A Singular Olsen Sister

Elizabeth Olsen and Sean Durkin,
star and director of "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Photo credit: Earnie Grafton, U-T

At last, an Olsen sister who can have her photograph taken without posing in a ridiculous manner. But that's not the only quality Elizabeth Olsen has that's worth celebrating.

I spent some quality time with Olsen, star of the new indie "cult" film (literally) "Martha Marcy May Marlene," when she was in town this summer with the film's writer/director Sean Durkin. We were the only two women at a sparsely attended critics' mixer and, while the men did that thing they do where they show each other how much they know, she and I sat together at a table chatting about going to college in New York City (she's at NYU, I went to Columbia), her suddenly exploding career and how she's the first Olsen sister who actually likes performing (her sisters prefer board meetings for their company, which they've been attending since their tweens).

All in all, it was a pleasure to cross paths with Olsen at this precious moment in her life, between carefree young adult and celebrated actress.

Here's my interview with Olsen and Durkin and my review of "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

You don't have to join any "families" to see the film.

Bill Cunningham: A pure portrait

My own personal fashion icon, Bill Cunningham

I'm so thankful for having had just enough free time this week to finally catch "Bill Cunningham New York" on Netflix Instant. What an absolutely perfect portrait of a true New York personality. Not the chic, filthy rich, high society New York, but a relic of the days when the city housed personalities known not for their ability to generate money, but for their truly original character.

More than the street fashion he admires enough to photograph, Cunningham himself is the work of art; perhaps the last "honest and straight" person to still be living and admired in New York.  Director Richard Press captures the frugal fashion spotter exactly how he would prefer (if he didn't hate the attention so much) -- simply and naturalistically. 

This delicate, touching portrait officially puts Cunningham right alongside Buck Brannaman on my extremely short list of men I wish would adopt me. If you haven't seen either "Bill Cunningham New  York" or "Buck," do so immediately.

In the meantime, check out my preview of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, running October 20-28 at Hazard Center. As for the Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson release "The Big Year," I ask that you only commit the amount of time it takes to read my review, full of many terrible bird puns that couldn't possibly be worse than the film itself.