Best Movies of 2020

1. Soul: Though it is marketed as a kids movie, the subtext of appreciating life feels appropriate and potent this year.
2. Mulan: The live-action reboot of the 1998 animated film Mulan rises above its predecessor, making it fresh and relevant.
3. Emma.: Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Jane Austen‘s eponymous heroine, Emma Woodhouse, introduced as clever, rich, and handsome. Directed by Autumn de Wilde, this adaption is entertaining, funny, and a lovely addition to the list of Austen adaptations.
4. The Trial of the Chicago 7: The film tells. the story of the 7 men accused of being responsible for the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests. Though it is set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it feels very 2020.
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire: This LBGTQ historical romance between a young woman and the female artist hired to paint her portrait is sweet, romantic, and powerful. It proves once more that love is love is love.
6. Ordinary Love: Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson) are your average middle-aged couple. When she is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, they both must deal with the rough road ahead.
7. The Assistant: Jane (Julia Garner) is an assistant to a Harvey Weinstein-esque powerful movie producer. She starts to notice things that don’t sit right with her.
8. I am Greta: This documentary follows teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg as she advocates for the world to pay serious attention to climate change.
9. Mank: Gary Oldman plays Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz in a performance that is nothing but Oscar bait.
10. #AnneFrank-Parallel Lives: Narrated by Helen Mirren, this documentary tells not just Anne’s story. It follows other young women who survived the Holocaust. Parallel to the stories of the past, the viewer is traveling with another young woman as she visits different countries in present-day Europe.

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RIP Kelly Preston and Naya Rivera

Life is unpredictable. We may be here the next day and gone the next day.

This morning, we woke up to the news of Kelly Preston‘s passing. After a two year battle with breast cancer, she passed away at the young age of 57.

Her husband and now widower, John Travolta, released the following statement:

“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” Preston’s husband, actor John Travolta, wrote on Instagram. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”

Breast cancer, like all cancers is a b*tch. It indiscriminately kills, leaving only memories and grieving loved ones. I know all too well the pain this disease causes. My heart goes out to her husband, her children and all those who loved her.

Last weekend, Glee star Naya Rivera went out for a day on the lake with her son. She never returned home. After nearly a week of searching, her body was found today. Rivera was 33.

I’m not a huge Glee fan, but what hurts is that she was so young. We all know that life is all too precious and too short. But to die so young and leave her son with only the barest of memories is emotionally gutting. If I could hug him, I would do so.

May their memories be a blessing to us all. Z”l.

Ordinary Love Movie Review

Breast cancer, like all cancers (and all diseases) knows no boundaries.

In the new movie, Ordinary Love, Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson) are well, an ordinary couple. When Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer, they must find a way to soldier on, in spite of the challenges that the disease puts in their path.

Some of the best love stories are not set in faraway fairytale-like setting or in romantic novels. The best love stories are simplest, a couple who sticks together against all odds. I appreciated that this movie is short on the drama and long on the narrative. I also appreciated the perfect chemistry between the lead actors. However, the film does not hit home as much as I would have liked it to be. There were points in the film when I was almost bored, ready to move on with the story.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Breast Cancer And Healthcare

Late last week, Seinfeld and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus announced via her twitter account that she has breast cancer.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family as she battles this all too common disease.

Her announcement reminds me and should remind all of us how sadly precarious the health insurance system in America is. While she is one of the fortunate who has access to reliable medical care, many women in her same situation are not as fortunate. The fact that some Republicans continue to waste time, effort and tax payer dollars on repealing Obama care, in spite of the fact that there are millions of American citizens living and potentially dying from disease because of the lack of healthcare is heartbreaking.

The fact that we are one of the wealthiest countries in the world and we cannot provide universal healthcare to all citizens is disgusting. We have to open our eyes as a nation and face reality. Otherwise we maybe cutting off our nose to spite our face.

Please Donate To A Worthy Cause

Breast Cancer has become all too common in the United States. It is the leading killer of women, after lung cancer.

Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All over the country, different organizations will be holding different events to bring awareness of the disease to the public and provide support to those who have or had breast cancer.

A very dear friend of mine will be participating in one of these events. Even if you live halfway across the world, you can still donate. Every dollar goes to the American Cancer Society and it’s goal of ensuring that we do not have to continue to bury our daughters, mothers, nieces or grandmothers due to breast cancer.

Please donate to this worthy and important cause.

Thank You.