Beirutista

I'm largely annoyed by the so-called criticism surrounding "Emily in Paris." If you've watched the series on Netflix, whose first season aired in the thick of the pandemic in 2020, you discovered how the show immerses its viewers in the magic and charm of Paris where the entire show is filmed. Emily, played by actress Lily Collins, is a marketing executive who has been sent by her Chicago-based company for a year of international experience at its subsidiary in the French capital. There she strives to fit in with her colleagues and newfound friends, all while grappling with a new language and culture she knows relatively nothing about. In the media, there is an onslaught of negative feedback by Parisian viewers who claim the culture captured on the show is not rooted in reality. The over-the-top fashion Emily sports, the unrealistic spaciousness of Emily's apartment, the minimal hours employees keep at work, the great divide in what is uttered and what is meant....

Lebanon has arguably never seen worse days than those we’re weathering now. Constant electricity outages; a seemingly unresolvable fuel shortage translating to long lines at the pump; rampant hyperinflation; poverty engulfing three-quarters of the population; rising unemployment; the depletion of medicine; oversaturated hospitals and healthcare facilities…all impetuses propelling the mass exodus of emigrants who will go literally anywhere to escape the trials and tribulations of home. Where were we just two years ago, and where are we now? Ever see those memes split into two columns, juxtaposing “How it started” and “How it’s going”? Yeah, well, in Lebanon’s case, it just isn’t going. End of story. No doubt many of us find ourselves reflecting on the not-so-distant past, nostalgic for the golden age we didn’t even know we were reveling in until the rug was violently pulled out from under our feet. Here's what I've been missing most. 1. Who remembers when Anthony Salamé an...

If you’re a regular Netflix viewer – who isn’t during these times of quarantine? – you’ll likely have stumbled upon the June 2020 release, “ 365 Days . ” In fact, the erotic Polish drama, which has been compared to the trilogy of “50 Shades of Gray,” occupies the number one spot on Netflix’s Top Ten list. Why, you might ask, when Rotten Tomatoes scores it at zero and critics worldwide are discounting it as “ridiculously campy” ( Forbes )? Two words: Michele Morrone. I’ll wait as you Google images of this godly creature, but make sure you don’t stray for too long poring over his photos. Yes, he’s Italian. Yes, he checks off all parameters in the “tall, dark, and handsome” descriptor. And yes, his physique conjures up a real-life Adonis with perfectly chiseled abs, toned legs, rock-hard biceps, olive-complexion skin, piercing gaze, perfectly chiseled abs…wait, did I mention that twice? Yeah, well, maybe each compartment in that six-pack (or is it 12-pack?) is worthy of individual a...

Easily the single most important movie to us kids growing up in the ‘90s was Disney’s “Aladdin.” The intriguing storyline; the incredible voices of Genie, Jafar, and Iago; the mesmerizing musical score and lyrics; the animated scenes from Agrabah; the definitive triumph of good over evil…it was spellbinding   for impressionable youngsters like me and my brothers. We would listen day and night to the Children’s Broadcasting Corporation radio station called AAHS. Any time one of the songs from the Aladdin soundtrack came on, my elder brother Andre would bolt to the radio and press the record button on a blank cassette he’d pre-loaded. We obtained the sheet music for “A Whole New World” and practiced it religiously until we’d mastered playing it on the piano while singing along. Andre was Aladdin, and I – of course – was Jasmine. My younger brother John Paul chimed in whenever we generously allowed it. We hunted down the movie paraphernalia: everything from the official mov...

“On The Basis of Sex” tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her challenging debut in the United States legal arena. For those who don’t know, Ginsburg is the second of four females to ever be appointed as Justice to the Supreme Court. She was sworn in under former president Bill Clinton in 1993, at 60 years of age. Back to the movie, which delves into her early beginnings, starting with her first year at Harvard Law School. One of only nine women admitted to her class, Ruth confesses at a dean’s dinner party that she got into law to learn to be more patient and understanding of her husband Martin, ahead of her by one year at Harvard. Her response actually startled me. One would expect to hear an inspired story of how she’d dreamt of obliterating racial and gender discrimination ever since she was a precocious little child, or how passionate she was about the debating art form. No, no. Ruth was piqued about her husband’s endeavors, and fortunately her smarts proved she w...

I very rarely dabble in film reviews. Frankly, going to the movies is strictly a recreational activity for me. I disconnect from reality, immersing myself in an alternate reality, and simply enjoy. No need to pick apart the story line, or attempt to articulate the movie’s objectives and worthy execution thereof. It’s either intensely riveting and thus a hit, or a total waste of time and thus a sunk cost. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is definitely the former. And though I was going to abide by my mantra and refrain from analyzing, I will permit myself just a few paragraphs. First, who can believe the Mission Impossible franchise is over two decades old? I certainly cannot, and unlike many a movie sequel, MI6 isn't plagued with monotony, far-fetched fantasy, or repetitiveness. It delivers a strong dose of action, adventure, and even emotion in the two and half hours of running time. Tom Cruise is phenomenal and just as charming as he was 22 years ago. You'd never im...

A couple of days ago, I gazed in bewilderment as James Franco impersonated an unusual dreamer in “The Disaster Artist.” Franco plays Tommy Wiseau, a man we know very little about besides his uncanny aspiration to become a famous Hollywood actor. The reality is that he is terrible at it, but he considers himself a “dedicated actor” and will do whatever it takes for LA to know his name. Tommy teams up with the young and impressionable Greg Sestero, played by Franco’s youngest brother Dave, and the two move from San Fran to the City of Angels to take up acting. The only problem is, as one might predict, that Hollywood is not keen on shooing in either personality. Stiff competition and connections rule the city, and neither Tommy nor Greg is in a position to hit it big on the silver screen. So Tommy decides that if he can’t land a role in someone else’s movie, he may as well write, produce and direct his own. And that’s exactly how “The Room” comes to be, a real film released in ...

When your date invites you to dinner and a show, the evening’s agenda is pretty clear: grab a bite somewhere, and then head to the movies to catch a flick. Slightly more glamorous plans would entail a Broadway show, perhaps an opera, or even a ballet. But that’s the general gist of it. Two concrete activities – chewing and viewing – taking place discretely and consecutively. You’d never imagine the two would be fused into one. VOX Cinemas at City Centre Beirut did the unimaginable: they took a perfectly great concept, VOX Gold, and gilded it with even more glitter and glitz.  Originally, you would have been more than content to curl up in the leather-upholstered reclining chair, outfitted with plush pillow and blanket upon request. The private lounge area and minimum age restriction ensure your séance will be smooth and serene. But a gourmet dining affair all while taking in the film? That’s like double prizes. The stylish lounge at VOX Gold (bar in left ba...

When I first watched “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in 2002, it was a revelation. I recall how enjoyable my family and I found it, both for its easy humor and its mirror portrayal of our own lives in the US as Lebanese-Americans. Realistically, you could have substituted any Lebanese family for Toula Portokolas’ boisterous clan, and the storyline would have been unaltered. The strong matriarch who cunningly bows to her husband’s traditionally dominant role (“The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head anyway she wants”). Big family feasts more centered on pleasing the eye than sating the stomach. Boys named after their fathers or grandfathers. The importance of faith and church on Sundays. And of course, the never-a-dull-moment family chaos contrasted with the relatively mundane calm of American households. Toula's aunt gives her tips for being a lioness in the bedroom (Universal Pictures UK) My brothers and I could relate to Toula’s fam...