Jennifer Aniston in 'Cake'

Not just a pretty face

When Cake came out, people lauded star Jennifer Aniston — for not wearing makeup. That’s a daring choice? Would the same amazement and attention have been given to a man who made the same decision? And would I even have noticed she wasn’t wearing any if I hadn’t been told?

Tara Lynn Johnson

Aug 11, 2015 · Articles · 2 minute read

Woody Allen's 'Irrational Man'

Getting away with murder

In Irrational Man, his 46th film, Woody Allen continues to explore his favored themes of crime and punishment.

Carol Rocamora

Aug 11, 2015 · Articles · 3 minute read

The era of niche TV

Does (audience) size matter?

The Golden Age of TV may have ended with the finale of Mad Men, but that’s OK. There’s a new era of TV starting — the era of niche TV — and it may actually be better.

Paula Berman

Jul 30, 2015 · Articles · 5 minute read

Netflix’s ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ Season 3 (third review)

Disappearing acts: The real spine of Season 3

Griping because Orange Is the New Black doesn’t reveal the fate of your favorite characters? This narrative choice may be the season’s boldest and most compelling quality.

Alaina Johns

Jul 28, 2015 · Articles · 5 minute read

Matthew Heineman's 'Cartel Land'

Not-so-simple justice

In his courageous new documentary, Matthew Heineman investigates the death grip of the drug cartels in Mexico.

Carol Rocamora

Jul 28, 2015 · Articles · 3 minute read

'Ballet 422' by Jody Lee Lipes

A dance documentary that takes the cake

Ballet 422 is a tease, offering insight into the how, but not the what, of a new ballet.

Tara Lynn Johnson

Jul 21, 2015 · Articles · 2 minute read

‘The Bachelorette’

Is it love, or is it emotional abuse?

How do we tell the difference between love and emotional abuse? The dividing line is not always clear, as exemplified by the relationship between Kaitlyn and her suitors on this season of The Bachelorette.

Naomi Orwin

Jul 12, 2015 · Articles · 6 minute read

The Coen brothers and black cloud movies

Why are we laughing?

Though the Coen brothers didn’t invent the movie genre in which misfortune after misfortune is visited on the protagonist, they have certainly cornered the market.

Ryan Dellaquila

Jul 11, 2015 · Articles · 3 minute read

'Jurassic World'

Nostalgiasaurus rex

In the end, T-Rex doesn’t lose its monster status because of our blasé 21st-century attitude to computer-generated beasts; it becomes a bona fide character through our own nostalgia for its original film incarnation and its evolving role in the action.

Alaina Johns

Jul 04, 2015 · Articles · 5 minute read

Aleksey German’s 'Hard to Be a God'

Where the rain never stops

A modern Hieronymus Bosch, the late Russian filmmaker Aleksey German left us as his last testament a vision of hell for our increasingly dystopic 21st-century world.

Robert Zaller

Jul 04, 2015 · Articles · 5 minute read