Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is a remarkably gifted young stand-up comedian who has recently started making significant waves in the New York comedy scene, still residing in relative obscurity, but being on the brink of a breakthrough, especially since she shows an undying commitment to her craft, determined to do whatever it takes to…
The Baker’s Wife (1938)
It’s not very common to find a film that is so incredibly moving, it immediately compels one to rewatch it, whether it be certain key scenes or the entire piece. However, it’s a magical experience when it does occur, which was my experience with The Baker’s Wife (French: La femme du boulanger), the beautiful dramatic…
He Got Game (1998)
When he isn’t making groundbreaking, subversive cinematic masterpieces, Spike Lee can usually be found sitting court-side at any of the seasonal games of his beloved New York Knicks. One of the most visible fans of the basketball team, the esteemed director has made his love of the sport known throughout his career, being an evergreen…
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Recently, I spoke about Interiors, and how this movement towards more dramatic material wasn’t only a remarkable change of pace for Woody Allen, but started a second-act of a career that was previously defined by off-the-wall comedy. This was his first foray into solely serious storytelling, and while he has often revisited this kind of…
No Sudden Move (2021)
At this point in his career, Steven Soderbergh has managed to work in nearly every conceivable genre available to him, jumping from domestic dramas to darkly comical satires to harrowing psychological horrors, and managing to accomplish great work under each of them. However, some of his best films fall under the crime genre, and whether…
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
If there was ever a lesson to be learned from crime films made during the Golden Age of Hollywood, it was that crime doesn’t pay. It was incredibly rare to find a film focused on a criminal that ends with them getting away with the crime, or at least not facing some consequences as a…
Carnival Night (1956)
As one of the formative voices in Russian cinema, Eldar Ryazanov had quite a bit to prove them it came to defining his national cinema. His two-part film The Irony of Fate is arguably the greatest comedy to ever come out of the country, and many of his other films (such as my personal favourite,…
Undine (2021)
Undine is the kind of film that becomes more meaningful after having seen it. Christian Petzold is an undeniably gifted filmmaker, but his brand of hyper-intelligent cultural critiques often work better once the viewer has had some time to digest the work and come to terms with its innumerable themes on our own time. The…
The Red Balloon (1956)
As clichéd of an expression as it may be, there are some films that truly define the concept of dynamite coming in small packages. We’ve seen short films produced over the years that manage to be beautiful, poetic and thoroughly entertaining works – but one of them truly shows how valuable time is, in the…
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Steven Spielberg is the kind of director who, when he hits the mark, can legitimately make a case for one of the most captivating filmmakers of his generation, but can also be accused of insincerity when his work isn’t particularly strong, and clearly just the result of a small idea and a large budget. However,…
The Postmodern Pelican 