Limited runs and special events:
@ Film Studies Center @ U of C/Cobb Hall, 5811 S. Ellis, 773/702-8596 – Queerly Chinese Cinema May 8-10
@ Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, 312/846-2600: Bank Ban (screen adaptation of the Hungarian opera) – May 7 & 8; From The Other Side (directed by Chantal Akerman) – May 16 – 22; Nina Simone, Love Sorceress (1998 documentary about the late Ms. Simone’s 1976 European concert) – May 18 & 22; Model – May 23 & 29; Farewell, My Concubine (starring the late Leslie Cheung, who ‘played many straight romantic roles throughout his career’ and ‘also played numerous gay, bisexual, transvestite, and cross-dressing characters, and was considered to have pioneered a new era of freedom and openness in portrayal of such characters in Asian cinema’) – May 24 & 27; Big Shot’s Funeral – May 30 & 31; The Store – Jun. 2, 5
@ McClurg Court Theater, 330 East Ohio, (877) 298-9357 or e-mail HBO.PR_events_NC@hbo.com (for reservations to this FREE event): screening of Rory Kennedy’s documentary Pandemic: Facing AIDS – May 9. Home Box Office (HBO) and Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) will collaborate with a premiere of the HBO Special, a documentary by Rory Kennedy, award-winning producer, director, and writer. The event will be Friday, May 9, 6 p.m., McClurg Court Theater, 330 E. Ohio. This documentary takes a unique look at the AIDS epidemic, melding personal stories with a global perspective.
@ 19th Annual Israel Film Festival – 312/670-8182 (festival info) – various theaters including Piper’s Alley, 1608 N Wells; Esquire Theater, 58 E. Oak; Highland Park Theater, 445 Central Ave.: 18 films May 8-15. Round Trip – Nurit (Anat Waxman), a bus driver and mother of two, feels trapped in her marriage. She is also tired of the air raid sirens and drills and the threat of katyusha rockets in Qiryat Shemona, the town in Israel in which they live. Nurit tells her husband that she needs ‘time off’ from him and she takes her daughter and son, Hila and Zohar, with her to Tel Aviv. While there she gets a job as a bus driver, but still has a hard time making ends meet. She puts up flyers seeking a nanny, who will help with the rent and take care of the school-age children. Mushidi (Nathati Moshesh), an African woman who is in Israel illegally is hired by Nurit. Writer Noa Grinberg has crafted a compelling tale of culture clashes and the complex ways in which women relate to each other. The intense emotional and eventual romantic relationship that develops between Nurit and Mushidi occurs naturally and isn’t forced, and both actresses inhabit their characters with honesty and grace. (B+) (In Hebrew and English with English subtitles) – May 11, 13
@ SAIC Queer Film and Video Festival– various locations, 312/443-3703: Screening of Ho Yok (‘Let’s Love Hong Kong’) (University of Chicago, CobbHall, Film Studies Center Auditorium, 5811 S. Ellis Ave., Room 307) – May 8. Best of the Fest program (Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville Ave.) – Chicago premiere of I Am Not What You Want: Gay university student Ricky (Chet Lam) temporarily moves in with his straight friend Mark (Nicky Hung), in Hong Kong, after his parents threw him out of their home for coming out to them. Mark’s girlfriend Mable (Joyee Lam) is concerned about the possible influence that Ricky may have over Mark, while Ricky’s ‘fag hag’ best friend Olivia (Carol) doesn’t appear to be entirely convinced of Ricky’s sexuality. In fact, it is Mark’s sexuality that is most in question. I Am Not What You Want is remarkable on many levels. First, it is amazing what writer and director Kit Hung has accomplished, in under 50 minutes, in telling this wonderful and romantic story. I can only fault him for leaving me wanting more. Second, the young characters are completely at ease with themselves and have an on-screen authenticity that is rare these days. Third, Hung’s camera work shows great promise, heralding the arrival of a director to watch. (B+) – May 10 ($2 donation to Hart/Gerber Library)
