Words like “important” and “vital” are thrown around possibly a little too much in film criticism. It’s not that we don’t mean it — it’s just that sometimes we (ok, I) can get a bit excited. And when watching and reviewing good films in real time, it’s impossible to know what is yet to come. Will there be something else that makes that superlative seem silly in retrospect? Often times, yes.

new film is that something else.

The Princess of Wales has been hospitalized after undergoing planned abdominal surgery and will remain at a private hospital for up to two weeks, Kensington Palace said Wednesday.

The former Kate Middleton is expected to return to public duties after Easter, the palace said. The 42-year-old future queen was admitted to The London Clinic on Tuesday.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for

The Princess of Wales has been hospitalized after undergoing planned abdominal surgery and will remain at a private hospital for up to two weeks, Kensington Palace said Wednesday.

The former Kate Middleton is expected to return to public duties after Easter, the palace said. The 42-year-old future queen was admitted to The London Clinic on Tuesday.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Five women from New York were killed when a tractor-trailer struck people at the scene of a crashed minivan on Interstate 81 in snowy northeastern Pennsylvania, state police said Wednesday.

The minivan, carrying four women, went out of control in the northbound lanes of I-81 in Lackawanna County, hit a concrete barrier and was left disabled in the left lane shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, police said. A sedan carrying two of their relatives then stopped

“How ya doing?” Mick Jagger asks the crowd, arriving for a club gig in Manhattan.

You read that right: A club gig. And how would YOU be doing if you were in a club and the house band turned out to be The Rolling Stones?

True, it wasn’t a total surprise when Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, plus some invited musicians and one very high-profile guest, capacity around 600, back in October. The crowd, industry folk and VIPs

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It was an unexpected musical success story last year, one that has only continued to snowball: Country music, with its loyal listenership on the margins of pop’s mainstream, had a crossover moment.

Some of the biggest albums and songs of the year are credited to country musicians like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Luke Combs, whose hits went beyond country radio stations and onto pop rotations.

But when the 2024 Grammy nominations in November, something seemed amiss. Country was

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Cutting interest rates too soon could threaten Europe’s progress in battling the inflation that has , the head of the European Central Bank said Wednesday amid widespread speculation that the bank soon will lower rates from record highs.

Christine Lagarde, faced with market expectations for rate cuts as soon as March or April and a bank meeting next week, underlined the ECB’s intent to keep its benchmark rate high for “as long as necessary” until it’s clear of 2%.

Speaking

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A shooting on the eastern Caribbean island of Trinidad left three people dead and five others wounded, police said Wednesday.

The violence occurred late Tuesday in the northwest town of Morvant when a van drove up to a group of men gathered outdoors and opened fire, police told reporters.

The conditions of the wounded weren’t immediately known. It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the shooting, although police are investigating whether it was gang-related. No arrests have been

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers in December, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on an upbeat tone and signaling that people remain confident enough to keep spending freely.

Retail sales accelerated 0.6% in December from November’s 0.3% increase, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Because spending by consumers accounts for nearly 70% of the U.S. economy, the report suggested that shoppers will be able to keep fueling economic growth this year.