FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 The Boston Globe G7
Q.My ex and I dated for four
and a half yearsand wereen-
gaged. We had the entire wed-
ding planned,and about five
months out from the wedding, I
told him I wasn’t sureabout
getting married because I felt
we had some things to work out
before we said “I do.” He want-
ed to break up because he felt
blindsided,and I wantedto
work it out because I loved him.
Two monthslater, he mes-
saged a girl fromhis work late
night from my Facebookpage.
He didn’t realizethat I was
logged into his computer. We
broke up and he movedout.
Two or threeweeksgo by and
we causallystart hookup up.
Terrible choice, I know. I was so
confused and thought I still
lovedhim and was feeling so
vulnerable.We hooked up on
and off for about a year before
he got into a seriousrelation-
ship.A coupleof yearshave
gone by and he just got out of
said relationship.We started
causally catchingup and with-
out intendingto, hung out and
hooked up again.
I don’t have feelings for him,
but like the attention. I haven’t
beenable to find someonenew
since our breakup so I was feel-
ing a little needy. He wants to
hook up again, but I’m just so
torn.I’m lonely and could defi-
nitelyuse the affection and at-
tention, but ultimately I know
that affection is only temporary
and mostly for hookup purpos-
es only. I got a little tipsythe
othernightand sent him some
nudes, which I know was a bad
idea but it felt sexy and nice to
turn someoneon. How can I be
strong to tell him no, and in a
nice, respectful way? Or should
I just say “whatever” and have
fun?
ATTENTIONA.I’m going to say the responsi-
ble thing(sorry). I don’t think
you shouldstart hooking up
withyourex again. It sounds
like it’s bad for bothof you – or
just you, at the very least.
You can’t be all “whatever”
about this and have fun. If you
could,you wouldn’t have writ-
ten this letter. Hookingup with
him has made it clearthat you’d
really like to meet someone
new. That meansevery time
you’re withhim, you’ll be re-
mindedof what you don’t have.
I understand the attention is
nice, but it isn’t a no-strings-at-
tachedrelationship. There aremany strings, and they’re all at-
tached to memoriesand disap-
pointments.
It shouldn’t be too difficult
to tell him this has to stop. All
you need to say is that as tempt-
ing as it is, you’d rather not fall
back into what you had. You
don’t wantto stand in the way
of his next steps, and vice versa.
You’re comfortable together but
that doesn’t mean it’s right.
It’s timeto do the work —
and it is work — to lookfor
someone new. I’m sure you’ve
tried a bunchof things, but if
you haven’t told peoplein your
life that you’re looking, please
do. That can help.
MEREDITHREADERSRESPONDMaybe he’s a fun distraction
(for now)but what he’s really
distracting you fromis moving
on, being happy on your own,
living as a single person, and es-
pecially fromfinding a healthy,
happy relationship. You’ll never
meet someone new while this
guy is hanging around.
BOSTONSWEETS21It won’t workfor you or him
to try saying, “whatever, andlet’s have fun.” And I feel your
approach is disrespectful to the
history you two had together.
He’s not just somethrowaway.
(Actually, no one is, but I di-
gress.) I think you should tell
him that you’ve beenfeeling
confused about what’s between
both of you and you needa real
breakto get someclarity about
it. That you hopehe’ll think
aboutit, too, and you both can
check backin a few months.
During this time you should
stop lookingfor instant gratifi-
cationthroughmenand do
some work on yourself.
JIVADIVAYou initiated this by blind-
siding him only monthsbefore
the wedding, I’m sure it was
more serious than just “work-
ing thingsout.” Now he’s lost
faith in you as a lifelongmate
and you’ve beenrelegated to a
booty call. We all have choices,
you made yours.
DANIEL1957Columnandcomments are
editedand reprinted from
boston.com/loveletters. Send
letters to meredith.goldstein
@globe.com.LOVELETTERS
BYMEREDITH GOLDSTEINShould I hook up with my ex?Monday night’s MTV VMAs
are going full Joisey. The annu-
al event will take place in New-
ark, at their PrudentialCenter,
and, according to The Wrap,
therewill be a few “Sopranos”
stars in the long list of present-
ers. Those stars will be Jamie-
Lynn Sigler(Meadow), DreaDe
Matteo (Adriana),and Vincent
Pastore (Big Pussy).
