Depending on how you look at it, life is a comedy masquerading as a tragedy, or vice versa. This is the foundation for Sawdust and Tinsel (Swedish: Gycklarnas afton), the ambitious character-driven drama that serves as an early entry into the long and prolific career of the iconic Ingmar Bergman, who may have still been…
Murphy’s Romance (1985)
Whatever the people behind the creation of Murphy’s Romance did, they somehow managed to make one of the most exhilarating screen romances in the history of cinema, and yet made it seem so effortlessly easy. Perhaps its the presence of Martin Ritt, the legendary director who presided over the adaptation of the novella by Max…
The Suitcase of Dreams (1953)
If there is one subject that cinema loves more than love or war, it would be the art of filmmaking itself. So many directors from the age of the silent era to those working today, have made films that reflect their admiration and adoration for the medium that has allowed them to explore their own…
Roxanne (1987)
It’s an iconic image – Steve Martin sporting a prosthetic nose, on the end of which is perched an adorable yellow canary, as he looks into oblivion, deep in despair at the fact that his appearance weighs him down and prevents his character from ever finding love, since it’s impossible to encounter anyone who can…
Laughs in America: A Comedic Voyage Through the United States
Earlier this week, I reviewed Albert Brooks’ groundbreaking comedy, Lost in America, where he and Julie Hagerty embark on a lifelong trip around the United States of America. Of course, the most hilarious part of the film (and the hook) is that the duo never actually manage to get that far, spending most of the…
The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
Just based on the premise, one would be forgiven for thinking The Story of Qiu Ju (Mandarin: 秋菊打官司) is not a film we should take particularly seriously – after all, it does centre on a man being kicked in the groin after a heated argument with their village chieftain, and his heavily-pregnant wife taking matters…
To Sir Sidney, With Love
I do try and avoid hyperbole or statements that can be considered too grandiose – after all, only foolish people rattle off absolutes as if they were fact. However, here is something that I have believed for as long as I have loved film: there has never been a better actor than Sir Sidney Poitier….
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
Despite only having made a small handful of films, Jacques Tati remains one of the most important filmmakers of his generation, with his career both predating and occurring concurrently with the French New Wave, a movement that may not have been directly related to Tati, but was undeniably influenced, at least in terms of taking…
Wolf (2021)
There is something about wolves that are so profoundly fascinating, and which has inspired artists for centuries. It’s difficult to find works of literature or mythology that don’t feature lupine characters in some way, with their enigmatic manner of prowling in packs, or their distinctive howls to the night sky making them almost mystical creatures….
The Actress (1953)
As far as I’m concerned, my writing has reflected a deep and undying devotion to the work of the ruthlessly talented Ruth Gordon, an artist I’ve admired since my earliest days of watching movies. Her impact on the film industry is clear and indelible – but what is often not discussed is The Actress, the…
The Postmodern Pelican 