“The Farewell” highlights the cultural divide between east and west, but it also emphasizes the commonalities between the two in terms of love of family and the difficulty of coming to terms with death. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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“The Recovering” further cements the belief that redemption that leads to a life worth living is always possible. Even in the darkest of one’s days, life can still be a series of second chances that all of us have a right to.
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With “Pinkerton”, Weezer elevated themselves to the level of indie rock darlings. With the “Teal album”, they’ve turned into an embarrassing tribute band.
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With the emotionally complex and brilliant “Shoplifters”, Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has become one of this generation’s most gifted directors. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review of probably one of the best films of the last decade.
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‘Indecent’ is about the persistence of art and memory, especially in the darkest of times. CGTN’s Culture Curmudgeon reviews Paula Vogel’s masterpiece.
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Motherhood is hard, especially if you’re a career woman who seemingly “has it all.” The Culture Curmudgeon reviews “Cry It Out” and reflects on the madness and miracle of becoming a parent.
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There are only two reasons why you should see “Bohemian Rhapsody”. First, it’s a flashy nostalgia trip about Queen’s music. Second, Rami Freakin’ Malek. Watch him and be amazed. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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“The Fall” is about the fight of South Africans for a more equal society. It’s a story of struggle that resonates deeply with the state of American politics and race relations today. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Studio Theatre’s “If I Forget” reminds us that we can’t choose our families, but it doesn’t mean we can’t love them. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review
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On the surface, “Crazy Rich Asians” is a great romantic comedy. But dig a little deeper and it’s a scathing indictment of the rich and their lifestyle. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” harkens back to a kinder America where everyone was willing to welcome the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses regardless of where they’re from. The Culture Curmudgeon looks back fondly on Fred Rogers’ legacy.
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“The Remains” isn’t about the redemptive power of love either. If anything, Ken Urban’s play kicks Cupid in the privates, rips the audience’s collective heart out of their chests and stomps on it. It’s not a play that reaffirms marriages. Instead, it calls into question why we even get into relationships at all.
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These are extraordinary times in U.S. politics and race relations. That’s why Arena Stage’s version of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” is must see theater in Washington D.C. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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There’s a reason why “The Winter’s Tale” is one of William Shakespeare’s lesser known plays. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review of Aaron Posner’s visually appealing, but ultimately disappointing production.
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History ignored, history repeated again and again. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeoin’s review of “Hold These Truths” and why it’s ultimately a hopeful take on the promise of America.
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Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” is not just a great action flick, it’s also probably the angriest superhero movie I’ve ever seen. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review
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“Familiar” is about family and finding one’s place in the world regardless of how strange and alien it is. Here’s my latest review.
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Despite its flaws, “Sovereignty” is an important work especially in this age of Trump. Here’s my review of the production playing at Arena Stage.
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Teenagers have always had it rough. “The Wolves” shows they’re more resilient than you think. Here’s my review of Sarah DeLappe’s excellent play.
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“The Way of the World” looks at the lives of the wealthy: a slapstick comedy on the surface with a very dark underbelly.
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The struggles these women face are nuanced and painful. Like Miss Simone herself, Ham’s play is not always an ease to watch — and that’s why it’s so brilliant.
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Aside from an inter-racial cast, nothing about the Arena Stage’s production reflects anything that’s transpired in the 63 years since the musical first premiered on roadway in 1954.
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For anyone who has ever been in an argument, storyteller and comedian Daniel Kitson will make you think and then think twice.
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Take the tragedy down a notch, and pump up the sexuality. Why the Culture Curmudgeon believes Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” is a better version of Romeo and Juliet.
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We can’t choose our families but we can choose how to recover from them. Or not. Here’s Ahmad Coo’s review of Arena Stage’s production of Arthur Miller’s “The Price”, a fascinating study of the American family dynamic.
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When you look at your boy/girlfriend wife/husband who do you see? Do you see a person you love or someone you regret? Lucy Prebble’s “The Effect” goes inside your head to find out.
Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s loving review.
“High and Low” is one of the greatest films ever made: both a police procedural and a scathing portrait of postwar Japan. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review of one of Akira Kurosawa’s lesser known master works.
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The American dream is alive and well in Dominique Morisseau’s “Skeleton Crew”, but it’s not the version your parents grew up with. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Every once in a while, there are films that become masterworks of art. Kogonada’s “Columbus” is in that elite group. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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The Big Sick was undeniably funny and heartbreaking. But its take on race and culture got in the way. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Atomic Blonde was the movie Wonder Woman should have been. Charlize Theron shows everyone who’s boss. Here’s the latest from our Culture Curmudgeon.
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Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ is probably one of the greatest films about war ever made. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Radiohead’s OK Computer is one of those albums that will remain ageless. The band’s dystopian vision of the future is still vital.
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The 1980s were spectacular years for Japan’s economy and society, until they weren’t. Juzo Itami’s “A Taxing Woman” shows how it all went wrong. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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For all its groundbreaking firsts, “Wonder Woman” could have been so much more. Try harder next time Hollywood. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Age is just a number, that is until your mind starts to unravel. ‘The Father’ explores the steady and tragic decline of a man in his twilight years. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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We are mercurial, unpredictable creatures prone to inconsistencies and hysteria. Sometimes we appear to have everything together but underneath our stolid exterior lies an amorphous blob of anxiety- a mixture of insecurities, ignorance and fear.
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Arena Stage’s ‘Smart People’ isn’t so smart and not that funny either. Unless you’re a fan of stupid television sitcoms, take a rain check and wait for the next season. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeons review.
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Fate of the Furious has all the fun, excitement and unintended hilarity of a big, dumb, and loud Hollywood summer blockbuster. Those who mistake it for anything else should get their heads examined. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review.
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Trainspotting 2 is funny. But not the funny most of us would expect. The laughter I hear in my head is from people defeated by life.
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People don’t really suck. According to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, the problem is way worse than that. Here’s the Culture Curmudgeon’s review of “Three Sisters” playing at Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre.
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Depending on your politics, the Trump presidency is either a disaster, godsend, maybe even both. While some blame Obama for leading to his rise, others think differently.
In the play Intelligence, the blame mostly lies on number 43. Our Culture Curmudgeon decides who’s right.
Racism is alive and well and social tensions have never been higher, especially in Trump’s America. But as Raoul Peck’s new film ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ about the late James Baldwin tells us, those racial divisions have never really gone away.
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Jim Jarmusch’s latest film ‘Paterson’ is a tribute to the people who brave everyday drudgeries and humiliations. It also highlights the magic of gratitude and the million little things in life we take for granted.
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Some are skeptical about how he serious is about retiring from hip hop, but then again Yasiin Bey isn’t really like most of his peers.
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Our Culture Curmudgeon Ahmad Coo shares his experience watching the socially reflective, ever-so-timely “The Black Side of the Moon”
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Korean American playwright Young Jean Lee takes on the quagmire of identity politics in the U.S. And it’s not all good, brah.
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“Moby Dick” is a tale of revenge and a multi-layered allegory of modern life.
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Oh Bill, Billy, Billy-boy, you’re an insufferable idiot… A modern appreciation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL, currently playing at Arena Stage in Washington, DC.
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