ATTENTION FILMMAKERS! Deadlines are approaching, yo. There's the Northwest Film Center's 32nd Northwest Film & Video Festival, which is seeking "submissions of any length and genre" from Northwest filmmakers. Deadline's August 1; check out nwfilm.org for more info. And the innovative 48 Hour Film Project is returning to Portland on August 5-7, in which teams of filmmakers will have a mere two days to make an entire film. Hit 48hourfilm.org to register.
Another Road Home If you're not already saturated with depressing documentaries that take place in the Middle East, or if your understanding of the "situation" over there is a little glossy, Another Road Home might be worth checking out. Taking as its subject Israeli filmmaker Danae Elon, it follows her on her quest to find the babysitter she grew up with--a Palestinian father of 11. Her journey stirs up conflicts and emotions of class, belief, politics, and family, making it a lot more personable and heart tugging than say, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict. (Marjorie Skinner) Hollywood Theatre
The Bad News Bears See review this issue. Regal Cinemas, etc.
Bob Roberts Tim Robbins' satire about a conservative folk singer/senator. Featuring Gore Vidal! PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Brothers Every Danish movie I've ever seen has left me feeling as though my will to live just got taken out back and beaten with a tire iron. Brothers is true to form. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) is a professional soldier with a beautiful wife (Connie Nielsen) and two adorable little girls. When his plane is shot down in Afghanistan, he's presumed dead and his devastated wife, Sarah, is left to pick up the pieces of her life. One of the pieces she picks up is Michael's brother, Jannick (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). The catch? Michael isn't dead; he comes back a changed man who beats on his wife and terrifies his children, and everyone realizes that life was better when they thought he was dead. (Alison Hallett) Hollywood Theatre
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory In terms of sheer spectacle, Tim Burton's never been stronger and the film never drags, though it never quite thrills either. But Johnny Depp's androgynous, purple-gloved fop of a Wonka is just too discomforting to completely embrace as a main character, and the narrative never builds to any satisfying resolution. On the upside, though, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does inflict unapologetic, cruel punishment on four very obnoxious children. (Justin Sanders) Regal Cinemas, etc.
Christmas in July According to the NWFC's write-up, Preston Sturges' film is a "rollicking satire on success and big business [that] manages a jaded sort of optimism that is as fresh as last night's Letterman. " You hear that? As fresh as last night's Letterman! Screened on the roof of the Mallory Hotel's Parking Garage--so even if the movie's lame (which, with a write-up like that, it probably will be), at least you'll be outside. Mallory Hotel Parking Garage
Cradle Will Rock This is one of those films that has every famous person you can think of in it (John and Joan Cusack, Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, etc.) and it's about governmental prosecution of theater in the 1930s--specifically, the governmental persecution of Orson Welles' play by the same title. PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
The Devil's Rejects In Rob Zombie's latest horror flick, a team of God-fearing cops attack the home of the Devil's Rejects, a group of Satan-worshipping murderers. Gratuitous pagan violence ensues; in the end, however, Zombie takes the plot in a surprising direction: Utterly decadent dissolution. The killers are betrayed by their closest ally; a cop regresses to a state of self-serving bloodlust, and the remaining murderers escape--only to be gunned down by police backup. That much impressed me, and struck me as evidence of a surprisingly sophisticated artistic vision. But the rest of the film just comes off like an extended branding campaign for Zombie's slimy, scraggly, troll-shaman persona. (Evan James) Regal Cinemas, etc.
Don't Look Back 1967's doc about Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England. PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Drive Well, Sleep Carefully: On the Road with Death Cab for Cutie Three cheers for Death Cab for Cutie, whose stratospheric rise to teenybopper fame (the blame lies squarely with Mr. Seth Cohen) has left all of us old-school Death Cab fans in the dust. Filmmaker Justin Mitchell's brand-spankin'-new DVD doc features interviews and performances, and what's more, Jackpot Records is putting on this screening for free. That's pretty rad, right? Hollywood Theatre
Elementality The new skate video from Element Skateboards, screened to benefit Skaters for Portland Skateparks! Kennedy School
An Evening with OverThought Productions A night showing two short films, ... wretch like me and Through the Fall, both from Portland's OverThought Productions. The films are so amateurish and ill-conceived that panning them feels like making fun of a fat kid for trying to do pull-ups; gorgeous scenery, quirky monologues, and half-hearted attempts at cinematic wizardry do not a watchable film make. That said, it'd be nice to see these folks achieve a clearer, more developed vision. (Alison Hallett) The Know
Fantastic 4 Perhaps of all the films cranking out of the Marvel machine, none carry the stink of failure more prominently than Fantastic 4. Simply put, it's hard to accept that a walking rock pile, a see-through woman, a human matchstick, and a rubberized nerd can save the world. Perhaps director Tim Story (Taxi) had low expectations for this project as well, because he never tries to overcompensate for the lack of a huge operatic story--and that's why it works. It captures the humor and isolated feeling of the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comics, without the strained bombast of recent Marvel outings. (Wm. Steven Humphrey) Regal Cinemas, etc.
The Films of Cat Solen A collection of Portlander Cat Solen's films, which include animation and live action elements. Presented tonight will be 2002's Milk and 2004's Bowl of Oranges. Whitsell Auditorium
Flamenco After a brief introduction to the history of flamenco, brace yourself for an EXPLOSION of dance numbers from over 300 of Spain's flamenco artists! Guild
Funny Ha Ha Apparently the Los Angeles Film Festival liked this movie, and filmmaker Andrew Bujalski has been compared to John Cassavetes, but I thought it sucked. It's a true story of some dumb college chick who likes one guy but kisses another, but I just didn't find much to cling to. The girl is a mope, all her friends are idiots, and conversations--while true to life--have never been more boring. Not to brag, but when I was in college, I was having shitloads more fun. (Katie Shimer) Guild
Happy Endings Lisa Kudrow plays an uptight counselor for women considering abortion. Her life is disrupted when Nicky (Jesse Bradford), a young aspiring documentary maker, claims knowledge of her long lost son. Nicky then blackmails her into helping him make a documentary on her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale). Happy Endings' ability to shift from being hilarious to tear jerking to absurd keeps it not only interesting, but true to life. (Marjorie Skinner) Fox Tower 10
The Harder They Come A reggae singer runs afoul of The Man, first in the record biz, then on the street. PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Heights Heights is completely indefensible as a genuinely quirky or intelligent film, despite its pretensions to the contrary (which are legion). This does not, however, keep it from being totally awesome. Premise: In preparation for an exhibit in New York City, a famous gay photographer asks his assistant to interview all of his former models. Said photographer, who never actually appears in the film, is notorious for fucking all of his subjects, so these interviews open a big ol' can of hot, slutty worms. There's a little too much screen time devoted to Elizabeth Banks' bland, blonde rich-girl character (Banks is, essentially, Parker Posey lite), but otherwise this is a fun film, full of pretty people doing trashy things. (Alison Hallett) Fox Tower 10
Hustle & Flow See review this issue. Regal Cinemas, etc.
The Island See review this issue. Regal Cinemas, etc.
IT (Independent Tuesdays) Nocturnal's homemade film and video event--now at Acme! Acme
Kaos Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's adaptation of four mystical stories set in Sicily. Whitsell Auditorium
Last Days See review this issue. Cinema 21
MACTARNAHAN'S OUTDOOR SUMMER CINEMA SERIES Every Friday and Saturday this summer, Mac's presents free films--plus "BBQ, beer, wine, and outdoor libations"--in Pyramid Breweries' Taproom parking lot! This Friday: Where the Buffalo Roam. This Saturday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Enjoy, and bring your own chairs. Pyramid Brewing Mad Hot Ballroom Enjoy watching this documentary about Puerto Rican children who compete for first place in a do-or-die ballroom dance competition between New York public schools. Witness a little kid who can't speak English woo the crowd with his scandalous Cuban motion. See elementary schoolers dance. Feel simultaneously proud and jealous. (Evan James) Fox Tower 10
March of the Penguins If there's one lesson to be learned from March of the Penguins, it's that the adorableness of penguins is underrated. Penguins are cuter than kittens, definitely cuter than baby people, and possibly as cute as those little harp seal things that're always getting eaten by polar bears. Penguins follows these bundles of cuteness as they trek for days across Antarctica in search of a safe place to hatch their even more adorable babies. Unfortunately, the filmmakers enlist Morgan Freeman as narrator, and force him to talk about the penguins' "Journey of Love" and to intone insipid phrases like, "They're not so different than we are, really." (Alison Hallett) Century Eastport 16 , Century 16 Cedar Hills Crossing , Evergreen Parkway , Fox Tower 10
, City Center 12
Me and You and Everyone We Know A wildly heartbreaking movie that manages to be both sweet and dark in the same breath. Written and directed by ex-Portlander Miranda July (who also stars), Me and You has been on my mind almost nonstop since I saw it. At the heart of the movie are all-too-human individuals creating their own private rituals, rules, and architectures that allow them to create meaningful relationships with other people and the world around them. The characters, all marvelously acted, include a recently divorced shoe salesman, two shy brothers who spend time in adult chat rooms, a young video artist whose day job is driving senior citizens around, and a pair of teenage girls toeing the line sexually with an older man. Every character in the film is flawed and beautiful, lonely and graceful. With nearly every scene packing a dazzling emotional punch, Me and You and Everyone We Know is one of the richest, most delicate, and rewarding movies I've seen in years. (Chas Bowie) Fox Tower 10 , City Center 12
Meatballs Hilarity and heartbreak ensue when Bill Murray, as a camp activity director, instructs his charges to find themselves through the power of "fun." Much better than its remake, The Dead Poets Society. Laurelhurst
Mysterious Skin Mysterious Skin is about pedophilia, a topic which is about as played as Columbine. Neil (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) and Brian (Brady Corbet) have both been victims of sexual abuse by their creepy baseball coach. Neil is morose because of his past, and goes for a life of clichd and boring hardship. Brian reconciles what happened by believing he's been abducted by aliens. Eventually, the two boys come together and reach some weird sort of peace. (Katie Shimer) Hollywood Theatre
Oldboy Min-sik Choi stars as the utterly unextraordinary Dae-su Oh, who, without warning or reason, is abducted and imprisoned in a tiny room. Inexplicably waking up on the roof of an apartment building 15 years later, Dae-su discovers he has only five days to unravel the knotted mystery of his imprisonment. Chan-wook Park's brutally euphoric film is an appropriately surreal, bloody, and surprisingly moving story of vicious revenge and shocking mystery. It's not an easy film to watch, but it is a great one. (Erik Henriksen) Hollywood Theatre
The Place Promised in Our Early Days See review this issue. Clinton Street Theater
Queen of the Gypsies: Carmen Amaya A straightforward doc about Carmen Amaya, a legendary flamenco dancer of the early 20th century. While featuring the requisite creepily overzealous scholars and meandering reminiscences from confused old people, Queen of the Gypsies is distinguished by some absolutely amazing footage of Amaya's career. Woman could dance, and filmmakers wisely rely heavily on Amaya's own performances to develop a portrait of a compelling and brilliant artist. (Alison Hallett) Guild
St. Michael Had a Rooster A film that focuses on three episodes from the life of 19th-century anarchist Giulio Manieri. Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. Whitsell Auditorium
Tango Conceived as a tribute to the dance, Tango opens with a narration by Miguel Angel Solà (Mario Suárez, one of Argentina's best-known actors) describing the opening scenes of a film--the very scenes we are watching. Like the tango, the film strikes beautiful poses and pantomimes human drama; sadly, and unlike the tango, it never quite loses itself in movement. The film's composer, Lalo Schifrin, will be present for this screening, and will discuss his participation in the film and answer questions. (Traci Vogel) Guild
TIBETAN FILM FESTIVAL Four films make up Saturday and Sunday's Tibetan Film Festival, a "festival of hope, courage, and perseverance." Director Pema Dhondup will introduce his drama We're No Monks, about young friends choosing between "the expectations of a traditional society and the realities of the present world situation"; Compassion in Exile: The Story of the 14th Dalai Lama profiles Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso; filmmaker Kalsang Dolma will present for What Remains of Us, her film about how she crossed the Himalayas to show a video of the Dalai Lama to those living in his homeland; and Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion is a documentary about Tibet's cultural rituals and recent history. Hit tibetanfilmfestival.org for more info. PCC Sylvania Campus Time Bandits A little boy travels through time, escorted by treasure-hunting dwarves. It's a lot like Monty Python (it was written by Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, and directed by Gilliam), but it's a lot less funny, if that's possible. Clinton Street Theater
Wedding Crashers I'm not sure how often actors get ripped on cocaine while filming a movie, but it's my suspicion this was the case when Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and the hilarious Bradley Cooper (Wet Hot American Summer) were filming Wedding Crashers. All four look like shit (Vaughn wins the prize for shittiest looking; Cooper has a broken blood vessel in his eye), and they all seem to be flying off on speed rants every time they talk. I'm not complaining, though--this bizzaro, jacked-up, off-the-cuff quality is what makes the film so hilarious. (Katie Shimer) Regal Cinemas, etc.
