Tag Archives: books

Movie Review: Lost Jewelry triggers romance in “The Christmas Ring”

“The Christmas Ring” is a new romance novel adaptation starring “One Tree Hill” alumna Jana Kramer and Benjamin Hollingsworth of the aptly-titled Netflix series “Virgin River.” It’s a slow, bloodless romance built on “anticipation” because there’s no conflict, little drama … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Young Germans use “Free Will” to see the line between “Truth & Treason”

It’s often not the strongest, the toughest or wisest among us who have the courage and common sense to know the difference between right and wrong, who have the guts to do something about injustice when the unjust have brainwashed … Continue reading

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Documentary Review: A Son Hunts for the WWII Pilot Father he Barely Knew beyond “The Green Box: At the Heart of War”

As World War II fades into history and the numbers of those who lived through it and can bear witness about it decline by the hour, the lessons of that era seem doomed to be forgotten. Generations have grown up … Continue reading

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Netflixable? Britain’s Best Join or are Pursued by “The Thursday Murder’s Club”

It’s not the silliest idea ever, taking “The Only Murders in the Building” and making the building Downton Abbey. “The Thursday Murders Club” is a lighthearted bit of senior sleuthing that takes a prime cut of Britain’s best and most … Continue reading

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Documentary Review: “Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation,” a Writer, a Book, a Legend and a Legacy

Natalie Merchant, the singer and songwriter of “Hey Jack Kerouac” among other hits, thinks that one reads and is swept up by his novel “On the Road” when young because “You’re kid of wired for it in adolescence.” The actor, … Continue reading

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Movie Review: A Maine Lobsterman can’t escape “The Ghost Trap” of his life

A script that leans into melodrama and wildly uneven performances are the undoing of “The Ghost Trap,” an immersive peek into Maine lobstering life and the people who live it. Zak Steiner and others in the cast doing the baiting, … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Broadbent “walks 500 miles” in “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent earns a fine showcase in “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” a sweet story of grief, regret, obligations and the kindness of strangers. It’s based on a novel by Rachel Joyce that seems inspired by any … Continue reading

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Classic Film Review: A Brit Baby Boomer lost in His Own World — “Billy Liar” (1963)

Falling into “Billy Liar” is no easy feat, even for a film buff, over sixty years after it was released. It’s been included in more than one list of “the 100 Best British Films Ever Made,” albeit in the bottom … Continue reading

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Classic Film Review: Emma and Hugh and Kate and Rickman and Austen and Ang Lee, “Sense and Sensibility” (1995)

Watching any movie with Jane Austen ties inevitably sends me back to at least one of my favorites among the films and TV series based on her works. “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” was no exception. It wouldn’t be “Emma” … Continue reading

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Movie Review: A writer, her mentor and “The Friend” Great Dane who takes over her life

You might have to be a dog lover to truly engage and “get” “The Friend,” a melancholy meditation on suicide, loss, character and our obligations to someone who has killed himself. And if you’re unsure about the depth of your … Continue reading

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