Lost Embrace (El Abrazo Partido)
A heart-warming tale of exile and loss and reconciliation
Is it time to pay attention to Oscar?
One has grown so used to bad movies’ being nominated that when a few good ones are it feels slightly shocking — from The New York Sun of January 26, 2005
Entry from January 20, 2005
George Bush in Charge: An Inaugural Fantasy (with apologies to Dr. Seuss) I do not like George Bush in charge,I do not like him, Party Large.Would you like him in a war?Would you like him more than Gore?I would not like him in a war,I would not like him more than Gore:I do not like…
Monsieur N.
The movies can’t help themselves: they chase the chimera of the “real man” within the great man as great men themselves once chased military glory
Entry from January 17, 2005
Prince Harry, the younger son of the Prince of Wales and the late Princess Diana and third in line to the British throne dressed up as a Nazi at a costume party last week. You may have seen something in the press about it. In Britain the media has been full of the business for…
Oh Yeah? Says Who?
Why are some critics still allowed to shield their identity from those they criticize? — From The Wall Street Journal of January 14, 2005
Coach Carter
Its heart is in the right place, but the inspirational uplift looks just a bit artificial
White Noise
Yet another illustration of Hollywood’s failure to learn the lesson that less is more — particularly when it comes to spooky mysteries
Cutting Moral Corners
Why the smart people’s party seems to have such a hard time winning elections — From The New Criterion of December, 2004
Merchant of Venice, The
Guess what? Shakespeare is once again “our contemporary.” Yet how much more interesting he is when he is allowed to be out of date.
Assassination of Richard Nixon, The
What? You didn’t know that Nixon was assassinated? You must not have been paying attention to the Hollywood fantasy-factory
Woodsman, The
You’ve got to hand it to Nicole Kassell and Kevin Bacon, for in making a hero of a child molester they haven’t taken the easy way to pleasing audiences