On the eve of her arranged wedding, Lily is told, “We are women. We are born to leave our families.” In 19th century China, women were considered property, able to be uprooted on a whim with no regard to their well-being. Thus, women created their own families with their laotong, Read More…
When one thinks of the Golden Age of American cinema, it’s only natural to associate the period with the host of actresses that defined the Hollywood star system. With titles like “To Catch a Thief” and “Rear Window” one might be inclined to give all attention to Grace Kelly’s luminous Read More…
What would you do if you could meet yourself? Would you leap into your own arms and petition for legal marriage? Or would you recoil at the sheer mindfuck of looking into your own face, unmediated by a looking glass? Director Mike Cahill’s feature debut, “Another Earth”, investigates this premise Read More…
It’s the end of an era, as Potter fans gather to watch the final installment of the Harry Potter series at midnight. Fans of all ages line up for hours in anticipation of Harry’s final battle.
It all began on a quiet, foggy evening in front of Number 4, Privet Drive. A curious-looking man with a long, scraggly beard and half-moon spectacles stepped before the scene. His hat, pointy. His demeanor, warm and kind. 10 years ago, this was the image that brought the enchanting world Read More…
These days, “hip-hop” is almost as nebulous a descriptor as “rock and roll.” 30 plus years after its conception, sub-genres and sub-sub-genres crowd the sonic landscape, reducing what once succinctly summed up sound, theme and attitude to an umbrella term devoid of a concise, useful definition. In 2011, labeling a Read More…
Bestselling novels with dedicated fan bases can be notoriously difficult to adapt into films and runaway British hit “One Day” by David Nicholls is no exception. Months ago, when the details of its film adaptation were released, the blogosphere lit up with the impassioned criticism of diehard British fans who Read More…
“Fucking God!,” screams an aging Marlon Brando in the 1972 film, “Last Tango in Paris.” Ragged and wilting, this certainly isn’t the virile Brando of “Julius Caesar” or “On the Waterfront.” He’s weaker here, more vulnerable and intimate. And by the end of the film, he’s cradled, dead, in a Read More…
For most college students, there exists a nagging fear of an unfamiliar and daunting realm known as the real world, whether it be battling unemployment or the mundane reality of working nine to five under constant supervision. But the fear is real when it comes to Seth Gordon’s “Horrible Bosses.” Read More…
Movies like “Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon” bolster the sequel stereotype: they only get worse and worse. Michael Bay is milking these Hasbro toys until the teet runs dry, as the latest installment in the Transformers series is the weakest and most forgettable of the robo-mayhem franchise. The plot Read More…