Here’s some trivia: The old maxim “Variety is the spice of life” actually comes from 18th-century English poet William Cowper. The exact quote: “Variety’s the very spice of life / That gives it all its flavour.” Go forth with this knowledge and prosper.
The sentiment has endured these many long years, and it’s a good theme for movie hunting this month. There’s an uncommonly wide variety of films playing locally in April, including some interesting indies and imports on the arthouse circuit.
To wit: director Genki Kawamura’s J-horror mind twist Exit 8, which should appeal to audiences beyond the usual scary movie crowd.
Drenched in urban dread, Kawamura’s psychological puzzler follows an unfortunate commuter stuck in the existential labyrinth that is the Tokyo subway system. No matter which way he turns, the Lone Man (Japanese superstar Kazunari Ninomiya) finds himself back where he started. Events begin to repeat themselves, except when they don’t, and every corner brings another creepy development. Crying babies in a wall of storage lockers, say.
Based on a popular indie video game from a few years back, Kawamura’s adaptation introduces some clever storytelling twists to take advantage of the cinematic medium. The Lone Man, it seems, brings his own problems into those tunnels. Exit 8 takes a kind of game-theory approach to the horror genre, and audiences have responded with “you must see this” enthusiasm.
Moving from Tokyo to London, The Christophers is the latest from eternally restless filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, and it’s a solid bet for those who like their comedies smart, dark, and intelligent.
Ian McKellen headlines as Julian Sklar, a once-brilliant London painter who has degenerated into bad behavior and trash television. (He’s a panelist on a reality TV show called Art Fight.) The veteran British star Michaela Coel plays Lori Butler, an art restorer recently hired as Julian’s personal assistant.
Also in play: Julian’s estranged adult children, a set of valuable paintings (those are the Christophers), and a forgery scheme that probably needs some revision. The real action here is the relationship between Julian and Lori, which provides the two formidable actors their own canvas on which to work.
Structurally, The Christophers is an old-fashioned two-hander—intimate and tightly focused, like a stage play. But you can always bet on Soderbergh to stress-test the boundaries of format, visually, and screenwriter Ed Solomon is an old pro. Reviews from last year’s Toronto International Film Festival bode well, too.
Finally, April is always a good month for variety in the Triangle, thanks to the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Slated for April 16 to 19 this year, Full Frame will bring 49 films from 31 countries to the Carolina Theatre and other venues in downtown Durham.
For the uninitiated, Full Frame is a high-profile and truly international film festival, one of the most important yearly events in the global documentary film industry. The good news for locals is that festival organizers have developed a ticketing system that’s friendly for drop-ins and day-trippers. Check the festival website for details.
Point being, you don’t have to buy a festival pass in advance to catch great films at Full Frame. It just takes a few clicks to figure out the various film series and seating policies. You can purchase individual tickets online, on the phone, or on-site at the Carolina Theatre box office. It’s easier than you think. Be unafraid!
Quick picks
Michaela Coel is also onscreen this month with Mother Mary, the latest from the always-interesting director David Lowery (A Ghost Story). The story is being billed as a psychosexual thriller with Anne Hathaway as a pop star in trouble, Coel as an old frenemy, and some unsettling metaphysical incidents. Jack Antonoff, Charli XCX, and FKA Twigs provide the songs.
The animated feature Animal Farm, directed by Andy Serkis, is the third film adaptation of George Orwell’s 1945 novella. Also in the voice cast: Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, and Woody Harrelson. Early reviews suggest that we can expect some relevant updates to the story’s political allegory.
Bob Odenkirk continues his action-movie career reboot with Normal, playing a stubborn sheriff who goes up against a small town’s entire criminal underground.
We don’t get many old-fashioned romantic comedies in the multiplex anymore, so be gentle with You, Me & Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page, and some swoony location shooting at an old Italian villa.
Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels gets the full biography treatment in the documentary Lorne, which promises exclusive footage from the SNL vaults plus celebrity interviews with Tina Fey, Conan O’Brien, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Mike Myers, and Paul Simon. Oh, and the director is Academy Award winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom). This one can’t miss.
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