It rings in my ears, the words "why are you showing me this?" Already insecure that my past The dimly-lit corners of my self would be an obstacle to being loved, "Why are you showing me this?" made me want to hide away, Good God, hide away and forget I ever let the light shine … Continue reading Entry 82316 – Overexposure
As I sit sipping black, sweet coffee, The sun pouring into my room A weight is on my shoulders, though I am not called to duty My heavy heart echoes upward to my mind, though no one is asking anything of me. The gravel in my throat and fire dimmed in my belly are much … Continue reading Entry 72616- Now is the Time of Monsters
Heartache is a creature discomfort unlike any other known to us humans. Unlike the usual sadness or despair we experience over things like a lost job, lack of parental support, or not having as many social opportunities as we'd like, matters of lost or damaged loves are particularly and broadly wrenching and tend to send … Continue reading Weathering a Storm of the Heart
What are we to do when something nags us inside and won't let our attention go? What are we, soft humans, to think when we are caught being so very different from the crowd and feel no remorse- feel nothing but the irrepressible urge to follow the thing that calls our name? Obsessed, possessed, crazy- … Continue reading The Soul Journey of ‘Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter’
He said and she said: their love was tanking. The romance was a struggle. Could they ever move forward together with the baggage they carried unpacked? Or was this the time to part ways- while things were still relatively amicable? He said and she said they should go by what their therapist said, and so … Continue reading This One Goes Out to ‘The One I Love’
America, "the land of the free", is a vast space with two borders that bleed drinkable prosperity and a center that struggles to keep the so-called American Dream alive. I hesitate not to explore the ways in which America is impoverished educationally, intellectually, morally, and spiritually. As an American woman, I cannot afford to withhold … Continue reading The Quiet Lineage of Class War: ‘Little Accidents’
In an awards season teeming with adorable, quirky romantic comedies, Desiree Akhavan's decidedly unromantic comedy is a nice departure from average depictions of relationship woes. In 'Appropriate Behavior' protagonist Shirin (played by writer/director Akhavan) struggles with finding her way in the world, stuck between her traditional Iranian family's expectations and her own desires after a … Continue reading ‘Appropriate Behavior’: The Importance of Unromantic Comedy
Back in 2014, I wrote that 'In a World' was the first truly feminist romantic comedy I'd ever seen. The fact that there was a female protagonist with sexual and career-oriented agency, who's main focus was not how her hair looked when her crush walked by, but that she liked him...and he liked her. There's … Continue reading ‘Obvious Child’: A Continuation of Last Year’s Brilliant Feminist Rom-Com Magic
When I told three different friends that I'd seen Orlando van Einsiedel's documentary, 'Virunga', their reactions were similar. They knew the film was about a park where gorillas live, but they didn't know where in Africa the film was made or what the situation was in that country. I was with them before I saw … Continue reading Conservation as Documentary: ‘Virunga’
According to the Alzheimer's Association, one in three seniors are diagnosed with Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. There are currently 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's, and a new patient is diagnosed every 67 seconds. Given the striking number of families this disease affects, the discussion about a cure and preventative methods is … Continue reading ‘Still Alice’ and the Empathetic Eye
I've become obsessed with freedom. What is it? Who has it? How can I tell? What does it look like? How can I get some? Questions. So many of them, and all elude me. When I get a glimpse, it's often on screen, on a page, or in a fleeting moment. Well, that's where I'm … Continue reading Sweet Liberation: ‘Cake’
Wild has been praised by critics and audiences alike mainly because people love seeing people make tons of mistakes and survive the journey. We love growth through hardship, even if (or maybe especially when) the protagonist is stepping on her own feet. It just makes for all the necessary pain and relief we need to … Continue reading ‘Wild’ on the Path to Consciousness
I recently told a friend that I don't judge anyone based on the cheesy movies they like, but the good ones... A teensy bit of sarcasm, only! If you can name a few "good" movies you enjoyed, I don't give a damn if you deeply enjoyed "Little Nicky" (hey, I did!). That said, when it … Continue reading The Best Christmas Movie? Maybe not, but it’s my favorite!
