There are some filmmakers who defy categorisation, since their versatility in terms of skill and tendency to explore a wide range of stories has often allowed them to challenge conventions, going in pursuit of something deeper and more profound, regardless of which genre in which they’re working. Very few directors have been able to achieve…
Tag: review
The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)
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…
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…
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…
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…
Jimpa (2026)
Family can be a challenging topic to address artistically, since it is a near-universal subject that most of us can relate to in some way, but it often tends to be quite specific, and what is motivating for one viewer can be entirely dull for another. However, these stories must be told, since there is…
Matador (1986)
How do you define an artistic revolutionary? Is it by their longevity or the extent to which they were willing to take wild swings, regardless of any potential repercussions from a society that may not have always understood them at the time, but still facilitated their rise to acclaim, even if unintentionally? When it comes…
Beating Heart (1940)
Had Robert Bresson been more inclined to make Pickpocket in the mould of the classic Hollywood screwball comedies that held quite a prominent place in the culture, it would have most likely looked very similar to Beating Heart (French: Battement de coeur), a charming and eccentric romantic comedy written and directed by Henri Decoin, who…
Lucky7 (2008)
Ambition is a quality that should be savoured when it is found in its purest form, since it has become increasingly rare to find people who are willing to challenge and provoke in equal measure while still showcasing their audacity. One of the more intriguing examples of this concept in practice that I encountered recently…
The Doom Generation (1995)
There are many ways to describe a film and its intentions, and we often find that it comes in the most unexpected forms on occasion. When it comes to describing a certain subset of films, we can look at some crude graffiti found on a wall in Marseille, France, which quite simply said “be gay,…
The Postmodern Pelican 