For our twenty-first overall episode (and third of the 2023-2024 academic year), we welcome senior FMI student Brendan Hylton—who is also president of the FMI Club this year— and sophomore FMI student CJ Runge to discuss the films Fallen Leaves and May December. The former is from Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki and comes out on Mubi on December 1 after a limited theatrical run. Kaurismäki’s films are known for their dry-as-a-bone humor and subtle pathos; consider this one a romantic “dramedy.” The other movie is directed by Todd Haynes, starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton, and tells the fraught tale of a long-term relationship between an older woman and her much-younger husband, which began when he was still her student. It’s based on the real-life drama of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. It has also been in limited theatrical release since November 17 and drops on Netflix December 1. As always, FMI Department Chair Chris Reed hosts.
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