A ragtag clutch of teenage guerillas, living rough in a jungle encampment, plumb the dark depths of a childlike capacity for depravity in Colombian director Landes’s (PORFIRIO) bizarre, mesmerizing, future-set parable on the temptations of power. Minions of a remote revolution that is never specified, and with no authority structure but their own, heavily armed half-wild children sport names like Rambo, Wolf, Lady, and Bigfoot. They live by their own invented rituals, rules, and mating games, until a crisis over a dead cow rips away all pretense of social order. Random violence, half-truths, and sexual jealousy complicate a power struggle over a valuable female American hostage (Nicholson), whose escape attempts bring the group’s internal struggle to a fissure. A percussive atonal score by experimental composer Mica Levi perfectly complements the film’s haunting, unpredictable edginess. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. DCP digital widescreen. (BS)
Runs & Limited Engagements
Monos
2019, Alejandro Landes, Colombia/Argentina, 102 min.
With Julianne Nicholson, Moisés Arias, Sofia Buenaventura
"A monumentally cinematic experience of lush wilderness and raw emotions."—Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
“Overpoweringly tense and deeply mad…something between APOCALYPSE NOW, LORD OF THE FLIES, and EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT.”—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Showtimes:
- Fri, Nov 29th 4:15pm
- Fri, Nov 29th 8:30pm
- Sat, Nov 30th 8:00pm
- Sun, Dec 1st 5:30pm
- Tue, Dec 3rd 6:15pm
- Wed, Dec 4th 7:45pm
- Thu, Dec 5th 8:15pm
Celebration
aka YVES SAINT LAURENT: THE LAST COLLECTIONS
2007, Olivier Meyrou, France, 74 min.
"A searching, sensitive and revealing portrait. Saint Laurent was essential to 20th-century culture, and CELEBRATION shows the inevitable fading of glory as well as the enduring features of his life’s work."—Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
“Essential viewing...A priceless addition to our understanding of how Yves Saint Laurent—the man, the myth, la marque—operated…essential viewing.”—Peter Debruge, Variety
Showtimes:
- Fri, Nov 29th 4:30pm
- Sat, Nov 30th 6:15pm
- Sun, Dec 1st 3:00pm
- Mon, Dec 2nd 6:00pm
- Tue, Dec 3rd 8:30pm
- Wed, Dec 4th 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 5th 8:30pm
Legally prevented from release for many years by Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent’s life partner and business manager, CELEBRATION is a fly-on-the-wall chronicle of preparations for the fabled designer’s final collection before his brand was sold to Gucci in 1998. Intimately revealing but less than flattering, this documentary pulls back the curtain on the glamorous façade to see Saint Laurent as an ill, chain-smoking, tic-ridden recluse, a prisoner of his own monumental unhappiness, while the domineering, eagle-eyed Bergé micro-manages an empire of submissive seamstresses, malleable models, and film-star influencers. Filming over three years, director Meyrou balances an inside look at the hands-on making and calculated presentation of the fashion with a view of the principals in this illusion-based industry that doesn’t miss a trick. In French and English with English subtitles. DCP digital. (BS)
Fantastic Fungi
2018, Louie Schwartzberg, USA, 81 min.
Narrated by Brie Larson
"One of the year’s most mind-blowing, soul-cleansing and yes, immensely entertaining triumphs."—Matt Fagerholm, RogerEbert.com
"A charming blend of science and conjecture, FANTASTIC FUNGI wants to free your mind."—Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 6th 2:00pm
- Fri, Dec 6th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 7th 3:00pm
- Sat, Dec 7th 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 8th 4:30pm
- Mon, Dec 9th 6:00pm
- Mon, Dec 9th 8:00pm
- Wed, Dec 11th 8:00pm
- Thu, Dec 12th 6:00pm
This revealing and marvelously mind-boggling documentary explores the hidden kingdom of mushrooms, the unique fruit of mycelium, an all-pervasive fungal network that not only lives beneath our feet but subversively dominates the earth. The Fifties rockabilly hit “There Was a Fungus Among Us” unwittingly proclaimed the fact: mycelium is everywhere, whether seen or unseen. Experts including groundbreaking scientist/mycologist Paul Stamets and authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, and Andrew Weil reveal the ways in which mushrooms harbor a vast and barely explored potential for healing, renewing the environment, providing sustenance, and altering consciousness, but only if mankind is savvy enough to tap their enormous power. Awe-inspiring time-lapse macro cinematography by director Schwartzberg (WINGS OF LIFE) brings mushrooms and their underworld networks to astonishing vibrant life for a don’t-miss experience. DCP digital. (BS)
The Incredible Shrinking Man
1957, Jack Arnold, USA, 81 min.
