February 1, 2012 - "Army of Crime" (2009)

Army of Crime, 2009
Director: Robert Guediguian
Origin: France
Languages: French | German
Running time: 139 min

This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian), a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team's members became martyrs for the Resistance. Virginie Ledoyen co-stars as Manouchian's wife. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $35,416

Watch the trailer at IMDB.

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Review of last week's film, "Alamar" (3.5 stars)
Steven says: As one of the movie's song lyrics says, "I'm not in a hurry to get there." That's the pace of the film, which allows you to really drink in this slow moving lifestyle of the fishermen in the movie. The stunning cinematography showcases the Banco Chinchorro coral reef, while the minimalist storyline pays homage to the lessons passed from father to son.

January 25, 2012 - "Alamar" (2009)

Alamar, 2009
Director: Pedro González-Rubio
Origin: Mexico
Languages: Spanish | Italian
Running time: 73 min

Before his young son, Natan (Natan Machado Palombini), returns to Rome with his mother, Jorge (Jorge Machado) takes the boy on an extended journey to a tiny fishing village, where Natan learns to fish and snorkel amid the natural splendor of the Mexican Caribbean. Filmmaker Pedro González-Rubio's delicate family drama also stars Nestor Marin as veteran angler Matraca, as well as a colorful cast of crocodiles, tropical birds and iguanas. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $61,613

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Steve's rating of the January 18 film, "Aberdeen": 3.5 stars out of 5

Announcing the Winter 2012 season . . .

Cinematheque for All – Winter 2012
The Fall 2011 Season is January 11 – May 2, 2012. All screenings for this season begin at 7:00 p.m. in Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering, Room B124, 480 Stadium Mall Drive, on the Purdue University campus. Parking is available in the Northwestern Avenue parking garage.

• Wednesday, January 11, 2012, Neds, Director: Peter Mullan, 2010, Origin: UK | France | Italy, Language: English | Scots, Running time: 124 min
• Wednesday, January 18, 2012, Aberdeen, Director: Hans Petter Moland, 2001, Origin: UK | Norway | Sweden, Language: English, Running time: 106 min
• Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Alamar, Director: Pedro González-Rubio, 2009, Origin: Mexico, Language: Spanish | Italian, Running time: 73 min
• Wednesday, February 1, 2012, Army of Crime, Director: Robert Guediguian, 2009, Origin: France, Language: French | German, Running time: 139 min
• Wednesday, February 8, 2012, Incendies, Director: Denis Villeneuve, 2010, Origin: Canada | France, Language: French | Arabic | English, Running time: 130 min
• Wednesday, February 15, 2012, Police, Adjective, Director: Corneliu Porumboiu, 2009, Origin: Romania, Language: Romanian, Running time: 115 min
• Wednesday, February 22, 2012, The Celebration, Director: Thomas Vinterberg, 1998, Origin: Denmark | Sweden, Language: Danish | German | English, Running time: 105 min
• Wednesday, February 29, 2012, The Tree of Life, Director: Terrence Malick, 2011, Origin: USA, Language: English, Running time: 139 min
• Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Grbavica: The land of my dreams, Director: Jasmila Zbanic, 2006, Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | Austria | Germany, Language: Bosnian, Running time: 107 min
• Wednesday, March 14, 2012, Lake Tahoe, Director: Fernando Eimbcke, 2008, Origin: Mexico | Japan | USA, Language: Spanish | English, Running time: 89 min
• Wednesday, March 21, 2012, When We Leave, Director: Feo Aladag, 2010, Origin: German, Language: German | Turkish, Running time: 119 min
• Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Inch' Allah Dimanche, Director: Yamina Benguigui, 2001, Origin: France | Algeria, Language: Arabic | French, Running time: 98 min
• Wednesday, April 4, 2012, Roads to Koktebel, Director: Boris Khlebnikov and Aleksei Popogrebsky, 2003, Origin: Russia, Language: Russian, Running time: 100 min
• Wednesday, April 11, 2012, The Keys to the House, Director: Gianni Amelio, 2004, Origin: Italy | Germany | France, Language: Italian | German | French | English, Running time: 105 min
• Wednesday, April 18, 2012, The Trip, Director: Michael Winterbottom, 2010, Origin: UK, Language: English, Running time: 107 min
• Wednesday, April 25, 2012, The City of Your Final Destination, Director: James Ivory, 2009, Origin: USA, Language: English | Spanish | French, Running time: 117 min
• Wednesday, May 2, 2012, A Somewhat Gentle Man, Director: Hans Petter Moland, 2010, Origin: Norway, Language: Norwegian, Running time: 105 min

January 18, 2011 - "Aberdeen" (2001)

Aberdeen, 2001
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Origin: UK | Norway | Sweden
Language: English
Running time: 106 min.

Kaisa (Lena Headey), a beautiful and feisty Scottish woman, finally has her life together - at least until her mother (Charlotte Rampling) asks an enormous favor: to bring back to her Kaisa's estranged, larger-than-life father (Stellan Skarsgard). The two of them, father and daughter together, set out on a wild, brutally funny yet heartbreaking journey, which takes them through their emotional past before reaching their ultimate destination. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Not rated
U.S. box office: $64,148

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

Winter 2012 season -- the beginning

We have been slow to start the process of selecting the winter 2012 season. So far, we have chosen the first four films, beginning with January 11. By the time we screen the first film, the entire season should be in place.

Here is what we have lined up so far:

For January 11, 2012:
Neds, 2010
Director: Peter Mullan
Origin: UK | France | Italy
Languages: English | Scots
Running time: 124 minutes

This intense social drama follows young Joe McGill (Gregg Forrest) in 1972 Glasgow as he enters middle school and is ostracized for his intellect and brother Benny's (Joe Szula) fierce reputation. Joe (Conor McCarron) follows in Benny's footsteps to become a NED: a non-educated delinquent. Tormented by school bullies and his alcoholic father (director Peter Mullan), Joe is forced to transform into a vicious thug in order to survive. (from Netflix.com)

Watch trailer at IMDB.

• For January 18, 2012: Aberdeen, 2000
• For January 25, 2012: Alamar, 2009
• For February 1, 2012: The Army of Crime, 2009

See you soon, and Happy New Year!