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'Sharp Corner' review: Ben Foster embraces anxiety and toxic masculinity

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 20:20

There are moments in life that break us to pieces, but not quickly, like a hammer hitting a vase — in a slow but unavoidable way, like a crack in a window. It's only a matter of time before the glass will give way, leaving you wrecked and wide open to a world that keeps on moving regardless. Sharp Corner is about such a moment, where an inexplicable event slowly shatters the psyche of an average family man who previously thought himself content. 

Written by Jason Buxton and Russell Wangersky, Sharp Corner is a lean but gripping psychological thriller than explores fear, anxiety, and how a societal double standard can leave men in a unique disadvantage when it comes to processing trauma. So who better to headline this movie than Ben Foster? This American actor has delved powerfully into these themes in previous roles, such as the wild-card brother of Hell or High Water, the anti-social father of Leave No Trace, and the hardened soldier of The Messenger. 

Ben Foster plays a father in crisis in Sharp Corner

Mild-mannered, middle-aged Josh McCall (Foster) is a loving partner to his intellectual wife Rachel Davis-McCall (High School's Cobie Smulders) and a playful parent to his young son Max (William Kosovic). Their first night in their new home in suburban Canada, Josh gently tucks his kid into bed, assuring him that there's nothing to fear in this unfamiliar setting. Next, Josh and his wife christen the living room with some hasty but spirited sex. But then disaster strikes. 

Before the opening title card even hits the screen, a car's tire flies through the big display window, shattering glass and shooting past Rachel's head before landing with a terrifying thud. A car has crashed dramatically in their lawn. While Rachel races to soothe their crying child, Josh stands looking out the window, pantless and powerless, his bare ass facing us while he gazes upon a horrifying new reality. 

Everyone in the family is dealing with this shocking incident in their own ways. Rachel avoids conversation around it and buries herself in caring for her child, who is finding bits of busted reflector as he plays in the yard. But this leaves Josh with no one to talk to about his fears. He had considered himself the family's protector, but it was only dumb luck they too weren't hurt that night. So, Sharp Corner follows his slow-burn quest to reclaim a sense of control, first through understanding the cause of the accident, then by educating himself on life-saving tools like CPR. But more fatal crashes on the titular turn make this increasingly difficult, pushing Josh into disturbing behaviors to reclaim his identity.

Sharp Corner's deep-set empathy makes its horrors hit harder. 

Often, when media discusses toxic masculinity, they're addressing macho men who refuse to acknowledge their own emotions. Ben is not that guy. He's desperate to talk about what happened, but he can't find a place where he feels safe to do so. His wife doesn't want to hear it. His friends aren't prepared to go from wine recommendations to trauma-dumping, and he doesn't trust a stoic psychiatrist, who has a dog named Drake.

So, like a lot of people grappling with anxiety and post-traumatic distress, Josh throws himself into action. He creates projects to prevent further crashes, and when that fails, he is desperate to be prepared to save a life when the need arises. Maybe that can restore his sense of self? Maybe that can save his family from falling apart? Foster's nuanced performance — tension rippling under his skin and need gleaming through his eyes — makes this terror feel at once extraordinary and achingly common. 

Yet as empathetic as Sharp Corner is, binding us to Josh in moments he can't share with anyone, it doesn't paint his wife as an uncaring nag or a cliched villain. She too is grappling with this jolting realization, not only that their dream home is a suburban nightmare but also that death can be random, and stupid, and on your front lawn over and over. Though hers is a much smaller role, Smulders comfortably shoulders the character work of Rachel, her careful words hitting with precision. Her tone shifts from direct and annoyed, when the two adults are alone, to guarded yet cutting when they're with their son. Together, they create a couple that feels real — and really on the brink of splitting up.

Sharp Corner packs a punch without packing in gore.

The script is crisply realized, keenly charting Josh's downward spiral as he surrenders everything to his desperate need to reclaim a sense of power in a world that's made him feel impotent and futile. Buxton, who also directs, wisely trusts in Foster and Smulders to ground the film's drama. It helps he keeps the home's aesthetic clean and cozy in cool blues and grays, so the carnage outside — with its streaks of yellow dome lights and red reflectors and blood — is all the more jarring. Yet the deaths are largely off-screen, or when they're shown, are done so with a mindfulness towards graphic bodily harm.

Buxton isn't seeking to sensationalize these moments. He gives us just enough to understand why Josh can't shake them. So, we too struggle to focus as others talk to him about mundane things like school pick-up and work assignments. But how far would we walk in his shoes? That's the terrifying question Sharp Corner asks in a third act that is ruthlessly plotted. 

