One of the greatest novels of the 21st century so far, Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake” nearly defies adaptation. Spanning multiple decades, languages, and metropolises, Lahiri’s novel follows the life of Gogol Ganguli, a first-generation Indian American, and his oft-contentious relationship with his ethnic identity. Luckily, the best filmmaker for the job stepped up to the […]

Jeff Bridges may be forever identified with the role of Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski in “The Big Lebowski,” but he’s had plenty of other roles that didn’t involve puttering around in his bathrobe and jelly sandals, sniffing half-and-half creamer cartons in the supermarket. Bridges won an Academy Award for his 2009 role in “Crazy Heart,” and over the […]

Before “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” we thought we knew who Ang Lee was as a filmmaker. This was a man who made low-key dramas and comedies about repressed emotions, usually within the context of a family. Films like “Eat Drink Man Woman” and “The Ice Storm” were stories about people struggling to express their feelings […]

When thinking about the career of Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, “creepy” is likely not the first word that comes to mind. Known for his incredible collaborative efforts in Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy and dramatic roles in films like “Gattaca” and “Training Day,” Hawke intentionally spent years avoiding villainous or horrific roles, not wanting to […]

The “Star Wars” sequel trilogy has come and gone, “The Mandalorian” spearheaded the franchise’s shift towards streaming, and now the future of stories set in that galaxy far, far away somehow seems both bright and oddly murky at the same time. As much as Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have taken charge of the direction […]

The “Star Wars” franchise is an ever-evolving one, and current developments including “Obi-Wan Kenobi” warrant a grander plan in terms of future direction. And there seems to be a solid plan already in motion: Taika Waititi’s own “Star Wars” project, which was under the wraps for quite some time, is next in the pipeline for […]

The oddest things inspire us sometimes. A chance remark could inspire a film. The color of a leaf could inspire a painting. The passing of a friend can inspire you to take a job you might not have considered before. According to The Guardian, the last is the reason we have Neil Gaiman as showrunner […]

Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain has nearly made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut twice. The actor was presented with roles in two prominent MCU films: back when the superhero film universe was setting its foundations with the third “Iron Man” movie featuring Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role, and later, in “Doctor Strange” starring Benedict […]

The very first film produced under the Studio Ghibli banner was Hayao Miyazaki‘s “Castle in the Sky” in 1986. Miyazaki’s screenplay was based partly on Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel “Gulliver’s Travels,” which featured a floating island called Laputa populated by a people known as the Balnibarbi, who have devoted their lives to academics and the […]

At this point, it feels like there have already been 13 movies made about the 2018 Thai cave rescue, with “The Cave,” “The Rescue,” and now Ron Howard’s “Thirteen Lives” flooding the market — not unlike the cave system where 12 boys and their soccer coach were once trapped and in need of rescue. “Thirteen Lives,” […]