Eugene weekly., March 13, 2008, Page 46, Image 46

movies
BY MOLLY TEMPLETON
Making the Bands
Music and more at the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls
GIRLS ROCK!:
Directed by Arne Johnson
and Shane King. Produced by Arne Johnson.
Cinematography, Shane King. Animation, Liz
Canning. With Palace, Amelia, Misty and Laura, and
the staff of the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls. Shadow
Distribution, 2008. PG. 90 minutes. 44411
T
he Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls is
totally awesome. Since 2001, when
the camp was founded, it’s given
girls ages 8 to 18 a place to go hang out with
other girls (and the women who lead the
camp) and learn to write, play and perform
music with their peers. During the week of
camp, attendees also go to workshops in
things like self-defense and zine creation,
groups in which girls can discuss the things
that worry them and lunchtime concerts
featuring women musicians of all genres.
The camp (which has since expanded to
include an after-school program and more)
is the rare thing that makes me almost wish
I were still a teenager — or, less drastically,
that at least that I could play an instrument
and therefore be part of it.
For those of us who’ve always wondered
just how it works, Girls Rock! is a fascinating
peek inside the Portland warehouse where the
summer camp sessions take place. But more
importantly, it’s an introduction to the camp
for parents and girls who may not have heard
of it before or have been uncertain about
wanting to participate. In that sense, Arne
Johnson and Shane King’s well-intentioned
documentary should be a success. Johnson
and King follow four very different girls
— 7-year-old Palace, a fashion-conscious
singer; 8-year-old Amelia, a noise rocker
whose muse is her dog, Pippi; 15-year-old
Laura, who loves death metal and is also a
vocalist; and 17-year-old Misty, who’s never
seen a bass before but takes to the instrument
quickly — as they navigate the complexities
of a camp in which the campers form bands
with girls they most likely just met. The goal
is to write a song in fi ve days and perform it
at the end of camp showcase. The magical
thing is that they all do it. It gets messy
and complicated, and a few young egos get
bruised, but it works.
The rock camp isn’t just about music;
it’s also about creating an empowering
place for girls to talk about and deal with
the diffi culties of being themselves, and it’s
in the scenes where campers discuss the
pressures they feel and the challenges facing
Palace wants to
rock you on
girls and young women that the value of the
camp is most obvious. To illustrate these
diffi culties and complexities, the fi lm veers
off from time to time into quirkily animated
segments that provide depressing and vital
information about the lives of teenage (and
younger) girls — but that also seem spliced
in from a different fi lm. In fact, there are
three fi lms and stories here, weaving around
each other but not overlapping as well as
they should: the stories of the four campers;
the story of the camp and the women who
work at it, who all have striking insights
and anecdotes about the necessity and
purpose of their work; and the animated
segments that offer statistics and snippets of
oversimplifi ed backstory.
But this is the sort of fi lm in which you
might choose, as I did, to overlook the fl aws
in favor of the purpose. The fi lm — though
its DIY look is perfectly appropriate and its
soundtrack spectacular — needs a sharper
focus and a stronger narrative thread to
pull it all together. But frankly, it’s not the
fi lm that matters here so much as it is the
heartbreaking, feisty, smart, troubled, savvy
girls, and the possibility that they might
inspire more girls to pick up guitars, to trek
to Portland (or one of the other cities that
now hosts a rock camp) and experience
a place where nobody has to be perfect,
mistakes can be made as loudly as you
like and, when showtime comes around,
absolutely everybody is a rock star.
ew
Girls Rock! opens Friday, March 14, at the Bijou.
movie clips
OPENING OR RETURNING:
Cloverfi eld: Though it’s gripping while you’re in the
theater, this J.J. Abrams-produced monster fl ick
about a beast that destroys Manhattan starts to seem
fl awed and somewhat silly once you step back into
daylight. PG13. 90 min. Movies 12.
Doomsday: Neil Marshall (The Descent) directs this
futuristic fi lm about a country walled off in response
to a deadly virus — and the team (led by Rhona Mitra,
working the Kate Beckinsale in Underworld angle)
that must venture back into that country to fi nd a
cure when the virus appears elsewhere. R. 105 min.
Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Funny Games: Michael Haneke remakes his 1998
fi lm in an English-language version starring Naomi
Watts and Tim Roth as a couple whose vacation turns
horrifying with the arrival of two disturbed young
men. R. 112 min. Bijou.
Girls Rock!: This documentary follows the young
women and girls (and adult counselors and instructors)
of Portland’s Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls as they
work to write songs, get along and prepare for a
performance in just a week. But there’s more than
just music at the camp, which helps girls deal with the
pressures and diffi culties of being young and female. A
well-intentioned, imperfect fi lm that nonetheless ought
to be seen. PG. 90 min. Bijou. See review this issue.
