Hermann Hesse’s Narcissus and Goldmund (German: Narziss und Goldmund) is a classic of European literature, a moving story of two individuals who start out their lives in much the same way, before deviating onto wildly different paths, it has been the source of a lot of discussion since its original publication. Oddly enough, it has…
Floating Weeds (1959)
Even when he wasn’t directly focused on it, the central concept in the work of Yasujirō Ozu has always been family, with many of his films venturing towards discussions into the role of the individual amongst their closest connections, which has made for some thoroughly compelling viewing throughout his career. One of his crowning achievements…
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Tennessee Williams truly redefined the concept of having an old friend for dinner with Suddenly, Last Summer. A playwright who captured both the gritty nuances of the human condition, as well as the bold and absurd excess of our behaviour, Williams tapped into a side of life that has yet to be matched by any…
Let Them All Talk (2020)
Steven Soderbergh has a tendency to be very surprising – quite literally. One of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation, it is not unheard of for him to produce multiple films in a year, or at the very least have a new project in the pipeline at all times (which is amusing, considering how…
Querelle (1982)
Querelle is a bloated, pretentious and incredibly convoluted mess of a film – and it’s one of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s greatest achievements. Not normally a film discussed outside of the context of being the director’s final work, it is something that appeals more to those interested in looking at Fassbinder’s oeuvre in more detail, than…
Daddy Longlegs (2009)
Long before they were the critically-acclaimed embodiment of the modern independent auteur, known for directing masterful works such as Good Time and Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny Safdie were obscure filmmakers that worked on shoestring budgets that could barely fund even a day’s work on a mainstream film, and who created films from the most…
The Prom (2020)
Musical films tend to be a gateway genre into more serious forms of cinema, since many of us grew up being enchanted by the singing and dancing of colourful characters who were normally animated, and there to provide us with a bridge from the earliest days of consuming film, to when we are fully aware…
Black Orpheus (1959)
Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) is a young woman who has fled to a working-class region of Rio de Janeiro for reasons that are not immediately made clear. She is going to be staying with her cousin, Serafina (Léa Garcia), who turns out to be the complete antithesis of the shy and reserved Eurydice, living her life…
Il vedovo (1959)
When it came to exploring the postwar experience of Italy, and commenting on the more bizarre sides of society, very few filmmakers were able to match Dino Risi. An exceptionally divisive filmmaker, particularly when looking at his comedies, he was capable of touching on issues that far superceded the general themes of his films. Occurring…
Mogul Mowgli (2020)
Before he was a world-class actor known for an almost chameleonic control of his craft, Riz Ahmed was a journeyman entertainer, taking on minor roles in smaller productions, all as a means of supporting his music career, where he would rap under the stage name Riz MC, as part of the underground duo Sweat Shop…
The Postmodern Pelican 