We’ve lost the art of provocation. Whether this is a result of audiences becoming more desensitised to controversial subjects, or the reduction in the number of filmmakers willing to push boundaries to the point where they risk their careers, we don’t see nearly enough feathers being ruffled anymore, which is close to a travesty, considering…
Category: dark comedy
Matador (1986)
How do you define an artistic revolutionary? Is it by their longevity or the extent to which they were willing to take wild swings, regardless of any potential repercussions from a society that may not have always understood them at the time, but still facilitated their rise to acclaim, even if unintentionally? When it comes…
Forbidden Fruits (2026)
Life would be so much easier for everyone if we weren’t conditioned to believe that we have to fit in with the general population or run the risk of being viewed as a pariah. It is one of the many reasons it becomes increasingly difficult to function if you are someone who has a tendency…
The Christophers (2026)
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” These words by Pablo Picasso have lingered in my mind ever since I first encountered them years ago. It’s a simple statement, but one that I feel best reflects how we perceive art, which is not merely as pieces of creativity hailing from very…
Being There (1979)
Everyone has experienced a few films that they believe represent something akin to a spiritual awakening in their formative years as a lover of the medium. Some of them age spectacularly well, becoming evergreen presences as time goes on; others tend to lose their magic as we explore more of what the medium has to…
Storytelling (2001)
Some filmmakers set out to entertain, others to inform. The group I am often most fascinated by are those who somewhere adhere to both principles, as well as to neither at the same time, with their general impetus being primarily to shock and provoke, which can make for thrilling and genuinely daring viewing that is…
The Last Supper (1995)
There is a general rule that we all are expected to follow when in the presence of proverbial “decent” company – never speak about politics, religion or sex while gathered around the dinner table, which many consider to be a sacred space in which conversation should be polite, congenial and pleasant. For the protagonists in…
Yes! (2025)
How do you write about the subject of satire without turning it into a history lesson on the origins of the art of lampooning culture and society to underline the hypocrisies and ironies that populate – if not outright define – everyday life? The truth is that it’s a fool’s errand, one that is usually…
Getting Any? (1994)
You cannot underestimate the lengths to which someone will go to satisfy their cravings, regardless of the specific desire and how they tend to be acquired. In the case of Getting Any? (Japanese: みんな～やってるか!), Takeshi Kitano asks similar questions and sets out to provide some answers in the process, which he does in the form…
The Smile (1994)
Some artistic voices don’t quite transcend place and time enough that they are constantly referred to as influential figures, but who are nonetheless still very important, particularly to those who are aware of their contributions. I’d hesitate to refer to Claude Miller as an obscure filmmaker, but he certainly has not received his due, despite…
