Over the last 14 years, Malcolm Gladwell has produced one bestseller after another. His books are so buzzworthy their titles become catchphrases, like “Tipping Point” and “Outliers.”Gladwell leads readers spellbound through stories that develop into counterintuitive insights into modern life.His newest book is “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants” (Little, Brown; $29). The book was inspired by a 2009 story Gladwell wrote in The New Yorker about a girls’ basketbal

Books Feb. 27, 2014

Is it too much to compare Kem Nunn to Raymond Chandler? Both have used the loose frame of genre to write enduringly and resonantly about the dark side of the California dream. For Nunn, this has meant an exploration of boundaries, both actual and metaphorical; his last novel, “Tijuana Straits” (which won a 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize), traces the shifting landscape of the physical borderland.At the same time, there is also a willingness to take risks, to play against expectation, which mar

Books Feb. 27, 2014

What do you do when your loved one suddenly commits suicide without even leaving a note? What does it mean to lose someone and then replay their last days over and over, searching for clues?Filmmaker Lee Han, who made a huge breakthrough with his 2011 drama “Punch,” a tale about a rebellious teen whose mother is a migrant from the Philippines, is making a strong comeback with another film about vulnerable teens and their families. Unveiled to the press on Tuesday, the film, titled “Elegant Lies,

Film Feb. 26, 2014

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is opening its 2014 season with “Bul-Ssang,” a 2009 piece choreographed by the troupe’s artistic director Ahn Ae-soon. The dance is known for its use of pop art Buddha statues and choreography that combines traditional dance and martial arts from different Asian countries including China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia.It premiered at Seoul’s LG Arts Center in 2009, and was staged again at Hoam Art Hall in 2010. The piece was also featured at last year’s

Performance Feb. 25, 2014

After receiving negative reviews from the British press, “Diana,” a biopic on the Princess of Wales, is arriving in Korean theaters next month. The film features the private heartaches of the late princess, whose high-profile marriage to Prince Charles, divorce, and style, made her one of the biggest icons of the 20th century.Directed by German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel, the film deals with the last two years of Diana’s life after she finally divorced Prince Charles in 1995. Starring as the

Film Feb. 24, 2014

Dance“Two in Two”: Kim Ji-young and Kim Joo-won, two of the most celebrated ballerinas in Korea, will collaborate onstage for the upcoming restaging of choreographer Ahn Sung-soo and fashion designer Jung Kuho’s 2000 piece “Two in Two.” The piece is a mix of tango and flamenco, as well as ballet and contemporary. Joining the two Kims are dancer and choreographer Kim Bo-ram, who was a backup dancer for pop singers Uhm Jung-hwa, Koyote and Lee Jung-hyun from 2000 to 2007, and Jang Kyung-min, who a

Culture Feb. 21, 2014

 The Monuments Men (U.S., Germany)Opening Feb. 27Drama. Directed by George Clooney.During World War II, seven men ― comprised of curators, art historians and museum directors ― get together and plan to search for famous art works looted by the Nazis, and return them to their rightful owners. The film is based on a true story and is directed, produced by and stars George Clooney, along with Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin and other stars. 12 Years a Slave (U.S

Film Feb. 21, 2014

Think of “Therese Raquin,” the Emile Zola novel that is the inspiration for “In Secret,” as the original film noir. It has an illicit love affair, a murder and the guilt and fear of discovery that comes with it.Filmmaker Charlie Stratton, working from Neal Bell’s stage adaptation of the book, delivers a moody, melodramatic and somewhat overwrought version of the tale, sort of a 19th century-Paris “Postman Always Rings Twice.” It benefits from brooding performances by the leads and another fierce

Film Feb. 21, 2014

Actress Kim Go-eun, who made an impressive breakthrough in filmmaker Jung Ji-woo’s critically acclaimed 2012 sensual drama “Eungyo (A Muse),” is making a comeback as a vengeful mad woman in her upcoming movie. Kim made her acting debut in Jung’s 2012 film as Eun-gyo, a teenager who becomes the subject of desire for Lee Jeok-yo (Park Hae-il), a renowned poet in his 70s. The film received much attention for its subject matter as well as its depiction of sexuality. Kim, who had never appeared in a

Film Feb. 21, 2014

Two of the most celebrated ballet dancers in Korea will collaborate onstage for the upcoming restaging of choreographer Ahn Sung-soo and fashion designer Jung Kuho’s 2000 piece “Two in Two.”Kim Ji-young and Kim Joo-won, who were colleagues and also “rivals” at the Korean National Ballet, will take to the stage jointly with male dancers Kim Bo-ram and Jang Kyung-min. The last time the two Kims collaborated in the same performance was 14 years ago. Kim Ji-young still remains a principal at the Kor

Performance Feb. 20, 2014

LOS ANGELES ― Author Jackie Collins still has the steam engine chugging. Her newest novel, “Confessions of a Wild Child,” released last week, is a prequel to the Lucky Santangelo books and centers on the treasured heroine during her formative teen years ― the book has already landed a film deal with Amber Entertainment. The 76-year-old scribe talks about finally getting into character and staying clued-up.Q. “Confessions of a Wild Child” is the seventh book to feature the character Lucky Santang

Books Feb. 20, 2014

After I’m GoneBy Laura Lippman (Morrow)Few of us ever completely recover from the loss of a loved one. Life, of course, goes on and can be rich and fulfilling. But that loss never entirely disappears.Laura Lippman explores how a disappearance affects a family for decades in the enthralling “After I’m Gone.” In her eighth stand-alone ― and 19th ― novel, Lippman tracks the history of five women united by the betrayal of one man. “After I’m Gone” is a quiet mystery ― no car chases, barely a gun in

Books Feb. 20, 2014

Sometimes political careers are born of chance.John Nicolay and John Hay were two young men working in Springfield, Ill., when they became involved with the political life of Abraham Lincoln before his 1860 U.S. presidential campaign. Tireless and smart, the friends, still in their 20s, proved themselves indispensable to Lincoln, who brought them along with him to the White House as his personal secretaries ― in effect, the president’s gatekeepers.In his new book, “Lincoln’s Boys: John Hay, John

Books Feb. 20, 2014

“Frozen,” an animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, has drawn more than 9,030,000 viewers in Korea, becoming the second foreign film to reach that milestone, after James Cameron’s “Avatar.”Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale “The Snow Queen,” the film tells the story of Anna, a brave, determined princess who goes on an adventure to find her estranged sister, Elsa. Elsa has “icy powers” and her spell has trapped the nation in perpetual winter. The film, which

Film Feb. 19, 2014

“Never underestimate the meanness in people’s souls,” author Alice Munro once wrote. “Even when they’re being kind ... especially when they are being kind.”Steve McQueen’s award-winning slavery saga “12 Years a Slave” is a thorough study on human cruelty, and what it is capable of. In the film set in Louisiana in 1841, harrowing living conditions and hard-to-watch violence constantly overlap with exquisite shots of nature, such as gently flowing water, the full moon, and painfully beautiful suns

Film Feb. 18, 2014