May 9-15
The Other Boleyn Girl

Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory, director Justin Chadwick’s depiction of how King Henry VIII’s affections were divided between sisters Anne and Mary Boleyn is as far removed from the traditional Masterpiece Theatre evocation of British history and royal intrigue as it’s possible to get. The casting gives a clue of Chadwick’s direction: Eric Bana is a decidedly sexier Henry VIII than Charles Laughton, and the comparable charms of Natalie Portman (Anne) and Scarlett Johansson (Mary) make the king’s indecision readily understandable. The emphasis is on sex appeal, which is fair because, let’s be honest, sex played a major role in this “historical event.” There’s nothing stodgy or stilted about this story of a classic romantic triangle, but The Other Boleyn Girl is nonetheless as intelligent, droll, and dramatic a film as any filmgoer could wish. Peter Morgan, who helped introduce a couple of terrific actors to their first Oscars with his screenplays for The Queen and The Last King of Scotland, lends his considerable talent for crafting smart, fast-paced, entertaining stories to this adaptation of Gregory’s bestseller. Although none of the three leads are English, their accents are impeccable and their performances astounding, showing depths of talent that they’ve not often had a chance to display. All of the actors bring a fresh, slightly offbeat sensibility to these oft-portrayed historical figures: Bana makes a much more thoughtful, humane Henry than we’ve seen before; Johansson is sympathetic and heart-rending as the “other” Boleyn girl; and Portman’s ferocious, calculating Anne Boleyn is certainly no martyr. The Other Boleyn Girl is not revisionist history so much as it is a good dusting off of the musty, oft-told tale. No, it probably didn’t happen just like this, but it makes a great movie, the same way that Hollywood films of the Golden Age often took liberties with historical accuracy but made great movies just the same. And Chadwick’s lively romance is quite effective in exploring the human drama buried beneath dry historical events. As human drama, it’s as persuasive, insightful, and well-acted as any film can be. Much like The Queen, this film actually pays greater homage to its royal personages by revealing their foibles and idiosyncracies rather than making somber waxworks of them. Though unashamedly passionate, The Other Boleyn Girl is not frivolous: everyone who remembers their English history already knows that there is tragedy at the heart of this story. But the film is so strongly written and acted that the story remains absolutely entrancing, and movie lovers will appreciate the strong presence of an increasingly rare cinematic quality called “chemistry.” It’s there between Eric Bana and Natalie Portman, and definitely between Bana and Scarlett Johansson, and it’s one of the reasons movies used to be made.

(Rated PG-13 for sexual situations and some violent images.)

May 16-29
The Counterfeiters

The Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film of 2007, director Stefan Ruzowitzky’s compelling, thought-provoking film tells the true story of one of the strangest enemy operations of WWII. Operation Bernhard was a secret plan by the Nazis to invade the U.S. and Great Britain—not with soldiers but with counterfeit money and documents, in an effort to wreck the Allies’ economy while building their own store of ill-gotten gains. What’s even more remarkable was that the operation was manned primarily by approximately 140 prisoners in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, mostly Jews and dissidents who were directed by Nazi officers to use their artistic talents for counterfeiting. The Great War seems to have borne a deluge of this type of moral dilemma, in which individuals must make difficult choices. In this case, the crisis of conscience is seen primarily through the eyes of Salomon “Sally” Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics), a Russian Jew and the world’s best counterfeiter, who chooses to save his own life (and receive special treatment) by plying his trade for the Nazis. It’s easy to say that Sorowitsch should have done the “right thing” and refused to employ his skills making fake dollar bills and pound notes that could pass the most rigorous inspection—no expert could discern the facsimilies from the real thing. But Ruzowitzky’s film shows how difficult the “right thing” was to do in that time and place. Sorowitsch’s determination is undermined, though, by a more idealistic Jewish prisoner named Adolf Burger (August Diehl) who would rather die than help the Axis, even though the purpose of Operation Bernhard seems so abstract and remote. Better this type of collaboration with the Nazis than helping them actually kill more Jews and Allied soldiers. It’s a bit of a spoiler to say that Burger survived his ordeal, but it must be mentioned since he did write the autobiography upon which the film is based, and reviewed every draft of Ruzowitzsky’s screenplay. The film is a genuine insider’s view of the ethical turmoil faced by the disparate group of counterfeiters. Despite our knowledge that at least Burger lived to tell the tale, the film retains plenty of suspense, surprises, and dramatic impact. One of oddest, least known yet important chapters of the war, Operation Bernhard is a fascinating story by itself, but this low-key, powerful film elevates this material even further by using the counterfeit ring as a metaphor for how people that betray their conscience end up “counterfeits” themselves, living lives based on lies and deceit. The Counterfeiters was a well-deserved Oscar winner and one of the best films of 2007.