Focused so intently on the inner turmoil of its ego-ravaged hero, Sharp Corner is leanly executed. But Buxton and Wangersky seems to lose faith in their audience in the second act, offering a sequence where a psychiatrist basically spells out what Josh is going through (though she's not knowingly talking about him). Despite this detour, the finale regains momentum. Ultimately, a smart premise is poignantly brought to life by Foster and Smulders, making for a psychological thriller that is nerve-rattlingly tense and a family drama that is unapologetically gutting.

Sharp Corner was reviewed out of its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. 

'Mistress Dispeller' review: A shockingly intimate look at extramarital affairs

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 19:04

In American media, a man cheating on his wife is often a source for tears, screaming, vengeance, murder-based TV shows, or one of the greatest concept albums of all time. So, when this American movie critic sat down for the Chinese documentary Mistress Dispeller, I brought my societal expectations with me, thinking I knew what I was in for. I was very, very wrong, but I found real pleasure in what this curious film offers instead. 

Hong Kong-born filmmaker Elizabeth Lo follows "mistress dispeller" Wang Zhenxi as she engages with a client, a middle-aged wife in China who is distraught that her husband has taken a younger mistress. The wife, called Mrs. Li in the film, tearfully unfurls her suspicions and the evidence that has brought her to this moment. But even as she is hurt, she explains ardently how kind her husband is, sharing a story of how he takes special care when cooking for her mother. 

This dizzying mix of feelings — anger and love — in the film's first act establishes the emotional complexity that is knit throughout Mistress Dispeller, which isn't interested in blame or salacious details. Instead, this remarkable documentary engages its audience through an earnest empathy with all three parties, and a daring openness between subject and filmmaker that is absolutely stunning. 

Mistress Dispeller is most shocking in how much its subjects share. 

How Mr. Li's affair has impacted his own life, as well as the lives of his wife and mistress, is revealed through simple scenes of day-to-day life. A woman getting her hair cut at a salon may seem mundane at first glance, but then you see the tear snaking out of her eye and down her cheeks as her expression struggles to stay stoic. More engaging, though, are the numerous dining scenes, where two (or three) of these subjects sit across from each other as an unblinking camera shoots them in profile. 

At first, it seems Lo is capturing only a casual conversation. But when Mr. Li looks from his companion into the camera's lens, we're reminded that he knows he's being watched. And yet, even then, he shares his secrets. Similarly, his mistress, Fei Fei, will open up in front of Lo's lens, defending her love of her married boyfriend, and even welcoming the crew to follow her away from date night and into her working day. Here, the polished, pale make-up and frilly, coquettish dress she wore to impress her man is gone, replaced by a cleaner face and simple streetwear as she zips around on a scooter unglamorously delivering frozen food. 

Lo doesn't lean on talking-head interviews or a narrator to step us through this story. She lets the words and actions of this tangle of people speak for itself. And while we may blanch at the feeling of voyeurism perhaps inherent in a documentary that delves into the nitty-gritty of a marriage in peril, a simple promise makes Mistress Dispeller extraordinary. 

Consent is key in Mistress Dispeller. 

In the opening credits of the film, a title card proclaims: 

"Everyone agreed to participate both at the beginning and end of production, as their understanding of the film and mistress dispeller's role evolved over time." 

What Mr. Li and Fei Fei think they're being filmed for initially isn't clear, as Wang's involvement with them begins undercover. Collaborating with Mrs. Li, she is introduced to the husband as a friend. Steadily, as she grows in his confidence, he opens up about Fei Fei, and introduces the two, calling Wang a "cousin." All the while, Wang is getting to understand each side of this love triangle, not to strategize the fastest way to break it up but the most compassionate way.

Operating without judgment, Wang aims to understand how Fei Fei came to be involved with Mr. Li, why he was drawn to her, and what they and Mrs. Li want now. She works the case like a psychological detective, determining motive through clues and covert interrogations involving badminton matches and mani/pedis. As she comes to see the messy emotions that built this puzzle of love and pain, she invites us to understand them too as the fly on her wall. It's an extraordinary thing, watching these people in moments of heady infatuation, crushing betrayal, and deep confusion, all while they know they're being filmed. The subjects' awareness of the cameras might mean there's a level of performance at play. But as they get to know Wang, it's easier and easier to believe the cameras they once stared at become just another piece of furniture as they chart their way forward. 

Mistress Dispeller is gorgeous to behold. 

Lo also serves as the director of photography and co-editor on the film, and deserves praise for every role. As a director, she smartly hangs back, allowing the subjects to tell their story however they see fit. With editor Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, she takes what might be thought of as B-roll and assembles them into pieces that neatly construct a challenging narrative that has no real villain. As a cinematographer, she captures scenes of domestic simplicity, like a lunch together between husband, wife, and undercover mistress dispeller, with a keen eye for detail.

Along with a meditative pacing that gives big feelings room to breathe, there's often a charming symmetry in the framing, which not only makes for a pleasing image but also bolsters the film's emotional focus on balance. There is never only one side to a story, and the equal weight shared in such staging subtly reminds the audience of this simple, but often overlooked fact. 

This sense of balance is made all the more impactful in a finale where Mrs. Li and Fei Fei finally meet; conflict seems inevitable, but it won't play out like American media would have us expect. And yet, Wang sits at just of the center of the frame, not to take sides but to even out the power dynamic at play. Even without melodramatic moments of gnashed teeth and bellowed accusations, Lo's moving film captures heartache and humanity viscerally. More incredibly, through the story of one real marriage confronting an affair, she urges her audiences to reconsider the biases of shame and blame we've taken in through scads of more salacious media. It's not that Mistress Dispeller is preachy — far from it. Instead, this doc makes showing all sides look so easy that you might well wonder why it's not done more often. 

In the end, Mistress Dispeller is a marvel: elegantly constructed, ethically created, and thought-provokingly humane. 

Mistress Dispeller was reviewed out of its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Remedies to Google’s Search Monopoly Will Be Decided by August 2025, Judge Says

NYT Technology - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 16:12
After ruling against Google last month, Judge Amit P. Mehta said he would take until next August to determine fixes that the company must make.

New report reveals Apple AirPods 4 surprise: Not 1 but 2 new models on the way

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 15:27

We are just days away from Apple's big annual September event, and the rumors surrounding the iPhone 16 — along with other potential announcements — are flying.

If you're in the market for a new pair of AirPods, you'll soon have a few more choices. According to a new report, Apple is planning on releasing two different models in the new AirPods 4 line that will likely be announced at the September 9 Apple event.

These new AirPods models will look more like Apple's premium wireless earbuds, AirPods Pro, and come with new features. One model will reportedly even have a charging case with a built-in speaker. 

SEE ALSO: iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max leak: Video camera rumored to get this upgrade

This new AirPods report is a bit different from some other rumors out there as it comes from a source with a great track record: Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman.

Two new AirPods 4 models on the way

To be clear, this product launch would release a brand new middle tier of AirPods, as the higher-priced AirPods are not a replacement for the higher tier AirPods Pro.

Apple currently still sells the older second-generation AirPods as an entry-level pair of wireless earbuds. The current generation AirPods 3 acts as a mid-tier device. With the AirPods 4, it appears Apple is looking to make the two levels in the AirPods line official and current with two new releases to replace both the AirPods 2 and AirPods 3.

According to Gurman, both AirPods 4 models have been redesigned to look more like the AirPods Pro. For example, the new AirPods 4 should have much shorter stems than the current generation of AirPods, like the AirPods Pro has. Gurman says that the AirPods 4 also have improved audio quality as well as a new charging case. Both AirPods 4 models will drop the lightning cable and will have USB-C charging as well.

Speaking of charging, Gurman says that Apple recently discovered a software bug that was the culprit for AirPods battery life drain issues. Apple has reportedly fixed the issue in time for the AirPods 4 launch.

So, what's the difference between the two upcoming AirPods 4 models? Gurman reports that the higher end AirPods 4 – the mid-tier AirPods when accounting for AirPods Pro – will receive a premium charging case with a built-in speaker. The purpose of this speaker is to make it easier for users to find their AirPods with Apple's Find My feature but its unclear if the case speaker will have any other utility. 

Gurman says that the mid-tier AirPods 4 will also come with noise cancelation that rivals the AirPods Pro, which the entry-level model will lack.

Future AirPods updates

There's also a brand new AirPods feature in the works, according to Gurman, although it may not be ready in time for launch at the Apple event. Apple has reportedly been working on hearing health features, codenamed Yodel, that will turn AirPods into a hearing aid replacement. Yodel will also have a hearing test feature as well.

As for any new updates for the AirPods Pro or even the AirPods Max headphones, Gurman says not to expect anything at the Apple event this year.

A new AirPods Pro with a new design and better noise cancellation is expected next year. An AirPods Max update with new colors and USB-C charging is also expect to come later.

