Adina Bernstein

When I was growing up in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the on-screen redheads that my former child self could look to as an icon were limited. There was Anne Shirley, but her story was limited to the small screen. Then The Little Mermaid premiered in 1989.
I Will Always Have an Affinity for Ariel
There is nothing like going to the movies and seeing yourself reflected on screen. Not only did I look like Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), but I understood her as well. She was and always will be to a certa...

Every genre has it’s expected clichés. The romantic comedy genre is no exception. The new movie, Isn’t It Romantic, both revels in the clichés and mocks them in gleeful fashion.
The following review will be spoiler free.
Synopsis
Directed By: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Written By: Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox and Kate Silberman
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Alex Kis, Brandon Scott Jones and Jennifer Saunders
The film starts in the early 90’s. Young Natalie (Alex ...

For everyone who dreams of making it in Hollywood, only a small handful will see their dreams become reality. Among that small handful, an ever-smaller group of performers become icons. Glenn Close is one of those performers who has become an icon in Hollywood.
Her most recent movie, The Wife, hit theaters last fall. Based on the novel by Meg Wolitzer, Close and the film have already received multiple nominations and awards this season. The list of nominations includes a best actress Oscar no...

The mere act of walking into a bookstore gives any book lover a high. The mere act of walking through the Brooklyn Book Festival multiplies that high times 100. It is an experience that cannot be explained, only felt.
Held this year on September 16th in Downtown Brooklyn, the festival hosted publishing houses, magazines, undergraduate/graduate programs, and a booth presided over by JASNA-NY. Volunteers did more than sell books, DVDs, and recruit new members to the region. They brought Austen ...

When the Titanic fell into the ocean in 1912, the ship and her passengers became part of our cultural history. In 1997, writer/director James Cameron retold the story of Titanic through the eyes of doomed lovers Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). Though there have been other filmed adaptations of Titanic, this film struck a nerve with the film-going public.
I was a teenager when Titanic hit theaters. Like many young girls at the time, I thought the movie was the greatest film e...

Christian Bale is one of the most respected actors of our era. Like Daniel Day-Lewis and Gary Oldman, he immerses himself so deeply into his character that the audience forgets that they are watching him play a fictional character in a fictional narrative. But in the early 1990’s, he was just another young actor hoping to build his career and reputation. In 1992 and 1993, Bale played two young men who rebel not just for the sake of youthful rebellion, but for a greater cause.
In 1992, Bale pl...

On the surface, rebooting a classic and beloved film seems simple. The narrative, characters and fan base are already there, it is just a matter of updating the individual pieces that are outdated. But there is more to it than a simple update. A filmmaker cannot just do the film equivalent of transforming a 1920’s Ford Model T into a modern sports car and think that audiences will flock to the theaters. There needs to be something more to the reboot.
1959’s Pillow Talk is one of the great rom...

For me, one of the harder aspects of living with depression is the fact that I am always exhausted. Nothing ever seems to quell the exhaustion. I try to get a good night’s sleep and eat healthy, limit my caffeine intake, etc., but I am always, always exhausted. There are some weekends when I sleep in and take a nap during the day. And yet, when it comes to bedtime, I have no problems falling asleep.
I went away a few months ago with my writing group for our bi-annual writing retreat. The reas...

When a screenwriter or screenwriters sits down to write a fan satire, they are walking a fine line. While the satirical elements must be present in the narrative, the fan base must feel like they are not being laughed at or used as a lesson on how not to be act or behave. Fanboys hit theaters in 2009. Austenland was released into theaters in 2013. The question is, which film balances satire and the fans, and which doesn’t?
Fanboys
Fanboys is set in 1998, right before the release of Star Wars ...

Every genre has it’s own standard narrative. In the romantic comedy genre, the standard narrative is as follows: There is a meet cute for the lead couple, their relationship or lack thereof builds, there is conflict and by the time the credits roll, there is some version of happily ever after. The problem with this narrative is that even with the predictable plot points, some creative teams are still too reliant on what they know instead of trying something new.
And yet, Only the Lonely stays...

Every genre has at least one defining film that comes to mind when thinking of or discussing the genre. When one thinks of Holocaust films, there one film that automatically comes to mind: Schindler’s List. Release 25 years ago, this iconic film still stands out not just as an exemplary work of art, but a reminder of what happens not only when hate takes over, but also when there is life in the bleakest of circumstances.
A Quick Synopsis
World War II is at its height, as is the Nazis persecut...

The dirty game of politics, power (and sex by extension) is usually the purview of men. Women are usually seen as the support system or the sex object. The new film, The Favourite, flips this idea on this head by making the dirty game of politics, power and sex the purview of women in delicious fashion.
This review will be spoiler free.

Sometimes, we are presented with a choice when it comes to the direction that our life will take. We can silently go along with what is expected of us, or we can go with what feels right to us. Even if that means going against societal norms and everything we have been taught that is right and true. Join me in celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Age of Innocence!
The Synopsis
Edith Wharton is one of the most accomplished and respected writers of the early 20th century. The Age Of Innocenc...

The family sitcoms of the 1950’s presented the image of a perfect white middle-class suburban family. Dad went to work at an unknown office job and Mom not only kept an immaculate house, but looked like she rolled out of bed with perfect hair, perfect makeup and clothes that were fresh out of the closet. While the children misbehaved, it was never to the extreme. They were gently reprimanded and whatever the problem of the specific episode was, it was solved by the time the credits rolled. Wh...

Life is never black and white, no matter how much we may wish it to be. There are always shades of grey that bring in unforeseen complications into what may seem like a black and white issue. This idea is the undercurrent of the new movie, The Children Act.
The following review will be spoiler free.
Synopsis
Directed By: Richard Eyre
Written By: Ian McEwan
Based On The Book By: Ian McEwan
Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) is a family court judge whose work life is spilling into her home life. Her Am...