City Guide
November Films
Everyone's a Critic: arborweb's culture blog
Ann Arbor Center of Light Conscious Movie Night. FREE; donations accepted. 864-2017. Center of Light, 200 Huronview (off N. Main.), 8-10 p.m.
Nov. 30: “Where Do We Go Now?” (Nadine Labaki, 2011). Comic drama about the antics of a group of Lebanese women who try to ease tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village and keep their men from starting a religious war. Arabic, subtitles.
Ann Arbor District Library. FREE. 327-4555. AADL 4th-floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave., various times.
Nov. 8: “Encounter Point” (Ronit Avni, 2006). Documentary about grassroots peace efforts made by a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother, and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother. Followed by discussion. Arabic, English, & Hebrew; subtitles. For adults and teens in grade 9 & up. 6-8:30 p.m.
Nov. 13: “Hell and Back Again” (Danfung Dennis, 2011). Oscar-nominated documentary about a marine sergeant who returns from Afghanistan with a badly broken leg and PTSD. 7-8:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor Docu Fest. Screening of a different documentary film every Wed. (except Nov. 21). FREE. 929-9979. Event Theater (lower level of Elmo’s T-Shirts), 220 S. Main, 7 p.m.
Nov. 7: “The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls” (Leanne Pooley, 2009). Documentary about this disarming, musically provocative New Zealand lesbian country & western sister duo.
Nov. 14: “Spin” (Brian Springer, 1995). Documentary using TV outtakes pirated from network satellite feeds to reveal the U.S. news media’s condescending manipulation of its viewers.
Nov. 28: “American Autumn: An Occudoc” (Dennis Trainor Jr., 2012). Documentary about the Occupy Wall Street movement.
19th Ann Arbor Polish Film Festival. 2 days of Polish documentaries and feature films shown in Polish, with subtitles. $12 (students with ID & seniors, $8) per film. Different times. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty. 913-1013.
Nov. 9: “80 Million” (Waldemar Krzystek, 2011). Communist-era drama about young activists in the pro-democracy Solidarity movement who withdraw 80 million in funds from the organization’s bank account, despite the strict supervision of the security police, before the onset of martial law. 7 p.m. Elles (Malgorzata Szumowska, 2012). Drama about a Paris-based mother and journalist whose investigation into prostitution unsettles her convictions about family and sex. Juliette Binoche. 9:30 p.m.
Nov. 10: Today’s program begins at 1 p.m. with a FREE screening of documentaries TBA. Today’s features: Rose (Wojciech Smarzowski, 2011). Drama set in 1945 following WWII that depicts the growing love between a Masurian widow and a Polish soldier. 4:30 p.m. Courage (Greg Zglinski, 2011). Drama about two antagonistic brothers who witness an assault on a train, and the brother who must live with his cowardice after the other suffers for stepping in to help. 7 p.m. Supermarket (Maciej Zak, 2012). Thriller that depicts the disturbing impacts of consumerism. 9:30 p.m.
Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth. $5 suggested donation. 327-0270. 704 Airport Blvd., 8 p.m.
Nov. 17: “Spiritual Cinema.” Screening of a feature film or several shorts TBA with spiritual themes. Followed by discussion.
Jewel Heart Buddhist Center. FREE. 994-3387. Jewel Heart (1129 Oak Valley Dr. between Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. & Ellsworth), 7 p.m.
Nov. 30: “Enter the Void” (Gaspar Noe, 2009). Fantasy about a drug dealer who reads the Tibetan Book of the Dead, suddenly dies, then observes the dramas of his friends and foes from the Bardo. Followed by discussion.
Michigan Theater Foundation. Unless there is a live show in the main theater, 2 or 3 different films are shown, usually 3 times, almost every night. For complete, updated schedules, see michtheater.org or call 668-TIME. Tickets (unless otherwise noted): $10 (children under 12, students with ID, seniors age 55 & older, & U.S. veterans, $8; MTF members, $7.50; Wed., $7). Michigan Theater, times TBA unless otherwise noted.
Oct. 26-Nov. 1: “The Imposter” (Bart Layton, 2012). Documentary about the young Frenchman who convinced a grieving Texas family he was their missing 16-year-old son.
Opens Nov. 2: “The Other Son” (Lorraine Levy, 2012). Two young men, one Israeli and one Palestinian, discover they were accidentally switched at birth. French, subtitles.
Nov. 5: “True Romance” (Quentin Tarantino, 1993). Romantic thriller about a newlywed couple on the run from gangsters whose cocaine they have stolen. Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Val Kilmer. 7 p.m.
