AWCH Film Reviews -- May 2007

(Becky T) Opening May 3, 2007

Mélanie (Julie Richalet) is a French girl, an only child, and old beyond her ten years. At first glance she is plain, determined, musically talented, industrious, and very much aware of her proletarian family situation. Her father is a butcher and their home is simple. She ruins an opportunity to begin studies at the Music Conservatory because the president of the jury, Ariane Fouchécourts (Catherine Frot), vainly allows an interruption which causes Mélanie to falter during her piano presentation. She resolutely shuts that chapter of her life, although her kind father would finance further piano lessons. Ten years later grown-up Mélanie (Déborah François) has changed outwardly from a duckling into a swan, but inwardly she is seething with resentment against the person whom she blames for blocking her future: pianist Ariane, who lives in a mansion in a park, is married to a successful lawyer and has a musically gifted son. Ariane is at a career cross roads. Her husband decides that she is especially vulnerable in this time of crisis and needs a companion. Enter Mélanie who becomes indispensable. What great luck to have found someone well versed in music, who can even turn the pages during piano performances.

This is a film about sweet, perfect, precise revenge, which Mélanie expertly and patiently realizes over several weeks. I agree with the press notes which say that French director Denis Dercourt created a subtle thriller using just glances, gestures, and slight indications. It’s not surprising that his fifth film concerns the music world, considering that he played solo viola in the Orchestre Symphonique Française. The script could have come from Ruth Rendall, alias Barbara Vine, but in this case was from multi-talented Dercourt and Jacques Sotty. Through the straight-on camera work, the film seems to be simple, in a European way, but it is not boring. I personally believe that Mélanie, having achieved her goal, lived happily ever after. And I wouldn’t be surprised if soon there is an American remake. We film critics had a discussion afterwards and definitely disagreed with a colleague who thought that “people can not really be that bad and Mélanie actually did love Ariane somewhat.”

My colleague Erica F-Z comments: I have had the opportunity to turn pages for the great and not so great during my six years with the Philadelphia Orchestra, even making my page-turning debut on the stage of Carnegie Hall! It can be extremely stressful, because you can't stop concentrating for a single minute, or you risk losing your place. I have collected some good stories, which I'd be happy to share. While it is true that most often the page turner is usually ignored, I have witnessed some piano greats who have turned to me following the performance to say "thank you" before standing to take a bow. That is the sign of a true professional.

(Birgit S) Opening May 3, 2007

The title is misleading. We are not being dragged through shopping malls and sales outlets. Instead we are being introduced to eighteen young singles living in the city of Munich. They are looking for the love of their life or just a date for one night. We hear about their frustrations, their dislikes, their disappointments, their expectations and desires. We witness their loneliness, their ego trips and their weakness. Why do so many singles live in our major cities? Why is it so difficult to meet each other? Are most expectations too unrealistic? The idea of speed-dating provides a good structure for a glimpse into the lives of a certain single generation with quite a few comical situations.

Nine young women are sitting opposite nine young men. The battle of speed-dating commences. The bell rings after five minutes. A new partner is to be faced, to be tested, scrutinised, chosen or discarded. (This is where the comparison to shopping applies.) There is constant talking. We listen to the shy one, the self-conscious one, the rude one, the arrogant or the overbearing one. The mood changes from civilised behaviour to aggressive shouting from bold to timid and vice versa. The most complex and varied people have turned up. Some of them we would recognise in our daily life. They are stupid or they are pushy, they are boring or they are charming and in the end even the most irritating person can surprise you with his/her pleasant side to be discovered.

The film moves in a good tempo. All eighteen actors carry the story and fulfil their parts very naturally. It would be difficult to single one out as they all play their roles excellently and are evenly important. Director Ralf Westhoff was purposely looking for faces not well known in the cinema world but has chosen young actors with a successful theatre career behind them. It is his first full length film for which he also wrote the script.

(Osanna V) Opening May 1, 2007

Once again, Sam Raimi directs Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco in the on-going adventures of one of Marvel's most popular comic heroes. The story and script are credited to Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent.