With Grant Williams, Randy Stuart
"Gripping and intelligent...a pulp masterpiece."—Geoff Andrew, Time Out London
"A wondrous delight. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN is Science Fiction poetry and the most profound Sci-Fi film of the fifties."—Glenn Erickson, DVD Savant
Adapted from his own novel by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, several classic Twilight Zone episodes) and directed with inspired craftsmanship by Jack Arnold (THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON), this atomic-age fable stands as one of the most imaginative and satisfying science fiction films ever made. Doused by a radioactive cloud, the ever-diminishing hero finds himself comically, painfully, heroically, and finally transcendentally adapting to an estranged new world where a basement floor is a vast plain and a house cat a dangerous monster. New 4K DCP digital restoration. (MR)
Synonyms
Synonymes
2019, Nadav Lapid, France/Israel/Germany, 123 min.
With Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire
"A searing, maddening, explosively brainy movie."—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"Astonishing, maddening, brilliant, hilarious, obstinate, and altogether unmissable."—David Ehrlich, Indiewire
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 6th 3:45pm
- Fri, Dec 6th 8:00pm
- Sat, Dec 7th 4:45pm
- Sun, Dec 8th 4:30pm
- Mon, Dec 9th 7:45pm
- Tue, Dec 10th 6:00pm
- Wed, Dec 11th 7:45pm
- Thu, Dec 12th 6:00pm
One of the year’s most critically lauded films, this puzzle-like drama sporting a vein of dry deadpan humor tackles personal dilemmas involving identity, language, politics, and national allegiance when Yoav (Mercier), a footloose Israeli ex-soldier, ends up naked and half-dead in an Airbnb bathtub following his first night in Paris. Inviting his audience to lurch through a maze of contradictory signals and cryptic choices along with his stolidly determined hero, director Lapid (THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, POLICEMAN) weaves a narrative of a man seeking to shed his birthright along with his clothes in order to create a new persona in his chosen nation. The cerebral wordplay in Yoav's head meets its opposite in the physical realm when a sexually ambiguous couple save his life, a nude modeling job involves unusual demands, and an Israeli Embassy job brings a head-on collision with the cultural identity he seeks to escape. In French, Hebrew, and English with English subtitles. DCP digital widescreen. (BS)
White Snake
Baishe: Yuangi
2019, Amp Wong and Ji Zhao, China, 99 min.
“One of the most beautiful animated features I’ve ever seen…offers thrills with its action scenes, moments of humor, a sweet romance, an engaging retelling of the titular legend, and breathtaking animation.”—Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat
“Beautifully animated with gorgeously rendered backgrounds and a melancholy romantic sensibility…a huge step forward for Chinese animation.”—Hayley Scanlon, Windows on Worlds
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 6th 3:45pm
- Fri, Dec 6th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 7th 4:45pm
- Sun, Dec 8th 2:30pm
- Mon, Dec 9th 6:00pm
- Tue, Dec 10th 8:15pm
- Wed, Dec 11th 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 12th 8:15pm
- Fri, Dec 13th 2:00pm
- Fri, Dec 13th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 14th 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 15th 3:00pm
- Mon, Dec 16th 8:00pm
- Tue, Dec 17th 8:00pm
- Wed, Dec 18th 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 19th 8:00pm
The classic Chinese legend of White Snake and her sister Green Snake is reimagined in the form of an animated prequel bursting with color and action. In a Tang Dynasty village under the rule of a brutal general, young hunter Yuan rescues a drowning stranger, the beautiful maiden Blanca, who awakens with no memory of her past. Supernatural powers do battle in the heavens for dominance over the earth, while not-quite-human Blanca and her smitten hero face off against black magic in the search for her lost memory and an enchanted jade hairpin, the gift of her mysterious sister Verta. CGI animation combines with ink-painting for a spectacular treatment of demons, fantastical creatures that include a fox fairy and a talking dog, and magnificently-rendered landscapes. Yuan bargains away his humanity to the dark forces in order to save his beloved, who has her own transformative surprise in store. In Mandarin with English subtitles. DCP digital widescreen. (BS)
Note: Suitable for adults and older teens.
