If this weekend's AFC Champshionship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots doesn't strike your fancy, and building a snowman just isn't your style, head to your nearest movie theater to see one of the recomended flicks from Up to Date's indie, foreign, and documentary Film Critics.
Steve Walker
"Burning," not rated
- In contemporary Seoul, South Korea, an underemployed college graduate's dreams of becoming a writer are undermined when his new girlfriend returns from a trip to Kenya having befriended an enigmatic, Gatsby-like character.
"Studio 54," not rated
- A documentary about the infamous New York nightclub that, in post-Watergate and pre-AIDS 1977, became "the haven of inclusion" until the bacchanalia imploded due to felonious drug and tax evasion charges against the owners.
"Shoplifters," R
- In this winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, a Japanese family of grifters, gamblers and thieves forms indelible bonds until a twist begs the question: What really defines a family?
Cynthia Haines
"Studio 54," not rated
- Director Matt Tyrnauer's documentary chronicles how a New York nightclub got celebrities and drugs through the door, and became recognized as one of the great hedonistic sites in history.
"Shoplifters," R
- The "resourcefulness" of a Japanese family of small-time crooks comes into question in Hirokazu Kore-eda's latest drama after they take in a beleaguered young girl they find in the cold.
"Maria by Callas," PG
- A behind-the-scenes look into the life of an icon. More than 40 years after her death, the public gets a glimpse into the private and professional accomplishments of one of the most famous 20th century opera singers, Maria Callas.
