Few modern filmmakers from within the continent have done more to bring Africa to a global stage than Mahamat Saleh Haroun, whose career is populated with many hard-hitting films that look at serious issues plaguing many communities on a continent that is rarely afforded many opportunities to be explored critically through film on many international…
The Madonna’s Secret (1946)
We’re not strangers to discussing film noir around these parts, and one of the more interesting ideas that come about when looking at this genre that has undergone so many different shifts in conventions and style over the decades is that there isn’t one singular formula that makes for a great entry, but rather a…
Official Competition (2022)
As is often the case with any medium, it was inevitable that cinema would get to the point where it started producing artworks that were self-reflective commentaries on its own existence. This happened almost immediately, with the advent of self-aware cinema occurring from the outset. There are a few subjects that filmmakers seem to adore…
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
You never can have quite enough paranoia when it comes to the subject of bureaucrats. Whether governmental or in terms of law enforcement, those who occupy any position with civil servitude are immersing themselves in a very challenging world, specifically in regards to some of the draconian policies that govern these institutions, supposedly in favour…
She Said (2022)
Not to give him too much credibility, but when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein was a serial sexual predator who had assaulted countless women through executing his authority as arguably the most powerful producer in Hollywood since the height of the studio system, the entire entertainment industry was suitably shaken, with one of its…
Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
When it comes to the concept of the comedy-of-manners, few films are more spiritually and narratively guided than Ruggles of Red Gap, in which director Leo McCarey (arguably one of the pioneers of comedy during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and someone whose work in both humour and melodrama are some of the greatest in…
Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Notes on a Scandal is perverted, deranged and filled to the brim with some of the most unbelievably grotesque characters in the history of cinema – and it also happens to be one of the most deliciously off-the-wall dramas of the past two decades. Richard Eyre’s adaptation of the novel by Zoë Heller is an…
Introduction (2022)
Few directors work as hard as Hong Sang-soo, at least not in terms of the sheer volume of output they provide. It has become almost a tradition for adherents of arthouse cinema to playfully refer to the director’s tendency towards constantly being producing work, and he seems to perpetually be in a state of creating…
The Long Day Closes (1992)
There is a small but dedicated faction of the film community that genuinely believes Terence Davies to be one of the greatest directors of his generation. While his work is often very small and intimate, it’s difficult to watch any of his films and not feel like there is a lot of truth to this…
Aftersun (2022)
While she is mostly remembered for her groundbreaking work as a photographer, Diane Arbus was an exceptionally gifted social critic, and the commentary that surrounds her art is almost as intriguing as the photographs themselves. However, one of her most important statements on the nature of art comes in the form of the statement “a…
The Postmodern Pelican 