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whew . this film oozes energy , the kind of breakneck , no- holds - barred , in - your - face risk - taking filmmaking that is seldom seen on screen these days . like the marginal , motley bunch of post - apocalyptic youths director danny boyle tries to depict , trainspotting veers on the edge of utter mayhem but ultimately retains its footing and control . the result : a movie that is a delightful example of how the medium is the message . the message : a bunch of losers with loser names , mark renton ( ewan mcgregor ) , spud ( ewan bremner ) , sick boy ( jonny lee miller ) , tommy ( kevin mckidd ) , and begbie ( robert carlyle ) . bored , aimless and restless , their routine consists of getting drunk at the local pub , grooving to techno or glam - rock at the local disco and getting shots up the arm at the local den and procuring cash through a variety of methods , some ingenious , others plainly dumb and desperate . not part of the daily dose if obtained , sex is a bonus . you can find these characters as they are , foul - mouthed , dirty , pathetic , ugly perhaps but definitely interesting , in irvin welsh 's cult novel of the same name . what makes the film a completely different experience is how director boyle uses every tool at his disposal to make the filmic medium synchronous with the message . one of the first things you 'll notice is how the camera seems to dart around restlessly . it 'll truck into a character 's pimple , just as soon as it will dolly out to an establishing shot . distracted and curious , it 'll maintain a character 's eye - level or drop right to the ground to show the doped - out - eye - view . you 'll even find characters peering into the camera , their faces smeared across the wide - angle lens . this film camera is just another one of the guys . tiptoeing that indistinguishable line between fantasy and reality , boyle employs a healthy dose of surrealism to get the message across . bored kids daydream and bored kids deprived of a heroin fix have nightmares . i do n't want to give too much away , but if you cross chuckie from child 's play with some of the wacky fantasies in heavenly creatures , you might have an idea just how fun or pants - wetting scary the alternate state of consciouness can be . that said , this film has a good share of drugs - consumed , vomitted , defecated , pissed off , exchanged , bought , sold , injected , smuggled , enjoyed and regretted . if that is n't your cup of tea , nobody forced you to see the film . stay at home and rent up close and personal . and what 's a buzz without tunes . from pulp to iggy pop ( yes , he 's still alive ) , the aural landscape is as engaging as the visual energy permeating the film . good and bad vibrations tangle like the conflicting desires and values of the message . every once in a while , a film comes along with the kind of energetic filmmaking that matches the intensity of its characters it hopes to depict . trainspotting is that shooting star that burns across a sky littered with static constellations . dom is a part - time filmmaker who graduated from northwestern university 's radio / tv / film programme not too long ago . he has laboured on various music videos and short films in and around campus and chicago . nowhere town , a 26min short film that he shot , co - directed and co - produced recently scooped up the grand jury prize at the charleston international film festival for best student production . he is currently finishing a couple of small projects . with his minute amounts of leisure time , dom does nell impersonations .

1POS

whew . this film oozes energy , the kind of breakneck , no- holds - barred , in - your - face risk - taking filmmaking that is seldom seen on screen these days . like the marginal , motley bunch of , trainspotting veers on the edge of utter mayhem but ultimately retains its footing and control . the result : a movie that is a delightful example of how the medium is the message . the message irvin welsh 's cult novel of the same name . what makes the film a completely different experience is how director boyle uses every tool at his disposal tiptoeing that indistinguishable line between fantasy and reality , boyle employs a healthy dose of surrealism to get the message across . bored kids fantasies in heavenly creatures , you might have an idea just how fun or pants - wetting scary the alternate state of consciouness can be . that said , this film has a good share pop ( yes , he 's still alive ) , the aural landscape is as engaging as the visual energy permeating the film . good and bad vibrations tangle like the every once in a while , a film comes along with the kind of energetic filmmaking that matches the intensity of its characters it hopes to depict . trainspotting is that shooting star that burns across a sky littered with static constellations .

steven spielberg 's " amistad , " which is based on the true story of a group of africans who revolted on board a slave ship , then were captured and taken to america where a legal dispute ensued over who " owned " them , is concerned with several different aspects of this story . first , the film addresses the issue of the inherent evils of slavery . second , it deals with the historical involvement of several american politicians in the case , including president martin van buren and former president john quincy adams ( anthony hopkins ) . last , and most importantly , it examines the cultural confusion experienced by the africans who were forced into slavery and the damage done to their native culture in africa by the slave trade . " amistad " succeeds at least partly with all three of these elements . i have to admit that i was a little skeptical as to how much i could really get out of another " anti - slavery " movie . having seen several other movies and documentaries about slavery , i doubted that there was much i did n't already know about it . fortunately , i turned out to be wrong . for one thing , spielberg 's camera never once gets near a southern plantation and instead sticks to the slave ships and the slave traders ' operations in africa , so " amistad " was dealing with a different part of the history of slavery from the very beginning . and some of the images here are , in fact , much more harrowing than what we usually see in movies about slavery . one scene in the middle , in which the crew of a slave ship dispose of some of their " excess " slaves by throwing them overboard to drown , has to be one of the most disturbing film images of the year . spielberg digs farther into the evils of slavery than i was expecting he would , and in fact he probably goes about as far as a movie director can without getting an nc-17 rating . the stark suffering of the africans is contrasted sharply with the shallow luxury of the politicians , such as president van buren and queen isabella of spain , whose naval officers were involved in the legal dispute and who was only a small child at the time . exposing politicians as narrow - minded , opportunistic hypocrites is fairly standard stuff , of course , but spielberg and writer david franzoni do it well enough that it still comes off as something more than just a simple exercise in audience manipulation . the film also examines the contentious nature of the slavery issue at the time , such that john quincy adams ( and probably other politicians like him ) , who clearly disapproved of the practice , was reluctant to get involved in the case until it was appealed all the way to the supreme court . the biggest success of " amistad " is probably the characterization of cinque ( djimon hounsou ) , who emerges as the de facto leader of the kidnapped africans and struggles to communicate with baldwin ( matthew mcconaughey ) , the lawyer who represents them in court . through cinque , we are given a window into the native culture , as he and the displaced africans try to explain to the prison guards what they need for a proper burial of a dead tribe member , or find an illustrated version of the bible and try to understand the story of jesus christ . cinque sees the dispute with a clarity and simplicity that , again , contrasts with the technicalities and mechanics of the legal process and of the political squabbles . " what kind of country is this , where laws ' almost ' work ? " he asks baldwin in bewilderment , when he learns that the case must be re - tried before the supreme court . spielberg 's direction tends a little bit towards the manipulative side at times , such as when he adds a heavy orchestral swell to cinque 's angry outburst in the court room . still , there is n't enough of this for it to be a serious problem . the main flaw in this film , which prevents it from earning four stars , is that it seems like spielberg and franzoni ca n't quite handle all of these issues at the same time , so instead they settle for addressing each one separately and simply editing the results into the same movie . this summer 's contact , for example , dealt with several issues at once , but each of them was somehow present in almost every scene and , most importantly , all of them were resolved at once . " amistad " tries to pull it all together in the end with a speech from adams , but it somehow feels a little forced , and in any case the speech itself , which lasts almost fifteen minutes , wears out its welcome about halfway through . perhaps the best way to describe it is this : " amistad " is three four star films edited into one . almost every individual scene works , but the final product is lacking the necessary focus and coherence , and thus is less than the sum of its parts . however , i ca n't honestly say how it could have been done differently , and in any case the story comes through with enough raw emotional power that it is still a very good film , and thus i recommend it to anyone who can handle the disturbing imagery .

1POS

was much i did n't already know about it . fortunately , i turned out to be wrong . for one was appealed all the way to the supreme court . the biggest success of " amistad " is probably the characterization of cinque " is three four star films edited into one . almost every individual scene works , but the final product is lacking the necessary focus could have been done differently , and in any case the story comes through with enough raw emotional power that it is still a very good film , and thus i recommend it to anyone who can handle the disturbing imagery .

he has spent his entire life in an awful little apartment , raised and cared for and imprisoned by his domineering mother . she inspires his love and his fear , and instills in him a similar love and fear of jesus . he has a rudimentary grasp of language , mouthing monosyllables and repetitions of his mother 's phrases . he is taught that the world outside is fatally poisonous ; his mother dons a gasmask whenever she goes out the door . he is 35-years - old in body , but a child in mind and spirit . he is the premise for bad boy bubby , a defiantly original australian movie about a man called bubby ( nicholas hope ) who has spent his entire life in an awful little apartment , etc . , etc . then one day his father ( ralph cotterill ) appears . his father is a shabby down - at - heels priest who appears to have permanently misplaced his religion . unsurprisingly , he is not thrilled with the way " his " boy has turned out . he is , however , rather pleased at renewing his acquaintance with the mother ( claire benito ) , and , more to the point , her ample breasts . soon they are copulating on the dingy couch , while bubby crouches , confused , in the next room , acutely aware that the mother who had devoted all her attention to him has a new interest . bubby 's relationship to the world may be warped , but it is at least stable . the father 's arrival disturbs his precarious balance , causing an oedipal conflict which ends -- freud would be pleased -- in violence and , as a result , freedom . bubby intuits from his father 's arrival that the air outside is breathable : he leaves the apartment , his past , his world , behind . so far , so good . the first thirty minutes or so of bad boy bubby , which bring us to this point , are quite brilliant . the movie is at its best when its stays within the constraints of bubby 's hermetic two - room universe . it follows through unrelentingly on the implications of its premise : bubby is used by his mother for sex , he unwittingly suffocates the pet cat with cellophane , he is terrifed by the notion that jesus will beat him senseless if he sins . it is grim and savage and appalling , but also strangely tender -- de heer , having imagined a life as bizarre as bubby 's , does not exaggerate for comic or grotesqe purposes , but simply empathizes . he observes what it might be like . the intensity of these opening scenes , with their minimalist mise - en - scene , immerses us in a claustrophobic environment which seems to be a decayed stratum of our own world , and owes much to david lynch 's eraserhead , not least the ambient industrial white noise of the soundtrack . for thirty minutes , the movie maintains the feel and mood of a reality that does not seem far removed from our own . then de heer lets bubby out , brings him into contact with our world , and the film never quite recovers . our unlikely hero finds himself in port adelaide , where he wanders the streets and meets people , where he suffers and learns and survives . he is seduced by a young woman from a salvation army band ( how an anti - social half - wit with no sense of hygiene manages to get laid mere hours after his escape is not the sort of question the film encourages , wisely ) ; he is given free pizza by a sympathetic waitress ; he insults a traffic cop and is punched in the stomach ; he shares a few beers in the back of a truck with a rock group ; he is imprisoned and raped ; he becomes a translator for mentally handicapped people whose speech is impaired beyond comprehension ; he is loved by a motherly large - breasted nurse ( carmel johnson ) . . . it goes on , by turns inventive , silly , tasteless , endearing , and sometimes all of these things at once . de heer never seems to be sure how bubby should interface with the real world : the tone shifts , uneasily , from fable to realism to satire and back again . the scenes which try to touch base with a believable version of reality are the weakest ; the film is best understood as a kind of parable , and , indeed , the religious implications of bubby 's experiences are foregrounded : icons of jesus on the cross hang from the mother 's walls , bubby dons a priest 's collar stolen from his father , a church organ - playing atheist lectures him on the necessity of unbelief , the woman who redeems him is named angel . the manifold stresses of our world do not shatter bubby 's mind , do not fragment him into psychosis ; rather , the world accomodates him , and heals him . although de heer 's touch is at times overbearing , bubby 's salvation is touching ; what seemd at first a harsh lesson in the damaging effects of the social construction of reality becomes a na ? ve humanist tale of improbable hope . a hapless rock group write a song about bubby and sing it for him and so give him the gift of community . he returns the favour when he steps on stage one night and becomes their frontman , turning the fragmented impressions of his experiences into performance art , and turning the band into a popular draw . innocence triumphs . bubby becomes a holy fool , an idiot savant , and graces us with wisdom . it 's a strange turn of events , but by now we should n't be surprised , because bad boy bubby ai n't like other movies .

1POS

. he is the premise for bad boy bubby , a defiantly original australian movie about a man called bubby ( nicholas hope ) who boy bubby , which bring us to this point , are quite brilliant . the movie is at its best when its stays we should n't be surprised , because bad boy bubby ai n't like other movies .

being that it is a foreign language film with no known names with a select number theaters showing it , " shall we dance " wo n't be seen by that many people . and that 's a shame - this is a funny , enchanting , and goofy movie full of laughs , surprises , and wonderful dance sequences . the surprising thing about " shall we dance " is the universal appeal of the story . a us version is in the works , and it 's no wonder - it 's not really all that culture specific . although there is a narrated set - up that adds some extra resonance to the proceedings ( about the view the japanese culture has about ballroom dancing ) , the movie is so rich in character and appeal that this added layer is n't at all necessary to understand or enjoy the film . the only important unexplained japanese - specific reference that may leave some a bit puzzled is that 1000 yen is roughly $ 10 ( when you see the film - and you should see this film - you 'll know why ) . a middle aged company man realizes that achieving all the goals he set for himself in life ( a house , a child , and good marriage ) still does n't translate into a fulfilled life . after glimpsing a melancholy beauty looking out from a dance studio window while on the train home from work , sugiyana ( koji yakusho ) decides after some trepidation to take up ballroom dance lessons in order to meet the woman who has stirred something in himself . after finding the weekly fees for private lessons from the elegant and beautiful mai ( tamiyo kusakari ) too rich for his blood , sugiyama opts for groups lessons simply to be near her . we then meet the players in this gem of a movie , who all have their own reasons for joining the class . later on , we meet aoki at the dance studio ( naoto takenaka ) , a co - worker and all out weirdo and one of the laugh riot highlights of the film . the story , laughs , and touching scenes evolve as the movie goes along . it 's a pleasure to watch such a wonderful film that is propelled almost solely by the characters and performances . it 's difficult to explain the charms of the film without revealing too much - the movie abounds with little revelations that subtly shape the characters , and in the end , each one is that much fuller and more understood by the time you leave the theater . it 's one of those movies that only the french seem to make anymore - no big plot , no special effects , no gunplay , no tragic consequences , no forced examinations of the nature of love , and no insights into the nature of evil . just a warm , funny , endearing film that will charm the pants off of you . when was the last time you left a theater feeling all warm and fuzzy inside ? " shall we dance " will do that to you without any treacly aftertaste .

1POS

that many people . and that 's a shame - this is a funny , enchanting , and goofy movie full of laughs , surprises , and wonderful dance sequences . the surprising thing about " shall we dance " culture has about ballroom dancing ) , the movie is so rich in character and appeal that this added layer is n't at all necessary to and touching scenes evolve as the movie goes along . it 's a pleasure to watch such a wonderful film that is propelled almost solely by the characters and performances . it 's difficult to explain the charms of the film without revealing too much - the movie abounds with little and no insights into the nature of evil . just a warm , funny , endearing film that will charm the pants off of you . when was the last time you left a theater

when i first heard of contact , the hype was building it up as a sci - fi blockbuster . now , with that in mind , coupled with the knowledge of jodie foster 's involvement in the project , i thought " what in the world is foster doing in a sci - fi blockbuster ? ? ? " . as it turned out , my expectations were completely nullified and turned topsy - turvy . robert zemeckis , back from the euphoria created by his last film , forrest gump , once again proves his mastery in fusing tales of adventure with along the endearing lines of human spirit . do n't get me wrong , contact is sci - fi ? but with a definite difference . based on the late carl sagan novel of the same name , the story delves itself in questions on science and god ; fact and faith . allie ( foster ) is a radio astronomer . she spends her time listening to the stars , via ultra - huge communication dishes in search of intelligent life beyond the solar system . her passion for ` long - distance communication ' is the result of her younger days being spent avidly in front of a ham - radio system ( a hobbyist radio communication device ) which her late - father bought for her . a scene which particularly strengthens the audiences ' view of the passion is when she asked her father whether she could contact her late - mother through the ham - radio system in which her father replied " not even the most powerful radio in the world can do that , now " . allie 's research is based on the seti project ( search for extra terrestrial intelligence ) , in which she listens to radio emissions from other galaxies in the hope of finding one which would suggest intelligent manipulation . her work has never been off the scrutiny of the us government , which considers it a waste of taxpayer 's money and politically unviable , her supervisor ( tom skerritt ) pulls the plug on seti . undaunted , allie managed to gather a loyal group of ` believers ' and eventually found funding from a large private corporation . the following months were treacherous to their hopes and research as they are contantly pressured by the government but all that changed when one day , she caught an emission of a seemingly intelligent repeating sound - wave . the news of her find attracted hordes of alien believers , cultist , the media and of course , the government . the situation became intense upon her discovery of pictorial plans on building a form of transport which were embedded within the repeating sound emission . as the world join forces to build this transport , allie is desperate to be the one to go . she enrols herself among a few hopefuls , to represent the world when the transport is ready for operation . her eligibility for the spot failed when she is questioned on her beliefs in the existence of god by the president 's spiritual advisor ( mcconaughey ) ; allie , being an atheist , a result of her belief in fact and science , refuses to budge upon questioning . at this point the movie plot thickens considerably as she is romantically involved with the president 's spiritual advisor . a strong point which propelled the movie is the depth of its main characters played by foster and mcconaughey . from the very first meeting scene , it is obvious that the two of them was sort of kindred spirits but they were worlds apart in almost all aspects , foster being a person drawn to science and facts and mcconaughey being one who believes in faith , hope and the power of the unseen . the meeting of their worlds , added with the situation which they are put into makes the entire storytelling process near flawless . many people who read the synopsis of this film would find it a tad too ridiculous , but by actually immersing yourself in it , gives you an entirely different perspective ; one which is free from bias and pre - conceptions . zemeckis and his team of screen writers have done a remarkable job in telling this tale through film . contact works by not delving in controversy but rather , touches the thinking audience , urging them to ponder upon the questions raised in the film concerning fact and faith ; whether one can actually find compromise within . i consider contact as one of the must - sees for this year .

1POS

euphoria created by his last film , forrest gump , once again proves his mastery in fusing tales of adventure with along the endearing lines , added with the situation which they are put into makes the entire storytelling process near flawless . many people who read the synopsis of this film - conceptions . zemeckis and his team of screen writers have done a remarkable job in telling this tale through film . contact works by not delving in controversy but rather , touches the thinking audience , urging them to ponder upon the questions raised in can actually find compromise within . i consider contact as one of the must - sees for this year .

you 've got to love disney . no matter what they serve up , it is a guaranteed success as long as it 's animated . kids have to go see the movie . then they have to get the toys . oh , the video came out ? got to buy it , or risk little billy 's temper tantrums for the next month . all of this culminates in the childhood equivalent of a pilgrimage to mecca : a visit to the magic kingdom . stay at the disneyland hotel ! buy a disney t - shirt ! eat an ice cream mickey mouse on a stick ! it 's both a vertical and horizontal monopoly when you think about it . dale carnegie should have had it so good . what 's most amazing is that all this success is in spite of a severe lack of originality . you see , disney animated features these days have two components : theme and plot . the theme changes with each new movie ; the plot does not . the plot is a mold into which the characters of some ancient fable are dropped , and try as they might to rise above the characters of previous features , they are nearly always destined to do no more than the same . however , while the success of a disney animated feature is generally a given as far as box - office receipts , merchandising dollars , and glimmers in the eyes of little children , critically they are as varied as anything else that hollywood has to offer . luckily , disney 's latest animated offering , mulan , manages to be engaging and refreshing , even while rife with formula . the film starts with the invasion of ancient china by the huns , led by the imposing shan - yu ( miguel ferrer ) . soon , china 's emperor ( pat morita ) mobilizes his armies and decrees that one male from each family in the country shall serve to fight in china 's defense . when the fa family is served notice , it is the elderly father , fa zhou ( soon - tek oh ) who must answer the call , as there are no other males in the household . fearing her father will surely be killed in battle , fa mulan ( ming - na wen ) disguises herself as a man and sneaks off with the royal orders to join the chinese army . mulan , based on a chinese epic poem , is a classic tale of the triumph of the ugly duckling . mulan herself is a disgrace to her loving family , as she has a difficult time fitting into the traditional woman 's role , and in a very amusing scene where a matchmaker attempts to assess her value to a potential husband , we see that " grace " is not one of her strong points . very early on , we are presented with the high importance of bringing honor to one 's family , and by botching her chance at gaining the favor of the matchmaker , mulan fails at that task . by leaving home to fight in her father 's place , she may not only spare his life , but bring honor , too . as is the case with most disney musicals , the songs are first rate and pervasive throughout the film . i 'm not sure if they will get much airplay , but at least one of the songs will no doubt receive recognition come oscar time . both lea salonga , who provides the singing voice for mulan , and donny osmond who sings for shang , the captain of mulan 's army unit and obligatory love interest , are more than competent , although salonga 's voice translates much better to animation . you have to hear it to understand . interestingly , the musical numbers which are so often done with big flourishes are surprisingly muted in mulan . there is no significantly big number , which is customary as the second or third song in a disney film , but this does not detract significantly from the rest of the movie . it is , however , an expectation which has been built by disney 's own formulaic history , and some viewers may feel as if something is missing . artistically , the animators have chosen to adopt the more subdued pastels of chinese artwork , and although this may not live up to the vibrance so associated with many of the other disney works , it helps to contribute a more authentic , and therefore more credible , nature to what otherwise may be seen as a typically " disneyfied " ethnic tale . there are also a couple of visually standout scenes , one involving the charge of shan - yu 's hun army , which utilizes the same computer - enhanced imagery disney animators have employed since the chandelier in beauty and the beast . the other scene worth mentioning is so quick you might miss it . when mulan resolves to take her father 's place , she dons her father 's old battle armor , and unsheathes a sword . as she does so , you can see her reflection in the polished metal . it just left me thinking , " that was really cool . " a wonderful range of performances delight the audience throughout the film , varying from the straight , such as soon - tek oh as fa zhou , to the comical , such as harvey fierstein as yao , a gruff , pugilistic member of shang 's conscripted army . even more outrageous is eddie murphy as mushu , the diminutive guardian dragon sent to look after mulan . although an obvious attempt to relive the chemistry brought forth by robin williams in aladdin , murphy nevertheless distinguishes himself with his own winning performance . i found the choice of b . d . wong as shang a little strange ( you may remember him as martin short 's wedding planner assistant in the father of the bride ) , but they used robbie benson for the voice of the beast in beauty and the beast , so i guess anything 's possible . in any event , wong performs admirably as well . one character which provides a significant amount of humor is grandmother fa . she deserves recognition not only because of the levity she brings to the movie , but also because she is voiced by two very remarkable people . june foray , who supplies grandmother fa 's speaking voice , is a venerable voice actress who may be best known for her work as rocky the squirrel and natasha fatale ( as in boris and natasha ) . marni nixon , who provides grandmother fa 's singing voice , is the same vocalist who dubbed the voices for anna in the king and i , maria in west side story , and eliza in my fair lady . with this in mind , hearing grandmother fa is like listening to a little piece of history . mulan is the latest disney animated feature to get away from some of the eurocentrism which for so long dominated disney films . in an effort to be culturally sensitive ( and to avoid a " miss saigon " -type debacle ) , disney has also wisely chosen to employ many asian - american actors for both lead and supporting roles . in addition to the actors already mentioned , the cast includes such ubiquitous talents as james hong , gedde watanabe , james shigeta , and george takei . i guess clyde kusatsu was n't available . at a running time of slightly under an hour and a half , mulan moves quickly and provides solid entertainment for both children and , happily , adults . this is the kind of disney feature that makes you wonder what they will do next , rather than hope that the next one is better .

1POS

luckily , disney 's latest animated offering , mulan , manages to be engaging and refreshing , even while rife with formula . the film starts . as is the case with most disney musicals , the songs are first rate and pervasive throughout the film . i 'm not sure if they will get much airplay , but at least one of the songs will no doubt receive recognition come oscar time . both lea salonga , who provides the singing voice of mulan 's army unit and obligatory love interest , are more than competent , although salonga 's voice translates much better to animation seen as a typically " disneyfied " ethnic tale . there are also a couple of visually standout scenes , one involving the charge of shan - yu 's the polished metal . it just left me thinking , " that was really cool . " a wonderful range of performances delight the audience throughout the film , varying from the straight , such brought forth by robin williams in aladdin , murphy nevertheless distinguishes himself with his own winning performance . i found the choice of b . d . guess anything 's possible . in any event , wong performs admirably as well . one character which provides a significant amount of humor a " miss saigon " -type debacle ) , disney has also wisely chosen to employ many asian - american actors for both lead and supporting roles . in addition to the actors already mentioned , the cast includes such ubiquitous talents as james hong , gedde watanabe , james shigeta , of slightly under an hour and a half , mulan moves quickly and provides solid entertainment for both children and , happily , adults . this

with three pre- to mid - teen children and an aging father - in - law to care for -- cooking and cleaning and laundry , drop - offs at little league practice and pick - ups from ballet practice -- margaret hall 's life is rife with complications . and with her naval officer husband stationed somewhere in the north atlantic , virtually impossible to reach by telephone , margaret leads the crazed life of a single parent . but margaret 's hectic world is about to get a lot more complicated . her teenage son beau , a talented trumpet player with strong prospects of being accepted into wesleyan university 's music program , has fallen in with the wrong crowd . his mother drives from their idyllic , lakeside community of tahoe city , california to the sprawling urban metropolis of reno , nevada , with its imposing concrete superstructures and seedy neon - lit nightclubs , to confront the 30-something man who has befriended beau . " stay away from my son " margaret warns darby reese . her words , however , appear to fall on deaf ears as reese turns up drunk at the family homestead later that evening , urging beau to join him in the boathouse . there are words and advances and some pushing and shoving and beau runs back into the house , passed his startled mother , as the crack of a wooden railing giving way breaks the cold blue silence and an intoxicated reese tumbles out of sight . the next day , on her morning walk , margaret discovers reese 's lifeless body lying crumpled on the shoreline , a boat anchor impaled in his chest . with her maternal instincts working overtime , margaret quickly ferries the body out into the lake , weighs it down , and dumps it overboard . but margaret 's life is about to get a lot more complicated . soon after the body is discovered , snagged on a local fisherman 's line , margaret is paid a visit by an attractive - seeming blackmailer in a red nova . alek spera threatens to hand over compromising videotape of beau to the police unless margaret comes up with $ 50 , 000 by 4 o'clock the next day . but margaret 's life is about to get a lot more complicated , for alek turns out to be something she never expected . based on elisabeth sanxay holding 's novel " the blank wall , " " the deep end " is a well - crafted thriller written and directed by scott mcgehee and david siegel ( " suture " ) . it makes the most of a talented but not particularly well - known cast -- goran visnjic plays alek with a suave likeability , jonathan tucker shines as the conflicted beau , peter donat is amusing as grandfather hall , and josh lucas has an equally small but effective role as the hapless darby reese . the film is also lovingly photographed by giles nuttgens and features an evocative score , courtesy peter nashel . but it owes everything to british actress tilda swinton . swinton , whose pale - faced ethereal beauty has graced many of derek jarman 's films ( " caravaggio , " " edward ii , " " the last of england " ) , plays margaret hall in " the deep end " and , like charlotte rampling in this year 's " under the sand , " turns in a commanding and accomplished performance . margaret is a devoted mother who is willing to risk everything to protect the ones she loves , and swinton captures every frustration , every fear , every subtle examination and every fervent realization and every nervous oscillation of her being . the role calls for an extremely wide range of emotions none the least of which is simply playing a mother beset with a multitude of domestic responsibilities . many can relate to that , of course ; it 's the murder cover - up and the blackmail and the fear of losing one 's son that swinton so gracefully , so graciously , makes resonate with the truest of colors . the end is deep all right , and there is n't a single shallow moment in tilda swinton 's canon .

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the blank wall , " " the deep end " is a well - crafted thriller written and directed by scott mcgehee and david siegel ( " suture " ) . it makes the most of a talented but not particularly well - known cast -- goran visnjic effective role as the hapless darby reese . the film is also lovingly photographed by giles nuttgens and features an evocative score , courtesy in this year 's " under the sand , " turns in a commanding and accomplished performance . margaret is a devoted mother who is willing to graciously , makes resonate with the truest of colors . the end is deep all right , and there is n't a single shallow moment in tilda swinton 's canon .

i hate to burst your bubble , but after all the star power , mega bucks , screenwriters , directors , and cool trailers , men in black is not the best movie of the summer . it 's pretty good in it 's own right , yes , but i would probably split the " best movie " honors among face / off , spawn , con air , and maybe event horizon . it 's main problem is that it 's quickly forgettable , and i ca n't remember one truly good scene from it . from con air , it was the scene out in the desert when they were digging the plane out from the dirt . in spawn , it was the " living room hell " conclusion at the end . in event horizon , it was the video of the event horizon crew being taken over by hell 's forces . and all of face / off was pretty dang good . but as for men in black , the only scene i still recall is when will smith is squishing all those giant roaches . i remember it not for it 's humor but because i am hate roaches with a passion and was pretty disgusted . and yes , i did see mimic , which is something i 'll touch on in a later review . back to men in black ( is it just me , or does that sound funny ? ) i remember first hearing about men in black back when i was a comic geek in the 7th grade and read magazines like wizard , etc . ( for those of you who are n't comic - geeks , wizard is basically to comics what car and driver is to cars , what the new yorker is to high society , what boy 's life is to boy scots . okay , that one was pretty pathetic . ) few people know this , but men in black is based on a very obscure comic book that was , while not honest - politician - rare , very hard to find . this was after the release of the high - grossing batman forever , and it said that tommy lee jones and chris o'donnell were being considered for the roles ( in the comic book , there were no black men in black . kind of weird , huh ? ) all i can say is , thank god they did n't cast chris o'donnell . i know i ca n't be the only person on the planet who thinks he 's an annoying , preppie little snot . . . sorry . my apologies to o'donnell fans . i actually had a 7th grade teacher who was a big comic collector and was set to buy some of the comics from him , anticipating rather craftily that , if the movie was a big hit , it would drive up the price of the comics rather nicely . he decided not to sell them to me , because they were " innappropriate " . hmm . . . . so now you 're probably wondering why i 've wasted about 5 paragraphs with lame anecdotes from my junior high years . good question . i 'll move on to the movie now . as you probably already know , will smith and tommy lee jones ( agents k and j , respectively ) belong to a top secret agency known as divison 5 , or it 's nickname mib ( men in black . ) men in black is a reference to the black suits and sunglasses the agents wear , and they 're mission is to investigate reports of alien landings and keep the aliens under control while they 're here on earth . not to get too technical or spoil the plot for the 6 people in the world who have n't seen this movie , but a basically - big - roach - type - bug lands in a redneck farmer 's yard , inhabits his body , and attempts to destroy the entire universe . not bad , eh ? ( i have no idea why i just typed that . i 'm not even really paying attention anymore . ) the special effects are good yet dissapointing in men in black . i found their main headquarters to be boring , as were the " cool weapons " they had . the noisy cricket just plain sucked , no matter what anyone said . and the movie definitely surprised me in tone , although it probably shoudln't have . it 's director , barry sonnenfield , is known for " black humor " , directing both addams family movies . this movie was basically a " black comedy " , not an action / sci - fi like i expected from the trailers . do n't get me wrong on what i think of this movie . it 's not bad , i gave it * * * . it was mostly entertaining throughout it 's run , and had a very good ending , although i think i was the only person in the theater not amazed by it . my diagnosis for this picture : a good weekend rental , but not worth a movie ticket . of course , the movie is now long gone from theaters , but that 's beside the point . i think .

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black is not the best movie of the summer . it 's pretty good in it 's own right , yes , but i would probably split the " i 'm not even really paying attention anymore . ) the special effects are good yet dissapointing in men in black . i found their me wrong on what i think of this movie . it 's not bad , i gave it * * * . it was mostly entertaining throughout it 's run , and had a very good ending , although i think i was the only person in amazed by it . my diagnosis for this picture : a good weekend rental , but not worth a movie ticket . of course

susan granger 's review of " osmosis jones " ( warner bros . ) if the farrelly brothers taught anatomy & physiology in school , no one would cut ever class . this hip , live action / animation story begins as a monkey snatches a hard - boiled egg from frank , a zookeeper ( bill murray ) , who grabs it back , drops it , then gobbles up the contaminated morsel , explaining , " if it hits and ground and you pick it up within 10 seconds , you can eat it . " like " fantastic voyage " ( 1966 ) , the pseudo - science animation then takes over when his body 's immune system contacts traffic control as an ingested virus hits the digestive system : " be on the alert for illegal organisms ! " eager to right " a stomach evacuation mistake " he once made , a cocky , clever , courageous white blood cell ( chris rock ) declares , " this is a crime scene ! " and teams up with a conscientious " phi beta capsule " 12-hour cold remedy called drixenol ( david hyde pierce ) to chase down and destroy the deadly " red death " virus ( laurence fishburne ) that 's determined to take frank down in 48 hours , beating ebola and e . coli to a medical record . watch out for mucus mudslides , chaos in cerebellum hall and the detritus from booger dam ( runny nose ) , along with comic turns from molly shannon and chris elliot , plus the voices of william shatner and brandy norwood . peter and bobby farrelly , along with writer mark hyman and animation directors piet kroon and tom sito , have turned their penchant for gross - out comedy , encompassing flatulence , festering sores and " popping a pimple without a permit , " into a funny , farrelly - funny family film . on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " osmosis jones " is a wildly imaginative , original , explosive 7 . and perhaps , as they 're laughing , kids will learn where to find their uvula , along with nuggets about nutrition and hygiene .

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school , no one would cut ever class . this hip , live action / animation story begins as a monkey snatches a hard - boiled egg hyman and animation directors piet kroon and tom sito , have turned their penchant for gross - out comedy , encompassing flatulence , festering sores and " popping a pimple without a permit , " into a funny , farrelly - funny family film . on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " osmosis jones " is a wildly imaginative , original , explosive 7 . and perhaps , as they 're laughing ,

i must say from the outset that i have never been much of a kurt russell fan . i 've seen some of his films ( silkwood , backdraft , unlawful entry ) and while he gave adequate performances , i have never been impressed with his work . breakdown , then , is something of a surprise . russell gives a fine performance , as do most of the cast , one that is not upstaged by the action orchestrated in the second half of the film . to say that he holds the film together would not be completely true , but he does it no harm . russell plays jeff , one half of a married couple travelling with his wife amy ( kathleen quinlan ) cross country to san diego to start a new job and a new life . while journeying through the desert their car breaks down and , left helpless and stranded , jeff waves down a passing truck driver ( j . t . walsh ) who offers to take them to a nearby diner to call for a tow truck . because of a nasty incident earlier with a couple of ruffians , jeff decides to stay with the car while amy gets help . that , it seems , is the last time jeff ( or anyone else ) sees her . breakdown has been compared to several movies : george sluizer 's the vanishing ( the original , hopefully , not his appalling hollywood remake ) , steven spielberg 's duel and any number of hitchcock films . as with these , breakdown does not , for the most part , stray down the conventional path of the american action - thriller . jeff does not become a gun - toting vigilante on the hunt for his wife , but instead becomes a scared , confused everyman who has no idea what the hell is going on . when we do find out what has happened to amy , it does come as a slight disappointment , if only because it 's too early in the film ; i for one could have done with an extra twenty minutes or so of mystery and bewilderment , but this affects the film little . russell , as mentioned earlier , is very good in his role , and kathleen quinlan is nowhere near as annoying as she was in apollo 13 . j . t . walsh , as the possibly evil truck driver , is terrific ; he is one of the best of the fine batch of character actors hollywood does n't seem to know what to do with , but director jonathan mostow is on the right track here . the reason he makes such a great villain is that he actually looks like a real person , one anyone would be able to trust , which makes the plot that much more believable . breakdown is what hollywood does n't make enough of , a great thriller with believable characters and scenes that do , indeed , have viewers on the edge of their seats . one of the most genuinely exciting films i 've seen in a long time .

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been impressed with his work . breakdown , then , is something of a surprise . russell gives a fine performance , as do most of the cast , one that is not upstaged by the action orchestrated the film little . russell , as mentioned earlier , is very good in his role , and kathleen quinlan is nowhere near as annoying as walsh , as the possibly evil truck driver , is terrific ; he is one of the best of the fine batch of character actors hollywood does n't seem to know what to do with , but director jonathan mostow is on the right track here . the reason he makes such a great villain is that he actually looks like a real person , one anyone would be able to trust , which makes the plot that much more believable . breakdown is what hollywood does n't make enough of , a great thriller with believable characters and scenes that do , indeed , have viewers on the edge of their seats . one of the most genuinely exciting films i 've seen in a long time .

with the success of the surprise hit alien , directed by ridley scott , a sequel was inevitable . in fact , after watching the first film , a sequel was wanted , particularly by this reviewer . handing over the director 's chair to recent box office gem james cameron , who had only made two films previous to this one ( pirahna ii , a surprisingly dull film , and terminator , making cameron a household name ) , the alien series got a face - lift of immense proportions . instead of being a suspense / science fiction film , cameron alters the series and changing it into an action picture . what results is one of the most terrifying films ever created . a film like aliens comes along only once in a while , and when it does , audiences are usually unprepared for it . i never saw this movie in theaters , but i wish i could have . the terror and fright must have been unimaginable , most likely with audiences members literally shrieking in fear . aliens is an action film unlike any i have ever seen . with a science fiction plot , cameron gives aliens added testosterone , pumping up the action and fire power from the original film . in fact , aliens is one of those few sequels which tops the original . perhaps what makes the alien series so impressive is the hero -- or heroine , as the case may be . never have we had a more sympathetic hero in an action film , and never have i seen such an impressive acting job done by the main character . sigourney weaver is possibly the only actress who could play this character and make her realistic enough for us to care about . placing a woman in these situations would sometimes seem unusual , but because of weaver 's presence , a woman is the only suitable hero . aliens begins 57 years after alien ended . lieutenant ellen ripley ( weaver ) is discovered in hypersleep on the nostromo and is awakened . she explains how she is the only survivor of her past encounter with the aliens , but " the company " is doubtful . they explain that a colony of families is flourishing on the same planet from which she just left . despite stern warnings from ripley , the company remains rigid and wo n't call the families back . however , when the company loses contact with the colony , ripley 's story seems much more feasible . one of the company 's directors , carter burke ( paul reiser ) , wants to gather a team to travel to the planet . this team includes a buff private vasquez ( jenette goldstein ) , a questionable corporal hicks ( michael biehn ) , and a loyal android bishop ( lance henriksen ) . burke tags along with ripley as they fly to the planet in order to locate the members of the colony . arriving on the planet , the team finds most of the human life extinguished in a cocoon - type environment . the only survivor is 12 year old rebecca " newt " jorden ( carrie henn ) . ripley finds this a chance to be the mother she never had the opportunity to become , and she becomes newt 's surrogate mother . ripley and newt are the only ones who knows what has happened , and soon , all hell breaks loose . aliens not only multiplies the thrills and suspense from scott 's version , it also multiplies the number of aliens in general . alien focused on one alien in particular which systematically killed each crew member , except ripley , who managed to jettison the alien out of the nostromo . aliens focuses on an entire race of these aliens , and as a result , the chills are incredibly heightened . then again , this is james cameron , the guy who has given us true lies and terminator 2 : judgment day . he is the best action director out there ( topping renny harlin , who directed cliffhanger ) , and only he could create something as terrifying as this film . it seems that every alien film seems to have some memorable scene or scenes , and aliens has the motherload . with perhaps one of the most astonishing endings ever created for an action film , aliens climax never seems to hit until the viewer is nearly pushed to extreme exhaustion . i ca n't recall another film ever to sustain this level of intensity throughout , never dropping for a moment . just when you think the movie is over , something else will occur , and it starts right back up again . with a seemingly endless conclusion , aliens ends with one of the greatest moments in film history . this scene is usually the one remembered most from the film , as lieutenant ripley steps into one of the lifting machines to fight the alien queen . using flawless special effects , the climax is exhausting , leaving any audience member drained from extreme anxiety . of course , for a film of this genre to work properly , the technical aspects must be realistic enough for us to believe what we see . aliens is completely realistic , even a decade after its initial release . the special effects are wonderfully seamless , with a terrifying alien to go with them . one of the most overlooked aspects of this film is the music , composed by cameron - regular james horner . horner has created a terrific score , receiving an oscar nomination for his work . not only that , horner has also created one of the best scores for any action film , or science fiction film ever ( and that includes 2001 : a space odyssey , which was mainly a compilation of well - known composers ) . in fact , the climax music is also some of the most recognized of film music . the production design is incredible , which also happened to snag a nomination from the academy . dark corridors lit by red lights are very impressive , but more impressive is the amount of terror which arises from well - lit locations . normally a film will be very dark in order to scare a viewer ; aliens uses lights to scare the viewer . then , of course , is the cinematography , which uses point of view shots , along with video feeds in order to build suspense . some of the scariest scenes involve the perspective of ripley . surprisingly , the acting is not only above average for this genre , but some of the best . sigourney weaver received an oscar nomination for her portrayal of ripley , incorporating the right amount of sympathy into her hard - edged persona . weaver soars above the rest in this film , but she is supposed to . carrie henn gives an above average performance for a child , developing a three - dimensional character from her quiet attitude . lance henriksen is terrific as bishop , showing that androids do n't always have to be flat characters . jenette goldstein shows a fair amount of enthusiasm with her role , and steals several scenes of her own ( though her personality becomes slightly annoying when she is n't fighting ) . michael biehn gives a very nice performance in the most obligatory role of the film . however , biehn does a good job , making it seem original again . paul reiser may seem like an odd choice to play the sleazy corporate director , but reiser manages to pull it off quite well ( however , i still see him as paul on tv 's " mad about you " ) . a very good cast ( which also includes bill paxton and william hope ) highlights this action film , making it stand out from others . aliens is rightfully rated r for violence , gore , language , and terror . aliens is sort of the redefining moment of the science fiction genre , as alien was more of a suspense / horror film . aliens pumps up the stakes , and cameron directs it with professional quality . cameron certainly knows how to make a good action film , but here he proves how he can create some truly horrific moments on screen . technically astonishing , aliens ' only flaw is small characters who are only there to get killed . aside from this , you probably wo n't experience anything like aliens for quite a while .

