BY LOIS WADSWORTH
SIMON MEIN, MGM PICTURES, 2004
OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday fol-
lowing EW publication date
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Opening night at the theater
for Mr. and Mrs. Cole Porter
(Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd).
A Trip to the Moon
On gossamer wings
D E -L OV E LY : Directed by Irwin Winkler. Written by Jay
Cocks. Produced by Irwin Winkler, Rob Cowan, Charles Winkler.
Executive producers, Simon Channing Williams, Gail Egan.
Cinematography, Tony Pierce-Roberts. Production design, Eve
Stewart. Editor, Julie Monroe. Costumes, Janty Yates. Music and
lyrics by Cole Porter. Music arranged and produced by Stephen
Endelman. Starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, with Jonathan
Pryce. Also, Robbie Williams, Lemar, Elvis Costello, Alanis
Morissette, John Barrowman, Caroline O’Connor, Sheryl Crow,
Mick Huknall, Diana Krall, Vivian Green, Lara Fabian, Mario
Frangoulis, Natalie Cole. MGM Pictures, 2004. PG-13. 125 minutes.
C
ole Porter’s music carries the film,
more than the plot, characters and
exquisite locations. Some of Porter’s
tunes are silly, but many of his love songs are
among the best ever written. And so
American. From the Jazz Age through the
1930s, ’40s and into the post-WWII boom,
Porter’s popular songs helped define the
American moment.
The movie begins with an older, de-
pressed Porter (Kevin Kline) being whisked
out of his room to the theater by Gabe
(Jonathan Pryce), an angel of sorts. Rehearsal
is in progress, and the two men watch to-
gether as Porter’s life unfolds in song, dance
and drama onstage.
I’m usually annoyed by such obvious de-
vices, but it works here because Porter’s life
was theatrical — not opera but Broadway, for
which he scored 10 full-scale musicals. And
except for the grounding scenes he spends
with his wife, Linda (Ashley Judd), Porter
pretty much sings and dances his way
through his life story on stage. Music was his
life, as Linda notes late in the film, and with-
out it, Porter would be rudderless, adrift.
But that’s getting way ahead of the story,
which unfolds in a roughly chronological
fashion. Porter meets socialite Linda Lee in
Paris, after at least a decade on the town,
drinking, taking love where he found it, and
asking nothing more. Why a playboy such as
he would choose to marry at all is a real ques-
tion, but in the film he simply falls in love
with the lovely Linda and wants to be with
her.
The story of their marriage is at the heart
of the film, and biographers can decide
whether or not that is truly how it was, but it
works for the film Irwin Winkler has imag-
ined. Porter’s male lovers are denied any le-
gitimacy, as if they were all one-night stands,
which they may have been. Had any of the
men who loved him been given at least a few
lines and a personality, the picture would
have been more complete.
But these are quibbles. What matters is
the music, and this is where the theater setting
works best, as we segue from rehearsal to
opening night and hear talented contempo-
rary singers put a new twist to old favorites. I
loved Alanis Morissette’s playful rendition of
“Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love,” in her white
ruffled dress with red polka dots, her lilting
voice filling the hall. Elvis Costello’s “Let’s
Misbehave” is charming, which may not be
an adjective often applied to his work. Vivian
Green’s poignant “Love For Sale” set in a gay
nightclub in Hollywood sounded brand-new
to me, as if I had never heard its bruised
lyrics.
I t ’s Pr y ce as G a b e
w h o a n ch o rs t he f i lm .
H e kn ow s t h e p a s t,
t he f ut u re a n d w ha t
ev er y on e wi s he s h ad
h ap pe n e d b u t di d n ’ t.
I had reservations about Kline’s perform-
ance before I saw the film, a dread that he
might take the show biz connection over the
top, which makes me very cranky. I saw just
the edge of that tendency here, in some of the
sillier musical numbers. Overall, I was im-
pressed by the sobriety and dare I say matu-
rity Kline brought to the role of a flawed man
but stellar artist.
Judd gave one of her most subtle perform-
ances in years, showing Linda’s dignity and
backbone in a difficult marriage. She evokes
our sympathy, but not our pity. And when she
needs to save her marriage and rein in
Porter’s outrageous side, she does it lovingly.