Yes Writer/director Sally Potter's visually intricate look at post 9-11 romantic philandering is incredibly, awesomely pretentious... but, ultimately, in a rather good way. Potter's high-minded, demanding, hermetically sealed style (also seen in Orlando and The Tango Lesson) will likely infuriate as many as it entrances. Still, the filmmaker's boundless ambition and refusal to tone down her passions comes off as genuinely admirable, especially in this day and age. Better to reach for the stars, and all that. (Andrew Wright) Fox Tower 10
Hollywood Theatre
The Bad News Bears See review this issue.
Regal Cinemas, etc.
Bob Roberts Tim Robbins' satire about a conservative folk singer/senator. Featuring Gore Vidal!
PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Brothers Every Danish movie I've ever seen has left me feeling as though my will to live just got taken out back and beaten with a tire iron. Brothers is true to form. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) is a professional soldier with a beautiful wife (Connie Nielsen) and two adorable little girls. When his plane is shot down in Afghanistan, he's presumed dead and his devastated wife, Sarah, is left to pick up the pieces of her life. One of the pieces she picks up is Michael's brother, Jannick (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). The catch? Michael isn't dead; he comes back a changed man who beats on his wife and terrifies his children, and everyone realizes that life was better when they thought he was dead. (Alison Hallett)
Hollywood Theatre
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory In terms of sheer spectacle, Tim Burton's never been stronger and the film never drags, though it never quite thrills either. But Johnny Depp's androgynous, purple-gloved fop of a Wonka is just too discomforting to completely embrace as a main character, and the narrative never builds to any satisfying resolution. On the upside, though, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does inflict unapologetic, cruel punishment on four very obnoxious children. (Justin Sanders)
Regal Cinemas, etc.
Christmas in July According to the NWFC's write-up, Preston Sturges' film is a "rollicking satire on success and big business [that] manages a jaded sort of optimism that is as fresh as last night's Letterman. " You hear that? As fresh as last night's Letterman! Screened on the roof of the Mallory Hotel's Parking Garage--so even if the movie's lame (which, with a write-up like that, it probably will be), at least you'll be outside.
Mallory Hotel Parking Garage
Cradle Will Rock This is one of those films that has every famous person you can think of in it (John and Joan Cusack, Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, etc.) and it's about governmental prosecution of theater in the 1930s--specifically, the governmental persecution of Orson Welles' play by the same title.
PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
The Devil's Rejects In Rob Zombie's latest horror flick, a team of God-fearing cops attack the home of the Devil's Rejects, a group of Satan-worshipping murderers. Gratuitous pagan violence ensues; in the end, however, Zombie takes the plot in a surprising direction: Utterly decadent dissolution. The killers are betrayed by their closest ally; a cop regresses to a state of self-serving bloodlust, and the remaining murderers escape--only to be gunned down by police backup. That much impressed me, and struck me as evidence of a surprisingly sophisticated artistic vision. But the rest of the film just comes off like an extended branding campaign for Zombie's slimy, scraggly, troll-shaman persona. (Evan James)
Regal Cinemas, etc.
Don't Look Back 1967's doc about Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England.
PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Drive Well, Sleep Carefully: On the Road with Death Cab for Cutie Three cheers for Death Cab for Cutie, whose stratospheric rise to teenybopper fame (the blame lies squarely with Mr. Seth Cohen) has left all of us old-school Death Cab fans in the dust. Filmmaker Justin Mitchell's brand-spankin'-new DVD doc features interviews and performances, and what's more, Jackpot Records is putting on this screening for free. That's pretty rad, right?
Hollywood Theatre
Elementality The new skate video from Element Skateboards, screened to benefit Skaters for Portland Skateparks!
Kennedy School
An Evening with OverThought Productions A night showing two short films, ... wretch like me and Through the Fall, both from Portland's OverThought Productions. The films are so amateurish and ill-conceived that panning them feels like making fun of a fat kid for trying to do pull-ups; gorgeous scenery, quirky monologues, and half-hearted attempts at cinematic wizardry do not a watchable film make. That said, it'd be nice to see these folks achieve a clearer, more developed vision. (Alison Hallett)
The Know
Fantastic 4 Perhaps of all the films cranking out of the Marvel machine, none carry the stink of failure more prominently than Fantastic 4. Simply put, it's hard to accept that a walking rock pile, a see-through woman, a human matchstick, and a rubberized nerd can save the world. Perhaps director Tim Story (Taxi) had low expectations for this project as well, because he never tries to overcompensate for the lack of a huge operatic story--and that's why it works. It captures the humor and isolated feeling of the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comics, without the strained bombast of recent Marvel outings. (Wm. Steven Humphrey)
Regal Cinemas, etc.
