Opens Friday, December 6th

Wealthy young widow Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and ambitious scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) mount a balloon expedition in 1862 to fly higher than anyone in history. This is a journey to the very edge of existence, where the air is thin and the chances of survival are slim. As their perilous ascent reveals their true selves, this unlikely pair discover things about each other—and themselves—that help them find their place in the world they have left behind. (PG-13, 101 mins)

“‘The Aeronauts’ achieves impressive elevation as a bracing and sympathetic account of two early and very different aviators who together reached literal new heights in a perilous field of endeavor.” – Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

“A thrilling, action-packed, wide-vista yarn from the sharp quills of Jack Thorne and co-writer and director Tom Harper, this Amazon-backed project is deceptively simple yet surprisingly deft.” – Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily

Opens Friday, December 6th

A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Francis Ha, The Meyerowitz Stories), the film stars Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta. (R, 136 mins)

“Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are terrific as a couple facing the awful aftermath of their relationship in Noah Baumbach’s heartfelt drama.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Marriage Story isn’t the chronicle of a disintegrating relationship as much as one evolving under severe duress.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Opens Friday, December 6th

A white supremacist (Jamie Bell in a visceral, explosive performance) reforms his life after falling in love but saying goodbye to his skinhead life isn’t a clean process. He must betray his former gang and work alongside the FBI in order to remove the body ink that has represented his identity for so long, as well as the burden of the gang’s crimes he has carried. Filmmaker Guy Nattiv, whose short film of the same title won the Academy Award earlier this year, makes his English-language feature debut with this galvanizing story of transformation, inspired by actual events. (R, 110 mins)

“‘Skin’ is the amazing story of a man who went to extreme measures to change, on the outside and within his heart.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

“Jamie Bell gives a pulsating performance in ‘Skin’ as an American neo-Nazi who renounces all notions of white supremacy, to the vengeful fury of his former associates.” – Brian Viner, Daily Mail

Writer director Taika Waititi (Thor, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), brings his signature style of humor and pathos to his latest film, a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis as JoJo) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism. (PG-13, 108 mins)

“Waititi’s faith in the notion that a child will lead us out of ignorance may be naïve. It’s also deeply affecting.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“Waititi masterfully balances the film’s comedy with the seriousness of the subject. He plays with your emotions to heighten the impact of the story’s message. Nothing in this film feels gratuitous and the tonal shift in the film will hit you like a ton of bricks.” – Alan Ng, Film Threat

This epic saga of organized crime in post-war America from filmmaker Martin Scorsese, is told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics. Also starring Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and Anna Paquin. (R, 210 mins)

“‘The Irishman’ is so full of Scorsese’s most beloved rep players and tropes that it’s difficult not to compare it to such predecessors as ‘Mean Streets,’ ‘Raging Bull’ and especially ‘Goodfellas.'” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

“De Niro is equally dialled down, a man at the centre of the action but always removed from it. It’s his best work in years.” – Ian Freer, Empire

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks give the Kims a way out of their shabby circumstances. But this new ecosystem is fragile, and soon enough greed and class prejudice threaten to upend the Kims’ newfound comfort. (R, 132 mins)

“What keeps you rapt in ‘Parasite’ is the visual wit — every shot distills the movie’s themes — and the richness of the characters and performances.” – David Edelstein, Vulture

“In his latest, Bong Joon-Ho blends a con man story with a tale of suspense, to uproarious and enlightening effect.” – Hau Chu, Washington Post

One cannot understand Vincent Van Gogh without knowledge of the exhibitions of Japanese art arrived in Paris in the middle of the 19th century and the profound impact it had on artists like Monet, Degas and, above all, Van Gogh. Before leaving Paris for the south of France, Van Gogh created his own image of Japan through an in-depth study of the artwork that was arriving in the new galleries and through discussions with the artists. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore Van Gogh’s remarkable heritage. (85 mins)

“An illuminating film about Vincent Van Gogh’s interest in Japanese art, and how it influenced and affected his own work.” – Andrew Pulver, The Guardian

Wednesday, December 11th, at 7:15pm

An immersive journey through time and space into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network of fungi that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, and Andrew Weil – we become aware of the beauty, intelligence and solutions that the fungi kingdom offers us for mankind’s pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges. Directed by Louie Schwartzberg. (74 mins)

Post-film discussion:
Tom Crockett is an artist, teacher, and author of ‘Stone Age Wisdom: The Healing Principles of Shamanism’. He is the Executive Director of Together We Can Foundation that works with at-risk teens to transition to adult life.
Theresa Augustin directs educational and environmental initiatives at Norfolk Botanical Gardens and instructs the class, All About Mushrooms.

“One of the year’s most mind-blowing, soul-cleansing and yes, immensely entertaining triumphs.” – Matt Fagerholm, RogerEbert.com

“Using time-lapse macro cinematography, ‘Fantastic Fungi’ is simply mesmerizing, captivating you, as you find yourself forgetting to breathe.” – Pamela Powell, Reel Honest Reviews

Read Tench Phillips’ latest News & Views column ‘The Third Kingdom: Notes From the Underground’