Streaming Wars: Yes, “He’s Just Not That Into You” Is Technically a Portland Movie

Your weekly film queue.

He's Just Not That Into You (New Line Cinema)
By Bennett Campbell Ferguson

PORTLAND PICK:

Ken Kwapis’ starry ensemble comedy He’s Just Not That Into You (2010) filmed in two Oregon locations, Portland and Madras. The sprawling cast includes Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johannson, Bradley Cooper and two iconic Jennifers (Aniston and Connelly), but the standouts are Justin Long (as a down-on-love bar owner) and Ginnifer Goodwin (as a defiant romantic). HBO Max.

INDIE PICK:

Adam Driver is a master of maximalist acting (see: Girls and Star Wars), but his performance as the titular poet and bus driver in Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson (2016) proves that he’s at his best when he’s at his quietest. Golshifteh Farahani plays Paterson’s wife Laura, a nascent cupcake entrepreneur; together, the actors create a subtly revolutionary portrait of a modern marriage. Amazon Prime.

HOLLYWOOD PICK:

With every viewing, Kelly Fremon Craig’s The Edge of Seventeen (2016) grows deeper, rawer and funnier. Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) stars as Nadine, an alternately arrogant and self-loathing high school junior who declares, “And then I had the worst thought: I got to spend the rest of my life with myself.” Spending time with Nadine isn’t always easy, but that’s why it’s worthwhile. In her furious, wounded glory, she’s both hard to like and easy to love. Netflix.

INTERNATIONAL PICK:

Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas) brought a beguiling flavor to German expressionism with Wings of Desire (1987), about two existentially troubled angels. Henri Alekan handled the film’s enveloping cinematography, shooting in black and white (for heaven) and color (for Earth). HBO Max.

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