
A case for and against ‘The Brutalist' winning Best Picture
A case for and against 'The Brutalist' winning Best Picture
February 27, 2025 | 4:44 PM GMT
Post staffers Naveen Kumar and Allie Caren explore the merits of the Best Picture-nominated film 'The Brutalist,' starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce.
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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Mon Mothma's Senate speech, annotated: Inside the year's most powerful monologue
Confronting an authoritarian strongman about his war crimes, Mon Mothma's address to the Galactic Senate sees the future leader of the Rebel Alliance throw down the gauntlet against Emperor Palpatine. But drafting the rousing climax of her political evolution left Dan Gilroy, the writer of 'Andor's' Emmy-nominated episode 'Welcome to the Rebellion,' with a daunting task: 'This is a wildly historic speech in the 'Star Wars' canon, so there was always an imperative of anybody who touched it that this really needed a tremendous amount of thought and care.' Gilroy recently joined The Envelope via Zoom to annotate the four-minute oration. 'The speech that Mon's giving here has two audiences,' Gilroy says. 'The first group are these craven elected officials who have abandoned their posts and left their constituents at the complete mercy of evil. She's condemning them. The second group she's speaking to are the galaxy's infinitely diverse inhabitants. Because Mon understands that the goal of unbridled authority is to make people feel helpless. To break them, to make them believe that resistance is something futile without chance of success.' Measuring just 269 words — three shorter than the Gettysburg Address — and featuring this allusion to the 16th president's first inaugural, Mon's speech draws inspiration from Abraham Lincoln as well as President Kennedy, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, Gilroy says. 'Those speeches just have a ring to them. They have a gravitas to them, they have a wisdom to them, they have timeless sense of theme to them.' 'When you're looking at Mon, and I know [actor] Genevieve [O'Reilly] believes this deeply, you're looking at somebody who's overcome their human frailty and their primal desire to survive,' Gilroy says. 'She is an apostle of sorts. She has reached a point where her time has come. Fate's knocked on the door; she doesn't know if she's going to get out of this alive, but she's going to transmit to the world what she believes.' Gilroy points to Joseph Goebbels, the Nazis' minister of propaganda, as a real-life analogue to those in Emperor Palpatine's employ who are devoted to manipulating the truth. 'It's almost like mass hypnosis,' Gilroy says. 'They're putting you to sleep. They're lying to you with bigger and bigger and bigger lies, and you stop sort of paying attention. So Mon's trying to wake people up from that lethargy that's been created by this dictatorship.' Mon's intake of breath before the speech reaches its crescendo is purposeful, Gilroy says: 'She needs to come in and communicate in a modulated way. It takes tremendous effort. Genevieve really displayed that — she's almost trembling at first, to control herself. ... The bravery really builds, the bravery really climaxes, and the bravery is defined.' 'Andor,' on which Dan collaborated with brothers Tony and John, reflects Gilroy family history. Their father, who was among the troops who liberated the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany in 1945, taught his sons that such crimes against humanity are not to be forgotten, whitewashed or ignored. Comparing this moment in the speech to 'accusing Hitler of genocide in the Reichstag,' Gilroy suggests the term remains contentious to the present day because authoritarian regimes 'will vehemently and violently combat anyone trying to say what they're doing is anything other than righteous': 'Mon knows that this word is radioactive. And for her to use it, she is signing her death warrant. If they catch her, she will be executed for that word.'


