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ALL THE REAL GIRLS: Written and directed by David Gordon Green. Produced by Jean Doumanian and Lisa Muskat. Cinematography, Tim Orr. Production design, Richard Wright. Costumes, Erin Orr. Original score, David Wingo and Michael Linnen. Starring Zooey Deschanel and Paul Schneider, with Patricia Clarkson, Benjamin Mouton, Maurice Compte, Danny McBride and Shea Whigham. Sony Pictures Classics, 2002. 108 minutes. R.
David Gordon Green's second feature after his acclaimed 2000 George Washington, which did not play Eugene, All the Real Girls stars Zooey Deschanel in her first leading role. It's about time. Deschanel gave a memorable performance in Almost Famous, as the sister who leaves home and becomes an airline hostess. In The Good Girl she was the bright light of comic relief at the boring superstore where Jennifer Anniston also worked. Here she plays a young woman, Noel, who's just returned to a Southern mill town after graduating from boarding school. The film's male lead, Paul (Paul Scheider), is a millworker who's a slacker at heart. He sleeps around with the local girls and hangs with his pals: Tip (Shea Whigham), who's Noel's brother; Bo (Maurice Compte); and Bust-Ass (Danny McBride). Either these guys are especially infantile or else growing up in a small North Carolina town has disrupted their emotional growth. Patricia Clarkson, who should have received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Far From Heaven, is wasted here. She plays Paul's mother, Elvira, who dons a clown outfit for children's parties and visits to the hospital. I have no idea what is going on for this character. Green makes her look pathetic. Because there's really nothing happening for the characters in the story, or around them, this group of twentysomethings not only seem way immature but retro. Is it right for Tip to believe it's his duty to protect his 18-year-old sister's virginity? Where on earth did he get that idea? And why does Paul, who falls in love with Noel, care? Sure, Tip threatens to beat him up if he steps over the line, but when was the threat of physical harm ever a deterrent to mutual sex between young adults? And why doesn't Noel tell all of them to freak off? The closest movie depiction of this regressive a group mindset I've seen are the more violent young men and indifferent women in Boys Don't Cry, who also come from a dead-end, small town in the middle of nowhere. Less murderous but similarly disconnected characters in SubUrbia, directed by Richard Linklater and written by Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio), live in strip-mall, suburban Texas. They give a hard time to the one guy who got out of town and made something of himself. Perhaps there's an epidemic of this cultural malaise, which could be contagious: "I'm stuck here. Don't blame me!" Green tries to tell a love story about two people who do some of the right things and lots of the wrong things in a relationship that may be doomed from the start. Despite a bad script and little clear direction, Deschanel manages to make something out of nothing. She understates her character, and in the scenes where there's real chemistry with Schneider, the film's sweet moments work fine. But at other times, the unacknowledged depression of the characters overwhelms the story, leaving the viewer with just a sliver of hope that these two may find friendship if not true love together. Opening Friday April 25, All the Real Girls is well worth seeing for its lovely Smoky Mountain locales, beautifully shot by Tim Orr, who names Terrence Malick as his primary influence. And don't dismiss David Gordon Green — he's just getting started. This film won a special jury prize at Sundance 2002 for "emotional truth." Recommended.
Nature's
Rhythmic Cycles RIVERS AND TIDES: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time: Documentary written and directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer. Produced by Annedore von Donop. Cinematography and film editing by Thomas Riedelsheimer. Original music by Fred Frith. Starring Andy Goldsworthy as himself. Roxie Releasing, 2001. 90 minutes. NR.
Andy Goldsworthy is a 46-year-old Scottish sculptor who works in the field with natural objects. Transitory art, his sculptures are not intended for posterity. Twig sculptures may survive an incoming tide only minutes, while a winding rock wall may last centuries. Photographs are what remain when nature has reclaimed its own. Goldsworthy speaks about his site-specific work in thoughtful rhythms, and his light burr and disarming style add a personal touch to ideas he explores through art. Just as he works with material he finds, he is also fully present in the moment when he speaks. He doesn't tie up loose ends but lets words float away into silence. He speaks about death, loss, decay, change — lofty subjects — but he is so down-to-earth we remain grounded with him. Goldsworthy makes art accessible to anyone who has ever been a child. He is a maker, and sometimes the form he is making does not work. Rocks collapse in piles, often many times. A hanging spider-web design of lath falls off a tree. The making of art is the process that feeds the artist, while the end result is temporal at best. For most of the film's 90-minute running time, German filmmaker Thomas Riedelsheimer follows Goldsworthy. He shoots him working and talking, then observes what becomes of the artwork Goldsworthy has labored to produce. Their collaboration looks smooth, but once early in the day on a cold, northern beach at low tide, we see another side of their lengthy, enforced togetherness. The artist tells the filmmaker to turn off the camera and do something useful, like haul more large rocks over to his work site. I appreciate Goldsworthy's response to having a camera record everything he says and thinks while he's working on a project with a definitive deadline. As the artist notes, tides are relentless and on time. But I am also grateful that he cooperated with Riedelsheimer to make this detailed, elegant film that we can see. The common pattern in Goldsworthy's work is in landforms such as a meandering river seen from the air. He employs the river's coiling nature in many pieces, but he also works with geometric forms, softening them through the materials he uses and the pliant surface where he places them. Icicles form an undulating pattern around the top of a fallen tree, shine with brilliance in the earliest light of the sun, melt and disappear. A snakelike chain of brilliant leaves floats down a creek, making visual its currents and eddies. At a boisterous spring creek, a round hole in a rock presents a splash of brilliant marigold petals covering still water. Dried stalks of bracken from the previous summer — red-orange above ground, black below — are pulled up, broken and laid in a pattern at the foot of a large tree. It forms a carpet of orange containing a circle of black. Carefully laid, flat slate stones rise from a beach to form a large, standing cone-shaped rock sculpture that the incoming tide covers. Cut between this tableau are shots of a similar red stone sculpture in a meadow, where it is slowly covered by an encroaching riot of summer vegetation. Other breathtaking visuals await you in this ravishing celebration of nature. If you love being outdoors, if art is your passion, if you love to make things, this movie has it all. Goldsworthy's work is available in print (Hand to Earth: Andy Goldsworthy Sculpture 1976-1990, Harry N. Abrams publisher), but I doubt I'll see a more beautiful film this year. Rivers and Tides is an undeniable pleasure for everyone in the family. Opens Friday at the Bijou.
All the Real Girls: Wry love story between a young woman who wants to break out and a more experienced guy who loves her but wants to wait. Stars Zooey Deschanel and Paul Schneider; written and directed by David Gordon Green. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Better Luck Tomorrow: Asian American high school seniors dabble in criminal activities. Directed by Justin Lin. R. Cinemark. Confidence: Ed Burns plays a grifter who swindles a bundle from the wrong guy in James Foley's double-crossing drama. Also stars Rachel Weisz, Paul Giamatti, Luis Guzman, Morris Chestnet. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. Cradle 2 the Grave: Jet Li and DMX are "Born 2 the life, True 2 the code, Bad 2 the bone." R. Movies 12. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982): Cameron Crowe's adaptation of his own novel is directed by Amy Heckerling, who introduces a memorable cast, including Sean Penn. Also Nicolas Cage, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz and more. R. LateNite Bijou. Gorgeous (China): At 4 pm on 5/2 in 115 Pacific, UO. Free. House Built on Sand (Russia, 1991): On the eve of WWII, Russian intelligentsia suffer. At 7:15 on 4/30 in 115 Pacific, UO. Free. Identity: Ten travelers caught in a rip-snorter of a storm seek refuge at a creepy motel in the desert, and sure enough they begin to die. Directed by James Mangold, stars John Cusack, Ray Liotta and lots of screaming woment. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. It Runs in the Family: Fred Schepisi directs Michael Douglas as a father trying to avoid his father's mistakes. His father, Kirk Douglas, plays his father onscreen. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Ping Pong (Japan): At 7 pm on 5/2 in 207 Chapman, UO. Free. Real Cancun, The: Theme: Anything can happen during spring break. Okay. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Works with Time: Splendid documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer about famous Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. He makes site-specific art from found natural objects. Accessible to anyone who has ever been a child. A visual treat, it's the most beautiful film of the year. NR. Bijou. See review this issue. 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. Movies 12. Son's Room, The (2001): The teenaged son in a happy, middle-class Italian family dies in an accident, and everyone falls apart. A sensitive film about grief directed by Nanni Moretti, who also stars as the boy's father. Won the Palme d'Or (the highest honor) at 2001 Cannes Film Festival. NR. At 7:30 pm on 4/29 in 115 Pacific, UO. Free. Steel Helmet, The: Filmmaker Samuel Fuller's gritty, rarely seen 1951 Korean War drama was shot and scripted in just three weeks. Videohound calls it "Fuller's scathing comment on the madness of war." At 7 pm on 4/30 in 180 PLC, UO. Free. CONTINUING: Agent Cody Banks: Teen action adventure stars Frankie Muniz as an undercover CIA operative, Angie Harmon as his boss, and Hilary Duff as girlfriend. PG. Movies 12. Anger Management: Adam Sandler plays a man who must undergo anger management. His shrink, played by Jack Nicholson, moves in with him. Also stars Marisa Tomei. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Bend It Like Beckham: Soccer-crazy girls in London suburb drive their respective families crazy because they'd rather play soccer than think about marriage and shopping. Warm-hearted, generous film is likely to be a big hit. Get onboard early and enjoy!. Highly recommended. PG-13. Bijou. Online archives. Bringing Down the House: Domestic comedy starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah is directed by Adam Shankman. PG-13. Cinemark. Bullet-Proof Monk: Chow Yun-Fat is a Zen-calm martial arts master who must find a successor to guard a sacred scroll. Seann William Scott is the unlikely choice. PG-13. Cinemark. Catch Me If You Can: Steven Spielberg directs Leonardo DiCaprio in tale of Frank Abagnale Jr., an actual '60s con man who passed himself off as a pilot, a doctor and a college professor and forged millions in checks before he was 21. Christopher Walken plays his father, and Tom Hanks is an F.B.I. agent. 2002 Academy Award noms for John Williams' music, Walken. Highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Chicago: Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as killer dames behind bars who compete for tabloid coverage. With Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly and Richard Gere. 2002 Academy Awards for best picture, supporting actress Zeta-Jones, art direction, sound, editing and costumes. PG 13. Cinemark. Online archives. Core, The: Jon Amiel directs this adventure to the center of the earth. Scientists played by Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank and Bruce Greenwood journey deep into the earth to detonate a device to reactivate the planet's core. An unintentional comedy, it's a great break from reality. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Daredevil: Marvel Comic's Man Without Fear is directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Stars Ben Affleck as the masked vigilante, Jennifer Graner, Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell, Joe Pantolliano, Jon Favreau and David Keith. PG-13. Movies 12. Darkness Falls: This horror thriller directed by Jonathan Liebesman is about the Tooth Fairy's revenge. One viewer wrote on the IMDB: "God, talk about wretched and boring..." PG-13. Movies 12. Holes: Adventures digging holes at Camp Green Lake for Stanley, who comes from a strange family that's been cursed for generations. Embarrassingly, Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson co-star. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. House of a 1000 Corpses: Think this might be a horror film? R. Cinemark. Jungle Book 2: Same song, second verse from Disney. Mowgli now lives in the man village, but he misses his friends and runs away to the jungle to find them. But he may be found first: by Shere Khan the tiger, his old jungle pals, or his new family. Voices include John Goodman, Haley Joel Osment and Phil Collins. G. Movies 12. 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. Movies 12. 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. 2002 Academy Awards for sound editing, visual effects. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Malibu's Most Wanted: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs and Anthony Anderson in an urban comedy about hip-hop culture. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Man Apart, A: If you've seen the trailer, you know that Vin Diesel is an undercover cop you don't want to mess with, especially after some sorry drug dealer scum breaks into his home. Violent revenge flick. R. Cinemark. National Security: Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn star as LAPD wannabes who end up as security guards, yet still manage somehow to nab the bad guys. PG 13. Movies 12. Phone Booth: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes and Radha Mitchell star in Joel Schumacher's thriller. R. Cinemark. Online archives. R.M., The: Mormon-themed comic tale of a young missionary, who returns home only to find his large family has forgotten he's coming, his girlfriend has found someone else, and his best friend has charted his own path. PG. Cinema World. 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. Movies 12. Spirited Away: Re-issue of 2002 Academy Award-winner for best animated feature. Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke) follows adventures of 10-year old girl, Chihiro, who discovers a secret world and learns to take care of herself after her parents mysteriously change. Not just for kids, and too scary for preschoolers. Very highest recommendations. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Twenty-fifth Hour: Spike Lee's film tracks the regrets of a mid-level heroin dealer on his last day of freedom and explores the limits of friendship. Edward Norton has only 24 hours before he's due in prison for the next seven years. Also stars Rosario Dawson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. Highly recommended for its realistic depiction of regret, which suffuses the film and raises it to a higher level. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Two Weeks Notice: Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock star as a very, very rich man and his lawyer. When she quits, and he replaces her with Alicia Witt, she reconsiders. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence (The Out-of-Towners). PG-13. Movies 12. What a Girl Wants: Teen Amanda Byrnes is "trying to fit in, born to stand out." She wants a fairy tale relationship with her absent dad and is tired of living with her unconventional mom, played by Colin Firth and Kelly Preston. Oliver James plays her love interest. PG. Cinemark. MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO Amos Gita Exile: 5-DVD transfers from new prints of Israeli filmmaker's best. Esther (1985, 97 mins.): Passionate tale of a king and the peasant girl he makes queen. Berlin Jerusalem (1989, 83 mins.) Two women meet first in Nazi Berlin, escape to Jerusalem. Includes work by Pina Bausch Dance Company members. Birth of a Golem (1991, 60 mins): Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics in imaginative exploration of the Golem myth. Golem: The Spirit of Exile (1992, 105 mins.): Bernardo Bertolucci, Samuel Fuller, Hanna Schygulla in Biblical tales of exile and legend of the Golem, set in Paris. Golem: The Petrified Garden (1993, 84 mins.): Samuel Fuller, Hanna Schygulla, Jerome Koenig in wry film about art dealer who goes to Siberia to pick up a collection that includes a giant Golem. Facets Video. Electra, My Love: Miklos Jancso moves the classic Greek myth to the Hungarian plain, where the drama plays out against more contemporary motifs. "The film is shot as a visual epic, with elaborate camera moves that are Jancso's famous signature," according to Facets Video, which releases it in DVD from a restored print. Henry IV: Marco Bellocchio's 1984 screen version of Luigi Pirandello's play stars Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale, with music by the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Accent Cinema, Facets Video. Little Big Man (1970): DVD release of Dustin Hoffman's indelible comic portrait of 121-year old man who's been a gun fighter, an Indian and the only white survivor of Little Big Horn. Costars Faye Dunaway and Chief Dan George. Arthur Penn's classic. PG. Mad About You: Complete second season, three-disc set contains all 25 episodes. NR. Man Called Horse, A (1970): The late Richard Harris plays a rich Brit captured by Sioux, who is tested through torture, then accepted by tribe. DVD. PG. Once a Thief (1990, Hong Kong) Director John Woo's adventure stars Chow Yun-Fat, the late Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung. NR. Real Women Have Curves: This long-awaited, simple, strong story is 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. Online archives. Rio Lobo (1970): Howard Hawks' last Western stars John Wayne in a post-Civil War revenge mood. G. Standing in the Shadows of Motown: Director Paul Justman's documentary on Motown's history is told well, especially by two of the Funk Brothers, keyboardist Joe Hunter and percussionist Jack Ashford. PG. Swimmer, The (1969): Burt Lancaster stars in this strange but unforgettable, existential film based on a John Cheever story. Frank Perry directs, and Kim Hunter, John Garfield co-star. PG. Treasure Planet You Laugh: Taviani brothers film based on stories by Nobel Prize-winning Luigi Pirandello. Accent Cinema, Facets Video. Next week: Catch Me If You Can, The Emperor's Club, Jane White is Sick and Twisted and The Way Home.
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