Somewhere in the heart of the Canadian independent film industry is a small, renegade group of filmmakers who have regularly collaborated in various ways to help define the current generation of intimate arthouse cinema in a country that has always been known for a very precise style of storytelling. This coterie of writers, directors and…
Tag: reviews
The Parenting (2025)
There comes a point in every relationship where it starts to become serious, often signalled by one particular event – the act of meeting your partner’s parents. In many cases, this happens quite early on and is a relatively painless procedure in which you get to know the people that will become part of your…
Misericordia (2025)
Anyone who has spent a little time in Europe will undoubtedly be familiar with the experience of retreating from the bustling cities and instead making their way through the small towns and villages that seem to be scattered liberally across the continent. It’s a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of large urban centres,…
The Small Back Room (1949)
There have been countless films made about war, telling stories of the brave men and women (both those serving in the armed forces and the civilians that often had to demonstrate a similar level of courage) who experience the horrors of conflict, and tend to gain scars – both physical and emotional – that linger…
Riff Raff (2025)
They say blood is thicker than water – but very few of us should find ourselves in a situation where we discover this to be quite literally true. It is also the foundation of Riff Raff, in which Dito Montiel, working from a screenplay by John Pollono, goes in search of answers relating to this…
The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
Nestled deep in the countryside of pastoral New England sits a beautiful historical building, which has been the home of many fascinating people over the years. However, it is currently occupied by Professor Billings, a gentle but eccentric scientist, who has decided to sell the house, under the condition that he can maintain his laboratory…
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2024)
As far as counterculture icons go, Anita Pallenberg is certainly one of the most fascinating, despite not being as widely known or revered as some of her peers. Someone whose career path was as layered and complicated as her ancestry, she was Italian-born of German parents, and who spent almost her entire life oscillating between…
The Well-Digger’s Daughter (1940)
When it comes to sharp but meaningful satire, few writers were more adept at capturing the social and cultural milieu more than Marcel Pagnol. As both a playwright and filmmaker, he is responsible for several of the most important texts in the history of French literature, being an influential artistic force in both theatre and…
Love Hurts (2025)
We all carry remnants of our past, which we tend to prefer to keep hidden, at least to a certain extent – but the bigger the secret, the more challenging it is to conceal it, which can often lead to complications when the truth is unearthed, especially when they relate to more morally questionable aspects…
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
There is a clear distinction between comedy films meant to be appreciated at the time of their release and those which tend to achieve their greatest success in the years that follow, usually when discovered by new generations of viewers. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is an obvious example of the latter – it…
The Postmodern Pelican 