* About a Boy
Hugh Grant returns to his bastard roots for this pleasing adaptation of a Nick "poor man's Will Self, who is a poor man's Martin Amis" Hornby novel, directed by the brothers behind American Pie. See review this issue.

Benny's Video
A 14-year-old boy sociopathically kills a girl he just met, and his parents debate whether to cover it up or turn him in. Michael Haneke's meditation on the overwhelming effects of constant media violence and the desensitizing effects of technology.

Borstal Boy
A Northern Irish boy (played by the unmistakable Yank Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to the borstal (the UK equivalent of juvie) for conspiring to bring an IRA bomb into WWII-torn London. Once inside, he dons short pants, falls for a sailor boy, and embarks on a Wildean journey of personal awakening. This adaptation of Brendan Behan's watershed memoir, while nationalistically devout (up the Republic!) and morally liberal, has a little too much dew in its eyes to do full justice to the late poet/playwright. (Sean Nelson)

* The Cat's Meow
Peter Bogdanovich, director of The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon takes aim at Hollywood and its talent mill in the 1920s. Like Gosford Park, Robert Altman's excellent who-cares-who-dunnit, The Cat's Meow is less about murder than it is about the social scrimmage and class pecking order of its players. In that sense, this gossipy story of events aboard the yacht of William Randolph Hearst, is a success. (Nate Lippens)

Changing Lanes
Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Affleck are involved in a fender-bender rendering Jackson immobile. Affleck speeds off, unknowingly leaving behind an extremely important document; a bitter Jackson misses an important custody hearing, and a grand old feud is born. So Affleck, from atop New York's twin-towers-less skyline, attacks Jackson's financial credibility, while down on the streets below Jackson prepares an old-fashioned smackdown. Who wins? You won't care. It has to be noted that there's a declining marginal utility to disaster in the movies; way too many things just happen to go wrong in this film, and it wears upon its feasibility. (Kudzai Mudede)

Deuces Wild
Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, and Fairuza Balk star in this tale of two brothers trying to protect their Brooklyn neighborhood from a gang in the summer of 1958.

* Dogtown and Z Boys
A documentary on surfers turned skateboarders who started the boarding craze and meanwhile got famous. A tad self-referential, but still worth seeing for the awesome tricks.

* East of Eden
Staring James Dean and taking place during the first world war, two brothers compete for the love of their father while wrestling with their opinions of the war.

Enigma
A bunch of British math geniuses whose sole purpose was to crack German code spent the war sitting in a London mansion (Bletchley Park) and deciphering Shark, the most sophisticated type of cipher, sent from U boats. Rife with intrigue, Bletchley Park is the natural setting for the film Enigma. Dougray Scott plays Tom Jericho, the man who cracked Shark and subsequently had a nervous breakdown. Of course, his nervous breakdown isn't due to the pressure of having to save thousands of lives just by stringing numbers together--no, Jericho had a nervous breakdown because he got dumped by the woman he loved. (Julianne Shepherd)

Hollywood Ending
Val Waxman (Woody Allen), a film director, has fallen out of favor since his heyday in the '70s and '80s and has been reduced to directing TV commercials. Finally, however, he gets an offer to direct a big budget film, but goes blind from the stress. He and his counterparts disguise his disability and attempt to direct the film anyway.

Human Nature
Doomed to the life of an outcast, Lila (Patricia Arquette) was born with an abnormal amount of body hair--not just cursed with hairy legs or coot, Lila's golden sheath of fur makes her look like a frigging Golden Retriever. Because of this, she moves into the wilderness to write nature books with titles like Fuck Humanity. Eventually, however, thanks to the yearn in her loins she returns to civilization, where she gets electrolysis. Fur-free, Lila will date anybody--even Nathan, a stuffy scientist whose life dream is to teach proper table manners to mice (played by Tim Robbins). It's a weird movie, to be sure, but it's almost like writer, Charlie Kaufman, was afraid of being too weird, and it held him back. Human Nature is worth seeing for its sheer uniqueness, but unfortunately, it's lacking a little spark. (Julianne Shepherd)

