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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Sarah’s Key: No Escape from the Holocaust
Sarah’s Key opens in 1942, with a young girl hiding her little brother in a concealed closet to protect him from French authorities rounding up Jewish citizens in their Paris neighborhood. Sarah locks Michel in, with a child-like belief that … Continue reading
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The Hunger Games: Will the movies do justice to Katniss?
I just saw a Hunger Games preview on TV last night, and my question is: why is Katniss giving her sister Prim the mockingjay pin? Is the movie just getting rid of the character of Madge, the fellow District 12 … Continue reading
My Oscar Hangover
This is not a recap or criticism of anyone in particular (except maybe for Angelina), just my lingering impressions of the Oscar ceremony: Some Like it Wilder! The peerless filmmaker Billy Wilder (Some Like it Hot, Sunset Boulevard, and many … Continue reading
The Help: A White Girl Feels Black Women’s Pain
The poster satirizing The Help on the website theshiznit.co.uk effectively sums up my reasons for not wanting to read this book or watch the movie: “White people solve racism. You’re welcome, black people.” I wasn’t interested in watching yet another … Continue reading
The Artist: Silently Singin’ in the Rain
Oscar favorites usually underwhelm me (I’m looking at you, The King’s Speech!), but The Artist is a delightful exception. It’s a beautiful silent picture, an examination of the transition from silent films to talkies, and an exploration of the experience … Continue reading
Vote today for Pop Goddess on Slate!
I submitted a suggestion to Slate’s crowdsourcing project about how to improve the Oscar ceremony. Click on the link below to see it, vote for it, and forward it to other pop culture-savvy friends: http://hive.slate.com/hive/fix-the-oscars/lose-the-dance-numbers-keep-the-thalbergs Voting closes on Wednesday, February … Continue reading
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Take Shelter: Where’s the Oscar, Michael Shannon edition
*SPOILER ALERT* Take Shelter is a harrowing examination of the multiple layers of anxiety plaguing Curtis, an average working class man in a small-town America. Curtis suffers from unnervingly realistic nightmares, in which apocalyptic storms threaten him, his own dog … Continue reading
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Melancholia: Where’s Kirsten Dunst’s Oscar?
*SPOILER ALERT* Melancholia tells the story of Justine, a young woman crushed by crippling depression, as a microcosm of the earth being destroyed by a collision with the planet Melancholia. In the first half of the film, Justine unravels under … Continue reading
Safe House: The Denzel Identity
Safe House starts with an intriguing, Bourne-like premise, then unfortunately devolves into a demolition derby of boring car chases and mindless killing. Now don’t get me wrong: I enjoy a good car chase, one that exhilarates you with surprising staging … Continue reading
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Luck by Chance: Through the Bollywood Looking-Glass
Luck by Chance, the debut film by writer-director Zoya Akhtar, is a behind-the-scenes look at the Hindi film industry, complete with divas of yesteryear, self-serving producers, reigning superstars, and struggling newcomers. The movie’s strength lies in its careful observations of … Continue reading
Pop Goddess 