Usability lessons learned and yet to be learned

It took the Empress Elisabeth’s strongest lady’s maid an hour every morning to lace her stays. The Emperor Franz-Joseph’s wife Sisi, as she was fondly known to the subjects of the Austro-Hungarian empire, was famous for the narrowness of her waist, which reputedly measured 19 and a half inches; the slightest weight gain was a matter of seething public interest. It looks very much as if Vicky Krieps , who brings great complexity to her portrait of the empress in Marie Kreutzer ’s Un Certain Regard title Corsage , shares the imperial measurements. Let’s hope that is just a trick of the camera. So much corsetry — or corsage, the word we hear much used in the royal dressing-rooms of 19th-century Vienna — doesn’t leave much room for little things like ribs. Sisi was a Bavarian princess, given a liberal upbringing by her royal but bohemian parents, who married the emperor (Florian Teichtmeister: superbly restrained) when she was 16 and was on the throne for 44 years. … [Read more...] about Cannes Review: Vicky Krieps In ‘Corsage’

Child grooming is a tough subject to tackle, but Belgian director Emmanuelle Nicot takes a sensitive approach in her Critics Week feature Love According To Dalva . The key here is perspective: almost everything is shown from the point of view of a victim who has been taken into care, and who doesn’t realize she has been abused. Watching the truth slowly dawn upon her gives this film real tension, while also providing the possibility of recovery and enlightenment. Dalva (Zelda Samson) is a 12-year-old girl who dresses like a grown woman, wears make up and does not expect to be treated like a child. She’s horrified when she’s taken from her father and into a temporary facility for teenagers with problems. She’s even more dismayed when she learns that her father has been arrested. Slowly, it transpires that Dalva believes that the “love” he has shown her is perfectly normal — she has been hidden from the world and immersed in a relationship that she thought was consensual. … [Read more...] about Cannes Review: Emmanuelle Nicot’s ‘Love According To Dalva’

Netflix has given buzzy half-hour newcomer Heartstopper , from See-Saw Films, a two-season pickup. Multi-season renewals are rare at the streamer, and the one for Heartstopper is a testament to the coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama checking all the boxes as a Netflix success story. The streamer famously bases its renewal decisions on analyzing shows’ cost vs. performance. Developed and produced out of the U.K., Heartstopper, which Alice Oseman adapted from her graphic novel, has been an OK performer, spending three weeks in Netflix’s weekly global Top 10 rankings of English-language series since its April 22 debut, peaking at No. 5. (It has reached the Netflix Top Ten list in 54 countries.) But the modestly-budgeted British series, featuring young up-and-coming lead cast as well as Olivia Colman as a guest star and Stephe Fry as voiceover, has had a lightning-in-a-bottle outsized cultural impact. It is one of Netflix’s best-reviewed series with 100% on Rotten … [Read more...] about ‘Heartstopper’ Renewed For Seasons 2 & 3 By Netflix

EXCLUSIVE : Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo ( Harriet ) will lead cast alongside Being The Ricardos and Arrested Development star Alia Shawkat in Anthony Chen’s ( Ilo Ilo ) English-language debut Drift . The film reunites Call Me By Your Name producers Emilie Georges and Peter Spears and exec producer Naima Abed. Spears won the Best Picture Oscar last year for Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland . Drift follows a young Liberian refugee named Jacqueline (Erivo) who has barely escaped her war-torn country to a Greek island. She offers massages to tourists in exchange for one or two euros to battle her hunger, while her daily struggle for survival keeps the memories that haunt her at bay. She meets an unmoored tour guide (Shawkat) and the two become close as they each find hope in the other. Ibrahima Ba, who has a supporting role in Cannes 2022 title Father & Soldier , is also among cast. Filming is currently underway in Greece on the under-the-radar … [Read more...] about Cynthia Erivo & Alia Shawkat Lead Anthony Chen’s ‘Drift’ For ‘Call Me By Your Name’ & ‘Nomadland’ Producers — Cannes

