Well, it's Oscar season and yours truly has decided to weigh in on the nominees. Not that the Oscars are a particular favourite of mine (Cannes being my film festival holy grail for all its agony and ecstasy), but I can't seem to resist joining the hubbub. Below, I have selected a few of my … Continue reading And the Oscar Goes to…
A Calendar of Films: Part Two (2006)
To date, I have only had one truly life-changing film experience. Undoubtedly, cinema has offered me plenty of magical, moving, and memorable occasions the deposits of which have only burrowed deeper over time - but what I am speaking of is something that evokes a little more violence. You see, things were processing quite happily … Continue reading A Calendar of Films: Part Two (2006)
A Calendar of Films: Part One (2005)
Ever since the summer of 2005, I have kept a record of every film I have watched, whether it be in the cinema or on DVD. It was a class I took that year - in my last semester of university - called "Cinema" that did the trick, ushering me from Hollywood fluff (which I … Continue reading A Calendar of Films: Part One (2005)
Best of 2012
Though I'm just as much a sucker as the next guy when it comes to end-of-the-year lists (see below), I would like to engage in a few moments of reflection as a means of taking stock of the past year. After all, Socrates said that "The unexamined life is not worth living" and seeing as … Continue reading Best of 2012
Why You Shouldn’t See Sarah’s Key
In a truly bold (aka lazy) move, below I re-publish (aka copy and paste) a piece I wrote for HK Magazine last year. I had a lovely time hanging out with the editorial team at the magazine, and to be honest having to watch this film was perhaps the only lowlight of my entire experience. … Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t See Sarah’s Key
In Treatment: The Fairest Mirror of Them All
I wrote about the following story in another article, but I just can't resist reiterating it here (with some embellishment). I once heard a rumor (or started one) about a man who was convinced he was dead. Despite the arguments of his friends and colleagues to the contrary, he remained steadfast in his conviction. Eventually, … Continue reading In Treatment: The Fairest Mirror of Them All
Cannes Do
1947 was a special year which forever altered the trajectory of human history. India gained its independence from Britain, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born, and the Festival du Film de Cannes was properly inaugurated a year after its founding. To be honest, it's a wonder that the world was turning prior to '47. Cannes has since … Continue reading Cannes Do
20 “Foreign” Films to Die For (Preferably After Viewing)
As I thought about how best to commemorate this our twentieth issue, I came to the unfortunate realization that my piece would have to incorporate the number twenty. Even more discouraging was that by necessity (aka a shoddy showing of ideas from the old brainbox), "twenty" was going to have to present itself in some … Continue reading 20 “Foreign” Films to Die For (Preferably After Viewing)
The Artist (It Do Matter if You’re Black and White)
The Jazz Singer premiered on October 6, 1927 at the Warner Brothers flagship theater in New York City. By this time, the cultural palette of the American and European bourgeoisie had become rather accustomed to film as a form of entertainment. Though silent film with live orchestral accompaniment was the mainstay of the industry, recorded … Continue reading The Artist (It Do Matter if You’re Black and White)
Melancholia and the End of the World
Two years ago at Cannes, Lars Von Trier premiered his film Antichrist. Despite loving most things Von Trier, I couldn't bring myself to watch the film due to its plethora of tortuous (quite literally) and sexual depictions that made even Cannes critics cringe. I'm no philistine, but the impression I got from reading dozens of … Continue reading Melancholia and the End of the World
Writing Is Prayer 