On Tuesday, February 2nd The Critics Choice Association hosted the 3rd Annual Celebration of Black Cinema, via a virtual ceremony, to honor 10 visionary films and 15 actors, producers, and directors of the season.
United States
United Nations – United States President Donald Trump’s speech to the United Nation’s 72nd General Assembly was a expedition of name-dropping, finger-pointing, and hand-slapping, all somehow confined within Trump’s unmistakable “America First” campaign.
Tillerson, Lavrov on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and DPRK amid United Nations General Assembly
Lavrov asks to “cool down the hotheads” at the United Nations. Meanwhile, Tillerson doesn’t rule out Military potential in dealing with DPRK.
According to a leaked U.S. proposal, the United States will offer Russia a military pact against the Islamic State and al-Qaida in Syria.
It’s been a strange few months for America. With issues with police, guns, hate crimes and homegrown terrorism flying off the charts, people aren’t feeling too brave in their homes. It’s then no small comfort to have a topical musical emerge reminding us of the origins of the Statue of Liberty- at least, the ideological origins. Regardless of whether the musical is historically accurate (and no one would lay claim to that), it brings up several key points about these united states we live in. We are, first and foremost, a nation of immigrants. Current electoral debate has people questioning whether that needs to stay our top priority.
The songs aren’t really that catchy, is the thing. Aside from “Charity Tango”, none of them really stay stuck in your head. The play is more preachy than anything else, and in a different time when core American values weren’t being challenged in the media on the daily, no one would care. “Liberty” lucked out in its release, in that despite its lead’s lack of raw talent (replaced as much as possible by training) and numerous plot holes, its message will resonate with those who go to watch.
The play doesn’t have a real conflict- just clashing ideas. And isn’t that how politics is working out right now? Everything’s theoretical, but it all comes down to a few core values. The Statue of Liberty offers up refuge to anyone coming in-something migrants and other current refugees would be shocked to hear is true. Something perhaps politicians aren’t aware of nowadays. Like it or not, we have an obligation to the people in this country and out of it. When we set ourselves up as a nation, we knew what we were getting into. Immigration is our legacy- and it cannot become irrelevant to our future.
If only, if only that lead could sing.
Alex Gibney brings to light yet another interesting event in history that has been generally glossed over, but fails to bring enough discussion to the table.