The Blue Room / Nov 21

Nov 22, 23, 29, 30 Scroll down for times and locations

Two lovers go from pillow talk to possible murder in this sexy, brain-teasing French thriller. Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Grand Budapest Hotel) directs and stars as Julien, a middle-aged salesman embroiled in a steamy love affair with a married woman who, after a round of kinky sex, makes a startling suggestion. Suddenly Julien is caught up in a police investigation—but just what exactly happened? Based on a novel by legendary crime writer Georges Simenon, this beguiling cinematic puzzle unfolds in an elliptical style that keeps the audience guessing every step of the way. (76 min; rated R)

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/ifcfilms/theblueroom/

Spellbinding! — LA Times

While cinephiles are aware of Mathieu Amalric’s range as an actor, he’s displaying an equally fearless and eclectic approach to his filmography as a director. — Indiewire

A compact and resonant psychological thriller directed by French actor Mathieu Amalric, who is also its star, The Blue Room makes a fascinating European companion piece to David Fincher’s Gone Girl.         – Salon

There is more than a hint of the old-school Nouvelle Vague in their almost pointillistic approach. (Coincidentally, one of Picasso’s best known Blue Period paintings was also called “The Blue Room,” and it fits the spirit of Amalric’s picture rather well.) Yet, what most distinguishes the film is the degree to which Amalric captures the vibe and essence of Simenon’s non-Maigret hothouse psychological thrillers. Amalric nicely distinguishes himself as a triple threat with “Blue Room.” Brainy and rather steamy at times, “The Blue Room” belongs in the top rank of Simenon adaptations, in the company of films from the likes of Chabrol, Leconte, and Duvivier. –Epoch Times

Esther invites Julien to kiss her and — in a glorious, Hitchcockian swirl of wind, musical notes and camera movement — he does, surrendering completely. Mr. Amalric handles the kiss beautifully. With Ms. Cléau (his partner in real life) and a gifted team that includes the cinematographer Christophe Beaucarne, he makes the moment at once palpably real and manifestly artificial, counterbalancing the authenticity of the emotions with studiolike lighting and a wind that suddenly blows in as if summoned by unseen forces or an off-screen special-effects fan. It’s the kind of big movie kiss that sends noir heroes to their knees and maybe their graves and that accompanied by crashing ocean waves and intensifying music, elevates Scottie’s passion for Madeleine in Hitchcock’s Vertigo, one of Mr. Amalric’s touchstones.                     –The New York Times

Sat & Sun, Nov 22 & 23
The Two Faces of January   3:00, 5:00 & 7:00 @ IU Fine Arts
The Blue Room   3:45, 5:45 & 7:45 @ IU Woodburn

Sat & Sun, Nov 29 & 30
The Two Faces of January   3:00, 5:00 & 7:00 @ IU Fine Arts
The Blue Room   3:45, 5:45 & 7:45 @ IU Woodburn – Last Chance!

Mon, Dec 1

The Two Faces of January 7pm at Bear’s Place – Last Chance!