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making cameron a household name ) , the alien series got a face - lift of immense proportions . instead of being a suspense / science fiction film changing it into an action picture . what results is one of the most terrifying films ever created . a film like aliens comes along only once in a while , and when it does , audiences are usually unprepared it . i never saw this movie in theaters , but i wish i could have . the terror and fright must have been unimaginable , from the original film . in fact , aliens is one of those few sequels which tops the original . perhaps what makes the alien series so impressive is job done by the main character . sigourney weaver is possibly the only actress who could play this character and make her realistic enough for us to care about . placing a woman in these situations would sometimes seem , and soon , all hell breaks loose . aliens not only multiplies the thrills and suspense from scott 's version , it also multiplies the number race of these aliens , and as a result , the chills are incredibly heightened . then again , this is james cameron , the us true lies and terminator 2 : judgment day . he is the best action director out there ( topping renny harlin , who directed cliffhanger scenes , and aliens has the motherload . with perhaps one of the most astonishing endings ever created for an action film , aliens climax never seems to exhaustion . i ca n't recall another film ever to sustain this level of intensity throughout , never dropping for a moment . just when you think the movie is over , up again . with a seemingly endless conclusion , aliens ends with one of the greatest moments in film history . this scene is usually the one remembered most from the lifting machines to fight the alien queen . using flawless special effects , the climax is exhausting , leaving any audience member enough for us to believe what we see . aliens is completely realistic , even a decade after its initial release . the special effects are wonderfully seamless , with a terrifying alien to go with them . , composed by cameron - regular james horner . horner has created a terrific

ingredients : neophyte lawyer , legal situations , corrupt insurance company , synopsis : rudy baylor ( matt damon ) is an ethical kid fresh out of law school who must juggle three legal situations at the same time . rudy 's girlfriend is attacked by her violent husband ; rudy 's elderly landlady wants to arrange her will so that her children are excluded , and ; the family of rudy 's friend with leukemia is suing the corrupt insurance company that would n't pay for a bone marrow transplant . rudy is new to being a lawyer and is thoroughly outgunned , but luckily he is aided by a sleazy ambulance chaser ( danny devito ) who has failed the bar exam six times as well as by the kindly presiding judge ( danny glover ) . jon voight plays leo f . drummond , the intimidating and arrogant leader of the all - powerful insurance company 's team of lawyers who will do anything to oppose justice . will rudy defeat leo ? will he enjoy being a lawyer ? opinion : the good news is that this movie has a happy ending , and it features a guy trying to do the right thing . director francis ford coppola does this film a little differently than the stereotypical law movie . in the typical lawyer movie there 's one big case and the movie focuses on solving it , and somewhere along the line surprise witnesses and motives turn up before the good guy wins ( after lots of gripping courtroom drama ) . however , coppola 's movie is deliberately more low key . ' the rainmaker ' plays out like a personality sketch of young rudy as he gets emotionally involved with and tries to save various little quirky side characters . in the background rudy 's voice narrates his feelings and makes half - cynical jokes about the legal profession in general . two factors combine to make this movie less heavy than it can be . first , rudy 's time is split juggling three cases , rather than concentrating on a single high - stakes case . also , rudy 's use of voice narration in place of acting makes the film lose some of its dramatic edge . the end result is an entertaining low key law movie where the good guys win , and rudy narrates his way into coming of age .

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? will he enjoy being a lawyer ? opinion : the good news is that this movie has a happy ending , and it some of its dramatic edge . the end result is an entertaining low key law movie where the good guys win , and rudy narrates his

in one of my many videos i have attained from the local library , casablanca was my third classic in some weeks . the others being citizen kane and vertigo ( yes , i am trying to see as many of afi 's greatest movies ever made as i can ) . but , casablanca stood out from the rest for me : it was actually watchable . what most hail as the greatest american film ever , casablanca is n't so much a love story as a political frenzy with a love triangle thrown in . it seems that star humphry bogart spend about 85 percent of the movie with various leaders of the nation instead of with ingred bergman . that annoyed me , as did the ending . why did n't the plan turn around ? ! ? surprisingly , i enjoyed the film . i liked bogart 's character and his acting ( not over the top as most actors in his era ) . i once read about if you had a choice to be in a movie , which one would it be , and a women said casablanca . at first i was thinking to myself " why ? " then , as i watched the film again , i understood why . the movie is very well done and the script top - notch , although i doubt i understood more than half of the political mumbo jumbo . casablanca is , in my mind , no classic ( like solaris ) , but it is a good film and stylishly shot . hey , hollywood , how about this : a remake with harrison ford and anne heche ? now that would be a classic .

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ever made as i can ) . but , casablanca stood out from the rest for me : it was actually watchable . what most hail as the greatest american film ever n't the plan turn around ? ! ? surprisingly , i enjoyed the film . i liked bogart 's character and his acting ( not over the top as most actors in his the film again , i understood why . the movie is very well done and the script top - notch , although i doubt i understood more than half of mind , no classic ( like solaris ) , but it is a good film and stylishly shot . hey , hollywood , how about this : a

capsule : suprisingly more of a comedy than a straight action flick , which is n't necessarily a bad thing . not exactly oscar caliber , but one helluva bullet - riddled good time . extended review : you know , i remember when hitmen were evil , murderous scum . alas , the times are a - changin ' . in a recent string of movies , hitmen are suddenly wise- cracking , fun - loving killers - with - hearts . this brings us to hong kong director kirk wong 's first american feature , the big hit . oddly enough , about the same time last year a similar film , grosse point blank , was released . advertised as a quirky comedy with hints of action , it turned out to have a suprising dosage of it . the big hit is quite the opposite . it was hyped as " the new film from producer john woo " , so one would it expect lots of stylized killing and action . however , there 's a sore lack of it , which is about the only thing wrong with the big hit . the film starts out with mel smiley and his cohorts doing a job on a white slaver . mel , played by mark wahlberg in a dopey , milquetoast role , is a killing machine ; he flips , spins , even breakdances whilst popping caps . sadly , he does n't get a chance to do much of it . except for the beginning set piece and the last 20 twenty minutes or so , the film is in comedy mode . the action , at least what there is of it , is prime cut stuff . wong , after numerous hong kong features , makes quite a nice u . s . debut . however , his pacing is a bit off , with the action sequences only bookending the movie and not lasting long enough . they start off electrifying and fresh , but just kinda stop . normally , this would hamper a movie to the point of being unenjoyable . luckily , we have ben ramsey 's screenplay , a bitingly funny piece of work . the only problem is there might be too much humor , one joke makes you laugh so hard you miss the next few . some of best gags include an oriental film maker down on his luck and one of mel 's hitmen pals that has just discovered onanism . the only problem is how some of the minor characters are handled , some being there only for a laugh , which sometimes works , sometimes does n't . overall , the big hit may have it 's flaws , but it makes up for them in a stylishly directed , gut - wrenchingly funny joyride . definately one of the better ways to spend two hours .

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a bad thing . not exactly oscar caliber , but one helluva bullet - riddled good time . extended review : you know , i remember when or so , the film is in comedy mode . the action , at least what there is of it , is prime cut stuff . wong , after numerous hong kong features , makes quite a nice u . s . debut . however , his pacing is a bit off , only bookending the movie and not lasting long enough . they start off electrifying and fresh , but just kinda stop . normally , this would hamper a movie to the point of being unenjoyable . luckily , we have ben ramsey 's screenplay , a bitingly funny piece of work . the only problem is there might be too much you laugh so hard you miss the next few . some of best gags include an oriental film maker down on his luck and 's flaws , but it makes up for them in a stylishly directed , gut - wrenchingly funny joyride . definately one of the better ways to spend two hours .

" when will the devil take me ? " he asks rhetorically in lulling voice over . the spoiled title character of _ onegin _ ( pronounced oh - negg - in ) is waiting on death to relieve him after a lifetime of rapacious behaviour . martha fiennes ' debut feature is ( quite literally ) filmed poetry ( it 's based on an epic russian poem by alexander pushkin ) , a profound study of regret , of how we confuse shame with guilt . when we first meet eugene onegin ( ralph , acting for his sister ; another brother , magnus , composed the score ) , a philandering aristocrat from st . petersburg , he has just inherited his uncle 's estate . with plans to sell it , onegin pays a summer visit to the manor , which is located in an underpopulated russian countryside , and not long into the trip he meets a neighbouring family of blue bloods . smitten with olga larina ( headey ) , he befriends olga 's fianc ? , vladimir lensky ( stephens ) , while olga 's sister , tatyana ( tyler ) , romanticizing his flippant attitude ( he 's a nineteenth bad boy ) , falls for onegin . in one sweaty , inky torrent of passion , tatyana writes him a love letter . he is at least intrigued by the note but rejects her affections , it is implied , because he can . soon after , tragedy strikes , and onegin makes himself scarce . when we catch up with him , six years later , he has just returned to st . petersburg , where at a grand ball he discovers that an old friend ( donovan ) has married a more womanly and wordly tatyana . this time , onegin finds her irresistable . what is most amazing about ralph fiennes ' performance is his subtle physical transformation from dashing snob to miserly grouch . overwhelmed by a top hat , the onegin who pines for tatyana seems smaller in stature than the one who brushed her off , an ebeneezer scrooge trapped in christmas past . the actor has been constricted playing heroes for too long now - there 's room to breathe in a role that 's made up of shades of gray like " onegin " . petula clark sang of a universal phenomenon in " parking lot " : " you do n't know what you 've got ? til it 's gone . " onegin 's about - face on tatyana speaks for those of us ( read : most of us ) who need confirmation that someone or something is wanted by others before we want it as well . what the character feels is not jealousy but remorse , embarrassment , even , at having let her go . out of identification we feel empathy for onegin , a callous bastard . tatyana 's emotions echo a thousand ditties , but that makes them no less vital . she changes , too , from a girl in crush to a woman with divided loyalties . tyler acquits herself surprisingly well among her uk co - stars , filling in sketchy gaps by expressing base sentiments in a series of wanton stares . they both have faces , mr . fiennes and ms . tyler , capable of conveying archetypal russian misery . _ onegin _ could have added up to little more than a distinguished episode of " masterpiece theater " , even with its current cast of thoroughbreds intact , were martha fiennes not at the helm . an mtv background ( she cut her teeth directing rock videos for xtc and others ) has positively influenced her sense of pace ( though , thankfully , not her shot lengths - no spasmodic cutting here ) ; at just over 100 minutes , _ onegin _ clicks along like a brisk walk through valleys of despair . the film has an atypical period look , as well . absent are the sumptuous tableware and antique furnishings that stand in for plot and character in those drippy merchant ivory productions . the sets are almost expressionistically bare , echoing the loneliness of the protagonists . ( cinematographer remi adafarasin often allows space to engulf them ; i 'm reminded the climax , which unfolds in a sea of white . ) martha fiennes has a clear command of cinema , and her spare , often painfully human visual presentation of " yevgeny onegin " is arguably the most lucid translation of pushkin 's difficult text yet . ms . fiennes may be the most exciting female presence behind a camera since jane campion .

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martha fiennes ' debut feature is ( quite literally ) filmed poetry ( it 's based on an epic russian poem by alexander pushkin ) , a profound study of regret , of how we confuse shame with guilt in crush to a woman with divided loyalties . tyler acquits herself surprisingly well among her uk co - stars , filling in sketchy ; at just over 100 minutes , _ onegin _ clicks along like a brisk walk through valleys of despair . the film has an atypical unfolds in a sea of white . ) martha fiennes has a clear command of cinema , and her spare , often painfully human visual presentation of " yevgeny onegin " is arguably the most lucid translation of pushkin 's difficult text yet . ms . fiennes may be the most exciting female presence behind a camera since jane campion .

bruce barth 's mellow piano plays in the background as conflict erupts in a little country town of florida . ulee 's gold feels like another fonda creation- on golden pond : it has a soft , calm surface with a tempest brewing underneath , the cinematography creates a place of gold , yellow , and olive colors , the music is stirring and tranquil . both deal with the hardships of family life . peter fonda gives his undoubtedly best performance in victor nu ? ez 's new film and patricia richardson ( home improvement star ) shows she is worthy of big screen attention . nu ? ez is probably independent film 's greatest asset , along with john sayles , and he proves his talent with a slow pace and undulating , heavy tension . peter fonda 's performance borrows from his father henry fonda 's in on golden pond- there is a great vulnerability that he gives the character ulee jackson and just like his father , peter fonda is quiet , emotional , and weary in this exceptional role . ulee jackson , the film 's protagonist , is struggling . pressure is mounting at the wrong time . he is a beekeeper and this is his " busy " season . he has to deal with his two granddaughters ' needs and erupting hormones , he is forced to pick up his daughter - in - law in orlando who is strung out on drugs and take care of her , and he is faced with a challenging task : unsettled business his son , who is now in prison , has left behind . he finds his daughter - in - law , helen , with the two men his son robbed a bank with . she has apparently told these two men that the money that resulted from the robbery is with her husband . that is why he got caught- the police found him with the money . now the two men are demanding they get the cash , or they will come after ulee 's two granddaughters . ulee promises he will bring it to them and takes a deranged helen back to his serene little home where her two children that she abandoned scrutinize her with contempt . ulee is a man who lost his pals in war- he was the only man in his platoon to survive . he refuses help from anybody and does not respond to affectionate gestures . he is a bitter , closed - off man whose only passion is his beekeeping , his granddaughters , and his dead wife . connie , his next door neighbor , finally gets through to him with friendly favors . she is a nurse and helps helen get through her turmoil with drugs . ulee 's gold is the story of a man who believes he is fine as he is- until the truth is revealed painfully to him : he is cold and unfeeling . of course , in the end , ulee softens up , but his journey is absorbing and we have fallen in love with his tiredness and weariness . what is admirable about the movie is peter fonda 's winning turn as ulee and the story that feels like nobody 's fool but , in the end , ends up in a class of its own .

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is worthy of big screen attention . nu ? ez is probably independent film 's greatest asset , along with john sayles , and he proves his talent with a slow pace and undulating , heavy tension . , peter fonda is quiet , emotional , and weary in this exceptional role . ulee jackson , the film 's protagonist , is , in the end , ulee softens up , but his journey is absorbing and we have fallen in love with his tiredness and weariness . what is admirable about the movie is peter fonda 's winning turn as ulee and the story that feels like nobody 's fool but , in the end , ends up in a class of its own .

susan granger 's review of " big eden " ( jour de fete ) it 's utopia , this tiny town tucked away in the timberland of northwestern montana , where old codgers lounge on the porch of the general store to pass the time away and the local matchmakers ( nan martin , louise fletcher ) eagerly pair off the young people , regardless of sexual preference . there 's nary a homophobe or bigot around , much to the surprise of henry hart ( arye gross ) , a successful but lonely manhattan artist who returns home to care for sam ( george coe ) , the ailing grandfather who raised him . and with the simultaneous re - appearance of his best - friend from high - school and object of his unrequited love ( tim dekay ) , now divorced with two young sons , the fact of his homosexuality must be faced . to complete the triangle , there 's the tall , taciturn native american ( eric schweig ) who owns the general store and lovingly yet secretly prepares gourmet meals for henry and sam . this fable about home and family is a major debut for first - time film - maker thomas bezucha ( a former designer for coach and polo / ralph lauren ) who is meticulous about minding details , using ballads like " welcome to my world " and " achin ' , breakin ' heart " to set up the concept of our universal longing to find a place in which we can love and be loved . in the paradise of big eden , what you are does n't matter as much as generosity of spirit , respect and kindness . sure , the plot 's implausible but it 's a good - natured fantasy so allowances should be made . and rob sweeney 's photography of glacier national park is spectacular ! on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " big eden " is a charming , quirky , off - beat 7 . it 's a heart - warming romantic comedy about a gay man who does n't die of aids or wind up alone at the end .

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and sam . this fable about home and family is a major debut for first - time film - maker thomas bezucha ( for coach and polo / ralph lauren ) who is meticulous about minding details , using ballads like " welcome to my world " and kindness . sure , the plot 's implausible but it 's a good - natured fantasy so allowances should be made . and rob sweeney 's photography of glacier national park is spectacular ! on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " big eden " is a charming , quirky , off - beat 7 . it 's a heart - warming romantic comedy about a gay man who does n't die of aids

when you go to the movies as much as i do , you unfortunately end up seeing certain movie trailers one too many times . such was the case with frequency . every time i went to a screening , there was the frequency preview . it looked awful . it looked cheesy , sappy and ridiculous . it looked like a flop . well , whoever put that trailer together should be fired , because in terms of pure entertainment , frequency is one of the best of the year thus far . frequency boasts a compelling story line . an occurrence of freakish solar activity allows police detective john sullivan ( james caviezel ) to speak to his fireman father frank sullivan ( dennis quaid ) through a ham radio , despite the fact that frank has been dead for 30 years . john is able to give his father information that prevents his death in a warehouse fire , but by doing so causes other changes . somehow , a serial killer 's reign of terror , which in the original timeline had been stopped at three murders , extends to ten victims . . . including john 's mother . this is director gregory hoblit 's third film ( the other two being primal fear and fallen ) . with all three , he 's managed to attach himself to great scripts ( this one by toby emmerich , whose only previous movie experience was as a music supervisor on numerous new line films ) and add equally great direction . also , he apparently likes to have his films wrap up with a kick - ass ending . frequency is no exception , the ending is unpredictable and incredibly satisfying . hoblit is three for three , and i hope he can keep it up . now everyone can argue logic this and logic that all you want with the sci - fi elements of frequency . but the fact of the matter is that time travel has never been achieved . who 's to say how something works and how it does n't when it 's never happened ? is it because we 've become accustomed to time travel " laws " from other places like " star trek " and the back to the future trilogy and " quantum leap " ? yes , if you sit down and think about it , certain plot elements in this film probably wo n't make any sense . most films are like that . do n't let that dissuade you from seeing this fantastically entertaining film however . when frequency was over , it made me wish i had seen it with my father so i could have given him a hug ( okay okay , shut up ) . when you break it down past all its sci - fi elements and serial killer antics , frequency is simply a movie about a father and his son and the bond that they share . it 's touching , it 's sincere , and it 's what ultimately makes this movie work . [ pg-13 ]

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be fired , because in terms of pure entertainment , frequency is one of the best of the year thus far . frequency boasts a compelling story line . an occurrence of freakish solar activity allows police detective primal fear and fallen ) . with all three , he 's managed to attach himself to great scripts ( this one by toby emmerich , whose only previous a music supervisor on numerous new line films ) and add equally great direction . also , he apparently likes to have his films wrap up with a kick - ass ending . frequency is no exception , the ending is unpredictable and incredibly satisfying . hoblit is three for three , and i hope . do n't let that dissuade you from seeing this fantastically entertaining film however . when frequency was over , it made me and his son and the bond that they share . it 's touching , it 's sincere , and it 's what ultimately makes this movie work . [ pg-13 ]

it must be tough to be a mob boss . just ask paul vitti ( robert deniro ) , a man who finds his job as mafia head to be rather stress inducing . i can believe it , too - one ca n't even begin to fathom the turmoil he must go through when he 's forced to choose between an ice pick , baseball bat or sledgehammer to torture victims with . suffering from reoccurring panic attacks , paul decides he needs to consult some professional help . and who better than billy crystal . after appearing in bottom - of - the - barrel flops , father 's day and my giant , crystal finally finds a reliable costar and some very promising material here . playing vitti 's private shrink , the two very different stars strike an unorthodox , but interesting relationship that carries this enjoyable comedy on a steady wave of laughs from start to finish . casting robert deniro as paul vitti is something of an in - joke , i think . placed in this mobster 's shoes , deniro gets to spoof characters he himself played in films like the godfather , part ii and casino . it 's obvious he 's having a lot of fun doing so . the man behind the camera is harold ramis , whose credits include ghostbusters ( as writer and star ) , and his best directing effort , the bill murray vehicle , groundhog day . ramis has a knack for drawing laughs because he simply knows what 's funny , and here he manages to accentuate the strengths of nearly all the actors . the only character who weakens the payoff is crystal 's bride - to - be ( lisa kudrow ) . playing the same dumbed - down role as she does in friends , kudrow is amusing , but does n't fit into this comedy mold as well as the director may have hoped . the supporting cast sparkles . joe viterelli is hilarious as jelly , vitti 's pea brained right - hand man , and chazz palminteri is a show stopper playing a fellow mobster who 's in desperate need of the definition of ` closure ' . the movie manages to maintain consistent chuckles throughout , putting the emphasis on 3 or 4 really big laughs that will have audiences grasping their sides . the situation is just too cute to resist . it 's unfortunate that the language gets somewhat out of hand . but hey , if you 're in the mafia , using obscenities probably comes naturally . and near the end , seeing billy crystal attempt to walk and talk like a mob boss is truly a special treat .

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laughs because he simply knows what 's funny , and here he manages to accentuate the strengths of nearly all the actors . the only character who weakens the payoff is crystal mold as well as the director may have hoped . the supporting cast sparkles . joe viterelli is hilarious as jelly , vitti 's pea brained right - hand man , and chazz palminteri is a show stopper playing a fellow mobster who 's in desperate need of the definition of ` closure ' . the movie manages to maintain consistent chuckles throughout , putting the emphasis on 3 or 4 really big will have audiences grasping their sides . the situation is just too cute to resist . it 's unfortunate that the language gets somewhat out attempt to walk and talk like a mob boss is truly a special treat .

the caveman 's valentine starring samuel l . jackson , ann magnuson , aunjanue ellis , tamara tunie screenplay by george dawes green , based on his novel directed by kasi lemmons * * * for more film , dvd and books about movie reviews , plus annual coverage of the toronto international film festival , visit _ film freak central _ - http : //filmfreakcentral . net | now with search engine * * * a strange mixture of _ shine _ , _ basquiat _ , _ angel heart _ , and grant morrison & dave mckean 's graphic novel " arkham asylum " , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a feverish tale of a homeless madman - cum - detective who , on the morning of february 14th , discovers a " valentine " just outside his new york cave : one of ella fitzgerald 's strange fruit , stuck in the crotch of a tree -- a young male model murdered and frozen to a branch . believing at first that his imagined nemesis stuyvesant , shooting evil rays into his mind from atop the chrysler building , is responsible for the murder , romulus ( samuel l . jackson ) is put on the trail of an avant - garde photographer in the mapplethorpe mould , david leppenraub ( colm feore ) . his minor sleuthing interrupted by the occasional delusional fit and bouts with an ecstasy of creation ( romulus was a brilliant julliard - trained pianist prior to his psychosis ) , romulus uncovers clues and harasses suspects on his way to convincing his police - woman daughter ( aunjanue ellis ) that even though he 's a nut , that does n't mean that he ca n't solve a high - profile society murder . every moment an exhausting workshop of ideas , and every character the same , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a concept so " high concept " that it suddenly became clear to me that the film fits into the comic book genre of entertainment , with romulus 's " caveman " a slightly more mundane version of todd mcfarlane 's urban noir hero , spawn . with a long - vanished wife ( tamara tunie ) acting as a spiritual guide , the occasional social caste commentary , the secret base in a cave , a divergent genius personality with a network of informants and supporters , and a wickedly colourful arch - enemy , the film piles on the lurid comic book details and dizzying slapdash colours to such a lavish extent that i was vaguely surprised that the blue police cars were n't inscribed with " gotham pd . " that being said , _ the caveman 's valentine _ can only really succeed as a heroic fantasy , a frank miller graphic novel that has the audacity to portray the blood staining a field of virgin snow expanding to form the shape of a heart . the difficulties with the film spring from the misunderstanding that it somehow adheres to the conventions of a thriller or a police procedural when , in fact , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a superhero fable that takes on the cause of the homeless ( again like mcfarlane 's spawn ) while attacking the entrenched ruling classes in government and the arts . it is no small detail that our hero , romulus , is not only named for a member of the ruling class who lived his life ( in legend ) without knowledge of his royal birth , but also that our romulus has turned his back on the comforts of the literati in favour of a mystical existence living in a cave in a park . in the romulus mythology , signs of romulus ' royal blood is brought by twelve vultures , while in the film , the call to action for our hero comes in the form of not the carrion birds , but of the carrion itself . whether or not romulus of _ the caveman 's valentine _ will found a nation , or , in the case of novelist george dawes green , upon whose novel his own screenplay is based , a franchise , the fact remains that _ the caveman 's valentine _ is easily the most misunderstood film of 2001 thus far . it , along with m . night shyamalan 's _ unbreakable _ , is a mature cinematic extrapolation of the graphic novel format which has , since miller 's seminal " the dark knight returns " , redefined the comic medium as one suitable for mature ruminations on psychologically sticky topics . readers of sam keith 's brilliant " the maxx " comic series ( or of mtv 's short - lived animated adaptation of the same ) are already familiar with the idea of a homeless man placed in the position of knight errant and king of his own twisted demesne . the failure of both " the maxx " tv show and of _ the caveman 's valentine _ ( not forgetting the initial backlash against _ unbreakable _ ) suggests that the public may not be ready for america 's surprising contributions to dark fantasy . luxuriantly lit , brashly saturated , and comic - panel framed with a virtuoso grace by cinematographer amy vincent ( _ death in venice , ca _ ) , while inhabiting robin standefer 's ( _ practical magic _ ) mesmerizing sets , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is an unremittingly gorgeous film . kasi lemmons , following up her brilliant 1997 debut , _ eve 's bayou _ , which played on similar themes of manufactured realities and mysticism , fulfills much of her immense promise with a tale of seraphs and lost boys , artists and suffering . _ the caveman 's valentine _ is an elegant and piquant expression of hope for justice in a tilted landscape . clearly not for every taste , when approached with the correct paradigm , it is one of the most stunning and intensely fascinating films of the year : a redefinition of the hero archetype for a post - modern audience with urine - stained wool trench coats in place of blue tights and red capes . _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a fine and a courageous film , crazy enough to suggest that the delirious yammering of an idiot savant is the best and truest paladin of order in the chaos of eliot 's rat 's alley wasteland .

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ca n't solve a high - profile society murder . every moment an exhausting workshop of ideas , and every character the same , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a concept m . night shyamalan 's _ unbreakable _ , is a mature cinematic extrapolation of the graphic novel format which has , since miller inhabiting robin standefer 's ( _ practical magic _ ) mesmerizing sets , _ the caveman 's valentine _ is an unremittingly gorgeous film . kasi lemmons , following up her brilliant 1997 debut played on similar themes of manufactured realities and mysticism , fulfills much of her immense promise with a tale of seraphs and lost boys , artists and suffering . _ the caveman 's valentine _ is an elegant and piquant expression of hope for justice in a tilted landscape . clearly , when approached with the correct paradigm , it is one of the most stunning and intensely fascinating films of the year : a redefinition of the hero archetype red capes . _ the caveman 's valentine _ is a fine and a courageous film , crazy enough to suggest that the delirious yammering of

expand the final fifteen minutes of home alone into a feature - length film and you 've got baby 's day out -- an agreeably amusing children 's comedy about a bumbling band of kid kidnappers who are unwittingly outwitted by an innocent infant . the plot tracks a trio of crooks - posed - as - photographers ( mantegna , pantoliano , haley ) who steal nine - month - old bennington august cottwell iv , aka baby bink , from his old - money home . but the plan goes awry when baby crawls out an open window and into the streets of downtown chicago ! following the path of his favorite story , called " baby 's day out , " baby rides a bus and visits the zoo and winds up at a skyscraper construction site . while baby stays unscathed , the crooks fare worse for the wear . the stooges get hit by boards and dropped from roofs and , of course , suffer multiple crotch injuries . ( john wayne bobbitt should probably steer clear of this one . ) like he did in planes , trains , and automobiles , john hughes again demonstrates his mastery of the simple set - up and extended execution . here , he 's aided and abetted by a director , patrick read johnson , whose choreography could rival a coen brother . best bit : baby crawling across a busy city street . baby 's day out has only two emotions -- awww and ouch -- and the actors play them accordingly . forget the cartoon concern of lara flynn boyle or cynthia nixon , disposable as mom and nanny , respectively , the ones to watch are the ones who are wincing . joe mantegna is a great head stooge , barking lines like " that little doo - doo machine is my retirement money . " brian haley has a great scene with a gorilla , while joe pantolianto plays curly to mantegna 's moe . * he * is funny . needless to say , twins adam and jacob warton are adorable beyond belief .

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and you 've got baby 's day out -- an agreeably amusing children 's comedy about a bumbling band of kid kidnappers who are unwittingly planes , trains , and automobiles , john hughes again demonstrates his mastery of the simple set - up and extended execution . here , he 's aided and abetted by a director , patrick read johnson , whose choreography could rival a coen brother . best bit : baby crawling across a busy city street . baby 's doo machine is my retirement money . " brian haley has a great scene with a gorilla , while joe pantolianto plays curly to mantegna 's moe . * he * is funny . needless to say , twins adam and jacob warton are adorable beyond belief .

waiting at the train station near the beginning of fury , joe says : ` after all , we 're human . ' in the context of events to transpire , joe 's line is prophetic , foreshadowing the internal conflict of the protagonist in the latter half of the film . does being human necessarily imply humane behavior ? through the baseness of human character exemplified in the formation of a mob , fritz lang prompts the viewer to consider whether our inclination towards impulsiveness supersedes our civility . expressing his abhorrence towards the rise of nazism in his homeland , lang takes great care in creating a sense of discomfort during the scenes of mob hysteria . in the scene prefacing the lynching , the mob achieves critical mass at the bar . deputy meyers is brought in as an exalted informant , but when he is unable to augment the mob 's myth of joe , he is quickly renounced from his position as town gossip . we see in a shot where two bar patrons are arguing that the deputy looks around nervously at the growing monster and then carefully slips out of the bar . what is quietly horrifying is the realization by both the audience and the deputy that the crowd no longer exists within the confines of reason and has succumbed to what the barber referred to as impulse . what once was excitement to the deputy has turned into fear with the realization that he is now powerless . to the audience , the deputy 's quiet exit concurs with their own sinking feeling of uneasiness as the mob 's delirium crescendos . lang educes this discomfort not through movement of the camera , but rather its stillness . the shot 's composition places the audience equidistant and directly across from the pair of arguing patrons and the deputy effectively becomes a mirror to our own apprehensions . as the intensity of the mob closes around deputy meyers , it does so around the viewer as well . the stationary camera in this shot heightens our fears because when the deputy escapes , we are deserted by our reflection and the viewer becomes the sole proprietor of sensibility amongst a swarm of irrationality . because the camera does not track the deputy 's movement , we are left with an amplified perception of desertion and vulnerability . as the bar scene progresses , the camera pans 180 degrees to reveal the fury of the mob . this shot is unique because it is a point - of - view shot where the audience , not a character in the film is the subject . while a long , or dolly shot may objectively reveal the size of the mob , panning from the mob 's belly distorts the audience 's spatial reference and exaggerates the claustrophobia of the scene ; we feel we are at the epicenter of something infinitely large . we see close shots of people 's faces , contorted by their rage . with the pivot of the pan being in the center of the mob and angry members within a short radius of the pan , lang offers the viewer a sense of what it feels like to be the subject of a lynching . in this shot the audience is at the mercy of the mob ; lang 's camera makes us feel vulnerable and powerless as joe must have felt in the jail . in some greater sense , it must have been what lang felt when he saw his countrymen overcome with unjustifiable hatred towards their own humankind . lang 's observations of his fellow man succumbing to mob behavior left him with an indelible image of malevolent human behavior . as joe faces his peril , trapped in his burning cell , his dog rainbow rushes to be by his side . lang makes rainbow a martyr to contrast his humanity against the recklessness of his human counterparts . using his camera to create shots that elicit disturbing images of mob mentality , lang depicts man 's volatility and ` impulse ' towards inconceivable cruelty . reprising joe ' s line at the train station , we are induced to question why our primeval impulses so easily transcend our humanity .

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towards the rise of nazism in his homeland , lang takes great care in creating a sense of discomfort during the scenes of mob hysteria 180 degrees to reveal the fury of the mob . this shot is unique because it is a point - of - view shot

because the press screening of " planet of the apes " was one day past last issue 's deadline , i was afforded the opportunity to see the film a second time , listen to audience reactions and read a heap of reviews before writing this piece . the chief complaints of those who disliked the futuristic adventure appear to be that the movie focused on visuals instead of substance , that the story was thin , that mark wahlberg 's character was colorless and that the surprise ending sucked . to those people i would like to say ? what the hell did you expect ? this is a tim burton movie , boys and girls . tim burton movies have great art direction and thin , clunky stories . for the blissfully nasty , disjointed and underrated " mars attacks ! " ( jonathan rosenbaum of the chicago reader and i were two of the only critics in america to praise the movie ) burton reportedly tossed vintage " mars attacks ! " trading cards onto the floor and based his story on the ones that landed face up . burton 's re - imagining of the 1968 story of an astronaut that lands on a planet where apes rule men looks great . the apes , courtesy of make - up magician rick baker , are dazzling and ape city is a wonder to behold . like astronaut leo davidson ( wahlberg ) , the film hits the ground running , whisking viewers through a head - spinning series of solid one - liners and engaging vignettes and establishing a sense of thrust that carries us through the more traditional fight scenes that come later . as for wahlberg , consider what burton does with his character . from his start as a filmmaker , burton has shown his fascination with colorful misfits ( pee - wee herman , the joker , ed wood , the ack - acking martians , etc . ) and lack of interest in standard issue heroes . so leo davidson spends most of the movie getting the living shit kicked out of him before the biggest guilt trip in history is dropped on his shoulders . as for lack of color , remember , leo only launches into space to get his monkey back . he does n't want to lead humanity and he is n't looking for romance from a pretty , but dull human ( estella warren ) or a dynamic ape ( helena bonham carter , terrific as an equal - rights activist ) . as a man who just wants out , wahlberg is focused , subtle and sly . the surprise ending provides the requisite shock ( and some more dandy visuals , particularly of the approaching authority figures ) , but admittedly is n't nearly as satisfying as the one in the original . for the original ending to work , we only had to make one simple connection , for this one , we have to write a whole new screenplay . the 1968 " apes " boasted a handful of great scenes , cool looking monkeys , a deliciously hammy performance by charlton heston ( who appears uncredited here as an aged chimp on his deathbed , re - delivering a classic line ) and a killer ending . but viewers had to suffer through numerous dull stretches punctuated by social and political messages delivered with the grace of a wrecking ball . the 2001 " planet of the apes " offers a different set of great scenes , much cooler looking monkeys , fine acting from wahlberg , bonham carter , paul giamatti and tim roth , and a not so good ending . it also gives us another chance to experience the skewed vision of tim burton and that 's nothing to complain about .

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movie , boys and girls . tim burton movies have great art direction and thin , clunky stories . for the blissfully nasty astronaut that lands on a planet where apes rule men looks great . the apes , courtesy of make - up magician rick baker , are dazzling and ape city is a wonder to behold . like astronaut leo davidson ( wahlberg ) , the film hits the ground running , whisking viewers through a head - spinning series of solid one - liners and engaging vignettes and establishing a sense of thrust that carries us through ) or a dynamic ape ( helena bonham carter , terrific as an equal - rights activist ) . as a . the surprise ending provides the requisite shock ( and some more dandy visuals , particularly of the approaching authority figures ) , but apes " offers a different set of great scenes , much cooler looking monkeys , fine acting from wahlberg , bonham carter , paul giamatti and tim

in 1977 , something never though possible happened . the film star wars was released , with extraordinary , never seen before techniques of special effects . the film set a new standard for special effects in film . not only did it set a standard for the special effects , it set a standard for film itself . the plot is one of the most creative i heard ever . the legend of star wars starts long ago with the jedi . the jedi were warriors who were wiped out by the dark side . darth vader is the leader of the dark side . ben obi - wan kenobi , played by sir alec guinness , was one of those jedi who is still alive today . darth vader was once a jedi , until he turned to the dark side . years after the killing of the jedi , darth vader is still around causing trouble . r2-d2 and c-3p0 are both what we call " driods " , or robots that are of assistance to humans . while an attack on the ship that princess leia , played by carrie fisher , is aboard , she inserts a message to r2-d2 , who is also on the ship . to obi - wan kenobi pleading for help . the princess is captured by vader , but r2-d2 and c-3p0 get away on an escape pod that eventually lands them on the remote planet of tatooine . the jawas , or small creatures who sell droids , pick r2-d2 and c-3p0 up to sell . they are bought by luke skywalker 's ( mark hamill ) family . while luke is cleaning the droids , the message from princess leia is found . luke finds this obi - wan kenobi , and learns that obi - wan was a friend of luke 's father , who is now dead . luke also learns his family was a jedi . after luke 's family is killed by tropps from the dark side , ben decides to put luke through training to stop the dark side and destroy them once and for all . ben wants to create a new jedi . first , the two must find princess leia and serve her . han solo , played by harrison ford , and his sidekick chewbacca , played by peter mayhew , are consulted about providing a ship to complete the tasks necessary . after meeting up with leia , the film really picks up . luke continues his training as a pilot and to become a jedi , ben kenobi confronts darth vader , and many other interesting events occur . star wars is an amazing epic . the plot is so original and amazing , i can not believe it . the special effects , especially for its time , are wonderful and realistic . the space scenes in particular are the most fun to watch . the ships flown by all are very unique and creative . the costumes are also out of this world . the scenery is so different from anything i have ever seen before . there are a variety of different very memorable set pieces that will stay with me forever . the entire premise of star wars is amazing . the creatures and droids that we see throughout the film are one of a kind . even the human characters are different . every character is extremely likable and different from characters from other sci fi films . the acting on everyone 's part is great , especially that of sir alec guinness 's . even though the concept is not realistic at all , it is pulled off very nicely . the acting , setting , effects , costumes , and sound make it work . if any of these were messed up , star wars would have come off as one huge joke . the ending works very well , and left it very open to the sequels that came afterward . in early 1997 , a special edition of star wars was released . the film was re - mastered so it looked better than it did in 1977 . a few creatures were added here and there , and even an entire deleted scene with han solo and jabba the hutt ( seen in return of the jedi ) was added to the film . think that 's enough ? on may 19 , 1999 , star wars episode i : the phantom menace will be released , followed by two more films that will reveal what went on before a new hope . with this , star wars is bound to become the greatest tale told in our time .

