21 Grams: Oscar nominees Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro have all been brilliant before, and if we’re lucky they’ll be brilliant again. But to watch these three – working alone and in tandem – is to experience the strange, immensely satisfying alchemy of great screen acting. Mind-bending and startlingly crafted, 21 Grams is absorbing drama that’s as much about loneliness, retribution and redemption as it is about the (literal) heart.
Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips
10 Invaluable Tips for Composing E-Mails. Finally, 10 necessary netiquette tips, published online, for writing proper, readable e-mail. Seton Hill University’s Dennis G. Jerz addresses issues ranging from subject line composition to ‘flaming’ and proofreading, and how one goes about conducting e-mail correspondence in a respectful and restrained manner.
Keeping a tenuous hold on reality
The House of Sand and Fog: A heart-wrenching, gripping, pure-human thriller, The House of Sand and Fog paints an unforgettable portrait of decent, well-meaning, conflicted people moved to frustration, helplessness and grief.
Lending his expatriate Iranian army colonel a bit of the stark fury he brought to bear in Sexy Beast, Best Actor Oscar nominee Ben Kingsley’s performance is riveting from beginning to end. How it came to be that Jennifer Connelly was overlooked for a Best Actress Oscar nod for her powerful portrayal of a damaged, uncomprehending recovering alcoholic, beggars belief. At least Shohreh Aghdashloo, as the flinty colonel’s self-deluded émigré wife, received a Best Supporting Oscar nomination.
Political Cartoon Valentines
Daryl Cagle’s political cartoonists index from today’s Slate magazine.