Continue reading →This is the work of two idiosyncratic brothers toying with cinematic possibilities and getting it right on the first try.
Author / Eternality Tan
Winter Sleep (2014)
Continue reading →Ceylan continues to explore the beauty and peril of human communication with aplomb in this long but ultimately fruitful cinematic sermon, as a hotel owner in a remote Turkish village deals with conflicts within his spheres of influence.
Prayer, The (2018)
Despite an excellent Berlin Best Actor performance by Anthony Bajon, Cédric Kahn’s latest is rather rote in its treatment of rehab through religion.
Climates (2006)
Continue reading →Ceylan and his wife star as a couple facing the complexities of spousal communication and the fragility of marriage in this slow-burning, Antonioni-esque drama that is marked by few words.
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. (2018)
Continue reading →An incisive and intimate look at international Sri Lankan star M.I.A., whose political activism and music-making have impacted popular culture.
Three Monkeys (2008)
Continue reading →A hit-and-run accident sets in motion what may be Ceylan’s bleakest film, a departure into a slightly more experimental style marked by grimy cinematography and even more measured pacing, as it explores a family on the precipice of disintegration.
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)
Continue reading →This deliberately paced anti-investigative procedural, directed by Ceylan in astonishing form, is my favourite film of the 2010s decade, as a methodical ‘character’ study about personas, geographical psychology, stasis and incommunicability plays out with profound philosophical effect.
Girl (2018)
Continue reading →The extraordinary lead performance by Victor Polster is certainly much more compelling than the film itself, in this decent Cannes Camera d’Or winner.
Musings #2: 5 Great Singaporean Films of the 2010s (so far…)
(This article was first published for CatchPlay on 7 Aug 2017)
The 2010s has been a strong decade for Singapore cinema, with the emergence of younger talented filmmakers, and established voices holding the fort. We are probably witnessing the biggest wave in recent years, not just because of the work of one or two trailblazers, but a group of directors whose eclectic output suggests an assured future for our country’s increasingly vibrant film industry. This article traces five key Singaporean films—and great ones to boot—of the 2010s, well, so far…
Simple Life, A (2011)
Continue reading →Amid the laughter and tears lies a film that subtly calls to attention the fragility of human relationships, no matter how close they are, in a modern, urban society.
