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Love in the Rubble
Two women pursue romance
amid danger.

By Lois Wadsworth

Aimee & Jaguar (Germany, 1999): Directed by Max Färberböck. Produced by Günter Rohrbach and Hanno Huth. Written by Färberböck and Rona Munro, based on the book by Erica Fischer. Cinematography, Tony Imi. Composer, Jan A. P. Kaczmarek. Editor, Barbara Hennings. Art directors, Albrecht Konrad, Uli Hanisch. Costumes, Barbara Baum. Starring Juliane Köhler and Maria Schrader, with Elisabeth Degen, Heike Makatsch, Johanna Wokalek, Detlev W. Buck, Inge Keller and Peter Weck. Zeitgeist Films Release, 2000. Not rated. 125 minutes.
 
Felice aka Jaguar (Maria Schrader) and Lilly aka Aimée (Juliane Kohler) host a shindig for their friends. Closing credits scene.
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Based on a true story of two women who fell in love during the WWII bombing of Berlin, Aimée & Jaguar is an atypical romance because the characters are such polar opposites. Although the film concentrates on their relationship, it opens and closes 50 years later, as Lilly Wust (Inge Keller, age 85) prepares to move from her apartment to an assisted-living facility. Memories and photographs take her back to the dangerous time when she and her lover were together.

Lilly (Juliane Köhler), who will later call herself Aimée, is in her late 20s and the mother of four boys. She is married to a Nazi soldier, Günther Wust (Detlev Buck), who's away at the front much of the time. Both have lovers. Lily craves attention from other men, openly kissing a Nazi officer at a public concert the first time Jaguar sees her.

The woman who names herself Jaguar is actually Felice Schragenheim (Maria Schrader), a highly educated German Jew who lives life fully yet teeters at the edge of disaster. Although Felice is active in the resistance, she hides in plain sight, working for the editor of a Nazi newspaper (Peter Weck) under the pseudonym of Mrs. Schrader. In spite of the danger, she passes information to her underground contacts, attends concerts, hangs out with her girlfriends and visits her beloved grandmother, who pleads with her to go into hiding.

Ilse (Johanna Wokalek) helps Lilly with the children and the apartment, especially when Lilly is expecting a lover. Ilse also works for the resistance and shelters Felice, her lover, in her home. Even though Ilse tries to prevent Felice from meeting and pursuing Lilly, she is powerless in the face of Felice's reckless infatuation.

Like the lovers Jullianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes played in The End of the Affair who make love during the London blitz as the city is bombarded by Hitler's Luftwaffe, Felice and Lilly are fearless as the British "Flying Fortresses" rain bombs during the Battle of Berlin, 1943-44. Whole sections of the city are bombed to rubble, many thousands of civilians are killed, and 250,000 Berliners are made homeless. The city itself becomes an eerie place to live, and for Jews it's especially dangerous after Goebbels and the SS crack down on "the enemy within" and vow to make the city Jew-free.

Yet a desperate social life prevails at the Hotel Adlon bar and in private as people dance and party the night away. Felice and Lilly's love story also represents the efforts people were making to dispel the effects of the war on personal life. The precise rendering of these private moments creates the film's magnetic ambiance and makes the tragedy all the more poignant.

Despite a lucid screenplay by director Max Färberböck and Rona Munro, everything depends on the performances of Schrader and Köhler. Their major sex scene is both credible and creative. Each character is truly moved by the experience of love, perhaps for the first time. But as Lilly's love expands, Felice's situation becomes more constricted and grave, and she must choose between staying with her lover or fleeing to safety with her comrades.

Stay through the closing credits to see the film's most wonderful scene. Reminiscent of 1977's Julia (Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave) in its impact, Aimee & Jaguar is a film you won't forget. One of the best of 2000, it opens at the Bijou Dec. 8.


One-Woman Show
Comic Margaret Cho tells it like it is.
By Lois Wadsworth

I'm the One That I Want: Directed by Lionel Coleman. Produced by Lorene Machado. Executive producers, Margaret Cho, Karen Taussig. Written by Margaret Cho. Cinematography, Lionel Coleman. Editor, Robyn T. Migel. Music, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Starring Margaret Cho. Cho Taussig Productions, 2000. Not rated. 94 minutes.
 
