It is weekend two of the 35th Annual Portland International Film Festival. The festival runs through Feb. 25.

Here are a few being offered this weekend and into next week.

Saturday, February 18

Bonsai — Chile

The title makes it sound Japanese. Bonsai is not. This exceptionally well-written, acted and directed love story is courtesy of Chilean writer/director Cristian Jimenez.

It’s Julio’s story in two parts, the present and eight years ago. In the latter — eight years ago — he was in love — deeply — with Emilia. Their story begins in a literature class with the reading of one of seven volumes by Proust. His ends unhappily as he begins the first book again.

Julio’s eight year ago life is a sweet early in life romance where the two lovers relationship is entwined with the reading of philosophical and classic literature. There’s life, love and exploration. And hope.

First love rarely lasts. An ironic, literature-based twist of fate and — presto — the magic is gone.

Flash forward eight years and Julio has a new lover. He pretends to be transcribing the book of a famous author. But the book is a fake. He’s writing his own book and it’s about his love affair with Emilia.

Julio in the present is boring, unhappy, an emotional cripple.

Jiménez bounces artfully between past and present. Julio never quite gets over the loss of Emilia and never, really connects fully with present day lover Blanca. As he “writes” the author’s book, Jiménez unveils what happened.

In between is a fascinating, compelling and wonderful love story.

Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars

Not rated. Probably R for some mature themes, nudity and sex. It plays Saturday, February 18 and again Friday, February 24th. For theaters and times go to http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff35/schedule/

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.

Also on Saturday but already reviewed — Tales of the Night — France

Tales of the Night is one of the best films I have reviewed for the series. It is animation ace Michel Ocelot’s latest and greatest. The animation style is shadow puppets. And they are exquisite. Ocelot’s series of stories start in a theater at dusk. A boy and a girl and a director discuss stories they want to tell. As the stories are written, the boy, the girl and the director design sets, make the costumes and set up the sets.

Then they perform their skits.

In all there are six of the most clever, and entertaining animated shorts you’ve seen in decades. They’re set in Europe during medieval times, in Tibet, Mexico’s Aztecs get a visit, so do the plains for Africa and so is the Land of the Dead.

Each story is original and features a unique moral.

This is a great film. One that hopefully will not be buried in festivals such as this one but that will find light and support, and wide release. Like A Cat in Paris that opened on Friday, this is one fabulous, and original piece of animation.

Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars

Not rated. Probably PG for mature themes. It plays Saturday, February 17th. For theater and time go to http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff35/schedule/

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.

Sunday, February 19

Qarantina — Iran

Set in Baghdad, Iraq, the story follows two threads. A family lives in a house owned by a person described only as “the boss.” Salih has two wives, a daughter who quit talking and eating a few days before and a young son who wants to get an education.

Living upstairs is a hit man. He’s given orders by the boss. The hit man is cold-blooded and is given his orders by a sycophant. He’s full of regrets, and has an unfulfilled life.

The family downstairs has secrets. The hit man has secrets.

An absolute downer is the best description of Qarantina, a film from writer/director Oday Rasheed. The family downstairs is dysfunctional. The man upstairs a murdering maniac. The hype in the literature says Rasheed gives you a unique look at an angry Baghdad under U.S. occupation.

I’d say not really. A glimpse of the streets from inside a U.S. military vehicle and not much more.

Qarantina does give you a look at life inside a fundamentalist family. Just not a very deep look. And you never really find out about the boss, why the hits are ordered, and just exactly why the hit man wasted his life.

But that’s about it. And what is it about Middle East movies that makes them so depressing. Rarely do you see one that isn’t a complete downer. Is it the culture? Or am I just unlucky and just happen to only see films from the region that are depressing?

Or is this the only style of Middle East film that gets released in this country?

Mr. Movie rating: 2 stars

Not rated. Probably PG-13 for mature themes, violence, sex. It plays Saturday, February 17th. For theater and time go to http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff35/schedule/

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.

Monday, February 20

Elena — Russia

Set in modern Russia, Elena is about a couple that is happily disengaged. It’s a middle-age marriage. She has her life. He has his. Their lives are contrasts. He’s quite a bit older. Elite. Wealthy. She’s from a ghetto a world away. Her income is a small pension. Their relationship has strict boundaries. She takes care of all his needs, feeds him, cleans the house, runs errands. Sex enters into the mix once in awhile.

In exchange, he gives her a secure home.

He’s estranged from an uncaring daughter. She’s practically the sole provider for her do-nothing so and his poverty-stricken family. They live next door to a nuclear power plant.

Their only stress is family. He can’t understand why she dotes on her loser son, and her loser grandson and she doesn’t get the disconnect with the daughter. Money comes between them when she begs for cash to send the grandson to college so he doesn’t have to go into the army. The kid is not college material.

He knows it. So does she but taking care of the family is the top priority.

Then the daughter — through a twist of fate — re-enters the picture. The husband decides a new will is in order. It’s not to Elena’s liking or benefit.

Elena has an uncomfortable tension that lies just beneath the surface. Tick. Tock. You wait for “it” to go wrong. Whatever “it” is.

The film is an excellent study in contrasts. Life for Elena is a sterile existence almost as hopeless as the stultifying poverty of her lazy, pathetic son, daughter-in-law and grandsons. Both are tragic and a fascinating glimpse into modern Russian society.

Mr. Movie rating: 4 1/2 stars

Not rated. Probably PG-13 for mature themes. It plays Monday, February 20 and Thursday, February 23. For theater and time go to http://festivals.nwfilm.org/piff35/schedule/

5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.