The Auteur
The titular auteur is Arturo Domingo (Melik Malkasian), a porn
director of the highest order who makes films with the same attention
to craft as the most highly regarded filmmakers outside of the porn
world. But Domingo’s career is on the wane: He hasn’t made a decent
porno in years, ever since he dissolved his partnership with Frank
(John Breen), the star of all his greatest films. The Auteur opens as Domingo comes to Portland for a retrospective of his work
being held at the Clinton Street Theater, his heart heavy with the
possibility of reconnecting with the love of his life, Fiona (Katherine
Flynn); what follows is a sweet movie with a lewd sense of humor and a
lighthearted attitude toward the sex industry. MARJORIE SKINNER
Living Room Theaters.
Beauty in Trouble
Marcela (Anna Geislerová) lives with her family in an
apartment attached to the autoshop where her husband Jarda (Roman
Luknár) works, supporting Marcela and their two children by
dismantling and selling stolen cars. The couple fights and fucks with
equal intensity; after a particularly bad argument, Marcela leaves her
husband and takes the kids to live with her mother and stepfather. The
five live in cramped misery until the arrival of Prince Charming: A
wealthy, doting older man swoops in and offers Marcela and her children
a place to live, a trip to Italy, and all the comfort and security that
her husband failed to provide. The only thing standing between Marcela
and a new life is the powerful physical connection she shares with her
ex-husband. A fairy tale ending is proffered in the Czech film
Beauty in Trouble, but human nature gets in the way: The film is
clear-eyed in its insistence that people are too complex for happily
ever after. ALISON HALLETT Living Room Theaters.
Bedtime Stories
See review. Various Theaters.
The Big Sleep
Humphrey Bogart spars with Lauren Bacall in Howard Hawks’ 1946
adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s book. There’s murder, blackmail,
intrigue, and innuendo, and despite the convoluted plot (not even
Chandler could figure out who killed the chauffeur), Bogie, as Philip
Marlowe, does a great job of keeping pace with the audience, tugging on
his earlobe in nervous confusion. This is prototypical noir, and a
fantastic detective movie; what’s more, Marlowe’s success with the
ladies is obvious inspiration for another famous film dick—you
might know him as Bond. Screening as part of Northwest Film Center’s
“Black Christmas” film noir series. NED LANNAMANN Northwest Film
Center’s Whitsell Auditorium.
Choke
By day, sex addict Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) slaps on a goofy
wig and works at a town that recreates what life was like for 18th
century colonists; by night, he goes to restaurants, intentionally
chokes on food, and takes financial advantage of whatever good
Samaritan/sucker Heimlichs him. While Choke is fun, and while it
thankfully retains Chuck Palahniuk’s cynical, self-deprecating,
hyper-testosteroned tone (this is, after all, the sort of film where
heart-to-heart conversations are had over illicit handjobs), it also
comes across as a bit self-satisfied, a bit too straightforward, and a
bit overly neat. ERIK HENRIKSEN Laurelhurst Theater, Mission
Theater.
A Christmas Story
It’s the holiday classic that just won’t go away. The Press
Club.
A Christmas Tale
It’s fitting that France, the country that gave the world
existentialism and Gauloises, should turn out a holiday family drama
almost completely bereft of good cheer. Set in the days immediately
preceding Christmas, A Christmas Tale takes a close look at a
family that isn’t so much dysfunctional, as it functions by a set of
rules entirely it’s own. The film can be confusing, and few of its
various plotlines resolve in any traditional sense, but as a clear-eyed
picture of a contemporary family, it’s an engaging, surprisingly funny
success. ALISON HALLETT Hollywood Theatre.
City Lights
Charlie Chaplin hijinx, circa 1931. Preceded by the locally made
short film ‘Tis the Season. Cinema 21.
Cop Hater
Part of Northwest Film Center’s “Black Christmas” film noir series.
Hit nwfilm.org for more info.
Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium.
Cry Terror
Part of Northwest Film Center’s “Black Christmas” film noir series.
Visit nwfilm.org for more info.
<bNorthwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
See review. Various Theaters.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951’s original The Day the Earth Stood Still was a cynical,
hardnosed tale: A friendly space hippie, Klaatu (Michael Rennie), and
his robot buddy, Gort, warned humanity that if we didn’t stop killing
each other, the civilized races of the galaxy were gonna eliminate us
out of self-defense. In 2008, Klaatu (an appropriately blank Keanu
Reeves) and Gort… well, don’t do much of anything, really. Here,
humanity’s destruction is already more or less a sure thing, but for
different reasons: In 1951, America’s fears were atomic bombs and pinko
commie bastards; now, the environment is in shitty enough shape that
Klaatu’s become a sort of extraterrestrial Captain Planet, angry enough
at our treatment of Earth that he’s willing to scrub us off of it. It’s
not a bad idea for an update, and the first hour or so is
solid—weird, silly, smart, and only occasionally
nonsensical—but then the CG goes kinda overboard, and things get
kinda boring. ERIK HENRIKSEN <a href=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the_curious_case_of_benjamin_button/Film?oid=335818Various Theaters.
Doubt
See review. Various Theaters.
Four Christmases
If Christmas is about tradition, then director Seth Gordon’s (The
King of Kong) first non-documentary feature is certainly seasonally
appropriate. The romantic comedy genre is an unexpected new direction
for Gordon, and with the reasonably likeable Reese Witherspoon and
Vince Vaughn in tow, how poorly could things really go? Well, the
Writers Guild could go on strike, for starters, as it did during the
making of this film—a circumstance that at least partially
explains why the script, while performed aptly enough by a talented
cast, is so damn lazy. MARJORIE SKINNER Various Theaters.
Frost/Nixon
See review. Fox Tower 10, Lloyd Center
10 Cinema.
Happy-Go-Lucky
Poppy is the kind of irrepressibly chipper person who attempts to
start conversations with random strangers; when they act standoffish,
she says things like, “I won’t bite!” When her bicycle is stolen, she
merely laments she didn’t have a chance to say good-bye to it. In
short, she’s the kind of person who is so goddamn cheerful you’d like
to smack her in the face. But something happens over the course of
Happy-Go-Lucky: Poppy wins you over. Poppy’s happiness is
something of a mystery; both her sisters are miserable, and her
flatmate is snide and sarcastic. But Sally Hawkins’ remarkable
performance doesn’t hit one false note. British director Mike Leigh
improvises extensively with his actors before writing a script, and the
film, as with all his work, feels spontaneous and true. NED LANNAMANN
Academy Theater, Laurelhurst Theater.
Indestructible
When Ben Byer is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he grabs a
friend and a camcorder to document the process of understanding,
treating, and ultimately accepting his disease. There is something
inarguably powerful about seeing a man confront his mortality head-on,
but Byer’s slow decline is excruciating to watch, and I can’t in good
conscience recommend to just anyone. If you think you’re emotionally
equipped for watching someone slowly die, though, it’s a beautifully
shot and wrenching film. ALISON HALLETT Hollywood Theatre,.
IT (Independent Tuesday)
Homemade film and video! Someday Lounge.
I’ve Loved You So Long
Kristin Scott Thomas gives the performance of the year as a woman
just released from prison after serving a 15-year sentence for killing
her own son. Upon her release, the watchful, withdrawn (and murderous?)
Juliette moves in with her sister, a virtual stranger, and the two
develop a tentative friendship. The ending is a letdown, but that’s a
small complaint in an otherwise sensitive and moving film. ALISON
HALLETT Fox Tower 10.
JCVD
JCVD is as wildly entertaining and daring as cinema comes,
and that’s something you don’t necessarily associate with the
train-wrecked career of the weathered action star. The premise:
Jean-Claude Van Damme (played, appropriately enough, by Jean-Claude Van
Damme) stumbles into a robbery and accidentally becomes the most famous
hostage ever, kicking off a surreal journey into the wounded psyche of
its namesake. JCVD joyfully dissects the global celebrity
obsession and the awkward downfall of Van Damme’s career (a running
plot point involves him losing acting roles to Steven Seagal—who
is now, apparently, willing to cut off his ponytail in order to steal
his rival’s parts), all the while flipping the tired genre of action
films on its ear. EZRA ACE CARAEFF Living Room Theaters.
