The Public

Emilio Estevez wrote and directed this film about a group of homeless men and women who refuse to leave a Cincinnati library in protest of the city's lack of adequate emergency shelters. He also stars as Stuart Goodson, a librarian caught between his homeless patrons and the cops outside the library doors, a simple but good man who strives to help the demonstrators with their plight. Michael K. Williams shines as Jackson, the leader of the destitute group whose non-violent occupation of the library quickly escalates into a standoff with law enforcement. When police and an ambitious district attorney get involved, Jackson must turn to his friends and library staff for help.

Director: Emilio Estevez. Stars: Emilio Estevez, Michael K. Williams, Taylor Schilling, Jeffrey Wright, Alec Baldwin, Gabrielle Union, Jena Malone, Christian Slater. 2018. 119 min. Drama.

The Best of Enemies

Civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Henson) and Ku Klux Klan leader C.P. Ellis (Rockwell) have been at each other's throats for a decade, each one fighting for what they want for the city of Durham, North Carolina. In 1971, the state decrees that schools must be desegregated, and the lives of these very different activists are turned upside down. They agree to co-chair a community meeting that will decide the fate of their schools, and as tensions heat up around them, they begin to see some startling truths about race relations in America.

Director: Robin Bissell. Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Babou Ceesay, Wes Bentley, Nick Searcy, Anne Heche, John Gallagher Jr. 2019. 133 min. Biography.

An Acceptable Loss

Libby Lamm (Sumpter) is a former U.S. security adviser who is haunted by her past. When she meets an enterprising grad student (Tavassoli) in search of the truth, she begins to take steps to right the wrongs she feels she has committed, but her former colleagues, including an uncompromising political operative (Curtis), are willing to do just about anything to keep her quiet.

Director: Joe Chappelle. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Tika Sumpter, Ben Tavassoli, Jeff Hephner. 102 min. Thriller.