moimn.com

Olivia Wilde is already known to audiences for her acting and her uncanny beauty. But it’s her newly discovered skill behind the camera that makes “Booksmart,” her feature film directorial debut, such a thorough delight. The movie centers on two best friends, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), who’ve reached the last day of…

Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” may have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival almost 10 months ago and arrived in theaters in the U.S. this past summer, but one of its breakout stars somehow didn’t catch her own critically acclaimed performance until very recently. Granted, Zhao Shuzhen, who plays the central character of Nai Nai, insists…

“Knives Out” is an attempt to combine an Agatha Christie-style whodunit with a Hitchcock-style thriller. Which was an interesting challenge, because Hitchcock hated whodunits. For the master of suspense, a whodunit’s pleasures are built on the cheapest of coins — surprise. Two hours of clue gathering for one big wet fart of a surprise at…

I read Catherine Watson’s article on Cuba (“The Cuba Conundrum,” Nov. 10) with interest. I found the comments on Cuba’s healthcare and its healthy children naive and misinformed. I visited Cuba for the first time last year to connect with my roots. Some of the most important items I took with me were medications: a…

Here’s the thing about driving yourself to LAX to catch your holiday flight: What happens if you can’t find a place to park? It could happen. It has happened. And as more people take to the skies — airline travel set a record last Thanksgiving and likely will do so again this year — it…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates —  Abu Dhabi’s flagship carrier Etihad Airways announced on Monday it is launching one of the world’s most fuel-efficient long-haul airplanes as the company seeks to save costs on fuel and position itself as a more environmentally conscious choice for travelers. Etihad’s “Greenliner” is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will depart on…

I’m Business columnist David Lazarus, with a look today at online sales, particularly those of a certain sneaker maker. Nike announced last week that it will pull its products — from shoes to jerseys — from Amazon’s site because it wants to create its own direct ties to online shoppers. “As part of Nike’s focus…

Actor Hal Linden, known for the title role in the TV series “Barney Miller,” has listed a golf course home in La Quinta for sale at $1.095 million. The Mediterranean-style one-story, built in 1989, looks out onto the PGA West Stadium Course, a water hazard and the mountains beyond. High beamed ceilings and a fireplace…

T-Mobile US Inc. says Mike Sievert, president and chief operating officer of the company, will take over May 1 from John Legere as chief executive officer, with T-Mobile promising continuity as the driving force of its recent success departs. Legere, 61, the shaggy-haired self-appointed industry rebel who led T-Mobile out of fourth place among wireless…

For the survivors, there were some surprising lessons learned, about landscaping and building materials, what happens after the flames go away, and how to prepare for the next firestorm. It’s been a little over a year since the Woolsey fire began its assault on the Santa Monica Mountains, so survivors of that devastation can talk…