Monthly Archives: March 2023

Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Posted on March 25, 2023 by philipbrasor

A book review that appeared in Harper’s about a year ago analyzed the movies of Nicolas Cage as a kind of literary exercise, and while the critic who tackled this assignment was careful to keep his tongue firmly in cheek … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Consumers will be paying for Tepco’s mistakes forever

Posted on March 24, 2023 by philipbrasor

On March 22, the Fukuoka District Court dismissed a lawsuit brought against the government by a regional electrical power company that claimed a surcharge added to all electricity bills nationwide to pay compensation to victims of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear … Continue reading →

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Review: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Posted on March 23, 2023 by philipbrasor

Though I was the age that would have been the target at the time for the first of Bernard Waber’s series of children’s books about a singing crocodile that appeared in 1962, this live-action/CGI musical version is my first encounter … Continue reading →

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Review: Moonage Daydream

Posted on March 22, 2023 by philipbrasor

The curious thing about Brett Morgen’s massive documentary about David Bowie is the way he juxtaposes the self-regarding artistic magnificence of the Bowie brand with the effect it had on his audience. By no means a biography of the definitive … Continue reading →

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“Mr. Sunshine” settles historical scores, whether it means to or not

Posted on March 20, 2023 by philipbrasor

Last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, to settle a wartime labor compensation dispute between his country and its former colonizer brought about by Koreans who say they or their forebears … Continue reading →

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Review: The Gospel According to Andre

Posted on March 18, 2023 by philipbrasor

It would have been interesting to see what kind of documentary The Gospel According to Andre would have turned into had it been delayed several years until after the death in January 2022 of its subject, famed fashion journalist Andre … Continue reading →

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Review: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish/Official Competition

Posted on March 17, 2023 by philipbrasor

Self-aware and fairly shameless as a performer, Antonio Banderas has become that rarest of movie stars, the guy who finds joy in every role he takes without necessarily finding artistic fulfillment. It’s not so much that he’s happy to get … Continue reading →

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Review: Yokai no Mago

Posted on March 16, 2023 by philipbrasor

The title of this new Japanese documentary translates as “Grandchild of the Monster,” with “monster” referring to the late Nobusuke Kishi, who was prime minister from 1957 to 1960 and often called the “monster of the Showa Era.” The term … Continue reading →

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Review: The Son

Posted on March 15, 2023 by philipbrasor

Though I thought the movie was better than others did, I agree that Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning performance as the titular character in Florian Zeller’s The Father lifted it higher than it probably deserved. Hopkins also appears briefly in Zeller’s new … Continue reading →

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Director Shin Su-won discusses “Hommage”

Posted on March 10, 2023 by philipbrasor

Here is the transcript of my email conversation with South Korean director Shin Su-won, whose latest film, Hommage, opens today in Tokyo and throughout Japan. My article about the movie, which portrays a director, not unlike Shin herself, struggling to … Continue reading →

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