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Cinema's
Quiet Subversion 2046: Produced, directed and written by Wong Kar Wai. Executive producer, Chan Ye-cheng. Cinematography, Christopher Doyle, Lai Yiu Fai, Kwan Pun Leung. Art director, Alfred Yau Wai Ming. Editor, production design, William Chang Suk-Ping. Original music, Peer Rabin, Shigeru Umebayashi. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, with Gong Li, Faye Wong, Ziyi Zhang, Carina Lau Ka Ling, Maggie Cheung Man Yuk. Sony Pictures Classics, 2005. R. 129 minutes. Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love (2000) was an elegaic tribute to lost love, a sorrowful tale of spousal betrayal and a quietly elegant portrait of love built on ordinary moments — shared meals, refuge from the rain, a taxi ride. And a hotel room, Room 2046. The film starred Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as the lovers.
In this film, Wong asks: What becomes of a man who loses his great love? The answer seems to be that he finds many women who almost make him forget his secret sadness, which he whispered to a hole in the wall at a Buddhist sanctuary. When we meet Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) in this film, he has become a playboy, an aspiring novelist who sells himself short, an embittered man always looking for the next lover. And the actresses who play his lovers are among the most beautiful and talented Asian women stars. Gong Li plays Su Lu Zhen, the gambler who gives Chow her name late in their relationship. Her name is the same as the woman he loved in the past, and Maggie Cheung walks through Chow's dreams or novel repeatedly, appearing, then gone before you can take a good look at her. Ziyi Zhang plays the unforgettable Bai Ling, the escort girl who lives next door to Mr. Chow. Bai Ling puts up a haughty and calculating front, but we see how endearing and lovable she truly is. Faye Wong plays Wang Jing Wen, the landlord's daughter, who is forbidden to marry the man she loves, because he is Japanese. Lu Lu/Mimi is played by Canina Lau Ka Ling, and Dong Jie plays Wang Jie Wen. Each of Chow's lovers is good-looking, and at least one of them loves him. But he has changed. Now he is a man who relishes the challenge of the chase and seduction but makes no commitment. At times in the filmy succession of women to his room, Room 2047, it is impossible to know where reality starts and ends, for Mr. Chow is a writer. In fact, 2046 is structured as a science fiction Chow is writing. It is set aboard a sleek bullet train, in which a man (Leung) claims to be the first man to travel to the future and return. But this plot line is nebulous, and one viewing of the film is inadequate to tie it all together. Then again, the film's incoherence may be deliberate. Perhaps for Wong it is enough to throw us out there with our somewhat unreliable narrator and see what happens. Actually, a lot of the films I come to love are best experienced as if everything were happening now, for the first time. In the right hands, that immediacy is one of cinema's greatest virtues. Another reason 2046 feels episodic is that director Wong began shooting it in 1999, even before In the Mood for Love was completed. Wong's ace team includes cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who has shot all his films, and renowned editor and production designer, William Chang Suk-Ping, who has been with Wong from the beginning. The three of them developed a precise film aesthetic that has revolutionized Hong Kong cinema over the last 15 years. The performances here are not to be ignored. Leung (Hero) won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for his role in 2046. A versatile actor, he carries this fragmented role and gives it truth. Ziyi Zhang has had a golden career, from The Road Home to Crouching Tiger to Hero and House of Flying Daggers. She won best actress for her role in 2046 at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Her portrait of Bai Ling is indelible. Opening Friday, Sept. 30 at the Bijou, this is one of the year's best cinema experiences. An ambitious film, it receives my very highest recommendations to an audience that comes to see, hear and feel what film art can accomplish.
