There is still no indication exactly when movie theaters will reopen — or how amenable audiences will be toward visiting. That’s sad news for film lovers, but the silver lining is the emergence of virtual cinema where you rent a movie and it benefits a local theater.
The lineup of first-run titles available through Dipson Theatres (dipsontheatres.com), the North Park Theatre (northparktheatre.org), the Screening Room Cinema Cafe (screeningroom.net) and the Aurora Theatre (theauroratheatre.com) is diverse and fascinating.
Here are five titles worth checking out, all available to watch at home for $12 each. And remember, a percentage of your ticket purchase benefits local theaters when ordered through links on their websites.
“Driveways”
When venerable character actor Brian Dennehy died recently, he left behind a filmography of memorable performances in everything from “First Blood” to “Tommy Boy.” One of his final roles, in Andrew Ahn’s warmhearted drama “Driveways,” ranks among his most affecting.
Dennehy plays lonely widower, Cal, a Vietnam vet whose life consists of watching TV, going to bingo and sitting on his porch. When a single mother (played by “Downsizing” scene-stealer Hong Chau) and her young son move next door, Del eyes them with suspicion.
Soon, however, he grows close to the family, especially young Cody. Perhaps this summary sounds cloying, even manipulative. In the hands of director Ahn and this capable cast, it most certainly is not. Rather, this is a sweet, funny and genuinely moving tale. It features Dennehy at his subtle, award-worthy best.
Watch it: via North Park Theatre
“Corpus Christi”
While it stood little chance against the Oscar juggernaut “Parasite,” Polish drama “Corpus Christi” was a worthy nominee for Best International Feature Film. (It is in Polish, with English subtitles.) While it’s not an easy watch, Jan Komasa’s film is an emotional powerhouse that will leave home viewers rattled.
The story centers on recently released criminal Daniel (played with simmering intensity by Bartosz Bielenia), who embraced religion in prison but is not allowed to apply to the seminary. When he arrives in a small town, however, he dresses as a priest and takes over the local parish.
As you can imagine, this does not end well for Daniel. But events occur in surprising and moving fashion. “Corpus Christi” is a film with much to say about religion, reformation and redemption.
Watch it: via Dipson Theatres and North Park Theatre
“Sorry We Missed You”
The list of cinema’s most consistent filmmakers must include Ken Loach, the British director noted for his searing takes on social inequality and poverty. His latest film is “Sorry We Missed You,” and like 2016’s “I, Daniel Blake,” it is a powerhouse.
Kris Hitchen plays the perpetually defeated Ricky, who takes on a delivery franchise but crumbles under the stress and the debt. Meanwhile, his wife, Abbie (Debbie Honeywood), struggles to keep up her schedule as a nurse while also caring for the family. The couple’s troubled teenage son makes the situation even more combustible.
Many of Loach’s characters are stuck in impossible strife, with no way out. Ricky and his family are no exception. “Sorry We Missed You” is a story that could have been told with anger, but Loach instead opts for desperation. This makes for a devastating experience.
Watch it: via Screening Room Cinema Cafe and North Park Theatre
“Zombi Child”
The virtual cinema roster includes a few horror titles, and while “Zombi Child” is not by-the-numbers horror filmmaking, it should still interest fans of the genre. (The film is in French, with English subtitles.)
“House of Tolerance” and “Nocturama” provocateur Bertrand Bonello directs this strange and haunting tale of a teenager, her Haitian immigrant friend, and the voodoo past of the friend’s family. The continent- and time-period-spanning film leads to a surprisingly emotional conclusion, and includes some beautifully haunting imagery.
Watch it: via Dipson Theatres
“Deerskin”
The wild card of the bunch is surely “Deerskin,” a black comedy-thriller whose one-sentence description is a gem: A man obsessed with his deerskin jacket pretends to be a filmmaker on location, and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake.
It is impossible to tell what will happen next in Quentin Dupieux’s oddity, which stars “The Artist” Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin as the jacket-wearer. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” standout Adèle Haenel plays the bartender-slash-amateur editor who becomes an unwitting accomplice.
Brisk — just 77 minutes — and delightfully peculiar, “Deerskin” is a must-see for anyone who adores absurdist cinema. Put on your best jacket, and place your virtual cinema order.
Watch it: via North Park Theatre
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May 26, 2020 at 08:43PM
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Virtual cinema: 5 picks include Dennehy's last film, time-spanning horror and a wild card - Buffalo News
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