Peter Parker's (Maguire) life as a newspaper photographer and superhero has reached a certain balance. Mary Jane (Dunst) loves both alter-egos, and former college friend, Harry Osborn, has lost his memory and forgotten that he ever held a grudge against Peter. Unfortunately, life can not be that simple. In episode 3, Spider-Man has to fight the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), a reluctant criminal turned into a sandy monster as the result of falling into a scientific experiment, and Venom (Topher Grace), a disgraced photojournalist, while also struggling against the darker side of his own nature, enhanced by a black version of his traditional Spider-Man costume. As though that were not enough, Harry recovers his memory and the grudge.

That is the very simplest way to present the story behind Spider Man 3. The full version is much more convoluted, pasted together like pieces of a puzzle that do not quite fit. The effects, however, are as stunning as ever and the Sandman, in particular, is very impressive. Maguire's gradual metamorphosis into an arrogant, swaggering macho-man is quite entertaining, but the other characters remain rather predictable and uninteresting.

With such a weak storyline, I would say the movie is only for action, special effects, and, possibly, Tobey Maguire fans.

(Becky T) Opening May 10, 2007

Little orphan Jimmy ice skates to Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli singing Time to Say Goodbye under the admiring gazes of the nuns. Along comes rich Darren MacElroy (William Fichtner) who collects homeless children with potential and makes a mint off them when they succeed as athletes, musicians, etc. Grown-up Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) rises to the zenith of men’s ice skating championships, complete with glamour, fan adoration and stalking. He meets his match in Chaz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell), an uncouth, pudgy cowboy type, who also skates magnificently. They tie for gold and cause a ruckus worthy of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan during the prize ceremony. Both are thrown out of men’s competition forever. Jimmy’s benefactor dumps him unceremoniously at the side of the highway, and the stalker sniffs, “it’s embarrassing to talk to a has-been.” Jimmy works in a rink, and Chaz suffers the indignity of having to wear a corny costume in Grublets on Ice. Three years later, a coach unites them and they compete in the pair figure-skating category. What a brilliant idea for everyone except ice skating siblings Stranz and Fairchild van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), who hate competition and go to great lengths to eradicate these two. The film ends with Chaz and Jimmy’s triumphant performance to a rock song by Queen.

Directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon have certainly found a niche for an original plot. There are lots of opportunities for jokes (who puts his hand where), satire (celebrity adoptions), spoof (ice skating competition in general), romance (Jimmy and Katie or maybe Chaz and Katie), funny costumes, and a reunion with former ice skating stars such as Scott Hamilton and Peggy Fleming. Chaz and Jimmy sometimes riff like Jack Black and Kyle Gass in Tenacious D. This is for anyone who is suffering from brain overload and needs a dose of, sometimes low class, slapstick. I enjoyed it very much.

(Becky T) Opening May 10, 2007

The U.S. has not yet joined World War I in 1916. Still, young American men travel to France to join the Lafayette Escadrille under the command of Captain Thenault (Jean Reno) as pilots in a new type of combat: airplanes. Old-timer Cassidy predicts they’ll survive three to six weeks. They earn their wings and take off in double- and triple-decker planes, which buzz and fly like mosquitoes. They shoot pistols out of open cockpits, wear no parachutes and communicate by means of hand signals like so many cyclists on the streets of Amsterdam. The guys are named Rawlings, Usher, Jensen, Porter, Skinner, Beagle, and Lowry. They are a rancher from Texas, a hay seed from Nebraska, one rich and spoiled softie from New York, a black boxer who speaks French, a former felon, etc. It’s predictable who gets the girl Lucienne, who dies, who loses a hand and flies with a hook, who is a hero, who suffers the shakes, who save his comrade, who is suspected of spying, and who returns home.

Director Tony Bill based the film on a true story or probably a conglomeration of true stories. Sadly, it is slow and predictable, i.e., Top Gun extra, extra light. One star is for the wobbly planes called Bristol, Sopwith, SE5A, or Newport II, which land in any old field as easy as pulling into a drive-in, and the other star is for James Franco, who plays Rawlings as if he were the new Josh Hartnett.

