Stumbling into a robbery gone wrong, delivery driver Pierre-Paul Daust faces a dilemma — exit empty handed or take the money and run.
Repercussions of that decision play out in “The Fall of the American Empire,” a new film showing July 12-25 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
Directed by Denys Arcand, the film follows the 36-year-old Daust who is an intellectual, having earned a doctorate in philosophy, but works as a delivery driver to afford a decent living. One day, while delivering a parcel, he gets caught in a failed hold-up with two dead and millions in money bags on the ground.
As the plot unfolds, Arcand takes a witty yet touching look at the predominance of money in a society where all other values seem to be crumbling.
“The Fall of the American Empire” is rated R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity and language. The first screening at the Ross is 4:35 p.m. July 12.
Continuing to show at the Ross is “The Souvenir,” which features a shy but ambitious film student (played by Honor Swinton Byrne) finding her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship. She defies her protective mother (Tilda Swinton) and concerned friends as she falls deeper into a relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams.
By acclaimed writer-director Joanna Hogg, “The Souvenir” is rated R for some sexuality, graphic nudity, drug material and language. It shows through July 18.
General admission ticket prices increased July 1 to $10.75 for evening screenings and $8.50 for matinees.
For more information, including showtimes and how to purchase tickets, call 402-472-5353 or visit the Ross website.
