One of the last major silent films produced by Hollywood, The Wind was an outright flop upon its release in 1928. Audiences had just started flocking to movies that had sound. But The WInd's theme's of sex, violence, and existential dread also had something to do with the reaction from unprepared viewers, which was bad enough to inspire the last-minute addition of a happy ending. Today, The Wind has natural appeal for film-savvy audiences. Zeitgeist movies will present a one-time screening of The Wind on Sunday, June 23 at 8 p.m. accompanied by a live original score by The Invincible Czars from Austin, Texas. More info here.

Loosely based on Henry James’ short novel of the same name, What Maisie Knew is the latest in a recent stream of deeply affecting films told from a child’s point of view. The title can be taken literally, as the film shows exactly what a precocious six-year-old girl sees as her two absent and self-obsessed parents (Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan) fight over her custody out of sheer hatred for one another. Some scenes are actually shot from Maisie’s height, with adults cut off at mid-torso. But the technique is used sparingly and helps draw us into Maisie’s uncertain world. Filmmaking partners Scott McGehee and David Siegel (The Deep End) avoid all the kid-movie clichés, instead developing an engaging character study for adults with a remarkable pint-sized figure (beautifully played by Onata Aprile) at its center. That works from just about any perspective.

What Maisie Knew begins an exclusive one-week run today at Chalmette Movies. More info here.

Just about everyone over a certain age has been there: that moment when you realize your long-term relationship has gradually evolved into something that’s less about romance and more about the practical side of everyday life. Before Midnight, the third in series of conversation-based films about Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), offers what may be the most realistic depiction of a mature love relationship ever committed to film. Simmering resentments, circular arguments, and the nagging sense that a single push in the wrong direction might lead to an eventual breakup — these are the difficult realities found in director Richard Linklater’s movie. It’s not always easy to watch, but it has an air of discovered truth that elevates it to something that looks a lot like art.

In the series’ first film, Before Sunrise (1995), twenty-somethings Jesse and Celine meet on a train and spend a single romantic evening walking and talking in Vienna before their lives require them to part ways. In their thirties, the star-crossed lovers finally meet again and enjoy a day together wandering Paris in Before Sunset (2004) after Jesse writes a best-selling book about that fateful first night and Celine turns up at a reading. In Before Midnight, the fortyish couple brings their young daughters to Greece. The intensely intimate conversation of the first two films has given way to comfortable familiarity. In the first of the film’s three long conversations — presented in slightly condensed real time and mostly without edits — Jesse plants a seed of discontent by hinting that he wants the family to leave Paris and move back to the States so they can be near his adolescent son from his first marriage. Later on, friends watch the kids and give the couple a gift of another romantic evening alone together. But time and circumstance have taken their toll on Jesse and Celine.

MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

The Prytania Theatre has announced the lineup for its summer series of classic movies. Screenings are held at 10 a.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays. Tickets are $5.75. Here's the lineup:

The Graduate — June 23 & 26
Yankee Doodle Dandy — June 30 & July 3
Ocean’s 11 — July 7 & 10
Goldfinger — July 14 & 17
The French Connection — July 21 & 24
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner — July 28 & 31

The New Orleans Film Society and Ashé Cultural Arts Center will present a free screening of A Lot Like You tonight, June 10, at 6:30 p.m at Ashé. The documentary is an exploration of family history and mixed-race identity. A community reception will start at 6:00 p.m. Director-producer Eliachi Kimaro will be on hand for a post-screening discussion. More Info here.

Seventy-five-year-old British filmmaker Ken Loach has fashioned a long and fruitful career by focusing his work on the kind of true-to-life working-class characters seldom found in mainstream movies. Often described as “social realist,” Loach’s films feature naturalistic dialogue that sometimes seems improvised but actually sticks pretty closely to carefully crafted scripts. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, The Angels’ Share gradually develops two remarkable qualities not normally associated with Loach’s movies: warmth and humor. No one would confuse The Angels' Share for a full-on comedy in the traditional sense. But with its light tone and uplifting message, the film does constitute a welcome late-career surprise from the director.

The Angels’ Share starts out as harshly realistic as any of Loach’s films. A charismatic kid with a penchant for explosive violence on the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, Robbie (newcomer Paul Brannigan) escapes incarceration only by virtue of his very pregnant girlfriend Leonie (Siobhan Reilly). But Leonie’s uncles want to kill Robbie, and her father tries to bribe him to leave town. While serving his hours of community service, Robbie meets a group of equally wayward miscreants along with work supervisor Harry (John Henshaw), who takes Robbie under his wing. A new world opens up for the ragtag crew when whisky aficionado Harry takes them on a tour of one of Scotland’s great distilleries. The film’s title refers to the 2% that mysteriously evaporates while the precious spirits age in oak barrels. The whisky becomes a metaphor for the possibility of finding something of value and meaning in an era where more than a million young people are hopelessly unemployed in Great Britain alone. Then the whole thing turns into a wonderfully low-tech heist movie.

By giving his typically troubled characters a believable shot at redemption, Loach opens up his politically progressive world-view to a wider potential audience. But The Angels’ Share transcends politics by making its case solely through character and story. It’s hard to imagine anyone objecting to the film on socio-political grounds. Its only overt message is that even the direst circumstances can be transformed by simple acts of kindness and respect. Just about everyone can raise a glass to that.

The Angels' Share begins an exclusive one-week run today at Zeitgeist Movies. More info here.