Beltmann

7 Women / John Ford / 1966 I've never been a huge fan of John Ford, but this story, about a strong-minded, liberated, atheistic female doctor at a Christian mission in China, is one of his most underappreciated films. While it offers an intriguing moral crisis--what happens when the values of sacrifice and purity are at odds?--it's notable primarily for the emphasis on women (rare for Ford) and a withering critique of dogma and self-righteousness.

Director Sydney Pollack dies at 73 in Los Angeles

Bamako / Abderrahmane Sissako / Mali / 2006 Sissako's fantasy conceit is to stage a mock trial in a dusty Bamako courtyard, with all of African society as the plaintiff, charging the World Bank, the IMF, and the international community of institutionalized exploitation of the continent--resulting in a neverending cycle of poverty and oppression. In between statements by "witnesses" (a breathtaking mix of philosophy, cogent number-crunching, howls of suffering, chanting songs, and sometimes even simple silences that speak volumes), the movie makes room for snapshots of everyday African life,

Agreed. As a fan of filmmaking, I suppose I appreciated what Moon was trying to pull off, but as a fan of the band, it didn't give me what I was hoping for. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would have much preferred a more conventional take... The EP was a little underwhelming, too, but definitely a pleasant listen.

Innocence / dir. Lucile Hadzihalilovic / Belgium One of the oddest, most beguiling, and most transfixing movies I've seen in recent weeks. It's about a group of prepubescent girls at a woodsy institution (a boarding school? an orphanage?) trying to navigate the mysterious rules and regulations of the community. Right from the start, when a new girl arrives in a coffin serving as her carriage, the movie is clearly operating on a metaphorical/symbolic wavelength; I read the entire thing as an allegory for how innocence eventually gives way to rigid expectations, whether social, physical, emo

I'm not sure, but I doubt Obama would agree with Rove's assertion that one of Obama's top goals is a "precipitous" withdrawal from Iraq. The last statement also has specious wording, since it confuses "talking without preconditions" with "giving them what they want." Does Rove honestly not see the difference? If not, I guess that proves Rove is hopelessly out of his depth on national security.

Lake of Fire is a documentary about the topic of abortion, at least as it pertains to the culture wars. Long, sprawling, gruesome, totally gripping.

He may not realize it, but he's been rescued!

The rhythms and visuals felt like network TV to me--but, it should be said, really smart network TV.

Same here!

Ryan Braun has gone deep twice tonight, giving him 4 homers in the last two games. His groove might be back. Still, I think my favorite part of tonight's Brewers-Cards game was when Molina was ejected, and responded by taking off all of his catcher's gear and leaving it at the feet of the umpire. A short time later La Russa was tossed, too.

Strangely, I can answer all of those questions, partially because Obama has already answered them all, some with great frequency. If the GOP doesn't already know the answers, then that points to their own ignorance. Wait, these are rhetorical questions, you say? Questions intended only to smear and raise doubts? Oh, I see: Politics as usual.

Laughed out loud more than once.

L'Etoile de mer (dir Man Ray, 1928). Honest. It's also only 8 minutes long, so I'm not sure if it counts. The last feature I watched was The Last Mimzy, which I enjoyed nearly as much as my daughter did. I also started watching Southland Tales a few nights back and haven't found time to finish.

But The Office isn't built solely around Jim & Pam; their relationship is just one facet of the overall office dynamic. Besides, what makes a coupling work or not work isn't so much the circumstances, it's the characters. In the case of Sam & Diane, the appeal of that coupling was the friction, a natural outcome of those specific personalities. In the case of Jim & Pam, the appeal has always been their easy-going friendship, a point of warmth and humor that has been consistent whether they were dating or not dating. In other words, these characters in this group dynamic don't e

As I said, shortcomings as perceived by him. As I also said, it's fair game to criticize him for the content of his assertions. I'm not about to defend that particular comment by him. My point is only that it's possible for a man to utter such a ludicrous and paranoid statement and still be a friend to America overall. If so, then we agree. Still, while Wright criticizes only aspects of American government, I suspect that dynamic is not true for the likes of Hannity and others--for them, there's no "tough love" in their criticisms; they hate the man entire.

Are there no other options? Is it possible that Wright's label was meant to target only specific instances of institutional racism, and therefore did not attack American ideals themselves but the systematic corruption of those ideals? (I don't presume to know the answer to that, but I always bristle when given either-or choices that are, most likely, reductive and cartoonish.) Having listened to the sermons in question, I'm inclined to believe that Rev. Wright loves the idea of America but hates certain aspects of its shortcomings (as perceived by him). That's not anti-Americanism; it's t

Even John Derbyshire over at National Review was left aghast by the movie's attack on the scientific method (one of the great contributions of Western civilization, according to Derbyshire). He said, "Civilization is a thin veneer... Reason and science are bulwarks against the dark."

I'm actually glad to see the show refuse to milk the old will-they-or-won't-they story thread. That gimmick has been worn to death. When two people that obviously ought to be together are artificially kept apart through endless contrivances, both the show and the characters just end up looking stupid. Besides, why can't an office sitcom include as part of its dynamic a committed couple? Might be refreshing to see a healthy, funny relationship, especially when they serve as foils for all the other lunatics.

Awesome.

This documentary seems relevant

When I heard about this, I think I may have cried a little.

Reservation Road is exceedingly well-acted--I remain convinced that Mark Ruffalo is our Montgomery Clift--but the story is frustratingly pedestrian, and too willing to embrace melodrama.