It is certainly not difficult to recognise great art, and countless works across every conceivable medium have been labelled as being masterpieces for a number of reasons, usually based on how they define either an artist’s career or influence an entire movement in some substantial way. Yet, there is a lot more hesitance when it…
Category: Drama
Maria (2024)
Every artistic medium has a range of masters that define the craft at different points – but generally, there is also a small handful who stand as perhaps the most important, or at the very least more prominent than the vast majority, usually acting as representatives of that particular art form. When it comes to…
Our Story (1984)
A solitary man rides the train, watching the surroundings change as he slowly drifts to sleep. He’s awoken by a beguiling young woman who offers her astute observations about someone who she claims is a stranger, but yet one she somehow knows so well. Our protagonist slowly begins to fall deep into a state of…
I’m Still Here (2024)
There is a moment towards the end of I’m Still Here (Portuguese: Ainda Estou Aqui) where the older Eunice Paiva sits at a table at what appears to be an informal family celebration – the rest of the room is lively, while she sits in pleasant silence, observing her children and grandchildren. Yet, no one…
Sebastian (2024)
Nearly half a century ago, Derek Jarman made Sebastiane, an experimental masterpiece that looked at the trials and tribulations of the titular saint as he underwent persecution for his homosexuality and refusal to abide by the social convention in Ancient Rome, which resulted in his martyrdom that many still view as a tragic demise for…
An Angel at My Table (1990)
While it is logically implausible (since everyone needs to start somewhere), it has always seemed like Dame Jane Campion has been considered one of our finest filmmakers regardless of what stage of her career we are looking at – so imagining her being a young, rambunctious director that wasn’t the celebrated artist she is today…
The Piano Lesson (2024)
Few playwrights evoke such passionate discourse and praise when their names are mentioned, with this status being reserved for a select few artists who changed the way theatre functions, either narratively, in form or as a combination of both. August Wilson lived a comparatively short life when we look at it from a distance, but…
The Room Next Door (2024)
Death is a subject that has been explored from every conceivable angle, but yet we are no closer to understanding its nuances or nature than we were at the dawn of humanity. This has only added to the complexity of dealing with the topic since death is perhaps the only universal inevitability, yet no one…
Hard Truths (2024)
“You can’t buy time. You can’t sell it either” There are many reasons to adore the work of Mike Leigh. His meticulous attention to detail when it comes to developing his characters, his astonishing ability to capture every aspect of everyday life (which is often the reason he is considered a founding member of an…
Sing Sing (2024)
Starting a discussion on a film with a personal anecdote is not always appropriate, since the conversation should be about the artistry on display, rather than a bundle of memories. However, while watching this film, I was reminded about a visit I took during high school to a local prison as part of an educational…
The Postmodern Pelican 