It may be slightly inappropriate to start a discussion on a film by saying so, but there is a reason why Michel Franco is one of the most controversial contemporary filmmakers. It isn’t because the subject matter of his films is provocative or defiant of standards, nor is his filmmaking particularly challenging in a way…
Tag: film-review
Storm Over Lisbon (1944)
The shadow of Casablanca loomed large over Hollywood in the mid-1940s. The radical success of that iconic film was frequently a source of a lot of active efforts to recapture the same spirit of the wartime romance between Rick Blaine and Ilse Lund, so much so that it became a minor genre all on its…
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
By the time he set out to make The Purple Rose of Cairo, Woody Allen already had about two decades of filmmaking behind him, having grown to be arguably the most acclaimed director of American comedies working at the time – but gradually over the years, he lost his desire to tell outrageous stories, and…
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
Just a brief note before we begin – I have not set out to spoil this film or ruin its many surprises, but in an effort to speak more openly about some of its themes and ideas, I have taken a slightly more liberal approach. While the actual solution isn’t revealed at any point, I…
Georgia (1995)
Independent cinema has had a long and storied history, but it cannot be viewed as a single endless stream, but rather a series of chapters, each one defined as something of a generation in a long journey towards negotiating the boundary between the mainstream and the arthouse. One of the most fascinating, at least in…
Orphan (2025)
There was a point when we thought László Nemes was going to be the next great European auteur. He showed a lot of promise with Son of Saul, a film that has some flaws but is still an ambitious achievement. That proved to be somewhat of a divisive work, and one that did contain several…
My Sweet Little Village (1985)
Everyone who has lived in a major city or urban area has likely at some point in their life imagined the joys that would come from leaving the hustle and bustle of whatever metropolis that defines their daily routine, venturing into the countryside and starting a far simpler life. It is a concept that is…
Rafiki (2018)
For every city, there is usually at least one filmmaker that is its definitive poet laureate. New York City has Woody Allen, London has Mike Leigh, Tokyo has Yasujirō Ozu, Rome has Federico Fellini – the list goes on ad infinitum, and the act of pairing cities with specific filmmakers is often quite fascinating. Nairobi…
Wish You Were Here (1987)
One of the more universal experiences that we all seem to encounter during our journey towards maturity is that particularly ambiguous space between adolescence and adulthood, which can be a challenging period for many people, even those who are relatively well-adjusted and responsible. Its the time when we are old enough to be aware of…
Deliverance (1972)
There are many places we are encouraged to explore and experience their splendour, whether they are in the natural or constructed world. Yet, horror films set in these places very rarely yield particularly effective results, with the exception of a few that are truly innovative. Yet, the sense of adventure and familiarity with the excitement…
The Postmodern Pelican 