JONATHAN WENK. COLUMBIA PICTURES, 2004.
BY LOIS WADSWORTH
Anxiety-producing Claptrap
Low self-esteem breeds crime.
SECRET WINDOW: Written and directed by
David Koepp, based on Stephen King’s novella Secret
Window, Secret Garden. Produced by Gavin Polone.
Executive producer Ezra Swerdlow. Cinematography,
Fred Murphy. Production design, Howard Cummings.
Editor, Jill Savitt. Costumes, Odette Gadoury. Music,
Phillip Glass. Starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro,
with Maria Bello, Timothy Hutton, Charles S. Dutton
and Len Cariou. Columbia Pictures, 2004. PG-13. 97
minutes.
L
et’s get it straight: I don’t read
Stephen King, don’t like the
thriller/horror sub-genre, and except
OPENING OR RETURNING:
Antonia’s Line: 1995 Academy Award
best foreign language film. Dutch direc-
tor Marleen Gorris’ excellent film tells
the story of several generations of
women in one family, who live in a small
village in post-WWII Holland, where
Antonia and her daughter return to
farm. In Dutch with English subtitles. NR.
At 7 pm on 5/19 in 180 PLC, UO campus.
Free.
Baraka: Earth seen through the eyes of
director-cinematographer Ron Fricke
conveys a sense of the planet’s evolu-
tion. Magnificent scenes of unspoiled
nature contrast with the frenzy of big
cities in the everyday lives and cultures
of people in 24 countries. NR. At 7 pm on
5/19 in 100 Willamette Hall, UO campus.
Free.
Breaking All the Rules: When his
fiancée dumps him, Jamie Foxx writes a
“how to” book on dumping, which
becomes a best seller. Also with Morris
Chestnut and Gabrielle Union. PG-13.
Cinemark.
Grand Concert of the Peoples (1992):
Covers Stalin’s campaign to destroy
Russian Jewish culture and professional
leadership, beginning in 1948. At 8:45
pm on 5/18 in 115 Pacific Hall, UO cam-
pus. Free.
Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy
(1982): Videohound says: “(Woody)
Allen’s homage to Shakespeare, Renoir,
Chekov, Bergman … is an engaging
ensemble piece about friends and
acquaintances gathered at a country
house at the turn of the century.” PG. At
7 pm on 5/14 in 30 Pacific Hall, UO cam-
pus. Free.
Never Die Alone: Ernest Dickerson’s
film stars DMX as King David, a criminal
seeking redemption who finds death,
and David Arquette as the journalist who
learns his whole story. Also stars Michael
Ealy, Reagan Preston-Gomez. R. Movies
12. Online archives.
Roll on Columbia: Woody Guthrie and
the Bonneville Power Administration:
Lively documentary on radical folksinger
and songwriter Guthrie and the federal
agency that hired him during the
Depression. Directed and produced by
Michael Majdic and Denise Matthews,
film includes archival footage of
Guthrie’s life, the Depression, the Dust
Bowl and the making of the massive
dams intercut with contemporary inter-
views of his family, folk singers and writ-
ers, dam workers. At 7 pm on 5/14 at
DIVA, 110 W. Broadway.
Shrek 2: Mike Myers returns as Shrek,
Cameron Diaz is his new wife, Princess
Fiona, and Eddie Murphy’s his sidekick,
for Stand By Me (1986) and The Shawshank
Redemption (1994) don’t love any movies
adapted from his works. Moreover, of
King’s prolific, overrated contributions to
the industry canon, I saw The Shining (1980)
only because it was directed by Stanley
Kubrick and Misery (1990) only because of
Kathy Bates. So, I thought, Johnny Depp can
probably pull this stinker out of the compost.
But I was wrong by about 90 of the film’s 97
minutes.
