Cinema 21 Program Notes September

Starts September 18

The Baader Meinhof Complex

Premiere (2009, 150 min.)
Directed by Uli Edel
Drama Language: In German with subtitles in English

If you think that terrorism is a signature strategy of the new century, think back to the 1970s. The Munich Olympics, Black September, but most of all, there was the Red Army Faction, or RAF, a group of bourgeois students and professionals turned militant radicals, the main members being Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof. Operating as urban guerillas from the late 1960s to as late as 1998, their prime year was 1977, during what came to be called the "German Autumn." It began when members of the RAF shot a prominent banker and the kidnapping of a former SS officer, now a successful businessman. The RAF posted a list of demands, including the release of political prisoners. When a group of Arab radicals hijacked an airliner, the crisis reached an international level. But by that time, many of the Baader-Meinhof group members were already in prison, and their fates form the last act of this fast-paced, gripping political thriller based on recent history. Directed by Uli Edel (Last Exit to Brooklyn) it stars Moritz Bleibtreu as Baader, Martina Gedeck as Meinhof, and Bruno Ganz as the logician behind a plan to sweep up the RAFs main members. Sonny Bunch of the Washington Times calls THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX a "taut and involving thriller." John Hartl of the Seattle Times is impressed with the film's "scale and momentum." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice find it "fascinating," while Tony Medley of the Tolucan Times regards it as "brilliantly directed." John P. McCarthy of Boxoffice says that BAADER gives its historical periods"a serious and seriously entertaining treatment," and Kurt Loder of MTV finds it to be a "fiery action film with lots more on its mind." For Manohla Dargis of the New York Times finds that THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX is a "taut, unnerving, forcefully unromantic film."

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Starts September 25

The Burning Plain

Premiere (2009, 106 min.)
Starring Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence, Joaquim de Almeida Directed by Guillermo Arriaga
Drama

From Guillermo Arriaga, the internationally acclaimed writer of Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros, comes THE BURNING PLAIN, his directorial debut. It's a romantic mystery about Sylvia (Charlize Theron), a restaurant manager with a cool, professional demeanor who takes an emotional journey back to the defining moment of her life. Elsewhere, Maria (Tessa Ia), a young motherless girl in Mexico, lives happily with her father and his best friend until a tragic accident changes everything. In the border town of Las Cruces, two teenagers, Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) and Santiago (JD Pardo), find love in the aftermath of their parents’ sudden deaths. In an abandoned trailer, a housewife, Gina (Kim Basinger), embarks on a passionate affair. These characters don't know it, but they are all on a collision course with each other. Tirdad Derakhshani of the Philadelphia Inquirer calls THE BURNING PLAIN a "classic melodrama about thwarted desire, failed relationships, and unrealized dreams." For Victor Olliver of Teletext, it is a film that Arriaga "masterfully writes and directs. It's realized so beautifully and viscerally." Matthew Sorrento of Film Threat praises the "cool, practical temperaments of the three related female leads. It's a line that adds credibility to a movie of tremendous maturity and restrained passion." James Christopher of the Times of London finds that Arriaga has an "uncanny understanding of damaged human beings."

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Starts October 9

No Impact Man

Premiere (2009, 93 min)
Directed by Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein
Documentary

In their environmental study NO IMPACT MAN: THE DOCUMENTARY, Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein follow Colin Beavan, an author and newly self-proclaimed environmentalist, who decides to leave behind a life of liberal complacency for a vow to make zero environmental impact for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption … no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, Prada-worshipping wife Michelle, and their young toddler, enter the fray. No Impact Man is an insightful and funny look at how one family deals with turning their lives upside down in the name of the planet. For internet reviewer Cole Smithey, NO IMPACT MAN: THE DOCUMENTARY is as much a "sociological study, of the way a modern urban couple relate and negotiate for individual priorities" as well as "a thought provoking documentary." For A.O. Scott of the New York Times, the film "unsparingly exposes the confused power dynamics of a certain kind of modern middle-class marriage." Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times cheers that there is "finally an environmental advocacy film for those of us who have the best of intentions but a weakness for Peet's espressos, takeout dinners and an occasional Marc Jacobs sale, to say nothing of a dependence on toilet paper." Sara Vilkomerson of the New York Observer deems it "a thoughtful narrative on the compromises of marriage and how this particular couple found a way to meet in the middle," while Bill Weber of Slant noted that the film "manages to present its New York do-gooder couple as both likably idealistic and inevitably confused." Its a "bold and astonishing documentary," according to Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice, and for Robert Levin of Film School Rejects, NO IMPACT MAN: THE DOCUMENTARY "inspires serious second thoughts the next time you leave the lights on or your computer idling."

