Day: August 24, 2018

Close honors “The Wife” with an Oscar-worthy performance

Jeff Mitchell

“The Wife” – Look back at any decade since 1979, and Meryl Streep could be called America’s Most Celebrated Actress.  Streep collected 21 Oscar nominations and nabbed three wins over her career, so it is difficult to make a case for another actress to topple this aforementioned, fictional acting title.  In the 1980’s alone, Streep collected seven Oscar nominations and two Best Actress wins for “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979) and “Sophie’s Choice” (1982), but if she is the most decorated actress from the 80’s, Glenn Close might be the runner-up.…

‘The Captain’ leads a cinematic trip into dark, dangerous territory

Jeff Mitchell

“The Captain” – In April 1945, Herold (Max Hubacher), a young German soldier, is running for his life from his own army and some locals, however, in an incredible stroke of luck, he stumbles upon a pristine captain’s uniform.  He suddenly forms a brand new identity – with his new appearance – which commands respect, but can Herold convince his fellow soldiers and officers that he is a captain? Hubacher delivers a highly convincing performance as a desperate man who must continually swallow his fear to survive, and over time, his…

‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’ offers an unsettling look and lesson into conversion therapy

Jeff Mitchell

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” – Conversion therapy is the practice of changing an individual’s sexual preference from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological techniques or spiritual interventions, citing Wikipedia. One might think that this alarming tradition ended decades ago in the United States, but that’s not true. According to a January 2018 study from UCLA’s The Williams Institute, 698,000 U.S. adults (ages 18 – 59) have received conversion therapy.  These rituals are not behind us either, because the same study added that 57,000 U.S. kids (ages 13 –…