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"The Lesson" & "L’immensitá"

Movies 101
Spokane Public Radio

Yes, we’re in the midst of the summer-movie season, which means that the theaters are full of exploding cars and dashing do-gooders. But there’s still room for intimate stories, too. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of films that are small enough to pass right by many movie fans without so much as a murmured response. One is The Lesson, a neo-noir involving literary theft, and the other is L’immensitá, an Italian-language film starring Penelope Cruz as a mother whose love for her children is the main thing holding her marriage together.

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  • An author, his wife and a young stranger form an unusual, deceptive triangle in “The Lesson,” which Nathan Weinbender says is a fun, twist-filled drama if you don’t think too hard about it.
  • The Seattle International Film Festival is one of the biggest cinematic events in the Pacific Northwest, and this year’s fest featured two jam-packed weeks of movies from all over the world. Nathan Weinbender visited during its closing weekend and is recommending some titles to keep on your radar.