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The 2002 Season of the Town Hall Feature Film Seminar
 The 2002 season opened on Feb 11 with LAST ORDER "Dream Cast drives Last Orders. Fred Schlepisi and his big-name actors tell a thoughtful tale about inward journeys made during a road trip." -Kenneth Turan, Times Film Critic. It's a long life, so you need life-long friends. Last Orders is a funny and moving film about four old friends (Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, David Hemmings and Tom Courtenay) and, most of all, the man, Jack Dodds (Michael Caine), whose "last orders" have set them on a journey. Also starring Helen Mirren & Ray Winstone, directed by Fred Schepisi. Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Rated: R for sexuality & some language. Running Time: 1 hour 49 minutes
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Subsequent films were:
February 25th THE CAT'S MEOW
 This movie takes a look at what might have been a scandalous murder (and the subsequent cover-up) of Thomas H. Ince (Cary Elwes) on board William Randolph Hearst's yacht, Oneida, in 1924. The center of the story is the jealousy that Hearst (Edward Hermann) feels about his extremely young lover, Marion Davies (Kristen Dunst), and what happens when he suspects that she's having an affair with Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard). With gossip columnist (and Hearst employee) Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly) and a gaggle of celebrities also on board, any "cover-up" is going to be tricky, at best... or is it? Written by Steven Peros, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Released by Lions Gate Films. Rated: PG-13 (for sexuality, a scene of violence, and brief drug use). Running Time: 112 minutes
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March 11th SON OF THE BRIDE (El Hijo de la Novia)
 **Winner Best Latin American feature at the Montreal Film Festival as well as recepient of a Special Grand Jury prize and **Oscar Nomination for Best Foriegn Language Film. A family wedding brings out the best and the worst in the various parties involved in this warm but pointed comedy-drama. Starring: Ricardo Darín, Héctor Alterio, Norma Aleandro, Eduardo Blanco, Natalia Verbeke, Gimena Nóbile, David Masajnik, Claudia Fontán, Atilio Pozzobon, Salo Pasik, Humberto Serrano, Fabián Arenillas, Mónica Cabrera, Giorgio Bellora, Directed by Juan José Campanella, written by Juan José Campanella and Fernando Castets. Released by Sony Pictures Classics & Patagonik Film Group. Running Time: 124. Spanish with English Subtitles. |
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March 25th MYSTIQUE MASSUER
Scripted by Caryl Phillips and based on the novel of the same title by Nobel Prize winning author V.S. Naipaul, Mystique Massuer is the current project under production by Merchant Ivory. This film will represent the first of his acclaimed literary works that Mr. Naipaul has permitted to be translated to the screen. V.S. Naipaul's remarkable first novel, is set during the mid 1950's in his native Trinidad where black, white, and Indian people make up the multicultural melting pot of the island. The story is rooted primarily in the Indian community, and it deals with the thwarted ambitions, frustrations, and ultimate triumphs that are possible in this 'restricted' part of the world. It is a story that is marked by its humor, its pathos and its warmth. Cast: Ayesha Dharker, James Fox, Aasif Mandvi, Om Puri & Zohra Sehgal, directed by Ismail Merchant, written by Caryl Phillips. Merchant Ivory Productions, Rated: PG (for mild language) |
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April 8th ENIGMA 
"There's nothing enigmatic or even problematic about Enigma, a superbly crafted, wonderfully old-fashioned British-styled World War II thriller-romance from producers Lorne Michaels and Mick Jagger" --Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter. A romantic thriller steeped in the tense atmosphere of wartime Britain, this suspenseful drama centers on the mysteries of WWII cryptography while telling a tale of love, patriotism, obsession and betrayal. Enigma takes you inside Station X, one of the most secret places at Bletchley Park; famed birthplace of the Computer Age and the scene of some of the most brilliant code breaking of all time. In March 1943, the best minds in England have gathered at Bletchley Park and face their worst nightmare: the Nazis have changed the code key for the Enigma machine! Cast: Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Saffron Burrows, Jeremy Northam, Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Tom Hollander, Donald Sumpter & Matthew MacFadyen. Directed by Michael Apted, Screenplay by Tom Stoppard, Based on the Novel by Robert Harris. Manhattan Pictures. Rated R (for a sex scene & language). Running Time: 117 minutes |
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April 22nd HAPPY TIMES
 Happy Times is a small but broad Chinese language comedy about human nature when it comes to love and the pursuit of happiness. Middle-aged Ding Shikou visits a matchmaker to find a wife. Finally, she sends him the perfect one. Desperate to impress her, Ding promises her a far more extravagant wedding than he can afford, leading her to believe he is rich. He even has a group of old retirees create a fake hotel environment in an abandoned factory, so she believes he has a legitimate job. Finally, he must tell the truth to his fiancée, which turns out to be both a heartbreaking and hilarious life lesson for all involved. Cast: Dong Jie, Director: Zhang Yimou. Rated: Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Rated PG (for thematic elements and language). Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. |
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May 6th THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING
 Thirteen Conversations weaves five contemporary stories together into a single tale that examines the dramatic impact people have on one another. With a carefully constructed narrative that criss-crosses in time, the film offers and unusual glimpse into each character,s past, present and future in ways that are both playful and poignant. The exploration of the meaning of true happiness, the notion of karma and the eternal power of hope strikes with particular relevance in our increasingly frenetic, disjointed world.Cast: Matthew McConaughley, John Turturro, Alan Arkin, Clea Duvall, Amy Irving, Malcolm Getz, Tia Texada, Barbara Sukowa, Frankie Faison, Shawn Elliott, William Wise & Peggy Gormley. Directed by: Jill Sprecher, Screenplay by Jill and Karen Sprecher. Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Rated R (for language and brief drug use). Running time 110 minutes |
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May 20th MILE ZERO
 Andrew Currie's suspenseful debut feature follows the journey of a man who cannot accept the end of his marriage. Cut adrift and floundering, Derek Ridley (Michael Riley) finds himself unable to cope without the love of his wife Allison (Sabrina Grdevich) and his eight year-old son Will (Connor Widdows). Mile Zero is a story about a father with a remarkable capacity to love, but who lets fear and desperation rule his actions. After losing his son to divorce, he finds no alternative but to kidnap the boy inevitably dragging him through a harrowing journey of grief and as he learns to accept himself. Haunting and poignant, Mile Zero asks the question "Is it possible for someone to love too much? Directed by Andrew Currie, screenplay by Michael Melski. Anagram Pictures Inc. Running time 93 minutes.
June 3rd A SONG FOR MARTIN In midlife, two soul mates - Barb ara (Viveka Seldahl)and Martin (Sven Wollter) finally meet. At first, their mutual sexual attraction is both disturbing and undeniable, but their passion is further fueled by their love for music. Both are gifted musicians - Martin is a famous composer-conductor, and Barbara is the first violinist in a symphony orchestra where Martin is guest conductor. Although both are married and have grown children, they refuse to renounce the happiness they have finally found and, abandoning their lackluster lives, they plunge together into a new and exciting world, literally bursting with creative synergy. Released by First Look Productions. Rated PG-13. Running time 78 minutes.
June 17th LOVELY AND AMAZING Set in Los Angeles, this dramedy follows the lives of divorced wealthy mother Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) and her three daughters. The oldest is a struggling artist (Catherine Keener) stuck in a boring marriage, while the middle sister (Emily Mortimer) is an aspiring actress whose career is about to take off. Finally, there is 8-year-old Annie, a precocious, overweight African-American girl adopted into this neurotic group of women. Released by Lions gate films. rated R. Running time 89 minutes.
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