Once you have seen most, if not all, of a major filmmaker or actor’s most prominent work, it’s often quite entertaining and even more insightful to venture into their past and find projects that are not very well-regarded or even known beyond the most passionate devotees. It can almost feel like a rediscovery of their…
Category: Romance
Eternity (2025)
“Till death do us part” – the sentence that ends many wedding vows and which has infiltrated the global culture as one of the defining sentiments when it comes to assuring a lifetime of affection and devotion. However, something that is not considered quite as often is what happens afterwards, which is a much more…
It’s Complicated (2009)
The idea of first impressions being definitively final is such a passé concept, since there are many instances of a second chance sometimes being more meaningful than a first encounter. No one understands this better than Nancy Meyers, who has made something of a career based around ordinary protagonists going in search of some deeper…
Lost in Separation (2019)
Falling in love is easy, but maintaining that relationship is the challenge – so many stories have been built on this simple philosophical premise, it is surprising that people still tend to make the mistake when it comes to rushing into relationships that were never intended to last. No one seems to know this better…
My Favourite Cake (2024)
Is it ever too late to start again? This is a question that has been asked since time immemorial and has been the subject of constant pondering by a range of philosophers. Social critics alike, who observe the surrounding world and attempt to offer some solution to something that has clearly been the source of…
Late Bloomers (2011)
They say the only part of life more difficult than falling in love is maintaining the spark. For many longtime couples, it feels like the passion disappears after a while and is replaced with pleasant boredom more than anything else. While many of us may not be able to attest to having firsthand experience, it…
Dolly and Her Lover (1990)
The concept of opposites attracting has been the foundation of a lot of romantic films over the years, especially those designed to be slightly more comedic in nature, since there’s very few topics simultaneously funny and heartfelt than two very unique individuals overcoming their differences and falling in love with one another, which gives hope…
What Women Want (2011)
When it comes to remakes, the general rule of thumb is quite simple – either elevate the original material or make it different enough that it isn’t going to be needlessly compared to the source material, and is able to stand on its own. This is sometimes a challenge for directors who decide to remake…
As You Like It (1936)
While it is never mandatory, as every work should be able to stand on its own without necessarily having to be reinvented in different contexts, one of the most objective signs of a truly great playwright is not only if their work stands the test of time, but can be adapted to different eras or…
Rafiki (2018)
For every city, there is usually at least one filmmaker that is its definitive poet laureate. New York City has Woody Allen, London has Mike Leigh, Tokyo has Yasujirō Ozu, Rome has Federico Fellini – the list goes on ad infinitum, and the act of pairing cities with specific filmmakers is often quite fascinating. Nairobi…
The Postmodern Pelican 