From a mostly western perspective, this time of year is one in which we normally spend time with family, reflect on the memories of the past and simply just dive into our own experiences, all through a vaguely melancholic, nostalgic lens. This festive season, I chose to spend some time watching home movies with my…
North by Northwest (1959)
It almost becomes frustrating to consistently have to praise a filmmaker for their perpetual brilliance, to the point where one actually tends to yearn for a failure on occasion, just for the sake of changing the pace and having something new to talk about. In discussing the career of Alfred Hitchcock, you’d struggle to find…
Ponyo (2008)
There’s a peculiar quality of certain artists that comes with a combination of high-quality creativity being associated with them, and longer periods between producing new work. Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most beloved filmmakers of his generation, not only because his films are revolutionary and brilliant, but also because they’re produced so rarely, each…
Room at the Top (1959)
In the canon of great filmmakers that rarely received their due, there are few names that stand as tragically as that of Jack Clayton. Devotees and supporters of the director and his work will be very quick to mention how he had all the makings of a master, but didn’t really amass much of a…
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
Snow Hollow is a small, quiet town somewhere in Utah known only for functioning as a popular ski destination for amateurs and professionals alike. There isn’t much to see there otherwise – the people are friendly, the food is hearty and the atmosphere is one of warmth and welcome. This is until there is a…
Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
War is a subject that has certainly never been a stranger to film – since its inception, there have been works that have attempted to portray the horrors of war in some way, or at the very least show it as being a time of great challenges for those involved, which is especially poignant considering…
One Careful Owner (2020)
Sara (Juana Acosta) considers herself to be a modern woman – she holds a well-paying job at a successful insurance company, has a husband she adores, and traverses the Spanish night-life with an elegance only possessed by those who are fully-assured of their place in the world. However, this is all a façade, as deep…
Waiting for the Barbarians (2020)
The Magistrate (Sir Mark Rylance) is an unnamed bureaucrat perched at the top of a remote outpost in a distant region of an indeterminate colonial empire. He maintains a good relationship with the locals – he’s a kind-hearted and genial man who immerses himself in the culture, and longs for nothing other than a peaceful…
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
Very few artists were able to capture the wide-ranging milieu of the United States during the twentieth century more than August Wilson, whose Pittsburgh Cycle remains one of the most daring explorations of the last one-hundred years in American history. Gradually, these stories have made their way to film, mainly due to the efforts of…
Happiest Season (2020)
It’s the time of the year where Hollywood sets its sights on the world’s most lavish consumerist event, hoping to capture the spirit of the season and captivate audiences, who are undoubtedly clamouring to get into the Christmas mood. Every year, we receive new Christmas-themed films, many of them following a familiar formula, which we…
The Postmodern Pelican 