i give it a B+ (definite A+ for james gandolfini tho):
September 26, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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September 26, 2009
by mara.ahmed
0 comments
i give it a B+ (definite A+ for james gandolfini tho):
September 16, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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i believe patterns exist everywhere – in life, in art, in relationships. lovely patterns, ever-repeating, delicately wrought like lacework – patterns which crave balance and symmetry. lately my conversations with friends have been about art – art as a radical … Continue reading
August 30, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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i know it’s unfair to compare everything tarantino does to “pulp fiction” – it’s just never gonna happen again. i know that. but “inglourious basterds” left me disappointed. the premise of the film is unusual – an alternative end to … Continue reading
June 29, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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as i began to read hélène cixous, the first thing that struck me was the awesome power of her writing. it’s hard to describe — it’s poetic, non-linear, complex, yet cogent enough for “the laugh of the medusa” to have … Continue reading
June 27, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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so after years of being egged on by my brother, i finally saw “donnie darko” last night. what a trip! the film is a rich mix of psychological thriller, science fiction, comedy and drama. it doesn’t have a single dull … Continue reading
June 25, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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dark woody allen film in the tradition of “crimes and misdemeanors”. inspired by greek tragedies, it explores the apparent steadiness of family bonds, the moral blindness engendered by ambition and greed, the finality of crime and the psychosis that it … Continue reading
June 20, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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katy lena ndiaye’s “awaiting for men” is set in the beautiful red-walled city of oualata, in southeastern mauritania. the film is based on a series of intimate interviews with three women who speak with candor about their relationships with men. … Continue reading
June 8, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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another cildo meireles installation at the museu d’art contemporani de barcelona was called “red shift”. in physics the term describes the stretching of light as it travels through expanding space on its way to the earth. but meireles is referring … Continue reading
June 3, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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June 3, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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saw this stunning installation in barcelona. a group of 2,000 bones hang from the ceiling. lit beautifully, they look like an opulent, heavy chandelier that looms over a sandbox filled with glistening pennies. the money is connected to the bones … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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directed by andrucha waddington, “the house of sand” was shot in brazil’s northern state of maranhão with its pristine beaches, lagoons and sand dunes. the landscape is so stunning and otherworldly that it conflates into mood, theme and character. the … Continue reading
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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so strong, so incisive, so pithy, so intelligent. i am blown away. it would take pages and pages of words to convey the impact of this image. wow.
May 28, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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Whoever Reads Bourgeois Newspapers Becomes Blind and Deaf: Away with These Stultifying Bandages!, 1930, John Heartfield
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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saw this doc at high falls this year – excellent! “if we don’t fight for our freedoms every day, we will lose them.” MARTIN GARBUS
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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here is saleh bakri once again in a film that sounds terrific – “the time that remains” directed by elia suleiman. i like what suleiman says about being surrounded by politics and using film to escape that oppressive influence. check … Continue reading
May 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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talking of images and their effect on transforming culture, here is an exhibit by christopher slack. in view of the statements he is trying to make about war and violence, what do u think? i like the idea of the … Continue reading
May 21, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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i like this.
May 18, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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many reviews describe “laila’s birthday” as funny and humorous. some go so far as to compare the film’s lead actor mohamed bakri to buster keaton. i got a different vibe from the film. filmed in ramallah, in the west bank, … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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shot in southern kazakhstan, “tulpan” has the feel of a documentary. it proceeds at a languorous pace, exploring in great detail the life of nomadic sheepherders, etched against the vastness of the kazakh steppe. tulpan means tulip. it is the … Continue reading
May 17, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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just saw an extraordinary documentary at the high falls film festival: “youssou ndour: i bring what i love”. visually stunning, larger than life, like africa, and infused with the beauty of ndour’s voice and personality. a work of art. a … Continue reading
May 4, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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revolutionary road: steep descent into hellish world of disjointed marriage, 9 to 5 corporate bondage, and anesthetic, skin-deep suburban life. kate winslet is radiant as usual. she is trapped, suffocating in her perfect family life. leo dicaprio is uneasy in … Continue reading
April 9, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“Israel’s recent bombing and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, Operation Cast Lead, killed 1,417 Palestinians; thirteen Israelis were killed, five by friendly fire. Thousands of Palestinians were seriously wounded and left without adequate medical care, shelter or food. Among … Continue reading
April 6, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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most people seated in the orchestra section of the eugene o’neill theater (april 4th, matinee performance) probably knew that i was a jane fonda fan. when i turned to my neighbor, a middle aged woman with forbiddingly short hair, and … Continue reading
March 29, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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doug rice, who was director of artwalk for 10 years, has now renovated an old church building on atlantic avenue and created the latest theater space in rochester. small and intimate, with excellent acoustics and ample lights, the space is … Continue reading
March 24, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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il y a longtemps que je t’aime (i’ve loved you for so long) a quiet, insightful performance by kristin scott thomas. not many actors can have the camera glued to them for the major duration of a film and come … Continue reading
March 7, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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two girlfriends and i went to buffalo yesterday to listen to joan copjec talk about “the imaginal world: islam, psychoanalysis, and the cinema of abbas kiaostami”, part of a lecture series at the albright knox art gallery. we left a … Continue reading
