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Office Space
A late ’90s classic that captures what office work is really like. That’s not something Hollywood does well. This isn’t the ham-fisted satire of Gerwig’s Mattel scenes (what a contrast from Ladybird). This is white-collar working life written by someone who knows something about it. “Write what you know,” turns out be pretty good advice.…
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The World Is Spinning
As of a week ago, Wednesday, the world was spinning. I do not mean literally spinning — though of course that’s true regardless of the date. Nor do I mean this metaphorically as in picking some political or cultural event and suggesting that it is somehow new and world-turning. I give it as a statement…
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Brooklyn
A remarkably faithful adaptation of Colm Toibin’s excellent novel. It has most of the strengths of the book (courtesy of a fine and well-cast group of actors) and also its biggest weakness. Because what Eilis does when she returns to Ireland didn’t feel either right or true when I read the book and still feels…
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Learning How To Think vs. Learning To Think For Yourself
Is a college a place to learn how to think or a place where you learn to think for yourself? Caitlan Flanagan argues that colleges telling their students they’ll learn how to think are being lied to – and all they get is what to think. She’s right. And she’s wrong. TW2BR explains why.
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In Defense of Bourgeois Values
“The term “bourgeois” has almost always been — been one of contempt. Yet it is precisely the — the bourgeoisie which is responsible for — well, for nearly everything good which has happened in our civilization over the past four centuries.” Charlie Black — Metropolitan Nothing is more important to living a good life than…
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Metropolitan
Why has Whit Stillman made so few movies? His filmography is great. Sure, it’s tailor made for someone like me, but I note that most of his (very modestly budgeted movies) seem to have done okay at the box office. His U.H.B (Urban Haute Bourgeoisie) trilogy (which Metropolitan kicks off) is unique. Each movie is…
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Heat
In some alternate, happier Michael Mann universe, Robert De Niro just keeps driving to LAX and Pacino has the shootout with Kevin Gage’s Waingro. Justice wouldn’t be served, but I’d like that ending very much – and not just because it would be so unexpected. But even if we all know that De Niro and…
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Democracy and the Good Life: The Politicization of the Self
Modern political ideologies are nothing more (nor less) than lifestyle brands built to capture votes in the democratic marketplace. They are the shallow, intellectually incoherent two-buck chuck of the political world: sweet, deeply addictive, and very cheap to acquire. These ideologies have already exacted a terrible toll on our democracy and they may or may…
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First Cow
This movie currently stands at 3.7 stars on Amazon and, honestly, it doesn’t deserve more. So why recommend it? For 90% of its runtime, it’s really good. The story about a remarkably sweet cook, his growing friendship with a wanderer from China, and their struggles to build a life in the barely settled Oregon Territory,…
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Escape from New York
Bear with me here. I’m not saying Escape from New York is a good movie. It most definitely is not. But it is a fun movie. Like Highlander, it would benefit hugely from a remake. Many of the special effects are risible. Some of the casting decisions are worse than that. Donald Pleasance (surely one…
We are not rational animals, we are animals that must work to be rational
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