The Lioness in Winter Touching ëIrisí Examines Murdochís Life, Decline by Ky N. Nguyen If one doesnít have words, how does one think?î wondered Iris Murdoch, the important British philosopher and the ìforemost novelist of her generationî who lived a life full of language and introspection. Murdoch once proclaimed that ìthere is only one freedom of any consequence: that of the mind.î ìWords have meant everythingî for her, according to her husband, John Bayley, an Oxford literary critic. In a cruel twist of fate, Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimerís disease in 1994 and quickly lost her cherished mental capacities. Directed by Richard Eyre, ìIrisî is a fabulously touching and engaging memoir of the long and complex relationship between Murdoch and Bayley. They met at Oxford in the early 1950s and were together until her death in 1999. According to actress Judi Dench, who sensitively portrays Murdoch in the twilight of her life, ìThey were like two halves of an apple.î Denchís other half is Jim Broadbent, who plays the older Bayley. Both deliver powerfully quiet performances fully illustrating the traumatic impact of Alzheimerís on both the patient and t he caregiver. In a bravura performance that leaves little wonder of her characterís legendary lust for life, Kate Winslet plays the assured younger Murdoch. As a fearless young woman, Murdoch was described as a young lioness. The less experienced Bayley, played as a young man by a convincingly flustered Hugh Bonneville, never felt he was in her league either intellectually or sexually. As the old and young Murdoch, Dench and Winslet resemble each other to a remarkable extent. According to Eyre, ìThereís a correspondence of spirit between them. They kind of rhyme.î Dench was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, with Winslet and Broadbent receiving nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Actor. Itís curious how a film with such applauded acting failed to be nominated for Best Picture. The brilliant screenplay was adapted from Bayleyís books, ìIris and Her Friends: A Memoir of Memory and Desireî and ìElegy for Iris.î Rather than attempting to fully explain Murdochís intellectual gifts, it merely captures her intelligent spirit. It doesnít make the mistake of dwelling excessively on Murdochís decline, preventing it from becoming a mundane TV movie of the week. Yet the amount of detail provided is just right, giving weight to the poignant emotions spilling through the movie screen into the audience. The film splits its time between the lives of Murdoch and Bayley in the 1950s and the 1990s, readily swinging from one time to the other. The easy temporal interchanges create a flowing ambience of fate and inevitability. Early in the movie, the young couple are bicycling through the countryside. After Murdoch speeds ahead of him, Bayley cries out, ìWait for me. Wait for me, Iris.î Some time after Murdoch becomes ill, she sneaks out of the house when Bayley isnít paying attention. Heís forced to scramble throughout the neighborhood looking for her. Even without all her wits about her, Murdochís powerful force of spirit still leads the way. ìIrisî (English; 90 min.) is now playing at Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle and Cinema Arts. Altman in Bollywood Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice, ìMonsoon Weddingî is a rousingly entertaining masala movie unabashedly steeped in the Bollywood song and dance traditions. Reflecting director Mira Nairís Western training, it uses more realistic portrayals and plot development. As in Robert Altmanís ìA Weddingî (which just played at AFI), there are many hidden secrets and chaotic troubles bubbling just below the surface. The boisterous ensemble comedy brings together the global Diaspora of a Punjabi family for the eldest daughterís wedding in Delhi. The quickly Westernizing city epitomizes todayís urban India, a tenuous amalgamation of the ìdot.comî culture and ancient traditions. Aditi (pop star Vasundhara Das) is giving up her married lover to enter an arranged marriage with a computer programmer living in Houston. The film sentimentally emphasizes the values of family, tradition and love. Using the full sensory powers of the cinema, Nair captures the spicy flavor of a Punjabi wedding with colorful costumes and production design. The vibrant soundtrack, featuring a rich potpourri of musicóincluding bhangras, the Punjabi folk pop genre popular in trendy American circlesópropels the pacing. ìMonsoon Weddingî (Hindi, English and Punjabi; 114 min.) opens Fri., March 8. Love in Denmark In an isolated suburb of Copenhagen, six lonely thirtysomethings take the ìItalian for Beginnersî course, desperately searching for the romance associated with Italian language and culture. The first Dogme 95 movie directed by a woman, Lone Scherfig, follows the cinematic ìvow of chastityî (shot on location, minimal artificial light, no special effects, etc.) without it becoming a gimmicky distraction. What results is a pleasant, enjoyable movie recalling the best of American