BY MOLLY TEMPLETON
By the power of Grayskull, I. AM. BEOWULF.
Yes, We Know
You’re Beowulf
Sixth century Danes meet today’s technology
BEOWULF:
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary.
Cinematography, Robert Presley. Music, Alan
Silvestri. Starring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins,
John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Crispin Glover
and Angelina Jolie. Paramount Pictures, 2007. PG-
13. 113 min. 44211
T
here’s something amusingly com-
munal about going to a 3-D movie:
The screen instructs you to put on
your funny plastic glasses and everyone, gig-
gling, complies, only to begin oohing and
aahing as animated rain appears to drip just
past their noses. With Beowulf, the 3-D fun
peaks at about the point when a swordpoint
is waved awfully close to Beowulf’s (Ray
Winstone) face. Later, though the film’s
level of spectacle continues to climb, the 3-
D seems to fall a little behind, like just anoth-
er tool in the toybox of the filmmakers.
The good news: Beowulf doesn’t resem-
ble a videogame as much as the previews
suggested. But director Robert Zemeckis
and his sizable team of animators still
haven’t managed to make “performance
capture” animation truly compelling. The
technique allows the film to include scenes
that might otherwise be unfilmable, but it
also leaves background characters with jerky
movements and main characters with oddly
unfocused eyes. Unless, that is, the character
in question is squinting, and squinting is
something our sculpted hero does quite a bit
OPENING OR RETURNING:
August Rush: Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star
as a musical young couple whose lovelorn encounter pro-
duces a child. Orphaned “by circumstance” (says the
description), the boy (Freddie Highmore) grows up to
become a musical prodigy. PG. 113 min. Cinemark. VRC
Stadium 15.
Dragon Wars: The good: Dragons! In L.A.! The bad: The plot
is a convoluted thing about magical powers, resurrected
lovers and a dragon that will be able to ascend into heaven.
Also, the biggest names in the cast are Jason Behr (Roswell)
and Robert Forster. But still … dragons! In L.A.! Can it be bet-
ter than Reign of Fire? PG13. 90 min. Movies 12.
Enchanted: Beautiful princesses! Handsome princes! And …
midtown Manhattan? Amy Adams (Junebug), James
Marsters (X-Men) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy)
star in this fairy tale in the real world, which follows Princess
Giselle (Adams) after a wicked witch banishes her from her
magical kingdom. Why does this Disney flick look so charm-
ing? PG. 107 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Good Luck Chuck: Chuck (Dane Cook) has a hex on him:
every girl he dates finds true love with the next guy she
dates. Enter Cam (Jessica Alba), a klutzy sweetheart Chuck
falls for hard. Clearly, he’s got to wiggle out from under his
strange curse. R. 101 min. Movies 12.
Heartbreak Kid, The: Wasn’t this movie called Meet the
Parents a few years ago? OK, OK, so this time it’s the girl
who’s the problem. And this adaptation of Neil Simon’s 1972
play is directed by the Farrelly Brothers, who struck gold
with Stiller and humiliation comedy with There’s Something
About Mary. R. 115 min. Movies 12.
Hitman: Timothy Olyphant, go back to Deadwood! No, kid-
ding, kidding. But honestly, I’m not sure this videogame-
based film about a professional assassin trying to find out
who set him up (wait, does this remind anyone of Jason
Bourne?) is the best place for you. R. 100 min. Cinemark.
VRC Stadium 15.
Labyrinth: Don’t make me start singing the song. You know
which one I mean. And don’t miss a screening of this shiny
new print of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, one of the most won-
derful movies of the 1980s. Jennifer Connelly! David Bowie
in tights! Goblins, fairies and talking worms, oh my! PG. 122
min. Bijou LateNite, with a Thanksgiving matinee.
Lust, Caution: Ang Lee follows Brokeback Mountain with
this slow, meticulous story about a young woman (Tang Wei)
who poses as someone else in order to win the trust (and
lust) of a man (Tony Leung) working with the Japanese dur-
ing the occupation of Shanghai. Elegant but distant. NC17.
