The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 41

C4 Weekend The Boston Globe FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2002 Brookline native delivers 'Paradise' "Don't become too American," a dying Italian immigrant father warns his teen- Boston Film age daughter Festival What he means tell to her, -v if K4 1 1 ft I PHOTODEYAN DONtV David Arquette in a scene from Tim Blake Nelson's courageous but horrific drama "The Grey Zone." wis 3: iiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Searching for Paradise Directed by Myra Pari (USA) XXXY Directed by Austin Chick (USA) though she can't understand it just yet, is: Don't be so literal. Appreciate life's imperfections. Stop searching for paradise and start living as though you've found it Brookline native Myra Paci's "Searching for Paradise" is a deeply personal, somewhat autobiographical work exploring the poignant and sometimes bizarre journey of Gilda Matte, a teenager who cant begin to grieve until she abandons her idealized notions of love. To get there, shell need to work through a Freudian fantasy that has her obsessing over a movie star to the point of stalking. If that sounds creepy, it's really not; the course she charts is far more sad than scary.

Paci's sensitive, multilayered script is helped considerably by some first-rate performances. The little-known Susan May Pratt does a fearless star turn, making the many faces of Gilda natural and engaging. Chris Noth (Big from "Sex and the makes a credible self-involved celebrity, and ultimately helps the girl discover how to live with loss and disappointment. Despite how sobering it may seem, that lesson allows for much humor and hope in the telling. What Pad delivers is no less than soul-baring independent filmmaking, most deserving of the warm reception it's bound to get from the hometown crowd.

JANICE PAGE Like a rock video The college pals in Austin Chick's "XXXY" don't seem to have a lot of time for classes, what with the next rave or menage a trois just around the corner. Near as viewers can tell, these '90s scenesters are majoring in the alchemy of alcohol, drugs, and sex partners, eager to try out every combination that results in even a momentary high. Consequently, the first half of Chick's feature filmmaking debut r. jump to tell. Absent a "Life Is Beautiful" treatment, the finished work was never likely to be the basis for many dinner-and-a-movie dates.

But Tim Blake Nelson took up the challenge anyway, stowing his considerable comic acting talents Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "The Good putting on his writer-director hat and taking an unflinching approach to "The Grey Zone." On some level, you have to admire the guy's bravery and conviction. Realistically, though, that doesn't mean you're going to want to sit through the depressing, highly flawed result. Portraits of courage and a prison uprising notwithstanding, this is a horrific tale, so unrelentingly grim that even Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and Mira Sorvino cant brighten the proceedings. Admire it from afar. JANICE PAGE The Grey Zone Directed by Tim Blake Nelson (USA) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIII whirls along like a rock video with dramatic pauses for dialogue.

The New Hampshire-bred writerdirector seems intent on finding as many ways as possible to show how immature his characters are in their relationships. Then, when the film slips into its postgraduate second half, we'll be able to see how much the friends have grown, or not. But it's hard to care about any of these people and their narcissistic lives, particularly the supremely fickle lead (Mark Ruffalo), who is clearly the least mature matriculant of the bunch. The supposedly grown-up relationships he and his friends settle into take a liberal view of fidelity and self-respect that seems confused to the end. Ultimately, the best that can be said about their story is it makes a case for closely monitored dorm living.

LOTWS AMC MMS IT TOW MOT WMIM BOSTON COMMON FENWAY THEATRE I 800 i TILL MI-Wk-WM LOEWS SHOWCASE CINTMAS SHOWCASt CINEMAS lOtWS LOTWS 10EWS FRESH POND SOMERVIUE DANVERS (HSU HMD PUU ttSJMBimillW LIIUCIV IBll MAIL 800 1 ui Kw us-nu aoo-us-nu NAHM DfcDHAH WOBURN K.9 opt smmH wont iK.11.1a anon in.moii lunu OO-HMIU 1M U6-V) ni-ui-uio SHOWCASE CINEMAS SHOWCASt CINEMAS AMC AMC AMC iTIIriavl REVERE RANDOLPH BRAINTREE 10 BURLINGTON 10 CHESTNUT HILL I A 1 1 PCMHY (MHMMSMl-BIl Rtt.MSIXITUB HI1.9MIMHHOHBS1. DIGITAL JSI-2U-I660 1BI-961-S600 781-229-9200 611-211-1)00 No Passes of Discount Tickets Accepted for Itws Engagement Late Show Tonight At Boston Common, Dedham, Wobum, Randolph ft Revere a iiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiimumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiii Today's Screenings Boston Common Theatre, 617-423-5801 "The Grey 7 (director Tim Blake Nelson, actor Harvey Keitel present), 9:45 p.m. "Searching for 7:45 (director Myra Paci, actor Chris Noth present), 10:15 p.m. 7:30 (director Austin Chick, producer Mitchell Robbins, actor Mark Ruffalo present), 10 p.m. IMIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII JANICE PAGE Forecast: 'Grey' and grim The story of a special squad of Jews known as the 12th Sonder-kommando, who were forced to aid in the extermination and gruesome processing of their fellow inmates at Auschwitz, is not a tale that a lot of filmmakers would urn I'M GOING HOME inunMANOQ.

HE OUVBM "Resonates with intelligence and a Arkin is a standout!" MICHEL PtCCOU "REMARKABLE! An ode to Paris lorn Kent, KlSTON ClOH BIIM riBMBMl tLYlv LiBk and to life." lite. -Unto IBB ktiie 13 conversations "ONE OF TEN BE For the past 5 months audiences across America have fallen in love with EARNEST. It's the first-rate moviegoing experience Loren King of The Boston Globe calls, Isn't it time you treated yourself to the comedy The Boston Herald raves isWIWfWW" E1I.MSOK about one thing THE YEAR! -UWBJ ONE WEEK ONLY! OPtNS FRIDAY, OA 5:30, 730, 9:30 Sol Sw 1 :30 1 3:30 pKg, msm Shsr THE BRATTLE THEATRE HARVARD SQUARE CAMBRIDGE 617-86-6837 Bonvct.ti..M Make a date with Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench. It's the most fun you'll 1 have at the movies this weekend. rvriT.ncTTris rvmavnTrvip landmark's UAVU Hi 1 UH HAM UDeWH KENDALL SQ NOW PLATING! ONE KENDALL CAMBRIDGE 617-494-9800 i theIMPORTANCEofBEING NEWSDAY 'A Heaping Romantic Comedy! 3S MD) Ll Its Two Stars Keep The Sexual Tension Simmering." JanStiMrt CHICAGO TRIBUNE 1 "4r4r4r4r" i MlthIWIImmjtoii Rupert Couh Frances Reese Judi Tom EVERETT FIRTH 0 CONNOR WITHERSPOON -DENCH WILKINSON PG PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED'CS' II li -film I council 9W9 mu- ealinc 'fCRMfWC imttao-J studios Ifil'JU SOME MATERIAL MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN MILD SENSUALITY swiWiTll Emmmvmmmmm copley place natick wrLtl LHvC WMI 1296 WASHINGTON ST.

1 7 fO '7 iff 'CO HUNTINGTON BOSTON RTE. 9 OPP. SHOPPERS WORLD ROUTE 1 6 iJJll 800-555-TELL 800-555-TELL 617-964-6060 lOtWS UNDMA(K i EMBASSY PLACE LOEWS HARVARD SQ. 8QO 553 TELL NOW PLAYING! 1-555 TELL 3t;.