No small feat, that.
But it’s Pryce as Gabe who anchors the
film. He knows the past, the future and what
everyone wishes had happened but didn’t.
His presence is reassuring, in part because his
character has none of the religious aspect of
his namesake.
High recommendations to this overlong
but rewarding biopic, now playing at Cinema
World. Beautiful men and women, Armani
clothing, excellent vintage cars and homes of
the wealthy — a perfect escape from the 21st
century.
ew
Dead or Alive Final: Takashi
Milke’s third installment of
his explicitly violent parody
of Hong Kong gangster
movies is possibly his most
brilliant. It comments on life
through “its use of violence,
humor, and liberal literary
and film allusions.” NR.
Adults only. LateNite Bijou.
Family Undertaking, A:
Elizabeth Westrate’s film
documents a changing social
trend: the home-funeral
movement. More families
bring loved ones’ deaths
back into the family and
away from the commercial-
ized funeral industry. On
“POV” at 11 pm on 8/3 on
OPB, but check listings.
Harry and Kumar Go to
White Castle: A comedy
about room mates who get
stoned and go out for a few
burgers but end up on a
long, strange trip. Stars John
Cho (American Pie) and Kal
Penn (Van Wilder). A sum-
mer sleeper, this road film
has some critics smiling. R.
Cinemark.
Manchurian Candidate,
The: Updating of Cold War
classic psychological thriller
stars Denzel Washington as
an ex-career officer dis-
turbed by his experience in
Desert Storm. Liev Schreiber
plays a former squad ser-
geant, now a vice-presiden-
tial candidate and son of a
powerful senator (Meryl
Streep). R. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Modern Times (1936): The
last silent film by writer,
director, incomparable star
Charlie Chaplin is one of
cinema’s most influential
films. Brilliant by any stan-
dards, it was the first film to
put the man versus
machines themes up front.
G. Music by Brooks
Robertson and buster B.
Jones play at 8 pm on 7/30;
movie starts at dusk.
Broadway Plaza outside. $2
donation requested.
Shaolin Soccer: Elvis
Mitchell, late of The New
York Times, found this
super-successful Hong Kong
action comedy directed, co-
written and starred in by
“action avatar” Stephen
Chow “too much fun to take
seriously, or ignore.” PG.
Bijou.
Thunderbirds: High-tech
assistance is required from
top-secret International
Rescue, former astronaut
(Bill Paxton) and his five
sons. Ben Kingsley plays the
master criminal. PG.
Cinemark.
Village, The: M. Night
Shyamalan’s new suspense-
ful film stars Joaquin
Phoenix, Bryce Dallas
Howard, Adrien Brody,
William Hurt and Sigourney
Weaver.PG-13. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
CONTINUING:
Anchorman: Subtitled “The
Legend of Ron Burgundy,”
this comedy stars Will Ferrell
as an unctuous, untalented
newscaster who’s a legend
only in his own mind. PG-13.
Cinema World. Cinemark.
Online archives.
Bourne Supremacy, The:
Paul Greengrass (writer,
director of Bloody Sunday)
directs Matt Damon as
assassin Jason Bourne in the
second installment of Robert
Ludlum’s espionage thrillers
Also stars Joan Allen, Brian
Cox, Julia Stiles, Kurt Urban
and Franka Potente.PG-13.
Cinema World. Cinemark.
See review this issue.
Catwoman: Halle Berry
makes her action debut as a
stunning looking action fig-
ure, Catwoman, with Frances
Conroy, Benjamin Bratt,
Lambert Wilson and Sharon
Stone. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
Chronicles of Riddick, The:
Riddick (Vin Diesel) ends up
on a multicultural planet
invaded by a despot planning
to subjugate everyone with
his non-human warriors, the
Necromongers. (Named for a
bad rock band?) Also stars
Thandie Newton, Alexa
Davalos, Colm Feore, Linus
Roache and Judi Dench. PG-
13. Movies 12.
Cinderella Story, A: Teen
romance comedy stars
Hilary Duff, Jennifer
Coolidge, Chad Michael
Murray and Regina King.
