I love stories that take place over a single period of time, whether an individual night or a slightly longer stretch, where everything is contained into something slightly more manageable. I once recall driving through a city at night with a friend, and remarking to him how I am still waiting to have my own…
Tag: movies
Holy Days (2026)
There’s an old adage I’ve heard bandied about in the film industry from time to time – when all else fails, put a nun in the movie. Has there ever been a group of people more affectionately relegated to the status of human props more than the brides of Christ, whose distinctive manner of dressing…
Round Midnight (1986)
Music is more than just a pleasant distraction to break the monotony of daily life. It’s a form of expression, into which many artists pour their hearts and souls, using it as a vessel for a range of existential quandaries, filtering the pain and confusion that comes with being alive into sonically pleasing works of…
Your Monster (2024)
Everyone has a proverbial monster in their closet, a creature that represents our innermost quandaries and most closely guarded secrets, which we keep hidden away from prying eyes as much as possible. In the case of Your Monster, this concept becomes quite literal, with director Caroline Lindy (adapting her own short film of the same…
The Searchers (1956)
The exceptionally insightful critic Stuart Byron once famously asserted that “in a broad sense it can be said that all recent American cinema derives from John Ford’s The Searchers” – and it just so happens that this was amongst the first pieces of film criticism I read as an adolescent. It is something that has…
Clifford (1994)
There’s a special joy that comes in discovering a film that was seemingly been dismissed, if not outright despised, by the industry, audiences and critical establishment, to the point where it carries the burden of being considered a failure, which becomes an indelible stain on its reputation – and realising that it is actually a…
Solo (2023)
There comes a point in many people’s lives when they look in the mirror and realise they don’t quite recognise who they see on the other side, whether for better or worse. In terms of the protagonist of Solo, the ambitious drama written and directed by Sophie Depuis, it is a combination of both. Best…
Mile End Kicks (2026)
When it comes to being able to successfully pursue your dreams, some people are fortunate enough to have everything fall into place with minimal effort, while others tend to have to rely on a combination of ambition, hard work and sometimes sheer luck. I’d argue the latter category encompasses the vast majority of these stories,…
The Long Take: The Career of…Mel Brooks (1926 – present)
We’re truly fortunate to be living at the same time as Mel Brooks – I have a sincere appreciation for comedy as an artform, and few people have made as much of an impression on the subject of humour than Brooks, who has single-handedly helped bring about some of the most revolutionary developments in the…
Separate Lies (2005)
To what extent do we protect those we love? Is it possible to support someone through particularly tricky circumstances while still being able to maintain not only a very particular public image, but also your inner peace? This is a question that we often find being asked in instances where someone discovers a family member…
The Postmodern Pelican 