Taika David Cohen was born in the tiny village of Raukokore, New Zealand, the son of an artist and a school teacher. His father was of Te Whanau-a-Apanui descent, a Maori Iwi (tribe) located on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. His mother, Robin Cohen, was the daughter of Russian Jews who had emigrated to New Zealand. His father left the family when Taika was five. Waititi says he considers himself a Polynesian Jew.
Read MoreScarlett Johansson
After “Marriage Story”: Time for You to Watch More Noah Baumbach
Where Baumbach is preferable—for me, at least—is that his movies are about families. Granted, these are families in crisis, but they at least feel like people you might know, not because of how they live, but because of how they talk. When things are going badly, we all aspire to rise above the moment and be a better version of ourselves. Alas, that usually doesn’t happen. We end up saying things we regret and doing things we later find embarrassing. We end up being disappointed in ourselves and how we handled those moments. That’s the part that Baumbach nails perfectly.
Read MoreMike C. is an operations manager at our Santa Ana hub.
Mike's Picks: Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice - it is my favorite because who doesn't love a good love story? It also reminds me that relationships between two people can be so easy if you just get out of your own way and remember the core of the connection.
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