Nothing inspires creativity and audacity more than rejection and failure – and few artists knew this more than Shane Black, whose career as a relatively successful screenwriter was brought to a grinding halt when one of his films did not perform as expected, leading to him becoming one of the countless casualties of Hollywood’s notoriously…
Tag: review
The Merry World of Léopold Z (1965)
In my continued efforts to explore important works of Québécois cinema, there were a few titles that emerged as being particularly noteworthy, whether for their artistic merit or the situation surrounding their creation. In the case of The Merry World of Léopold Z (French: La vie heureuse de Léopold Z), there were elements of both…
Vermiglio (2024)
Nestled deep within the Italian Alps sits a small village – its occupants spend their days quietly going about their routine, focusing on their day-to-day schedule. At the same time, war rages around the world, a conflict that they are not directly involved in, at least not until the arrival of a soldier in their…
The Brutalist (2024)
It is certainly not difficult to recognise great art, and countless works across every conceivable medium have been labelled as being masterpieces for a number of reasons, usually based on how they define either an artist’s career or influence an entire movement in some substantial way. Yet, there is a lot more hesitance when it…
I’m Still Here (2024)
There is a moment towards the end of I’m Still Here (Portuguese: Ainda Estou Aqui) where the older Eunice Paiva sits at a table at what appears to be an informal family celebration – the rest of the room is lively, while she sits in pleasant silence, observing her children and grandchildren. Yet, no one…
A Day in the Country (1946)
After having quite a prolific career in both Europe and the United States, and having made films quite late into his life, it’s tough to imagine that Jean Renoir, one of cinema’s finest directors, had many instances of projects that didn’t manifest as he intended them to, most of his work being well-crafted and very…
Two-Way Stretch (1960)
From a linguistic perspective, few places breed innovation in how language develops and is used than prisons – these institutions tend to provide fascinating insights into how people change meanings of words ascribe entirely new definitions to existing terms, or even just outright create new phrases, all of which is usually done to establish some…
Starlet (2012)
Much like I suspect would be the case with many people, I first became acquainted with Sean Baker in 2015, when he had a major breakthrough with Tangerine, an extraordinarily ambitious dark comedy about two transgender sex workers that was notable for both its unconventional narrative, the fact that it was shot entirely on an…
La Moustache (2005)
The key to the success of any good film is often quite simple – have a good story and execution that matches or overtakes the level of ambition that went into its conception. Obviously it is integral to add other elements for the sake of diversity, but good art is really just a matter of…
A Real Pain (2024)
Everything is a matter of perspective – what some may find uncomfortable may be far easier for others to handle, and when it comes to some of life’s most challenging inevitabilities, we all tend to deal with them differently. Pain is something we all experience in some way or another, whether it is physical or…
The Postmodern Pelican 