Jodie Foster is perfect in this adaptation of the Carl Sagan novel. She is Eleanor Arroway, an eccentric astrophysicist who discovers a powerful alien signal. With a perfect screenplay and a talented cast, including David Morse, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, and John Hurt, this engrossing film is an unforgettable adventure.

Grade: A+.

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Nia Vardalos pens this romantic comedy about a frumpy Greek-American girl from a huge tight-knit family who falls for a non-Greek man. The outrageous antics in the preparation for their unlikely wedding and the highly caricatured family members make this culture shock character study a harmless distraction.

Grade: B.

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Mia Wasikowska is Alice, a plucky young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into Wonderland, in this cartoonish Tim Burton adaptation of the Lewis Carroll novel. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, and Anne Hathaway round out a talented cast, with beautiful special effects and off-kilter sets.

Grade: B.

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In this Golden Globe-nominated French film, an aged painter gathers his family at his manor in the country. His son, Gonzague, brings his wife and kids, and his daughter, Irene, is an overcommitted socialite. This quaint character study, directed by Bernard Tavernier, is based on a Pierre Bost novel.

Grade: B-.

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Hiro Protagonist, a swordfighter, and YT, a young female skateboard Kourier, team up to investigate Snow Crash, a virtual reality narcotic. Full of rich symbolism and cues from ancient Sumerian mythology, this chaotic novel has an absurd tone, linguistic virus, and a rich menagerie of characters, groups, organizations, and challenges.

Grade: A-.

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Louis CK delivers a hilarious stand-up performance in this Showtime special. He offers up side-splitting takes about everyday topics, such as aging, relationships, political correctness, parenting, pop culture, and language. His observations are unforgettable and his delivery flows with the confidence that marks him as a great comic.

Grade: B+.

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A group of friends gathers for going away party at the home of Professor John Oldman, who reveals to the group of college faculty that he is a 14000-year-old Cro-Magnon. This engaging conversation affects attendees in a wide variety of ways, from riveting fascination to shocked outrage.

Grade: A+.

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Geoff Colvin provides an in-depth examination of skill acquisition in this book, full of practical advice for individuals and organizations. Through deliberate practice and focused effort, talent shortcomings can be overcome, but only if passion for the goal is high. This useful examination is worthy of multiple careful reads.

Grade: A.

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The saga of the reign of Henry VIII of England continues in this third season of the gorgeous Showtime drama. He contends with numerous challenges, including a Catholic uprising, the death of his third queen, an unsatisfactory marriage with a conservative fourth queen, and the downfall of his chief counselor.

Grade: A+.

See also:

• The Tudors, Season 2 (2008)
• The Tudors, Season 1 (2007)

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In this novel set in Italy during World War I, American ambulance driver Lt Henry falls for a British nurse, Catherine Barkley. Their budding relationship is hampered by the ongoing war and Henry’s escape from the army. This wonderful novel follows an unlikely romance through war to a tragic conclusion.

Grade: A.

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