SCREEN
VERTICAL VILLAIN Why use an assassin when you’ve got an Alp? JEREMIAH ROBERT WIERENGA The Eiger Sanction was a 1975 thriller directed by and starring Clint Eastwood as a contract killer assigned to bump off an Alpine expedition member. It’s a plan that seemed almost superfluous considering the 5,900foot nearly vertical Eiger north face, site of 64 climber deaths since 1935, is nicknamed “the Murder Wall.” A fictionalized account of one early attempt to summit Eiger is told in the new German film North Face, which Andi (Florian Lukas) and Toni (Benno Furmann) are afraid if they turn around and actually see the cliff face, depicts a disastrous 1936 climb. they won’t be able to go through with the climb. Andi (Florian Lukas) and Toni (Benno Furmann) are lackluster privates in the story, nor detracts from the inherently thrillnations encamp, each determined to crest Nazi Army, frequently missing military ing tale of man vs. mountain. Screenwriter the snowy citadel first. As Toni and Andi set curfew due to extended bouldering and Christoph Silber (Goodbye, Lenin!) doesn’t off, they are insistently tailed by a two-man climbing excursions. When a party-pleasing oversell these emotional elements, using Austrian outfit, but unpredictable weather newspaper editor (Ulrich Tukur) decides them to color and shape these characters in shifts and frequent avalanches band the four to adopt the two as poster boys for Geran otherwise fairly straightforward story. together as they struggle to survive the viman vitality, he sends young photographer While pacing the film with almost aggressive cious vertical elements. Luise (Johanna Wokalek) to convince the reserve, director Philipp Stolzl’s use of a clasWhile based on true events, North Face is childhood friends to scale the Eiger, a feat sically inspired score—provided by comfictional, with the addition of a leading lady calculated to demonstrate the prowess of poser Christian Kolonovits—and cinematogand augmented antagonism from the AusAryan athletes in the months leading up to trian team. As Tukur’s rapher Kolja Brandt’s eye for sweeping snowy the Berlin Olympics. vistas share the drama of the story without character explains Luise, born in the NORTH FACE (NR) showy vocal exposition. midway through same Bavarian village Directed by Phillip Stolzl With or without this emotional embroithe film, we’ll never as the boys, is caught dery, North Face is an exciting film. It’s the understand the exact between her exciteStarring Florian Lukas, Benno Furmann, type of flick that makes you view your own drama of a mounment at getting a big Johanna Wokalek neighboring mountains differently, each taineering misadvenstory and her worry Now playing at The Flicks incline an invitation, every crag a caution. ture. But historically for Toni, the man While featuring fanciful pieces that strike speaking, we know with whom she shares falsely in only a few places, the story of the real Andi and Toni set out as a four-man an unspoken attraction. The Swiss town four men scaling a behemoth in a blizzard of Grindelwald, situated at the foot of Eiger’s expedition. And we can thoroughly discount is a thrilling, sensational tale told with skill any on-site romance. But none of these narimposing north face, becomes the site of a and respect. press-fueled fury as climbing teams from four rative embellishments particularly harms the
SCREEN/LISTINGS special screening INVICTUS—Clint Eastwood directs the story of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s victory in the Rugby World Cup. Starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. Free popcorn and soda. Thursday, April 8, 7 p.m., FREE for students. $1 general. Boise State Special Events Center, 1800 University Dr., sub. boisestate.edu.
opening DATE NIGHT—Steve Carrell and Tina Fey star as the Fosters, a bored married couple, who pretend to be “The Tripplehorns” to snag their reservation at an exclu-
26 | APRIL 7–13, 2010 | BOISEweekly
sive restaurant. They quickly discover the Tripplehorns (James Franco and Mila Kunis) are a pair of thieves who the mob are after. (PG-13)
continuing
LETTERS TO GOD—Religious propaganda meets sappy drama when a child sick with cancer writes letters to God, and the poor schlub of a mailman unable to deliver them, decides to get personally involved, which ultimately renews his faith. (PG) Edwards 22
AVATAR—(PG-13) Edwards 22
THE RUNAWAYS—Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star as Joan Jett and Cherie Curie, the founding members of all-girl rock pioneers, The Runaways. If you like rock biopics and overly made up jailbait tarts in short shorts, this film is for you. (R)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND— (PG) Edwards 22
THE BOUNTY HUNTER— (PG-13) Edwards 9, Edwards 22 CHLOE—When Catherine suspects her husband is cheating on her, she hires prostitute Chloe to put her hubby to the test. Mayhem, naturally, ensues. (R) Edwards 22 CLASH OF THE TITANS— Avatar’s Sam Worthington takes on the remake of the 1981 cheese fest as Perseus, a warrior who leads an army into forbidden worlds to
THE GHOST WRITER— Pierce Brosnan stars as former British Prime Minister Adam Lang and war criminal. When “The Ghost” (Ewan McGregor) signs on to finish Lang’s memoirs, he becomes embroiled in a CIA scandal. (PG-13) Flicks, Edwards 22
stop Hades (Ralph Fiennes) from usurping power from Perseus’ father, Zeus (Liam Neeson). (R) Edwards 9, Edwards 22 CRAZY HEART—Jeff Bridges stars as Blake, a 57-year old alcoholic country singer. When Blake meets young journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he resolves to turn his life around. (R) Flicks DIARY OF A WIMPY KID— Middle school is hell. Such is the experience of Greg (Zachary Gordon) and his band of nerdish pals as they trudge their way through seventh grade. Based on the book by Jeff Kinney, Greg tells his story through his journal and drawings. (PG) Edwards 9, Edwards 22
GREEN ZONE—Weapons of mass destruction are out there and Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) and his team are sent to track them down. However, at each site they visit, they come up empty handed. Could the government be using this ploy to cover up something even more terrifying? (R) Edwards 22
WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M