This week's attraction at the Charles revival series, Antonio Gaudi (1984), is, at least in its imagery, a perfect matched opposite to Brazil. Hiroshi Teshigahara's nearly wordless documentary salutes the work of the revolutionary architect who brought the forms of the Catalonian landscape to the streets and skyline of Barcelona. As Teshigahara's camera caresses the unexpected curves and deeply textured surfaces of Gaudi's constructions, the film becomes a dream of urban beauty. Antonio Gaudi contains just as many crazy twists and details as Brazil, but in Gaudi's nature-loving art they induce not despair, but euphoria. The movie screens Saturday at noon, Monday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Charles.
In my favorite moments in Brazil, Robert De Niro shows up as a terrorist repairman who dresses like some kind of Maytag frogman and swings from skyscrapers like Batman. It's one of De Niro's freest mid-1980s performances, revealing the humorous gusto he had when he made Greetings and Hi, Mom for Brian De Palma. Happily, Hi, Mom will be the opening attraction for a new film series starting Friday, July 31, at 8:30 p.m., at the Hampden coffeehouse El Rancho Grande. More on that next week.