(Becky T) Opening May 10, 2007

Nick Powell (Justin Chatwin) lives with his wealthy, aloof mother in impersonal luxury. Annie Newton (newcomer Margarita Levieva) lives in poverty with her ex-policeman father and stepmother and feels responsible for her neglected younger brother. Nick and Annie attend the same high school, and their eventual connection is almost fatal for Nick. After an attack by Annie, he is left broken and bleeding and arises in a state of half-dead. He participates in life as he knows it, but nobody sees him. He is “there,” but invisible with no impact on the real world. That is too bad because someone must find his body before his last breath. Will he be rescued? Will those responsible tell the truth?

Probably the film’s best asset is actor Justin Chatwin, looking like a cross between Edward Scissorhands and Bill Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel. According to my colleague Jan van Dieken, Chatwin “would have been very good if the director had given him a role,” i.e., a role besides that of following his mom, Annie, his friend Pete, Annie’s boyfriend, and Detective Larson from place to place, like the hand-wringing ghost that he is. Relatively unknown actors Christopher Marquette, Alex O’Loughlin, Alex Ferris, and Callum Keith Rennie also do their best and will be worth watching in the future. The Invisible is based on a Swedish film of the same name, and I can well understand that the story appealed to the producers of The Sixth Sense. In this version the suspense level rises, but then peaks early, until, by the time all actors congregate at the dam, you might as well leave early. It’s beautifully filmed on location in Vancouver and directed by David S. Goyer.

(Adele R) Opening May 17, 2007

Michael Caton-Jones was nominated for Best Director by the British Independent Film Academy and won The Heartland Film Festival’s Best Director award for this film. The film festival’s motto is: "to recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life". And that is what this extraordinary film about the horrors of the Rwandan genocide and the awesome failure of the United Nations to stop it, manages to do.

John Hurt, in the best performance he has ever given, plays an exhausted Catholic priest who heads a school in Rwanda. A naïve young teacher, Joe Conner (a touching Hugh Dancy), who comes to the school some months before the massacre begins, is deeply impressed by Father Christopher’s tireless dedication, by the school and the students.

Almost unnoticed at first, the events preceding one of the most brutal genocides in history unfold outside the gates. And then the impossible, unbelievable slaughter becomes reality and the UN Peacekeepers, headed by a Belgian Captain (brilliantly and wrenchingly played by Dominque Horwitz) set up headquarters within the school compound.

The presence of the Peacekeepers is reassuring to everyone. And first the parents of the children at the school, and eventually 2,500 Rwandans, seek refuge and Father Christopher, of course, allows them in the gates against the wishes of the UN soldiers.

As the days go by, the refugees flocking in from outside the gates tell terrible stories, and the limitations imposed by the UN mandate on the soldiers become more and more apparent. At one point they open the gates long enough to shoot the dogs which are eating the bodies lying in the road, but only the dogs. The film shows the heated discussions at the UN about the mission, and the tortured face of the Belgian Captain fully reflects his uncomprehending anguish at their decision.

Eventually, the soldiers are ordered to leave as escorts for Belgian citizens and other whites who have been brought in trucks from their refuge in a hotel in town (a story told in the earlier film, the unforgettable Hotel Ruanda).

Joe and Father Christopher are offered places and Rachel (Nicole Walker), a British journalist, tries to convince them both to come along. The tormented dilemma of whether to go or not is the crux of the story.

Even if you have seen Hotel Ruanda, this film is a gripping testament to both the incomprehensible evil and the honor and greatness of human beings.

