Death is inevitable, which is a fact that many of us try and avoid thinking about, whether it is our own demise or the passing of a loved one. However, sometimes it comes prematurely, and it can throw those left behind for a loop, especially when it comes to the harrowing experience of a parent…
Thumbsucker (2005)
My first encounter with Mike Mills’ Thumbsucker was shortly after its release, just before his breakthrough with the celebrated Beginners that established him as one of the most exciting new voices in independent filmmaking. His adaptation of the novel by Walter Kirn, which tells the story of a teenager struggling to navigate the challenges of…
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2014)
One lesson that we all come to learn at some point in our lives is that it is never too late to start afresh. For some, this means reinventing yourself and uprooting your life, while for others it is simply making a small but substantial change, rather than taking a tabula rasa approach to reconfiguring…
All of Me (1984)
There are generally two broad categories of successful comedies – those made by the rambunctious young upstarts who find their primary motivation in proving their mettle as filmmakers and actors worthy to stand alongside the giants of their industry, and those produced by the seasoned veterans, people that were notable enough to sell a film…
Life of a Shock Force Worker (1972)
It is a liberating feeling to be presented with a film, and not only given the permission to not try to make sense of the absurdity shown on screen but actively encouraged against it since this ultimately impinges on the experience of a particular film as a whole. We may never know what Bato Čengić…
Cassandra’s Dream (2007)
While he is most well-regarded for his irreverent, often verbose philosophical comedies that offer sharp criticisms of the human condition, Woody Allen has never been afraid to take a few risks when they are most appropriate. There came a point in his career where he started to experiment with genre, particularly making films in which…
Night on Earth (1991)
One of my favourite dinner party questions to ask, especially when in the company of those who are more artistically inclined, is around the hypothetical scenario where we each have to choose a piece of art to preserve for future generations, or perhaps provide to those from another dimension, that we best feel encompasses the…
Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
The career trajectory of Cory Finley has been peculiar, to say the least – Thoroughbreds was an ambitious debut that gave him credibility as a promising young voice in independent cinema, while Bad Education was a step forward in terms of subject matter and resources, and even though it premiered on television, it feels considerable…
El Conde (2023)
It is always encouraging to find directors who aren’t afraid of taking risks, and few filmmakers in recent years have been taking bolder swings than Pablo Larraín, who has spent roughly the past decade oscillating between his native Chile and other countries, crafting unforgettable works that look at the past, present and future (often in…
Godland (2023)
While art has become increasingly secular as times have progressed and the importance of the church in day-to-day life has diminished, it remains a perpetual theme for many artists, who may not may works that outwardly celebrate the power of faith, but rather look at it in different ways, whether the history of religion or…
The Postmodern Pelican 