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Articles in Culture and Criticism

Precious
February 13, 2010 – 7:47 AM | 9 Comments

I don’t know what to make of Precious. It shouldn’t have worked for me — I expected it not to work for me — and yet, somehow, it did. Despite Precious’s situation being so bleak …

The Blind Side and Avatar: Let’s Congratulate Ourselves On Re-Colonizing The Other With Weaponized Syrup
February 12, 2010 – 9:20 AM | 59 Comments
<I>The Blind Side</I> and <I>Avatar</I>: Let’s Congratulate Ourselves On Re-Colonizing The Other With Weaponized Syrup

Watching The Blind Side and Avatar in a 12-hour period is not recommended, but is nevertheless instructive.
For those of you who avoid my baseball entries, I’ve written in the past about the reaction to players …

Food Inc.
February 11, 2010 – 10:13 AM | 17 Comments

If you’ve read Fast Food Nation or The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Food Inc. won’t cover any new ground for you.It’s a well-crafted doc, though, and I filled up with rage all over again at the way …

A Serious Man
February 10, 2010 – 11:27 AM | 8 Comments
<I>A Serious Man</I>

Coen movies live near that line that separates the unlikeable characters who nonetheless hold your attention and the unlikeable characters who are merely unlikeable. There’s something to be said for realistic portrayals of selfish, unpleasant …

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
February 9, 2010 – 1:02 AM | No Comment

The story Burma VJ tells is fascinating, and shocking and enraging.As a movie, alas, it comes across as muffled, because…well, it’s reporting from a closed country.Thanks to a repressive government, the footage is smuggled out …

An Education
February 8, 2010 – 5:09 PM | 18 Comments

I can’t get completely on board with the screenplay nom for An Education — it’s speechy in spots, and occasionally feels as though it’s waiting for the jokes to land.
Carey Mulligan’s performance, however, is fantastic.The …

Coraline
February 8, 2010 – 10:47 AM | 49 Comments

Sweet movie, but with both its feet planted on the correct side of the cutesy line.   The expected over-explanation of and/or moralizing about why Coraline wants out of the Other world never materialized; she …

Il divo: La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti
February 7, 2010 – 11:16 AM | 2 Comments
<I>Il divo: La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti</I>

Facing two subtitled hours about an Italian politician I’d never heard of, merely for the sake of crossing a Best Makeup nominee off the list, I considered withdrawing from the Oscars 2010 Death Race entirely …

Oscars 2010 Death Race
February 6, 2010 – 8:50 PM | No Comment

last updated3/7/10 12:30 AM
CURRENTSCORE: Sarah 50, Death Race 8

CategoriesCompleted: 20/24

Ajami
Avatar*
The Blind Side*
Bright Star
Burma VJ: Reporter i et lukket land
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
Coco avant Chanel
Coraline
The Cove
Crazy Heart
La dama y la muerte
District 9*
Il …

Up in the Air
February 6, 2010 – 1:21 PM | 21 Comments
<I>Up in the Air</I>

Whatever else I have to say about it, Up in the Air successfully distracted me from an offensive movie-going environment — the theater reeked of what I can only describe as bum stench. You board …