Donkey. Now the newlyweds face Queen
Lillian (Julie Andrews) and King Harold
(John Cleese). Fairy godmother
(Jennifer Saunders), Prince Charming
(Rupert Everett) and the ferocious Puss
in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Opens
Wed. 5/19. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Troy: Wofgang Petersen directs the
ancient Greek tale of the great warrior
Achilles (Brad Pitt) and the lovers Paris
(Orlando), Prince of Troy, and Helen
(Diane Kruger), Queen of Sparta, whose
passion starts a war that destroys a civi-
lization. When Paris steals Helen from
her husband, King Menelaus (Brendan
Gleeson) of Sparta, and takes her to the
walled city of Troy, Menelaus and his
brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox) move
against King Priam of Troy (Peter
O’Toole) and Prince Hector (Eric Bana).
R. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Films open the Friday following EW
publication date unless otherwise
noted. See archived reviews at
www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING:
Big Fish: Tim Burton’s film about a son
(Billy Crudup) who tries to figure out his
father’s (Albert Finney) life through the
wild stories he’s told. Ewan McGregor,
Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito,
Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman and Steve
Buscemi co-star. Truly wonderful film;
highest recommendations. Academy
Award nom for original score. PG-13.
Movies 12. Online archives.
Bon Voyage: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
directs great ensemble cast including
Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu,
Viginie Ledoyen and Gregori Derangere
in satire set on the eve of WWII. Highly
recommended. PG-13. Bijou. Online
archives.
Cheaper by the Dozen: Steve Martin
and Bonnie Hunt play the parents of 12
children, including Piper Perabo, Hilary
Duff and Tom Welling. Directed by
Shawn Levy. PG. Movies 12.
Confessions of a Teenage Drama
Queen: Stars Lindsay Lohan (Freaky
Friday). Welsh director Sara Sugarman’s
first movie. PG. Movies 12.
Connie and Carla: Nia Vardalos and
Toni Collette observe a Mafia hit, head
for LA and become drag queens until
Connie meets Jeff (David Duchovny).
PG-13. Movies 12.
Envy: Ben Stiller, Jack Black star in
Barry Levinson’s film about kooky inven-
tor (Black), who suddenly becomes
wealthy from a spray that makes dog
poop disappear. Neighbor (Stiller) grows
murderously envious. Christopher
Walken co-stars. PG-13. Cinemark.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind: Highly acclaimed film directed by
Michel Gondry from screenplay by
Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation). Stars
Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson,
with Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten
Dunst. Carrey discovers Winslet had
memories of their relationship erased.
Now he wants to do the same. Or does
he? The best new film of ’04. Very high-
est recommendations. R. Cinema World.
Online archives.
Eurotrip: Teens from USA invade
Europe. Crass commercialism. R. Movies
12.
Girl Next Door, The: Emile Hirsch and
Elisha Cuthbert (“24”) star in Luke
Greenfield’s teen comedy, romance. R.
Movies 12.
Good Bye, Lenin: Complicated but
sweet movie about the confusions and
convulsions experienced when the
Berlin Wall came down, as seen through
the lives of an East German family..
Recommend. Bijou. Online archives.
Home on the Range: Disney animated
feature features voices by Roseanne
Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba
Gooding Jr., Randy Quaid, Steve
Buscemi, Carole Cook and Governor Ann
Richards., while singing comes from k.d.
lang, Bonnie Raitt, Tim McGraw and The
Beau Sisters. PG. Cinemark.
I Dream of Mimi: Japanese erotic
anime about an ultra high performance
computer in the form of a gorgeous,
naked woman who does anything you
want. LateNite Bijou, May 7-9.
Kids Are All Right, The: The Who doc-
umentary celebrates legendary per-
formances and chronicle the band mem-
bers’ development from angry mods
(1967 TV debut on the Smothers Brother
show) to rock icons in the 1970s. NR.
LateNite Bijou.
Kill Bill Vol. 1: Quentin Tarantino’s first
of two films was called the most violent
film ever made in Hollywood. Stars Uma
Thurman as the Bride, a woman with a
mission: Kill Bill (David Carradine), her
former boss and lover who betrayed her
and murdered her family. With Lucy Liu,
Daryl Hannah, LaTanya Richardson,
Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and
Samuel L. Jackson. R. Movies 12.
