November 2025 media
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Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor: This is the new special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I only knew a couple of Homer’s pieces from their appearance in the MFA’s regular galleries, and they never really spoke to me one way or the other—but after seeing the larger survey of his work here, I’m much higher on him. (I think it was a mix of getting more context on his work and learning that perhaps the paintings I was familiar with happened to be ones I liked less.) And hey, learning to love a new artist is exactly what I want from an exhibition!
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A Mighty Wind: I like a Christopher Guest mockumentary, but I don’t know if this one has the juice. Maybe the folk music scene isn’t as ripe for parody as heavy metal or dog shows, as well-drawn as the featured acts are. Or maybe they just didn’t push the characters far enough: I found them almost too plausible, to the point that their foibles felt like affectations bolted on for laughs instead of believable extensions of their natures. I still enjoyed it, and the soundtrack is great, but I think it’s the weakest of the Guest films I’ve seen.