There is something so distinct about a John Cassavetes films, a quality that is so difficult to pin down but is there throughout his work. Whether one of his most universally-adored masterpieces or one of his more experimental works that were met with the expected jeers and cheers, his films always seemed to follow the…

The Irishman is not just a gangster film. It’s an intricate cultural epic that functions as a darkly comical meditation on crime, ageing, the role of masculinity throughout the twentieth century and ultimately, death, both that of inflicting and experiencing it. Martin Scorsese presents us with perhaps his finest film in decades, a work of…

Saying goodbye is never easy. This is something I think all of us know a bit too well – whether it’s temporary or long-term, a farewell is an experience that often tests our resilience and proves that sometimes the most difficult moments are the most necessary. This seems to be the theme underlying Lulu Wang’s…

Bobby Dupea (Jack Nicholson) is an aimless young man without any clear sense of direction in his life. On the surface, he is the archetypal blue-collar working man. He spends his days grafting as an oil-rig worker, and his evenings with his girlfriend, the well-meaning but slightly simple Rayette (Karen Black), who adores Bobby, to…

Xavier Dolan seems to occupy quite a unique place in the contemporary cinematic landscape. He’s a director who has had some enormous accusations levelled against him, especially in recent years – his penchant for melodrama, often overwrought storylines and his tendency towards excess are all qualities that seem to be used to deride him by…

“Poems are my solace for the eternity which surrounds us all.” Terence Davies’ A Quiet Passion is a masterful achievement in a number of ways. The story of Emily Dickinson is one that is both profoundly fascinating, but also deeply complex, and any filmmaker who endeavoured to venture into her life was bound to encounter…

When it comes to finding the truth of the human condition and all its earnest complexities, few directors are more adept than Pedro Almodóvar – his influence not only in his native Spain but in the entire film industry as a whole, is something that can never be overstated, to the point where his work…

Simon (Gabin Verdet) is a young man who meets an unfortunate fate one morning after a surfing expedition, finding himself involved in a fatal car accident that leaves him in a severe coma. The doctors have little doubt that Simon won’t recover, as he is past the point where he can wake up. His parent…

The work of William Shakespeare has the unique distinction of being both extremely resonant, inspiring many of the greatest works of art since their inception centuries ago, as well as being heavily saturated to the point where no other artist can attest to have their work more scrutinized and explored. Thus, it takes a lot…

“What makes a family?” – this was apparently the question that served as the impetus for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s masterful Shoplifters (Japanese: 万引き家族), a beautiful character-driven drama that once again sees the maestro venturing into the realm of social realism, delivering one of the most profoundly moving films of the past few years, and an utter…