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One Week: October 9 - 15

Premiere (2009, 79 min.)
Starring (voices) Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Jennifer Connelly Directed by Shane Acker
Animation

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Starts October 30

Antichrist

Premiere (2009, 109 min.)
Starring Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg Directed by Lars von Trier
Drama/Horror

In Lars on Trier's award winning two hander, He (Willem Defoe) and She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) make love, and neglect their child, who suffers a fatal accident. Plunged into a deep depression, She experiences a terrible grief that He can only watch from the sidelines as they flee to the forest and live in isolation amid nature. When He attempts to help, the results are sure to shock and disturb the viewer. "Provocative," proclaims Jeremy Heilman of MovieMartyr.com; "A great film," writes Rob Gonsalves of eFilmCritic.com. David Edwards of the Daily Mirror thinks that von Trier's movie is the "best horror film since the genre's 70s heyday." Kevin Maher of the Times of London praises Von Trier’s "fantastically painful mirror and acknowledge the Id within us all. Now that is scary." For Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times ANTICHRIST is a "fairground ride through the brain of a genius, both nightmarish and apocalyptic. Trier’s head is the most dangerous place in modern cinema." Jonathan Crocker of Little White Lies notes that it is "thrilling to see that von Trier’s vicious sense of mischief, his moviemaking skill and his desire to smash limits and expectations all remain undimmed." Philip French of the Observer notes that ANTICHRIST concludes "in its visionary epilogue on a tone of tragic tranquillity." Maxim magazine asserts, "provided you can hang onto your sanity, its creepy mood and twisty f**ked-up ending will spin in your conscious for weeks to come."

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One Week: November 13 - 19

Ong Bak 2

Premiere (2008, 93 min.)
Starring Tony Jaa Directed by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai
Martial Arts/Action Language: In Thai with subtitles in English

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Held over thru December 10

Red Cliff

Premiere (2009, 148 min.)
Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro Directed by John Woo
Action/Adventure Language: In Mandarin with subtitles in English

After forays into modern Hong Kong and the Hollywood movie industry, John Woo (The Killers, Hard-Boiled) returns to China, to retell a popular story of Chinese history in what Christopher Orr of the New Republic calls "the biggest film of the year." In RED CLIFF two warriors and military advisers (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Tony Leung) decide to join forces against a wicked general and his weak willed emperor, during the Han Dynasty in Third Century China. For Andy Klein of Brand X, RED CLIFF is a "triumph [that] demands to be seen on the biggest possible screen, while Stephen Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer calls it "magnificent filmmaking, and a magnificent film. "Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal asserts that RED CLIFF is a " legendary filmmaker's visual symphony," and Portland's Shawn Levy concludes that Woo's "hand is sure and his eye, as ever, finds beauty in everything, even death."

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Starts Thursday December 3

Collapse

Premiere (2009, 82 min)
Directed by Chris Smith ("American Movie")
Documentary

Occasionally, close observers of culture prove to be astute prognosticators. The now obscure American novelist and reporter Harold Frederic once predicted the assassination that sparked World War I right down to the make of pistol. Now comes radical theorist Michael Ruppert. A former police officer turned I. F. Stone-like reporter, Ruppert predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness. Filmmaker Chris Smith (American Movie, The Yes Men) offers a cinematic profile of Ruppert, in which he expounds on his dire predictions for the world's future. Scott Tobias of the Onion AV Club writes that "there are many layers to the man and the movie, and it�s hard not to leave the theater shaken." Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times notes that COLLAPSE "is a grueling peek at a doomsday prophet's rigorous mind but in a sly way also a compassionate look at the strain Ruppert endures from knowing he has only ever been right." Nicolas Rapold of the Village Voice observes that by "faithfully documenting Ruppert's long-simmering analysis, Smith lets us experience the feeling of a world gone to pot, whether or not the claims are factually accurate." Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times says that COLLAPSE is "not just sobering; it�s a full-on assault. Michael Ruppert in person on Thursday only, Dec. 3 at 4:30, 7:00

