JUNE 1.2007 jUStpUtJtl
film
Gracie
Directed by David Guggenheim (An incon
venient Truth), this movie was inspired by real
events in the life of his wife, Elisabeth Shue. The
story is set in the 1970s, when it wasn’t possible for
girls to play Competitive soccer. Gracie (Carly
Schroeder) is determined to fight for the right to
play on a team because not only is she better than
a lot of the boys, she simply loves the game. A pre
dictable, clean-cut, feel-gixxl family movie that will
appeal to nonsoccer fans, too. B +
—Yvonne P. Behrens
Mr. Brooks
This suspense thriller by writer/director Bruce
A. Evans (Kuffs) reunites The Big Chill stars Kevin
Costner and William Hurt. Costner plays the title
character, a respected family man with a secret,
and Hurt plays his wicked alter ego. The film has
a stellar supporting cast, including Marg
Helgenberger as Costner’s wife and Demi Moore
as a detective. All the right ingredients will keep
you on your toes, and Costner is quite believable
as the bad guy. B
—Yl’B
Paris, Je T'aime
Several directors from around the planet were
asked to make a short film about the city of Paris.
With the title Paris, Je T’aime (Paris, 1 Love You) as
their focal point, the emphasis in the stories is on
amour, or the loss thereof, rather than, say, the
political, cultural or artistic history of Paris. Thus,
the 18 short films seldom vary in content.
Considering the diverse filmmakers include
Mexico’s Alfonso Cuaron, Germany’s Tom Tykwer,
Japan’s Nobuhiro Suwa and Portland's own Gus
Van Sant, this is somewhat surprising.
With regard to these affairs of the heart, two
films have gay angles. More of a muse than an
object of desire, the Paris grave site of writer Oscar
Wilde brings a British couple (Emily Mortimer and
Rufus Sewell) together in U.S. writer/director Wes
Craven’s “Père-Lachaise.”
In Van Sant’s “Le Marais,” Gaspard (Gaspard
Ulliel) enters a printer’s shop with his English boss
(Marianne Faithfull), immediately feels a connec
tion to the printer’s apprentice, Eli (Elias
McConnell of Van Sant’s Elephant), and starts talk
ing to him in French. While Eli nibbles on his ftxxl
with little French on his tongue, the stunningly
attractive Gaspard paces back and forth, declaring
this connection he senses with Eli. Then as quick
ly as Gaspard appears, he departs. Eli impulsively
runs out the printer’s shop, chasing after him.
In one of the film’s better segments, Van Sant
approaches Paris as a cheeky film essay. Gaspard is
the bold poet once found in the French Nouvelle
Vague films of the 1960s, only now the young
heterosexual revolutionary is a gay man working
for the Anglo establishment. (I suspect Van Sant
cast Faithfull, whose most famous sting is “Broken
English.") Gaspard claims this great connection to
Eli, yet he does not discern the latter’s weak
French-speaking skills. Only when the moving
image of Gaspard vanishes does Eli express him
self outside the printer’s shop (read: theater). C +
—John Esther
Ping Pong
An adaptation of a popular and long-running
manga series, Ping Pong explores the friendship of
two Japanese high school table tennis enthusiasts,
Peco and Smile, and how pingpong structures and
interprets their lives. Peco is wacky and high-
spirited, whereas Smile (who got the name because
he never smiles) is introverted and seemingly
indifferent to the game. As Smile’s pingpong skills
increase, Peco gets worse, and depends on his
friendship with Smile to dig him out of his sud
den emotional crisis. Filmed in a style that mim
ics the composition and framing of comics panels,
this touching and fascinating story makes for pleas
urable viewing. Opens June 8 at Hollywood
Theatre. B +
—Jemiah Jefferson
Pirates of the Caribbean:
At World's End
If you thought Memento was mentally challeng
ing, wait until you see Pirates 111. In between all the
explosions and sword fights and funny accents and
really bad teeth, you get approximately 8,493
different double-crosses and triple-crosses (give or
take a few). You’ll likely stop caring about the
multiple plots about 30 minutes in and just drink in
the loud, dirty, explosive sights. Johnny Depp is the
only saving grace for this overlong, overcomplicat
ed mess that is mostly full of sound and fury, and far
toei many subplots. C-
—Andy Mangels ©
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