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Up To Date's Indie, Foreign & Doc Critics' 'Three To See,' September 28-30

Emma Thompson portrays a judge in the new film 'The Children Act.'
A24
Emma Thompson portrays a judge in the new film 'The Children Act.'

We make hundreds of choices a day — what shirt to wear, or when to eat dinner — but sometimes those choices are a little more difficult. This week's recommendations from Up To Date's indie, foreign and documentary Film Critics feature decisions about love and murder, starting over after a spouse's death, and life versus religion. 

Cynthia Haines

"The Children Act," R

  • Amidst the trials of her own divorce, a judge faces the trial of of her career. She must decide if a young boy's religious freedom is more important than his staying alive.

"The Bookshop," PG

  • In this adaptation of the Penelope Fitzgerald novel, Emily Mortimer portrays an entrepreneurial widow whose new bookshop introduces a bit of progressivism to a reluctant, conservative English town.

"Operation Finale," PG-13

  • History, horror and romance are intertwined in this story of a daring, top-secret mission to capture one of the last escaped Nazis. Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Israel's intelligence agency hunts down Adolf Eichman, the mastermind behind the Final Solution.


Bob Butler 

"Fahreinheit 11/9," R

  • Michael Moore's newest documentary is a provocative yet comedic look at the 2016 presidental election. The film begins with a up-close look at his hometown, Flint, Michigan, then expanded to look at the state of America as a whole. 

"Pick of the Litter," not rated

  • Follow along on the entertaining, informative and adorable journey of a litter of puppies on their quest to become guide dogs.

"Lizzie," R

  • An interesting twist on an infamous murder case. Double axe murder, feminism in the 1800's and a lesbian love affair create a compelling portrait of the Lizzie Borden story.


Steve Walker

"The Chidren Act," R

  • With her marriage in tatters, a stern British judge, played by Emma Thompson in full iron butterfly mode, tries the case of a 17-year-old Jehovah's Witness with leukemia in dire need of the blood transfusion his religion disallows.

"Lizzie," R

  • Director Craig William Macneill's compelling take on the axe murders of Lizzie Borden's father and step-mother has a feminist slant, proposing that the oppression of women in the late 1800s may have been a contributing factor. 

"Pick of the Litter," not rated 

  • Those whose heartstrings aren't pulled by this documentary about the training of five Labrador Retriever puppies to become guide dogs for the blind should see a doctor for the ice in their veins.

Copyright 2021 KCUR 89.3. To see more, visit KCUR 89.3.

Since 1998, Steve Walker has contributed stories and interviews about theater, visual arts, and music as an arts reporter at KCUR. He's also one Up to Date's regular trio of critics who discuss the latest in art, independent and documentary films playing on area screens.
Emily Reid