ëSeaí of Angst Icelandic Director Deftly Portrays Dysfunctional Family by Ky N. Nguyen Icelandic director Baltasar Korm·kur (ì101 Reykjavikî) shows his serious side with ìThe Sea,î an accomplished study of a dysfunctional family. He deftly combines disparate influencesóincluding John Ford, Chekhov and Shakespeare (ìKing Learî). Korm·kur and Olafur Haukur Simonarson adapted the precise screenplay from Simonarsonís play, detailing how people who should love each other can instead be shockingly cruel to one another. In the film, an aging patriarch gathers his three children home to discuss the future of the family fishery. Past actions still cause simmering tension that boils to the surface. Stunning secrets are steadily revealed as in the Dogme 95 hit ìThe Celebration.î The gifted ensemble cast successfully conveys the endless angst suffocating the family members. Director of photography Jean-Louis Vialardís images convey the barren beauty and frightening harshness of the landscapes and weather of the distant fishing village. Natureís eternal presence is contrasted with the intrusion of the mod ern world, including sport utility vehicles, fashion, hip-hop music and video games. ìThe Sea (Hafid)î (Icelandic and English with subtitles; 105 min.; scope) opens Friday, June 6 at Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle and Landmarkís Bethesda Row. It premiered at Filmfest DC 2003, with Korm·kur in person. 20th Centuryís Last Silent Film ìIn the cinema there should be fewer words. So now I have made a totally silent film,î announced eccentric Finnish director Aki Kaurism?ki (ìMan Without a Pastî). Heís created a delightfully simple tale with ìJuhaîóa simultaneous ode to and parody of cinematic history billed as the last silent movie of the 20th century. The fourth adaptation of Juhani Ahoís classic novel, ìJuhaî is about a classic situation: the love triangle. Farmer Juha leads an idyllic life with his wife, but then a charismatic stranger from the big city arrives. The three actorsí expressions deeply convey their feelings and perspectives as they work their way through the awkward situation. Kaurism?ki has never been a man of many words, so his deadpan style is uniquely suited for the silent screen. ìJuhaî (Silent with intertitles and music; 78 min.) plays through Thursday, June 5 at the AFI Silver Theatre during its U.S. theatrical premiere. ëTogetherí in Beijing After some sweeping dramas (ìFarewell My Concubine,î ìTemptress Moon,î ìThe Emperor and the Assassinî), acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige returns to a more personal style with the poignant ìTogether.î Itís all about human intentions and the lessons learned in life, from both expected and unexpected sources. Master chef Liu brings his 13-year-old son Ziaochun from the country for a violin contest in Beijing. Ziaochun only places fifth but stays to study under bitter professor Jiang. As in all Chen movies, the photography is exquisiteóthanks to cinematographer Kim Hyung-kooís crisp shots of urban landscapes and people. Of course, Zhou Linís stirring music is a fundamental and integral part of the movieís power. ìTogether (Han Ni Zai Yiki)î (Mandarin with subtitles; 117 min.) opens Friday, June 6. ìTogetherî won the Audience Award at Filmfest DC 2003. Friday Night Directed by French auteur Claire Denis, ìVendredi Soirî is a masterful film bereft of much plot or dialogue. In this case, less is more: Seldom has so much been accomplished with so little. Laure (ValÈrie Lemercier) is a young Parisian woman about to move in with her boyfriend the next day. Sheís stuck in traffic on a Friday night on the way to dinner with friends, and offers a ride to a middle-aged man (Vincent Lindon), sparking an unintended adventure. She never makes it to dinner. Denis creates an entrancing mood by putting the viewer deep in the mind of the protagonist. That close perspective is enhanced by the consistently tight camerawork. The cinematography, direction, music and acting all combine to deliver an intuitive understanding of Laureís emotions. ìVendredi Soir (Friday Night)î (French with subtitles; 90 min.) is now playing at The Avalon. ëChaosí: A Pivotal Choice In ìChaos,î writer-director Coline Serreau (ìThree Men and a Cradleî) adroitly combines a crime thriller with an insightful character analysis and social commentary on the place of North Africans and women in France. ìChaosî is full of surprises and remains unpredictable to the very end. A bourgeois couple, Paul (ìVendredi Soirísî Vincent Lindon) and Helene (Catherine Frot), fail to help a woman (Rachida Brakni) who is beaten in front of them. Wracked with guilt, Helene finds the victimónamed Noemieóin the hospital and becomes