Now Showing:
AFTER INNOCENCE This compelling documentary depicts the stories of the exonerated—innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA proved their innocence. The film focuses on the stories of seven men, including a police officer, an army sergeant, and a young father. All were sent to prison, some for decades, and some confined on death row, all for crimes they did not commit. Quad Cinema.
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Upcoming:
JESUS IS MAGIC Sarah Silverman, who has been compared to the legendary Lenny Bruce, is both funny and provocative. Faced with the current political climate, she treats taboo topics like September 11, unwanted body hair, and the Holocaust with equal weight, and spins them into politically incorrect gold. As she says in the film, “When God gives you AIDS—and God does give you AIDS, by the way—make LemonAIDS.” Opens Nov. 11.
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Recently Noted:
KISS KISS BANG BANG Why does Shane Black hate gay people so much? His new film features a queer character called Gay Perry (Val Kilmer), who says sarcastically, that he keeps the moniker, because, “I just like the name.” Of course, if audiences are not sure about this tough guy’s sexuality, well, his cell phone ring is a disco version of the song, “I Will Survive.” Lincoln Square, Cineplex Village, AMC 25.(Gary M. Kramer)
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INNOCENCE Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s film opens with a rumbling sound and a series of puzzling images. Eventually, a coffin is transferred through a passageway. It arrives in a house, leading to the “birth” of a nearly naked six-year-old girl, Iris (Zoé Auclair). She’s just entered a strange, isolated boarding school, peopled entirely by young girls; the oldest are just about to enter puberty. Hadzihalilovic films water like Robert Mapplethorpe photographed flowers. Her images of it carry a near-fetishistic charge, especially when she uses extreme close-ups that turn into abstract compositions. Cinema Village (Steve Erickson)
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THE PROTOCOLS OF ZION Director Marc Levin’s impetus for “Protocols of Zion” came when he heard an Egyptian-born cab driver state that no Jews died in the World Trade Center attack, and mentioned “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” as truth. The book, alleged to be the product of Jewish conspirators planning to take over the world, was actually written in 1905 by agents of the Russian czar and has been debunked numerous times. The film shines a valuable light on the many varieties of anti-Semitism flourishing today, buy suffers from a lack of analysis. Angelika, Lincoln Plaza (Steve Erickson)
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Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death A meticulous chronicle of the systematic use of fear, human rights abuses, and atrocities to force a nation of 20 million Africans into the service of King Léopold II. Unlike other colonizations, where land and natural resources were appropriated, the Congo was actually the personal property of King Léopold II from 1885 to 1908. “Congo” illustrates how Belgium has practiced collective denial about its colonial past. (Seth J. Bookey)
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GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK “Good Night, and Good Luck” painstakingly recreates a brief, shining moment in television history when the indefatigable Edward R. Murrow brought down Senator Joseph McCarthy, who ruined lives by branding innocent citizens as Communists with no proof. As a testament to director George Clooney’s skillful tenacity, “Good Night, and Good Luck” is as entertaining as it is weighty. (David Kennerley)
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CAPOTE Yes, in “Capote,” Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a terrific—call it Oscar-worthy —performance channeling gay writer Truman Capote. He has the author’s mannerisms down pat, his voice expertly attuned to delivering witty bon mots. It’s a perfect role for the actor/chameleon and he plays it to the hilt. And yes, this drama about the author’s efforts to research and write “In Cold Blood” is beautifully filmed. But does it all have to be so airless? Angelika, Clearview Chelsea, Loews Kips Bay. (Gary M. Kramer).
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THE SQUID AND THE WHALE Set in 80s Brooklyn, Noah Baumbach’s film follows a family of four through a separation. Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is an aging writer whose career is going nowhere, while his wife Joan (Laura Linney) is about to publish her first novel. Daniels delivers his best work in years, perfectly capturing his character’s blithe self-absorption, assumptions of entitlement, and half-concealed issues with women and children. Angelika, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill. (Steve Erickson).
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NINE LIVES Director Rodrigo Garcia brings to the big screen another of his trademark montage pieces, the star-studded release “Nine Lives.” Garcia has fashioned a collection of vignettes that capture a pivotal moment in the lives of nine women. As the film progresses it becomes clear how each of these woman’s stories and lives are linked in some way. Angelika, Paris Theater. (Winnie McCroy)
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Where the Truth Lies It is a shame that “Where the Truth Lies” is getting so much unwarranted attention for the queer three-way sex scene involving Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth that caused censors grief. A shame because the scene in question is a critical plot point, and viewers who wait in anticipation will find some of the film’s pleasures spoiled. What is more, another same-sex sex scene is far more titillating and revealing about the characters. Clearview Chelsea. (Gary Kramer)
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