Nov. 7: “Movement One” (Jesse Atlas, 2012). Documentary that follows Emmy-nominated choreographer Teddy Forance and a group of 19 dancers as they create a 30-minute dance production in just 8 days. Advance tickets available at ticketweb.com. 7 p.m.
Opens Nov. 9: “The Sessions” (Ben Lewin, 2012). A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest. Helen Hunt & William H. Macy.
Nov. 11-14: “The Well Digger’s Daughter” (Daniel Auteuil, 2011). Drama, set in pre-WWII France, about a man torn between his sense of honor and his deep love for his daughter. Daniel Auteuil. French, subtitles.
Nov. 12: “Narc” (Joe Carnahan, 2002). Two Detroit police detectives investigate the murder of an undercover cop. Jason Patric, Ray Liotta. 7 p.m.
Nov. 14: “Found Footage Festival.” Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, directors of the award-winning documentary Dirty Country, cohost a screening of the latest in their popular series of compilations from their impressive collection of strange, outrageous, hilarious, and profoundly stupid videos. New footage in the 2012 show includes The Sexy Treadmill Workout, clips of Kenny “K-Strass” yo-yo pranks, highlights from a 1986 video about how to care for your ferret, found classroom films from the 60s and 70s, and more. With commentary, jokes, and some comic schtick by the hosts. Tickets $11 ($30 includes 2 tickets and a copy of the Found Footage Festival Vol. 6 DVD) in advance at foundfootagefest.com and at the door. 9:15 p.m.
Nov. 16: “Perseverance: The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor” (Dan Chace & Bob Hercules, 2012). See Inside Ann Arbor, p. 11. Documentary about the star U-M running back and his recovery from the alcoholism and substance abuse problems that derailed his life after he graduated in 1972. Followed by a discussion and Q&A with Taylor and the filmmakers, both U-M grads. Tickets $15 (seniors age 65 & over, $12; students with ID, $10) in advance at ticketweb.com and at the door. 7:30 & 9:55 p.m.
Nov. 18: “I Am” (Tom Shadyac, 2011). Documentary of the director’s interviews with several prominent philosophers, spiritual leaders, and scientists about what’s wrong with the contemporary world and what can be done to remedy it. Followed by a discussion with Partners in Healing Psychotherapy representatives about the film’s implications for psychotherapy and healing. $10 suggested donation. 1 p.m.
Nov. 19: “Louder Than Love” (Tony D’Annunzio, 2011). Documentary about the Detroit Grande Ballroom where many great rock bands got their starts. With footage of Iggy & the Stooges, Alice Cooper, the Frost, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Rod Stewart, and others. 7 p.m.
Nov. 19 & 20: “Keep the Lights On” (Ira Sachs, 2012). Drama about the complicated relationship between a Manhattan filmmaker and a closeted lawyer.
Opens Nov. 21: “A Late Quartet” (Yaron Zilberman, 2012). The members of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and lust. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener.
Nov. 25: “White Christmas” (Michael Curtiz, 1954). Sing-along version (with onscreen lyrics) of this musical about two nightclub performers who help an old army pal try to make his winter resort popular. Musical score by Irving Berlin. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney. 4 p.m.
Nov. 26: “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” (Paul Justman, 2002). Portrait of the Funk Brothers, the Motown house band who created some of Motown’s best music but was never credited. 7 p.m.
Opens Nov. 30: “Anna Karenina” (Joe Wright, 2012). Sweeping epic based on Tolstoy’s classic novel, set in late-19th-century Russia, about an aristocratic woman who has a life-changing affair with an affluent count. Keira Knightly, Jude Law.
4th Annual Romanian Film Festival. FREE. UMMA Auditorium, 525 S. State. 764-0395. Romanian, subtitles. 4 p.m.
Nov. 3: “Outbound” (Bogdan George Apetri, 2010). Thriller about an inmate, falsely imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit, who uses a day pass to visit her brother, bury her mother, collect on a debt, and attempt escape. Followed by a Q&A with the director.
Nov. 4: “Tuesday after Christmas” (Radu Muntean, 2010). Drama about a man who loves 2 women and has to leave one of them before Christmas. The program begins with a talk by U-M lecturer Corina Kesler on utopian impulses and nation building in communist-era and post-socialist Romania.
Nov. 17: “Philanthropy” (Nae Caranfil, 2002). Tragicomic drama about a struggling writer whose attempts to impress the fashionable young woman he loves have both hilarious and dire consequences. The program begins with a talk by U-M Germanic languages and literature lecturer Ramona Uritescu-Lombard on trends in post-socialist Romanian cinema.
