Year: 2012

Think the recession is just about money? In actuality, it has as much to do with human nature and conscious creation as it does with economics, as the Oscar-nominated movie “Margin Call” helps illustrate. Read more about this in my latest VividLife post, ‘Margin Call’ dissects the financial meltdown with keen precision, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, click here ...

How do we see ourselves and what we want out of life, and do those perceptions limit or inspire us? Such ideas are among those explored in Dreams, preconceptions, identity under review in ‘Albert Nobbs’, my latest VividLife post, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the film, click here ...

How much power is there in an apology and its subsequent acceptance? Find out in the inspiring documentary “Fambul Tok,” the subject of my latest VividLife review, ‘Fambul Tok’ reveals the power of forgiveness, available by clicking here. And to find out more about the film, click here ...

The 84th Academy Award nominations were announced last week, and most of those receiving Oscar nods followed projections, with a few surprises (and snubs) thrown in just to keep things interesting. But making predictions on this year’s winners is a bit trickier than in the past; with roughly a month to go until Oscar night, there are some genuine horse races in progress, unlike recent years, when most of the recipients were pretty much foregone conclusions. So, with that said, here’s what I expect out of the major categories in this year’s competition as of now. Best Picture Nominees: “The Artist,” “The Descendants,” “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” “The Help,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball,” “The Tree of Life,” “War Horse”The Field: This category pretty much shaped up as expected, although the inclusion of “The Tree of Life” was a bit of a surprise (it came out early in the year, didn’t screen widely, was seen as a little too esoteric for mainstream audiences and failed to receive the glowing accolades domestically that it garnered overseas at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned the prestigious Palme d’Or, the Festival’s top honor.) The same could be said of the nomination ...

Portraying the events of 9/11 on screen is a daunting task — and, regrettably, one that’s easy to get wrong. Read more about my views on this in ‘Extremely Loud…’ proves incredibly unsatisfying, my VividLife review of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” available by clicking here. And to find out more about the movie, visit the film’s official web site ...

“Going deep” is more than a sports term; it’s a metaphysical concept as well. To find out more, read The Benefits of Going Deep, my latest post FengSHe post, available by clicking here ...