Columbus – 2017

Kogonada is a director to watch. The way he executes his directorial debut Columbus shows a rare understanding of cinematic expectation. His style is reminiscent of Yasujiro Ozu in his focus on the length of the scene and not on the actors in the scene. He lets events play out naturally, as though he is […]

Ace in the Hole – 1951

Kirk Douglas offers up one of his best, and darkest, performances as Chuck Tatum, a newspaper man with big aspirations for his small town newspaper. Things take a positive turn for Chuck when he stumbles upon a man trapped in a cave. Chuck uses his knowledge of the newspaper business to forestall the man’s rescue […]

Subgenre: Wuxia Film

Wuxia As I explore San Francisco, home of the illustrious Chinatown, I consider the contributions of Hong Kong and Taiwan to world cinema. One of the most prominent film styles used by Chinese filmmakers is the Wuxia film. There is a lot to love and appreciate about these films and their place in cinema in […]

Boyhood – 2014

Richard Linklater is the master of the long game. Whether it is his critically acclaimed ‘Before Trilogy’ or this film he knows that good films take time. Boyhood was filmed over 12 years and follows the growth of a young boy called Mason (Ellar Coltrane). The film doesn’t show anything special, it shows nothing less […]

Doubt – 2008

Meryl Streep is a talented actress, that is not in doubt. What is in doubt, is the guilt of a priest who may or may not have an inappropriate relationship with a young boy. The guilt or innocence of the priest is the central focus of the movie, but it is more about the inception […]

Youth – 2015

There an old expression, “Age is just a number” and for some that’s true, but for the protagonists in Youth it couldn’t be farther. Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) and Mick Doyle (Harvey Keitel) are a pair of old friends who both have failed to accept old age gracefully. Both long for their glory days, but […]