V
JANUARY 6. 2007 jUStlOUt^l
CHOOSE FROM 130 FRAGRANCES
society for the CIA and s<xm Becomes more and
more suspicious of everything and everybody, while
his wife (a great performance by Angelina Jolie)
tries to hold onto their marriage and deal with all
of his secrets. Director Robert IX* Niro’s thriller has
all the elements of a great movie—suspense,
romance and strong character portraits—and while
it might be a little long for some, I enjoyed the
journey to the end. A-
—YPB
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Inland Empire
Even diehard David Lynch fans might have
trouble digesting this inscrutable three-hour mind-
fuck about a Hollywixxl actress (Laura Dem) who Cate Blanchett (left) and Judi Dench face off in the wickedly fun psycho-thriller Notes on a Scandal.
undergoes a nightmarish journey after landing a big
film rote. Lynch revisits the theme of identity swap­
statement artiness; it contents itself with being a
Still, Charlotte is nothing if not persistent, and
ping from Mulholland Dr., and his uncompromising­ juicy, nasty, surprisingly smart, entertaining psycho­ she manages to convince Veronica to help her
ly brutal portrayal of a woman in peril recalls Laura
thriller with vibrant performances and some gen­ move a large bed. In return, the beautician drops
Palmer from Twin Peaks. Unless you’re a Mensa
uine bite to its themes of hyp<x:risy, class and self-
off some expensive foundation for the makeup-
member on acid, the best thing to do is rid your
awareness (or lack thereof). There are doubtlessly challenged Veronica. Their connection is further
mind of logic and let the dark, eerily beautiful
more edifying films out there right now, but you’re
cemented by the fact that their apartment building
dream world swallow you whole. Featuring Lynch
guaranteed to have a better time at this one. A-
has paper-thin walls. Veronica becomes privy to
veterans Diane Ladd, Harry Dean Stanton and
—CM
Charlotte’s peculiar way of rebounding—fucking
Grace Zabriskie. Opens Jan. 12 at Cinema 21. B
one pickup after another and then kicking them
—Stephen Blair
The Painted Veil
out—while Charlotte discovers Veronica’s suicide
John Curran (We Don’t Live Here Anymore)
attempt courtesy of the latter’s yapping dog, Miss
Notes on a Scandal
directed this remake of the 19 34 Greta Garbo classic
Daisy. Now Veronica owes Charlotte the favor of
, In the wickedly fun film Notes on a Scandal,
based on W. Somerset Maugham’s love story about a
having saved her life.
Dame Judi Dench plays a villainess in the proud
middle-class doctor (Edward Norton) who gets
From there, A Soap (opening Jan. 5 at Hollywrxxl
tradition of Cruella De Vil or some of Bette Davis’
married for all the wrong reasons to an upper-class
Theatre) spirals into a series of unexpected encoun­
more compelling narcissistic schemers (or, less
woman (Naomi Watts) in the 1920s. The couple
ters, including Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend attacking her
obviously, the misunderstood, friendless monster in
move to Shanghai and from there to a remote area of
and Veronica trying to handle Charlotte’s apparent,
Frankenstein). Her patrician Barbara Covett, a stern­ China, where they finally find out that their marriage
increasing sexual interest in her.
ly old-fashioned spinster schixdteacher in present-
is meant to be. Great performances, a wonderfully
The Danish film’s queer sexual politicking and
day London, abounds in glamorously sinister,
fitting music score and stunning cinematography.
fascination with female (and tranny) sexuality
cigarette-smoking charisma. Ms. Covett is a dement­ The film also has a rare cameo by Dame Diana Rigg
make it sound like a Pedro Almodovar knockoff.
ed menace to the rest of the characters, but it’s clear
as Mother Superior. A
And its natural (dark) lighting, cinema vérité act­
that we viewers are meant, if not to actually side
—YPB
ing and sardonic voiceovers give it the feel of a Lars
with her, at least to understand her point of view.
von Trier movie.
This becomes quite important when we’re talking
A Soap
But director Pernille Fischer Christesen lacks
about a closeted (probably even to herself) lesbian
Veronica, aka Ulrik (David Dencik), is a pre­
Almodovar’s robust embrace of such material as
whose desire for an unreciprtKating other provides operative tranny and part-time dominatrix.
well as von Trier’s edgy experimentation. The
the impetus for most of the film’s events. Unlike the
Charlotte (Trine Dyrholm) is a brassy blond beauti­
situations here seem contrived and unreal—
one-dimensional, lunatic, pure-evil outsider stalker
cian who has just engineered a brutal breakup—the
there’s no sense of an organic connection between
characters relied upon by the misogynistic Fatal
sudden disappearing act—with her doctor boyfriend.
these characters, whose quirky behavior soon
Attraction or the homophobic Enduring Love, Covett,
Veronica moves into the same apartment building as
palls. Gimmicks like the repeated lingering static
ruthless as she is, is more akin as a queer character to
Charlotte, indeed just above her. Intrigued perhaps
shots of a cherry tree and the voiceovers that
Matt Damon’s Mr. Ripley: dangerous, hut human in
as much by her neighbor’s bad wig and so-so makeup
mark each new development feel more smug than
a way that anyone who’s been in enough pain to
as her unusual lifestyle, Charlotte tries none-too-
surprising. A Soap won major awards at the pres­
have had an irrationally vindictive emotion can
subtly to initiate a friendship. But Veronica isn’t
tigious Berlin Film Festival, and it’s not without
relate to. .
exactly social; when she’s not whipping and scream­
merit—particularly in the often nuanced acting.
When art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett)
ing at a trick, she mopes around the apartment, pop­
But ultimately this Soap, sad to say, needs a good
arrives at the school where Covett teaches, rhe
ping pills and grimly awaiting news of whether her
scrubbing. C +
—GM ®
older woman immediately begins to size up her
sexual reassignment surgery has been approved.
strangely attractive new colleague, insinuating
herself as Hart’s shoulder to cry on, a sort of older
sister and the school's only voice of reason. We
listen in on Covett’s cuttingly decisive musings,
journal entries delivered in dispassionate British
voiceover: “They do things differently in bourgeois
bohemia,” she sneers to herself after witnessing the
comfortably chaotic, somewhat self-indulgent
household of Hart, her much older husband (Bill
Nighy) and their two children. But Hart really does
live something like the wishy-washy, complacent
life characterized by Covett: A former free-spirited
punk rocker vaguely dissatisfied with her
wife/mother/teacher role, she takes the reckless
actions of one in a midlife crisis—actions observed
and exploited by her scarily omniscient mentor.
Notes on a Scandal, despite its very British air
and Philip Glass score, doesn't aspire to big- Trine Dyrholm (left) and David Dencik portray the odd couple in A Soap.
■
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