AN EVENING WITH BERNADETTE PETERS — LIVE ON-STAGE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 AT 8 PM
Bernadette Peters is regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed Broadway performers, having received nominations for seven Tony Awards, winning two (plus an honorary award), and nine Drama Desk Awards, winning three. Peters is particularly noted for her roles on the Broadway stage, including in the musicals "Mack and Mabel," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Song and Dance," "Into the Woods," "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Gypsy." Peters is praised for her TV work on "The Muppet Show," "The Carol Burnett Show" and in other television works, and for her roles in films like "Silent Movie," "The Jerk," "Pennies from Heaven" and "Annie."
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OPENING THIS WEEK
"Blitz" — OPENS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT THE MICHIGAN
A 2024 historical war drama film written, produced and directed by Steve McQueen. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson and Elliott Heffernan in his film debut. It had its world premiere as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2024.
Sir Steve McQueen's film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
"Memoir of a Snail" — OPENS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT THE MICHIGAN
A 2024 Australian adult stop-motion animated tragicomedy film written, produced and directed by Adam Elliot. It stars the voices of Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Nick Cave, and Jacki Weaver. The film's plot, which is loosely inspired by writer/director’s own life, follows the trials and tribulations in the life of lonely misfit Grace Pudel, from childhood to adulthood.
In 1970s Australia, Grace's life is troubled by misfortune and loss. After their mother dies during pregnancy, she and her twin brother, Gilbert, are raised by their paraplegic-alcoholic former juggler father, Percy. Despite a life filled with love, tragedy strikes anew when Percy passes away in his sleep. The siblings are forcibly separated and thrust into separate homes. Gilbert finds himself in the care of a cruel evangelical family, while Grace, grappling with intense loneliness, gradually withdraws into her shell, much like the snails she adopts. As the years pass, and despite new disappointments and sorrows, a glimmer of hope emerges when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman called Pinky.
"Anora" — OPENS TODAY AT THE STATE
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
From director Sean Baker ('The Florida Project', 'Tangerine') and WINNER of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
"Heretic" — OPENS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT THE STATE
A 2024 American horror thriller film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. It stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024.
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
"Paddington" — PLAYS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 AT 1 PM AT THE MICHIGAN (FREE FOR KIDS 12 & UNDER!!!)
Part of the Family Friendly Film Series
After a deadly earthquake destroys his home in Peruvian rainforest, a young bear (Ben Whishaw) makes his way to England in search of a new home. The bear, dubbed "Paddington" for the London train station, finds shelter with the family of Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins). Although Paddington's amazement at urban living soon endears him to the Browns, someone else has her eye on him: Taxidermist Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman) has designs on the rare bear and his hide. From director Paul King.
"Stray Dog" — PLAYS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Noir International Film Series
A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo's sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami's own dark side. Starring Toshiro Mifune, as the rookie cop, and Takashi Shimura, as the seasoned detective who keeps him on the right side of the law, the film goes beyond a crime thriller, probing the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind. From writer/director Akira Kurosawa.
"Nocturnes" — PLAYS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 AT 7 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the South Asian Films: Spotlight on Women Directors Film Series
FREE and open to the public but must reserve free tickets/RSVP in advance!
In the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, moths are whispering something to us. In the dark of night, two curious observers shine a light on this secret universe. Together, they are on an expedition to decode these nocturnal creatures in a remote ecological “hot spot” on the border of India and Bhutan. The result is a deeply immersive film that transports audiences to a rarely seen place and urges us all to look more closely at the hidden interconnections of the natural world. From directors Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
A 2023 French semi-biographical legal it had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2023. It received eight nominations at the 49th César Awards and won Best Actor for the lead actor.
In 1975, Pierre Goldman, a fiery and controversial figure of revolutionary left-wing activism, was put on trial in France. Accused of multiple crimes including two murders, Goldman proclaims his innocence. Twenty years before the O.J. Simpson case, the Goldman trial reflects the political, ideological and racial tensions that marked the 1970s in France and Europe. Considered to be the trial of the century, it divided an entire country and widened the gap between the conservative right and left-wing intellectuals. From director Cédric Kahn.
A 2024 French musical crime comedy film written and directed by Jacques Audiard, based on Audiard's opera libretto of the same name, which was in turn loosely adapted from Boris Razon's 2018 novel "Écoute." The film stars Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, and Édgar Ramírez. The film premiered on 18 May 2024 at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or, it won the Jury Prize, and its female ensemble won the Best Actress award.
From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song and dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self.
A 2024 mystery-thriller film directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. It premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with Fiennes' performance being singled out for praise.
Cardinal Lawrence, tasked with organizing the election of the successor to the deceased pope, discovers the former pope had a secret that must be uncovered, concerning one or more of the candidates to succeed to the papacy.
From director John Crowley ("Brooklyn") and starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield as Almut and Tobias, who are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story.
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