Let the Right One In
This much-ballyhooed Scandinavian film is neither scary, teen
angsty, nor spooky enough—but it is lovely, filled with austere,
blue-hued snow and groves of haunting birch trees in the midst of
Stockholm. And while Let the Right One In is by no means a poor
entry in the vampire genre, it left me nearly as cold as the frozen
landscapes, meting out little satisfaction on either a horror level or
a character level. To be fair, the film doesn’t pretend to scare
you—it truly wants to succeed in an elegant, understated way,
though it doesn’t completely reach its goal. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Living Room Theaters.
Marley & Me
See review. Various Theaters.
Milk
For a generation of gay and straight people who equate pride parades
with binge drinking, whose gay heroes include Ellen DeGeneres and
Anderson Cooper (he’s gay, right?), and whose gay rights movement has
just started, Gus Van Sant’s fleshing out the story of gay politician
and activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) in such a moving and humane way is
as invaluable as the words Milk would bark through bullhorns. Sure, Van
Sant can’t resist putting in some treacly, melodramatic scenes that
unfortunately stick out, but for the most part, Milk’s story is simply
real, which makes it that much more powerful and relevant. AMY J. RUIZ
City Center 12, Fox Tower 10, Lloyd Mall 8,
Tigard 11 Cinemas.
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
Edward G. Robinson stars in this 1942 film noir thriller, part of
Northwest Center’s “Black Christmas.” Hit nwfilm.org for more info. Northwest Film
Center’s Whitsell Auditorium.
The Night of the Hunter
Although it’s part of Northwest Film Center’s film noir program,
this 1955 movie doesn’t really fit in the genre. In fact, it doesn’t
fit into any genre—it’s a weird, weird movie that’s part
gothic horror, part religious drama, part plucky children’s adventure
story, and part musical (boy, do these characters sing a lot).
Robert Mitchum commands the screen as a crazy preacher chasing after
two kids who are holding a stack of stolen money, chasing them through
surreal, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari sets with harsh, spare, angular
lighting. This was actor Charles Laughton’s only foray into directing;
he figured that artifice would be creepier than realism, and the gamble
pays off. NED LANNAMANN Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell
Auditorium.
Quantum of Solace
The latest James Bond film makes about as much sense as its baffling
title, but even as plotlines unravel and stack up like corpses, the
movie is entirely awesome. Better than Casino Royale? Well, no.
Quantum‘s story is incredibly confusing, the action scenes are
shot so close that it’s difficult to tell what’s happening, and the
beady-eyed supervillain (Mathieu Amalric) looks like a shorter Roman
Polanski and is about as intimidating as a gerbil. Still, the level of
sheer spectacle is tremendous. NED LANNAMANN Broadway Metroplex,
Lloyd Mall 8, Movies on TV.
Rachel Getting Married
Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is indeed getting married, but it’s her
sister, Kym (Anne Hathaway)—an ex-model, lifelong drug addict,
and alcoholic who’s been in and out of institutions since causing a
family tragedy as a young teenager—who demands to be the center
of attention. Jonathan Demme’s latest is a difficult, sometimes
tiresome film, but it’s also emotionally ambitious, and it offers a
modern portrait of family life that depends very little on convention.
MARJORIE SKINNER Hollywood Theatre.
The Reader
See review. Fox Tower 10.
Seven Pounds
The latest joint venture between director Gabriele Muccino and actor
Will Smith, who also collaborated on The Pursuit of Happyness.
As expected, Seven Pounds is another grand morality play in
which Smith—here as a man named Ben Thomas—perseveres
through great challenges with fortitude and strength of character. The
problem is that while some may have been annoyed by the melodrama of
Happyness, it was pretty unassailable on the morality front.
Pounds‘ moral preaching, on the other hand, is kinda twisted,
yet it’s delivered up on the same kind of redemptive
platter—swelling music, tears, and all. MARJORIE SKINNER
Various Theaters.
Singin’ in the Rain
Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in a movie your grandmother loves.
Cinema 21.