Kill Bill Vol. 2: The Bride (Uma
Thurman) pursues her next foes, Budd
(Michael Madsen), Ellie Driver (Daryl
Hannah) and finally, Bill (David
Carradine). Bound to be bloody. R.
Cinemark. Cinema World. Online
archives.
Laws of Attraction: Julianne Moore
and Pierce Brosnan play high-strung
To be fair, Depp
brings some life to the
character of Mort
Rainey, a blocked writer
stalked by a demented
farmer named Shooter
(John Turturro) and dis-
turbed by his estranged
wife, Amy (Maria
Bello), who wants a di-
vorce. But the task of
engendering suspense
from so interior a story
as King’s overwhelms
even Depp’s ingenuity.
Although Depp adds
a delicious little gaggle
of neurotic jaw-crack-
ling exercises whenever
Rainey is put on the
spot, much of the time
the talented actor can
only act intense, bot-
tled-up and ready to
blow.
Writer, director David Koepp starts the film
with a fast-paced, genuinely suspenseful se-
quence. Rainey, sitting in a car going nowhere,
wet snow sloshing down, debates with himself
over whether or not he should go in a certain
room in a motel. Finally he decides, pulls into
the motel parking lot, runs in the office, grabs a
key off the wall and sprints out the door before
the manager can catch him. He jams the key in
the lock, shoves the door open, and holy shit,
New York divorce attorneys who square
off with their famous clients (Parker
Posey and Michael Sheen) during a
nasty divorce, and fall in love. PG-13.
Cinema World. Cinemark. See review
this issue.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King:
Peter Jackson’s stunning work stars
Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean
Astin, Ian McKellen, Billy Boyd, Orlando
Bloom, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett. Frodo
and Sam make it to Mount Doom as
Aragorn leads the warriors of Middle
Earth in the final battle against Sauron.
Swept 2003 Academy Awards. Very
highest recommendations. Movies 12.
Online archives.
Man on Fire: Denzel Washington as a
security guard for a child who is kid-
napped on his watch. He will have
revenge. R. Cinemark.
Mean Girls: Lindsay Lohan plays a high-
school student raised by zoologist par-
ents in the African bush, who falls for a
popular girl’s ex-boyfriend. PG-13.
Cinemark. Cinema World. Online
archives.
Mystic River: Clint Eastwood directs
Brian Helgeland’s adaptation, based on
Dennis Lehane’s dramatic tragedy. Stars
Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon,
Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden,
Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum. Very
highest
recommendations.
2003
Academy Awards for Penn and Robbins;
catches his wife in bed with another man. They
look terrified. It’s the best scene in the movie.
When the much slower-paced movie later
needs to be punched up, Koepp inserts a useful
flashback and revisits the trauma.
The film is moody, like Rainey, who
sleepwalks through his life and spends most
of his time in a shabby striped bathrobe on
the living room couch in his remote cabin
on Tashmore Lake, quietly going crazy.
When a stranger (Turturro) comes to his
door claiming that Rainey stole his story
and threatens him, Rainey complains to the
laid-back sheriff (Len Cariou). He also puts
Ken Karsch (Charles S. Dutton) on the
case, although it’s never clear if Karsch is
Rainey’s agent, his lawyer or a private de-
tective.
The film’s atmosphere produces anxiety
rather than thrills, and many in the audience
will figure out the film’s central mystery
well before the third act. Depp’s Rainey
questions himself, and Bello makes Amy
slightly more interesting than the character’s
obvious lack of depth warrants. Dutton
brings his deliberate heft and sanity to the
role of Karsch. Turturro is good at “de-
ranged,” adding an offhand note of insou-
ciance that underscores his threats and turns
psychotic with his always-precise deadlines.
Timothy Hutton as the other man in love
with Amy is a puzzle. Is he threatening
Rainey or just fed up?
Ultimately, who cares? Secret Window is
now playing at Movies 12.
ew
nominations for picture, supporting
actress Marcia Gay Harden; director
Eastwood;
adapted
screenplay,
Helgeland. R. Online archives. Movies 12.
Online archives.
