Thursday, March 12, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Sophie Deraspe
Canada 2019
French; 109 minutes
Rated: 14A

Following the murder of her parents, Antigone (Nahéma Ricci),
her sister, two brothers, and grandmother find refuge in Montreal.
A straight-A student and model citizen, Antigone seems destined for success, but her life takes an unexpected turn when her brothers run into trouble with the police. Motivated by her duty to her family and her sense of justice, Antigone sets onto a path that puts her at odds with the authorities. Loosely based on Sophocles’ Greek
tragedy, Antigone explores sacrifice, responsibility, and the nature
of justice with exceptional depth and nuance.

Philosophically compelling and emotionally devastating, Deraspe crafts
a unique and contemporary cinematic experience that resonates deeply. Justine Smith, Globe and Mail

A contemporary spin on the Greek tragedy that feels refreshingly
liberated by the spirit of Sophocles’ original material, rather than
slavishly devoted to its letter. Jessica Kiang, Variety

The film is an incisive critique of the power imbal­ance between citizens and immigrants and the hypocrisy of an unjust justice system. It jolts the viewer out of complacency. Kelsey Adams, NOW Magazine

Thursday, February 27, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Presented in partnership with Shadows of the Mind Film Festival
Feb. 22 – Mar. 1, 2020           http://www.shadowsfilmfest.com/

Director: Louise Archambault
Canada 2019
French; 127 minutes
Rated: 14A

Three hermits – Tom (Rémy Girard), Charlie (Gilbert Sicotte), and Ted (Kenneth Welsh) – fled society years ago. They’ve been living
in the Quebec countryside, miles from civilization, eking out an
existence selling pot to the closest locals with help from local
hotelier Stephen (Éric Robidoux). But their lifestyle is increasingly endan­gered by nature, infirmity, and age. Driven by an astonishing cast boasting some of Quebec’s most esteemed performers, And the Birds Rained Down is a charming meditation on the possibilities of
living outside modernity and a tribute to the need to live on one’s own terms.

Touching, heartbreaking, and dangerously thought-provoking, And the Birds Rained Down will force you to re-examine your relationship with your­self, the world around you, and the people you love.
Anne T. Donahue, The Globe and Mail

This eco-friendly, elegantly delivered tale about the sunset changes in
the lives of a trio of graybeards living in the woods is engaging, thought-
provoking and ultimately moving…
Jonathan Holland, Hollywood Reporter

Thursday, February 20, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Céline Sciamma
France 2019
French; 119 minutes
Rated: R for some nudity and sexuality

In 18th-century Brittany, Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is
commissioned to paint a por­trait of a reclusive young woman,
Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who is soon to be married. Héloïse is not
to know of the painting, so Marianne closely observes her model
by day in order to paint her likeness at night. Day by day, the two women become closer as they share Héloïse’s last moments of
freedom before her impending wedding. Winner of the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay Awards at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival,
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is an exquisite portrait of art, eros, and
the gaze.

It is so very easy to label a film incendiary, but Portrait of a Lady on Fire deserves the scalding honour. It will ignite every flame you might have. Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

In a film told with sweeping visual scope, Sciamma plunges the viewer into a story and setting of the deepest intimacy.
David Sims, The Atlantic

It’s a great example of how a well-told story, with vivid characters, can seep right into your bones and keep you thinking for days afterward — and the pleasure felt while watching it isn’t negligible either.
Stephanie Zacharek, Time Magazine

Thursday, February 13, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Bong Joon-ho
South Korea 2019
Korean; 131 minutes
Rating: 14a for language, some violence, and sexual content

Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), his wife Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin), daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam), and son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) live in an overcrowded, sor­did basement while the Parks live in a fabulous house. When Ki-woo is unexpectedly hired by the Parks, the destinies of the two families cross and their explosive meeting exposes the evils of class inequalities, culminating in a powerful
and utterly original outcome. Described by Bong as “a comedy
without clowns and a tragedy without vil­lains,” Parasite mixes
pathos and satire with thrills and drama in a perfectly controlled blend of genres.

An exhilarating and furious indictment of class struggle, Parasite might be the masterpiece South Korea’s Bong Joon-ho has been working toward his entire career. Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail

One of the best movies of 2019, Bong Joon Ho’s latest is a film of
dramatic power, innovative comedy, romantic poetry and melancholy beauty. Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

It’s a hell of a ride – and one of the year’s best films. Norman Wilner, NOW Toronto

Thursday, January 30, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: François Girard
Canada/Hungary 2019
English; 113 minutes
Rating: PG

Dovidl Rapoport (Jonah Hauer-King), a Polish musical prodigy, fails to show up for his much-anticipated first public performance.
Decades later, Martin (Tim Roth) is reminded of Dovidl by a student at a musical competition and sets out to find him. Consumed by memories of the bond they shared, Martin slowly unravels the
mystery of Dovidl’s disappearance and uncovers elements of the boy’s life too tragic for Martin to have fathomed. Featuring exquisite music, touching performances, and an extremely talented young cast, The Song of Names is an emotionally devastating tale of family, obligation, ambition, and friendship.