Margaret Cho, self-described "fag hag, shit starter, girl comic, trash talker," onstage in San Francisco in November 1999.
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A documentary film shot in San
Francisco's Warfield Theater over two nights of stand-up comedienne Margaret Cho's stage show, I'm the One That I Want brings the bawdy, hilarious Cho to the hinterlands. The 32-year old Korean American comic is a natural corrective to the high-mindedness of small, smug cities such as ours where the public airing of comforting, inclusive terms such as multi-culturalism lulls us into believing we are tolerant of Asian Americans, gay men, lesbians and large women -- while racism, homophobia, sexism and lookism (a snap judgement based on how a person looks relative to the status quo) thrive.

Cho knows about such attitudes first-hand, and she tells all about it in this ribald performance. There's an edge that stings in the scene where she describes losing 30 pounds in two weeks to placate the producers of ABC TV's first Asian-American sitcom, "All-American Family." She was hospitalized with kidney failure, but she was a size 4! Even more degrading than the studio sending a personal trainer and nutritionist to help her lose weight was the consultant it hired to make her more Asian, she said. "I'll just put this abacus here on the table," Cho recalls with the driest of facial expressions.

Cho uses a more loving variation of this really funny, squinty-eyed, prune-face look in the scenes of her many telephone calls from her mother. She interjects Mommy's outrageous one-way communications into the show three or four times, and they ground her humor in the framework of a woman's complicated relationship to her mother. Cho told a reporter that her comedy routine had its beginning in the imitations of her mother she did for her high school girlfriends.

Many in the audience may want to know is whether Cho is a lesbian, but the film doesn't give an unequivocal answer to that question. She tells about taking her act on a cruise ship tour of Alaska's Inside Passage sponsored by Olivia, the record company that originated women's music in the early 1970s, including Cris Williamson's early albums. The lesbian tourists provided Cho with a lot of funny material, and she admits to having an onboard fling. Later she tells her mother, and her mother's telephone response is priceless. "If you're gay, pick up!" she finally demands.

But the closest Cho comes to defining her sexual preference is to say she's a slut. And she backs up this assertion with a lot of raunchy sex stories, including a routine about two drunks making love that is indelibly graphic. So, if you're sensitive to sex jokes, profanity or stories from the love gutter, stay away. Everyone else will laugh like hell, and you'll just feel left out.

Cho's greatest achievement here is her powerful swipes at sexism and lookism. As she told Bust magazine interviewer Betty Boob (think that's her real name?) last spring, our entire culture needs "a complete revolution in how we think. ...We are so fucked up, especially in the areas of self-image, body image, lookism, weight issues and all of those things." She says she nearly killed herself trying to get approval outside herself because she "didn't have any messages" to tell her that it was wrong. "It's really scary, but it's important because I don't want anybody to go through what I went through," Cho said.

I'm the One opens Friday, Dec. 8 at the Bijou. Highly recommended.


OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted.

Aimee & Jaguar: German film directed by Max Färberböck is based on the true story of two women who fell in love as Berlin burned during WWII. One is a housewife with four little boys and a Nazi soldier husband. The other is an educated, stylish German Jew who hides in plain sight while working for the resistance. Excellent performances. Highly recommended. Not rated. Bijou. See review this issue.

Billy Elliot: Long-anticipated British film directed by Stephen Daldry about a boy from a mining community who hates his boxing lessons but wants to dance. Stars Jamie Bell as the lad, Julie Walters as his teacher and Gary Lewis as his reluctant-to-approve dad. R. Cinemark 17.

Dungeons and Dragons: Fantasy adventure stars Jeremy Irons and Thora Birch (American Beauty), based on the popular game. Courtney Solomon directs. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8. Movieland 6.

Emperor's New Groove, The: Disney animation, Sting's music, and the voices of David Spade, Eartha Kitt and John Goodman enliven this tale of a young emperor who is turned into a llama and learns to be nicer to others. G. Sneak 12/9 at 7 pm. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17.

Exorcist (2000), The: Classic 1973 horror tale of a young girl possessed by the devil raises fascinating questions about the nature of evil and fate. Director- (William Friedkin) and writer's- (William Peter Blatty) cut features outstanding performances by Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller and Max von Sydow and excellent digital sountdtrack. An A+ movie. R. Movies 12.

Family Man, The: Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) directs Nic Cage, Téa Leoni and Don Cheadle in this fantasy of an unmarried investment banker who sees what his life could have been had he married his only love. PG-13. Sneak 12/8 & 12/9 at 7:10 pm. Cinemark 17.

I'm the One That I Want: Margaret Cho's stand-up comedy show filmed in San Francisco is a raunchy but hilarious treat, laced with Cho's delirious bits about her mother. Serious subtext speaks to racism, lookism, homophobia and sexism. Not rated. Bijou. See review this issue.

