Film
In their understandable haste to cash in on the success of the Twilight series, director Catherine Hardwicke and writer David Johnson threw attractive people on a set without bothering to come up with a plot that makes them worth watching. Red Riding Hood. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. The cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy…
Read MoreThe Adjustment Bureau is a surprisingly good, romantic movie considering that angels are determining the fate of star-crossed lovers and the plot is driven by such lines as “if you stay together, you will not only ruin your dreams, you will also ruin hers.” The Adjustment Bureau. Directed by George Nolfi. The cast includes Matt…
Read MoreRunning through March 14, the Jewish Film Festival is a thinking person’s cinema experience with provocative introductions and post-film Q and As.
Read MoreMarch is shaping up to be the month for strong, female leads. Hollywood has its eye turned toward the classics, with Jane Eyre, Red Riding Hood, and a modern, stylized take on Alice in Wonderland in Sucker Punch. In addition, Boston hosts several film festivals including Jewishfilm.2011, the Irish Film Festival, and Wild & Scenic…
Read MoreApril shows more promise on the film front with the release of the action thriller “Hanna,” the courtroom drama “The Conspirator,” and the adaptation of the best-selling novel “Water for Elephants.” Boston local film festivals continue to showcase the best in independent and international films.
Read MoreThe highlights of the month include films from Iran, an adult look at married life, an early movie by the criminally underrated director Todd Haynes, and what is billed as the “best Nazi zombie movie ever.” By Justin Marble. Princess Bride and Young Frankenstein. At the Brattle Theatre, January 6. It’s not often that viewers…
Read MoreBlack Swan isn’t about surpassing ordinary limits. It’s a film about a masochist seen through the eyes of a sadist. The film could be a textbook demonstration of what academics refer to as the male gaze—with a pretty young thing poked and dismembered under a misogynist lens. By Debra Cash Darren Aronofsky has said that…
Read MoreJulie Taymor’s film version of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is conclusive proof that just because we can do something with technology does not mean that we should. Less is often more, and one great text in hand is worth a dozen computers in the mix. And what was the director thinking with the racist portrayal…
Read MoreRoyal National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner is determined to make the drama as relevant to our own times as to the Bard’s. The setting is a somewhat flimsy, gray-walled salon. Theatrical apparatuses are visible: a klieg light here, a fresnel there. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Staged by the Royal National Theatre, London, England. Taped by…
Read MoreWith gift season comes the existential quandary: What to give the culture lovers on your list? This season the writers for The Arts Fuse waylay the crisis by recommending items that will delight the heart and stimulate the mind. Please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section. Keep in mind that…
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Arts Feature: Best Movies (With Some Disappointments) of 2025