Ann Lemons Pollack
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We Bought a Zoo
In a holiday season with lots of sex and violence, I knew there would have to be a warm-hearted movie aimed at the entire family. "We Bought a Zoo," as one immediately realizes from the title, fills that slot as it opens today. In truth, it's so warm and so filled with heart that it
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The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Imaginary Theatre Company is not a figment of anyone's imagination, not even the vibrant one belonging to Steve Woolf. It's a real theater company that lives and works at the rep, taking productions aimed at young audiences to school groups and such around the area, entertaining and teaching and, we all hope, creating a
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The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
From the charming drawings of the Belgian artist George Remi, using the pen name of Herge, the young newspaper reporter named Tintin and his loyal dog, Snowy, go off in search of good stories and buried treasure in “The Adventures of Tintin,” a feature-length animated film that is entertaining in spite of being in 3-D.
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Brunch: Jilly’s Cupcake Bar
Cupcakes? Marvelous cupcakes, sweet constructions of carbohydrates and buttercream, are in sharp and delightful contrast with the equally tasty, slightly more savory, if less traditional food offered for brunch at Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Cafe. Chef Dana Holland, whose work we first encountered at the original Babalu’s on Euclid, doesn’t go for the ho-hum, so
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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
It’s very long. It’s also incredibly powerful, keeping me riveted to my seat for its entire 158 minutes, or more then 2 1/2 hours . That’s my take on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” a strong, vibrant adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel. Screenwriter Steven Zaillian has taken some liberties with Larsson’s work, though I
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Young Adult
Charlize Theron is a terrific actress and a beautiful woman. She also seems to have a great deal of courage, which she displays in “Young Adult,” opening here today. The movie, another collaboration of writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman, who are responsible for the delightful “Juno” of a few years ago. It’s tight
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Joy Luck Buffet
The intrepid diner has learned that treasures lurk in the most unexpected places. And so it is at Joy Luck, where camouflage is provided by the word Buffet in its name. There are, in effect, two restaurants inside, the buffet and a printed menu featuring the fiery food of Szechuan province. We later learned there
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Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
The frequent lighting of cigarettes and the billows of tobacco smoke that provide an almost-constant presence are tempting to the retired smoker, but watching the degeneration of French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg is sufficient to remain resistant to the habit, prominent though it is in "Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life," which opens a five-day run tonight as
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Passione
Like New Orleans, Naples is a city famous for its music. And also like New Orleans, it's famous as a seaport, and as a city where passions run high. "Passione," which opens here today, is a rich and fascinating documentary film of Naples, its people and its music, directed by John Turturro, who also acts
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Christmas With the Rat Pack
Dean Martin was there, and so was Sammy Davis, Jr. But who was the third person supposedly on stage at the Fox Theatre last night for “Christmas With the Rat Pack?” Perry Como? Bobby Darin? Bing Crosby? It sure as heck wasn’t Frank Sinatra, nor even a good imitation. Mark Adams gave an outstanding performance