Luke Dolan

Reading time: about 4 minutes I have never been a ballet aficionado, and my time in the theater has historically been limited to an annual family outing before Christmas to watch The Nutcracker in New York City. While early childhood experiences fostered a fondness for ballet, I regarded the artform as distant and formal — something that I respected but did not necessarily understand.

Aiden Gaddis ’27: Thumbs Up The recipe for Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir’s latest novel-turned-movie, is as follows: Take an imminent human-extinction event à la Interstellar, fold in Ken from Barbie, add a pinch of the 1980s sitcom ALF, sprinkle in some astrophysics, microbiology and a dash of flat acting by the supporting cast, mix well and let it bake for two hours and 36 minutes. Out of the oven comes a visually polished, overly-long film carried by an engaging leading performance.

As we approach the third week of war with Iran, many of us are probably wondering how we got here. Here are four films offering a wide array of perspectives on the complex history of the Middle East. Lawrence of Arabia One cannot discuss the formation of the modern Middle East without acknowledging David Lean’s 1962 epic, Lawrence of Arabia. The film chronicles the life of Thomas Edward Lawrence, an eccentric British officer tasked with monitoring the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire.