FLOW movie review, plus December special screenings 

• Variance Films

Flow
We live in an age of ever-advancing filmmaking technology, but I'll gladly sacrifice state-of-the-art for something that feels dedicated to basic, engaging storytelling principles. This minimalist, wordless animated feature from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis is set in a post-human world, where a solitary cat attempts to survive in the midst of an apocalyptic flood, eventually requiring the assistance of other animals like a capybara, a lemur and a previously-antagonistic dog. To say that the animation is primitive would be an understatement; some of the rendering feels like it could have come out of a 1990s Pixar short. Fortunately, that rarely matters, since the moment-to-moment adventures of the feline protagonist are presented so effectively, and with a keen sense of visual narrative-building. Zilbalodis and co-screenwriter Matīss Kaža don't explicitly anthropomorphize the animals—although some of them do seem strangely savvy about the concept of how a boat's rudder works—nor do they go out of their way to explain either the absence of the humans, the possible cause of the flood or even the geography where a lemur and a capybara coexist in the same landscape. They're simply concerned with a tale about how theoretical enemies can become allies in times of crisis, mixed with a good old-fashioned survival yarn. If there's one lesson we're learning in the AI era, it's that no increase in computing capacity is a substitute for real artistic creativity. Available Dec. 6 in theaters. (NR)

Special Screenings:
The Sound of Music: Sing With Maria: It may not be socially acceptable to belt "Defying Gravity" along with the current screen version of Wicked, but here's a chance to indulge your inner Broadway diva in a sanctioned setting. The beloved, Oscar-winning 1965 version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical—about a young woman who leaves convent life to become nanny to a widower's children in 1930s Austria—returns for its annual visit to the Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South) for a sing-along version. Join in the chorus for "Do Re Mi," "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," the title song and more, with a presentation that also includes trivia, props, costume contest, tea-and-cookies intermission and more. Showtimes are 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 14. Tickets are $25 per person.
slfs.org

Frozen Sing-along @ Park City Eccles Center: Wait, you still haven't gotten enough of belting it out amongst your fellow moviegoers? Disney's original 2014 Frozen allows you to let loose on all of the animated hit's songs—including "Love is an Open Door," "In Summer" and, of course, the Oscar-winning "Let It Go"—in a special presentation at Park City's Eccles Center (1750 Kearns Blvd.) on Monday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. The event includes prizes for a costume contest. Tickets are $13.55 - $24.60.
parkcityinstitute.org

SLFS Holidays: In addition to the aforementioned Sound of Music holiday tradition, the Salt Lake Film Society offers several other holiday classics throughout the month of December. Drop in for big-screen showings of Eyes Wide Shut (Dec. 6, 7 p.m.), Die Hard (Dec. 13, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.) and It's a Wonderful Life (Dec. 20, 7 p.m.), plus expanded runs of A Muppet Christmas Carol (opening Dec. 15) and Gremlins (opening Dec. 29). Visit the website for ticketing.
slfs.org

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout: Did you know that some of the most celebrated stars in movie history—including John Wayne and Susan Hayward—might have died as a result of filming on radiation-tainted land in Utah? This new documentary explores the legacy of the 1956 historical drama The Conqueror, chronicling the dangerous production decisions involving areas impacted by nuclear testing that could have contributed to multiple instances of cancer. Doug Fabrizio moderates a post-film conversation with director William Nunez and producer Doug Waller at the Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium (210 E. 400 South) on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m., free to the public with online RSVP.
utahfilmcenter.org