auteur

Yesterday we opened The Tree of Life, one the most eagerly anticipated movies of the summer (at least in the art house world). The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. It's a philosophical film, it's visually stunning and it's not like anything else you've seen before.

The Tree of Life is one of those films that doesn't belong anywhere other than an art house theater and we welcome the opportunity to bring it to you. It's a film that encourages dialogue and debate and isn't that what a good film is supposed to do, whether you appreciated the film or not?

Director Terrence Malick is one of those rare filmmakers left who is still shrouded in an air of mystery and reclusiveness. In the age of so much information, that's pretty hard to do. But there are still some things you can find out via the world wide web and here are some curious facts:

- Malick studied philosophy at Harvard, graduating Phi Betta Kappa. He even taught some philosophy at MIT for a time.

- He was also a freelance journalist before entering the film world and contributed to the obituaries for Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy in The New Yorker.

- Over one million feet of film was shot for his 2005 film The New World

- Malick is famously protective of his private life and his contracts always stipulate that his likeness may not be used for promotional purposes.

- Malick was born in Waco, Texas where The Tree of Life is set.

- The cinematic equivalent of JD Salinger, Malick took a 20-year sabbatical after 1978's "Days of Heaven" before agreeing to direct "The Thin Red Line" in 1998.

- Zoolander is one of Malick’s all time favorite films.

- Starting with The New World, Malick has instituted “rules” in his filmmaking, including using only natural light, no cranes, no big rigs, and handheld cameras only.

He's a pretty interesting dude and actually lives up to his mythical status.

Check out the trailer:

One more thing, some audiences in other parts of the country have not really understood how to appreciate Malick and The Tree of Life and theaters have had to resort to the following (courtesy of our good friends at the Avon Theater in Stamford, CT):

But we don't think we have anything to worry about in the City of the Arts....

on-sawn-dez

The spring of subtitles is ending this week, but we're not going out with a whimper. With a run of festival hits and Oscar fare, reading hasn't been so bad. This week's offering is Incendies, Denis Villeneuve's tail of a pair of siblings uncovering some heavy stuff about their family lineage. This one won me over from the first frame, as none other than Radiohead lent their song "You and Whose Army" to the film. You know you have a bad ass film when Thom Yorke says it's ok to use one of his band's songs. They should just rename it "Radiohead approves of this Movie," because I've already pronounced it seventeen different times, and the staff is already ringing up tickets when a customer starts trying to pronounce something with a quizzical look on their face.

Sitting pretty with a 91% approval rating on Rottentomatoes.com (sold out to the man, but not quite tainted yet - since Green Lantern is at 24%, I'll still buy their ratings), this isn't a feel good summer movie, but it is wonderfully acted and tells a very compelling story. Ty Burr of the Boston Globe sums it up way better than I could in his review. Local critic Mark Burger wasn't quite as enamored, but still recognized a stirring performance. But that's the beauty of movies - you can judge for yourself. Trailer below, only one week to catch it before Brad Pitt graces our screen (likelihood I will say that again? Similar Lloyd's chances with Mary in Dumb and Dumber).

Here is the trailer:

midnight in paris

Like the central character in Woody Allen's new film Midnight in Paris (opening today), I've always had a desire to take up residence in Paris for a time. The cafes, the wine, the crepes, the Seine and the bridges that cross it, the history that follows you everywhere...I'd have to agree with those who say that Paris is the most romantic city on earth. Midnight in Paris is great supporting evidence.

Here is the breakdown: This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives. It's about a young man's great love for a city, Paris, and the illusion people have that a life different from theirs would be much better. It stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, and Carla Bruni among others.

Check out the trailer:

One of the other reasons I love Paris so much is the wealth of art that both exists in its borders and that which it has inspired over the years. After seeing the film I was inspired to search and refresh my memory as to how famous artists have represented Paris over the years. Below are just a few of the works I uncovered... check them out now and then come back and take a look at them again after you see the film (you'll see why):

Ernest Hemingway said it best:

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.

european vacation

So who needs Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo to take a "European Vacation"? This week we have the European continent covered. We've already mentioned the French phenom Potiche, which is sticking around for another week and has really been a hit with the crowds. But we're not stopping there...we've also got the biggest foreign film of the year, Academy Award Winner In a Better World (Haevnen) from Denmark and the Italian thrill ride The Double Hour (La doppia ora).

In the film In a Better World, the lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait. Mark Burger of Yes! Weekly called it "...a worthy, well-acted meditation on the consequences of violence and how it impacts all ages" in his review. Check out the trailer:

The Double Hour on the other hand is of the suspense/thriller genre (with a little bit of romance), something which is always fun to add to the mix. Here is the gist, without giving too much away: Guido, a former cop, is a luckless veteran of the speed-dating scene in Turin. But, much to his surprise, he meets Slovenian immigrant Sonia, a chambermaid at a high-end hotel. The two hit it off, and a passionate romance develops. After they leave the city for a romantic getaway in the country, things suddenly take a dark turn. Matthew Lucas, local critic for the Lexington Dispatch and From the Front Row, says about the film, "It's as if (director) Capotondi channeled Hitchcock's style of suspense and revelation and combined it with Nolan's flair for labyrinthine psychological drama." Check out the trailer:

And don't forget we've got our Salute! Festival inspired screenings of Sideways tomorrow night at 10 and 10:30 with specials on Merlot from Cellar 4201!