What are you seeing this weekend?
Friday, November 11, 2016 at 8:48AM Just a reminder that three major titles open today
Elle
France's Oscar entry, directed by notorious provocateur Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Showgirls, Turkish Delight, Black Book, etcetera) features screen icon Isabelle Huppert in arguably the crowning role of her inimitable career as a video game designer chillingly obsessed with uncovering the identity of her rapist. Reviewed. Expect an Oscar nomination or (crossing fingers) two. Reviewed.
[Opens today in New York. Wednesday in Los Angeles]
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve's (Sicario, Enemy) awesome thinking person's sci-fi epic about a curiously immobile alien invasion. The aliens have arrived but what do they want hovering in 12 locations over our world? An expert linguist (Amy Adams, wonderful) is recruited to communicate with them in this superbly executed drama. Reviewed. It's also perfect for this moment for this movie.
Arrival opens this weekend. I can't imagine a better moment to go see a humanity affirming sci-fi movie about overcoming what divides us.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) November 11, 2016
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Ang Lee's technically experimental adaptation of the political novel is about a soldier on leave from war paraded for the nation as a war hero. Joe Alwyn (as Billy Lynn) is a compelling debut actor and the film has curio value from this normally great director but the high frame rate technique MUST die a quick death: it doesn't look like cinema at all but like a cheap poorly filmed stage production. More thoughts.
[Opens today in New York and Los Angeles]
Also Opening:
Wide: Almost Christmas a comedy starring Danny Glover, the Naomi Watts led thriller Shut-In; Limited: a 20th anniversary restoration of the lesbian classic The Watermelon Woman (NY only), three documentaries (Seasons, National Bird, The Anthropologist), and the Oscilloscope curiosity The Love Witch. Here's that trailer:
LOVE WITCH TRAILER from Anna Biller on Vimeo.
Reader Comments (17)
Wouldn't it be nice if they just pushed up the release of La La Land? If it's as good as you folks say, I really need this movie right now. Many of us need this movie right now.
But Arrival will do for this weekend. I'll see anything Rian Johnson recommends or creates.
I'm going to see as many movies as possible. Anything to distract me from the shitstorm going on in the real world.
Arrival tonight. Can. Not. Wait.
Almost Christmas is lame, but worth it just for Mo'Nique. I needed to laugh. And we get a whole blooper reel at the end, almost entirely of her.
Nicky Baby my b'day is tomorrow. You promised me on Twitter you would do one thing concerning your Best Actress section. Please. After the election I need something to look forward to.
Excited to finally see Moonlight.
I'll be checking out Arrival.
Looking forward to ARRIVAL. I need movies (and TV) to distract me right now. A time for action is nigh, but right now it's all about self-care.
Seeing Loving today, Nocturnal Animals tomorrow, Manchester by the Sea Sunday, Elle Monday, Jackie and Miss Sloane Tuesday...
saw Arrival at noon. Loved it. I'm still under the Trump influence so the story moved me immensely and I wept like a bitch.
had lunch.
saw it a second time at another venue.
Adams is fantastic in this role. The film is brilliant. The film-making - extraordinary. The aliens are awesome. The score is haunting me.
Very sad news. Robert Vaughn has died. Among many fine roles, he played the senator in the classic The Towering Inferno. Be at peace.
I had read (well heard in a review podcast) that they were going to fix the issue with Billy Lynn, Did that just go away after all?
I haven't even been able to concentrate on movies lately. Last night I watched Mr. Global 2016 on Youtube. A bizarre distaff version of the Miss Universe contest. It was so bad I loved it.
I think I need something completely charming and life affirming a la Pee Wee's Big Adventure or The Sound of Music.
Probably Arrival with my girlfriend. Maybe Blade Runner for the umpteenth time in theaters. Hopefully the Handmaiden.
Elle and The Love Witch still have a few weeks before they come to Miami and I'll probably be in NY for Thanksgiving when they do come.
Queen of Katwe for me. I greatly admire Mira Nair.
"The Love Witch " looks like fun
Saw Arrival and really really liked it. Did not completely love it but I think this had more to do with the fact that I was not watching it alone and I enjoy movies more when I watch them alone. The filmmaking is incredible and I hope Denis Villeneuve is recognized for it. The score and cinematography also very very impressive. Amy Adams was perfect for the role with her tenacious vulnerability. And Jeremy Renner tricked me into thinking he was bland but then by the end left a lasting impression. Maybe I just like him.
I saw Arrival this afternoon. I going to keep my thoughts as spoiler free as possible, though I REALLY want to talk about the film... What an amazing piece of cinema. I see it being divisive because half of the audience in the Los Angeles theater I saw it in seemed to have hated it, but I went for it, loved it, and even struck up a discussion with an lovely older couple who liked it but didn't understand the back section of the film... I haven't cried in theater since Atonement, which is interesting to me because both films play a bit with perspectives and audience anticipation. (To say more...)
I can see Arrival getting Oscar nods for Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing easily. Picture, Actress seem plausible. For me, Adapted Screenplay is a MUST.
Looking forward to checking out Elle when it comes to North Hollywood in two weeks based on all the quick-take reviews I've read. We're getting Elle, Loving and Allied at the pseudo-indie multiplex in my neighborhood on the 23rd so that I'll be a busy weekend for me.