My earliest encounter with political science was an elementary school riddle that asked, “What is the difference between a revolutionary war and a civil war?” The answer — “who wins”… Continue reading "Huda’s Salon (Abu-Assad, 2021)"
Normally when my critical opinion is an outlier, it is the case that I am defending or esteeming some more widely panned film, so I was surprised when I saw… Continue reading "King Richard (Green, 2021)"
The Last Duel is a big, new, studio film that is neither franchise, reboot, nor sequel. It comes at a point where everyone, even some of my friends who are… Continue reading "The Last Duel (Scott, 2021)"
Adventures of a Mathematician begins with one Jewish scientist telling another an extended joke where a man questions a rabbi about whether sex is “work” or “pleasure.” The joke turns… Continue reading "Adventures of a Mathematician (Klein, 2021)"
I am apparently an outlier because I thought this was gloriously messy rather than just messy. It didn’t hurt that I saw it the same week as The Eyes of… Continue reading "Dear Evan Hansen (Chbosky, 2021)"
I spent most of my time watching The Eyes of Tammy Faye trying to convince myself that the film was better than I ultimately judged it to be. Why the… Continue reading "The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Showalter, 2021)"
The right side of my brain says that The Capote Tapes is the kind of biographical tease that is common in academia. The auteur finds (or has access to) new… Continue reading "The Capote Tapes (Burnough, 2019)"
I approached On Broadway expecting a yearbook approach highlighting the major shows that have shaped American theater in my lifetime. It does that, seamlessly moving from a Chorus Line to… Continue reading "On Broadway (Jacoby, 2019)"
As a teacher and a film journalist, I have often quoted a favorite childhood riddle that asked, “What is the similarity between an elephant and a plum?” The answer —… Continue reading "A Tale of Two Junkets"
Jungle Cruise glides along for about an hour, propelled by the charms of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Their charisma is seemingly without limit, and for just a moment mid-film,… Continue reading "Jungle Cruise (Collet-Serra)"
