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Monthly Screenings

Natalie Portman: A Tribute

 

The screenings of May December, starring Natalie Portman, are a good opportunity to look back on her career. It is rare that we have the chance to follows a star throughout most of her life, and admire the way she navigates her talent and career.

Portman broke out at the age of 13 in 1994 with the successful action hit Leon, after which she starred in several key roles - the second trilogy of "Star Wars", several dramas (Cold Mountain, Anywhere But Here) - and worked with some of the best actors and directors in Hollywood. Although these films are not particularly important, they established her image as the all-American girl.

Leon shaped her image of Beauty and the Beast, and one can read the interesting films in her career as a movement between these two poles. From Garden State onwards, with hits like Closer, V for Vendetta, Brothers, Black Swan, and A Tale of Love and Darkness, Portman explores the dark places and brings to the screen heroines who are anxious about their place in the world. As she grows, the burden of the of life becomes more apparent in her choice of characters and in the current part of her career she seems to be preoccupied with the way a female image is produced, displayed, and played. Jackie, Vox Lux and May December are a surprising chapter of a mature star who looks at her achievements and dares to challenge herself with characters who break the image she created for herself.

There are not that many actresses in the last thirty years with a body-of-works as magnificent as hers. While daring to step out of her comfort zone revives curiosity for her next films, this month's program is an opportunity to enjoy the ones she has already made.

May December

Dir.: Todd Haynes
| 118 minutes

An actress sets out to research her next film, which deals with a scandalous affair between a woman and a 12-year-old boy. Thanks to the excellent performances, Todd Haynes presents another keen work dealing with the tension between image (of the American dream) and reality.

Leon

Dir.: Luc Besson
| 110 minutes

A French film set in New York about the relationship of a lonely, illiterate hitman and a sexy little girl who makes him show her how to be an efficient killer so that she can take out the corrupt drugs officer who murdered her brother.

Garden State

Dir.: Zach Braff
| 102 minutes

Andrew has to return home for his mother's funeral. He stops taking the drugs his psychiatrist father prescribes and meets Sam, who has her own collection of personal problems. This tender romantic comedy is a singular work that is a perfect capsule for a lost moment.

Closer

Dir.: Mike Nichols
| 104 minutes

In this screen adaptation of the acclaimed play about the romantic interactions and intersections of four people in modern day London, Mike Nichols explores the new fault lines of the battle of the sexes. Nichols handles the themes of loyalty and betrayal, truth and lies, male and female, with characteristic grace.

Brothers

Dir.: Jim Sheridan
| 104 minutes

When a decorated Marine goes missing overseas, his black-sheep younger brother cares for his wife and children at home, but when the brother returns, the consequences will shake the foundation of the entire family. Jim Sheridan presents an intense melodrama about war, trauma and family. 

Black Swan

Dir.: Darren Aronofsky
| 108 minutes

From the moment Nina wins the main role in Swan Lake, she finds herself dealing with feelings of anxiety and pressure and sets her on a challenging emotional journey.  Natalie Portman’s brilliant award-winning performance gives the film its emotional core. 

V for Vendetta

Dir.: James McTeigue
| 131 minutes

London, 2020. A national crisis brings a despot to power who uses his secret services to maintain his regime. One night, mild-mannered Evey is rescued from government militias by a masked vigilante named "V" and finds herself involved in  the cat and mouse game between him and the totalitarian regime.

A Tale of Love and Darkness

Dir.: Natalie Portman
| 95 minutes

Natalie Portman adapts Amos Oz’s autobiographical novel about the relationship between the young Oz and his mother in pre-State Jerusalem to the big screen. It is an impressive work of selection and editing, resulting in a personal and impressionist interpretation.

Vox Lux

Dir.: Brady Corbet
| 114 minutes

Natalie Portman stars in a cinematic odyssey that explores modern America through the story of a legendary pop star whose survival of a school-shooting offers a chance to reveal her talent to the entire nation. This film is meticulously written, designed, and edited, and features music composed by Scott Walker.

Jackie

Dir.: Pablo Larrin
| 101 minutes

A week after her husband’s assassination, Jackie Kennedy sits down for an interview. The memories accumulate to a portrait of a woman grappling with a personal and national loss.