Horton Hears a Who: The Dr. Seuss classic gets the
animated treatment from the creators of Ice Age,
with Jim Carrey as Horton and Steve Carell as the
mayor of Who-ville, the tiny world on a speck that
Horton discovers and defends from his fellow animals,
who think he’s gone nuts. G. 110 min. Cinemark. VRC
Stadium 15.
Never Back Down: Is it just me, or does this fi lm
looks like an excuse to shoot a lot of badass fi ght
scenes? (With a story loosely draped around them, of
course.) The new kid in school gets, er, schooled by
the resident bullly, who’s got a hot girlfriend. But if he
masters mixed martial arts, the new guy might turn
the tables. PG13. 112 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Rambo: Jon Rambo (oh, you know who plays him) sees
his solitary life in Thailand come to a crashing close
when two American human rights missionaries (Julie
Benz and Paul Schulze) track him down and ask for
his help getting into Burma. When they don’t return,
Rambo knows what must be done. And it involves
cheesy one-liners! R. 93 min. Movies 12.
Spidertron: Locally and indepdendently produced
sci-fi comedy uses nearby locations, UO students
and a whole lot of determination to tell the story of
a spaceship crew marooned on an alien planet. www.
spidertron.com Bijou LateNite.
String Cheese Incident: Live at Red Rocks: Film of
the band’s farewell shows last August show onstage
and through the venue’s sound system. 200 min. 9 pm
March 15, WOW Hall. $10 adv., $12 door.
Swedish Film Series: In Colin Nutley’s House of
Angels, Fanny comes back to her small Swedish town —
30 MARCH 13, 2008 EUGENE WEEKLY
on the back of her boyfriend’s motorbike — to claim her
ancestral home on the day of her grandfather’s funeral.
Locals are upset when they realize the two are going to
stay. 7 pm March 14, 177 Lawrence, UO. Free.
Who, The: This Quadrophenia-era TV broadcast was
fi lmed at London’s Charlton Athletic Club in 1974. Part
of the In-Concert series. Bijou LateNite.
Women, Media and Rebellion in Oaxaca: Filmmaker
Gabriela Martinez hosts the Eugene premiere of her
documentary, which focuses on the role of women in
the struggle against the governor of Oaxaca. A Q&A
follows the screening. 7 pm March 14, DIVA.
Films open the Friday following EW publication
date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews
at www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING:
Alvin and the Chipmunks: What’s next? A live-action
Care Bears movie starring Jason Lee? (He’s in this
and Underdog, for those not keeping track.) Those
wacky little creatures with the high-pitched voices will
surely cause him some trouble in this newest bit of
family fare. With, um, David Cross. Now I’m confused.
PG. Movies 12.
Atonement: Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s
exceptional — and exceptionally diffi cult to summarize
— novel takes place across years, as the actions
of young Briony (Saoirse Ronan) have lengthy,
unimagined consequences to the futures of her sister
Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and their housekeeper’s son,
Robbie (James McAvoy). A CADEMY A WARD : B EST S CORE . R.
123 min. Movies 12.. 44442 (1/10)
Bank Job, The: Jason Statham (The Transporter)
and Saffron Burrows star in this fi lm based on the
1971 robbery at Lloyds Bank in London. To the thieves’
surprise, the box they steal has more than just cash in
it. “Shapes up as one of the liveliest entertainments
of the year,” said Andrew Sarris in The New York
Observer. R. 110 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Be Kind Rewind: Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind) playful, creative new fi lm looks like a
total joy. Mos Def and Jack Black star as friends facing
a dilemma when one of them becomes magnetized and
erases all the tapes in the store where his friend works.
Bingo! They’ll make new versions of the fi lms. PG13. 101
min. Movies 12. 44211 (2/28)
College Road Trip: Martin Lawrence plays the
overbearing father of a girl (Raven-Symone) who
insists on coming along on her college-visiting road
trip. I think quirky situations and wacky hijinks may
ensue! G. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Enchanted: Beautiful princesses! Handsome princes!
And … midtown Manhattan? Amy Adams (Junebug),
James Marsters (X-Men) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s
Anatomy) star in this charming fairy tale in the real
world, which follows Princess Giselle (Adams) after a
wicked witch banishes her from her magical kingdom.
PG. 107 min. Movies 12. 44421 (1/3)
Fool’s Gold: Fools’ choices? Kate Hudson and Matthew
McConaughey play a divorced couple who reteam to
bicker endlessly — and search for a sunken treasure.
Totally sure they stay divorced in the end, too. PG13.
VRC Stadium 15.
I Am Legend: Will Smith does the all-by-his-lonesome
thing in a New York City left not exactly empty after a
manmade virus devastates the globe. During the day,
he tries to fi nd other survivors; at night, he tries to
survive the creatures that are what’s left of humanity.
PG13. 100 min. Movies 12. 44411 (12/20)
In Bruges: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star in
playwright Martin McDonagh’s directorial debut, a
slightly sweet, somewhat philosophical, totally sailor-
mouthed tale of two hitmen sent to hide out in the
Belgian town of Bruges. A mixup of genre and tone,
it’s nonetheless diverting and amusing, and Farrell,
as the more distressed of the pair, is surprisingly
sympathetic. R. 107 min. Bijou. 44411 (2/28)
Jumper: Adapted from a novel by Steven Gould, this
fi lm follows “jumpers” who can leap through space and
time. Among these lucky few are Hayden Christensen
and Jamie Bell; Samuel L. Jackson provides the
tension as a fella who doesn’t approve of these crazy
hijinks. Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity).
PG13. 88 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Juno: Director Jason Reitman’s turned out another
buzzworthy movie, this time with a screenplay
by newcomer Diablo Cody. Ellen Page (who was
outstanding in Hard Candy) plays a pregnant teenager
dealing with herself, her future, her parents, the best
friend who fathered the kid and the couple who wants
to adopt it. “Hilarious and sweet-tempered, perceptive
and surprisingly grounded,” said the Los Angeles
Times. A CADEMY A WARD : B EST O RIGINAL S CREENPLAY . PG13. 96
min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. 44441 (1/10)
Mad Money: The unexpected trio of Katie Holmes,
Queen Latifah and Diane Keaton star as new friends
who decide to rob their employer, a Federal Reserve
bank, because the system is keeping them down,
man. Directed by Callie Khouri, whom some of us will
always love for writing Thelma & Louise. PG13. 104
min. Movies 12.
Meet the Spartans: Didn’t I just joke, a few weeks
ago, that apparently everything must get its own
send-up movie now? The latest addition to the bloated
category spoofs 300, Britney Spears and, um, You Got
Served. PG13. 84 min. Movies 12.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: Frances McDormand
is Miss Pettigrew, who (in 1939 London) fi nds herself a
job as a “social secretary” after being dismissed from
her governess position. Over 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew
and Delysia Lafosse (the wonderful Amy Adams)
change each others’ lives — and those of the three
men circling Delysia (Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds and Mark
Strong). PG13. 92 min. VRC Stadium 15. See review
this issue.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets: Nicolas Cage
returns for more adventure and hijinks — something to
do with the president’s secret book (hey, this sounds
like Crooked Little Vein!) and clearing his family’s
name; did great-great grandpa have something to do
with Lincoln’s assassination? With Helen Mirren. PG.
Cinemark.
No Country for Old Men: The latest from the Coen
brothers is a near-masterpiece, 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,”
“searing,” “an evil delight.” A CADEMY A WARDS : B EST
S UPPORTING A CTOR (J AVIER B ARDEM ), B EST D IRECTOR , B EST
A DAPTED S CREENPLAY , B EST P ICTURE . R. 122 min. Movies 12.
44442 (11/29)
Other Boleyn Girl, The: In this fi lm, based on Phllippa
Gregory’s novel, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary
(Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn are sent by their family to
lure the attentions of the king of England (Eric Bana).
Court intrigue, family drama and other period-piece
standards fi ll out the sisters’ stories as they fi ght for
love and power. PG13. 115 min. VRC Stadium 15.
Semi-Pro: Will Farrell continues to make millions
playing idiots; here he’s the coach-player-owner of
the Flint Tropics, an American Basketball Association
team dreaming of joining the NBA. Thing is, they suck,
and wrestling bears isn’t going to make them any
better. With Andre Benjamin and Woody Harrelson. R.
Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Spiderwick Chronicles, The: Adaptation of Holly
Black and Tony DiTerlizzi’s books about a young boy
(Freddie Highmore, playing twins) who fi nds that
there’s much more than meets the eye to an old
family estate. Black has a knack for a different kind
of fairy tale; let’s hope the movie can translate that
to the screen. With Mary-Louise Parker. PG. Cinemark.
VRC Stadium 15.
Ten Thousand B.C.: Director Roland Emmerich
(Independence Day) directs a set-ages-ago story
about a young hunter and the lovely woman he’ll
stop at nothing to save from “mysterious warlords.”
Other key phrases from the studio’s synopsis include
“ultimate fate,” “tyrannical god” and “empire beyond
imagination.” Did I mention our hero’s name is D’Leh?
PG13. 109 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Vantage Point: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest
Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver are just half the
people — and perspectives — in this thriller about an
assassination attempt made on the American president
(William Hurt) as he gives a speech about the war on
terror. I think the real story might be, uh, complicated?
PG13. 90 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.
Water Horse: Legend of the Deep: It’s nice to see Ben
Chaplin (The Truth About Cats and Dogs) again, even
if it’s in this too-cute-but-still-charming children’s fi lm
about a boy who fi nds a mysterious eggs that turns
into a mythical creature. Directed by Jay Russell (My
Dog Skip). PG. 111 min. Movies 12.
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