An oncoming train will kill five people; if you switch the track, only one person will die. As the engineer of the train, what should you do? You could appeal to utilitarian ethics, but what if the single person is a…
Movie Review: ‘Minions’
In the two Despicable Me movies, the cute, yellow minions stole the show, but now, in their own spin-off, they steal your money. Minions should not get a free pass simply because it’s a “children’s film.” It is an insult…
Movie Review: ‘The Look of Silence’
Who could forget the pain on Maria Falconneti’s face in The Passion of Joan of Arc or Jean-Pierre Léaud’s hopelessness in The 400 Blows? Some of cinema’s most memorable performances are not from big and extravagant gestures but from quiet…
Movie Review: ‘About Elly’
About Elly concerns the lies we tell and the truths we hide. Asgar Farhadi’s gun shootouts are his characters’ heated discussions. His plots are built on moral dilemmas, not pandering formulas. There are no good guys and bad guys: everyone…
Movie Review: ‘Infinitely Polar Bear’
One moment, the person is loving and hyper, but a few seconds later he can suddenly become violent and depressed. These episodes have no pattern, but their effects last far longer than it takes for the person’s mood to change.…
Movie Review: ‘Eden’
Remember years ago when you were in high school? Feels like yesterday, right? Ugh! But yesterday, your boss hounded you all day, and those brief 24 hours were a lifetime. Our experience of time is an odd thing. A moment…
