The Reviewer: Martin Kippenberger at MoMA

A week spent in New York began with a free trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Aware of the continuing economic recession, MoMA has finally taken a cue from the European art museums and is providing free entry, even if it is corporately sponsored (Target Free Fridays!) and only one afternoon a [...]

The Reviewer: Sunshine Cleaning

A dark comedy with the word sunshine in the title is usually a good sign. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” left me in a dark and sunny place, and “Little Miss Sunshine” was so brightly uncomfortable it received a whole handful of Oscar nods – including a nomination for Best Picture and two wins: [...]

The Reviewer: Slumdog Millionaire

I felt compelled to view “Slumdog Millionaire” after the film won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. Two and a half hours later, I sat in a near state of shock as the film ended. This movie won what? I searched and searched my most respected film review sources, The New Yorker, MetaCritic, Pitchfork, and felt [...]

The Reviewer: Man On Wire

Just what is art, anyway? Is it a classic Greek sculpture? Is it a blank canvas with nothing but a painted black square staring back at you? I have always been an advocate of expanding the confines of art, allow more not less, to qualify. Placing such rigid constraints upon art could limit [...]

The Reviewer: “Coraline” in 3D

Modernity does not exist without its past. Like only the best animated features, “Coraline” masks the sage wisdom you’d expect from a classic novel by delivering an aesthetic feast for the eyes. Experimental colors, shapes and sounds serenade your visual attention as you surprise yourself in realizing the message of the film shines just [...]

The Reviewer: “The Reader”

“The Reader” offers the modern audience a glimpse at a story resembling the tragedies of Ancient Greece. Viewers will find themselves surprised, appalled, delighted and frightened all at the same time. Be prepared to express the most sympathy and empathy for Kate Winslet’s character, Hanna Schmitz, a guard for the Nazis. You’ll ask yourself, how [...]