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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2021)
Page 8 July 7, 2021 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT Films Bring Laughter, Tears, Impact Two new screenings outside the lines of dominant culture Two films available for screen- ing now find the truth, humor, and beauty outside the lines of domi- nant culture and convention and in the spaces where things appear to be slightly askew. Both films evoke laughter, tears, and deeper thought that you might at first ex- pect. “Together Together” is set up to look like a romantic-comedy; middle-aged single man Matt (Ed Helm, excellent) engages a gesta- tional surrogate, Anna (Patti Har- o Pinionated J udGe by d arleen o rtega rison, a revelation), so that he can realize his longing to be a parent, and some sort of relationship en- sues. But this film doesn’t just rely on the unusual circumstances to carry all the weight of this story; it finds truth here that feels more honest and relatable than in any rom-com. Matt is 45, white, and well- off, having designed an app that allows people to essentially win- dow-shop for people they are not going to date. Anna is a 26-year- old Asian-American barista trying to scrape together the means to re- sume her plans to attend college, which were derailed by a teenage pregnancy that her family seems not to have gotten over. Matt is earnest, well-meaning, and in- clined toward too many opinions about how Anna lives while car- rying his child; Anna has already relinquished one child and adopts a sort of matter-of-fact stance— but perhaps because of the losses she has suffered, she notices a lot and is quite capable of holding her own against Matt’s intrusions. And both are unattached—which does not mean that they are des- tined to be “together together,” as Anna’s coworker notes, but does Ed Helms and Patti Harrison explore love and parenthood from unexpected angles in ‘Together Together.’ (Courtesy of Bleeker Street Media) support a kind of togetherness that in some ways feels more togeth- er than a lot of romantic relation- ships do. Along the way, things happen that will make you think of your own life no matter what your ex- perience (speaking as someone who has never given birth nor been a biological parent, but who has deep relationships that fre- quently don’t fit into convention- al boxes). Matt’s resourcefulness about his situation is admirable C ontinued on P age 11 P hoto Courtesy s earChlight P iCtures The Fifth Dimension performing at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, in the documentary “Summer of Soul” from Ahmir Thompson, better known as Questlove. Hollywood Theatre Reopens ‘Summer of Soul’ movie kicks off return After 475 days, northeast Port- land’s Hollywood Theatre re- opened Friday, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the first screening of Summer of Soul, a brand-new documentary direct- ed by The Roots’ Questlove. To celebrate, the nonprofit theater will also begin a series of 70mm screenings starting on July 16, including Stanly Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020) to celebrate the landmark’s 95th anniversary. “We’re extremely grateful to the Portland community for the 15 months of support we received during our closure. We truly would not be opening our doors if it weren’t for our audiences C ontinued on P age 11