NT Live: Hansard
2019, Simon Godwin, UK, ca. 100 min.
With Alex Jennings, Lindsay Duncan
“Elegant, incisive…performances simply take the breath away.”—Sarah Crompton, What’s On Stage
In this witty and devastating portrait of the ruling class by Simon Woods, it’s a summer’s morning in 1988, and Tory politician Robin Hesketh (Jennings) has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with Diana (Duncan), his wife of 30 years. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as a gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport. DCP digital. (Description courtesy of NT Live)
Actor Alex Jennings (Victoria, The Crown), appearing December 14-29 in a new production of The Light in the Piazza with Renée Fleming at Lyric Opera House, is scheduled to appear on Friday for an audience discussion, moderated by Hedy Weiss, commentator on WTTW-TV's "Chicago Tonight," arts critic for WTTW-TV's website, and former longtime Theater and Dance Critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.
SPECIAL PRICES: $14 GENERAL; $8 MEMBERS/STUDENTS
“A performance showcase for Waller-Bridge. She’s a fabulous actor and a true stage animal.”—Michael Phillips,Chicago Tribune
"A must-see...the material is so good and enduring that even those familiar with the series will find themselves laughing as if they were hearing it all for the first time.”—Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic.com
Showtimes:
- Sat, Dec 7th 7:45pm
- Thu, Dec 12th 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 15th 5:00pm
- Sun, Dec 22nd 1:45pm
This hilarious, award-winning one-woman show that inspired BBC’s hit TV series is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Fleabag (Waller-Bridge) may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain, and a guinea pig café struggling to keep afloat, she suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose. DCP digital. (Description courtesy of NT Live)
SPECIAL PRICES: $14 GENERAL; $8 MEMBERS/STUDENTS
(Note: Matinee discounts do not apply.)
Please note: The running time of FLEABAG, listed in our October printed Gazette as 100 min., has been corrected to 80 min.
Love Fleabag's "hot priest"? Don't miss the NT Live preesntation of Noel Coward's Present Laughter December 21 & 29!
Downtown 81
1981/2000, Edo Bertoglio, USA, 75 min.
With Jean-Michel Basquiat, Deborah Harry, Arto Lindsay, John Lurie
“An extraordinary real-life snapshot of hip, arty, clubland Manhattan in the post-punk era.”—Brendan Kelly, Variety
“A nostalgic portrait of pre-Giuliani Manhattan, an unruly place full of garbage, graffiti, rubble-strewn lots, unlicensed after-hours clubs and highly idealistic kids eager to make their mark as avant-garde artists and musicians.”—Dave Kehr, The New York Times
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 13th 2:15pm
- Fri, Dec 13th 6:15pm
- Sat, Dec 14th 8:00pm
- Mon, Dec 16th 6:15pm
- Wed, Dec 18th 8:15pm
Scripted by influential columnist/editor/scenester Glenn O'Brien, this fascinating artifact was shot in 1980-1 under the title NEW YORK BEAT, interrupted by business problems, and completed twenty years later. The real Jean-Michel Basquiat, 19 years old and not yet famous, appears as a fictionalized version of himself. Evicted from his apartment, he wanders charismatically through the Lower Manhattan downtown scene, scrawling soon-to-be-priceless graffiti and listening to now-vintage musical acts, including DNA, The Plastics, Tuxedomoon, James White and the Blacks, and Kid Creole & the Coconuts. New 35mm print. (MR)
“Explosively scary and captivatingly beautiful…barnacled with resemblances to Coleridge, Shakespeare, Melville.”—Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
“At its finest and creepiest, THE LIGHTHOUSE courts comparison to F.W. Murnau’s fantasies of temptation, desire and striking imagery.”—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 13th 3:45pm
- Fri, Dec 13th 7:45pm
- Sat, Dec 14th 3:00pm
- Sun, Dec 15th 5:00pm
- Mon, Dec 16th 7:45pm
- Tue, Dec 17th 8:00pm
- Wed, Dec 18th 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 19th 6:00pm
In this towering and darkly majestic take on the psychological drama, grizzled lighthouse keeper Thomas (Dafoe) and his taciturn younger apprentice Ephraim (Pattinson), two lonely men sequestered on a rocky island off the coast of nineteenth-century Maine, are swept into a maelstrom of frightening temptations, hallucinations, and brutish power plays when guilty secrets from their pasts erupt. Through the masterful manipulation of black-and-white cinematography, a constricted film frame, and a hauntingly evocative soundtrack, director Eggers (THE WITCH) forms the stark environment of the island into a shape-shifting prison in which the force of nature is a harsh keeper. This crazed, mythic sea tale ultimately hinges on the unbearable love-hate bond of a perverse simile of a father-son relationship enacted by Pattinson and Dafoe with raging, eerie intensity. DCP digital. (BS)
The Friday (12/13) 3:45 pm and Wednesday (12/18) 6 pm screenings are Open-captioned.