Mark Rosman directs. PG.
Cinemark.
Clearing, The: First-time
director Pieter Jan Brugge
takes a minimalist approach
to the difficult human situa-
tion three fallible people find
themselves in. Stars Robert
Redford and Helen Mirren as
a successful couple and
Willem Dafoe as the kidnap-
per who changes their lives.
Highly recommended. R.
Bijou. Online archives.
Day After Tomorrow, The:
Directed by Roland
Emmerich, starring Dennis
Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal,
Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward. A
climatologist (Quaid) tries to
figure out a way to save the
world from abrupt global
warming. He must get to his
son (Gyllenhaal) in New York,
which is being taken over by
a new ice age. PG-13. Movies
12.
De-Lovely: Songsmith Cole
Porter’s (Kevin Kline) life in
song and dance centers on
his long marriage (Ashley
Judd) and relegates his
homosexuality to bad-boy
behavior. Performances by
contemporary singers such
as Elvis Costello, Alanis
Morissete and Sheryl Crow
enhance the music.. PG-13.
Cinema World. See review
this issue.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog
Story: Can social rejects save
their small local gym from
gentrification? Only director
Rawson Thurber and his
stars Ben Stiller, Vince
Vaughn, Christine Taylor and
Rip Torn know for sure. PG-
NEW RELEASES ON VIDEO
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday fol-
lowing date of EW publication, sometimes sooner. See
archived movie reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
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. Online archives.
Garage Days: Alex Proyas’ rock ‘n’ roll comedy from
Australia follows an aspiring rock band. The film has what
Elvis Mitchell (The NYTimes) called “flares of cellar-
dwelling wit and shameless vivacity.” Sounds wonderful. R.
Hellboy: Based on Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse Comics
series, this supernatural action adventure stars Ron
Perlman, John Hut, Selma Blain and Doug Jones and is
directed by Guillermo del Toro. Highly entertaining,
sweet film. See it. PG-13. Online archives.
Reckoning: Paul McGuigan directs this adaptation of
Barry Unsworth’s excellent Morality Play, set in medieval
England. A priest in flight joins traveling players. The
murder of a child sets in motion a new stage show and
the solving of the crime. Stars Paul Bettany, Willem
Dafoe, Brian Cox. R.
13. Movies 12.
Fahrenheit 9/11: Winner of
the Palme d’Or at Cannes
2004, Michael Moore’s non-
fiction film is more
restrained than his later
films and better for it. The
film is respectful, moving
and informative, as well as
opinionated and occasionally
heavy handed. Don’t miss.
Highest recommendations.
R. Bijou. Cinemark. Online
archives.
Garfield, The Movie: The
poster promises “frisky busi-
ness” as Garfield, the smarty
pants kitty, makes his film
debut. PG. Movies 12.
Harry Potter & the
Prisoner of Azkaban:
Alfonso Cuarón directs the
third film based on the series
by J.K. Rowling. Harry
(Daniel Radcliffe), Ron
(Rupert Grint) and Hermione
(Emma Watson), now
teenagers, return to
Hogwarts, where they face
their darkest fears. The very
best so far. Highly recom-
mended. PG. Cinemark.
Online archives.
Hidalgo: Based on autobiog-
raphy of distance rider Frank
T. Hopkins, played by Viggo
Mortensen, this epic action-
adventure takes place during
a 3,000 mile survival race
across the Arabian Desert in
1890. PG-13. Movies 12.
Home on the Range: Disney
animated film features voic-
es 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. Movies 12.
I, Robot: Alex Proyas (Dark
City, The Crow) directs Will
Smith as a police detective
investigating a crime
thought to be perpetrated by
a robot. Also stars Bruce
Greenwood, James
Cromwell, Chi McBride and
Bridget Moynahan. Based on
Isaac Asimov’s classic sci-fi
stories. PG-13. Cinemark.
Online archives.
Kill Bill Vol. 2: The Bride
(Uma Thurman) pursues her
next foes, Budd (Michael
Madsen), Ellie Driver (Daryl
Hannah) and finally, Bill
(David Carradine). Bloody.
