Movie review: Cultural authenticity in ‘Always Be My Maybe’ spices up rom-com genre

For once, Keanu Reeves is unlikable. The actor briefly appears in “Always Be My Maybe,” the latest Netflix original film set to hit the streaming service and select theaters Friday. Reeves plays himself in a parallel world where, rather than assuming the role of a heroic or charming lead, he’s a pretentious jerk, reciting lines […]

‘Scorched’ shines a light on the role of maintaining identity through hardship

Aya Saleh’s father gave her a play to read when she was 13 years old. Now, Saleh is directing the same piece as her senior thesis within the theater department. “Scorched” will premiere Friday at the Little Theater in Macgowan Hall. The story, originally written in French by Wajdi Mouawad in 2003, follows twin siblings, […]

Film explores Chinese culture, generation gap between immigrant parents and kids

This post was updated April 14 at 10:52 p.m. When Lulu Wang first pitched a film about the real-life story of her Chinese family, no one would finance it, she said. She set it aside for years and waited until she received the right offer, which led to a Sundance Film Festival debut, an A24 […]

Green Screens film festival aims to educate UCLA community on environmental issues

Cultured meat, or meat grown in a lab using animal cells, is an up-and-coming sustainable alternative to products of the traditional meat industry, said Paul Kurek. A film detailing the necessity for new meat options will be screened Monday as a part of the Green Screens Sustainability Film Festival. Kurek, a graduate student in the […]

‘Booksmart’ screening, Q&A with Olivia Wilde opens up dialogue on female friendship

The night before graduation turns into two best friends’ quest to attend their first –and last –high school party in Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, “Booksmart.” Bruin Film Society hosted a screening of the upcoming film at the James Bridges Theater on Saturday evening, followed by a Q&A with Wilde and writer Katie Silberman. The event […]

Film ‘The Last’ explores complicated family relationships in wake of Holocaust

Director Jeff Lipsky said his film would be provocative. Throughout its two-hour runtime, “The Last” portrays a Jewish family shattered by their beloved nana Claire, the family matriarch’s confession to being a Nazi. The film was screened Thursday evening at the James Bridges Theater at an event hosted by the Graduate Students Association and Melnitz […]

Alumna’s co-run YouTube channel provides realistic insight to pre-med students

Alumna Jane Lee met her boyfriend Jady Pham at their medical school orientation in 2014. The couple now runs a YouTube channel together with over 100,000 subscribers based on their experiences as anesthesiology residents and medical school graduates. The two started their channel, JaneandJady, in 2015 and have since created 200 videos. Pham said he and Lee initially posted lifestyle content, such as ice […]