January 2012

The Iron Lady

January 17, 2012

In 1996 Margaret Thatcher was the keynote speaker at the Foundation for Economic Education’s 50th anniversary banquet at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It was such a big event, and Thatcher was such a gigantic speaker, that William F. Buckley, a formidable force in conservative circles, agreed to appear as a moderator rather than as [...]

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Margin Call

January 17, 2012

Margin Call is another offering in the growing list of movies and documentaries that attempt to explain the economic meltdown of 2007-08. This one gives an insider’s view of a giant financial institution–perhaps a Lehman Brothers, although the company is never identified– as its analysts suddenly realize that their company can no longer sustain its [...]

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See The Descendants–and then hide your secrets.

January 4, 2012

Like the very fine film “Contagion,” which I reviewed earlier this year, “The Descendants” focuses on a man who must deal with the death of his wife. And, as in “Contagion,” this man discovers, after the fact, that his wife had been having an affair. The concept gives one pause: if you left the office [...]

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Mission Impossible or Sherlock Holmes? Not an Impossible Choice.

January 4, 2012

December is the month when a slew of movies are released, from family films hoping to warm a few hearts, to independent films hoping for Oscar recognition, to franchise installments hoping to be “the Christmas blockbuster” this year. Ironically, December is also the month when we have the least amount of time for movie-going. But [...]

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