1. Molly's Game (Cinemark Oakley)
2. The Commuter (Cinemark Oakley)
3. Insidious: The Last Key (Regal Belltower, Ft. Myers, FL)
4. Sicario (DVD)
5. I, Tonya (Regal Belltower (Regal Belltower, Ft. Myers, FL)
6. Phantom Thread (Regal Belltower, Ft. Myers, FL)
7. Call Me By Your Name (Cinemark Oakley)
8. The Post (Cinemark Oakley)
9. Hostiles (Cinemark Oakley)
10. Dunkirk (AMC Newport on the Levee)
11. The Insult (Mariemont Theater)
12. Ben-Gurion, Epilogue (2018 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival at the Esquire)
13. The 90-Minute War (2018 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival at the Mariemont)
14. Scaffolding (2018 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival at the Kenwood)
15. Across the Waters (2018 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival at the Mayerson JCC)
16. And Then She Arrives (2018 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival at the Esquire)
Here's an update on the last 3-4 weeks:
17.
Den of Thieves (AMC Merchant Crossing, Ft. Myers, FL)
18.
Annihilation (AMC Merchant Crossing, Ft. Myers, FL)
19.
Double Lover (Regal Gulf Coast Stadium 16, Ft. Myers, FL)
20.
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (Mariemont Theater)
21.
Red Sparrow (Cinemark Oakley)
22.
In the Fade (Gateway Film Center, Columbus, OH)
23.
Jane (Esquire Theater)
24.
A Fantastic Woman (Esquire Theater)
25.
Thoroughbreds (Esquire Theater)
A Fantastic Woman won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie last weekend. This is from the same Chilean director who brought us the equally fine Gloria a few years ago. Here he examines the consequences for a transgender woman when her (much older) partner dies unexpectedly and now must deal with her partner's family, the hospital and society at large. There are some scenes that made me quite uncomfortable, but in the end it's a wonderful, moving movie. Speaking of Gloria, I read that is being remade by Hollywood (starring Julianne Moore). Say it ain't so!
In the Fade is the horribly titled US release of the German movie Aus dem Nichts (literal translation: From Nothing). A Muslim Turkish-German husband and his 6 year old son are brutally murdered in a bomb attack. The surviving (German) wife seeks revenge. The ending was quite controversial, but overall I quite liked the movie. Diane Kruger as the grieving wife is outstanding. This movie won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes but somehow wasn't even nominated for an Oscar... As an side, I caught this last weekend in Columbus (prior to seeing Leggy play) at a new (for me anyway) outfit called Gateway Film Center. Really like that place. It's in essence the Columbus version of the Esquire/Mariemont but in a brand new setting with luxury seating. I hadn't been in Columbus in several years, and the continuing changes on North High St. (near the college campus) are just amazing.
Double Lover is the latest from respected French director Francois Ozon (Patiche; In the House; Young & Beautiful). He misfires badly with Double Lover, a preposterous semi-erotic mystery-thriller that is just outright bad. By all means stay away from this one!
Jane is a delight documentary about wild chimp whisperer Jane Goodall, who made her name in the 1960s. New/lost/misplaced 1960s footage about her and her work was recently unearthed in the National Geographic archives, and makes for a very entertainign and educative nature documentary. Extra brownie points for the outstanding original score, courtesy of the legendary Philip Glass. By happenstance, I heard on NPR this morning that Jane is getting its TV debut (on the National Geographic Channel) TONIGHT! Be sure to check it out.