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happened . the film star wars was released , with extraordinary , never seen before techniques of special effects . the film set a new standard for special effects in film . not only did it set a standard for the special effects , it set a standard for film itself . the plot is one of the most creative i heard ever . the legend of star wars starts long ago with a jedi , ben kenobi confronts darth vader , and many other interesting events occur . star wars is an amazing epic . the plot is so original and amazing , i can not believe it . the special effects , especially for its time , are wonderful and realistic . the space scenes in particular are the most fun to watch . the ships flown by all are very unique and creative . the costumes are also out of this world . the scenery is so different from anything i have ever seen before . there are a variety of different very memorable set pieces that will stay with me forever . the entire premise of star wars is amazing . the creatures and droids that we see throughout the film are one of a kind . even the human characters are different . every character and different from characters from other sci fi films . the acting on everyone 's part is great , especially that of sir alec guinness 's . even though the concept is not realistic at all , it is pulled off very nicely . the acting , setting , effects , costumes , wars would have come off as one huge joke . the ending works very well , and left it very open to the sequels that a new hope . with this , star wars is bound to become the greatest tale told in our time .

if you want some hearty laughs , then rat race is the movie for you . this unpretentious little comedy , which sneaks into theaters today with very little hype , will have you bouncing in your theater seat . and while the film fits neatly into the low - brow , slapstick school of comedy , one refreshing aspect is its lack of mean - spiritedness . the plot follows a group of people chosen at random by an eccentric las vegas casino owner ( john cleese ) who must race from vegas to a bus station locker 700 miles away in silver city , n . m . inside the locker is a duffel bag containing $ 2 million . the first one to open the locker , gets the bag and the money . what the group of participants does n't know is that cleese 's donald sinclair ( " i can do anything i want - i 'm eccentric ! " ) is staging the race as a betting game for a group of high rollers at the hotel . the participants include vera ( whoopi goldberg ) and merrill ( lanai chapman ) , a newly reunited mother and daughter ; disgraced pro football referee owen templeton ( cuba gooding jr . ) ; italian tourist mr . pollini ( rowan atkinson ) ; randy pear ( jon lovitz ) and his family ; the bumbling con men duane and blaine cody ( seth green and vince vieluf ) ; and cynical young lawyer nick shaffer ( breckin meyer ) . various amusing encounters and mishaps befall the participants en route to silver city . screenwriter andy breckman adds a nice touch by not having the racers try to sabotage one another . the most side - splitting situations involve vera and merrill 's encounter with the squirrel lady , a nice nutsy cameo by kathy bates ; owen 's commandeering a charter bus full of lucille ball look - alikes on their way to a lucy convention ; the cody brothers misadventures with a hot - air balloon , a flying cow and a monster truck ; and the pear family 's stopover at a barbie museum , which turns out not to be what they think it is . the pear family situation is a fine example of the way breckman 's script builds the laughs . without going into detail , this bit segues from the museum to hitler 's touring car , to eva braun 's dark lipstick , to lovitz burning his tongue , culminating at a ceremony honoring world war ii veterans . rat race 's cast is first rate . cleese is wonderfully devilish and madcap ; lovitz is , at first , a bit whiny , but his character grows on you ; gooding is having a fine romp ; and dave thomas almost steals the show as cleese 's deadpan assistant , a man " born without a personality . " the film is directed by jerry zucker , who knows something about comedy . along with his brother , david , and friend jim abrahams , he was responsible for such hits as airplane ! and ruthless people . a throwaway subplot , which is good for some laughs , features cleese and his buddies , betting on a series of outlandish situations , including one dealing with a hooker and pepto - bismol . this is a fun little feature . the only letdown comes at the finale , which is too touchy - feely and sweet , almost negating what came before it . rat race is a summer sleeper , but it will keep you awake , as will the laughter of those watching around you .

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if you want some hearty laughs , then rat race is the movie for you . this unpretentious little comedy , which sneaks into theaters today with very little hype , will have you bouncing in your theater seat . and while the film fits neatly into the low - brow , slapstick school of comedy , one refreshing aspect is its lack of mean - spiritedness . the plot cynical young lawyer nick shaffer ( breckin meyer ) . various amusing encounters and mishaps befall the participants en route to silver city . screenwriter andy breckman adds a nice touch by not having the racers try to sabotage one another . the most side - splitting situations involve vera and merrill 's encounter with the squirrel they think it is . the pear family situation is a fine example of the way breckman 's script builds the laughs . without going into detail , this bit segues from world war ii veterans . rat race 's cast is first rate . cleese is wonderfully devilish and madcap ; lovitz is , at first , a bit whiny , but his character grows on you ; gooding is having a fine romp ; and dave thomas almost steals the show as cleese 's deadpan assistant , a man " born " the film is directed by jerry zucker , who knows something about comedy . along with his brother , david , and friend ! and ruthless people . a throwaway subplot , which is good for some laughs , features cleese and his buddies , betting on a with a hooker and pepto - bismol . this is a fun little feature . the only letdown comes at the finale , which it . rat race is a summer sleeper , but it will keep you awake , as will the laughter of those watching around you .

i had a chance to see a sneak preview of city slickers ii on campus last night . i went in with the expectation of a film with the similar flavor which made the original such a success : personal growth and insightful humor about life . i came away somewhat disappointed in this regard , getting some of the latter and not much of the former . the basic plot revolves around billy crystal , who plays mitch robbins , turning forty . he 's now become the station manager of the radio station in which he worked in the original . he 's given a job at the radio station to his best friend , played by daniel stern , out of sympathy while stern 's character works through his divorce . his loser younger brother ( john lovitz ) comes to mitch 's house to bum a money and place to live , all while mitch and his wife try to celebrate his birthday . during the celebration , mitch discovers what appears to be a treasure map in curly 's ( the cattle drive leader in the original played by jack palance ) old hat . after a business trip to las vegas , crystal , stern , and lovitz stay a few extra days to go off in search of the treasure . on the way , they run into curly 's twin brother , duke , played by ( you know who ) jack palance . first of all , the cinematography was beautifully done , especially the outdoor scenes in the desert . the scenes are such that i would like to see some of those sights filmed myself . there is some character development during the film . the actors remain true to their characters and play them well , without overplaying the jokes . the movie is a good basic adventure , with enough plot twists to provide for an ending that is difficult to predict . the movie is paced well , but with a couple slow spots in the middle and towards the end . humor - wise , the film has a good number of jokes which maintained my interest throughout the film . there are memorable moments like when stern is bitten by a snake , but there are fewer jokes to laugh at in the sequel ( surprise , surprise for a sequel , right ? ) . however , the slight bitter aftertaste i have with this film has to do mainly with the film 's manipulation of the audience . the film tries to pull your heart - strings too much regarding how close the characters are to each other , like when mitch had decided to suck the snake marrow out of his best friend 's butt . this is done again when the gang meets up with some members of the cattle drive group from the original . there were also some parts which appeared unrealistic , like whether the stampede would start in the way it did or why they did n't worry more about water while tromping around the desert . some strenuous stretches of the imagination are required here . since the objective of the gang is to find gold and get rich ( unlike finding themselves in middle age like in the original ) , i also found it harder to empathize with the characters during their journey . overall , i 'd say that the film is an entertaining and humorous adventure with some story - line deficiencies making it less worthy than the original . it may be worth the full price of admission , but a matinee would be a better bargain .

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know who ) jack palance . first of all , the cinematography was beautifully done , especially the outdoor scenes in the desert . the . there is some character development during the film . the actors remain true to their characters and play them well , without overplaying the jokes . the movie is a good basic adventure , with enough plot twists to provide for an ending that is difficult to predict . the movie is paced well , but with a couple slow spots in the middle towards the end . humor - wise , the film has a good number of jokes which maintained my interest throughout the film . there are memorable moments like when stern is bitten by a snake , but journey . overall , i 'd say that the film is an entertaining and humorous adventure with some story - line deficiencies making it less worthy

the " submarine " genre of movies seems to be one of the most intriguing and compelling types of storytelling there is . think about it . . . these films are completely based in reality , yet only a handful of people have ever been on one , making them fascinating to the general public . they are n't like movies that take place on a plane or a train , as anybody can get on one of those . and they are n't like movies that happen in outer space either , because no one 's done any of that stuff yet . when a new one comes out , you do n't hear anyone say " ugh , another submarine movie " like people tend to say " ugh , another boxing movie " . look at modern movies that involve submarines : das boot , the abyss , the hunt for red october , crimson tide . . . all are well regarded as top - notch entertainment . gladly joining that bunch is u-571 , which stars matthew mcconaughey as the executive officer of a u . s . naval submarine during world war ii . we learn he has been denied a recommendation for his own command by his superior ( bill paxton ) . mcconaughey 's crew then receives orders that they will be boarding a disabled german submarine to steal the enigma , a german communications encoding device that has stumped allied intelligence . the mission goes horribly wrong however , and as a result , mcconaughey and only a handful of his crew ( as well as a captured german ) become trapped aboard the u-571 in enemy waters . the first great thing about u-571 is the film 's opening sequence . the german crew of u-571 are under attack , which sets the events of the rest of the film into motion . it 's tense , exciting and fascinating . and i applaud the filmmakers for not copping out and instead keeping the entire sequence in german with english subtitles . most movies with a scene this long would have panicked and had the german crew speaking english right away . once the plot gets moving , u-571 gives us action sequence after action sequence , making the audience wonder " ok , now how do they get out of this ? " . the stakes keep raising ( much like in executive decision , an excellent action - thriller ) , and even though the audience knows how the film will end , it 's a lot of fun getting there . i only have two minor complaints about the entire film . the first comes from the scenes which follow the opening sequence . while their purpose is to introduce us to the characters and to get the story going ( which they do ) , i feel as though it could have been done much quicker , and less conventionally . i mean , did we really have to see the ship 's crew at a wedding ? because of that , you now know exactly what 's going to happen to the groom ! my other gripe would be during the film 's finale . there 's an explosion which ends the film that is one of the weakest looking cgi effects since the president 's plane crashed into the ocean at the end of air force one . i can not stress this enough . . . until a cgi effect can be made to look like a model effect , stick with using models . yes , u-571 is historically incorrect and there are surely some specifics in the plot that people who have been onboard a submarine will tell you " that could n't happen " , but the overall point of this film is entertainment . it succeeds fantastically . [ pg-13 ]

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all are well regarded as top - notch entertainment . gladly joining that bunch is u-571 , which stars matthew mcconaughey as the executive ) become trapped aboard the u-571 in enemy waters . the first great thing about u-571 is the film 's opening sequence . the german the rest of the film into motion . it 's tense , exciting and fascinating . and i applaud the filmmakers for not copping out and instead keeping the entire sequence audience knows how the film will end , it 's a lot of fun getting there . i only have two minor complaints about the entire but the overall point of this film is entertainment . it succeeds fantastically . [ pg-13 ]

we share the descent into darkness of a talented boy pianist . years later we see his subsequent resurfacing ; in the mid 80 's a damaged man walks out of a rainstorm and back into the world . the movie charts the causes of his mental breakdown . based on the life story of david helfgott , this australian film is a rich exploration of the pressures drilling in upon a child - genius , compounded by the looming shadow of a domineering father . in the 1950 's helfgott emerged as a child prodigy . the film traces his relationship with his father , whose encouragement comes at the cost of demanding david have no life beyond that of the black and white keys . david is offered places in the usa , but his father refuses to let him leave australia . the effect this has upon helfgott is cleverly told via a single reverse tracked shot ; david is sobbing on the front doorway of his music teacher 's house . he is well lit via the external house lights . his teacher is n't home . we pull back and see that the dark front room 's window has it 's curtains open . there , in a pool of blackness , is a grand piano . david 's fall over the dark cliff has begun . instead of being told in a linear mode , shine jumps around in time , ala " pulp fiction " . this narrative device works well ; we see david as a boy , teenager in london and mental - patient in various snippets . the film then neatly loops back for its uplifting conclusion . adult - helfgott 's return to the light is told in linear fashion . the lead role is played by 3 different actors , with the teenage - david ( taylor ) and adult - david ( rush ) standing out . whilst rush is known for his tv work in australia , i think this is his first major cinema work . his david , whilst clearly damaged - he keeps quoting his " daddy " in a babbling word torrent , cuddles strangers and grabs women on the breasts - is both touching and funny . taylor 's teenage - david is the more sympathy producing role . we are mute witness to his gradual breakdown as the pressures just keep on building . his father wants him to play the very demanding rachmaninov 's 3rd , whilst his teacher wants to start him with a simple mozart . technically this is a beautiful film and a lot of thought has gone in to the production . i particularly like the use of slow motion and sound effects . one scene has adult - helfgott happily babbling in a car in the rain . the sound of the windshield wipers fades up over his voice . with a clever subtlety , the wiper sound appears to morph into a rhythmic thumping , but of the same beat . the image dissolves and we realise the thumping is the slow motion applause of a crowd . but it 's us being clapped . we are young - david walking up to the stage for our first public show . the music , as you would expect from a film of this subject matter , is critical . and it works very well . the ' miming ' of the actors piano playing is faultless ( apparently rush did n't mime ; he really did play ) helfgott 's life is certainly not without it 's sympathetic people . indeed his return to the ' normal ' world is accelerated by his chance meetings with two very special women . his ultimately uplifting story is a magic piece of theatre craft . it shows that with the ' help of god ' we can all find our way back home .

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( taylor ) and adult - david ( rush ) standing out . whilst rush is known for his tv work in cuddles strangers and grabs women on the breasts - is both touching and funny . taylor 's teenage - david is the more sympathy wants to start him with a simple mozart . technically this is a beautiful film and a lot of thought has gone in to the production . i particularly like the use of slow motion and sound effects . one of the windshield wipers fades up over his voice . with a clever subtlety , the wiper sound appears to morph into a rhythmic film of this subject matter , is critical . and it works very well . the ' miming ' of the actors piano playing is faultless ( apparently rush did n't mime ; he really did two very special women . his ultimately uplifting story is a magic piece of theatre craft . it shows that with the ' help of god

today , war became a reality to me after seeing a screening of saving priivate ryan . steve spielberg goes beyond reality with his latest production . the audience is tossed about the theatre witnessing the horror of war . please keep the kids home as the r rating is for reality . tom hanks is stunning as capt john miller , set out in france during ww ii to rescue and return home a soldier , private ryan ( matt damon ) who lost three brothers in the war . spielberg at time takes us inside the heads of these individuals as they face death during the horrific battle scenes . private ryan is not for everyone , but i felt the time was right for a movie like this to be made . the movie reminds us of the sacrifices made by our ww ii fighting men and women . we must not ever forget them as many gave the ultimate sacrifice , their lives so that we may live in freedom today . for this i thank them and for steve spielberg for making a movie that i will never forget . the academy will not forget tom hanks come april 1999 , as another well deserved oscar with be in tom 's posession .

1POS

seeing a screening of saving priivate ryan . steve spielberg goes beyond reality with his latest production . the audience is tossed about the r rating is for reality . tom hanks is stunning as capt john miller , set out in france during private ryan is not for everyone , but i felt the time was right for a movie like this to be made . the . for this i thank them and for steve spielberg for making a movie that i will never forget . the academy will not forget tom hanks come april 1999 , as another well deserved oscar with be in tom 's posession .

well , i 'll admit when i first heard about this film ( which was before dante 's peak ) i could just smell what ' twister ' had started . so now it seems that we 're in a full fledged return to the ' 70 's disaster film era . with ' twister ' , ' dante 's peak ' , ' volcano ' and soon ' flood ' and james cameron 's extremly expensive ' titanic ' i 'll say first off i enjoyed ' volcano ' much more than i did ' dantes peak ' . part of that is just being biased as i usually enjoy anything that tommy lee jones appears in . i 've been reading a lot about the movie being ' cheezy ' or ' hokey ' and really did n't see or think that once during the entire film . i get bored easily and this film did n't bore me for a minute . another thing , and boy am i bitching today ! , that bothers me is when critics and such go on about " well that s not really possible . " you know what ? i could n't give a bloody damn if it 's possible or not , really i could n't . it 's a freaking movie and i do n't want reality thrown in my face . i want to be able to see the impossible , the all might " what if " to many reviewers have seen one to many movies ! the special effects are the second star to this feature . they are so amazing that i found it hard sometimes to believe they were indeed fx and la was was not burning to the ground . they did an incredible job and come oscar time ( if they remember ) some notice better be thrown there way .

1POS

extremly expensive ' titanic ' i 'll say first off i enjoyed ' volcano ' much more than i did ' dantes peak ' . part of that is just being biased as i usually enjoy anything that tommy lee jones appears in . i 've been reading a lot about the movie during the entire film . i get bored easily and this film did n't bore me for a minute . another thing , and boy am i bitching today to many reviewers have seen one to many movies ! the special effects are the second star to this feature . they are so amazing that i found it hard sometimes to believe they were indeed fx and la was was not burning to the ground . they did an incredible job and come oscar time ( if they remember ) some notice better be thrown there way .

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . during the three years since the release of the groundbreaking success pulp fiction , the cinematic output from its creator , quentin tarantino , has been surprisingly low . oh , he 's been busy -- doing the talk show circuit , taking small roles in various films , overseeing the production of his screenplay from dusk till dawn , making cameo appearances on television shows , providing a vignette for the ill - fated anthology four rooms -- everything , it seems , except direct another feature - length film . it 's been the long intermission between projects as well as the dizzying peak which pulp fiction reached which has made mr . tarantino 's new feature film , jackie brown , one of the most anticipated films of the year , and his third feature film cements his reputation as the single most important new american filmmaker to emerge from the 1990s . things are n't going well for jackie brown ( pam grier ) . she 's 44 years old , stuck at a dead - end job ( " $ 16 , 000 a year , plus retirement benefits that are n't worth a damn " ) as a flight attendant for the worst airline in north america -- and she 's just been caught at the airport by atf agent ray nicolette ( portrayed with terrific childlike enthusiasm by michael keaton ) and police officer mark dargus ( michael bowen ) smuggling $ 50 000 from mexico for gun - runner ordell robbie ( samuel l . jackson ) , who has her bailed out by unassuming bail bondsman max cherry ( robert forster ) . the loquacious ordell , based out of a hermosa beach house where his horny , bong - hitting surfer girl melanie ( bridget fonda ) and agreeable crony louis gara ( robert de niro ) hang out , operates under the policy that the best rat is a dead rat , and he 's soon out to silence jackie brown . meanwhile , the authorities ' target is ordell , and they want jackie to help them by arranging a sting to the tune of a half - million dollars . only through a series of clever twists , turns , and double - crosses will jackie be able to gain the upper hand on both of her nemeses . although jackie brown marks mr . tarantino 's first produced screenplay adaptation ( based on the elmore leonard novel " rum punch " ) , there 's no mistaking his distinctive fingerprints all over this film . while he 's adhered closely to the source material in a narrative sense , the setting has been relocated to los angeles and the lead character 's now black . in terms of ambiance , the film harkens back to the 1970s , from the wall - to - wall funk and soul music drowning the soundtrack to the nondescript look of the sets -- even the opening title credit sequence has the echo of vintage 1970s productions . the opening sequence featuring ms . grier wordlessly striding through the lax , funky music blaring away on the speakers , is emblematic of films of that era . the timeframe for the film is in fact 1995 , but the atmosphere of jackie brown is decidedly retro . of course , nothing in the film screams 1970s more than the casting of pam grier and robert forster as the two leads , and although the caper intrigue is fun to watch as the plot twists , backstabbing , and deceptions deliciously unfold , the strength of jackie brown is the quiet , understated relationship developed between jackie and max ; when they kiss , it 's perhaps the most tender scene of the year . tenderness ? in a quentin tarantino film ? sure , there 've been moments of sweetness in his prior films -- the affectionate exchanges between the bruce willis and maria de madeiros characters in pulp fiction and the unflagging dedication shared by the characters of tim roth and amanda plummer , or even in reservoir dogs , where a deep , unspoken bond develops between the harvey keitel and tim roth characters -- but for the most part , mr . tarantino 's films are typified by manic energy , unexpected outbursts of violence , and clever , often wordy , banter . these staples of his work are all present in jackie brown , but what 's new here is a different facet of his storytelling -- a willingness to imbue the film with a poignant emotional undercurrent , and a patience to draw out several scenes with great deliberation . this effective demonstration of range prohibits the pigeonholing of mr . tarantino as simply a helmer of slick , hip crime dramas with fast - talking lowlifes , and heralds him as a bonafide multifaceted talent ; he 's the real deal . this new aspect of mr . tarantino 's storytelling is probably best embodied in a single character -- that of the world - weary , sensitive , and exceedingly - professional max cherry , whose unspoken attraction to jackie is touching . mr . forster 's nuanced , understated performance is the best in the film ; he creates an amiable character of such poignancy that when he gazes at jackie , we smile along with him . much press has been given about the casting of blaxploitation - era icon pam grier in the lead , with the wags buzzing that mr . tarantino may do for her what his pulp fiction did to bolster john travolta 's then - sagging career . as it turns out , ms . grier is solid in the film 's title role , although nothing here forces her to test her range . i do have to take exception to the claim that this film marks her career resurrection , though -- she 's been working steadily over the years , often in direct - to - video action flicks , but also in such recent theatrical releases as tim burton 's mars attacks ! and larry cohen 's original gangstas ( where she first teamed up with mr . forster . ) of course , it 's true that her role here was a godsend -- a meaty a part as this is rarity for * any * actress , let alone one of her age and current status in the industry . while jackie brown may disappoint those looking for another pulp fiction clone , it marks tremendous growth of mr . tarantino as a director whose horizons are rapidly expanding , and whose characterizations have never been better . and while the film 's narrative does n't really warrant a running time of 155 minutes , it 's filled with such sumptuous riches , ranging from the brashness of the vivid soundtrack to entertaining , inconsequential conversations between the characters , that there was n't an unengaging moment . with an impressive trio of feature films under his belt , it 'll be interesting to see what he tries next .

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films of the year , and his third feature film cements his reputation as the single most important new american filmmaker to emerge from the 1990s . things are n't going " rum punch " ) , there 's no mistaking his distinctive fingerprints all over this film . while he 's adhered closely the two leads , and although the caper intrigue is fun to watch as the plot twists , backstabbing , and deceptions deliciously by manic energy , unexpected outbursts of violence , and clever , often wordy , banter . these staples of his work are all present in imbue the film with a poignant emotional undercurrent , and a patience to draw out several scenes with great deliberation . this effective demonstration of range prohibits the pigeonholing of mr . tarantino as simply a with fast - talking lowlifes , and heralds him as a bonafide multifaceted talent ; he 's the real deal . this new aspect of mr . tarantino 's storytelling attraction to jackie is touching . mr . forster 's nuanced , understated performance is the best in the film ; he creates an amiable character of such poignancy that career . as it turns out , ms . grier is solid in the film 's title role , although nothing here forces her to test her range disappoint those looking for another pulp fiction clone , it marks tremendous growth of mr . tarantino as a director whose horizons are rapidly expanding , and whose characterizations have never been better . and while the film 's narrative does n't really warrant a running time of 155 minutes , it 's filled with such sumptuous riches , ranging from the brashness of the vivid soundtrack to entertaining , inconsequential conversations between the characters , that there was n't an unengaging moment . with an impressive trio of feature films under his

" last night " could have an " aka " tagged on the end of it that says , " it 's the end of the world , and we feel fine " . " last night " is about just that . the last night of planet earth 's existence . the world is going to end at precisely midnight , january 1st , 2000 . how scientists were so accurately able to predict when this catastrophic event would occur is never explained . nor is the event itself . throughout the entire movie , no explanation is given as to why this is happening . in doing this , mckellar ( who also wrote and directed the film ) seems to be trying to transcend the genre . he 's attempted to make a film about people , and how each of them deals with their last night of life . the film contains no science fiction elements , which allows the viewer to concentrate on the feelings and actions of the characters . mckellar is largely successful in his attempt to rise above his material . the film is set in toronto , and follows several people in their various escapades on the last night of existence . there 's mckellar , who plays a man who just wants to be alone when the moment occurs , but keeps getting interrupted by a woman ( sandra oh ) in search of her husband . her husband , played by david cronenberg , is spending the day working at the gas company , informing people that they will attempt to keep providing gas right up until the end . finally , there 's mckellar 's friend , played by callum keith rennie , a man who has spent his final months trying out every sexual perversion you can think of . mckellar has crafted a gang of the some of the most interesting characters i 've seen in a film in months . these people all felt real to me , especially the character played by sandra oh . we can see her desperation , her utter need to be with her husband in the final hours . rennie is good , too , as the man who wants to literally try everything before he dies . he exudes such charm and likeablity , it 's not surprising that we 're rooting for him to get what he wants . but for me , the biggest surprise in the movie is mckellar . i knew that he was a talented director , but i had no idea he could act as well . his insistence to be alone , much to the dismay of his parents , is something that most people would find difficult to understand , but as played by mckellar , we can understand his reasons . he does n't buy into the whole notion that just because everyone 's going to die , he should immediately find some companionship . he realizes the relationship would be forced , and they would only be together for the sake of being together . mckellar gives a brilliant performance , and i hope he alternates between directing and acting . my only quibble with the film is that we never find out why the world is ending . i really wanted to know , and my need to know was hanging over the film at all times . i appreciate the fact that mckellar did n't want the material to rule the film , and that he wanted the movie to be more of a study in human behavious . however , in not telling the audience what the cause of earth 's destruction is , he 's left a big question that is in their minds throughout the film . another problem is we never see anybody panicking . i would imagine if the world was ending , and there was nothing to be done about it , a large segment of the population would be going out of their minds . instead , we are treated to shots of a giant crowd partying like it 's new year 's eve . i just did n't buy the fact that everyone had completely accepted their fate . no one had the urge to " rage against the dying of the light " . despite these small problems , " last night " is one of the best movies of the year . as opposed to the moronic " armageddon " , " last night " treats the subject at hand with maturity and believabilty . and bruce willis never shows up to save the day .

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on the feelings and actions of the characters . mckellar is largely successful in his attempt to rise above his material . the film is set think of . mckellar has crafted a gang of the some of the most interesting characters i 've seen in a film in months . these people all felt real to me , especially the character played by sandra oh . we be with her husband in the final hours . rennie is good , too , as the man who wants to literally try everything i knew that he was a talented director , but i had no idea he could act as well . his insistence to be alone , much to the be together for the sake of being together . mckellar gives a brilliant performance , and i hope he alternates between directing and acting . my only quibble with the film is that we know was hanging over the film at all times . i appreciate the fact that mckellar did n't want the material to rule the . despite these small problems , " last night " is one of the best movies of the year . as opposed to the moronic " armageddon " , " last night " treats the subject at hand with maturity and believabilty . and bruce willis never shows up to save the

" a bug 's life " may not be " toy story , " but it 's more close than " antz " was . i really liked " antz , " basically because , yes , it is clever and witty and intelligent ( and it has the temerity to take a chance and put woody allen in the lead , perhaps the year 's most inspired casting ) , but there was , in fact , something missing from it , and i 'm the first to admit that . maybe it 's that it never totally lets go and takes off into real innocent fun - it 's too obsessed with its orwellian message to become totally engaging , and if it were n't for woody allen , it would have been just a really clever good - not - great flick . " a bug 's life " has a similar premise , and it also has disney to insure that it 's g - rated and not totally over kids ' heads like " antz " was ( not a bad thing , believe me ) , but what it also has is a tone that 's completely innocent even when it 's also remaining perpetually clever . " antz " is still the more witty film , and i love it for it , and " a bug 's life " is more for general consumption , but it 's also more entertaining . it broadens its horizons , and when it really moves from the ant colony , it really shows us a whole new world we 've never seen before , and it 's take on the evolution of bugs is a lot better than the one in " antz . " it 's also light and clever . the visuals are , instead of earth tones , bright worldly colors , and still gives the amazing visual technology of " antz " at least a worthy contender . the characters are also nicely realized - though watered - down for broad consumption , they still carry more wit than the contemporary disney animated films . the lead character , flik ( voiced by dave foley ) , is nothing more than a slightly - less neurotic z from " antz , " but foley makes him nearly as engaging as allen made z . instead of gene hackman playing the villain , we get the much more menacing kevin spacey as the lead grasshopper , the nicely - titled hopper . and for the romantic lead , we do n't get spacey sharon stone , but intelligent and hard - to - get julia - louis dreyfuss , who does n't even come around until the very final frames . not that the plot 's really any better than the one in " antz " - it 's basically yet another redux of " the seven samurai , " with an ant colony under the control of giant grasshoppers forcing them to produce a product for them or else . when flik , a bone fide inventor , creates a time - conserving apparatus that accidentally destroys the season 's donation , he puts them all in risk , and is sent away so that he wo n't screw anything up with the pretense that he is searching for help to fight the grasshoppers . he runs into a group of " warrirors " who are , unbeknownst to him , a group of carnival bugs , and they agree to help under similar false pretenses . these bugs are an equally wonderful assortment to anything in " toy story " : foppish walking stick slim ( david hyde - pierce ) , german caterpillar heimlich ( joe ranft ) , quick - tempered and insecure male ladybug francis ( denis leary ) , pretentious praying mantis manny ( jonathan harris ) , his assistant butterfly hypsy ( madeliene kahn ) , spider rosie ( bonnie hunt ) , and two fleas , tuck and roll ( michael mcshane ) , who speak in undiscernable jibberish . the writers lightly touch on each bug 's place in bug society and the malleability thereof while making a wisecracks at everything they can , and blowing the audience away with wild visual treats . grasshoppers jumping in unison seems like a menacing earthquake . a small bird becomes an ominous mortal threat , whose usual mild - mannered squeal is a scream of death . the bug city is a modern - day metropolis , complete with fireflies temping as traffic lights and a fly sitting on the curb , holding out a cup , with a sign lying next to him that says " kid tore off wings . " and a rainstorm is like a giant flood , with each drop acting like a small bomb dropped at millions of miles per hour . around this , the pixar animators stage several large set pieces , like a resuce mission halfway through that is as wild and entertaining as anything this year , and a wonderfully exciting action piece at the end , a chase scene at night through the labyrinthine branches of a small thicket . meanwhile , each character gets the spotlight to be completely idisyncratic and interesting , something " antz " could n't do , and by the end , over the end credits , " a bug 's life " pulls it 's final punch , out clever - ing " antz " with a series of incessantly hilarious faux - bloopers that come just at the right time , when those who leave immeadiately after the final frame of a film have left , and you can brag that you were one of the elite who stayed and got the full money 's worth of entertainment . still , it 's no " toy story . " that film , maybe above any animated film i 've ever seen , encompassed almost true perfection in story , character , and wit . it proved that it did n't need to brag about it 's cutting edge technology to really soar ( it 's the least visually striking of the three computer animated films thus far , but is still the most satisfying ) , and created a perfect world of idiosyncratic delights and innocent fun . yet " a bug 's life , " as well as " antz , " are still amazing films , and prove without doubt , that if you 're gon na make a computer animated film , send it to the guys who created these three flicks , evne if they 're not working under the same roof .

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but what it also has is a tone that 's completely innocent even when it 's also remaining perpetually clever . " antz " is still the more witty film general consumption , but it 's also more entertaining . it broadens its horizons , and when it really moves from the ant colony of earth tones , bright worldly colors , and still gives the amazing visual technology of " antz " at least a worthy contender . the characters are also nicely realized - though watered - down for broad consumption , they still carry more wit than the contemporary disney animated films . the lead character less neurotic z from " antz , " but foley makes him nearly as engaging as allen made z . instead of gene hackman playing , we do n't get spacey sharon stone , but intelligent and hard - to - get julia - louis dreyfuss , who does n't even come while making a wisecracks at everything they can , and blowing the audience away with wild visual treats . grasshoppers jumping in unison seems like a menacing earthquake as wild and entertaining as anything this year , and a wonderfully exciting action piece at the end , a chase scene at night through the labyrinthine branches the end credits , " a bug 's life " pulls it 's final punch , out clever - ing " antz " with a life , " as well as " antz , " are still amazing films , and prove without doubt , that if you 're

when i saw the trailer for " the sixth sense , " i did n't expect much from it . my snap judgment was that it was a watered - down version of " the shining " or possibly a late - entry in the glut of angel - related movies / tv shows of a couple years ago . but all the buzz motivated me to give it a shot . it turned out to be one of the most satisfying movie experiences of the year . bruce willis plays child psychologist malcolm crowe . at the beginning of the movie , he is admiring an award the city has given him for his work , but he is soon confronted by vincent , a patient malcolm failed years earlier ( donnie wahlberg - former new kid - in an impressive cameo ) . a year passes , and malcolm is treating another child with the same symptoms vincent displayed . cole sear ( haley joel osment ) is a withdrawn kid who is called " freak " by the other boys in the neighborhood . weird things seem to happen around cole - his mother ( olivia williams ) leaves the kitchen for a moment and returns to find every cabinet and drawer open even though cole has n't moved - and cole seems to know things that a kid his age shouldn't - for example , that there was once a gallows in his school . he steals religious icons from churches to build a chapel in a pup tent in his bedroom . the trailer gave away the movie 's first major plot twist . if it had n't , the first hour of the movie would be more engrossing because we would n't know what 's wrong with cole . if you 're lucky enough to have not seen the trailer , stop reading this review right now and go see " the sixth sense . " anyway , since the trailer gave it away , i figure it 's fair game to discuss here . once malcolm gains cole 's trust , cole reveals his secret : he sees ghosts everywhere . dead people wander around not knowing that they 're dead , invisible to everyone except cole . malcolm gradually begins to realize that cole is telling the truth . the box office success of " the sixth sense " has generated a lot of press about how horror movies rule the box office this year and lots of theories about why that 's so . i hate to burst anybody 's bubble , but " the sixth sense " is n't really a horror film . at its core , " the sixth sense " is a touching story of how a troubled kid and an emotionally - scarred adult help each other to move past their problems . some scenes with the ghosts are wonderfully creepy , though . one that really got to me : the ghost of a boy says to cole , " i 'll show you where my dad keeps his gun " ; when the ghost turns , we see the bullet wound in the back of his head . osment gives the best performance i 've ever seen from a child actor . it 's hard enough to find a grown - up in hollywood who can give a subtle , realistic portrayal ! although willis gets top billing , cole is really the protagonist of the story , and osment truly brings the complex kid to life . if only willis ' work were as impressive . accustomed to delivering catchphrases rather than dialogue , willis is stiff and awkward as malcolm , his most challenging role to date . ( this is a bad omen for his next movie , " the story of us , " which chronicles the ups and downs of a marriage ) . writer / director m . night shyamalan has a light , poetic touch that goes to the heart of the viewer without seeming sappy or trite . he 's also a skillful storyteller , as the movie 's ending demonstrates . only when the final secret is revealed do you realize that shyamalan has been hinting at it throughout the movie . look for a cameo by the director as a doctor who treats cole . bottom line : osment should get an oscar nomination , and you should go see this movie .

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give it a shot . it turned out to be one of the most satisfying movie experiences of the year . bruce willis plays child psychologist malcolm crowe . at with the ghosts are wonderfully creepy , though . one that really got to me : the ghost of a boy says to cole , bullet wound in the back of his head . osment gives the best performance i 've ever seen from a child actor . it 's hard enough to find a grown - is really the protagonist of the story , and osment truly brings the complex kid to life . if only willis ' work were as impressive . marriage ) . writer / director m . night shyamalan has a light , poetic touch that goes to the heart of the viewer without seeming sappy or trite . he 's also a skillful storyteller , as the movie 's ending demonstrates . only when the final secret is revealed do you as a doctor who treats cole . bottom line : osment should get an oscar nomination , and you should go see this movie .

near the end of frank capra 's holiday classic , its a wonderful life , george bailey ( jimmy stewart ) is feeling down . he has devoted his life to others , and never fulfilled his dream of leaving his small supburb town , bedford falls . standing upon a bridge above stormy waters , he looks down , contemplating suicide . he has potential he has n't fulfilled -- yet , he has done so much for others . as a young chap , his ambition was to leave his hometown of bedford falls . but times and ambitions change . things happen , and he 's stuck . his guardian angel is there , and shows him that . . . it 's a wonderful life . in a whirlwind tour of the town , george sees what life would be like without him . he learns the moral lesson , that to live is a gift . his earthly problems are solved . the climatic scene is a marvel . frank capra 's film is a centenial classic -- watched and re - experienced by every generation . wonderful life is one of the few pictures of times gone by that seems as fresh , maybe fresher , then it did when it was first released . many films of the thirties through seventies have aged poorly . but this one is a near flawless example of how well a perfect script and timing can mesh with first - rate acting , wit and suspense , glorious music , and terrific set peices . the only even slightly dated scenes are those at the begining in which god has a long chat with clarence , george 's guardian angel . they are n't all that bad , but they remain corny and a little out of place . nevertheless , this is one film that deserves its place in time , cinema history , and our hearts . it can be equally appreciated by anyone of any age . here is one genuine masterpeice , a classic that reaches heights and ambitions near perfection . this crackling good mixture results in a film which is at once funny , exciting , moving and uplifting . the film itself is almost a reversal of the life of george bailey -- there is n't too much to it , but capra and the gang ( various screenwriters , composers , actors ) plumet the material to its fullest potential . the result is a film -- though not at first intended to be pigeon - holed as a holiday film -- that will always be remembered , celebrated , and loved .

