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Survival THE PIANIST: Directed and produced by Roman Polanski. Written by Ronald Harwood; based on the 1946 memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman. Produced by Robert Benmussa, Alain Sarde, Polanski. Co-producer, Gene Gutowski. Executive producers Lew Rywin, Henning Molfenter, Timothy Burrill. Editor, Hervé de Luze. Cinematography, Pawel Edelman. Costumes, Anna Sheppard. Production design, Allan Starski. Music, Wojciech Kilar. Starring Adrien Brody. With Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner and Jessica Kate Meyer. Focus Features, 2002. R. 148 minutes. Few actors are willing to sacrifice their customary comforts over a prolonged shoot just to add to the film's authenticity, but for director Roman Polanski's WWII (1939-1945) drama, The Pianist, Adrien Brody took 30 pounds off his already lean frame; learned to play Chopin convincingly; lived a nearly monkish, isolated existence on the set; and became adept at speaking with a Polish dialect. His performance is compelling.
Near the end of the war, Wladyslaw Szpilman (Brody, Summer of Sam) was a gaunt scarecrow of a man, whose appearance bore no likeness to the self-assured, sophisticated piano player whose concert on Polish radio was interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Warsaw in September 1939. The most important thing to know about Szpilman beyond his unlikely survival is that he was not a hero. A relative who was a Nazi collaborator gave him one small chance to escape the fate of his family and Warsaw's other 310,000 Jews, who were either deported to Treblinka in cattle cars or murdered in the streets in 1942. Szpilman took the opportunity and didn't look back. He survived by his wits and the generosity of strangers, but he never forgot that he was an artist. The loss of his music must have hurt him as deeply as the more fundamental deprivations of food, warmth, shelter and companionship. Polanski's film avoids the pitfalls of many Holocaust dramas by focusing its energy entirely on this man's quiet knack for riding out an institutional storm so horrific in its brutality that few living today can imagine. But Polanski, who escaped from the Cracow (Krakow) ghetto at age 7 when his father made a hole in the fence large enough for him to crawl through, remembers it well. His direction and Brody's extraordinary performance chronicle Szpilman's day-to-day struggle to live without unrealistically elevating his survival or turning him into a hero. Polanski brings an acidic, absurdist humor to bear on these most unfunny times, with results so bleak they reveal themselves only upon reflection. The Pianist rings with authenticity. For example, when Szpilman is pulled out of the line to board the train to a concentration camp, his rescuer hisses at him, "Walk; don't run." Polanski has said that he was given that advice, and it saved his life. But the director makes it abundantly clear that this film is not autobiographical. While searching for locations, he walked around streets near the Krakow ghetto but knew he could not turn those streets into a movie set, he said. This sensibility permeates the film and makes it memorable. There are moments and images here you will never forget. This is not a "big" picture about the degradation and murder of Poland's 3.5 million Jews. But if you are interested in acquiring a meaningful context for this film, start with Claude Lanzmann's nine-hour-long documentary, Shoah (1985), if you can find it on video or DVD. The Pianist joins distinguished feature films such as The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Italy, Vittorio De Sica, 1971), Au Revoir Les Enfants (France, Louis Malle, 1987) and Angry Harvest (Germany, Agnieszka Holland, 1985) that attempt to express the human experience of war and genocide. Now playing at the Bijou, The Pianist deserves the highest recommendations.
Taking
Responsibility 25TH HOUR: Directed and produced
by Spike Lee. Written by David Benioff, based on his novel. Produced
by Lee, Jon Kilik, Tobey Maguire, Julia Chasman. Executive producer,
Nick Wechsler. Cinematography, Rodrigo Prieto. Production design,
James Chinlund. Editor, Barry Alexander Brown. Costumes, Sandra Hernandez.
Original music, Terence Blanchard. Starring Edward Norton. With Philip
Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian
Cox and Tony Siragusa. Touchstone Pictures, 2002. R. From the trailer, 25th Hour looks to be a stylish action thriller, with Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), a man seeking retribution during his final hours of freedom. But, actually Spike Lee's cautionary tale is a sobering meditation on Monty's life choices — the shortsighted decisions that went terribly wrong for him — and the price he must pay.
In the film's opening sequence, a hyperactive Monty and a huge Russian thug, Kostya Novotny (Tony Siragusa), discover a half-dead, mangled dog dumped under a bridge. Monty sees something in the animal that he calls good and insists on taking the dog to a nearby veterinarian, while Novotny just wants to get back to work. The next time we see Monty, he's quietly sitting on a bench, looking out over the harbor, holding the leash of his obedient dog. Approached by a junkie looking for a fix, Monty turns him away, strongly insisting that he's out of the game for good. Time is fluid. Monty's story unfolds in the present but visits the past, while the hard reality to which it always returns is that today is Monty's last day as a free man. A rich, streetwise heroin dealer in Manhattan yesterday, this working class guy becomes a nameless resident of a cell-block for the next seven years beginning tomorrow. And somehow, Monty has to figure out how he got here and why. Writer David Benioff adapted his psychological crime novel (2000) to the demands of the screen, reportedly losing very little of the novel's flavor and flair in the process. In one great, confrontative scene, Monty looks at himself in a bathroom mirror, while pent-up bitterness and racist anger roars from him in an avalanche of emotion. Although the rant scene is taken from Benioff's book, critics eager to roast Lee for any reason note its similarity to a famous scene from Lee's Do the Right Thing. There, a variety of people from the 'hood stick their faces in front of the camera and spout off about all the other ethnic and racial groups who give everything a bad name. Lee and Benioff share other sensibilities as well, making theirs a terrific collaboration. As a filmmaker who loves New York, Lee said he couldn't make this movie without acknowledging what the city has gone through since 9/11. The opening credits shows the city skyline from dark through dawn, with towers of light where the World Trade Center stood. Monty's best friend from childhood, Francis Xavier Slaughtery (Berry Pepper), is now a Wall Street wheeler-dealer, who lives in great digs that look down on the recovery efforts at Ground Zero. And the bar run by Monty's retired firefighter dad, James Brogan (Brian Cox), features a shrine and photographs of fallen firemen. Although Norton's thoughtful, vulnerable performance is the glue that holds this powerful film together, other excellent supporting roles add to the film's interest. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Monty's best friend, Jacob Elinsky. Now a high school teacher, Jacob is morally shocked and guilty over his feelings for a student, (Anna Paquin). Rosario Dawson plays Monty's girlfriend, Naturelle Riviera, who he fears may have turned him in to the police. Neither of the women's roles are central, however. The film turns on the relationship between Monty and his buddies, Frank and Jacob, and the favor he asks of them as day dawns. Thursday, Feb. 6 is the last day for this film at Cinemark, although it is still running big in other cities. Maybe it will get picked up for a late night slot. Highest recommendations. Big One, The (1998): Michael Moore takes to the road to promote his book, make trouble for corporations in his path, and. preach to the converted. PG-13. Documentary plays at 7 pm on 2/13 in 180 PLC, UO. Free. Chaika, The Seagull (Russia, 1971): Based on Anton Chekov's story, this film directed by Iuliia Krassika is described by Videohound as "a pensive, sensitive adaptation." At 8:15 pm on 2/10 in 115 Pacific Hall, UO. Free. Chicago: Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelley in this dark musical about killer dames behind bars who compete for the juiciest story from the tabloids. Queen Latifah's the harsh prison matron; Richard Gere is an attorney. Big winners of 2002 Golden Globes. PG 13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Ang Lee's romantic fantasy set in ancient China stars Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. Four 2001 Academy Awards: best foreign film, art direction, cinematography and original score. Superlative! PG-13. At 4 pm on 2/7 in 115 Pacific Hall, UO. Free. Online archives. Deliver Us From Eva: Romantic comedy stars Gabrielle Union as the tough older sister who's run her younger sisters' lives for many years. Now they are married, and their husbands want Eva to chill and bring on LL Cool J to distract her. R. Cinemark 17. Friday After Next, The: In installment three of the Friday series, Ice Cube and Mike Epps are back in the neighborhood where it all began. Directorial debut of video director Marcus Raboy. R. Movies 12. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Magazine columnist Kate Hudson and ad agency professional Matthew McConaughey try to get the other to fall in love, but things go awry. High-energy romantic comedy. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. No Man's Land (Bosnia, 2001): Danis Tanovic's dark, comic, anti-war film is set during the 1993 war in the former Yugoslavia between Bosnia and Herzegovinia. Two Bosnian soldiers wander into the no-man's-land between opposing forces. Their plight is an absurd reflection on the war itself. Best Foreign Language Film. 2001 Academy Award. R. At 7:30 pm on 2/11 in 122 Pacific Hall, UO. Free. Orca (1997): Demented film by Dino de Laurentis at 7:30 pm 2/12 in 100 Willamette, UO. Free. Real Women Have Curves: Simple, strong story about the conflict between a strong-willed mother, Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros), and her equally determined daughter, Ana (America Ferrera). Ana is a Mexican-American teenager with a full figure and a chance to get an education, while her mother wants her to stay and work in the sweatshop. Directed by Patricia Cardoso. PG 13. Bijou. Shanghai Knights: Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are out to settle a score in Victorian London in this comedy directed by David Dobkin. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World. Solaris: George Clooney stars in Steven Soderbergh's remake of 1972 sci-fi movie by Russian master, Andrei Tarkovsky, about scientists who fall under the spell of a strange planet that they are orbiting. Costars Natascha McElhone and Jeremy Davies. PG-13. Late night Bijou. Online archives.
