Top 5 movie picks for Sarasota-Bradenton: May 5-11

This year's summer movie season kicks off with the Marvel blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which debuts in theaters this weekend. If you're not interested in comic book cinema, multiple acclaimed titles from top film fests such as Cannes, Venice and Berlin also expand in release this week, including a Mother's Day-appropriate movie. And at-home viewing options include a World War II drama debuting on Netflix. Here are this week's highlights.

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Summer movie guide: 15 biggest films to watch in theaters during May, June and July

1. 'Petite Maman'

French filmmaker Céline Sciamma writes and directs this movie about a young girl whose maternal grandmother has recently died and who, while her family visits her mother's childhood home to clear it out, meets another girl her age in the woods with a unique connection to her. Like Sciamma's previous films "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" and "Girlhood," "Petite Maman" earned widespread acclaim following its premiere at last year's Berlin International Film Festival, ranked the fourth best-reviewed film of 2021 by review aggregation site Metacritic.

Where to watch: Limited release in theaters including Burns Court Cinemas, Green Light Cinema and Tampa Theatre

2. 'Vortex'

Writer-director Gaspar Noé's drama follows an elderly couple in declining health, played by Françoise Lebrun and Dario Argento, the latter a filmmaker himself best known for horror movies such as the original "Suspiria." Known for thematically and formally daring films such as "Enter the Void" and "Irréversible," Noé received much praise for "Vortex" following its premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with critics claiming it still displays his visual inventiveness (the film is shot in split-screen) while also showing an uncharacteristic tenderness.

Where to watch: Limited release in theaters including AMC Veterans 24 (Burns Court Cinemas on May 20)

3. 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film follows Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he delves further into the multiverse, a concept central to last year’s blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) also a main character in this movie. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” also marks the first MCU film directed by Sam Raimi – whose first two “Spider-Man” films rank among the best superhero movies ever made – and reportedly incorporates horror elements that should be right in the wheelhouse of the “Evil Dead” director.

Where to watch: Theaters on Friday

4. 'The Duke'

This British film based on a true story stars Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent as Kempton Bunton, a senior charged with the theft of Francisco Goya's "Portrait of the Duke of Wellington" from London's National Gallery in 1961, with fellow Oscar winner Helen Mirren playing his wife Dorothy. "The Duke" is finally getting a U.S. theatrical release following its premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, and marks the final movie of director Roger Michell ("Notting Hill," "Venus"), who passed away last year.

Where to watch: Limited release in theaters including Burns Court Cinemas, AMC Bradenton 20 and Spotlight Theatres Venice Luxury 11

5. 'Operation Mincemeat'

This drama tells the story of the real-life World War II mission that gives the film its name, where British intelligence deceived Axis powers about the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. With the story also previously serving as the source material for the 1956 film "The Man Who Never Was," this newest movie stars Colin Firth, "Succession" standout Matthew Macfadyen and Kelly Macdonald and is directed by "Shakespeare in Love" filmmaker John Madden.

Where to watch: Netflix on Wednesday

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-Bradenton top 5 movie picks, May 5-11