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Cinema Chat: Ann Arbor Film Festival update, 'The Lost King,' 'A Good Person,' and more

Film in Competition: "Grasshopper" Jussi Eerola Helsinki, Vantaa, Hyvinkää, & Salo, Finland | 2022
Ann Arbor Film Festival
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Film in Competition: "Grasshopper" Jussi Eerola Helsinki, Vantaa, Hyvinkää, & Salo, Finland | 2022

61st ANNUAL ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL

The festival runs now through Sunday, March 26. The festival will also be online through March 29. For more details, tickets and festival passes, go to aafilmfest.org.

OPENING THIS WEEK

"The Lost King"— OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 24 AT THE STATE

This is a 2022 British comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, based on the 2013 book "The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III" by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones. It is a dramatization of the story of Philippa Langley, the woman who initiated the search to find King Richard III's remains under a car park in Leicester, and her treatment by the University of Leicester in the claiming of credit for the discovery.

The film stars Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, and Harry Lloyd. The film premiered in Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2022.

"A Good Person" — OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 24 AT THE STATE

This is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Zach Braff. The film stars Florence Pugh, Molly Shannon, Chinaza Uche, Celeste O'Connor, and Morgan Freeman.

It is being released in the United States on a limited theatrical release on March 24, 2023 – including the State Theatre!

Years after being involved in a fatal accident, Allison forms an unlikely relationship with her would-be father-in-law.

Daniel (Morgan Freeman) is brought together with Allison (Florence Pugh), the once thriving young woman with a bright future who was involved in an unimaginable tragedy that took his daughter's life. As grief-stricken Daniel navigates raising his teenage granddaughter and Allison seeks redemption, they discover that friendship, forgiveness, and hope can flourish in unlikely places.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN

"Blue Velvet" — PLAYS FRIDAY, MARCH 24 AT 9:30 PM AT THE STATE

Part of the Late Nights at the State series

College student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home after his father has a stroke. When he discovers a severed ear in an abandoned field, Beaumont teams up with detective's daughter Sandy Williams (Laura Dern) to solve the mystery. They believe beautiful lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) may be connected with the case, and Beaumont finds himself becoming drawn into her dark, twisted world, where he encounters sexually depraved psychopath Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).

"Vertigo" — PLAYS MONDAY, MARCH 27 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN

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.

Cultura d'Italia Series (Thursdays at the State)

COMING SOON

"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"— OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 31 AT THE STATE

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. This film brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure. Starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez.

CONTINUING DOWNTOWN

"Inside" 

A 2023 psychological thriller film written by Ben Hopkins and directed by Vasilis Katsoupisin his feature directorial debut. It stars Willem Dafoe. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, on 20 February 2023.

It tells the story of Nemo, an art thief trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist does not go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and innovativeness to survive.

"The Quiet Girl" 

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.

"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.

"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.

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