Tom's Guide
9 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
You'll never see Sydney Sweeney the same way after streaming this thriller movie on HBO Max
From Emmy-nominated turns in top TV shows like "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus" to high-profile big-screen gigs like "Anyone but You," "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and "Immaculate," Sydney Sweeney has quickly risen to A-list level in the last few years. But though her growing IMDb is full of popular credits, there are still a few that have been comparatively overlooked. One such hidden gem is "Reality," a 2023 crime drama directed by Tina Satter (who first staged the story as a play, "Is This a Room") with a screenplay co-written by Satter and James Paul Dallas. The taut, topical thriller is based on the real-life interrogation transcript of American intelligence officer Reality Winner (played by Sweeney), who is questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for her part in leaking classified documents about Russian interference in the 2016 election. "Reality" might be a surprising watch for viewers who all-too-simply put Sweeney in the blonde bombshell box, as it features a gripping and mature performance from the 27-year-old star. Need more convincing? Here's why you should add "Reality" — which is streaming now on HBO Max — to your watchlist. In a departure from her more well-known roles like popular cheerleader Cassie Howard and judgmental teen Olivia Mossbacher, Sweeney plays Reality Winner (and before you ask, yes, that is her real name), a U.S. Air Force veteran and translator employed by the National Security Agency. When FBI agents arrive at her home in June 2017 to confront her about suspicions that she leaked an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections from NSA website to the media, reality — pardon the pun — hits, with Winner having to come to terms with the legal ramifications of the data breach. Along with Sweeney, the film also stars Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis, Benny Elledge and John Way. Having FBI agents infiltrate your home to confront you over a federal felony is certainly high stakes enough, but "Reality" ups both the intensity and authenticity of the story by pulling its dialogue word-for-word from actual transcripts of the FBI's tense conversation with Winner. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'I was reading the dialogue like, 'You can't even write stuff like this!'" Sweeney shared in a 2023 interview with USA Today. 'I was very intrigued by it (but also) scared, because I knew I wanted to be able to honor Reality's voice as much as possible.' And the actress does a great job of portraying the young American whistleblower in the Peabody-winning film, giving a subtle, controlled and altogether riveting performance as a woman trying to hold it together while the rug is completely pulled out from under her. "'Reality's' narrow scope and gripping fact-based story add up to a riveting showcase for Sydney Sweeney in the title role," praises the critical consensus over at Rotten Tomatoes, where the docudrama holds a very strong 93% approval rating. Watch "Reality" on HBO Max now


New York Post
17 hours ago
- New York Post
Boston TV news anchor claims she lost gig because she's white — blames CBS ‘DEI agenda'
A TV anchor at a local CBS station in Boston claims she was demoted from her job because she is a white woman — and alleged she fell victim to a 'DEI agenda' that was raging out of control across the Tiffany Network, according to a bombshell lawsuit. Katherine Merrill Dunham, a longtime anchor for CBS affiliate WBZ-TV known on air as Kate Merrill, filed suit against the station's corporate parents CBS and Paramount Global this month alleging that she was run out of the newsroom to satisfy corporate diversity quotas. The 51-year-old Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, who is married to ex-Rangers goalie Mike Dunham, stunned viewers last year when she quit the station without explanation. 8 Katherine Merrill Dunham (center), known on-air as Kate Merrill, a longtime Boston news anchor for CBS affiliate WBZ-TV. Chris Tanaka is seen left. Levan Reid is seen right. Facebook / Kate Merrill WBZ In her Aug. 5 suit filed in Boston federal court, Merrill alleged she was targeted by managers who said the morning show was 'too white' and by co-workers who filed 'malicious' race-based complaints against her. The lawsuit cites exclusive reporting by The Post of then-CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, who was accused of using her clout to promote minorities while unfairly sidelining white journalists during her tenure. Her downfall began, she claims, after Paramount and CBS rolled out sweeping diversity mandates in response to past allegations of racism. Executives allegedly described WBZ as 'the whitest of all their stations' and vowed to allow only minority hires. Dominican-born Ciprian Mathew was named as president of CBS News in August 2023 despite being the subject of an internal probe by the company in 2021 over her alleged hiring practices, The Post reported. 