Landmark Theatres Film Club Q&A Podcast

Sebastián Lelio (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Carlos Aguilar (Moviemaker Magazine). Film synopsis: Daniela Vega shines in a wonderful performance as a transgender nightclub singer, Marina, in love with Orlando (Francisco Reyes), a successful businessman 20 years her senior. He has left his disapproving family to be with her, and they are planning a happy future together when Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, leaving Marina stunned and bereft. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, Marina is attacked and excluded. Orlando’s family view her sexual identity as an aberration, a perversion. A woman detective investigates Marina, suspecting she was involved in his death. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral, and Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now—a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman. Directed and co-written by Sebastián Lelio (Gloria). Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film! (Fully subtitled)

Craig Gillespie (director), Margot Robbie and Allison Janney (actors) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Rebecca Ford (Hollywood Reporter). Based on the unbelievable but true events, I, Tonya is the wild and crazy saga of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. Hilarious, shocking and tough, the film will, surprisingly, make you care about a character who has been written off by most. Though Harding was the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition, her legacy was forever defined by her association with an infamous, ill-conceived, and even more poorly executed attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Margot Robbie (Goodbye Christopher Robin, The Wolf of Wall Street) gives a dynamite performance as the fiery Harding, with a mustachioed Sebastian Stan as her impetuous, unreliable ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and scene-stealing Allison Janney riveting as her acid-tongued, diamond-hard mother, LaVona Golden. I, Tonya is an absurd, irreverent, and piercing portrayal of Harding’s life and career in all of its unchecked—and checkered—glory. Also starring Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser and Bobby Cannavale. Directed with gusto by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, The Finest Hours, Million Dollar Arm), from an original screenplay by Steven Rogers. Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress (Janney).

Luca Guadagnino (director) and Timothée Chalamet (actor) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist). Film synopsis: The new film by Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love, A Bigger Splash) is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, adapted for the screen by James Ivory. It’s the summer of 1983 in beautiful northern Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird, Interstellar), a precocious 17-year-old Italian-American boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). While Elio’s sophistication and intellectual gifts suggest he is already a fully-fledged adult, there is much that yet remains innocent and unformed about him, particularly about matters of the heart. When Oliver (Armie Hammer), a handsome American scholar working on his doctorate, arrives as the annual summer intern to help Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor of Greco-Roman culture, Elio takes notice. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of the idyllic setting, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever. Academy Award winner for Best Adapted Screenplay. (Partially subtitled)

Joe Wright (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by John Horn (Host of KPCC's The Frame). Film synopsis: Gary Oldman (Academy Award winner for Best Actor) gives a masterful, gripping performance as Winston Churchill, leading his country in its darkest hour. In the early days of World War II, with the fall of France imminent and the Allied army cornered on the beaches of Dunkirk as the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces advance, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the leadership of the newly-appointed Prime Minister Churchill. While maneuvering his political rivals, he must confront the ultimate choice: negotiate a peace with Hitler and save the British people at a terrible cost or try to rally the nation and fight on against incredible odds. Darkest Hour is the dramatic and inspiring story of four weeks in 1940 during which Churchill’s courage to lead changed the course of world history. Written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) and directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Pride & Prejudice), the biographical drama also stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup and Ben Mendelsohn.

Richard Linklater (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Claudia Puig (USA Today). Film synopsis: In 2003, thirty years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with Former Marines Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Reverend Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. Along the way, Doc, Sal and Mueller reminisce and come to terms with shared memories of the war that continues to shape their lives. Directed and co-written by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, the Before Trilogy).

Terry Notary (actor) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Mike DeLorenzo (Landmark Theatres). Film synopsis: From Ruben Östlund, writer/director of Golden Globe nominee Force Majeure, comes another unnerving and provocative satire, The Square, winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Christian (Claes Bang) is the handsome, sophisticated and somewhat smug curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square,” an installation which invites passersby to altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian’s foolish over-reaction to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for “The Square.” The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis. Also starring Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Dominic West (“The Affair”) and “animal” actor Terry Notary. Sweden’s Official Selection for Best Foreign Language Film consideration at the 90th Academy Awards. (Partially subtitled).

Todd Haynes (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist). Film synopsis: The magical and mysterious family drama Wonderstruck impressively weaves the parallel stories of Ben (Oakes Fegley) and Rose (Millicent Simmonds), children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out on quests to find what they are missing that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry. Also starring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. Written by Brian Selznick, based on his critically acclaimed novel, and directed by Todd Haynes, the visionary director of Carol and Far From Heaven. (All shows will be open captioned with English subtitles for the hearing impaired).

Andy Serkis (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Scott Mantz (Access Hollywood). Film synopsis: A heartwarming celebration of love and human possibility, Breathe brings to life the inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish (Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield of Hacksaw Ridge and Golden Globe winner Claire Foy of “The Crown”), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. When Robin is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is confined to a hospital bed and given only a few months to live. With the help of Diana's twin brothers (Tom Hollander) and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville, “Downton Abbey”), Robin and Diana dare to escape the hospital ward to seek out a full and passionate life together—raising their young son, traveling and devoting their lives to helping other polio patients. Written by two-time Academy Award nominee William Nicholson (Gladiator) and shot by three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson (Hugo, The Aviator), Breathe marks the directorial debut of acclaimed actor Andy Serkis, known for his stunning performance capture roles as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy.