@ Women in the Director’s Chair, 941 W. Lawrence, 773-907-0610: WIDC Encore Festival Schedule (tickets on sale at the door 30 minutes before each show – admission $8, $6 for WIDC members, students and seniors) – Caught in Between and Drawing the War – May 8 (7); One War, Many Fronts, Division & Western, Who Hangs the Laundry? Washing, War and Electricity in Beirut, In Order Not to Be Here, Sentenced: Connie, Zulaikha, and And Night Also Never Comes for the Rest – May 8 (9 p.m.); Tiny Plastic Rainbow – May 9 (7 & 9); El Rey de Rock n’ Roll – May 10 (7); Experimental shorts program – May 10 (9); Girlhood – May 15 (7); Made You Laugh – May 15 (9); I Call Myself Persian: Iranians in America and The Unapologetic Life of Margaret Randall – May 16 (7); Rebel without a Pause: Unrestrained Reflections On September 11th – May 16 (9); Odds of Recovery – May 17 (7); Thunder Perfect Mind, Baba de perico, I Was a Teenage Prostitute, Bad Girl – May 17 (9)
In theaters:
X2: X-Men United (20th Century Fox) – Gay director Bryan Singer has delivered what is easily the most gay-oriented movie of the year, so far. Singer, who also directed the first installment of the live-action film adaptation of the comic book series, hits his stride with this sequel. With all of the introductory information that cluttered the first film behind him, Singer can get down to the business of creating stirring entertainment. A visually astounding allegory for LGBT discrimination, X2: X-Men United begins with a terrorist-style attack on the President (Cotter Smith) in the White House by Mutant activist Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming), to make a statement about Mutant rights. Maniacal military man Gen. Stryker (L.I.E.’s Brian Cox) is put in charge of the investigation and uses the opportunity to promote his anti-Mutant plot. Stryker, the father of a mutant who was once a student of Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), wants access to Xavier’s Cerebro device so that he can round up all mutants and dispose of them. There are some new characters introduced in X2, including Iceman/Bobby Drake (Shawn Ashmore), who has a wonderful ‘coming out’ as a mutant scene with his parents, and the other characters from the first movie, such as the hirsute, leather-clad, cigar-smoking Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman), Storm/ Ororo Munroe (Halle Berry), Rogue/Marie D’Ancanto (Anna Paquin), Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Cyclops/Scott Summers (James Marsden) are more fleshed out and, well, less cartoonish. Even evil-doers Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr (Sir Ian McKellen) and Mystique/Raven Darkholme (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) are made more human. The combination of compelling storytelling and fantastic special effects makes X2: X-Men United the first great movie of the summer of 2003. (A-)
The Lizzie McGuire Movie (Disney) – I find it hard to believe that gay director Jim Fall’s second film feature is this dismal Disney disaster. Based on the inexplicably popular Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire, the movie is full of klutzy site gags, far from funny comedic mugging, greeting card quality animation, faux Euro-worship and questionable family values. Ungraceful eighth grade grad Lizzie (Hilary Duff) joins members of the future freshman class, including best boy friend Gordo (Adam Lamberg) and worst enemy Kate (Ashlie Brillaut), on a Roman holiday guided by principal Miss Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein). A case of mistaken identity finds Lizzie doubling for absent pop diva Isabella at the request of Isabella’s duo partner Paolo (Yani Gellman). I am not an adolescent girl (although I have, on occasion, been accused of acting like one) but if I was, I would be insulted by this movie. (D+)
On TV:
WTTW Channel 11— Sunday, May 11: In the Life, hosted by lesbian actress Cherry Jones: gay issues in the schools, the battle over gay-themed children’s books, gay Muslims, & Promise Keepers. Midnight.
CAN-TV (Channel 21) cablecasts from Collegiate Pride Fest, includes Amy Armstrong – May 17; Media & Activism, Dramatic Diversity and Chicago Drag Kings – May 24.