Film/TV

671 results
Page 45
"Me? A feminist?"

Downton Abbey’s Secret Feminist

Are you ready for season four?

Even the politically progressive can get sucked in by the delightful soapiness of Downton Abbey, despite the show's troubling politico-economic subtext. Who'da thunk the only feminist of the lot was below stairs, though?
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Articles 5 minute read
Inside Llewyn Davis4 W

The Coen Brother's 'Inside Llewyn Davis'

A shaggy cat tale about a modern Ulysses

The Coen brothers didn’t set out to make a nostalgic movie about the bards of Bleecker Street, and they literally pull no punches in Inside Llewyn Davis.
Ilene Raymond Rush

Ilene Raymond Rush

Articles 4 minute read
Lady Mary: Back in black

Downton Abbey Season 4

Immune to Lady Mary's charms

Downton Abbey is merely the latest soap set in the great homes of Britain to take America by storm. What's the appeal?
Jackie Schifalacqua

Jackie Schifalacqua

Articles 3 minute read
Underwood: Something about moonbeams.

Carrie Underwood vs. Julie Andrews

Carrie Underwood confronts the Maria problem

It was a gutsy move when country singer Carrie Underwood took on the role of Maria in NBC TV’s live presentation of The Sound of Music— a role that belonged, in many viewers’ minds, to Julie Andrews. How do we deal with a change in our expectations when someone else takes on the role?
Naomi Orwin

Naomi Orwin

Articles 5 minute read
Is George Bailey happy? Who really gives a damn?

It’s Not Such A Wonderful Life

Where are you, Clarence, now that we really need you?

Here’s a thought for the holiday season: Haven’t you seen It’s A Wonderful Life enough already? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time, especially now that the film is owned by the 21st Century’s answer to Mr. Potter?
Perry Block

Perry Block

Articles 3 minute read
The crowd's the thing.

‘The Best Man Holiday’

Why leave your living room?

Today you can rent any movie right from your living room to stream on your giant flat-screen TV. But watching this piece of feel-good holiday fluff with a very appreciative audience made me remember the benefits of the movie theater experience.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Articles 5 minute read
Like a Léger painting, but it moves.

Léger’s ‘Ballet Mécanique’ at Art Museum

Léger and Antheil, together at last

Fernand Léger’s experimental 1924 film was too short for Georges Antheil’s avant-garde musical score. Now the two have been joined together at last, to visually stunning and aurally exciting effect.
Steve Cohen

Steve Cohen

Articles 2 minute read

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Sophie Nelisse takes comfort where she finds it.

Brian Percival’s ‘The Book Thief’

Horrible events in pastel colors

The Book Thief paints the horrors of Nazi Germany in fairy tale pastels— which may be the only way today’s generations can begin to make sense of the unthinkable.
Naomi Orwin

Naomi Orwin

Articles 5 minute read
Hemsworth with Portman: Still pompous, but less wooden.

‘Thor: The Dark World’

Between superhero and myth

For 50 years, Marvel Comics’ Thor character has straddled the uneasy divide between the fantastic and the mundane. The latest installment of Thor’s cinematic franchise is a mixed bag but does a decent job of balancing the two genres.
Gary L. Day

Gary L. Day

Articles 3 minute read
Will Cape May someday supplant Cannes?

More lessons from the Cape May Film Festival

Cutting students some slack

Jackie Atkins dismissed the student work at the Cape May Film Festival as not worth watching. That perspective ignores the learning curve that all artists experience.
Susan Beth Lehman

Susan Beth Lehman

Articles 3 minute read