It's December, which means the holiday season is well underway. We've passed the Thanksgiving turkey, racked up those Black Friday credit card charges and driven by the now-illuminated Country Club Plaza. It seems like there's no hiding from this jolly time of year. For those looking to hold off on watching It's a Wonderful Life and Elf for a few more weeks, Up To Date's indie, foreign and documentary Film Critics have a few recommendations.
Steve Walker
Big Sonia, Not Rated
- A moving documentary about local Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski, who ran a tailor shop at the Metcalf South Shopping Center long after the mall had been largely abandoned.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, R
- In Martin McDonagh's twisted black comedy, Frances McDormand piercingly plays a grieving mother who turns her despair into outrage at the local police who haven't solved her daughter's murder.
Lady Bird, R
- This sublime, tart comedy, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, features flawless performances from Laurie Metcalf as a stressed-out mom and Saoirse Ronan as a bohemian high school senior circa 2002 wishing she was anywhere but Sacramento.
Cynthia Haines
The Florida Project, R
- Featuring two breakout stars alongside award-winning familiar faces, this film looks at the wonderment of childhood alongside the less than magical parts a parent undertakes.
Big Sonia, Not Rated
- A look inside the long life of local Holocaust survivor, business owner and great-grandmother Sonia Warshawski. After her tailor shop is threatened with eviction, Big Sonia faces down some difficult decisions.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, R
- When her daughter's murder isn't solved, Mildred Hayes, played by Frances McDormand, lets the local police department, and the fictional town, know how she really feels about it.