Girard proves once again that he’s a master of music. By weaving both original compositions and classic works flawlessly into the film, The Song of Names becomes a solemn reflection on war and a lost brotherhood. Sara Clements, Flick Feast

An emotional performance of the titular Song is the heart and soul
of the film. Anne Brodie, What She Said

[The Song of Names] remains among the better serious, adult-oriented films of this holiday season. Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

Thursday, January 23, 2020
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Carl Hunter
United Kingdom 2019
English; 91 minutes
Rating: PG

Alan (Bill Nighy) has a keen talent for Scrabble, but it’s tainted by
the memory of his son who disappeared after storming out during
a game. He’s been searching for his missing son ever since, but it seems all he has accomplished is to estrange his other son, Peter (Sam Riley). Peter and Alan attempt reconciliation, but when Alan comes across a mysterious online Scrabble player their strained
relationship teeters on the brink of calamity. The quietly powerful performances from Nighy and Riley, visual inventiveness, and
whimsically offbeat style of Sometimes Always Never make for a
lovely tale.

This film is a distinct, articulate pleasure. Peter Bradshaw,
The Guardian

Nighy is a perfect fit as the somewhat scuffed roué who still radiates an unmistakeable mystique. Adam Sweeting, The Arts Desk

Often, the whole shebang plays like a rattle bag of tropes, digressions and stray running gags. Then again, that randomness is perfectly apt…
Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter

Thursday, November 14, 2019
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Joe Talbot
USA 2019
English; 120 minutes
Rating: 14A for language, brief nudity, and drug use

Jimmie (Jimmie Fails) spends his time hanging out with his
best friend Montgomery (Jonathan Majors), haunting the
neighbour­hoods they knew as children and watching old
black-and-white movies at the small house they share with
Montgomery’s grandfather (Danny Glover). He also visits and
fixes up the house his grandfather built, much to the annoyance
of its current owners. Rooted in the real-life experiences of his
childhood best friend, who plays himself in a genuine and heartfelt
performance, Talbot’s debut feature is a gorgeous ode to the city
of San Francisco.

An indelibly beautiful story of love, family, and loss in America
from two childhood friends turned filmmakers.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

There is something irrepressibly original and exciting in the
collaboration that results between Talbot, Fails and co-writer
Rob Richert – a cinematic vision that feels as fresh as it does
necessary. Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a poetic and picturesque
ode to the title city, to friendship, and to the universal urge to find
a place to call home. Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Thursday, November 7, 2019
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Joanna Hogg
UK/USA 2019
English; 119 minutes
Rating: 14A for some sexuality, graphic nudity, drug material, and language

Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is finding her place as an artist in 1980s west London, trying to shed her sheltered and privileged upbringing and immerse herself in the real world for the sake of her art. Her journey is derailed by Anthony (Tom Burke), whose charm is equalled by his depravity, but whom she cannot help but love — much to the dismay of her friends and her mother (played by
Swinton Byrne’s real-life mother, Tilda Swinton). Capturing the
intensity and naiveté of a first adult love, The Souvenir is a time
capsule of our collective bad decisions and tormented rela­tionships.

A work of memoir shattered and reassembled into a universally moving, truthful fiction. Guy Lodge, Variety

Swinton Byrne and Burke make for one of the year’s most intriguing screen couples, although this is a romance based on anxiety, narcissism and opportunism rather than anything resembling genuine affection.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

An extraordinary rumination on memory and privilege while also being one of the most incisive movies ever to directly address – in moral,
philosophical and personal terms – what it means to be a filmmaker.
Oliver Jones, Observer

Thursday, October 24, 2019
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Patricia Rozema
Canada 2018
English; 91 minutes
Rating: 14A

Following her mother’s sudden death, aspiring writer Cassandra struggles to compose a fitting eulogy. Standing in brazen opposition to her mother’s embodiment of feminine grace, she disdains her mother’s failed career and incessant need for approval from others. The conflicting dialogue in Cassandra’s head is brilliantly expressed by two performers: the original play’s creators, Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. Their striking physicality and stirring a cappella harmonies create a compelling portrayal of the opposing voices that exist inside the modern woman’s head.

In revealing Cassandra’s interior life, Rozema lays bare the modern
female condition in an epic battle that is by turns lacerating, soothing, and heartbreaking. Simon Houpt, Globe and Mail

A haunting, self-reflective dream that looks at the pressures and
expectations women place on themselves and particularly on each other. Carly Maga, Toronto Star

A thoughtful interrogation of modern womanhood, leavened
by gallows humor. Scott Tobias, Variety

Thursday, October 10, 2019
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Lulu Wang
USA 2019
English/Mandarin; 98 minutes
Rating: PG for thematic material, brief language, and some smoking

Billi (Awkwafina), who moved to America when she was young,
travels back to China to visit her dying grandmother (Shuzhen Zhao). Billi’s family doesn’t want to darken the final days of their
matriarch so they don’t tell her of her terminal diagnosis, instead
organizing a false wedding so that everyone can come to say their goodbyes. Awkwafina is dazzling as empathetic Billi, supported by
a remarkable cast that includes Tzi Ma as her father and Diana Lin
as her mother. Based on true events, The Farewell is an
intergenerational family drama that is at once celebratory,
heart-wrenching, and life-affirming.

A funny, emotionally intricate, and deeply moving tale of severed
connections and renewed family ties.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

This smart film deftly mixes comedy and tragedy, and manages to be heartfelt without being cloying or sentimental.
Adam Graham, Detroit News

The Farewell delivers powerful emotional blows, and we ache for Billi and what she’s going through – in large part because Awkwafina’s
performance is so raw and authentic and in the moment.
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times