April 20, 2016 - "Tu dors Nicole" (2015)

Tu dors Nicole, 20157 p.m., Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239

Director: Stéphane Lafleur
Origin: Canada
Language: French
Running time: 93 min

After her parents leave her at home while they embark on a summer holiday, 22-year-old Nicole is enjoying a peaceful and aimless life when her rocker brother, Remi, and his mates arrive with plans to turn the house into a recording studio. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

July 15, 2015 - "Mommy" (2014)

Mommy, 2014

Director: Xavier Dolan
Origin: Canada
Languages: French | English
Running time: 139 min

Diane Després is a flamboyant middle-aged widow and mother to Steve, an adolescent with severe emotional and behavioral problems. As Diane struggles with Steve's radical mood swings, she begins receiving help from a solicitous new neighbor. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated R for language throughout, sexual references and some violence
U.S. box office: $3,492,754
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Dear White People", 4 stars)
Steven says: Gather some friends and watch this film and then talk about the issues afterward. "It's complicated" just about sums it up. From four perspectives, it addresses a variety of topics that just may help you see racial attitudes differently.

May 6, 2015 - "Gabrielle" (2013)

Gabrielle, 2013
Director: Louise Archambault
Origin: Canada
Languages: French | English
Running time: 104 minutes

Musicians Gabrielle and Martin fall in love and want to begin a relationship, which is against the rules at the home for the disabled where they live. Refusing to part with Martin, Gabrielle is determined to prove that she can live independently. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated R for some sexuality
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Land Ho!", 3.5 stars)Steven says: A mix between "The Trip" and "Sideways," this film offers a mini-travelogue of Iceland through the eyes of two retirees. Where else can two lonely old men find a cure for loneliness than this intriguing isolated island nation?

April 22, 2015 - "Siddarth" (2013)

Siddarth, 2013
Director: Richie Mehta
Origin: Canada | India
Language: Hindi
Running time: 96 minutes

After sending his 12-year-old son away to work, impoverished street merchant Mahendra Saini launches a search for the boy when he doesn't return on the expected date. But Mahendra has no money and no picture of his child, hampering the hunt. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $59,808
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (The Selfish Giant, 4 stars)
Steven says: The British have a knack for depicting the poor and downtrodden. Poverty affects lives in ways most people will never understand, which is how the main characters end up in a dangerous situation. This is a well-told story that is both raw and eye-opening.

July 16, 2014 - "War Witch" (2014)

War Witch, 2012
Director: Kim Nguyen
Origin: Canada
Languages: French | Lingala
Running time: 90 min

In sub-Saharan Africa, 12-year-old Komona is kidnapped by rebel soldiers who force her to kill her parents and join their ranks. Over the next two years, Komona clings to life despite her horrific experiences and tries to pacify her parents' ghosts. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $37,902
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("The Rocket", 3 stars)
Steven says: So many political and social issues are combined to formulate the plot of this otherwise simple story film. It entertains, and it provides some interesting insights into life in Laos. Watch it with that in mind.

January 16, 2013 - "Monsieur Lazhar" (2011)

Monsieur Lazhar, 2011
Director: Philippe Falardeau
Origin: Canada
Languages: French | English | Arabic
Running time: 94 min

When an Algerian immigrant seeking asylum in Montreal takes a job replacing an elementary school teacher who committed suicide, he finds that his own secret, tragic background enables him to help the children deal with their loss. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, a disturbing image and brief language
U.S. box office: $2,009,041

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (Saturn in Opposition, 4.5 stars)
Steven says: Often cited as an Italian "Big Chill", this film presents a realistic look at a group of friends who, while not perfect, must still carry on when their comfortable lives are shaken. We are presented with scenes that unfold in unexpected ways and scenes that slap us with an emotional wallop when we aren't looking.The story is told with a light touch, adding random details to give richer backgrounds to each of the characters.

February 8, 2012 - "Incendies" (2010)

Incendies, 2010
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Origin: Canada | France
Languages: French | Arabic | English
Running time: 130 min

When their mother's will implores them to deliver letters to the father they thought was dead and a brother they never knew about, twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) journey to the Middle East and attempt to reconstruct their family's hidden history. Adapted from a Wajdi Mouawad play, director Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-nominated drama flashes back to intense scenes set during the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated R for some strong violence and language
U.S. box office: $6,857,096

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film, "Army of Crime" (4 stars)
Steven says: I always look for the "new" perspective of WWII films. In addition to the foreign influence in the French resistance, this film highlighted ways in which families were affected by the involvement in the resistance movement.