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!