Tag: Realism

Our Little Sister [2015] Review: A Marvelous Addition to Kore-eda’s Brand of Humanist Cinema

The Japanese master of modern family dramas, Hirokazu Kore-eda, in the past two decades has created a body of work that gracefully and subtly explores the fascinating private worlds of emotionally vulnerable individuals. Since Kore-eda fleshes out his emotionally complex characters without employing high-strung drama, his works may disappoint those expecting neatly aligned conflicts and respective resolutions.

Taxi [2015]: An Awe-Inspiring Iranian Minimalist Cinema

Taxi isn’t just a proclamation of Panahi’s boldness and defiance; it is also a nicely coiled allegory and a biting satire on the limitations imposed on him as well as on many fellow Iranians. While “This is Not a Film” (2011) was diffused with an atmosphere of despair and “Closed Curtain” (2013) laced with righteous anger, “Taxi” is enlivened with bursts of optimism and sarcasm (Panahi even smiles a lot in the film).