From a professional perspective, A Monster Calls (2016) may not be a masterpiece. But, I am going to praise it highly. The film follows Conor (Lewis MacDougall), a young boy whose mother has been diagnosed with a terminal illness but finds comfort in a tree monster. This film is relatable …

The Color of Pomegranates is a 1969 Armenian film directed by Sergei Parajanov. The film, which depicts the story of an eighteenth-century Armenian troubadour, is not biographical but a poem about the poet’s images. The film uses lots of symbolism and metaphor to depict 18th century Armenia and the poet’s …

In Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times) (2010), an old man dies and his lamb is left to die alone under a tree. The tree is then cut down as a prop for a festival. Finally, the wood is burnt to make charcoal which is then distributed to many households …

Nearly a hundred years ago, a muscular young actor-director named Buster Keaton risked his life and limb to entertain moviegoers in his film Sherlock Jr (1924). The film follows a movie projectionist that dreams himself into a film. Today, it still thrills. I found myself saying: ‘HOW did they do …

The 2015 documentary The Wolfpack follows the Angulo brothers living in New York City. What sets the Angulo brothers apart from other kids in their neighbourhood is that they have never left it. Their father – Oscar Angulo – controls when and if they leave the apartment so intensely that, …

The ‘parallel’ in the title of Pedro Almodóvar’s new film, Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas) (2021) is confounding. Although we do see the stories of two mothers, their individual maternal trajectories are anything but parallel. Feb 14, 2022

Aurel’s Josep (2020) biographically maps the life of Josep Bartolí, Catalan political cartoonist and unionist, through the memories of Serge: an ex-Gendarne camp guard, who interacted with Bartolí during his time as a refugee in a French concentration camp. Serge’s voiced memories are interpreted by his grandson’s attentive imagination so …

In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000) is an artistic masterpiece. From Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung’s acting, to the lighting and composition of the frames, the film is elaborately composed to render the elegance of Eastern beauty and, at the same time, sadness. Feb 14, 2022

Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning, Burning (2018), the seventh work by Korean director Lee Chang-dong is another example of his unique film style. Feb 14, 2022

Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up (2021) is a hilarious yet extremely concerning portrayal of where society seems to be headed amid extreme polarization of politics, the threat of climate change, and distrust of the government. Feb 14, 2022