New York Minute: Action comedy stars
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen as
sisters on the loose in Manhattan. With
Eugene Levy as a loony truant officer.
PG. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Passion of Christ, The (2004): Mel
Gibson film opens amid charges (denied)
of anti-Semitism. A..O. Scott of The New
York Times writes, “‘The Passion of the
Christ’ is so relentlessly focused on the
savagery of Jesus’ final hours that this
film seems to arise less from love than
from wrath, and to succeed more in
assaulting the spirit than in uplifting it..”
Others call the graphic torture unwatch-
able. R. Cinemark.
Scooby Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed:
Some scary action, rude humor and lan-
guage. PG. Cinemark.
Secret Window: Psychotic (John
Turturro) stalks writer (Johnny Depp),
accusing him of stealing the ending to
his story. David Koepp directs, story by
Stephen King. Also stars Maria Bello,
timothy Hutton, Charles S. Dutton. PG-
13. Movies 12. See review this issue.
Taking Lives: All-star cast includes
Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Keifer
Sutherland, Olivier Martinez and Jean-
Hughes Anglade. Directed by D.J.
Caruso. Thriller about a serial killer who
steals his victims’ identities. R. Movies 12.
Thirteen Going On 30: Jennifer
Garner goes to bed 13, wishing she were
older. Wakes up 17 years later, and she is.
Directed by Gary Winnick, also stars the
always excellent Mark Ruffalo, Andy
Serkis and Kathy Baker. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World. Online archives.
Van Helsing: Monster killer Van Helsing
(Hugh Jackman) teams up with Kate
Beckinsale in Transylvania to bring down
Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh). PG-
13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Walking Tall: Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson returns home after military
career to find his hometown overrun
with crime, drugs and violence. He’s
elected sheriff to shut down his former
rival’s criminal biz. Directed by Kevin
Bray. PG-13. Movies 12.
What the Bleep Do We Know?
Through interviews with cutting-edge
scientists and spiritual teachers, a brand
new way of thinking about conscious-
ness, intentionality and the ability to
make a difference in the world emerges.
But it begins with Amanda (Marlee
Matlin). Highly recommended. NR. Bijou.
Online archives.
Bijou Art Cinemas (686-2458)
Cinema World 8 (342-6536)
Cinemark 17 (746-5202)c
Movies 12 (741-1231)
NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of EW publication, sometimes sooner. See archived
movie reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
Angel Heart Special Edition (1987): Controversial film about voodoo cults in New Orleans circa 1955. Directed by
Alan Parker, film stars Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet Remastered DVD includes commentary, interviews
and five documentaries on voodo. R and NR.
Enter the Dragon (1973): Introduces Bruce Lee through incredible fighting sequences in a variety of martial arts
including Tai Chi Chuan, Karate, Judo, Tae Kwan Do. R.
Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1966): Sergio Leone’s masterful, influential homage to the American Western
chronicles the adventures of what Videohound calls “three dirtbags in search of a cache of Confederate gold.” Stars
Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef. Unrated.
Marx Brothers Collection, The: This 5-disc set includes A Night at the Opera (1935), A Day at the Races (1937),
Room Service/At the Circus (1938/1939), Go West/The Big Store (1940/1941), and A Night in Casablanca (1946).
Also sold separately.
Miracle, The: 1980 US Ice Hockey team beat the greatest team in the world, the Russians, at the Olympics. Stars Kurt
Russell as the coach of this inspiring tale of a sports-world miracle. PG.
Paycheck: Based on a Philip K. Dick sci-fi short story and directed by John Woo, film stars Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman
Aaron Eckhart, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, Michael C. Hall. PG-13.
Torque: Biker Cary Ford (Martin Henderson) returns to see his girlfriend, Shane (Monet Mazur), but they get caught
up with some bad bikers. Also stars Adam Scott, Ice Cube, Jay Hernandez. PG-13.
Next week: Duel in the Sun (1946), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Northern Exposure, Saving
Private Ryan, Smiles of a Summer’s Night (1955), Stray Dog (1949), Underworld and Welcome to Mooseport.
MAY 13, 2004 23