This is a guest review generously contributed by Mike Hertenstein. – What the #$*! Do We Know? aims to blow your mind: a worthy goal, and one that should surely be in some way the goal of any film: to expand our vision, our sense of the world, our possibilities – as C. S. Lewis says, to help us see with other eyes and so “enlarge our being.” The jumping-off place here is the admittedly mind-blowing world of cutting-edge science: mostly... Read more
Twenty years after I started listening to her, my favorite singer/songwriter in the world has an official Web site. Finally. (more…) Read more
This review was originally published at Christianity Today. – The Grand Canyon. The Northern Lights. Van Gogh’s sunflowers. We’ve all been stricken speechless by vivid displays of color. For me, there’s the Georgia O’Keefe museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the shimmering metallic blue of Pacific Ocean waves at twilight; the day I discovered first-hand that ladybugs sometimes hibernate on mountaintops, clustered together in masses, blood red against white snow (hard to believe, but true). To that list of awe-inspiring... Read more
J. Robert Parks, who provides many reviews for Looking Closer when I’m not able to catch a film and write about it in time, is in Toronto for the film festival, and he has an ambitious screening list. (more…) Read more
Spurred on by positive reviews, I spent Sunday afternoon at a matinee of Garden State, and when it was over, I drove home trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. I didn’t walk away thinking “Awful.” I just kinda went, “Eh. Well. Okay. Saw that movie.” (more…) Read more
Bono didn’t waste words during his talk with Bill O’Reilly, making another impressive appeal for the U.S. to lead the way in addressing Africa’s emergency. (more…) Read more
LATEST UPDATE: 4:02 p.m. If you haven’t heard about this, see my earlier blog. Things are getting crazy. Here’s my paraphrase of the craziness so far. (more…) Read more
In case you haven’t ever learned about the origins of Barbie dolls, it’s important that you know this: (more…) Read more
I love hearing from readers, especially when they turn out to be old friends… especially when it turns out those old friends have been up to some amazing things! Greetings from Tbilisi, Georgia! It’s been far too long since I’ve dropped you a line, but I have continued to be a regular visitor to your Looking Closer website. I love the Blog, too — what a great idea! Your review of Zhang Yimou’s Hero has me really intrigued. I doubt... Read more
This review was originally published at Christianity Today. • Why do big screen killers seem so glamorous? It’s not the filmmaker’s fault, necessarily. We’re flawed and foolish people, drawn to power, to independence, to the illusion that we can be gods unto ourselves and keep our hands, hair, suits, and consciences clean. The villain in Collateral is as devilish a man as we’ve seen onscreen in a while. He’s almost irresistible, always ready with a rationalization, and quick to turn... Read more
Looking Closer
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In