We have seemingly lost the art of whimsy when it comes to much of contemporary cinema. We tend to prioritise realism over eccentricity, which may lend modern films a more authentic feeling, but at the expense of the joy of seeing radically strange films that do often tend to be slightly more offbeat, but in…
Tag: cinema
Disclosure Day (2026)
Once you have been working in the film industry for over half a century, becoming one of the profitable and acclaimed filmmakers to emerge from the New Hollywood movement, you are handed a blank cheque from which many fantastic films can be produced. There are not many filmmakers who are so indelible in the cultural…
Storytelling (2001)
Some filmmakers set out to entertain, others to inform. The group I am often most fascinated by are those who somewhere adhere to both principles, as well as to neither at the same time, with their general impetus being primarily to shock and provoke, which can make for thrilling and genuinely daring viewing that is…
Last Film Show (2022)
By this point, the concept of films about young filmmakers has become a legitimate sub-genre in itself, with many directors telling stories of their early childhood and how they came to appreciate the beauty and magnificence of cinema, intertwining elements of the coming-of-age drama with a more specific look at the process of falling in…
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass (2024)
“Reality is as thin as paper and betrays with all its cracks its imitative character” – these evocative words were written by Bruno Schulz in the late 1930s, and while the concept may not have existed in its entirety at the time, many scholars of postmodernism cite this as one of the most notable examples…
Nickelodeon (1976)
While in principle it is not a good practice to speak ill of those who have passed, we often find that certain stories resonate slightly more once someone has died. After his death a few years ago, there were countless stories about the genius of Peter Bogdanovich, perhaps the person many of us would choose…
The Proposition (2005)
There are some offers you simply can’t refuse – not because they are appealing, but rather since they seem to be the only choice when it comes to survival. This is what we find John Hillcoat beautifully negotiating in The Proposition, a film written by Nick Cave, who takes a momentary sojourn from being the…
The Best Films of 2025
Every year when putting together my list of the best films of the past twelve months, I attempt to find one cohesive theme that connects them all – a quote, a song or even an abstract concept, anything that can bind together what always ends up being a very dynamic and often wickedly offbeat year…
I Only Rest in the Storm (2025)
In the early 1970s, Tom Zé released an album that featured a particular song, “O Riso e a Faca” – it’s not widely considered one of his most famous compositions, nor one that is regularly discussed beyond the occasional mention. Despite this, the message at the heart of the song (the title translating as “the…
The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
There is a reason why the 1920s are considered one of the best decades for French art – it was a renaissance of sorts in all areas, including literature, visual arts and music. Cinema was not lagging far behind, and while Hollywood was making the most substantial leap towards it becoming one of the primary…
The Postmodern Pelican 