Nominations Announced for the 16th Annual Chlotrudis Awards
Yesterday Chlotrudis members got together to set the ballot for the 16th Annual Chlotrudis Awards. The Buried Treasure is still being discussed, but here is the list of the rest of this year's nomiantions.
Ensemble Cast 35 Shots of Rum In the Loop Still Walking Summer Hours The White Ribbon
Production Design The Beaches of Agnès Me and Orson Welles Moon A Single Man Sita Sings the Blues
Cinematography Agnès Godard for 35 Shots of Rum Anthony Dod Mantle for Antichrist John Christian Rosenlund for O'Horten Alexis Zabe for Silent Light Christian Berger for White Ribbon, The
Adapted Screenplay Laurent Cantet; Robin Campillo; François Bégaudeau for The Class Nick Hornby for An Education Maurizio Braucci; Ugo Chiti; Gianni Di Gregorio; Matteo Garrone; Massimo Gaudioso; Roberto Saviano for Gomorrah Tony Burgess for Pontypool Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire David Scearce; Tom Ford for A Single Man
Original Screenplay Scott Neustadter; Michael H. Weber for (500) Days of Summer William M. Finkelstein for Bad Lieutenant, The: Port of Call -- New Orleans Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker Armando Iannucci; Harold P. Manning; Ian Martin; Jesse Armstrong; Simon Blackwell; Tony Roche for In the Loop Hirokazu Koreeda for Still Walking
Supporting Actor Alfred Molina for An Education Mads Mikkelsen for Flame and Citron Anthony Mackie for The Hurt Locker Peter Capaldi for In the Loop Christian McKay for Me and Orson Welles
Supporting Actress Rinko Kikuchi for The Brothers Bloom Alycia Delmore for Humpday Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Ursula Strauss for Revanche Julianne Moore for A Single Man
Actor Nicolas Cage for The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call -- New Orleans Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker Sam Rockwell for Moon Baard Owe for O'Horten Colin Firth for A Single Man
Actress Nisreen Faour for Amreeka Charlotte Gainsbourg for Antichrist Abbie Cornish for Bright Star Carey Mulligan for An Education Catalina Saavedra for The Maid Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Yolande Moreau for Séraphine
Director Claire Denis for 35 Shots of Rum Werner Herzog for The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call -- New Orleans Götz Spielmann for Revanche Hirokazu Koreeda for Still Walking Michael Haneke for The White Ribbon
Documentary The Beaches of Agnès La Danse Good Hair Herb and Dorothy Theater of War Unmistaken Child
Movie 35 Shots of Rum The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call -- New Orleans The Hurt Locker Still Walking The White Ribbon
I make complaints about a subpar year for film on an annual basis. Then, I look at my top ten list and wonder what the heck I was thinking. My blog has more detailed commentary on the following. Top 10 Films: 1. Still Walking 2. 35 Shots of Rum 3. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans 4. The Hurt Locker 5. Revanche 6. Fantastic Mr. Fox 7. A Serious Man 8. The Beaches of Agnes 9. In the Loop 10. Lake Tahoe
Honorable Mentions: Anvil! The Story of Anvil, The Class, Coraline, Herb and Dorothy, Julia, The Messenger, Of Time and The City, O'Horten, The Pleasure of Being Robbed, Somers Town, Sugar, The White Ribbon
Chlotrudis Monday Night at the Movies + Indie Film Round-Up, January 29 - February 4
Hello Chlotrudis Members!
While we are spending Saturday afternoon putting the ballot together for the 16th Annual Chlotrudis Awards, we still have to keep watching films for 2010 as well! This week Gil and Amanda host the Chlotrudis Monday Night at the Movies. Join them at the Brattle Theatre for the 7:30 p.m. screening of MYSTERY TEAM. This indie comedy features a trio of Hardy Boys styles detectives who struggle to handle a case beyond their experience.
Mystery Team (2009) dir Dan Eckman, w/Donald Glover, D.C. Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, Aubrey Plaza, Matt Walsh [109 min] The MYSTERY TEAM was once a spunky band of Hardy Boys-style, gee-whiz kid detectives – in fact, they still are, only they’re eighteen and the real world is waiting just around the corner. Formerly beloved by their hometown, they’re still storming the playground to bust little kids and their shtick is wearing thin. The members of the team have even outgrown their special talents – when they were seven they might have been the “Master Of Disguise,” the “Strongest Kid In Town,” and the “Boy Genius” but as teenagers, well, they’re kind of pathetic. When a little girl asks the gang if they could find out who murdered her parents – a crime that is a little beyond the Team’s jurisdiction – Jason, the erstwhile leader, accepts the challenge readily, over objections from his teammates who worry that the case is too dangerous. Jason makes the point that in this very real crime, the Team has an opportunity to prove they are real detectives to the town and to themselves. The Team embarks on a mystery that will take them deep into a violent conspiracy of druggies, strippers and corporate operatives. They will see their lives threatened, their friendships strained, and their claim that they are “real detectives” put to the ultimate test.
The comedic hit of last year’s Sundance Film Festival, MYSTERY TEAM is the first feature film by Internet sensations Derrick Comedy. A broad but clever comedy that is hilariously inappropriate and sublimely ridiculous.
Check out the trailer:
Another film opening this week that is a must see is Andrea Arnold's latest hit, FISH TANK. Arnold made a Chlotrudis splash with her debut film RED ROAD, and she returns wth a film that showcases a terrific performance by first-time actress Katie Jarvis. Add to that HUNGER's smokin' Michael Fassbender, and you've got a recipe for a real winner. Don't miss it. It opens this weekend at the Kendall.
Don't miss The Boston Jewish Film Festival’s sneak preview of one of the funniest Israeli films ever. In A MATTER OF SIZE, directed by Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor (co-director of the 2008 Festival hit, STRANGERS), four overweight friends from the Israeli city of Ramle are fed up with dieting. Head over to thge Stuart Street Playhouse Movie Theatre, 200 Stuart St. on Tuesday, February 2, 7pm. Tickets are $15 general admission; $12 discounted for students, seniors, members of the BJFF and WGBH members. Purchase tickets onlin by credit cards by clicking here, or in person one hour before showtime at the Stuart Street playhouse.
When 341-pound Herzl loses his job as a cook and starts working as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant, he falls in love with the world of Sumo, which honors and appreciates people as large as he is. You'll fall in love with A Matter of Size. Click here to watch the trailer. Co-presented by the Consulate General of Israel to New England.
Check out the trailer:
Remember, just one more day to nominate, and all you need to do to submit your nomination is to visit http://www.chlotrudis.org/nominations and enter your last name and membership number (which you can find on your Chlotrudis membership card, or by contacting me). From there enter the films you've seen and begin creating your nomination worksheet. We need as many people as possible to submit their nominations, so if you've seen a minimum of 25 eligible films from last year, please make sure you nominate!
See you at the Movies! Michael
Playing this week, January 29 - February 4, 2010.
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge Exclusive Area Premiere! Mystery Team Special Event! World Music/CRASHarts Presents Damon & Naomi: 1001 Nights An Evening of Music, Film and Conversation with Damon & Naomi (Sun.)
Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge Peter Bogdanovich, Between Old and New Hollywood Paper Moon (Fri.) Daisy Miller (Fri.) Saint Jack (Sat.) They All Laughed (Sat.) What's Up, Doc? (Sun.) Film Event Petition Directed by Zhao Liang, Appearing in Person (Mon.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Celebrating Chekhov Uncle Vanya (Fri.) Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano (Fri. & Sat.) A Hunting Accident (Fri.) Ward No. 6 (Sat.) The Lady with the Dog (Sat.)
Gerry Peary's BU Cinematheque is back for the 2010 winter/spring semester. Check out some of the terrific guests Gerry will be bringing for FREE to BU! The BU Cinematheque: 7 pm at the BU Communications Building, 640 Comm. Ave, Boston. Remember it’s FREE.
Friday, January 29, B-05 Com.- AN EVENING WITH HERB GOLDER. A first Boston look at Werner Herzog’s controversial 2009 Cannes hit, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?, with a screenplay co-written by Golder, a BU Classics professor. Golder will speak after of his collaboration with the great German filmmaker, Herzog, on this new work based on a true-life, tabloid San Diego matricide murder, with Willem Dafoe, Michael Shannon, and Chloe Sevigny, and produced by David Lynch.
Friday, February 5,. B-05 Com.-AN EVENING WITH LOIS SMITH. During her half-century legendary career, Smith was the most powerful , revered Hollywood publicist. In a conversation with Boston Herald film critic, James Verniere, Smith will discuss her extraordinary A-list career, with personal clients from Marilyn Monroe to Meryl Streep to Martin Scorsese, from Robert Redford to Rosie O’Donnell to Sean Penn.
Wednesday, February 24, Com 101-AN EVENING WITH JIMMY TINGLE. The nationally renowned satirist and stand-up comedian (60 Minutes II, MSNBC, Conan O’Brien, etc.) previews his new documentary, Jimmy Tingle’s American Dream, combining hilarious comedy and political chats with a variety of Americans, including Robert Altman, Lewis Black, Howard Zinn, Janeane Garafola, and Tingle’s Somerville mom. The filmmaker,Vincent Sraggas, is a BU Comm. graduate.
Michael R. Colford Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, President
Nathaniel T. was a member years ago when he was in High School. Now he's in college and he's returned to the fold...welcome Nathaniel! He has something to say about his Top Films of 2009 before we present his list.
keep in mind that I have been severely limited in my theater selection this year, and there aren't a lot of indies on my list...good year for 'mainstream' Hollywood though.
Chlotrudis Monday Night at the Movies + Indie Film Round-Up, January 22 - 28
Hello Chlotrudis Members!
We're well into January, but we're still seeing 2009 eligible films, so do join this week's Chlotrudis Monday Night at the Movies Host Chris Kriofske for the 6:45pm screening of POLICE ADJECTIVE. This wry comedy from the director of Chlotrudis Buried Treasure nominee 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST won a Jury Prize at Cannes last year. Hope you can join us as you rack up the eligible 2009 films to nominate!
Romania’s official Oscar selection and winner of a 2009 Cannes Jury Prize and FIPRESCI international critics’ prize, writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu’s whip-smart, dryly funny follow-up to his acclaimed debut 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST centers on a police officer on a surveillance mission who has a crisis of faith. Cristi (Dragos Bucur) is a young undercover cop pressured to arrest a teenager who offers pot to two of his schoolmates. Not wanting to ruin the life of a young man he considers merely irresponsible, Cristi must either allow the arrest to be a burden on his conscience, or face censure by his superior (Vlad Ivanov of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) for whom the word “conscience” has an entirely different meaning. Porumboiu wields his camera like a well-aimed weapon, revealing his story with little dialogue and gradually increasing tension, until the unexpected conclusion. (Fully subtitled)
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Cast: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu, Ion Stoica, Marian Ghenea, Cosmin Selesi, George Remes, Dan Cogalniceanu, Serban Georgevici, Alexandru Sabadac
Check out the trailer:
Boston celebrates Robert Altman this weekend, and it all kicks off on Friday, January 22, 5:30 - 10pm at the Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Avenue. The life and work of legendary film director Robert Altman will be celebrated at a Boston University symposium on January 22, marking the publication of a new Altman biography and the 40th anniversary of his seminal film “M*A*S*H.” Favorite Altman actors Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, and Michael Murphy will be joined in a panel discussion by his widow, Kathryn Altman, Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr, and BU Prof. Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Robert Altman: The Oral Biography followed by a screening of M*A*S*H.
Open to the public ($10 for adults, $5 for children), the evening is sponsored by the BU College of Communication in concert with the BU Alumni Association’s WinterFest Weekend.
If you can't make it on Friday, make sure you swing by the Brattle Theatre on Sunday for a day of Altman with special appearances by Sally Kellerman and Elliott Gould. They will be screening COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN, BREWSTER MCCLOUD, THE LONG GOODBYE and THE PLAYER.
Remember, nominations are now open, and all you need to do to submit your nomination is to visit http://www.chlotrudis.org/nominations and enter your last name and membership number (which you can find on your Chlotrudis membership card, or by contacting me). From there enter the films you've seen and begin creating your nomination worksheet. We need as many people as possible to submit their nominations, so if you've seen a minimum of 25 eligible films from last year, please make sure you nominate!
See you at the Movies! Michael
Playing this week, January 22 - 28, 2010.
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge Brattle Selects 2010! Whip It (Fri.) Unholy Rollers (Fri.) West Side Story(Sun.) Arizona Dream (Mon.) Ong Bak (Tue.) Ong Bak 2 (Tue.) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Wed.) Wise Blood (Wed.) Special Event! Celebrating Robert Altman Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (Sun.) Brewster McCloud Followed by a Q&A w/ Sally Kellerman & Michael Murphy The Long Goodbye (Sun.) Followed by a Q&A by Elliott Gould The Player (Sun.) Harvard Bookstore Presents! Joseph E. Stiglitz (Wed.) Universal Horror Triple Feature Frankenstein (Thu.) Drracula (Thu.) Wolfman (Thu.)
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline A Single Man 2009 Sundance Shorts The Messenger La Danse Midnight Madness! Galaxy Quest (Fri. & Sat.) The Room (Fri.) Show: A film, burlesque show and book signing with Henry Horenstein (Sat.) Europe's Grand Operas L'Orfeo (Sun.) Sundance USA The Company Man (Thu.)
FEI Theatres Capitol Theatre, Arlington A Serious Man Me and Orson Welles (Mon. - Thu.) Bombay Cinema Presents Chance Pe Dance (Fri. - Sun.)
Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge Alain Resnais and the Enigmatic Art of Memory Stavisky (Fri.) Private Fears in Public Places (Fri.) Muriel, or the Time of Return (Sat.) Mélo (Sat.) All the Memory of the World, Guernica, Statues Also Die and Night and Fog (Sun.) Providence (Mon.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston International Masters The Man from London (Fri., Sat. & Wed.) Human Rights Watch International FilmFestival Youth Producing Change (Fri.) Mrs. Goundo’s Daughter (Sat.) Look Into My Eyes (Sat.) Celebrating Chekhov The Seagull (Wed.) Ward No. 6 (Wed.) Uncle Vanya (Thu.) Chekov's Motive (Thu.)
Gerry Peary's BU Cinematheque is back for the 2010 winter/spring semester. Check out some of the terrific guests Gerry will be bringing for FREE to BU! The BU Cinematheque: 7 pm at the BU Communications Building, 640 Comm. Ave, Boston. Remember it’s FREE.
Friday, January 29, B-05 Com.- AN EVENING WITH HERB GOLDER. A first Boston look at Werner Herzog’s controversial 2009 Cannes hit, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?, with a screenplay co-written by Golder, a BU Classics professor. Golder will speak after of his collaboration with the great German filmmaker, Herzog, on this new work based on a true-life, tabloid San Diego matricide murder, with Willem Dafoe, Michael Shannon, and Chloe Sevigny, and produced by David Lynch.
Friday, February 5,. B-05 Com.-AN EVENING WITH LOIS SMITH. During her half-century legendary career, Smith was the most powerful , revered Hollywood publicist. In a conversation with Boston Herald film critic, James Verniere, Smith will discuss her extraordinary A-list career, with personal clients from Marilyn Monroe to Meryl Streep to Martin Scorsese, from Robert Redford to Rosie O’Donnell to Sean Penn.
Wednesday, February 24, Com 101-AN EVENING WITH JIMMY TINGLE. The nationally renowned satirist and stand-up comedian (60 Minutes II, MSNBC, Conan O’Brien, etc.) previews his new documentary, Jimmy Tingle’s American Dream, combining hilarious comedy and political chats with a variety of Americans, including Robert Altman, Lewis Black, Howard Zinn, Janeane Garafola, and Tingle’s Somerville mom. The filmmaker,Vincent Sraggas, is a BU Comm. graduate.
Michael R. Colford Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film, President
Michael Meets Patricia Clarkson and Chansi Harrow!
One of the best parts about going to national film festivals includes meeting... Chlotrudis members from around the country! We met Marilyn, Maryellen, Alex and Thom (although I already knew Thom) in Toronto, and Tara at High Falls... and this year, a bunch of us were lucky enough to meet and spend time with Chansi, one of our new members from Florida! Chansi was delightful, and I hope we get to see her again soon... maybe even at this year's 16th Annual Chlotrudis Awards Ceremony.
One thing that Chansi did as we were leaving the screening of CAIRO TIME was take a few photos of me while introducing myself to Patricia Clarkson! Did I mention how charming she was? And how accessible? I love these photos, because not only do they capture how beautiful she was, but how personable; especially the last where it looks like she's sassing me.
Did you know we have a member living in Japan? Tom has sent his Top 10 of 2009 in but he does state, "Remember that the release schedule is different here than in the states. Quite a few movies take a year or two to get here."
The Best 13 hour or so movie
Mad Men Season 3 But seriously, the Best Film of 2009
Up
The Best of the Rest
Summer Wars Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance Synecdoche, New York One Piece: Strong World Kuki Ningyo Inglorious Basterds Waltz with Bashir The Rest of the Best
Uchuu Senkan Yamato: Fukkatsu hen Sita Sings the Blues Higashi no Eden: The King of Eden The Wrestler Red Cliff pt. 2 (in hindsight, Red Cliff pt. 1 was the best of 2008, but I had forgotten about it) Thirst
The "It's every American's solemn duty to punch Peter Jackson in the back of the neck" Award
The Watchmen
The Biggest Disappointment
Chou Gekijou-ban Keroro Gunsou: Gekishin Doragon Woria-zu de arimasu!
Chlotrudis Monday Afternoon at the Movies + Indie Film Round-Up, January 15 - 21
Hello Chlotrudis Members!
This week we're doing something a little different as we check out THE WHITE RIBBON, the latest film by German director Michael Haneke (CACHE, THE PIANO TEACHER). Since the film is 140 minutes long and starts at 8pm, we're going to take advantage of the Martin Luther King holiday to catch THE WHITE RIBBON on Monday, 1:55pm at the Kendall Square Cinema. If you have to work on Martin Luther King Day, I apologize; otherwise I hope you'll join us for this Chlotrudis Awards-winning filmmaker's latest film.
The setting of The White Ribbon is a village in Protestant northern Germany from 1913 to 1914, on the eve of World War I. The story revolves around the children and teenagers of a choir run by the village schoolteacher, and their families: the baron, the steward, the pastor, the doctor, the midwife, the tenant farmers—a cross-section of the entire community. Strange accidents and misfortunes befall the citizens of Eichwald, gradually taking on the character of a punishment ritual. But who is behind it all? Winner of three awards at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, including the prestigious Palme d'Or, this provocative and haunting film from writer-director Michael Haneke (Funny Games, Caché, The Piano Teacher) is stunningly photographed in black and white. (Fully subtitled)
Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Tukur, Theo Trebs, Michael Schenk
Check out the trailer:
Watch your e-mail boxes for the guidelines for nomination for the 16th Annual Chlotrudis Awards!
See you at the Movies! Michael
Playing this week, January 15 - 21, 2010.
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge Special Engagement! 50th Anniversary! La Dolce Vita (Fri. - Mon.) The Brattle Selects 2010! Golddiggers of 1933 & 42nd Street(Tue.) Chinatown (Wed.) In the Mouth of Madness (Thu.) Cinematical Presents! Fruit Fly (Wed.) The Best of Open Screen 2009 (Thu.)
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline A Single Man Up in the Air (ineligible) 2009 Sundance Shorts The Messenger La Danse Midnight Madness! Heavenly Creatures (Fri. & Sat.) Black Dynamite (Sat.) Europe's Grand Operas L'Orfeo (Sun.) Science On Screen The Wild Child (Mon.)
FEI Theatres Capitol Theatre, Arlington A Serious Man Me and Orson Welles (Mon. - Thu.) Bombay Cinema Presents Chance Pe Dance (Fri. - Sun.)
Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge Alain Resnais and the Enigmatic Art of Memory Last Year at Marienbad (Fri.) The War is Over (Fri.) Je t'aime, je t'aime (Sat.) Same Old Song (Sat.) My American Uncle (Sun.) Providence (Mon.)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Music on Film In Search of Beethoven (Fri.) Mexican Film I'm Gonna Explode (Fri. - Sun.) The Boston Festival of Film from Iran Heiran (Fri.) My Little Country, Consulting God, and Behind the Wheel of Life (Sat.) Niloofar (Sat.) Torgheh, Of Men and Motorcycles, and My City, Pizza (Sat.) A Man Who Ate His Cherries (Sun.) Premiere Town Called Panic (Sat.) Human Rights Watch International FilmFestival The Reckoning (Wed.) Look Into My Eyes (Thu.) International Masters The Man from London (Wed. & Thu.)
SKY’S THE LIMIT AS ‘SUNSET’ AND ‘HEAVEN’ WIN PLACE OF HONOR IN CHLOTRUDIS SOCIETY’S TOP 50 SEQUELS, TOP 50 REMAKES LISTS
While everyone else looked back to sum up the decade’s trends and fads, the CHLOTRUDIS SOCIETY FOR INDEPENDENT FILM (CSIF) came up with its own twist on ‘everything old is new again’, compiling for its annual year-end Top Film List, the top 50 film remakes AND the top 50 film sequels. Its 100+ membership put at the head of the Top Sequels Richard Linklater’s BEFORE SUNSET, while Todd Hanynes’ FAR FROM HEAVEN topped the Remakes list. This year’s selection brought out the most spirited and contentious discussions ever, as members compiled their top faves. At times the conversation waxed philosophical as people struggled with the age-old questions ‘when is a remake a reboot, not a remake’, ‘is a prequel a sequel’, and ‘is a third installment a sequel to the original or a sequel to the sequel?’. In the end, CSIF resisted codifying guidelines, and hope the lists spur on your own impassioned debates.
Chlotrudis member Amanda Doran isn't one to waste any time! She sent her Top 10 films of 2009 in right away! Here's what she had to say, "There are still a few 2009 films I want to see but here's my Top 10 as of January 1!" Amanda originally hails from Connecticut, but has sought out independent theatres and films in all of the cities she has lived in, including Philadelphia, Austin and now Boston. Here are her top 10 films of 2009!
Now that 2009 has come to a close, Chlotrudis members will start to weigh in with their top films of the year. As the Top 10s come in, they will be posted here on the Mewsings blog, and ultimately, all of the Top 10s will appear on Our Favorite Films page.
To kick us off, please enjoy Peg Aloi's lovely, annotated Top 10 of 2009, with a few extras to follow.
AN EDUCATION Intelligent if occasionally dreamy memoir-based coming of age story, perfectly directed by Lone Scherfig and with a breakout performance by Carey Mulligan.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX Wes Anderson's cool, clever, delightful puppet animation with a creative soundtrack and a lovable assortment of woodland creatures that dance, meditate, steal, lie, argue, zone out, and glow.
MOON Stunning debut by Duncan Jones who directs Sam Rockwell as a lonely and increasingly-desperate astronaut stuck in a dead-end gig mining moon fuel.
O'HORTEN Charming but never cute, Bent Hamer's story of a Norwegian train conductor's retirement chugs along with unexpected twists and turns.
BRIGHT STAR Jane Campion paints the love life and demise of John Keats, played with subtle intensity by Ben Whishaw, paired with an impressive Abbie Cornish as his lover Fanny.
L'HEURE D'ETE (SUMMER HOURS) Olivier Assayas helms this story of three siblings who decide to sell the family's country estate after the death of their mother, and revisits the tone and themes of his earlier masterpiece L'eau Froid.
IN THE LOOP Sure-handed feature debut by Armando Iannucci: hilarious, sharp and vicious parody in the style of The Office, set in London and Washington, DC, with a uniformly wonderful cast including Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander and Gina McKee.
STAR TREK From the slutty green-skinned girl to the doomed red-shirted officer, J. J. Abrams' prequel abounds with delicious references to the original TV series, and the casting is truly inspired.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Who knew our little Quentin had an epic in him? It's not perfect, but it's damned fine, with some truly inspired visual and aural moments.
SIN NOMBRE Cary Fukunaga's story of several Mexican families affected by the pervasive control of the drug cartels: brutal, shocking, and hard to shake off.
Best performances of 2009: Carey Mulligan (AN EDUCATION); Tom Hardy (BRONSON); Christoph Waltz (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS); Meryl Streep (JULIE & JULIA); Sam Rockwell (MOON); Michael Sheen (THE DAMNED UNITED) Best Ensemble Cast: IN THE LOOP
Highest Hopes, Biggest Disappointments: ZOMBIELAND; MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS; PONYO.
Honorable Mentions: A SERIOUS MAN; ADVENTURELAND; THE DAMNED UNITED; BRONSON; (500) DAYS OF SUMMER; THE ROAD; TWO LOVERS
Best Documentaries: FOOD, INC.; CRUDE; CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY
Best Directorial Debut: Duncan Jones (MOON)
Best Score: THE ROAD (Nick Cave)
Best Costumes: BRIGHT STAR, THE YOUNG VICTORIA, NINE The (Apparently) Best Movie I Haven’t Seen Yet: THE HURT LOCKER
Chlotrudis Tuesday Night at the Movies + Indie Film Round-Up, January 1 - 7, 2010
Happy New Year, Chlotrudis Members!
