An optimist sees a glass as half full; a pessimist sees it as half empty. A nihilist will dump the water from the glass and marvel at the emptiness. Bruce Thierry Cheung’s Don’t Come Back from the Moon is a study of such emptiness.
La Religieuse (The Nun) – Restored Classic, Restored Culture War?
Jacques Rivette’s La Religieuse (The Nun) was the center of controversy in France. Banned for over a year by the Minister of Information in 1965, the film was a battleground of the culture wars of the day.
On the Basis of Sex – RBG Fights the System
Before she became a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one who fought against sex discrimination. One the Basis of Sex focuses on her life from the time she entered Harvard Law School until she began to argue appeals to begin to break down the barriers to equality—law by law.
Darrel’s Dozen 2018 – One Writer’s Top Films
It’s time for Darrel’s Dozen (or so) favorite films from 2018. First let me say that this was a really good year to sit in the dark and let the light dance across the screen. The films I include in my year end list this time around are all astounding, but there were plenty of… [Read More]
Vice – Humble Servant to Power
John Nance Garner (one of FDR’s Vice Presidents) observed that the Vice Presidency “is not worth a bucket of warm spit.” But that was different when Dick Cheney became Vice President.
Oscar Watch – Possible Live Action Short Nominees
This is the time of year when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences begins to winnow the fields of some of the Oscar categories, such as the short film categories. I’ve had the chance to see five of the films shortlisted in the Best Live Action Short category. Each of these films has… [Read More]
Styx – The Ethics of Life and Death
This is a new telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25ff.). Jesus spoke that parable in answer to the question “Who is my neighbor (who the Law says I must love)?”
Cold War – Smoldering Sorrow
“Love’s love and that’s that.” A pair of star-crossed lovers are the focus of Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War, Poland’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film consideration. Set in the years following the Second World War, it moves back and forth between the Communist and Democratic worlds, but it is not the geopolitical situation that is… [Read More]
Stan & Ollie – True Friendship
Laurel and Hardy was one of the greatest comedy duos of all time. They bumbled their way into the hearts of audiences that have spanned generations. Stan & Ollie, from director Jon S. Baird, is both an homage to brilliance of their comedy, and an examination of what friendship means.
At Eternity’s Gate – Van Gogh’s Calling
There is throughout the film a sense that for Van Gogh painting was in many ways a spiritual exercise.
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