158 min. Bijou. See review this issue.
Mist, The: I keep wondering what’s next. The Cloud? The
Hailstorm? Stephen King can make monsters out of any-
thing, right? Frank Darabont directs this adaptation of a
King short story about a creepy mist that hides even creepi-
er creatures. R. 124 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
No Country for Old Men: The latest from the Coen broth-
of (he also does a good bit of looking
remarkably like Sean Bean). He squints
bravely at King Hrothgar (Anthony
Hopkins), whose people he rescues from the
deformed Grendel (Crispin Glover, animat-
ed to look like an escapee from Resident
Evil); lustily at Wealthow (Robin Wright
Penn), Hrothgar’s beautiful queen; and more
lustily still at Grendel’s mother (Angelina
Jolie), whose promises of power and renown
are too much for a mere man to resist.
In his popular online journal, co-screen-
writer Neil Gaiman wrote that Beowulf
“explores the relationship between a person
and a story about a person.” It’s a lovely
notion, and one worthy of Gaiman’s better
work, but in this straightfoward (if occasion-
ally slightly subversive) film, it’s hardly
apparent. Beowulf is an action-adventure
spectacular of the highest degree, full of rag-
ing demons, fire-billowing dragons and
nasty deaths; character development is sec-
ondary (if not tertiary). It’s best seen through
the thankless character of Wealthow, who
grows wiser and steelier as her kings repeat
their predecessors’ mistakes. Through her
eyes, we see how these powerful men are
doomed to fight demons of their own cre-
ation — and to lose everything when they
appear to win. But we have to look awfully
hard to see even that.
ew
Beowulf is now playing at Cinemark and VRC Stadium 15.
Tang Wei and Tony Leung in Lust, Caution
Sex, Tedium
LUST, CAUTION: Directed by Ang Lee. Written by Wang Hui Ling and James
Schamus, based on the short story “Se, jei” by Eileen Chang. Cinematography,
Rodrigo Prieto. Music, Alexandre Lesplat. Starring Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen
and Wang Leehom. Focus Features, 2007. NC-17. 157 minutes. 44211
I
f little else about it compels you, you might at least find Ang
Lee’s Lust, Caution quite lovely to look at. As shot by Rodrigo
Prieto (the director of photography on Alejandro González
Iñárritu’s films), WWII-era Hong Kong and Shanghai are elegant,
drab places where light often seems to come from within people, their
faces bright spots in dim parlors and streets. The brightest spot in
these streets is the gorgeous face of Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a student and actress who turns revolutionary when she’s recruit-
ed by a small group of fellow students working to overthrow the Japanese occupation. Tang’s composed bearing and acting skills
suit her well in the task she’s given: earning the trust (and lust) of Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), a collaborator with the Japanese.
Between snappy mah-jongg games with Mrs. Yee (Joan Chen) and friends, Wong does just that.
Lee’s film dances lightly with issues of identity, love and power, but it remains flat and stuffy, despite both Lee’s attention to
gorgeous detail (the dresses! the teacups!) and the intense, realistic sex scenes that earned the film an NC-17 rating. What ought
to carry the film is the relationship between Wong and Mr. Yee, set against the realities of this period in Chinese history. But there
is too little character on which to base Wong and Yee’s connection, and the story seems to sit atop its historical setting rather than
fully engaging with it. There is a potentially fascinating story hiding behind the fastidious beauty of Lee’s vision, but this languid,
unconvincing historical romance doesn’t succeed in bringing it to the fore. – Molly Templeton
Lust, Caution opens Friday, Nov. 23, at the Bijou.
ers is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel,
and it’s earning plenty of acclaim itself. The story involves a
small-town sherriff, a deadly drug deal and a psychopathic
killer (Javier Bardem). The reviewers say “intense,” “sear-
ing,” “an evil delight.” R. 122 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Films open the Friday following EW publication date
unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at
www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING:
Across the Universe: Julie Taymor (Titus, Broadway’s The
Lion King) puts her ambitious but unsatisfying spin on a love
story built around Beatles songs, following a young man
(Jim Sturgess) and the girl he falls for (Evan Rachel Wood)
amid the tumult of the 1960s. PG13. 131 min. VRC Stadium 15.
