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E. Jean Caroll in 'Ask E. Jean' (2025)
E. Jean Caroll in 'Ask E. Jean' (2025)
Ask E. Jean
(2 p.m. Sept. 26, Downer Theatre)
A certain New York real estate tycoon ran into a prominent New York columnist-TV personality outside Bergdorf Goodman in 1996. He bantered with her, asking her advice on a gift for a lady friend. Should she have begged off when he suggested she show him through the lingerie department? According to E. Jean Carroll, the tycoon forced her into a dressing room and raped her.
Carroll’s charges against that tycoon, during his first term as president, is at the heart of Ivy Meerepol’s documentary, Ask E. Jean. Why did she wait 23 years before going public? Before the rise of #MeToo, “I didn’t have the guts,” she admits. The documentary includes snippets from her filmed deposition, with all the inappropriate questions asked of women bringing sexual assault charges. “Were you wearing a bra?” “How do you define sex?” “Have you ever had acting classes?”
The sitting president responded that Jean was “not his type” after declaring, “I have no idea who this woman is.” He then pronounced her a liar. That prompted her to sue for sexual assault and defamation. She won in court against a battery of attorneys and public slander. Ask E. Jean is screened as part of Milwaukee Film’s Dialogues Documentary Dialogue Festival. (David Luhrssen)
Heart of the Beast
(In Theaters Sept. 25)
Following the crash of his small plane, pilot James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his canine companion Odin (played by an Alsatian named Uber) are stranded more than 50 miles from the nearest road. Both are injured. In this fictionalized story, Belmont, having retired from the military, has adopted his former partner Odin. The depth and strength of their connection ratchets up the tension as they navigate the stunningly beautiful, deadly wilds of Alaska.
Shot in New Zealand, 63-year-old Pitt spent virtually the entire two months of filming, being cold and wet. Once shooting wrapped, the actor discovered that his vision of the final product differed from that of director David Ayer. To settle the debate, Pitt and Ayer edited dueling versions. Eventually, they agreed on the finished product seen here. Though occasionally predictable, this actioner is at once terrifying, exciting and uplifting. J. K. Simmons is perfectly cast in a supporting role. (Lisa Miller)
Primetime
(In Theaters Sept. 25)
The story of the origins of television’s “To Catch a Predator,” starring Chris Hansen, examines sensationalized crime reporting as a means of chasing ratings. In this case that also means inciting crime to create “can’t miss” reality TV. Robert Pattinson portrays the show’s host Chris Hansen, who becomes increasingly unhinged in the wake of his own success. Pattinson’s jangly performance anchors the story, supported by a cast that includes Bokeem Woodbine, Anna Faris and Jonathan Lipnicki, among others. Rated R and running nearly two hours, director Lance Oppenheim delivers a film that is part thriller, part satire, and is entirely enthralling. (Lisa Miller)
