© 2024 WEMU
Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cinema Chat: Oscar odds in Vegas, 'Turn Every Page,' 'The Quiet Girl,' and more

The Oscars
Antoine Taveneaux
/
Creative Commons
The Oscars

OSCAR PREVIEW

It’s Oscar week! Time to look at the Las Vegas odds to see who will win this year’s Academy Awards!

ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE & TRIALS OF RUTH BADER GINSBERG — LIVE ON STAGE TUESDAY, MARCH 14 AT THE MICHIGAN

Written by two-time Tony Award Winning playwright ("The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and "Curtains") Rupert Holmes (also known for “Escape,” the Pina Colada song).

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg "RBG" welcomes a friend of the family to her cozy chambers to convey, over the course of ninety fascinating and often funny minutes, a sense of her life and its many trials. An evening with a great and compassionate icon of straight-thinking American justice, emerges an RBG who is not only "notorious" but victorious as she takes a stand for ordinary people facing the many challenges of a changing world.

OPENING THIS WEEK

"Turn Every Page - The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb" — OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT THE MICHIGAN

This is a 2022 documentary film by Lizzie Gottliebabout the relationship between biographer Robert Caroand his editor, Robert Gottlieb.

The film focuses on biographer Robert Caro and his editor, the documentarian's father Robert Gottlieb, as they work methodically to complete the final, fifth volume of Caro's Lyndon Johnson biography. The pair, both in their late 80s, had worked together for five decades, starting with Caro's biography of Robert Moses, "The Power Broker," and continuing through Caro's first four volumes about Lyndon B. Johnson. Its story is focused on finishing the book rather than a history of their lives. The film features interviews with politicians and media personalities.

Production: Though Caro and Gottlieb originally declined to be the subject of the documentary, after some convincing, documentarian Lizzie Gottlieb began filming them in 2016. At first, she only filmed them separately, at Caro's request, to avoid moments of contention. The film was in post-production in early 2021 and premiered at the June 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.

"The Quiet Girl" — OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT THE STATE

A 2022 Irish coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Colm Bairéad. The dialogue is mostly in Irish. Set in 1981, the film follows a withdrawn nine-year-old girl who experiences a loving home for the first time when she spends the summer on a farm with distant relatives in Rinn Gaeltacht, County Waterford. The film was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.

The film is based on "Foster," a 2010 novella in English by Claire Keegan. It premiered at the Berlinale in 2022. It won a Crystal Bear and received a special mention from the children's jury. The jury stated that "It is a film with a delicate story full of details about childhood, grief, parenthood and rebuilding a family. The very strong narrative is combined with a stunning cinematography. The sound and the images create a unique atmosphere."

The film broke box office records for the opening weekend of an Irish-language film and became the highest-grossing Irish-language film of all time.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" — PLAYS FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT 9:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Nights at the State series

After the abrupt departure of Edward (Robert Pattinson), her vampire love, Bella (Kristen Stewart) finds comfort in her deepening friendship with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). However, Bella's loyalties are put to the test as she becomes drawn into the world of werewolves, ancient enemies of vampires.

"Hansan: Rising Dragon" — PLAYS SATURDAY, MARCH 11 AT 1 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Korean Cinema Now Series

A prequel to "The Admiral: Roaring Currents"--the most-watched film in Korean cinema history--this film depicts the historical Battle of Hansando. In 1592, admiral Yi Sun-sin and his fleet face off against the might of the invading Japanese navy and its formidable warships. As the Korean forces fall into crisis, the admiral resorts to using his secret weapon, the dragon head ships known as geobukseon, in order to change the tide of this epic battle at sea.

"Vertigo" — PLAYS SATURDAY, MARCH 11 AT 1 PM AND MONDAY, MARCH 27

Part of the Films We Love Series

Alfred Hitchcock's romantic story of obsession, manipulation and fear. A detective is forced to retire after his fear of heights causes the death of a fellow officer and the girl he was hired to follow. He sees a double of the girl, causing him to transform her image onto the dead girl's body. This leads into a cycle of madness and lies.

"Son of Monarchs"— PLAYS FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

Part of the Science on Screen Series

After his grandmother's death, a Mexican biologist living in New York returns to his hometown, nestled in the majestic monarch butterfly forests of Michoacán. The journey forces him to confront past traumas and reflect on his hybrid identity, sparking a personal and spiritual metamorphosis.

This event is part of our Science on Screen series with special guest U-M Ecology and Evolutionary Biology’s Assistant Professor Dr. André Green II.

Cultura d'Italia Series (Thursdays at the State)

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"Cocaine Bear" 

An American dark comedy/action film directed and co-produced by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden. It is inspired by the true story of the "Cocaine Bear", an American black bear that ingested a duffel bag full of cocaine in 1985. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kristofer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta in one of his final performances before his death.

Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner's plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild thriller finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow... and blood.

"Emily"

A 2022 British biographical drama film written and directed by Frances O'Connor in her directorial debut. It is a part-fictional portrait of English writer Emily Brontë (played by Emma Mackey), concentrating on a fictional romantic relationship with the young curate William Weightman. Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling, Amelia Gething, Adrian Dunbar and Gemma Jones also appear in supporting roles. Emily premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

The film imagines Emily Brontë’s own Gothic story that inspired her seminal novel, "Wuthering Heights." Haunted by the death of her mother, Emily struggles within the confines of her family life and yearns for artistic and personal freedom, and so begins a journey to channel her creative potential into one of the greatest novels of all time.

2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts 

ANIMATION

  • "An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It" - AUSTRALIA/11 MINS/2022
  • "Ice Merchants" - PORTUGAL, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE/14 MINS/2022
  • "My Year of Dicks" - USA/25 MINS/2022
  • "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" - UK/34 MINS/2022
  • "The Flying Sailor" - CANADA/7 MINS/2022

DOCUMENTARY

  • "Haulout" - UK/25 MINS/2022
  • "How Do You Measure a Year?" - USA/29 MINS/2022
  • "Stranger at the Gate" - USA/30 MINS/2022
  • "The Elephant Whisperers" - INDIA/39 MINS/2022
  • "The Martha Mitchell Effect" - USA/39 MINS/2022

LIVE ACTION

  • "An Irish Goodbye" - IRELAND/23 MINS/2022
  • "Ivalu" - DENMARK/16 MINS/2022
  • "Le Pupille" - ITALY, USA/37 MINS/2022
  • "Night Ride" (Nattrikken) - NORWAY/15 MINS/2020
  • "The Red Suitcase" - LUXEMBOURG/18 MINS/2022

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" 

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert ("Swiss Army Man"), collectively known as The Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes.

"Women Talking" 

A 2022 American drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley. It is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews and inspired by real-life events that occurred at the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia. The film stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, who is also a producer on the film.

The film had its world premiere at the 49th Telluride Film Festival. The film received praise from critics for Polley's screenplay and direction, the performances of the cast (particularly Foy, Buckley, and Whishaw) and score. It was named one of the top ten films of 2022 by the American Film Institute, and at the 95th Academy Awards received nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support.  Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

Related Content