Nov. 18: “The Phantom Father” (Lucian Georgescu, 2011). Drama about an American professor who embarks on an adventurous and amusing journey to find a projectionist who’s the only person still alive who can tell him anything about his Romanian Jewish descent.
U-M Center for Chinese Studies Fall Film Series. A retrospective of films by King Fu, a pioneering master of martial arts action films. Mandarin, subtitles. Free. 764-6308. Angell Hall Auditorium A (entrance at the Fishbowl on the east side of the bldg.), 7 p.m. Nov. 3: “Dragon Gate Inn” (King Hu, 1967). The emperor’s 1st eunuch plots to kill the children of his political opponent.
U-M Center for Japanese Studies Fall Film Series. This year’s film series features silent films by Yasujiro Ozu, aka Silent Ozu. With narration by benshi (Japanese silent film narrator) Ichiro Kataoka. FREE (except as noted). 764-6307. U-M Natural Science Auditorium, 830 North University, use the entrance nearest the Diag, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2: “Dragnet Girl” (Yasujiro Ozu, 1933). Silent drama regarded as Ozu’s version of an American gangster movie, about a gang leader who falls in love with the sister of a new recruit. With music spun by DJ arwulf arwulf.
Nov. 9: “Story of Floating Weeds” (Yasujiro Ozu, 1934). Drama about an aged kabuki actor who returns to a small town and reunites with a former lover and illegitimate son, enraging his current mistress. With live music by Frank Pahl.
Nov. 10: “Left Handed” (Laurence Thrush, 2001). Drama based on the Japanese concept of hikikomori (social withdrawal) about a teenage boy who refuses to come out of his bedroom or let anyone inside for two years. The film’s director and executive producer Takao Saiki will attend the screening.
U-M Germanic Languages & Literatures. 764-8018. FREE. Different times and locations.
Nov. 13: “To Be or Not to Be” (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942). Comedy about a troupe of American actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. Carol Lombard, Jack Benny. Modern Languages Lecture Hall 1, 812 E. Washington, 4 p.m.
Nov. 19: “Nina’s Journey” (Lena Einhorn, 2005). Coming-of-age story about the director’s mother, a young Jewish girl who grew up in the Warsaw ghetto during WWII. Polish, Swedish, German; subtitles. Rackham Amphitheatre. 6 p.m.
U-M Center for European Studies. Free. 647-2743. 1636 SSWB, 1080 South University, 4-6 p.m.
Nov. 12: “Ask Your Shadow” (Lamine Ammar-Khodja, 2012). Comic documentary about the director’s 2011 return to his native Algeria--the day after major riots have broken out in Algiers--after 8 years of exile in France. French & Arabic, subtitles. Followed by a Q&A with the director.
U-M Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies. FREE. 647-4143. 1636 SSWB (1080 South University), 4 p.m.
Nov. 12: “Demande à Ton Ombre (Ask Your Shadow)” (Lamine Ammar-Khodja, 2012). Documentary about the director’s decision to return to his native Algeria from France just as major riots break out in Algeria. French & Arabic, subtitles.
University Musical Society/UMMA. FREE. 764-2538. 525 S. State, 7 p.m.
Nov. 27: “Messiah” (William Klein, 1999). A concert-film that juxtaposes the oratorio of Christ’s life--sung by choirs ranging from the Lavender Light Gay and Lesbian Interracial Choir to the Dallas police choir--with striking images of absurdity and violence.
U-M Japanese Animation Film Society. U-M campus admission policy: No one under 18 admitted without an adult. FREE. umichanime.com. 1360 East Hall, 530 Church St., 6 p.m.-midnight.
Nov. 10: “Animania.” Monthly anime-a-thon of feature films and episodes from Japanese TV series.
UMMA. FREE. 764-0395. UMMA Auditorium, 525 S. State. 7 p.m. Nov. 20: “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision” (1996). Documentary about Lin’s bitterly disputed Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Also, a screening of Andre the Giant Has a Posse, Helen Stickler’s award-winning 1997 short documentary about graphic designer Shepard Fairey’s OBEY sticker campaign that began in 1989.
WCBN-FM. FREE admission. 763-3500. Arbor Brewing Company (114 E. Washington), 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 13: “The Robot vs. Aztec Mummy” (Rafael Portillo, 1958). Campy Mexican sci-fi horror flick about a mad doctor who builds a robot in order to steal a valuable Aztec treasure from a tomb guarded by a centuries-old living mummy.
