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L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE: (France, 2003): Written and directed by Cédric Klapisch. Produced by Bruno Lévy. Cinematography, Dominique Colin. Editor, Francine Sandberg. Music, Loïk Dury. Production design, François Emmanuelli. Starring Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Bishop, Federico d'Anna, Barnaby Metzchurat, Cristina Brondo, Christian Pagh and Xavier de Guillobon. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2003. R. 122 minutes. Released in this country as The Spanish Apartment, the actual translation for L'Auberge Espagnole runs closer to Pot Luck or Euro Pudding, which it was called at some film fests. Appropriately in these days of the European Community, the large cast speaks French, Spanish, Catalan and Dutch, with subtitles in English. You'll have the added pleasure of thinking you're in Europe for a couple of hours if you speak (or just like to hear) any of these languages.
New York Film School-trained writer, director Cédric Klapisch takes us right into this new Euro world, as recent college graduate Xavier (Romain Duris) combs Paris looking for a job in his field, economics. In the opening sequence, Klapisch (When the Cat's Away, 1996) follows Xavier, who trudges down endless hallways; climbs mountains of stairs; enters and leaves multiple buildings, elevators and offices; fills out forms and more forms. Klapisch fast-forwards through these scenes, but the camera trick soon loses its charm. When Xavier finally connects with a human being, the
news is simple. To be hired in today's climate, he should do graduate
work in Spain through the EC's Erasmus program. The idea behind Erasmus
is that workers must be conversant with the economies, culture, language
and people of other EC nations. So Parisian Xavier is Xavier is shy, but at the Barcelona airport he meets a woman on his flight, Anne-Sophie (Judith Godrèche), and her doctor husband (Xavier de Guillobon). The doc invites Xavier to stay with them until he sorts out his housing. At his suggestion, Xavier squires Anne-Sophie around town, including to architect Antonio Gaudi's romantic masterpiece, the church of the Sagrada Familia, with its colorful, fanciful appearance. Xavier finds the perfect place to stay in an older Spanish flat with numerous other Erasmus room-mates, none of them from the same country. He has to pass an interview to get the room, but he loves the place and the people. This is the real Euro experience, not the classroom or student thing, which they all know how to do well by now. But living really close to one another and figuring out who cleans the toilet — now, that's the real thing. Full of small moments that have to do with growing up and becoming responsible, L'Auberge Espagnole has no authority figure who "makes" anyone do things. Wendy (Kelly Reilly), a student from England, cleans the house when she can't stand it another minute, but she eventually freaks out and insists everyone help clean the common rooms all use. Xavier brings his Belgian classmate, Isabelle (Cécile de France), to join them as an extra room-mate after the landlord raises the rent. He's as surprised as everyone else when Isabelle tells him that she's a lesbian, but they remain close friends. In a hammock together once, she says it's too bad he's not a woman. "The world is poorly made," he replies. She models for Xavier how to woo a woman, and he successfully imitates her moves. Pure comic relief is added when Wendy's crude brother, William (Kevin Bishop), comes to visit. William alienates everyone in the household with his blatant imitation of Continental stereotypes, and Wendy plans to throw him out. But he finds a way to earn her room-mates' respect before the film is over. His antics are simply hilarious. The film swept the 2003 Césars , winning best director, film, and editing; and for de France, most promising actress; and it's easy to see why. The comedy isn't deep but broad, which feels just right for this tasty smorgasbord of a picture. Loved it. Highest recommendations. Opens Friday, Aug. 8, at the Bijou.
