Jessica Chastain probably gets herself nominated for an Oscar as she plays a very determined and capable woman—reminiscent of her character in Zero Dark Thirty. The film is about a force of a woman—though it’s not necessarily about women, and part of the plot is about gun control in politics—but it’s not really about gun control. It’s about the lobbying industry and the ruthlessness with which big money chases votes, paying mercenaries (lobbyists) to fight their wars for them: if a new or changed law means billions, you quickly pay millions to try to make it go your way. Power is ruthless, so the driving conflict of the film is “winning” or  achievement in pitched battle against conscience and morality. The machines of industry and

With the recent heralding of the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, I find myself transported to the living room floor, crouched alongside my brother in front of the family’s sole TV. Tuned in to one of the few available channels, but “tuning in” with purpose, it became a ritual filled with mysticism and meaning. At the time, and sufficiently stimulated after the show, it only meant that we might demonstrate the Vulcan neck pinch on our sister or younger brother. But today, I reflect on how the show expanded my worldview. Anyone who watched it was forced to consider the implications of ever-bolder space launches and the terrific vaults of technology into abysses of space and time and even being. That small screen made me,

After I watched the trailer for Florence Foster Jenkins, the new movie starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, I didn’t think I’d like it. The idea of listening to someone who thought they could sing–but couldn’t– seemed like two hours of torture. I say that as someone who likes to sing from time to time, but knows better than to believe those incurably polite people who say “you have a beautiful voice.” But when my mother suggested we go to a movie, I knew it was the only one to see. So imagine my relief when, despite a number of scenes where “Florence” indulges her dream of singing for the public, I experience a solid film based on a true story, set in New York

            Well, it’s only fair. After all, Ben Bernanke got to help blow the biggest-ever bubble (real estate bubble), and of course Alan Greenspan could rightfully be called the Lawrence Welk of Central Banking because he was a bubble-blowing machine (technology stock bubble, LBO, commodities, real estate). Now it’s Janet Yellen’s turn. We understand that she might already have “bubble envy,” but just what kind of bubble she will be known for is not yet clear. She has a good start on several potential good ones, though. On her watch, we have 1) a bond bubble that features the highest prices for government bonds in history (which implies that interest rates are at record lows), and she has 2) a

  Is Captain Fantastic is a fantastic film? –Yes. Is it a fantasy? –I hope not. Is Captain Fantastic a fabulous film experience? –Yes. Is it a fable? –I suppose, but in a good way. For everything else it might or might not be, it is one of most inspiring movies I’ve seen in a long time.  It’s an organic film, though that could be construed to mean that it’s about carbon footprints and healthy food and hippie philosophies. It’s beyond those things. The story carries themes of independence and self-reliance. It’s also about a family that rejects conformity and convention–not to be rebellious, but because they see modern conventions as flawed and wrong. And it’s about courage–not the physical kind (though that’s there too),

        “Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all the unifying agents. Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil.” -Eric Hoffer   “Global warming” is double entendre. The more immediate kind of global warming is not about climate change, it’s about the heat of a future Hades that moves closer with every new shooting and renewed hostilities between nations, religious groups, racial groups, or social classes. Every day I peruse the headlines and stories of major online newspapers. Not since I was very young and witnessed the race and anti-war riots of the ‘60s, do I recall such a tense mood. But it’s different this time; humanity itself is hot under

The movie “The Infiltrator” finds actor Bryan Cranston in a milieu he knows, namely the illegal drug trade. Where this film departs from the Breaking Bad series that made his career is that he is one of the good guys, and the setting is earlier: the 1970s Era when Columbia was the center of the War on Drugs. The difference in this undercover role is that rather than follow the trail of drug-dealers to the kingpin, the agent chooses to “follow the money.” Infiltrator kept my attention, and because it was based on a true story, my interest. Yet some elements of the story cross paths with other stories that need to be told, namely the Iran Contra affair and the CIA involvement in money

I’ve been reading books by John le Carre’ for at least thirty years, and every six or seven years, I reread most of them. So when they make a movie of one of his books, I will be there to watch. But because Lecarre’ is notorious for slower, more dramatic and complex plots, the movie adaptations aren’t for everyone. His themes, however, are relevant and universal.  Our Kind of Traitor, the most recent film, stars Evan MacGregor, Stellan Sarsgaard, and Naomi Harris. And once again, he pits the individual against a much larger and more powerful system. In this case, a hipster British couple are drawn into the “Vor,” the Russian brotherhood of thieves: the ones whose very stark and illicit histories are recounted on

This film brought something fresh to the superhero genre. While there were already superpowered “antiheroes” galore in the Marvel canon, this one has a kind of A.D.D., thought-broadcasting style where he’s practically running a stand-up act during the fights. He’s witty, self-deprecating, ruthless, down-to-earth, and fearless at the same time; he has a heart, but if you have any connection to hurting the people he loves, you’re toast. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The film is entertaining and manages to parallel the personality of its main character: it’s quirky, unpredictable, and doesn’t take itself too seriously; but it manages to be true to itself and lovable–to a special audience.[/pullquote] The title comes from a very tough bar where mercenaries hang out. The deadpool is

After the film, my biggest regret was that—despite the selection of great seats—there was almost no one in the theater. And anyone who lived near me would have had to have driven 40 minutes to see it. Okay, it was a weekday evening, but my regret was that people weren’t watching this film because they were watching “Deadpool,” for example, instead. And I am among the guilty because I saw Deadpool first, though that film played much closer to home. [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Would you let convicted murderers live in a prison with few constraints? How about letting people use drugs when and where they like?[/pullquote] Michael Moore presents ideas in a very effective way. Despite the often oversimplified and deliberately selective