1111111'
loam)
Doppelganger Drama
Arie Posin's new film was inspired by
his mother's experience.
I
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
T
he Face of Love, a film with-
out Jewish content, had a
pre-release screening at a
California synagogue.
The family of Arie Posin, the film's
director/co-writer, holds membership
there and invited other members to see
it in advance of theater showings.
The plot of the movie was imagined
after Posin heard about a chance experi-
ence of his mother, who noticed a man
uncannily resembling her late husband
and was startled by the sighting.
The movie takes a sighting much fur-
ther. A widow, Nikki, played by Annette
Bening, pursues a romance with a man
closely resembling her late husband,
with both parts, Garrett and Tom, por-
trayed by Ed Harris.
Tension builds as she tries to keep
her new lover unaware of the reason for
the original attraction. She thinks that
secret can endure if they avoid encoun-
ters with family and friends.
Local showings are scheduled to begin
Friday, April 11, at the Main Art Theatre
in Royal Oak.
"The movie was born out of a very
personal, authentic emotion of my mom,"
Posin explains in a phone conversation
from California. "From its earliest phases,
I was starting to sketch notes about what
might turn out from the premise.
"I wanted to avoid movie logic, the
leaps where people feel it's not reality,
and when I watch the movie, I feel the
emotions are true without exploiting
the idea. I feel I've tried to communi-
cate something.
"I want people to leave the theater
with something more than they had
when they came in, whether that's an
idea or a feeling or a question or a
thought or the sense of an experience in
someone else's shoes"
Other cast members include Robin
Williams as Roger, Nikki's friend,
neighbor and would-be suitor; Amy
Brenneman as Ann, Tom's former wife;
and Jess Weixler as Summer, Nikki's
daughter.
Posin can look both to his mother
and late father, refuseniks in the former
Soviet Union, for creative incentives. His
father, Michael, was a film director in
Moscow as his mother, Rimma, pursued
a screenwriting career.
Arie Posin, 42, was born one month
after his parents escaped to Israel. The
family lived in Canada before moving
to the United States, where the younger
Posin chose a film career for himself as
well.
Accepted into the University
of Southern California School of
Cinematic Arts, he wrote and directed
the short film Over My Dead Body and
moved on to co-write and direct The
Chumscrubber, starring Jamie Bell,
Glenn Close and Ralph Fiennes.
"I think love often starts with the
exterior" says Posin, married with one
daughter. "A person sees someone and
is attracted for whatever complex psy-
chological reasons exist.
As that person is more deeply known,
crossroads are faced about whether per-
sonalities mesh and whether interests
are going to carry the relationship. This
movie is a heightened version of all that"
Posin, who visited Detroit while
the family lived in Canada, says that
he makes movies for reasons that are
partly intellectual, partly emotional and
partly unconscious.
"It's not a coincidence that there are so
many storytellers in Jewish tradition:' he
says. "The entire religious background as
it affects every Jew involves storytelling
but not just the telling of the story. It also
has to do with interpretation of the story
and its importance.
"I can't help but being influenced by
growing up in that tradition and being
familiar with the stories and the dramas
and the tensions learned in religious
school:'
❑
The Face of Love is scheduled
to open Friday, April 11, at the
Landmark Main Art Theatre in
Royal Oak. (248) 542-5198;
www.landmarktheatres.com .
EPIC
CATERIN
Call 248.432.5509 for more
information or check out our menus
at theepicureangroup.com/kosher.
A DIVISION OF
MILK & HONEY
We invite you to join us and
feast for the holidays!
Passover Carry-Out Menu
To place an order, please call
248.661.2327 or email milkhoney@theepicureangroup.com .
Orders must be placed by Tuesday, April 8
Orders can be picked up Monday, April 14
10 a.m. — 2 p.m.
Adat Shalom Kitchen Entrance
29901 Middlebelt Road • Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Pre-Passover Buffet at JCC
Sunday, April 13
Jewish Community Center
Adults — $19.95* Children — $12.95* Children 3 and Under — Free
Passover Buffet at Adat Shalom
Thursday, April 17
Adat Shalom
Adults — $30.95* Children — $15.95* Children 3 and Under — Free
2nd Night Seder at Adat Shalom
Tuesday, April 15
For reservations or additional information,
please call 248.851.5100.
PARTIES OF 6 OR MORE RECEIVE ONE COMPLIMENTARY MEAL
AT OUR BUFFETS
*Prices do not include 6% sales tax or 20% gratuity.
HAVE A SAFE AND WARM HOLIDAY FROM ALL OF US!
1902220
JN
March 27 • 2014
57