winter showtimes

Fridays | 6pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 2pm & 6pm

Mondays - Wednesdays | 6pm

Coup de Chance

May 3-8

Given his tarnished reputation, it would be tough to assess a new comedy from Woody Allen. But his films have gradually veered from breezy, sophisticated humor, moving toward darker, more contemplative Dostoevskyan territory. Crimes and Misdemeanors might’ve been an early test for Allen’s interest in how “ordinary” people can so easily convince themselves to commit terrible acts. Coup de Chance is the pinnacle of Allen’s dramatic, philosophical mode; a twisty, engrossing film about infidelity, murder, and amour fou. Filmed in Paris with a French cast, it feels like a lost classic from Claude Chabrol (the “Alfred Hitchcock” of France). The laid-back Parisienne setting liberates Allen of his neurotic obsessions with guilt and death, and the jazzy score wittily underlines the movie’s theme of deception: everyone wears a mask, everyone has something to hide. Especially Alain (Niels Schneider) and Fanny (Lou de Laâge), whose affair is soon uncovered by her husband, Jean (Melvil Poupaud), a dubious businessman who decides to use his underworld connections to make Alain disappear. But will murder really give him the satisfaction he wants? Amorality has its own subversive kick (author Patricia Highsmith’s “Tom Ripley” series is a case in point), but Coup de Chance is fascinating in how it posits that conscience and sociopathy co-exist within the same person—maybe within all of us. The result is an engaging, smartly-scripted drama with stylistic nods to classic thrillers, perfectly balancing deep moral questions with old-fashioned suspense. It’s the most relaxed that Allen’s been in years, and perhaps his purest love letter to the primal joys of cinema.      

(Rated PG-13 for mature themes, some violence, and suggestive material. In French with English subtitles.)

Late Night with the Devil

May 10-15

Found footage horror movies often get a bad rap as a haven for amateurs attracted by their low budgets and sloppy camerawork. But when a film uses the “found footage” concept with care and intelligence, viewers are transported into another world; it becomes a genuinely unsettling experience, delivering the spine-tingling pleasure of a spooky urban legend. Late Night with the Devil is a masterpiece of this genre, crafted to look like lost video from the taping of a (fictional) late night talk show of the ‘70s. The costumes, hair styles, set design, showbiz insider dialogue, and general aesthetic are perfect. David Dastmalchian is Jack Delroy, host of a pathetic Tonight Show-wannabe called Night Owls. Delroy’s still dealing with the death of his wife; this trauma partly inspires a desperate Halloween episode whose guest lineup includes a psychic, a paranormal researcher, a professional debunker—plus a girl who escaped a Satanic cult and thinks she’s possessed by a demon. Mixing black-and-white backstage footage and videotape of the broadcast, we learn there’s more “realism” on display than some of the players realize. Co-directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes create a chilling atmosphere rather than bombarding us with blood. The movie recalls the old-fashioned fun of hearing a ghost story told around the campfire—and it’s a nifty satire of the television industry, where the quest for ratings can lead down some pretty dark avenues. Dastmalchian’s unctuous, flop-sweating Delroy is a mesmerizing performance, holding together a creepy tale that gets progressively wilder and more phantasmagorical before reaching its unforgettable conclusion.          

(Rated R for violent content and some gore.)

Sasquatch Sunset

May 17-22

This unusual, touching comedy-drama has an initial “hook” similar to Quest for Fire, a 1981 oddity in which the entire was unrecognizable in convincing Neanderthal makeup, conveying the story entirely through a (fictional) language more ape-like than human. Here, Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg are members of a quartet of Sasquatches hidden in the American wilderness, communicating only through grunts, moans, and screeches (without Subtitles). We see the group negotiate the often harsh environment, face human intrusion, and experience primal feelings: romantic love, jealousy, maternal connection, the need to “find a place” in one’s group. It may sound tedious or overly cute, but writer-directors David and Nathan Zellner achieve a small miracle, drawing us into this Sasquatch community and making us care deeply about their ongoing survival. Steve Newburn’s creature design is Oscar-worthy, and the performers create vibrant, multi-dimensional characters with no dialogue or other traditional means of expression; their physical acting is extremely effective, providing not just (often scatological) humor but real pathos and empathy for these hearty creatures. What starts as a seemingly jokey premise turns out to be a masterful meditation on what it means to be “human.” The Northern California woods become hauntingly poetic backdrop thanks to cinematographer Michael Gioulakis: we really feel like we’re peeking into an alien culture—one amusingly similar to our own. Rude, hilarious, but heartfelt, this is Harry and the Hendersons with honest artistic ambition.

(Rated R for sexual content, nudity, and bloody images.)

Hard Miles

May 24-29

Matthew Modine was a welcome presence in the cast of Netflix’s Stranger Things, but he offers more than just throwback ‘80s nostalgia value in RJ Daniel Hanna’s inspirational sports drama. Based on a true story, Hard Miles gives Modine with a terrific role as Greg Townsend, a juvenile facility social worker who comes up with an idea to channel the inmates’ anger into a positive direction: he organizes a cycling club, which culminates in a 1,000-mile journey through the American Southwest that will test their strength, tenacity, and courage. Townsend is no saint: he embraces cycling because it’s helped him navigate his own emotional issues. Cycling gives the young men a way to process their individual traumas, and training/racing scenes are often intercut with flashbacks showing us what each is striving to overcome. It’s extraordinarily moving, because the real competition comes not from some “villainous” rival but with each team member’s self, as they overcome fear, anger, and loss to become more than simply winners. Modine’s genuine enthusiasm for cycling gives his compassionate performance added realism, and he has great rapport with Cynthia Kate McWilliams as the facility psychologist who challenges Townsend almost as much as he challenges the boys in his charge. Filled with tense racing sequences and laced with moments of gentle humor, this is a warm-hearted movie that never strays into cornball sentimentality or moralizing. Like the best sports films, its sport is a metaphor for the mental obstacles Townsend and his team have to overcome—and victory isn’t measured only in medals or championship trophies.       

(Rated PG-13 for profanity, mature themes, and teen drinking.)