Alice in the Cities (1974) – A Journey Through Loss, Identity, and Connection

There’s something deeply intimate about Alice in the Cities (1974), a film that unfolds like a collection of half-remembered photographs—grainy, melancholic, and achingly beautiful. Directed by Wim Wenders, this German New Wave road movie is less about the literal journey across America and Europe and more about the emotional landscapes of its two unlikely travelers: a wandering journalist, Philip Winter (Rüdiger Vogler), and a lost child, Alice…

The Zone of Interest (2023): A Glimpse into the Banality of Evil

It is a film worth watching.

Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest (2023) is a chilling investigation into the coexistence of everyday life and unimaginable evil. Based on Martin Amis's novel, the film is an incisive investigation into the home life of Auschwitz concentration camp commandant Rudolf Höss and his family, and a disturbing portrayal of the banality of evil.

The movie begins on a serene note: the…

The Legacy of The 400 Blows (1959): A Timeless Reflection on Youth and Freedom

Few films in the history of cinema have made as lasting an impression as The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups), François Truffaut's directorial debut. A 1959 French classic, The 400 Blows, was one of the precursor films to the French New Wave cinema that revolutionized the art of narrative storytelling and the visual aesthetic of films. It's an old movie, however, as it is a…

The Conversation (1974) – A Haunting Reflection on Surveillance and Paranoia

Something is unsettling about eavesdropping on someone else’s conversation, even if it’s unintentional. We’ve all experienced it—standing in line at a coffee shop, overhearing snippets of a couple’s argument; sitting on a train, catching pieces of a stranger’s phone call that’s just a little too loud. At first, it's background noise, and then come certain words, inviting us in. Our brains begin filling in the blanks, guessing, and creating…

Jacques Tati's Playtime (1967) is an extraordinary cinematic experience that defies conventional storytelling. Set in a hyper-modernized Paris, the film presents a cityscape dominated by glass, steel, and geometric precision, effectively transforming the city into a character of its own. This meticulously crafted environment serves as both the backdrop and the catalyst for the film's subtle humour and social commentary.

The narrative, if it can be called that, follows Monsieur Hulot—Tati's recurring character—as he navigates this impersonal urban jungle. Alongside…

A Whimsical Dance of Modernity and Chaos: A Review of Mon Oncle (1958)

There is something magical in the world to be discovered, Jacques Tati demands. His 1958 film, Mon Oncle (My Uncle), is not a comedy, it's an experience, a doorway into a fastidiously detailed world where tradition and modernity blend in chaotic confusion. Watching Mon Oncle is entering a sweet, playful ballet in which individuals, objects, and sounds all dance in exquisite, choreographed dissonance. Tati, as the endearing…

The thump of surf on shore. The soft roar of a seaside resort coming to life. The long, pipestem figure of a fellow with a pipe clamped in his teeth, hat at exactly that angle, into the view—blissfully unaware of the splash he is soon to create.

This is Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (1953), the silent-era comedy masterwork of Jacques Tati reinterpreted for our times. A film that doesn't depend on elaborate plot twists or dramatic secrets but manages…

Winter Sleep (2014) – A Slow Burn Masterpiece of the Human Condition

Certain movies need patience. Some deconstruct how we engage with film. And then Winter Sleep, which doesn't demand your attention as much as envelop you so comprehensively in its world that hours become like treacle. Nearly three hours long, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Palme d'Or-winning drama is a slow, thoughtful, and deeply introspective film work that will test the patience of some but is worth it to those who…

Dogville (2003): A Bleak, Unyielding Look at Human Nature's Darkest Depths

By sitting down to watch a movie, one tends to expect a few things: a good story, marvellous actors and actresses, and, of course, a cinematic setting that moves you within this story. Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003) seems to largely dispense with most of these hopes. It's a rather stark, theatre-like setting, complete with white outlines for buildings and props that provide the stage for a violent, disturbing…

The New World (2005): A Personal Reflection on Terrence Malick's Meditation on Nature, Love, and Civilization

It is quite difficult to describe the movie The New World without uttering the name of its director, Terrence Malick. Famous for a poetic and almost meditative approach towards filmmaking, Malick creates movies that are more visual poems than mere stories. This applies to The New World (2005). It was much more than just historical drama on the story of Jamestown, Pocahontas, and John…

Columbus (2017) – A Gentle Meditation on Space, Architecture, and Human Connection

You really don't get those quiet films that creep up on you slowly enough that you know not how greatly they've got a hold on you till you're staring blankly at the credits. I was lucky to see one, Columbus (2017), and it's actually Kogonada's debut feature film. It's an understated, pensive work that doesn't rely on great narrative arcs or melodramatic turns. Instead, it draws from the…