Cinema 21 Program Notes

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Program Notes


One Night: 9 PM, June 23 only

SERENITY

Benefit for Equity Now (2005, 119 minutes)

For a worthy cause, the Cinema 21 and Equality Now invite you to a screening of Joss Whedon's cult film, SERENITY. Based on his popular TV show, it's a separate tale in which former galactic war veteran turned hired transporter Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and the crew of the transport shuttle "Serenity" are hired to protect teenage girl River Tam (Summer Glau) from The Operative, the mysterious agent of the Alliance. Internet reviewer Eric D. Snider calls it "perhaps the best sci-fi film this year," and the Oregonian's Michael Russell defines SERENITY as a "rowdy, smart, funny and gripping film, a wild and woolly cross of Western, zombie movie, martial arts film and situation comedy in the skin of a science-fiction epic." Cinema 21 is proud to host Portland's participation in an unprecedented global event, as more than 20 cities around the world present charity screenings of Whedon's SERENITY simultaneously to benefit Equality Now, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to ending violence and discrimination against women. For more information, please see the Equality Now website: serenitynow.pdxbrowncoats.com.

Benefit Screening Equality Now, Click Here for more Info.

Tickets $12.50 each at the door

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One Week: June 23-29

CLEAN

Premiere (2004, 110 minutes)

Surely one of the most dynamic, erotic, and successful collaborations between director and actress was that between French director Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep, demonlover) and his former wife, Maggie Cheung. Their secret understanding reaches its pinnacle in this film, about a woman juggling her dreams and realities. Emily Wang (Cheung) wants to be a singer, but her past is riddled with drugs and regrets, and she desires a loving relationship with her son Jay, who is being cared for by his father's parents (Nick Nolte, Martha Henry). CLEAN follows Emily to Paris, London and San Francisco and in three languages (English, French and Cantonese), as she battles for a place in a world reluctant to forget the woman she has been and unwilling to accept her as the woman she longs to be. Cheung won the best actress award at the Cannes film festival for her portrayal. Rex Reed in the New York Observer calls her "mesmerizing," while Steve Murray of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says you "marvel, close-up, at Cheung." Web reviewer Jeffrey Anderson finds CLEAN to be a "remarkably human and heartfelt tale."

"Visually assured, beautifully acted...you scarcely expect the emotional wallup it delivers!" - Glenn Kenny, PREMIERE

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Exclusive Engagement Beings Saturday, June 24!

LADY VENGEANCE

Premiere (2005, 112 minutes)

You groaned over the painful rituals and intricate mishaps of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance; and you marveled at the complex plot of Oldboy. Now, in the final film of his trilogy of revenge, South Korean director Chan-wook Park follows a woman on her trek for bloody satisfaction. At the age of 19 Lee Geum-Ja (Yeong-ae Lee) goes to prison when she takes the rap for the murder and abduction of a child on behalf of her accomplice Mr. Baek (Min-sik Choi), only to find out that she was betrayed. While in prison, she carefully prepares for her revenge by winning the hearts of her fellow inmates with her kindness. Upon release 13 years later she sets out to implement her revenge. Michael Atkinson of the Village Voice admires Park's "breathless pop filmmaking," and Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News is won over by the film's "astonishing achievement of slasher-style justice, moral tussles, and eye-candy design." Andrew Sarris in the New York Observer notes that by the end of LADY VENGEANCE, "Geum-ja emerges as a stirring feminist icon."

All she wanted was a peaceful life...

"A blast in all senses...darkly funny and deftly outrageous." - Financial Times

"Achingly Beautiful...stylishly brilliant." - Film Review

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One Week: June 30-July 6

RUSSIAN DOLLS

Premiere (2005, 129 minutes)

Fans of the film L'Auberge espagnole (2002) will recall its delightful tale of a straight-laced French student Xavier (Romain Duris) who moves into an apartment in Barcelona with six characters from all over Europe, including Audrey Tautou, Judith Godrèche, and Kelly Reilly. Now, in this enchanting sequel, it's five years after their summer together in Barcelona, and Xavier, Wendy (Reilly), Martine (Tautou) and others reunite for further amorous adventures. In RUSSIAN DOLLS (Les Poupées russes), Xavier is now thirty. No longer a student, he is not yet fulfilled either. His career is unsatisfying. Far from being the renowned novelist he aspired to be, he takes on little jobs such as reporter or ghostwriter or work on a TV soap opera. Internet reviewer George Wu finds it "exuberant fun" while Kyle Smith of the New York Post calls it "magical." Andrew Sarris of the New York Observer finds the film to be a rare example of "grown-up entertainment," and Noel Murray of the Onion AV Club notes that RUSSIAN DOLLS is "insightful, and charming … director Cédric Klapisch shows he has something real to say about what makes a life successful."

