a few that pale in comparison to some of his…
Ladies First (2026)
For about as long as we’ve been exploring social and cultural dynamics on screen, there have been instances where someone has an idea to subvert expectations and look at a subject from a very different perspective. One of the most common areas in which we find this happening is in works that propose alternative realities,…
If I Was Honest (1942)
While his name may be somewhat obscure to some, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia is a vitally important figure in the history of Italian cinema, specifically if we are looking at a specific era in the nation’s artistic output. One of its most cherished figures in terms of comedy, Bragaglia was a fascinating individual, since his career…
The Meddler (2016)
Parenthood is the greatest gift any of us could be afforded – whether we look at it from the perspective of the parent or the child, the relationship that is formed from birth is always worth exploring, especially when it comes to understanding the iron-clad bond that develops over time. However, there comes a time…
The Postmodern Pelican 