Netflix and Beyond

Which was precisely what the audience suffered through 97 minutes of this brutal, taut expose where all are nefarious; just varying degrees of separation. The once, remarkably handsome Brad Pitt, plays philosophical “gun-for-hire”, “Jackie Cogan” who “kills” from a distance, so as not to get too personal, sentimentally involved; his creed is ambushed by circumstances and his assassinations spread blood …

Eleven years ago I read and relished Yann Martel’s irresistible, allegorical “Life of Pi”; many pivotal books gradually sink into the vast recesses of one’s mind, titles fade, but in this instance Pi’s journey sunk its literary teeth into a comfortable corner of my memory;  took up permanent residence, and in gratitude to Ang Lee’s profoundly beautiful, visual production, a …

Anthony Hopkins as the cutting, caustic, corpulent creative director “Alfred Hitchcock” (1899-1980) is magnificent. He captures the man with his foibles, charms, inimitable genius, as no other actor could. For those who remember Mr. Hitchcock, Hopkins reincarnates the “Master of Suspense”. “Hitchcock” concentrates on the vicissitudes tackled in the making of “Psycho”( based on the novel by Joseph Stefano) and …

Anthony Hopkins as the cutting, caustic, corpulent creative director “Alfred Hitchcock” (1899-1980) is magnificent. He captures the man with his foibles, charms, inimitable genius, as no other actor could. For those who remember Mr. Hitchcock, Hopkins reincarnates the “Master of Suspense”. “Hitchcock” concentrates on the vicissitudes tackled in the making of “Psycho”( based on the novel by Joseph Stefano) and …

“Son of Sardar” is  capable of wielding the death knell for future Bollywood attractions in a western world.  Erstwhile stars prostituted their reputations to work in this supercilious drivel: Ajay Devgan (“Halla Bol”, “Omkara”, “Yuva”); Sanjay Dutt (“Naam”, “Parinetta” “Sadak, Saajan”), Salman Khan (“Veer”, “Kuch,Kuch Hota Hai”, “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya”); these men are fine, multitalented actors and I cringed …

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is an iconic, archival author; his books, required reading in higher education; “War and Peace”(1860’s) a massive epic, still resides comfortably in the annuals of finest historical novels ever composed; his genius unquestioned, forever lionized. “Anna Karenina” (1875) written at a time when women where chattel; had no power or control over their destinies or the unexpected …

It is a rarity, but it is nothing short of stupendous when a film exponentially gets better and better; David O. Russell’s (“The Fighter”) rocks the charts with this winner. Anticipation eliminated: “Silver Linings Playbook” garnishes five sterling STARS!!!!! I loved it. From its tragic-comic commencement: “Pat Solitano” (herculean performance by Bradley Cooper) is picked up from a stint in …

Beautifully filmed,  exquisitely acted Danish movie revolving around the disastrous marriage of Englishwoman Caroline Mathilde (sister of King George III) to her cousin Danish King Christian VII. The film commences in 1766. Caroline is fifteen years old, accomplished, well-read and a musician; schooled in the ways of the age, she envisions a romantic match,(obviously accomplished by proxy) where she and …

A couple of years ago I spent the summer immersed in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”; imbued with remarkable scholarship and monumental respect for a man who changed a country, freed a population; now, almost a hundred and fifty years after his death is revered, lionized, quoted feverishly and consistently by all political …

Daniel Craig is an incredible actor but I felt was totally miscast as the dashing, elegant special agent “ 007,James Bond”; he lacked the debonair, savoir faire, Lothario charm and beauty of his predecessors; his female interactions hovered at the wham/bam level. He excelled as the robotic, mechanical slayer of evil miscreants, but lacked the instincts of a man who …