Eye opening surgery

The doings of the international art world often seem arcane and over the top, but never moreso than as depicted in The Man Who Sold His Skin . This is a madly dramatic and engrossing melodrama about a political refugee whose unique predicament bundles with it issues pertaining to personal and political identity, the Middle East quagmire, romantic rejection and the outer limits of art world presumption and extravagance. Tunisia’s shortlisted submission in the International Feature Oscar race is a very tasty couscous of fine ingredients and flat-out entertaining enough to warrant significant international exposure. Kaouther Ben Hania ’s follow-up to her 2017 Cannes Un Certain Regard selection Beauty And The Dogs is notable for its gutsy narrative moves, rich visuals and sheer drive, which marks her, along with her notably resourceful and elegant Lebanese cinematographer Christopher Aoun, as talents who should emerge even more decisively before long. Related … [Read more...] about Int’l Critics Line: Todd McCarthy On Tunisia’s Oscar-Shortlisted ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’

“ What ?” Oprah Winfrey can be many things in her capacity as an interviewer: Serene. Nurturing. Familiar. Probing. Occasionally naive in the way that only someone as rich and famous as her can be. What she almost never is, though? Flummoxed. Yet with that one quick syllable, and the expression that launched a thousand memes to go along with it, no other word better describes her response. This was the moment of Oprah With Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special where it became clear that Oprah’s interview with the royal couple would wildly exceed the already formidable hype leading up to it. Meghan, the biracial actor-turned-duchess, had just revealed that in the run-up to the birth of her son Archie, someone highly placed in the royal family had expressed concern about how dark the baby’s skin would be. And Oprah’s face spoke for so many of us: Related Stories 'Were You Silent or Silenced?' The 5 Biggest Reveals from Harry and Meghan's Oprah Interview … [Read more...] about Oprah’s Interview with Harry and Meghan Dragged the Monarchy, Made for Great TV

The 15 shortlisted films vying to become one of the five Best International Feature nominees at the 2021 Academy Awards are a surprising and creatively engaging bunch. Their stories often are drenched in history — much of it tragic and disturbing — and turbulent social and political currents course through any number of them. Just four of the 15 were directed by familiar names so, for the most part, the filmmakers behind these works are in the early stages of their careers, which can only create optimism and excitement about what these up-and-comers will do in the future. Oscar nominations will be revealed on March 15. I’ve now seen all of the contenders and must say that it was, for the most part, stimulating to encounter so many fresh voices from some often little-heard-from realms of the cinematic world. Fewer than half of the semi-finalists come from countries typically thought of as regularly representing the cinematic front-rank — France, Iran, Denmark, Mexico, … [Read more...] about Oscars: Todd McCarthy’s Top Picks For Best International Feature Nominations

There’s perhaps no one in the music industry more well-positioned for leadership than Ethiopia Habtemariam, who became chairman and CEO of Motown Records last week. Habtemariam, 41, has worked in music since she was a teenager, interning for LaFace and Elektra. She forwent a college education and worked up the ranks in music publishing at Universal before becoming Motown’s president in 2014, where she ushered in a renaissance for the historic record label — securing major partnerships with Quality Control and Blacksmith and bringing in a roster of prolific hip-hop artists. Motown’s place in the industry shifted from housing legendary R&B acts like the Jackson Five and the Supremes to pushing new chart-toppers such as Lil Baby, City Girls, and Migos. Related Stories Lamont Dozier Remembers Mary Wilson: 'She Was the Glue That Kept the Supremes Together' Mary Wilson, Co-Founder of Supremes, Dead at 76 Related Stories Jerry Jeff Walker's … [Read more...] about Ethiopia Habtemariam, Motown Records’ New CEO, on Recentering Black Music in Culture