Mike Nichols, 1998
R; 143 minutes
In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef, the young and gifted Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Gov. Jack Stanton (John Travolta). Burton is pulled into the politician's colorful world and looks on as Stanton—who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall—contends with his ambitious wife, Susan (Emma Thompson), and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton).
Martin Ritt, 1958
155 minutes
Handsome vagabond Ben Quick (Paul Newman) returns to the Mississippi town his late father called home, but rumors of his dad's pyromaniac tendencies follow him as soon as he sets foot there. The proud young man's determination eventually wins over civic leader Will Varner (Orson Welles), who decides Ben might be just the man for his daughter, Clara (Joanne Woodward)—much to the displeasure of Will's gutless son (Anthony Franciosa) and Clara's society boyfriend (Richard Anderson).
Alfred Hitchcock, 1954
PG; 116 minutes
“Sure, Vertigo is more personal, Psycho more bizarre, North by Northwest more thrilling. But Rear Window shows the Master of Suspense at his most spare, sophisticated and sinisterly clever, a movie that is essentially about watching movies.” —John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
Alfonso Cuarón, 2001
R; 126 minutes; Spanish with English subtitles
Led by a triumvirate of terrific performances, Alfonso Cuarón's free-spirited road trip through Mexico is a sexy and wistful hymn to the fleetingness of youth. —Rotten Tomatoes
In this 1982 documentary, James Baldwin retraces his time in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, reflecting with his trademark brilliance and insight on the passage of more than two decades. From Selma, Birmingham, and Atlanta to the battleground beaches of St. Augustine, Florida with Chinua Achebe, and back north for a visit to Newark with Amiri Baraka, Baldwin lays bare the fiction of progress in post-Civil Rights America—wondering "what happened to the children" and those "who did not die, but whose lives were smashed on Freedom Road.”
95 minutes
“There’s something comfortably entertaining about this old-fashioned Western, one that sometimes drifts from lyrical into languid, but also hums with the craftsmanship of its creator.” —Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
When the man she loves, Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen), goes off to fight in the Civil War, Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) must fend for herself in a place controlled by a corrupt mayor and his unscrupulous business partner. When Holger returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become.
R; 129 minutes
“It's as engrossing, thoughtful, heartfelt, angry, hopeful, and altogether valuable as his best work. If it is indeed Loach's farewell, it's one hell of a fine note to go out on.”
—Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's follow-up to his Academy Award®-winning Drive My Car is a foreboding fable on humanity's mysterious, mystical relationship with nature. In a rural village not far from Tokyo, the townsfolk become aware of a company’s plan to build an opulent campsite, offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to the snowy wilderness. As sinister gunshots echo from the forest, both the locals and company representatives confront their life choices and the haunting consequences they have.
106 minutes; Japanese with English subtitles
“It’s tender and poignant but might be a bit cloying were it not for Norton, who underplays it beautifully with a performance of tremendous depth and empathy.” —Cath Clarke, The Guardian
John (James Norton), a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his four-year-old son, Michael, after the child's mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation.
96 minutes
