Transsiberian
Monsieur Verdoux
The Duchess
Religulous
Attention Patrons: All listed coming soon dates are subject to change.
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Directed by Mark Anderson
rated R, 1 hr 51 min
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With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly... With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley) arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express.
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Directed by Charlie Chaplin
rated NR, 2 hr 47 min
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"It is a masterpiece. See it."
- Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
"One of the cinema's immortal masterworks"
- Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Film maudit turned cult classic, Charlie Chaplin’s Monsieur Verdoux is now widely considered one of his best works, and his most political. Chaplin immodestly proclaimed it “the cleverest, most brilliant film of my career.” A Nominated for the 1948 Academy Award® for Best Screenplay, and originating from a true story, this self-described “comedy of murders” was based on an idea by Orson Welles, which Chaplin reportedly bought for five thousand dollars in a refusal to be directed by anyone but himself. Verdoux stars Chaplin as the moustachioed bluebeard in beret and cravat whose charming manners and good looks cloak a deep-seated, murderous hatred, festering since the loss of his longstanding job as a bank clerk. The film includes such unforgettable moments as Verdoux snipping roses in his garden while an incinerator rages behind him, and his infamous pre-guillotine salvo, an indictment of humanity’s cyclical follies. Plagued with censorship problems early on, and temporarily pulled from distribution in the US at the height of the Cold War Hollywood witch-hunts, Verdoux was initially vilified for its risqué societal critique. “Now it shapes up as Chaplin’s most startling, most invigorating movie; its icy temperature is positively bracing after the hot syrup of his earlier work.” (Time Out). “A mordant satire that exemplifies the fine line between comedy and tragedy, Verdoux transcends the borders of genre, and deserves to be seen multiple times, especially in this new 35mm print. It “has a Brechtian toughness and wit, but the style is soft, seductive, elegiac” (Dave Kehr). Quite simply, “you shouldn’t miss Monsieur Verdoux” (The New York Times).
- Andréa Picard, Cinematheque Ontario
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Directed by Saul Dibb
rated PG-13, -
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Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (KEIRA KNIGHTLEY), was the original “It Girl.” Like her direct ancestor Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke (RALPH FIENNES). And when she tried to find her own way to be true to her heart and loyal to her duty, the resulting controversies and convoluted liaisons would leave all of London talking. THE DUCHESS is the story of an extraordinary woman who rose to fame by staying true to her passions in a world of protocol, gossip and social rules – and paid the price.
--© Paramount Vantage |
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Directed by Larry Charles
rated R, 1hr 41min
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No religion is safe from the sharp aim--and still sharper wit--of Bill Maher in this comic look at organized belief systems around the world. This controversial documentary is directed by Larry Charles, who previously made both fans and foes with BORAT.... No religion is safe from the sharp aim--and still sharper wit--of Bill Maher in this comic look at organized belief systems around the world. This controversial documentary is directed by Larry Charles, who previously made both fans and foes with BORAT. |
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