When it comes to Italian comedy, the 1950s were a watershed moments, since this was the era in-between the height of the Italian neo-realist movement, and the peak of Commedia d’Italiana, both of which were pivotal moments in cinema history that left an indelible impression on global film in the decades that followed. There wasn’t…

There are few artists who seem to love the sound of their voice more than Nanni Moretti, who has made a series of films in which he not only directs stories that focus on his own individual quandaries as a filmmaker, but also positions himself in the central role on many occasions. However, unlike some…

Everybody loves Éric Rohmer – or at least everyone who has an appreciation for the simple things in life and how it is reflected in art. Throughout his prolific career (which stretched from the earliest days of the French New Wave, to the middle of the contemporary era). One of the most important French directors…

James Hart (Timothy Bottoms) has steady plans for the future, and the conviction to work towards it, choosing to pursue a career in law, which means that he has a long road towards becoming an expert in the field ahead of him. He manages to get into a law programme at Harvard, which he soon…

Nicole Holofcener is such an enigma of a director, or rather the films she makes are. Throughout her career, she’s remained steadfast in her conviction to explore the trials and tribulations of a small group of characters who represent both her own neuroses as an artist ingrained in the alternative school of filmmaking, and the…

On occasion, it happens that a few particular names are gathered and thrown together into the creation of a film, which ultimately becomes something worth seeing based solely on the involvement of certain individuals. Any devotee to cinema should be suitably curious about the possibility of seeing director Mike Nichols, writer Carrie Fisher and performers…

Recently, I’ve been reviewing an array of films that occupy a range of genres, stating that while they may all be admirable efforts, they’re not the definitive texts on either their subject matter, or the genre they’re operating in. However, today the discussion will be on a film that very much a defining work, and…

In his capacity as a beloved comedian and well-regarded actor in both lighter and more serious fare, Albert Brooks is quite an enduring presence that may represent a particular time in the culture, but still remains quite a significant figure. However, it seems as if his time as a film director has been essentially forgotten…

In a revelatory documentary from a few years ago, which served to be an intimate and insightful portrait into the personal and professional life of one of cinema’s greatest iconoclasts, David Lynch spoke about a concept known as “the art life”, which he defined (or rather, loosely commented on, and which I’m paraphrasing here, based…

When it comes to comedy, you usually can divide those who dabble in humour into two groups. The first are those that stay true to the well-worn conventions of the genre, following the guidelines set down by decades of comedy filmmaking, essentially playing solely by the rules. The second group are those that take it…