EXHIBITIONS

"Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?", an exhibition curated by former reporter Jane Gottesman and photographer Geoffrey Biddle, will be on display. Prints by some of the country's finest photographers will be accompanied by female athletes' stories about sports and identity. (Beginning Dec. 11, Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield.)

SELECT FLICKS

Cinemark at Hampshire Mall

(587-4233)

Eminem makes his acting debut in "8 Mile," playing a young wannabe rapper who aspires to parlay his talent out of the trailer park. The acting is respectable, the rapping sequences are energizing and the soundtrack is absolutely stellar. Unfortunately, the movie itself, repetitive and meandering, is a disappointment.

Pierce Brosnan, reprising his role as James Bond, teams up with Halle Berry to drop cheesy double entendres and to save the world from megalomaniacs in the 20th 007 movie, "Die Another Day." This is easily the most exciting Bond flick in years, though the formulaic plot and overuse of special effects are something of a turnoff.

The second installment of the Harry Potter series finds the hero and his friends back at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for a second year of adventures. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is scarier and more exciting than its predecessor but does not quite capture the magic of the book.

Pleasant Street Theater

(586-0935)

"Far from Heaven" is reviewed in this issue.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson reveals Adam Sandler's heretofore unseen mature acting style with the actor's portrayal of Barry Egan, a socially awkward young man who falls in love with businesswoman Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) in "Punch Drunk Love."

Academy of Music Theatre

(584-8435)

"Bowling for Columbine" is Michael Moore's investigation of America's trigger-happy culture. Moore looks to various places, from K-Mart to Columbine High School, to try to understand the national obsession with guns and violence. This controversial documentary, though not completely convincing, is insightful and thought-provoking.

TALKS

Robert Mabrito, a visiting assistant professor of philosophy at Tufts University, will give a lecture titled "Objectivity, Ethics, and Belief," about the ethics and philosophy of language. This event is part of the "Objectivity in Science and Ethics" lecture series sponsored by the department of philosophy. (Fri., 4:30 p.m., Pruyne Lecture Hall.)

Thomas M. Shapiro, a professor in Northeastern University's sociology department, will speak about Black Wealth/White Wealth, the book he co-authored with Melvin Oliver. This talk is sponsored by the Charles Drew House. (Wed., 4:30 p.m., Merrill 4.)

TUNES

The Five College Early Music Collegium will perform a show of holiday music from the 16th and 17th centuries. The event will feature music by Ottaviano Petrucci and Montiverdi's student Francesco Cavalli. (Wed., 8 p.m., St. Mary's Catholic Church, Main Street, Northampton.)

The University Orchestra and Jazz Studio Orchestra of UMass will be juxtaposing traditional orchestral music with jazz in a concert showcasing pieces and performances by members of the UMass community. Also featured will be Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique," as presented by Orchestra Director Lanfranco Marcelletti, Jr. (Mon., 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, UMass.)

STAGE

In "Performance Project," presented by the Department of Theater and Dance, twelve five- college student choreographers will explore a wide range of themes in nine original movement pieces. (Fri., Sat. & Sun., 8 p.m., Experimental Theater.)

MISCELLANEOUS

The annual Christmas Vespers service, "Festival of Lessons and Carols," will feature songs from around the world, performed by the Amherst College Choral Society, the Amherst College Madrigal Singers and other musicians, along with scripture lesson readings by members of the college community. (Sun., 4 & 7:30 p.m., Johnson Chapel.)