Word: realism
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...often, though, the Academy has rewarded films at the high end of mediocrity, operating within a narrow band of reassuring realism. They're called "movies of quality," which really means movies of piety--stories of cozy spiritual uplift (Mrs. Miniver, Going My Way) or, more recently, of superior damaged creatures (Rain Man, A Beautiful Mind). And they're often chosen over edgier fare. Thus, in 1977 the softhearted Rocky beat four superior films (All the President's Men, Bound for Glory, Network and Taxi Driver), and in 1982 another inspirational sports movie, Chariots of Fire, won out over Reds...
...more ways than one. During a crisis of confidence in his 20s, he ran into Mahfouz at a hotel in Alexandria and received a three-hour pep talk from the master. Rejecting the Arab vogue for postmodernism, Al Aswany has stayed true to the Mahfouz tradition of social realism. And like Mahfouz, he has a gift for writing literary page turners that are endlessly discussed by café intellectuals while also being accessible to Egyptians who normally have more time for Al-Ahly, their favorite football team. "He is read everywhere," says Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury, editor of Al-Mulhaq...
...accents. Although Hecht’s performance as Susan is strong, the lackluster chemistry between Jon and Susan is not as engaging as the sheer comedy of Hecht’s other roles. As a business executive, her dripping condescension is excruciating—and hilarious in its realism. The powerful musical accompaniment puts the “BOOM!” in “tick, tick…BOOM!” Given that the Pool Theatre is quite a small venue, the rock band that accompanies the actors’ performances is a surprisingly strong presence without...
...enforced concern for someone they don't really like very much forces them out of their defensive crouches - forces them, too, to take somewhat better control of their own lives. I wouldn't call the film inspirational - it is too well observed to succumb to easy sentiment - but its realism is patiently engaging and subtly insinuating. And Linney and Hoffman are extraordinary; refusing to beg for our sympathy, they earn it moment by quotidian moment in performances so good, so lacking in showy effect, that they are almost certain to be overlooked this awards season. But that's OK. Honesty...
...include, “Very well, I will marry you only if you don’t make me eat eggplant” and “Ha! Your father used to have sex in the very same position.” Moments like these bring back the magical realism so distinctive to Márquez’s text. Despite the film’s flaws, the novel’s themes resonate throughout the final scenes, elevating the movie out of its prior mediocrity. In the end, Florentino orders the captain of his ship to raise the yellow...