I know, you’ll wait untilthe
next-day clips — although then
you’ll miss John Travolta, Ice-T,
Billy Ray Cyrus, Lenny Kravitz,
Lindsey Vonn, Salt N’ Pepa,
Missy Elliott, Jonas Brothers,
Lizzo, Taylor Swift, and tons of
self-aggrandizing poses by
those who are too cool for the
room.
I suspect we’ll be seeing
moreof the “Sopranos”cast out
and about, by the way, as wehead toward the prequel movie
currently in production. Called
“The Many Saints of Newark,” it
will feature James Gandolfini’s
son, Michael Gandolfini, as the
youngversionof Tony, along
with Corey Stoll, Vera Farmiga,
AlessandroNivola,Ray Liotta,
and Leslie Odom Jr. The film,
set in the 1960s duringthe
Newarkriots, will be directed
by AlanTaylor, whodirected
nine episodes of the series, and
co-written by David Chase and
Lawrence Konner. It will be re-
leased in September 2020.TVCRITIC’S CORNER
BYMATTHEWGILBERT
‘Sopranos’ starsto bepresentersat MTV VMAsFROM LEFT: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES,BARRYWETCHER, ANDGLOBESTAFF FILE PHOTOFromleft: Jamie-LynnSigler(Meadow),DreaDeMatteo (Adriana),andVincentPastore
(BigPussy)of “TheSopranos”areamongthepresentersat theVideoMusicAwards.
Previously released
YYThe Art of Racingin the
RainA sentimental tale of fami-
ly travail and uplift told
through the eyes of Enzo, a
golden retriever given interior
voice by a gruff, wise Kevin
Costner. It’s the kind of greet-
ing-card experience that can
still reduce you to shameless
blubbering. The humans are
played by Milo Ventimiglia
(“This Is Us”) and Amanda Sey-
fried. Good boy. So-so movie.
(122 min., PG) (Ty Burr)
YYYBlindedbytheLightA
Pakistani teenager (Viveik Kal-
ra) in 1980s England finds his
voice and his courage in the
music of Bruce Springsteen.
Sentimental, predictable— and
a thoroughgoing joy, with just
enough rage coursing beneath
the musical ecstasy and com-
ing-of-age tropes to give it bite.
Directed by Gurinder Chadha
(“Bend It Like Beckham”). (117
min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYY½ The FarewellA warm
embrace of a humancomedy
from Chinese-American film-
makerLuluWang,abouta
young New Yorker (Awkwafina,
in her first serious role) who re-
turns to China for a family
gathering that involves wed-
dings and chicanery. It’s witty,
heartfelt, and wise. In English
and Mandarin, with subtitles.
(98 min., PG) (Ty Burr)
YYYFast & FuriousPresents:
Hobbs& ShawDwayne John-
son and Jason Statham from
the “Fast and Furious” fran-
chise get their own movie, and
it’s excellent summer meathead
entertainment — a brainless
bone-cruncher with clever play-
ers, a decent script, and enough
mayhem to satisfy the yahoo
lurking within the most civi-
lized moviegoers. With Idris El-
ba and the movie’s secret weap-
on, Vanessa Kirby. (135 min.,
PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYYGoodBoysThis addition
to the “adolescent party odys-
sey” line — think “Superbad”
(2007) and “Booksmart” (2019)
— follows a trio of clueless
sixth-grade boys to their first
“kissing party.” With a sharp
screenplay and nuanced char-
acters, it offers a refreshing,
charming study of masculinity
and friendship. (89 min., R)
(Marella Gayla)
YYThe LionKingCartoons
come to life in Jon Favreau’s vi-
sually stunning but self-defeat-
ing redo. When uncle Scar
(Chiwetel Ejiofor) murders
King Mufasa (James Earl
Jones), Simba (JD McCrary,
then Donald Glover) runs away
and befriends hilarious meer-kat Timon (Billy Eichner) and
warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen),
pinpricks of light in an other-
wise overwrought remake. An-
atomically-correct animalslook
weird when they sing. (118
min., PG) (Nora McGreevy)
YYY½ LuceKelvin Harrison
Jr. delivers a stunningly nu-
anced performance as a star
student, adopted from war torn
Eritrea. Naomi Watts and Tim
Roth play his parents. When a
teacher (Octavia Spencer) dis-
covers illegal fireworks in his
locker, their confrontation
sparks a standoff. Good inten-
tions crumbleand prejudices
surface as the characters in Lu-
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maze of power and deceit.
