<< August 1 - 2, 2007 >>>

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Actress Julie Delpy (Oscar-nominated for co-writing BEFORE SUNSET) began her performing career when still a teenager in the early 1980’s in such films as Jean-Luc Godard’s DETECTIVE and Leos Carax’ MAUVAIS SANG. She has gone on to appear in such arthouse gems as Krzysztof Kieslowski’s THREE COLORS trilogy (we’ll be screening WHITE) and in such cult hits as Roger Avary’s KILLING ZOE and the sparkling duet BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET, both co-starring Ethan Hawke. Julie joins us at the Aero for two days with some of her most acclaimed films as an actress, as well as her much-anticipated feature directorial debut, 2 DAYS IN PARIS, in which she stars with Adam Goldberg. She’s also selected one of her favorite movies by another director, John Waters’ POLYESTER.

Wednesday, August 1 – 7:30 PM

WHITE (TRZY KOLORI: BIALY), 1994, Miramax, 91 min. The second film in director Krzysztof Kieslowski’s THREE COLORS trilogy is the simplest and most entertaining entry in the cycle, yet underneath the comedic surface lie some of the director’s most cynical attitudes. A luminous Julie Delpy plays Dominique, a wife who leaves her impotent husband, sparking a series of skirmishes between the two in which Kieslowski expresses his theme of "equality" via its darkest implications—in terms of revenge and getting even. The film is both a deliciously biting sex satire and a witty portrait of Poland in the early 1990’s; in contextualizing his characters within the failure of communism, Kieslowski argues that true equality is an unattainable pipe dream.

Thursday, August 2 – 7:30 PM

Sneak Preview and Carte Blanche Double Feature:

Join us for actress Julie Delpy’s feature directorial debut plus Julie’s carte blanche choice of a second feature: John Waters’ POLYESTER:

2 DAYS IN PARIS, 2007, Samuel Goldwyn Films & Red Envelope Entertainment, 96 min. A Parisian getaway becomes anything but romantic for a highly-strung New York couple in Julie Delpy's smart, sexy comedy about how opposites attract -- and then slowly drive each other crazy. Marion (Delpy) is a French photographer and Jack (Adam Goldberg) is an American interior designer. After a less than idyllic vacation in Italy, they stop off in Paris for two days, where Jack has to deal with a new language, a crazily unfamiliar culture, meeting her sexually frank and permissive family, and a bevy of flirtatious ex-boyfriends. In the City of Lights, Jack and Marion begin to see each other in a different, less appealing light as the cultural divide between them grows. When Jack's suspicions finally drive him to translate Marion's provocative text messages from an old boyfriend, he gets a lot more information than he bargained for. Will these two days in Paris be Jack and Marion's last days as a couple, or will they be the beginning of a new, richer life together? Written, directed, and edited by Delpy, it is an insightful, bitingly funny dissection of contemporary relationships that rings true in any language.

POLYESTER, 1981, New Line, 86 min. John Waters’ transition from the underground to the (somewhat) mainstream began with this off-kilter riff on Douglas Sirk, Waters’ first film in 35mm and one of his best satires on family values. Waters regular Divine plays Francine Fishpaw, a housewife driven to alcoholism by her philandering husband, promiscuous daughter and foot-fetishist son. Her shot at redemption comes in the form of an unlikely romance with Todd Tomorrow, the slick owner of an art-house drive-in (that plays Marguerite Duras triple features!) played by ex-teen idol Tab Hunter. Like the rest of the film, Hunter’s performance is simultaneously hilarious, original, and a bit unsettling - under the bright suburban colors and in between the tasteless sight (and smell) gags lies a surprisingly effective and layered portrait of middle-class malaise. Discussion in between films with director/actress Julie Delpy.