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Up To Date

Up To Date's Indie, Foreign & Doc Critics' 'Three To See,' February 16-18

Sony Pictures Classics
Annette Bening portrays an imperious, vulnerable, romantic and aging Gloria Grahame in 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool.'

This week, folks around the world have turned their attention toward Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the Olympic Winter Games, but you can only watch athletes slide themselves across frozen water for so long. If you need a break from breakneck turns, twists, and tricks over snow and ice, Up To Date's Film Critics have a handful of indie, foreign and documentary movie recommendations to freeze your go-for-gold fatigue.

Cynthia Haines

2018 Oscar-nominated short films: Animated

2018 Oscar-nominated short films: Live action

2018 Oscar-nominated documentaries: Short subject

Steve Walker

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, R

  • Annette Bening shines as the charmingly complicated Gloria Grahame, the 1950s film star whose deteriorating health and dwindling career lead her to reconnect with her much younger ex-boyfriend, played by Jamie Bell, and his family.

Happy End, R

  • Isabelle Huppert stars in Austrian provocateur Michael Haneke's latest film, an intricate drama where a construction site accident, an overdose, and suicidal ideation figure in a family's struggle to maintain its status.

The Female Brain, Not rated

  • Stand-up comic Whitney Cummings directed, co-wrote, and stars in this biting comedy about a neurologist whose studies of how male and female brains differ are played out in her own relationships and those of three other couples.
Since 1998, Steve Walker has contributed stories and interviews about theater, visual arts, and music as an arts reporter at KCUR. He's also one of Up to Date's regular trio of critics who discuss the latest in art, independent and documentary films playing on area screens.
As culture editor, I help you embrace what makes Kansas City fun and vibrant, whether it’s a championship sports franchise or a little-known wonder. I work with reporters to ensure KCUR stories on art, culture, and race fully reflect our diverse home so readers and listeners can take full advantage of what the metro has to offer. Email me at luke@kcur.org.