(Rita P-S) Opening May 17, 2007

Superb, thought-provoking and irrepressibly funny are just some of the adjectives describing Nicholas Hytner’s film based on Alan Bennett’s award-winning, subtle and deeply moving play about eight extremely lucid and witty working-class 6th formers in a local English private school. Their mission – to gain admission into Oxford in the fall of 1983 or so while their incorrigible culture teacher, Hector, and redoubtable history teacher, Totty, manage their preparation for university and life while dodging the headmaster’s obsession with league tables. As usual the introduction of a new teacher, Irwin, spins their modus vivendi into the commoditized and manipulating present. Show-stopping entr’actes worthy of Broadway and brilliant one-liners bracket a series of vignettes on fundamental topics such as the value and purpose of education; how and why history should be taught; and the difference between history and journalism. Most importantly the film’s urgency in teaching students how to think feels like Sunday in the park. It is neither politically-correct nor preachy. It is simply alive, like a bus full of horny and intelligent boys about to become men. Its conclusion has powerful implications for our roles in and responsibility for the kind of society we choose to live in. See this film.

(Becky T) Opening May 17, 2007

DJ (Columbus Short) and his brother Duron are break dancers in Los Angeles. Duron dies in a gang confrontation. DJ, desperately needing a second chance, travels to Atlanta, Georgia. His aunt Jackie greets him with, “You’ll get used to the humidity.” His uncle Darrin helps him enrol in all-black Truth University, where humidity is the least of his problems. He antagonizes members of Mu Gamma Xi and Theta Nu Theta, two black fraternities and falls in love with an off-limits girl named April (Meagan Good). The fraternity members follow conservative Christian life-styles (saying the Lord’s Prayer before competition) and adhere to a military sense of team work. Their manliness and keen competitive spirit is put to the test at the 17th annual step show championship. DJ’s talent in break dancing – or “street” which is not the same as “step”—could be helpful in the contest and he pledges to join Theta.

The film is predictable, which, in a way, is reassuring, because you can forget the story line and concentrate on the performers. Step seems to be a kind of ancient, African, coming-of-age dance, done in rigid formation, more of a tap dance than break. The dancers have menacing facial expressions as they “stomp the yard” like so many male peacocks vying for supremacy. Directed by Sylvan White, the overall message gives black people – or any group – pride of accomplishment. It propagates the value of sticking to one’s values, loyalty to the brotherhood, and respect for role models, in this case Coretta King, Rosa Parks, etc. The movie’s last line is “Intelligence and character are the true goals of education.” The lead actors are extremely good looking. Stomping the Yard reminded me of Drum Line and is interesting for its introduction of this type of “dance.”

(Rita P-S) Opening May 17, 2007

Films about international couples tend to be screwball comedies or tales of alienation. Julie Delpy’s directorial debut deserves a big round of applause for being a comedy about coming to terms with your own background before commiting to someone whose background is completely different. The film has two major strengths: first, it is a charming look at acknowledging one is in love while visiting one’s parents and meeting our loved ones ex-lovers in the “city of love”, and second, it highlights Americans' fear of germs, addiction to hot showers and fear of acknowledging any relationship between Coq au Vin and Harry the rooster.

In terms of structure, Ms. Delpy kept the screenplay simple and full of satire. Marion (Julie Delpy) and Jack (Adam Goldberg) are flying back to NY via Paris. They decide to spend two days in Marion’s Paris apartment, which incidentally is upstairs from her parents flat in the usual Paris apartment building. While in Paris Jack must reckon with Marion’s liberated and liberal parents and with what seems a never ending stream of Marion’s arty ex-lovers. Most of the film is about how Jack copes with all of this, being that his command of the French language is non-existent. Furthermore, while Jack is covered with enough tattoos to rival those of Anthony Kiedis (lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), he certainly doesn’t have the requisitie mojo to face Marion’s sexual past.

For Marion’s part, we meet a peculiar child who’s morphed into a partially blind photographer. Of course, the film’s central truth lies in how she learns to distinguish images from the reality of love and how painful that can be.

This is a wonderful film for everyone that has ever been in love and stuck around long enough to love. Those of you whose grand amour has a background and nationality different than your own will find the film strikingly familiar. Ms. Delpy is not only director, writer, editor and casting agent in addition to lead protagonist, but she also chose the music. The soundtrack just rocks. Vive la femme.

