Eugene Weekly : Movies : 4.5.07


.MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO

 

The Lookout Written and directed by Scott Frank. Cinematography, Alar Kivilo. Music, James Newton Howard. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher and Carla Gugino. Miramax Films, 2007. R. 99 minutes.

Once known just as that kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has, over the last few years, built a name for himself with unexpected, affecting roles: a teen hustler in Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin; a high school gumshoe tracking down his ex-girlfriend’s murderer in Rian Johnson’s debut feature, the sure-handed teen noir Brick. Now, in the directorial debut of screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Minority Report), the versatile and engaging actor has a part that calls to mind Guy Pearce’s tense turn as Leonard in Memento: a memory-challenged, wounded young man trying to piece together a life from what’s left in his scarred head. Read more…

 

The Namesake Directed by Mira Nair. Written by Sooni Taraporevala, based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. Cinematography, Frederick Elmes. Music, Nitin Sawehney. Starring Kal Penn, Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett, Sahira Nair and Zuleikha Robinson. Fox Searchlight, 2007. PG-13. 122 minutes.

Don’t be fooled by the poster for The Namesake, which puts Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle) front and center. Though it’s Penn’s character, Gogol Ganguli, who is referenced in the title, his story is central only in the movie’s second half. For the most part the film belongs to Gogol’s intensely believable parents, Bengali immigrants Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Bollywood star Tabu). Read more…