Film Focus: Week of March 14-20, 2025
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Film Focus: Week of March 14-20, 2025

The Editor0

By M. Faust
(Image above: Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender in ‘Black Bag’; photo courtesy of Focus Features)

OPENING THIS WEEK: 

BLACK BAG (R) Director Steven Soderbergh back in high commercial mode with a thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as married (to each other) spies whose professional and personal lives inevitably clash. Co-starring Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

COURT – STATE VS. A NOBODY (NR) Telugu language legal thriller. Starring Rohini, Sai Kumar, and Priyadarshi Pulikonda. Directed by Ram Jagadeesh. Regal Elmwood

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (PG) Another attempt to revive the greatest cartoon characters of all time. With the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Peter MacNicol. Directed by Peter Browngardt. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

DILRUBA (NR) Telugu language romantic drama. Starring Dayanand Reddy, Kiran Abbavaram, and Satya. Directed by Vishwa Karun. Regal Elmwood, Regal Transit

THE 4 RASCALS (BO TU BAO THU) (NR) Vietnamese family comedy. Starring Huynh Uyen An, Tran Quoc Anh, and Le Giang. Directed by Tran Thanh. Regal Walden Galleria

MITHDE (NR) It’s in Punjabi, and that’s all I know about it. Starring Tania, Roopi Gill, and Nirmal Rishi. Directed by Amberdeep Singh. Regal Elmwood

NOVOCAINE (R) Action comedy starring Jack Quaid as a dentist whose quest to rescue a kidnapped girl is aided by an unusual ability: he is unable to feel pain. With Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson and Matt Walsh. Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (Significant Other). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, North Park, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

OPUS (R) John Malkovich as a reclusive pop star who invites a small group of journalists to his Utah compound to hear his first new recording in 30 years. With Ayo Edebiri. Tony Hale, Juliette Lewis and Murray Bartlett. Directed by Mark Anthony Green. AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

PERUSU (NR) Tamil comedy. Official description: “After finding their father is dead, the two sons discover that something in him is still alive.” Hope that helps. Starring Chandini Tamilarasan, Niharika NM, and Vaibhav Reddy. Directed by Ilango Ramanathan. Regal Elmwood

NOW PLAYING:

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). Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

ANORA (R) Winner of multiple Oscars including Best Picture, Director and Actress, a boisterous comedy about a Brooklyn sex worker whose fairytale romance with a rich young Russian runs afoul of his family. Starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, and Karren Karagulian. Directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine). Dipson Amherst, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria Read M. Faust’s review here

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (PG-13) Captain America 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

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

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, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

HEART EYES (R) Horror comedy about two co-workers stalked by a killer who thinks they’re a romantic item. Starring Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, and Devon Sawa, Directed by Josh Ruben (Werewolves Within). Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

IN THE LOST LANDS (R) Fantasy adventure from the director (Paul W.S. Anderson) and star (Milla Jovovich) of the Resident Evil movies. With Dave Bautista and Arly Jover. Regal Quaker

LAST BREATH (PG-13) True story about deep sea divers trying to rescue a trapped comrade with limited oxygen during a storm. Starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole. Directed by Alex Parkinson, who also directed the 2019 documentary about the real incident. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

MICKEY 17 (R) From director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer), a science fiction comedy starring Robert Pattinson as a space traveller sent on dangerous missions because he can be cloned if he is killed. With Steven Yeun, Michael Monroe, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette. AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

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). Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE (PG) Animated feature about zoo animals battling zombie animals. It was only a matter of time, I guess. Directed by Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro. AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Regal Quaker

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 Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

PADDINGTON IN PERU (PG) The world’s politest bear and his adopted human family journey to Peru to help out his aunt. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Jessica Hynes, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Hayley Atwell, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, and the voices of Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton. Directed by Dougal Wilson. AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

QUEEN OF THE RING (PG-13) Based on the true story of Mildred Burke, who became a champion wrestler at a time when the sport was illegal for women. Starring Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey and Walton Goggins. Directed by Ash Avildsen. Regal Elmwood

RIFF RAFF (R) Ed Harris as a retired gangster whose Maine home is invaded by more of his family than he cares to see. Co-starring Jennifer Coolidge, Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, Lewis Pullman and Gabrielle Union. Directed by Dito Montiel (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints). Regal Quaker 

RULE BREAKERS (PG) Drama based on a true story about young Afghani women, denied any path to education by the Taliban, who take it on themselves to learn about computers. Starring Nikohl Boosheri, Christian Contreras, and Ali Fazal. Directed by Bill Guttentag. Regal Quaker, Regal Transit 

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, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (R) Psychological thriller starring John Lithgow as a nursing home bully who sets his sights on new arrival Geoffrey Rush. Directed by James Ashcroft (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire). Regal Quaker 

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. 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.

AXCN GUNDAM FEST 2025: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK (1988)—I’m going to guess it’s some kind of anime feature. Sun 11:30 am. North Park

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER (1993)— Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar nominated performance as Gerry Conlon, the Irishman who spent 15 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of participating in an IRA bombing. With Emma Thompson, Pete Postlethwaite and John Lynch. Directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot). Sat 11:30 am. North Park

JOHNNY MNEMONIC (1995)—Artist and Hallwalls co-founder Robert Longo’s only effort as a film director, adapted from a William Gibson story, stars Keanu Reeves as a messenger of the future who carries important data in his brain. With Dolph Lundgren, Ice-T, Takeshi Kitano, Henry Rollins, Barbara Sukowa, Udo Kier. Presented as part of Hallwalls’ 50th anniversary celebration. Sat 7:30 pm. Hallwalls

A LIFE OF HER OWN (1950) and WANDA (1970)—Marty McGee hosts this double feature of road movies in observance of women’s History Month. George Cukor’s A Life Of Her Own stars Lana Turner as a Kansas girl who moves to New York City to pursue a career as a model. Wanda, Barbara Loden’s independent drama about an ungrounded woman (played by herself) in a dreary coal mining area of Pennsylvania was commercially ignored when it was first released but has steadily gained an audience since it was added to the National Film Registry in 2010. Thurs 7 pm, 9 pm. Screening Room

The Pictures Generation: From Hallwalls to the Kitchen, and Beyond—In conjunction with Hallwalls’ 50th anniversary celebration, a program of short film and video works by artists who started their careers there, including Robert Longo, Cindy Sherman, Charlie Clough, and Nancy Dwyer. Fri 7:30 pm. Hallwalls

PURPLE RAIN (1984)—The plot is a hair above ridiculous, but who cares when you have Prince at his youthful best?. With Apollonia, Morris Day and Clarence Williams III. Fri 7:30 pm, Sun 1 pm, Tues 7:30 pm, Fri March 21 7:30pm. Screening Room

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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