“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” ignites the norms of masculine art

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” ignites the norms of masculine art

In the wake of the 92nd Academy Award Ceremony, in which no women were nominated for the Best Director category, many were outraged at Hollywood constantly overlooking female direction. Critics of this latest Oscars snub were quick to post to social media and speak to journalists, many echoing similar sentiments: that women can direct movies just like men. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” proves this statement wrong: women direct movies both differently and better than men.

Five College Film Festival inspires creativity in the Consortium

Five College Film Festival inspires creativity in the Consortium

At first, Amherst College’s Stirn Auditorium — this year’s location of the 2020 Five College Film Festival — was almost empty, save for a few students chatting about last-minute preparations. The only indication I was in the right place were the programs on the front table and the festival flyer on the auditorium projection screen. But soon, people started pouring in, filling the air with a sense of artistic pretentiousness and a kind of off-beat humor that only 200 film students could produce.

“Call of the Wild” successfully reimagines Jack London’s classic novel with CGI Buck

Released Feb. 21, “Call of the Wild,” starring Harrison Ford, traces the journey of Buck — a large Saint Bernard — as he and Harrison’s character, John, explore the Alaskan wilderness in the height of the Yukon gold rush. The film is a heartwarming adventure from start to finish; one that beautifully captures the spirit of Jack London’s novel of the same name.

Oscar-nominated “Marriage Story” demonstrates self-love and new starts

Oscar-nominated “Marriage Story” demonstrates self-love and new starts

Noah Baumbach’s Oscar-nominated “Marriage Story” presents a radical and honest approach to marital separation. Starring the brilliant Scarlett Johansson as Nicole Barber and Adam Driver as Charlie Barber, the film portrays, as Baumbach puts it, the “story of a marriage through a divorce.”

“Swimmer” is another visionary release from indie duo Tennis

“Swimmer” is another visionary release from indie duo Tennis

I fell in love with the music of indie pop duo Tennis in high school, back when my older brother’s cool girlfriend was their biggest (and it felt like only) fan. Their albums earned regular spots in my CD rotation and YouTube history — I loved that every song created an atmosphere, told a story and was infinitely listenable.

Andrea Gibson embraces queer community in Holyoke

In their Feb. 17 show, “An Evening with Andrea Gibson: Right Now I Love You Forever,” poet Andrea Gibson addressed developing self-love, falling in love, falling out of love, love in times of tragedy and the many other ways love takes shape, both in their own life and in the queer community.

Sammy Rae talks origins, influences and the Friends, announces upcoming performance at Mount Holyoke

Sammy Rae talks origins, influences and the Friends, announces upcoming performance at Mount Holyoke

Samantha Bowers, a groundbreaking 26-year-old vocal jazz-punk artist performing as “Sammy Rae,” considers every new fan another friend. Leading her band, the Friends, at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton on Friday.

Tame Impala looks back in time with “Lost in Yesterday

Tame Impala released their vibrant new single “Lost in Yesterday,” on Jan. 8, 2020. The song will appear on their upcoming album, “The Slow Rush,” and presents what may be the theme of the album: reflecting back on the passing of time. This release marks four years since Tame Impala’s last album.

“Dolittle” relies on star factor, not substance

Released Jan. 17, “Dolittle,” a heartwarming adventure film, was the perfect way to unwind after a jam-packed first week of classes. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Kumail Nanjiani, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Tom Holland and John Cena. These actors lend their voices to a wide array of animals. Though human characters are fewer in number, big-name actors Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen take on these roles.

“Cheer” reveals the rigors of an overlooked sport

Cheerleading has long been sideline entertainment, but now has finally attained its hard-earned spotlight with “Cheer,” a six-episode Netflix documentary series. The episodes follow the Navarro College cheerleading team through a period lovingly called “Daytona Season,” referring to the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Collegiate Cheer Championship in Daytona, Florida. Along the way, the series chronicles the life stories of the athletes.

Apple TV’s anachronistic “Dickinson” lacks depth

Along with Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Starz, ESPN and plenty of other streaming services, Apple has introduced its own five-dollar-a-month streaming service, Apple TV Plus. One of the shows Apple has pushed is “Dickinson,” an anachronistic telling of Emily Dickinson’s life in the years shortly after she left Mount Holyoke Female Seminary.

(Sandy) Alex G brings experimental sound to Holyoke

At 8 p.m. on a Saturday night in Holyoke, a crowd anxiously awaited the performance of (Sandy) Alex G. Alexander Giannascoli, known by fans as (Sandy) Alex G, performed at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, Massachusetts on Nov. 16 as part of his tour for his new album, “House of Sugar.” Accompanying (Sandy) Alex G on this leg of his tour were the bands Tomberlin and Indigo De Souza.

“Parasite” is a thrilling genre-melding social commentary

Every few years, a genre-bender comes along, breaking some of those conventions but maintaining the essential ethos of that genre. “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho’s haunting depiction of class struggle in South Korea, doesn’t fit into either category — the film neither conforms to nor breaks free of genre convention. Instead, Joon-ho’s latest thriller is indubitably a masterful genre-melding exercise, gaining the audience’s trust and comfort only to shatter the carefully constructed world later on.

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