Childhood is a challenging time, and no one seems to understand this better than Kon Ichikawa, whose exceptional comedy Being Two Isn’t Easy (Japanese: 私は二歳) is one of the most heartfelt and hilarious glimpses into the trials and tribulations of parenthood ever committed to screen. A charming and irreverent piece of filmmaking that demonstrates a…

Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs) doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. Logically, she should be happy about where she is – a graduate of a prestigious English programme at a major university, she has just published her first novel, a romantic drama set to the backdrop of an island in New England, entitled Seasons…

Two weary souls are making their way through life. One of them is Richard (John Hawkes), who has recently separated from his wife and has to share custody with their two sons (Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff), who are wayward young men who are distant from their father, who is struggling to come to terms…

Roberto (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is a young law student who decides to spend Ferragosto,  a national holiday in celebration of Emperor Augustus, studying for his upcoming legal examinations, planning to make use of the quietness of his surroundings to get some work done. This is quickly disrupted when, but pure accident, he encounters Bruno (Vittoria Gassman),…

There are some mysteries that I don’t think we’ll ever truly know the answers to – who built Stonehenge? What is the meaning of life? Are we alone in the universe? However, perhaps the question that has troubled me the most recently is this: who was demented enough to approve the making of Les Visiteurs?…

Once you’re a canonical stalwart of the film industry, one’s entire career is open for analysis, with the earliest works of some of the greatest directors in history being quite fascinating, if only for the sake of seeing where their style originates. When he was hired to direct an adaptation of Alice Doesn’t Live Here…

Billy Wilder could do absolutely anything – his versatility as a director made him a perfect fit for any kind of film. However, despite taking numerous forays into different genres, he did tend to understand where his strengths lay, and while there isn’t a single kind of film that defines him as an artist, some…

When discussing postmodernism from a contemporary cultural standpoint, we tend to look at it as the expression of artistic chaos, where the rules of art are subverted in favour of more bizarre or unconventional works that seek to challenge what creativity should strive to be. However, what is often forgotten is that postmodernism didn’t start…

Palm Springs is the kind of film that reminds us that unique cinema is still very much possible. One of the most wildly original works of filmmaking of the past few years, a piece that blends science fiction, romance and comedy in sometimes surprising ways, Max Barbakow’s directorial debut is quite an achievement – and…

Robin (Carol Lynley) is a quirky young woman who has been in love with her college sweetheart, David (Dean Jones) for years, with the intention being to marry him, something he is very receptive to. However, she is not one to make hasty decisions, so she implores her intended to undergo something of a social…