I’m sitting in the surprise sunshine that pours through the sliding glass doors of the kitchen of Lauren’s house, watching her paint Christmas scenes on a collection of river rocks. The sun is a gift—it was supposed to rain all day—and it feels nice. After you’ve lived above the 49th for a while, you get used to the “Hurry, the dark is coming!” mentality of native Canadians, an attitude that prompts residents to power wash, replace roofs, and cull flowerbeds of any hint of summer, all before the oppressive clouds and rain move in for a protracted stay. Lauren’s... (Read More ...)

What were you doing during your junior year in high school? Chasing boys? Cheering on the home team? Worrying about the perfect prom dress (or if you were even going to make it to prom)? Fighting with your parents because of their crazy restrictive curfews? I don’t know what Hannah Moskowitz did to keep it real during eleventh grade. And considering she’s only nineteen, those days were, well, like, yesterday. I know one thing she did do, though. She got herself a little publishing deal with one of the biggest houses in the country. In the world. She wrote a book called Break, and it is easily... (Read More ...)

Uncertainty Uncertainty—Joseph Gordon Levitt, Lynn Collins:Strange little film. The story of a young couple faced with a major decision: she’s pregnant, they’re young and broke, just starting their lives in the Big Apple. The approach taken by the filmmaker was unique. You are presented with two scenarios—Yellow and Green—and the story details what would happen to Kate (Collins) and Bobby (Levitt) depending on which path they chose. The paths are divergent: green is safe, a day spent with Kate’s family at a 4th of July barbeque. Yellow, however, is a whole different ball game after... (Read More ...)

A Single Man Directed/co-produced by Tom Ford Screenplay by David Scearce and Tom Ford Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood Starring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, and Nicholas Hoult If this movie were a suit made of the finest cashmere or silk, it would be expensive. Clean lines, impeccable craftsmanship, the wearer a sure piece of eye-catching delight. And that makes sense, considering it was directed by a very successful clothing designer, Tom Ford, his first foray into the world of cinema. But there was so much emphasis on the look of the film, the story suffered. Heavy... (Read More ...)

Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, Ray Stevenson, Michael Gambon, and Frances de la Tour Directed by Allen and Albert Hughes Written by Gary Whitta Post-apocalyptic stories are nothing new to modern readers and moviegoers. It’s a well-worn genre, dating back as far as 1826 with Mary Shelley’s The Last Man. It’s a tough row to hoe to bring something to the big screen that fickle ticket buyers will receive as fresh, innovative, or compelling. And while I cannot say with strong conviction that the Hughes brothers hit the bull’s eye with Book... (Read More ...)