"GREAT FUN...thanks to the sparkling dialogue, entertaining performances and the gorgeous scenery of Paris, London, and St. Petersburg." - The Hollywood Reporter

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One Week: July 7-13 

STRANGERS WITH CANDY

Premiere (2005, 97 minutes)

Ever had a fantasy about returning to high school and this time doing it right? That was the premise, sort of, to the Comedy Central series STRANGERS WITH CANDY, which aired from 1999 to 2001, and starred Amy Sedaris as an adult woman fielding the ills of modern public school system. Now, in this movie version of the show, we get the back story of how Jerri Blank (Sedaris), a 47-year-old ex-con and former junkie, ends up at Flatpoint High, coping with various members of officialdom, including Stephen Colbert as a closeted gay science teacher, and her crazy home life, which includes a father (Dan Hedaya) in a coma. Created by Sedaris and Colbert, along with Paul Dinello (who directed) and Mitch Rouse, STRANGERS WITH CANDY was a cult hit that now enhances its reputation on the big screen, where Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ian Holm, and Allison Janney make cameo appearances. "The loons who populate the hallways of Flatpoint take selfishness to stratospheric levels, and the payoff is macabre and hilarious," notes Internet reviewer David Johnson, while his colleague Rich Rosell finds it a "twisted, daring, and adventurous comedy." Web reviewer Eric D. Snider praises the film's "absurdist, whacked-out verbal comedy" and fellow net critic Martin Scribbs deems STRANGERS WITH CANDY "hilariously wrongheaded. A warning to first-time viewers: literally no subject is taboo."

She's a Boozer, a User & a Loser. Probably her good points.

"A prequel to the critically acclaimed series featuring Jerri Blank, a 46 year-old ex-junkie, ex-con who returns to high school in a bid to start her life over." - IMDB.

"A Spectacular Comic Turn!" - VARIETY

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One Week: July 14-20

LEONARD COHEN: I'M YOUR MAN

Premiere (2005, 98 minutes)

Poet and performer, songwriter, novelist, and philosopher Leonard Cohen's long career arc has taken him from his native Canada to the Chelsea Hotel in 1960s Manhattan, where he met Nico and Bob Dylan, and then to a Zen monastery. Cohen's music has influenced numerous singer-songwriters, and there are more than a thousand cover versions of his songs. He is iconic in his native land, having been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and has been awarded the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honor. Lian Lunson's documentary captures the essence of the man, while in the concert portions of the film U2, Nick Cave, Beth Orton and others perform some of Cohen's most memorable songs. Boxoffice calls the film a "funny, frank and incisive look at the philosophical singer and poet," while the Hollywood Reporter reckons it "an affectionate and intimate celebration of the acclaimed troubadour in stirring music and words." Web reviewer Collin Souter deems it "a moving and celebratory rock-doc," and Stephen Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer finds that LEONARD COHEN: I'M YOUR MAN "captures the elegance, wit, spiritual longing and deep hum-ability of Cohen's work."

"One of the greatest music films of all time. Not more and not less." - Wim Wenders

"An affectionate and intimate celebration!" - The Hollywood Reporter

"An incisive look at the philosophical singer and poet." - BOX OFFICE MAGAZINE

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Three Days: July 21 - 23

WERNER HERZOG MINI FESTIVAL

Five Films! One premiere; new prints!

