Bob Mondello

'Keep The Lights On': Nuanced Take On Doomed Love

Bob Mondello — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Hot-weather Hollywood blockbusters have now cooled off, so the cineplex will be a quieter place for the next few months. But there can be intensity even in intimate films, as evidenced by the relationship drama Keep the Lights On.

Erik is a promising filmmaker whose "promise" is beginning to wear a little thin when we first encounter him talking on the phone, on a hookup line for men. This commitment-free shortcut to physical intimacy says a lot about Erik's approach to life. He likes the start of things — follow-through is not his strong suit.

Fall Movie Preview: Bob Mondello Looks Ahead

Bob Mondello — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:53:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w918Eh3fij0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEZ35Fhvuc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siEHekc-1oE

'Rush' Job: A Wily Courier Navigates New York's Maze

Bob Mondello — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:12:00 +0000

A character we've yet to meet flies through the air in slow motion, above a busy New York street, arms and legs splayed. He's wearing a bike helmet, which is a good thing — because as The Who's "Baba O'Riley" pulses in the background and numbers come up on the screen telling us it's 6:33 p.m., he lands with a thud on the pavement.

For a second or two, he lies there staring — at a car careering toward him, a woman mouthing his name, a bike that lies crumpled at his side. You might want to take those moments to catch your breath.

In The Theater Of Politics, Staging Is Everything

Bob Mondello — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:42:00 +0000

During the next two weeks, the major political parties will assemble their faithful in Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., to officially nominate their presidential tickets. These conventions were once places of high political drama. But over the decades, as the primary system has determined the candidates well in advance, conventions have become political theater. With that in mind, there's much to be said on staging in politics — not substance, but style.

In the theater, stars are stars at least partly because of the way they're presented — in brighter lighting, on higher platforms.

Misadventures In Reporting: My Brush With Bieber

Bob Mondello — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:36:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28VmUxTDU5Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNvbWmGsiEk