What to Watch This Weekend: February 7, 2020

In Theaters: Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is a triumphant breakout for Harley Quinn, a wild celebration of this character filled with bold style, entertaining action, a wonderful cast, and plenty of craziness.  For more information, check out our review!

In Theaters: The Traitor

The Traitor is an Italian mob epic, with amazing acting, a brutal and compelling story, and perfect music that will keep you engaged until the final shot.  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire takes a very funny cast, ridiculous situations, and lots of funny moments and tells a silly but heartwarming story that the whole family will love!  For more information, check out our review!

At Redbox: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep pairs a stellar cast, with a big score, and enough nostalgia from the original movie to keep you entertained.  Whether you are a fan of the novel or have seen Kubrick's original masterpiece, you will thoroughly enjoy Doctor Sleep. For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Showtime): The Best of Enemies

A historical film starring two amazing actors playing very different characters, The Best of Enemies tells the story of the clash between a civil rights advocate and a leader in the local Ku Klux Klan in North Carolina during school integration.  This was an underappreciated film in theaters and should not be missed now!

Streaming (HBO): John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

John Wick Chapter 3 is an action-packed new chapter in the John Wick saga.  It has John Wick's trademark flair, brutal and imaginative action, and continues the assassin's story against ever increasing odds.  For more information, check out our review!

Review: The Traitor

Release date: January 31, 2020
Running time: 145 minutes
Starring: Pierfrancesco Favino, Luigi Lo Cascio, Fausto Russo Alesi

The traitor tells the story of a real life mob boss, Tommaso Buscetta who was an Italian mobster in Sicily and Brazil during the 1960s and 1970s.  However, a series of brutal attacks on his family lead him to become a police informant, putting himself and his remaining family at serious risk.

This movie has multiple parts, first as a background for a mob boss and the brutal attacks that happened to his family.  Then it turns into more of an investigative, legal drama, as Buscetta becomes an informant.  These two very different themes are handled perfectly; although there is a clean break between the two main parts, there are some flash backs that occur at various times that help tie everything together.  The crux of all of this is Favino's amazing portrayal of Buscetta; Favino has a quiet confidence and a demeanor that shines through in his performance and really feels true to the man that he is portraying.  However, despite Favino being the star, the entire cast is fantastic.  Their portrayal of a variety of mafia members and family members really sets the tone early.  Additionally, Alesi as Judge Falcone is another stellar performance that really helps to move the story along.  

Everything about this movie contributes to its mood.  The cinematography, the action, the sounds or lack thereof, all help to tell this intriguing story.  The music is especially engaging and is perfectly placed to set the mood of the shot or evoke feelings.  The story itself is compelling and the fact that it is based on a true story helps you feel invested in the characters and their plight.  And the legal scenes, although they could have been fairly boring, are lively and an interesting contrast from American legal dramas.  The Italian court system is a very different world and I really enjoyed this dramatic peak into it.  The only problem with the film is that it seems to cut some corners in terms of story telling and have some very quick transitions at times.  But this is understandable for a movie that is two and a half hours long already.

The Traitor is an Italian mob epic, with amazing acting, a brutal and compelling story, and perfect music that will keep you engaged until the final shot.  

Watch It

Screening: The Traitor

THE TRAITOR
Rated R
Run time: 150 minutes

Cast: Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Candido, Nicola Cali, Luigi Lo Cascio, Fabrizio Ferracane, Fausto Russo Alesi

Director: Marco Bellocchio

THE TRAITOR tells the true story of Tommaso Buscetta, the man who brought down the Cosa Nostra. In the early 1980’s, an all out war rages between Sicilian mafia bosses over the heroin trade. Tommaso Buscetta, a made man, flees to hide out in Brazil. Back home, scores are being settled and Buscetta watches from afar as his sons and brother are killed in Palermo, knowing he may be next. Arrested and extradited to Italy by the Brazilian police, Buscetta makes a decision that will change everything for the Mafia: He decides to meet with Judge Giovanni Falcone and betray the eternal vow he made to the Cosa Nostra.

Screening Details:

THE TRAITOR
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
6:30 PM
LANDMARK E STREET

For your chance to win passes, please send an email to sonyclassicsdc@gmail.com with the subject "The Traitor Screening."  Please include your full name in the body of the email.

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As always, screenings are first-come, first-served so please arrive early to ensure you get a seat.