The operas of Jules Massenet are not as admired today as they once were in the last 20 years of the 19th century, when works such as Manon, Werther, Sapho and many others made the industrious French composer a wealthy and famous man. He has been much abused by history for his willingness to cater to the mass taste of his day and making no absolutely bones about it. “I don’t … [Read more...]
‘Martha Marcy’ grounded in harrowing, tactile reality of cult life
Back in January, Ramin Setoodeh wrote a memorable article for Newsweek titled “Crazy Chick Flicks,” which pointed to the tendency for actresses to go psycho to win Oscars. Natalie Portman, who scored an undeserved statuette for Black Swan, was the most prominent example at the time. Her character was also typical in that she expressed a sexual mania along with her … [Read more...]