Slumdog Millionaire
A frantic, decade-spanning melodrama/romance/comedy, the latest from
director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later,
Sunshine) is nothing if not overwhelming. Sometimes Slumdog
Millionaire feels crassly exploitative—like a guilt-inducing
parade of everything terrible that impoverished children in peril have
to endure—but often it’s nothing short of fucking
exhilarating, a pounding, pulsing, urgent rush that jumpstarts
endorphins and adrenalin. There are scenes of torture and abuse and
murder alongside giddy triumphs of comedy and heart (not to mention a
Bollywood-inspired dance number), and as Slumdog careens along
as both a harsh drama and a hammy crowd-pleaser, it’s tempting to write
it off as a bit of not-particularly-subtle manipulation. But
ultimately, one realizes that Boyle deeply cares about these
characters—and that sympathetic core is the reason why the film
is consistently, utterly, beautifully gripping. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Various Theaters
The Spirit
See review. Various Theaters.
Sukiyaki Western Django
See review. Clinton Street Theater.
Supertrash: The Shining
“Wendy, let me explain something to you. Whenever you come in here
and interrupt me, you’re breaking my concentration. You’re distracting
me. And it will then take me time to get back to where I was. You
understand?” Saturday screening preceded by animation, trailers, and
standup comedy. Bagdad Theater.
Tell No One
Eight years after losing his wife in the woods to a mysterious
serial killer (no, not Jason Vorhees), a still-grieving pediatrician
begins to receive emails hinting that the tragedy might not be as
random as originally thought. Adapting a novel by US airport bookstore
staple Harlen Coben, writer/director Guillaume Canet’s confident,
almost irritatingly taut thriller wastes no time in cranking the
paranoia up to 11. The sheer amount of red herrings can be difficult to
wade through at times, but Canet’s sense of style makes even the more
head-scratching moments enjoyable. A gratifyingly nasty whodunit with a
healthy sense of its own absurdities. ANDREW WRIGHT Academy
Theater, Laurelhurst Theater, Living Room
Theaters.
They Live
John Carpenter’s crazy 1988 horror flick starring “Rowdy” Roddy
Piper and a pair of magical sunglasses. Clinton Street
Theater.
Three Stooges Mini-Marathon
See My, What a Busy Week! Clinton Street
Theater.
Twilight
Twilight introduces the floridly named high schooler Bella
Swann (Kristen Stewart), who has just moved to a small town in
Washington. The local boys are all over this hottie newcomer, but Bella
finds herself drawn to the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson,
he of the Heathcliff glower and untamed eyebrows). At first Bella
thinks Edward hates her, but it turns out he’s only feigning
indifference because he’s a vampire, and wants to drink her. Edward is
so drawn to the smell of Bella’s blood that he can hardly control
himself, but he also loooves her, so he knows he should keep his
distance. Throw in some evil vampires who want to kill Bella, and it’s
all very romantic and tragic. (Alternately, it’s an insidious parable
about the dangers of premarital sex—but that’s only my, er,
humorless feminist interpretation.) For all the silliness of the
storyline, Twilight makes a far better movie than book: Largely
freed from author Stephenie Meyer’s ponderous prose, the movie is
surprisingly campy and fun, with a cheerful sense of humor about its
own ridiculousness. ALISON HALLETT Various Theaters.
Two Lives… Plus One
Exactly the type of grownup movie about grownups doing grownup
things that Europe churns out with regularity but rarely see the light
of day in the US, the French Two Lives… Plus One is about a
schoolteacher who decides to pursue her dream of being a writer. As she
finds small success (and a flirtation with her publisher), her
relationships with her husband and daughter are tested. The
relationships and interactions here are true-to-life and relatable, and
lead Emmanuelle Devos is utterly credible as a woman who has decided to
do what she wants to do, and make no apologies. ALISON HALLETT
Hollywood Theatre.
Various Theaters.
Wendy and Lucy
See review. Cinema 21.
Yes Man
Yes Man isn’t good, per se, but it’s also not nearly
as terrible as you’d think. It also offers a couple of interesting
questions for discussion: When, exactly, did Jim Carrey get that weird,
haunted look about him—the one that’s both vaguely desperate and
smarmy? Is this movie promoting some sort of cult? And why does Zooey
Deschanel have such a terrible agent? Oh, and another one: Remember
that episode of Seinfeld where George does the exact opposite of
what his instincts tell him? Good, because that’s Yes Man‘s
plot, but with Jim Carrey playing George. ERIK HENRIKSEN Various
Theaters.