"His mastery of visual storytelling in the documentary form is almost unparalleled…AMERICAN DHARMA is the height of that signature Errol Morris style."—Lorry Kitka, Film Threat
"The most disturbing movie of the year…AMERICAN DHARMA doesn't just recap a dark chapter in the nation's history. It sounds an alarm for the rest of the world."—Eric Kohn, Indiewire
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 13th 4:00pm
- Fri, Dec 13th 8:00pm
- Sat, Dec 14th 5:15pm
- Sun, Dec 15th 3:00pm
- Mon, Dec 16th 6:00pm
- Tue, Dec 17th 6:00pm
- Wed, Dec 18th 8:00pm
- Thu, Dec 19th 8:15pm
- Fri, Dec 20th 2:00pm
- Fri, Dec 20th 8:00pm
- Sat, Dec 21st 5:15pm
- Sun, Dec 22nd 3:30pm
- Mon, Dec 23rd 8:15pm
- Thu, Dec 26th 6:00pm
The great chronicler of the dark side of American power, Errol Morris (THE THIN BLUE LINE, THE FOG OF WAR) has never shied away from challenging subjects. Here he tackles an especially daunting one: Steve Bannon, alt-right icon and self-styled mastermind of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. As in his previous encounters with Robert McNamara, Donald Rumsfeld, the Texas justice system, and the jailers of Abu Ghraib, Morris takes a stance that is neither neutral nor overtly adversarial. Using reconstructed sets and copious movie clips, Morris's strategy here is to view former filmmaker Bannon through the lens of the latter's own grandiose self-mythologizing, as Bannon compares himself to Milton's Satan, Shakespeare's Falstaff (cast aside by his King/President), and the duty-driven antiheroes of such Hollywood epics as THE SEARCHERS, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, and 12 O'CLOCK HIGH. In one of the most perceptive reviews of this controversial, long-delayed film, Alissa Wilkinson of Vox wrote, "AMERICAN DHARMA isn't a dismantling of Bannon's ideologies. It's a portrait of delusion." DCP digital widescreen. (MR)
The Wizard of Oz
1939, Victor Fleming and (uncredited) King Vidor, USA, 102 min.
With Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton
"THE WIZARD OF OZ remains the weirdest, scariest, kookiest, most haunting and indelible kid-flick-that's-really-for-adults ever made."—Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"A work of almost staggering iconographic, mythological, creative and simple emotional meaning...this is one vintage film that lives up to its classic status."—Todd McCarthy, Variety
16-year-old Judy Garland had already co-starred in several films when she was catapulted into immortality by MGM's iconic musical fantasy about an unhappy Kansas girl tornado-tossed to a magical land where she finds friendship, danger, and the mixed blessings of maturity. The Yellow Brick Road, the ruby-red slippers, the Wicked Witch of the West, Munchkinland, "Over the Rainbow," and much else have become indelible ingredients of the collective popular imagination. Beyond its mythic resonance and sensible life-lessons, WIZARD is a full-blown experience, its sense of wonder leavened with plenty of humor and (like all enduring fairy tales) a depth-charge of scariness beneath its shiny surface. The film's imaginative set design, lush color, and larger-than-life archetypes will reward a big-screen revisit, no matter how many times you've seen it at home. 35mm. (MR)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for either THE WIZARD OF OZ or THE PIRATE, and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
Selected for its visual quality, the accompanying trailer is from the film's 2013 re-release in IMAX 3D. We will be screening the original 1939 version in 2D 35mm.
"Lively, colorful, and lyrical—Minnelli was married to Garland at the time, and it shows in some of the most romantic close-ups ever put on film."—Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
A commercial failure that producer Arthur Freed called “twenty years ahead of its time,” THE PIRATE has gone on to attain cult status as one of the wittiest and most dazzling screen musicals. Garland plays a cloistered Caribbean damsel who is fated to marry a stolid burgher (Walter Slezak) but yearns to be swept away by the notorious storybook pirate Macoco. Learning her secret, a travelling actor (Kelly) pretends to be the brigand in the hope of winning her heart. The Cole Porter numbers include the spectacular “Pirate Ballet Fantasy” and the uproarious finale “Be a Clown.” 35mm. (MR)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for either THE WIZARD OF OZ or THE PIRATE, and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
Filibus
1915, Mario Roncoroni, Italy, 70 min.
With Valeria Creti, Giovanni Spano
"It may be the spryest comic-book movie of the season and perhaps the most progressive."—J. Hoberman, The New York Times
"FILIBUS zips along with crisp, deliciously absurd plotting and an effervescent lightness of touch, amid gorgeous seaside locations."—Imogen Sara Smith, Film Comment
Released in a new 2K restoration, this scintillating century-old rediscovery from Italy has been striking contemporary chords among cinephiles and critics, who called its intrepid heroine "the Joker of 1915" (J. Hoberman, New York Times), a predecessor of Wonder Woman (Imogen Sara Smith, Film Comment), and "cinema's first lesbian 'bad girl'" (Yugoslav Film Archive). Putting a lighter, gender-bending spin on Jules Verne's Captain Nemo and Louis Feuillade's serial super-villain Fantômas, Filibus is a female master-thief who operates from a futuristic airship while deploying three different identities: an elegant baroness, a tomboyish thief, and a debonair count. When she learns that the eminent detective Kutt-Hendry is on her trail, she boldly accuses the detective himself of being Filibus. With a series of dazzling deceptions, Filibus proceeds to incriminate Kutt-Hendry for her own crimes, while at the same time, in her count disguise, romancing his beautiful sister! New 2K DCP digital restoration. (MR)
Silent film with live piano accompaniment by Dave Drazin on Sunday; other screenings with prerecorded musical score.
"A tantalizing portrait: rich, probing, mournful, romantic, triumphant, tragic, exhilarating, and blisteringly honest."—Owen Gleiberman, Variety
"Humanises a musical genius and ends up giving us an engrossing, hilarious, informative look at the Miles Davis that music fans thought they knew."—Jake Watt, Switch
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 20th 3:45pm
- Fri, Dec 20th 7:45pm
- Sat, Dec 21st 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 22nd 5:00pm
- Mon, Dec 23rd 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 26th 7:45pm
Jazz giant Miles Davis was one of the most colossal and complex figures of twentieth-century music, his personal demons and creative drive fueling a capacity for continual self-reinvention. No film could hope to encompass such a copious subject, but expert documentarian Stanley Nelson (THE BLACK PANTHERS) does a remarkable job of giving shape to Davis's prodigious life and career. His many musical evolutions are lucidly charted, from his bop beginnings through his game-changing excursions into lyrical cool, modal bop, fusion, and late-career pop. Passages from his autobiography, voiced by Carl Lumbly in Davis's distinctive rasp, take us through his battles with racism, substance abuse, and anger. Especially notable among the many interviews are revealing reminiscences from his great loves, French singer Juliette Greco and first wife Frances Taylor, both fated to become way stations in Davis's eternally restless journey. DCP digital. (MR)
Chained for Life
2018, Aaron Schimberg, USA, 91 min.
With Adam Pearson, Jess Weixler
"The best movie playing Chicago this week...Slyly comic, cinematically fluid and cleverly disorienting."—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"An inventive hall of mirrors...odd, darkly funny and—when it means to be—a little frightening."—Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 20th 4:00pm
- Fri, Dec 20th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 21st 8:00pm
- Sun, Dec 22nd 5:30pm
- Mon, Dec 23rd 6:00pm
- Thu, Dec 26th 8:00pm
On one of its many levels, this critically acclaimed film is a radical reworking of Tod Browning's 1932 horror classic FREAKS. The story concerns the making of a mad-doctor horror film on the grounds of an abandoned hospital. The cast contains several non-normative performers (just as Browning's film did), led by the wary but personable Rosenthal (Adam Pearson, an actor with neurofibromatosis who had a memorable scene as the last of Scarlett Johansen's pick-ups in UNDER THE SKIN). Rosenthal is befriended by the film's well-meaning lead actress Mabel (Weixler of The Good Wife), but, before CHAINED FOR LIFE can turn into a patronizing heart-warmer, it spins off into unexpected, more challenging directions, with agency being transferred to the "freaks." The film aims to challenge our perceptions of the normal, the beautiful, and the real, but, rather than waxing didactic, it foregrounds sharp wit and dazzling meta maneuvers, flipping us between film, reality, and dream with mind-bending mastery. Shot on film, CHAINED FOR LIFE is presented for the first time in Chicago in a 35mm print. (MR)
Writer-director Aaron Schimberg and Producer Vanessa McDonnell are scheduled to appear for audience discussion via Skype after the Sunday, Dec. 22, 5:30pm show.
My Twentieth Century
Az én XX századom
1989, Ildikó Enyedi, Hungary, 104 min.
With Dorota Segda, Oleg Yankovskiy
"A bracing combination of wit, invention, common sense, and lunacy...enormously good-humored."—Vincent Canby, The New York Times
Endeyi's dazzling debut begins, like the history of cinema and the twentieth century itself, in a blaze of electric light, presided over by that modern Prometheus, Thomas Edison. The plot, full of exotic locales and shameless coincidences, revolves around twin girls abandoned and separated in infancy. One grows up into a high-living, hedonistic jewel thief, the other into a poor but idealistic political agitator. Their marvelous adventures form the springboard for a magic-carpet ride through modern history. The twentieth century, no less than the light bulb or the cinema, was an invention, and Enyedi recaptures it in a mischievous mixture of newsreel and fairy tale, life and movies, politics and erotics, pioneer feminism and Victorian melodrama. In Hungarian with English subtitles. New 4K DCP digital restoration. (MR)
Joan the Maid 1: The Battles
JEANNE LA PUCELLE I—LES BATAILLES
1994, Jacques Rivette, France, 160 min.
With Sandrine Bonnaire, André Marcon, Olivier Cruveiller
"A major event."—Keith Uhlich, Hollywood Reporter
"Absolutely one of the director's masterpieces…It's essential cinema."—Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
From Dreyer to Rossellini to Preminger to Bresson to Dumont, the story of Joan of Arc has served as a magnet for contrarian filmmakers. An hour and half longer than the previous U.S. release, this new 4K restoration brings back the full originality and immediacy (including cinéma-vérité-like addresses to the camera) of Rivette's initial conception. A down-to-earth epic, devoid of bombast, the film firmly grounds Joan's spiritual quest in the prosaic realms of process and politics, concentrating primarily on her step-by-step struggle to gain credibility with the Dauphin and his military leaders (PART I: THE BATTLES) and her subsequent entanglement among the treacherous political cross-currents of English-occupied France (PART II: THE PRISONS). Similarly, Sandrine Bonnaire's acclaimed performance marries fierce resolve with touchingly human vulnerability—she giggles when she crops her hair, cries when wounded by an arrow, screams when she hears her death sentence. In French with English subtitles. New 4K digital restoration. (MR)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for Part 1 of JOAN THE MAID, and get a ticket to Part 2 at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
NT Live: Present Laughter
2019, Matthew Warchus, UK, 184 min.
With Andrew Scott, Kitty Archer
“Wondrous…it’s like being transported to a parallel universe where everyone is bisexual, endlessly stylish and schooled from birth in the art of the bon mot.”—Alice Saville, Time Out London
“The show belongs to Andrew Scott…his panache fills the entire theater.”—Ann Treneman, The Times
Andrew Scott, the conflicted “hot priest” of the BBC’s popular Fleabag series, stars in this reworking of Noël Coward’s provocative comedy, a giddy and surprisingly modern reflection on fame, desire, and loneliness. As he prepares to embark on an overseas tour, star actor Garry Essendine’s colorful life is in danger of spiraling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Garry’s few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic, and soul-searching. DCP digital. (Description courtesy of NT Live)
SPECIAL PRICES: $14 GENERAL; $8 MEMBERS/STUDENTS
Joan the Maid 2: The Prisons
JEANNE LA PUCELLE II—LES PRISONS
1994, Jacques Rivette, France, 177 min.
