Wicked Little LettersIn a 1920s seaside town in England, conservative local Edith (Olivia Colman) begins receiving letters filled with hilarious profanity. Her rowdy Irish migrant neighbor Rose (Jessie Buckley) is charged with sending the offensive letters. But the town’s women suspect something isn’t quite right and decide to solve the mystery themselves. Based on a true story that became national news in years following World War I, even critics who claim the screenplay is a little too predictable lavished praise on the performances of Colman (“The Favourite”), Buckley (“Women Talking”) and Spall (“Mr. Turner”). If you love indie comedies about eccentric small-town types and aren’t offended by some curse words, “Wicked Little Letters” should be on your list of movies to see.
Opens at the April 5 at the State Theatre.
For anyone who has seen the trailer, this may be one of the most anticipated movies of the year or the one to most avoid. Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) brings his dystopian action film about what America might be like if civil war broke out. That Garland joins together Texas and California, two states we imagine would be political opposites, seems a good sign that the film could be side-stepping showing favoritism to either political party and simply focusing on the horror of war. His script is said to be deliberately vague as to the cause of war but does seem to feature a troublesome president in this third term. Two journalists, their coverage of the war, influence, and the effect it has on them as human beings drive part of the film. Given the concerns about the upcoming election, it remains to be seen whether the public will have an appetite for the subject matter. “Civil War” stars Nick Offerman and Kirsten Dunst.
Opens April 12 at the State Theatre.
Director Luca Guadagnino (“I Am Love,” “Call Me by Your Name,” “A Bigger Splash”) has made a career out of films mostly dealing with the families and relationships of the uber wealthy. For this reason, in the early part of his career, Guadagnino has been compared to legendary Italian director Luchino Visconti. His latest film, “Challengers,” centers on a former tennis prodigy turned coach who is married to a pro tennis player suffering a string of losses. Tashi’s plan to break her husband’s losing streak takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend, who also happens to be his wife Tashi’s former boyfriend. Challengers stars Zandaya (“Dune”), Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”), and Mike Faist (“West Side Story”).
Opens April 26 at the State Theatre.
This delightful fable is about English tomb raider Arthur, Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”), who uses his skills to hunt down buried Etruscan artifacts in Tuscany. He’s successful, possessing a kind of sixth sense that tells him where to look for treasure, and yet he’s also marked by grief and falls in with a group “kindly thieves.” Having lost his true love under circumstances never fully revealed, Arthur and his band of friends embark on thrilling underground explorations that serve to help him find his life’s purpose. Poetic and beautifully photographed, “La Chimera” is directed by Tuscan filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher and stars Josh O’Connor and Isabella Rossellini. In Italian with English subtitles.
Opens April 12 at the Michigan Theater.
Special screenings
A thriller from actress turned writer/director, Ida Lupino, one of the few female directors in 1953.
Playing April 8 at the Michigan Theater.
Its title translates to “ghost story.” “Kwaidan” is an anthology of four folk tales and is one of the most ambitious and stunningly photographed films ever made in Japan. Director Masaki Kobayashi made this film at the height of his career in 1964. A very personal film for its director, this was his first color film, and it was shot on a huge soundstage. He invested much of his own money into the film, but by the time it was released the film flopped — though it did win a few prizes. Although its director never had full control over a film again, “Kwaidan” was heralded as one of the great cinematic masterpieces of Japanese cinema.
Playing April 11 at the Michigan Theater.
Household SaintsAn unsettling drama about three generations of Italian American women struggling to get by in post-World War II New York’s Little Italy. Starring Lili Taylor, Tracy Ullman and Vincent D’Onofrio. See the film with director Nancy Savoca and screenwriter Richard Guay.
Playing April 19 at the Michigan Theater. With post-film Q&A with director.
When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, “Paprika,” can stop it. Written and directed by master of Japanese animation, Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue), this film was the inspiration behind Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.”
Playing April 19 and 25 at the State Theatre.
Grab your chance to see this Pixar classic on the big screen – free for kids 12 and under.
Playing April 28 at Michigan Theater.
