Peterloo
Mike Leigh’s Peterloo is proof that political cinema doesn’t need to be flashy or incendiary to be effective. Dry and plodding at times, this carefully detailed historical epic is nevertheless perceptive to how small, pivotal decisions by everyday people inform the momentum of grand historical events.
Beginning at the battle of Waterloo, where the Duke of Wellington’s allied forces have defeated Napoleon’s French army, Leigh’s slow moving camera tracks shell-shocked bugler Joseph (David Moorst). He’s futilely trying to blow his instrument despite deafening cannon fire and agonizing screams—a bloodied face in a mostly dead crowd.
The sobering war scene makes for an apt introduction to the common man’s pointless suffering. That suffering will take on many economic, emotional and psychological forms throughout the film. Even more disturbing is Joseph’s unceremonious long walk home to Manchester where his destitute family of mill workers struggles to make ends meet.
Once on the ground in northern England, Leigh shows local parliamentarians and religious leaders plotting against labor organizers and silver-tongued orators like Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) who are riling up public unrest. Some of these anti-establishment leaders are equally opportunistic even as they talk of confronting issues like decreasing wages, universal suffrage and aristocratic corruption.
Peterloo (opening Friday, April 19, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika Film Centers Carmel Mountain) meticulously traces those socio-political tensions between the working class and elites that eventually led to the eponymous 1819 massacre at St. Peter’s Field.
There, innocent pro-democracy protesters were cut down by aggressive cavalry troops, and Leigh harrowingly depicts those final moments with sudden and fierce acts of random cruelty born from a climate of hatred.
Clocking in at nearly 150 minutes, the film’s atrocities are made all the more devastating because Leigh has intimately wrestled with the possibility of hope despite the overwhelming inequality and social cruelty.
Opening
Breakthrough: A devoutly religious mother prays for her son to be brought back from the brink of death after he drowns in a lake. Opens in wide release Wednesday, April 17.
High Life: Claire Denis’ elliptical, challenging art film follows a death row inmate (Robert Pattinson), who is sent into space for medical experimentation. Opens on Friday, April 19 at the Angelika Film Centers Carmel Mountain and Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.
Mary Magdalene: Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix take on the roles of Mary and Jesus in this feminist take on the gospels. Opens on Friday, April 19, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park.
Penguins: Narrated by Ed Helms, this nature documentary follows an Adélie penguin as he tries to find a life partner in the wild. Opens in wide release Wednesday, April 17.
Peterloo: Set in early 19th Century Britain, Mike Leigh’s historical epic traces the sociopolitical tensions that led to a terrible massacre of unarmed protesters. Opens on Friday, April 19 at the Angelika Film Centers Carmel Mountain and Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas.
Teen Spirit: A shy small town teenager who dreams of making it as a pop star enters a singing competition under the guidance of an unlikely mentor. Opens in wide release Friday, April 19.
The Curse of La Llorona: This horror film weaves classic Mexican folklore into a modern story about a social worker and her children drawn into a supernatural realm. Opens in wide release Friday, April 19.
One Time Only
Selena: Jennifer Lopez became a superstar after taking on the role of the famous Latina pop start that was tragically murdered by her manager. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.
On the Basis of Sex: This biopic surveys the early life and career of Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, the activist lawyer who would go on to the Supreme Court. Screens at 8 p.m. Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills.
Women’s Film Festival San Diego: This two-day festival will present films that help illuminate the importance of female representation on screen. Screens Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, at the Lyceum Theater.
The Big Lebowski: Jeff Bridges gives one of his most iconic performances as The Dude, who gets caught up in an elaborate kidnapping scheme. Screens at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Rooftop Cinema Club at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.
Clueless: Alicia Silverstone stars as a spoiled Beverly Hills brat who navigates the tricky social dynamics of high school life. Screens at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 22, at Arclight La Jolla Cinemas.
Ghost: After a young woman’s husband is brutally murdered, his ghost attempts to reveal the identity of his killer. Screens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, at The Pearl Hotel in Point Loma.