(109 min., R) (Nora McGreevy)
YYYMaidenImagine taking
part in a 33,000-mile, nine-
month sailing race around theglobe. Then imagine as many
peopleridiculingyouascheer-
ing you on. This is the odyssey
chronicled in an absorbing doc-
umentary look at British yacht-
ing captain Tracy Edwards and
the pioneering all-female crew
who joined her for the presti-
gious — and decidedly patriar-
chal — Whitbread Round the
World Race in 1989. (93 min.,
unrated) (Tom Russo)
YYYMidsommarMore origi-
nal in its details than its con-
cept, Ari Aster’s follow-up to
“Hereditary” is still memorably
creepy — a horror-mystery
about clueless young Ameri-
cans visiting a Swedish farming
village with eldritch customs.
Star Florence Pugh and the un-
settling midnight-sun settings
are the chief assets. (116 min.,
PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYYMike WallaceIs HereHesure is, in Avi Belkin’s smart,
dynamic documentary about
the solar-plexus-seeking “60
Minutes” journalist. Belkin’s
style is slam-bang, like his sub-
ject’s, which is good. It’s also a
bit unnuanced, also like its sub-
ject’s, which is less good. (91
min., PG-13) (Mark Feeney)
YYY½ The NightingaleAn ep-
ic revenger’s tragedy about a
brutalized Irishwoman (Aisling
Franciosi) in 19th-century Tas-
mania tracking a British officer
(Sam Claflin) through the wil-
derness with the aid of an Ab-
original guide (Baykali Ganam-
barr). Writer-director Jennifer
Kent (“The Babadook”) balanc-
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of moral clarity that’s historical
and absolute. A tough movie to
watch, but close to a great one.
(136 min., R) (Ty Burr)
YYYYOnceUpon a Time...
in HollywoodA fading movie
star (Leonardo DiCaprio) and
his stuntmanfriend (Brad Pitt)
confront a changing film indus-
try while the Manson family
readies itself to descend from
the hills with knives. A Quentin
Tarantino movie and one of his
best, with an unspoken tension
between reality and make-be-
lieve that’s glib, inventive, and
ultimately touching. With Mar-
got Robbie as Sharon Tate. (165
min., R) (Ty Burr)
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HomeThe latest iteration of the
web-slinging franchise is actu-
ally a wholesome teen comedy
disguised as a superhero movie.
As such, it’s energetic, light-
weight, fun, and forgettable.
Tom Holland is a fine Peter
Parker; Zendaya’s MJ is proba-
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entire Marvel Extended Uni-
verse. With Jake Gyllenhaal
and Samuel L. Jackson. (129
min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)
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on a soap opera after a chance
meeting with Assi, an Israeli
soldier. When Assi and the
show’s financial backers butt
heads over the season finale,
absurdity ensues. A sharp com-
edy that tackles weighty
themesbut doesn’t take itself
too seriously. (97 min., unrat-
ed) (Nora McGreevy)
YYYYToy Story 4As hoped
for (but not really expected), a
hugely entertaining and emo-
tionally resonant pleasurefor
audiences of all ages. Woody
and company hit the road and
contemplate duty versus per-
sonal autonomy while mixing it
up with an enlivenedspork and
an antique store Chatty Cathy.
With Tom Hanks and the usual
gang, plus Christina Hendricks
and Tony Hale. (100 min., G)
(Ty Burr)
YYWhere’d You Go, Berna-
detteA disaffected Seattle wife
and mother goes off the grid.
Maria Semple’s comic bestseller
has been wrestled to the screen
by Richard Linklater (“Boy-
hood”) with very mixed results.
Cate Blanchett makes the title
character hardto take in ways
both intended and not. With
Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, and
newcomer EmmaNelson, the
film’s stealth MVP. (107 min.,
PG-13) (Ty Burr)
YYYesterdayWhat if the
Beatles didn’t exist except in
the memory of a man (Himesh
Patel) who performs the songs
as his own? A cute idea, it
works for about half the movie,
before formulaic rom-com plot-
ting swamps it. The less the
Beatles mean to you, the more
you’ll probably like this. With
Lily James and Kate McKin-
non. Directed by Danny Boyle.