Quentin Tarantino’s epic
shows he makes movies that
move and characters who
kill, but to what end, besides
his own self-gratification? R.
Movies 12. Online archives.
King Arthur: Excellent cast
includes Clive Owen, Keira
Knightley, Stellan Skarsgard,
Stephen Dillane, Ray
Winstone, Ioan Gruffudd.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
and produced by Jerry
Bruckheimer, this revisionist
history, action adventure is
not your great-great grand-
pa’s Arthurian tales, ;but is
recommended for its per-
formances. PG-13. Cinemark.
Online archives.
Mean Girls: Lindsay Lohan
plays a high-school student
raised by zoologist parents in
the African bush, who falls
for a popular girl’s ex-
boyfriend. PG-13. Movies 12.
Online archives.
Napoleon Dynamite: Jared
Hess’ indie comedy stars Jon
Heder as a high schooler
who lives in Idaho with his
grandmother. The Village
Voice says “the film is an
epic, magisterially observed
pastiche on all-American
geekhood, flooring the com-
petition with a petulant
shove.” PG. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Notebook, The: Nick
Cassavetes directs Gena
Rowlands and James Garner,
Ryan Gosling and Rachel
McAdams in the screen
adaptation of Nicholas
Spark’s best-selling romantic
novel. With Sam Shepard
and Joan Allen. Deserves to
be seen for its depiction of
real first love, with a great
performance by McAdams.
Recommended. PG-13.
Movies 12. Online archives.
Raising Helen: Directed by
Garry Marshall, starring
Kate Hudson, John Corbett,
Joan Cusack. After her sis-
ter and brother-in-law die in
a car accident, a young
woman (Hudson) becomes
the guardian of their three
children. Recommended. PG-
13. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Scooby Doo 2 Monsters
Unleashed: Some scary
action, rude humor and lan-
guage. PG. Movies 12.
Spider Man 2: Peter Parker
aka Spidey (Tobey Maguire)
returns as a college student
by day who still loves Kirsten
Dunst and a superhero when
needed against his new
nemesis, Otto Octavius
(Alfred Molina). Sam Raimi
directs. Looks great! PG-13.
Cinema World. Cinemark.
Online archives.
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. High recom-
mendations. PG-13. Movies
12. Online archives.
Troy: Wofgang Petersen
directs ancient Greek tale of
great warrior Achilles (Brad
Pitt) and the lovers Paris
(Orlando), Prince of Troy, and
Helen (Diane Kruger), Queen
of Sparta, whose passions
ignite a war that destroys a
civilization. Also with
Brendan Gleeson, Brian Cox,
Peter O’Toole and Eric Bana.
R. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Two Brothers: Jean-
Jacques Annaud (The Bear)
directs this adventure story
about the power of friend-
ship between twin tiger cubs.
Stars Guy Pearce, Jean-
Claude Dreyfus and
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu.
PG. Movies 12.
Bijou Art Cinemas (686-
2458)
Cinema World 8 (342-6536)
Cinemark 17 (746-5202)c
Movies 12 (741-1231)
Story of Women, The: Claude Chabrol’s 1998 tale of
French abortionist, played by Isabelle Huppert during the
Nazi occupation of France. Powerful. DVD extras include
commentary by Chabrol, interviews and essay by film
critic Wheeler Winston Dixon. R.
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 excel-
lent Mark Ruffalo, Andy Serkis and Kathy Baker. PG-13.
High recommendations. Online archives.
Whole Ten Yards, The: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry,
Amanda Peet and Natsha Henstridge star in this comedy
sequel. Willis is a retired hitman living the life of a happy
homemaker until Mafioso mayhem ensues. PG-13.
Zorba the Greek (1964): Based on the novel by Nikos
Kazantzakis, Michael Cacoyannis’s classic about a young
Brit (Alan Bates) who befriends a laborer (Anthony
Quinn) and meets a beautiful widow (Irene Pappas) from
a small, conservative village is a brilliant, humanist film,
with humor and the unforgettable Quinn’s dance.
Next Week: The Bad Seed, Envy, Freaks, Kill Bill 2,
The Prince and Me.
JULY 29, 2004 21