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Dive
In THE SWIMMING POOL: Written, directed by François Ozon. Co –written by Emmanuèle Bernheim. Produced by Olivier Delbose, Marc Missonnier. Cinematography, Yorick Le Saux. Editor, Monica Coleman. Production design, Wouter Zoon. Music Philippe Rombi. Costumes, Pascaline Chavanne. Starring Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier, with Charles Dance, Marc Fayolle and Jean-Marie Lamour. Focus Features, 2003. R. 102 minutes.
One of 2003's more successful independent films, François Ozon's suspense drama set in the south of France co-stars two of the director's favorites — the ever-beautiful Charlotte Rampling, who received France's César (Oscar) for her performance in Ozon's Under the Sand, and the talented, young Ludivine Sagnier, who received a prestigious award for her performance in his Eight Women. Rampling plays Sarah Morton, a bored-out-of-her-gourd British mystery writer who fears her long-time publisher, John Bosload (Charles Dance), is no longer giving her the attention she warrants. Bosload impulsively offers the writer the use of his house in Provence for a well-earned holiday, and she accepts, assuming he will come to visit. After a couple of days at the villa, she establishes a routine, enjoys the quiet and isolated comfort of being there, and even begins writing again. Bosload failed to mention that his headstrong French daughter, Julie (Ludivine Sagnier), might arrive at the villa in the middle of the night with an equally drunken man she just met. Sarah is mortified and imagines her perfect summer holiday at an end, while Julie makes it clear that Sarah is in no way to act as her parent. Hostilities give way to curiosity as the two women dance around each other, and eventually they become friendlier. Sarah mentions her youth as a swinging single in the late 1960s in hip London, and Julie admits she's been sexually active since she was 13. Something about Julie's mother, or rather the story Sarah receives about this parent, doesn't add up. A mysterious, open-ended situation unfolds, in which each woman engages in surreptitious investigations of the other's life. As a viewer, I was drawn into the simmering competition between the women without ever actually understanding what was at stake for them. Sarah is not an entirely sympathetic character; she is uptight about petty things and seems unable to loosen up and have a good time. Likewise, Julie's motivations are not above board, and she reverts to tantrums and other infantile behavior when she doesn't get her way. Yet they find ways to be together that suggest they like each other. Much of the film's action takes place near the villa's swimming pool, where Julie swims naked and sunbathes in a bikini. Sarah spends some time working at the pool or sunbathing in her more conservative bathing suit. Julie brings her male companions to the pool at night and by day has an inscrutable relationship with the young man who cleans the pool and the old caretaker. Sometimes from her upstairs room Sarah watches Julie and eavesdrops. The director uses the varied ways each inhabits this watery environment to emphasize the women's ambiguous relationship. One of the scenes I admire in Raising Victor Vargas takes place at the community swimming pool. All the neighborhood kids loll around, sunbathe on a towel or a chair or play in the water. It's a real place where you can see others' bodies, imagine relationships and pursue possibilities. Everything's out in the open. It's not a hiding place. But a private home swimming pool speaks of privilege, ostentation, an "in" and therefore an "out" crowd. In suspenseful films, the swimming pool is an anxiety-producing place where fantasies flourish. In Ozon's atmospheric film, the swimming pool serves as a sun-soaked place to let your guard down but also where the unexpected can happen, perhaps something dreadful. While the film as a whole is a mixed bag, Ozon is in his element in the pool scenes — disarming but dark. Not what he seems. A shark. Rampling gives a layered performance with a precise, sharp edge to it. When Sarah is too brittle, I am unpleasantly reminded of the character Isabelle Huppert portrays in The Piano Teacher. But by the end of the film, Sarah's resentment is more focused, she enjoys a bit of revenge, and goes on her way. Sagnier also shows us more than a few sides of Julie, not just the teenage bitch. She's easy to look at, and the camera takes every opportunity to look her over, slowly. I think we're supposed to believe that Sarah is doing the looking, but I think it's Ozon. Catch The Swimming Pool at the Bijou, beginning Friday night, Sept. 5. Recommended.
Culture
Clash LE DIVORCE: Directed by James Ivory. Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory, based on the novel by Diane Johnson. Produced by Michael Schiffer and Ismail Merchant. Executive producers Ted Field, Scott Kroopf, Erica Huggins. Cinematography, Pierre Lhomme. Music, Richard Robbins. Editor, John David Allen. Production design, Frederic Benard. Costumes, Carol Ramsey. Starring Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts, with Jean-Marc Barr, Leslie Caron, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Romain Duris, Stephen Fry, Thierry Lhermitte, Thomas Lennon. Matthew Modine, Sam Waterston and Melvil Poupaud. Fox Searchlight, 2003. PG-13. 115 minutes.
