“You can DO this, T’Challa!” The Hollywoodization of African speech in Black Panther

Black Panther is a massive box office success and a good movie. I liked the fact that the cast is predominantly black and that the plot deals with major issues: racism, colonialism, and one of today’s thorniest topics: isolationism versus open borders. Oh, and the film is a lot of fun, too. Joe Robert Cole and…

Film review: “La Grande Bellezza”

Jep Gambardella, a 65-year-old Italian writer, wanders around Rome, hosts literary soirées and parties, and lives la dolce vita.   Rome. Death. The film begins with a Japanese tourist collapsing. Before he’s even bitten the dust, an all-female vocal ensemble, dressed in black, sings a mournful Yiddish folk song (translated lyrics: “I lie down in bed…