The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
A week ago I got an email from a very good friend of mine asking if I would like to go to a movie premiere with her . . .
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Drama Reviews
- A History of Violence: A Not-So-Distant Story
- A History of Violence: This Message Will Self-Destruct in Thirty Seconds
- ATL: Without Edge
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- Apt Pupil or Inept Pupil?
- Awakenings: Empathy 101
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- Before Sunset: Talk to Me
- Black Snake Moan: Pentecostal Transgression
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- Capote: A Portrait of the Artist as an Experienced Parasite
- Capote: Transformations
- Chrystal: "White trash folk art - it's great!"
- Closer to What?
- Closer: A Short, Shared Response
- Closer: Lust at First Sight?
- Crash Into Me
- Crash: A Twisted Tale of Redemption
- Crash: A Useful Mirror
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- Dogville: A Diffusion of Responsibility
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Disposable Affections
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Infarction Junction
- Fearless: Jeff Bridges as Mystic?
- Fight Club, Part 1: The Gospel According to Tyler Durden
- Fight Club: Part 2--How Should We Then Live?
- Glory Road: The Unpaved Road
- Hidalgo: Seabiscuit of the Desert?
- Hotel Rwanda: Don't Kid Yourself
- Hotel Rwanda: Two Halves Make a Deep, Deep Hole
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- I Am Legend: Palatable Pity
- I Am Sam: A Lack of Realism
- I Am Sam: An Authentic Portrayal
- Immortal Beloved: A Sympathetic Portrayal of Hearing Loss
- In America: A Goodbye to Grief
- Jarhead: Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Little Man Tate: Kids 'R Us
- Little Miss Sunshine: The Timing of Truth Telling
- Magnolia: A Postmodern Opera in Three Acts
- Magnolia: Love, Forgiveness, and Redemption
- Mansfield Park: A Modern, Sour Twist
- Maria, Full of Grace: A Film by Any Other Name . . .
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- Mean Creek: Can We Be Forgiven?
- Mean Creek: Cheek Turnin'
- Million Dollar Baby: Actions Speak Louder
- Munich: All Too Human
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- Scent of a Woman: A Portrayal of a Blind Man
- Sex and the City: More than Manolos
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- Spider: Mental Illness and Negative Stereotypes
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- Syriana: Painfully Plausible
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- The Da Vinci Code: A Book Review, Part 2
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- The Da Vinci Code: Paths and Puzzles
- The DaVinci Code: A Book Review, Part 1
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- The Interpreter: Interpreting Real Life
- The Interpreter: Oh, the State of Our World!
- The Last King of Scotland: Reflections from Kampala
- The Lookout: Lazy Filmmaking
- The Machinist: Stretched Pretty Thin
- The Matador: Two Men Walk Into a Bar . . .
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- The Motorcycle Diaries: Into the Mind of a Communist
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- The Other Sister: Sex . . . Ha-Ha
- The Passion: Look Through the Sign
- Thelma and Louise: Awake at the Wheel
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- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: Sad Smiley the Spy Saves Civilization
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- Tsotsi: Redemption in a Strange Land
- A History of Violence: Just a Hint of Optimism
- A Talking Picture: Those Who Ignore History....
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- Babel: The Simple, Intrinsic Alienation of Humanity
- Blood Diamond: Worth the Cost
- Brothers: Moral Improvement, Moral Deterioration
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- I'm Not There
- Inside Man: An Instant Classic
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- Notes on a Scandal: Why Do We Like SCANDAL?
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- Sling Blade: The Uncommon Perspective—Maybe Not?
- Spartan: A More Intriguing Secret Agent
- Stranger than Fiction: A Must See
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- The Assassination of Richard Nixon: I Was Here
- The Battle of Algiers: The Folly of Occupation
- The Da Vinci Code: A Non-Review
- The Interpreter and The City of No Limits: On Secrecy
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- United 93: A Remembrance
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cinekklesia :: Drama
December 3, 2008Chrystal: "White trash folk art - it's great!"
The only reason Chrystal works is the nearly magic-realist surreality deeply embedded in McKinnon's imagery and overall aesthetic . . .
Sex and the City: More than Manolos
I was in high school when the series began on HBO . . .
There Will Be Blood: The Absolute Necessity, and Shortcomings, of Confession
Of all Parson Sunday's many failures, this is his greatest, that he privileges fleeting spectacle over long-term transformation . . .
No Country for Old Men: Fate and Circumstance in a Desert Land
To acknowledge our impotent stance before powers external to us is perhaps a hallmark of humility and wisdom.
I Am Legend: Palatable Pity
Everything about this film is worn on the outside, which is what so troubles this particular fan of the novella on which the film was based . . .
Little Miss Sunshine: The Timing of Truth Telling
When is the appropriate time for broaching sensitive topics with children?
I'm Not There
As with all things Dylan, perhaps going in with expectations was a mistake...
Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman
...he could not reconcile the "civilization" and "savagery" warring inside him.
Like a Complete Unknown: I'm Not There
It's up to us to determine that what we're seeing on screen is (or is not) a representation of Bob Dylan.