Also for January ï Home for the Holidays ï ëIntimacyí Too Close for Comfort ï A Spanish Ghost Story ï Upstairs, Downstairs ï Ordinary Heroine ï Hong Kong Action in France ï Repertory Notes ï Top 15 International Films Released in 2001 Merciless ëNo Manís Landí Debut Film Satirizes Balkans War in Tradition of ëDr. Strangeloveí by Ky N. Nguyen No Manís Landî is the latest film to address the follies of war, following in the black humor tradition of Stanley Kubrickís ìDr. Strangelove.î Though it is in many respects an effective satirical comedy, ìNo Manís Landî feels too brutally realistic to offer easy-going laughs. Itís no surprise considering that director Danis Tanovic learned his craft shooting the real horrors of the Balkans war. The gritty, authenti c movie successfully reduces the entire regional conflict to a miniature world of only two or three characters. Early on, the rules of the game are clearly established through the refrain: ìBecause I have a gun and you donít.î The microcosm demonstrates how quickly and easily minor disagreements can erupt into irreversible violence when fueled by intense hatred and antagonism. There are no easy solutions, even when ìneutralî third parties lend a hand. During an impenetrable fog, Bosnian soldier Ciki (Branko Djuric) and Serbian soldier Nino (Rene Bitorajac) become stuck together in a trench between the fronts of the opposing sides. Complications arise when they discover that Cera (Filip Sovagovic), a Bosnian presumed dead, is still alive but stuck in a predicament that endangers them all. Required to work together, they call the United Nations peacekeeping force for help. Everybody speaks a different language, both literally and metaphorically. Col. Soft (Simon Callow), a cautious bureaucrat comfortably ensconced at his desk, is reluctant to become involved. Reporter Jane Livingstone (Katrin Cartlidge) catches whiff of the story, which ends up on worldwide television, adding to the mounting pressures. ìNo Manís Landî mercilessly satirizes the single-minded selfishness of many parties involved in the war, from both enemy sides to the UN forces more concerned about appearances and regulations than effectiveness and solutions. The news media are especially vilified: Livingstone represents the driven journalist who believes the story is more important than whatís being covered. Tanovic, a former documentary filmmaker in the Bosnian Army, creates an air of gripping authenticity for his feature debut. As in the humanistic style of Italian neo-realism, the chief protagonists never seem to be acting for a minute. Their disagreements seem as familiar as neighborhood schoolchildrenís fights, bringing the action all that much closer to home. ìNo Manís Landî (Bosnian, French and English; 97 min.; scope) is now playing at Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle and Cineplex Odeon Shirlington. Home for the Holidays During the December holiday season, saccharine American movies tend to land on local multiplex screens. Fortunately for the discerning Washington viewer, an independent art house offers the French ìLa B?cheî as a less sweet holiday alternative, keeping the traditional American chestnuts only on the soundtrack. Five days before Christmas, three sisters join their mother at the funeral of her second husband. Soon, the friction within this dysfunctional family reveals an entangled soap opera full of secrets and passions. Veteran screenwriter DaniËle Thompson (who worked with Patrice ChÈreau on ìThose Who Love Me Can Take the Trainî and ìQueen Margotî) makes an assured directorial debut, keeping reins on the chaotic plot threads. Rather than signposting every facet of the story, she haphazardly lays out little pieces that the viewer can put together to solve the puzzle. Thompson leverages fine performances from the gifted ensemble cast, including Sabine AzÈma, Emmanuelle BÈart, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Claude Rich, FranÁoise Fabian and Christopher Thompson (co-writer and son of the director). Each has an opportunity to deliver a revealing monologue, adding meat to the holiday feast of flavors. ìLa B?che (Seasonís Beatings)î (French; 106 min.; scope) is now playing at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge. ëIntimacyí Too Close for Comfort With ìIntimacy,î French director Patrice ChÈreau (ìThose Who Love Me Can Take the Train,î ìQueen Margotî) gives