February 21, 2020 · 3 min read

‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’ opens at the Ross

'Parasite,' 'Clemency' continue to show

Pauline Kael in a scene from "What She Said." The film shows Feb. 21-27 at the Ross.

Opening Feb. 21 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center is “What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael.” Continuing are “Clemency” and “Parasite.”

“What She Said” tells the story of film critic Pauline Kael’s turbulent life and work. The film features never-before-seen archival footage, Kael’s published writing, personal letters and interviews with friends and foes.

Called the most influential film critic of the late 20th century by Robert Ebert, Kael (1919-2001) wrote for The New Yorker and published 12 best-selling books. The hallmark of her writing was a ruthless pursuit of what made a move or an actor’s performance work — or not — and why. Her passion made her both admired and despised amongst her readers and her subjects.

Kael’s story is one of struggle and obsession: the fight to establish her voice and have it heard, and to raise a daughter on her own in a time when the obstacles were high.

“What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael,” which shows through Feb. 27, is not rated.

Trailer: "What She Said"

“Clemency,” a drama that stars Alfre Woodard as a prison warden whose long oversight of death row has taken a psychological toll. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Woodard’s character, Bernadine Williams, confronts the emotional demons of her job and begins connecting with the man she is sanctioned to execute.

“Clemency” runs through Feb. 27 and is rated R for language and some disturbing material.

Trailer: "Clemency"

“Parasite” depicts two South Korean families at opposite ends of the class spectrum: the Parks, a picture of aspirational wealth, and the Kims, rich only in street smarts. When one of the Kim children receives an opportunity to begin tutoring in the Park home, he initiates a series of gambits that ultimately embed the Kim family with their wealthy counterpart. But when a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, an underhanded, savage battle for survival breaks out, threatening to destroy the symbiotic Kim-Park relationship.

“Parasite” runs through Feb. 27 and is rated R for language, some violence and sexual content.