(Rated R for violence, nudity, profanity, and sexual situations; in German with English subtitles.)

May 30-June 5
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Frances McDormand has a unique gift for expressing polite incredulity with just a slight change of expression. Without a single word—just a raised eyebrow, a blank look, an uncertain smile—she can convince audiences that any character she happens to be listening to is a complete crackpot. Her down-to-earth, Midwestern common sense and good manners strike a chord with many fans, especially those who have had to suffer fools with patience and professional decorum. McDormand is one of our most likeable comediennes, and quintessentially American, which makes her role as British nanny Guinevere Pettigrew rather a surprise. But McDormand succeeds wonderfully, mastering the accent and more importantly, the inner life of an impoverished, lonely, but persevering survivor of the Depression. Based on the 1938 comic novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day evokes the desperation, end-of-the-world frivolity, class-consciousness, and anxious anticipation of war that characterized the 1930’s in Great Britain. Despite the dramatic background, the story is a light-hearted tale of the unlikely friendship between Miss Pettigrew and her new employer, scatter-brained nightclub singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). The pair are mismatched in seemingly every way: Miss Pettigrew is a poor, lonely spinster; Delysia is glamorous, sophisticated, and romantically involved with three men. There is a kindred spirit in these women, though, an independence and determination that unites them in a friendship that allows the positive qualities of each of them to shine. Beneath the fast paced humor and farcical situations, there’s a touching, very modern story of how two women help each other to grow and develop as human beings. Both actresses are terrific, but their chemistry together enriches their performances immeasurably, showing the full acting range from wild comedy to subtle drama. The leads are supported by a perfect cast, including Lee Pace as the handsome (but poor) piano player that wants to marry Delysia; Ciarán Hinds as a potential love interest for Miss Pettigrew; and Shirley Henderson as Hinds’s cold-blooded fiancée. Director Bharat Nalluri keeps this updated version of the screwball comedy moving at an agreeably brisk pace, and the screenplay adaptation by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy retains the snap and freshness of Watson’s classic novel. Witty, nostalgic, and slightly risqué, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is delightful entertainment that harkens back to an era when film comedy was less obnoxious, more grown up, and blessed with sparkling dialogue and comic timing.

(Rated PG-13 for brief nudity and sexual innuendo.)