Brandy and Kathryn Hunter break down the nuanced realism and "fairy tale" aspects in 'The Front Room'

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 14:43
'The Front Room' actors Brandy Norwood and Kathryn Hunter break down the many layers and themes incorporated in the film.

Microsoft Bing amps up its ability to stop explicit deepfake images from appearing in Search results

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 13:42

Microsoft Bing now has more power to scrub AI-generated or deepfake images, a form of nonconsensual intimate image (NCII) abuse, from appearing on the search engine, as the company announces a new nonprofit partnership.

A collaboration with victim advocacy tool StopNCII, Microsoft is supplementing its user-reporting with a more "victim-centered" approach incorporating a more in-depth detection process, the company explained. StopNCII, a platform ran by UK nonprofit SWGfl and the Revenge Porn Helpline, offers individuals the ability to create and add digital fingerprints (also known as a "hash") to intimate images, which can then be tracked to remove images as they appear on certain platforms.

Based on a pilot that ran through August, Microsoft's new system harnesses StopNCII's database to immediately flag intimate images and prevent them being surfaced in Bing results. Microsoft says it has already "taken action" on 268,000 explicit images.

StopNCII's hashes are used by social sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Snapchat, and Reddit, as well as platforms like Bumble, OnlyFans, Aylo (owner of several popular pornography sites, including PornHub), and even Niantic, the AR developer behind Pokémon Go. Bing is the first search engine to join the partner coalition.

SEE ALSO: Scammers are using pictures of your home to amplify sextortion threats

Google, also struggling with nonconsensual deepfake content, has taken similar steps to address the appearance of deepfake images in Search results, in addition to nonconsensual real images. Over the last year, the company has been revamping its Search ranking system to lower explicit synthetic content in results, replacing the surfaced results with "high-quality, non-explicit content," the company explained, such as news articles. Google announced it was also streamlining its reporting and review process to help expedite removal of such content — the search platform already has a similar system for removal of nonconsensual real images, or deepfake porn.

But it has yet to join StopNCII and utilize its hashing tech. "Search engines are inevitably the gateway for images to be found, so this proactive step from Bing is putting the wellbeing of those directly affected front and center," said Sophie Mortimer, manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline.

Microsoft has similar reporting processes for real-images based NCII abuse, as well as strict conduct policies against intimate extortion, also known as sextortion. Earlier this year, Microsoft provided StopNCII with its in-house PhotoDNA technology, a similar "fingerprinting" tool that has been used to detect and help remove child sexual abuse material.

SEE ALSO: How Big Tech is approaching explicit, nonconsensual deepfakes How to report intimate images with StopNCII

If you believe your image (explicit or non-explicit) is at risk of being released or manipulated by bad actors, you can add your own fingerprint to StopNCII for future detection. The tool does not require you to upload or store personal photos or videos to the site. Instead, images are retained on your personal device.

  1. Visit Stopncii.org.

  2. Click on "Create your case" in the top right corner.

  3. Navigate through the personalized prompts, which gathers information about the content of the image or video.

  4. The website will then ask you to select photos or videos from your device's photo library. StopNCII then scans the content and creates hashes for each image. The hashes are then sent to participating platforms. No images or videos will be shared.

  5. Save your case number, which will allow you to check if your image or video has been detected online.

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.

'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' star Winona Ryder reveals Lydia Deetz's full character arc leading up to the sequel

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 12:57
Winona Ryder fills in the gaps for her iconic character, Lydia Deetz, between the original Beetlejuice and the long-awaited sequel.

The best laptop deals for September: Shop Acer, Apple, HP, and more

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 12:50

UPDATE: Sep. 6, 2024, 12:45 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with new laptop deals plus current pricing and availability.

The very best laptop deals at a glance: Best laptop deal under $300 Dell Inspiron 15 3520 (Intel Core i3-1215U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $269.99 at Dell.com (save $60) Get Deal Best laptop deal under $600 Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $549 at Best Buy (save $100) Get Deal Best laptop deal under $900 HP OmniBook X 14-fe0013dx (Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $899.99 at HP.com (save $250) Get Deal Best laptop deal under $1,200 Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,099 at Amazon (save $200) Get Deal

A new laptop is almost certainly a splurge, but keeping your eyes peeled for deals can make it much easier to take the leap on an upgrade. The good news is that you've got options at a variety of price points via Best Buy, Amazon, and beyond, whether you're looking for an everyday workhorse, a cheap Chromebook for homework, a 2-in-1 Windows PC for drawing, or a powerful premium gaming laptop.

