O, the diabolical pleasures of Tár: the pseudonymous role, a conductor of ferocious talent, who leads the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and sets up a scholarship program for young women conductors…
“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the dark movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” S.E. Hinton, The…
Some time in the late seventies, when Iraq was flourishing, we bought our first television. Some other families we knew already had a TV, other uncles who worked at Mosul…
Mom and I’ve trained our eyes to focus intensely for hours. Whenever I’m in my childhood home, I unroll in the recliner and Mom perches on the upright chair that’s…
The 2012 neo-noir crime thriller Killing Them Softly polarized critics and audiences upon release, and it still does today. A good friend of mine told me he will never forget…
At its world premiere during the 79th Venice International Film Festival back in September, Darren Aronofsky’s latest drama, The Whale, received a six-minute standing ovation after the film came to…
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST DIANE KEATON. However, I am guilty of giving my daughter full late-night DVD viewing rights which include Annie Hall on a tireless loop. Estimated hours played:…
DESPITE THE NAME; despite the posters and the DVD covers that depict only its central pairing of Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright); despite its constant harping on the…
They think they always have the same conversation set to a similar tempo. Conversations often a blend of propositions and positioning. Even so, I learn something new with each reading,…
In terms of story, every character needs an antagonist to push them beyond the person they currently are and into the person they’re going to become. It’s why the character…