consumed with helping her. The daughter of North African immigrants, Noemie has been sold into prostitution after refusing an arranged marriage. As women in male-dominated cultures, Helene and Noemie have more in common than the viewer might initially think. The acting by Frot and Brakni is exceptional, conveying their charactersí perseverance and intense emotions. ìChaosî (French with subtitles; 109 min.) is now playing at Cinema Arts and Visions Cinema. Euro Pudding in Barcelona The breezy ìLíAuberge Espagnoleî is French director CÈdric Klapischís first Washington, D.C., release since his delightful ìWhen the Catís Awayîówhich played at the now-defunct Key Theatre. Klapischís latest film is a fun dramatic comedy full of charming energyóits youthfulness aided by the directorís use of MTV-style cinematic techniques. Xavier (Romain Duris) escapes the Parisian bureaucracy for a year of graduate study in Barcelona, leaving behind a saddened girlfriend (played by the seemingly prolific Audrey Tautou). In expensive Barcelona, he shares an apartment with multiple roommates from all over Europe. Each nationality follows its respective stereotype, but the movieís central thesis is that oneís origin does not matter in this modern age. Needless to say, Xavier learns a lot from his year abroad. ìLíAuberge Espagnole (Euro Pudding)î (French, Spanish, English, Catalan and Danish with subtitles; 116 min.) is now playing. The Miracle of Flight Using the team that made ìMicroCosmosî about insects, French actor-producer Jacques Perrin makes his directorial debut with ìWinged Migration.î He also narrates this remarkable documentary that follows migratory birds around the world. He doesnít say too much, generally letting the winged creaturesí actions speak for themselves. For the most part, thatís a good thingódistinguishing the work from most television nature programs. The intimate shots are amazing, permitting up-close-and-personal views of the birds that are enhanced on the big screen. The audience truly has a birdís-eye view. Throughout the seasons, the birds interact with nature in the endless cycle of life and death. Some viewers might want to learn more information. Theyíll have to turn somewhere else. ìWinged Migration (Le Peuple Migrateur)î (English; 81 min.) opens Friday, June 13 at area theaters, including Cinema Arts. It previously played at the Environmental Film Festival and Filmfest DC 2003. Expert in Bombs Ö Er, Birds 1966ís ìKing of Heartsî was a bomb when it first hit American screens in its English-dubbed version. However, it became a cult classic during the Vietnam War, especially in college cinemas. Now, director Philippe de Brocaís hilarious portrayal of insanity during war has finally been released in its original languages. A World War I Scottish soldier, a carrier pigeon specialist, is sent by his superiors to defuse an explosive. Despite his protests, they figure an expert in birds also knows bombs. So he joins the remaining inhabitants of a small French village: the abandoned inmates who are running the insane asylum. The film can be viewed as having an anti-war philosophy, but itís first and foremost a light comedy. It demands the viewerís suspension of disbelief to accept the absurd situations, which are only crazy from a certain perspective. ìKing of Hearts (Le Roi du Coeur)î (French, German and English with subtitles; 102 min.; scope) opens Friday, June 6 at the AFI Silver Theatre. Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat. Repertory Notes The American Film Institute (AFI) Theatreís June programs include a retrospective of Finnish director Aki Kaurism?ki and American artist Matthew Barneyís complete ìCremasterî cycle. SilverDocs, the AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival, runs June 18 to 22 ((301) 495-6700, www.afi.com/Silver). The Freer Gallery of Art concludes The Lives of Shirley Yamaguchi series while starting the Bollywood Action! festival ((202) 357-2700, www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp). Films from legendary German auteur Werner Herzog play at the Goethe-Forum ((202) 289-1200, www.goethe.de/uk/was/enindex.htm). The National Gallery of Art presents a pair of Spanish filmmaker Luis BuÒuelís seldom seen later films, accompanied by Marsha Kinderís lecture ìThe Discreet Charm of BuÒuelís Database Narrativesî on Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. ((202) 842-6799, www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm). At a lively closing night featuring American helmer Alan Rudolph presenting ìThe Secret Lives of Dentists,î Filmfest DC announced its Audience Award winners, topped by Chen Kaigeís ìTogetherî ((202) 628-FILM, www.filmfestdc.org). --Ky N. Nguyen