(Birgit S) Opening May 24, 2007

For 20 years Kowsky (Henning Peker) and Gero (Tom Jahn) worked together on their freighter, travelling up and down the river. The free and easy life ends with a shock when they lose their jobs. They were away so often that their family ties had suffered and are now critically severed. Both men are facing insurmountable frustrating situations on the home front.

Therefore, they decide to leave Dresden in Gero’s small sailing boat, hoping to land a new job in Hamburg. During this trip Kowsky turns out to be a restless and risk-taking character whereas Gero has a quiet, thoughtful personality. Due to Kowsky’s unreliability they lose the sailing boat and have to continue their journey with a tiny row boat. In their misery both men get to know each other’s personal anxieties and secret dreams. Gero collects postcards from Australia, hoping one time to see Ayers Rock with his own eyes. Kowsky dreams of making money. As he is about to carry off a bag full of money at the risk of his life, it is placid Gero who grows “larger than life” and comes to the rescue. At this point the action picks up speed and takes an unexpected turn.

Elbe is a slow moving river – and so is this German “road movie” by Marco Mittelstaedt. The film deals with various topics of human relationships like friendship, lost opportunities, taking responsibility, longing for family, dreaming of new beginnings. The two main actors are very well chosen and fit their respective characters perfectly, supported by Steffi Kühnert and Gabriele Maria Schmeide. The Elbe river (supposedly the main theme) was treated disappointingly. It could have been any odd river. I would have wished for more interesting visual experience and characteristic close-ups of life on the river.

(Becky T) Opening May 24, 2007

John Graham Mellor, born in 1952 in Turkey, was the son of a British diplomat who moved around the world. At age nine, John started British boarding school (“a place where people hanged themselves”) where he was a poor student. His classmates describe him as very sociable, the center of attention. He evolved into the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock group The Clash.

Director Julien Temple has collected hours of film footage, artwork, music, and interviews to fill in the facts of Strummer’s extraordinary career (“I’m a punk rock warlord and write ‘warlord’ as one word”) until his death in 2002. His beloved brother David committed suicide; John changed his name to Woody; he entered art college and drew cartoons. In 1974, he left school and joined hippie house squatters who protested that houses stood empty while people were homeless. Simultaneously, he taught himself music and performed with like-minded friends. He changed his name to Joe Strummer (“because I strummed a guitar”). Bernie Rhodes encouraged him to join a new group, The Clash, and their first real album appeared in 1977 with a hugely successful follow up, ”Sandinista,” in 1980. They toured Great Britain, Canada, and the U.S. The group disbanded in 1985. Joe married, had two daughters, appeared in film (Mystery Train by Jim Jarmusch), and worked with other groups such as the Mescaleros.

There are cameos from Elvis, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, Marianne Faithful, Bono, Martin Scorsese, John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Matt Dillon, and many, many more. Hopefully, the final version will identify the people who give testimony. They sit around campfires in New York, California, England, and other parts of the world, play The Clash music and reminisce. Strummer thought that punk rock reflected the roar of the city. On the other hand, he was drawn almost spiritually to a cozy blazing fire along a river at night. Also, he said, “The good thing about punk rock is that if you are ugly, you’re in.” He, though, was very good looking his whole life except for having extremely bad teeth. This film needs a good edit; it is unnecessarily repetitious, confusing and 30 minutes too long. The Clash fans will love it.

(Karen P) Opening May 24, 2007

The pirate world of the Caribbean is in danger of extinction and by decree from Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander); hundreds are put to the guillotine for their alliance to this world. Much to Beckett’s disadvantage, his order has set in motion the strength of the pirate coalition to unite. Those marching to their execution sing an ancient pirate ballad. It is the historic buccaneer battle cry for freedom documented in the pirata codex (the Book of the Pirate Code) which is held under lock and key, with the king of the pirates (Keith Richards). The verification of the code’s authenticity notes that when the ballad begins to be sung there is trouble at sea, but those who hold to the pirate code will soon realize their own destiny with treasure in hand. If any part of the code is in jeopardy, the pirata codex, requires a gathering of the legendary Nine Lords of the Brethren Court (the nine captains of infamous pirate ships world wide). Unfortunately, one of the Lords, Captain Jack Sparrow, (Johnny Depp) is trapped in Davy Jones’ locker since his plight with Kraken, the sea monster; therefore, he is preoccupied in a world of hallucination held at the earth’s end.

