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Check out the latest exclusive engagements and premieres, including the best in new indies, foreign films, documentaries and restored classics, by downloading a PDF of the Ritz Philadelphia Film Calendar, with all-new programming from June 18 through September 9! |
Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs: nine nations possessing nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them, with the world held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy, or a simple accident. Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (The Devil’s Playground, Blindsight), the film features an array of important international statesmen, including President Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. It makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today. Official Web Site |
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Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of—an RV salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts, recorded during the filming of an RV sales video, circulated underground on VHS tapes in the 1990s before turning into a full-blown internet phenomenon. Today, the 4-minute "Winnebago Man" video has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney—and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man's response to unintended celebrity. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| A deeply personal and intimate look at the art of cinema and the artists who create it, Great Directors is a celebration of films and filmmaking starring ten of the world's most acclaimed, provocative, and individualistic living directors, featuring original, in-depth conversations with Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Agnès Varda, Ken Loach, Liliana Cavani, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles. These interviews more than just chronicle filmmaker Angela Ismailos' encounters with ten remarkable men and women. Extensively illuminated by clips and historical archives from the subjects' works, they also reveal the distinctive personalities who created the timeless images that have long inspired Ismailos—and all of us. Intercutting among the filmmakers in a freely associative way, Ismailos explores each director's artistic evolution; the role of politics and history on their work; their feelings about the other great directors who inspired them (with Bertolucci paying homage to Pasolini, Breillat to Bergman, and Haynes to Fassbinder, etc.); and the agony and ecstasy of being an artist in a medium that is, paradoxically, also an industry. Official Web Site |
Now Playing at the Ritz East
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In The Kids Are All Right, comedic surprise is combined with poignant emotional truth in a funny, vibrant, and richly drawn portrait of a modern family. Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) are married and share a cozy suburban Southern California home with their teenage children, Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson). Nic and Jules—or, when referred to jointly by Joni, "Moms"—gave birth to and raised their children, and built a family life for the four of them. As Joni prepares to leave for college, 15-year-old Laser presses her for a big favor. He wants Joni, now 18, to help him find their biological father; the two teenagers were conceived by artificial insemination. Against her better judgment, Joni honors her brother's request and manages to make contact with "bio-dad" Paul (Mark Ruffalo), an easygoing restaurateur. The kids find themselves drawn to the confirmed bachelor's footloose style—especially in contrast to Nic, a principled doctor who has long established their house rules. Jules, who has been looking to start a new career in landscaping, also strikes up a rapport with Paul. As Paul comes into the lives of the forthright four, an unexpected new chapter begins for them as family ties are defined, re-defined, and then re-re-defined. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko (High Art, Laurel Canyon). Official Web Site Carrie Rickey's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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In The Father of My Children, winner of The Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Paris-based film producer Grégoire Canvel (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing) has it all: a wife and three daughters he adores and a stimulating job that he's devoted to. On the surface he seems invincible, maintaining humor and charm as he tirelessly juggles the never-ending demands of his production company with his domestic responsibilities. But when Grégoire's reserves—both financial and emotional—reach a dramatic breaking point, his wife Sylvia (Chiara Caselli) and children are forced to cope with the profound repercussions. Written and directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. Official Web Site Steven Rea's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz Five
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Winner of 7 Goya Awards (Spain’s equivalent of the Oscar), Agora is a breathtaking, English-language historical drama directed and co-written by Academy Award-winner Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside). The film is set in ancient Egypt under Roman rule, where violent religious upheaval in the streets of Alexandria spills over into the city’s famous Library. Trapped inside its walls, the brilliant and beautiful astronomer Hypatia (Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener) and her disciples fight to save the wisdom of the Ancient World. Among these disciples are two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes (Oscar Isaac) and Davus (Max Minghella), Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians. Official Web Site Filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar explores 4th century Alexandria Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz Five
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In the highly anticipated second installment of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy (following The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is a wanted woman. A researcher and a Millennium journalist about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden are brutally murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behavior makes her an official danger to society—but no one can find her anywhere. Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), editor-in-chief of Millennium, will not believe what he hears on the news. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone. As he fits the pieces of the puzzle together, he comes up against some hardened criminals, including the chainsaw-wielding 'blond giant' (Micke Spreitz)—a fearsomely huge thug who can feel no pain. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander’s past life. Committed to psychiatric care aged 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, this is a messed-up young woman who is the product of an unjust and corrupt system. Yet Lisbeth is more avenging angel than helpless victim. Official Web Site Director Daniel Alfredson on shooting two films in one hundred days Cindy Fuchs's Philadelphia City Paper review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz Five
