The 400 Blows
See Film on pg. 44. Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium.

Bug
What? A crappy-looking horror film that wasn't screened for critics? Why, I never.... Regal Cinemas, etc.

Exterminating Angels
It would be a mistake to characterize Exterminating Angels as anything other than erotica—self-aware, angsty erotica, but erotica nonetheless. François (Frédéric van den Driessche) is a director who decides to make a movie about how women experience pleasure (yeah, THAT kind of pleasure). Angels, unfortunately, gets mired in the non-naked aspects of the plot, turning what could be a genuinely sexy bit of pornography into a lackluster, ultimately unsatisfying thriller. ALISON HALLETT Living Room Theaters.

Fay Grim
Hal Hartley's sequel to 1997's Henry Fool picks up the story 10 years later: Fay (Parker Posey) is nearing the end of her rope, constantly reminded of her husband's notoriety and worried about how his absence is affecting the behavior of their son. Enter the wonderfully charming Jeff Goldblum as a CIA agent who approaches Fay to enlist her help in retrieving her husband's notebooks. Cutting a deal that involves Fay's brother being released from jail, Fay is thrown into the world of international espionage. (It's kinda like The Good Shepherd, but actually good, and funny, and not so boring, or hard to follow.) KAITLYN BURCH Clinton Street Theater.

Fracture
Spike Lee's Inside Man was the last masterful genre movie I saw, and while Fracture isn't quite as compelling, it does demonstrate how to turn an ordinary, John Grisham-y lawyer movie into a smart and gripping film. It doesn't hurt that it stars two of the best actors working in film today: the inimitable Anthony Hopkins (contrary to what Fracture's previews would have you believe, he's not playing Hannibal Lecter here), and Ryan Gosling, whose hotshot DA character is so far removed from his turn in Half Nelson as to make Gosling himself virtually invisible. CHAS BOWIE Regal Cinemas, etc.

The Great Communist Bank Robbery
In 1959, Romania was (obviously) a Communist country, with a national bank and absolutely zero bank robberies (unlike greedy, filthy, capitalist America). Then one day the national bank was robbed, which threatened the moral fiber of Count Dracula's mother country, and this movie strains and struggles to convey why this was such a big deal. The government rounded up some suspects, had them reenact their crime on film, and then assassinated them. Sounds interesting, right? Well, it's not. I fell asleep twice trying to watch The Great Communist Bank Robbery. And I wasn't even tired to begin with! Those Romanians—they can't even make a bank heist movie interesting. Thanks a lot, Count Chocula. CHAS BOWIE Hollywood Theatre.

Grindhouse
Grindhouse isn't a film, or a piece of art, or the latest from two of our best directors, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. No—it's just a balls-out, no-holds-barred movie, the kind that demands to be seen late at night, in a crowded theater, with a bunch of friends to share the laughs and thrills. ERIK HENRIKSEN Academy, Bagdad Theatre & Pub, Laurelhurst, Mission Theatre & Pub, Valley Theater.

The Host
The Korean The Host takes a few cues from the classic Godzilla, but adds a few twists of its own—in other words, it's got all the best parts of an old-school monster movie, plus enough intellectual subtext to keep the art-house crowd happy. More importantly, it's simply one of the most enjoyable and clever films to come along in years. ERIK HENRIKSEN Laurelhurst.

Hot Fuzz
Taking its cues from ridiculous/awesome epics like 48 Hours, Point Break, and Bad Boys, Hot Fuzz is a pretty damn great action comedy from the brilliant guys who did Shaun of the Dead. ERIK HENRIKSEN Regal Cinemas, etc.

IT (Independent Tuesdays)
Homemade film and video! Acme.

JINDABYNE

See review this issue. Fox Tower.

Jules and Jim
See Film on pg. 44. Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium.

Lady Vengeance
Perhaps my favorite quote about film comes from Lady Vengeance director Park Chan-Wook: "I don't feel enjoyment watching films that evoke passivity. If you need that kind of comfort, I don't understand why you wouldn't go to a spa." See My, What a Busy Week! on pg. 15. ERIK HENRIKSEN Living Room Theaters.

Mafioso
This black and white Italian film from 1962 isn't the serious, violent mobster movie you might expect given its title, but that doesn't mean you should pass it up. Following Antonio (Alberto Sordi) and his wife and daughters as they travel from Northern Italy to Antonio's hometown in Sicily, Mafioso's simple aim is to illustrate the power of the mafia and the ease with which it permeates otherwise innocent people's lives. Through Sicilian connections he has had his entire life, Antonio finds himself without much choice but to eventually bend to the will of local Mafia boss Don Vincenzo (Ugo Attanasio). Yet most of the film remains lighthearted, drawing on comedic Sicilian stereotypes like overfeeding guests and the female mustache. Good times, good times. MARJORIE SKINNER Cinema 21.

The Namesake
Jhumpa Lahiri's best-selling novel The Namesake spans two generations and two continents in its exploration of culture, identity, and family. That's a lot of ground to cover in a couple hours, but director Mira Nair deftly translates the tale to the big screen—The Namesake captures the immigrant experience with a complexity and nuance that is usually reserved for literature. ALISON HALLETT City Center 12, Hollywood Theatre.

Oldboy
See My, What a Busy Week! on pg. 15. Living Room Theaters.

Paris Je T'Aime
Eighteen short films from a bunch of great filmmakers—Alfonso Cuarón, Christopher Doyle, the Coen brothers, Wes Craven, Alexander Payne, and (sigh) Gus Van Sant. The compilation wasn't screened for critics, but damn, this sounds like it could be awesome. Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
See review this issue. Regal Cinemas, etc.

Red Road
Creepy voyeurism and emotional turmoil mingle in this film about a female surveillance officer who spends her days watching life unfold on a wall of TV screens. Jackie has withdrawn from the world since the death of her husband and daughter, but when she catches sight of the man responsible for killing her family, she finds herself becoming intimately involved in his seedy world. The film's slow pace can be trying at times, but its representation of a woman trying to come to terms with a horrible loss is by turns disturbing and moving. ALISON HALLETT Cinema 21.

Shrek the Third
Just like the rest of America, you're going to see Shrek the Third. It's everywhere, gargantuan and inescapable. Best to sit down, clench your jaw, get through it. Think of it like a trip to the dentist. ERIK HENRIKSEN Regal Cinemas, etc.

Spider-Man 3
Like its protagonist, Spider-Man 3 is a movie with an identity crisis. The biggest, loudest, and darkest film in the series, Spider-Man 3 is also messy and ill conceived—a clunky, straining blockbuster that tries to accomplish everything and ends up achieving not much of anything. ERIK HENRIKSEN Regal Cinemas, etc.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
See My, What a Busy Week! on pg. 15. Living Room Theaters.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley
See review this issue. Hollywood Theatre.