Tag Archives: drama

“I never said, ‘I want to be alone.’ I only said, ‘I want to be left alone.’ There is all the difference.” — Greta Garbo

It’s her birthday today. She is a difficult subject, not just because she was a private woman, but because her onscreen persona was so fluid, mercurial, hard to grasp. Her gestures could be operatic and swanlike (watch Grand Hotel), but … Continue reading

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Review: Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023)

I do not understand the concept of bringing cakes to bars … maybe because I don’t like cake, and if I were out with friends and some random woman came up to our table (although she might not do so, … Continue reading

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August 2023 Viewing Diary

Oppenheimer (2023; d. Christopher Nolan) In general, I am not a Nolan fan (the only one of his I liked was Dunkirk), and I went into this hesitantly because I read an interview with him where he said the whole … Continue reading

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“Certainly there have been better actors than me who have had no careers. Why? I don’t know.” — Richard Gere

For Richard Gere’s birthday, here’s an old piece I wrote, one I’m pretty proud of, and one that is practically a rough draft of another more recent piece, one years in the making: Mirror, Mirror: When Movie Characters Look Back … Continue reading

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“If you’re creating anything at all, it’s really dangerous to care about what people think.” — Kristen Wiig

Today is the birthday of one of the greatest actors working today. I can’t seem to stop mentioning Kristen Wiig in my writing. I mention her even if she isn’t the main subject. She’s my favorite. I am in awe … Continue reading

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Talking 1953 movies with Jason Bailey and Mike Hull: A Very Good Year podcast

My pal Jason Bailey and his pal Mike Hull host a fascinating podcast called A Very Good Year, which they describe as: “Each week we invite a guest (filmmakers and actors, critics and historians, comedians and musicians) who loves movies, … Continue reading

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Review: Between Two Worlds (2023)

Juliette Binoche is a perfect actress, she does everything right. Her instincts are so pure, they always have been. She’s wondrous. And she is in Between Two Worlds too, but the film has some big problems, mainly the story being … Continue reading

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July 2023 Viewing Diary

July was busy. I bought a new car. My old one basically disintegrated around me, so much so that the mechanic didn;t even want me to drive it home from his shop. I found a new apartment, and the market … Continue reading

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Review: The Unknown Country (2023)

I loved this film about a Lakota woman, estranged from her family and the reservation, driving from the Badlands down to Texas in the wake of her grandmother’s death. Starring the wonderful Lily Gladstone (from Certain Women, where she first … Continue reading

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June 2023 Viewing Diary

Succession (2018-2023) I finally watched, having somehow resisted the DEAFENING buzz over the last couple of years. I like Jeremy Strong, liked his small moment in Zero Dark Thirty, he totally stood out in The Big Short (directed by one … Continue reading

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