independent romantic comedies. Scherfigís capable direction prevents the movieís schematic plot from seeming overly trite. It benefits from a well-penned script authentically capturing the messiness of real life, allowing the movie to transcend the usual romantic comedy. The characters are richly drawn and full of complexities. By chance, their lives are intertwined in more ways than initially expected. The main characters are all generally likeable despite their lack of social skills. They include a widowed minister, a hairdresser, a restaurant manager, an Italian waitress, a bakery worker and a hotel desk manager. When they take a vacation together in Venice, their budding relationships are clarified in the promised land of romance. ìItalian for Beginners (Italiensk for Begyndere)î (Danish and Italian; 99 min.) is now playing. Final Road Trip Directed by Australian Fred Schepisi, ìLast Ordersî is skillfully adapted from Graham Swiftís Booker Prize-winning novel. The atmospheric road movie, navigating landscapes and pubs, captures the distilled essence of the working-class characters through their memories. The icons of British cinema (seemingly including everyone not in ìGosford Parkî and Helen Mirren, who is) are at the top of their game with their stark portrayals of ordinary people. A charismatic butcher at the center of his drinking circle, Jackís (Michael Caine) final wishes are to have his ashes thrown into the harbor of the seaside resort of Margate. His three lifelong friends and grown son (Bob Hoskins, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings, and Ray Winstone) embark on a quest from Londonís East End. Interspersed by flashbacks, they reminisce about their past interactions, revealing themselves to the audience. Jackís wife (Mirren) is noticeably absent, choosing instead to visit their mentally disabled daughter. ìLast Ordersî serves as an effective allegory about the history of Britain after World War II. Though it has been significantly transformed, its merchant-class traditions have remained significantly intact in daily work and social habits. ìLast Ordersî (English; 106 min.; scope) opens Fri., March 15. Environmental Film Festival The behemoth Environmental Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with 105 films at venues all over town ((202) 342-2564, http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org). Highlights include a pair of documentaries shot on digital video by world-class filmmakers. Screening at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge on March 24 at 1 and 3 p.m., Iranian director Abbas Kiarostamiís ìABC Africaî covers the devastating impact caused by civil war and AIDS in Uganda. AgnËs Vardaís celebrated ìThe Gleaners and Iî follows gatherers in the French countryside. Following last yearís Filmfest DC appearance, it shows at La Maison FranÁaise on March 15 at 7 p.m. In conjunction with the city-wide retrospective of Indian director Satyajit Ray, ìDistant Thunderî (March 15 at 7 p.m.) and ìDays and Nights in the Forestî (March 17 at 2 p.m.) play at the Freer Gallery of Art. Repertory Notes ìThe Complete Satyajit Ray: Cinema from the Inner Eyeî reviews all the extant films by the great Indian humanistic director. Most programs take place at the National Gallery of Art ((202) 842-6799, http://nga.gov/programs/film.htm) and the Freer G allery of Art ((202) 357-2700, http://www.asia.si.edu/programs/film.htm). Rayís ìDeliveranceî screens March 12 at noon at the National Geographic Society. The Best of the Banff Festival of Mountain Films from around the world takes place at 7 p.m. March 19-21 ((202) 857-7700, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lectures). The Library of Congressís Mary Pickford Theater plays Rayís ìThe Adversaryî (March 28 at 7 p.m.), a Ken Russell double feature (March 1 at 6:30 p.m.), and Gillo Pontecorvoís ìBattle of Algiersî (March 7 at 7 p.m.) ((202) 707-5677, http://www.loc.gov/pickford). The DC Independent Film Festival and Market ((202) 537-9493, http://dciff.org) runs through March 7 at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge and the Washington Club at Dupont Circle. Many filmmakers will be in attendance at their screenings. Visions presents ìNew Films from Irelandî March 8-14. Of particular note is John Lynchís ìNight Train,î starring John Hurt and Brenda Blethyn. Coinciding with a two-week release of ìMaelstr^m,î ìNew Films from Canadaî runs March 22-28 ((202) 667-0090, http://www.visionsdc.com). Each series will have special opening and closing night events. On March 24, Visions will host an Oscars party. In Virginia, the Arlington Cinema ëní Drafthouse is the venue for Capitol Oscars, the perennial fundraiser for Filmfest DC and the Washington DC Film Society ((202) 554-3263, http://dcfilmsociety.org). Cinema Art Bethesda ((301) 365-3679) brings back ìAberdeen,î an intoxicating study of addiction that was one of last yearís top films. If you missed it at Filmfest DC or Cinema Arts, catch it on March 17 at 10:30 a.m. at GCC Mazza Gallerie. Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.