APRIL 21. 2006
JUStlOUt 41
film
human—beyond the homeless guy who asks for
change. A slow-moving film with its own rewards,
Old Joy blurs the lines between camaraderie, male
bonding and homoeroticism. Screens 7 p.m. April 26
at Guild Theatre as part of the fourth Portland
Documentary and Experimental Film Festival. B-
—John Esther
Akeelah and the Bee
If you liked Spellbound and Bee Season, you will
surely love this movie about a gifted but under
motivated 11-year-old student (winningly played
by Keke Palmer) living with her widowed mother
(Angela Bassett). Staged around her relationship
with an underdog word whiz (Laurence Fishburne),
the film follows her journey to the Scripps National
Spelling Bee and how she unites her neighborhood
through courage and inspiration. Akeelah might
have a predictably sentimental streak, but 1 think
we need feel-gixxl movies like this to balance the
bleak stuff that’s out there. Opens April 28. A-
—Yvonne P. Behrens
On a Clear Day
American Dreamz
Normally reliable writer/director Paul Weitz
(About a Boy, In Good Company) picks two easy
targets—American Idol and Dubya—and misses by
Gretchen Mol goes from naughty to nice in The
a mile in this toothless, humorless satire starring Notorious Bettie Page.
Dennis Quaid as a doofus president who serves as a
guest judge on a television singing contest to boost
Page’s sudden conversion to Christianity. Opens
his sagging poll numbers. D
April 28 at Cinema 21. B
—Jim Radosta
—JR
The Notorious Bettie Page
Old Joy
Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) directed this
tidy biopic of the dirty pinup model (Gretchen
Mol) whose bondage photos result^ in a Senate
witch hunt (led here, ironically, by David
Strathairn of Good Night, and Good Luck).
Although Mol resurrects a film career mired in
mediocrity, the abrupt ending left me baffled about
Fresh from its premiere at Sundance, this film
(co-produced by Portland’s Todd Hayrres) is the sto
ry of two lifelong friends who reunite for a weekend
campout in the Cascades. For Mark (Daniel
London), the trip might be his last chance to be
alone before his child is bom. For Kurt (Will
Oldham), it is a chance to bond with another
This inspirational yet humorous drama is about
Frank Redmond (Peter Mullan), a 55-year-old
Scotsman who suddenly finds himself laid off after
decades of laboring as a Glasgow shipbuilder.
Keeping the secret from his wife (Brenda Blethyn)
and estranged son (Jamie Sives), Frank decides to
challenge himself by swimming the English
Channel. Like similar British movies, On a Clear
Day has you cheering for the underdog and hoping
for the impossible. A
—YPB
social climbing. Chekhov would be proud of such
subtlety. Opens April 28 at Hollywixxi Theatre. B
—John Esther
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
Based on real events, this moving German film
was nominated for this year's Best Foreign Film
Oscar. Julia Jentsch (The Edukators) delivers a potent
performance as a young woman who was arrested
and executed in 1943 for her role in an anti-Nazi
resistance group called The White Rose. The
lengthy scenes between Sophie and her interrogator
are intense and claustrophobic, and the despotic
courtroom procedures will make your blood boil.
Despite all the uncomfortable feelings it evokes, the
film leaves you with the hopeful sense that Sophie’s
humanitarian ideals will ultimately triumph over
tyranny. Opens April 21 at Cinema 21. A
—SB
Take My Eyes
The Sisters
Shot in Eugene, Richard Alfieri’s entertaining
adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters turns
Olga Prozobov’s bitter old maid into Olga Prior,
a highly educated lesbian. Portrayed by Mary Stuart
Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes), Olga is the old
est of three sisters and one brother. Her sisters have
difficult relationships with their men, but at least
they are allowed to share those relationships in the
open. Olga claims she cannot even discuss her
loves with her siblings for fear of ridicule. This rings
hollow. Although the film barely suggests it, one
suspects Olga’s closeted attitude is for the sake of
Watching this Spanish film about domestic
violence is like waiting for a time bomb to go off.
A timid woman named Pilar flees her abusive hus
band, Antonio, only to return to him when she
believes he has reformed. Suffice it to say that this
is not a good move. Explosive performances from
the two leads highlight this frightening but ulti
mately hopeful tale. Not recommended if you have
a low threshold for abuse scenes. Winner of Goya
Awards—Spain’s version of the Oscars—for Best
Film and Best Director. Opens April 28 at
Hollywood Theatre. B +
—SB ©