The Selfish Giant (2013) When Arbor and Swifty are suspended from school, they begin collecting scrap metal and selling it to Kitten, a local dealer. When he notices Swifty’s affinity for horses, Kitten allows him to work with several of his. A jealous Arbor steals some scrap from Kitten to sell elsewhere. When Kitten finds… Continue reading Diana had a Selfish Giant and Kept Her a secret
Tag: Biographical films
She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a graduate of Northwestern’s journalism school, takes a job as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the notoriously difficult chief editor of a famed fashion magazine. The demanding job challenges her professionally and personally. Hathaway is at her best as the plucky underdog; Stanley… Continue reading She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country
Steve Jobs went through the celluloid looking glass to find his mom
Alice (1988) Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is the quintessential story about the uncertainty of childhood. To a child, the world is a mystery and its myriad rules often seem nonsensical; we have to learn to be rational. This odd blend of live action and stop-motion animation embraces the twisted, scary parts of Carroll’s work. … Continue reading Steve Jobs went through the celluloid looking glass to find his mom
The greatest chariot race
Ali (2001) Michael Mann’s films are focused on individuals struggling with identity issues. In Manhunter (1986), Will Graham is torn between his safe, normal life and the world of the psychotic serial killers he chases. In Last of the Mohicans (1992), Hawkeye must choose between the society he grew up in and the Native American culture he comes… Continue reading The greatest chariot race
The priest of Wall Street
Leon Morin, Priest (1961) A communist rabble-rouser (Emmanuelle Riva) goes to confession to pick a fight with a priest (Jean-Paul Belmondo); they develop a friendship and meet regularly to discuss issues of faith. Like the philosophical movies of Carl Th. Dreyer or Louis Malle’s My Dinner with Andre (1981), this film by Jean-Pierre Melville is basically a two-hour… Continue reading The priest of Wall Street