Paolo Sorrentino loves roads. In nearly every one of his films, characters undergo a variety of journeys, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. There is something about the idea of undergoing a shift, either in location or mentality, that drives several of his films. As the ancient adage goes, “all roads lead to Rome”,…

There have been so many attempts at bringing the life and times of Diana, Princess of Wales to the screen – the ill-fated biographical drama starring Naomi Watts, the celebrated interpretation by Emma Corrin on the television serial The Crown, and even a stage musical that has become something of a minor sensation amongst those…

Throughout her fascinating drama that she adapted from her own semi-autobiographical novel, My Father Is an Airplane (Dutch: Mijn vader is een vliegtuig), director Antoinette Beumer tells quite a captivating story about the relationship between a daughter and her father, especially in the days after the death of another family member (specifically their mother and…

The trouble with notoriously prolific directors is that it’s often difficult to discern what their best film may be, since they usually direct at such a rapid pace, and end up producing many great films. However, when it comes to Yasujirō Ozu, it couldn’t be easier to answer this question. Tokyo Story (Japanese: 東京物語) is…

Growing old isn’t a challenge, but growing up certainly is, which is perhaps the most succinct way to describe Stop-Zemlia (Ukrainian: Стоп-Земля), a powerful social drama written and directed by Kateryna Gornostai (in her feature-length directorial debut), who tells the story of a close-knit group of high school students in working-class Ukraine, following them as…

On the Waterfront has been so omnipotent in discussions around its importance in film history, it’s easy to forget how excellent it actually is, beyond the very obvious qualities that have made it one of the true classics of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Perception is divided on whether to celebrate what Elia Kazan did…

There aren’t too many artists who possess the gall and audacity to go by a single name and still be entirely recognizable, and respected almost entirely on the merit associated with such a mononym. It suggests an overt confidence that can sometimes be mistaken for arrogance on some occasions – yet, when settling into a…

There are two films embedded in The Air of Paris (French: L’air de Paris), the powerful drama by Marcel Carné. The first is the heartbreaking story of a former boxer, played by Jean Gabin, who hopes to recapture the spirit of his glory days through training a promising young athlete, played by Roland Lesaffre. The…

When it comes to cinematic wunderkinder, few have had a career as impressive as Xavier Dolan, whose initial success came from the fact that he directed his first feature film at the young age of only twenty, an achievement that is all the more impressive considering his directorial debut wasn’t an amateur production, but rather…

There is nothing particularly remarkable about King Richard, the biographical drama that recounts the formative years of Venus and Serena Williams, as filtered through the perspective of Richard, their hard-working father who did everything he could to make sure that his plans to raise a couple of the greatest tennis players came to fruition. The…