BELFAST (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
September 23 & 24, 2022
Everyone has a story from childhood that remains vivid in memory, and that feels important enough to immortalize in art. But few people have the ability to get their story out from their minds and onto the page, the stage or the screen.Yet when that does happen, and when it’s done right, you can get something original and heartfelt, such as Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical Belfast, one of the glories of this year’s cinema. (San Francisco Chronicle). The acting is brilliant across the board, but among the most notable is Jude Hill, who really does seem like a 9-year-old Branagh. Nominated for 7 Oscars, including Best Picture. (In English) (1 hour 38 minutes).
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
October 7 & 8, 2022
Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn and her cousin Skylar embark across state lines to New York City on a fraught journey of friendship, bravery and compassion. Never Rarely Sometimes Always carefully examines the emotional consequences of abortion restrictions even in the pre-Dobbs years. “In this superbly crafted drama, two teenage girls are forced to navigate a system seemingly designed to foil their autonomy and dignity at every turn: While on paper concepts like parental notification and waiting periods can seem benign, in this microscopically detailed portrait, their disastrous implications loom larger with every tick of the clock.” (Washington Post). (In English) (1 hour 41 minutes).
PARALLEL MOTHERS (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
November 11 & 12, 2022
Two women, Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and became pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, doesn’t regret it and she is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. On the surface Parallel Mothers is an engaging melodrama centered around a fabulous performance by Penélope Cruz. “But, as is typical of Pedro Almodóvar’s movies, this easygoing, entertaining film is deeply layered, dealing with issues of personal morality and family ties, and mixed with a reminder of Spain’s dark and not-so-distant fascist past,” (Original CIN)I (In Spanish) (2 hours)
PASSING (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
December 2 & 3, 2022
Adapted from the celebrated 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, Passing tells the story of two Black women, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) and Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga), who can “pass” as white but choose to live on the opposite sides of the color line during the height of the Harlem Renaissance in late 1920s New York. As their lives become more deeply intertwined, Irene finds her once-steady existence upended by Claire, and Passing becomes a riveting examination of obsession, repression and the lies people tell themselves and others to protect their carefully constructed realities. The New York Film Critics named Passing as one of the top ten films of the year. (In English). (1 hour 38 minutes).
THE DUKE (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
January 20 & 21, 2023
In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government agreed to provide television for free to the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge – a startling revelation of how a good man set out to change the world and in so doing saved his son and his marriage. Roger Michell’s delightful true-crime caper comes bolstered by a terrific lead performance from Jim Broadbent, rattling about the red-brick terraces of early 1960s Newcastle. (In English) (1 hour 36 minutes).
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
March 24 & 25, 2023
Director Joachim Trier returns with another modern twist on a classically constructed character portrait of contemporary life in Oslo. Chronicling four years in the life of Julie, The Worst Person in the World examines one woman’s quest for love and meaning in the modern world. Fluidly told in twelve chapters, the film features a breakout performance by Cannes Best Actress winner Renate Reinsve as she explores new professional avenues and embarks on relationships with two very different men in her search for happiness and identity. It’s the rare piece of art actually invested in why an entire generation can seem so aimless and indecisive. (Independent UK). Both Vanity Fair and The Atlantic declared The Worst Person in the World to be the best film of 2021. (In Norwegian) (2 hours 1 minute).
A HERO (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
April 14 & 15, 2023
Rahim is in jail for a debt he hasn’t been able to pay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint in exchange for paying back part of the debt. Rahim is then confronted with a crisis he would never have imagined. The film is directed by Asgard Farhadi, the winner of two Oscars (including A Separation, which was previously shown by the Columbia Film Society). A Hero is a superb morality play that immerses us deeply in a society’s values and rituals. It was the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. (In Persian) (2 hours 7 minutes)
PETITE MAMAN (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
May 26 & 27, 2023
When her beloved grandmother dies, eight-year-old Nelly worries that she didn’t say goodbye properly, not realizing that the end was so near. At the ever-so-slightly mysterious house by the woods where Grandma lived, the task begins of clearing away the past. Nelly explores the house and the surrounding woods. One day Nelly meets a girl her same age, with a startling resemblance to herself. Together they build a treehouse and thus begin a relationship with unexpected revelations. Petite Maman is a mesmerizing film, not a minute longer than necessary. “It is, in short, a small wonder.” (Washington Post). (In French) (1 hour 12 minutes).
I’M YOUR MAN (Metacritic Reviews & Trailer)
June 9 & 10, 2023
In order to obtain funds for her research, Alma is persuaded to participate in an extraordinary study. For three weeks she is required to live with Tom (Dan Stevens, from Downton Abbey), a humanoid robot designed to be the perfect life partner for her, tailored to her character and needs. I’m Your Man is an unexpected delight, succeeding as a romantic comedy – and as much more. (Arizona Republic). It is about relationships, love, and what it means to be human in the modern age. It is thoughtful, funny, haunting, and expertly played. (In German) (1 hour 45 minutes).