Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud overwhelmed film lovers with the 2007 animated film Persepolis, based on Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in Iran. Chicken with Plums, their second collaboration, is also based on a graphic novel by Satrapi. But Plums is primarily a live-action feature with a robust international cast and the lush aesthetics of a grand old studio film. The directors also employ ... Read More

Thought you were over things that go bump in the night? Think again. Director Nick Murphy’s film, The Awakening, had me clutching my poor, unsuspecting friend’s shoulder and involuntarily (but loudly) exclaiming obscenities in the movie theatre. Set in 1921 England after the loss and grief of WWI, the film follows ghost hunter and skeptic Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) as she takes on her most difficult case yet. Author of the ... Read More

With all of the political and economic issues going on in America, it’s hard to remember that there are much bigger things going on out there. There are countries trapped in violent civil wars, drugs trafficking and people are dying every day.   This is where We Women Warriors comes into play. It opens our eyes (and hearts) to the truly dangerous issues going on in Colombia. There’s a civil conflict between three groups, ... Read More

It didn't help that I saw the ironically titled Celeste and Jesse Forever post break-up, so consider that a warning. If the humor hadn't consisted of jacking off with a piece of baby corn and a gay Elijah Wood, I would have desperately sought out the theater's nearest exit to escape the sweaty interior of the on-screen friendship. Thank goddess some people are just as perverted as I am. Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) are a ... Read More

  It’s not exactly the popcorn action flick you think of when you hear the phrase “summer movie,” but Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom may be one of the most evocative portrayals of that season that I’ve seen. It takes place in summer 1965 on a craggy New England island, and you can practically smell the salty sea air through the screen. The film centers on two unlikely lovebirds: preteens Sam Shakusky (an ... Read More