Remember when you were a kid … and September came? Part of you rued the end of your summer freedom, but the rest of you was excited to be returning to school to reunite with old friends and discover new teachers. Well, I still get that same sense at this time of year.
Ethan Hawke and Greta Gerwig in Maggie’s Plan.
On one hand, after a refreshing summer hiatus from hosting the Friends of Modern Art (FOMA) film series at the Flint Institute of Arts, I know that my dance card is back to being punched for every Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon until sometime next June. But, I can’t wait to fill the time with our lineup of American independent, international and classic films, and to greet our regular movie attendees while meeting new ones.
The FIA’s FOMA film series begins September 9-11 with Maggie’s Plan (98 min., PG-13). Ethan Hawke, Greta Gerwig and Academy Award winner Julianne Moore star in a story of a young woman in a complicated love triangle with a professor and his theorist wife. Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph co-star in the comedy-drama The New York Times calls “tart but not sour, sweet but not too sweet.”
Coming September 16-18 is Sing Street (106 min., PG-13), a funny and artful coming-of-age story from the writer-director of the acclaimed movie Once. A teenage boy in 1985 Dublin escapes his strained family life by starting a pop-rock band to impress the girl he likes. The Playlist lauds this film as “supremely entertaining.”
Slated for September 23-25 is The Man Who Knew Infinity (108 min., PG-13). Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) and Oscar winner Jeremy Irons star in the story of pioneer Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, and his friendship with mentor and professor G.H. Hardy. Patel and Irons “elevate the end result beyond mere biopic formula,” so says RottenTomatoes.com.
On September 30 through October 2, the FIA presents The Lobster (119 min., R). In an offbeat mix of romance, comedy, and dystopian sci-fi, a newly single man (Colin Farrell) must find a partner in a society in which the unattached are turned into animals if they cannot find true love. Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux and John C. Reilly co-star in a fable on modern relationships.
FOMA films are shown at 7:30pm Fridays-Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays at the FIA. Tickets, available at the door, are $6 for non-members, $5 FIA members, $4 FOMA members.
In addition to the regular FOMA series lineup above, the museum is presenting the first in a monthly film series spotlighting American music greats. The first is I Saw the Light (123 min., R), in which Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) plays troubled country legend, Hank Williams. Showtimes are 7:30pm on Thursday, September 22; 2pm Saturday, September 24 and 4pm on Sunday, September 25.
For more info, visit flintarts.org or call 810.234.1695.