English a try for the first time. Not flinching a bit, he swings for the fences and hits a home run, winning the Berlin Film Festivalís Golden Bear. Based on a story by Hanif Kureishi, the sexually explicit film boldly searches for honesty in exploring the anatomy of an initially casual relationship. Claire (Kerry Fox) comes weekly to Jayís (Mark Rylance) seedy apartment for dispassionate, physically intense sex. Claire doesnít even know Jayís name. What is it that motivates these characters? One day, Jay decides to follow Claire, opening a Pandoraís box as their previously separate lives intersect. In the typically British fashion, the articulate dialogue offers plenty for the actors to chew on. ChÈreau is an actorís director and is certainly very demanding of his cast. They live up to his high expectations, delivering memorable results. (Fox took home the Best Actress prize at Berlin.) The claustrophobic ìIntimacyî leaves an indelible impression of emotional baggage and urgent despair. ìIntimacyî (English; 120 min.; scope) opens Wed., Dec. 26 at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge. A Spanish Ghost Story Following ìMimic,î Mexican director Guillermo del Toroís lackluster English-language debut, he makes a triumphant return to Spanish-language cinema with ìThe Devilís Backbone.î Reminiscent of the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and Mario Bava, the gothic horror melodrama delivers chilling suspense spliced with a potent historical undercurrent. The viewer becomes enveloped within the filmís brooding atmosphere. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the story is told from the viewpoint of Carlos (Fernando Tielve), who is dropped off at an orphanage for the boys of killed Republicans. Dr. C·sares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes) run the place with help from a small staff, including the menacing caretaker Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a graduate of the school. A huge Fascist bomb rests intact in the courtyard, representing the constant political threat. Sexual, class, financial and criminal tensions simmer behind the scenes. Adults dominate the bright, glowing daytime images. Theyíre contrasted with dark, gloomy nighttime sequences that belong to the children. After dark, Carlos repeatedly sees the ghost of Santi, an orphan who disappeared. Carlos wonders, are these nightmares or reality? ìThe Devilís Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo)î (Spanish; 106 min.) opens Fri., Jan. 11. Upstairs, Downstairs American director Robert Altman transplants his trademark talkie ensemble style to ìGosford Park,î a sparkling murder mystery satirizing English country life in 1932. At the start of this twist on ìUpstairs, Downstairs,î Altman has already unsheathed his razor-sharp daggers, aiming them squarely at both the snobs and their servants. The story takes place around a shooting party, but the real action is indoors. Affairs, financial troubles, and other sources of animosity and tension fill the air. Unlike many stagy TV dramas, Altmanís camera flows throughout the mansion, scouring its nooks and crannies for hidden secrets. A movie like ìGosford Parkî depends on solid contributions from the actors. The clever script somehow manages to give them all enough to do to flesh out their characters. The all-star British cast includes Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Charles Dance, Jeremy Northam, Alan Bates, Helen Mirren, Kelly Macdonald, Eileen Atkins, Derek Jacobi, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant, Clive Owen, Camilla Rutherford and Stephen Fry. Americans Bob Balaban (a producer) and Ryan Phillippe also throw their hats into the three-ring circus. ìGosford Parkî (English; 137 min.; scope) opens Fri., Jan. 4 in Washington, D.C., at Cineplex Odeon Outer Circle and Cineplex Odeon Shirlington, and Fri., J an. 11 at Cinema Arts in Fairfax, Va. Ordinary Heroine ìCharlotte Grayî provides an uncommon womanís perspective on World War II, a cinematic genre dominated by the male gaze. Well-written and photographed, the latest film from Australian director Gillian Armstrong (ìOscar and Lucinda,î ìLittle Womenî) is modestly entertaining with flaws preventing it from being a great movie. Adapted from the best seller by Sebastian Faulks (ìBirdsongî), the story describes how a Scottish woman (Cate Blanchett) becomes a secret