W hen Steven Soderbergh began work on The Knick – his gritty, historical medical series for Cinemax, set in New York City in 1900 – he enjoyed replicating the era’s look, fashion and stomach-churning surgical practices. But one of the few things that was far too ghastly to replicate was the music. “Oh, it was horrible,” he says with a laugh. “Aesthetically, it’s a really cool period, but the music was absolutely boring and not interesting. Ragtime had just started – and there’s a tiny bit of that in the background of some scenes – but other than that, there was nothing good.” So the director turned to the only person he thought could give The Knick a unique sound: his frequent collaborator, Cliff Martinez. As the director filmed the show, he had been using shimmery EDM flourishes that Martinez had written for the 2012 teensploitation flick Spring Breakers and some of the composer’s wiry synth lines from his own 2011 pandemic disaster film, Contagion , as temporary … [Read more...] about Blood Brothers: Inside the Music of ‘The Knick’

‘D ear heavenly Father,” someone is saying to the silent room, “please give us the ability to touch this crowd.” All thirty-six members of D’Angelo ‘s touring band and crew are stuffed into his dressing room, hands linked, heads bowed in a large prayer circle. “And when our ability fails, Lord. Please. Take over.” The room answers with a loud “ mm-hmm. “ Prayer ends, and the entire group collapses into a giant moving hug, all yelling at once in a joyous din – “ Soultronic force! My re-deeeeem-er !” It seems they’re gearing up for some high-energy smash-mouth football. Or a musical mission. As the scrum disperses, D’Angelo turns to you and slaps you five. And nearly breaks your hand. D, as they call him, gives pounds with injurious intent – stiff-handed smacks that make a firecracker pop and then meld into a tight clamp, a finger snap, two fist bumps and another clamp, or some such combination. The more he likes you, the more he uses the strength in his bulky shoulders and … [Read more...] about D’Angelo Is Holding Your Hand

Getty/arts_undefined Robert Woods is ready to unleash a power and a force that you've never seen before -- the Los Angeles Rams receiver just copped these amazing custom cleats featuring the Blue Power Ranger!!! TMZ Sports has learned, the wideout wanted to add to his royal blue custom cleat collection ... so he hit up his go-to guy, artist Joe Castro , for the job. Castro tells us Woods is a huge Power Rangers fan and asked for his new joints to feature the classic '90s TV show -- so it was a no-brainer to go with the Blue Ranger! And, they're Morphenomenal!!! arts_undefined Castro says it only took 5 hours to complete the blue and white kicks featuring the detailed action superhero in full gear. It also has the Blue Ranger's Triceratops Dinozard symbol ... and, for those who don't remember, that's their robot that carries them into battle. Woods has been going off the last two weeks -- he logged in a total of 181 … [Read more...] about Robert Woods Cops Blue Power Ranger Cleats, It’s Morphin’ Time!

Valerie Harper -- whom doctors gave three months to live back in March due to her terminal brain cancer -- hasn't just defied medicine by staying alive ... she's signed on to " Dancing with the Stars ." As we reported, 74-year-old Harper -- famous for playing the role of Rhoda on " The Mary Tyler Moore Show " -- announced she had been diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare form of cancer in which cancer cells spread into the membrane surrounding the brain. Doctors gave her roughly until June to live ... but it's already August, and we've learned she's doing so well she is set to appear on the upcoming season of "Dancing," an extremely physically-demanding reality show. We're told Valerie and her partner Tristan have already been practicing for two days, and she's surprisingly good. Our sources say she's completely self-sufficient and doesn't need any special assistance ... at least so far. TMZ broke the story ... Leah Remini will also be on the next … [Read more...] about Valerie Harper — I’m ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Despite Terminal Brain Cancer

Leah Remini is going from Dianetics to disco ... TMZ has learned, the famous ex-Scientologist will appear in the upcoming season of " Dancing with the Stars " ... and Snooki will be making her post-pregnancy debut along with her. Sources close to production tell us, the former " King of Queens " actress is on the show. As we reported, Remini recently underwent a very public split from the Church of Scientology after raising questions about the disappearance of church leader David Miscavige 's wife Shelly. Remini filed a missing persons report regarding Shelly's disappearance in July, demanding answers, and the Church was NOT pleased ... ripping the actress for her wanton betrayal . FYI, police claim they made contact with Shelly in the wake of Remini's report and determined Remini's concerns were "unfounded." Eerie. In addition to Remini and Snooki, our sources say Elizabeth Berkley , Amber Riley from " Glee ," and Christina Milian will also … [Read more...] about Leah Remini — Screw Scientology … I’m ‘Dancing with the Stars’