Eugene Weekly : Movies : 1.17.08


.MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO

 

OPENING OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived movie reviews.

August Rush: Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star as a musical young couple whose lovelorn encounter produces a child. Orphaned “by circumstance” (says the description), the boy (Freddie Highmore) grows up to become a musical prodigy. PG. 113 min. Movies 12.

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. Movies 12. (11/21)

Birddog: Portland filmmaker Kelley Baker screens his film, which involves a used car salesman who finds himself in possession of a rare car, which in turn leads to discoveries about the flood that destroyed an Oregon town in 1948. 7 pm Jan. 18, DIVA. $5. (Baker also leads a workshop on guerilla marketing at 9 am Jan. 19 at DIVA. 344-3482.)

Cloverfield: What’s tearing up New York City this time? This J.J. Abrams-produced (y’know, that Lost guy) film has been all the buzz for months, with its YouTube-esque preview and as-yet-mysterious monster, which lands in Manhattan the night a group of friends are throwing a going-away party for one of their pals. PG13. 90 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Control: Best known as a photographer, Anton Corbijn directs this biographical look at Ian Curtis, the troubled singer for Manchester’s Joy Division in the late 1970s. Gorgeously filmed, thick with the band’s songs (often as played by the actors) and reflective, Control costars the wonderful Samantha Morton as Curtis’ wife, on whose book the movie was based. R. 121 min. Bijou LateNite. See review this issue.

Gone Baby Gone: Ben Affleck steps behind the camera to direct his brother Casey (along with Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman) in this film, based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River) about Boston detectives investigating a kidnapping. R. 114 min. Movies 12.

Jimmy Carter Man From Plains: Jonathan Demme’s (The Silence of the Lamb) narrowly-focused documentary about the current life and work of Jimmy Carter is slim but interesting as it trails the hardworking former president on a book tour for his controversial book about the Middle East. PG. 125 min. Bijou. See review this issue.

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. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Savages, The: Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills) wrote and directed this bleakly funny film about two siblings (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) — adults yet not really grown up — brought together by the need to take care of their aging father. It slouches a bit in the middle, but great performances carry it through. R. 113 min. Bijou. See review this issue.

Spirit of the Marathon: Six stories unfold as six runners prepare for the Chicago Marathon. 7:30 pm Jan. 24, Cinemark.

Stevie Wonder: A 1975 TV performance from Brussels and an unreleased live show from the early ’70s play as part of the In-Concert Series. Bijou LateNite.

Twenty-seven Dresses: Current It Girl Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up) stars in this always a bridesmaid, never a bride story of Jane, whose sister gets the guy Jane’s in love with. But with James Marsden (Enchanted) around, you’ve got to assume Jane’s not going to have a totally unhappy ending. PG. 107 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Waking Life: Richard Linklater’s animated 2001 film follows a fellow who wanders in and out of philosophical conversations and levels of awareness and awakeness. “Exhilarating, transporting, funny and haunting — and at times maddeningly heady or narcotically logy,” said Stephanie Zacharek in Salon. R. 90 min. 7 pm Jan. 20, DIVA. Free.

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. Movies 12. (10/18)

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. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

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. Movies 12. (11/8)

Atonement: Finally, Joe Wright’s adaptation of Ian McEwan’s exceptional — and exceptionally difficult to summarize — novel comes to town. Atonement 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). R. 123 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (1/10)

Bee Movie: Not much looks all that sweet about this animated 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 voices of Renee Zellweger and Matthew Broderick. PG. 90 min. Movies 12.

Bucket List, The: Jack Nicholson, I expect this kind of thing from. But Morgan Freeman? In this schmalty-sounding flick about two new friends trying to cram all the adventures of a lifetime into a considerably shorter amount of time? Oh, Rob Reiner. Once upon a time, you made a good movie or two. PG13. 97 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Charlie Wilson’s War: Mike Nichols directs from an Aaron Sorkin script this political … drama? comedy? … about a congressman (Tom Hanks) who combined forces with a CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a rich socialite (Julia Roberts) to direct a massive covert operation during the Cold War era. R. 97 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (1/3)

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. Movies 12.

First Sunday: Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan star as hapless criminals trying to come up with a chunk of cash in order to keep one’s son from being taken. So they decide to rob a church. Do you think all goes well? PG13. 98 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Game Plan, The: The Rock stretches his dramatic skills as a football player faced with a strange challenge: a little girl who claims to be his daughter. PG. Movies 12.

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 find other survivors; at night, he tries to survive the creatures that are what’s left of humanity. PG13. 100 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (12/20)

In the Name of the King: Let us not forget that in 2006, director Uwe Boll (Bloodrayne) challenged his harshest critics to boxing matches. What boxing ability has to do with movie appreciation, I couldn’t tell you — but it’s a funny story. Boll’s new film involves a good man (Jason Statham, oh, dear) who takes on a nasty sorcerer (Ray Liotta!) after the sorcerer captures his wife (Claire Forlani). PG13. 150 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 (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who wants to adopt it. “Hilarious and sweet-tempered, perceptive and surprisingly grounded,” said the Los Angeles Times. PG13. 96 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (1/10)

Kite Runner, The: Marc Forster (Finding Neverland) directs this adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel about a writer who is drawn back to the Afghanistan of his youth in order to help an old friend’s son. In flashback, Forster draws wonderful performances from two young actors, but the adult Amir’s storyline hinges too heavily on coincidence. PG13. 127 min. Bijou. Cinemark. (1/10)

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. Movies 12.

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. VRC Stadium 15.

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.” R. 122 min. VRC Stadium 15. (11/29)

One Missed Call: Cell phones are scary, especially when they, um, play voicemails for you? That are of your own death? Who thinks this stuff up? Didn’t electronics-as-nightmare-devices already fail with Pulse? Ah well. Starring Shannyn Sossamon and Edward Burns. PG13. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15.

Orphanage, The: Produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth), this debut film from director Juan Antonio Bayona involves secrets and the supernatural in the story of an orphanage that was the childhood home of a girl, now grown, who wants to go back to it. But things changed after she left. “An unexpectedly poignant ghost story,” said The Los Angeles Times. R. 100 min. Cinemark.

P.S. I Love You: Holly (Hilary Swank) must go on without the love of her life, Gerry (Gerard Butler) when illness strikes. But for her 30th birthday, she gets a letter and a tape from Gerry, telling her how to make the most of her life. Sorry, have to end this there; I feel a bit queasy from all the sweetness. PG13. 126 min. VRC Stadium 15.

Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything, The: Those talking side dishes return in the latest Veggie Tales movie, in which three veggie pals set sail into the 17th century and learn what it means to be heroes. G. Cinemark.

Sweeney Todd: Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (and Alan Rickman!) star in Tim Burton’s take on the Broadway musical about a murderous barber who’s sworn revenge for what happened to his wife and daughter. “Depp is simply stupendous,” says Rolling Stone. R. 117 min. Cinemark. VRC Stadium 15. (12/27)

Thirty Days of Night: Thirty days of darkness in small-town Alaska make the place a haven for things that like the dark in this film, based on the graphic novel of the same name. Starring Josh Hartnett and — ooh! — Danny Huston, who raises the level of anything he’s in. But can he do it here? R. 113 min. Movies 12.

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. (9/13)

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 film about a boy who finds a mysterious eggs that turns into a mythical creature. Directed by Jay Russell (My Dog Skip). PG. VRC Stadium 15.

 

MOVIE THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.

Bijou Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th

Regal Cinemas
VRC Stadium 15 342-6536 | Valley River Center

Cinemark Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall