Artsies:
Sauvage / Wild – 2 1/2 stars
SAUVAGE / WILD, Camille Vidal-Naquet’s riveting and vibrant erotic journey of a 22-year-old male prostitute named Leo, features a stunning performance from Félix Maritaud (BPM). Leo trades in love as much as lust, and wanders through his life without rules or restrictions. Through a series of encounters that offer a glimpse into the complicated and visceral world of male sex work, Leo finds himself searching for affection anywhere he can get it — whether it’s the unrequited love for his hustler friend Ahd (Eric Bernard) or in the arms of an older, vulnerable client. Will Leo choose his freedom and the dangers that come with it, or the comforts of a stable relationship? After all, in this unpredictable world, who knows where he’ll end up? Read More
Director: Camille Vidal-Naquet
Starring: Félix Maritaud, Eric Bernard, Nicolas Dibla
Wild Nights with Emily – TBD
In the mid-19th century, Emily Dickinson is writing prolifically, baking gingerbread, and enjoying a passionate, lifelong romantic relationship with another woman, her friend and sister-in-law Susan…yes this is the iconic American poet, popularly thought to have been a recluse. Beloved comic Molly Shannon leads in this humorous yet bold reappraisal of Dickinson, informed by her private letters. While seeking publication of some of the 1,775 poems written during her lifetime, Emily (Shannon) finds herself facing a troupe of male literary gatekeepers too confused by her genius to take her work seriously. Instead her work attracts the attention of an ambitious woman editor, who also sees Emily as a convenient cover for her own role in buttoned-up Amherst’s most bizarre love triangle. Read More
Director: Madeleine Olnek
Starring: Molly Shannon, Susan Ziegler, Amy Seimetz
Fartsies:
A Dog’s Journey – not screened by me
Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his “boy,” Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Ethan’s wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ’s mom, Gloria (Betty Gilpin), decides to take CJ away. As Bailey’s soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. Thus begins Bailey’s adventure through multiple lives filled with love, friendship and devotion as he, CJ (Kathryn Prescott), and CJ’s best friend Trent (Henry Lau) experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter, and few really good belly rubs. Read More
Director: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Kathryn Prescott
Trial by Fire – 2 stars
Trial by Fire is the true-life Texas story of the unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate (Jack O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Laura Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights mightily for his freedom. Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him. Her efforts ultimately fail, and since Willingham’s execution, the disturbing question remains: Did Texas execute an innocent man? Read More
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Laura Dern, Jack O’Connell, Emily Meade
The Sun Is Also a Star – 3 stars
College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet–and fall for each other–over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together. A modern-day story about finding love against all odds, “The Sun Is Also a Star” explores whether our lives are determined by fate or the random events of the universe. Read More
Director: Ry Russo-Young
Starring: Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, Keong Sim
John Wick, Chapter 3: Parabellum – 3 stars
In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick (Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
Director: Chad Stahelski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane
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Opening next week:
— Aladdin
— The Biggest Little Farm
— Booksmart
— Brightburn
— Photograph
— The White Crow