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climatic scene is a marvel . frank capra 's film is a centenial classic -- watched and re - experienced by every generation . wonderful life is one of the few pictures of times gone by that seems as fresh , maybe fresher , then it did when it was first released . many films of the through seventies have aged poorly . but this one is a near flawless example of how well a perfect script and timing can mesh with first - rate acting , wit and suspense , glorious music , and terrific set peices . the only even slightly dated scenes are those at of place . nevertheless , this is one film that deserves its place in time , cinema history , and our hearts . it can be equally appreciated by anyone of any age . here is one genuine masterpeice , a classic that reaches heights and ambitions near perfection . this crackling good mixture results in a film which is at once funny , exciting , moving and uplifting . the film itself is almost a reversal of the various screenwriters , composers , actors ) plumet the material to its fullest potential . the result is a film -- though not at to be pigeon - holed as a holiday film -- that will always be remembered , celebrated , and loved .

jerry springer has got nothing on " wild things . " john mcnaughton 's new thriller tackles more tawdry themes in less than two hours than springer 's notoriously sleazy talk show broadcasts in two weeks -- bisexuality , threesomes , poolside catfights , slutty rich bimbos , even redneck gator - wrestling , they 're all part of the movie 's raucous , complex storyline . but even trash tv topicality ca n't drag " wild things " down -- this crazy campfest plays like something you 'd find late - night on the usa network , only infinitely more palatable and with a solid ensemble cast . despite a smattering of needless scenes ( most of them sexual in nature ) , there 's wicked fun to be had here . " wild things " would be a guilty pleasure , only there 's no guilty feeling involved in having a good time with it . high school guidance counselor sam lombardo ( matt dillon ) is well - liked in the town of blue bay , especially by pretty , popular kelly van ryan ( denise richards ) , whose family name is among the florida yachting enclave 's most financially prominent . hoping to take her crush to a physical level , kelly seductively slinks into lombardo 's house after washing his jeep for a fundraiser , but , the very next day , tearfully admits to her trollop mother ( theresa russell ) that she was raped . before long , blue bay detectives ray duquette ( kevin bacon ) and gloria perez ( daphne rubin - vega ) are listening to similar allegations from kelly 's rebel classmate suzie toller ( neve campbell ) . lombardo , who maintains his innocence , hires neck brace - sporting , opportunistic lawyer ken bowden ( bill murray ) to defend him in court . the previews give away the following revelations , so if you have n't seen any of the movie 's spots on the television or in the theater , you might want to skip to the next paragraph . while cross - examining suzie on the witness stand , bowden gets her to break down and admit that the alleged rapes never took place -- that kelly had concocted this entire scheme because she was angry that lombardo was sleeping with her mother and not with her . to pay lombardo for the damages , kelly 's mother breaks her daughter 's trust fund and gives him $ 8 . 5 million . but lombardo , kelly and suzie are actually all working together , and plan to take the money and run as fast as they can . duquette and perez , however , begin to suspect that there 's more afoot to the case than just false accusations . if there 's a major drawback to " wild things , " it 's that it 's oversexed to a fault . the much - talked - about hotel room menage - a - trois between dillon , campbell and richards is a turn - off . it 's also cut short ( sorry , guys ) , and should have been cut shorter -- the movie grinds to a halt for pure titillation once too often . what we do n't see is far more effective than what we do . another example of this is kevin bacon needlessly going the full monty in a shower scene . er , no thanks . also , bacon 's duquette feels simultaneously underdeveloped and overwritten . daphne rubin - vega , from broadway 's " rent , " tries to compensate for a superfluous character . theresa russell is just plain wooden . and when , in the end , all is out in the open , ask yourself if certain scenes involving these three were really necessary . but what keeps the movie from being throwaway junk is an engaging chain of surprises ( some predictable , some not ) that never seems to end . " wild things " has more twists than a crate full of corkscrews , and most are so gleefully , over - the - top nasty that you ca n't help but be charmed by their absurd showmanship . a great deal of amusement also comes from watching bill murray in a supporting part that appears to have been written for his sly comedic talent ; murray 's a stitch , especially when pulling up beside the van ryan limo after winning lombardo 's case and flipping them off . and do n't leave when the closing credits hit the screen , or you 'll miss the film 's best part -- four bonus flashbacks that smooth over plot holes while offering a few more tiny turns , plus a final scene that caps everything off with a great stunner of a bombshell . speaking of bombshells , denise richards , who plays almost every scene in a blue bikini top , does the teen tease thing with a malicious allure that she was never allowed to flaunt in " starship troopers . " matt dillon flexes his sleepy - voiced sex appeal , and pulls off personality changes with chameleonic precision . neve campbell , lovely as ever except when sporting a blond wig , gives suzie a vengeful vulnerability that makes her the most interesting member of the conspiring trio . re - edited and toned down a bit , the dynamics between these three actors could have carried the film to greater lengths . but what we 're given works well enough . " wild things " is highly entertaining and , indeed , very wild .

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drag " wild things " down -- this crazy campfest plays like something you 'd find late - night on the usa network , only infinitely more palatable and with a solid ensemble cast . despite a smattering of needless scenes ( most of them sexual in nature ) , there 's wicked fun to be had here . " wild things " would be a guilty pleasure but what keeps the movie from being throwaway junk is an engaging chain of surprises ( some predictable , some not ) that never seems to end . " wild things " has more twists than a crate full of corkscrews , and most are so gleefully , over - the - top nasty that you ca n't help but be charmed by their absurd showmanship . a great deal of amusement also comes from watching bill murray in a supporting part that appears to have been written for his sly comedic talent ; murray 's a stitch , especially when pulling up holes while offering a few more tiny turns , plus a final scene that caps everything off with a great stunner of a bombshell . speaking of bombshells , denise richards , who plays a blue bikini top , does the teen tease thing with a malicious allure that she was never allowed to flaunt in " starship dillon flexes his sleepy - voiced sex appeal , and pulls off personality changes with chameleonic precision . neve campbell , lovely as ever except when sporting a blond wig , gives suzie a could have carried the film to greater lengths . but what we 're given works well enough . " wild things " is highly entertaining and , indeed , very wild .

the happy bastard 's 30-second review big daddy happy gilmore as a father ? of course ! that 's the latest scenario presented by adam sandler in the new movie big daddy , a movie that 's passable but is n't really considered some of sandler 's best work . he does n't actually play happy gilmore in the movie , but a variation of him . he 's sonny coufax , a man who 's living off a settlement he got for a cab running over his foot and his one - day - a - week gig as a tollbooth man ( tollbooth willie ? ) . his girlfriend ( kristy swanson ) is fed up with his lifestyle and demands a change before she leaves him . enter a 5-year old kid , who 's mysteriously dropped at his doorstep and intended for his preppy roommate ( jon stewart ) , who 's off in china on a business trip . from there , coufax basically acts as the kid 's father , teaching him different things like peeing on the side of a building and tripping up skateboarders with sticks . he even manages to use the kid in a sort of con game to get the attention of a beautiful law office worker ( joey lauren adams ) , but , somehow , he also garners the attention of social services , who are n't particularly pleased with coufax 's actions , as he pretends to be his roommate to keep the kid . the reason i say it 's not really sandler 's best work is because it gets really sappy towards the end of a movie , showing some odd feelings that somehow did n't really belong in a sandler vehicle . i mean , it fits the movie 's tone and everything , and sandler handles it well , but it 's just oddly placed , that 's all . fortunately , it does n't destroy the goofy glee path it 's been following and it still makes you feel good . sandler does a good job here , as he does in most of his movies . rob schneider , however , is irritating as his friend , an immigrant delivery boy who ca n't read . stewart , in his minor time on screen , is great , and adams remains a joy to watch . look for steve buscemi as well as a homeless bum . he 's a hoot . directed by dennis dugan ( director of happy gilmore ) , the movie remains a good couple of hours to pass the time with . again , there are faults , but , hey , everyone needs to get emotional sometimes .

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really belong in a sandler vehicle . i mean , it fits the movie 's tone and everything , and sandler handles it well , but it 's just oddly placed , that 's all . fortunately , it does n't destroy the goofy glee path it 's been following and it still makes you feel good . sandler does a good job here , as he does in most of his movies . . stewart , in his minor time on screen , is great , and adams remains a joy to watch . look for steve buscemi as well as a homeless bum . he 's a hoot . directed by dennis dugan ( director of happy gilmore ) , the movie remains a good couple of hours to pass the time with . again , there are faults , but , hey

" six days , seven nights " is a summer movie that gets the summer movie experience deliciously right , a commendable achievement considering the season thus far has been littered with some pretty uneven fare . here 's a genuinely fun fluff piece that knows it 's fluff , recognizes it 's fluff and is admittedly proud to be fluff . of course , the casting of harrison ford in the broadly comedic lead role plays a sizeable part in the movie 's success ; ford is such a concentrated dramatic actor that it 's easy to forget what a funny guy he can be . as his female counterpart , anne heche also deserves a big pat on the back for her sweet , goofily charismatic performance . the age difference ( ford 's 56 , heche 's 29 ) matters not -- these two click in a charged way that 's hard to come by . the story is a no - brainer -- ford stars as gruff but loveable island aviator quinn harris , while heche is career - minded but loveable new york magazine editor robin monroe . robin , on a tropical vacation with fianc ? frank ( david schwimmer ) , gets assigned to supervise an emergency photo shoot in nearby tahiti , so she reluctantly hires quinn to fly her there . the plane crashes during a terrible storm , and they immediately find themselves stuck in a deserted paradise with few ideas on getting back to civilization . a series of unpleasant , often hilarious catastrophes leaves little choice but for both members of this unlikely odd couple to fall for each other . meanwhile , back at the resort , frank is tempted himself by quinn 's shapely female tagalong ( jacqueline obradors ) . that subplot obviously exists to get us rooting for the quinn - robin pairing , and while it makes for a few good laughs early on , it eventually becomes a contrived distraction from the far more engrossing misadventures of quinn and robin . and since the film spends most of its time with the castaways , this flaw is only a minor inconvenience . director ivan reitman keeps the pace brisk . at a slim 101 minutes , " six days , seven nights " never wears out its welcome , where a lesser film could have felt like it was as long as its title . michael browning 's clever screenplay allows for plenty of notable one - liners ( my favorite , taken in context , is " you mean _ arrrgh _ pirates ? " ) , and though it essentially boils down to one mishap after another , they 're all quite engaging . even the movie 's more " serious " moments are played with a wink . heche has been under undeserved fire over whether or not her private life with ellen degeneres would affect the " believability " of " six days , seven nights " ' heterosexual pairing . ( so she 's a lesbian . so what . deal with it . ) of course it does n't , and here , her naysayers are proved wrong in a big way . in fact , her chemistry with ford is what really makes the film click ; these opposites attract with the utmost , endearing electricity . at one point , when the two are discussing the likelihood of romantic interest , heche asks ford how old he is . after several wrong guesses ( " forty - five ? _ fifty _ ? " ) , he whispers his age to her . " you still look good , " heche stammers . " i still _ am _ good , " ford replies . she 's good too , and together , they make " six days , seven nights " one memorable ride .

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days , seven nights " is a summer movie that gets the summer movie experience deliciously right , a commendable achievement considering the season thus far has been littered with some pretty uneven fare . here 's a genuinely fun fluff piece that knows it 's fluff , recognizes it 's fluff and is admittedly proud to be fluff . of course , the casting of harrison ford in the broadly comedic lead role plays a sizeable part in the movie 's success ; ford is such a concentrated dramatic actor that it be . as his female counterpart , anne heche also deserves a big pat on the back for her sweet , goofily charismatic performance . the age flaw is only a minor inconvenience . director ivan reitman keeps the pace brisk . at a slim 101 minutes , " six days , seven nights " never wears out its welcome , where a lesser film could have felt like it as its title . michael browning 's clever screenplay allows for plenty of notable one - liners ( my favorite , taken in context , is " it essentially boils down to one mishap after another , they 're all quite engaging . even the movie 's more " serious " moments ) of course it does n't , and here , her naysayers are proved wrong in a big way . in fact , her chemistry , they make " six days , seven nights " one memorable ride .

the release of dolores claiborne into wide release this weekend adds another entry into the long list of film adaptations of stephen king 's work . this slow - moving character study provides some outstanding acting performances by the principals , but suffers from a tepid conclusion , inconsistent direction , and may not have wide commercial appeal . when the maid , dolores claiborne , is found brandishing a rolling pin standing over the bloody and dead body of her employer , it seems like an open - and - shut murder case . upon hearing of the death via a mysterious fax , dolores ' estranged and bitter daughter , esquire magazine writer selena st . george , returns from new york back to her tiny island village childhood home . as the two clash horns , the story behind the mysterious death of dolores ' abusive husband two decades ago , ruled an accident despite the protests of detective john mackey , is revealed . did dolores kill her husband ? and did she kill her employer ? dolores claiborne is certainly more of a character study than a suspense thriller . consequently , it is fortunate that their cast includes some of hollywood 's finest character actors , such as bates , leigh and strathairn . kathy bates plays the film 's title character , and gives a sensational lead performance . dolores claiborne is essentially a showcase for the talent of bates , as her character has a huge amount of screen time . she dominates the screen , producing a character that is compelling and arresting , as we watch the character go through two decades of history via flashbacks . kathy bates ' performance is award - calibre stuff . the rest of the cast is also very good . jennifer jason leigh plays the perpetually sour , bitter helena st . george well , and christopher plummer seems to be enjoying himself as dolores ' ever - present nemesis , the determined detective john mackey . david strathairn is particularly interesting and suitably smarmy and despicable as dolores ' husband , joe st . george . judy parfitt is fine as dolores ' tyrannic socialite employer , vera donovan -- it would have been interesting to see , say , meg foster in this role . child actor ellen muth is also worth noting as the young selena during the flashback sequences ; she is very impressive . the direction of dolores claiborne by taylor hackford wildly varies throughout the film , ranging from some parts which are quite clever in their own right , to parts which are embarrassingly hokey . the segues between flashbacks and the present are very hit - and - miss in terms of effectiveness . the pacing of the film tends to be numbingly slow , which tends to undermine any suspense which might be built up . however , the cinematography by gabriel beristain is wonderful -- i particularly like the chilling ice - blue hue permeating the present - day scenes , contrasting well with the many nova scotia ocean shots -- and danny elfman provides a surprisingly understated score for the film . it would seem that the commercial potential of dolores claiborne is limited . none of the performers in the film could be classified as a big draw , and its pacing may be a turn - off to those expecting a gripping suspense film filled with twists and turns and car crashes and axe - wielding psychopaths . although being essentially the only film in its genre in release now , it may also be hurt by the negative perception of king works , even with the recent critical success of the shawshank redemption and the stand . dolores claiborne suffers from a very unsatisfying conclusion , and moves very slowly . however , the performances are uniformly excellent , particularly kathy bates , and the film has its moments . on my four - star scale , i give dolores claiborne three stars .

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king 's work . this slow - moving character study provides some outstanding acting performances by the principals , but suffers from a tepid conclusion a suspense thriller . consequently , it is fortunate that their cast includes some of hollywood 's finest character actors , such as bates , leigh and strathairn . kathy bates plays the film 's title character , and gives a sensational lead performance . dolores claiborne is essentially a showcase for the talent her character has a huge amount of screen time . she dominates the screen , producing a character that is compelling and arresting , two decades of history via flashbacks . kathy bates ' performance is award - calibre stuff . the rest of the cast is also very good . jennifer jason leigh plays the perpetually sour , bitter meg foster in this role . child actor ellen muth is also worth noting as the young selena during the flashback sequences ; she is very impressive . the direction of dolores claiborne by taylor hackford wildly any suspense which might be built up . however , the cinematography by gabriel beristain is wonderful -- i particularly like the chilling ice - blue hue permeating the present - the many nova scotia ocean shots -- and danny elfman provides a surprisingly understated score for the film . it would seem that the commercial unsatisfying conclusion , and moves very slowly . however , the performances are uniformly excellent , particularly kathy bates , and the film has its moments . on my four - star scale , i give

seen september 13 , 1998 at 4 p . m at rotterdam square mall cinema 6 , theater # 2 , with chris wessell for free using my sony / loews critic 's pass . [ theater rating : * * 1/2 : good seats , average sound , picture unstable ] " rounders " is exactly the kind of movie parents do n't want their kids to see . it 's not that it 's a drunken orgy of sex and violence , but because it 's a film that flat - out says you can make a career out of gambling . and to take make things " worse " it proves this through its original , fascinating story . there have been countless crime films both past and present that evoke the " noir " mood , that is , the dark , shady atmosphere where the vices of the world become more fascinating on screen than they would in real life . this film starts off in the tradiational noir style , introducing us to the underworld of modern gambling where the stakes are high and so is the price for losing . matt damon stars as mike mcdermott , a 20-something law student in present - day new york city who tells us how the game of poker is really played . damon narrates throughout the film , but the entire opening scene is voiced - over so perfectly to completely and totally define the setting . mike 's about to go up against teddy kgb ( malkovich ) , a russian gangster who looks like a serial killer . but then again , he practically is one and the film does everything to convey that sense - the look in his eyes , his slow movements , his intricate mannerisms - all combined with the classic noir cinematography of isolated brightness within the darkness of the underworld ( literally ) . damon in the flesh might seem a little out of place with his expensive clothes and perfectly - groomed features , but his narration is what brings it all together . he never sounds like he 's reading from a script , nor that he 's trying to embellish anything , it just comes natural to him . the screenwriters use the right words and phrases to describe the mood , from the smell of the air , to the logic involved in reading the other guys ' faces and cards , and all without sounding remotely trite . immediately we get the sense that poker is n't for gamblers , but for near- geniuses with nerves of steel . the game is a quiet war , with strategies just as complex and the same sense of honor among the soldiers . the gangsters mike plays against are the same ones that might kill someone for scratching their car , but when it comes to the game of poker , all respect is due to the winner because he is truly the better man . the film does an excellent job in establishing its atmosphere during the first act . it concentrates so much in this aspect that the background and the progression of the story stumble a bit . we learn only a little about mike , both past and present . presently we know he has a girlfriend named jo ( gretchen mol ) who he constantly argues with over his gambling . they go through a few break - up / make - up cycles until mike 's childhood pal and fellow rounder " worm " ( norton ) is released from prison . it 's not at all surprising worm owes thousand of dollars to the mob , but what is surprising is how the film is able to take such a predictable element and execute it the way it does . technically , the plot is n't unlike many children 's sitcoms in which the " good " kid 's " bad " friend gets the good kid in trouble and yet the good kid remains friends with the bad kid . what this film does is use a different medium to tell that story . mike and worm have been in over their heads their entire lives , but both share a passion for out - thinking the other player who is trying to do the same to them . where as worm prefers to go the sleazy route of cheating ( hence his jail time ) , mike always takes the cards he 's dealt and works with them . sometimes they pay off ( i . e . his ability to pay his way through law school on his gambling money ) , but other times they do n't ( i . e . the fact he takes himself out of the game and works a steady job after dropping $ 30 , 000 on a single hand ) . once things start happening the film is able to expand and develop its plot into an intricate web of detail and mood . mike and worm bob and weave through all kinds of games at all kinds of places , from socialites ' mansions , to taking the tourists at atlantic city , to outwitting the gangsters that control it all . everything they come into contact with is a big poker game in that everything 's a battle against the cards destiny deals . one scene demonstrates this perfectly in which mike is told by a judge ( martin landou , in a perfectly cast and performed role ) that destiny is everything and yet nothing at the same time . matt 's good at gambling but he 's also got potential to be a great lawyer . he could go professional as either , but with one he could lose everything or win big , but with the other there 's stability but not much risk involved . can someone who 's gambled his entire life really cash in his chips and leave ? if the film had been just a subtle lesson in poker - playing , then the ending is our test . everything is told from mike 's perspective , but we 're finally able to recognize some things on our own . this makes the final , against - all- odds showdown seem like just that . it works just like the game it revolves around - showing us some of the cards , but still evokes the element of the unknown , and the consequences thereof . what separates " rounders " from most other films about games is the fact the challenge and the skills are more important than winning in the end .

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make things " worse " it proves this through its original , fascinating story . there have been countless crime films both past and his expensive clothes and perfectly - groomed features , but his narration is what brings it all together . he never sounds like he 's reading from a , nor that he 's trying to embellish anything , it just comes natural to him . the screenwriters use the right words and phrases to describe the mood , from the smell of the air , to the reading the other guys ' faces and cards , and all without sounding remotely trite . immediately we get the sense that poker is n't because he is truly the better man . the film does an excellent job in establishing its atmosphere during the first act . it to the mob , but what is surprising is how the film is able to take such a predictable element and execute it the way it does . technically , the plot is n't unlike many children single hand ) . once things start happening the film is able to expand and develop its plot into an intricate web of detail and mood . mike and worm bob and weave through all kinds

there was a lot riding on this movie . everyone even moderately interested in the " scream " series was dying to know how it would end . what would be the " final act " ? this is the end of an era for them , a movie which has kept them up nights searching for clues on the internet , talking and tossing around rumors with their equally enthused buddies , and , for kids under 17 , those elaborate plots consisting of buying a ticket to one movie and hopping into " scream " while narrowly escaping those menacing ushers who are only a year or two older than themselves . no need to worry ; " scream 3 " is endlessly inventive and entertaining , a fine epilogue to the series that made kevin williamson a household name , reinvented the horror genre , and continued in the self - referential , post - modern tradition of quentin and co . so , how does the story go ? as opposed to what some fanatical internet sites would have you believe , sidney prescott ( neve campbell ) , now all - grown - up and constantly dealing with her pass in the constantly tormented sector of her psyche , is not living in hollywood fulfilling her dream to become an actress , but rather in upstate california , living , understandably , alone in the confines of fences and vast security systems . she works at home as a crisis center affiliate over the phone . but that 's not where the movie starts off . instead , in a tactic that reminded me of the somewhat similar , and conceptually horrifying , sequence in " eye for an eye " ( 1995 ) , cotton weary ( liev schreiber ) , now a big star , drives home to his girlfriend in traffic when the killer calls , demands the location of sidney 's home , and , when he does n't get it , threatens the life of cotton 's girlfriend christine , and cotton ca n't do anything to stop him . the rest of the sequence is particularly clever , setting up a constant throughout the picture : the killer has a high - tech electronic voice - changer that tops that of the first two . not only does he sound unmistakably like talented voice - over artist roger jackson ( ha , ha ) , he can now easily duplicate the voices of the lead characters , including sidney , and the returned gale weathers ( courtney cox arquette ) and dewey riley ( david arquette ) . at the same time , stab 3 , the third film - within - a - film based around the characters and events of woodsboro and windsor college , has taken a less authentic approach this time around in return to woodsboro ; whereas the account of the first two films was true , the franchise within " scream " has now become totally fictional . nevertheless , we learn , cotton made an appearance in the movie which is now in production , as himself to be killed off in the first scene . so , it seems that the real killer is offing our heroes in the order in which they bite it in the movie ? ? ' either the actor portraying them , or the real thing . sometimes both . clever , indeed . but , who goes next ? no one knows . three different scripts were penned , we 're told , to keep the true finale off the internet ( a nod to the " scream " 2 fiasco a few years back ) and no one knows for sure which one the killer read . still , all the while sidney stays concealed in her home , only visiting dad for the first half - hour of the film , while also having horrifying visions of her mother , which takes us back a bit to sidney 's fear of becoming what her mother was ? ? ' or , at least , what her mother was secretly . when sidney finally ventures out to hollywood as the murders become more prevalent , she 's chased onto the set of stab 3 , wandering through " woodsboro , " written and directed as an odd , surreal , nightmare indeed , this is one of " scream 3 " 's finest moments . okay , over the years , i 'll admit that i 've become quite the " scream " fan . no , i do n't have the ghostface costume or the director 's cut laserdisc , but i often find myself compelled to pop in the dvd of either member of the preceding duo , and can get quite caught up in the dramatic element of these films ( yes , i said " dramatic element " ) , sometimes debating with family and friends the possibilities and endless theories that have become quintessentially affiliated with " scream " . throughout the film , though , i noticed a much more subtle approach than the other two films . granted that there 's stabbin - a - plenty going on throughout , but there 's considerably less blood , less gore . honestly , i like this approach . it 's more classical , more rebellious , constantly demonstrating the capable direction of wes craven . he knows when to hold back and at the same time makes the movie ooze with energy , illustrating the delicate poise flowing from his years of experience . some critics have noted that " scream 3 " seems to take itself more seriously this time ; maybe so , or maybe screenwriter ehren kruger ( arlington road ) , who took over after williamson had scheduling conflicts , saw an opportunity for true irony ? ? ' maybe even a little bit of satire ? ? ' if the film worked in a few more clich ? ? s . what puts a damper on this otherwise exceptional and creative film , i 'm afraid , is the ending , or , rather , the identity of the killer . it does the job , i guess , accomplishes what it should , bringing the three films full circle , but upon my first viewing it seemed rather dissatisfying because it appears a little too contrived , too arbitrary ; after a second viewing , which i endeavored upon due to this recurring disapprobation , the killer 's identity still seems a little too random , but his motivation came across more sound this time around , and the eventual conclusion was ultimately more satisfying . all in all , " scream 3 " does not fall victim to the most lamented principle of a trilogy : it is not the worst of the films . as a trilogy , " scream " was a lot of fun ; refreshing , humorous , offbeat . almost sad to see it go . but then , it does seem best to quit while you 're ahead , and " scream 3 " does a fine job of providing closure to its characters . for now , " scream " holds the title as the finest series of horror films to be committed to celluloid . not too shabby .

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no need to worry ; " scream 3 " is endlessly inventive and entertaining , a fine epilogue to the series that made kevin williamson a household name and cotton ca n't do anything to stop him . the rest of the sequence is particularly clever , setting up a constant throughout the picture : the , this is one of " scream 3 " 's finest moments . okay , over the years , i 'll admit that i 've become quite the " scream " fan . no , i do n't have the ghostface costume 's considerably less blood , less gore . honestly , i like this approach . it 's more classical , more rebellious , constantly demonstrating the capable direction of wes craven . he knows when to hold back and at the same time makes the movie ooze with energy , illustrating the delicate poise flowing from his years of experience . some critics have noted that " scream 3 " clich ? ? s . what puts a damper on this otherwise exceptional and creative film , i 'm afraid , is the ending , or motivation came across more sound this time around , and the eventual conclusion was ultimately more satisfying . all in all , " scream 3 " does not fall victim to the most lamented principle of a trilogy : it is not the worst of the films . as a trilogy , " scream " was a lot of fun ; refreshing , humorous , offbeat . almost sad to see it go . but then while you 're ahead , and " scream 3 " does a fine job of providing closure to its characters . for now , " scream " holds the title as the finest series of horror films to be committed to celluloid . not too shabby .

ingredients : pouring rain , small flooded town , damn about to burst , bad guys going after millions of dollars synopsis : at one point in the story townsperson karen asks hero tom what happened to her church . he replies something like : " the church is flooded but at least the floodwaters put out the big fire . well , the fire was n't that bad , since , while the church was burning , looters apparently thought it was safe enough to break through all the priceless stained glass windows . " in hard rain a small town is nearly deserted due to flooding . everyone has had to evacuate because it 's raining , and now floodwaters are rising so high that buildings are being submerged and the nearby dam is about to break . enter a working class smart - alecky new armored car driver named tom ( christian slater ) . suddenly his security truck carrying over three million dollars gets stuck on the flooded street and is waylaid by armed looters . tom has no choice but to grab the bag full of money , hide it , and swim for his life . this makes for an action movie full of jet skis , speedboat chases , and gun battles , as tom tries to evade and outsmart corrupt cops and armed looters until the national guard can answer his distress call . he is befriended and aided by a spunky churchgoing young woman from town named karen ( minnie driver ) . but unknown to tom and karen , the national guard never heard tom 's initial distress call . will tom and karen survive the natural and manmade disasters ? opinion : do n't expect thought - provoking issues or dramatics . there 's not much more to this movie than hiding , running , swimming , shooting , and saving handcuffed heroes from drowning , but that 's what makes it escapist and fun . relax , take your shoes off , and break out the popcorn .

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shooting , and saving handcuffed heroes from drowning , but that 's what makes it escapist and fun . relax , take your shoes off , and break out the popcorn .

although many people have compared this new gangster comedy to the hit hbo drama ' the sopranos , ' analyze this is witty and entertaining enough to be a good movie in it 's own right . billy crystal plays wiseguy shrink ben sobol , who new ' patient ' happens to be gangster boss paul vitti ( de niro . ) ben wants nothing to do with vitti , as he 's about to get married to laura macnamara ( kudrow ) and having a gangster as a patient would n't really help . but ben is soon drawn into vitti worlds , and reluctantly helps vitti to sort his life out . all done in a comic fashion , of course . although never brilliant , analyze this is also never rubbish , which makes for a fun ride . billy crystal , who has n't had a good role since city slickers way back in the early ' 90 's , is given a role that lets him fully exploit his wiseguy act . he 's pretty funny while he does it , and although his character is a little close to his character in city slickers , he 's pretty funny . robert de niro is hilarious as vitti , playing it dead straight but coming off as really funny . he 's a serious gangster unaware that he is a comic gold mine . lisa kudrow , barely seen as crystals ' estranged wife to be , basically reprises her phoebe role from t . v series friends , which is getting rather tiresome , and does n't come off well on the screen . the supporting cast is apparently made up of the entire cast of casino and goodfellas , and are all funny caricatures , especially vitti 's bodyguard jelly ( joe viterelli . ) the film genuinely plays like a proper gangster movie , but with laughs instead of hard ass talking . it sometimes gets a little bloody for a light hearted film , but it strangely fits in . spoofs are made of famous gangster movies , including a nice parody of the godfather . the italian tunes playing throughout the soundtrack contribute to the fun . there 's also some odd plot points : fbi guys appear and suddenly disappear for no apparent reason . it is true that analyze this has had a somewhat chequered production history , and perhaps the plot points were expanded in a earlier version of the script . unfortunately , this is hollywood , so we will never know . harold ramis , best known as egon from ghostbusters , has a deft touch with directing comedy , as shown in the immortal groundhog day , and the less immortal caddyshack . all the comic potential in a scene is dug out and presented to the audience . the script , written by ramis along with peter tolan and ken lonergan , starts off funny , remains funny for the most of the film , but sadly peters out somewhat during the last twenty minutes where it wrongly enters more serious territory . the film is short , however , and just before audience interest is waning the film suddenly goes into a rather rushed and unsatisfying ending and the credits roll . analyze this is a good comedy , and is certainly worth watching . robert de niro sobbing is reason enough to watch it , even though it does seem forced , or like a parody ( although i think this was intentional . ) crystal is his most likeable in years , kudrow is given as little screen time as possible , which is a good thing , and de niro is just awesome . it 's no goodfellas , and it probably wo n't be remembered as much as groundhog day , but analyze this is a well done comedy that wo n't leave you feel cheated .

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hbo drama ' the sopranos , ' analyze this is witty and entertaining enough to be a good movie in it 's own right . billy crystal plays wiseguy shrink ben sobol , who brilliant , analyze this is also never rubbish , which makes for a fun ride . billy crystal , who has n't had a good early ' 90 's , is given a role that lets him fully exploit his wiseguy act . he 's pretty funny while he does it , and although his character is a little close to his character in city slickers , he 's pretty funny . robert de niro is hilarious as vitti , playing it dead straight but coming off as really funny . he 's a serious gangster unaware that he is of the entire cast of casino and goodfellas , and are all funny caricatures , especially vitti 's bodyguard jelly ( joe viterelli . a little bloody for a light hearted film , but it strangely fits in . spoofs are made of famous gangster movies , including the godfather . the italian tunes playing throughout the soundtrack contribute to the fun . there 's also some odd plot points : fbi immortal groundhog day , and the less immortal caddyshack . all the comic potential in a scene is dug out and presented to the audience . the script , written by ramis along with peter tolan and ken lonergan , starts off funny , remains funny for the most of the film , but sadly peters out somewhat during the last twenty and unsatisfying ending and the credits roll . analyze this is a good comedy , and is certainly worth watching . robert de niro sobbing is reason enough to watch ( although i think this was intentional . ) crystal is his most likeable in years , kudrow is given as little screen time as possible , which is a good thing , and de niro is just awesome . it 's no goodfellas , and it probably wo as much as groundhog day , but analyze this is a well done comedy that wo n't leave you feel cheated .

" being john malkovich " is the type of film we need to see more . today 's films are either blockbusters that entertain us with tiresome formulas , or those that have similar themes . malkovich falls under none of these categories , and it 's quite refreshing to see that occur . this strangely provoking story , is actually somewhat understandable . john cusack plays a puppeteer trying to make it to the big time . his wife ( cameron diaz ) supports the both of them by working at a petstore , which explains the obscure pets they keep in their apartment . when cusack finally realizes he needs to get a job , he finds an ad for a filing clerk . when he reaches the building , he arrives at a 7 1/2 floor . it 's there that he discovers a secret portal that leads to being john malkovich for 15 minutes at a time . meanwhile , cusack meets a business partner ( catherine keener ) , in which he falls madly in love with her . the only problem is , she has no interest in him what so ever . the whole portal thing , is n't just a toy , in fact , it becomes cusack 's dream . being inside malkovich 's mind , gave him the opportunity to basically control mlakovich , like a puppet , and to fulfill his fantasies . i do n't want to give away too much , but cusack becomes too attached with his discovery . in my opinion , this idea is absolutely brilliant . it 's really quite scary to think that someone could become you , control you , be you . it makes you wonder why we act like we do , and why sometimes we blurt out things or act out something out of the blue . even if the script is super sharp , i ca n't help but find the ending displeasing . it could have lead up to something more , or at least an amusing conclusion . it tried to explain a mythology about the portals , that made it seem rushed . other than that , i had a very enjoyable time . the acting was quite delightful as well . john cusack has finally been given a chance to prove his ability , and he does it well . he 's by far the most underrated actor due to a lack of popularity , but i 'm hoping that will change . cameron diaz was her usual charming self , although i felt that part was wrong for her , but she pulled it off . john malkovich himself continues to creep out people with his eerie facial expressions and tone of voice . who else 's mind would be better to explore ? the director , spike jonze , who appeared in last month 's three kings really catches my attention with this project . i knew he was bizzare , but not to this extreme . he too is likely too receive media attention . " being john malkovich " is n't an excellent film , but it is definitly entertaining and will eaisly become a cult favorite . what 's even better is the film 's puzzling message . . . am i nick lyons ?

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" being john malkovich " is the type of film we need to see more . today 's films are either blockbusters that entertain us . malkovich falls under none of these categories , and it 's quite refreshing to see that occur . this strangely provoking story , is actually somewhat understandable too attached with his discovery . in my opinion , this idea is absolutely brilliant . it 's really quite scary to think that someone act out something out of the blue . even if the script is super sharp , i ca n't help but find the ending displeasing that made it seem rushed . other than that , i had a very enjoyable time . the acting was quite delightful as well . john cusack has finally been given a chance to prove his ability , and he does it well . he 's by far the most underrated actor due to a lack of popularity , but i 'm hoping that will change . cameron diaz was her usual charming self , although i felt that part was wrong for her , but she pulled it off . john malkovich himself continues to creep out people with jonze , who appeared in last month 's three kings really catches my attention with this project . i knew he was bizzare , john malkovich " is n't an excellent film , but it is definitly entertaining and will eaisly become a cult favorite . what 's even better is the film 's puzzling

as feel - good formulaic as it may be in its own way , shall we dance ? also demonstrates a kind of charming restraint you do n't often find in american films . this japanese import tells the story of a middle - aged accountant named sugiyama ( koji yakusho ) whose mundane life is shaken up one night when he spots beautiful mai kishikawa ( tamiyo kusakari ) in the window of a dance school . intrigued by her melancholy demeanor ( and slightly infatuated with her ) , sugiyama signs up for weekly classes at the school -- and , much to his amazement , ends up as attracted to dancing itself as to his young sensei . meanwhile , sugiyama 's wife ( hideko hara ) becomes suspicious of his late wednesday nights , and sets a private detective on her husband 's trail . in a hollywood film , you can bet that sub - plot would be turned into a stream of slapstick comedy and crazy misunderstandings . in shall we dance ? , writer / director masayuki suo dispenses with it in a matter of minutes , using it to set up later character interactions rather than letting it overwhelm the story with pratfalls . neither does he make the climactic moment of victory a competition between the hero and some mean - spirited token rival . suo gives his comedy the graceful movements of his subject matter , allowing the humor to flow from the characters rather than forcing it upon them . an opening prologue in shall we dance ? goes to some effort to place the film in a sociological perspective , explaining how contrary ballroom dancing is to the japanese sense of propriety . it 's a forced message in a story which does n't need such a culture - specific angle . the dance school in shall we dance ? plays the role of a singles ' mixer , with everyone vaguely embarrassed to be there yet taking the opportunity to try on new personalities . most amusing among these new personalities is the one adopted by sugiyama 's co - worker mr . aoki ( naoto takenaka ) , a balding systems analyst who becomes a fiery latin lover when he dons a frizzy wig and begins to rumba . sugiyama 's awakening is less overt , but koji yakusho does a wonderful job showing a transformation of small steps . it 's a delicate performance with a huge heart . shall we dance ? is a fairly lightweight experience , which makes its final half hour rather a long sit . suo crams a lot of exposition into very little time , including an unnecessarily detailed back - story for mai , resulting in a sluggish march towards the resolution . it is here that shall we dance ? feels most hollywood - conventional , attempting to blind - side the audience with a truckload of emotional catharsis . suo might have been better advised to conclude with the small gem of a scene in which sugiyama and his wife take their first tentative dance steps together . that 's the real joy of dance shall we dance ? conveys : its ability to create an intoxicating mood of romance which can soften the stiffest shirt .

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its own way , shall we dance ? also demonstrates a kind of charming restraint you do n't often find in american films . this mean - spirited token rival . suo gives his comedy the graceful movements of his subject matter , allowing the humor to flow from the characters rather than forcing it upon them . an opening prologue in shall we dance ? goes sugiyama 's awakening is less overt , but koji yakusho does a wonderful job showing a transformation of small steps . it 's a delicate performance with a huge heart . shall we dance ? is a fairly lightweight experience . suo might have been better advised to conclude with the small gem of a scene in which sugiyama and his wife take their first tentative real joy of dance shall we dance ? conveys : its ability to create an intoxicating mood of romance which can soften the stiffest shirt .

" the tailor of panama " is a different kind of spy movie . despite the presence of pierce brosnan , there is nary a hint of james bond flash here . instead of big action scenes , leering super villains and empty - headed femme fatales , we get interesting characters and an intriguing situation . based on the novel by john le carr ? , who also co - wrote the screenplay , the film offers viewers something rarely seen in theaters this time of year : a solid , well - told story . brosnan plays andy osnard , a british operative walking on thin ice . his british superiors ship him off to panama , making sure he understands that he had better not screw up the placement . osnard arrives in the tropics virtually oozing contempt for his new co - workers and his new home base . when shown the bridge of the americas by a person marveling over the fact that , since the creation of the panama canal , the structure is the sole connection between north and south america , he barely keeps from yawning . brosnan clearly relishes the chance to be the antithesis of 007 , investing the suave spy with a distinct reptilian quality coupled with an air of indifference that irks his fellows to no end . searching for a way to get information on the government , osnard sets his sights on harry pendel ( geoffrey rush ) , an unctuous tailor serving the panamanian elite . harry claims to be a transplant from britain 's renowned saville row , but osnard knows his secret : the tailor is an ex - con who served five years in prison after torching his uncle 's shop in an insurance scam . he also knows that harry is up to his ears in debt , having spent a fortune on an unsuccessful farm . osnard offers harry a way out . he will pay for information harry has gathered from his upscale clientele . eager to comply , harry offers what he knows , then starts concocting tidbits to keep the money flowing . before long , he is forced to spy on his loving wife , louisa ( jamie lee curtis ) , an aide to the canal director . harry 's little lies build , eventually taking on a life of their own . osnard turns in reports about the " silent opposition , " a group threatening to upset the balance of control over the canal . the bogus revelation proves explosive , leading to meetings in washington d . c . over how to best protect the vital waterway . meanwhile , osnard wallows in his newfound status , enjoying the best the city has to offer and wooing an attractive co - worker . and harry grows ever more fretful , fearing the consequences if his clients , not to mention his wife , learn about his lies . geoffrey rush is wonderful as harry , fawning over his customers by day and savoring his rich family life in the evenings , all while playing secret agent in the off hours with his new benefactor . rush makes harry a credible figure , presenting the various levels of the character so effectively that he remains sympathetic despite his duplicity . after gaining fame playing larger than life characters , rush flips everything around for this role , using his energy to depict the quiet desperation of a man slowly realizing that the solution to his troubles may be worse than the original problems . although she gets far too little screen time , jamie lee curtis imbues louisa with a depth greater than the screenplay provides her . of the central characters , she is the only one that exhibits maturity and genuine self - confidence . curtis is one of my favorite female actors ; whiplash smart , sultry and charismatic , she deserves more than supporting roles . speaking of supporting characters , there are some great ones here . harold pinter is amusing as harry 's uncle benny , who pops up throughout the story in a number of creative ways . also shoring up the proceedings is jon polito as a corrupt banker and dylan baker , who is a riot as a united states general straight out of the dr . strangelove school of armed patriotism . but the most important secondary performers are leonor varela and brendan gleeson , both outstanding as two wounded activists . their presence adds weight to the story , reminding us that beyond the charades of the leading men , there are real people that have suffered greatly over the politics connected to the canal . director john boorman adds additional verisimilitude by shooting the film on location . instead of using panama city merely as a colorful backdrop , he adroitly weaves in footage of all aspects of life there . the metropolis , described by one character as " casablanca without heroes " pulsates with life , underling the folly of the two foreigners playing dangerous games that could have a disastrous impact on a great many people . " the tailor of panama " succeeds because the principals behind it were bright enough to make it more than a simple entertainment .

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leering super villains and empty - headed femme fatales , we get interesting characters and an intriguing situation . based on the novel by john le carr ? who also co - wrote the screenplay , the film offers viewers something rarely seen in theaters this time of year : a solid , well - told story . brosnan plays andy osnard , a british operative walking wife , learn about his lies . geoffrey rush is wonderful as harry , fawning over his customers by day and too little screen time , jamie lee curtis imbues louisa with a depth greater than the screenplay provides her . of the central characters , she is the only . curtis is one of my favorite female actors ; whiplash smart , sultry and charismatic , she deserves more than supporting roles . speaking of supporting characters , there are some great ones here . harold pinter is amusing as harry 's uncle benny , who pops up throughout a corrupt banker and dylan baker , who is a riot as a united states general straight out of the dr . strangelove school of armed patriotism . but the most important secondary performers are leonor varela and brendan gleeson , both outstanding as two wounded activists . their presence adds weight to the politics connected to the canal . director john boorman adds additional verisimilitude by shooting the film on location . instead of using panama city merely as a colorful backdrop , he adroitly weaves in footage of all aspects of life there . the metropolis , described by one character as " casablanca without heroes " pulsates with life , underling the folly of the two foreigners playing dangerous great many people . " the tailor of panama " succeeds because the principals behind it were bright enough to make it more than a simple entertainment .

perhaps it 's time for me to say a little about my reading habits . i really do like to read , and i 've enjoyed many books in my lifetime . my problem is that i 'm a slow reader , and not very dedicated -- i 'll enjoy portions of a book and then set it down for months at a time ( it 's taken me the last six weeks to get through the first one hundred pages of anna karenina , even though i 'm loving the book ) . in addition to this , i typically do n't read anything created after the 19th century . the only reason i bother with this bit of information is because i feel bad admitting , time after time , that i have n't read any of the books on which these films are based ( the only exception , i believe , is great expectations ) . however , i do n't think it should be necessary to read the book beforehand in order to judge the quality of the film . needless to say , i have n't read the elmore leonard novel out of sight , on which steven soderbergh 's new film is based . i ca n't say how faithful of an adaptation it is , or if it lives up to leonard 's vision . i can say that it 's a terrific film , with sharp acting , great dialogue , and pumping full of energy and style injected by soderbergh . it 's certainly a nice distraction from 1998 's lineup of brainless blockbusters , all hopelessly wishing that size mattered . out of sight proves that it does n't . i had originally written george clooney off as a one - note actor , incapable of depth but occasionally showing a little flair . after seeing his latest performance in this film , i 've changed my mind -- this guy can act , but he also has that forceful presence that most certainly will make him one of those $ 20 million superstars . here , he plays jack foley , a middle aged guy who robs banks for a living . he does it because it 's fun , i think , but the film opens with him getting caught because his car wo n't start . he goes to jail -- which is interesting -- only to break out five cinematic minutes later with the help of his friend , buddy ( ving rhames ) . we 're then introduced to karen sisco ( jennifer lopez ) , a u . s . marshall who , conveniently , is waiting with a shotgun as jack escapes . fortunately , they take her hostage , and she and jack spend some quality time in the trunk together as buddy drives them to safety . the central conflict arises when both jack and karen become obsessed with one another , though their respective jobs make them superficially incompatible . we soon learn that the film is not told in sequence ( and , since this is a gritty crime comedy , flashbacks of pulp fiction should arise ) . at first , i kind of felt that it was a gimmick , but i guess it was a gimmick in pulp fiction , too . it 's a fun gimmick , though , and soderbergh treats the material with enough humor that everything comes off naturally . i 've only seen a few of soderbergh 's films ( i was impressed both with kafka and sex , lies , and videotape ) , but i think he 's excellent at what he does . he 's an artist without making it obvious , and without being pretentious , which is always admirable . he uses tricks , yes ( lots of freeze - frame stuff here ) , but it all adds to the smooth and quirky currents in the film . as i said , clooney is terrific , and he 's matched by lopez . lopez is , of course , beautiful , but she can act , too . i can sense that she 's honing in on her skills , for she comes off more natural here than she has in any of her previous ventures ( not that stone gave her much help in the loathsome u - turn ) . the two actors have arresting chemistry with one another -- the best scene in the film , by far , is the seduction scene . the brilliance of this scene is also due , in part , to soderbergh , for he cuts back and forth from their quiet discussion in a bar to the physical act which takes place a few minutes later . the scene is a series of soft nuances and glances , layered upon light dialogue , and the result is one of the better love scenes in recent cinema -- meaningful and engrossing . the supporting cast is strong , led by the always - reliable ving rhames . dennis farina , who plays karen 's father , is good , as is don cheadle as the profoundly stupid villain . steve zahn , who plays jack 's nearly - brain dead accomplice glenn , steals all of his scenes ( and that 's in a film where every scene is already at a high level ) . all of the actors are helped by the dialogue and the intelligently - constructed script by scott frank . out of sight is certainly a light film , although there are a few heavy moments that will linger in the memory . overall , i can recommend it simply as great entertainment . not every film has to change your life , and it 's nice to see a movie that uses the art to tell a great story and simply to entertain its viewers . as for the book , this film is good enough to make me believe that there might be something in the text worth looking at .

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up to leonard 's vision . i can say that it 's a terrific film , with sharp acting , great dialogue , and pumping full of energy and style injected by soderbergh . it 's certainly a nice distraction in this film , i 've changed my mind -- this guy can act , but he also has that forceful presence that most certainly will make him one of those $ it was a gimmick in pulp fiction , too . it 's a fun gimmick , though , and soderbergh treats the material with enough humor that everything comes off naturally . i 've only seen a few of soderbergh 's , lies , and videotape ) , but i think he 's excellent at what he does . he 's an artist without making it obvious , and without being pretentious , which is always admirable . he uses tricks , yes ( lots of freeze - frame stuff here ) , but it all adds to the smooth and quirky currents in the film . as i said , clooney is terrific , and he 's matched by lopez . lopez is , of course , beautiful , but she can act , too . i can sense that she 's honing in on her skills , for she comes off more natural here than she has in any of her previous ventures ( film , by far , is the seduction scene . the brilliance of this scene is also due , in part , to soderbergh , , layered upon light dialogue , and the result is one of the better love scenes in recent cinema -- meaningful and engrossing . the supporting cast is strong , led by the always - reliable ving rhames . dennis farina , who plays karen 's plays jack 's nearly - brain dead accomplice glenn , steals all of his scenes ( and that 's in a film where every scene a high level ) . all of the actors are helped by the dialogue and the intelligently - constructed script by scott frank . out of sight is certainly a moments that will linger in the memory . overall , i can recommend it simply as great entertainment . not every film has to change your life , to entertain its viewers . as for the book , this film is good enough to make me believe that there might be something in

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . among my fanatical ticker tape - worshipping friends , there 's one who happens to share the same philosophy espoused by the central character in darren aronofsky 's darkly original pi : the entire stock market can be reduced to nothing but a series of patterns which , through analysis , will produce information to accurately forecast future behaviour . ( an example of the mentality involved : if the stock price goes up like this , and then down like that , and then sharply up this way , it then will go * this * way . ) while i freely admit that i know less than nothing about the market ( knowledge check : prices up -- good ; prices down -- bad ; most of the time , at least ) and hence really could n't comment with any authority , it 's always nonetheless struck me as an incredibly naive oversimplification of an astonishingly complex system ( and besides , if it were that simple , no doubt somebody would 've already figured it all out ) . the difference in this case is that while my colleague ( an otherwise assuredly realistic individual ) truly believes in this in and of itself as a valid forecaster , pi uses this ideology as a device with which to investigate its character 's psychosis . it 's also vastly more convincing with its argument . " mathematics is the language of the universe , " insists genius protagonist maximillian cohen ( sean gullette ) in a cool , mantra - like voice - over which repeats throughout the picture . since nature can be expressed in numbers , and there are patterns everywhere in nature , he reasons with eminent logic that finding the patterns will allow him to predict anything -- the ups and downs of the stock market , how many games the yankees will win this year , the flavour of jam i 'm going to put on my toast tomorrow morning . obsessed with finding the proverbial key to the universe , max lives in paranoid , self - imposed solitude in a seedy nyc chinatown apartment , single - mindedly toiling away with his monstrous homemade computer system . sullenly withdrawn and plauged by debilitating migraines , the elusive pursuit of a mysterious 216-digit number his machine spits out one day is driving him into madness . the story , then , is basically an eccentricity , but it 's a clever , astute eccentricity , perceptively zeroing in on the modern mistrust of mathematical reductionism ; in an age where a dominant societal phobia is one 's individualism being replaced by a series of numeric identifiers , max 's all - consuming penchent for numbers at once creates a lingering , unsettling mood . it helps matters that he 's not a particularly likable protagonist . all attempts of friendliness from neighbours are curtly rebuffed by max , a spindly , neurotic - looking individual who has n't the time to indulge in pleasantries . for a film which puts its lead character front and center ( mr . gullette appears in virtually every scene ) , pi takes a refreshing and effective approach in avoiding conventional aesthetics ; because of our ambivalence with max , we 're not so much avidly rooting for him to triumph with a moment of epiphany as we 're following him through this plot with a sense of mixed dread and morbid fascination -- it 's more disturbing journey than quest . still , we do care about max 's fate . teetering on the edge of dementia , he winds up being pursued by two different groups which want to pick his brain , both fronted by deliciously perky , resolutely cheerful representatives with inevitably duplictious intentions . as we know , in films where paranoia is a dominant element ( see the truman show 's laura linney character ) , or for that matter , in real life , it 's always the ones who never stop smiling at you and are overly friendly that are the ones of which to be wary . pi , a film that addresses patterns , itself intentionally adheres to an identifiable pattern cycle -- headache scene ; important revelation or bit of plot development ; pill - popping montage ; hallucinatory nightmare ( with decidedly cronenberg - esque undertones -- few other directors are as equally adept in bridging unsettling concepts and body - themed horror ) ; nosebleeding reality . the repetitiveness , far from being tedious , is effectively maddening ; more than anything , the picture aims to get under our skins and take in events from max 's claustrophobic perspective . in this regard , it wildly succeeds due to mr . aronofsky 's striking direction . it 's a rarity that a film so completely immerses itself into a protagonist 's warped perspective of his surrounding , and high contrast black - and - white cinematography combined with constant usage of extreme close - ups lend a heightened sense of paranoia to the proceedings . ( in some scenes , the stark composition in conjunction with the lumbering approach by mr . gullette make his character curiously resemble a latter - day max schreck , from nosferatu . ) using savage , jittery lensing and rapid cuts to create a sense of disorientation , the picture is often dizzying to behold , and max 's effective isolationism is emphasized by shots from the so - called snorri cam , which keep him in plain focus while the environment races by in blurred bursts . pi 's raw , aggressive visuals are reminiscent of david lynch 's early work ( in particular , eraserhead ) . the film 's sinister tone splashes onto the screen immediately with a dazzling opening credit sequence ably backed by a sly electronic score by clint mansell , and gradually increases in intensity . still , amidst all its kafkaesque qualities and overall dispassionate mood , pi does occasionally display a sense of humour . at one point , marcy dawson ( pamela hart , great fun ) entices max with the offer of an invaluable treasure : a one - of - a - kind . . . computer chip . " is n't it beautiful , " she coos . a showcase for mr . aronofsky 's technical virtuosity ( made for $ 60 000 , it 's since gone on to capture acclaim at the 1998 sundance film festival ) , pi is an intriguingly cerebral story which , ironically , is perhaps the most purely visceral film of the year .

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which to investigate its character 's psychosis . it 's also vastly more convincing with its argument . " mathematics is the language of story , then , is basically an eccentricity , but it 's a clever , astute eccentricity , perceptively zeroing in on the modern mistrust of mathematical reductionism ; in an . gullette appears in virtually every scene ) , pi takes a refreshing and effective approach in avoiding conventional aesthetics ; because of our ambivalence with from max 's claustrophobic perspective . in this regard , it wildly succeeds due to mr . aronofsky 's striking direction . it 's a rarity that a film so completely film 's sinister tone splashes onto the screen immediately with a dazzling opening credit sequence ably backed by a sly electronic score by clint mansell , and gradually increases in intensity . still , amidst all its kafkaesque qualities and overall dispassionate mood , pi does occasionally display a sense of humour . at one point , marcy dawson ( pamela hart she coos . a showcase for mr . aronofsky 's technical virtuosity ( made for $ 60 000 , it 's since at the 1998 sundance film festival ) , pi is an intriguingly cerebral story which , ironically , is perhaps the most purely

upon arriving at the theater during the opening credits , i took my seat and prepared myself for what appeared to be " hellraiser meets the crow " . but as soon as kiefer sutherland began speaking the narrative monologue , describing " the strangers " and their reasons for contacting human beings , i was hooked . there was something especially compelling about the nature of his voice . i knew from the start that i was going to witness the actions of his character rather than the actor attempting the character . sutherland played the role as a true veteran . upon the completion of his monologue , the camera arrives on sutherland in such a fashion that you can only wonder how long alex proyas spent on cinematography . i would imagine , for a film of this caliber , that maximum hours of work were spent where they were needed the most . the film flowed beautifully . as i was being taken through the intricate regions of the " dark city " , a clever plot began to unravel , to the point where the last time i had seen such clever plot twists were in " the usual suspects " . not to mention a series of special effects that would make james cameron literally turn green with envy . but if you 're not exactly the biggest sci - fi fan , caveat emptor . get ready for the atmostpheric darkness of " 12 monkeys " or " the crow " without the boredom or depression . the concept of the plot is as mindstretching as " 12 monkeys " was , however , so be prepared and be sophisticated . and imagine a picture that finally does justice to the comic - book - gone - feature - film fad that hollywood has recently become abusive of . dark city simply puts " spawn " to shame . in fact , during the climax of the film i could n't help but feel the strong presence of an " akira " -esque explosion throughout the general feeling of the movie . so my initial predictions were wrong . this film is anything but the meloncholy of " hellraiser " parts one through five . i 'm never one to base a film entirly on special effects , so know that when i give dark city it 's actually because the film contained all of the neccessary ingredients to keep me entertained and awake from storyline to plot twists to camerawork to even ( tsk , tsk ) special effects . not since contact have i recieved such deep insight into the way the human mind operates and never this year have i been so blown away . the best film i 've seen all year , and easily one of the best i 've ever seen

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strangers " and their reasons for contacting human beings , i was hooked . there was something especially compelling about the nature of his voice . i knew from character rather than the actor attempting the character . sutherland played the role as a true veteran . upon the completion of his monologue , the camera alex proyas spent on cinematography . i would imagine , for a film of this caliber , that maximum hours of work were spent where they were needed the most . the film flowed beautifully . as i was being taken through the intricate regions to unravel , to the point where the last time i had seen such clever plot twists were in " the usual suspects " . not to mention a series of special effects that would make james cameron literally turn green with envy . but if you 're not exactly the biggest sci prepared and be sophisticated . and imagine a picture that finally does justice to the comic - book - gone - feature - that hollywood has recently become abusive of . dark city simply puts " spawn " to shame . in fact , during the climax of the film the movie . so my initial predictions were wrong . this film is anything but the meloncholy of " hellraiser " parts one through five . i i give dark city it 's actually because the film contained all of the neccessary ingredients to keep me entertained and awake from storyline to plot twists to camerawork to even ( tsk , tsk ) special effects . not since contact have i recieved such deep insight into the way the human mind operates and never this year have i been so blown away . the best film i 've seen all year , and easily one of the best i 've ever seen

kadosh means sacred in hebrew . amos gitai 's fictional work , after spending most of his career doing documentaries , is a grim story about a failed hasidic marriage , even though the marriage is a loving one . the marriage will symbolize the clash of cultures in modern israel between the native israeli 's modern viewpoint toward religion and the political savvy hasidic 's intolerable one , as both groups are vying for control of the secular government . gitai ( devarim / yom yom ) is a labor party leftist , who believes that if the rigid hasidic ever got control of the government , it would sound the death knell of israel . the emphasis of the film is on how the ultra - orthodox jews of that sect live by the letter of the torah in everything they do and how they subjugate the women to accept their vision of god 's law from only the male 's view . that if they ever got control of the country , their intolerant attitude would subjugate the country the same way the women are . the story takes place in jerusalem 's jewish quarters called mea shearim , where we are taken down sinewy back streets with placards pasted on the walls , and into the crowded apartments and prayer rooms where the protagonists live out their idea of the proper jewish life , which is much different than the way most jews live in israel . this is a controversial film , in that the women are unhappy and the male attitudes are to such an extreme patriarchal ones , that the film is bound to anger most viewers , no matter their belief . it is a slow - moving , meticulous film , that grabs hold of you by the collar and never lets go . the force of what is seen , though filmed in an objective manner , never taking a cheap shot at the hasidim , is nevertheless bound to leave questions about the nature of such a practice of strict observance . the film is meant to be critical of such a rigid people , as it implies how they kill the spirit of everything they touch and with their extreme phobic attitudes , it makes it impossible for them to unite the country when they ca n't at present live in harmony with their own people , and it would be even more impossible to imagine them living with their arab neighbors in peace . the film opens as meir rises at dawn and goes through his prayer ritual , where every prayer is made to the virtues of god . he even thanks god that he did n't make him a woman . his wife rivka accepts the fate she was born into and looks at him from the next bed where she sleeps separately according to hasidic custom . she looks at him with glistening eyes , not questioning the laws or rebelling against her secondary role and how her religion keeps her from studying the talmud and having all the modern conveniences of life , and from seeing movies and tv . meir is a talmudic scholar . his father ( abu warda ) is a rabbi at the yeshiva . he has been married for ten years and his wife has not been able to give him a child . since the hasidim look upon a woman 's role in life being only to conceive children , and cook and clean house for the man , while the man 's role is to spend his time in prayer , therefore there is an insurmountable problem in this otherwise loving marriage . she receives an anonymous letter that states " a woman without a child is no better than dead . " meir 's response , is that it is written like that in the talmud . meir 's father tells him that the marriage contract must be broken : " a man who dies without progeny rips a page from the torah . " all the blame is placed on rivka , who is thought of as unpure as the reason for her being barren . she will go through countless ritual baths to cleanse herself , as her rigid mother ( koenig ) dunks her in the holy water and says a ritual prayer for the 12 times she is dunked as an homage to the 12 tribes of israel . their religion does n't permit them to be examined extensively by a doctor . rivka goes on the sly and finds out that it is her husband who is sterile , but she can not tell him that because of their religion . so when meir 's father chooses a younger woman for his son , she is exiled to live alone in a cold apartment in the same jewish quarters . rivka 's spirited younger sister malka does not want to get married but wants to live a more liberated life . she has a long time romantic relationship with a fellow hasidic yaakov . but , because of the way they were both raised , she is still a virgin . when yaakov joined the israeli army to fight in lebanon , something his sect is not allowed to do , he is thereby banished from the sect even though he is still a believer . he now works as a singer in a nightclub . malka 's mother is worried that her daughter wo n't get married , so she arranges with the rabbi for her to marry yossef , someone whom she does n't love . yossef is a very stern follower of the order , he is also a political activist who drives around the city in a sound - truck with a bull - horn urging jews to stick together and fight their godless enemies . the two sisters are close and languidly discuss their options , with rivka telling her sister to accept the marriage , it will make her happy ; but , while malka is reluctantly forced into accepting it , she has other plans to ruin this bogus marriage . the harshest scene in the film is on malka 's wedding night . yossef prays to god for a child and then robotically gets malka to spread her legs , and without the least bit of affection , only a nervousness shown on his part for the function he supplies , as he goes inside her and rams her hard , thrusting away until the act is completed and then retiring without a word or gesture of love . the sisters have choices , like everyone else in life does . but the choices are obliterated by one 's beliefs , circumstances , and inward nature , and how difficult it is to carry out those choices if it goes completely against the way one is brought up . for the sisters , the choices are life or death ones . gitai by closing in on the daily rituals , tight living quarters and close - knit community , has shown how difficult these choices are for those who have never seen another world and have been kept in the dark all their life . the film ends with the forlorn malka walking atop of jerusalem and looking down upon it as an outsider would , and everything seems strange to her , all the things she once thought of as being set in stone are now harsh memories , as she has made her choice , and the price of that choice is very heavy indeed .

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their belief . it is a slow - moving , meticulous film , that grabs hold of you by the collar and never lets go . the force of what is seen , though filmed in an objective manner , never taking a cheap shot at the hasidim , is nevertheless bound to leave questions about the nature

the film " magnolia " can be compared to a simple flower as its title and movie poster suggests . the dozens of characters introduced and developed are like the petals on the flower . they all come from the same stem and as the flower begins to develop they grow farther and farther apart . the numerous characters in the film are all closely connected no matter how different they are from one another socially . from a humiliated but kind cop to an aging game show host , each one of these characters is suffering the same kind of pain . they are each seriously lonely and seek the perfect companion to end this loneliness . whether this companion is a distant family member or a spouse , each character begs for one and spends the whole film searching for the perfect one . " magnolia " is a clever , well thought out film from prodigy director - writer paul thomas anderson of " boogie nights " fame . the detailed character analyses and the powerful script make " magnolia " memorable . however , what really is impressive is that even though there are tons of characters in several unrelated stories , the film is never confusing . anderson 's control over transitioning from one story to another story is masterful . he also knows exactly when to cut to another subplot since not one of " magnolia 's " scenes drag on too long . any three hour film that does not deliver even one uninteresting scene is definitely worth recommending . from the fascinating beginning to the risky yet surprisingly satisfying ending the film just does n't get boring . it is obvious that anderson put a lot of time into connecting each subplot . this is the ultimate game of six degrees of separation . every character is connected to every other character by at the most two degrees . for example , cop john c . reilly is connected to game show host phillip baker hall through hall 's daughter melora walters who once went on a date with reilly . the fact that each character is so different from the others yet so similar shows that there are universal pains that all classes , races , and genders suffer . anderson 's explanation to prove this point is both accurate and convincing . the only mistake anderson made in trying to connect his characters was by making his actors all sing an aimee mann song simultaneously . this was foolish not only because it was unbelievable and hilariously erroneous but also because it had a broadway musical feel to it and this movie is about as far apart from your typical broadway musical than you can get . the performances in " magnolia " are perfection . this is a classic example of flawless casting and flawless ensemble acting . anderson allows many of hollywood 's best supporting actors to blossom at what they do best , character acting . all of the main characters in each story are perfect because they are able to reveal more emotions and attitudes in their brief time on the screen then most movie stars can do in a feature length film . worth noting is tom cruise , who stepped out of his usual superficial starring role and into a funny but depressing tour de force performance . he was probably noticed more than the other actors in the film by award givers because his role here is so much different and impressive than those in the past ( however any actor in this film could be nominated for best supporting actor without any complaints ) the only problem i had with the acting was that a few of the characters felt seriously edited down such as melinda dillon 's character as phillip baker hall 's wife . she seemed to be thrown in towards the end and i felt very little sympathy for her because i had not seen her enough earlier in the film . " magnolia " uses several effective metaphors to describe its characters . anderson has the talent to make the audience sympathetic towards numerous people in only a few hours . to see that anderson is able to perfectly portray this many different types of people shows that he has a keen sense of diversity . diversity is what makes a director successful for a long period of time . i predict a lot of diversity and success from anderson in the future .

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searching for the perfect one . " magnolia " is a clever , well thought out film from prodigy director - writer paul thomas anderson of " boogie nights " fame . the detailed character analyses and the powerful script make " magnolia " memorable . however , what really is impressive is that even there are tons of characters in several unrelated stories , the film is never confusing . anderson 's control over transitioning from one story to another story is masterful . he also knows exactly when to cut to another film that does not deliver even one uninteresting scene is definitely worth recommending . from the fascinating beginning to the risky yet surprisingly satisfying ending the film just does n't get boring . it is obvious that anderson put a lot of suffer . anderson 's explanation to prove this point is both accurate and convincing . the only mistake anderson made in trying to connect from your typical broadway musical than you can get . the performances in " magnolia " are perfection . this is a classic example of flawless casting and flawless ensemble acting . anderson allows many of hollywood 's best supporting actors blossom at what they do best , character acting . all of the main characters in each story are perfect because they are able to reveal more emotions and attitudes in their brief time on the screen then most movie stars can do in a feature length film . worth noting is tom cruise , who stepped out of his usual superficial starring role and into a funny but depressing tour de force performance . he was probably noticed more than the other actors different and impressive than those in the past ( however any actor in this film could be nominated for best supporting actor without any complaints ) the only problem i had with the acting was her enough earlier in the film . " magnolia " uses several effective metaphors to describe its characters . anderson has the talent to make the audience sympathetic towards numerous people in only a few hours . to see that anderson is able to perfectly portray this many different types of people shows that he has a keen sense of diversity . diversity is what makes a director successful for a long period of time . i predict a lot of diversity and success from anderson in the future .

no humans were harmed , tested or tasted in the making of this film . all recipes are fictions . twentieth century fox does not condone cannibalism . a psychological thriller that will scare you to the depth of your soul ! director / writer antonia bird shows us that the most terrifying horror is not provided by giant beasts , but instead by monsters lurking in ourselves . . " . . they were a party of settlers in covered wagon times and they had to resent to cannibalism in order to stay alive . . " this true story , briefly mentioned in " the shining " , has no turned into a 143 minutes long motion picture . in 1847 , the united states was a land of pioneers , of gold - starved americans making their way west . it was a period of manifest destiny , the inevitability of the country extending its boundaries , stretching out its arms and consuming all the land it could . capt . john boyd ( guy pearce ) has become both a " hero " and a victim during this period of relentless consumption . . . in ways he could never have imagined . boyd 's journey to hell begins when he is awarded for an act of cowardice during a horrific mexican - american war battle earns him banishment to a desolate military outpost , a waystation for western travelers in the barren and icy sierra nevada mountains in california . upon his arrival he is greeted by a small , motley group of soldiers , including his commanding officer , hart ( jeffrey jones ) , a previously intelligent and sophisticated man who has lost his aristocratic origin in the heat of battle and has pretty much given up on life ; toffler ( jeremy davies ) , the fort 's personal emissary to the lord ; knox ( stephen spinella ) , the veterinarian that plays doctor , who never met a bottle of whiskey he did n't like ; reich ( neal mcdonough ) , the no - nonsense soldier of the group ; and the seriously " over - medicated " cleaves ( david arquette ) , a cook whose meals are inspired more by peyote than culinary ambitions . into this cold , bleak and bizarre world staggers a stranger , colqhoun ( robert carlyle ) , a half - starved scot who had been traveling with a group of settlers until they became snowbound . seeking refuge in a cave , they soon ran out of food - and were forced to consume one another . colqhoun barely escaped becoming an hors d'oeuvre himself . our heroes then decide to journey through the mountains to find the survivors , and colqhoun tags along to help out . soon it becomes clear that colqhoun 's tale has ramifications beyond cannibalism and the will to survive . it involves an old indian myth called weendigo , which states that a man who eats the flesh of another steals that person 's strength , spirit and very essence . his hunger becomes an insatiable craving : the more he eats , the more he wants , and the stronger he becomes . there can never be enough , and death is the only escape . . it 's all fairly sickening and you have to have a healthy stomach to see the whole movie through . as professionally made as the movie is , you have to wonder who they thought would come piling into the theater to see this . teen - age horror fans wo n't care because none of the soldiers look remotely like neve campell . older folks might show up when they hear that the movie is actually a satire about the pioneer spirit , but they 'll be disappointed once all the raw meat starts getting waved in their faces . but jokes aside , this is a film that is well worth watching . it has wonderful and mature characters , that few horror film s can boast of and a strangely effective story that continues to electrify you till the end . the two main characters are also the most interesting . boyd is a simple , honest man tiered of war , killing and fear . his sacred wish is to live a normal , quite life away from gunpowder and blood . colqhoun is different . he proves that a man , on the brink of death , would do anything to stay alive , including sacrificing his own soul . he believes so much in this indian myth that he starts to change physically . it is the power of the human mind and conviction that make miracles happen . the atmosphere in " ravenous " is macabre and bizarre , scary and surreal . completely isolated from the rest of the world , stands fort spencer . here time stands still , and nothing changes . the inhabitants are soldiers driven by war and pillage . they are all somehow losers of society that have been banished -- men that are used to killing and have not done anything else in their entire life . men that are nothing , and has nothing to loose . the result is some sort of cabin fever . cannibalism is more like a sick game for them . since they find no pleasure in living , they find some excitement in killing and dying . it 's like " who 's going to die first ? " the unchangeable icy landscape , where birds do not sing and even wind does n't move the leaves on the trees , resembles kubrick 's " the shining " . it 's hard to not get mad here ! one of the scary aspects of the film is a strange connection that the viewer establishes with the characters , and starts to understand them , although they have turned into half crazed killers . music is another factor that strengthens the atmosphere . a strange musical score , composed by michael nyman ( the piano ) and damon albarn , that often seems out of place , and in complete contrast to the image , somehow reflects the characters ' twisted reactions on the world and their situation . the director herself stated that it was " ok to laugh " during the picture . and i must admit that it is often very funny , in a strange way ( such as the wonderful quote : " . . it 's lonely being a cannibal . you do n't get that many friends . . . " or when colqhoun is quoting ben franklin , saying " eat to live . do n't live to eat . " ) . but mostly it is frightening and shocking as it goes deeper into the minds of these strange men and we witness their psychological change . every actor does a great job . especially robert carlyle as the sinister and intelligent cannibal , and guy pearce as the moral and honest soldier , nagged by his undeserved honor . this strange couple resemble lestat and lois in neil jordan 's ' interview with the vampire ' . actually there are many amusing parallels and connections to vampire movies , since the topics are so alike . " ravenous " starts wonderfully and continues to shock and scare until it gets to the finale , where it looses focus and gets too primitive and rather boring . however these little failures do n't diminish the impression . this is a bizarre dark comedy about the human mind and its change in different situations . it is a scary fable about the monster that lurks in everyone 's soul , a dark side which we 're all trying to hide -- but it 's there -- always . it is one of the most frightening and successful horror films since " the shining " . " . . i said no food . i did n't say there was nothing to eat . . . " - colqhoun , ravenous

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fox does not condone cannibalism . a psychological thriller that will scare you to the depth of your soul ! director / writer antonia bird shows us that the most a healthy stomach to see the whole movie through . as professionally made as the movie is , you have to wonder who they thought would come in their faces . but jokes aside , this is a film that is well worth watching . it has wonderful and mature characters , that few horror film s can boast of and a strangely effective story that continues to electrify you till the end . the two main characters are also the most interesting they have turned into half crazed killers . music is another factor that strengthens the atmosphere . a strange musical score , composed by michael nyman " during the picture . and i must admit that it is often very funny , in a strange way ( such as the wonderful quote : " . . these strange men and we witness their psychological change . every actor does a great job . especially robert carlyle as the sinister and intelligent cannibal since the topics are so alike . " ravenous " starts wonderfully and continues to shock and scare until it gets to the finale , where it looses -- but it 's there -- always . it is one of the most frightening and successful horror films since " the shining " . " .

" good will hunting " is two movies in one : an independent take on the struggle of four boston pals and a traditional hollywood , " prodigy child " film complete with upbeats , downfalls , sporadically moving situations and plenty , plenty of shtick . unusually directed by gus van sant , " good will hunting " overcomes the banalities of its story by affirming the emergence of fresh , new talent . the film stars matt damon as will hunting as a mathematical , rebellious whiz kid inadvertly discovered by a college professor ( stellan skarsgard ) , who places him under psychological supervision with robin williams . in a nutshell , that 's it . the core of the " good will hunting " is damon , who infuses the script ( co- written by " chasing amy 's " ben affleck ) with just the right amount of warmth , sensitivity and humanity to accentuate his position as a refreshing multi- talented performer . but it 's the acting that hits the mark , and damon hits all the right notes , flying over robin williams ' deja - vu role ( " awakenings " was written all over this ) as a devastated shrink who has closed all contact with society due to his wife 's tragic death . damon effortlessly blends the carelesness of a gregarious , confused thug with the absorbing ingeniousness of someone like einstein . his rich , complex character is the pulp of " good will hunting . " everything else pales in comparison . " good will hunting " exposes the lack of profoundness of deliberately schmaltzy storytelling , but , unlike " little man tate " or " phenomenon " , it does n't set up its story in a black and white , point a to point b be manner , but as the saga of an extraordinary individual whose feasibility for success does n't automatically signify he must make easy , familiar choices , like the protagonists in the aforementioned .

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by gus van sant , " good will hunting " overcomes the banalities of its story by affirming the emergence of fresh , new talent . the film stars matt damon as will hunting as by " chasing amy 's " ben affleck ) with just the right amount of warmth , sensitivity and humanity to accentuate his position as a refreshing multi- talented performer . but it 's the acting that hits the mark , and damon hits all the right notes , flying over robin williams ' deja - vu role society due to his wife 's tragic death . damon effortlessly blends the carelesness of a gregarious , confused thug with the absorbing ingeniousness of someone like einstein . his rich , complex character is the pulp of " good will hunting . "

curdled is a deliciously dark and witty black comedy , but its humour wo n't appeal to everyone . to be specific , let me give you an example . do you know in pulp fiction where jules and vincent go on brain detail after marvin and his head accidentally get separated ? if you thought that was completely tasteless and unfunny , do n't see curdled . on the other hand , if you found that sequence to be pretty funny , you have the sense of humour that curdled is aimed at . our film 's heroine , gabriela , played by angela jones , is a woman obssessively curious about murder and serial killers ; she even keeps a scrapbook of news articles . luckily for her , miami is being plagued by a serial killer rampage - her scrapbook is getting pretty big . the killer 's nickname in the press is the blue blood killer , because he preys on older rich socialite women , and he 's played by william baldwin ( this is not a spoiler ) . one particularly striking m . o . on the blue blood killer is his propensity to decapitate his victims . gabriela is watching television one day when she spots an advertisement for a firm whose line of work is perfectly attuned to her interests . she immediately quits her job , and signs on with pfcs , which stands for post - forensic cleaning service . no points for guessing what they do . her workmates are confused by gabriela 's fascination with murder ; to them , it 's just a day job . there 's a hilarious locker room scene where they debate whether decapitated heads can talk , and what they would say . gabriela 's partner , elena , played by mel gorham , is particularly perturbed by gabriela 's wide - eyed fascination , and becomes really upset when gabriela volunteers them to clean up the blue blood killer 's latest scene - they 're the messiest , you see . unbeknownst to them , the last victim left something on the scene which would i d the blue blood killer , so he 's also heading over there . . the comparison to pulp fiction earlier on was not accidental - quentin tarantino executive - produced this film , which began life as a short film he saw at a film festival . apparently tarantino was so impressed that he helped braddock convert this into a feature - length film . there are other parallels - the star of curdled is angela jones ( the top billing goes to william baldwin , but really , jones is the central character ) , who 's probably best known for her role as esmerelda villalobos , the death - obssessed taxi driver in pulp fiction . that role was written specifically for jones based upon her similar character in the aforementioned short film , curdled jr . jones is great in curdled - she 's wonderfully funny and maintains an amusing wide - eyed naive curiousity about murder without compromising her character 's innocence or likeability . she can express so much with one lift of her eyebrow . it 's a great performance . reb braddock 's direction is extremely sharp and clever , toeing the line between black humour and bad taste . the best scene in the film is an outrageously funny sequence involves jones and dancing - any more than that would be a spoiler . the opening credit sequence is also inventive and amusing . of course , it 's impossible to really take this stuff seriously , but then again you 're not really supposed to - braddock knows the audience is in on the joke , and makes it a fun little romp as a result . the one drawback of curdled is that it was based on a short film , and it feels like it ; the material is just stretched too thin in order to fulfill a feature length running time , and some parts just seem to drag . while its running time is already a short 94 minutes , it could really stand to lose twenty minutes or so to give it better pacing . curdled seems destined to be a nice cult film for miramax . it 'll be interesting to see if it will appeal to mainstream audiences as well .

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curdled is a deliciously dark and witty black comedy , but its humour wo n't appeal to everyone . to them , it 's just a day job . there 's a hilarious locker room scene where they debate whether decapitated heads can talk , and feature - length film . there are other parallels - the star of curdled is angela jones ( the top billing goes to character in the aforementioned short film , curdled jr . jones is great in curdled - she 's wonderfully funny and maintains an amusing wide - eyed naive curiousity about murder without compromising her character 's innocence or likeability express so much with one lift of her eyebrow . it 's a great performance . reb braddock 's direction is extremely sharp and clever , toeing the line between black humour and bad taste . the best scene in the film is an outrageously funny sequence involves jones and dancing - any more than that would be a spoiler . the opening credit sequence is also inventive and amusing . of course , it 's impossible to really take knows the audience is in on the joke , and makes it a fun little romp as a result . the one drawback of curdled is that it was minutes or so to give it better pacing . curdled seems destined to be a nice cult film for miramax . it 'll be interesting to see if

it is often said by his fans that hal hartley movies are an acquired taste . indeed . while perhaps less dangerous than tequila shooters or bungee - jumping , they require no less amount of physical stamina and concentration . i felt rewarded at the end of henry fool ; this movie creeps up on you - at a slow 139 minutes , i mean creeps - and despite the final shot 's ambiguity , i left completely satisfied . henry fool ( " used to have an ? e ' " ) arrives at garbageman simon grim 's house , claims the vacant basement apartment , and almost instantly inspires simon ( urbaniak ) to take up writing - henry ( martin donovan look - alike ryan ) is an ex - convict , a once - great author who has been " exiled and marginalized " by the publishing community because of his criminal activity . simon 's poetry turns him into a local sensation , as it causes mute women to sing , high - school girls to swoon , and councilmen to rile against its " pornographic " content . meanwhile , henry seduces both simon 's dependent mother ( porter ) and immature sister ( sundance queen posey ) with philosophical babble ( which is by turns brilliant and inane ) and breathy animal lust . these story elements result in climaxes both inevitable and unpredictable ; the teacher - student relationship formed between henry and simon eventually reverses itself . henry fool is sprinkled with hartley - ian flourishes : simon drinks milk from " udderley 's " ; the big teen hang - out is called " world of donuts " ; simon wears his garbageman 's uniform throughout ; the editing style is decidedly elliptical . . . ( which is key to the conclusion 's said ambiguity ) . the performances by the three leads are abrasive at first , self - consciously " quirky " ; the introductory scenes are a chore . these people do grow on you because they convey genuine passion , a belief in themselves , and because they have long - term goals ; henry and simon may drink a lot of budweiser and hang out on the streetcorner , but they are n't pop slackers . the story is rather classical : the tutor is a better talker than a doer , raised on books ; the timid tutee has innate talent his master only dreams of . ( shades of film school . . . ) the finished film is epic in its proportions for a story so small , and the final third does test one 's patience , yet henry fool is tight , hardly excessive in its length . how refreshing to see a movie this long in 1998 devoted entirely to character . and unless i nodded off , not a single building exploded . this , hartley 's seventh feature , is contemplative about " the artist " ; fortunately , we never get a sampling of simon 's work , and it 's a testament to the actors and the screenplay that by the end we can surmise what sort of thoughts would pour from these writers ' pens .

