September 15-18
Wednesday September 15
Behind bars in a French prison, a naïve newcomer rides the rough wave of organized crime in order to survive. One of the most critically-praised flicks of last year, A Prophet is a cinematic yet decidedly non-Corleone mob saga, reinventing the gangster picture to satisfyingly murderous effect.
A Prophet
2009. France/Italy. Dir: Jacques Audiard. With Tahar Rahim. 155 minThursday September 16
In 2000, a small unit of Israeli soldiers prepare to end the 18-year occupation of an ancient mountain-top stronghold in Lebanon. Trapped in their claustrophobic fortification, this anxious group tries to uphold its increasingly futile duties amidst sudden incendiary attacks from an unseen enemy. Speaker: Beaufort author/screenwriter Ron Leshem.
Beaufort
2007. Israel. Dir: Joseph Cedar. With Oshri Cohen. 131 minFriday September 17
In order to avoid flunking their history class "most heinously," two slacker pals travel through time in a telephone booth and learn a totally righteous lesson along the way. Mixing Napoleon and Socrates with bodacious babes and metal-shredding, this cult classic will have you howling and muttering "Whoa, dude!" involuntarily.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
1989. USA. Dir: Steven Herek. With Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter. 90 minSaturday September 18
Blood of a Poet
1930. France. Dir: Jean Cocteau. With Enrique Rivero. 55 minCocteau's loose, surrealistic adaptation of the Orpheus myth meditates on the source of creativity and its inextricable link to destruction. This landmark of avant-garde filmmaking takes the form of a cinematic poem, invoking haunting imagery that continues to resonate with the passing of time. With the anarchic Daffy Duck cartoon "Duck Amuck" - because why not?