Archive | November, 2025

What I’m Thankful For This Year

25 Nov
Photo by Robert Palmer on Unsplash

2025 has not been an easy year. I’ve spent much of it mourning my father, continuing to call for the return of the hostages that are/were still held captive in Gaza, absorbing the news of rising antisemitism all around the world, and trying to make sense of the increasingly tense and divided political scene here in the U.S.

That said, I’ve also spent a bit of time trying to get back to whatever “normal” is these days. Doing that meant going on a proper vacation for the first time since before Covid (yes, really), getting back into the routine of seeing (and reviewing) movies, and spending more time in Boston again than in Florida. It’s given me a lot of time to appreciate what I’d de-prioritized in recent years and how I enjoy spending my time.

One lesson my dad always taught me was to have perspective and to be grateful for what you have, rather than dwelling on the negative. So, in that spirit, here (in no particular order) is a list of some of the people, places, and things that I’m grateful for in 2025. A big thank you to all of them.

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No Thanks

24 Nov
Photo by Bob Jansen on Unsplash

Thanksgiving is this week. Typically, it’s a time to show gratitude for the people, places, and things that bring value to your life. And I’ll do that.

Later.

But as I reflect on the year since last Thanksgiving, during which my father died and the war in Gaza continued and the wildfire of antisemitism spread even faster around the world and things in the U.S. got even more tense and divided, it’s worth noting that there is plenty I’m not grateful for.

So, in that spirit, and in no particular order, here are some of those people, places, and things I’m giving no thanks to this year.

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All My Memories Are Movies

23 Nov
Adam Sandler and George Clooney star in JAY KELLY

George Clooney swears he’s not playing himself in Jay Kelly. But it’s hard to see where the actor ends and the role begins. 

Directed by Noah Baumbach (While We’re Young), who wrote the screenplay with Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl, The Newsroom), the film is very much a star vehicle that knows it’s a star vehicle. It’s definitely entertaining and attractive to look at. But it treads familiar territory in that it tells the clichéd story of a character who realizes they’ve put their career before their friends and family, and who tries to make things right. Given who the film’s star is, that makes it a bit difficult to feel much compassion.

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Not to Be

22 Nov
Jessie Buckley stars in HAMNET

With its lush cinematography, precise period details, and performances so controlled they practically scream “For your consideration,” Hamnet is one of those movies that feels engineered from the ground up to earn award consideration — if not a few little gold men themselves.

And to be fair, it is a beautiful movie. Director Chloé Zhao clearly put a lot of thought and care into the look and feel of her latest work. Every frame feels deliberately composed and drenched in a kind of quiet melancholy that fits the subject matter perfectly. (Though, some shots do appear to be lifted straight out of a Terrence Malick film.) The acting is top-notch across the board, too, with grounded, intimate performances that pull you in even when the movie itself drags.

But that’s the thing: For about three-quarters of its length, Hamnet is … a bit dull. Not offensively so, not “check your watch every 10 minutes” dull, and certainly not “to sleep, perchance to dream” dull. Just slow, restrained, and very interior. As expected.

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Love Always

21 Nov
Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner star in Eternity

Heaven has a sense of humor.

That’s one of the key takeaways of Eternity, a new movie that asks the question: If you could spend your eternal afterlife in a setting of your own choosing, which one would you pick and who would you spend it with?

The film comes from the studio A24, and it is, not surprisingly, a quirky rom-com that errs not on the side of mainstream romance but on the side of offbeat comedy, packing in so many subtle jokes that you either have to be an eagle-eyed viewer or a repeat viewer so you make sure you catch them all. 

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Not All the Changes Are For Good

20 Nov
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo star in WICKED: FOR GOOD

Chances are good you already know whether you’re going to see Wicked: For Good. That’s because, at this point, between the long-running Broadway show and the award-winning first film, the Wicked universe has garnered a large, devoted fanbase.

Suffice it to say, For Good arrives with some pretty high expectations and an incessant promotional campaign that has only made the movie more of a must-see for that fanbase. So, yes, maybe a review feels unnecessary.

But here we are anyway, so let’s get to it.

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Sometimes, It’s Okay to Pretend

19 Nov
Brendan Fraser stars in RENTAL FAMILY

Every awards season seems to have one: An unassuming crowd-pleaser that sneaks up on voters and somehow finds its way into the race. (Think CODA.) This year, that film might be Rental Family. It’s not a prestige drama, and it’s certainly not hitting theaters with a tidal wave of buzz like some other films are (ahem, Wicked: For Good). Rather, it’s a smaller film that’s gentle, observant, and deeply human, and anyone who sees it is bound to be moved. 

Rental Family stars Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser (Encino Man, The Whale) as Phillip Vandarpleog, a struggling American actor living in Japan, who is still waiting for his big break. Till that happens, he gets by with random commercial gigs and other blink-and-you’ll-miss-them acting jobs. 

It’s this unsteady, in-between life that makes him the perfect candidate for an unusual company called Rental Family — a business that hires actors to play whatever stand-in role a client needs: a best friend, a mistress, a funeral attendee, a sibling, a spouse, or a groom. Essentially, it’s human companionship as a service. (HCaaS?) Or, to put it another way: “We sell emotion,” Phillip’s new boss (Takehiro Hira) tells him.

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