Films: May 16 - 22

Citizen Kane (1941)

And While We Were Here (2012) 

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

Starfish (2018)

The Space Between Us (2017)

Hell Or High Water (2016)

Annie Get Your Gun (1950) /// 

Citizen Kane (1941) Vital and exciting, time doesn't diminish the joyful potential of cinema that shines from every gleaming, shadowy frame. Orson Welles' mix of styles, visually and narratively, serves as commentary and memories, a fluid blend that peels away the personal and the political.

And While We Were Here (2012) An emotionally lost Kate Bosworth embarks on an affair with a young American amid sun-blessed Italian locations. A careful meditation of love and death, it adds nothing vital though the lead is quietly affecting and the leisurely pacing subtly envelops.

Things Heard & Seen (2021) Amanda Seyfried and James Norton move into a country house whose ghosts mirror their own deteriorating marriage. Chasing thematic and story strands too numerous and ambitious to contain, tension and involvement is diffused, despite technical skill.

Starfish (2018) Realized with startling visuals and a dream-like mood, the intensely emotional Virginia Gardner deals with grief at the loss of her friend while surviving an alien invasion of earth. Jettisoning narrative, the sensory approach is fueled by a gorgeous, energized score.

The Space Between Us (2017) Initially intriguing setup of a boy born to the lead astronaut of a space flight to Mars gets unstuck with earthbound contrivances when the teen searches for his father and love. The actors are unable to convince. The strong score provides some cohesion.

Hell Or High Water (2016) Equal parts sand-blasted thriller and seething social critique, as retiring Texas Ranger Jeff Bridges hunts desperate bank robbers Chris Pine and Ben Foster. A gritty modern western with a smart script that persuasively opens up narrative and characters.

Annie Get Your Gun (1950) Brash and colorful design matches big hearted, gloriously over-the-top Betty Hutton's Annie Oakley and a succession of terrific Cole Porter songs. Despite an uncharacteristic resolution that panders to egotistical Howard Keel, a hugely enjoyable mix.