A group of Palestinian friends are turned against each other while one searches for a path out in Omar. The West Bank wall creates not only a divide between people but also a demarcation point between perceptions and choices. Those on the Israeli side see the wall as a barrier against terrorism, while Palestinians on […]
A hopeful valet with a blue-collar background strikes up an unlikely relationship with a lonely girl from an upper-class family in Endless Love. This remake of a 1981 film that starred a young Brooke Shields reimagines the original story about two young classmates who find each other just after their high school graduation. David Elliot […]
A desperate, wanted man compels a single mother and her son to give him shelter in Labor Day. When I was young, I wrote a detailed book report on the curious, true-life story of Patty Hearst. In 1974, the 19-year-old granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment and held for […]
Three unenlightened best friends find it challenging to keep their vow to avoid a serious romantic relationship in That Awkward Moment. When one of their friends finds out that his storybook marriage is over, the three agree on a pact to swear off all serious romantic relationships. Casual sex is the order of the day, but […]
A sly but well-meaning insurance salesman is spellbound by his attraction for the calculating wife of one of his clients in Double Indemnity. This classic film from 1944 is one of the 10 films that famed movie critic Roger Ebert asked me to watch as part of a discussion on the differences between various types […]
A lonely introvert finds comfort in the “arms” of his new, highly-advanced cell phone operating system in Her. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is demoralized by the breakup of his marriage to his first love, Catherine (Rooney Mara). It doesn’t help matters that his job as a creative letter writer requires him to be fully in […]
An inquisitive high school junior struggles to find her own sexual identity in Blue is the Warmest Color. Our high school years are rife with lessons to be learned. The biggest, of course, are those learned outside the classroom, and those often include the most vexing challenges of our lives to that point. For those […]
Every year brings at least one new coming-of-age story. My favorite from this year is The Way, Way Back. Plots about sexual awakening are perhaps rarer, and when they do appear, they usually focus on a male’s perspective. It’s a challenge to successfully combine the two types of films in a single experience and center […]
A New Jersey lothario finds that his real-life sexual encounters pale in comparison to his porn fantasies and looks to effect a change in Don Jon. Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a character who could have been taken right off the set of Jersey Shore. He’s all about presentation. He works out incessantly, hangs out […]
A trio of sex addicts work together to fight their challenging addiction in Thanks for Sharing. Sex addiction is a very misunderstood issue. There’s not even complete consensus on its validity, with many people believing it’s just an outlet for men to be able to excuse their bad behavior under the guise of a disease. […]
A bookish loner spends her life savings to experience a dream vacation where everything is like a Jane Austen novel in Austenland. Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is the consummate Jane Austen fan. She has read her books countless times, knows the movies by heart and even has a life-size cutout of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Her fascination […]
A streetwise, charismatic teen unintentionally falls for a good-hearted, introverted girl who teaches him a thing or two about young love in The Spectacular Now. John Lennon‘s solo hit, “Beautiful Boy,” includes the lyric, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Those words perfectly encapsulate the overriding theme of the latest romantic […]