3 Hearts
Maybe 3 Hearts is an experiment: Shove the plot of a Sweet Valley High novel through a French-o-later, ship it off to America, and see if the Yanks will mistake this tortured and ridiculous love triangle between two sisters and a nebbish ginger for some sort of grand affair of the heart. After all, everyone's smoking and drinking, très francais, and doesn't Charlotte Gainsbourg look just like Patti Smith at her age? The venerable Catherine Deneuve is the only one here who knows what's up: She just scowls in the background looking disapproving as fuck. Right there with you, Catherine. ALISON HALLETT Fox Tower 10.
Champs
Following the trajectories of three of boxing's greatest fighters—Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Bernard Hopkins—Champs is an extremely concise overview of boxing. You can already take deeper dives into these boxers' careers (especially Tyson's, and I highly recommend a closer consideration of Tyson) in more focused documentaries, but Champs is crisply edited and astute, and features the delightful addition of Mary J. Blige as one of its talking heads. Consider it an excellent introduction to a deeply interesting, and often very dark, part of America's sports culture. MARJORIE SKINNER Hollywood Theatre.
Cinescopio
A series showcasing "Latin American classic cinema from the golden era of film." This installment: 1951's ¡A toda máquina! Hollywood Theatre.
Fall to Rise
The drama Fall to Rise touches on two topics that a lot of movies won't: what happens to an aging dancer in the fickle world of dance companies, and what happens when a mom realizes she doesn't want to be a mom ("I'd rather work"). It also tackles a complicated relationship between two women; both were dancers in the same company in New York early in their career. One woman, Lauren (played by Katherine Crockett, former principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company) became the star of the company, the other, Sheila (Daphne Rubin-Vega), was kicked out. The film is shot with a shaky camera and constant close-ups, which means you're always a little on edge. Sometimes the tone gets confused, and sometimes the plot meanders, but that's also what makes Fall to Rise interesting: relationships feel real, and things are never cut and dry. Director in attendance at 6:50 show Fri March 27-Sat March 28 and at 4:30 show Sun March 29. JENNA LECHNER Living Room Theaters.
Get Hard
See review this issue. Various Theaters.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
In horror movies, and sometimes in life, a girl alone at night is a victim. Shadows are ominous, noises are frightening. The night doesn't belong to her. Which is just part of why Ana Lily Amirpour's debut feature is so exhilarating. The Girl (Sheila Vand) is a taciturn, hijab-clad vampire in a tiny Iranian town called Bad City, gliding through the deserted streets like a not-so-friendly ghost. The night is her domain, though the men she encounters might assume otherwise. The Girl does what she wants, and usually what she wants is to drink somebody. ALISON HALLETT Laurelhurst Theater, Living Room Theaters.
Home
Hey, this should shut up your kids for a few hours. Various Theaters.
In Case of No Emergency:
The Films of Ruben Östlund
See Film, this issue. NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium.
It Follows
See review this issue. Various Theaters, VOD.
Making Space
Design Museum Portland presents a documentary about women architects. Not screened for critics. Hollywood Theatre.
Merchants of Doubt
See review this issue. Fox Tower 10.
Movies in Black & White
A series that brings people together to "watch movies and talk about race, featuring guest panelists from the worlds of film, art, and comedy." This time around: 48 Hrs. Hollywood Theatre.
NW Noir
A noir appreciation night, with a $3 suggested donation going to the National Film Noir Foundation. This installment offers three Robert Ryan films—Crossfire, Berlin Express, and The Set Up—on every TV at the bar. The Spare Room.
Salad Days
Scott Crawford's doc about the rise of the underground rock scene in Washington D.C. wisely narrows its focus to a mere decade-long stretch when its biggest players and advocates (Ian MacKaye, Dave Grohl, and Jenny Toomey among them) were embracing and codifying punk's DIY aesthetic. Even with the director's questionable choices—including himself as a talking head, relying on an overabundance of computer graphic textures—he manages to capture the inspiring energy of that period through copious amounts of performance footage and interviews with folks who played both small and huge roles in keeping the creative fires lit. ROBERT HAM Hollywood Theatre.
Serena
Filmed three years ago, this pre-fame Jennifer Lawrence flick is finally being released, presumably to capitalize on our unbridled nostalgia for North Carolina's Depression-era logging industry. JLaw stars alongside her Silver Linings Playbook superbro Bradley Cooper as they mumble and spit their way through their period roles. A WOMAN? SWINGING AN AXE? It's gonna be like that, guys. JLaw is less noticeably bad, but her character is written as a creature outside of time—she's a woman with an iron will and a pet eagle. SUZETTE SMITH Living Room Theaters.
Seymour: An Introduction
See review this issue. Fox Tower 10.
Touch of Evil
Orson Welles' last film for Hollywood is a look at the dirty dealings in a sleazy Mexican border town that makes the low-lifes in L.A. Confidential look positively sweet in comparison. GILLIAN G. GAAR Academy Theater.
You Only Live Twice
Yes. Roald Dahl wrote a James Bond movie. Screening features three Lompoc Brewing "spy-themed" IPAs, which have the awful names "The Spy Who Dry Hopped Me," "Dr. Hop," and "From Lompoc with Love." Hollywood Theatre.
MEANS WE RECOMMEND IT. Theater locations are accurate Friday, March 27-Thursday, April 2, unless otherwise noted. Movie times are updated daily and are available here.