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require no less amount of physical stamina and concentration . i felt rewarded at the end of henry fool ; this movie creeps creeps - and despite the final shot 's ambiguity , i left completely satisfied . henry fool ( " used to have an ? between henry and simon eventually reverses itself . henry fool is sprinkled with hartley - ian flourishes : simon drinks milk from " udderley 's " ; . ( shades of film school . . . ) the finished film is epic in its proportions for a story so small , and the final third does test one 's patience , yet henry fool is tight , hardly excessive in its length . how refreshing to see a movie this long in 1998 devoted entirely to character . and unless i nodded off , not a single feature , is contemplative about " the artist " ; fortunately , we never get a sampling of simon 's work , and it 's a testament to the actors and the screenplay that by the end we can surmise what sort of

most people fit into two different categories : you either love woody allen , or you hate his guts . my family , for the most part , hates him and his movies . i think he 's very funny , but his shtick has gotten forced and contrived over the years . so maybe taking his body away was the best decision any producer could have thought of . unrestrained by physical boundaries , allen 's humor comes shining through . those who had problems with his physical appearance will be able to join the rest of us in laughing at allen 's intelligent observations of life . those who had problems with his verbal comedy may want to skip this one . in 1995 , a film was introduced to audiences which sparked their imaginations and showed them something they 'd never seen before . toy story used state - of - the - art computer technology and presented a world of toys who would come alive when no humans were present . many critics will call that a better film , but i believe they only say that because it was a completely original motion picture . antz , however , has upped the ante considerably . disney 's a bug 's life is n't due out for another two months , and dreamworks seems to have received the better end of the deal . by beating disney out , they have satisfied the audience 's thirst for computer - animated films . but do n't let that fool you : disney is definitely not scared . in the past two years , competitions have broken out between studios . in 1997 , it was the volcano duel . in my opinion , dante 's peak came out way ahead of its predecessor , both in time and in quality . volcano had an original premise , but destroyed that with some very ridiculous situations . in 1998 , there are twice as many competing films . first was the comet competition , and armageddon blew away it 's cheesily dramatic competitor deep impact . but now , it 's even more interesting , as one beloved studio ( disney ) goes up against the newcomer ( dreamworks ) . who will prevail ? time will tell , but i 'm sure that mr . mouse has nothing to fear . this may sound like i did n't like antz ; on the contrary , i 'd put it up there with toy story . but due to it 's pg rating , many parents may be put off by some of the dialogue which should n't appear in disney 's version . some of the dialogue in antz pushes the envelope for a family - oriented film . sexual innuendoes and profanity pop up occasionally , which makes dreamworks ' animated feature geared more for an adult crowd . the humor is also written especially for adults , though many kids were laughing in the theater i attended . this is the type of film that should be made for families more often : entertaining for kids and entertaining for parents . antz begins with a hilarious monologue which seems a meld between woody allen 's shtick and franz kafka 's metamorphosis , the short story of a man who wakes up to discover himself as a bug . z ( allen ) is a troubled ant , believing he was not made to be a worker . " when you 're the middle child in a family of five million . . . " he comments about his neglected childhood . one night , z is sitting in a bar with his friend weaver ( sylvester stallone ) , discussing his pathetic place in life . in walks princess bala ( sharon stone ) , whom no one recognizes without a crown . bala asks z is he would like to dance , and they engage in a pulp fiction - esque dance while everyone else is following the leader . after discovering that she is the princess , z falls in love , but there 's a problem : bala is getting married to general mandible ( gene hackman ) , a ruthless leader who merely wants to control a better and stronger colony . in order to do that , he must eliminate not only the queen ( anne bancroft ) , but the weakest of the colony , namely the worker ants . but to get rid of the queen , he needs to get rid of the loyal army ants who would be willing to die for her . he and colonel cutter ( christopher walkin ) come up with a plan to send the loyal ants off to battle , where they will surely be killed . the queen is reluctant at first , but decides it is best for the colony . meanwhile , z wants to meet bala again , and he asks weaver , an army ant , to switch places with him . so z gets sent off to battle , but he manages to survive the slaughter by the termites . the battle sequence is absolutely stunning , though you may have flashbacks to starship troopers , which contained a very similar sequence . however , antz and that 1997 film were both in production around the same time , so the similarities are merely coincidence . the second half of the film revolves around z 's kidnapping of bala , and their search for a mythical place called insectopia . there , an ant can be his own boss and have all the food he wants . the adventures z and bala get into are surprisingly high in tension , especially one involving a magnifying glass . looming over the targets like the spaceships from independence day ( in fact , i 'm just going to assume that the producers referenced id4 intentionally ) . the ants look up in awe , and then a beam of fire blasts into the ground . visually , it 's an exciting rush of adrenaline . but do n't be fooled . . . little kids should n't see this , as they may just try and copy it . after seeing antz , i vowed never to intentionally step on an ant again . hopefully , children will learn that killing ants is rather cruel . as an animated film , antz is probably the best you will find to date . visually , it 's as stunning as what dreams may come . the best aspect of animation is the fact that the characters are n't limited by gravity . they can take ridiculous situations and make them seem plausible . one great moment involves a mass of worker ants bunching up to form a wrecking ball . the animation is so perfect that you can virtually see every single ant on the ball . however , the most exhilarating scene involves bala getting stuck to the bottom of a young boy 's shoe . it 's truly a great example of film making at its finest . with computer technology , the animators have carefully made the ants ' faces look similar to the actors providing the voices . the best example would have to be barbatus ( danny glover ) . at one point , you can even see the pores on his face ( although , i doubt ants have pores . . . do they ? ) . barbatus also has a touching but rather gruesome scene as he has his final words with z without a body . young kids may be disturbed by the site of a dismembered head , but a good deal of humor is derived ( more appropriate for adults , of course ) . disney 's a bug 's life looks good , but i do n't know if they will be able to best dreamworks ' newest animated feature in terms of animation . if not , then dreamworks will have done something no other studio could do : go head to head with the big mouse , and knock him down ( yes , anastasia was good , but not nearly as good as even the worst of disney ) . vocal talent is always essential to an animated feature , and antz has one of the best line - ups seen since toy story . in fact , it far exceeds that one . woody allen has always been funny , but here he transcends most of what he 's done in the past few years . without a body , his comic timing is the most noticeable thing . in fact , i 'm pretty sure that the writers let him improvise a lot of his lines . sharon stone as bala shows off some of her comic ability , though for the most part , stone works best as a dramatic actress . sylvester stallone ( teamed up with stone once again ) is beginning to solidify his statement that he wants to be an actor , not a typecast action star . after a snub at the oscars last year , stallone is proving himself as the serious ( or comedic , as illustrated here ) actor that he is . gene hackman is superb as the gruff - talking general , almost doing another take on his crimson tide persona . christopher walkin is probably more noticed by his voice , and so many people will remember him from such hits as batman returns . anne bancroft has a minimal role , but she 's effective nonetheless . danny glover has a small role , but he does a very , very good job . dan aykroyd and jane curtin also lend their voices as two lovesick , euro - trash bees -- both are very unrecognizable , especially aykroyd . jennifer lopez plays a worker ant who falls in love with weaver , although most people wo n't recognize her voice either . many people will recognize grant shaud 's voice as the foreman . he played miles on the tv show murphy brown . this is definitely a huge cast with some high - profile names , and it will definitely help it 's grosses . of course , you can probably tell where a lot of the $ 60 million budget went to , also . directors eric darnell and lawrence guterman are relative newcomers ( though guterman did direct a 1994 feature , headless ! ) . but both show an incredible talent for this type of a picture . tense at times , and very funny throughout , the two hold this film together like professionals . the screenplay by todd alcott and chris weitz is quite simple in plot , but it contains a lot of subtlety that makes the film more suitable for adults . kids will delight in the animation , while parents can laugh heartily at the humor . most of it will go over young children 's heads . does that mean you should n't take kids to see it ? not at all . they will have a lot of fun watching this one . what is great is the themes that are given to us . part social commentary , part romance story , and part moral drama , antz gives everyone something to talk about , whether it be the animation , or the discussions of individualism and community . thankfully , it 's not subtle in either aspects . antz is rated pg for mild language and some intense action . sometimes the language can be pushing the limits for a family movie , but the violence is what should keep kids at home . the battle scene has ants melting in acid , and bugs being speared to death . and the magnifying scene shows an ant disintegrate in the beam of sunlight . but other than that ( and some sexual innuendos ) , it 's a perfect choice for some wholesome fun at the theaters . i doubt many children will understand the sexual innuendos unless they are old enough , but it 's still advisable to leave really young children at home . have i confused you enough ? if you do take your kids , i recommend seeing the film with them , because more than likely , you 'll enjoy it the most .

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could have thought of . unrestrained by physical boundaries , allen 's humor comes shining through . those who had problems with his physical appearance will join the rest of us in laughing at allen 's intelligent observations of life . those who had problems with his verbal comedy may many kids were laughing in the theater i attended . this is the type of film that should be made for families more often : entertaining for kids and entertaining for parents . antz begins with a hilarious monologue which seems a meld between woody allen 's shtick and he manages to survive the slaughter by the termites . the battle sequence is absolutely stunning , though you may have flashbacks to starship troopers , beam of fire blasts into the ground . visually , it 's an exciting rush of adrenaline . but do n't be fooled . . . little is rather cruel . as an animated film , antz is probably the best you will find to date . visually , it 's as stunning as what dreams may come . the best aspect of animation is the fact that can take ridiculous situations and make them seem plausible . one great moment involves a mass of worker ants bunching up to form a wrecking ball . the animation is so perfect that you can virtually see every single ant on the ball . however , the most exhilarating scene involves bala getting stuck to the bottom of a young boy 's shoe . it 's truly a great example of film making at its finest . with computer technology , the animators have carefully made disturbed by the site of a dismembered head , but a good deal of humor is derived ( more appropriate for adults , of course ) . is always essential to an animated feature , and antz has one of the best line - ups seen since toy story . in fact , it far exceeds that one . woody allen has always been funny , but here he transcends most of what he 's done in the past few years . without a body , his comic timing is the here ) actor that he is . gene hackman is superb as the gruff - talking general , almost doing another returns

that 's the question i asked myself when venturing nervously into " the wedding singer , " the latest film to star the saturday night live alumnus . does he draw laughs from his sad , puppy dog expression and don't - hate - me - for - being - a - simpleton observations ? or do fans giggle when he screams at the top of his lungs at people ? or is it just the fact that he sings songs with silly lyrics that bowl audiences over ? well , there 's a little bit of all of that in " the wedding singer " and while i exited the theater still not one hundred percent sure of mr . sandler 's thing , i did have a surprisingly good time . that 's because , in a nutshell , " the wedding singer " is one of the sweetest movies you 're ever likely to come across . that 's right . sweet . the humor in the film runs the gamut from dumb to mildly amusing to laugh - out - loud hysterical but the tone ? well , it 's just lovely . i have to admit i was half - expecting farting armpit humor , gratuitous nudity , superfluous , cloying subplots , and some nasty , unnecessary violence . instead ? well , i 've said it before . sweet . the year is 1985 and sandler plays robbie hart , the eponymous wedding singer , a job aspiring rock stars often settle for . when robbie 's fianc ? e dumps him at his own altar , robbie gets depressed and turns to a plucky waitress called julia ( drew barrymore ) who has some problems of her own ( she 's marrying a hunky junk bonds dealer who , unbeknownst to her , is n't that big on monogamy ) . it is n't giving anything away to say that robbie and julia fall in love . aww . . . sandler and barrymore are a good match and they 're assisted by some terrific cameo appearances , including steve buscemi and jon lovitz , whose individual scenes are perhaps the funniest in the film . writer tim herlihy ( with uncredited assistance from carrie fisher ) keeps the story bubbling along to its predictable conclusion . it does n't all work but it 's handled with such light - heartedness that robbie and julia coming together generates more smiles than groans . herlihy and director frank coraci have done a great job of recreating the sights , sounds , and affectations of the 1980s . the soundtrack -- an ever - present force in the film -- is packed with wall - to - wall hits of the period , new wave upon new wave of songs from billy idol 's " white wedding " to the smiths ' " how soon is now ? " to culture club 's " do you really want to hurt me ? " the mix of music and fashion would make " the wedding singer " a great double feature with " boogie nights . " if you grew up listening to the cure and a flock of seagulls and the psychedelic furs , then " the wedding singer " is bound to put a nostalgic hop in your stride . if you 're a fan of the lovable , laughable adam sandler , well . . . let 's just say that " the wedding singer " might well be the only film in recent memory to make * me * want to rent " happy gilmore . "

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hundred percent sure of mr . sandler 's thing , i did have a surprisingly good time . that 's because , in a nutshell , " the wedding singer " is one of the sweetest movies you 're ever likely to come across . that 's right . sweet . the humor in in love . aww . . . sandler and barrymore are a good match and they 're assisted by some terrific cameo appearances , including steve buscemi and jon lovitz , whose individual more smiles than groans . herlihy and director frank coraci have done a great job of recreating the sights , sounds , and affectations of the 1980s . the soundtrack -- an ever - present force in the film -- is packed with wall - to - wall hits of the period , new wave upon new wave of songs from billy music and fashion would make " the wedding singer " a great double feature with " boogie nights . " if you grew up psychedelic furs , then " the wedding singer " is bound to put a nostalgic hop in your stride . if you 're a fan of the lovable , laughable adam sandler , well . . . let 's just say that " the wedding singer " might well be the only film in recent memory to make * me * want to rent " happy gilmore . "

jarvis cocker of pulp once said that he wrote common people after noticing mike leigh box - sets on the video shelves -- he had a feeling that economic deprivation was becoming a tourist experience for the well - off . maybe it 's a classic case of displacement : it 's easier to see jarvis ' own lyrics ( obsessed with acrylic and wood chip on the wall ) as a fetishization of lowlife , rather than leigh 's films . but it 's worth being reminded that drab interiors and a couple of working - class characters do n't make for a guarantee of ' authenticity ' , let alone a good film . it 's the triumph of secrets & lies , then , that it goes beyond gestures of sympathy for the common people into a probing of just what it means to seek ' authenticity ' and honesty in everyday lives . following her adopted mother 's funeral , hortense , a young black optometrist , sets out to find her birth mother , and is disturbed to find out that she is white . it is cynthia , a factory worker who lives in a shabby house with her perpetually moody daughter roxanne . cynthia 's younger brother maurice is a successful photographer who has not seen his sister for ages , largely because of his wife 's animosity towards her . hortense calls up cynthia , who initially breaks down in tears and refuses to see her . but their mutually suspicious meeting gives way to a warm friendship eventually . cynthia invites hortense to come along to a party , which maurice is hosting . . . secrets & lies has a simple enough theme at its heart -- as one character puts it , " best to tell the truth , is n't it ? that way nobody gets hurt . " . but if the film delivers much more than a trite message , it 's because we are also shown how hard it can be to face up to ugly truths , even while the evasions and unspoken grievances slowly choke us . hence , cynthia 's difficulty with acknowledging ( first to herself , then to others ) that hortense is her daughter . one of her first reactions to seeing hortense is a sincere denial that she has ever " been with a black man " , before a long - suppressed memory seizes her . at the party , cynthia 's pretense that hortense is her factory co - worker leads her to ever more convoluted lies , as agonizing as they are funny . little lies seep into every corner , like maurice pretending that he 's " just dropping by " when he visits cynthia after much deliberation . maurice 's job as a photographer gives the film opportunities for side comments on the main theme - a sad - looking bride that maurice coaxes to smile , a couple who pose awkwardly with a prominent wedding ring and argue about his spectacles . one of the most startling images is of a beautiful woman with large scars on her face : she says she needs the photo to look " as bad as possible " to collect insurance money , yet the short scene leaves you wondering about what untold story lies behind the scars . there are occasionally hilarious moments , as when cynthia attempts to give her daughter some unwelcome advice on contraception , " i 've got a dutch cap floating about somewhere upstairs " ; or when cynthia stares at her own rather pedestrian legs and tells roxanne , " if you 've got it , flaunt it , is what i say . " as played by brenda blethyn , cynthia comes close to being a caricature , with her nervous , somewhat disconnected way of talking . but she 's really just right for the role of someone who inspires sympathy and yet strains the tolerance of those around her , precisely because she 's so needy of love , perhaps . indeed , the whole cast gives warmly rounded , detailed performances . the script was developed partly through improvisations , and the fusion of cast , script and director shows best in the party scene - seemingly everyone is talking at the same time , and yet many subtle observations are being made throughout . in a very different way , but also using a long single shot , the scene of hortense and cynthia 's first meeting in a lonely caf=8a achieves a touching intensity , all the more for their reticence and unspoken feelings . the film 's climax - with all the secrets and lies finally spilled out in ibsen - esque revelations , and everybody hugging each other - is the one thing that seems false about this film . however , it 's a film that truly earns its happy ending after the misery and repression of the character 's lives . when cynthia says near the end , this is the life , innit ? , you get the sense that , following the cynicism of his last film naked , leigh has rediscovered that life can be sweet after all , without comforting illusions . the flying inkpot 's rating system : * wait for the video . * * a little creaky , but still better than staying at home with gotcha ! * * * pretty good , bring a friend . * * * * amazing , potent stuff . * * * * * perfection . see it twice .

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' , let alone a good film . it 's the triumph of secrets & lies , then , that it goes her nervous , somewhat disconnected way of talking . but she 's really just right for the role of someone who inspires sympathy and yet strains the tolerance . the script was developed partly through improvisations , and the fusion of cast , script and director shows best in the party scene - seemingly everyone is talking at the same time , hortense and cynthia 's first meeting in a lonely caf=8a achieves a touching intensity , all the more for their reticence and unspoken feelings this film . however , it 's a film that truly earns its happy ending after the misery and repression of the character 's lives

richard linklater 's " slacker , " made in 1991 for a budget of only $ 23 , 000 , immerses itself in the twentysomething , college - town culture of austin , texas . most of these characters are either unemployed or work jobs that are apparently too menial to be worth mentioning . their lifestyle is a sort of passive resistance to the idea that people should go out and actively pursue a career after graduation ; they seem content to sit around spouting off about the inadequacy of american democracy , the pervasiveness of slave morality , the subtle messages in pop culture , and such . ask them what they 've been doing lately , and they 'll more likely than not reply , " oh , you know , just hanging out . " linklater uses an interesting technique to examine these characters : the camera follows one person for a few minutes , then someone else walks by and the camera follows that person , who walks into a diner just as another person is walking out the door . . . . it 's certainly a lot of fun listening to these characters talk : some of them are clearly very intelligent and have some genuinely insightful ideas , some of them are just plain weird , and some of them think their ideas are a lot more profound than they really are . the opening monologue , delivered by linklater himself to a taxi driver , tosses around ideas about alternate realities that nicely set up the meandering structure of the film . other characters along the way offer observations about everything from dating relationships to the history of anarchist philosophy , while groups of pseudo - intellectuals kick around ideas about the nobility of sitting around and doing nothing or the subtle bribery - based morality in " scooby - doo . " for the most part , however , the best moments are the ones involving the slightly unhinged types . near the beginning , a paranoid man follows a pedestrian for several blocks , warning him about government conspiracies involving everything from global warming to secret colonization of mars . another man seems to be collecting televisions , keeping at least fifteen sets running at the same time and playing tapes of a graduate student who recorded himself having a nervous breakdown and destroying the camera . and in a scene that drew a big laugh from everyone present when i saw the film , a man tries to achieve closure after a failed relationship by reciting poetry on a bridge and then throwing a typewriter into the creek below . the only problem with " slacker " is that it starts to run out of steam towards the end . since linklater only spends a few minutes with each character , the introduction of the new characters gets repetitive after a while . there are only so many times you can hear , " hey , what 's going on ? " " not much , what are you up to ? " " nothing really , just hanging around , " before it gets on your nerves ; the film might well have benefited from a slightly slower pace and a little bit more characterization . and the dialogue in the second half of the film is by and large not quite as interesting as that in the first half ; a jfk buff , for example , seems like a pale imitation of the previous conspiracy theorist , and many of the characters just generally are n't as weird or unique . instead of depicting a city populated by mostly normal people and then showing us the strangeness that we might not have noticed at first , linklater shows us the oddballs first , then stops and reminds us that ordinary people live there too . " slacker " is a good film and a wonderfully offbeat and entertaining comedy , whatever its flaws , and its status as a cult classic is well - deserved . i just ca n't help but think it might have been even better if linklater had slowed down a little bit and filmed these scenes in reverse order .

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, you know , just hanging out . " linklater uses an interesting technique to examine these characters : the camera follows one person person is walking out the door . . . . it 's certainly a lot of fun listening to these characters talk : some of them are clearly very intelligent and have taxi driver , tosses around ideas about alternate realities that nicely set up the meandering structure of the film . other characters along the way offer observations about everything doo . " for the most part , however , the best moments are the ones involving the slightly unhinged types . near the a nervous breakdown and destroying the camera . and in a scene that drew a big laugh from everyone present when i saw the film , a man tries to that ordinary people live there too . " slacker " is a good film and a wonderfully offbeat and entertaining comedy , whatever its flaws , and its status as a cult classic is well - deserved . i just ca n't help but think it might

" a breed apart " casts rutger hauer as a crazy , bird - loving recluse who picks his feathered friends over kathleen turner . a bit hard to swallow ? that 's only the first of many improbabilities in this film . hauer stars as a man obsessed with keeping the birds on his island safe , while boothe plays a guy hired to steal a couple of rare eagle eggs by a rich egg collector . turner is the woman caught between the two men . " a breed apart " is n't a bad movie , exactly . indeed , i found myself rooting for both the hauer and boothe characters , even though their goals could n't be more different . the problem with the film is that there are just too many inconsistencies . for example , early on in the film , hauer physically assaults two drunken rednecks shooting at " his " birds . later on , the rednecks come back for revenge with four other people , and hauer kills a few of them . i have a tough time believing that the police would n't get involved at that point . another problem is the silly love - triangle that develops . i did n't care one way or the other who ended up with turner . i was more interested in finding out which of the two men would be victorious in their respective missions . however , despite this uninteresting sub - plot , turner did manage to give a great performance as the woman who reminds the two men that sometimes there 's more to life than money and birds . as for hauer , he 's an actor i 've always admired . he has a penchant for picking strange and unusual characters . and this one is no exception . he 's frequently seen riding around his island on a white horse , wearing pirate 's clothing , and holstering a cross - bow . despite all his eccentric mannerisms , though , hauer always manages to let the human side of his character shine through . for example , there 's a scene in which he barks at turner and her son because they came onto his island a day early . he comes off as crazy loner in that scene , but a few minutes later , he is apologizing to turner , and we believe his intentions . soon after , we find out he 's a vietnam vet , and his actions become fairly clear to us . " a breed apart " is n't a great movie by any means , but it does contain good performances by all three leads , and it 's worth seeing for that reason alone .

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however , despite this uninteresting sub - plot , turner did manage to give a great performance as the woman who reminds the two men that sometimes life than money and birds . as for hauer , he 's an actor i 've always admired . he has a penchant for picking strange and unusual . despite all his eccentric mannerisms , though , hauer always manages to let the human side of his character shine through . for example , there 's a scene in which is n't a great movie by any means , but it does contain good performances by all three leads , and it 's worth seeing for that reason alone .

titanic is so close to being the perfect movie it 's upsetting that it is n't . the film , which cost $ 200 million+ to make and could of put 20th century fox into a lot of finicial trouble if it ' sunk ' ( pun intended ) is a labour of love for cameron , who wrote and directed the film . we all know that big budget dosen't mean great film ( see waterworld ( 1995 ) ) but titanic is far superior to kevin costners waterlogged epic . but sadly , titanic just misses the mark of masterpiece ( although it is one of cameron 's best films ) the film starts with present day explorers searching the runied titanic . they find a safe , and inside a picture of a woman . the woman in the picture ( an old winslet ) tells the explorers that the picture is of her . the explorers invite her over , and she then tells her story of titanic . in the flashback , dicaprio plays poor boy jack dawson , who , after winning a poker game , wins two tickets to board the grand ship titanic , leaving liverpool to go to america . also boarding the ship is rich woman rose dewitt bukater ( winslet ) who is being forced into a marriage with a man she dosen't love at all , cal hockley ( zane ) so her family can remain rich . she nearly commits suicide on the ship , but jack comes to the rescue , saves rose , they fall in love , and cal gets jealous and eventually tries to kill them . oh yeah , and the ship sinks . and that is the main problem with the film , and which stops it from being a work of genius . the story and script ( both by cameron ) are both weak . the story is full of cliched characters , ( the creepy man who the nice girl has to marry , the poor boy with heart , the stuck - up mother ) and poor dialogue ( the script consists of lots of in - jokes of how the boat wo n't sink , and most of the dialogue is pretty basic ) it 's a shame really , as the audience does have to sit through 3 hours of this film . without good dialogue , a film could become a very long , very boring film ( like camerons own terminator 2 , 1992 ) but , luckily , there are some redeeming features that make the story and dialogue problems just disappear . firstly , there 's cameron 's direction . there are some great sweeping shots of the titanic , and some clever fades between the flashback titanic and the ruined titanic . but the scenes cameron directs especially well are the disaster scenes at the end . there is a lot of mayhem and panic , all done very well by cameron . it 's a scary sight , watching bodies fall from great heights into the watery depths below . thanks to cameron 's direction , then , the audiences attention is held for the full 3 hours 15 minutes . to support the directing are the excellent cast , working very well with their underwritten characters . dicaprio is good , although he only looks 16 - 17 years old . his performance of a over excitiable , yet also well mannered boy is excellent , and he also has some funny lines . winslet is great also , and her transistion from a well mannered rich girl to a rebelous young adult is pretty smooth . zane is deliciously evil as cal , saying every line with a sneer and a flicker of the eye lash . the audience really does come to hate him . he may be playing the same character he plays in every film he 's in ( like dead calm , 1988 ) but he does it really , really well . also worthy of note is kathy bates ( edward scissorhands , 1990 ) as a loud mouthed american . finally , the icing on the ' great things ' cake are the special effects . cameron is a whiz with effects ( just watch aliens ( 1988 ) , terminator 2 and true lies , 1994 ) and they are used very well throughout . the sweeps of the ships are awesome , although digital domain , who did the effects , can not animate human movement too well . the humans seem to move to ' smoothly ' , there 's just something odd about them . you can tell that they have been animated on a computer . of course , the ship sinking scenes are awesome , with bodies flying all over the place , and the scene where the ship splits in half has to be seen to be believed . titanic is one of the only films where effects have reinforced the film . titanic , then , is a wonder of directing , acting and cgi , but not writing and story . again , like most of camerons films , the editing is loose ( cameron edits himself ) , and the film could of come in under three hours with a few more cuts . titanic , then , although not the godfather of movies it could of been , is a wonderful attempt at creating a work of genius . enjoyable , scary , and even sad , titanic is a film cinema was invented for , filling the screen with incredible images , and assaulting the ears with awesome sound . a superb film , but sadly not perfect . overall rating= (

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titanic is so close to being the perfect movie it 's upsetting that it is n't . the film if it ' sunk ' ( pun intended ) is a labour of love for cameron , who wrote and directed the film . film ( see waterworld ( 1995 ) ) but titanic is far superior to kevin costners waterlogged epic . but sadly , titanic just misses the mark of masterpiece ( although it is one of cameron 's best films ) the film starts with present day explorers searching the own terminator 2 , 1992 ) but , luckily , there are some redeeming features that make the story and dialogue problems just disappear . firstly , there 's cameron 's direction . there are some great sweeping shots of the titanic , and some clever fades between the flashback titanic and the ruined titanic . but the scenes cameron directs especially well are the disaster scenes at the end . there is a lot of mayhem and panic , all done very well by cameron . it 's a scary sight , watching fall from great heights into the watery depths below . thanks to cameron 's direction , then , the audiences attention is held for the full 3 hours 15 minutes . to support the directing are the excellent cast , working very well with their underwritten characters . dicaprio is good , although he only looks 16 a over excitiable , yet also well mannered boy is excellent , and he also has some funny lines . winslet is great also , and her transistion from a well mannered rich girl to a rebelous young adult is pretty smooth . zane is deliciously evil as cal , saying every line with a sneer and 's in ( like dead calm , 1988 ) but he does it really , really well . also worthy of note is kathy bates ( edward 1990 ) as a loud mouthed american . finally , the icing on the ' great things ' cake are the special effects . cameron is a whiz with effects ( just watch aliens ( 1988 ) , terminator 2 and true lies , 1994 ) and they are used very well throughout .

on seeing the outrageous previews for bulworth one wonders what plot could possibly allow beatty get away with making those statements ( in case you missed it , warren beatty plays a politician on the campaign trail . he says to a black congregation " . . . if you ca n't cut down on malt liquor and chicken wings and get behind someone other than a running back who stabs his wife , you 're never gon na get rid of me . " ) well , there is such a plot , and it works very well in this comedy . beatty plays jay billington bulworth , a long - time democratic senator from california . the movie opens on a painfully repetitious montage of bulworth 's latest commercials condemning affirmative action . the montage is ironically intercut with pictures of martin luther king and bulworth in his youth working with jack kennedy . when we finally lay eyes on bulworth he is morosely weeping in front of his tv , having gone without food or sleep for days . his campaign is entering the final weekend before the primaries but his depression has sunk in too far for him to care . first he calls a lobbyist from the insurance industry to get a bribe - a $ 10 million life insurance policy in his daughter 's name . then he calls an associate to arrange for his own assassination . his assistant murphy ( oliver platt ) is oblivious to bulworth 's suicidal state and drags him to his speaking engagements . bulworth halfheartedly reads his speech at an african - american church , then takes questions from the audience . he is hit hard with questions about his voting record . he had promised money to help rebuild the community after the riots , and it has n't shown up . since he 's a dead man anyway , he figures he 'll answer truthfully : he and bill clinton and newt gingrich came to l . a . for the photo opportunity . they made some promises that improved their public image for a while , and then counted on the media and the public to eventually forget about the promises they made . the shock and outrage from the congregation grows , the questions keep coming , and he keeps shooting back honest , if ugly , answers . ( before i go further , i 'd like to make a distinction that the denver post failed to make , and that is that characterizing african - americans as malt - liquor drinking o . j . fans is not part of bulworth 's " truth . " that line is in the trailers but it should not be praised like the other political confessions he makes in the movie . when the critics praise beatty for speaking the truth about politics , this line is not what they 're talking about . ) the experience is liberating . with nothing left to lose , bulworth is no longer restricted to burping generic platitudes out of both sides of his mouth . he can say whatever he wants because he 's going to be dead anyway . why not tell the people the truth about being a sleazy politician - that he is bought and paid for by lobbyists , and that racism among the populace protects politicians from being the target of charges of classism ? bulworth 's candor wins him three volunteers from the church , one of whom , nikki ( halle barry ) , he gets a crush on . he feels so good afterwards that he actually eats something . chicken wings , appropriately enough . bulworth shows up late for his meeting with some movie studio executives . when one of them asks where he stands on government regulation of movie and tv ratings , bulworth drifts to the topic of the quality of filmed entertainment . with so much money and so many talented people working so hard , he wonders , why ca n't hollywood make a quality product . ( you go , warren ! ) when they become indignant and ask why he 's talking to them if he has such a low opinion of their product , he callously admits that it 's because they are rich jews . that night he drops the three african - american volunteers at their nightclub , and he decides to go in with them . he stays up all night drinking , smoking pot , dancing , falling in love with nikki , and learning to scratch turntables and rap . the next day , he shuns his prepared speech and instead raps to the suit - and - tie fundraisers . from then on , at all of his political appearances , he raps his political truth . his rap is not bad for a middle - aged white guy . he 's not very good , but it is his first try and at least he 's not embarrassingly bad . his lobbyists are not amused , but the rest of his constituency seems to like the new bulworth . eventually , the movie 's plot ( remember he hired a hit man ? ) overtakes the politics , which is too bad . screen time is spent with bulworth trying to cancel the request for his assassination while the hit man seems to be closing in on him . there are even a few gratuitous chase scenes , bulworth fleeing his killer . these scenes may have been necessary to keep the events of the film moving along , but it distracted and detracted from bulworth 's political ranting , which was much more interesting than the ever - present , obvious - looking assassin . still , most of the movie is original and very enjoyable , and beatty deserves most of credit for bringing it to the screen . as the story and screen writer , he came up first with a good structure , then with good dialogue to back it up ( jeremy pikser co - wrote the screenplay ) . as an actor , he was able to convincingly portray bulworth 's depression , then liberation and rebirth . as a producer ( there were four others ) he was able to keep the movie free from hollywood 's indulgent formulas ( except for those inexcusable chase scenes ) . someone else probably could have directed , but since he was there anyway , what the heck . it 's too bad that there are n't more movies like this around - movies that tackle political corruption in a way that challenges viewers to pay more attention to real politics . after all , much of the inspiration for bulworth is straight out of the news . just a little perception and insight and you could write your own bulworth rants . just do n't expect to be popular with the insurance companies .

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) well , there is such a plot , and it works very well in this comedy . beatty plays jay billington bulworth , a long - - present , obvious - looking assassin . still , most of the movie is original and very enjoyable , and beatty deserves most of credit for bringing it to the screen . as the story and screen writer , he came up first with a good structure , then with good dialogue to back it up ( jeremy pikser co - wrote the screenplay ) . as an actor , he was able to convincingly portray bulworth 's depression , then liberation and rebirth . as a producer ( there were four others ) he was able to keep the movie free from hollywood 's indulgent formulas ( except for those inexcusable chase scenes ) . someone since he was there anyway , what the heck . it 's too bad that there are n't more movies like this around - movies that tackle political corruption in a way that

american pie acknowledges a cold , hard fact that most movies do n't : it is very difficult to get laid . its four virgin heroes are jim ( biggs ) , a chronic masturbator , kev ( nicholas ) , who desperately wants to deflower his girlfriend ( reid ) , oz ( klein ) , a lacrosse player whose approach requires some fine tuning , and finch ( eddie kaye thomas ) , a germphobe ( his crass nickname is hilarious , but i wo n't spoil it here ) who pays a classmate to spread rumours about the size of his member . jim , kev , oz and finch attend a high school in suburban michigan full of so many impossibly beautiful women it 's no wonder they 're horny all the time . after a party at their studly friend stifler 's ( seann william scott , in the film 's sharpest performance ) house leaves them sexually unsatisfied , the quartet make a pact : to " lose it " by graduation - specifically , prom night , which is only a few weeks away . american pie is in the tradition of bachelor party or revenge of the nerds . almost every conversation these characters have revolves around makin ' whoopee . all women are there to be ogled . ( alyson hannigan 's perky music student is the only memorable female of the bunch . ) situations abound that defy logic only to arouse and/or amuse its core audience , adolescent boys . ( to arouse : nadia 's ( shannon elizabeth ) internet striptease - an unexpectedly raucous ( and guiltily pleasurable ) sequence . to amuse : jim 's lusty encounter with a hot apple pie . ) what differentiates american pie from those dirty eighties comedies , aside from a very nineties obsession with bodily fluids * , is a cast that 's light years more appealing than that of , say , just one of the guys . two more standouts : klein and " sctv " 's eugene levy . klein plays a kind - hearted athlete for the second time in a row , after alexander payne 's underappreciated election . i hope to see more of this warm actor with the disarmingly honest face very soon . levy 's is the most crowd - pleasing performance , and indeed , it 's nice to see him back on the big screen in a role that makes wonderful use of that expressive brow . american pie also wants to emulate the teen flicks your parents _ would _ let you watch growing up . it skillfully employs a broad mix of pop tunes , much like john hughes ' movies did , and even pays homage to the breakfast club a couple of times , most evidently when the prom band covers simple minds ' " do n't you ( forget about me ) . " the picture ultimately has a healthy , if obligatory , attitude towards safe sex - even at their most libidinous , american pie 's protagonists first whip out a condom . the filmmakers prove that socially responsible raunch is possible . for its familiarity and for its charming leads , i recommend american pie , but the buzz on this film had me expecting something . . . fresher . as far as the new teen cinema goes , it 's at the top of the heap . * do n't say i did n't warn you about the party scene .

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with bodily fluids * , is a cast that 's light years more appealing than that of , say , just one of the guys . two more standouts : klein and " sctv " 's eugene levy . a row , after alexander payne 's underappreciated election . i hope to see more of this warm actor with the disarmingly honest face very soon . levy 's is the most crowd - pleasing performance , and indeed , it 's nice to see him back on the big screen in a role that makes wonderful use of that expressive brow . american pie also wants to do n't you ( forget about me ) . " the picture ultimately has a healthy , if obligatory , attitude towards safe sex - even at their most libidinous , the filmmakers prove that socially responsible raunch is possible . for its familiarity and for its charming leads , i recommend american pie , but the buzz on this film had . as far as the new teen cinema goes , it 's at the top of the heap . * do n't say i did n't warn you

the 1998 summer movie season is still in its infancy . but after diasappointing films such as " godzilla " and " fear and loathing in las vegas " , it would be nice to see a really good film . but i doubt you could have expected this . the truman show is one of the most unique films i have ever seen , and it deserves a spot on the " decade 's best " list . there is no way to isolate any single component of this picture and proclaim , " yes , that 's what makes this film great . " the blend of peter weir 's masterful ( and in many ways brilliant ) direction , peter biziou 's stunning photography and jim carrey 's performance is what makes this film work so fantastically . there is something strangely beautiful about every shot in the truman show . it may be the use of color or the placement of characters in the frame , but everything about this film looks intentional and perfect . carrey has made a very wise choice . by playing mild - mannered truman burbank , he allows himself enough room to be comical , and therefore not alienating his true fans , while still showing a vulnerable and human side . that is a side which has been missing from nearly every major character he has played in his numerous commercial successes . truman burbank was born to an audience of millions . he was chosen before birth to be the focus of a 24 hour television show . everything in his environment is controlled by a team of technicians , led by the show 's director , christof ( played by ed harris ) . everyone in truman 's life is an actor or an extra . they are all being watched by millions of people around the globe , people who can tune in at any time of the day to see what is happening in truman 's life . but he is the only person that is not aware of it . the classification of the truman show may be tricky . the audience reacted to many of truman 's revelations with laughter . i did not laugh much during the film because i was so emotionally wrapped up with the character . the things that made the audience laugh gave me glassy eyes , because what was happening to him , indeed what had been done to him his whole life was wrong . so is this going to end up labeled as a comedy ? a drama ? it really depends on the audience . but to me , the truman show was a touching , sad tale about the extents to which a corporation will go to exploit human life for the entertainment of others . but above all else , the truman show was a stunningly beautiful picture with humor , heart and scary realism . oscar predictions in june are pointless , but if the truman show had been released on schedule in late fall or winter of 1997 , as originally planned , james cameron would be oscar - less .

