Finally...

... LA Times prints one sensible article.

I particularly agree with:

1. Minghella reiterates this pervasive use of figure of speech. "One of the games of this movie with myself is what Vera Farmiga's character says: 'Animals don't talk because they don't need to lie,' " says Minghella. "I am so conscious of the way that language is in service of obfuscation instead of communication."

2. "And that's a problem I have with movies, where language is solely employed so that characters can tell each other exactly what they mean and think and feel.... We can't even explain ourselves, much less the actions of others. And so, obviously, I feel some obligation that if you're going to muck around in the sandbox of feelings and relationships, not to lie about them."

3. ...An inveterate problem-solver, armed with the sort of simplistic optimism of Western privilege much on display in the geopolitical adventurism in the world today, Will insinuates himself into these foreigners' affairs and tries to fix their apparent problems, with a predictably disastrous outcome. The result is a disquisition on cultural Pangaea and the limits of communication as pointed as anything in "Babel," but confined to a 10-block area.

That point 3 is especially well-phrased. Full Review is here.

There are also two other articles of interest today. Maria Maggenti, good friend who lent us her couch when we were casting ILU in NYC is the subject of this piece since her film Puccini for Beginners is coming out in LA and NYC. Full Review is here.