44211 (10/18)
American Gangster: Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe
face off in the story of 1970s driver turned drug lord Frank
Lucas (Washington) and the cop investigating Lucas and his
unexpected rise to power. Directed by Ridley Scott. R. 157
min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. 44411 (11/8)
Bee Movie: Not much looks all that sweet about this ani-
mated comedy, in which Jerry Seinfeld voices a recent bee
college graduate who learns, to his shock, that humans have
been stealing bees’ honey for ages and ages. With the voic-
es of Renee Zellweger and Matthew Broderick. PG. 90 min.
Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Bella: A bad day for two people — one a former soccer play-
er, the other a pregnant waitress — results in an unexpected
connection. “A heart-tugger with the confidence not to tug
too hard,” said Roger Ebert. PG13. 100 min. Cinemark.
Beowulf: Robert Zemeckis, working from a screenplay by
Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman, directs this version of the
story of the warrior Beowulf, with Ray Winstone in the title
role and Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother. Reviews are
good, but it still looks like a video game. PG13. 114 min.
Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. See review this issue.
Bourne Ultimatum, The: “I remember everything,” says
Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne in this film’s action-packed trail-
er. Director Paul Greengrass and the major players (Joan
Allen, Julia Stiles) return to the series’ satisfying third install-
ment, which finds Bourne hunting down his past in stunning
locations. PG13. 111 min. Movies 12. 44421 (8/9)
Dan in Real Life: Poor Dan (Steve Carrell) is an advice
columnist with a passel of daughters whose life is further
complicated when he falls for his brother’s girlfriend
(Juliette Binoche). Also, the brother is played by Dane Cook.
PG13. 99 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Darjeeling Limited, The: Wes Anderson returns with this
story about three brothers (Owen Wilson, Jason
Schwartzman and Adrien Brody) on a journey through India.
They’re sort of going to find their mom; they’re sort of going
to find something spiritual; they’re sort of going to recon-
nect. But alas, the train sort of goes nowhere — not that
that’ll keep Anderson fans from jumping on for the ride. R.
91 min. Bijou. 44211 (10/25)
Fred Claus: So what if Santa had a brother? Who happened
to be the opposite of the saintly gift-giver: a repo man?
That’s the basic premise of this film, but the reason people
will see it, I suspect, is for Paul Giamatti in a Santa suit get-
ting in a fight with Vince Vaughn. PG. 116 min. Cinemark. VRC
Stadium 15.
Halloween: Rob Zombie directs this remake of John
Carpenter’s 1978 film, but opts to take a peek into the past
that created Michael Myers. R. 109 min. Movies 12.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Ministry
of Magic is in denial about the return of Lord Voldemort,
Hogwarts get a nasty new teacher and Harry … Harry’s in
one kind of trouble or another throughout the mostly suc-
cessful and only slightly disappointing fifth HP film. It’s not
quite Prisoner of Azkaban, but it’s getting there. PG13. 138
min. Movies 12. 44421 (7/19)
Into the Wild: Star Emile Hirsch bears a reasonable resem-
blance to Christopher McCandless, a bright, priveleged
young man who took off into Alaska in the early 1990s, but
Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s novel doesn’t cre-
ate an entirely satisfying portrait of the man whose story
has been captivating readers for a decade. R. 140 min. Bijou.
44411 (10/18)
Jane Austen Book Club, The: A sweet but slightly off
adaptation of Karen Joy Fowler’s bestselling novel about six
people — three friends, a daughter, two strangers — who form
a book group to discuss Jane Austen’s six novels. Austen’s
themes resonate throughout the story, and the cast is win-
ning, but the film never reaches above a certain level of
charm. PG13. 106 min. Movies 12. 44211 (10/4)
Lars and the Real Girl: The remarkable Ryan Gosling (Half
Nelson) stars as Lars, who meets and brings home Bianca, a
life-sized doll he treats as if she were a person. The film’s
“daring and delicate blend of apparent irreconcilables will
sweep you off your feet if you’re not careful,” said Los
Angeles Times. PG13. 106 min. VRC Stadium 15.
