Matt (Ed Helms) is a successful app developer who leads quite a happy life, enjoying middle-age as a single man, without much intention of finding a partner. However, he does desperately want to become a father, so as a result, he seeks out alternative options for fatherhood, which leads him to hire a surrogate to…
Uncle Buck (1989)
The Russells are an ordinary, middle-class family living the American Dream – to the point where they have made the pilgrimage from their home in Indianapolis to suburban Chicago, which has been a cause for great chagrin, and the reason why rebellious teenager Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly) is belligerent to all of her parents’ attempts…
The Bad Seed (1956)
Any film that has an extended spot in John Waters’ repertoire of references is bound to be something special, especially if one has a penchant for high camp. My first encounter with The Bad Seed was through the famous, oft-quoted line of “give me those shoes”, as delivered by the sinister but hilariously deranged Rhoda…
Sink or Swim (2018)
Bertrand (Mathieu Amalric) is a manic-depressive, unemployed stay-at-home father who quite literally eats medication for breakfast. Laurent (Guillaume Canet) is a bourgeois man who deals with his familial problems through unhinged anger. Marcus (Benoît Poelvoorde) is the owner of a pool business that is rapidly declining. Simon (Jean-Hugues Anglade) is a line-chef who has held…
High Hopes (1988)
No one tells stories quite like Mike Leigh. He has devoted almost his entire career to bespoke explorations of the working class, taking the viewer into the intimate recesses of a nation torn apart by the broken promises of the Thatcher regime. His earlier films are also the ones that are propelled most notably by…
All About Nina (2018)
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…
The Postmodern Pelican 