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you could have expected this . the truman show is one of the most unique films i have ever seen , and it deserves a spot on the " decade 's best " list . there is no way to isolate any single component film great . " the blend of peter weir 's masterful ( and in many ways brilliant ) direction , peter biziou 's stunning photography and jim carrey 's performance is what makes this film work so fantastically . there is something strangely beautiful about every shot in or the placement of characters in the frame , but everything about this film looks intentional and perfect . carrey has made a very wise choice . by playing mild - mannered truman burbank , he the audience . but to me , the truman show was a touching , sad tale about the extents to which a corporation will go to . but above all else , the truman show was a stunningly beautiful picture with humor , heart and scary realism . oscar predictions in june are pointless , but if

one way of telling if a film is good or not is by the length . if a film is only 90 minutes , but feels like 300 minutes , then it 's crap . but if a film last 2 1/2 hours , and feels like 90 minutes , then it 's excellent . boogie nights falls into the latter catagory . the director , anderson , delivers a funny , hip , yet sometimes violent film , which flies along . mark whalberg , a . k . a marky mark , plays eddie adams , a seventeen year old with a certain ' gift ' in the midriff area . jack horner ( reynolds ) is a adult film director , who decides that eddie would be great in the adult movie business . after running away from home , eddie joins jack , changes his name to dirk diggler , and starts making erotic movies . in the movie business , dirk meets a whole load of characters ( which the film introduces very quickly and slickly ) such as scotty ( phillip seymour hoffman ) , rollergirl ( graham ) amber ( moore ) and floyd ( phillip baker hall ) , and little bill ( william h . macy ) all the characters are well written , well played , and the audience gets to know them pretty well , thanks to the excellent script . we learn about ambers grief about not being able to see her child due to a divorce , rollergirls hard time at school , and little bills wife , who sleeps with everyone except her husband . but the best thing about the excellent boogie nights is paul andersons direction and writing . the direction is fast , thrilling , and never holds up . there are some great shots , some lovely steadiocam and handheld camera sequences , and lots of other neat directional touches . the writing is fabulous , with some intelligent dialogue , some funny dialogue , but none of the dialogue is crap , like most hollywood films ( such as the lost world : jurassic park ( 1997 ) , or tommorow never dies ( 1997 ) . ) boogie nights really is a spectacular feat of direction and writing , on par ( and sometimes betters ) quentin tarantino 's films resevoir dogs ( 1992 ) and pulp fiction ( 1994 ) the soundtrack is also excellent . like american graffiti ( 1973 ) , the film features some great old songs on the soundtrack , which heightens the atmosphere , and gives the film an extra lift . also , the costumes are great . the clothes really do look like what people wore in the seventies and eighties . the film , although excellent , does have some flaws . firstly , wahlberg , although excellent , can not do highly scenes which require him to be angry . in both scenes where he has to act angry , his acting is so ' off ' , the scenes tension and anger is lost . but the rest of the cast are excellent . burt reynolds is brilliant , julianne moore shows real emotion , and william h . macy is great aswell ( but he always is . ) another flaw with the film , though , is that the ending seems a bit tacked on . it seems anderson saw the film was going on a bit , and needed to wrap up quickly . it 's a shame , really , as the rest of the film is perfectly paced . but they 're small niggles really . boogie nights is an excellent film . superb directing , writing , acting and music , all combine to make one spectacular film . whatever you do , do not miss out on boogie nights .

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, and feels like 90 minutes , then it 's excellent . boogie nights falls into the latter catagory . the director , anderson , delivers a funny , hip , yet sometimes violent film , which flies along . mark whalberg , a . k . a marky , and little bill ( william h . macy ) all the characters are well written , well played , and the audience gets to know them pretty well , thanks to the excellent script . we learn about ambers grief about not being able , who sleeps with everyone except her husband . but the best thing about the excellent boogie nights is paul andersons direction and writing . the direction is fast , thrilling , and never holds up . there are some great shots , some lovely steadiocam and handheld camera sequences , and lots of other neat directional touches . the writing is fabulous , with some intelligent dialogue , some funny dialogue , but none of the dialogue is crap , like most hollywood films ( such as the lost dies ( 1997 ) . ) boogie nights really is a spectacular feat of direction and writing , on par ( and sometimes betters ) quentin tarantino 's films resevoir dogs ( 1992 ) and pulp fiction ( 1994 ) the soundtrack is also excellent . like american graffiti ( 1973 ) , the film features some great old songs on the soundtrack , which heightens the atmosphere , and gives the film an extra lift . also , the costumes are great . the clothes really do look like what people wore in the seventies and eighties . the film , although excellent , does have some flaws . firstly , wahlberg , although excellent , can not do highly scenes which require him to , the scenes tension and anger is lost . but the rest of the cast are excellent . burt reynolds is brilliant , julianne moore shows real emotion , and william h . macy is great aswell ( but he always is . ) another flaw with the film , though , is that quickly . it 's a shame , really , as the rest of the film is perfectly paced . but they 're small niggles really . boogie nights is an excellent film . superb directing , writing , acting and music , all combine to make one spectacular film . whatever you do , do not miss out on boogie nights .

it 's ironic that the best films in cinema history are invariably the original director 's cut of the film . films such as aliens , the abyss , the wild bunch , blade runner , and terminator 2 are all prime examples of a filmmaker 's integrity , later chopped up or mucked with by the studio . the advent of the dvd format has provided a more accessible way to get these original cuts to the public and provide to film freaks like myself the ability to become further enraptured by the extension of such classic films . the dvd release of the original international version of luc besson 's 1995 masterpiece the professional , which is known as l ? on around the world , is a prime example of how a good film can become an instant classic as a director 's cut . for years , i have heard of an " international " version available only in laserdisc format , which has eluded me for years . i even bought a laserdisc player from my uncle don for 100 bucks just to watch certain directors ' cuts - including l ? on . but after countless searches in laserdisc stores , i could never find it . until now . the film follows the story of l ? on , played by jean reno , a professional hit man for an italian mob crew run by danny aiello . he lives next door to a ferociously independent 12-year - old girl named mathilda - played by then newcomer natalie portman , whose father is involved in drugs and crooked cops . one day , a crew of the cops - lead by gary oldman in an over - the - top performance - kills her entire family while mathilda is out buying groceries . taking pity on her , l ? on hides her in his apartment when she returns to save her life . mathilda learns of l ? on 's hit man profession and decides to follow in l ? on 's footsteps as a " cleaner . " she then falls in love with him and manages to reawaken emotions within l ? on he has kept locked away as part of his profession . at this point , the differences in the american version and the international version really kick in . the international version contains an additional 24 minutes of footage that pertains directly to the relationship of l ? on and mathilda , footage that american censors deemed " too explicit . " i assume that american censors feel that defining character development is too much for american audiences to handle . the best part of this extra footage is that gives better understanding of both mathilda 's and l ? on 's motivations pertaining to later actions involving oldman and his crew of bad cops . there 's even a previously unseen cameo by the great french actor jean - hugues anglade - star of queen margot , besson 's la femme nikita , and killing zoe . with these additional scenes replaced , l ? on and matilda 's relationship brings you emotionally closer to the film and draws stronger bonds between the characters that were murky in the american version . the most ironic thing about the international version of the film is that with the inclusion of the missing scenes , the film becomes primarily a heavy , emotional drama punctuated with big action scenes at the beginning and the end of the film . the film betters reflects the serious drama of french cinema but is laced with pieces reflecting the brutality of american cinema . my advice to everyone out there is to throw away your copy of the professional , throw down twenty bucks , and pick up this newly restored cinematic masterpiece . director / writer : luc besson producer : luc besson , claude besson starring : jean reno , natalie portman , gary oldman , danny aiello

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of the original international version of luc besson 's 1995 masterpiece the professional , which is known as l ? on around the world , is a prime example of how a good film can become an instant classic as a director 's cut . for years , i . the best part of this extra footage is that gives better understanding of both mathilda 's and l ? on 's motivations , throw down twenty bucks , and pick up this newly restored cinematic masterpiece . director / writer : luc besson producer : luc

while it was part of former yugoslavia , my country , croatia , used to be almost completely ignored by western films in general . words " croatia " and " croatians " were unheard , even in movies whose plots actually took place on croatian locations . the rare exception was the dogs of war , 1980 adaptation of frederick forsyth 's bestselling novel , yet that rare occasion only added insult to the injury , by mentioning croatians in most unflattering context . in a single line they are referred as a bunch of mean people , probably terrorists , who happen to remove parts of arm dealers ' stomachs when they are unsatisfied with the quality of merchandise . same line also illustrates the milieu where the movie takes place - dark and violent world of shady international deals with the blurred boundaries between business , politics and crime . the movie protagonist , shannon ( christopher walken ) is a mercenary who spent the best years of his life fighting numerous little wars all over the globe . his latest job is a intelligence mission for powerful mining corporation that demands information about political climate in west african nation of zangaro . shannon arrives in that country only to find oppressive regime of president kimba , bloodthirsty madman whose brutality crushed any opposition and scared almost any westerners away . after being arrested and tortured by kimba 's secret police , shannon leaves country with a help of british journalist north ( colin blakely ) . upon return , he is approached by mining company again , but this time they want him to plan and execute the coup d'etat against kimba . shannon reluctantly agrees and assembles small group of his surviving mercenary friends who begin meticulous preparation for another small war . thing that separates the dogs of war from conventional action movies , especially those made in 1980s , is its authenticity , almost close to documentary . it should n't surprise anyone , because the author of the novel , frederick forsyth , made reputation by blending fiction with real life , thus creating interesting , exciting yet very believable plots for his books . those plots were also responsible for few very successful 1970s thrillers , and one of them , zinnemman 's the day of the jackal , is now considered a classic in that genre . this one deals with soldiers of fortune , ancient tradition that was resurrected in great turmoil of 1960s and 1970s and filled the void left by vanishing colonial empires . unlike wild geese , that used it as a pretext for conventional action adventure , script by george malko and gary de vore ( author whose death last year became real life mystery ) is serious , and instead of action puts emphasis on characters and prosaic details of their work . the movie does n't try to romanticise the mercenary profession nor glorify mercenaries as some kind of superheroes ; they are simply shown as deadly yet expendable tool of powerful forces with questionable agenda . christopher walken played in many movies , yet very rarely we can see him in a leading role . his performance in this film perhaps is n't breathtaking , yet adequate . his notoriously expressionless face is perfect illustration of the disillusioned , world- weary man whose alienation from the " normal " way of life becomes complete and only remaining ideal is loyalty to the shrinking circle of friends . although the movie does n't lack capable actors , their roles are miniature compared with walken 's , and only colin blakely as cynical reporter has opportunity to portray his character . however , those who look familiar faces would find them plenty in the dogs of war - tom berenger , paul freeman , jo beth williams , victoria tennant ( in brief cameo ) , and biggest surprise is ed o'neill ( of married with children fame ) as shannon 's reluctant colleague . this was the first major production for john irvin , and it shows why he earned the reputation of capable , yet second class director . with the good script he can make very good movie , with the bad script he can make real mess . luckily , the dogs of war had a good script . irvin 's direction was very ascetic and it gave the movie almost documentary feel . the only distraction is dramatic music of geoffrey burgon , used on the wrong places . in the final battle scene , where we can see mercenaries at work , irvin shows us that modern warfare means superior firepower and tactics , unlike 1980s ramboesque fantasies that rely on macho superheroes . unfortunately , by making battle realistic irvin made it somewhat less attractive and his sloppy editing also did n't help . but , despite those shortcomings , this movie remains interesting and rare combination of action thriller and gritty , realistic political drama .

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friends who begin meticulous preparation for another small war . thing that separates the dogs of war from conventional action movies , especially those made in 1980s , is its authenticity , almost close to documentary . it should n't surprise made reputation by blending fiction with real life , thus creating interesting , exciting yet very believable plots for his books . those plots were also responsible for his performance in this film perhaps is n't breathtaking , yet adequate . his notoriously expressionless face is perfect illustration of the disillusioned , world- weary man whose alienation from make real mess . luckily , the dogs of war had a good script . irvin 's direction was very ascetic and it gave did n't help . but , despite those shortcomings , this movie remains interesting and rare combination of action thriller and gritty , realistic political drama .

the happy bastard 's quick movie review analyze this how does one do a comedy focused on the mob ? well , a few years ago , there was a sly little comedy called the freshman , which had marlon brando doing a romp of a send - up of his famous don corleone character and , recently , the utterly stupid ( in a bad way ) movie mafia ! failed to really get the joke . this time around , however , warner bros . may have gotten it right with analyze this , a movie that hits its targets more than it misses . . . and for plenty of reasons . the story goes like this . a mobster ( robert deniro ) finds himself receiving several panic attacks as of late , fueled by the stress of an upcoming mobster meeting and a near - death following a drive - by shooting . it 's these attacks that prompt him to hire a psychiatrist ( billy crystal ) who 's mostly reluctant to take the mobster 's case for two reasons . first , of course , he 's a mobster , but secondly , he 's trying to get married and enjoy a quiet honeymoon with his wife ( lisa kudrow ) and kid . and , of course , he ca n't rest worth for a moment because the mobster 's goons are always needing the shrink for something , be it a quick consultation or dream analyzation . fortunately , the movie is played out for plenty of laughs . director harold ramis ( who also helmed the comedy multiplicity , which was n't half bad ) keeps the tone peppy and light , even if it 's sometimes sprinkled by slight dramatic moments ( shootings ca n't always be taken for laughs , you know ) . deniro does some of his finest comic work since the king of comedy , giving off a somewhat similar performance to his role in goodfellas , but with a bit of a lighter heart . ( a scene where he tries to display his anger over the phone and fails miserably is hilarious . ) crystal plays an excellent straight man to deniro 's character , uplifting him from such bombs as father 's day and my giant . kudrow is also a hoot as crystal 's wife - to - be , who 's on the verge of a breakdown thanks to deniro 's presence . is the movie perfect ? not really , thanks to a simplistic ending and some slightly wasted moments with a character portrayed by chazz palminteri ( he 's a comic actor , too , come on , give him some more ! ) , but it is an enjoyable romp that lets deniro do something different but same for a change , taking his dramatic act to a new field of comedy . kudos to crystal and kudrow for not just making it his show , either . line of the movie : crystal : " when you said you needed family therapy , this is not the family i had in mind ! "

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. this time around , however , warner bros . may have gotten it right with analyze this , a movie that hits its targets more than it misses . . . and for plenty be taken for laughs , you know ) . deniro does some of his finest comic work since the king of comedy , giving off a somewhat to display his anger over the phone and fails miserably is hilarious . ) crystal plays an excellent straight man to deniro 's character , uplifting him from such bombs on , give him some more ! ) , but it is an enjoyable romp that lets deniro do something different but same for a change , taking his dramatic act to a new field of comedy . kudos to crystal and kudrow for not just making it his show , either . line of the movie : crystal : " when

this is a film about secrets , some that are innocent like those of a cute little farm girl , frances boyd ( ashley ) . others that are between a married couple that is impacting their relationship , like the problems of infertility affecting this upwardly mobile couple , geoffrey gaines ( stephen ramsey ) , the medical researcher working for a big corporation called fex and striving to get a patent for his experiment and become recognized in his field , and his artist wife , lillian ( miriam healy - louie ) , who reluctantly stands behind her husband suppressing her natural artistic tendencies in order to make the marriage work . and , still other secrets that have a greater implication for the world and are deadly in a political sense , of science carried out by the big corporations like it was a business run for the bottom line . receiving a summer grant to study " chemo - electric therapy , " geoffrey and his wife are hoping that a summer spent away from the intensity of the big city will bring back the romance that is dwindling from their marriage and that the casualness of the country atmosphere will give them more time together , as their three - year marriage has become shaky because he is more interested in his work than he is in her . he has slyly managed to keep his work as secretive as possible by locking himself in the lab , which is off limits to her , as he secretly goes about conducting experiments on rats and mice , convincing her that what he is doing is to benefit humanity with possible new treatments and cures to illnesses . his main argument is , that this is what the public wants , they do n't want to hear about how some animals had to die because of these experiments , they just want the benefits of science . that he is depicted as a monster creating another monster , much like frankenstein was created , is the argument skewed by the director against his bad science ( science as a business ) as opposed to the good science ( science that cares about the small farmer ) , which is represented by the handsome and almost perfect gentleman , alex vine ( david ) , a young ecologist who chooses to work in the field , trying to get the farmers to go back to organic farming . he is hired by the university to monitor the dangers of pesticides and all the chemicals the farmer is almost forced to use to survive financially , as it is doing irreparable harm to him and the consumer because of all the health risks attached to this new way of farming , methods that have just come about in the last thirty- years and are being pushed by the big companies to enhance their profit margins . the third view in all this is the artist 's , represented by lillian , who points out that the artist 's work is shown in public and scrutinized constantly , " why should n't the same be true of the scientist ? " she argues that the artist is the watchdog for the public , questioning what is good or evil in society , something that bad science has completely ignored . geoffrey , impatient to get ahead with his research , feels bogged down by the bureaucrats in his firm who fail to provide him with the three chimps he needs to experiment on , as he contacts one of the company 's higher ups to argue his case , but decides he ca n't wait any longer for their help , so he sets an animal trap in the countryside and catches chester , the gorgeous pet dog of frances , a dog that means so much to her and her family because he saved her life . while out in the field with the bloodied trapped dog already in the back seat of his car , he is spotted by alex and one of his co - workers , and nervously invites them to dinner with his wife , afraid that alex will spot what he is doing , as he rushes away from the area . in the dinner scene that was , unfortunately , flatly done , but was nevertheless the heart of the film , as all the main characters get a chance to speak out from the point of view they represent as they eat meat , a means of getting protein that the radical scientists have eschewed since they became so politically correct about everything . the scientists engage in a rational argument , highlighting their different points of view , while lillian reacts in an emotional way , siding mostly with david 's view but coming at it from a much different angle . it was as if the actors were puppets on strings that the director controlled and they just spewed out their generalized philosophies . that the director 's point of view is absolutely right , is beside the point . the point is that the characters lost their humanity and became one - dimensional characters . geoffrey was likened to a hideous monster , alex vine was likened to his last name , the one who holds fast to the ground ensuring that the plant has stability , while lillian was likened to the muse of poetry and art , the inspiration for goodness and beauty . alex has been spending a lot of time together with lillian , as these two seem to share the same views and are physically attracted to each other , but when the time is ripe for an affair to take place between them , lillian changes her mind and decides not to go up to alex 's apartment . geoffrey is already suspicious of alex and considers him an enemy , and the marriage seems to be coming apart and all his cunning tricks to possess her are no longer working , as it is now impossible to see any good in him and there becomes no reason why she would remain with him . the relationship has disintegrated way beyond the point of her just feeling lonely . the dog is discovered by alex and her in a deplorable state after geoffrey is seen by them electrically shocking it , and mercifully the dog dies . the only thing left for her to do is walk out of the marriage , but she also fails to respond to david 's loving gesture for her to stay with him , instead opting to head back to the city . the farmer whose dog was tortured to death comes into the scientist 's lab and knocks him cold while he was in the middle of a phone conversation with one of the higher - ups who told him all the animals he needs are on the way . what is progress ? what can one expect out of life ? is the small farmer about to become extinct ? the answers to these questions can best be answered by either good science or art , which are both closely related to the american natives vision of a world entrusted to mankind so that he can respect it and take care of it and enrich it with his creations to benefit mankind in a peaceful way . that this work fails to be subtle and polarizes opinions , leaving no room for deeper arguments , is the shame of this decent and smart film , that tried so hard to say what it felt it had to say but said it so loudly without trusting its audience to catch on to its message by not making everything seem so black and white . no telling said a lot about the harmful trends it sees science going in ; it probably said too much and would have been better off if its vision was more poetical and less didactic . there is something about listening to a lecture that turns off the rebel in me , as i do n't like being hit in the head with the truth but prefer to have it presented in the form that leads to inspiration or told metaphorically . that is not to say that i found the film without considerable merit , that inspite of its shortcomings , it was worth seeing because of its visual statements , though they were also not too subtle , they were at least effective in setting up the intense mood that the film needed to show that there is a mental war going on currently , of those who believe one way is right and others who differ with them , and that anyone who is neutral must be considered an enemy because of their indifference . the stakes in this ecological struggle are that high . perhaps the most powerful visual statement in the film , was the dead cow from pesticides shown in the opening scene . it was the image that lillian spent her time painting all summer and had the same affect for her as did the animal faces in picasso 's guernica had for him . both artists envisioned the horrors that man could do against the world , and represented this unspoken pain on the faces of the animals so that anyone who cares to really see what is going on , will not mistake which side of the fence he or she should be on . the pain that lillian feels , as she forgets about her desires to raise a family , and she stares at her painting of the cow and the song , " make the world go away " blares out from the background , after she has learned that frances ' beautiful and loving dog has been brutalized by her monster of a husband , all in the name of science , had a raw power to it that personalizes the dangers of bad science . perhaps , the most pertinent question the film asks , requires an answer that must be resolved by the farmers and the consumers who are most caught in the changing world and its new way of doing business , as the question becomes , can science be happily married with art ?

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no room for deeper arguments , is the shame of this decent and smart film , that tried so hard to say what it felt without considerable merit , that inspite of its shortcomings , it was worth seeing because of its visual statements , though they were also not too subtle , they were at least effective in setting up the intense mood that the film needed to show that there is a

this british import follows the ( mis- ) adventures of a group of heroin crazed scottish youths . there is marc renton ( who narrates ) , spud ( the dim - witted one ) sick boy ( the sean connery obsessive ) , and begbee ( the violence obsessive ) . powered by a top rate , but not top name soundtrack ( iggy pop , sleeper , elastica , lou reed . . . ) the film follows renton who gets clean , gets back into heroin and gets clean again . some of the wit in this movie is sharp and pulp fiction - esque , and some is just dumb & dumber gross ( the bed sheets ) and stupid ( the bb gun ) although the film starts out on a comic note , it takes a sharp term in the middle , and becomes almost depressing . the film is based on an irving welsh novel bearing the same title . i can honestly say that this is one of the best movies i have ever seen . it is an obscure gem that has been over shadowed in the us by such movies as mission impossible and id4 . the film is hard to follow with the heavy accents of the actors . this is a very original film , as far as films go today . it definetly deserves multiple viewings ( partly because of the slang and accents ) jeremy dennison mr . orange@centuryinter . net

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, gets back into heroin and gets clean again . some of the wit in this movie is sharp and pulp fiction - esque , and some is just same title . i can honestly say that this is one of the best movies i have ever seen . it is an obscure gem that has been over shadowed in the us by such movies as mission impossible and with the heavy accents of the actors . this is a very original film , as far as films go today . it definetly deserves multiple viewings ( partly because of the slang and accents ) jeremy

you may not have heard of lucas , or if you have , you might not think much of it . probably because it stars corey haim , or maybe because it 's about a little geek who collects insects , or maybe because it does n't feature slick one - liners or the chart topping soundtrack albums that were almost a requirement for teen films in the 80 's . however , you have been missing out on a true masterpeice , the best film of 1986 , and the best film about adolescent life ever made . corey haim stars as lucas bligh , a tiny 14 year old with scruffy hair , thick glasses , and an interest in insects and other outdoor life . one day he stops by the tennis courts and sees what must be an angel to him . her name is maggie , a 16 year old who certainly is a beauty , with lovely red hair and a sweet , innocent complexion . maggie seems to be a little disturbed by this little kid watching her , but somehow he interests her , and soon they are talking and getting to know one another . they gradually become good friends , and spend the summer together doing various things , such as studying insects ( namely locusts , who come out of hiding once every 17 years ) , playing tennis , and listening to a symphony orchestra through a manhole cover . lucas is obviously in love with maggie , and while she is charmed by him , it 's clear that she would never consider him anything more than a very good friend . this is not clear to lucas , however . he still beleives that maggie is his soulmate , and he dreads the impending start of school because he knows what 's about to happen . we soon find out why in a painful scene where lucas is humiliated by the jocks during a pep rally . they throw him on stage , right in front of his beloved maggie . surprisingly , he turns the tables on the jocks with some clowning around , but he takes it too far , and is embarassed in front of the entire school . the next scene is brilliant . maggie follows lucas outside of the pep rally . she tries to talk to him as if nothing happened . he rails back against her , in a cruel unfair fashion . in lesser movies this would 've turned into a confrontation between the two characters . but maggie is written smarter than that . she understands what lucas is feeling and knows exactly what to say to console him . next we are introduced to another great character named cappie ( charlie sheen ) . he is a jock with a typical cheerleader girlfriend . what 's interesting about him is that he sticks up for lucas and protects him from the other jocks . of course anyone with a brain can tell what 's gon na happen next . cappie will cause conflict in maggie and lucas ' relationship . this begins in classic scene in the school laundry room when cappie and maggie are alone . she 's been assigned to show him how to operate the washer / dryer so he can clean his shirt . maggie is charmed by cappie 's tender undertsanding demeanor , not to mention his shirtless body . this scene is so delicate and sweet , but cappie still has a girlfriend , preventing either one from acting on their desires . desperately trying to puncture the tension , cappie begins to kick basketballs around the room . it 's not long before cappie does break up with his girlfriend ( in the films only subpar scene ) . lucas finally figures out what 's going on when he tries to pick maggie up for the dance . this causes him to take severe actions to prove himself to maggie and himself , such as try out for the football team . the last third of the film revolves around this attempt . while the idea seems cliched , the way it is executed is not . there are many surprises during the last half hour which lead to an ending so emotionally involving it should make the most heartless of cynics get choked up . dave grusin 's memorable score , played at the perfect moments , certainly helps . lucas is filled with great performances . forget everything you know about corey haim . back in 1986 he had talent , and that is proven here as he delivers a perfect fully 3-dimensional performance filled with anger , humor , and pain . kerri green is very appealing as maggie , showing us why she cares about lucas so much and why he is so attracted to her . sheen 's cappie is almost too good to be true , but sheen makes him beleivable , especially when he explains the reason why he protects lucas . there are other wonderful minor characters such as ciro popitti 's ben , a friend of lucas , whose diminutive stature does not mean he will take crap from the jocks . also turning up in a few key scenes is winona ryder as rina , the girl who admires lucas from afar . when people talk about the great teen angst films of the 80s , you hear john hughes this and john hughes that . lucas seems to be lost among the crowd of his so - called classics . but hopefully , like with heathers and say anything , lucas can begin to find it 's own loyal following and help people realize there were more to the 80s than anthony michael hall and molly ringwald . it deserves more than that , but i do n't want to be greedy .

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's . however , you have been missing out on a true masterpeice , the best film of 1986 , and the best film about adolescent life ever made . corey haim stars as lucas bligh , a tiny and is embarassed in front of the entire school . the next scene is brilliant . maggie follows lucas outside of the pep rally . cliched , the way it is executed is not . there are many surprises during the last half hour which lead to an ending so emotionally involving it should make the most heartless of cynics get choked up . dave grusin 's memorable score , played at the perfect moments , certainly helps . lucas is filled with great performances . forget everything you know about corey haim . back in 1986 he had talent , and that is proven here as he delivers a perfect fully 3-dimensional performance filled with anger , humor , and pain . kerri green is very appealing as maggie , showing us why she cares about lucas hopefully , like with heathers and say anything , lucas can begin to find it 's own loyal following and help people realize there were more to the 80s than anthony michael hall and molly ringwald . it deserves more than that , but i do n't want to be greedy .

in arguably the most anticipated movie this century , george lucas has achieved a very mixed reaction to a sure blockbuster . despite the fact the script and plot is a bit of a let down , the entire movie on the whole can be considered a milestone in technical excellence , in the sound and special effects department . in terms of characters , by far the most outstanding and interesting is queen amidala ( natalie portman ) , whose mature performance far exceeds her tender 14 years of age . she is one ? hot ' babe who defines true ? woman leadership ' . she not only has a presence , but knows how to take command of the situation and save her planet from ruination . no thanks to the jedi knights who although led by the force , lack leadership qualities in terms of thinking up a plan to do anything . the young obi - wan kenobi ( ewan mcgregor ) who has a bad hair day in every scene , gets to kill a bad guy in the end , but lacks a love interest to make him a desirable sort of hero . in fact all the jedi knight are a bit asexual - there must be something about the force which makes them all hermits and loners . i mean it would be interesting to see yoda 's girlfriend for a change , if he has one . not much better is qui - gon jinn ( liam neeson ) who mostly broods , and has a better hair do than obi - wan , but only to find the young anakin skywalker and make the biggest mistake of his life . also fascinating is george lucas ? metoclorian ' theory , which claims that micro - organisms live within our cells and tie us to the fabric of the universe . and it is the high concentrations of these organisms in an individual which make them particularly powerful in the force . more humerous are the claims to the immaculate conception of darth vader , no doubt a concept stolen from the christian faith , except there will be no christmas to celebrate the birth of this dark emissary of the force . overall an experience which is not to be missed because of the very fact that it 's predecessor almost command a viewing of this inferior successor . by all means not the pinnacle of the star wars phenomena but an adequate addition to the clan . watch out for the next one , it should be one steamy encounter between queen amidala and anakin skywalker - who i believe should be portrayed by ? leonardo di caprio .

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and plot is a bit of a let down , the entire movie on the whole can be considered a milestone in technical excellence , in the sound and special effects department . in interesting is queen amidala ( natalie portman ) , whose mature performance far exceeds her tender 14 years of age . she is one and make the biggest mistake of his life . also fascinating is george lucas ? metoclorian ' theory , which claims birth of this dark emissary of the force . overall an experience which is not to be missed because of the very fact that it 's predecessor almost means not the pinnacle of the star wars phenomena but an adequate addition to the clan . watch out for the next one

felix ( sami bouajila , " the siege " ) lives a contented life with his boyfriend daniel ( pierre - loup rajot ) in the little town of dieppe in northern france . when he is laid off from his job , after discovering the address of the father who abandoned him before he was born , he decides to journey to marseilles , in the south , to find the man he never met in " the adventures of felix . " writers / directors olivier ducastel and jacques martineau made their debut with the musical comedy " jeanne and the perfect guy , " embracing that typically american genre . their second effort , " the adventures of felix , " once again borrows from america with a tale of a young man who hits the road to find himself . felix is happy with his life in dieppe , but when the ferry company he works for falls prey to the economics of the chunnel , he is out of a job and at loose ends . when he goes through his late mother 's papers he learns that the father he never knew is living in marseilles , hundreds of miles away . felix makes the snap decision to journey to the south , puts together a supply of " cocktails " for his hiv virus , kisses daniel goodbye and heads off on foot . he refuses to use trains and wants to avoid big cities as he hitchhikes across france to find his destiny . along the way , a series of chance encounters with various strangers teaches felix that family is not always made up of blood relations . on the road , he witnesses a race - related mugging that turns into murder and , frightened for his own safety , runs away without telling the police . following this harrowing experience , he has his first chance meeting that begins the unconscious construction of his ideal family . his journey brings him to rouen , and the film 's first title section , " my little brother , " where he meets jules , a young art student who becomes smitten with felix . they steal a car and develop a chaste , brotherly affection before felix must move on . he next meets elderly mathilde ( patachou ) , in the chapter titled " my grandmother , " and soon learns that she , too , has a fondness for the same tv soap opera that felix has grown addicted to . she wants him to stay with her , but he must continue on his way to find his father . in the weakest chapter of felix 's road trip , titled " my cousin , " he meets a railroad worker ( philippe garziano ) and has a brief sexual encounter before heading off , once again , toward marseilles . he next helps a stranded lady motorist , isabelle ( ariane ascaride ) , and shags a ride with her and her three kids ( each with a different daddy ) in the sequence titled " my sister . " he is torn by the inner turmoil of not going to the police about the murder he witnessed and isabelle comforts him just as a sister would . on the final leg of the journey titled " my father , " he meets an older man , a fisherman ( maurice benichou ) , who enlightens him about the real facts of life and family while they fly felix 's kite , just like a father and son . " the adventures of felix " has a number of things going for it as we follow felix on his journey of discovery . first and foremost is the charming performance by sami bouajila as felix . he is a likable guy , fighting his hiv with his doses of " cocktails , " and lights up the screen as he makes the long walk , often with dance and song , to find his father and himself . as he encounters each member of his new family , promising each that he will send a postcard when he arrives at his final destination , he grows a little bit more spiritually and emotionally . bouajila does a terrific job holding center stage on the screen . the cast of characters making up felix 's new - found family are nearly as charming as the star , each in their own way . patachou , especially , is wonderful as the grandma character and a kindred spirit to felix . ariane ascaride , along with her kids , gives a perf that really makes you think of her as the sister that the young man never had . only the " cousin " chapter lacks the emotional depth of the rest and feels like a perfunctory addition to felix 's " family . " " the adventures of felix " does not reinvent the road movie , but it does provide a charismatic telling of a young man 's journey to find himself and , to his surprise , his discovery is dramatically different than he expected at the beginning . it helps that cinematographer matthieu poirot - delpech 's crisp lensing compliments the story perfectly as felix moves across the french countryside . i give it a b+ .

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father and son . " the adventures of felix " has a number of things going for it as we follow felix on his journey of discovery . first and foremost is the charming performance by sami bouajila as felix . he is a likable grows a little bit more spiritually and emotionally . bouajila does a terrific job holding center stage on the screen . the cast of characters making up felix 's new - found family are nearly as charming as the star , each in their own way . patachou , especially , is wonderful as the grandma character and a kindred spirit to felix " does not reinvent the road movie , but it does provide a charismatic telling of a young man 's journey to find himself and . it helps that cinematographer matthieu poirot - delpech 's crisp lensing compliments the story perfectly as felix moves across the french countryside . i give

i know that " funnest " is n't a word . " fun " is a noun , and therefore can not be conjugated like an adjective . but that 's the word that came to me right after viewing " chicken run . " no wonder : this is the kind of movie that reduces you to childish expressions , like " that was the funnest movie i 've ever seen ! " so to hell with webster 's -- " chicken run " is one of the funnest movies i 've seen in a while . i ca n't remember the last time i 've seen anything funner . the chickens at tweedy 's farm are up to something . living in a concentration camp - like atmosphere , they are led by one plucky hen called ginger ( voice of julia sawalha ) who continually comes up with plans for escape -- and always gets caught , subsequently spending day after day in the coal box . one night , a brash american rooster flies in over the fence , calling himself rocky ( mel gibson ) , famous flying rooster and circus performer . rocky promises to teach the chickens how to fly , and the situation grows more desperate as the nefarious mrs . tweedy ( miranda richardson ) decides to abandon the farm 's egg - selling plan for a pie - selling plan . she orders a huge pie - making machine , cackling , " chickens go in ; pies come out . " what sort of pies ? chicken pies , of course . co - director nick park and his studio , aardman animation , produced three oscar - winning short films : " creature comforts , " " the wrong trousers , " and " a close shave . " the latter two were the second and third installments of a trilogy starring the delightful team wallace & gromit , a man and his dog famous for getting themselves into increasingly peculiar adventures . part of what made the " wallace " films brilliantly entertaining was park 's uncanny ability to make an old story seem new . " the wrong trousers , " for example , pulled out a lot of old hitchcockian suspense tricks , and " a close shave " owed a great deal of inspiration to classic detective stories . but in the hands of park and his team , the stories felt fresh and inspired , and not the least bit contrived . now teaming with co - director peter lord , park has created a similar creature in " chicken run . " the plot is largely lifted from " the great escape " ( watch for a quick reference to the ball - bouncing scene ) , with some spielberg - inspired action sequences providing the excitement . thing is , the film does n't feel like it 's been lifted from somewhere else ; " chicken run " feels fresh , alive , like nothing else ever done . part of it is the original idea : who in the world came up with the idea to make a prisoners - of - war movie starring chickens ? park and lord milk the incongruity for all it 's worth : the characters treat their situation as if it were dead serious , and to them , it is . but they 're * chickens * , so it 's funny to us . another thing that helps " chicken run " ( and most of park 's films ) succeed is the animators ' subtle way of giving nods to the very films they 're cribbing . there are references to " the great escape , " obviously , and " stalag 17 . " the chase sequence inside the chicken grinder parodies both " raiders of the lost ark " and " indiana jones and the temple of doom . " there 's even a nod to " the blues brothers , " if you can believe it , and the filmmakers even get in a little light - hearted ribbing at the expense of their star voice actor , taking a couple of very subtle jabs at mel gibson 's nationality and film history . the " braveheart " reference is a hoot if you catch it . when you consider just how fine a line resides between a funny parody and a redundant one , " chicken run " is downright brilliant in its execution . consider this : since july of last year , i 've seen dozens upon dozens of " blair witch project " parodies , on television , on the radio , and online . out of all those , maybe one or two were amusing , the rest tiresome . why ? because once you got past the thought that " they 're parodying that ' blair witch ' movie , " most of the parodies had nothing to offer -- no insight , no original idea , no greater purpose . they were only funny if you had seen the movie ; otherwise , you got nothing . conversely , " chicken run " does n't lean on its parodies -- the film references are never the sole focus of any scene . if you 've never seen " indiana jones , " the chase sequence is still fun . even if you have no idea who mel gibson is , rocky remains an interesting character . park , lord , and screenwriter karey kirkpatrick realize that an audience does not need a parody shoved in their faces before it 's understood , and as a result , " chicken run " is filled with visual and verbal jabs that are never too obvious , but not quite vague either . enjoyment of this movie does n't require knowledge of film history , but if you 've got it , " chicken run " is that much richer . the voice cast turns in uniformly lively performances , and the characters they play are given so many subtle nuances that it 's hard not to fall in love with every one of them . ginger is perfect , spunky and opinionated , but with a soft heart that forbids her to leave her companions behind , and julia sawalha ( known as the cute mousy girl on " absolutely fabulous " ) nails it . she has warm , human chemistry with gibson , whose rocky hides his personal doubt under a brash gung - ho veneer . the characters ' inevitable romance does n't feel contrived , but sweet . poor mr . tweedy ( tony haygarth ) suspects the chickens are organizing in some way , but his limited intellect prevents him from figuring things out , and his overbearing wife certainly is n't any help . jane horrocks delivers a lovely voice characterization as tragically optimistic babs ( a hen that runs away with most of the best one - liners , all while perpetually crocheting a sweater ) , and two supply - trading rats that seem to have walked straight out of a monty python sketch nearly steal the show during the lively central swing - dancing sequence . they even come up with an inspired riff on something that 's baffled scholars and theologians alike for decades : the chicken vs . egg dilemma . one might have expected this inevitable joke to come off as wearisome , but as with most of " chicken run , " it comes as a delightful surprise . the film manages to cross all barriers ; it should be accessible to both children and adults , brits and yanks , rats and chickens . the animation is first - rate . remember that this was all done the old - fashioned way , with actual humans moving clay figurines around on a tiny set bit by painstaking bit , and you see just how truly remarkable " chicken run " really is . this movie possesses that same quality that makes pixar studios ' animation great : precise and unwavering attention to detail . as in such top - notch family fare as " a bug 's life " or " toy story 2 , " " chicken run " has something to offer in nearly every frame . certainly a passive viewer can enjoy it as a straightforward story with a worthwhile moral and some surprisingly touching scenes , but a active , attentive viewers will enjoy it even more because they 'll catch all the details . anyway , the movie 's just a boatload of fun . funnest damn movie i 've seen all year .

