Leisure

Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.

Leisure

Americana Dream: The Founder Details McDonald’s Cutthroat Origins

Pursuits of the American Dream — successful or otherwise — litter our nation’s films, but rarely does the success story make you cringe. With The Founder, director John Lee Hancock... Read more

By January 23, 2017

Leisure

Evenings at the Edge Offers an Exciting New Spin to the National Gallery’s Art

On Jan. 12th from 6-9 pm, the National Gallery of Art buzzed with an energy imperceptible during its regular hours. Glowing tables, thumping music, and dim lighting all added to... Read more

By January 22, 2017

Leisure

Toni Erdmann Explores the Touching, Quirky Relationship between Father and Daughter

German director Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann is one of the boldest films of the year. Built on witty dialogue, bombastic set pieces, and great performances by its lead actors, it... Read more

By January 22, 2017

Leisure

The xx Return with Bold Minimalism in I See You

The xx simultaneously developed and contradicted their established style with the release of their new album I See You. The band has been described as “minimalist” and “shy” by their... Read more

By January 20, 2017

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Immortalizing Tragedy: Patriots Day Tells the Whole Story

Director Peter Berg’s Patriots Day covers every aspect of the 2013 attack. It shows the before, during and after and follows the survivors, the police and FBI, the bombers, and... Read more

By January 19, 2017

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A First Glimpse at Ed Sheeran’s Newest Album

In the early hours of New Year’s Day the Internet was buzzing with the news that Ed Sheeran had already saved 2017. He had posted a nine second video to... Read more

By January 10, 2017

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Scorsese’s Silence Speaks Volumes

The opening of Martin Scorsese’s Silence is bleak, blunt, and harsh: a plain-text title slide cuts directly to a foggy image of a man standing beside a pair of severed... Read more

By January 9, 2017

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CV: Kid Cudi, Passion, Pain, and Demon Slayin’

Kid Cudi had hit rock bottom. Personally, the depression that he had expressed with his signature pain-filled lyricism had finally caught up with him. He had checked into rehab, dealing... Read more

By December 31, 2016

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Manchester by the Sea Confronts Tragedy in a Gritty, Realistic Way

Anything said here will undoubtedly be unintelligible against the din of praise for Manchester by the Sea. Although it’s tempting to be a dissenting voice, if only to be heard,... Read more

By December 31, 2016

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CV: J. Cole, 4 Your Eyez Only

Days before the release of his new album 4 Your Eyez Only, J. Cole released a short film documenting the creative process behind the album, with footage of Cole and... Read more

By December 29, 2016

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Lost in Space: Pratt and Lawrence Carry Thought-Provoking Passengers

Chris Pratt has gone from lovable loser to saving the galaxy to hunting dinosaurs in his rollercoaster of a career. In director Morten Tyldum’s Passengers, he is now charged with... Read more

By December 28, 2016

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Star Wars Goes Rogue, with Mixed Results

After seven offerings, the elements of the Star Wars series are fairly straightforward: an opening crawl, orphans and desert planets, lightsaber battles, and, of course, endless discussion of the dark... Read more

By December 20, 2016

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La La Land Transcends Mere Dialogue

Simultaneously whimsical and melancholy, La La Land manages to weave a simple story of love and ambition in the most dazzling of ways. The film is an original musical with... Read more

By December 20, 2016

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Jackie Shows First Lady in Grim New Light

In a 1961 interview with Jaqueline Kennedy, Sander Vancour said to the new first lady, “If I may say so, without disrespect, every time I’ve been in the White House... Read more

By December 20, 2016

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GLOW Exhibit Flickers: The exhibit lights up the neighborhood, but falters as a whole

In its third year, the Georgetown GLOW art instillation adds a bright touch to the area, but it is more trendy than it is artistic. It follows in the footsteps... Read more

By December 19, 2016

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Critical Voices: Dr. Dog, Abandoned Mansion

On Nov. 29, Dr. Dog unexpectedly dropped their ninth studio album, Abandoned Mansion. With their most popular album having barely cracked the top 50, the Philadelphia-area indie rock band doesn’t... Read more

By December 19, 2016

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Critical Voices: Childish Gambino, “Awaken, My Love!”

The first single from Childish Gambino’s latest album “Awaken, My Love!” was released with little fanfare: a Youtube video of an eerie, gleeful, blue face, accompanied by a song entitled... Read more

By December 9, 2016

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Defying Appearances: The Districts at DC9, 12/3

The Districts didn’t look like they should be taken seriously. The band passed around a bottle of wine, each member taking a small sip. Frontman Rob Grote had a thin... Read more

By December 9, 2016

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Arrival Journeys into the Unknown

Louise Banks (Amy Adams) stands on a forklift ascending into an alien space ship, one of twelve that have landed all over the world. Her face is covered by a... Read more

By December 8, 2016

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Critical Voices: The Rolling Stones, Blue & Lonesome

After nearly six decades of creating and performing some of the most iconic music ever recorded, The Rolling Stones do not need to further validate the claim that they are... Read more

By December 7, 2016