Okay, NOW it actually feels like we’re moving into spring, with the warmer weather and the onslaught of uncomfortable and inconvenient seasonal allergies. Let’s hope that you can catch some of this week’s superb film screenings between sunbathing and sneezes!

We’re a little cramped for time this week because of adjustment period frenzy and final paper proposal deadlines, so we’ll just get straight into our overview of the week’s events. We hope you got into all your dream classes and that the impending doom of finals is not stopping you from enjoying the splendors of spring.

Oh, and just a pro tip: Metro Movies is back to showing films for $5 dollars on Tuesdays (what a steal!) and $5 again on Sundays after 5 p.m.! We recommend you check out “You Were Never Really Here” by writer-director Lynne Ramsay for a tight, tense, and impeccably designed jackhammer of a film. Support female filmmakers as they continue to advance the art forward!

 

“Do The Right Thing”

1989. USA. Dir: Spike Lee With Ossie Davis, Danny Aiello. 120 min.

Wednesday, April 25. 8 p.m. Free.

Come to the series on Wednesday to see the film that put Spike Lee on the cinematic map. Lee not only produced, directed, and wrote “Do The Right Thing,” but also acted in it—playing protagonist Mookie, a delivery man for an Italian-American pizzeria who finds himself enmeshed in the escalating racial tensions in his Brooklyn community. This film follows the confrontations among a compelling cast of characters on the hottest day of the year, delivering social commentary, explosive conflict, and unexpected moments of humor.

 

“A Fantastic Woman”

2017. Chile. Dir: Sebastian Lelio. With Daniela Vega. 104 min.

Thursday, April 26. 8 p.m. Free.

Witness the beauty and grace of Benjamín Echazarreta’s cinematography and Daniela Vega’s stirring performance in last year’s winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. “A Fantastic Woman” is the first Chilean film to win this particularly prestigious accolade and the first to see a trans woman as its protagonist. Follow the story of Marina as she struggles through the grief of losing her boyfriend while dealing with the scorn and derision of the people around her. Lelio spins a stunning and sympathetic story of a woman battling both personal and social prejudice as she tries to assert her self-worth in a world that marks her as inferior.

 

“Top Gun”

1986. USA. Dir: Tony Scott. With Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer. 110 min. 35 mm print.

Friday, April 27. 8 p.m. $5.

Defined by Wikipedia as a “romantic military action drama film” (what a mouthful!), this film has a wealth of surprises up its sleeves and truly packs a punch. Tony Scott’s “Top Gun” is one of the most beloved films of the 1980s, and it’s no wonder why when you catch a glimpse at Tom Cruise’s cheeky grin or witness the banter between best friends Maverick and Goose. Join Naval Pilots Maverick, Goose, Iceman, and a whole host of other oiled-up, volleyball-playing men at The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School on their joyful and dangerous journey to becoming the very best of the best.

 

“The Heiress”

1949. USA. Dir: William Wyler. With Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift. 115 min.

Saturday, April 28. 8 p.m. Free.

“The Heiress” tells the story of Catherine Sloper, the painfully shy title character who quickly falls in love with a charming young man named Morris Townsend. The two plan to marry, but Catherine’s critical, emotionally detached father is certain that his daughter’s new suitor wants only her for her wealth. Self-delusion, unfulfilled hopes, and desperate revenge reign in this gracefully told tale of family and heartbreak, punctuated by Aaron Copeland’s masterful score.

Beatrix Herriott O’Gorman and Julia Levine can be reached at bherriottogo@wesleyan.edu and jjlevine@wesleyan.edu.