With Sandrine Bonnaire, André Marcon, Olivier Cruveiller
"A major event."—Keith Uhlich, Hollywood Reporter
"Absolutely one of the director's masterpieces…It's essential cinema."—Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
From Dreyer to Rossellini to Preminger to Bresson to Dumont, the story of Joan of Arc has served as a magnet for contrarian filmmakers. An hour and half longer than the previous U.S. release, this new 4K restoration brings back the full originality and immediacy (including cinéma-vérité-like addresses to the camera) of Rivette's initial conception. A down-to-earth epic, devoid of bombast, the film firmly grounds Joan's spiritual quest in the prosaic realms of process and politics, concentrating primarily on her step-by-step struggle to gain credibility with the Dauphin and his military leaders (PART I: THE BATTLES) and her subsequent entanglement among the treacherous political cross-currents of English-occupied France (PART II: THE PRISONS). Similarly, Sandrine Bonnaire's acclaimed performance marries fierce resolve with touchingly human vulnerability—she giggles when she crops her hair, cries when wounded by an arrow, screams when she hears her death sentence. In French with English subtitles. New 4K digital restoration. (MR)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for Part 1 of JOAN THE MAID, and get a ticket to Part 2 at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
“If any film could be described as an architectural symphony, it is ANTONIO GAUDÍ...Much of the imagery is nothing less than astounding in its beauty and boldness.”--Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“Essentially lets Gaudí's work speak for itself, and it couldn't be more eloquent.”--Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
Our holiday tradition, we bring back the ever-popular cult film by Hiroshi Teshigahara (WOMAN OF THE DUNES), inspired by the wild, undulating, joyously erupting forms of Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudí. Teshigahara's eye for texture, shape, and sensual detail meets Gaudí's whimsy in the cinematic exploration of such masterpieces of visionary architecture as the basilica of La Sagrada Família. The contemporary of artists such as Picasso and Joan Miró, Gaudí drew on Barcelona's medieval Romanesque architecture and ancient Arab culture for his inspiration. This film reveals the intricacy and hallucinatory richness of his concepts through camerawork alone. Forgoing narration, Teshigahara accompanies his images with a brilliantly eclectic selection of music, ranging from baroque harpsichord to glass orchestra. 35mm. (BS)
Temblores
aka Tremors
2019, Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France/Luxembourg, 108 min.
With Juan Pablo Olyslager, Diane Bathen
"A maginicently unflinching film from a master director."—Carlos Aguilar, The Wrap
“Sensuous…Bustamante’s command of visual and sonic textures still bewitches.”—Guy Lodge, Variety
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 27th 2:00pm
- Fri, Dec 27th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 28th 5:00pm
- Sat, Dec 28th 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 29th 2:30pm
- Mon, Dec 30th 8:15pm
- Thu, Jan 2nd 6:00pm
From the Guatemalan director of the award-winning IXCANUL comes a searing drama of a husband and father struggling with his sexuality in the face of a conservative family hell-bent on religiously-based denial. The forces of nature, from an earthquake to a raging thunderstorm, become metaphors for the chaos that is unleashed when Pablo (Olyslager), wealthy financial advisor and pillar of his community, is outed with a secret male lover. A chain of retribution starts with wife Isa’s (Bathen) limitless fury, leading to charges of pedophilia and the loss of his job, as well as the redoubled devotional frenzy of parents allied to an evangelical sect. Torn between an honest gay life and access to his children, Pablo is forced into a bizarrely sadistic program of conversion therapy in which each choice is more troubling than the last. In Spanish with English subtitles. DCP digital widescreen. (BS)
Pain and Glory
Dolor y gloria
2019, Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 113 min.
With Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz
“Beautiful and deeply personal…as visually stunning as it is emotionally effective.”—Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
“A work that is both one of the best movies of the year and sure to be considered one of the high-water marks of Almodóvar’s entire career.”—Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 27th 2:00pm
- Fri, Dec 27th 6:00pm
- Sat, Dec 28th 3:00pm
- Sat, Dec 28th 7:45pm
- Sun, Dec 29th 4:45pm
- Mon, Dec 30th 7:45pm
- Thu, Jan 2nd 6:00pm
With introspection and humor, Oscar-winner Almodóvar (TALK TO HER) invites comparisons with Fellini’s 8½ in this poignantly potent memory-laced tale of artistically depleted film director Salva (Banderas) looking back on a life marked by early promise and thwarted desires. Lively images of Salva’s winsome, madonna-like mother (Cruz) thread through reveries that alternate childhood wonder with erotic awakening. Almodóvar’s central theme of addiction encompasses not only the varied substances with which his fictional stand-in eases his physical and emotional pain, but the lingering obsession with a long-lost love, who comes back into his life from Argentina just as he faces a retrospective of his films with trepidation. Banderas, winner of Best Actor at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, comes full circle in his work with Almodóvar, portraying the alter-ego of the director who made him a star with early films including LABYRINTH OF PASSION and LAW OF DESIRE. In Spanish with English subtitles. DCP digital. (BS)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for either PAIN & GLORY or LAW OF DESIRE, and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)
Aya of Yop City
Aya de Yopougon
2013, Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie, France, 88 min.
