‘Arts’ Archives
The Grandmaster
The Grandmaster By Howard McQuitter II “The Grandmaster” (2013) **** 1/2 Drama/Action/Adventure Weinstein Company Cast: Tony Leung (Ip Man),Chen Chang (The Razor), Ziyi Zhang (Gong Er), Zhao Benshan (Ding Lianshang), Hye-Kyo Song (Zhang Yongchen), Xiao Sherr Yang (San Jiang Shui). (PG-13) Running time: 130 minutes. Languages: Mandarin/Cantonese/Japanese. Countries: China/Hong Kong. Director: Kar Wai Wong. Men in black in a night rainstorm perform martial arts in such stylist form they almost look like dancers dancing to Swan Lake. In super slow motion the raindrops splash like waves of an ocean and movements of men kick and punch each other like mountain goats clashing horns in silent thunder. Director Kar Wai Wong spent ten years on the project “The Grandmaster,” indeed, turning out, what I call, a grand film. Often times with martial arts films it can be difficult or impossible just what era is being depicted. Kar Wai [...]
MUSLIM JOURNEYS FILMS & Discussions
U of M West Bank & HN Central Library Monday Oct. 21 4:00 to 6:30 pm Koran by Heart Insights on Islamic culture; 3 families with children in a Cairo Koran-reciting contest; with discussion. Humphrey School, Cowles Auditorium, U of M 301 19th Av. So. Cawo Abdi, Prof.of sociology U of M with Abdirahman Mukhtar and Ahmed Ali, HN County Library Monday Nov. 25, 4 - 6 p.m Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World An epic journey across 9 countries and 1,400+ years of history exploring the richness of Islamic art and revels in finding commonalities in a shared artistic heritage with the West and East. Elmer L. Andersen Library, 222 21st Av. So. Catherine Asher, Prof. Islamic and Indian Art; 1200 to today having traveled from Spain to China areas with sizable Muslim populations. (more…)
Lee Daniels”' The Butler
Lee Daniels”' The Butler” ***** Weinstein Company Biography/Drama Cast: Forest Whitaker (Cecil Gaines), Oprah Winfrey (Gloria Gaines), Elijah Kelley (Charlie), David Oyelowo (Louis), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Carter Wilson), Terrence Howard (Howard), Lenny Kravitz (James Holloway), James Marsden (John F. Kennedy, Vanessa Redgrave (Annabeth Westfall), Alan Richman (Ronald Reagan), Liev Schreider (Lyndon B. Johnson), Robin Williams (Dwight D. Eisenhower), Ami Ameen (Cecil Gaines, age 15), Nelsen Ellis (Martin Luther King Jr.) and Clarence Williams III (Maynard.(PG-13) Running time:132 minutes. Director: Lee Daniels. Writer: Danny Strong. Lee Daniels”' fictional character butler Cecil Gaines based on the real life butler Eugene Allen serving in that position in the White House during seven presidential administrations. Lee Daniels”' “The Butler” is essentially a love story tapestried with the civil rights movement and walking the tightrope against [...]
