38 JllSt Mit • duflust 2Q. 2004
Tom Cruise continues to flex his acting
muscles in this smart, character-driven
thriller from director Michael Mann (Heat,
The Insider). He plays Vince, a ruthless hit
man who enlists a distressed cahhie (Jamie
Foxx) to drive him around Los Angeles on
a one-night killing spree. Beautifully shot
hut somewhat lazi
ly edited, this is
still a sure-fire cure
for the summer
time bkxzkbuster
blues.
—Jim Radosta
M.S S
Saigon
FredMeyer
September 7-12
BROADWAY.
P ortland
KELLER AUDITORIUM - SW 3RD & CLAY
Tickets available at all ticketmaster outlets including Gl Joes,
select Fred Meyer locations, PCPA at SW Broadway & Main and the
Portland Opera Box Office at 211 SE Caruthers (just south of Omsi).
GROUPS OF 20 OR MORE SAVE' 503-241 -1407
www broadwayacrossarnHrica.com
www porllandopera org
TICKETS SUBJECT TO AGENCY CONVENIENCE CHARGES
▲ Delta
Kl”3 arü
only if you’re really hungry
good effort, pass the salt
nimmm, tasty!
<£><§><©>8et tbe
tub °’com
With documen
tary filmmaking
what it is today, it is
too much to expect
that a poorly con
structed film about
a train full of musi
cians you probably
don’t care about,
getting drunk and
high while traveling
through Canada,
<&> S he H ate M e
will be enough to fill theater seats. Sure,
Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia are in it, but
even their presence isn’t enough to make up
Jack (Anthony Mackie) is a vice president
for the lack of cultural context or commen
at a pharmaceutical company that’s running
tary presented in this film.
crooked stock deals in the wake of the federal
—J.B. Rabin government’s rejection of its new AIDS drug.
When whistle-blowing gets him fired, he
G arden S tate
accepts the business proposal of his ex
girlfriend Fatima (Kerry Washington) involv
Despite the occasionally self-conscious
ing large sums of under-the-table cash for his
dialogue and the Hollywood ending, Zach
personal impregnation of her and her female
Braff (Scrubs, The Broken Hearts Club)
partner.
makes an impressive debut as a writer/
Their personal transaction becomes an
director/actor in this moving story of an
enterprise when Fatima offers Jack’s services
emotionally anesthetized man who comes
to the rest of New York’s lesbian communi
home to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral ty. The actual humanity and sexuality of
and has his life turned upside down by a
Lee’s dykes seem too foreign to him, but he
quirky epileptic (Natalie Portman, finally
eventually paints a progressive, respectful
living up to her potential after sleepwalking and inclusive picture of the various forms
through the Star Wars prequels).
romantic relationships and families can
—JR take.
The film’s failure isn’t ideological; in fact,
T he F ive O bstructions
Michael Moore himself would approve of
the film’s sociopolitical positions on issues
A documentary in which legendary Dan
ranging from Enron-style corporate greed to
ish filmmaker Lars von Trier (Dancer in the
racism to workplace sexual politics. Rather,
Dark, Dogville) challenges his mentor Jorgen
She Hate Me dies of half-baked ideas, embar
Leth to remake Leth’s 37-year-old short film
rassingly glib dialogue and scenarios that
The Perfect Human. The catch? Leth has to
play out in increasingly implausible ways.
remake it five separate times with five differ There is none of the vicious satirical verve .
ent sets of obstructions designed by von Trier Lee displayed in Bamboozled. This one is j
to make the task nearly impossible. If you are just Girl 6, Part 11, and its amateur
remotely interested in movies or filmmaking, ishness renders it undeserving of
get thee to Cinema 21 between Aug. 27 and
any attention it might attract
for its hot-button
content.
—Christopher McQuain