“Body of Lies” — a distinctly American Portrayal of the Middle East.The American Thriller Body of Lies is just that — American. Ridley Scott, director of Blade Runner, and the Boston-Based screenwriter…Apr 25, 2021Apr 25, 2021
“Where Do We Go Now?” Is a Tragicomedy TriumphThere’s something about the opening scene to Nadine Labaki’s 2011 film, Where Do We Go Now? that is so haunting. A couple of dozen women…Mar 28, 2021Mar 28, 2021
“Wadjda”: On Women, Bike-Riding, and Growing PainsOn the surface, there’s not much to say about director Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Saudi Arabian drama, Wadjda (2012). Wadjda, an adolescent on…Mar 14, 2021Mar 14, 2021
Three Cheers and Three Stars for “What Did I Mess?”Set in Lebanon, Shady Hanna’s What Did I Mess is a very relevant romantic comedy about love (ex-love and fake love), family dynamics, and…Feb 28, 2021Feb 28, 2021
“Ghadi”: Tastefully Inspirational or Irrationally Optimistic?Ghadi (2013), directed by Amin Dora, is the story of a father’s strategy to get the people in his small, Lebanon town to accept his only…Feb 17, 2021Feb 17, 2021
“Amreeka” and Post-9/11 Palestinian TruthsCherien Dabis’ ’09 work of dramatic tragedy, Amreeka is tiers above the expectations of a realistic immigration tale of a mother and son…Feb 3, 2021Feb 3, 2021
Published inincluvieClassic Horror and Modern Femme Fatale in “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”Director Ana Lily Amirpour meshes the western genre with film noir in A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. She creates an Iranian-based…Sep 9, 2020Sep 9, 2020
Published inincluvieIt’s Time to Revisit “Pariah” Almost Ten Years LaterDee Rees’s Pariah (2011) is unfortunately a hidden gem amongst white-centric coming-of-age stories. What is so common in self-discovery…Aug 31, 2020Aug 31, 2020
Published inincluvieA Handshake for “Dallas Buyers Club”Jean-Marc Vallée’s 2013 film, Dallas Buyers Club is a work of riveting drama based on historical events. It tells the true story of rodeo…Aug 15, 2020Aug 15, 2020
Published inincluvieIf Life Gives You Limes, Make Margaritas: Praise for “Margarita, With a Straw”Kalki Koechlin in Margarita, With a Straw (2014) portrays a queer woman with Cerebral Palsy and her journey in self-discovery while…Aug 4, 2020Aug 4, 2020
