Film Focus, Feb. 21-27, 2025
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Film Focus, Feb. 21-27, 2025

The Editor0Tagged ,

By M. Faust
(Image above: Zoe Saldaña (L) and Karla Sofía Gascón  (r) in Emilia Pérez)

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

EMILIA PÉREZ (R) Controversial Oscar nominee about a trans Mexican drug lord. Oh, and it’s a musical. Starring Zoë Saldaña, Karla Sofia Gascón, Adriana Paz, Selina Gomez, and Edgar Ramirez. Directed by Jacques Audiard (A Prophet). NB: The film (which is also already streaming) is screening only on Fri Feb 21 at 12:30 pm, Mon Feb 24 at 4 pm, and Fri Feb 28 at 7:20 pm. Regal Quaker

PARTHENOPE (R) From Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino (The Hand of God), a paean to his home city of Naples through the eyes of a single woman throughout her life. Starring Celeste Dalla Porta, Stefania Sandrelli, Gary Oldman, and Silvio Orlando. North Park

THE MONKEY (R) Horror comedy adapted from a Stephen King short story. Starring Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Adam Scott, and Elijah Wood. Directed by Oz Perkins (Longlegs). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria,

THE UNBREAKABLE BOY (PG) Feel-good drama about a boy born with autism and brittle bone disease whose positive attitude helps those who know him. Starring Zachary Levi, Jacob Laval and Meghann Fahy. Directed by Jon Gunn. AMC Maple Ridge, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

NOW PLAYING:

THE BRUTALIST (R) Oscar frontrunner starring Adrien Brody as a Bauhaus-trained architect trying to make a new life in American after fleeing Hungary after World War II. With Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach De Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola. Directed by Brady Corbet (Vox Lux). Regal Quaker Read M. Faust’s review here

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (PG-13) Captain American versus a giant, bellowing, incoherent mass of limitless anger colored red. Are we actually getting a political allegory from, of all places, Disney/Marvel? Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Lumbly. Directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

CHHAAVA (NR) Hindi-language historical drama based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Starring Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, and Rashmika Mandanna. Directed by Laxman Utekar. Regal Elmwood

NE ZHA 2 (NR) If you can believe what you read on imdb.com, this Chinese animated fantasy is the first non-American film to earn more than a billion dollars at the box office. Which I guess guarantees there will be a Ne Zha 3. Directed by Yu Yang. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS (NR) Annual program with a wholly explanatory title. There are three separate programs featuring live action, documentary and animated shorts—check with the theater for times. Dipson Amherst

PADDINGTON IN PERU (PG) The return of the epitome of politeness, and god, do we need him now. Directed by Dougal Wilson. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Jessica Hynes, Hayley Atwell, Julie Walters, Olivia Colman, Jim Broadbent, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant and the voices of Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN (PG-13) Documentary chronicling the early days of the band that was originally called the New Yardbirds. Directed by Bernard MacMahon. Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, North Park, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit

COMPANION (R) Thriller/sci/fi movie whose makers say the less you know about it going in the better. So who am I to go against their wishes? Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend and Harvey Guillén. Directed by Drew Hancock. AMC Market Arcade

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (R) Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in a biography that culminates with his appearance with an electric band in 1965. Co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, and Scoot McNairy. Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line). Dipson Amherst, Regal Quaker. Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

DOG MAN (PG) In this animated adaptation of a series of graphic novels, an injured cop and his police dog are merged by a surgeon into one body. With the voices of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root, and Ricky Gervais. Directed by Peter Hastings (The Country Bears). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

HEART EYES (R) Horror comedy about two co-workers stalked by a killer who thinks they’re a romantic item. Remember when we used to get romantic comedies on Valentine’s Day? Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, and Devon Sawa, Directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within) AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

I’M STILL HERE (PG-13) Oscar nominee for Best Feature and Best Actress based on the true story of a Brazilian woman (Fernanda Torres) who fought for years to find out what happened to her husband after he was “disappeared” by the military dictatorship in 1971. Directed by Walter Salles (Central Station). Dipson Amherst, Read M. Faust’s review here

LOVE HURTS (R) Action comedy starring Ke Huy Quan as a onetime hit man pulled out of his new life as a Milwaukee realtor by old ties. With Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu and Sean Astin. Directed by former stunt man Jonathan Eusebio. AMC Market Arcade, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

MOANA 2 (PG) Animated sequel. With the voices of Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, and Nicole Scherzinger. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. Dunkirk Multiplex

MUFASA THE LION KING (PG) Animated sequel, or prequel or whatever. With the voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Tiffany Boone. Directed by Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk). Dipson Capitol, Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

ONE OF THEM DAYS (R) Comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA as roommates struggling to come up with the month’s rent. With Vanessa Bell Calloway, Katt Williams and Maude Apatow. Directed by Lawrence Lamont. AMC Market Arcade, Regal Elmwood, Regal Walden Galleria 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 (PG) Sequel. A live action Jim Carrey joins a voice cast including Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, and Keanu Reeves. Directed by Jeff Fowler. Regal Walden Galleria

THE SUBSTANCE (R) Oscar-nominated horror film (there’s a phrase you don’t see very often) starring Demi Moore as an aging celebrity who takes a black-market cell-replicating drug to make her appear younger. Gee, do you suppose there could by any negative side effects? Co-starring Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge). Regal Quaker

WICKED (PG) Adaptation of the long running musical that tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch. N.B.: This is only part one. Starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage. Directed by John M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation). Regal Transit Read the review by Mia Ciechalski here

ETC.

BLACK SABBATH (Italy, 1963)—From director Mario Bava (Black Sunday), a trio of atmospheric horror stories hosted by Boris Karloff. Co-starring Michèle Mercier, Mark Damon and Jacqueline Pierreux. Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room

CHARADE (1964)—As slick and sophisticated as you’d expect from a movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Hepburn’s recently deceased husband swindled a lot of money out of some men who want it back; Grant offers to help keep them off her tail, but is he after the loot too? Co-starring Walter Matthau, James Coburn and Ned Glass. Directed by Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain). Fri 7:30. Screening Room

THE LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (1973) and DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE (1979)—Two extreme independent horror films of the 1970s, presented by a man who knows that subject, Ultra Violent magazine editor Art Ettinger (a Buffalo native). Not for the faint of heart. Sat 7:30 pm. Screening Room

TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)—If you didn’t religiously watch the original TV series, this follow-up feature may not make a whole lot of sense to you. But then, what David Lynch movie ever did? The endless cast includes Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Mädchen Amick, David Bowie, Miguel Ferrer, Heather Graham, Chris Isaak, Peggy Lipton, Jürgen Prochnow, Harry Dean Stanton, Kiefer Sutherland, Grace Zabriskie, and of course Kyle MacLachlan. Mon 7, 9:55 pm. North Park

WILD AT HEART (1990)—Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as young lovers on the run from the killer her mother has hired to kill him in David Lynch’s most self-indulgent movie, which is saying something. With Willem Dafoe, Crispin Glover, Diane Ladd, Isabella Rossellini, Harry Dean Stanton, John Lurie and, of course, Jack Nance. Sat 11;30 am, Sun 11:30 am, 8 pm. North Park

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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