MOVIES: A harrowing look at the Middle East is also a top Academy Award hopeful
Also there's absurd comedy in Winnipeg, loud music from Led Zeppelin and Love Hurting badly
Reviews
Entertainment
February 7th 2025
The Academy Awards are suddenly shaking this year. The biggest nominee, Emilia Perez, the film with 13 nominations, a record for a non-English language film, has taken a hit, meaning, some say, its chances are trashed because some old tweets have resurfaced. They were by its star Karla Sofia GascĂłn, who is the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role. But in those tweets which she has now deleted and apologized for she dissed Muslims, diversity efforts and even George Floyd. There's now a backlash. And just as the Academy members are to be voting later this week.Â
But the films go on and two Oscar winners star in one this week and a major contender starts us off.
No Other Land: 4 œ stars
Get daily news from Canada's National Observer
Universal Language: 3
Becoming Led Zeppelin: 3 ÂœÂ
Love Hurts: 2
NO OTHER LAND: Recent events, the Gaza War, Trump's blustering suggestions, new reports of settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, make this film even more overwhelming than it would have been. That's even though it was already an award winner at many festivals and a nominee for an Academy Award as best documentary (said to be a front-runner too). Its impact is powerful. It shows graphically what's been going on. Since an Israeli court allowed it, a collection of rural West Bank villages known as Masafer Yatta have been cleared away to make room for a military training ground (for tank warfare training). The people forcibly moved out are farmers.Â
The film shows houses being demolished with heavy construction equipment. Later, a school is destroyed. It was declared illegal and had been built secretly by men during the night and women by day. Also shocking is the sight of a truck pouring concrete down a well to close it up. It too was "illegal". There are scenes of villagers confronting soldiers asking why. The film's title is from one woman's plea. The soldiers can only offer a feeble answer: "It's the law." A postscript raises some doubt about that but thatâs not explored. What is there is strong enough. Not just the destruction and families having to live in caves but also a settler seen shooting a Palestinian man. The scenes were filmed over five years by a collective of Israelis and Palestinians.Â
Courtesy of Antipode FilmsThey include long-time activist Basel Adra, a West Bank native, and Yuval Abraham, who somebody describes as "a human rights Israeli." They become friends during long conversations and decry what one says is "an entire world built on a division." This film is important. (Theaters in Toronto and Vancouver) 4 Âœ out of 5   Â
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE: I'm still a bit perplexed by the adoring reaction this film has been getting, although I have felt my doubts softening a bit and warming to the absurd humor in it. It got an ecstatic reception a couple of weeks ago in Winnipeg (where it is set and was filmed), has played for a week in Montreal and Vancouver and starting today spreads to Toronto and nine other cities. It's won awards at festivals (Toronto named it one of the top 10 Canadian films of 2024) and Canada submitted it to the Oscars. It was shortlisted; I don't see it on the final list of nominees, though.Â
Courtesy of Maison 4:3When I reviewed it back in September I found it an oddball and meandering statement of a valid theme: that we are all connected. The theme plays out in three stories: a tour guide shows unremarkable sights in Winnipeg, two young women want to retrieve some money they see frozen in ice and a civil servant arrives from Montreal to visit his mother and becomes suspicious of a man named Massoud she's been talking to. What connection is there? Throw in a few more absurd touches: a turkey expert, glasses stolen by one of those birds, street and Tim Hortons signs in two languages, Persian and French, a Quebecker confusing Alberta and Manitoba. Any clearer now? Not for me either.Â
Maison 4:3But amusing, as presented by writer/director Matthew Rankin, who is from Winnipeg and with some of his touches show off his fascination with films from Iran. (In theaters) 3 out of 5
BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN: Fans are going to like this a lot. It's the story of the iconic, and loud, rock band told by the surviving members, Jimmie Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, with a few clips from an old interview with John Bonham, who died in 1980. Authorized is the word you'll think of because this is definitely what the guys want to tell. It misses out a lot, their hard partying and tough business methods, for instance. But what you do get is valuable, Page's childhood (with cute photos), his busy session work (on Goldfinger, To Sir With Love and many other records, Jones, as a teenager, serving as choirmaster at his church. And so on.
Courtesy of Mongrel Media & IMAXPage formed the new band after The Yardbirds, which he was part of. From another band he lured Robert Plant, who Jones called "a "screaming maniac with a fantastic voiceâ and from Band of Joy he hired Bonham. Posters show they were billed as âformerly known as The Yardbirdsâ. The first American tour was to small crowds but Page kept the morale and energy up by saying let's just play for ourselves. It worked; they bonded. One year after a big show in San Francisco they had a #1 album. The Beatles Abbey Road was #2. All that is told in straightforward documentary style but is generously lifted with music: entire songs from concerts, TV shows and festivals. Dazed and Confused and Whole Lotta Love are particularly thrilling. No Stairway to Heaven, though. The film only goes until album number two. The memories and music though, rare footage and crisp IMAX pictures and sound are enough to make this a treat. (In theaters across the country) 3 Âœ out of 5Â
LOVE HURTS: I had high hopes for this one. There are two Academy Award winners starring in it: Ke Huy Quan from Everything Everywhere All at Once and Ariana DeBose from the West Side Story remake. The BBC said it looked like it might be fun. I thought so too but it isnât. Itâs dreary. Itâs short but feels long. The story is hard to follow and the two leads are said to be in love but donât manage to show any chemistry.Â
Courtesy of Sony PicturesMaybe that love was only in the past because this is a story about a past coming back to haunt. He, now a mousey real estate agent, used to be a hitman for his brother Knuckles, who ordered him to kill her for stealing his money. He fell in love with her instead and let her live. Now thugs are after him to find where sheâs hiding. She knows too much and as more is revealed the story gets more and more complicated. It bogs down while interest shifts to a series of hand to hand fights between Ke and the thugs. He makes like Jackie Chan, punching, kicking, and flipping them with glee.Â
Heâs a former child actor who became a stunt co-ordinator before returning and winning that Oscar. Here heâs working with a first time director, Jonathan Eusebio, who was a stunt co-ordinator. No wonder the fights take over. They come with gimmicky visuals and a weak script, tied, surprisingly and ineffectually, to Valentineâs Day. (In theaters) 2 out of 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
February 7th 2025
Chelsea Handler once opened up about what it was really like partying up with Sean âDiddyâ Combs back in the day.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Cynthia Erivo, Zoe Saldaña and Ariana Grande were among those who stepped out for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards on Feb. 7. See all the moments from star-studded event that didn't air on TV.Â
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater appear together at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards where "Wicked" is nominated for several awards.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
!['[He] has a little bit of a mythical reputation': Why NFL insiders believe Drake Maye will draw free agents to Patriots](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Pro_Bowl_Football_74308-67a6bdffefc1d-scaled-e1738980893892-768x432.jpg)
NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero agree that the Patriots will have an easier time in free agency this year.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Patrick Mahomes has played with a fair share of pass-catchers throughout his NFL career, but there's no denying which one he's had the most chemistry with. Travis Kelce and Mahomes
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
With Season 1 of 'Nobody Wants This' in the awards race, Jackie Tohn is still catching her breath before jumping into Season 2 next month.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Singer and actress Hyeri has showcased her passion for acting through a "healthy competition."
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
As one of the most iconic leading men in Hollywood, George Clooney is very selective about his work and turned down one highly-paid role.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The âNobody Wants Thisâ actor thanked his âdarlingâ wife in his acceptance speech, saying, âThank you for sharing this life with me and this journey with me.â
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
âWe can all agree to accept that thereâs probably not going to be a sequel,â Handler quipped.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.