Perfect Sense: A film that begs the question of what we are without our senses. What are tongues that can't taste paired with ears that can't hear and eyes that see only darkness? Does skin than cannot feel have any purpose but to hold us together in a state of literal senselessness? Is there any … Continue reading True Love & ‘Perfect Sense’
I recently read a crude article in which some journalist attacked M. Night Shyamalan's entire career. It was so plain mean, I won't link to it- you're left to web search (if you like soggy yellow rags). Anyway, just after skimming this brutal assessment and finding that it went just a step beyond multiple other … Continue reading Old / Interesting: M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Unbreakable’
1. Woman with a Camera: In a film which seeks to expose a great number of social issues, giving multiple characters ways of telling and managing their own stories allowed the story to keep moving and these storytellers to keep developing without pausing too much for explanatory notes. When Sam White (Tessa Thompson) holds up … Continue reading You know what? 5 Reasons Why ‘Dear White People’ is a Must-See Dramedy
I love history and I truly appreciate that people who run television networks think historical characters are worth putting on T.V., but why must it all be inaccurate? Can it not be spectacular and real and massively viewed, all at once? Why did a show like "Reign" make it past the first season? Sensationalism. Targeting … Continue reading The World of ‘Outlander’ vs. the Spectacle of ‘Reign’
Oscar Grant was shot by a policeman at Fruitvale Station in Oakland just after midnight on January 1st, 2009. He was unarmed and had not been charged with any form of misconduct. Grant was shot in the back by an officer who later had his charges reduced because he explained that he mistook his gun … Continue reading A Look at Police Violence & Race in Ryan Coogler’s ‘Fruitvale Station’
Public defenders uphold the constitutional right of an accused citizen to have defense under the presumption of the court that they are innocent until proven guilty. They exist as the line between the for profit prison system and the constitution itself. The state’s defender (otherwise known as a prosecutor) seeks to prove guilt, which is … Continue reading ‘Gideon’s Army’: Documenting the Justice System
The most sinful behavior -if ever there was anything we could truly consider a “sin” about human nature- is that which grows outward like a weed from the belief of entitlement. Sometimes I think that the purpose of society for the last century or so has been to blanket communities under the belief that every … Continue reading Documentary Reflection: ‘The Square’
'The Act of Killing' The way viewers react to Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary 'The Act of Killing' comes down to the way each viewer is able to expand their notion of the act of killing. In the liberal, privileged and mono-cultured West, we vaguely, yet virulently, understand murder (especially mass murder) as an unforgivable crime. Abstractly, … Continue reading Documentary: Framing Cultural Violence in ‘The Act of Killing’
Frances, O, Frances, where are you? Brooklyn, in the era of Hipsters and post-feminist feminists, in which no twenty-something without a trust-fund can get by on just one job, one gig, or one talent. Not if she pays her own rent and wants to live. That’s where. The words “But I should save money… so … Continue reading Quiet Hipster Films / A Cinematic Whisper in Black/White: ‘Frances Ha’
The truest expression of horror is exacting terrifying measures on innocent creatures in an emotionless state. 'Blue Caprice', based on true events, is a horror film. Without much blood, and with very little intimate expression on the part of the murderer, the viewer is left with a knot of unknowing in their vulnerable belly: this … Continue reading Gun Violence On-Screen in ‘Blue Caprice’
If you have ever worked with kids, and you appreciate their age, you know that they teach you more than you can possibly teach them. The big up (though it rarely feels like it, for reasons I’ll get into in a bit) is that, as an adult, you get to…have to…are charged with working in … Continue reading ‘Short Term 12’ Hits Home
From the first moment, '20 Feet from Stardom' inhale-exhales devotion. Devotion to a group of mega-talented performers who held up (and still do) the music industry during the come one come all simultaneous golden eras of soul, rock n’ roll, blues, jazz, funk, r&b- decades of human soul blessed vocal support by extraordinary professionals trained … Continue reading ‘20 Feet from Stardom’ Review
The makings of a film people will watch: NEW YORK CITY + Music + The Coen Brothers made it. Not necessarily in that order, and there are indeed many other factors that can score a profit, but to be realistic (which is what I’m going for, here), not many. Location (location, location), something joyous with … Continue reading In the Life of Llewyn Davis / NYC in the 60s
'Concussion': She said “I have to do something.” Abby Ableman reads and vacuums at the same time, fixes up hole-in-the-wall apartments in Manhattan, and spends inordinate amounts of time in cycling classes, amidst the aimless, though healthy-minded chatter of other soccer moms. Most importantly, Abby violently, helplessly curses at her son when he hits her … Continue reading A Knock-out Drama: the Private World Explored in ‘Concussion’
