Change is always something that needs to be appreciated, and in hindsight we can look back at certain ideas and how general perceptions around them have shifted over time. The reputation of certain artists often change over time, whether veering upwards or spiralling downwards. In the case of Barbra Streisand, she has always been one…
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023)
There is a very niche but widely embraced sub-genre of cinema, which usually centres on older British characters going about their daily routine, until they are confronted with a challenge that forces them to acclimate to whatever changes are necessary, usually leading to hilarity and soulful introspection. It is a heartwarming style of storytelling, and…
His Girl Friday (1940)
There have been countless attempts to adapt Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s wonderful play The Front Page into every conceivable medium, and they have all achieved varying degrees of success. Everyone from Billy Wilder to Kathleen Turner had their sights set on luxuriating in the hilarious and irreverent world that the playwrights had created, which…
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Culturally, we are usually predisposed to categorize absolutely everything, with our tendency to compartmentalize absolutely every work we come across being one of the many universal quirks that we find throughout the history of art, and something that has driven us to the point where everything has to be considered aligned with a specific set…
Taipei Story (1985)
It’s increasingly difficult to not wax poetic about Taipei Story, which is almost universally the case when it comes to the work of Edward Yang, who remains one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, and someone who may have only directed a handful of films before his untimely demise, but where…
Les Amandiers (2022)
The process of unpacking Les Amandiers (alternatively known as Forever Young, which doesn’t quite encapsulate the spirit of the film in the way whoever chose the English title may have thought) requires us to understand a few contextual elements, all of which ultimately play a part in laying the foundation for this charming and genuinely…
Four Steps in the Clouds (1942)
Two strangers from radically different walks of life meet by chance while commuting to some destination, not realizing the serendipity of such an encounter – this is a common trope that has existed almost as long as stories have been told. There’s something so compelling about chance meetings, and whether they result in a romantic…
A Thousand and One (2023)
There is a moment of indescribable joy when you sit in front of a film and get the feeling that you are watching the birth of a potentially groundbreaking voice. This has always been the case, but it is happening slightly more often in recent years, undoubtedly the result of platforms being given to exciting…
Labyrinth of Passion (1982)
While is appropriately seen as the elder statesman of Spanish cinema, there was a time when Pedro Almodóvar was not only a young filmmaker, but a controversial one. Based on this current status, it is bewildering to imagine that there was a time when he regularly courted controversy, and seemed to genuinely enjoy scandalizing the…
To Catch a Killer (2023)
If there was ever any example of the importance of not judging a film by its title, To Catch a Killer is one of the most appropriate candidates. Despite its generic title that seems more like what the writer would use to pitch the project rather than the overall encapsulation of the story, the film…
The Postmodern Pelican 