Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Here’s a film whose release is timed to perfection. Two close friends (Elizabeth Banks and Seth Logan) in financial trouble find that their platonic relationship is no obstacle to getting their gear off on video to make some quick cash. But what will happen to their friendship? Because this is a good-hearted (if very lowbrow) American comedy, you can pretty much guess the outcome, even if it is written and directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy). Full of cameos for movie (and porno) buffs, Smith was able to slip this one past the American censors, without cuts, on appeal despite the sometimes grisly subject matter.
Rumba
Anything described by Variety as “like an episode of Sesame Street scripted by Luis Bunuel and helmed by Jacques Tati” must be worth seeing, and sure enough, this French/Belgian co-production is one of the best releases of the week. A couple who love to dance find their lives falling apart after suffering severe injuries in a car accident. It’s all downhill from there, but this is not what it appears. The movie mixes sight gags and very physical comedy with a good-humored tone that shifts between optimism and sobriety. And there’s great dancing. Colorful and perfect for all the family, and not weighed down by the need to read subtitles — because there’s very little dialogue. The glorious spirit of Tati lives on.
Push
It’s not such a good week to release this American action fantasy with Watchmen also opening, but it does feature Hong Kong prominently. US military experiments generate a number of people who can “push” (telekinetically move) objects and read minds, and one of the guinea pigs must flee to Hong Kong to escape the deadly plans for domination by one of their number. Dakota Fanning plays a teen “mover” who tracks down and teams up with her hunted colleague. Director Paul McGuigan made the reasonable Lucky Number Slevin, but the critics were generally less enthralled with this effort despite its visual and dynamic flair.
Nocturna
A Spanish-French animated film from 2007, Nocturna is about an orphan who explores the night sky in search of a beloved missing star and finds the most unexpected creatures and machinations — some good, some sinister. Like most European animated features, this one struggled to enter the US market, perhaps because the benign sensibilities of the makers and a young US audience raised on adrenaline and vivid characterizations didn’t quite connect.
Climates
Climates (2006) is the award-winning feature that Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan made before Three Monkeys, which screened here in October. It’s being released together with his earlier film Distant (see next preview) in a treat for fans of the director and Turkish cinema in general. Climates is a study in mood, atmosphere and seasonal locations as a relationship falls apart. Ceylan and his wife, Ebru Ceylan, play the leads. Also known as Seasons. Original title: Iklimler.
Distant
Winner of the Cannes jury prize, Distant (2002) involves the spiritual deterioration in the lives of a newly single photographer and an unemployed — possibly unemployable — relative from the country who comes to encroach on his life. With a measured pace and plenty of gloom, this is not for everyone, but it has many champions. J. Hoberman, writing in the Village Voice, likened Ceylan’s works to those of Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮). Original title: Uzak.
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