Jason X
After a team of government scientists finally figure out that after nine movies you can't just kill the infamous Jason, they throw their hands up and cryogenically freeze his ass until they can think of something better. Naturally, Jason isn't going down alone, so after hack-hack-hacking up everyone else in the facility, he finds himself frozen alongside a sexy, sexy researcher. Next thing you know--Did someone forget to set the alarm? Because it's 450 years later! Lucky Jason wakes up on a spaceship filled with hot 'n' horny teenage scientists--and as we all know, if there's one thing Jason loves more than killing dumb kids who are having premarital sex, it's killing smart kids who are having premarital sex! (Wm. Steven Humphrey)

La Cecilia
An account of the anarchist colony in Brazil created by a group of Italians in the 1890s. The colony survives three years and fails due to the obstacles of creating a lasting culture while living the anarchist lifestyle.

Last Orders
The talents of six of the finest British actors alive (Tom Courtenay, Bob Hoskins, David Hemmings, Michael Caine, Helen Mirren, and Ray Winstone) are squandered by this moist little movie about a journey to deliver a dead man's ashes to the seaside. (Sean Nelson)

The Last Waltz
Scorsese proves he can RAWK with this loving documentary about The Band's final performance. New 35 mm print.

Libera, My Love
Libera is the daughter and mother of anti-'Mussolini anarchists. When her son is sent into exile, her own political ideals flare, and she fights against the fascist government, resulting in her own internment. When WWII begins, the resistance more competently organizes and Libera continues her vendetta.

* Margaret Mead Film Festival
The Margaret Mead Film Festival continues at PSU with more modern day anthropology: And you thought Indonesia was all scuba diving and cute peasants? Wrong! A gripping monologue about a poet's imprisonment in 1965 unfolds the wide-reaching span of the country's political upheavals and repression. A second short film focuses on poet Ibrahim Kadir, whose form of political art has been banned in modernday Indonesia.

* Metropolis
Metropolis is a beautiful and stylish hybrid--one of those future worlds imagined from the distant past, where above ground looks like an Ayn Rand dream, below ground is pure Blade Runner, and the characters are retro in the style of Hergé's Tintin. The malicious, but helpless President Boon presides over Metropolis, and the true power lies with the Roarkian Duke Red, builder of the Ziggurat and the muscle behind Tima, a gorgeous android (looking uncannily like Haley Joel Osment) who will someday rule the world. What makes Metropolis--which has a production pedigree that includes much of anime's royalty--feel like something truly new is the animation (combining the most up-to-date CGI with old-fashioned cels and the occasional live-action background), the mood (speakeasy 1920s, complete with Dixieland Jazz and gumshoe detectives), and its refusal to divide the world into absolute good and evil. Mostly, yes, it's eye candy, but everyone's eyes should be so lucky. (Emily Hall)

* Monsoon Wedding
At first, it seems like Mira Nair is just doing family drama. The film is stylish, brisk, witty, and beautifully filmed (marigolds are so vibrant they would leave bright orange dust on your fingers if you touched them). But within the patchwork of marriage melodrama, Monsoon Wedding presents a subversive argument about the insidiousness of progress and its fluid relationship with tradition. Of course, it all comes out right in the end, but in getting to its satisfying resolution, it passes through so many uncomfortable revelations and unthinkable confrontations that it almost feels like watching history unfold. (Sean Nelson)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
A frumpy diamond in the rough (Nia Vardalos) goes against the wishes of her lovingly oppressive family and falls for a hunky WASP (John Corbett, coasting on his Sex & The City vibe) in this intermittently amusing Grecian yarn. The refreshingly unconventional Vardalos adapted from her one-woman play, and the best material springs from her sporadic narration, goofing gently on such eccentricities as her dad's Windex fetish and the many permutations of cousins named Nick. Unfortunately, her presence and a sharp supporting cast (including the ever-prickly Andrea Martin) can't wholly mitigate the myriad of memorexed gags, well-trod life lessons, and director Joel Zwick's flat, sitcomish presentation. There's precious little here that hasn't been seen a gazillion times before, but Vardalos' earthy charisma and a few stray bits of off-kilter wit make for an amiable saunter into the matrimonial breech. N'Syncher Joey Fatone cameos as a bearded guy. (Andrew Wright)

The New Guy
Remember the scaly-but-loveable little homunculus from Road Trip? Well guess what: He's the star of this movie, playing a juvenile delinquent who uses the tricks of soul-brother cool he learns in "the joint" to liberate the teens at his new school when he gets out.

Nine Queens
Here are some of the wimpiest con men you'll ever see. Their cons include finagling more change than they had coming at coffee shops and tricking old ladies into helping them out when their imaginary car breaks down. The "Big Score"--a mandatory part of any con game film--involves selling some rare stamps. Surprisingly, this material is interesting for a while--it's softness is oddly original, and even kind of sweet, but it also results in a severe lack of suspense in the film that becomes more and more apparent as the characters become less and less interesting. (Justin Sanders)

Open Screening
Regional film and video makers are invited to show their work. Call 503-276-4259 to reserve a space.

Other Side of Heaven
A farm boy from Idaho falls goes to the Tongan Islands in the 1950s, leaving behind his girlfriend. Don't worry though, she lifts his spirits with meaningful letters, and the experience teaches him valuable lessons about life and love. A film for freshman girls whose boyfriends have gone off to Cal State.

Panic Room
Jodie Foster's husband is a rich, cheating prick, so she buys a giant Manhattan brownstone in order to get revenge. The house was previously owned by a dead, paranoid millionaire, and comes complete with a "Panic Room" with video camera monitors, a phone, a motion sensor door, and food. The son of the millionaire, unscary Jared Leto, knows there's money in a safe inside the Panic Room and gets crazy Raoul, and a security expert (docile and friendly Forrest Whitaker) to help him get rich quick. But herein lies the problem: For some reason, dumbass Leto allows the house to sit empty for two weeks before performing the heist, and before he knows it, Jodie and daughter are all moved in. Instead of waiting until they're not home, Leto and pals debate for an hour about whether to try for the money anyway, and a bunch of implausible events ensue. (Katie Shimer)

Pauline and Paulette
The story of four sisters, Martha, Cecile, Pauline, and Paulette. Pauline is mentally challenged and lives with Martha, who lovingly cares for her. When Martha dies, however, she leaves her money to her sisters, but under the condition that Cecile or Paulette care for Pauline.

The Piano Teacher
A completely repressed 40-year-old piano teacher, who lives with her controlling mother no less, is seduced by one of her students. Director Haneke explores disturbing pathologies and S&M disaster. Adult. YES.

* Repentance
Even though it has absolutely nothing to do with anarchy, you should be thankful the Film Center brought Tenzig Abuladze's 1987 film Repentance to Portland for the Anarchists in Film Festival, because it's totally amazing. Filmed in Georgia (the country where Stalin was born), Repentance begins with the death of Mayor Varlam Aravidze, a Stalin-like character who is publicly glorified, yet privately hated for his paranoid tactics of arresting those he deemed "anti-Proletariat." Refusing to let him be buried properly for murdering her family, Guliko repeatedly digs his body up--a crime. During her trial, we hear her tell about the rise of Aravidze and ultimately, the heart of evil. Miraculously filmed during Soviet rule, Repentance depicts the grim reality of living under Soviet dictatorship, with an eye for pain most of us have ever known, and the wisdom of those living under a corrupt, oppressive regime. A remarkable two and a half hours. (Julianne Shepherd)

The Rookie
Dennis Quaid's hopes of being a major league baseball player were dashed by shoulder injuries and now, he's a high school baseball coach. After the heal up of his final shoulder surgery, however, he realizes he can pitch better than ever before. He makes a bargain with his team that if they'll try and win the next two games, he'll try out for the majors again. Yipee!