The Films of Cat Solen A collection of Portlander Cat Solen's films, which include animation and live action elements. Presented tonight will be 2002's Milk and 2004's Bowl of Oranges.
Whitsell Auditorium
Flamenco After a brief introduction to the history of flamenco, brace yourself for an EXPLOSION of dance numbers from over 300 of Spain's flamenco artists!
Guild
Funny Ha Ha Apparently the Los Angeles Film Festival liked this movie, and filmmaker Andrew Bujalski has been compared to John Cassavetes, but I thought it sucked. It's a true story of some dumb college chick who likes one guy but kisses another, but I just didn't find much to cling to. The girl is a mope, all her friends are idiots, and conversations--while true to life--have never been more boring. Not to brag, but when I was in college, I was having shitloads more fun. (Katie Shimer)
Guild
Happy Endings Lisa Kudrow plays an uptight counselor for women considering abortion. Her life is disrupted when Nicky (Jesse Bradford), a young aspiring documentary maker, claims knowledge of her long lost son. Nicky then blackmails her into helping him make a documentary on her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale). Happy Endings' ability to shift from being hilarious to tear jerking to absurd keeps it not only interesting, but true to life. (Marjorie Skinner)
Fox Tower 10
The Harder They Come A reggae singer runs afoul of The Man, first in the record biz, then on the street.
PSU Smith Memorial Student Union
Heights Heights is completely indefensible as a genuinely quirky or intelligent film, despite its pretensions to the contrary (which are legion). This does not, however, keep it from being totally awesome. Premise: In preparation for an exhibit in New York City, a famous gay photographer asks his assistant to interview all of his former models. Said photographer, who never actually appears in the film, is notorious for fucking all of his subjects, so these interviews open a big ol' can of hot, slutty worms. There's a little too much screen time devoted to Elizabeth Banks' bland, blonde rich-girl character (Banks is, essentially, Parker Posey lite), but otherwise this is a fun film, full of pretty people doing trashy things. (Alison Hallett)
Fox Tower 10
Hustle & Flow See review this issue.
Regal Cinemas, etc.
The Island See review this issue.
Regal Cinemas, etc.
IT (Independent Tuesdays) Nocturnal's homemade film and video event--now at Acme!
Acme
Kaos Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's adaptation of four mystical stories set in Sicily.
Whitsell Auditorium
Last Days See review this issue.
Cinema 21
MACTARNAHAN'S OUTDOOR SUMMER CINEMA SERIES Every Friday and Saturday this summer, Mac's presents free films--plus "BBQ, beer, wine, and outdoor libations"--in Pyramid Breweries' Taproom parking lot! This Friday: Where the Buffalo Roam. This Saturday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Enjoy, and bring your own chairs. Pyramid Brewing Mad Hot Ballroom Enjoy watching this documentary about Puerto Rican children who compete for first place in a do-or-die ballroom dance competition between New York public schools. Witness a little kid who can't speak English woo the crowd with his scandalous Cuban motion. See elementary schoolers dance. Feel simultaneously proud and jealous. (Evan James)
Fox Tower 10
March of the Penguins If there's one lesson to be learned from March of the Penguins, it's that the adorableness of penguins is underrated. Penguins are cuter than kittens, definitely cuter than baby people, and possibly as cute as those little harp seal things that're always getting eaten by polar bears. Penguins follows these bundles of cuteness as they trek for days across Antarctica in search of a safe place to hatch their even more adorable babies. Unfortunately, the filmmakers enlist Morgan Freeman as narrator, and force him to talk about the penguins' "Journey of Love" and to intone insipid phrases like, "They're not so different than we are, really." (Alison Hallett)
Century Eastport 16
,
Century 16 Cedar Hills Crossing
,
Evergreen Parkway
,
Fox Tower 10
,
City Center 12
Me and You and Everyone We Know A wildly heartbreaking movie that manages to be both sweet and dark in the same breath. Written and directed by ex-Portlander Miranda July (who also stars), Me and You has been on my mind almost nonstop since I saw it. At the heart of the movie are all-too-human individuals creating their own private rituals, rules, and architectures that allow them to create meaningful relationships with other people and the world around them. The characters, all marvelously acted, include a recently divorced shoe salesman, two shy brothers who spend time in adult chat rooms, a young video artist whose day job is driving senior citizens around, and a pair of teenage girls toeing the line sexually with an older man. Every character in the film is flawed and beautiful, lonely and graceful. With nearly every scene packing a dazzling emotional punch, Me and You and Everyone We Know is one of the richest, most delicate, and rewarding movies I've seen in years. (Chas Bowie)
Fox Tower 10
,
City Center 12
Meatballs Hilarity and heartbreak ensue when Bill Murray, as a camp activity director, instructs his charges to find themselves through the power of "fun." Much better than its remake, The Dead Poets Society.
