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Samantha BornemannFeatures
All Dressed Up… And Catering to the Wrong AudienceThe Apprentice isn't built for her, and Martha is too authentic, too distinctive, to be squeezed into someone else's role. In so many ways, she's the anti-Trump, matching his pomposity and garish taste with cool conviction and soothing color palettes. [20 October 2005] ReviewsSons of HollywoodTrying too hard to be stylish and too little to conjure a plot, Sons of Hollywood can't quite decide what it has to say. [29 March 2007] 
How I Met Your Mother: Season OneThis is no static workplace comedy or rinse-repeat tale of funny family life. As the narration from the future reminds us, life as the characters know it is destined to end. [19 December 2006] 
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)Ever watching, waiting, and wisecracking, Watts is the irresistible underdog, cursed with loving a boy too "stupid" to see the truth. [2 October 2006] Gilmore GirlsCommunication is always the problem on Gilmore Girls: though mom and daughter are famous for their witty banter, they're terrible at mustering the courage to say what they want. [26 September 2006] RunawayRunaway splits the difference between basic family drama and the serial thriller. [25 September 2006] Men in TreesImagine Sex and the City set up on a blind date with Northern Exposure, and you have a pretty good take on Men in Trees. [21 September 2006] 
The Bedford DiariesAs if it weren't bad enough that Owen finds Natalie's one-time death wish intriguing, she herself paints her swan-dive as liberating. [5 April 2006] 
Prix de beauté (1930)Louise Brooks plays Lucienne as alternately stifled and aglow, a young girl only truly engaged when gazing at her own reflection, whether on the screen or in another's eyes. [21 March 2006] 
The Paramount Comedy Shorts 1928-1942: Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin (1928)As Robert Benchley was nothing if not influential, you might see a little of Frasier Crane and paleontologist Ross Gellar in him, too. [14 March 2006] 
ConvictionIf you wonder whether the rookie lawyer will stick with his grim new gig, you must not know much about TV pilots. [2 March 2006] 
Emily’s Reasons Why NotThe problem with the latest pretender to the Sex and the City throne is that it doesn't take the mimicry far enough. [23 January 2006] 
The Bachelor: ParisFor dark comedy, the show relies on its 25 wannabe Mrs. Bachelors, who must preen, banter, and scheme to keep their dream alive past opening night. [16 January 2006] 
The Book of DanielDespite the recent fire and brimstone headlines, Daniel is a very familiar book. [12 January 2006] 
ER / The West WingThe West Wing's chief relationships have been tested and compromised, turning Sorkin's noble, fast-walking liberals into more than the sum of their quips and ideals. [5 December 2005] 
Grey’s AnatomyConfession and communication aren't the norm at Seattle Grace. Instead, the hospital crew all harbor secrets. [19 October 2005] 
Once and Again: The Complete Second SeasonSome of us want to see messy, contradictory lives on screen. We find escape enough in knowing that, as much as the problems feel familiar, they are not precisely our own. [13 October 2005] 
RelatedGiven its pedigree, Related makes its performance anxiety annoyingly audible. [12 October 2005] 
Commander in ChiefHaving gone to the trouble of putting a woman in the White House, Commander in Chief plans to focus on her efforts to keep house. See how far we've come? [4 October 2005] 
Kitchen ConfidentialPresentation, on the plate or on television, goes a long way, and Confidential has the look of a winner. [26 September 2005] 
Head CasesThere's lots of 'adult' humor and madcap legal maneuvering. The Practice should have been this much fun. [21 September 2005] 
Just LegalSure, this has all been done before, but familiarity doesn't make Just Legal any less fun. [19 September 2005] 
Gilmore GirlsLorelai and Paris, Rory and her grandparents... Gilmore Girls' most long-standing relationships seem set for realignment in Season Six. [13 September 2005] 
Prison BreakThe good and bad guys in Prison Break might cry, fight, screw, and bleed, but they still look like cardboard to me. [12 September 2005] 
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)Here, a one-note title evolves into a 3-D landscape of guffaws and awws. [26 August 2005] 
The Secret Garden (1975)This Secret Garden is so faithful to the novel that it plays as a live-action picture book. [11 August 2005] 
Table For Five (1983)Watching this 1983 tearjerker anew is a jarring, surprising experience. [11 July 2005] 
Starting Over (1979)Starting Over captures the sting of loving someone despite knowing he is going to break your heart. [7 July 2005] 
Lifeguard (1976)A year-round California lifeguard, Rick Carlson (pre-gray Sam Elliott) has resisted the pull of others' expectations longer than most of us do. [21 June 2005] 
The Olive Thomas Collection (2005 - PopMatters Film Review )Long before OJ, James Dean, and William Desmond Taylor, the mysterious death of 25-year-old film star Olive Thomas caused a scandal in 1920. [16 June 2005] 
Queer EyeWhat's not fun about watching grown, ostensibly macho men suffer back and neck waxes? [7 June 2005] 
Desperate HousewivesI'm stunned that Wisteria Lane is rife with homicidal nut-jobs and no one seems to care. [6 June 2005] 
EverwoodEverwood lets us think we know where the story is going. Refreshingly, we're always just a little bit wrong. [2 June 2005] 
Jack & BobbyNo matter how much we learn of the President, he remains distant, a mythical figure recalled with admiration by friends and foes alike. [18 May 2005] 
Joan of ArcadiaJoan is more a young girl answering to an authority figure than a blind-faith disciple. [2 May 2005] 
The Amazing RaceTeams care whether they win or lose, but what captivates viewers is seeing how they play the game. 
Living with FranFran's so grating and Riley's so bland that their pairing -- titillating generation gap aside -- holds no interest. [4 April 2005] 
EyesTim Daly stars as Harlan Judd, a guy who's good in the room -- any room, actually -- because he's never without a smartass quip. 
Murder One: Season OneMesmerizingly played by Daniel Benzali, Ted respects the law but understands that the courthouse is just one of its venues. [23 March 2005] 
SummerlandYou might argue that star and co-creator Lori Loughlin is only working with what she knows. [21 March 2005] 
Our Town (2003)Our Town is revered for its simple structure and shorthand summation of the human journey. [28 February 2005]
Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is not the show it started out to be. It's a generation deeper, and much better. [9 February 2005] 
Late Night Shopping (2001)Late Night Shopping makes no promises, because, you know, the open ending is much more honest in this age of cinema. And so what?" [26 January 2005] 
This So-Called Disaster (2004)This So-Called Disaster is more impressionistic than comprehensive. [17 January 2005] 
life as we know itlife as we know it offers a primer on high school, and especially teenaged boys, exactly right now. [12 January 2005] |
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