Freaky Friday: Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan play a quarreling mother and daughter who accidentally switch bodies. Ooops! Mark Harmon plays the mom's fiancé. Directed by Mark Waters, based on Mary Rodgers' book. Opens Wed. 8/6. Cinemark. Cinema World. L/Auberge Espagnole: This Barcelona shared apartment is the dream European Community. Multicultural room-mates mix it up and have a great time. Written and directed by Cédric Klapisch, this saucy enchilada is a tasty treat. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Scooby Doo: TV's 1969 Great Dane, Scooby, returns as a computer-generated detective dog in this comedy starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Matthew Lillard. PG. At 10 am on 5/12. Movies 12. S.W.A.T. Police Special Weapons and Tactics unit buddies Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell star in this action-thriller based on the 1970s TV series. Also with Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. CONTINUING: Alex & Emma: Rob Reiner directs Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in a comedy romance based on a short story by Dostoyevsky. Wilson plays a writer who has to finish a book on deadline or deal with gambling debts to the mob. Hudson is a secretary with ideas about his book. Also stars, Sophie Marceau, Cloris Leachman and David Paymer. PG-13. Movies 12. American Wedding: Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are getting married. Now if their friends and family will just stay on their best behavior. Right. American Pie's crude humor lives on. Also stars January Jones, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. 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. Movies 12. Bad Boys II: Martin Lawrence and Will Smith reunite with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay for another in this summer of sequels. Smith plays Mike Lowrey and Lawrence plays Marcus Burnett, two Miami narcotics detectives assigned to stem the flood of designer ecstasy into Miami. R. Cinemark. 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 hit film returns to Eugene. Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Bruce Almighty: Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Aniston star in this tale of a at TV reporter, who has a really bad day, rages against God and receives more than he expected. PG-13. Movies 12. 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. Movies 12. Online archives. Daddy Day Care: Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin lose their jobs and can't afford day care for their sons, so they open their own facility. Comedy directed by Steve Carr also stars Anjelica Huston, Steve Zahn and Regina King. PG. Movies 12. Finding Nemo: Pixar (Toy Story) presents this computer-animated fantasy of two Clownfish, Marlin and his son Nemo, who get separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (A Bug's Life), with voices by Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Allison Janney. Very highly recommended. G. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Gigli: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez star in what's being called a "romantic gangster comedy," which doesn't sound good. Written and directed by Martin Brest. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. 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. Movies 12. Online archives. How to Deal: Directed by Clare Kilner. Stars pop singer turned actress Mandy Moore. Laura Sinagra of The Village Voice writes, "Moore's … spunky resolve still brands like honesty." PG-13. Movies 12. Hulk, The: Director Ang Lee's action-adventure adaptation of the Marvel Comics series hits darker notes than the usual superhero comics. Scientist's (Eric Bana) inner demons change him after a catastrophic experiment. Written by James Schamus, it also stars Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas and Sam Elliott. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Italian Job, The: Mark Wahlberg leads a heist that's double-crossed by one of his crew. Charlize Theron plays a safecracker in this cool revenge movie. Also stars Edward Norton, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. Highly recommended for its pure entertainment value. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Johnny English: When all but one of MI5's top agents are killed in an explosion, it is left to the inept Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame) to try and solve who has stolen the crown jewels from the Tower of London. Accompanied by his assistant Bough (Ben Miller), Johnny bungles his way through one scrape after another. Directed by Peter Howett. PG. Movies 12. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life: Second in the franchise again stars Angelina Jolie as action heroine Lara Croft who saves the world, again, from unspeakable evil. Directed by Jan De Bont, also stars Gerard Butler and Noah Taylor. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Based on the comic book miniseries by Alan Moore. Matthew Tobey in All Movie Guide writes movie "takes place in an alternate universe, where the characters of several literary classics exist in reality." Directed by Steve Norrington. Stars Sean Connery, Peta Wilson, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Naseeruddin Shah, and Tony Curran. PG-13. Cinemark. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde: Reese Witherspoon is back as Elle Woods, Harvard Law, class of 2001, now in DC on behalf of pet animal's rights. Luke Wilson is still her boyfriend, as is her manicure person, Jennifer Coolidge. Sally Field and Bob Newhart join the cast. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld directs. PG-13. Movies 12. Lizzie McGuire, The Movie: Disney comedy about a girl on a class trip to Italy who is mistaken for an Italian pop star. Stars Hillary Duff, directed by Jim Fall. PG. Movies 12. Nowhere in Africa: Caroline Link's film follows a family through the transition from Hitler's Germany in 1938 to colonial Kenya. Based on a best selling autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig, it is a tender look at a marriage under stress, a child who embraces Africa, and a Kenyan man who looks after them all. Winner of the 2002 Academy Award winner Best Foreign Film. R. Bijou. Online archives. Pirates of the Caribbean: Non-stop adventure directed by Gore Verbinski stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Depp sashays, Rush dissembles, Bloom fences and Knightley swashbuckles - mid-summer's great escape movie. Recommended especially for Depp and Rush's over the top performances and the good time had by all. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Seabiscuit: Story of a has-been racehorse who became America's Depression-era success story. Seabiscuit, the original down-and-outer who makes it big, is supported by Tobey Maguire as his jockey, Chris Cooper as his trainer and Jeff Bridges as his owner. Written, directed by Gary Ross and based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling non-fiction book, it also stars Elizabeth Banks, William H. Macy. All the marks of a winning film. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Spy Kids 3D: Game Over: Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara continue to embrace the family business — spying — but this time the Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) may be their nemesis. Also stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino. Special 3-D viewing glasses required. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who's on a roll. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines: Jonathan Mostow directs, and Arnold Schwarzenegger comes back to save the world from annihilation once again. John Connor (Nick Stahl), is 18 now, and he's fighting off a female killer cyborg from the future, (Kristanna Loken). R. Cinemark. Online archives. Twenty-eight Days Later: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) directs this really scary horror film set in a post-cataclysmic future, where a deadly virus sweeps through earth's population in a few weeks, and leaves people in a chronic state of killer rage. Stars Christopher Eccleston, Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson. New possible ending. R. Cinemark. Two Fast Two Furious: John Singleton directs this sequel action adventure about street racing. Stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Eva Mendes. PG-13. Movies 12. Whale Rider: Winner of the World Cinema award at Sundance 2003, Niki Caro's Maori drama about a spunky girl, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes), who decides to show her beloved but authoritarian grandfather that she is able to lead the tribe, despite being a girl. A wonderful, inspiring drama that features the exquisite New Zealand coast. A don't-miss movie. PG-13. Bijou. Online archives. X-Men 2: The next link in the evolutionary chain? Directed by Bryan Singer, stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden and more, lots more. PG-13. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO Caught (1996): Melodrama stars Edward James Olmos as a fish merchant, Maria Conchita Alonso as his dissatisfied wife, Arie Verveen as the young stranger who enters their life and Steven Schub as their nutso comedian son. Illicit love ends badly. R. Cradle 2 the Grave: Jet Li and DMX are "Born 2 the life, True 2 the code, Bad 2 the bone." R. Daisy Miller (1974): Peter Bogdanovich directs Cybill Shepherd in an adaptation of Henry James's novel about a naïve young American woman traveling in Europe during the late 1800s. Also stars Cloris Leachman. G. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (France, 2002): Audrey Tatou, Samuel Le Bihan, Celement Sibony, Sophie Guillemen and Isabelle Carre star. Head of State: Chris Rock directs, co-writes and stars in this tale of a D.C. alderman who runs for the presidency. Also stars Bernie Mac, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, James Rebhorn. PG-13. Helen of Troy: USA Network's 2-disc set stars Sienna Guillory, Matthew Marsden, Rufus Sewell, Stellan Skarsgard and John Rhys-Davies. Includes making-of featurette. Hunted, The: Tommy Lee Jones plays a retired special-ops trainer and Benicio Del Toro is his former student, now an ace assassin gone bonkers. Directed by William Friedkin. R. Johnny Be Good (1988): Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Uma Thurman high school football drama. Directed by Bud Smith. R. Lizzie McGuire Movie, The: Disney comedy about a girl on a class trip to Italy who is mistaken for an Italian pop star. Stars Hillary Duff, directed by Jim Fall. PG. Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy: Director Tsui Hark's 2-disk DVD set, with actor Jet Li. Of Unknown Origin (1983): Peter Weller finds a mutant rat in his NY flat while his family is away on vacation, and a battle for survival begins. Not for the squeamish. R. Paper Moon (1973): Depression Era Kansas with Bible salesman con artist played by Ryan O'Neal and the orphaned nine-year old who teaches him a few things, Tatum O'Neal, who is the youngest star ever to win a supporting role Academy Award. Classic. PG. Sure Thing, The (1985): Rob Reiner's hit movie stars John Cusack, Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins, Daphne Zuniga, Lisa Jane Persky, Nicolette Sheridan as college students who don't like each other at first but on a trip to California fall in love. PG-13. Next week: All the Real Girls, Bowling for Columbine, Chicago, The Good Thief.
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