“Vividly drawn…charmingly old-school…there’s much to feast one’s eyes and ears on here.”—Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter
“Rich in word games, funny, always sharp and lively, makes you smile and reflect.”—Alice Casalini, Cinemafrica
Showtimes:
- Fri, Dec 27th 4:15pm
- Fri, Dec 27th 8:15pm
- Sat, Dec 28th 3:15pm
- Sun, Dec 29th 5:15pm
- Mon, Dec 30th 6:00pm
- Thu, Jan 2nd 8:15pm
The production team behind THE RABBI’S CAT brings this coming-of-age graphic novel to the screen with all its wry, culturally acute West African humor intact. Never before released in the U.S., AYA OF YOP CITY weaves colorful tales of romantic misadventure around Aya, Bintou, and Ajoua, three lively best friends on the cusp of young adulthood in a working-class Ivory Coast suburb. Even as they party the nights away, level-headed Aya dreams of becoming a doctor, while her BFFs flaunt their assets and lay snares for men with money. A convenient lie scores Ajoua a shotgun marriage to the shiftless son of a brewery magnate, and Bintou gets stars in her eyes when a visitor from Paris flashes his cash. Three dramas connect deliciously by way of the neighborhood grapevine, and comeuppance is just around the corner. Note: Includes adult situations and sexual references. In French with English subtitles. DCP digital. (BS)
Note: This trailer, the best we could find, is unsubtitled. The version of the film shown at our screening(s) will be subtitled in English.
"A mesmerizing masterwork."—Bilge Ebiri, Citysearch
"With its gift for infusing uneasiness into every frame, Kurosawa's moody, unnerving film continues to spook us even after the lights have gone on."—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
In the suburbs of Japan, a series of strange murders is taking place. Each of the perpetrators is caught near the scene of the crime with no memory of their own motives, the only apparent connection between each killing being an X slashed into the neck of the victim. While investigating the murders, detective Takabe (Yakusho) encounters a mysterious young man with amnesia who has come into contact with each killer, initiating a cat-and-mouse game with all the contours of a waking nightmare that will leave a trail of violence in its wake. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's slowburn thriller set the template for the J-Horror wave that would follow into the 21st century, complementing its often nerve-shatteringly tense set pieces with a pervasive atmosphere of ambient dread. In Japanese with English subtitles. 35mm. (CW)
Note: Contains scenes of explicit violence.
Law of Desire
La ley del deseo
1987, Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 102 min.
With Eusebio Poncela, Antonio Banderas, Carmen Maura
"Satirical, romantic, metaphorical...This is one of the rare movies that's sensually exciting at the same time that it's funny."—Pauline Kael
One of the essential works of Almodóvar's freewheeling early period, this black-humored blood-and-thunder melodrama centers, like PAIN & GLORY, on a filmmaker with an active gay lifestyle, while Banderas, young and hot in only his second Almodóvar film, appears in a key supporting role. Pablo (Poncela) is a successful director of gay porn films who is also mounting a stage production of Cocteau's The Human Voice. He has so far avoided commitment in his relationships, but one of his recent bedmates, a pouty rich boy named Antonio (Banderas), will go to any lengths, including murder, to possess Pablo totally. Ironies pile up as the plot thickens: the main suspect in the murder investigation is a fictional character from Pablo's latest screenplay; and the murderer begins dating Pablo's sister Tina (Maura), a lusty, busty transsexual capable of decking a policeman with a single punch. In Spanish with English subtitles. 35mm. (MR)
TWO-FILM DISCOUNT!
Buy a ticket at our regular prices for either PAIN & GLORY or LAW OF DESIRE, and get a ticket for any show of the other film at this discount rate with proof of your original purchase: General Admission $7; Students $5; Members $4. (This discount price applies to the second film only. Discount available in person at the box office only.)