June 6-12
Paranoid Park

The word “maverick” is often used to describe directors with precocious talent, an aggressive streak, some eccentric stylistic flourishes—and just as desperate a need for audience acceptance as the most unapologetic makers of opening weekend blockbusters. True mavericks are rare in American cinema. Almost everyone secretly wants to be liked. Almost everyone. Gus Van Sant has made a career of undermining the expectations of audiences and critics, offending many by: filming an unfilmable Tom Robbins novel (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues); analyzing the motivations behind Columbine-type school shootings in painful, cinema vérité detail (Elephant); remaking a classic film shot-by-unwaveringly faithful shot (Psycho); and even directing an out-of-nowhere mainstream hit (Good Will Hunting). The only constant is that Van Sant goes in directions no other filmmaker would go. It’s doubtful that any other cult director has worked harder to alienate his own cult and still remained a cult director (even David Lynch doesn’t dare ignore his hardcore fans). With Paranoid Park, Gus Van Sant once again shows his gift for provocation and innate determination to push the boundaries of traditional narrative. This challenging but accessible film might be described as a sort of “murder mystery” set within the social world of contemporary teenagers. There’s a similarity to Lynch’s Blue Velvet in the juxtaposition of crime and “ordinary American life,” but whereas Lynch’s lens was ironic and distorted, Paranoid Park is hyper-realistic in its evocation of the customs, entertainments, problems, and lingo of today’s young people. With no real stars (and teenage actors that actually look and sound like teenagers), Paranoid Park details the life of a normal teen, Alex (Gabe Nevins), who seems to be dealing with the usual problems: friends, parents, love, sex, and boredom. But there is another issue, an incident involving the accidental death of a security guard in which Alex is involved. The narrative is told in non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth in time so that the audience sees Alex before and after the fateful event. Ultimately, the film’s major theme is how Alex—and by implication, many of America’s disaffected youth—deal with emotional trauma through willful detachment. As he shows in many of his films, including the breakthrough Drugstore Cowboy, Van Sant has a knack for looking at human pain with a sober yet sympathetic eye, revealing truth and avoiding sentiment. It is this quality that makes Van Sant a genuine maverick, a director who’s not afraid to fail magnificently—or succeed without fanfare or recognition. Paranoid Park is a definite success, and one of the most haunting films of the year.

(Rated R for violence, profanity, and sexual situations.)

June 13-26
Young@Heart

The Rolling Stones started making music in the ‘60s and now they keep the rock ‘n’ roll torch burning well into their sixties, which brings up an interesting question: What’s the upper limit on how old is too old to rock? Is it 80—the average age of the 24 members of the Young@Heart Chorus, a gang of seniors living out the rock ‘n’ roll fantasy with world-spanning tours, putting their own stamp on songs by Coldplay, James Brown, the Ramones, and the Clash? British documentarian Stephen Walker answers that question with a resounding “No!”—though not so much because of the talent on display but for the sheer, infectious joy of seeing these enthusiastic performers discover the elixir of youth. And there is something resonant about hearing classics like “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (the Clash) or “Schizophrenia” (Sonic Youth) sung by the generation that’s supposed to hate “the devil’s music.” Are the members of the Young@Heart Chorus just trying to bridge the generation gap? Or is there something primal about the music that resists the ravages of time? One thing Walker’s documentary about the group makes clear: these proud acolytes of rock are not immortal: they struggle practicing the memory-challenging lyrics of Allen Toussaint’s slice of New Orleans R&B, “Yes We Can Can,” and their performance of the Ramones’ “I Want to Be Sedated” undoubtedly leaves itself open to the smirks of condescending hipsters. But more often than not, this backstage documentary perfectly tempers any humor directed at the group with many moments of genuine warmth. Audiences will chuckle, but no one will be unmoved during certain scenes, such as a jailhouse performance in which the Chorus performs Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”—and brings many of the convicts to tears. It’s the abundance of these kinds of moments, where the urge to ridicule gives way to real appreciation for the group’s obvious love of music, that elevates Young@Heart into the pantheon of classic music documentaries. Yes, even in company like Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz (about The Band) and Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads), Walker’s film has an earned place—because like those excellent films, it shares a belief in the transformative power of music, not just upon the singers but upon the audience (within the film and watching the film) as well. Young@Heart may seem like a curiosity—Walker himself admits that when he first heard of the group, he imagined some sort of geriatric karaoke act. But the group is for real, and even the skeptical are converted by their passion and talent. Young@Heart is truly a heart-stirring film, one that will have moviegoers humming on their way out of the theater and rushing home to dust off those old vinyl albums.

(Rated PG for mild language.)