02013.12: A Yearlong Film Viewing Balancing Act
Films I'm watching in December 02013. Part of A Yearlong Film Viewing Balancing Act. #yfvba http://olearysreellife.tumblr.com/ @olearysreellife
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- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsChadwick BosemanT.R. KnightHarrison FordIn 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.02013.12.01: on blu-ray from Netflix. watched with my sweetie.
- DirectorDoan HoangStarsNam HoangVan TranAnne HoangAccompanied by gripping images from the war, 'Oh, Saigon' is an in-depth, compelling documentary about one refugee family's attempts to face its divided past and heal the physical and emotional wounds of the Vietnam War.02013.12.02: streamed on netflix
- DirectorNina PaleyAn animated short set to the tune of Pat Boone's Exodus Song satirizing the history of the land called Israel/Palestine/Canaan/the Levant. "I envisioned This Land Is Mine as the last scene of my potential-possible-maybe- feature film, Seder-Masochism, but it's the first (and so far only) scene I've animated. As the Bible says, 'So the last will be first, and the first will be last.'" -Nina Paley02013.12.02: devilishly funny.
- DirectorRebecca ThomasStarsJulia GarnerLiam AikenBilly ZaneRachel, a teenager born and raised in her Mormon community, believes that she has been inpregnated by listening to music and must get to Vegas to find the "father" of her miracle baby.02013.12.03: streamed on Netflix. Very satisfying experience.
- DirectorYolonda RossStarsYolonda RossLevi FiehlerOtto DeJean02013.12.04: streamed on Vimeo.
- DirectorHannah FidellStarsLindsay BurdgeWill BrittainJennifer PredigerA high school teacher in Austin, Texas takes sexual advantage over one of her students. Her life begins to unravel as the details of the relationship are exposed.02013.12.05: At IU Cinema with Hannah Fidell present.
- DirectorEliza HittmanStarsGina PiersantiNyck CautionGiovanna SalimeniLila wants to emulate the sexual exploits of her more experienced best friend. She fixates on a tough older guy who will "sleep with anyone" and tries to insert herself into his world, putting herself in a dangerously vulnerable situation.02013.12.05: At IU Cinema with Eliza Hittman present.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.02013.12.04: on disc.... I own it and I watch it often.
- DirectorChad HartiganStarsPaul EenhoornDemetrius GrosseTom PlunkettMartin Bonner has just moved to Nevada from the East Coast, leaving behind his two adult children and a life he spent more than two decades building.02013.12.06: on disc from MCPL.
- DirectorYu-Hsiu Camille ChenStarsNicola BartlettJames HaganNina DeasleySimple and sincere, celebrating life and the unconditional love of a mother.02013.12.07: streamed from Film Movement. I have an All Access Pass.
- DirectorZhangke JiaStarsWu JiangBaoqiang WangTao ZhaoFour independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.02013.12.08: at IU Cinema
- DirectorAudrey CummingsStarsAudrey CummingsDwayne EvensJohn GordonA Sci-Fi Drama where the world has fallen victim to viruses and diseases. there is no human touch, no eye contact, no socialization. Everything is cold and clinical. After catching the eyes of a stranger, Sophie longs for human interaction.
- DirectorAnna KuntsmanStarsAlena YivHerzl TobeyCatherine the Great is a story, one of thousands each year, of women trafficking for prostitution in Israel.
- DirectorDebra GranikStarsVera FarmigaHugh DillonClint JordanA woman stuck in a stale marriage struggles to raise her children and manage her secret drug habit. But when winter comes to her small town, her balancing act begins to come crashing down.
- DirectorStephanie ViaAn elderly lady remembers a tragic childhood moment.
- DirectorJames FrancoStarsJames FrancoTim Blake NelsonJim ParrackBased on the classic novel by William Faulkner, first published in 1930, "As I Lay Dying" is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family's quest to honor her last wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.
- StarsMark CousinsJuan Diego BottoAleksandr SokurovA comprehensive history of the medium and art of motion pictures.Episode 13: 02013.12.11
Episode 14: 02013.12.12
Episode 15: 02013.12.14 - DirectorChris McCoyAdam NeustadterStarsTimothy A. BennettShawn ChristensenSarah HeywardAn old, abandoned bicycle learns to love again.
- DirectorChiwetel EjioforStarsIsaac SsebandekeJohn KamauLandry Adelard02013.12.12: streamed on The Guardian's website.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsHugh GrantMartine McCutcheonLiam NeesonFollows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.02013.12.13
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsRangi NgamokiHutini WaikatoTe Ahiwaru Ngamoki-RichardsSometimes first love is found in the most unlikely of places, like in the carpark outside the Te Kaha pub.02013.12.15: Streamed from Film Movement
- DirectorKeanu ReevesStarsTiger Hu ChenKeanu ReevesKaren MokA young martial artist's unparalleled Tai Chi skills land him in a highly lucrative underworld fight club.02013.12.15: on blu-ray from Netflix
- DirectorHarmony KorineStarsVanessa HudgensSelena GomezAshley BensonFour college girls hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. While partying, drinking, and taking drugs, they are arrested, only to be bailed out by a drug and arms dealer.02013.12.16: on disc from MCPL
- DirectorHelena BrooksStarsLliam PowellEmily O'Brien-BrownGeraldine BrophyBilly just wants to be ordinary. Mistaken as a child as Jesus reincarnate, he leads his life avoiding any kind of attention. But can he ever escape his most zealous devotee - his mother?02013.12.16: streamed on Vimeo
- DirectorAndrew BujalskiStarsKriss SchludermannTom FletcherWiley WigginsA 1980s-set story centered around a man vs. machine chess tournament.02013.12.17
- DirectorDebbie IsittStarsMartin FreemanMarc WoottonJason WatkinsAn uptight but secretly heartbroken primary school teacher's little white lie about Hollywood coming to see his class' nativity play grows like wildfire in his rag-tag school low on self-esteem.02013.12.18
- DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsMatt DamonEdgar RamírezJoan AllenJason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.02013.12.19
- DirectorBree NewsomeStarsSahr AliChristina FaisonBenton Greene'Everybody knows if you're fixin' to GOSSIP, you gotta have a little dirt on somebody. And everybody knows if you're fixin' to BURY, you gotta throw a little dirt on somebody. But don't everybody know that if you're fixin' to CONJURE, it's best to take a little dirt from a body...' So begins this Southern Gothic tale of 'root-work', self-righteousness and comeuppance.02013.12.20: Streamed from Netflix. Thanks to blackshortfilms.com for sharing this one...
- DirectorHaifaa Al-MansourStarsWaad MohammedReem AbdullahAbdullrahman Al GohaniAn enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.02013.12.20: at IU Cinema
- DirectorRyan WhiteStarsFreda KellyPaul McCartneyJohn LennonA documentary in which Freda Kelly looks back at her career as lifelong secretary for The Beatles.02013.12.21: on blu-ray from Netflix.
- DirectorSteve HollowayStarsKelsey FlaniganJ. Michael PolisanoIn the cyclical patterns of love, nature and war, an army wife fights her own battle.02013.12.21: on vimeo
- DirectorMartha CoolidgeStarsJulia StilesLuke MablyMiranda RichardsonAt college Paige meets Eddie, a student from Denmark, whom she first dislikes but later accepts, likes, and loves; he proves to be Crown Prince Edvard. Paige follows him to Copenhagen, and he follows her back to school with a plan.02013.12.22
- DirectorNicole HolofcenerStarsCatherine KeenerOliver PlattRebecca HallIn New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.02013.12.23: disc from Wells Library
- DirectorKevin RaffertyStarsDon GillisBruce FreemanTed SkowronskiCritically acclaimed documentary about the 1968 football game played by two undefeated teams from Harvard and Yale.02013.12.24: Streamed on MUBI.
- DirectorXan ArandaStarsAndrew BirdMartin DoshMichael LewisThe acclaimed musician's rigorous touring year culminates in perpetual fever as he crosses the finish line on crutches from an onstage injury. Concert documentary features collaborators Martin Dosh, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, and others.02013.12.24
- DirectorDiane BellStarsMichael PiccirilliGaynor HoweFrank Hoyt TaylorGeorge, a lonely librarian, believes love is obsolete, until a road trip to Death Valley with a cinema projectionist named Sophie teaches him otherwise.02013.12.25: on disc from Wells Library.
- DirectorCatherine CyranStarsLuke MablyKam HeskinMaryam d'AboWeeks before the royal wedding, the evil Norwegian prince Albert finds an old law that can force the crown prince of Denmark to marry Albert's two-faced daughter instead of his lovely, American fiancee. The two women "battle".02013.12.25: on disc from MCPL.
