Month: December 2020

Pieces of a Woman Examines Grief and All Its Facets

Losing a child is one of the most gut-wrenching experiences that can ever befall a person. Major depression, suicide, health problems, and marital disruption all become risk factors for parents experiencing loss, particularly during the first year immediately…

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Wonder Woman 1984: success, lies, and ambitious mistakes

After three years and numerous COVID-related delays, the long awaited sequel to the 2017 landmark hit film Wonder Woman has finally arrived. Due to circumstances beyond the filmmakers’ control, this film is being seen as a sort of…

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Promising Young Woman Inventively Tackles the Nuances of Rape Culture

Our society’s treatment of women has been one of the topics of conversation for a few years now. Addressing rape culture, the pervasiveness and normalization of sexual assault due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality, has been…

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Middleburg Film Festival: One Night in Miami and the Battles Over Ideology and Celebrity in Activism

The carrot or the stick. The hawk or the dove. Debates over using aggression or peaceful compromise as a group to achieve their aims is an eternal one. In America, this struggle is currently playing itself out on…

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Middleburg Film Festival: Sylvie’s Love is a Tender Love Story with a Touch of Social Commentary

“Ya know, most people don’t find that kind of love, even for a summer. It’s extraordinary.” Sometimes love isn’t enough. Our feelings for another person may be strong and genuine, but circumstances beyond our control make love affairs…

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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Provides a Glimpse at the Black Struggle for Basic Respect

The summer of 2020 was an explosive one that in many way mirrored the Red Summer of 1919 with protests and the dark specter of black death spread nationwide and beamed into our homes on the news or…

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Mank Uses Old Hollywood to Examine Current Politics, But Not Enough to Save It

One good way to prepare for change in our own world is to analyze previous societies that were on the precipice of change and how they handled it. What were their successes, or more importantly, their failures in…

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Middleburg Film Festival: Minari Teaches Appreciation of Both Our Elders and the American Dream

Immigrants and their stories and role within American society have been hot topics over the past four-plus years. Are they taking jobs away from Americans in need? Are they a misunderstood and neglected key demographic for the future…

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Ammonite’s Stellar Performances Not Enough to Save It

Often times, love affairs begin when two people find solace each other from tough circumstances. A human refuge away from whatever struggles we’re facing, an empathetic ear that can relate to the pain we’ve been through and the…

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Nomadland and What Post-Industrial Collapse Hath Wrought

Some of us are born with wandering souls; traversing the world for meaning or peace or maybe simply adventure, always seeking answers in new places among new faces. Others come to amble about in response to the upending…

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