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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2002)
decamber fi, 2002 », astute exploration of genre and narrative. A nalyze T hat — Christopher McQuain Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal reprise their roles as mobster and psychi- ist from 1999’s hilarious Analyze This, weak results. Clumsy transitions, a ludi crous finale (CHiPs has staged better action sequences) and downright bad acting (stick to hosting the Oscars, Billy) make this shrink session a memory I’d rather suppress. R eal W omen H ave C urves WhaTs popped and what's flopped, io a thaatop map you. F rida —Jim Radosta D ie A no th er D ay James Bond, 40 years older and homier, shows no signs of losing his stamina in this 20th installment of the spy series. Halle Berry’s lack of charisma as generic Bond babe Jinx is more than redeemed by snarling vil lain Gustav Graves (played by Toby Stephens, Maggie Sm ith’s son) and M adon na’s cameo as a fencing instructor. A t least it looks good. Director Julie Taymor’s take on the life of die famous painter and her hus band, Diego Rivera, has loads of visual pizzazz, effortlessly evoking the feel, color and sounds of Old Mexico. But the overwrought acting and soap opera script are in constant battle with the film’s more thoughtful impulses. Frida (Salma Hayek) was a hellcat in real life, but here she’s the dreaded cliched Latin spitfire brawling in cantinas, noisily swapping tongue with the fetching Ashley Judd and generally screaming and carrying on. Edward Norton apparently rewrote the script—more evi dence that actors should be barred from becoming screenwriters. Alternatively bitter sweet and hilarious is this first movie from archaeolo gist-tumed-filmmaker Patricia C ar doso about Mexican immigrants and their first- generation daughters. America Ferrera makes an unforgettable debut as A na, an 18-year-old who wants to go to college but whose m other (Lupe Ontiveros of Chuck & Buck) has serious plans for her to work in her older sister’s sweatshop. Cross- generational issues, body image and culture clashes all collide in a refreshingly unforced way. dud, bottom of the bag (£§> only if you’re really hungry <£^> good effort, pass the salt <&<££><&><£& mmmm, tasty! — Lisa Bradshaw — Gary Morris R oger D odger get the big tub o ’ com nifer Beals ( Flashdance) and Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls). H arry P otter a n d the C hamber of S ecrets -J R <^> <5£i> <£%> l37 F ar from H eaven I grew tired of this lame series w ithin the first hour of last year’s Sorcerer’s Stone. The sequel finds our young wizard accused of attempted murder, chased by gigantic spi ders and haunted by a ghostly diary— yet bland actor Daniel Radcliffe never once manages to convey any sense of peril or joy. Hokum pocus. Julianne Moore gives yet another brilliant performance, this time as a well-off 1950s housewife dealing with her husband’s homosex uality and her community’s homophobia and racism in queer Portland filmmaker Todd Haynes’ virtually flawless homage to the “women’s pictures” of the period. Each cine matic detail— the music, the framing, the dia logue, the lighting— is a precise replica, allow ing the film to be appreciated both for its own considerable merits and as an intellectually Remember Campbell Scott from the 1991 Julia Roberts tearjerker Dying Young? T hat title nearly could’ve served as his career epitaph; fortunate ly, the Singles star has made a welcome come back as a wannabe ladies man who tries to teach his teen nephew (Jesse Eisenberg) the ropes. W riter/director Dylan Kidd also deserves major credit for the witty banter, unexpected twists and brilliant casting of legendary screen vixens Jen- —JR S olaris You gotta love Steven Soderbergh’s moxie. The renegade director follows up the experi mental dud Full Frontal with, of all things, a remake of a 1972 Russian film about a widower (George Clooney) who runs into his wife’s ghost (Natascha McElhone) in outer space. Hypnotic ruminations on existence ensue. Although Soderbergh’s all-killer, no-filler edit ing style might keep mainstream audi ences from squirming in their seats, it ultimately simplifies an otherwise complex quandary. —JR. -J R 4 : . Ac. 4 P A , / ■ * / ■ • • ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I o C ____ X X castagna Hs i a n Ca f e Curries. Noodles. Dumplings.Cocktails and More <jCe (Oiótro ¡^tjontose /? T g ■ 301 S £ . W or risen O pen Hsian street food in all its glory " - - ^ ò in n e r: W illa m e tte W e e k r ^even o ò c u ji a 1 4 Leh _ S a n -O liu r. Òp.m. -2 a m. 3 h .& S 2 ij ^ ,, i i bP . m. - 4 a . m . acCuncL *}ì]on. -Ori. 11:30-2 6801 S.E. N iluiaukie flue |.l:Jlj '|IJ|>!"ll P ortlan d Ph: 2 3 0 -0 7 3 8 SuuddliS!,' J ~i - S i — 503.234.1324 castagna dinner Wednesday through Saturday • 231.7373 café castagna next door to the restaurant dinner tuesday through Sunday • 231.9959 ( j i f t C 4ertipuales~O vailaJle m ontane. citase arch. com 1752 se hawthorne boulevard FOR A GREAT STEAK, LOOK FOR THE REVOLVING STEAK SIGN A EXCEPT IN BEAVERTON, WHERE THE CITY WOULDN’T LET US HAVE ONE * ki n . f l Our revolving steak sign has become a landmark in Portland "“it 4 sign o f quality Where you know you can get a great steak ™ dinner at a fair price. Unfortunately, we conldn t get that same sign in Beaverton. But honesth. we 're not that hard to find 105th & SE Stark • * ng a ll * * * °ffam ilies since 1946 ■ * S a q le ú OLD C0P1TCB7 KITCHEN home o f the 72 oz. steak 503-252-4171 - Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy at Griffith Dr. - 503-644-1492 ................... ... 1 .......... .. "■ — Salci/ f f ta /ta /i New Fall/Winter M enu t_ fft/w a u A ie <£ G S ótve// 6 0 3 - 2 3 6 - 6 t i h 'ó c u b a n cre o le c u is in e y c a n t in a c u b a n a to fo to . .sa/a/>òs/n>. co rn ~ 503 w burnside ~ I