Lord Beckett (of the East India Company) has threatened the Brethren Court with the control of the pirate ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman. Along with its captain, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and his eerie crew, Beckett has been drawn into maritime crime with his ruthless business dealings cultivating his passion to pursue the world’s largest treasure, owned by the Pirates. Beckett’s fixation to acquire the pirate fortune and to rule the seven seas now has potential.

The alliance with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elisabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is created out of desperation to rescue Captain Jack to bring him to the Brethren Court hoping that he can assist them in defeating Beckett. The plot thickens when the rescue attempt has more at stake than Captain Jack’s life (surprise! surprise!). The Brethren Court members must decide on whom they will join for the big battle despite their experience of disloyalty. Their choice and fate will affect a world where the Caribbean Pirates once were free to roam the seven seas along with their love for the bottle of rum.

(Becky T) Opening May 31, 2007

When Harald Siebler, director and film school teacher, announced plans to film the nineteen paragraphs of the German constitution (Grundgesetz), his friends rolled their eyes and said, “Yeah, and then you can do the phone book.” Luckily for us, he was serious and he, with the help of a jury selected from the film business, sifted through 480 entries from young German directors. They found the ones which would project the idea of *dignity, individual freedom, equality, religion, freedom of speech, family, education, right to assemble, work, privacy of the postal system, liberalness, right to strike, right to privacy, ownership, state property, residency, right to petition, basic rights, and guarantee of basic rights.

He also searched for financial aid and good German actors and cities to host the film teams. The results of the nineteen, six-minute films are worth it. Several are quite serious, e.g., a mistaken case of child abuse; a young boy caring for his drugged mother; a child raised to serve the state in Handmaiden’s Tale style; a policeman body-searching a homeless person. Some were humorous such as a young man who lives for his inheritance or a man who sings songs in a bus about the joy of submitting petitions so that he can process them. Others concern prejudices against foreigners, women’s lib, and a young girl trying to join a convent. My favorite is one under the category of “liberalness” in which a young couple buys a house. Their friends pity them for paying good money for such a place because trains roar by within inches, every hour. This young couple couldn’t be happier because both of them love trains and both are deaf and dumb.

Harald Siebler hopes that 40 million Germans will see the film (and not just political science classes). He believes that, like him, most Germans do not know all nineteen paragraphs of their own constitution. I am happy to say that there is much talent among German film makers and we will surely see more of them in the future.

*19 paragraphs in German: Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar; Freiheit der Person; Gleichheit vor dem Gesetz; Freiheit des Glaubens; Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung; Schutz der Familie; Das Schulwesen steht unter Aufsicht des Staates; Versammlungsfreiheit, Recht auf Bildung von Vereinigungen zur Wahrung der Arbeitsbedingungen Briefgeheimnis; Freizügigkeit; Freie Wahl des Berufes; Unverletzlichkeit der Wohnung; Eigentum; Vergesellschaftung von Grund und Boden; Ausbürgerung-, Auslieferung-, Asylrecht; Beschwerde- und Petitionsrecht; Verwirkung von Grundrechten; Gewährleistung der Grundrechte.

(Shauna K) Opening May 31, 2007

When slacker Bartleby Gaines (Justin Long) realizes he’s been rejected from every college he applied to, he has his friend Sherman (Jonah Hill) create a website for a fake college in order to save face with his parents. Sherman’s fully functional website not only fools Bartleby’s parents, but also fools and sends acceptance letters to a whole incoming freshman class of students. Accepted, a comedy obviously inspired by the classic high school and college films Animal House, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Revenge of the Nerds has funny moments and even a message, but yet is only mediocre at best.