Mother-Love FLIGHTPLAN: Directed by Robert Schwentke. Written by Peter A. Dowling and billy Ray. Produced by Brian Grazer. Executive porducers James Whitaker, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Robert Dinozzi, Erica Huggins. Cinematography, Florian Ballhaus. Production design, Alexander Hammond. Editor, Thom Noble. Costumes, Susan Lyall. Music, James Horner. Starring Jodie Foster. With Peter Sarsgaard, Sean Bean, Marlene Lawston, Erika Christensen, Kate Behan, Michael Irby, Assaf Cohen. Touchstone Pictures, 2005. PG-13. 93 minutes. Jodie Foster has always been a cerebral actress, with a restrained passion that serves her well. As Kyle, a mother whose 6-year-old daughter, Julia (Marlene Lawson), has inexplicably disappeared during a transatlantic flight from Germany to New York, Foster contains her emotions admirably. Kyle is an aviation engineer, who works for the German company that designed and produced the airplane, which is on its virgin flight. Mere days earlier, Kyle's husband, David (John Benjamin Hickey), fell from the rooftop of their building and died. Kyle and Julia are deep in grief, speaking little and moving in a daze as they board the empty plane and get settled.
But Kyle had a disturbed dream the night before, in which she walked with David and felt he was trying to tell her something. She woke and went to check on her sleeping daughter, closing up the house. She saw something in a window. When she wakes Julia in the morning, the girl says she's afraid. The sense of something sinister in the air is developed economically, and its mood carries over into the sanitized, spare space of the aircraft's first-class cabin, where mother and daughter stretch out to sleep after takeoff. In German director Robert Schwentke's (Tattoo, The Family Jewels) first American film, little action takes place anywhere but in the cold, futuristic interior of the airplane. But the luxury accommodations for first-class are definitely foreign territory for those of us who only fly coach. While the film builds on the discomfort of a post-9/11 world, it does so almost as an afterthought, which has the beauty of making the film's emotional core more intimate. However, the film explicitly refers to our collective terrorist fears when an Arab passenger falls victim to the rage of some male passengers in support of Kyle's escalating panic to locate her child. The characters besides Kyle are sketchy at best. Air marshal Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) seems at first simply another passenger, albeit a helpful one to Kyle. So terrific in Kinsey and Broken Glass, Sarsgaard here underplays his character to the point of inscrutability, mumbling his words, making no eye contact, doing his job begrudgingly. Captain Rich (Sean Bean), is a much sturdier character, taking actions by-the-book to allay Kyle's fears. But eventually, he takes his crew off the search so they can take care of the other passengers. Bean, who starred in TV's excellent "Shape's Rifles" series and was Boromir in Lord of the Rings, must be glad to play a contemporary character here. Between these two authority figures and two flight attendants, Stephanie (Kate Beahan), who's all business, and Fiona (Erika Christensen, who is warmer but ineffectual, Kyle realizes she's on her own. In a blink, she goes from being a confused parent to a she-bear on the prowl for her cub, and too bad for anyone who tries to stop her. She uses her anger, which has largely been held in check, as fuel to energize her single-focus transformation into a superwoman. Running on hormones and instinct, Kyle cuts a powerful figure. Foster's performance, like that Tom Cruise as the protective father in War of the Worlds, is much more satisfying than the comic book action figures commonplace in movies today. Nevertheless, you can only do so much with a plot that has to be resolved in a limited period of time, and Flightplan is no exception. Paranoia and suspicion crop up to further the action, while some clues to the mystery are dropped with a clunk. But the core performance by Foster and the sweet gravity of Lawston as the lost child go a long way to offset the film's defects. An entertaining, mainstream offering, Flightplan is recommended. It's now playing at Cinema World and Cinemark.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: 2046: Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar Wai's follow-up to his 2000 film, In the Mood for Love, also stars Tony Leung and a number of Asian beauties, including Gong Li, Ziyi Zhang, Maggie Cheung and Faye Wong. Dream-like, the film is one of the most important and beautiful of the year. Very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984): Cult sci-fi adventure stars Peter Heller as Burckaroo, who travels in his jet-propelled Ford Fiesta to a galactic showdown with John Lithgow. Also stars Ellen Barkin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Roasalind Cash. PG. At 6 pm on 10/2 at DIVA. Free. Aristocrats, The: Paul Provenza directs this obscene talent show where 100 comics tell the same filthy joke, an oldie from early vaudeville, in which unspeakable acts are performed. Each skit is original, while the joke remains the same. Comics include Paul Reiser, Jake Johannsen, Chevy Chase, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Kevin Pollak, Bob Saget, Robin Williams, Erik Cartman, Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman. Caution: Not for the squeamish. NR. LateNite Bijou. Cave, The: A giant underground cave system in Romania entices thrill seeking professional spelunkers Jack (Cole Hauser) and his brother Tyler (Eddie Cibrian); other divers include Piper Perabo and Morris Chestnut. The trailer is scary but cheesy. PG-13. Movies 12. Chekovian Motifs: Kira Muratova's acclaimed 2002 film is based on a Chekov story and play about a dead woman who appears at her former lover's wedding. At 7 pm on 10/5 in 115 Pacific, UO. In Russian, with English subtitles. Free. Dukes of Hazzard: Good ole boy cousins Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville are drivin' the back roads of Hazzard County with cousin Jessica Simpson. With Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds, Joe Don Baker and Lynda Carter. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Greatest Game Ever Played, The: Bill Paxton directs this story about a forgotten sports hero, an amateur golf player from a working class family, Francis Ouimet (Shia LeBeouf (Holes), who beats the world champion golfer (Stephen Dillane) in the 1913 U.S. Open. Also stars Elias Koteas, Peyton List, Peter Firth, Josh Flitter. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. History of Violence, A: After foiling a robbery in his small-town diner, Viggo Mortensen's quiet life with his wife and two children is plunged into a media circus, which attracts some unsavory characters who claim they are from his shady past. Directed by the great David Cronenberg, the film also stars Maria Bello, William Hurt and Ed Harris. R. Cinemark. In Her Shoes: Directed by Curtis Hanson. Sisters Maggie (Cameron Diaz) and Rose (Toni Collette) have little in common, but after a major break, they find their way back together with the help of a grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) they didn't know existed. PG-13. Sneak at 7:30 pm on 9/30 and 10/01. Cinemark. Into the Blue: Divers Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan and Ashley Scott discover a legendary shipwreck but also something more mysterious. Directed by John Stockwell, movie also stars Josh Brolin and James Frain. PG-13. Cinemark. Man, The: Through a case of mistaken identity, law enforcement officer Samuel L. Jackson ends up with the hapless Eugene Levy. Les Mayfield directs this action, crime comedy. PG-13. Movies 12. Miles to Surf: Journey into the world of waveriding in James Fulbright's documentary, which chronicles the adventures of Eugene's river surfing guru, Elijah Mack, and features local hip-hop group Genus Pro on the sound track. "A cosmic convergence of likeminded people." At 12:15 am on 9/30. 10/1 and 10/2. LateNite Bijou. Oliver Twist: Roman Polanski directs a re-imagining of Charles Dickens' novel, starring Barney Clark as the orphan lured into a world of crime by evil Fagin (Ben Kingsley). PG-13. Cinemark. Parallax: Vancouver media artist Alex MacKenzie's film is "a suite of short works performed with two antique 16mm analytic projectors." MacKenzie founded the Edison Electric Gallery of Moving Images in Vancouver, where he produces independent films and videos. From 9-11 pm on 10/3 at DIVA. $5. Saint Ralph: Written and directed by Michael McGowan, this comedy is about an awkward ninth grader (Adam Butcher) who needs to make a miracle to help his mom come out of a coma. Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), a former long-distance runner, helps the kid. Jennifer Tilly plays the mom's nurse. Unsentimental is the word. PG-13. Bijou. Serenity: Galactic outcasts 500 years in the future squabble through outer space until they meet the cannibalistic fury of savages who roam the very edge of space. Filmmaker Josh Whedon directs Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, David Krumholtz and Chiwetel Ejiofor. PG-13. Cinemark. Whale Rider: World Cinema award-winner at Sundance 2003, Niki Caro's Maori drama is about a spunky girl (Keisha Castle-Hughes), who shows her beloved but authoritarian grandfather she's able to lead the tribe, despite being a girl. Wonderful, inspiring drama features the exquisite New Zealand coast. A don't-miss movie. 2003 Academy Award Best Actress nomination for Castle-Hughes. PG-13. At 7 pm on 10/5 in 180 PLC, UO. Free.
