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Birdland THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL: Nonfiction Feature. Produced, directed, filmed and edited by Judy Irving. Original music, Chris Michie. Additional photography by James Attwood, Howard Munson, Mark Bittner, Jacquelyne Cordes. Production sound, Jaime Kibben. Sound editor and re-recording mixer, Samuel Lehmer, Skywalker Sound. Featuring Mark Bittner. Urban legends by Ivan Stormgart, Maggie McCall, Gary Thompson, Elizabeth Wright, Jamie Yorck. Shadow Distribution, 2005. G. 83 minutes. If you think you can't fall in love with a bird, you haven't met the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, the exotic companions of a warm, modest, long-haired man named Mark Bittner. Comical, colorful creatures on land and feisty, noisy birds when the flock is moving, Bittner's wild birds travel about four miles along San Francisco's north waterfront and over the hanging gardens on either side of a several hundred-step wooden staircase that rises up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower.
Bittner didn't start out a birdlover. He didn't aim to be a writer, either, but a musician. When he was first visited by the flock of 26 wild cherry-headed conures, he couldn't know he would narrate a nonfiction feature film about his friendship with them. But a dish of birdseed placed on his deck attracted the parrots. They came again, then every day, and over time accepted his presence, eventually eating from his hand. The conures' original habitat was a tropical dry forest that stretches from northern Ecuador into northwestern Peru. The birds' freedom from captivity cannot be documented, but Bittner definitively notes, "All the birds that started the flock were originally wild-caught cherry-headed conures shipped up from South America to be sold as pets." His research indicates the first pair came together around 1987 and started breeding by 1989. Others of the same species joined them later, as well as a blue-crowned conure. The parrots cope well with winter in San Francisco, and food is plentiful in the lush gardens surrounding the old cottage perched amid the trees Bittner lives in, rent-free. They eat strawberry guavas, pears, apples, loquats, blackberries, pine nuts and various blossoms. By mid-summer the flock expands its usual range by another three miles and roams down into the center of the city, looking for fresh Hawthorne berries. Reading about the birds is nothing like seeing them in action, obviously. Highly honored documentary filmmaker Judy Irving has the eye for catching these social animals showing their distinct personalities and different ways of relating to one another. I fell hard for Connor, the isolate and a bachelor among many pairs because the flock contained no blue-headed lady parrots. Connor, one of the oldest birds in the flock, is smart, sensitive and soulful. The book that inspired the documentary, Bittner's The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (hardcover, Harmony Books, Random House, 2004) is now available in paperback by Three Rivers Press, 2005. Bittner describes the chaotic scene around the bowl when the entire flock first landed on his fire escape: "Fights were breaking out everywhere. A bird would jump on the lip of the bowl and lunge at the bird next to him, stabbing him with his beak if there was any resistance. They used their beaks on one another quite freely. Birds perched on the bowl were often attacked from behind with a bite on the leg or wing, or a yank on the tail. The bitten bird would scream loudly and fly away. I was totally captivated. It was like watching the Three Stooges, only much funnier." Like any really interesting film, Wild Parrots also must have conflict and a villain, maybe death. The red-winged hawk plays the bad guy, picking off weaker individuals within the flock whenever possible. It's no accident that an active migration of hawks across the city coincides with the time when young parrots fledge. A neighbor's video camera catches a hawk with its prey, a scene that still haunts me. Irving's film uncovers the strong need many of us share to have a relationship with wildness in nature. But that's not its only or even its main virtue. Bittner searched for meaningful work a long time. Then he discovered it in the most unexpected place: right in front of him. The wild parrots found him and showed him their unique adaptation to life, and he responded by closely observing them and respectfully serving them. That's the right way to treat your muse. Now we benefit from Bittner's experience. With very highest recommendations, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill opens at the Bijou on Friday, July 15. Don't miss.
