Curio: To Domhnall on his 37th Birthday

Digital painting by MenekahCurated by Nathaniel R

This week's episode of Curio is inspired by a recent screening of the first four episodes of HBO's Run. The series is so unusual in its pacing, withholding, character work, and sense of untethered possibility that it's difficult to say what it might amount to once the season (or series) is a wrap. On a scene by scene basis, though, it's a thrill. That's due at least in immeasurable part, to the chemistry between series stars Merrit Wever and Domhnall Gleeson. Neither of them are generally tasked with selling this kind of romantic comedy / sexy yearning and the series is all the better for that. So fresh!

With today being Domnhall Gleeson's birthday, let's look at how arts and crafts people capture his ginger gorgeousity...

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Almost There: Colin Farrell in "In Bruges"

 by Cláudio Alves

Colin Farrell is a fascinating actor. Early on in his career, he got good notices for his work in Joel Schumacher's Tigerland, but his following movies did little to build on that promise and make him a respected up and coming star. Instead, he became a mainstay of action movies of the early aughts, gaining popularity but not being much respected as an actor. On paper, 2004's Alexander looked like his big Oscar bid, but the Oliver Stone historical epic crashed and burned most spectacularly. Still, Farrell has always shown a keen eye when it comes to working with prestigious directors. He's collaborated with Stone, Terrence Malick, Woody Allen, Peter Weir, Liv Ullmann, Sofia Coppola, Steve McQueen, and Yorgos Lanthimos, among others. His work with Lanthimos has been particularly revelatory.

An actor so game to challenge himself and with such a résumé seems like someone who should have left a mark in the awards game. However, Farrell has very rarely been a contender for acting honors. Regarding the Oscars, he came closest in 2008…

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Review: Dead to Me (Season 2)

By Spencer Coile 

We’re living in a strange time right now. Yet if these past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that it’s a good time to acknowledge feelings - anxiety, anger, disillusionment - and find ways to channel them into healthier outlets. Personally, I’ve been using this time to catch up on TV I’ve been missing out on. And what I’ve found is that, in their own strange way, these shows have helped me tap into my own complicated emotions - something that may not have happened without the circumstances surrounding it. 

Dead to Me, returning for its second season on Netflix, is exactly the type of show I needed during this time...

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Zainab Jah and Jayme Lawson on the Vulnerability of Theater Acting

by Murtada Elfadl

Lupita Nyong'o and Zainab Jah in "Eclipsed"

We continue the conversation between Zainab Jah and Jayme Lawson from the Sundance 2020 film Farewell Amor, that we started yesterday. Both actresses have worked on stage and in film and today they're speaking to what diffrentiates the experiences. Jah also tells us about the time she co-starred on Broadway in 2016 with Lupita Nyong’o in Danai Gurira’s play Eclipsed, about five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War in the early 2000s.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity...

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Did Katharine Hepburn deserve four Oscars?

By Cláudio Alves...

Before we wrap up our coverage of 1981, we must talk about the Oscar record that was established that season and has never been broken since.

By winning the Best Actress trophy for On Golden Pond, Katharine Hepburn became the most awarded actor in Academy Awards history, with four victories. That's not the only factor that makes her awards run so interesting. Famously, she was part of the only Best Actress tie when she and Barbra Streisand both won in 1968. Then, there's the fact that her first win came from the biggest Oscar eligibility period ever (17 months, 1932-33) and that the gap between her first win and her last is the longest for any actor (48 years). All this and she was never present to accept her little golden men. Whether you love her or not, this Old Hollywood star was truly one of a kind...

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