November 2007
Time Out
THIS MONTH’S SELECTION OF MOVIES
Atonement
US-rated R; German release: Nov. 8
Adapted from the same-named Ian McEwan novel, Atonement shot to the No. 2 movie slot in box office receipts just after its UK release. The tale follows the life of 12-year-old Briony after she wrongly accuses her sister’s boyfriend of rape. As Briony follows her path to penance, the lovers are separated by jail time and war, exploring the myriad meanings of love and desire. The strength of the original story, apt direction by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice) and solid performances from Keira Knightley (Pride) and James McAvoy (Last Emperor of Scotland), have combined to create a golden triad for success. We are sure to hear oodles about this movie when it hits the theaters in Munich.
Persepolis
US-rated PG-13; German release: Nov. 22
A graphic novel written from the perspective of a child during the Iranian revolution is the unlikely inspiration for the black and white animated film Persepolis. Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Persepolis takes its name from an ancient Iranian city and cultural capital. Iranian-born Parisian artist Marjane Satrapi created both the original autobiographical book as well as the movie screenplay. She infuses fundamentalist politics and women’s rights issues into the plot alongside real-life family struggles to create a comic-drama. Only a girl who has gone from sporting the latest trends to donning a head scarf has the right to bring comedy to the transition, and this is what Satrapi gets away with. The original French version featured the charming voice of Catherine Deneuve as Marjane’s mother, but with Gena Rowlands signed on as the grandmother and Sean Penn and Iggy Pop also lending their voices, this English release should hold up. The film also marks the directorial and screenwriting debut for 38-year-old Satrapi, though she shares both titles with Vincent Paronnaud.
Michael Clayton
US-rated R; German release: Dec. 13
In a role much less smarmy than his Ocean’s character, George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a “fixer” for a large and prestigious Manhattan law firm. Men like Clayton take on the dirtiest cases. This often involves sweeping a client’s moral details under the rug, but Clayton stays with the gritty job because he is in debt, recently divorce and oddly loyal to the firm’s founder. These burdens, however, are the least of his worries when he finds himself triaging a bizarre situation: The legendary lead attorney of his firm (well-played by Tom Wilkinson) is in the throes of a mental crisis that is jeopardizing a multi-million dollar legal settlement for a large client. Enter Karen Crowder (played brilliantly by Tilda Swinton), the client’s in-house attorney and the movie’s immediate evil witch. She practices speeches incessantly at home and dresses like a corporate nun, but sweats like someone with a less-than-icy core. Some viewers will find her motivations indecipherable and the movie less authentic as a result. Still, this is a thriller full of the twists and turns viewers would expect fromwriter and director Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of the Bourne series. Clooney is superb, as are Wilkinson, Swinton and Sydney Pollack, who plays the firm founder and magnet of Clayton’s loyalty. With an Academy Award for Syriana, a nomination for Goodnight and Good Luck and the huge financial success of the Ocean’s films, Clooney can pick and choose his co-workers and projects (in this case both acting and co-executive producing). The results will be worth future monitoring. <<<