One of the most important and prolific of New German Cinema directors, Werner Herzog is also a beloved figure among cinephiles. David Thomson finds him to be a filmmaker with an "inquisitive humor," and the Hollywood.com guide to film directors praises Herzog's "sublime landscapes." This mini fest draws together some of the director's best films, from both his documentary work and his features. The films include THE WILD BLUE YONDER (2005, 81 minutes), a new faux documentary about an alien (Brad Dourif) which Leslie Felperin of Variety called "one of the helmer's best efforts"; WHEEL OF TIME (2003, 80 minutes), his film about Tibetan Buddhism and the creation of a Kalachakra, or sand mandala, and featuring the Dalai Lama, a film which Stephen Holden of the New York Times says "plunges us into an intensely devotional world"; LESSONS IN DARKNESS (1992, 50 minutes), his documentary account of the disaster of the Kuwaitian oil fields in flames, which Sam Adams of the Philadelphia City Paper found "brilliant and provocative"; and new prints of FITZCARRALDO (1982, 158 minutes) and NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1979, 124 minutes). We tried to get Werner himself to come and introduce the films, but sadly, he was unable to make it. He was just cast in a movie role playing "a German bad guy", a limo came for him Monday and whisked him away. He leaves immediately after that for London.

Friday 7/21: Wheel of Time 5:00;  The Wild Blue Yonder 7:00;   Nosferatu 9:00
Saturday 7/22: Lessons of Darkness WITH Wheel of Time 1:00, 3:45;   The Wild Blue Yonder 7:00;   Nosferatu 9:00
Sunday 7/23: Lessons of Darkness WITH Wheel of Time 1:00;   Fitzcarraldo 3:45, 7:00

Werner regrets that he is unable to appear in Portland this weekend. He was just cast in a movie role playing "a German bad guy", a limo came for him Monday and whisked him away. He leaves immediately after that for London.

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One Week: July 28-August 3

Only Human

Premiere (2004, 85 minutes)

When Leni (Marian Aguilera), a Jewish girl who is a Spanish television presenter, brings her boyfriend, a Palestinian university lecturer named Rafi (Guillermo Toledo from A Perfect Crime), home to meet the family he's in for quite a shock when he discovers how dysfunctional the family is. That's the set up in this comedy written and directed by Teresa de Peligri and Dominic Harari. They are greeted by her caring but neurotic mother Gloria (Norma Aleandro), belly dancer sister Tania (Maria Botto) and her daughter Paula (Alba Molinero), ultra-religious younger brother David (Fernando Ramallo), and rifle-wielding senile grandfather, old soldier Dudu (Max Berliner). When Rafi then comes to believe the he has accidentally killed Leni's father, the comedy of embarrassment rises further. Variety found that the film "combines a deftly-turned script, fine performances and a feel-good message," and the BBC termed it "a colorful farce." Marta Barber of the Miami Herald found the film to be "irrepressibly hilarious," and web reviewer Harvey Karten listed ONLY HUMAN as "an energetic farce."

"The Ghost of Billy Wilder Hovers Behind The Agile, Rapidly-Paced Script!" - VARIETY

"Irrepressibly Hilarious! An entertaining comedy that will have you in stitches." - Miami Herald

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Six Days: July 24 - 27 & July 29 - 30

Tibet: A Buddhist Trilogy

Revival (1979, 134 minutes)

Originally released in 1979, TIBET: A BUDDHIST TRILOGY was a labor of love for filmmaker Graham Coleman. The director spent four years filming in Tibet, splitting the resulting documentary into three parts. Now re-edited into one work, the film begins with footage of a much younger Dalai Lama, after which Coleman takes a look at the Lamas of the Phulwary Skya Monastery, before concluding with an overview of how the monastery deals with a death among its ranks. Phil Hall in Film Threat calls it a "stunning achievement," while Mark Olsen in the L.A. Weekly judges it to be "a staggering and bracing object, stylistically bold and hypnotically captivating." Bill White in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes that the film "captures both the spirituality and humanity of monastic life," and web reviewer Jim Slotek praises TIBET: A BUDDHIST TRILOGY for "images that are amazing and intimate, particularly those involving the Dalai Lama as he greets his flock with ease and good humor."

unseen for over 20 years, recut and digitally restored

The Dalai Lama, The Monasteries & the People
Radiating the Fruit of Truth
The Fields of the Senses

"PROFOUNDLY MOVING." - Los Angeles Times

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One Week: August 4-10

Army Of Shadows

Premiere (1969, 140 minutes)

