December 01, 2023

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 12/1

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

if you want a major new film

may december

Vincent Georgie: Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are exceptionally good in this entertaining ripped from the headlines identity melodrama. The themes are dicey, sexy and always interesting. Newcomer Charles Melton is a real standout. Keep an open mind and enjoy.

Synopsis: Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance, a married couple buckles under the pressure when a Hollywood actress meets them to do research for a film about their past.

Available on Netflix.

if you think truth is stranger than fiction

mister organ

Vincent Georgie: This film was shocking. The story is inconceivable. I loved David Farrier’s last film, the similarly unexpectedly menacing Tickled. Watch his new film and get ready to talk about it afterwards.

Synopsis: Journalist David Farrier finds himself in a game of cat and mouse with a mysterious stranger. Exploring further, he discovers a series of court cases, royal connections, and ruined lives.

Available on iTunes and YouTube.

if you want a gripping true story

buried: the 1982 Alpine Meadows avalanche

Vincent Georgie: This is an incredible story of what happens when nature and man are at odds with each other. The film holds your attention beautifully and you cannot help but be engrossed.

Synopsis: In 1982, a massive avalanche descended on Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, Calif., that triggered a desperate five-day search for eight missing people.

Available on Netflix, iTunes and YouTube.

DOUBLE FEATURE

a weekend in the french countryside

Directed by Yves Robert and based upon Marcel Pagnol’s novels, this is a rare dramedy that extends over the length of two interconnected, charming films. Wonderful, European escapism.

my father’s glory

Raised by his science teacher father, Joseph Pagnol (Philippe Caubère), and seamstress mother Augustine (Nathalie Roussel), young Marcel (Julien Ciamaca) grows up during the turn of the century in awe of his rationalist dad. When the family takes a summer vacation in the countryside, Marcel becomes friends with Lili (Joris Molinas), who teaches him about rural life. Meanwhile, tensions between Joseph and his religious brother-in-law, Jules (Didier Pain), grow during their hunting expeditions.

Available onYouTube.

my mother’s castle

To his chagrin, young Marcel Pagnol (Julien Ciamaca) and his family move back to their home in Marseilles, France, far from their pastoral holiday cottage in the hills. Determined, Marcel makes the long voyage back to the cottage on foot and lands himself in trouble. One day Marcel’s father (Philippe Caubère) discovers a shortcut to the cottage, but it requires trespassing. Despite their trepidations, Marcel and his family begin using the secret trail to reach their cottage.