Sandra Huller does the subtlest, loveliest double take you’ve ever seen. More a quick dart of the eyes, really, followed by a tensing of the shoulders, before her expression hardens and her mind leaps into damage-control mode.It’s a gift that this brilliant German actress keeps giving in “Toni Erdmann,” in which she stars as Ines Conradi, a tightly wound corporate consultant who has become so skilled at managing her clients’ moods and demands that she knows just how to react — or not react — whe

Film Dec. 28, 2016

PARIS, (AFP) - Makoto Shinkai has a problem, a big problem. His mystical teenage body-swap movie “Your Name” has become such a massive hit it’s beginning to worry him.“It’s not healthy,” the boyish director told AFP. “I don’t think any more people should see it.”Every week it gets closer to being the biggest Japanese animated film of all time.And now there’s talk of Oscars. “I really hope it doesn’t win,” he added.It would be funny if Shinkai wasn’t so in earnest about getting off the promotiona

Film Dec. 28, 2016

BUDAPEST, (AFP) -- Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Hugh Jackman. Spotting hunky Hollywood actors is no big deal any more in Budapest, now one of Europe’s top hubs for foreign film productions thanks to attractive tax breaks and cutting-edge facilities.Some of the biggest US blockbusters in recent years were filmed here, including 2015 action comedy “Spy” with Jude Law and 2016 mystery thriller “Inferno” featuring Tom Hanks.The 60-year-old star of the sequel to Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code” spent seve

Film Dec. 28, 2016

Seoul’s royal palaces enjoyed an unprecedented rise in popularity this year, the Cultural Heritage Administration said.A record number of 10.1 million visitors tread past the gates of Seoul’s four major palaces -– Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung -– as of November, according to CHA, a government agency charged with preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage. Nighttime strolls in Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung were popular, the statistics showed. A total of 532

Culture Dec. 26, 2016

“For a very long time, she had heard stories about stupid women. She was warned more often against stupid women than against dangerous men,” reads an excerpt from “Good Person” (unofficial translation), a novel released last month by Korean writer Kang Hwa-gil.The book draws on the small inconveniences and anxieties that a woman faces in everyday life, and the striving to become a “good,” well-reputed and likeable person. Like the novel, “Misbehavior,” the latest drama film by emerging director

Film Dec. 22, 2016

No matter how successful he may be, it is the inevitable destiny of every Korean male K-pop star to halt his career and join the mandatory military service.Megastar group Big Bang is no exception. The group has reaped worldwide success since its debut 10 years ago. Reported to have raked in $44 million this year, the five-member band ranked No. 54 on Forbes’ list of celebrity earnings, becoming the first Korean act to make the list. “It still doesn’t feel real,” said Big Bang’s rapper T.O.P. on

Performance Dec. 13, 2016

In a nod to a form of street art that has gained traction in the contemporary art scene, graffiti, once regarded as little more than delinquent scribbles found on the walls of derelict neighborhoods, has now been brought inside the gallery.Following in the steps of pop art, graffiti has become a leading genre recording the phenomena and emotions of contemporary times, according to 53-year-old graffiti legend JonOne. “I think it represents our generation,” he said last Thursday during a press pre

Performance Dec. 11, 2016

Korean celebrities are actively joining in the protest against President Park Geun-hye, who is currently embroiled in a scandal for allegedly leaking state documents and funneling funds from businesses. Some have taken to the streets to attend mass rallies, while others are voicing their support on social media. Among these are entertainers who have long been outspoken against the conservative administration. But stars who have previously remained politically neutral -- such as actress Kim Yoo-j

Culture Nov. 27, 2016

 Chung Kyung-wha (PRM)Classical music“Hyungi Kim Brahms Violin Sonata Recital”: Herald Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Hyungi Kim will tackle the works of Brahms in her upcoming solo recital. A graduate of Seoul National University’s College of Music and a member of the Korean Chamber Orchestra, Kim is slated to perform sonatas for violin and piano “No. 1 in G Major, “Regen”, Op. 78,” “Thun”, Op. 100” and “No. 3 in d minor, Op. 108.” The concert will be held at the Seoul Arts Center’s Recital H

Performance Nov. 18, 2016

Jane Siberry“Angels Bend Closer” (Sheeba Music)Jane Siberry twists genres and conventions on “Angels Bend Closer,” a haunting, uplifting album befitting her eclectic style.On the Canadian’s first major release in five years, Siberry’s lyrics arrive like emotional gushes barely contained by their musical frames, mostly lavish ballads with a bounty of details.Nearly seven minutes long, “Morag” encapsulates several aspects of the album and Siberry’s intense diversity -- nearly stream-of-consciousne

Performance Nov. 18, 2016

Sting“57th and 9th” (A&M/Interscope)Sting’s new album, his first in more than a decade, sounds a lot like the old stuff, but that’s not a bad thing.The first single “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” sounds like the love child of Police classics “Every Breath You Take” and “Can’t Stand Losing You.”There are the achy lyrics of the former, which holds up well but has more of a stalker vibe than it seemed to the first time around. And there’s the driving bass line of the latter, the style of playing

Performance Nov. 18, 2016

Pink Martini“Je dis oui!”(Heinz Records)Pink Martini brings its progressive commitment to “Je dis oui! (I say yes),” an entertaining global jaunt in eight languages and a whirling variety of styles.With no airs and graces but plenty of splendor, Thomas Lauderdale’s big band/little orchestra explores songs from Armenia to Portugal, a few originals and American standards like “Love for Sale” on its ninth studio album.NPR’s Ari Shapiro helps out on “Ov Sirun Sirun,” said to be most famous folk song

Performance Nov. 18, 2016