Eugene Weekly : Movies : 12.11.08


.MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO

 

OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived movie reviews.

Opening or returning:

Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The: When his family is transferred from Berlin to the country, Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is confused about everything, especially the nearby “farm” at which his father works. A friendship formed through the farm’s fence leads, inevitably, to tragedy. PG13. 94 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Christmas Tale, A: A complicated story of family strife at the holidays, this film stars Catherine Deneuve as Junon, the matriarch of a squabbling family that includes her estranged son (Mathieu Almaric), whose bone marrow donation could save Junon’s life. But this is no mushy Hollywood tale; New York magazine says it’s “a bad dream with just enough distance to give us a midwinter’s night’s laugh.” Not rated. 152 min. Bijou. 

Day the Earth Stood Still, The: Keanu Reeves stars as an alien whose arrival on earth seems like pretty bad news for humanity. Cool effects! Jennifer Connelly! High hopes! And a pretty cool preview, too. PG13. 92 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Delgo: Prejudice divides a fantasy land, and the friendship of two teens (Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt — what year is it again?), one from each people, seems to lead to more strife instead of peace. Interesting voice talent, but this animated flick sounds a little heavy-handed and familiar. PG. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Eagle Eye: Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are strangers thrown together by the instruction-filled phone calls of a woman who tells them to do all sorts of crazy, dangerous things. What the hell is going on? Will anybody care? Directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia). PG13. Movies 12.

Filth and Wisdom: Madonna’s directorial debut follows three London roommates — a musician (Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, with his real-life band), a ballerina (Holly Weston) and a do-gooder (Vicky Mclure) — whose dreams don’t exactly line up with their actual jobs. Not rated. 81 min. Bijou LateNite.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson: Director Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar for the harrowing Taxi to the Dark Side, takes on the story of the famous gonzo journalist via interviews with friends and collaborators, explorations of lesser-known parts of Thompson’s story, and the occasional reenactment. A definitive portrait and fascinating film. R. 118 min. David Minor Theater. (7/17)

Milk: Gus Van Sant’s biopic about Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the country’s first openly gay elected official, is earning glowing reviews; “Milk is a marvel,” says The New York Times, while The Village Voice says, “Milk is so immediate that it’s impossible to separate the movie’s moment from this one.” With Josh Brolin, James Franco and Diego Luna. R. 128 min. Bijou. See review this issue.

Nothing Like the Holidays: John Leguizamo and Freddy Rodriguez play brothers whose trip home for the holidays is fraught with family drama. With Elizabeth Peña, Alfred Molina and Debra Messing. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Quarantine: A young reporter and her cameraman assigned to spend the night with a fire patrol find themselves locked inside an L.A. building from which there is no escape: the CDC wants to control a “strain of rabies” contracted by someone in the building. Mmm hmm. Vampire rabies? R. Movies 12.

RocknRolla: The latest from Guy Ritchie is a complicated gangster yarn in which two crooks (Idris Elba and Gerard Butler) steal some money from a Russian property dealer and a London crime boss. I think. With Thandie Newton and Mark Strong. R. 114 min. Movies 12.

 

 

MOVIE THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.

Bijou Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th

Regal Cinemas
VRC Stadium 15 342-6536 | Valley River Center

Cinemark Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall