If there is one subject cinema loves more than any other, it would be itself – Hollywood seems to adore the sound of its own voice, hence why we have seen countless works produced around the idea of putting on a show, extending to the very earliest days of the industry, which it inherited from…
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
For about a decade, Justine Triet has been circling around being consolidated as one of the most promising young voices in contemporary European cinema – her work is incredibly layered and always very precise, and navigates the vague boundaries between humour and drama with such astonishing ease, it was only a matter of time before…
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
One knows they have written a truly brilliant piece of literature when the very title not only evokes a very specific kind of memory but has become something of a punchline when discussing the works it tends to define. When it comes to The Grapes of Wrath, few can argue against this being shorthand for…
Potiche (2010)
How do you solve a problem like Suzanne Pujol’s? She’s the perfect wife and mother, living the idealistic life in the high society of 1970s France when a woman’s place was supposedly in the home, rather than the working world – and yet, she strives for more, even going so far as to use her…
The Atomic Kid (1954)
There’s no business like show business, and there has never been a more scathing critique of the concept of fame than in The Atomic Kid, the wildly funny satire in which we accompany a mild-mannered young man (who cites himself as one of the pioneers in the field of uranium prospecting) into the heart of…
I Like Movies (2023)
It is safe to assume that the vast majority of people like movies, but it’s a much smaller group that makes it their entire personality, the raison d’etre and the motivation for going about their daily life. It’s a world that is both exciting since we can explore over a century of global cinema, but…
The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973)
When it comes to the subject of iconic French comedy, there are few individuals who are more celebrated than Louis de Funès, whose entire career has been defined by his ability to draw out laughter from the most absurd situations. Known for defining his country’s humour throughout the middle of the 20th century, his work…
Greenfingers (2000)
The art of simplicity is the quality that keeps most genres alive – and they do not get more delightfully simple than Greenfingers, a relatively obscure but still deeply charming British comedy by Joel Hershman, who tells the story of a quiet but sinister felon who is deemed suitable for a new experimental method of…
Topsy-Turvy (1999)
When discussing Mike Leigh, we usually associate him with stories within the contemporary working class, deeply meditative and profoundly compelling social realist narratives that are firm reflections of the director’s origins within the movement popularly known as the “angry young men” of British cinema. However, he was prone to experimenting in many ways, and after…
Sisu (2022)
History has always been ingrained in cinema in some form – whether retellings of the past or merely works set within specific periods, there has always been a strong sense of urgency when it comes to exploring the past to some degree. Historical films take many different forms, but one that I have personally grown…
The Postmodern Pelican 