Hazel Moates (Brad Dourif), an eccentric young man returns home from war, discharged after being wounded. His home in what is assumed to be Georgia has been abandoned and stands as a neglected, looming farmhouse without any signs of life. Hazel’s outlook on life is one of considerable gloom, most likely a result of what…
La Pointe Courte (1955)
For the last twenty years of both her professional and personal life, Agnès Varda made films that saw her reflect on her career and all of her experiences as a filmmaker and as a person in a radically shifting world – it seemed like she was always on the verge of saying farewell to her…
Crimes of the Heart (1986)
Three sisters reuniting in the farmhouse that they grew up in, in their rural Mississippi community. Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart is a staple of community and amateur theatre and has been a reliable production ever since debuting decades ago, with its story of family and community resonating with audiences. It also received the…
Native Son (2019)
From the very first moment of Native Son, the audience is overwhelmed by the dizzying blend of visual style and narrative intensity. Rashid Johnson, in his directorial debut, uses his career as a postmodern artist to create a beautiful reimagining of Richard Wright’s incredible novel, bringing it into a contemporary context that serves to be…
The Breaker Upperers (2019)
Jen (Jackie van Beek) and Mel (Madeleine Sami) are best friends that run a very different kind of relationship agency – rather than matching people together, they specialize in tearing them apart. When someone is in a relationship they want out of, they venture to the humble offices of “The Breaker Upperers”, who have a…
Us (2019)
Jordan Peele has always had his finger firmly on the pulse of the human condition – this was evident in his groundbreaking comedic work on Mad TV and Key & Peele, but it has been proven to be one of his most remarkable talents through his transition into a horror film auteur, the likes of…
In Loving Memory of Agnès Varda
I live in cinema. I feel I’ve lived here forever. ~Agnès Varda I don’t write obituaries. I’ve never been able to lament the death of public figures enough to put pen to paper and actually write something as if I had known the person or had anything to offer about their life that others did…
Claire’s Camera (2018)
Hong Sang-soo is a director known for his beautiful but often heavy-handed dramas that look at the life of ordinary people, normally those with artistic inclinations. A film that saw Hong move slightly away from his more intense dramas without losing his spirited focus was Claire’s Camera (French: La caméra de Claire), a cross-national comedy…
Green Book (2018)
There are two types of memorable films – the first is one that attempts to revolutionize the cinematic form, being intellectual, thought-provoking works that thrive on their originality, their narrative idiosyncracies and their technical prowess to create otherwise unforgettable experiences that would be difficult to replicate, and go on to inspire countless other artists to…
Best F(r)iends: Volume One (2018)
Best F(r)iends is either one of the worst crime films ever made, or one of the most genius, self-aware comedies of the past few years. In fact, it is very possible that it is both. At this point, it isn’t necessary to venture too deeply into the folklore surrounding The Room – I have written…
The Postmodern Pelican 