Critically-acclaimed new film debuts at Mary D. Fisher Theatre
Sedona AZ (May 17, 2017) – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” — starring Richard Gere — showing May 26-31 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) lives a lonely life in the margins of New York City power and money, a would-be operator dreaming up financial schemes that never come to fruition. As he has nothing real to offer, Norman strives to be everyone’s friend, but his incessant networking leads him nowhere.
Always on the lookout for someone willing to pay attention to him, Norman sets his sights on Micha Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi), a charismatic Israeli politician alone in New York at a low point in his career. Sensing Eshel’s vulnerability, Norman reaches out with a gift of a very expensive pair of shoes, a gesture that deeply touches Eshel. When Eshel becomes Prime Minister three years later, he remembers.
With his very real connection to the leader of a major nation, Norman is awash in the respect he has always craved. Flush with his newfound feeling of success, Norman attempts to use Eshel’s name to leverage his biggest deal ever: a series of quid pro quo transactions linking the Prime Minister to Norman’s nephew (Michael Sheen), a rabbi (Steve Buscemi), a mogul (Harris Yulin), his assistant (Dan Stevens), and a treasury official from the Ivory Coast. Norman’s kaleidoscopic plans soon go awry, creating the potential for an international catastrophe he must struggle to prevent.
The new film by Academy Award-nominated director Joseph Cedar is a comic and compassionate drama of a little man whose downfall is rooted in a human frailty all too easy to forgive — a need to matter.
“A spellbinder. One of Richard Gere’s best performances ever.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
“A marvel of with and off-kilter humanity. Mr. Gere has never been better.” — A.O. Scott, The New York Times
“Smart, mordant and wonderfully witty.” — John Powers, Vogue
“Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre May 26-31. Showtimes will be 4 and 7 p.m. on Friday, May 26; 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 27; and 4 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 30 and 31.
Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.
