Wednesday 7/16 A Mighty Wind 6:30, All the Real Girls 8:30.
Thursday 7/17 A Mighty Wind 6:30, All the Real Girls 8:30 (Last Shows
for A Mighty Wind!)
Coming Soon: Spellbound
The Shape of Things
“Two thumbs up!”-Ebert & Roeper “Rachel Weisz is as bewitching as
ever.”—New York Times. “Keeps viewers guessing until the film’s
finale, one that qualifies as a definite whopper.”—
The Washington Post. USA, 2003, 97 min., Rated R.
Friday at 8:30PM, Saturday at 6:30PM, Sunday at 4PM,
Monday at 6:30PM, Tuesday at 6:30PM, Wednesday at 8:30PM,
Thursday at 8:30PM
All the Real Girls
“Four Stars!”—Roger Ebert. “Remarkably deep and powerful! A deeply
moving love story.”—Los Angeles Times. Running time: 105 min. Rated R
for language and some sexuality.
Friday at 6:30PM, Saturday at 8:30PM, Sunday at 2PM,
Monday at 8:30PM, Tuesday at 8:30PM, Wednesday at 6:30PM,
Thursday at 6:30PM
The Shape of Things Opens Friday, July 18
After the diversions “Nurse Betty” and “Possession,” writer/director
Neil LaBute revisits the unsettling cynicism of his first two
battle-of-the-sexes outings, “In the Company of Men” and “Your Friends
and Neighbors.” In “The Shape of Things,” an adaptation of LaBute’s
stage play, Rachel Weisz, who also produces, stars as Evelyn, an art
student who, in the opening scene of the film, is determined to correct
what she deems “false art”--i.e., a strategically placed fig leaf on a
sculpture--with a can of spray paint. Adam (Paul Rudd)--the name surely
a calculated choice--is the security guard on duty at the time but he’s
no match for her spirited indifference to authority. Predictably, he
asks her out. What follows is a sweet but, at its core, authentic
courtship peppered with cultural references that, realistically,
sometimes have to be explained and insecurities that have to be
assuaged. Adam-- bespectacled and never without his professor-esque
corduroy jacket--has a hard time understanding why smart, sexy, stylish
Evelyn likes him, and readily responds to her gentle suggestions to get
contacts, stop biting his nails and consider plastic surgery. Rudd’s
performance is a fearless one--he’s not afraid to be goofy or dorky.
Meanwhile, the role of Evelyn is a bold one and thus particularly
attractive for an actress looking for challenging work. Weisz relishes
it, and the audience loves her--then ultimately hates her--for it.
Trouble in the relationship arises when Evelyn meets Adam’s old
friends, Jenny (Gretchen Mol), with whom he shares unconsummated
feelings, and Phillip (Fred Weller, doing his best Jack Nicholson
impression), a conservative with whom feminist Evelyn immediately
clashes. In these relationships, too, there is a real sense of
genuineness: In an encounter between Adam and Jenny at a park, the
otherwise visually unexciting conversation filled in with bits of
business such as playing on slides and rocking horses, there is a
palpable chemistry between Rudd and Mol. However, it becomes clear that
Adam will have to decide between his new life with Evelyn and his
previous one. Unfortunately for Adam, all is not at seems, though, and
it has something to do with Evelyn’s mysterious master’s thesis on
which she has been working. The climactic scene, in which all is
revealed in a monologue that is squirmingly painful to watch. And yet,
because one wants to look away, to turn it off, the development and the
execution of it are brilliant because, at the same time, one can’t. 97
min., Rated R.
All the Real Girls
In "All the Real Girls," writer/director David Gordon Green ("George
Washington") has crafted an incredibly real story about first love--not
just realistic, but real--and a heart-breaking but unyielding portrait
of what happens when that emotional purity inevitably falls apart. Set
in a North Carolina mill town, where the verdant natural surroundings
and even the gushing smokestacks bathed in golden light contrast
sharply with the ugly reality of a life of poverty and broken dreams,
"Girls" stars Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel as Paul and Noel, a
couple whose nascent relationship vexes her older brother, with whom
Paul has established a reputation as player. Yet he insists it's
different this time with Noel, who has just returned from boarding
school--he's really in love. Because the viewer never sees Paul's
previous history, like Noel, they must resolve what he tells them and
how he makes them feel with everyone else's opinion on the matter.
Green's dialogue is realistic, overlapping and sometimes nonsensical,
as these young people are unable to express or explain themselves.
Meanwhile, as evidenced by the picture's opening scene, the camera
often is static. Employing long takes and few cuts, Green relies on the
acting to create the film's emotional power. But often, too, the film
can be gently funny, such as Paul dressing up as a clown as a favor to
his mother and his attempt to enter her junker into a car race. But
perhaps the film's greatest achievement is that it doesn't flinch when
things go wrong and doesn't tack on a storybook ending. Paul says, "If
anyone ever smiles at me again, I'll freak out." It's in these moments
of heartbreak that "All the Real Girls" is at its most real. “Four
Stars!”—Roger Ebert. “Remarkably deep and powerful! A deeply moving
love story.”—Los Angeles Times. Running time: 105 min. Rated R for
language and some sexuality.
Coming Soon:
Spellbound Opens Friday, August 1st
One of the best "sports" documentaries of the year, "Spellbound"
follows eight young people as they race towards the top--and
only--prize in the world's toughest, most unforgiving challenge--the
National Spelling Bee. Spelling is, in its quaint and uniquely American
way, the great equalizer--if you can spell, nothing else matters. By
the same token, it is the only competition with absolutely no second
chances--one misspelled word anywhere along the way, and you are gone.
From Emily, hailing from the pampered suburbs of Connecticut, to
Ashley, child of the projects in D.C.; from Ted, born of a poor farm
family in Missouri, to Harry, the lovable spaz from New Jersey, all
eight youngsters are drawn from the diversity of this country--with an
assortment of anxious parents as well. It's a true cross-section of
America rarely captured so well in film. Each of the children is given
screen time enough to impress us, not just with their talent but with
their personalities. In addition, a parade of interesting side
characters--from the faithful teacher-mentor to past champions--flesh
out the straightforward story of pressure and the razor-thin margin
between triumph and failure. The timelessness of this tale and the
skill and love evident in its making rank "Spellbound" as a classic. As
the finals wear on and contestants start to fall, the audience's hearts
will be in their throats. The contest is intense and merciless, and we
feel the pressure right alongside the parents. Expect a few tears shed
at the emotionally cathartic finale. This is a documentary that will
involve you, these are kids you will love, this is a picture of America
at its most American. It's a powerful reminder that our future is in
our children--and that the kids are all right. “Two thumbs up!”—Ebert &
Roeper. “Irresistible!”-Los Angeles Times. “Wonderful!”— Entertainment
Weekly. “A work of art! More suspenseful than any Hollywood
thriller.”—The New York Times. 97 min., Rated G.