The English have a wellspring of comedy that will never be exhausted: the combination of bestial urges and excellent manners.
David EdelsteinI think I can safely call 2012 average. Overall, it was a stronger year for nonfiction than fiction - a situation that would've surprised me back in January, when I was looking forward to big new novels from several authors I really love.
David EdelsteinIt's hard for comic actors used to pulling faces just to be on screen, but Tina Fey does a good job. I liked watching her. The part, though, isn't filled in. When Baker announces that she's gotten too used to the madness of Afghanistan, that she's worried she's thinking of it as normal, the sentiment comes out of nowhere. The dramatic arc in "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is nonexistent. The movie evaporates in the mind like water in the Afghan desert.
David EdelsteinThe economic and technological changes are real, but I just can't bring myself to wax apocalyptic about the future of books.
David Edelstein