Bozeman Film Society closes year with historical satire -BFS closes year with historical satire, begins 2020 with parasitic class commentary
Bozeman Film Society continues its 41st season with two sensational movies to cap the holidays and bring local audiences into the new year.
First up is WWII satire Jojo Rabbit from writer-director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) on Friday, December 27th. Beginning at 7pm, Waititi’s latest delivers his signature style of humor and pathos to Downtown Bozeman’s Ellen Theatre.
The film follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis), whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in her attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his naive patriotism.
“It’s Waititi’s ability to balance unassailably goofy moments with an acknowledgement of real-life horrors that makes the movie exceptional,” writes Stephanie Zacharek for Time magazine.
The film also stars Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell. Rated PG-13, Jojo Rabbit runs 110 minutes. Closed captioning available.
Following Wednesday, January 8th, is the Cannes Palme d’Or winner for 2019, Parasite. Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black, genre-bending thriller of class proportions. The Ellen hosts this new year screening at 7pm.
Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks.
RogerEbert.com film critic Brian Tallericico raves, “Parasite is unquestionably one the best films of the year. Just trust me on this one.” By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, the film showcases a modern master at the top of his game. Rated R, Parasite runs 132 minutes. Presented in Korean with subtitles.
Reserved seats for Jojo Rabbit and Parasite are $9.75 for adults or $9.25 for seniors and students. Advance tickets available at www.theellentheatre.org (plus service fees). The Ellen lobby opens one hour before the screening for refreshments.
Bozeman Film Society seeks out and presents independent films which engage, entertain, and foster an understanding of the world community around us. Visit www.bozemanfilmsociety.org for film previews and further information – and “Keep ‘Em Flickering!” •