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. Movies 12. Online archives. Constant Gardener, The: Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God) and adapted from a John Le Carre novel, this thriller also stars the excellent Rachel Weisz (pronounced Vice) and the ever masterful Ralph Fiennes, playing a career diplomat who plunges into the mystery of his wife's murder. He uncovers a world-wide pharmaceutical industry criminal conspiracy. Also stars Danny Huston, Bill Nighy. One of the best of 2005. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Corpse Bride, Tim Burton's: Stop-motion animated film set in a 19th century European village is voiced by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and Emily Watson. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Exorcism of Emily Rose, The: Scott Derrickson directs this unusual film, which incorporates horror with a compelling courtroom drama. Stars Laura Linney as an ambitious attorney, Jennifer Carpenter as a murder victim. With Tom Wilkinson, Colm Feore, Campbell Scott and Shohreh Aghdashloo. PG-13. 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. Movies 12. Flightplan: Jody Foster stars in this Brian Grazer-produced psychological thriller about a woman whose 6-year old daughter disappears without a trace mid-flight in a state-of-the-art aircraft. Directed by Robert Swenke, film also stars Peter Sarsgaard and Sean Bean. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Forty-Year Old Virgin: Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) has lived a life of involuntary chastity, and his friends are determined to do something about his state. Directed by Judd Apatow, the film stars Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd and others. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Herbie, Fully Loaded: More hijinx and shennanigans from that animated, but so unlike Christine, VW bug, Herbie as he heads to NASCAR. Starring Lindsay Lohan and Justin Long. G. Movies 12. Island, The: Michael Bay directs Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johanson in an action thriller, futuristic fable of two residents of a carefully controlled environment who discover shocking news about their reality and their fate. PG-13. Movies 12. Junebug: One of the year's best films, a strange, sweet film about a Southern family and the prodigal son who returns to visit, with his cultured wife of six months. Going home is an humbling experience. Stars Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivolla and Amy Adams. Directed by Phil Morrison, and written by Angus MacLachlan, North Carolinians who get it just right. Very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. Online archives. Just Like Heaven: Romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo is set in San Francisco, where both claim a charming apartment is theirs alone. When she discovers she can walk through walls, they determine to solve the mystery. Directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Freaky Friday). PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Lord of War: International arms dealer (Nicolas Cage) tries to stay ahead of an Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), his competitors and his ruthless customers. Also stars Bridget Moynahan, Jared Leto, Ian Holm. R. Cinema World. 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. Movies 12. March of the Penguins: Documentary director Luc Jacquet's film chronicles the oft-repeated survival of the species in the wind-strewn wilderness of Antarctica. Film tracks a pair of Emperor Penguins across continent. Includes intimate scenes of the big birds mating. The female lays one egg, passes it to the male and takes off for a three months round trip to the sea and food. Meanwhile, the male penguins don't eat but focus exclusively on keeping the eggs alive for the gestation period. G. Cinemark. Cinema World. 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. Movies 12. Online archives. Roll Bounce: Directed by Malcolm Lee, this athletic, roller jam skate-off comedy stars Bow Wow, Chi McBride, Mike Epps. PG-13. Cinemark. Skeleton Key: Something wicked lurks in the Louisiana mansion where Kate Hudson works as a live-in nurse. PG-13. Movies 12. Stealth: Commanding officer Sam Shepard orders test pilots Jamie Foxx, Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel to bring an AI-based auto-pilot onboard. Then the machine turns renegade and takes over, right, like in Kubrick's 2001. PG-13. Movies 12. Transporter 2, The: Former Special Forces operative (Jason Statham) must find the kidnapper who took a boy from the wealthy family he works for. Written and produced by Lu Besson, directed by Louis Leterrier, film also stars Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valetta, Mathew Modine and Kate Nauta. PG-13. Movies 12. Unfinished Life, An: Contemporary Western directed by Lasse Hallstrom working from a screenplay by Mark Spragg, based on his excellent 2004 novel (EW movie archives12/9/04). Life changes for two hard-working cowboys (Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman) who have lived on the same piece of Wyoming ranch land for 40 years when a young mother, Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez), and her 10-year old daughter, Griffin (Becca Gardner), invade their familiar routine. Jean is fleeing an abusive boyfriend (Damian Lewis). Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. 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. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
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