“To me, the true meaning of Christmas has always been Santa … you’re allowed to believe in something you know doesn’t exist.” Sad, but oh so true. Life is filled with a great many illusions. Thankfully, we’ve arrived at the one time of year when clinging to them isn’t only accepted, but celebrated. It also [...]

Paolo Sorrentino’s film Il Divo is the opposite of refreshing. In fact, it proves more of a cynicism-inducing boost to preconceptions about political life in general, and its chaotic Italian manifestation in particular. Viewers unfamiliar with the minutiae of 1970s-to-1990s Italian political history may focus on the surreal shape of Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti’s ears. [...]