Campus Picks: Sept. 24, 2009

Film: “Up”

“Up” probably peaks within the first 15 minutes, but those minutes are unforgettable — the wordless sketching of the arc of a loving marriage, done in a way that is guaranteed to make you cry. The rest of the film is up (pun intended) to the gold standard of quality we’ve come to expect from Pixar. It’s a surprisingly dark and moving look at issues of mortality, loss and the meaning of a good life, but if that sounds too depressing, you should also know it contains the funniest talking animal jokes that I’ve ever seen.

Princeton Garden Theatre

Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 p.m.

Theater: “Proof”

David Auburn’s 2001 play “Proof” hits the Intime stage this weekend, staying faithful to the Princeton tradition of loony mathematicians. As much about theoretical mysteries as it is about the fragility of human interactions, “Proof” should be a perfect fit for Intime’s cozy auditorium. If you were dissuaded by the mediocre Hollywood film adaptation, worry not: The original theatrical text is a certified classic, and besides, any film with Gwyneth Paltrow in it is likely to be pretty shoddy.

Theatre Intime

Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m.

Film: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” has the kind of universal appeal that hard to imagine any Hollywood focus group ever coming up with. Swooning romance and a touching female coming-of-age story? Check. Hot girl-on-girl swordfights? Check. “Dragon” is one of the finest martial arts films ever made, mainly because it invests its combatants with real heart and soul. Not that the film’s action scenes, some of the best ever filmed, can’t simply be enjoyed on their own merits. Free Chinese food from the restaurant Hunan will be served.

Wu Cafe

Friday, 7 p.m.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Fashion: Aysha Saeed Presents: Fall 2009 Dress to Impress Tour

You don’t have to be the daughter of a Beatle to become a fashion designer (though it always helps). If you’re interested in finding out how to start your own label, or just want to go shopping, come to the Aysha Saeed lecture and sample sale. A former Wall Street-er who left her skirt suits in the closet to pursue her interest in fashion, she’s an inspiration for anyone looking for an alternative to the standard I-banking route.

Presentation in Dodds Auditorium

Sample sale in Campus Club

Monday, 6 p.m.

OUTSIDE THE ORANGE BUBBLE

•NEW YORK•

Art: Dan Graham: Beyond

Graham is one of the most influential artists producing work today and was, from the 1960s onward, a key innovator in the development of conceptual art, video installation and musical collaboration. His retrospective, on view at the Whitney for just two more weeks (hurry!), presents works on paper as well as clips from performance pieces and photographs of site-specific artworks, including his collaborative work with musicians like Sonic Youth and Japanther.

Whitney Museum of American Art,

New York

Through Oct. 11

Theater: “Othello”

In this modern take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of sex, power and the green-eyed-monster, director Peter Sellars offers an “Othello” for the Obama era, radically reshuffling the play’s racial dynamics. Co-produced by the Public Theater and LAByrinth and featuring a brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago, it’s conceptually challenging enough to leave you wishing for a precept and tense enough to keep you glued to your seat for all four hours (that’s right, it runs four hours). If you thought you knew “Othello,” think again. Bonus University connection: Sellars was inspired to do this play during a lunch with Toni Morrison in Princeton.

NYU Skirball Center

Through October 4