Waltz with Bashir
Difficult to Remember, Impossible to Forget
Directed by Ari Folman
Written by Folman
At: Kendall Square
Running time: 90 minutes
In Hebrew, with subtitles
Rated: R (some disturbing images of atrocities, strong violence, and brief nudity)
One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari Folman about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can’t remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images ... Folman’s animated documentary has been acclaimed worldwide and is winner of 6 Israeli Film Academy Awards, including Best Film, Director, Screenplay and Art Direction. Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
The Class (Entre les Murs)
A Paris Teacher, but Not a Savior
Directed by Laurent Cantet
Written by Cantet and Robin Campillo, and François Bégaudeau, based on Bégaudeau’s book “Entre les Murs”
At: Kendall Square
Running time: 123 minutes
In French, with subtitles
Unrated
François (played by François Bégaudeau, who wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences) and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighborhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behavior can still jeopardize any teacher’s enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods ... Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Directed by Laurent Cantet (Heading South, Time Out).
Coraline
Alice in Freudland: ‘Coraline’ Travels a Wondrous, Dark Journey That’s Definitely Not for Little Ones
Directed by Henry Selick
Written by Selick, based on the book by Neil Gaiman
At: Boston Common, Fenway, suburbs
Running time: 100 minutes
Rated: PG (thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor)
From Henry Selick, visionary director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and based on Neil Gaiman’s international best-selling book, comes a spectacular stop-motion animated adventure. Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door and discovers an alternate version of her life on the other side. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life and the people in it—only much better. But when this seemingly perfect world turns dangerous, and her other parents (including her Other Mother, voiced by Teri Hatcher) try to trap her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to escape this increasingly perilous world—and save her family.
The International
Follow the Money: A Corrupt Bank, Killer Fees, and Plenty of Stimulus in ‘The International’
Directed by Tom Tykwer
Written by Eric Warren Singer
At: Boston Common, Fenway, suburbs
Running time: 118 minutes
Rated: R (violence and language)
In this gripping thriller, Interpol Agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) are determined to bring to justice one of the world’s most powerful banks. Uncovering myriad and reprehensible illegal activities, Salinger and Whitman follow the money from Berlin to Milan to New York to Istanbul. Finding themselves in a high-stakes chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk as their targets will stop at nothing even murder to continue financing terror and war. Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) from an original screenplay by Eric Warren Singer, The International was shot on location in Germany and throughout Europe.