Going to the movies and living out a two-hour escapist adventure is one leisure activity everyone relates to. It’s fun. It’s relaxing and it generally provokes good-natured discussion.
Reel Monday, the five-film subscription series sponsored by Friends of St. Albert Public Library, is poised to launch its sixth season with old friends Michael Sheen, Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert De Niro, Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. Movies are screened at Grandin Theatre on the last Monday of five consecutive months.
Kicking off the series are two British films with The Damned United on Jan. 25 followed by An Education on Feb. 22. Sandwiched in the middle are two American movies — Brothers on March 22 and Everybody’s Fine on April 26. Closing the series on May 31 is the still unreleased Canadian thriller Chloe.
“There’s a nice variety. We’ve tried to choose as broad an interest as possible to cover our audience. There’s some very good acting talent, so I’m hoping we’ll have another successful series,” says Friends’ spokesperson Kathie Konarzewski.
Jointly sponsored with the Toronto International Film Festival Group, the series has in past years generated about $3,000 annually. The money is allocated to the purchase of books, DVDs, CDs and support technology.
“There is always something the library needs and can’t quite afford. We wait for guidelines as to where they are running short and we try to fill the gap.”
Through trial and error, the film committee has developed a strong sense of subscribers’ preferences. “People go out for a change. People go out for relaxation. They don’t want war epics or gratuitous violence. And documentaries didn’t particularly appeal to them. They get news staying home reading the paper or watching TV.”
Below is a short overview of each film:
• The Damned United stars Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney and Jim Broadbent in the bitter politics and rivalries of British soccer. Successful manager Brian Clough takes over England’s top football club Leeds United, previously run by his rival. Clough’s abrasive approach and disgust over the players’ dirty style of play creates friction.
• An Education with Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan and Alfred Molina is a ‘60s tale of a young girl who puts off going to Oxford when she falls head over heels in love only to discover nothing is as it seems.
• Brothers has banner actors — Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman in a story of Sam, a soldier sent to Afghanistan. He is presumed dead and his brother Tommy takes over caring for his brother’s wife and family. Then Sam resurfaces.
• Everybody’s Fine with Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore looks at a lonely widower who embarks on a bus journey to visit his children and discovers all is not as they let on.
• Chloe is an odd tale of a picture perfect couple played by Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore. When Catherine suspects David is unfaithful, she hires an escort to seduce him. But in this test of loyalty long simmering secrets start to surface.
Shows start at 7 p.m. Season subscriptions are $40 or $10 per single ticket and are available at St. Albert Public Library.