agent in occupied France to find her lover, a downed RAF pilot. She works with Julian (Billy Crudup), a French resistance fighter whoís on bad terms with his grumpy father (Michael Gambon). Charlotte transforms from an ordinary woman into a revolutionary, which she finds is not an easy task. Amid the glossy production design, the viewer never forgets that a movie is taking place. It doesnít feel totally authentic, which is not helped by the English dialogue. Blanchett and Crudup seem a bit out of place, which may make sense for the character of the former but not for the latter. Although serviceable, ìCharlotte Grayî pales in the inevitable comparison to Claude Berriís ìLucie Aubrac,î a superior film about a brave woman doing her part in the French resistance. ìCharlotte Grayî (English; 120 min.) opens Fri., Jan. 11. Hong Kong Action in France ìBrotherhood of the Wolfî is a wild action flick influenced by the Hong Kong wave currently sweeping world cinema. Itís also a costume drama set in the pre-Revolutionary French countryside, where a wild beast has been ravaging the peasants. Throwing in elements from horror movies and other genres, director Christophe Gans has created a hybrid thatís luridly entertaining though less than fully satisfying. GrÈgoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan), a naturalist, is sent to track down the ìBeast of GÈvaudanî in south central France. Heís accompanied by Mani (Marc Dacascos), an Iroquois who has picked up martial arts expertise. Between scenes at court, they get into fights and investigate the kills of the beast. Snooping around, they uncover a vast reactionary conspiracy conducted by a secret society. The movieís a big messóa fact partially obscured by the overwhelming visuals. The set design, costumes and cinematography provide lots of eye candy, compensating for the gaping plot holes. Additional spice comes from colorful performances from the supporting cast, especially Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. ìBrotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des Loupe)î (French; 142 min.; scope) opens Fri., Jan. 11. Repertory Notes From Jan. 5-27, the National Gallery of Art screens seven unabridged German films (including six silents with organ accompaniment) by Fritz Lang ((202) 842-6799, http://nga.gov/programs/film.htm). On Jan. 21 at 7 p.m., the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop presents the sole North American screening of 1921ís ìFour Around a Woman,î with Robert Israel performing his piano score composed for the Lang retrospective at Berlin ((202) 547-6839, http://filmsonthehill.com). The Goethe-Institutís New Films from Germany program runs Jan. 17-24 at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge ((202) 667-0090, http://visionsdc.com). A series of first-time Iranian filmmakers begins on Jan. 18 at the Freer and Sackler Galleries ((202) 357-2700, http://www.asia.si.edu/programs/film.htm). The Library of Congressís Mary Pickford Theater completes its current program, including three early works from Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone ((202) 707-5677, http://www.loc.gov/pickford). At the closing night of the Washington Jewish Film Festival (http://wjff.org)ówrapping with a fine musical performance by Nefrit El-Oróthe announced Audience Award winners included Favorite Feature, ìTime of Favorî (Israel); Favorite Documentary, ìUncle Chatzkelî (Australia); Favorite Short, ìMinus-Plusî (Israel); and Special Mention, ìTrembling Before G-dî (Israel/USA/France), which opens Fri., Jan. 25 at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge. Top 15 International Films Released in 2001 (in alphabetical order) ï Aberdeen UK/Norway/Sweden ï AmÈlie France/Germany ï Audition (Odishon) Japan ï Bread and Tulips (Pane e Tulipani) Italy/Switzerland ï Chunhyang South Korea ï The Circle (Dayereh) Iran/Italy ï Faithless (Trol^sa) Sweden/Italy/Germany ï In the Mood for Love (Fa Yeung Nin Wa) Hong Kong/France ï Suzhou River (Suzhou He) China/Germany ï The Taste of Others (Le Go?t des Autres) France ï Time and Tide (Seunglau Ngaklau) Hong Kong ï Va Savoir (Who Knows?) France/Italy/Germany ï The Vertical Ray of the Sun (Mua He Chieu Thang Dung) Vietnam/France/Germany ï The Widow of Saint-Pierre (La Veuve de Saint-Pierre) Canada/France ï Yi Yi (A One and a TwoÖ) Taiwan/Japan Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.