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One Night Only: Thur Dec 10

Rise

Documentary

In 2008, Confluence Films debuted DRIFT, a highly acclaimed documentary that captivated the flyfishing community. In 2009, riding on the success of DRIFT, director/cinematographer Chris Patterson of Warren Miller Entertainment and executive producer Jim Klug once again set out in search of new locations and the totally unique stories, characters, and species that epitomize the spirit and soul of flyfishing. This new film is RISE � a six segment collection of individual stories shot around the world; stories that together truly reflect the attraction that flyfishing has for all of us. Shot on location in the Florida Keys, Argentina, Idaho, New Orleans, Venezuela and Alaska. RISE is a stunning full-length film, photographed entirely on 16mm film and mastered in HD.

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Starts December 11

La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet

Premiere (2009, 159 min.)
Directed by Frederick Wiseman
Documentary Language: In French with English subtitles

Documentary master Frederick Wiseman (High School, The Store) offers up in his 38th film an examination of one of the world�s greatest ballet companies, the Paris Opera Ballet. With the aid of John Davey's camera, Wiseman roams the vast Palais Garnier, an opulent 19th century pile of a building, taking in its crystal chandelier-laden corridors, its labyrinthine underground chambers, its light-filled rehearsal studios, and its luxurious theater replete with 2,200 scarlet velvet seats and Marc Chagall ceiling. LA DANSE devotes most of its time to watching impossibly beautiful young men and women � among them Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agn�s Gillot, and Agn�s Letestu � rehearsing the choreography of Mats Ek, Wayne McGregor, Rudolf Nureyev, and Pina Bausch. For balletomanes and the curious alike, LA DANSE serves up a scrumptious meal of delectable moments, one more glorious than the next, made even more precious by their ephemeral nature. Leslie Felperin of Variety finds that Wiseman creates "a sprightly look at an institution adapting to changing times." Jason Anderson, of Eye Weekly found LA DANSE to be "glorious," succeeding as the "American documentary master's typically rigorous and compelling study of all that goes on in the rehearsal rooms, offices and finally on the legendary stage of the Paris Opera Ballet. Within this beehive of activity, Wiseman not only highlights many stellar performances by the company�s star dancers (most of whom go unnamed, as per the director�s fly-on-wall approach) but subtler matters of labour and logistics. In the process, he creates a superb portrait of the perennial pas de deux between art and commerce."

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Next Screening January 2!

The Room

Directed by Tommy Wiseau

The cult film of the century, THE ROOM is the auteur labor of Tommy Wiseau, who wrote, directed, and stars in this tale of a Johnny, a successful banker who is perhaps too trusting of his bride to be, Lisa (Juliette Danielle). Complications ensue when Johnny's best friend, Lisa mother, and some newcomers get involved with the couple. The Dim Post says that THE ROOM "lived up to the hype," while Film Fiend found it "deliriously entertaining." Picture Show Pundits asserts that "to watch THE ROOM is truly a life-altering experience." Possibly the best worst movie ever made. Come join the interactive fun!

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Starts January 8

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Premiere (2009, 122 min.)
Starring Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer Directed by Terry Gilliam
Adventure/Fantasy

Terry Gilliam's latest film turned out to be Heath Ledger's last. In fact, the late actor died before completing his role. In a moving act of solidarity, other actors stepped in to fill out the part and help Gilliam complete the film, which tells the tale of a mysterious band of traveling players. Among those actors were Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. In addition, Tom Waits, Christopher Plummer, and supermodel Lily Cole also star. Todd McCarty writes that �many Ledger fans will turn out just to see his final performance. But it is genuinely interesting to see how under duress, Gilliam contrived to work the other actors into the role�his three successors play versions of the character in the CGI sequence set in fantastical other dimensions. It all comes off well�lively action and excellent visual effects. Barbara Goslawski of Boxoffice calls it " Terry Gilliam�s masterpiece�every favorite Gilliam device and trope is employed here to breathtaking effect. The film deserves to be seen on the big screen." Ray Bennett of the Hollywood Reporter notes that the tale "allows Gilliam to employ his remarkable gift for imagery." In Allan Hunter's view at Screen International, fans will "welcome it as a return to what Gilliam does best." James Christopher of the Times of London writes that THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS "is a film with a huge heart and a dazzling eye."

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Program Notes September - December 2009