Intstitutional failure breeds individual failure. Rob people of dignity and purpose, and they will succumb to animalistic pleasures, to alcohol, to prostitution. The crumbling nation of Hungary becomes a breeding ground to endless misery, to people lying, stealing, waiting for false prophets, for a savior.
The infamous cat scene, which I heard about beforehand and dreaded coming up, works here as a microcosm of a universal truth. The strong abuse the weak, adults abuse children, children abuse animals. Pain born…

The Shawshank Redemption is preceded by it´s own reputation. Having sat on the atop of Imdb´s Best 250 list for longer than most can remember, number 7 on Letterboxd at the time of writing, and often named as a favorite in more casual conversation about movies, it is as cliched to adore it as it is to call it overrated. And while I don´t wish to lessen anyone´s enjoyment of this picture, I must admit that I feel a bit…

An unflinching document of the modern working class. Through varied imagery and first-hand accounts Glawogger gives impressions of the day-to-day lives of five groups of people in the Ukraine, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and China to confront the viewer with working conditions they may not have believed to have continued into the 21st century. What I really appreciate about this documentary is hearing the peoples own voices, describing anything from their labor to their families, the history of their profession or…