Ladies Man: Saturday Night Live spinoff stars Tim Meadows and Will Ferrell, directed by Reginald Hudlin. It's about a dumb-as-bread dude who thinks he's hot stuff and goes on the radio to prove it. R. Movies 12.

Vertical Limit: Action adventure tale of a former mountain climber who has to save a sibling trapped at 26,000 feet. Chris O'Donnell is the traumatized ex-climber, Robin Tunney is his sis. Directed by Martin Campbell. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8.


CONTINUING:
102 Dalmatians: Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is back, and this time she's got a partner in crime: Jean Pierre Le Pelt (Gerard Depardieu). Live action comedy from Disney. G. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8.

Almost Famous: Cameron Crowe's critically acclaimed ode to rock and roll music stars Patrick Fugit as a 15-year old music writer for Rolling Stone magazine sent on tour with a rock band. Also stars Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Fabulous movie, wonderful performances. One of the year's best. R. Late night Bijou.

Bedazzled: Remake by Harold Ramis (Analyze This) of a late '60's Dudley Moore chestnut, the movie stars a lovesick Brendan Fraser selling his soul to the devil (Elizabeth Hurley) to win the woman of his dreams (Frances O'Connor). PG-13. Movies 12.

Blair Witch 2 Book of Shadows: Directed by documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, this sequel has a docu-feel as young people in Birkittsville, MD, lead tourists into the woods looking for whatever scared hell out the earlier film crew. R. Movies 12.

Bounce: Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck star in this romantic drama written and directed by Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex). Affleck plays a man who gives up his seat on a flight that crashes, and Paltrow is the widow of the man who took his place. Roos gives these two great material, and they know how to make the most of it. Highly recommended.. PG-13. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17.

Bring It On: Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides) is a cheerleader who wants to lead her squad to a national title. Gabrielle Union (She's All That) is head of a rival, inner-city hip-hop squad that has a score to settle with their suburban counterparts. PG-13. Movies 12.

Cell, The: Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughan and Vincent D'Onofrio star in this science fiction thriller. Lopez is a psychologist who becomes trapped in the mind of a serial killer. R. Movies 12.

Charlie's Angels: Elite private investigators Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew Barrymore), and Alex (Lucy Liu), work for Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie's lieutenant. These gals can handle anything on land, sea or air with up-to-the-minute martial arts skills, futuristic vehicles, high-tech tools and toys, and a raft of crafty disguises. PG-13. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6.

Coyote Ugly: David McNally comedy about cocktail waitresses who perform juggling acts with bottles in a rowdy New York bar. Stars Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Garcia and John Goodman. PG-13. Movies 12.

Dinosaur: Disney gets a little risqué with a PG rating, no songs and computer-generated dinos against live-action backgrounds. Stars the voices of D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies and Della Reese. PG. Movies 12.

Godzilla: He's taller than the Statue of Liberty, and he's mad as hell. What else do you need to know? The giant lizard is back, and he's not going to take it any more. Directed by Roland Emmerich, monster flick stars Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Hank Azaria and Maria Pitillo. PG-13. Movies 12.

Gone in 60 Seconds: Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo and Giovanni Ribisi star in Dominic Sena's car-thief drama. Cage and Ribisi play siblings. Surprisingly entertaining. R. Movies 12.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Madcap Jim Carrey brings to life Dr. Seuss's green grinch who wants to keep Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon and Bill Irwin and others from celebrating Christmas. Directed by Ron Howard. PG. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8.
Kid, Disney's The: Played by Spencer Breslin, a child meets himself at 40, a man played by Bruce Willis. Is he impressed? Find out in Jon Turteltaub's comedy. PG. Movies 12.

Legend of Bagger Vance, The: A down-and-out former golf star (Matt Damon) finds the girl of his dreams, again, (Charlize Theron). A guardian-angel (Will Patton) helps him remembers his "authentic swing." Directed by Robert Redford. PG. Movieland 6.

Little Nicky: Adam Sandler plays the shy, awkward son of the Devil who loves heavy metal but has two older brothers who are bullies. When they make trouble in New York, Nicky and a foul-mouthed talking dog go to the city to restore the balance between Good and Evil. Okay. PG-13. Cinemark 17.

Meet the Parents: Ben Stiller plays the unfortunate prospective son-in-law to Robert Di Niro's overly protective father. Directed by Jay Roach, the film also stars Teri Polo and Blythe Danner as the engaged daughter and her mother. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World 8.

