When one thinks of the qualities that best define James Gray, versatility is one of the more common terms we can use to describe him. A director who has successfully weaponised his refusal to develop a particular style, and instead pursued an identity based around his ability to work in a wide range of genres,…
My Man Godfrey (1936)
We have spoken extensively about the concept of the screwball comedy, and this discussion isn’t going to be any different. I have endeavoured to do my best to venture right to the very start of the genre, exploring its origins – and while the general fact of the matter is that the pioneering works would…
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
The journey to the big screen undertaken by Mario and Luigi – the ubiquitous plumbers that were the heroes of the video game series of the same time – has been a long and storied one. The dismal failure of the attempt to bring these characters to the world of cinema produced thirty years ago…
Champions (2023)
Who of us doesn’t love a good underdog story? There is something so compelling about those tales of outsiders and oddballs defying the odds and emerging victorious, and while these are often very predictable, they can be quite endearing, especially when done well. One recent example of how effective such a film can be when…
La Cage aux Folles (1978)
While it is a genre that has gone in many different directions, when it comes to comedy, there are a few films that are considered not only deeply important, but essentially function as cultural touchstones, reflections of social and historical moments that are much deeper than just works of humour. La Cage Aux Folles is…
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Over time, the premise established by Robert Louis Stevenson in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has become so taut and over-worn, it is a surprise anyone has been able to find a new perspective with which to approach this story, especially since it has been subjected to every conceivable genre coming…
Rye Lane (2023)
New filmmakers emerge every year, and while it is always heartening to see that the medium is going to be left in good hands after the old masters transition out of the industry, it isn’t often that we find someone who is so indicative of the future of cinema to the point where just watching…
The April Fools (1969)
If there is a subject Hollywood adores more than people falling in love, it is the process of falling out of it, which has been the starting point for several engaging and fascinating films over the course of the past century. Naturally, in its earliest years the idea of marital trouble or relationships being on…
Chicken Run (2000)
Few styles of filmmaking have undergone quite as interesting a shift over the past few decades as animation – the nostalgia of classical, two-dimensional animation combined with efforts to increase what is possible with technology and other different styles has made it a formidable industry all on its own, with every year yielding magnificent works,…
The Lost Weekend (1945)
The transition from journeyman screenwriter who worked primarily under the guidance of your artistic hero to one of the greatest filmmakers of all time is certainly not easy, but yet Billy Wilder managed to make it seem like the most enjoyable experience imaginable. It would be a challenge to find anyone who enjoyed his craft…
The Postmodern Pelican 