Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson [“The Only Other Job I’d Like,” August] is an enigma. He speaks like a progressive, but is hellbent on sabotaging the election for neocon Tim Pawlenty. The issues are clear. If you support regressive taxation, gutted public education, discrimination against gays, denial of women’s rights, punitive transportation policies, environmental … Read more
As the years ticked by without a follow-up to Charles Frazier’s surprising (and fantastic) National Book Award-winning 1997 novel, Cold Mountain, the obvious conclusion was that Frazier was feeling daunted by both the wild success of his debut and the expectations created by the whopping advance he received for a second manuscript. Thirteen Moons doesn’t … Read more
Perfect for Jane Austenites eager to savor a Pemberly moment with their not-so-patient spouses, the 1940 Pride and Prejudice is easily the most charming—and approachable—of the many adaptations. While Greer Garson is a bit too old to play Elizabeth Bennet, her dandy sparring with Laurence Olivier’s ice-cold Mr. Darcy keeps this film light on its … Read more
Flags of Our Fathers could be a warmonger’s dream: the true story of the heroic men who posed for the famous Iwo Jima flag-raising photograph that, it is claimed, helped end the war in the Pacific and made us all proud to be American. But director Clint Eastwood, though a known conservative, is not interested … Read more
“Give me the child at seven and I will give you the man.” With that Jesuit maxim in mind, Michael Apted and his crew set out to interview fourteen seven-year-old British children from different class strata and return every seven years to gauge their progress. Throughout the resulting Up series—Seven Up, Seven Plus Seven, 21 … Read more
In basing his new film on the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese brings a crew of tough-guy actors back to his own mean streets in New York. Perhaps he’s hoping for another round of Goodfellas-style success, but as his former stalwarts—from Keitel to Pesci—are apparently too old for this stuff, Marty’s left to … Read more
In the captivating Infamous, Toby Jones appears to have summoned forth the long-dead spirit of Truman Capote. He deftly portrays that storytelling dervish, delighting his high-society friends in New York and widening the peepers of the squares in Kansas with equal aplomb … and beating Alvin Dewey, the lead investigator of the Clutter killings, in … Read more
Trend alert at the Walker: Kaves R kool! Last summer, young gun Cameron Jamie set up one as part of his survey at the museum; now there’s Cavemanman, from Jamie’s illustrious elder, Thomas Hirschhorn. It’s a retreat of sorts, albeit a chaotic one, papered with pages from all sorts of philosophical treatises and lots of … Read more
More and more, it’s looking like film buffs have to gaze across both oceans for their B-movie fix. A product of France and Georgia (not the Peach State, mind you), 13 (Tzameti) has already been gathering raves for its steely intensity and bold filmmaking. Gela Babluani’s film is the story of Sebastien, a down-on-his luck … Read more
After a fascinating show contrasting “official” and “dissident” works of art made in the former USSR, the Museum of Russian Art gets back to its strength: Russian realism that celebrates industry, agriculture, and the people of the motherland. What’s on view here shows a diversity of scenes and styles that many will find surprising. In … Read more