Sean Baker (writer/director), Chris Bergoch (writer/producer) and Alexis Zabe (cinematographer) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Glenn Whipp (L.A. Times). Film synopsis: Warm, winning, and gloriously alive, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood. Set on a stretch of highway just outside the imagined utopia of Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, another major discovery) over the course of a single summer. The two live week to week at “The Magic Castle,” a budget motel managed by Bobby (a career-best Willem Dafoe), whose stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion. Despite her harsh surroundings, the precocious and ebullient Moonee has no trouble making each day a celebration of life, her endless afternoons overflowing with mischief and grand adventure as she and her ragtag playmates—including Jancey (Valeria Cotto), a new arrival to the area who quickly becomes Moonee’s best friend—fearlessly explore the utterly unique world into which they’ve been thrown. Unbeknownst to Moonee, however, her delicate fantasy is supported by the toil and sacrifice of Halley, who is forced to explore increasingly dangerous possibilities in order to provide for her daughter. From the director of Tangerine.

Lake Bell (writer/director/actor) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Jeff Garlin. Film synopsis: From acclaimed writer/director Lake Bell (In A World…) comes the new comedy I Do…Until I Don’t. In Vero Beach, Florida, a trio of couples at various points in their relationships become the subjects of a film about marriage being an antiquated idea that needs a reboot: Why not turn marriage into a seven-year deal with an option to renew? For Alice and Noah (Lake Bell, Ed Helms), more than a hint of boredom is setting in as they approach their first decade together and the prospect of parenthood. Meanwhile, Alice’s funky sister Fanny (Amber Heard) is sure her “open marriage” to Zander (Wyatt Cenac) is the key to their free-spirited happiness. And then there’s Cybil and Harvey (Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser), a pair of empty-nesters wondering what the next stage will be. As the manipulative filmmaker (Dolly Wells) attempts to show how marriage is outmoded, the couples she interviews discover the “do’s” and “don’t’s” in their own relationships.

Geremy Jasper (writer/director), Danielle Macdonald (actor) and Siddharth Dhananjay (actor) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Scott Mantz (Access Hollywood). Film synopsis: In a joyous and endearing coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in Patti Cake$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Geremy Jasper. Set in gritty strip-mall suburbia, Patti Cake$ chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory with humor, raw energy and some unforgettable beats. Danielle Macdonald stars as Patti, with Bridget Everett, Cathy Moriarty, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, McCaul Lombardi, Sahr Ngaujah, Wass Stevens and MC Lyte.

Taylor Sheridan (writer/director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Joe Utichi (Deadline). Film synopsis: Wind River is a chilling thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death. Written and directed by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water), Wind River also stars Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, Julia Jones, Kelsey Asbille and James Jordan.

Former Vice President Al Gore at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood). Film synopsis: A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy. Cameras follow him behind the scenes—in moments both private and public, funny and poignant—as he pursues the inspirational idea that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion.

Liev Schreiber (actor) and Philippe Falardeau (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood). Film synopsis: He was the pride of Bayonne, New Jersey, a man who went fifteen rounds in the ring with Muhammad Ali, and the real-life inspiration for Rocky Balboa. But before all that, Chuck Wepner (Liev Schreiber) was a liquor salesman and father with a modest prizefighting career. His life changed overnight when, in 1975, he was chosen to take on The Greatest in a highly publicized title match. It’s the beginning of a wild ride through the exhilarating highs and humbling lows of sudden fame—but what happens when your fifteen minutes in the spotlight are up? Driven by a committed performance from Schreiber, Chuck is a refreshingly human tale of resilience and redemption. Elisabeth Moss and Naomi Watts co-star.

Jeremiah Tower and Lydia Tenaglia (director) at The Landmark in West Los Angeles. Moderated by Evan Kleiman (KCRW's "Good Food”). Film synopsis: Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent explores the remarkable life of Jeremiah Tower, one of the most controversial and influential figures in the history of American gastronomy. Tower began his career at the renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1972, becoming a pioneering figure in the emerging California cuisine movement. After leaving Chez Panisse, due in part to a famously contentious relationship with founder Alice Waters, Tower went on to launch his own legendary Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. Stars was an overnight sensation and soon became one of America’s top-grossing U.S. restaurants. After several years, Tower mysteriously walked away from Stars and then disappeared from the scene for nearly two decades, only to resurface in the most unlikely of places: New York City’s fabled but troubled Tavern on the Green. There, he launched a journey of self-discovery familiar to anyone who has ever imagined themselves to be an artist. Featuring interviews by Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, Ruth Reichl and Martha Stewart, this delicious documentary tells the story of the rise and fall of America’s first celebrity chef, whose brash personality and culinary genius has made him a living legend. Directed by Lydia Tenaglia, producer of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.”