It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.



[Report]

This weekend’s releases are pretty easily summed up: a thoughtful piece, decades in the making, from renowned director Martin Scorsese, and another superhero movie. But that would be cutting Logan short in the unfairest of ways.

Come along this week as we take a look at two films that explore people, their interactions, and their struggles in ways that will surprise - for both these movies take thoughtful, emotional looks at human nature.

[Slug CG]
Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

[Slug CG]
Logan (2017, James Mangold)
In the future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X.

It's 2029. The world’s mutants are very nearly gone. Logan, isolated and despondent, drinks away his days in a hideout near the Mexican border, working for petty cash. His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban and an ailing Professor X, whose mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy end when a mysterious woman appears with an urgent request - that Logan shepherd an extraordinary young girl to safety. Soon, Logan must face off against dark forces and a villain from his own past on a path toward fulfilling his destiny.

This is Hugh Jackman’s final turn as the Wolverine, and there really could be no better swan song than Logan for him to leave the role. The movie may be violent - it’s rated R in a sea of PG-13 superhero movies, after all - but is surprisingly thoughtful, with Jackman’s performance gritty and nuanced.

If you’ve been following the X-Men universe since the original introduction of Jackman as Wolverine way back in 2000, then you’ll absolutely want to see him bring his storied role to its ultimate conclusion.


[Slug CG]
Silence (2017, Martin Scorsese)
Two Jesuit priests travel to Japan to locate their mentor.

Martin Scorsese worked for 28 years to bring Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel Silence to life, and now it's here.

Silence tells the story of two Christian missionaries who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden.

Scorsese’s passion for his material is on full display here, as he journeys into the unknown. Silence does take some time to drive its point home, and can be repetitive, too. But within are moments of sublime beauty and a wealth of beautiful performances from the three leads.

Silence may test your patience, but the rewards are worth it.