February 23, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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saw the hottest play in london “entertaining mr sloane”. it was cool to see imelda staunton on stage – just loved her in vera drake. the acting was solid. the humor was dark and twisted with loads of sexual innuendo … Continue reading
February 14, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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this is a lovely song by eddie vedder from the film “into the wild”. directed with an artist’s eye by sean penn, the film has much lyricism. it’s the true story of christopher mccandless, a bright young man who decided … Continue reading
February 14, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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saw “the wrestler” last week. i know that everyone’s saying it but nevertheless, mickey rourke is magnificent in this film. his performance is so honest, it’s heartbreaking. don’t get me wrong, this is not a sentimental film. like it’s hero … Continue reading
February 10, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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attended a lecture by dr jonathan shay last sunday at the memorial art gallery. dr shay uses the study of homer’s iliad and odyssey to understand the plight of soldiers today. he recommends training and various techniques of cohesion and … Continue reading
January 26, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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so after being pestered by my friends for the umpteenth time, i finally went and saw “slumdog millionaire”. it was different from what i expected – less bollywood, more “city of god”. the colors are supersaturated, the cinematography is brisk, … Continue reading
January 12, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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just saw “man from plains” by jonathan demme – excellent film about a most excellent man. i look at carter – his life and his work – and hope that the measure of twenty first century cool will be: striving … Continue reading
January 4, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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“train to pakistan” by khushwant singh one of the seminal books about the partition of india, “train to pakistan” is a relatively short book, at about 190 pages. yet it encapsulates the madness and ambiguity of partition with masterly precision. … Continue reading
January 2, 2009
by mara.ahmed
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this film, by the amazing iranian director majid majidi, is tender and lyrical. it is more like a poem than a film and watching it is much like a profound, religious experience. the film starts with 8-year old mohammed learning … Continue reading
December 22, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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“the dark night” is really dark – and hectic and relentless. after 2 ½ hours of psycho violence and head-spinning action, i was ready for some kind of conclusion, even if evil was going to win the day. yes, the … Continue reading
November 23, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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recently saw “persepolis”, the animated film by marjane satrapi. the film is inspired by satrapi’s comic books persepolis 1 and 2 about her life in iran and europe, but the drawings have not been simply transferred to another medium. instead … Continue reading
September 12, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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my first time at the toronto film festival. movies are sold out. rush lines don’t sound too promising. tickets are $20 per film so i wanna watch something i’m at least curious about. it’s a day trip so 6 hours … Continue reading
April 7, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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it’s too funny that right after i saw and wrote about “the 400 blows” here comes this terrific essay about the french new wave and truffaut and godard’s friendship, “cinema revolution”, the new yorker, april 7, 2008. here is an … Continue reading
April 7, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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writers and books’ initiative “if all of rochester read the same book” featured laila lalami’s “hope and other dangerous pursuits”. laila is a moroccan american writer based in california. her blog, which has been on my blog roll since day … Continue reading
March 26, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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this last monday went to see “thomas repair” at geva. this was one of the best play readings i’ve been to so far, and i’ve been to many. truth be told, it was hardly a reading. the cast was solid … Continue reading
March 22, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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just saw truffaut’s first film “the 400 blows” – most excellent. a young boy’s lonely life gradually veers into disorder, ending at a reform school for delinquents. jean pierre leaud, the film’s 13 year old star, is absolutely stunning as … Continue reading
March 20, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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i had been dying to see this film. i had read reviews in the new yorker and other magazines and everyone seemed to agree that this was one brilliant film. for me it didn’t hurt that it was in french … Continue reading
February 16, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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went to see “evie’s waltz” by carter w. lewis at geva theatre. the reading was part of geva’s american voices series. what an explosive play – full of conflict and contradictions, bitterness, delusions, verbal violence and physical aggression. danny’s bizarre … Continue reading
January 28, 2008
by mara.ahmed
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at a time when big budget films like “atonement” (dizzyingly beautiful cinematography but story-wise much ado about nothing) and “3.10 to yuma” (beautiful wide-lens cinematography but flimsy storyline steadily crumbling into a sad pile of film debris) are making the … Continue reading
November 10, 2007
by mara.ahmed
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last thursday i saw theresa thanjan’s “whose children are these?” at the u of r. it is a documentary about how post 9/11 domestic national security measures have affected the lives of three muslim teenagers. the film focuses on one … Continue reading
October 29, 2007
by mara.ahmed
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i’ve been interested in this play ever since playwright john patrick shanley’s interview on npr. i followed the play’s fortunes off broadway and read the reviews. cherry jones won widespread accolades. all in all, the play didn’t do too badly … Continue reading
September 22, 2007
by mara.ahmed
3 Comments
NYWIFT or new york women in film and television’s rochester chapter opened last week with the screening of the documentary “beyond belief” at the little theatre. the film recreates the step by step progression in the story of two 9/11 … Continue reading
September 18, 2007
by mara.ahmed
2 Comments
just saw this play reading at geva theatre. “dov and ali” was written by anna ziegler and describes the relationship between a precocious muslim student of pakistani descent and a jewish high school teacher. both are unduly burdened by their … Continue reading
August 23, 2007
by mara.ahmed
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gillo pontecorvo’s 1966 film is a perfect example of italian neorealism with its documentary-style veracity, on location casbah scenes, non-professional algerian arab actors and its undeniably socialist heart. the film is about the algerian war of independence against french colonial … Continue reading
August 17, 2007
by mara.ahmed
1 Comment
saw pedro almodóvar’s “volver”, a story about mothers, daughters and the indomitable female spirit. the film is beautifully shot and a perfect vehicle for penelope cruz’s talents. having worked with almodóvar before, the actress and director seem to have a … Continue reading