D.C. MOVIE GUYS

Based on Adolf Burger’s World War II memoir, The Devil’s Workshop (a much better title to everyone save director Stefan Ruzowitzky whose previous movies include The Inheritors and All the Queen’s Men), The Counterfeiters tells the true story of a Nazi attempt to destabilize Allied economies by flooding them with virtually undetectable fake dollars and pound notes. The creation, printing, and quality control were to be performed by death camp internees whose base of operations would be inside a camp.

Ruzowitzky’s most important strategic move in bringing this story to the screen is to switch the focus of the film from Burger (here depicted as a committed socialist whose sabotage attempts seem more likely motivated by despair and a depressive death wish) to Salomon “Solly” Sorowitsch. Solly (Karl Markovics), a career criminal and forger personally recruited by HNIC (Head Nazi In Charge) Friedrich Herzog (Devid Striesow) to oversee operations. Possessing a seemingly innate survival instinct, Solly pursues the perfect pound with both the desire to live another day, but with more than a little professional pride while chasing the counterfeiter’s Holy Grail: a faux greenback good enough to fool Uncle Sam’s T-Men.

In Schindler’s List (then as now the gold standard of Holocaust ethical dilemma films), Oskar Schindler was shown as both hampering the Axis with inferior war materials and saving his group. But Solly seems to have no similar opportunity. His counterfeiters must either produce results or join their fellow inmates on the other side of the workshop wall for a very short stay at Casa Hitler. Ruzowitzky convinces the audience that Solly’s efforts will better ensure the survival of the group than Burger’s cavalier attitude.

And this makes The Counterfeiters more than just an interesting addition to the canon of World War II movies, but an intriguing look at what price one pays for survival. The movie draws the viewer into the internal questioning process of asking “what would you do?” in a way that is neither easy nor comforting. The haunted, skeletal quality that Markovics brings to his performance of Solly shows that people may escape horrific fates, but no one makes it away unscarred.

For all the usual complaints about the Oscars and that interminable show, this is one choice the Academy got particularly right even on night where the level of hype was made worthy by the outstanding slate of movies… especially The Counterfeiters.

Trailing only slightly in quality (and beating it to the screens courtesy of its March 19 opening) is Patricia Riggen’s Under the Same Moon (3.5* in release nationwide), a deeply affecting love story set against the backdrop of contemporary illegal immigration into the United States.

That the undeniable emotional power of the story mitigates any mawkishness the movie might otherwise hold a credit to Riggen, screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos, and a solidly believable cast. Carlitos is a young Mexican living in a rural village with his grandmother while mama Rosario works as a “maid sans green card” in Los Angeles sending back as much as she can while maintaining contact with her beloved son through their weekly phone calls. When grandma suddenly (but not unexpectedly) dies, Carlitos decides to cross the border and join his mother in the U.S.

Mixed in with the standard “incredible journey” story are the usual immigrant anecdotal difficulties audiences are used to (INS raids, ugly coyotes, bastard gringa employers, etc.). But what keeps the movie from descending into the cliché of the typically depicted is the loving bond of mother and son shown in Under the Same Moon.

I am not David Gordon Green’s biggest fan. After first attracting attention with the film fest indie fave George Washington, Green moved up the budgetary ladder with the sporadically interesting All the Real Girls and took a huge step backwards with the dreary Undertow (not set at the beach and with no unseen forces other than Green’s turgid pacing, one may presume that it was called Undertow because it sucked).

Luckily for Green, his newest movie, Snow Angels (3* in limited release nationwide), is helped by an interesting story (supplied by novelist Stewart O’Nan from his novel) and a great cast that overcomes direction that seems to think the mark of art is tedium.

Set in a small town in rural northwest Pennsylvania (updated to today without point or purpose from O’Nan’s ‘70s era), Snow Angels tells parallel stories of high schooler Arthur (Michael Angarano, the guy you call when Shia LaBeouf is either too busy or too expensive) and his former babysitter, 20-something Annie (Kate Beckinsale), a single mom separated from her loser husband (Sam Rockwell). While trying to raise her toddler and indulging in a boredom-and-loneliness relieving affair with a co-worker’s husband, Annie is trying to maintain emotional distance from the soon-to-be-ex whose delusions of reconciliation are just one more pathetic part of a life that could not be more depressing. Meanwhile, Arthur is beginning a romance with Lila (Juno’s still charming Olivia Thirlby) while his college professor father is leaving the family.

Although a bit light in plot what Snow Angels does possess are very interesting characters (courtesy of O’Nan) and beautiful location photography (mostly Halifax and other Maritime Province locales). The movie succeeds despite Green’s direction and a bad narrative choice that tries to inject suspense, but just turns the story sadistic. Snow Angels can certainly be appreciated for the charms it does possess.

Drillbit Taylor (2.5* in nationwide release), the latest comedy from the Judd Apatow assembly line (and the first of four between now and Labor Day and includes David Gordon Green’s Pineapple Express) can be appreciated for a few laughs, but little else. Hardly blessed with overwhelming originality, three high school freshman dream of social success, but become first day laughing stocks and permanent targets of the school’s chief bully and his flunky.

With adults no help and unwilling to opt for the Columbine solution, the lads hire a bodyguard finally settling on Drillbit Taylor (a homeless Owen Wilson) who starts out with a desire to rob them, but then decides to help. I guess no one could have seen that coming.

Bully Filkins (Alex Frost) shows himself to great distinction in the thankless villain’s role (and has also put himself at the front of the line for any future roles requiring someone to play Ryan Gosling or John Cusack’s little brother). Frost can also take some solace in the knowledge that of the featured cast of 1980’s My Bodyguard, only the bully (Matt Dillon) has had any kind of notable success.

And while we are on the subject of My Bodyguard, Drillbit Taylor’s funniest moment is an in-joke too hilarious to reveal here. If you really need to know and are too smart to pay the $9 for Drillbit Taylor, email me at williamhenry189@hotmail.com and I will send you an explanation.

One of the great assets to Washington, D.C. area moviegoers has been the presence of the American Film Institute’s theatre. Long at the Kennedy Center and now revivified and tripled at its new Silver Spring digs, the AFI Silver’s schedule provides a haven for any serious cineaste. Just this week the schedule at the Silver includes recent Oscar winners The Counterfeiters, Juno, There Will be Blood, and No Country for Old Men, an acclaimed documentary, The Unforeseen, the film noir classic Out of the Past (part of a Robert Mitchum retrospective), and several of Ingmar Bergman’s most important movies including Winter Light, The Silence, Persona (with a personal appearance by actress Bibi Andersson on April 3).

Surely anyone responsible for promoting such a slate of movies is doing the work of the angels and for the last few years, long-time local film publicist Connie Poole has been the director of media relations at the AFI Silver. However, Connie is leaving the AFI this month and returning to private practice (first up, working with this year’s DC FilmFest). Though still part of the local cinema scene, Connie’s competency and professionalism will be missed at the AFI.