After seeing so many films by James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala over the years, I thought I knew what to expect from their longtime collaboration. But this slight drama set in Paris in the present befuddles me. Yes, it is filled with stylishly dressed handsome people interacting with civility in splendid rooms — a well-lighted study of manners and style. But I expected more from the film's main stars, Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive) and Kate Hudson (Almost Famous). Both have shown a deeper range of emotions than this script allows. Based on Diane Johnson's popular novel, the story concerns two sisters caught between French social expectations and their own American sense of fair play. It all begins when pregnant Roxanne's (Naomi Watt) oh-so-French husband, Charles-Henri (Melvil Poupad), abandons her and their daughter on the very day her sister, Isabel (Kate Hudson), arrives to visit. Isabel is appalled when the stiff, proper mother-in-law (Leslie Caron) advises the pregnant Roxy to simply go through "le divorce" and be done with it. But, of course, half of the apartment and everything in it belongs to him. Isabel is also interested in her renegade brother-in-law's uncle (Thierry Lhermitte), a married, right-wing political pundit. When Isabel agrees to become his mistress, she follows a path many before her have traveled, including émigré novelist Olivia Pace (Glenn Close). The plot becomes tangled beyond reason when it turns out that a painting of St. Ursula that Roxanne brought from her parents' home to Paris may be a 17th century French master's unsigned work. Now the gloves are off, and the French family of the no-good husband hire heavy-duty lawyers to establish their claim to half of Roxy's share. And that's only some of what's going on here. The Califor-nians
arrive, too: the parents, Margeeve (Stockard Channing) and Chester Walker
(Sam Waterston), and I don't believe for one minute that either Ivory or Merchant, who owns an apartment and lives in Paris, hate the French. I do believe, however, that the film enjoys seeing the French family out-foxed by a couple of California girls. I wish I could say I love this little film whole heartedly, but that's not the case. Beneath the glossy, superficial surface of the film, some real emotion remains unexpressed. But, like the poetry Roxy reads in the book store benefit reading, it was too evanescent, too artsy-fartsy, too well-bred to make an impression on this jaded film critic. Another pretty film, Le Divorce, is now playing at Cinema World.
Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9-11: Documentary from Guerilla News Network features 9 attorneys, journalists and researchers following up on 11 key areas of inquiry. Shown with Great Deception at 7 pm on Sept. 11 in 100 Willamette Hall, UO campus. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star: Sam Weisman directs David Spade in his role as a 35-year old out of work actor who hires a family so he can relive his childhood and finally grow up. With Mary McCormack, Jon Lovitz, Craig Berko, Rob Reiner. PG-13. Cinemark. Great Deception, The: Vision TV of Canada and Barrie Swicker produced this documentay analysis of ties between U.S. intelligence and bin Laden, Bush's actions in midst of crisis, and U.S. oil intersts. Shown with Aftermath at 7 pm on Sept. 11 in 100 Willamette Hall, UO campus. Order, The: Writer, director Brian Helgeland's mystery, thriller, horror film stars Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Perter Weller, Benno Furmann and Mark Addy. Ledger belongs to an arcane order of priests known as the Carolingians. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Swimming Pool: Charlotte Rampling plays a famous British mystery writer and Ludivine Sagnier plays a sexually precocious teen in Francois Ozon's suspense drama set in the South of France. Beautiful, moody piece. R. Bijou. See review this issue.
CONTINUING: 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. Cinemark. 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. Charlie's Angels Full Throttle: McG again directs the angels — Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and ex-angel Demi Moore — to save the government's witness protection program, from which classified info has been stolen. Written by John August. 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's 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. Cinemark. Online archives. 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. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Freddy vs. Jason: The ultimate celebrity death match: Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) takes on Jason "The Face Mask" Voorhees (Ken Kerzinger), in this film directed by Ronny Yu. R. Cinemark. Hollywood Homicide: Fast-paced action comedy directed by Ron Shelton stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as cops, with Isaiah Washington, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood, Master P., Lolita Davidovich, Dwight Yoakum, Keith David and Martin Landau. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Hulk, The: Director Ang Lee's action-adventure adaptation of the Marvel Comics series hits darker notes than usual superhero comics. Scientist's (Eric Bana) inner demons change him after a catastrophic experiment. Also stars Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas and Sam Elliott. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Italian Job, The: Back in town again. 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. Jeepers Creepers 2: High school basketball players, cheerleaders and coaches are stranded on notorious highway, and they have to struggle against a winged nightmare. Directed by Victor Salva, stars Ray Wise, Jonathan Breck and more. Horror, violence and language. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Johnny English: Inept Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) tries to 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: Angelina Jolie stars 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. Cinemark. Le Divorce: James Ivory directs this contemporary comedy of manners based on the novel by Diane Johnson). Stars Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts as American sisters in French society, where culture clash and scandal ensue. Jean-Marc Barr, Leslie Caron, Stockard Channing and Glenn Close co-star. PG-13. Cinema World. See review this issue. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Based on the comic book miniseries by Alan Moore, directed by Steve Norrington, the movie stars Sean Connery, Peta Wilson, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Naseeruddin Shah, and Tony Curran. PG-13. Movies 12. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde: Reese Witherspoon is Elle Woods, Harvard Law, class of 2001, now in DC on behalf of pet animal's rights. Luke Wilson's her boyfriend, Jennifer Coolidge's her manicurist, Sally Field and Bob Newhart are new. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld directs. PG-13. Movies 12. Matrix Reloaded: Second chapter brings Neo (Keanu Reeve), Trinity (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) closer to solving the enigma but also puts them in greater danger. Written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, it also stars Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith and Gloria Foster. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Medallion: Jackie Chan action comedy co-stars Lee Evans and Claire Forlani. A mysterious medallion turns police detective Chan into a superhero, but the bad guys want it back. Gordon Chan directs. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Mighty Wind, A: Christopher Guest's (Best in Show) pseudo-documentary narrative about a folk music reunion show is one of his craftiest satirical offerings. Stars the usual suspects: Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Bob Balaban. Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Guest himself. Highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. My Boss's Daughter: Comedy directed by David Zucker stars Ashton Kutcher, whose boss, Terrence Stamp, asks him to look after his house for a night. But he has company, including the beautiful Tara Reid and strange visitors. PG-13. Cinemark. Open Range: Kevin Costner directs and stars with Robert Duvall in this traditional Western. A corrupt cattle baron (Michael Gambon) forces the cowboys to take up arms. Also stars Annette Bening, whose restrained performance is warm and real; Abraham Benrubi, Diego Luna. Recommended. Cinema World. Cinemark 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. Depp and Rush's over the top performances are great. Recommended. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Rugrats Go Wild: Nickelodeon's animated diaper set meets up wit the Wild Thornberrys after being washed ashore to a desert island from a storm-wracked cruise ship. Directed by Norton Virgien and John Eng. Bruce Willis voices Spike the dog. PG. 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. Cinemark. Seabiscuit: A has-been racehorse becomes America's Depression-era success story. Seabiscuit gets support from jockey Tobey Maguire, trainer Chris Cooper, and owner Jeff Bridges. Written, directed by Gary Ross based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling non-fiction book, it also stars Elizabeth Banks, William H. Macy. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas: DreamWorks animated pirate adventure tale stars the voice of Brad Pitt as Sinbad, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Marina, and Michelle Pfieffer as the goddess of chaos. Joe Fiennes plays Proteus, a rival pirate. Directed by Tim Johnson and Patrick Gilmore. PG. Movies 12. 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, Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino. Special 3-D viewing glasses required. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Twenty-eight Days Later: Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) directs scary horror film set in a post-cataclysmic future, where a deadly virus sweeps through earth's population, leaving people in a chronic state of killer rage. Stars Christopher Eccleston, Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson. New possible ending. R. Movies 12. Uptown Girls: Brittany Murphy stars as the freewheeling daughter of a late rock legend, but when her inheritance is stolen, she's forced to get a job as a nanny to precocious Ray Schleine (Dakota Fanning), an "eight-year-old going on forty." In a comedic battle of wills, each discovers in the other a true friend. Directed by Boas Yakin. Also stars Heather Locklear. PG-13. Cinemark. 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. Wonderful, inspiring drama features the exquisite New Zealand coast. A don't-miss movie. PG-13. Bijou. Online archives. Winged Migration: Documentary directed by Jacques Perrin shows many bird species making round trip migrations of up to 10,000 miles up close. Ingenious ultralight aircraft let movie's 13 cinematographers fly right next to, in front of or below the birds they were filming. A moving film. Highest recommendations. Bijou. Online archives.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO 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. Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979): DVD; lots of extras. Directed by Francesco Rosi, film stars Gian Maria Volonte and Irene Papas in critically acclaimed adaptation of Carlo Levi's novel. Italian intellectuals exiled by Fascists during WWII make a life among the peasants on the island of Gagliano. Richly detailed, beautifully shot by cinematographer Pasquelino De Santis. NR. Facets Video. 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. Came and went too quickly for most of us to catch it. R. Core, The: Jon Amiel directs. Scientists 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. Movies 12. Online archives. Dark Habits (1983): Pedro Almodovar film that never played Eugene stars Cristina Pascual, Carmen Maura and Julieta Serrano. NR. Phantom of the Opera: The Ultimate Edition: Two-DVD package of 1925 silent picture stars Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry. Directed by Rupert Julian, Edward Sedgewick and Ernst Laemmle. With detailed commentary, elaborate stills gallery, outtakes and behind-the-scenes shots and more. Milestone Film and Video. Prince of Homburg, The (1997): Directed by Marco Bellocchio based on play by Heinrich von Kleist's play, the film stars Andrea di Stefano (Before Night Falls) as the 17th century prince who would rather make love than war. Painterly, award-winning performances and fabulous text. NR. Accent Cinema (Facets). Next week: Anger Management, Enigma, Enough and Monty Python and the Holy Grail Collector's Edition.
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