Men of Honor: Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the first black man in the Navy to try to be a SEAL. Robert De Niro plays the racist officer who tries to break him. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food). R. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6.

Perfect Storm, The: Wolfgang Petersen directs this true action adventure based on Sebastian Junger's nonfiction bestseller. Six fishermen out of Gloucester, Mass. run into a killer storm on the high seas. Stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and William Fichtner. PG-13. Movies 12

Proof of Life: Russell Crowe is a special agent for kidnap and ransom who gets involved with the wife (Meg Ryan) of a hostage (David Morse) in this romantic drama set in South America. Directed by Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, The Devil's Advocate). R. McDonald. Cinemark 17.

Red Planet: Val Kilmer is an American astronaut on the first manned flight to Mars, where the team hopes to find a place for Earth to colonize. With Benjamin Bratt ("Law and Order"), Tom Sizemore, Terence Stamp, Carrie-Anne Moss. Directed by Anthony Hoffman. PG-13. Movieland 6.

Rugrats in Paris: Stu Pickles takes the Finsters and his brood to Paris while he works on EuroReptarland, a new amusement park. Tommy Pickles leads the Rugrats on adventures to solve the mysteries of life and to help Chuckie Finster find the right mom now that his dad is dating again. G. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17.

Scary Movie: Parody of Scream teen horror directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans stars Carmen Electra in the Drew Barrymore role, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. Look for lots of improvisations in this spoof. R. Movies 12.

Sixth Day, The: Roger Spottiswoode directs this futuristic thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in two roles. One is a clone, but nobody can tell which one. Also stars Wendy Crewson as his wife, Tony Goldwyn and Robert Duvall. PG-13. Movieland 6. Cinemark 17.

Two-Family House: Written, directed by Raymond De Felitta, sweet romantic comedy set in 1956 is about Buddy (Michael Respell), who wants to buy an old house, live upstairs and open a bar downstairs. His complaining wife, Estelle (Katherine Narducci), doesn't. Besides, the woman living upstairs (Kelly Macdonald) doesn't want to move. Highly recommended. R. Bijou.

Unbreakable: New film by M. Night Shyamalan writer, director of last year's surprise hit, The Sixth Sense, stars Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Both put themselves on the line in these understated roles. Willis's character is inner-directed and thoughtful, while Jackson's steely reserve and crushing vulnerability are quietly menacing. Beautifully directed, it's a great movie. Very highly recommended. PG-13. Cinema World 8. Cinemark 17. Movieland 6.

What Lies Beneath: Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer star in Robert Zemeckis' spooky psychological thriller about a husband who has an affair with a woman who kills herself in their house. PG-13. Movies 12.

Yards, The: One of the year's best films is written and directed by James Gray. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron and James Caan in a drama about corruption, love and betrayal. Never over the top, this understated, underrated film deserves your attention. Very highly recommended. R. Bijou.

MOVIE THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.

Bijou Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater | 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th

Regal Cinemas
Cinema World | 342-6536 | Valley River Center
McDonald | 344-4343 | 10th and Willamette
Movieland | 342-4142 | W. 11th and Seneca
Springfield Quad | 726-9073 |

Cinemark Theaters
Movies 12 | 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days.
Cinemark 17 | 741-1231 | Gateway Mall



NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO:
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of EW publication, sometimes sooner:

Air Bud 2: World Pup: Air Bud's second sequel follows the sports-gifted dog who turns out to be great at soccer. G.

Human Traffic: Youth culture film takes a smart look at the rave life in Wales by 25-year old writer, director Justin Kerrigan. The NY Times calls it a "blissfully hedonistic film" that "revels in its foolishness and in its likable characters." R.

Road to El Dorado, The: With songs by Elton John, this animated musical comedy features the voices of Rosie Perez, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Armand Assante and Edward James Olmos. Tulio and Miguel, 16th century ne'er-do-wells, look for the fabled city of God. El Dorado. PG.

Scary Movie: Parody of Scream teen horror directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans stars Carmen Electra in the Drew Barrymore role, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. Lots of improvisations in this spoof. R.

Shaft: John Singleton's update of Gordon Parks' 1971 blaxploitation smash hit stars Samuel L. Jackson as the nephew of Richard Roundtree's original private detective. He's clever and ruthless when necessary, but this ain't the love generation. Also stars Vanessa Williams. Music by Isaac Hayes. Underrated by critics, this Shaft is superior to most of its genre. R.

Next week: The Cell, Chuck and Buck, The Loser, Road Trip, Saving Grace, Small Time Crooks, The Virgin Suicides and Where the Money Is.

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