Film-Forward

Top Picks

Pelican Dreams

Filmed, Edited, Produced and Directed by Judy Irving Released by Shadow Distribution USA. 80 min. Rated G A California brown pelican blocks traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. Bystanders watch as bridge security capture it and place it in the back of a waiting police car. Someone jokingly comments, “Awww, he got arrested.” Not quite, […]

Dear White People

Written and Directed by Justin Simien Produced by Mr. Simien, Effie Brown, Julia Lebedev, Angel Lopez, Ann Le and Lena Waithe Released by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions USA. 108 min. Rated R With Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell, Dennis Haysbert, Brittany Curran, Peter Syvertsen, Marque Richardson and Malcolm Barrett […]

Birdman

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu Produced by Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan and James W. Skotchdopole; Written by Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Regency Enterprises USA. 119 mon. Rated R With Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts […]

Citizenfour

Directed by Laura Poitras Produced by Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky Released by Radius Germany/USA. 114 min. Rated R The central, absorbing act of Citizenfour is viewing Edward Snowden like never before. He’s a human being in cinema verité close-up during the days when the computer contractor hands over United States government documents on […]

Diplomacy

Directed by Volker Schlöndorff Produced by Marc de Bayser, Frank Le Wita, Sidonie Dumas, and Francis Boespflug Written by Cyril Gely and Schlöndorff, based on the play Diplomatie by Gely Released by Zeitgeist Films Release French and German with English subtitles France. 88 min. Not rated With André Dussollier, Niels Arestrup, Burghart Klaussner and Robert […]

Force Majeure

Written and Directed by Ruben Ostlund Produced by Erik Hemmendorff, Marie Kjellson and Philippe Bober Released by Magnolia Pictures Swedish, with English subtitles Sweden/France. 118 min. Rated R With Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju and Fanni Metelius Films about vacations from hell typically fall into humorous, wacky adventures: […]

1,000 Times Good Night

Directed by Erik Poppe Written by Harald Rosenlow Eeg Produced by Finn Gjerdrum and Stein B. Kvae Released by Film Movement Norway/Ireland/Sweden. 117 min. Not rated With Juliette Binoche, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lauryn Canny, Adrianna Cramer Curtis, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Larry Mullen Jr Through 1,000 Times Good Night, Norwegian co-writer and director Erik Poppe dramatizes […]

Fury

Written and Directed by David Ayer Produced by Bill Block, Ayer, Ethan Smith and John Lesher Released by Columbia Pictures UK/USA. 134 min. Rated R With Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, Brad William Henke, Jim Parrack, Xavier Samuel, Scott Eastwood, Kevin Vance, Anamaria Marinca, and Alicia von Rittberg […]

The Overnighters

Written & Directed by Jesse Moss Produced by Moss and Amanda McBaine Released by Drafthouse Films USA. 101 min. Rated PG-13 Fracking has come to North Dakota in recent years, and with it came a job boom that has given the state the lowest unemployment rate in the country. Many filmmakers have focused on fracking’s […]