44441 (11/1)
Lions for Lambs: Heavyweight actors take heavyweight
roles in this story of three relatively powerful people — a pro-
fessor (Robert Redford, who also directs), a senator (Tom
Cruise) and a journalist (Meryl Streep) — whose actions and
choices will affect the lives of two young men fighting in
Afghanistan. R. 90 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
44111 (11/15)
Love in the Time of Cholera: Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco,
Pushing Tin) directs this adaptation of Gabriel Garcia
Marquez’ novel about a man who waits more than 50 years
for his true love, engaging in many affairs while he waits for
her to be free. Starring Javier Bardem and Giovanna
Mezzogiorno. R. 139 min. Cinemark. See review this issue.
Martian Child, The: John Cusack continues to drag his for-
merly youthful cinematic persona into adulthood with this
film about a man who adopts a boy who claims to be from
Mars. With Amanda Peet and the always-wonderful Joan
Cusack. PG. 108 min. Movies 12.
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium: This story about a
magical toy store, its owner (Dustin Hoffman) and the young
shop employee who might inherit it (Natalie Portman) is
written and directed by Zach Helm, who also wrote last
year’s Stranger Than Fiction. G. 94 min. Cinemark. VRC
Stadium 15.
Punk’s Not Dead: As punk nears its 30th anniversary, this
documentary explores the places where punk still thrives,
from recording studios to basements and malls, considering
whether a true punk spirit can still exist after punk’s been
made into a marketing concept. Not rated. 93 min. Bijou
LateNite.
Ratatouille: The latest animated film from Pixar is directed
by Brad Bird (whose The Iron Giant is too often overlooked)
and concerns a big-dreaming rat who wants to be a chef.
When he makes a deal with a garbage boy, the culinary world
of Paris gets far more than it ever imagined. G. 110 min.
Movies 12. 44442 (7/12)
Stardust: Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) takes a firm and
steady hand to the many plot threads of this adaptation of
Neil Gaiman’s novel about a fallen star with an attitude and
the many characters seeking her. Wicked and charming,
sweet and sly, with a stellar cast and a superb sense of
humor. PG13. 128 min. Movies 12. 44442 (8/9)
Superbad: Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen both have fingers
in this pie, as co-producer and co-writer, respectively. It’s the
story of two high school friends, Evan (Michael Cera,
Arrested Development) and Seth (Jonah Hill), who are try-
ing — well, in classic teen movie fashion, they’re trying real-
ly hard to get laid. They’re about to go off to college; what
do you expect? R. 114 min. Movies 12. 44421 (8/23)
3:10 to Yuma: Russell Crowe and Christian Bale costar in
this solid Western from director James Mangold (Walk the
Line). Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard that was
made into a film in 1957, the film follows a vicious outlaw
(Crowe) and the Civil War vet (Bale) who’s volunteered to get
the thief to the train that’ll take him to trial. R. 117 min.
Movies 12. 44421 (9/13)
Underdog: Jason Lee voices the titular canine, who finds
himself superpowered after an incident in the lab of mad sci-
entist Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage). Bad guys have
plots, but Underdog has a spaniel to impress! Oh, and the
day to save. PG. 84 min. Movies 12.
War Made Easy: This documentary, based on the book by
Norman Solomon, takes on government deception and the
media’s complicity in the nation’s wars but fails to effective-
ly make many of its points; the film seems to presuppose
that you’re already on its side and don’t need too much evi-
dence in order to be even more thoroughly convinced. But
it’s hard to fault Solomon and the filmmakers too heavily, as
their hearts — and minds — are in the right place. Not rated.
73 min. Bijou.
NOVEMBER 21, 2007
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