Law Professor, Fordham Law School, criminal law & punishment. Author of Criminalizing Disobedience (Oxford University Press, 2026)
New York, USA
Joined January 2012
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“I am thoroughly unamused right now,” Judge Reyes said, appearing remotely from Istanbul, where she had been traveling.
nytimes.com/2026/10/12/us/po…
This movie was fascinating and thought provoking.
ROSE (Markus Schleinzer) | New York Premiere
Berlin’s Silver Bear winner for Best Leading Performance, Sandra Hüller fully inhabits the daunting role of a 17th-century woman who disguises herself as a male soldier, only to continue the ruse after battle, in Markus Schleinzer’s enthralling fable of faith and social intolerance.
Unfortunately, this one was terrible. Boring, pretentious, self-indulgent, and way too long. Also, anyone remember the song "Life is Life" from 1984? That song is in the movie. Why? Who knows? It's supposed to feel audacious, but it just came across narcissistic.
A MAN OF HIS TIME (Emmanuel Marre) | North American Premiere
A mild-mannered bureaucrat (Swann Arlaud) in 1940s Vichy France gradually comes to realize the extent of his government’s collaboration with Nazi Germany in Emmanuel Marre’s quietly sinister portrayal of the incremental evil of fascism, winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes.
Probably the best movie of the year for me.
- POSSIBLE LOVE | Opens October 23
Lee Chang-dong's masterpiece is a brilliantly unfolding narrative of simmering resentments, shifting allegiances, sexual tensions, and queries around nonfiction filmmaking ethics that keeps revealing new layers and meanings, anchored by four towering performances that hit a varying array of fragile emotional registers.
The most beautifully shot movie I saw this year. Also loved the cameo appearance of Joanna Kulig from Cold War.
- FATHERLAND | Opens October 23 with Paweł Pawlikowski in person opening weekend
Academy Award–nominated director Paweł Pawlikowski specializes in narratively economical yet emotionally and philosophically expansive historical drama, and his latest film, which earned him a Best Director prize at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, might be his most potent and provocative yet.
In all the commentary about Minotaur, which is part of NYFF this year, has anyone mentioned that a star of that movie is a Volvo XC90?
Good essay but I wouldn’t read this before seeing the movie
Premiering today at #NYFF, Lee Chang-dong's brilliant career high point POSSIBLE LOVE.
@kimchimarx reviews, writing about how the film both embodies and transcends the term "literary" and how it reflects Korean movements and political histories.
reverseshot.org/reviews/entr…
This sounds plausible.
"One of the big takeaways is conservative students are flourishing and liberal students are getting short shrift . . . Because they are constantly challenged on their views . . . conservatives become extraordinarily adept critical thinkers."
I’m one of the few out conservatives teaching at an Ivy League university. Here’s some insight for all conservative parents like @RCamposDuffy @SecDuffy who are understandably apprehensive about sending their kids to overwhelmingly progressive institutions.
First, the fact that you are even thinking about how ideological lopsidedness affects quality of teaching and education (it absolutely does) means you are ahead of the curve. The mindset of most on the left is that there’s nothing wrong with our nation’s top schools.
Second, for the past two years straight I’ve been conducting research on the impact of (near) uniformity of thought in our nation’s most prestigious schools. One of the big takeaways is conservative students are flourishing and liberal students are getting short shrift (you can see a summary of this sub-finding in my 2024 @TheAtlantic article: theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv…). Because they are constantly challenged on their views, forced to articulate and defend them, and learn the other side, conservatives become extraordinarily adept critical thinkers. But there are also other benefits—conservative students at liberal schools also tend to gravitate to real (not online) friendships, build resilience, and learn not to sweat the small stuff. These are hugely valuable skills and attributes. @DavidAFrench makes a similar argument in his latest @nytopinion piece.
Third, yes, even at elite universities which claim to be committed to freedom of thought, your kids will absolutely encounter activist professors who seek to indoctrinate students. But conservative students are the least likely in my experience to succumb to this. What’s more likely is they will hear some crazy ideas, think to themselves “Why do I disagree with that? Why is it wrong?” and use the exposure to strengthen and shore up their own beliefs w/ evidence. It’s an invaluable cognitive exercise I wish more students had.
It’s not easy to be in the ideological minority but it’s a great education in the purest sense. Take some comfort, and a lot of pride in that.
A new Almodovar movie at the NYFF this fall sounding like an Almodovar movie: "While trying to maintain a relationship with her loyal boyfriend Bonifacio, a fireman moonlighting as a stripper, she becomes inspired by the travails of her friends to write a new script."
Announcing the official Main Slate selections of #NYFF64, featuring 32 of the most significant new films from around the world. Explore: filmlinc.org/NYFF64MS
#NYFF64 is presented in partnership with @ROLEX.
Youngjae Lee retweeted
We remember Professor Andrew von Hirsch, whose work shaped thinking on punishment and criminal responsibility.
A valued member of the Institute of Criminology and the Faculty of Law, he leaves an enduring legacy in his ideas, teaching and generosity.
crim.cam.ac.uk/news/andreas-…
ALT A photo of Professor Andrew von Hirsch, sitting at a desk and writing notes.
Youngjae Lee retweeted
It is with great sadness that I learn of the death of Andreas von Hirsch. He was a powerful and original proponent of retributivism in the theory of punishment and a cultured and engaging individual.
I fondly recall many enjoyable lunches with him in Cambridge. It was an honour to serve on the appointments panel for the Cambridge chair in penal theory and ethics named after him.
RIP
crim.cam.ac.uk/news/andreas-…
Youngjae Lee retweeted
🦔UC Berkeley's computer science department just posted its worst failure rates in years. 35.3% of CS 10 students got F's in spring 2026, up from under 10% in prior semesters. Professor Dan Garcia says the primary driver is a "vast increase in academic dishonesty" through LLMs. Students use AI to complete assignments, never learn the material, then fail exams. His office hours, once full, are now empty.
My Take
Companies are firing experienced engineers while the pipeline that produces new ones is being gutted by the same technology. Students use AI to bypass the hard part of learning, show up to exams without the understanding, and fail. One professor discovered a student's linear algebra class had an "open AI" policy for homework and exams. That student then couldn't do basic linear algebra in the next course.
Both ends of the workforce are eroding at the same time. Senior engineers are getting cut to fund AI spending. Junior engineers are graduating without the skills because AI did their coursework. And the companies spending trillions on these tools haven't connected those two facts yet.
Hedgie🤗
