The art of provocation is one that not many filmmakers have been able to successfully achieve without coming across as overly forced. Some filmmakers court controversy as a means for artistic expression, whereas others do it because they are genuinely fascinated by the reaction from the audience and how they observe particularly unsettling stories. There…
Category: Drama
Fancy Dance (2024)
For many of us, family and culture are amongst the most vital aspects of our identity, since without them we would likely be adrift in a confusing world without any clear direction. However, life tends to be quite unpredictable, and challenges are bound to emerge at the most inopportune moments, when fate begins to encroach…
Hard Labour (1973)
Mike Leigh is quite simply one of the greatest filmmakers of his (or any) generation, and for over half a century, he has been at the forefront of politically charged, socially resonant storytelling that has shattered boundaries and positioned him as arguably the greatest social critic to ever work in the medium. Yet, much like…
Lost on a Mountain in Maine (2024)
The story of Donn Fendler has captivated readers for years, with many being enthralled by his accounts of being a young boy who went hiking with his father and two brothers on Mount Katahdin in the late 1930s, but somehow found himself separated from the group, leading to nine gruelling days in the wilderness of…
Small Things Like These (2024)
Some artists set out to explore cultures and their people, while others are more focused on defining events and how they changed the course of history. Claire Keegan has shown herself to be fascinated by both concepts, with her small but substantial body of work being some of the most brilliant writing on the subject…
Grey Bees (2024)
The subject of war is so frequently examined from every possible angle, whether in endeavours that veer towards the academic or artistic, that it seems like just about every potential story has been told, especially when it comes to conveying the message that war is not something to celebrate or view positively, but rather a…
Dying (2024)
There are many themes in which we find various sectors of society intersecting in terms of how they explore particular ideas, and few are more notable than the subject of death, which has been the source of discussion in fields of philosophy, medicine, religion, art and just about every conceivable area of knowledge that we…
The Girl with the Needle (2024)
It has often been said that the most sinister kind of evil is not found in the pages of any fictional text, but rather in reality – the most malicious individuals are usually those that have existed in our own world, and we are often forced to grapple with the realization that we live in…
The Last Showgirl (2024)
We all love a comeback, especially when it comes from someone who has never been taken seriously as an actor, but who proves that all it takes to earn praise is the right role. This is essentially the impetus for The Last Showgirl, in which Gia Coppola crafts a role specifically designed to give Pamela…
Bird (2024)
There comes a point in everyone’s life where they reach a particular age, which is the point where they become aware that everyone is dealt a different hand in life. They have to decide if they are going to follow their pre-ordained path or fight against the system to forge their way forward, making sure…
The Postmodern Pelican 