Political newscasts are often reduced to a ratings game in which clicks and views spur profits. Recent popular programs consist mainly of sensationalist clips that further their political agendas. Whether it be alternative sources like PragerU or The Majority Report that “stick it to the libs,” or mainstream outlets like[Read More…]
Film and TV
‘Minari’ waters down the Korean immigrant experience for the white gaze
As a Korean Canadian who immigrated to Canada at age 12, I had high hopes for Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari (2020), touted as a moving immigrant drama that tells the story of growing up Korean in 1980s Arkansas. Since its award-winning world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Minari has drawn immense[Read More…]
In ‘Nomadland,’ there is no such thing as goodbye
It is no secret that the distinct American brand of late-stage capitalism is pushing its working class into even deeper levels of poverty. The exorbitantly high cost of health care and housing, tied with low-yield retirement benefits and a weakened welfare state, has forced many elderly Americans to adopt a[Read More…]
‘It’s A Sin’ breaks your heart—and it should
Gutsier than The Inheritance, gentler than Angels in America, younger than The Normal Heart, crueler than Falsettos, yet more hopeful than 1985: It’s A Sin is a revolutionary depiction of the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. The historical mini-series created by Russel T. Davies (Doctor Who, Queer As Folk) centres on a[Read More…]
2021 Golden Globes were more controversial than glamorous
After Hollywood decided to push back the 2021 awards season to accommodate delayed releases due to COVID-19, it finally began last week with the broadcast of the 78th Golden Globe Awards. The Globes, long associated with bizarre nominations and even more bizarre winners, did their best to recreate the same[Read More…]
Stuff we liked this Reading Week
There was no chance we’d be studying over the break. So, with lockdown limiting our options for respite, the solutions to burnout were simple: Media, lots of media. From a never ending supply of TV shows, books, movies, and music, here are The McGill Tribune’s favourites from Reading Week 2021.[Read More…]
Human Rights Watch Film Festival shares compassion through screens
From Feb. 18-22, Human Rights Watch Canada showcased a selection of their films for Toronto’s 18th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival, a cinematographic exhibition that celebrates diverse human perspectives from around the world. With COVID-19 disrupting the festival’s typical execution, Canadian cinematographer and festival co-chair Nicholas de Pencier discussed[Read More…]
‘Minari’ makes the personal feel universal
Minari, the latest offering from production company A24, presents a complicated yet touching portrait of a South Korean immigrant family through a holistic lens. The film follows the Yi family, who try to establish their lives on an Arkansas farm during the 1980s. The story, written and directed by Lee[Read More…]
‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever:’ Cute, but incredibly shallow
To All the Boys: Always and Forever is exactly what viewers want out of the final instalment of the acclaimed rom-com trilogy: A cheesy and soapy teen romance drenched in nostalgia and drama. The film follows protagonists Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) through the end[Read More…]
Framing Britney Spears, again
In 2008, the L.A. Superior Court granted Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, financial conservatorship over Britney, allowing him to control her finances. Thirteen years later, Jamie remains Britney’s conservator. Framing Britney Spears is a New York Times documentary following Spears’ tumultuous life and her fight to end her father’s conservatorship. Despite being[Read More…]
