My favorite part of Frozen II arrives about fifty minutes into the movie. It involves imaginary singing reindeer. It’s a bit catchy. And it means absolutely nothing. It’s a small part of this unfortunately misguided film and yet it’s the most telling … [Continue reading]
When Spike Jonze’ Where the Wild Things Are came out in 2009, I often heard, “it’s not at all what I expected”. When I asked these people what indeed they did expect, they shrugged. They didn’t know. Just not that. Which is an odd thing to apply to … [Continue reading]
Racing is an unforgiving sport. When all the rules and regulations are in place to make it as competitive an endeavor as possible, every mistake is magnified. Overheated brakes? You’ll lose control. An underpowered engine? You’ll be gasping to keep … [Continue reading]
While watching Céline Sciamma's masterful Portrait of a Lady on Fire last week, I couldn’t help but think of another lady: 2017’s Lady Bird. There, writer/director Greta Gerwig painted an indelible portrait of a high-school senior often at odds with … [Continue reading]
One middle school summer, I had to write a few book reports. After thoroughly enjoying My Name Is Asher Lev, my mother encouraged me to read Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. My Uncle Mike, a poet and English professor, pushed for it … [Continue reading]