Category Archives: Movies

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

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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

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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

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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

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