Rosetta
Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's portrait of a poverty-stricken, but determined girl who tries to find independence and a better existence. Obstacles, of course, ensue.

The Scorpion King
Who cares if this movie is any good, you get to stare at the most intelligent, gorgeous beefcake in Hollywood--The Rock.

* Spider-Man
Though Spider-Man boasts tons of computer-generated action, in actuality, this is a teen romance about dealing with adult feelings and responsibilities. And while I generally despise Kirsten Dunst, the sparks literally fly off the screen whenever she and Tobey are together. Sure, this flick has all the trappings of a kid's comic: sappy dialogue, over-the-top action, and a scenery chewing performance by Dafoe--but it's fun, it's innocent, and it works. (Wm. Steven Humphrey)

Star Wars: Episode II
Yee haw. The next episode, starring a bunch more confusing characters who aren't Mark Hamill. See review this issue.

Tell Me Something
A Korean thriller directed by Youn-Hyun Chang, the film follows a detective's search for a killer who leaves dismembered bodies in plastic garbage bags in elevators, under bridges, and on the freeway. See review this issue.

Temporary Registration w/ A Girl for Soleymane
A Frenchman returns to Guinea to find his father. He is immediately robbed on arrival, befriends a tramp, and embarks on a depressing search for his father. Hand-held camera work and experimental use of light and shadows. Followed by A Girl For Souleymane, a short film about a Sengalese man living in Paris who idealizes his homeland.

* Time Out
Apparently, even the French have mind-bendingly boring suburban lives. Vincent is a hapless, but likeable consultant who can't quite get in the rat-race groove. After being canned at his job, he fails to tell his family, filling his days instead with driving aimlessly. Aurelien Recoing, who plays Vincent, has the same soft everyman features of Kevin Spacey. But this film puts American Beauty to shame; not relying on the crutch of sexual urges, instead Vincent struggles with a much more profound and elusive quality: self-worth. As Vincent tries to uphold his illusions, the film is surprisingly tense, remotely funny, and deeply stirring. (Phil Busse)

Unfaithful
A spry suburban housewife falls for the erotic charge of a sexy young Frenchman, neglecting her responsibilities as a wife and mother. Richard Gere plays the annoyingly fawning husband, who immediately notices the change in his wife and goes snooping around. His investigation results in tragedy... which also results in a previously fun and sexy film taking a tragic Hollywood nosedive. Why so much morality I ask, why not more hot screwing? (Katie Shimer)

What's New, Pussycat?
This has all the right ingredients for a kitschy and giggly film-watching experience. Woody Allen's first attempt as both writer and actor, but featuring Peter O'Toole as a psychiatrist who tries to be a faithful husband despite constantly being pursued by beautiful women.

World Traveler
Billy Crudup acts like a five-year-old in the horrifyingly bad film about a married man trying to find himself on an impromptu road trip. Worth it only to hear the peanut gallery ohh and ahh when they show a shot of Cannon Beach. (Katie Shimer)

* Y Tu Mamá También
As two Mexican teenagers frantically fuck, the boy, Tenoch (Diego Luna), pleads/demands that the girl not screw any Italians on her impending European trip with her best friend. Meanwhile, that best friend is having rushed pre-departure sex with her boyfriend, Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal), who is also Tenoch's best friend. When the girls have left, we settle down to watch these two boys spend an aimless summer. Everything gets thrown sideways when they meet a sexy older woman (that is to say, in her 20s) named Luisa. Y Tu Mamà También is a brilliant, incisive core sampling of life in Mexico. It's both slender and profound; the movie's greatest pleasures are often its smallest ones--even the title comes from a tossed-off bit of banter. Any individual moment could be trivial, silly, pointless, even embarrassing--but the accumulation of moments has a devastating scope. (Bret Fetzer)