CINEMA

HIRAM LEE–De Havilland was among the liberal anticommunists who shifted significantly to the right. She joined with another member of the ICCASP—future US President Ronald Regan, who was then preparing to spill his guts as a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee—to oppose the Stalinist elements within the organization. She later testified about the experience in a private session before HUAC.

ALAN MACLEOD—The depiction of Venezuela has been predictably condemned by the Venezuelan government with Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas writing it off as, “crass war propaganda disguised as entertainment.” But Jack Ryan’s depiction of the country does indeed wildly distort the reality of the situation on the ground. Firstly, Venezuela’s current President Nicolas Maduro is himself a left-wing populist, while the United States’ preferred head of state is the far-right Juan Guaidó, who last weekend attempted another failed coup d’état against the elected government.

THOMAS SCRIPPS—Greed, directed by the prolific Michael Winterbottom (Jude, In This World, The Road to Guantanamo, The Trip), is a satire based on British billionaire fashion retailer Sir Philip Green and a powerful social commentary on the criminality and human misery that underpins his fortune. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and was screened at the recent London Film Festival.