Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

You are here: Home / Popular Culture / Movie Review – L’enfant, With A Friend Like Harry, Time To Leave, Seaside, The Return

Movie Review – L’enfant, With A Friend Like Harry, Time To Leave, Seaside, The Return

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Warning: stacking any of these life-is-pain eurodramas with a Hiyao Miyazaki DVD in one CD sleeve could cause a massive explosion that destroys the Earth. I don’t mean to say that these are not well made, moving, thought-provoking critic-pleasers. Mostly they are, except for Seaside which could suck a golf ball through ten miles of garden hose. Still, after watching enough flawed people cause pain and then die or just drift along without learning or changing in any meaningful way, I could really go for some life lessons from a bug-eyed talking raccoon.

***

More candy for people who like bad reviews: Anthony Lane in the New Yorker on Nancy Drew.

Reader Interactions

11Comments

  1. 1.

    Walker

    Reviews in the New Yorker are like Scott Holleran’s reviews on Box Office Mojo. They hate movies so much that I cannot understand why they bother to review them. Perhaps it is a form of self-inflicted mutilation.

  2. 2.

    Pixie

    Oh how was the Return??? I heard about it one morning about a couple of years ago on NPR and I made up my mind to purchase it before my bf and I go to FL so I can force him to watch it with me :) I never forgot about that movie, and so far it has gotten really good reviews! And I LOVE Hayao Miyazaki, I loved Howl’s moving Castle :) Man

  4. 4.

    DougJ

    What about all the awful movies Clinton made in the 90s? How come you don’t link to any of the bad reviews of them?

  5. 5.

    demkat620

    I loved Howl’s moving Castle

    Excellent flick but, my kids loved Spirited Away

    They will watch that every week as if they are seeing it for the first time.

  7. 7.

    Chad N. Freude

    … the New Yorker … hate movies so much that I cannot understand why they bother to review them.

    Au contraire, the New Yorker critics take movies pretty seriously and they have no patience with the stupid, the bad, and the stupidly bad. In particular, Anthony Lane is witty (not snarky) and perceptive, and he writes very entertaining criticism. I think his Nancy Drew review is a classic.

  8. 8.

    grumpy realist

    Spirited Away is even better if you have a background in Japanese culture. Miyazaki has taken all of the cliches about a Japanese furusato and Ye Traditionale Japan and twisted every one of them gently and with great humor. His spirits are especially amusing–some taken from Japanese ghost tales, some taken from prior Miyazaki movies (the little dust spirits, for example.) And I’m pretty sure at least one of the spirits came from a kids cartoon back in the 70s….

  9. 9.

    Pixie

    I love Spirited Away too! :) I can relate to the kids watching it over and over and over :) I used to go to sleep to it everynight for like 3 weeks. :)

  10. 10.

    DougJ

    Anthony Lane is witty (not snarky) and perceptive, and he writes very entertaining criticism.

    I disagree, he’s just a narcissistic smart ass. David Denby is better.

    But I’m biased: if it were socially acceptable, I would keep a shrine to Pauline Kael in in my living room, next to the DVD player.

  11. 11.

    Mr Furious

    Is “With a Friend Like Harry” a French thriller/black comedy from a few years back? Saw that at the BAM back when I lived in NYC. Great flick.

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