‘Film’ Archives
Oscar winner ‘A Separation’ is heart-rending drama of family in modern Iran
One of the best films of 2011, “A Separation” has a near-perfect script, brilliantly edited and acted, in a drama that resonates everywhere—the issues surrounding the breakup of a marriage. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and [...]
Forever young fruit flies? Study hints at key to slowing aging
The recent (but maybe not so great) film “In Time” centered on an idea that has gripped the human mind for centuries: immortality and endless youth. Science has not been immune to this human longing and curiosity about life span. In the past, researchers have looked at the role of telomeres, [...]
Surprising comedy ‘50/50’ gets cancer experience right on nose
A young man with a cancer diagnosis seems like an unlike basis for a comedy, yet writer Will Reiser turned his own real-life bout with cancer into just that in “50/50.” With a strong cast headed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, “50/50” finds the dry humor and heart in coping with a [...]
‘Bucky Larson’ is a flop: star-grade performances not here
If you have seen even ten minutes of television in the last month, no doubt you have noticed the inundation of crass, loud commercials featuring Peter Dante shouting nonsensical reasons as to why you should spend money and time to see “Bucky Larson : Born to Be a Star.” Dante is a personal [...]
Realistic thriller ‘Contagion’ spreads pandemic and panic
Fear of pandemics like the 1918 influenza has gripped the world since the words “bird flu” became common. Director Steven Soderbergh puts that fear to cinematic use in the real-science thriller “Contagion.” This real-world thriller - because this threat is too real to call it science [...]