Although 2010 is here, you can bet we've still got a few weeks of 2009 films to see before nomination time. And use it wisely, because this year we've got the entire month before nominations are due! This week Gil and Amanda will be hosting the Chlotrudis Tuesday Night at the Movies, so come on down to the Kendall Square Cinema for the 6:40 p.m. screening of Pedro Almodóvar's BROKEN EMBRACES.
The eagerly awaited 17th feature by one of the world's leading directors, Pedro Almodóvar (VOLVER, TALK TO HER), is a lavish melodrama tinged with humor, showcasing the spectacular talents of Penélope Cruz. The story is told in flashback by Harry Caine (Lluís Homar, BAD EDUCATION), a blind screenwriter, who reveals that before an auto accident took his sight and the life of his love, he was the famous director Mateo Blanc. He had fallen in love with his leading lady, Lena (Cruz), who had made movie star when the ruthless industrialist Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez) became her lover and patron. The film Mateo is making with Lena (for which the jealous Martel insists on being producer) is a kinky comedy called GIRLS AND SUITCASES, reminiscent of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. As Mateo and Lena try to get away together for a romantic tryst, Martel's gay son is constantly following and videotaping them for a "making of" feature—which Martel uses for surveillance (even getting a lip reader to decode the lovers' conversations). (Fully subtitled)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Tamar Novas, Rubén Ochandiano
Check out the trailer:
And if you're looking to catch some of the potentially nomination-worthy films that you might have missed, make note of these screenings. The Coen Brothers' A SERIOUS MAN plays at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington this week, and at the Stuart Street Playhouse you can catch the outstanding 35 SHOTS OF RUM, or this year's film to beat, THE HURT LOCKER. The Museum of Fine Arts will be screening one of last fall's Sunday Eye Opener films from Mexico, I'M GONNA EXPLODE later this week.
And if you're looking for some classic films, don't miss this week's Brattle Repetory series of Screwball Comedies. The series is kicked off with a couple of films by the kings of screwball, the Marx Brothers and A DAY AT THE RACES and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. And it all winds up with THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, arguably Katharine Hepburn's best screwball comedy. Check these out and more this week at the Brattle!
See you at the Movies! Michael
Playing this week, January 1 - 7, 2010.
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge Marx Brothers Marathon! Animal Crackers (Fri.) Horse Feathers (Fri.) Duck Soup (Fri.) A Night at the Opera (Fri.) A Day at the Races (Fri.) A Screwball New Year! A Day at the Races (Sat.) A Night at the Opera (Sat.) The Awful Truth (Sun.) Holiday (Sun.) It Happened One Night (Mon.) Palm Beach Story (Mon.) Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (Tue.) Easy Living (Tue.) My Man Godfrey (Wed.) The Philadelphia Story (Thu.) Harvard Bookstore Presents! Daniel Pink (Wed.) Atul Gawanda (Thu.)
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline A Single Man Up in the Air (ineligible) The Messenger La Danse Midnight Madness! Out of Sight (Fri. & Sat.) The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Fri. & Sat.) The Action Pack presents Elf Quote-Along (Fri.) Johnny Cupcakes presents Home Alone (Sat.)
FEI Theatres Capitol Theatre, Arlington A Serious Man Me and Orson Welles
Somerville Theatre, Somerville No Independent Features Playing This Week!
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Costumes of Edith Head A Place in the Sun (Sat.) Sunset Boulevard (Sat.) The Lady Eve (Sat.) Rear Window (Sun.) To Catch a Thief (Sun.) This Gun for Hire (Sun.) Music on Film In Search of Beethoven (Wed. & Thu.) Mexican Cinema I'm Gonna Explode (Wed. & Thu.)
Mystery Team
Don't miss 
And if you're looking to catch some of the potentially nomination-worthy films that you might have missed, make note of these screenings. The Coen Brothers' A SERIOUS MAN plays at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington this week, and at the Stuart Street Playhouse you can catch the outstanding 35 SHOTS OF RUM, or this year's film to beat, THE HURT LOCKER. The Museum of Fine Arts will be screening one of last fall's Sunday Eye Opener films from Mexico, I'M GONNA EXPLODE later this week.