Laurelhurst
Mysterious Skin Mysterious Skin is about pedophilia, a topic which is about as played as Columbine. Neil (the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) and Brian (Brady Corbet) have both been victims of sexual abuse by their creepy baseball coach. Neil is morose because of his past, and goes for a life of clichd and boring hardship. Brian reconciles what happened by believing he's been abducted by aliens. Eventually, the two boys come together and reach some weird sort of peace. (Katie Shimer)
Hollywood Theatre
Oldboy Min-sik Choi stars as the utterly unextraordinary Dae-su Oh, who, without warning or reason, is abducted and imprisoned in a tiny room. Inexplicably waking up on the roof of an apartment building 15 years later, Dae-su discovers he has only five days to unravel the knotted mystery of his imprisonment. Chan-wook Park's brutally euphoric film is an appropriately surreal, bloody, and surprisingly moving story of vicious revenge and shocking mystery. It's not an easy film to watch, but it is a great one. (Erik Henriksen)
Hollywood Theatre
The Place Promised in Our Early Days See review this issue.
Clinton Street Theater
Queen of the Gypsies: Carmen Amaya A straightforward doc about Carmen Amaya, a legendary flamenco dancer of the early 20th century. While featuring the requisite creepily overzealous scholars and meandering reminiscences from confused old people, Queen of the Gypsies is distinguished by some absolutely amazing footage of Amaya's career. Woman could dance, and filmmakers wisely rely heavily on Amaya's own performances to develop a portrait of a compelling and brilliant artist. (Alison Hallett)
Guild
St. Michael Had a Rooster A film that focuses on three episodes from the life of 19th-century anarchist Giulio Manieri. Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani.
Whitsell Auditorium
Tango Conceived as a tribute to the dance, Tango opens with a narration by Miguel Angel Solà (Mario Suárez, one of Argentina's best-known actors) describing the opening scenes of a film--the very scenes we are watching. Like the tango, the film strikes beautiful poses and pantomimes human drama; sadly, and unlike the tango, it never quite loses itself in movement. The film's composer, Lalo Schifrin, will be present for this screening, and will discuss his participation in the film and answer questions. (Traci Vogel)
Guild
TIBETAN FILM FESTIVAL Four films make up Saturday and Sunday's Tibetan Film Festival, a "festival of hope, courage, and perseverance." Director Pema Dhondup will introduce his drama We're No Monks, about young friends choosing between "the expectations of a traditional society and the realities of the present world situation"; Compassion in Exile: The Story of the 14th Dalai Lama profiles Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso; filmmaker Kalsang Dolma will present for What Remains of Us, her film about how she crossed the Himalayas to show a video of the Dalai Lama to those living in his homeland; and Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion is a documentary about Tibet's cultural rituals and recent history. Hit tibetanfilmfestival.org for more info. PCC Sylvania Campus Time Bandits A little boy travels through time, escorted by treasure-hunting dwarves. It's a lot like Monty Python (it was written by Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, and directed by Gilliam), but it's a lot less funny, if that's possible.
Clinton Street Theater
Wedding Crashers I'm not sure how often actors get ripped on cocaine while filming a movie, but it's my suspicion this was the case when Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and the hilarious Bradley Cooper (Wet Hot American Summer) were filming Wedding Crashers. All four look like shit (Vaughn wins the prize for shittiest looking; Cooper has a broken blood vessel in his eye), and they all seem to be flying off on speed rants every time they talk. I'm not complaining, though--this bizzaro, jacked-up, off-the-cuff quality is what makes the film so hilarious. (Katie Shimer)
Regal Cinemas, etc.
Yes Writer/director Sally Potter's visually intricate look at post 9-11 romantic philandering is incredibly, awesomely pretentious... but, ultimately, in a rather good way. Potter's high-minded, demanding, hermetically sealed style (also seen in Orlando and The Tango Lesson) will likely infuriate as many as it entrances. Still, the filmmaker's boundless ambition and refusal to tone down her passions comes off as genuinely admirable, especially in this day and age. Better to reach for the stars, and all that. (Andrew Wright)
