Opening in Madison, finally

Well, it’s an unquestionably beauteous day here in Madison, WI, but I’d nevertheless like to try to persuade you to spend some time indoors this weekend (when, as it happens, it’s going to be 80+ and rainy): two films that attracted plenty of attention when they were released in NYC last month, “Cyrus” and “I Am Love,” are both opening at Sundance Cinemas tomorrow. In my book, this marks the most significant event in commercial cinema ’round these parts thus far this summer. Here’s Manohla Dargis’s review of “I Am Love” and David Denby’s review of “Cyrus.” That is all.

“The Sun” at Sundance Cinemas

Sheez, my post titles have been works of art today.

Eminent Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov’s 2004 feature “The Sun,” which received its first (limited) run in American theaters last November, is now playing at Madison’s Sundance Cinemas. For local cinephiles, this is cause for serious excitement: Sokurov is one of the boldest, most dazzlingly grandiose film artists working today. (Anyone who has seen his 2002 film “Russian Ark,” which is as much a dance performed by a cast of thousands as it is a singular cinematic achievement, can attest to the boldness and dazzling grandiosity of which I speak.)

“The Sun” was showered with praise by critics like Manohla Dargis and J. Hoberman during its November release; I’m pleased to see that my editor at Isthmus, Kenneth Burns, also found it thoroughly thought-provoking. I’m hoping to catch “The Sun” at some point this weekend—tornadoes permitting.

Towards “Broken Embraces”

You might recall that about three weeks ago I wholeheartedly sang the praises of Pedro Almodóvar’s “Broken Embraces,” so it almost  goes without saying that I was very pleased to see that the film will begin a run at Sundance Cinemas this Friday (1/22). Even if you don’t care much for Almodóvar’s recent output (or, if you’re like my esteemed colleague Todd Stevens, you adore films such as “Talk to Her”), “Broken Embraces” is really a wonderful flick—as humble an $18 million love letter to cinema as you’ll ever see. If you’re looking to treat yourself to an excellent double feature, I recommend following “Broken Embraces” up with a viewing of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt” (1963), a film to which “Broken Embraces” seems to be a partial tribute.