Liars and Saints

  "Long Island" is the story of Eilis, who has stopped smoking, but who keeps cigarettes in her dresser drawer, "just in case." Eilis has married into a large Italian family; if someone knocks on a particular front door, everyone in the family is aware, because the houses all share one common lot. Eilis seems to want more. She leaves her in-laws' business to work for strangers. She reads the New York Times--and she fights with her family's patriarch. "I actually don't support the Vietnam War, and I do not think it would be an  honor  to see my son in a body bag....." This outburst means that Eilis is permanently disinvited from Sunday supper. ("I just think you might feel more comfortable with some time alone," says her mother-in-law.) Eilis's desire for autonomy eventually sends her back to Ireland, where she reunites with her own mother. Eilis has some cash, so she purchases a new refrigerator for her mom--but she doesn't ra...

Malik did not move beyond the street and he liked how gradually he was becoming known as he made his way to the supermarket to buy milk or soft drinks or tea. He enjoyed being greeted and saluted. And there were other things too that made him feel comfortable. Even though eight of them shared the room, for example, he learned that he would not need to lock his suitcase, he was assured that no one would touch it. One night, when one of the other lodgers wanted to move his suitcase for a moment, he came and asked permission. He realized that they all kept money and photographs and other private things in their cases, fully confident that no one would go near them.  He noticed too that each of them had something special, a camera, a Walkman, a mobile phone, a DVD player, that set them apart and that they lent out as a special favour, or at particular times. Only Mahmood owned nothing. Mahmood worked hard and spent no money because he wanted desperately to go home. Some of the others...

You don't know Mr. Dolan's work, and yet you do. He's the young gay man responsible for Adele's "Hello" video. He has also made a few well-loved indie movies, including the semi-autobiographical "I Killed My Mother," which involves two young men painting the walls of a house, then having lively sex. (You can find that scene on Youtube!) (Gays and their mothers! Dolan may be familiar with gay icon Colm Toibin, whose semi-recent book of essays was entitled, "New Ways to Kill Your Mother.") Anyway, I haven't seen any of Dolan's movies, but all I need is five minutes with the "Hello" video to be certain of Dolan's semi-campy genius. Why doesn't Adele work with Dolan all the time? She seems to think that she is not the "visual icon" that--e.g.--Beyonce is. But I don't agree. I want more Adele/Dolan collaborations. More is more, and Dolan piles on the melodrama. I especially like the number of...