Manners not minded in Fargo
There’s a term, “Minnesota Nice,” used to describe the false politeness of certain people in that region of the United States. As...
Uncut Gems sets the pace
Aren’t colonoscopies supposed to be stressful? Not if you’re Howard Ratner. The lead character of Uncut Gems leads a life of such...
How magical is Green Book?
If you followed the 2019 movie awards season you may have caught wind of some controversy swirling around the proverbial “magical negro,”...
Keeping track of All the President's Men
Hunt… Colson… Clawson… Liddy… Mitchell… Dahlberg… MacGregor… Stans… Magruder… Porter… Segretti… Chapin… Haldeman… The names of All the...
No ageism in Elf
Start with the Oscar and work backwards. It’s a maxim I (half)-jokingly toss around from time to time — when you write something new, it...
Michael Clayton could use color
There's a certain brand of George Clooney film I tend to avoid: the highly-serious real-world thrillers with complicated plots and nary a...
You've Got Mail's got growth
In the pantheon of romantic comedies, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail stand as a holy triumvirate. Thank...
Beneath Manchester By The Sea's surface
Horror movies aren’t the only ones with ghosts. Sometimes instead of special effects or visual thrills we’re haunted by subtext. The art...
What is Nocturnal Animals thinking
I once saw an interview with James Cameron where he described filmmaking by leveling his hands at his nose and forehead, highlighting his...
Dead Poets Society is simple enough
I’ve always been drawn to stories with moral ambiguity — protagonists living on the tenuous edge of reason, not knowing whether they will...