(Birgit S) Opening May 31, 2007

What a breathtaking view: horses galloping through the dust of the wide, arid desert valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas! I am even more in awe as the film continues with unusual sights of sun-baked rock formations, of steep and narrow passes leading through the mountain range. How difficult the filming in such heights of up to 5000 meter must have been! It is in this arid and impassable landscape that the Tibetan legend of an insatiable love has its origin.

At the beginning of the 19th Century Jalan (Milind Sonam) and his bandits are raiding a caravan, robbing the unsuspecting pilgrims of all their valuables. When riding off with their booty, beautiful Usha (Mylene Jampanoi) stands motionless in the blinding sunshine, refusing to leave. She convinces Jalan that he appeared in her dream and she is to stay with him. The gang is not too happy with a woman among their ranks, but she makes herself useful in finding even richer travellers and better ways to rob them. Jalan falls more and more in love with the seductive and enigmatic Usha. Ill-feelings develop amongst the men. Jalan becomes ruthless and selfish. When he shoots one of his own men in anger, they leave him and disband. The once proud and energetic Jalan does not care any longer; he is totally detached from reality.

The pair leaves all worldly possessions behind, living only for their pure and intense love in search of immortality. Their goal is the Valley of Flowers. Days of steep climbing lead to this enchanted valley nestled between the highest mountain peaks. The legend tells of nymphs and fairies frolicking in the meadows, joined by humans who are “heavenly” in love. Usha’s and Jalan’s entwined bodies are levitated into the blue sky.

Change of scenery: Tokyo in present day chaos. (This change was effectively achieved by showing Jalan’s walking feet marching through the decades.) The lovers who had managed to steal the potion of immortality in Tibet were separated when being chased by the wise Yeti (Naseeruddin Shah), the guardian of balance between life and death. He wants Usha to return to the spiritual world, where she had come from. Jalan, now an entrepreneur who is selling “peaceful death” under the name of Valley of Flowers is in difficulties as euthanasia is forbidden in Japan. Usha, a singer in a club, finds Jalan in the busy streets of Tokyo. But the wise Yeti had already discovered both of them. He can now determine the course of their fate, influence life and death by playing on his magical flute – which is made of human bone – bringing the unruly free demons under control.

Director Pan Nalin wrote the script, inspired by Alexandra David-Néel’s real-life novel Magie d’amour et magie noire (Liebeszauber und Schwarze Magie). She was the first white woman to explore the Himalayas and Tibet in the early 1920s, sharing her unusual experiences in her books. This film premiered at the 2007 Filmfest Hamburg.

(Mary W) Opening May 31, 2007

While working as a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in the late 1960s and ‘70s, Robert Graysmith becomes engrossed with seemingly random murders committed by a person who sends letters and ciphers to the newspaper. Director David Fincher,(Seven), through his characters, tracks suspects based on Graysmith's two exhaustive books on the Zodiac killer. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Graysmith as a man so obsessed with the killings that he loses his family, friends and almost, touch with reality.

The film opens with in-your-face violence as a young couple stopped for what could be a bit of necking, get nervous when another car pulls up behind them. A dark clothed figure approaches the car and shoots the cute young blond, killing her. Her friend is shot several times but he manages to survive. Another young couple are enjoying a picnic in the woods when approached by a stranger who acts like he wants to rob them but then ties them up, stabbing them both with only the man surviving. Notoriously drunk crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr.) feeds Graysmith bits of evidence on the crimes like flakes to a goldfish, hooking Graysmith with the story of a lifetime. Graysmith begins with the first coded letter, later solved by an ordinary crossword puzzle enthusiast - not the FBI or CIA. Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), grudgingly aided by the reporters, believes he has found the killer only to lose him due to lack of evidence. Over the years Graysmith doggedly tracks his man, with unofficial help from Toschi, until he gets a positive identification from a survivor.

Superb acting and attention to detail render this film totally absorbing with entertaining reminders of how much times have changed. Imagine police driving to a locked phone box to call the office, no fax machines, no instant communication via email or cell phones, no DNA testing. Whodunit? You be the judge.