SPOTLIGHT ON: 20 Centimeters Spain, 113 Mins. Director: Ramon Salazar
I’ve seen The Boys in the Band and I’ve seen Poison, but now I can say that I’ve seen the gayest movie EVER! 20 Centimeters follows Marieta, a narcoleptic, pre-op transsexual prostitute as she raises money to remove the 20 centimeters separating her from womanhood. In case you were wondering, 20 centimeters is 7.8 inches (not bad!). Marieta dozes off in the darndest places – on the job, in the market – but while asleep she dreams of elaborate, Technicolor musicals with songs by Queen, Madonna, and Dusty Springfield. Marieta falls in love with El Reponedor, the “fruit stocker” who is turned on by her unwanted equipment, but does she remove the 20 centimeters to be her true self, or keep it in the name of love? 20 Centimeters is what would happen if Pedro Almodavar directed Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Ryan Creed
Playing: Ritz East Theater 2, 5:00 PM, Sunday.
PLUS: Hard Coal US, 95 min. Director: Marc Brodzik
In another life, you may have known Marc Brodzik as the wisecracking pop artist responsible for the GodCo series of public art actions – a series that poked as many holes in the mess we’re in now, as it asked very reasonable questions about how the hell we got here in the first place. In his first feature-length doc, he cuts to the quick of the latter as he focuses on a group of hardscrabble anthracite miners in Western Pennsylvania. Hard Coal is both an expose of a rapidly disappearing subculture and an indictment of the energy business. With lasers set to Michael Moore pinpointing, the picture is by turns infuriating and down-home sweet. Look for this one all over soon. Joey Sweeney
Playing: Prince Music Theater, 5:00pm
ALSO RECOMMENDED:
Adventures In Animation: Nine animated shorts all influenced by the artistry and sophistication (and possibly trendy-ness) of graphic novels.
Beyond Beats And Rhymes: Mos Def, Chuck D., and Talib Kweli appear in this documentary about hip-hop’s relationship to gender and sexuality. What, no V.I.P.?
Danielson: A Family Movie: Documentary on New Jersey’s favorite religious, indie rock, family band whose members dress as nurses.
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This entry was posted on Sunday, April 9th, 2006 at 10:04 am.