Read on for our running list of the best laptop deals as of Sept. 6. (And if you don't see any models that check all the boxes on your spec wish list, come back soon: We add new picks every other week.)

Note: Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart occasionally list incorrect MSRPs for laptops, making deals appear better or worse than they really are. If an MSRP you see below differs from the one shown on the laptop's product page, it's because we cross-checked it with the machine's manufacturer and corrected it.

Best laptop deal under $300 Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Our pick: Dell Inspiron 15 3520 (Intel Core i3-1215U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $269.99 at Dell.com
$329.99 Save $60.00 Get Deal Why we like it

This entry-level Dell laptop features a 12th-generation (2022) Intel Core i3 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch non-touch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's nothing spectacular and a little outdated, but this is a spec sheet we rarely see at this price point. (Hell, even some nicer laptops don't have 120Hz refresh rates — M3 Apple MacBook Air included!)

It's marked down to $269.99 during a limited-time sale on Dell's website, which is 18% off and the lowest price we've ever seen it hit.

More laptop deals under $300Best laptop deal under $600 Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Our pick: Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $549.00 at Best Buy
$649.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's guide to the best gaming laptops.

A great pick for entry-level gamers, this slick cloud gaming laptop features an Intel Core 5 120U CPU, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of SSD storage, plus support for some newer Google AI features. We haven't had a chance to try it just yet — our review's in the works — but we loved its predecessor, which had the same 16-inch, 120Hz 1660p display, 1080p webcam, and RGB anti-ghosting keyboard.

Best Buy currently has it on sale for $549 (normally $649), which is 15% off and a match of its all-time low during the retailer's Black Friday in July sale this past summer.

More laptop deals under $600Best laptop deal under $900 Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP OmniBook X 14-fe0013dx (Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $899.99 at HP.com
$1,199.99 Save $300.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the HP OmniBook X 14.

This Mashable Choice Award-winning Copilot+ PC is one of the best Windows laptops we've tested all year — it's "a serious MacBook competitor" that's faster and longer-lasting than Apple's 15-inch M3 Air, said Mashable Tech Editor Kim Gedeon.

The Meteor Silver model with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage has fallen to a new record-low of $899.99 on HP's website (down 21% from its usual $1,149.99) as part of its extended Labor Day sale.

More laptop deals under $900Best laptop deal under $1,200 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,099.00 at Amazon
$1,299.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air.

Apple's latest MacBook Air takes the excellent design of its predecessor and upgrades it with a faster processor, support for WiFi 6E, and the ability to drive two external displays with its lid closed. It's our current favorite MacBook for most people and another Mashable Choice Award winner.

The base configuration of the 15-inch model (which has two more speakers than the 13-inch version) normally retails for $1,299, but you can order it from Amazon for $1,099. That's 15% off, and $50 away from its all-time low price from Amazon Prime Day 2024.

More laptop deals under $1,200

Freshen up your home with 22% off a Levoit air purifier

Mashable - Fri, 09/06/2024 - 12:48

22% OFF: As of Sep. 6, get a Levoit Air Purifier for just $69.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 22% and $20 off its regular price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Levoit Air Purifier $69.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

Waking up with a stuffy nose? Having trouble breathing around your home? You might be in need of an air purifier. These handy devices can cut allergens and pollen from the air in your house and help you breathe easier. Whether you want to filter out things like smoke or pet dander or you just want to have a more sanitary environment, an air purifier is a great buy for anyone. And there's one on sale right now that's well worth bringing into your home.

As of Sep. 6, you can get the Levoit Air Purifier at Amazon for just $69.99. That's $20 off its normal price of $89.99 and a discount of 22%.

This particular model is a fantastic choice for larger rooms and areas. It can clean up to 915 sq. ft., which means it's best for positioning in living rooms, larger bedrooms, or areas where there's a lot of foot traffic in and out of the house. It refreshes air 5 times per hour and uses an activated carbon filter to trap 99.97% of dust, pollen, and airborne particles. Plus, it's super quiet, going down as low as 24dB so it won't disturb you when it's running. You can even turn off all the onboard lights when it's time for bed so the display won't disturb you as well.

Control the unit with the accompanying VeSync app so you can set it and forget it no matter where you are in the world. Plus, it's compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can go hands-free without even having to use the app if you don't want to. It's all meant to be extremely convenient so you can just focus on having a fresher, cleaner home.

Breathe in that crisp air now that fall is on the way, but don't dilly-dally on snagging this deal. It likely won't be around for long.

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