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Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei). Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love—and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the iconoclastic filmmaking team behind Sundance Film Festival favorite The Puffy Chair, Cyrus takes an insightful and funny look at love and family in contemporary Los Angeles. Official Web Site
Filmmakers Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass on their first studio film Colin Covert's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz Five
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I Am Love tells the story of the wealthy Recchi family, whose lives are undergoing sweeping changes. Eduardo Sr. (Gabriele Ferzetti), the family patriarch, has decided to name a successor to reign over his massive industrial company, surprising everyone by splitting power between his son Tancredi (Pippo Delbono), and grandson Edo (Flavio Parenti). But Edo dreams of opening a restaurant with his friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), a handsome and talented chef. At the heart of the family is Tancredi's wife Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian immigrant who has adopted the culture of Milan. An adoring and attentive mother, her existence is shocked to the core when she falls quickly and deeply in love with Edo's friend and partner Antonio, and embarks on a passionate love affair that will change her family forever. Official Web Site
Writer/director Luca Guadagnino on the visual language of film Carrie Rickey's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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At the Theatre Des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen, Flame and Citron) premieres his ballet The Rite Of Spring. Coco Chanel (Anna Mouglalis) attends the premiere and is mesmerized. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers, and a near riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable. Seven years later, now rich, respected and successful, Coco Chanel meets Stravinsky again—a penniless refugee living in exile in Paris after the Russian Revolution. The attraction between them is immediate and electric. Coco offers Stravinsky the use of her villa in Garches so that he will be able to work, and he moves in straight away, with his children and consumptive wife. And so a passionate, intense love affair between two creative giants begins. Directed by Jan Kounen. Official Web Site Filmmaker Jan Kounen on couples and the creative impulse Steven Rea's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz Five
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Winner of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, this tense, naturalistic thriller follows 17-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence, The Burning Plain) as she confronts the local criminal underworld and the harsh Ozark wilderness in order to track down her father, who has put up the family homestead for his bail. Featuring a star-making performance by Lawrence, Winter's Bone is one of the most-critically acclaimed films of the year. Directed and co-written by Debra Granik. Official Web Site Director Debra Granik on the importance of location to a story Steven Rea's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Now Playing at the Ritz at the Bourse
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The highly acclaimed documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work takes the audience on a year-long ride with legendary comedian Joan Rivers in her 76th year of life—peeling away the mask of an iconic comedian and exposing the struggles, sacrifices and joy of living life as a ground breaking female performer. The film is an emotionally surprising and revealing portrait of one the most hilarious and long-standing career women ever in the business. Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback). Official Web Site Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg on pop icon Joan Rivers Carrie Rickey's Philadelphia Inquirer review... |
Friday, July 30 at Midnight at the Ritz East!
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| All About Evil is the feature film debut of writer/director Joshua Grannell (better known as midnight movie impresario Peaches Christ). The comic thriller tells the wickedly delirious tale of Deborah Tennis (Natasha Lyonne), a mousy librarian who inherits her father's beloved but old movie house in San Francisco. In order to save the family business, she discovers her inner serial killer and starts turning out a series of grisly short films. Quickly cultivating a rabid legion of gore fans, Deborah makes it a "family" affair by recruiting a nefarious crew to execute her devious plan: the loyal Mr. Twigs (Jack Donner), psychotic twins Veda and Vera (Jade and Nikita Ramsey) and hygienically challenged Adrian (Noah Segan). Her biggest fan, high school student Steven (Thomas Dekker of the recent box office hit A Nightmare on Elm Street), doesn't realize the murders in the movies are real. As Deborah's "actors" keep disappearing, will he catch the blame for the dastardly deeds of this fame obsessed auteur? Rounding out the cast is Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and John Waters superstar Mink Stole (Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom). Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, August 6 at the Ritz Five
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| In The Concert, the new comedy from Radu Mihaileanu (Live and Become), Alexei Guskov stars as Andrei Filipov, a once celebrated Russian conductor of the Bolshoi who has hit rock bottom, working as a depressed custodian and drinking too much. But when he intercepts an invitation meant for a former orchestra to perform in Paris, Andrei masterminds a plan to pose as the leader of the group in order to make a triumphant return to the music scene. With a motley bunch of former musicians at his side, Andrei sets off for Paris to fulfill his destiny and return to his glory as a great conductor. Along the way, he will reunite with a young, beautiful violin virtuoso (Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds) who holds the key to his past and to his future. With a message of hope and making the most of second chances, The Concert promises to be one of the most uplifting and entertaining films of the year. Also starring François Berléand (the Transporter series). Official Web Site |
One Week Only! New 35mm Print!
