【推荐1】Roman Holiday

On Aug. 27, 1953, Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The film would go on to win three Oscars at the 26th Academy Awards, for costume design, Dalton Trumbo's screenplay and for Hepburn as best actress. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, titled “Roman Holiday Smash”, is below:

William Wyler’s first comedy in almost 20 years proves a charming and laugh-provoking affair. With Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn turning in superb performances, Roman Holiday is 118 minutes of sheer entertainment. The critical acclaim and word-of-mouth praise that is bound to come should help make it a box office bonanza.

Out of one of the most ancient premises in story-telling-that of hopeless love between royalty and a commoner-Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton have created a delightful screenplay that sparkles with wit and outrageous humor that at times comes close to a foolish comedy. As staged with artistic subtlety and tongue-in-cheek (半开玩笑的)restraint by Wyler, Roman Holiday comes out with great fun that will be enjoyed by all types of audiences.

Miss Hepburn makes her American screen debut a memorable occasion. A beauty, she reveals sensitivity and sincerity in her portrayal of a princess, next in line for the throne of an unnamed country, making a good-will tour of Europe. By the time she reaches Rome, she is so exhausted from the series of dull public appearances, she gets hysterical and is given a sedative (镇静剂). But before the shot takes effect, she slips out of the embassy, determined to find a little fun for herself. She is found sound asleep on a bench by a poor American newspaperman (Peck) who, thinking she is tight, lets her sleep it off in his very small apartment. It isn't until the next day, when the scheduled press conference with the princess is canceled because of her “illness” that he realizes the identity of his guest. Knowing the financial value of such a piece of shocking news, he turns to his news service’s ace photographer（Eddie Albert）and sets off on a fun-seeking tour of the city with the princess, with Albert busily getting pictures with a camera concealed in his cigarette lighter. Naturally the princess and Peck fall in love and, of course, it is a hopeless romance. But the final parting still manages to stay within the funny mood, taking place at a crowded press conference. It is one of those rare scenes that get the audience to burst into laughter.

The Wyler production was filmed entirely in Rome, with all the high quality associated with his name. Frank F. Planer and Henri Alekan have done a fine shooting job of putting Roman landmarks into the story line. Georges Auric’s music is a definite mood contribution, and Robert Swink has got credit for a film editing clip.

-Milton Luban, originally published on June 30, 1953.

【推荐3】Four Films to Watch in 2022

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)

One of the most innovative of all superhero films, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse pioneered its own pop-art visual style. And it introduced the film world to the concept of different Spider-Men in alternate (交错的) universes —a concept that has since been borrowed by Marvel’s live-action Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Released internationally on 7 October

The Batman

The leading actor, Robert Pattinson channels his inner bat in this latest reboot. Matt Reeves, who co-wrote and directs, told Empire he sees his version of the crime-fighter as a recluse (隐士) inspired by Kurt Cobain. But seemingly there will be some humor amid the darkness and violence.

Released internationally on 4 March

Turning Red

Turning Red is a Pixar cartoon about the pains of growing up as a girl, but it is unique in lots of ways: this is Pixar’s first film to be directed solely by a woman, the first to be set in Canada. The main character is Meilin, a hard-working student who transforms into a huge red panda whenever she is stressed. Turning Red is based on the experiences of its director, Domee Shi.

Released internationally on 11 March

Killers of the Flower Moon

Once again, Martin Scorsese has told a true story of greed and ambition. It reveals brutal crime and criticizes abuse of power. Adapted by Eric Roth from the non-fiction book by David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon examines the murders of several members of the Osage tribe in the 1920s.

Released internationally on 6 December

【推荐2】I love persimmons (柿子). The sweet, bright orange fruit indicates the coming of autumn in Iran, where I grew up. Persimmons can’t grow just anywhere, but they do grow in California, where I now live. A few years ago, preparing to travel from San Francisco to Boston, I packed two persimmons, one of which I ate in the departure hall, waiting for boarding.

At this point, a lady came up, asking where the fruit was purchased. She looked a bit disappointed when hearing it couldn’t be gained at the airport and returned to her seat on the other end of the hall. “I can give the second persimmon away”, I thought to myself. When I offered her the fruit, she at first opposed, but when I insisted, she was visibly glad and appreciatively accepted. I went back to my seat, happy to have made someone else happy, and that, as far as I was concerned, was the end of the story.

Sometime during the flight, the lady caught up with me to thank me again. She shared that she had grown up in Japan, where there was a persimmon tree in the yard of her childhood home. She now lived in Boston, where she hadn’t been able to find the fruit. The taste of this persimmon was precious to her, reconnecting her with memories of her relatives.