8 Merrill is married to Mike Dunham, a former backup goaltender for the New York Rangers. X / Mike Dunham 'WBZ-TV exploited such policies and took career-ending action against Ms. Merrill to advance a DEI agenda,' according to the complaint. Ciprian-Matthews stepped down in July of last year. Paramount scrapped its controversial DEI programs earlier this year ahead of its deal with Skydance after President Trump-nominated FCC Chair Brendan Carr reportedly vowed to block any mergers involving companies that held firm to 'woke' policies. According to the complaint, the trouble started when Jason Mikell, a black co-worker and meteorologist at WBZ, allegedly 'made an inappropriate sexual innuendo about' Merrill 'on air' in February of last year when he 'implied that Ms. Merrill and her co-anchor had sexual relations at a gazebo.' 8 The lawsuit cites exclusive reporting by The Post of then-CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthew, who was accused of using her clout to promote minorities while unfairly sidelining white journalists during her tenure. Getty Images The lawsuit alleges that despite complaints to supervisors by Merrill's executive producer, Mikell 'was not disciplined for his sexually charged remark about Ms. Merrill.' A few weeks later in April of last year, after she privately texted him to correct a mispronunciation of 'Concord,' Mikell allegedly 'loudly yelled at her on the studio floor,' according to the suit. Merrill claims she immediately complained to human resources — but a week later, Paramount's HR chief informed her that Mikell and Courtney Cole, a black anchor hired by WBZ in 2022, had accused her of racial bias. After 20 years at the station, the Emmy-winning broadcaster charges that she was branded a racist, demoted in public and forced into a 'constructive discharge resignation'. 8 WBZ-TV meteorologist Jason Mikell at his desk. Mikell allegedly accused Merill of making racist comments. Facebook/Jason Mikell On May 17, 2024, Michael Roderick, vice president of employee relations at Paramount, issued a report finding Merrill had engaged in 'microaggressions or unconscious bias.' WBZ President and GM Justin Draper handed her a written warning requiring unconscious bias training and threatening termination if she slipped again, according to the complaint. The next day, Draper allegedly blindsided her with news she was being demoted from morning anchor to weekends — a move he announced in two staff meetings, the lawsuit alleged. 'Demoting Ms. Merrill in the context of the investigation sent the false message to her professional colleagues that she had engaged in serious wrongdoing,' the lawsuit said. 8 Merrill was at WBZ-TV for more than 20 years before she left the station without explanation last year. Instagram / Kate Merrill Union leaders told Merrill that the demotion constituted 'career sabotage' and she would 'never recover.' Facing what she called a career-ending blow, Merrill resigned May 24, 2024. The suit alleged male and minority colleagues were spared similar punishment for misconduct. It cites Mikell's innuendo and an incident in which a black reporter allegedly 'physically threw' a co-worker against a wall. None were demoted, according to the filing. According to Merrill's lawsuit, Mikell lodged a complaint against her in which he falsely accused her of making racially charged comments, including one in which she allegedly told him that after his hiring he would 'find his people' in Boston. The lawsuit alleged that Mikell complained after she failed to ask him 'about his weekend, an omission he apparently attributed to his race…' 8 Dunham is a retired goaltender who played in the NHL for teams including the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils. He is seen above with the Rangers in 2002. New York Post The complaint also mentions another incident in which she suggested he could be a garbage collector while a co-anchor joked he could pick strawberries during an on-air bit. Merrill denied 'any of her actions, inactions, or comments were as described or motivated by overt racism or unconscious bias.' Merrill, a Carlisle, Mass. native and Concord resident, launched her career in 1996 and joined WBZ in 2004. She became co-anchor of 'WBZ This Morning' and 'WBZ News at Noon' in 2017. The filing touts her spotless record, 'extraordinary reputation' and a résumé that included coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing, Democratic National Convention, Red Sox World Series win and Patriots Super Bowls. 8 Merrill said her black colleagues at WBZ-TV fabricated allegations against her accusing her of racial hostility. Facebook / Kate Merrill WBZ 'For more than 20 years, Ms. Merrill worked closely, virtually daily, with colleagues regardless of race,' the filing states, attaching photos of her with black colleagues. 'She is anti-racist.' In 2022, WBZ hired Cole and Japanese American anchor Chris Tanaka, demoting white colleagues in the process. In 2023, black meteorologist Mikell joined the station, replacing Zack Green, a white forecaster, according to the complaint. 8 Merrill alleged she was targeted by managers who said the morning show was 'too white' and by co-workers who filed 'malicious' race-based complaints against her. Facebook / Kate Merrill WBZ Her WBZ contract — which runs until June 2025 — contains a non-compete clause, blocking her from working elsewhere in TV until it expires. She says she has suffered 'significant financial losses' and reputational damage, and that WBZ still has not paid her for 20 unused vacation days. The Post has sought comment from Merrill's attorneys, Patricia Washienko and Allison Williard; WBZ-TV; CBS; Paramount Global; Draper; Mikell; Cole and Roderick.