With two books, Percival Everett has become one of my favorite authors. I loved his take on Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in James. And when I read the blurb on The Trees I knew I had to take a look. I didn’t know that I would be blown away by it. Everett…
Tag: powerful
TIFF25: Sentimental Value dir. Joachim Trier
Sentimental Value was recommended by my classmate Betsy, who got a look at it last week at the Telluride Film Festival. She told me to run, don’t walk to see this one. So I changed my viewing schedule for the first day of the festival to start with this. And wow. A beautiful and poignant…
To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) – Harper Lee
Countless people read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school, or couldn’t read it because people fought to get it banned. In high school, for me, it was all about Le Petit Prince and The Catcher in the Rye. I’ve had a huge hole in my literary field. But I was finally glad to fill…
Lucy (2014) – Luc Besson
I like Luc Besson’s work. His films tend to be slick, pretty to look at, throw in some fun effects, and usually attract solid actors to the project. Lucy is no different, and lets Scarlett Johansson take the titular role in a science fiction-tinged action movie. Lucy (Johansson) is betrayed into being a drug mule…
A Closed and Common Orbit (2016) – Becky Chambers
I couldn’t wait. I had to dig into the second book of the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. The first book was just so powerful in its portrayal of friendships and family set against the stars and sensibilities of space opera. I didn’t want to wait and read something else, I had to devour the…
The Lawnmower Man – Director’s Cut (1992) – Brett Leonard
I remember when The Lawnmower Man came out. Me and some pals from school went to take it in, and we all came out disappointed. There was some potential there, but it didn’t seem to work, and didn’t really entertain. The big draw for me and the guys was the fact that it was based…
Farscape (2000) – The Way We Weren’t, and Picture If You Will
The Way We Weren’t is arguably one of the best episodes of the series. Written by Naren Shankar this episode was first broadcast on 14 April, 2000. Crichton (Ben Browder) finds a troubling discovery that illuminates Aeryn’s (Claudia Black) as well as a previously unknown connection between her, Moya and Pilot (voiced by Lani John…
TIFF24: A Missing Part dir. Guillaume Senez
Senez delivers a moving drama that examines familial connections against the backdrop of Tokyo and Japan’s clean break policy when it comes to family separation. Jay (Romain Duris in a role that allows him to deliver a stellar performance) drives a cab at night, while he spends his days trying to find the daughter he…
The Return of Ellie Black (2024) – Emiko Jean
To call The Return of Ellie Black a jaw-dropping page-turner doesn’t do the book, the story, or the author, Emiko Jean, justice. It was nothing short of a compulsive read, one that I stayed up late to finish, something that doesn’t happen often for me. I had to know how the story played out, I…
The Shadow of the Wind (2001) – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I found myself completely swept away in the tale that is a love letter to books and Barcelona (it even comes with a walking tour at the end of the book which will allow those in the city to visit all the sites mentioned in…
