Lesley Smith

Natalie Portman Elicits Strong, Unsentimental Performances in ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’
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Natalie Portman Elicits Strong, Unsentimental Performances in ‘A Tale of Love and Darkness’

By
 / 19 August 2016
Portman captures both the individual and national struggles to find sanctuary in the contested lands that became the state of Israel.
‘Backtrack’ and Adrian Brody’s Suffering Visage
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‘Backtrack’ and Adrian Brody’s Suffering Visage

By
 / 25 February 2016
Peter (Brody) is beset by Gothic clichés: he walks empty city streets, rarely sees daylight, cues lashing rain, and attracts an entire practice of ghosts who really don’t like him very much at all.
‘Northern Soul’: Rebellion at 45rpm
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‘Northern Soul’: Rebellion at 45rpm

By
 / 7 October 2015
In the dance halls, we can see the transformation of lost individuals into a glorious tribe of dressed up, sweaty acolytes, flashing their baggy trousers and swirling their flared skirts.
The Women of ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ Are Complex, but the Cases Are Simple
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The Women of ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ Are Complex, but the Cases Are Simple

By
 / 16 June 2015
If just some of the subtlety found in Rizzoli and Isles themselves could enter the crime-fighting in the show, TNT might find on its hands not only an audience favorite, but also a critical ground-breaker.
John Boorman Revisits the British Empire With ‘Queen and Country’
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John Boorman Revisits the British Empire With ‘Queen and Country’

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 / 18 February 2015
While John Boorman doesn't transform the genre here as he did in Hope and Glory, he does give Queen and Country more bite than the usual soft-focus waltz down memory lane.
‘Major Crimes’: Watching People Watching People
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‘Major Crimes’: Watching People Watching People

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 / 24 November 2014
The sheer frustration of watching the nearly immobile Major Crimes is compounded by the glimmers it offers of alternative roles for women in primetime television.
‘The Two Faces of January’ Tells the Tale of Compatriots in a Foreign Country
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‘The Two Faces of January’ Tells the Tale of Compatriots in a Foreign Country

By
 / 3 October 2014
Aided by Marcel Syskind's gorgeous cinemaphotography, the audience sees that these characters are often hidden beneath only the lightest of masks.
Jonathan Demme Takes on Henrik Ibsen in ‘A Master Builder’
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Jonathan Demme Takes on Henrik Ibsen in ‘A Master Builder’

By
 / 18 September 2014
The crux of the plot lies in Solness’ state of mind, bothered by a material abundance he fears is unearned, and thus infinitely fragile, liable to be withdrawn as arbitrarily as it was given.
David Tennant Is a Brilliant Barrister in ‘The Escape Artist’
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David Tennant Is a Brilliant Barrister in ‘The Escape Artist’

By
 / 15 June 2014
Will (David Tennant) may be his chambers' most promising barrister, but he's flamboyant and ruthless only in the courtroom.
‘Breathe In’ Considers Inspiration
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‘Breathe In’ Considers Inspiration

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 / 28 March 2014
At first it’s not clear whether the high school music teacher Keith is falling in love with Sophie or with his own, newly rejuvenated capacity to create music.
‘Resurrection’ Is In the Zeitgeist, Baby
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‘Resurrection’ Is In the Zeitgeist, Baby

By
 / 9 March 2014
The ever-expanding TV population of zombies, the disappeared, and assorted cyborgs is joined by the citizens of Arcadia, Missouri, who just can’t seem to stay in the graves where their loving relatives have interred them.
‘Intelligence’ Begins with a Promising Conundrum
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‘Intelligence’ Begins with a Promising Conundrum

By
 / 6 January 2014
The smartest parts of Intelligence concern debates over Gabriel's malfunctions as a machine, even as they feel emotional bonds with him.