- DirectorLauren MacMullanStarsWalt DisneyMarcellite GarnerRussi TaylorMickey, Minnie, Horace Horsecollar, and Clarabelle Cow go on a musical wagon ride until Peg-Leg Pete tries to run them off the road.02013.12.26: At Brown County Playhouse
- DirectorChris BuckJennifer LeeStarsKristen BellIdina MenzelJonathan GroffFearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.02013.12.26: At Brown County Playhouse
- DirectorPatricia RiggenStarsEva MendesCierra RamirezPatricia ArquetteAs single mom Grace juggles work, bills, and her affair with a married doctor, her daughter, Ansiedad, plots a shortcut to adulthood after finding inspiration in the coming-of-age stories she's reading for school.02013.12.27: on disc from MCPL
- DirectorMegan KappelThe Highland Games have taken place in Scotland for hundreds of years, but the beloved tradition seems more popular in the United States than anywhere else. At the Grandfather Mountain Highland Festival in Linville, North Carolina, athletes and clansmen explain the games and why they are celebrated on American soil.02013.12.27: short streamed on Vimeo.
- DirectorRenee SladeRi StewartStarsMark ApplebaumAmit GoswamiMark GouldAn exploration of the creative process - its angst, its thrills, its purpose and its methods.02013.12.27: got a sneak peek
- DirectorNiam ItaniStarsJessica EscueJared M. GordonMegan KappelA stranger is mistaken for a man named Nick by a group of people on their way to help a friend in distress in this short absurdist comedy.02013.12.27: short on Vimeo
- DirectorCarmen LosmannStarsAnnette LabodeAlexander SteinmetzMichael SchmidAll about non-territorial office space, multi-mobile knowledge workers, Blackberries and Miles&More. A documentary about the removal of boundaries in the working place.02013.12.27 - on Doc Alliance
- DirectorJennifer WestfeldtStarsJennifer WestfeldtAdam ScottMaya RudolphTwo best friends decide to have a child together while keeping their relationship platonic, so they can avoid the toll kids can take on romantic relationships.02013.12.27: on disc from MCPL.
- DirectorKelly Neal02013.12.28: streamed from Doc Alliance
- DirectorLynn SheltonStarsRosemarie DeWittElliot PageJosh PaisA massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother's floundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his healing touch.02013.12.28
- DirectorSusanne BierStarsMads MikkelsenSidse Babett KnudsenRolf LassgårdA manager of an orphanage in India is sent to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he discovers a life-altering family secret.02013.12.29
- DirectorArvin ChenStarsChun-Yao YaoChar-Wei WuZr-Gang BiMei is the story of a young man, who works on a noodles stall run by a father and daughter. He is, of course, in love with the daughter, but the eponymous girl in question plans to use her English language skills to leave Taiwan and find a job in New York. Will our reticent hero pluck up the courage to tell her how he feels or will something else come out of his mouth?02013.12.29
- DirectorVirginia BogertStarsAlia AtkinsonCandy Ann BrownCoral BrownWhat begins as a carefree day of two best friends in the segregated American South of the 1960's, suddenly reaches a crossroads. On this day they both face hard realities that undermine their friendship.02013.12.30: on disc Seattle Women in Film
- DirectorKatie TeagueStarsMarga LaubeLynne TwistVandana ShivaMONEY and LIFE is a passionate and inspirational essay-style documentary that makes a provocative proposition: can we see the economic crisis not as a disaster, but as a tremendous opportunity? An optimistic film steeped in appreciation for human ingenuity, MONEY and LIFE is a respectful invitation to consider questions critical to all our well-being: How can we move beyond being merely consumers, debtors and creditors, and put money in service to what we really care about as citizens, as human beings? Can we design a monetary circulation system that fosters democratic equality? What does it really mean to make a living? MONEY and LIFE empowers each of us to respond to the fundamental issues of our time and participate in the emerging new economy.02013.12.30: streamed on indieflix
- DirectorCheryl SleanStarsPhil DavisMarie MatikoAustin Farwell02013.12.30: on disc Seattle Women in Film
- DirectorDrew BarrymoreStarsElliot PageDrew BarrymoreKristen WiigIn Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock-loving misfit finds a way of dealing with small-town misery after discovering a roller-derby league in nearby Austin.02013.12.30: on disc from Wells Library media reserve
- DirectorHeather Renee AyresFour guys share the essence of what it takes to be a drag queen.02013.12.31: on disc Seattle Women in Film from Netflix
- DirectorLeos CaraxStarsDenis LavantEdith ScobEva MendesA man boards a limousine to be driven to his day's work: nine mysterious "appointments."02013.12.31: FINALLY seeing this one. w/ my sweetie. Happy New Year!