
Our Little Secret
If you are looking for a holiday movie that will enchant you, do not choose Our Little Secret on Netflix. The premise sounded promising, but the plot is too predictable, and the characters feel like they were crafted by amateur hands. The only thing I enjoyed was studying Lindsay Lohan’s face and trying to imagine how the once-cute girl ended up with such a swollen appearance. I haven’t seen her since Mean Girls, so I was a bit surprised by her current look.

Best Video Recap of the Harris-Trump Debate I have seen
Click on picture to get to video at NY Times.

Donald Trump’s biggest fan reacts to the guilty verdict in NYC

Why America is vulnerable to a despot
The Economist reports:
President of the united states is a coveted job, at least among a certain type of power-crazed geriatric man. America’s founders nearly made the office more exalted still. John Adams, the first vice-president, thought the president should be known as His Elective Majesty or His Mightiness. The Senate endorsed another form of address: His Highness, the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties. But the House of Representatives rejected grand titles, and George Washington went along with it to dispel claims that he had monarchical ambitions. The accusations flew anyway, and have been repeated whenever one party dislikes what the president is up to, which is to say most of the time.

Maestro
If you are hoping to learn a lot about Leonard Bernstein’s artistry, Maestro will disappoint you. There are two moments where one gets a sense of Bernstein’s creative power. Otherwise, the film is dedicated to chronicling his complicated love life. Bernstein is homosexual but marries and has children. Bradley Cooper (director and actor of Bernstein) focuses on telling this story. Bernstein’s musical artistry merely serves as a background that remains largely unexplored. I once saw a little video of Bernstein teaching the history of music in five minutes at Harvard. Given the title Maestro, I was hoping music would be at the center of the film. Perhaps there is a good documentary on Bernstein I can look for.