CONTINUING: About Schmidt: Jack Nicholson stars in Alexander Pain's (Election) film about a just-retired man who feels adrift. His only daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis) is about to marry unwisely, and his wife of 42 years dies suddenly. He goes on the road to find himself. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Adaptation: Director Spike Jonze again teams with writer Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) for a film that blurs the boundaries between reality and fictional representations of it, such as movies. Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman trying to hold back the terrors of writer's block while writing a screenplay of Susan Orlean's book, The Orchid Thief. Meryl Streep plays Orleans, and Chris Cooper's an avid orchid collector. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Analyze That: Sequel reunites crazy-as-a-fox Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) and Dr. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal), but Sobel's wife (Lisa Kudrow) is not happy about having Vitto around. Has he really lost his mind, or is it just a ruse to get out of the slammer? Directed by Harold Ramis. R. Movies 12. Antwone Fisher: Denzel Washington directs and stars in the true story of an alienated African American sailor (Derek Luke) and the Navy psychiatrist who helps him find himself. Critics say Washington and Luke overcome sentimentality to create an enduring work. PG-13. Movies 12. Biker Boyz: The world of underground motorcycle gangs is explored in this take on The Fast and the Furious genre. Laurence Fishburne plays the king, Derek Luke plays the kid trying to dethrone him. PG 13. Cinemark, Cinema World. Bowling for Columbine: Michael Moore takes on America's love for guns in his usual abrasive, in yo' face manner — Columbine High School shootings, national chain gun sellers. He also goes toe-to-toe with Charlton Heston, in an abrasive and bullying manner. A major hit documentary at Cannes, it's been rightly challenged for its sloppy journalism in this country. R. Bijou. Online archives. Catch Me If You Can: Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio have fun in this chase movie about Frank Abagnale Jr., an actual con man of the 1960s who passed himself off as a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer and a college professor and forged millions in checks while still in his teens. Christopher Walken plays his father, and Tom Hanks plays the F.B.I. agent determined to capture him. Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: The (almost) true story of Chuck Barry's double life as a television producer, creating such jewels as "The Newlywed Game", and an assassin for the CIA. Directorial debut by George Clooney, starring Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, Rutger Hauer, Clooney and Julia Roberts. R. Cinemark. Darkness Falls: A hundred year old ghost who wants revenge on a small town imitates the tooth fairy and wreaks havoc. With Chaney Kley and Emma Caulfield, directed by Johnathan Liebesman. PG 13. Cinemark. Die Another Day: Pierce Brosnan returns as James Bond for a new mission that takes him to Iceland in this action adventure yarn directed by Lee Tamahori. Costars Halle Berry, John Cleese and Judi Dench, with Rosamund Pike. Evil enemies played by Toby Stephens and Rick Yune. PG-13. Movies 12. Drumline: Directed by Charles Stone, this tale of a talented street drummer who goes to college expecting to lead its marching band stars Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones. PG-13. Movies 12. Eight Mile: Set on the gritty streets of Detroit, Curtis Hanson's greatly anticipated film stars Eminem in his first screen role, Kim Basinger as his mom. Also, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer and Taryn Manning. Recommended. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Final Destination 2: More teenager with near-death experiences that end in actual death experiences. A.J. Cook stars as Kimberly, a car crash survivor who is stalked by Death. R. Cinemark. Gangs of New York: Martin Scorsese's epic set in mid-1800s N.Y. stars Leonard DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis as rival gang leaders. The notorious Civil War draft riots also rock the city. Co-stars Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly and Jim Broadbent. One of the year's great films. Very highest recommendations. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Guy Thing, A: Selma Blair, Julia Stiles and Jason Lee star in this film directed by Chris Koch. Lee's character has to iron out the truth to tell his fiancé (Blair), but doesn't seem to know himself. PG 13. Movies 12. Hours, The: Complex, critically acclaimed film stars Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep in a story based around Virginia Woolf's life and her novel, Mrs. Dalloway. Based on Michael Cunningham's exquisite 2001 novel, the film reflects the inner lives and daily experiences of three strong women from different periods and places. Beautifully detailed, with strong supporting performances by Ed Harris, Stephen Dillane, Claire Danes, Miranda Richardson and John C. Reilly. Very highest recommendations. PG 13. Cinemark. Online archives. Just Married: This honeymoon from hell is directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy and Christian Kane. PG-13. Cinemark. Kangaroo Jack: Taking mob money to Australia, two New York doofuses loose it to a kangaroo. Stars Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, Christopher Walken and Dyan Cannon. David McNally directs. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Directed and re-imagined by Peter Jackson, part two of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy continues. New characters, a surprise return and great battles. Director Peter Jackson's second masterpiece. Very highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. My Big Fat Greek Wedding: It's about the 30-year old, unmarried daughter (Nia Vardalos) in a passionate but demanding Greek NY family, who meets the man she to marry (John Corbett), but he isn't Greek. This sweet romantic comedy entertains. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Pianist, The: Winner of the Cannes Best Picture award, this critically acclaimed film is based on the life of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew, composer and pianist. When the Nazis invade, he finds salvation in his art. Directed and produced by Roman Polanski and starring Adrien Brody as Szpilman. Highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Recruit, The: Al Pacino and Colm Ferrell star in this story about the inner workings of the CIA. Also with Bridget Moynahan, and directed by Roger Donaldson. PG 13. Cinemark, Cinema World. Ring, The: Gore Verbinski finds a solid cast in Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive), Chris Cooper and Brian Cox for this remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 Japanese horror film. PG-13. Movies 12. Sweet Home Alabama: Andy Tennant directs the fabulous Reese Witherspoon in this comedy about a hot fashion designer who returns to the South to get a divorce from scruffy hubby #1 (Josh Lucas) so she can marry rich Patrick Dempsey. PG-13. Movies 12. They, Wes Craven Presents: Nighttime terrors return in this pseudo-psychological thriller starring Laura Regan, directed by Robert Harmon. PG-13. Movies 12. Treasure Planet: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure set on a spaceship that runs into hazards like black holes and supernovas. Animated film directed by Ron Clements and John Musker includes voices of Emma Thompson and Martin Short. PG. Movies 12. Twenty Fifth Hour: Spike Lee directs Edward Norton as a man with only 24 hours before he's due in prison for the next seven years. Also with Rosario Dawson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. R. Cinemark. Plays through 2/13 only. See review this issue. MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
My Big Fat Greek Wedding: It's about the 30-year old, unmarried daughter (Nia Vardalos) in a passionate but demanding Greek NY family, who meets the man she to marry (John Corbett), but he isn't Greek. This sweet romantic comedy entertains. PG. Online archives. Brown Sugar: Beautiful childhood friends Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan must now choose others or each other. Rick Famuyiwa directs. Queen Latifah and Mos Def co-star. PG-13. Eight Women: French director François Ozon brings a star-studded cast to this confection: a farcical, melodramatic whodunit set at a villa in the 1950s. Stars Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant, Viginie Ledoyen, Danielle Darrieux, Ludivine Sagnier and Firmine Richard. R. Online archives. Full Frontal: Steven Soderbergh's unofficial follow up to his influential Sex, Lies and Videotapes stars Julia Roberts, David Duchovny, Blair Underwood and Mary McCormack. Never opened in Eugene, this movie inside a movie in which everyone is in love with the wrong person. R. Women vs. Men: Made for television and directed by Chazz Palminteri, this is about two couples, Christine Lahti and Joe Mantegna and Glenn Headley and Paul Reiser and what happens when their marriages begin to fail. R. Possession: Adapted from A.S. Byatt's 1990 novel, Neil LaBute's new film is a romance starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart as scholars who discover a secret romance between two great Victorian poets, played by Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam. Highly recommended. PG-13. Online archives. Swept Away: Lina Wertmüller's hot 1975 Italian sex comedy was steamy and deliriously memorable, but Guy Ritchie's remake stars Madonna and Adriano Giannini, son of the original co-star, the great Giancarlo Giannini, has not found that reception. R. Next week: All or Nothing, City By the Sea, Four Feathers, Mostly Martha, One-Hour Photo and Stealing Harvard.
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