Starts Friday, August 6
at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) is Orlando, the melancholy, fiercely independent, and always humanistic poet whose story begins when Queen Elizabeth I—wonderfully played by Quentin Crisp—takes a shine to the beautiful boy. There are several amazing things about Orlando, not the least of which is that he is immortal, has the tendency to slip into death-like sleeps for long periods of time and, halfway through the 18th century, changes into a woman. Based on the novel by Virginia Woolf, the author's wit is deftly matched by director Sally Potter's translation of it to the screen. With spectacular sets and costumes, Orlando is lush to look at while retaining a charming intimacy. Spanning four centuries to the present, Orlando mixes history with dramatized events—such as a great freeze during the 17th century that encases England in ice—resulting in fairy-tale enchantment and witty metaphor. Potter's signature vignette style takes Orlando on journeys both physical and emotional—as a patron to a mooching poet (Heathcote Williams), an ambassador to the Middle East, and a lover of an American explorer (Billy Zane)—in which he learns about all varieties of life, society, and gender in all of their complexities. Official Web Site |
Saturday Midnight Movies at the Ritz East!
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Sat, Aug 14: May the farce be with you! Spaceballs Sat, Aug 21: The Italian Stallion is back! Rocky 3 Sat, Aug 28: "Spooktacular" featuring Night of the Living Dead Sat, Sep 4: You'll never go in the water again! Jaws Sat, Sep 11: Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters Sat, Sep 18: Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey Sat, Sep 25: All hail the Dude! Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski Sat, Oct 2: Sigourney Weaver in Ridley Scott's Alien |
Starts Friday, August 13 at the Ritz Five
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| Mesrine: Killer Instinct (Part 1 of two parts) introduces us to Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel), a loyal son and dedicated soldier back home in France and living with his parents after serving in the Algerian War. Soon he is seduced by the neon glamour of sixties Paris and the easy money it presents. Mentored by Guido (Gerald Depardieu) Mesrine turns his back on middle class law-abiding and soon moves swiftly up the criminal ladder. After pulling off an audacious heist he and his lover Jeanne (Cecile de France) flee to Canada where the opportunity of one big payout lures him out of hiding and propels his towards international notoriety. Directed by Jean-François Richet. Official Web Site |
Starts Friday, August 13 at the Ritz Five
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Get Low is inspired by the true story of Felix "Bush" Breazeale, who attracted national attention when he threw himself a living funeral party in 1938 in Roane County, Tennessee. For years, townsfolk have been terrified of the backwoods recluse known as Felix Bush (Robert Duvall). One day, Felix rides to town with a shotgun and a wad of cash, saying he wants to buy a funeral—a "living funeral," in which anyone who ever had heard a story about him will come to tell it, while he takes it all in. Sensing a big payday in the offing, fast-talking funeral home owner Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) enlists his gentlemanly young apprentice, Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black), to win over Felix's business. Buddy discovers that behind Felix's surreal plan lies a very real and long-held secret that must get out. As the funeral approaches, the mystery—which involves the widow Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), the only person in town who ever got close to Felix, and the Illinois preacher Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs), who refuses to speak at his former friend's funeral—only deepens. But on the big day, Felix is in no mood to listen to other people spinning made-up anecdotes about him. From Aaron Schneider, director of the Academy Award-winning short Two Soldiers. Official Web Site
Director Aaron Schneider on bringing a film's elements together |
One Week Only!
Starts Friday, August 13
at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| In writer/director Todd Solondz's part sequel/part variation on his acclaimed film Happiness, three sisters and the people they love struggle to find their places in an unpredictable and volatile world where the past haunts the present and imperils the future. The question of forgiveness and its limits threads throughout a series of intersecting love stories, offering clarity and, perhaps, alternatives to the comforts of forgetting. Ten years have passed since a series of shocking and catastrophic revelations shattered the world of the Jordan family. Now, ghosts circle and loom, trouble and console as sisters Joy (Shirley Henderson), Trish (Allison Janney), and Helen (Ally Sheedy) are each embroiled in their own unique dilemmas. As these characters and storylines dovetail, expand and collide, they create an emotionally resonant portrait of prisoners of love and life. Alternately hilarious and tragic, outrageous and poignant, Life During Wartime is an audacious comedy with unexpected resonance. Co-starring Ciaran Hinds, Michael Lerner, Chris Marquette, Rich Pecci, Charlotte Rampling, Paul Reubens, Dylan Riley Snyder, Renee Taylor and Michael Kenneth Williams. Official Web Site |
One Week Only!
Starts Friday, August 13
at the Ritz at the Bourse
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| Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel takes a revealing look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire. When Hugh Hefner launched Playboy magazine in 1953, he became a champion of the sexual revolution and, immediately, the forces of Church and State initiated a war against him that raged over the decades. Hefner is revealed both as a hedonistic playboy, and, more importantly, the man who's been a groundbreaking advocate and catalyst for civil rights, the First Amendment and human rights. With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists. Compelling interviews with a remarkable Who's Who of 20th Century American pop culture, along with rare footage, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him. Directed by Brigitte Berman, Academy Award winner for the documentary feature Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got. Official Web Site |
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