Stories We Tell
An investigation into her family’s darkest secrets by Wunderkind director, Sarah Polley
What Maisie Knew
An interesting updating of Henry James’s novel chiefly worth seeing for the performance of its title character
Frances Ha
Almost a pastiche of a Truffaut-like coming of age picture, but without Truffaut’s magic touch
Speak No Evil
Why should the media worry about government regulation when they’re all in the same elite club with the government anyway? — From The New Criterion of May, 2013
Great Gatsby, The
A proud vulgarization of Fitzgerald’s novel by Baz Luhrmann
Wincing at Cumberbatch
Smackdown. “Parade’s End” vs. “Downton Abbey.” Where is “the thinking man” to turn? — From The American Spectator of May, 2013
Love is All You Need (Den skaldede frisør)
A disappointing outing for one of the greatest directors working today
Entry from May 17, 2013
President Obama, in the midst of scandal to the right of him (the IRS) and scandal to the left of him (the AP wiretaps), scandal behind him (Benghazi) and scandal ahead of him (Obamacare implementation) is outraged about — sexual assaults in the military, which has apparently reached “crisis” proportions. And who can doubt it…
Entry from May 3, 2013
In a poll by Time Out London of “101 industry experts,” David Lean’s Brief Encounter of 1945 has been voted the most romantic film ever — in spite, says Matilda Battersby of The Independent, of its having “no sex and no happy ending.” In fact, the movie’s extreme romanticism — echoing that of Rachmaninoff’s second piano…
Pain & Gain
An often funny movie which will nearly as often make you feel at least a little ashamed for laughing at it
Oh, the Irony!
On the uses of irony for purposes of political manipulation — From The New Criterion of April, 2013
As She Likes It
Fun with Dick and Jane gets way too serious — From The American Spectator of April, 2013