In my continued efforts to explore important works of Québécois cinema, there were a few titles that emerged as being particularly noteworthy, whether for their artistic merit or the situation surrounding their creation. In the case of The Merry World of Léopold Z (French: La vie heureuse de Léopold Z), there were elements of both…
Category: comedy
Merlusse (1935)
For the most part, there are two kinds of teachers that we tend to remember long into our adult years – there are those who were exceptionally strong at their craft and treated their profession with nothing but pride, and then there are those who fall victim to the laziness and apathy that sometimes comes…
Rap World (2024)
Most of the time, it is viewed as good practice to not make effusive, declarative statements about an artist or their work that give it any sense of finality, since such proclamations rarely tend to age all that well, and can be viewed as hyperbole formed in the spur of the moment, something everyone one…
There’s Still Tomorrow (2024)
How long can someone be a prisoner to their social circumstances before they reach the point where they can no longer remain silent? This is a question that many have asked for as long as society has found ways to marginalise certain communities by silencing their voices, and it has been the foundation for some…
Little Miss Marker (1980)
There were many artists who were unduly ostracised because of their supposed association with communism in the earlier parts of the previous century – the number of incredible individuals who had their careers essentially ended because of the paranoia surrounding the spread of this malicious system is staggering. We lost the opportunity to see some…
Anora (2024)
“I chose this life, and nobody can take that choice away from me” Life is nothing but a series of decisions we make, some of them for our own growth, others for the benefit of others. However, regardless of what we choose to do, it’s up to us to determine the extent to which we…
Nutcrackers (2024)
While the industry has shifted and changed in various ways, one kind of film has tended to remain popular, regardless of how much audiences ebb and flow in terms of subject matter. For about as long as the medium has existed, there have been active efforts to make films about the holiday season, with Christmas…
Unlikely Angel (1996)
In much the same way that Christmas comes at the same time every year, you can guarantee that there will be dozens of films based around the holiday released concurrently. There’s something about this season in particular that proves to be oddly fruitful for film production, and whether for television or theatrical release, it seems…
Sweethearts (2024)
Each one of us is on our journey, but some experiences are universally considered to be formative moments in our lives. Everyone remembers their first relationship since it teaches us not only about ourselves but also gives insights into one of the most beautiful experiences, which is the process of simply falling in love with…
Saturday Night (2024)
In 1975, on a chilly October evening, just a few minutes before midnight, viewers across the United States encountered an unfamiliar image – a pair of relatively unknown comedians appeared on their screen in a sketch based around an English tutor and his student of indiscernible origins. A couple of minutes of surreal banter was…
The Postmodern Pelican 