(116 min., PG-13) (Ty Burr)MOVIESTARS
WILSON WEBB
Cate Blanchett andEmmaNelsonin “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.”TELAVIVONFIRENOWPLAYING“Sharp-eyed
and funny”
A.O.SCOTT
KENDALLSQUARECINEMA
355BINNEYSTREET,CAMBRIDGE617-621-120 2
WESTNEWTONCINEMA
129 6WASHINGTONSTREET, WESTNEWTON617-964-8 074“delightful”
“FEELTHELOVE.”
-KennethTuran,LosAngelesTimesTheextraordinary,unfinished
life of AntonYe lchinSTARTS
TODAYdirectedbyGARRETPRICE alurkerproduction
antonyelchindoc.com
ARLINGTON
CAPITOL THEATRE
204 Massachussetts Ave. 781-648-4 340
6IDIGAD
http://www.capitoltheatreusa.com
LUCE(R)1:30,4:15,7:40,9:55
MIKEWALLACE IS HERE(PG-13)12:00,
2:15,7:15
ROCKETMAN(R)4:45,9:20
THE LIONKING(PG)12:00,2:30,5:00,
7:30,10:00
THEANGRY BIRDSMOVIE 2(PG)12:30,
2:40,4:50,7:00,9:10
YESTERDAY(R)1:15,4:30,7:20,9:50BOSTON
SIMONSIMAX THEATRE
NewEngland Aquarium,Central Wharf
617-973-5200
58 DIG
http://www.neaq.org
TURTLEODYSSEY(NR)10:00,1:00,5:00
AUSTRALIA'S GREATWILD NORTH(NR)
2:00,6:00HIDDENPACIFIC 3D(NR)11:00,4:00
OCEANS: OURBLUE PLANET(NR)12:00,
3:00BROOKLINE
COOLIDGECORNERTHEATRE
290 HarvardSt. 617-734-2 500
56
http://www.coolidge.org
THEPEANUTBUTTER FALCON(PG-13)
11:45,2:15,4:45,7:15,9:30
THE NIGHTINGALE(R)4:00,6:45
ONCEUPON ATIME... IN HOLLYWOOD(R)
11:30,3:00,6:30,9:45
THEFAREWELL(PG)11:15,2:00,4:30,
7:00,9:15
MIDSOMMAR(R)9:55
TONI MORRISON:THEPIECES IAM(PG-13)
11:00,1:30
VOLCANO(PG-13)11:59LEXINGTON
LEXINGTONVENUE
1794MassachussettsAve. 781-861-6 161
56IADDOLDSS
http://lexingtonvenue.com/
BLINDEDBY THELIGHT(PG-13)4:00,6:45,
9:00
THEFAREWELL(PG)4:15,7:00,9:10SOMERVILLE
SOMERVILLE THEATRE
55 Davis Square617-625-5 700
56IDIGAD
http://somervilletheatre.com/
BLINDEDBY THELIGHT(PG-13)1:30,4:30,
7:20,9:50
ONCE UPONATIME... IN HOLLYWOOD(R)
1:10,4:30,8:00
READYORNOT(R)1:20,3:30,5:40,7:45,
9:55
SLAUGHTERHOUSE(NR)8:00
THEFIFTHELEMENT(PG-13)9:00
THEFAREWELL(PG)1:00,3:10,5:20,7:40,
9:55
WHERE'DYOUGO, BERNADETTE(PG-13)
1:40,4:40,7:30INFOVALID8/23/19ONLY
The BostonGlobeMovie Directoryis apaid
advertisement.Listingsappearat the sole
discretionof eachcinema.Townsmay
appearout of alphabeticalorder so that
listingswill remainunbroken from column
to columnBargainshowtimesareshown in
()parentheses
G Restrictionsapply/No Passes
5 Handicappedaccessible
8 StadiumSeating
6 HearingImpairedIRear WindowCaptioning
DOL DolbyStereo
DIG DigitalSound
DSSDolbySurroundSound
K DescriptiveVideoServiceADAudioDescription