The reputation of French film director Jean-Pierre Melville has risen considerably here in the States over the last few years, partially due to the enthusiasm of younger directors, such as Quentin Tarantino, and partially thanks to a series of restored or newly released prints. ARMY OF SHADOWS (L'Armée des ombres), for example, is finally making its American debut, after 37 years. Set in France in 1942, during the occupation (when Melville himself fought with the Resistance, as was the author of the source novel, Joseph Kessel), the film concerns Philippe Gerbier (Lino Ventura), a civil engineer and a Resistance chief. Given away by a traitor, he is interned in a camp, but escapes to rejoin his network at Marseilles, where he seeks out the traitor for execution. Also in the cast are Simone Signoret and Jean-Pierre Cassel. V. A. Musetto of the New York Post calls the film a "taut tale of intrigue and daring" while web reviewer Louis Proyect deems it "another Melville masterpiece." Manohla Dargis of the New York Times calls the film a "rare work of art that thrills the senses and the mind," and Anthony Lane in the New Yorker praises its "dry heroism, dark-toned humor, and storytelling of pantherish pace and grace." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times asserts that ARMY OF SHADOWS "may be 37 years old, but it is the best foreign film of the year."

BRAND NEW 35MM PRINT

"It may be 37 years old, but it is the best foreign film of the year!" - Roger Ebert, CHICAGO-SUN TIMES

"Brilliant! Harrowing! Essential Viewing!" - Manhola Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES

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One Week: August 11-17

Brothers Of The Head

Premiere (2005, 90 minutes)

It's the 1970s, and a music promoter (Jonathan Pryce) has plucked Siamese twins Tom and Barry Howe (Luke and Harry Treadaway) from obscurity in the bleak fens of Norfolk to groom them into a freakish rock'n'roll act for their 15 minutes of fame. Based on a novel by science fiction writer Brian Aldiss, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's mockumentary exploits the madness of the music scene, with Ken Russell (playing himself) casting the duo in his (fake) unfinished film Two-Way Romeo, and journalist Laura Ashworth (Tania Emery) arriving to write an exposé, but instead falling in love with the good-natured Tom. Premiere magazine enjoyed the film as being "expressionistic and weirdly poignant," and web reviewer Jay Seaver agreed that it was a "weird, yet captivating, story." Variety's Derek Elley deems it a "loopy cult" hit that blends This Is Spinal Tap with Stuck on You, while Jason Anderson of the Eye Weekly found BROTHERS OF THE HEAD to be "wildest rock movie since Hedwig and the Angry Inch?"

a mock rock doc set in the 70s British glam scene

based on the novel by Brian Aldiss

"A raucous ride! An utterly uncharacterizable tour de force. Extremely chilling cinema indeed." - Toronto Film Festival

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Beautiful Print!

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Starts August 11

Another Gay Movie

Premiere (2006, 90 minutes)

Four gay high school friends make a pact to lose their virginity before they go to college in this comedy by Todd Stephens (Gypsy 83 and Edge of 17) that turns the terms of the typical teen comedy on its head. Think a gay American Pie with quiche. Kids in the Hall's Scott Thompson, Ant, and Lypsinka star, and Survivor winner Richard Hatch also makes an appearance. ANOTHER GAY MOVIE rates 100 per cent on the raunch meter, so it's for mature audiences only; no one under 18 admitted.

A Raunchy Gay Spoof of "American Pie"

NO ONE UNDER 18 ADMITTED

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One Week: August 25 - 31

Old Joy

Premiere (2006, 76 minutes)

The work of long time Portland critic, editor, novelist, and screenwriter Jonathan Raymond (who was also a one-time Cinema 21 employee) finally comes to the big screen in this adaptation of his short story. Co-written by Raymond and director Kelly Reichardt, OLD JOY tells the story of Portlander Mark (Daniel London), who gets a call from his long lost pal Kurt (musician Will Oldham) proposing a weekend getaway into the Oregon wilderness. The domesticated Mark could use a break from his pregnant wife (Tanya Smith), and the unemployed stoner Kurt is facing imminent eviction from his apartment. They trek is a journey of quiet discovery. Scott Foundas of Variety finds OLD JOY to be a "beautifully nuanced study in friendship and the irretrievability of the past." Peter Martin at Twitch.com discovered OLD JOY to be "soft, gentle, delicately nuanced, subtle, attuned to the rhythms of nature." Slant's Nick Schager rates OLD JOY "superior to heralded 'independent' predecessors in both form and content" and "crafted with the leisurely rhythm of a Sunday afternoon drive." Beth Gilligan, of Not Coming to a Theater Near You, praises OLD JOY's "strange, hypnotic feel. Finally, Sean Axmaker of Green Cine daily acclaims OLD JOY for being "as honest and affirming portrait of the real joys of life I've seen in years."

Made in Portland!

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One Week: September 1-7

Factotum

Premiere (2005, 90 minutes)

Charles Bukowski must be one of the most adapted writers to the screen. Following Tales of Ordinary Madness, Barfly, Love is a Dog from Hell, and Cold Moon, not to mention numerous short films, here comes this drama about one Hank Chinaski, (Matt Dillon), who wanders Los Angeles trying to live off jobs that won't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling. Among these distractions are Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei, Adrienne Shelly, and Karen Young. Leslie Felperin of Variety finds the film to be "arguably one of the best adaptations of Bukowski's work." The BBC praise it as "an intoxicating comedy," and web reviewer Jurgen Fauth claims it to be "hilarious, sobering, and inspiring, often at the same time." Appraising this adaptation of Bukowski's work by Bent Hamer (Kitchen Stories), Film Threat's Eric Campos concludes that "Bukowski fans have a reason to rejoice in his film."

"Matt Dillon is pitch-perfect as Bukowski's Alter Ego Hank Chinaski." - The Hollywood Reporter

"Arguably one of the best adaptations of Bukowski's Work." - VARIETY

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One Week: September 8 - 14

Heading South

Premiere (2005, 108 minutes)

In this film by Laurent Cantet (Time Out, Human Resources) three tourists (Karen Young, Charlotte Rampling, and Louise Portal) have their eyes opened while visiting the poverty-stricken and dangerous world of 1980s Haiti. All the women fixate on an 18-year-old youth named Legba (Menothy Cesar). Cantet carefully delineates the passions that the women experience against the backdrop of Haiti's oppressive political landscape, or in the words of Bright Light's Robert Keser, the film "builds an interesting context for this reciprocity, illustrating that this island paradise lives under the dictatorship of corrupt police and private gangsters, venturing into public spaces outside the range of white tourists where locals need to swallow their dignity to save their skins." Web reviewer Boyd Van Hoelf praises the "three excellent performances from the leading ladies," while Jay Weissberg of Variety asserts that in HEADING SOUTH "Rampling, one of the joys of cinema in the past five years, is ideal."

a play at the end of the 70s in Baby Doc's Haiti

"SHATTERING! charged with so many erotic, political and cultural connotations. The Gem of this year's French Cinema series!" - Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

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By The People

Two Days Only, September 6 and 7

An inside look at the volunteer efforts required to run our electoral process

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Censorship, uncensored

Inside the American movie ratings board

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Director John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) IN PERSON September 21, 7PM!

"Walking a fine line between high camp and serious discussion of sexual mores of New York's hip crowd, straight and gay, SHORTBUS is a sexually explicit, vastly entertaining film that reflects Mitchell's determination to break social and cinematic taboos." - EMMANUELLLEVY.COM

18 Years & older only!

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Two Weeks: September 22 - October 5

The Science Of Sleep

Premiere (2006, 105 minutes)

Director Michel Gondry got his start in rock videos and then enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with screenwriter Charles Kaufman (Human Nature in 2001, and 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Now in this hilarious yet thoughtful comedy, which Gondry also wrote, a man (Gael García Bernal) held captive by the people in his dreams tries to wake himself up and take control of his own imaginings. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Miou-Miou also star. Web critic Collin Souter wrote that the film "demands to be seen more than once" while internet writer Eric D. Snider asserts that "the dream scenes are extraordinarily well-done." Todd McCarthy of Variety finds the film to be "a whimsical, irrepressibly creative and playfully childlike confection," and Sally Foster of Film Threat concludes that THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP "truly has to be seen to be believed."

"A kaleidoscopeic concoction of novel images! A wild visual phantasmagoria. In short, it's a textural mindblower and a lot of fun!" - The Hollywood Reporter

"A Whimsical, Irrepressibly creative and playful concoction!" - VARIETY

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