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Culture Clashes Pop Up Over '2 Days In New York'

Credit Jojo Whilden / Magnolia Pictures

Mingus (Chris Rock) and Marion (Julie Delpy) live together with their respective kids. Their differences begin to come out, though, when Marion's family visits in 2 Days in New York.

Credit Jojo Whilden / Magnolia Pictures

Delpy also co-wrote and directed the movie, which follows up her 2007 film 2 Days in Paris. In that film, Delpy played the same character, only with a different boyfriend.

By Stephanie Zacharek

There's so little craziness today in American movies — even American independent movies. Filmmakers are so busy trying to look as if they're not trying too hard that their strained effortlessness is sometimes the only thing that comes through.

4:03 pm

Thu August 9, 2012

Iranian 'Wave' Rises To Euphoria, Crashes In Despair

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Credit Dreamer Joint Venture

An Iranian woman mourns in The Green Wave, a documentary that mixes live action and animation to tell the story of the protests that erupted in the country during its 2009 elections.

Credit Dreamer Joint Venture

The protests were firmly stamped down by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who went on to win what were widely considered to be rigged elections.

By Ella Taylor

Late in The Green Wave, a soulful look back at the brief 2009 people's movement for democratic elections in Iran, a former United Nations prosecutor and human rights activist observes that the protest, despite being brutally quelled by the forces of President Ahmadinejad, was "a tidal wave" that would sweep through the Middle East.

4:01 pm

Thu August 9, 2012

Ashton Eaton, Of United States, Wins Gold In Decathlon

Credit Feng Li / Getty Images

Ashton Eaton of the United States smiles after competing in the Men's Decathlon Pole Vault in London.

By editor

Originally published on Fri August 10, 2012 3:58 pm

The American Ashton Eaton can call himself the greatest athlete in the world, today.

With 8,869 points, Eaton took the gold medal in the decathlon. His American teammate Trey Hardee took the silver with 8,671 points.

If you're not familiar, the decathlon is the closest the sports world comes to a standardized test in athletic ability. It spans two days and 10 events, including the 100 meter dash, the long jump, the high jump and the shot put.

The final event is the 1,500 meter run. It's a grueling final metric mile. Eaton finished it easily with a time of 4:35.

4:00 pm

Thu August 9, 2012

'The Campaign': Just How Low Can Politicians Go?

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Credit Patti Perret / Warner Bros.

Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) and Marty Huggins (Zack Galifianakis) are political rivals in The Campaign, a movie that improves the more it lets the two actors veer toward the outlandish.

Credit Warner Bros. Pictures

The Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) support Huggins' campaign in hopes of securing their own business interests. The brothers' last name is a not-so-veiled reference to the real-life Koch brothers.

By Scott Tobias

Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 4:49 pm

There's a devil-may-care recklessness to Will Ferrell that sets him apart from other screen comics — a willingness to commit to the moment without fear of embarrassment, even if the comedy goes right off the rails.

3:59 pm

Thu August 9, 2012

On The Trail, Even Republicans Spin Clinton Years Into Gold

Credit Tim Sloan / AFP/Getty Images

What a difference 14 years makes. Here, Bill Clinton departs the White House on July 31, 1998, after telling reporters he wouldn't take questions about the Monica Lewinsky investigation.

By Ari Shapiro

Originally published on Fri August 10, 2012 10:02 am

Listen

This week, the presidential campaign has been dominated by debate over the welfare law from the 1990s. It's just the latest example of how both sides are trying to use the Clinton years to their advantage — portraying them as a halcyon golden age.

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