The story of A Woman’s Life (original title “Une vie”) centers around Jeanne Le Perthuis des Vauds (Judith Chemla, “In the Name of My Daughter”). Like most women of her time and place (19th-century France), she exists only to suitably and fruitfully marry. She spends her days reading or playing backgammon with her parents, engaging…
Few franchises have been as financially successful and beloved as the low budget darling that is Leigh Whannell’s “Insidious” franchise. The initial installment, “Insidious” was praised for it’s vintage, minimalist approach and boasted a $97 million dollar box office gross against a $1.5 million dollar budget. It’s balanced execution of claustrophobic cinematography and traditional jump…
History is determined by whoever holds the pen, be it religious context, political misconduct, or something as simple as creative rights. Anyone who knows me personally knows I’m a huge comic book fan, for Batman especially. Much like “The Death of ‘Superman Lives’: What Happened,” Batman & Bill is something I’ve been following for a…
The mid-90s was not a particularly good time to be a former (or current) athlete as many of them found themselves clouded by controversy and courted by disgrace. For instance, take a look at the likes of the globally sensationalized ex-football player O.J. Simpson and Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. O.J. has had several movies…
In 1973, if any 16-year-old boy were to be kidnapped on the streets of Rome, it might warrant a brief mention in the papers. If the boys’ last name was Getty, however, it would be a major story followed closely throughout the world. Written by David Scarpa and based on John Pearson’s book “Painfully Rich:…
In Kedi, Ceyda Torun’s documentary about the cats of Istanbul, Turkey, one interviewee says that cats can be “cold and abrasive” and that a relationship with a cat is like “having a friendship with an alien.” Not having too many friendships with aliens lately, I cannot comment on that, but it is clear that, whether…
In the typical Hollywood success story, a talented individual starts out in life with a full head of steam, gets a bad break, and then, with the help of a teacher or other mentor, overcomes adversity and the story ends on a note of triumph and tears. Things are not so simple, however, for Canadian…
