The tenth European Union Film Festival continues through Thursday, March 29, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, 312-846-2800. Tickets are $9, $7 for students, and $5 for Film Center members. Following are selected films; for a full schedule see chicagoreader.com.
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The Exterminating Angels In 2005, French writer-director Jean-Claude Brisseau was convicted of sexual harassment for pressuring actresses to masturbate in his presence during auditions for his feature Secret Things. Now he’s made a sexually explicit film fictionalizing the whole episode, which is unbelievably pretentious and a bit of a hoot but rarely boring. Critics I admire have assured me that many of Brisseau’s earlier films are less silly, more interesting, and even commendable. Hearing him try to defend himself at a recent festival, backed up by the actresses from this 2006 feature, was even more fun than this screwy movie. In French with subtitles. 108 min. (JR) a Sat 3/24, 8 PM.
R48 Angels This simple but effective chamber piece (2006) recalls Whistle Down the Wind with its story of a terminally ill Irish Catholic boy (Ciaran Flynn) who thinks he’s found Jesus when he stumbles across a bearded, wounded fugitive (Shane Brolly) hiding out on a ruined estate. A runaway Protestant teen (John Travers) helps the boy nurse the outlaw back to health, but their patient, intent on settling old scores, turns out to be anything but godly. The quiet of the Northern Irish countryside is analogous to the fragile peace of the Good Friday Agreement, and director Marion Comer (Boxed) shows a fine touch for the escalating menace of those still mired in the past. 95 min. (AG) a Mon 3/26, 6 PM, and Thu 3/29, 8:15 PM.
The Secret Life of Words Sensitive yet somewhat opportunistic, this 2005 Spanish feature by writer-director Isabel Coixet transfers to a Europudding context the sort of disabled characters so popular with Oscar voters. A withdrawn, traumatized, and hearing-impaired factory worker (Sarah Polley) volunteers to take care of a foulmouthed, burned, and temporarily blinded oil rigger (Tim Robbins, Mr. Oscar Grubber himself). Neither disability is handled convincingly, but despite all the emotional showboating, the story is affecting whenever it strays from its most obvious points. Julie Christie contributes an impressive cameo toward the end. 115 min. (JR) a Fri 3/23, 7:45 PM; Sun 3/25, 5:15 PM; and Wed 3/28, 6 PM.
