Year: 2015

“Woman in Gold” (2015). Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany, Max Irons, Charles Dance, Antje Traue, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Pryce, Frances Fisher, Moritz Bleibtreu, Tom Schilling, Allan Corduner, Henry Goodman, Nina Kunzendorf, Alma Hasun, Nellie Schilling, Milica Bogojevic, Justus Von Dohnányi, Olivia Silhavy, Ben Miles, Ludger Pistor. Director: Simon Curtis. Screenplay: Alexi Kaye Campbell. Story: The life stories of E. Randol Schoenberg and Maria Altmann. Web site. Trailer. Taking a stand is something most of us will eventually find ourselves doing with regard to some aspect of our lives. It may not be especially easy, frequently taking us out of our comfort zones, nudging us to face our fears and ultimately prompting us to embrace our sense of self. The effort, however, could prove tremendously rewarding, making it possible to find our reason for living. That’s one of many remarkable personal revelations to emerge out of the experiences of the principals in the excellent new fact-based historical drama, “Woman in Gold.” At the age of 81, many of us might be content to settle in and get comfortable for the remaining days of our lives. But not Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren). Despite her advancing age, ...

“Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter” (2014 production, 2015 release). Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuke Katsube, Kanako Higashi, Yumiko Hioki (voice), Ichi Kyokaku, Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Brad Prather, Lucy Luu, Phil Hall, Steve Buscemi (archive footage). Director: David Zellner. Screenplay: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. Web site. Trailer. Dreamers often possess a special sensibility that sets them apart from others. They dare to envision what many would consider unfathomable, and they generally pursue the fulfillment of their aspirations with quixotic determination, usually in spite of what others say. They have faith in their convictions, moving ahead to flesh them out at all costs, even in the face of the worst odds. Such is the kind of resolve on display in the offbeat new comedy-drama, “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter.” Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is bored by her life. As a twenty-something Tokyo “office lady,” she sees herself stuck in a dead-end job. She quietly detests the demands and intrusiveness of her condescending boss, Mr. Sakagami (Nobuyuke Katsube), and the incessant phone calls of her nagging mother (voiced by Yumiko Hioki). She’s even loath to address such everyday activities as keeping up her apartment, collecting her mail or spending time with a onetime ...

“She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry” (2014). Interview Footage: Alta, Chude Pamela Allen, Judith Arcana, Nona Willis Aronowitz, Fran Beal, Heather Booth, Rita Mae Brown, Susan Brownmiller, Linda Burnham, Jacqui Michot Ceballos, Mary Jean Collins, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Muriel Fox, Jo Freeman, Carol Giardina, Susan Griffin, Karla Jay, Kate Millett, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Denise Oliver-Velez, Trina Robbins, Ruth Rosen, Vivian Rothstein, Marlene Sanders, Alix Kates Shulman, Ellen Shumsky, Marilyn Webb, Virginia Whitehill, Ellen Willis, Alice Wolfson, Miriam Hawley, Jane Pincus, Joan Ditzion, Paula Doress-Worters, Wendy Sanford, Judy Norsigian, Vilunya Diskin, Pam Berger. Archive Footage: Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem. Director: Mary Dore. Web site. Trailer. The impact of an idea can be considerable. When that notion is infused with the energy of a mass collaboration, it can become huge. And, when that initiative is linked with others of like tenor, a movement is born. So it was when the women of America united to get behind a cause that liberated them from the shackles of stifling limitation, a culture-changing crusade that reshaped society forever, the subject of the engaging new documentary, “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry.” In 1963, author Betty Friedan set off a social and cultural firestorm with ...

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“Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (2014). Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Menashe Noy, Sasson Gabai, Eli Gornstein, Rami Danon, Roberto Pollak, Gabi Amrani, Dalia Beger. Directors: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz. Screenplay: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz. Web site. Trailer. To many of us, the resolution of certain types of situations may seem obvious. But are they really? Some might contend that such views are overly simplistic, that multiple impressions – and outcomes – are possible. This is especially true in courtroom settings, where the advocates for each side present compelling arguments for their clients. How everything shakes out depends on who makes the better case, a result that’s based (at least in part) on the beliefs employed in interpreting those contentions. That’s the scenario that unfolds in the engaging new Israeli drama, “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem.” Viviane Amsalem (Ronit Elkabetz) no longer loves her husband, Elisha (Simon Abkarian), and wants a divorce. There’s just one hitch – she’s unlikely to receive it. As a citizen of Israel, where civil marriage and divorce don’t exist, Viviane can dissolve her union only with the approval of an orthodox rabbinical tribunal and her spouse’s consent. And, under such a ...