Only then did the impact of this tiny act of generosity dawn on me. I am so moved to this day that the taste of the persimmon I never ate gives me more joy than all the ones I have eaten, combined.

My experience is not unique. Research has shown that acts of generosity for others make us happier than treating ourselves. A 2008 study by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and colleagues found that despite participants’ predictions to the contrary, giving money to someone else increased their own happiness more than spending it on themselves.

【推荐3】As an undergraduate,I was fascinated by a visiting professor’s lecture. The second I left the talk, I called my sister and told her I had decided to become a paleoclimate (古气候) scientist—to which she replied, “A what?” No one in my family has a graduate degree. And no one heard of this term. Thus I began my journey through the unwritten expectations and assumed knowledge about applying to graduate school.

I sent that professor an email, asking whether he had time to talk to me. He agreed to meet virtually, explained his graduate research, and shared stories of fieldwork, but he made no mention of how students were supported. I didn’t think to ask. I assumed pursuing a graduate degree would mean paying tuition and going without income. That was not an option for me. So, I tried to let go of the idea of continuing my education.

Later I learned from my adviser that many programs not only cover tuition, but also offer scholarship. My dream became a possibility again.

Then came the next problem: figuring out how to apply. I fell into a rabbit hole of Internet advice from self-appointed experts, each with a different opinion on email etiquette (礼仪), interview scheduling, and how to express interest in a project. The suggested timelines contradicted (相矛盾) one another. I felt hopeless again, terrified I would break an unspoken rule.

But I gathered all the advice I could and spent hours crafting emails to professors. Ultimately, I was accepted to work on a master’s project in a city where I had always wanted to live.

Standing in the lab that day, I realized that—despite my uncertainty—I had made it exactly where I had hoped to be. When I had started down this path, there was so much I didn’t know. But I made it by trying walking into the unknown.

【推荐2】I’m running some 3,550 kilometers. To be more precise, this jog is mostly around my neighborhood in Ottawa. It is the distance by air to Vancouver that my friend Louise and I are doing. If we make it, Louise and I will get on a plane to Vancouver and compete in one of the BMO Vancouver Marathon weekend races. We may not win medals, but for sure we’ll have cake for my seventy-fifth birthday at the finish line.

The workout for big birthdays represents a big change for me. I used to hate birthdays, especially those milestone ones. No longer feeling young is horrible. As I approached my sixtieth birthday, Louise suggested setting targets to mark milestone birthdays. “ That way you are looking forward to something, not dreading it, ” she pointed out.

By doing those expanding my world or demanding new skills, I feel myself growing, not shrinking. For my sixtieth, I got it into my head that I should do an Olympic distance triathlon (铁人三项赛), which turned out to be a real milestone. After over four hours on the course, I was last among the 95 competitors. But I was the oldest woman competing, so that made me first in my age category. Since then, I’ve looked on the special days as a call for trying something different. For my sixty-fifth birthday, I went to run a half marathon. And I finished seven activities that took me out of my “comfort zone” at seventy.

I’m fortunate to have celebrated so many birthdays in good health and spirits, so whether I succeed in running to Vancouver or not, I’m grateful for the opportunity. One thing I’ve learned in taking up these challenges is that there are many possibilities for new adventures and achievements, even as we grow older. So do spend every day of every year with a definite end in view, which will release your energy and make you happy.

【推荐3】Once when I was like nine years old a kid from my neighborhood gave me a rock, littered with yellow crystals, that he’d found in his granny’s backyard. He said it was a geode(晶球). I didn’t know what that meant, but I thought crystals were cool; I’d only ever seen them in the shops at the mall. I showed the gift to my aunt who then gave me a book on rocks that my cousin had outgrown. She explained how there were all sorts of different rocks out there, and how there was a whole science — called geology — devoted to collecting and studying them.

Because it was summer, and because I was sure I’d make an even better geologist than my cousin or the neighbor kid, I decided to give it a try. Using one of the little hand-shovels from my pop’s garden, I explored the banks of the shallow river that ran along the edge of our backyard and dug around in the little forest down the street. But all I ever turned up was the same old blue slate(石板) that we already had in spades on the side of our house. The rock book was a tease; it contained many pretty things, but none of them were to be found within the few-mile-radius（半径） through which I was allowed to ride my bike without my parents’ permission.

After a few weeks, I gave up and moved on to botany. We had awesome flower and vegetable gardens in our yard and it was far more satisfying to plant and grow and harvest (and eat!) our little crop of tomatoes and zucchini and corn than it was to search for things that might be pretty but were near impossible to find and had no practical value anyway. My failed attempt at geology had embarrassed me. And in my embarrassment, I had concluded that all of geology was foolish (I think I even threw the book away).