War's
Scars BROTHERS (Denmark, 2004): Directed by Susanne Bier. Story by Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen. Written by Jensen and Bier. Produced by Sisse Graum Jorgensen. Executive producer, Peter Aalbaek Jensen. Cinematography, Morten Soborg. Editor, Pernille Bech Christensen. Production design, Per Strelt. Costume design, Signe Sejlund. Composer, Johan Soderqvist. Starring Connie Nielsen Ulrich Thomsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas, with Bent Mejding, Solbjorg Hojfeldt, Sarah Juel Werner and Rebecca Logstrup Soltau. IFC Films, 2005. R. 117 minutes. It's a given that a soldier returning from the frontlines of a war will have difficulty adjusting to civilian life. But when the war is not one the public fully supports, re-entry can be more complicated. And if the soldier has been captured by the enemy, accepting his own survival will be psychologically fraught. While we've learned to call these experiences post-traumatic stress disorders, that recognition doesn't begin to explore the shame, guilt, betrayal and rage that disrupts the soldier's life and affects all those around him.
Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier (Open Hearts, 2002) has made a politically neutral film in which a responsible major in the military goes to Afghanistan as part of Denmark's contribution to the United Nations forces there. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) has to leave the day following his brother Jannik's (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) release from prison for bank robbery and assault. Michael has picked up Jannik at the prison, and they are going to a family dinner with their parents and Michael's wife, Sarah (Connie Nielsen), and two daughters, Natalia (Sarah Juel Werner) and Camilla (Rebecca Logstrup Soltau). But Michael and Jannik have a fight. Jannik gets out of the car in a huff and takes off across a field, turning up at the house after everyone is seated for dinner. This scene sets up the family dynamic: Michael, the good son; Jannik the screwup. To further inflame the already tense gathering, Jannik makes derogatory comments about the war, taunting Michael and getting his dad's patriotism fired up. Sarah and the girls stay out of the fray. But the next morning Natalia refuses to kiss her dad good-bye, because she doesn't want him to go. Like wise children in movie family dramas, Natalia is the family's emotional weather-vane, wearing her feelings in every situation. After her dad leaves and then is reported dead when his helicopter is shot down, Natalia becomes closer to Jannik, who steps up to his responsibility to his brother's family slowly but surely. Meanwhile, we see what is going on for Michael, who is captured by the enemy. In this family group, the major characters have the opportunity to change and grow. Because she respects her characters, Bier doesn't lock the brothers into being opposites, always in conflict, one right, one wrong. While horrific events require Michael to act against his own training to do unimaginable things, the moments when Sarah and the girls find time to giggle with Jannik are a gift. It's human to balance life's darkness with the light, and Bier has a knack for making their intertwining seem natural. Connie Nielsen is a luminous Sarah, gentle but strong, lighthearted but mature. She was memorable in Gladiator (2001), Rushmore (1998), Permanent Midnight (1998) and other films. Like Diane Lane in Walk on the Moon (1999) and Unfaithful (2002), whom she most resembles, Nielsen could be underestimated as an actress because of her beauty, but she is not forgettable. She's the stable center of Brothers, while the two siblings explore and subvert the divisive family roles they've always played. Ulrich Thomsen first attracted my attention as Christian in Thomas Vinterberg's powerful family drama, The Celebration (1998), which won him a Danish Film Academy award, his second. Christian was also a role where Thomsen played the "good brother," albeit the sibling who confronts his sexually abusive father at his 60th birthday celebration. As Jannik, Nikolaj Lie Kaas has the plum role: a bad brother who turns good but is not recognized by his nuclear family for his goodness. Kaas' Jannik is an anti-hero worth cheering for. Brothers opens Friday, July 15 at the Bijou with my highest recommendations. See it early, because other films are lined up right behind it.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: Barton Fink (1991): John Turturro plays a New York playwright enticed to Hollywood in the 1940s to write a screenplay for a wrestling movie. Fink loses his mind at a seedy Hollywood hotel. The Coen Brothers take gleeful swipes at the studio system. With John Goodman, John Mahoney and Judy Davis. Brilliant, dark comedy won awards at Cannes for best director, actor and film. R. At 6 pm on 7/17 at DIVA. Free. Brooklyn Connection, The: Documentary filmmaker Klaartje Quirijns shows how easily Brooklyn roofing company owner Florin Krasniqi raised $30 million during the Kosovo war, purchased weapons and sent them through Albania to Kosovo. Chilling. At 10 pm on 7/19, "P.O.V." on OPB, cable channel 10. Brothers: Danish filmmaker Susanne Biers' family drama about adult siblings caught in the family dynamic as warring opposites. Stars Connie Nielsen as the wife of the "good son" played by Ulrich Thomsen, and Nikolaj Lie Kaas as an anti-hero worth cheering for. Highly recommended. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Tim Burton's reimagining of Roald Dahl's perennial children's favorite dark chocolate treat stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka with Freddie Highmore, his child co-star from Finding Neverland, along with Helen Bonham Carter. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Lords of Dogtown: Written by Stacy Peralta, a former skateboarder himself, this is the commercial, fictionally enhanced version of his outstanding documentary, Dogtown and the Z Boys, about the Venice, California kids who combined the moves of surfing with the art of skateboarding. Stars Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson; directed by Catherine Hardwicke. PG-13. Movies 12. Oldboy (2003): Chan-Wook Park's action, mystery, thriller is about the kidnapping and imprisonment of an average man, who is let loose after 15 years, given money and clothing but no explanation. Warning: extreme violence. R. Bijou. Unleashed: Jet Li stars as a "human pit bull" raised by a Scottish guardian (Bob Hoskins), who runs underground matches. Morgan Freeman is a blind piano teacher who changes Li's life. R. Movies 12. Wedding Crashers: Hyper pranksters Owen Wilson and Vince Vaghn star in this throwback to a rowdier time in movies. Things go well for the boys until they meet up with Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher and their parents, Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, The: Nonfiction narrative feature film about a flock of wild parrots who co-exist with native species to make San Francisco's waterfront and gardens their territory. Mark Bittner is the gentle, observant man who feeds, cares for and studies the birds. Judy Irving is the filmmaker. Outstanding film, with very highest recommendations. PG. Bijou. See review this issue. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973): Influential documentary biography by D. A. Pennebaker (Don't Look Back) captures David Bowie's last concert on July 3, 1973 at Hammersmith Odeon in the suburbs of London as his cross-dressing alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. PG. LateNite Bijou.
CONTINUING: Batman Begins: Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Memento) directs an all star cast to bring you the story of how young Bruce Wayne (Christopher Hale) becomes the Dark Knight. Also stars Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Katie Holmes. PG13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Bewitched: Nora Ephron (You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle) directs this story about the remaking of the classic 1960s sitcom "Bewitched" starring Will Ferrell as Darrin and Nicole Kidman as Samantha. Best when it's a sweet love story but always watchable. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Cinderella Man: Russell Crowe stars as real-life, Depression Era boxer Jim Braddock; Renee Zellwegger plays his supportive wife, Mae. Directed by Ron Howard, picture also stars the great Paul Giamatti. A complicated, focused and courageous fighter, Braddock not only spars in the ring but also struggles to keep his family together despite the country's widespread, crippling poverty and record unemployment. Very highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Online Archives. Dark Water: Psychological thriller directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) stars Jennifer Connelly as a young mother starting a new life with her daughter in an apartment that takes on a sinister life of its own, including persistent leaks of dark water. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Fantastic Four: Marvel Comic's superheroes, transformed by cosmic rays while on an outer space mission, battle the evil powers of Doctor Doom. Directed by Tim Story, movie stars Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon. PG_13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Herbie, Fully Loaded: More hijinx and shennanigans from that animated, but so unlike Christine, VW bug, Herbie as he heads to NASCAR. Starring Linsay Lohan and Justin Long. G. Cinemark. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Irreverent sci-fi comedy based on the late Douglas Adams' cult novel follows the adventures in space of the most ordinary man in the world, Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman). Dent and his best friend (Mos Def) barely make it off the planet before it is demolished to make way for a hyperspace freeway. Directed by Garth Jennings, film also stars Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, John Malkovich, Warwick Davis, Helen Mirren, Thomas Lennon, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy; with Stephen Fry as the narrator. Great fun! PG. Movies 12. Online archives. House of Wax: "Prey. Slay. Display." Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray star, Jaume Serra directs, and Paris Hilton's in it. R. Movies 12. Kicking and Screaming: Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall as rival youth soccer team coaches. Directed by Jesse Dylan, it also stars Mike Ditka and Kate Walsh. PG. Movies 12. Kingdom of Heaven: Set in the 12th Century, this epic Crusades film is directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator). It stars Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons and Eva Green. Highly recommended. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Land of the Dead: The master of zombie movies, George Romero, brings us another wacky gore-fest in which the undead have taken over the world, closing in on the living holed up in a walled city. Stars Simon Baker, John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper. R. Movies 12. Longest Yard, The: Lots of world-class athletes from NFL players to kick-boxers and wrestlers star along with Adam Sandler, Burt Reynolds and Chris Rock in this comic tall tale of a group of diverse inmates who team up to play against their guards. PG-13. Cinemark. Madagascar: Computer-animated comedy stars voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith as animals who escape from the Central Park Zoo for a big city adventure. But they are captured and put on a ship headed for Africa, where they must survive in the wild. Directed by Eric Darnell (Antz) and Tom McGrath ("The Ren and Stimpy Show"). PG. Cinemark. Monster-in-Law: Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez duke it out verbally in this comedy directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde). Also stars Michael Vartan and Wanda Sykes. PG-13. Movies 12. Mr & Mrs Smith: An action adventure romantic comedy thriller about a bored married couple (Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt) who is surprised to learn that they are assassins hired to kill each other. Directed by Doug Liman (Bourne Identity). PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Pacifier, The: Disgraced Navy SEAL Shane Wolf (Vin Diesel) is given a new assignment to protect five kids from enemies of their recently deceased father – a government scientist whose top secret experiment is still in the house. Thriller? Drama? Tear-jerker? Nope, it's a comedy. PG. Movies 12. Perfect Man, The: Mark Rosnan (A Cinderella Story) directs Heather Locklear and Hilary Duff in this romantic comedy about a teenager inventing the "perfect man" for her single mom. PG. Movies 12. Rebound: Martin Lawrence plays a jaded, benched college basketball player who takes on teaching the fundamentals of the game to the hapless players at a junior high school. Directed by Steve Carr, also stars Breckin Meyer. PG. Movies 12. Robots: Chris Wedge's amusing tale of a robot lad who dreams of being an inventor. This creative world of mechanical beings is never dull because these endearing, pieced-together, talking tin cans convey comfort and safety. Voices by Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Mel Brooks, Amanda Bynes, Stanley Tucci, Greg Kinnear. Not preachy, but a good teaching tale about differences. Warmly recommended. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Sahara: Penelope Cruz, Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn team up to look for a long-lost Civil War battleship that protects a secret cargo. PG-13. Movies 12. Sin City: Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and directed by Miller, Robert Rodriguez (and "special guest director" Quentin Tarantino), film stars a host of players including Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen and Josh Hartnett. Highly recommended for style. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: The long-awaited final episode in George Lucas's series stars Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman. From Village Voice reviewer Ed Halter: "Lucas packs his latest with physics-defying deep-space dogfights and zhoozhing lightsaber battles, frequently cutting back and forth between two simultaneous melees on separate planets, deploying his signature Flash Gordon wipes." PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. War of the Worlds: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this retelling of H.G. Well's seminal sci-fi adventure thriller about an invasion of Earth by Martians, as seen through the eyes of ordinary people played by Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, and Tim Robbins. Riveting, challenging and moving; very highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
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