cinemacnc

November 28 - MAVIS!

MAVIS

Dir: Jessica Edwards CAN/USA 81 mins.
With: Bob Dylan, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Levon Helm

This is the first documentary on gospel/soul music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples and her group, The Staple Singers. From the freedom songs of the ’60s and hits like “I’ll Take You There" in the ’70s, to her recent albums with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Mavis has stayed true to her roots, kept her family close, and inspired millions along the way.

With powerful live performances, archival footage, and conversations with friends and contemporaries, MAVIS! reveals the struggles, successes, and intimate stories of her journey. At 75, she's making the most vital music of her career, reaching a new generation of fans.

The trailer:

November 21 - Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed

LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES CLOSED

Dir: David Trueba Spain 108 mins
Cast: Javier Cámara, Natalia de Molina, Francesc Colomer. with Engl. subtitles

It is 1966 in Albacete, Spain. English teacher and die-hard Beatles fan Antonio decides to go on a road trip to Almería in the hope of meeting John Lennon, who is shooting a film there. On the way he picks up two hitch-hikers, Juanjo and Belén.

This unlikely trio form a bond and decide to follow their dreams in hopes of finding their freedom. By the end, the title, [a reference to “Strawberry Fields Forever,”] reveals itself as appropriate and earned. In Antonio, we see someone living with his eyes opened, and we come away hoping that, in their future lives, his two young friends will do the same.

The trailer:

November 14 - Learning to Drive

LEARNING TO DRIVE
Dir: Isabel Coixet USA, 90 mins
Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley

Wendy, a successful and self-obsessed book editor, comes home to her New York City brownstone one day to find her husband Ted leaving her, again. Wendy’s initial denial turns into grief, anger, and a determination to become self-sufficient, part of which involves finally learning to drive.

Although Wendy’s resolve wavers when she’s faced with the confusing jumble of an automobile dashboard, she finds a source of strength in her conscientious driving instructor Darwan. As Darwan guides Wendy through her automotive education, his seemingly infinite patience invites her to open up about her problems.

The trailer:

November 7 - What We Did on Our Holidays

WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAY

Dirs. Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
UK, 95 mins. Cast: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly

A family vacation goes badly awry in this charming comedy; separated married couple Doug and Abi McLeod, decide to play the happy family one last time for the sake of Doug’s dying father Gordie.

With their three children in tow, the McLeods embark on a trip to the Scottish Highlands for a family reunion in honour of Gordie’s (likely final) birthday, hoping to return unscathed. Featuring great comic performances from Pike, Tennant and Connolly, this is a hilarious and heartwarming comedy that is sure to delight audiences.

The trailer:

October 24 - Best of Enemies

BEST OF ENEMIES

Dirs: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
USA 87 mins. With: Gore Vidal, William F. Buckley, John Lithgow, Kelsey Grammer

The riveting Best of Enemies delves into the prehistory of political punditry with its thrilling chronicle of the 1968 televised debates between pro- vocative novelist, intellectual and staunch leftist Gore Vidal and conservative figurehead William F. Buckley, Jr.

Selected by the network at least partially because of their well-known antipathy towards each other, Buckley and Vidal sought not just to debate policies and ideas but to destroy the other publicly. The charged atmosphere soon descended into outrageous outbursts and
venomous personal attacks.

The trailer:

December 5 - SAMBA

SAMBA

Dirs: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Omar Sy, Tahar Rahim, Izia Higelin 115 mins.
France French with Engl. subtitles

Samba migrated to France ten years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burn-out. Both struggle to get out of their dead-end lives. Samba's willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers, while Alice tries to get her life back on track until fate draws them together. As they draw closer, their unlikely cross-cultural connection gives them each the courage to reinvent themselves in this vibrant romantic comedy full of tender humor and heartfelt optimism.

The trailer: