You liked Rashomon “That’s not how I remember it” The Simpsons, “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (1999) Not only is Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (Japanese: 羅生門) the basis for arguably the most elegant and unexpectedly funny joke in sitcom history, it is quite simply one of the most important films ever made. It wasn’t Kurosawa’s first film…

The very mention of the name Federico Fellini is bound to stir a strong reaction – for some, he embodies the very essence of Italian cinema, being one of the foremost auteurs that brought his nation to global relevance through his prolific and varied career that stretches across nearly half a century. For others, he…

Regardless of the story he’s telling, or the characters that occupy it, Mike Leigh’s films are always captivating, grabbing the audience’s attention through his engaging approach to looking at a range of subjects. Interestingly, we can divide the esteemed director’s work into two broad categories – there are the contemporary films, set in modern-day England,…

In An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde quipped that “in the old days men had the rack. Now they have the press”. This piece of sardonic humour is oddly resonant, especially since the media has shown very little sign of not being the source of torture for many individuals. Over the years, we’ve seen how the…

“Qu’est-ce que cela fait? Tout est grâce” These are the chilling final words that appear in Diary of a Country Priest (French: Journal d’un curé de campagne), the beautiful but shattering adaptation of the novel by Georges Bernanos, carefully brought to the screen by esteemed French realist Robert Bresson, who utilizes his ability to capture…

It’s sometimes difficult to hold an opinion contradictory to the vast majority on a particular film – the feeling of being isolated from the general opinion can feel quite alienating, especially when it comes to films that have been cited as sacrosanct classics. To date, I have yet to find someone who holds the same…

Slow cinema is an art form that very few filmmakers are able to master. Mike Mills is one of the elite group that have managed to build a career around carefully-measured, intricately-woven stories that take their time. They are certainly an acquired taste, since his films don’t immediately announce themselves as the most bombastic productions,…

The Browning Version is a text written for everyone who has regrets, especially those relating to never putting in the effort to fit in. Terence Ratigan’s fascinating drama has been celebrated for its raw understanding of the human condition, as facilitated through the story of an ailing schoolteacher who realizes in his final days before…

No one captures the human condition quite like Mike Leigh – regardless of whether we’re looking at his days as one of the pioneers of the “angry young men” movement that branched off from kitchen-sink realism, or his ascent to become one of the elder statesmen of British cinema, there has always been a fiery…

After having seen several of his films, it’s not surprising if viewers start to find the work of Yasujirō Ozu blurring together. This isn’t nearly as disparaging as it sounds – as a filmmaker who often stuck to the same set of thematic principles, and a particular directorial approach, Ozu’s films are distinct and similar…