Throughout his prolific career Yasujirō Ozu managed to capture so many different kinds of stories, with the emphasis often being placed on older people and their various trials and tribulations. However, there were occasions where the esteemed director took a sojourn into the lives of the younger generation, and crafted vivid stories of childhood and…
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
When it comes to the intersections between camp and horror, very few names have defined it as much as William Castle, a filmmaker of such a singular vision, it’s impossible to not equate his work with the entire concept of the most bombastic kind of horror imaginable. In a long career peppered with some magnificent…
Brewster McCloud (1970)
In an incredibly prolific career, Robert Altman proved himself to be quite a formidable filmmaker, being one of the few artists who successfully mastered both the art of producing quality and quantity, which is quite an elusive concept that not many people are able to stake a legitimate claim towards. It meant that, despite making…
Two of Us (2020)
Nina Dorn (Barbara Sukowa) and Madeleine Girard (Martine Chevallier) are neighbours, living across the hall from each other in an aged apartment building in the quiet suburbs of Paris – at least that’s what they tell everyone who encounters them. In reality, the two women have been in love with each other for decades, having…
Late Marriage (2001)
Romance tends to take many different forms, especially when it comes to portraying it on screen. Several directors have approached the idea of love from varying standpoints, but one of the most earnest cinematic representations of romance comes on behalf of Dover Kosashvili, whose masterful Late Marriage (Hebrew: חתונה מאוחרת) is a sensory bombardment, a…
Soul (2020)
For a film that dares to call itself Soul, Pixar’s latest offering is running worryingly low on it. It’s always a difficult situation when the famed animation studio releases something new, only to reveal itself to not be quite what was promised. We’ve seen them disappoint almost as many times as we’ve seen them succeed…
The Whales of August (1987)
It’s a familiar feeling that many of us get from time to time when watching a film – the opening credits begin, and we see some familiar names, particularly those who are known for being indicative of quality, and we know that we’re about to see something very special, particularly when there is an aura…
Ninotchka (1939)
Upon its original release, audiences were presented with posters for Ernst Lubitsch’s iconic Ninotchka, on which the words “Garbo laughs!” were plastered. This should be familiar to anyone with a passing interest in this era of Hollywood history, and will likely evoke some strong reactions, depending on how one feels about the concept being portrayed….
Black Bear (2020)
It’s a situation we all know too well – we’re in the presence of a couple who have been together for a considerable amount of time. Once the pleasantries and small-talk have concluded, the tensions start to rise, and the underlying animosity that exists begins to simmer into a potent combination of angst and awkwardness….
54 (1998)
54 is a wild fever-dream of a film – a lavish, surreal journey into one of New York City’s most notorious nightclubs that holds the viewer captive and shows us around a deranged disco where nothing quite makes sense, although this doesn’t really matter. Whether or not 54 is a particularly good film isn’t all…
The Postmodern Pelican 