A Single Man - Oscar Nominee: Best Actor, Colin Firth
A Single Man is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, it tells the story of George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately leads him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley, a 48 year old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George's, Kenny, who is coming to terms with his true nature, stalks George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. "For a gentle man who's lost his love, solitude has become a life sentence that simply must end. Firth makes that ache subtly, splendidly visible."-Time. "Fashion designer Tom Ford establishes himself as a filmmaker to celebrate from the very first sequence of his artfully constructed, heartfelt adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel A Single Man."-Box Office Magazine. "The movie has a hushed, sensual intensity and formal elegance that leaves no doubt Ford knows what he's doing behind the camera."-Newsweek. "The film belongs to Firth. Uncanny at showing the heart crumbling under George's elegant exterior, he gives the performance of his career."-Rolling Stone. 99 min., Rated R.
The Messenger -
2 Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor, Woody Harrelson
Best Original Screenplay
The Messenger is a powerful and tender story about a returned war hero making his first steps toward a normal life. In his first leading role, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival. Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Moverman, The Messenger brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity. "91% Fresh."-Rottentomatoes.com. "4/4 Stars. This is a poignant war movie, but it's also a buddy movie with a difference, one that's both funny and bleak."-Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Messengers with the worst possible message, they nonetheless manage to be human and alive... In a film that itself bears sad tidings about the costs of war, that is an affirming, even an inspiring, gift."-NPR. "This is a fully felt, morally alert, marvelously acted piece of work. Despite the grim subject, it's a sweet-tempered movie, with moments of explosive humor -- an entertainment."-New Yorker. 105 min., Rated R.
The Last Station - 2 Oscar Nominations: Helen Mirren, Best Actress & Christopher Plummer, Best Supporting Actor
After almost fifty years of marriage, the Countess Sofya, Leo Tolstoy's devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary—she's copied out War and Peace six times...by hand!—suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family in favor of poverty, vegetarianism and even celibacy. After she's born him thirteen children! When Sofya then discovers that Tolstoy's trusted disciple, Chertkov—whom she despises—may have secretly convinced her husband to sign a new will, leaving the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his very own family, she is consumed by righteous outrage. This is the last straw. Using every bit of cunning, every trick of seduction in her considerable arsenal, she fights fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers. The more extreme her behavior becomes, however, the more easily Chertkov is able to persuade Tolstoy of the damage she will do to his glorious legacy. "4/4 Stars. This production, directed by Michael Hoffman, is like a great night at the theatre--the two performing demons go at each other full tilt and produce scenes of Shakespearean affection, chagrin, and rage."-The New Yorker. "4.5/5 Stars. For those who enjoy actors who can play it up without ever overplaying their hands, The Last Station is the destination of choice."-Los Angeles Times. "Every second Helen Mirren is on-screen in The Last Station is a study in peerless talent."-USA Today. "A grandly entertaining historical drama."-Entertainment Weekly. "Helen Mirren outdoes even her Oscar-winning performance in "The Queen" with her tour de force as Countess Sofya Tolstoy in Michael Hoffman's delightful The Last Station."-New York Post. 112 min., Rated R.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr. Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr. Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr. Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr. Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles – and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all! "As unusual and idiosyncratic as its one-of-a-kind title. You'd expect no less from Terry Gilliam, and admirers of this singular filmmaker will be pleased to know that Imaginarium is one of his most original and accessible works."-Los Angeles Times. "With Ledger onscreen more than might have been expected, the film possesses strong curiosity value bolstered by generally lively action and excellent visual effects."-Variety. "This is an Imaginarium indeed. The best approach is to sit there and let it happen to you; see it in the moment and not with long-term memory, which seems to be what Parnassus does."-Roger Ebert. 122 min., Rated PG-13.
Petals: Journey into Self Discovery - Admission is Free
The film, Petals: Journey Into Self-Discovery documents the production of the book by photographer, Nick Karras, offering 48 black and white images of the female genitalia. A subject so intimate is treated with the utmost respect, sensitivity and insight to help women appreciate the beauty and power of their uniqueness as myths and stigmas about the female body are challenged. Interviews with sex educators, health professionals, art critics, female project participants and wo(men) in the street provide viewers an opportunity to explore a variety of reactions to the project, while inviting much individual reflection about personal attitudes surrounding sexual self-esteem. 48 min.