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hell with webster 's -- " chicken run " is one of the funnest movies i 've seen in a while . i ca n't remember the last time i 've been lifted from somewhere else ; " chicken run " feels fresh , alive , like nothing else ever done . part of it is the original idea : who is . but they 're * chickens * , so it 's funny to us . another thing that helps " chicken run " ( nationality and film history . the " braveheart " reference is a hoot if you catch it . when you consider just how parody and a redundant one , " chicken run " is downright brilliant in its execution . consider this : since july of last year , if you 've never seen " indiana jones , " the chase sequence is still fun . even if you have no idea who mel gibson is , rocky remains an interesting character . park , lord , and screenwriter karey kirkpatrick realize run " is that much richer . the voice cast turns in uniformly lively performances , and the characters they play are given so many but as with most of " chicken run , " it comes as a delightful surprise . the film manages to cross all barriers ; it should be accessible to both children and adults , brits and yanks , rats and chickens . the animation is first - rate . remember that this was all done the old - bit by painstaking bit , and you see just how truly remarkable " chicken run " really is . this movie possesses same quality that makes pixar studios ' animation great : precise and unwavering attention to detail . as in such top - notch family fare as " toy story 2 , " " chicken run " has something to offer in nearly every frame . certainly a passive viewer can enjoy it as a straightforward story with a worthwhile moral and some surprisingly touching scenes , but a active , attentive viewers will enjoy it even more because they 'll catch all the details . anyway , the movie 's just a boatload of fun . funnest damn movie i 've seen all year .

after the press screening of " moulin rouge , " i stood in the lobby of the theater listening to the reactions of my friends and colleagues . everyone seemed a bit numb , understandable after sitting through a barrage of often - incongruous sounds and images . a pal of mine simply said that he loved the film and could hardly wait to take his wife to see it . another enthusiast immediately began to analyze the production , while a woman who flat - out hated the movie gave him the skunk eye . when one fellow quietly stated " i 've never really been a fan of musicals , " the statement surprised me because , even though the story is told almost completely through song , i did n't think of it as a musical . there is so much going on in " moulin rouge " that " musical " seems too small a term to cover it . " moulin rouge " is the kind of creation that sends critics scurrying off to the big tub o ' adjectives in search of proper words to describe the experience . australian director baz luhrmann , the man behind " strictly ballroom " and " romeo + juliet , " fills the heads of viewers with unique camerawork , opulent imagery and songs ranging from " the sound of music " to " smells like teen spirit . " sumptuous and beautiful , vulgar and overdone , " moulin rogue " travels through the looking glass while an ethereal stereo loaded with 50 years worth of catchy tunes operates on the " random " setting . oh , and it has a story as well . " it was 1899 , the summer of love . . . " christian ( ewan mcgregor ) is a penniless young writer newly arrived in paris , " to write about truth , beauty , freedom and love , " where he encounters a group of bohemians , led by henri de toulouse - lautrec ( john leguizamo ) . christian meets satine ( nicole kidman ) , a courtesan from the legendary moulin rogue , and his world transforms from black and white to technicolor . at once fragile and vivacious , the dazzling red - haired woman sweeps him off his feet without even trying . christian instantly falls in love with her and satine finds herself smitten with him as well , which is quite a hindrance for someone in her profession . working with the bohemians and moulin rogue impresario harold zidler ( jim broadbent ) , christian writes an opus modestly named " spectacular spectacular . " zidler quickly finds a backer , the wealthy duke of monroth ( richard roxburgh ) , but there 's a catch ? the duke also wants the hand of the fair satine . as if all that is n't enough , satine has a cough , and while a cough in the real world probably indicates a cold , it rarely turns out to be anything that simple in movie land . like a teeter - totter , " moulin rogue " moves up and down between the ridiculous and the sublime . one of the loveliest moments comes as christine and satine commune outdoors at night , becoming part of a defiantly unrealistic parisian cityscape straight from a book of fairy tales . together they dance , while serenaded by the man in the moon ( alessandro safina provides the vocals ) , apparently transported from the classic georges m ? li ? s silent film to guard the nocturnal sky . other scenes merely traffic in everything - and - the - kitchen - sink overload . the cavorting of toulouse - lautrec and his comrades gets strained at times and some of their overt comedy , accompanied by cartoon sound effects , is overly reminiscent of the frenzied farce that sitcoms like " bewitched " beat into the ground . of course , sensory overload was exactly what baz luhrmann had in mind . " we never heard from baz to turn it down , " one of the actors told the los angeles times . " it was always , ' more ! more ! ' " the director even sent a note to his cast reading , " i dare you to make me say you 've gone too far . " the musical numbers reflect his attitude . one knockout piece , the " elephant love medley , " incorporates the beatles ' " all you need is love , " u2 's " in the name of love , " dolly parton 's " i will always love you " and elton john and bernie taupin 's " your song . " need more ? how about " diamonds are a girl 's best friend " spiced with portions of " material girl ? " luhrmann 's cast offers a wide variety of approaches that , together , add up to something messy , but often wonderful . ewan mcgregor is extremely likable as christian , emphasizing the sincerity of the love - struck poet . mcgregor 's singing voice is robust and adds vigor at just the right moments . once labeled the " ice queen , " nicole kidman melts that characterization with a sizzling , yet tender , performance . she handles the songs adroitly , although her voice sounds a bit thin in the upper range . veteran character actor jim broadbent is suitably larger than life as ringmaster zidler ? wait until you see him perform " like a virgin . " as the buffoonish duke , richard roxburgh proves to be the film 's weakest link , although i 'm sure he was simply following instructions . i suspect " moulin rogue " will be one of those love - it - or - hate - it films . while i did n't completely love it , i most certainly liked it a lot . over the course of a year , i see well over 300 movies , and most of them look like xeroxes of each other . " moulin rogue " is an original , and an original , even a flawed one , is a thing to be cherished .

1POS

+ juliet , " fills the heads of viewers with unique camerawork , opulent imagery and songs ranging from " the sound up and down between the ridiculous and the sublime . one of the loveliest moments comes as christine and satine commune outdoors at night , to something messy , but often wonderful . ewan mcgregor is extremely likable as christian , emphasizing the sincerity of the love - struck poet . mcgregor 's singing voice is robust and adds vigor at just the right moments . once labeled the " ice queen , " nicole kidman melts that characterization with a sizzling , yet tender , performance . she handles the songs adroitly , although her voice sounds a bit thin in the upper range . veteran character actor jim broadbent is suitably larger than life as ringmaster zidler ? wait until you see him perform films . while i did n't completely love it , i most certainly liked it a lot . over the course of a year , i see like xeroxes of each other . " moulin rogue " is an original , and an original , even a flawed one , is a thing to be cherished .

" living out loud , " is the type of motion picture we do n't often see : it is a film about mature , intelligent adults , instead of the usual american film , in which children basically dress up in grown - up clothing and parade around acting like immature seven - year - olds . judith ( holly hunter ) , a fortysomething living in new york city , has been having a difficult time with life lately . she is extremely depressed about her recent divorce to her husband ( martin donovan ) , who had been cheating on her . she can not sleep , haunted by terrible memories , often imagines off - the - wall things to try and make the world seem like a better place , and the only place she can really go to feel happy is to hear one of her favorite singers , liz bailey ( queen latifah ) , perform at a local club . judith 's life does start to brighten a little when , one night when she gets home to her apartment late , strikes up a conversation with the elevator operator , pat ( danny devito ) , a lonely man in his fifties whom has lost his daughter recently . both of them create a sort of emotional connection with each other , seeking comfort with the other person , but while pat starts to form a deep love for her , judith only wants to remain friends . " living out loud , " which was written by richard lagravenese ( " the bridges of madison county " ) , who is also making his directing debut here , is a wonderful film from beginning to end , one that is honest , genuinely funny , and poignant . the three central characters , that of judith , pat , and liz , are all written to be free - thinking , complex human beings , and are all likable , but flawed , people who are constantly interesting , as is the film itself . one highly original element of the film is that judith occasionally imagines things occuring in her mind in the way she wishes they would happen . sometimes it results in comedy , and sometimes it turns out to be subtle and truly touching . one sequence that stands out is when judith is at a restaurant by herself , reading a novel . an older woman comes over to her , mentions that that is a great book she is reading , and then goes over to join her own friends . as the woman sits down , she looks over to see judith by herself , and motions for her to come join them . instantly , we realize this was simply in judith 's mind , as we see the same woman just sit down at the table and begin talking to her friends . holly hunter and danny devito both give the performances of their careers here . hunter , of course , was brilliant in 1993 's " the piano , " for which she won an academy award , but in this film she is even better , i think . she finds the right note for each scene and holds it . and devito has never had such a humanistic role before , which i was surprised about . usually he is used as the butt of a joke , or as a caricature , but in this film , has a living - and - breathing , sympathetic person to play . topping it all off is latifah , also a singer , who is quickly turning into a respectable actress herself , and has a juicy , natural supporting role as , in some ways , judith 's role model . another joy of the film is that it does not somehow form a contrived , " happy " ending , but , in staying with its realistic tone , manages to be upbeat , but truthful . the last shot is an especially powerful image . nothing is said , but just the image of someone walking down a sidewalk says it all . the relationship that results between judith and pat is true - to - life and sincere . as we watch these two people talk , and get to know each other , all that we wish for them both is to be happy , even if that does not include for them to become romantically involved . and as , " living out loud , " which is one of the best films of the year , proves , sometimes a friendship is the strongest bond anyone could possibly ask for .

1POS

who is also making his directing debut here , is a wonderful film from beginning to end , one that is honest , genuinely funny , and poignant . the three central characters , that of judith , pat , and liz , are all written to be free - thinking , complex human beings , and are all likable , but flawed , people who are constantly interesting , as is the film itself . one highly original element of the film is that judith occasionally imagines things occuring talking to her friends . holly hunter and danny devito both give the performances of their careers here . hunter , of course , was brilliant in 1993 she won an academy award , but in this film she is even better , i think . she finds the right note for each scene and holds it . and devito has never had such a humanistic role before , which i was surprised about . usually he is used as the butt of a off is latifah , also a singer , who is quickly turning into a respectable actress herself , and has a juicy , natural supporting role as , in some ways , judith 's role model . another joy of the film is that it does not somehow form a contrived , be upbeat , but truthful . the last shot is an especially powerful image . nothing is said , but just the image of as , " living out loud , " which is one of the best films of the year , proves , sometimes a friendship is the strongest bond

` oh behave ! felicity shagwell is one shagadellic babe . do i make your horny ? female fembots with breasts that require gun controlling . anything that resembles bananas and two balls of icecream . the nut - biting finale between mini me and austin . all that body hair is a real turn on , it 's a pity more leading men do n't wear it on screen . anything that vaguely resembles sausages and eggs . fat bastard . the love scene between felicity and fat bastard , that redefines sex . the wrongly implied love scene in the tent that redefines anal sex . the love scene between austin and ivana humpalot , that redefines chess and oral sex . the love scene between dr . evil and frau farbissina , that redefines weird sex . the love affair between austin and felicity , that does not happen , because his mojo goes missing . the relationship between dr evil , himself and mini me which redefines a solo love affair . the unique relationship between dr evil and his son scott www . com . zip , that says a lot about our relationship with our children nowadays . weanies , johnny , richard , dick etc . ' this movie is every bit as silly and crazy as the first . there are moments that will make your sick , which are probably best forgotten , but overall mike myers has redefined what it means to be an international spy and leading man .

1POS

` oh behave ! felicity shagwell is one shagadellic babe . do i make your horny ? female fembots with and mini me which redefines a solo love affair . the unique relationship between dr evil and his son scott www . com johnny , richard , dick etc . ' this movie is every bit as silly and crazy as the first . there are moments that will make your sick , which are probably best forgotten , but overall mike myers has redefined what it means to be an international spy and leading man .

written by john grisham and robert altman ( as al hayes ) directed by robert altman some time ago , a young director was given the opportunity to direct the screen version of a popular novel . the novel was a summer smash , topping best - seller lists across the country and already drawing speculation as to which popular actors of the day might play the leads . the only problem : the novel was n't very good . it was far more pulp than pulitzer . but the director realized that , no matter how pedestrian the prose , this book really grabbed people - that the author , while not a great writer , was a fantastic storyteller . so he took on the project , convinced he could make something happen on screen . the director ? francis ford coppola . the book , of course , was mario puzo 's the godfather . the rest , as they say in showbiz , was history . by bringing up the godfather , i do n't mean to suggest that robert altman 's the gingerbread man is destined for that level of greatness . but the parallel does suggest that it is possible to create great cinema from questionable source material . can you get any more questionable than john grisham ? depends on whom you ask . but there 's no question that grisham 's work grabs people . like puzo , grisham is a better storyteller than a writer - unlike fellow hack michael crichton , who is a good idea man but who ca n't tell a well - constructed story from a can of spam . so something in grisham 's unpublished story of a cocky savannah lawyer who gets involved in a deadly family squabble drew the attention of robert altman , who at 73 years old remains one of america 's greatest living filmmakers . the result is a gripping thriller that , while falling short of classic cinema , deserves its place in the altman canon . > from its opening shot to the closing credits , the gingerbread man is permeated with a sense of dread , with a fear of the natural destructive forces of the universe . this terrific sense of mood is a classic altman touch . witness said opening shot : we see an aerial view of coastal georgia with its writhing , undulating landscape while the soundtrack grumbles ominously in our ear . we roll over the hills into the town of savannah , then zoom in close on a red sports car speeding over a bridge while its driver chatters oblivious on his cell phone . right away we know that the driver of that car is in for a few surprises . pay attention , boys and girls - this shot was not conceived by john grisham , but by altman . this is what a great director can do for questionable source material . the sports car belongs to rick magruder ( kenneth branagh ) , the aforementioned hotshot attorney who specializes in police brutality cases . magruder has just won a high profile case and celebrates that night with a catered party at his office . outside after the party he meets one of the waitresses , mallory doss ( embeth davidzt ) , just as she realizes her car has been stolen . driven by southern chivalry , a driving rainstorm and his unspoken attraction to the fragile waitress , magruder offers her a ride home . there he learns more about mallory 's life than he bargained for . her car was stolen by her schizophrenic father dixon ( robert duvall ) , a ted kyzynski - style whacko who has been stalking and terrorizing his own daughter . magruder , perhaps influenced by mallory 's decision to strip off her wet clothes in front of him , is sympathetic to her plight , and offers to help her get her father committed - right after he sleeps with her , of course . this simple offer of help leads magruder down a dangerous path with a black end . he succeeds in having dixon incarcerated in a mental hospital , and for a moment all appears well . but then dixon 's crack team of homeless commandos bust him out of the lockup - and suddenly magruder finds himself , mallory and his own children in danger . the cops wo n't lift a finger to help a liberal attorney . his only allies are his faithful assistant lois ( daryl hannah ) and his bumbling private - eye sidekick clyde ( robert downey jr ) . if this predicament was n't bad enough , hurricane geraldo is bearing down on savannah and throwing the world into chaos . altman may provide the atmosphere , but branagh 's performance holds the gingerbread man together . an accomplished actor when he is n't directing himself in vanity productions , branagh does a fine job of making rick a sympathetic hero while casting doubt upon his motives . is his offer of help to mallory an act of kindness , or of egotism ? magruder is so sure of his place in the world that he never considers that he has bitten off more than he can chew until he has to swallow it - and by then it 's too late . as the plot unfolds , magruder learns that none of us are as secure as we think we are . and life is never so bad that it ca n't get worse . if you 're familiar with altman 's work , you 'll recognize several of his signature techniques . characters are not introduced in establishing shots , but rather are allowed to wander in the background of scenes until their importance becomes apparent . crucial scenes are shot from the outside through windows , making the audience unwitting voyeurs of the action . dialog overlaps and the actors seem to slip naturally into an improvisational style . and of course there 's my favorite altman technique - the obligatory nude actress shot . thanks to altman , here are some of the actresses i 've had the pleasure of seeing naked : sally kellerman , julianne moore , madeline stowe , even frances mcdormand . and now i can add embeth davidtz , who looks quite healthy in the altogether . the naked actress shot has become as ubiquitous to the altman film as the director cameo was to the hitchcock film . is it old - school sexism , or a clever in - joke ? you be the judge . but back to the picture at hand . in the hands of a mere mortal , the gingerbread man would have been a routine thriller , no better or worse than the countless others we 've all endured . in the hands of a master like altman , it becomes an exercise in existential doom , in its own way far more successful than scorsese 's cape fear remake , which tried for the same result . what may prevent it from enduring with altman 's greatest work is a weak third act - in fact , there really is no third act in grisham 's story , so it appears that altman had to throw in the hurricane just to jazz things up . but there are true moments of riveting suspense , and great performances by branagh , davidzt and downey jr - more than enough to see you through . that polygram so hated this picture that they tried to steal final cut from altman , and then buried the marketing campaign when he won it back , should tell you how utterly clueless of quality most studios are . they probably wanted it to look more like a time to kill . and that , my friends , should make you very afraid .

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level of greatness . but the parallel does suggest that it is possible to create great cinema from questionable source material . can you get any more of america 's greatest living filmmakers . the result is a gripping thriller that , while falling short of classic cinema , deserves its place in the altman canon . > from its opening shot , making the audience unwitting voyeurs of the action . dialog overlaps and the actors seem to slip naturally into an improvisational style . and of course there 's my favorite altman technique - the obligatory nude actress shot . thanks to altman worse than the countless others we 've all endured . in the hands of a master like altman , it becomes an exercise in existential doom , in its own way far more successful than scorsese 's cape fear remake , which tried for in the hurricane just to jazz things up . but there are true moments of riveting suspense , and great performances by branagh , davidzt and downey jr - more than

october sky is a rare oddity in cinema : a self - proclaimed " uplifting " film that is actually uplifting ! based on the autobiographical book by homer hickam , rocket boys , october sky tells the struggle of four boys reaching for their dream . it 's 1957 , and for the boys of coalwood , west virginia , there 's not much hope of a rosy future . coalwood is a coal mining town , and , except for the few lucky ones who manage to escape on a football scholarship , most of coalwood 's boys are destined to work in the mine . but , in october 1957 , an event happens that sparks one boy to dream . the launch of the soviet satellite sputnik sets homer hickam ( jake gyllenhaal ) to dream a future of rocketry and space travel . of course , homer 's parents ( chris cooper and natalie canderday ) are n't quite sure what to make of their son 's unusual interests . homer gets his strongest encouragement from miss riley ( laura dern ) , a teacher in his school who also informs him about the scholarships offered to the winners of a national science fair . and so , with stars in his eyes , and thoughts of scholarships in his head , homer enlists the help of three other boys ( william lee scott , chad lindberg and chris owen ) and begins to build a rocket . but , do these four backwoods boys even have the slightest hope of escaping their destiny ? there is a lot that could have gone wrong with october sky . nearly every sequence flirts with becoming syrupy and cliched . however , miraculously , october sky avoids nearly all of these pitfalls , making the exact right moves at the exact right times . a film emerges which manages to be powerful and moving without slipping into the gauzy haze of nostalgia or sliding down the sugarry slope of sappiness . jake gyllenhaal is outstanding as the kid at the center of this film . > from the outset of the film , he is immediately likable , and never seems too corny or brainy as to alienate the audience . unfortunately , while october sky focuses on homer , the other three kids get the short end of the stick . they remain little more than placeholders reading " insert friend here " . of the adults in the film , chris cooper is the most fully realized character . the film never paints him as merely the villainous parent standing in the way of his child 's dreams , but , instead , shows the multihued portrait of a man who wants the best for his family and town , but is too stubborn to realize what that is . director joe johnson deserves much credit for successfully navigating the many obstacles that october sky manages to dodge . however , there are still a few occasions when he allows things to proceed just a step too far . scenes which were natural and inspiring start to become contrived and artificial . however , these lapses are minimal , and johnson quickly steers the movie back on course . the problem with many so - called " uplifting " films is that they attempt to force their mediciney goodness down your throat . october sky never resorts to that level , and yet , manages to become a truly uplifting film purely on its own merits .

1POS

: a self - proclaimed " uplifting " film that is actually uplifting ! based on the autobiographical book by homer hickam , rocket syrupy and cliched . however , miraculously , october sky avoids nearly all of these pitfalls , making the exact right moves at the exact right times . a film emerges which manages to be powerful and moving without slipping into the gauzy haze of nostalgia or sliding down the sugarry slope of sappiness . jake gyllenhaal is outstanding as the kid at the center of this film . > from the outset of the film , he is immediately likable , and never seems too corny or brainy as to alienate the audience . unfortunately , while october sky focuses on homer , stubborn to realize what that is . director joe johnson deserves much credit for successfully navigating the many obstacles that october sky manages to dodge . however , there . however , these lapses are minimal , and johnson quickly steers the movie back on course . the problem with many so - called " uplifting sky never resorts to that level , and yet , manages to become a truly uplifting film purely on its own merits .

this three hour movie opens up with a view of singer / guitar player / musician / composer frank zappa rehearsing with his fellow band members . all the rest displays a compilation of footage , mostly from the concert at the palladium in new york city , halloween 1979 . other footage shows backstage foolishness , and amazing clay animation by bruce bickford . the performance of " titties and beer " played in this movie is very entertaining , with drummer terry bozzio supplying the voice of the devil . frank 's guitar solos outdo any van halen or hendrix i 've ever heard . bruce bickford 's outlandish clay animation is that beyond belief with zooms , morphings , etc . and actually , it does n't even look like clay , it looks like meat .

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halloween 1979 . other footage shows backstage foolishness , and amazing clay animation by bruce bickford . the performance of " titties and beer " played in this movie is very entertaining , with drummer terry bozzio supplying the voice of the devil . frank 's guitar solos outdo any van halen or hendrix i 've ever heard . bruce bickford 's outlandish clay animation is that beyond

while watching boiler room , i was constantly reminded of last year 's masterpiece fight club . both films consist of a predominately male cast . both films follow young men as they illicitly fight the traditional system for their own desires . and both films are seen through the eyes of one narrator , who eventually realizes that these men have to be stopped . while boiler room writer / director ben younger does not get his point across as well as david fincher does for fight club , he does contribute another impressive work to a series of films aiming to represent the new generation . a generation which has seen the internet prosper and where everyone wants to be a millionaire . paying homage to oliver stone 's 1987 classic wall street , younger is almost modernizing the tale by using younger , hipper actors to play the greedy villains as opposed to the older , more experienced types . as is true in real life , younger minds are becoming richer and richer from their knowledge of more standard technology . boiler room dismisses the notion of ingenuity and shows that greed and desire for power come in all ages . another similarity with fight club is that both films are not action flicks . some people are convinced that an all - male cast automatically means there must be gory violence , here is proof that this is not true . if you want to see an action movie starring ben affleck , go see reindeer games this weekend . if you want to see a smart , insightful film with excellent acting and a clever script , see boiler room . giovanni ribisi gives an outstanding performance as the film 's narrator , seth . after dropping out of college and running a lucrative gambling center for college students in his apartment , seth is offered a high paying job by a wealthy man ( nicky katt ) . he agrees to take the job ( in which you are guaranteed to become a millionaire within three years ) of selling stock to well - off americans from the mid - west over the telephone and begins to fit in quite well with his co - workers . learning tricky techniques to deceive innocent people into buying shares of a good in production , seth figures this is too good to be true . after stumbling into a room at the wrong time , he knows there is something no good about this company . at this point , seth is left with the ultimate choice ; continue with the american dream and make millions or tell the authorities that something fishy is going on . ribisi is believable as seth especially when he shares scenes with ron rifkin , playing seth 's dad . the two have perfect chemistry as a troubled father and son trying to impress each other and simultaneously impress themselves . the transitions from anger to sympathy that these scenes contain are the standout segments of the entire film . the supporting cast of greedy co - workers is also flawless . ben affleck shines in a short but sweet performance as a recruiter for the company , nicky katt is fabulous as the ostensibly friendly boss who eventually becomes extremely jealous of seth , and vin diesel gives his best performance of his career as the foil character of nicky katt . the energy of the cast as a whole makes boiler room well paced and never boring . the only major error in the film is that nothing major happens . there is no big plot twist or climatic point to make the film more memorable . due to the lack of a major event , boiler room never finds a suitable genre to fit into . the movie is not intense enough to be a thriller , the romantic segments involving seth and abby ( nia long ) are not properly finalized , and the dialogue is n't funny enough to make it a comedy . in having trouble to characterize the movie as a whole , boiler room is slightly confused at times . it does n't seem to know which category to fit itself into . one satisfying concluding scene could have changed the whole film for the better . otherwise , the movie is fun to watch thanks to its lively cast of young actors .

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david fincher does for fight club , he does contribute another impressive work to a series of films aiming to represent the new reindeer games this weekend . if you want to see a smart , insightful film with excellent acting and a clever script , see boiler room . giovanni ribisi gives an outstanding performance as the film 's narrator , seth . after dropping scenes with ron rifkin , playing seth 's dad . the two have perfect chemistry as a troubled father and son trying to impress each the transitions from anger to sympathy that these scenes contain are the standout segments of the entire film . the supporting cast of greedy co - workers is also flawless . ben affleck shines in a short but sweet performance as a recruiter for the company , nicky katt is fabulous as the ostensibly friendly boss who eventually becomes extremely jealous of seth , and vin diesel gives his best performance of his career as the foil character of nicky katt . the energy of the cast as a whole makes boiler room well paced and never boring . the only major error in the film is that changed the whole film for the better . otherwise , the movie is fun to watch thanks to its lively cast of young actors .

ok , let 's get one thing straight right away : maximum risk is no battleship potemkin ( although it does have some russians in it ! ) , but it 's not too bad , really . it 's the new film from ringo lam , the latest hong kong filmmaker to defect to hollywood , and stars that minor league schwartzeneggar from belgium , jean - claude van damme ( who , you will recall , also starred in john woo 's maiden hollywood effort , hard target ) . in lam 's film , van damme plays alain moreau , a french cop ( at least his accent makes more sense here than it did in hard target ) who discovers that he was separated shortly after birth from a twin brother who was adopted by russians . these russians defected to the united states and moved into a black neighbourhood in new york ( where , i suppose , they thought they would n't be noticed ) . this brother , mikhail suverov ( played in his few scenes by . . . well , you know ) , becomes deeply involved in the russian mafia and the fbi ( almost the same thing , i guess ) , and is killed in france ( in the movie , things happen so fast that you do n't have too much time to think about how weird this all is ) . moreau does what any good surviving twin brother would do and goes to new york to find out why mikhail was killed , and why everyone in france who knows anything about him is also being killed ( we wonder the same thing ; i still do ) . in little odessa , he meets mikhail 's girlfriend , alex ( natasha henstridge , last seen in species ) , who helps him solve the mystery and adds immeasurably to the mise - en - scene ( she has very nice breasts , and we get to seen them briefly in this movie ; it was rated r in the us but is pg here , so they must have seen more of her breasts than we do ) . this film lacks the gloss and high production values of such other action movies as broken arrow , the fugitive , hard target , or anything starring arnold , but that works to its benefit , i think . after all , one thing that 's been missing from woo 's hollywood films is that certain hong kong funkiness that we all know and love ( well , some of us do ) . movies like this should n't be too pretentious , and that is part of the problem with some of these other films : they try to be too " big " in terms of special effects and sheer spectacle . maximum risk has its share of car chases and explosions , but they do n't overwhelm the movie or detract our attention from the narrative ( not too much , anyway ) . the emphasis throughout is on the characters and their interactions ( even if , at times , they do n't make a hell of a lot of sense ) . in fact , one of the more interesting aspects of the film is a minor character , a rather overeager new york cabbie ( frank van keeken from tv 's " kids in the hall " ) , who begins as something of a joke but becomes an important part of the story . unfortunately , by the time we have come to really get interested in him , he . . . well , you 'll see . the movie also features some set pieces of the type that we have come to expect from lam and his hong kong compatriots . one is a fight in a russian sauna , with lots of sweaty , muscular male flesh ( this one will appeal to certain parts of the audience more than others ) , bullets in heads , and vodka . another , my personal favorite , is a fight in a meat packing house , featuring pig carcasses and a chainsaw . and even the predictable car chases are more hong kong than hollywood , as they trash those quaint french cafes , vegetable carts , and , well , french people that , we all know in our hearts , deserve trashing just for being so damn quaint . of course , the movie does have its share of silliness . for example , while beating the crap out of an obnoxious russian thug who obviously deserves what he 's getting , alain stops long enough to look at his own reflection in the cracked mirror with which he has been whacking the guy on the head . in an unnecessarily dramatic moment , he apparently is shocked at what he sees , at what he has become . but what has he become ? a tough cop who beats the hell out of a guy who tried to kill him ? does n't sound too unreasonable to me , considering the genre . but let 's face it , any time van damme tries to be dramatic , he looks silly . so maximum risk is a little different from most other action films . while watching it , i was surprised , and a little disappointed , in the relative lack of pyrotechnics . but watching some of these other action films is sort of like experiencing a sugar rush ; after the initial excitement , there 's not much left . although it 's short on spectacle , lam 's film leaves a better and more lasting impression , i think . i 'm more impressed by it now than i was while watching it , and to me , that 's a good sign . go see maximum risk , but do n't expect a typical hollywood action movie ; expect a sort of funky hong kong - hollywood action movie . the flying inkpot rating system : * wait for the tv2 broadcast . * * a little creaky , but still better than staying at home with gotcha ! * * * pretty good , bring a friend . * * * * amazing , potent stuff . * * * * * perfection . see it twice . dr t . white teaches film at the english language and literature department of the national university of singapore , but we do n't hold this against him .

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, bullets in heads , and vodka . another , my personal favorite , is a fight in a meat packing house , although it 's short on spectacle , lam 's film leaves a better and more lasting impression , i think . i 'm more impressed by it and to me , that 's a good sign . go see maximum risk , but do n't expect a typical hollywood

trailing the success of brit humour in the movie industry with the likes of the semi - dramatic the commitments and the nearly slapstick a fish called wanda , the full monty is one film which delivered the depth of the former and the humour magnitude of the latter . the film opens with a narrated documentary reel showing the improving economic and living standards of sheffield in the 60 's , then cut to the harsh reality of the present . sheffield has become some sort of a semi - slum with the only visible increase in anything was the amount of layoffs from steel - factories ; a once flourishing industry . gaz ( carlyle ) spends most of his time in the worker 's club , a sort of place where jobless people sit around to wait for job offers . he and his ` plump ' friend dave ( addy ) as well as their former foreman gerald ( wilkinson ) have been sitting around the club for months without any ` call for duty ' . what seemingly was just a passing hard time for gaz suddenly transformed itself into desperation when he can not afford the 700 pounds of child - support money to his ex - wife . suddenly finding himself facing the possiblity of losing custody of his son , he goes on to concoct an enterprising wild - idea to get the money he desperately requires . dave and gerald too have problems of their own . on top of his lack of employment , dave is also faced with the paranoia of his wife leaving him because of his current financial state as well as his`plump ' appearance while gerald have been cheating on his wife by not telling her of his layoff for as long as 6 months , leaving home for ` work ' when he was actually a long - standing member of the worker 's club . there we have it ; people with real problems and a not - so - practical solution for them . gaz manages to get the support from them and sure enough they managed to get a few other poor jobless blokes to join in their gag : to perform a strip - act at the local pub . in gaz 's own words while looking at an add for a strip - act featuring hunky ` beautiful ' men , ` if women are willing to pay for this , they sure as well will pay for real - men ' . the full monty is very simple in nature and not a trace ambitious at all . it is a small film which delves in the harsh - reality of unemployment and the desperation it drives people to . it also is a very light movie to watch despite the theme it delves in because it has a lot of human - factor going for it . never for once , was it trying to be manipulative at all , the full monty was true to itself all the way . while the hilarity level of this film soared unexpectedly high , audience will find that they are in no way being cheated of a laugh , something lacking in many comedy films ( wannabes ? ) from hollywood . other than carlyle , who acted as the psychotic begbie in trainspotting , the rest of the actors were definitely very new to me on - screen . however , the acting presented in this film is more than satisfying . carlyle 's work here is a stark contrast to his character in trainspotting , implying real acting skill and flexibility on - screen . kudos to the people involved in this film , especially to director peter cattaneo for being able to put together an excellent film which is has so much potential in ending up as your just - another - striptease . already a critical and financial success for such a small film , the full monty is a humble film which deserves applause throughout . while titanic managed to feast the eyes and soul in an epic way , the full monty gives one the same satisfaction ? ? . in half the time .

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called wanda , the full monty is one film which delivered the depth of the former and the humour magnitude of the latter . the film opens with a narrated documentary reel showing the desperation it drives people to . it also is a very light movie to watch despite the theme it delves in because it has a to be manipulative at all , the full monty was true to itself all the way . while the hilarity level of this film soared unexpectedly very new to me on - screen . however , the acting presented in this film is more than satisfying . carlyle 's work here is a stark contrast to his character in trainspotting , implying real acting skill and flexibility on - screen . kudos to the people involved in this film , especially to director peter cattaneo for being able to put together an excellent film which is has so much potential in ending up as your just - another - striptease . already a critical and financial success for such a small film , the full monty is a humble film which deserves applause throughout . while titanic managed to feast the eyes and soul in an epic way , the full monty gives one the same satisfaction ? ? . in half the time .

" you 'll go ape over tarzan because it 's more fun than a barrel of monkeys ! " okay , there 's the quote in case disney wants to put something in their ads for the movie . disney 's latest animated feature throws us right into the action from the very beginning , skipping the usual main title sequence and putting us on pitching waves as a small family attempts to escape from a sinking ship . father , mother , and infant somehow make it to shore amidst a rousing song by phil collins , and have soon built a treehouse which would impress the swiss family robinson . it 's amazing , the kinds of things you can do when you work to a soundtrack . before you know it , an unfortunate set of circumstances put the baby in the hands of kala ( glenn close ) , a mother ape who recently lost her own baby to a predatory leopard . against the wishes of her mate and family leader , kerchak ( lance henricksen ) , she takes on the infant boy as her own . tarzan is not so much a story about a human boy surviving in the african jungles as it is about one who does not really fit in either humanity or the wild . much of tarzan 's young life is spent trying to become one of the apes in the eyes of his peers and his " father , " which occasionally gets him into trouble no matter how well - meant his attempts . all he 's looking for is acceptance , perhaps a goal easily identifiable by young viewers , but one which will ring true with a lot of adults . when you really think about it , this story fits right into the disney formula of the outcast that triumphs in the end . look back on past disney animated features and you 'll see the trend . growing up , tarzan ( voiced by alex d . linz as a child , and by tony goldwyn as an adult ) has a couple of friends . one is an ape named terk ( rosie o'donnell ) , and the other is a paranoid hypochondriac of an elephant named tantor ( wayne knight ) . both provide the requisite comic relief ( timon and poombah from the lion king immediately come to mind ) and perform the usual hijinks as prescribed by the disney mold . i 'm beginning to think anyone can write the screenplay for one of these films . just fill in the blanks ! can you see it ? " now we have to have a couple of zany friends for out hero who might get him into mischief , but cover for him or come to his rescue when he needs it . we 've already had a fish and a crab , and we 've had a candle and a teapot , a genie and a dog , a few stone statues . . . . have we had an ape and an elephant yet ? well , there we go ! " of course , there 's got ta be romance somewhere along the line , so jane ( minnie driver ) gets introduced about halfway through . together with her father dr . porter ( nigel hawthorne ) and the big game hunter clayton ( brian blessed ) , jane is on an expedition to find and study the wild gorillas of africa . she discovers the man raised by apes and is enchanted almost immediately , and soon shares an amusing version of the compulsory " you tarzan , me jane " scene . thankfully , those are n't the exact words . however , i found it distracting that tarzan is going " ohh ohh ee ee " one second and then tells jane his name in this manly voice with perfect diction . how does he tell his name to another ape ? " ohh ohh ee - tarzan - ee ee ohh ? " well , regardless of my picky nature , the romance actually works as only disney romance can : purely contrived , but for some reason rather believable . but hey , tarzan 's a young adult . do you think he dated a few of the female apes before meeting jane ? is n't that illegal in most countries ? oh , well . i do n't think disney will be using my quote anymore . tarzan departs from the usual disney feature in that this one is not a musical . there 's lots of music to be sure , but not a single character song in the whole hour and a half of running time . we instead get more of a phil collins concert , as no less than five of his original songs are used as interlude material . this is n't really a bad thing , as the songs are very high - energy and catchy ( i found myself singing one to myself for most of the following day ) ; it 's just different . do yourself a favor and see this film in a theater with a good sound system , because the music will come through astonishingly well and really enhance the movie . with each new feature , disney animation gets even better . not necessarily by leaps and bounds , but since they put out a new film each year , a steady rate of improvement is apparent , and this definitely shows in tarzan . there are a couple of scenes where the animation achieves a near 3-d effect , and a number of scenes which feature tarzan moving through the trees are absolutely dizzying . the way he slides down tree limbs and trunks is very reminiscent of skateboarding and rollerblading maneuvers , and had me thinking this is n't just tarzan , it 's " extreme tarzan . " however , tarzan does not seem to have what i call its " chandelier scene , " which is the one scene to which the animators have chosen to devote an inordinate amount of effort , utilizing a computer - assisted process that makes the animation absolutely breathtaking . lasting but a few seconds at most , it 's been the signature of nearly every disney animated feature since beauty and the beast , in which the castle ballroom chandelier was rendered in stunning detail . as usual , the voice talent is up to snuff , convincingly make you believe in the convictions of animated characters . the one poor choice in casting , however , was rosie o'donnell . going into the film , i did n't know she was even a part of it , but when terk started talking , i recognized her voice immediately . her performance was fine , but through the rest of the film i kept thinking , " that 's no boy ape , that rosie o'donnell . " distracting to say the least . i 'll admit i 've never read the edgar rice burroughs story " tarzan of the apes , " so i could n't tell you how true this film stays to the book . but unless you 're a purist , you should have few objections to this film . with solid performances , action , adventure , a bit of romance , and great music and animation , tarzan should appeal to the kids and to the kid in all of us . note : when i wrote my review of mulan a year ago , i went off on the promotional and merchandising tie - ins prevalent with the release of a disney animated feature . this time , i 'll just say that i went to mcdonald 's yesterday to treat myself to a mcflurry , and tarzan was on the cup . 'nuff said .

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a treehouse which would impress the swiss family robinson . it 's amazing , the kinds of things you can do when you ? " well , regardless of my picky nature , the romance actually works as only disney romance can : purely contrived , but for some reason rather believable . but hey , tarzan 's a young adult . . this is n't really a bad thing , as the songs are very high - energy and catchy ( i found myself singing one to myself for most the following day ) ; it 's just different . do yourself a favor and see this film in a theater with a good sound system , because the music will come through astonishingly well and really enhance the movie . with each new feature , disney animation gets even better . not necessarily by leaps and bounds , but since in tarzan . there are a couple of scenes where the animation achieves a near 3-d effect , and a number of scenes which feature tarzan moving through the trees are absolutely dizzying . the way he slides down tree limbs and trunks amount of effort , utilizing a computer - assisted process that makes the animation absolutely breathtaking . lasting but a few seconds at most , it chandelier was rendered in stunning detail . as usual , the voice talent is up to snuff , convincingly make you believe in the convictions of animated you should have few objections to this film . with solid performances , action , adventure , a bit of romance , and great music and animation , tarzan should appeal to the kids and to the kid in all of us . note : when i wrote my review of mulan

you 've got mail is a timely romance for this impersonal , computer - driven decade . two people who 've never met confide in each other via e - mail without revealing their true identities . nora ephron 's contemporary update of the shop around the corner retains the basic plot : two people who despise each other unwittingly become enamored with each other through their anonymous correspondence . ephron , who co - wrote the film with her sister , delia , as well as directed it , knew what she was doing by reteaming tom hanks and meg ryan as the at - odds couple . ryan is kathleen kelly , owner of a small children 's bookstore , while hanks is joe fox , who heads up a chain of mega bookstores ( think barnes & noble ) . their charm and chemistry are the glue that binds this film , even through some of the script 's rough spots . for the ephrons invested so much effort in their protagonists that they give short shrift to the talented supporting cast , including parker posey , greg kinnear , jean stapleton and steve zahn . yet no one is really going to complain because the ephrons know their audience - and what the paying public wants is hanks and ryan . and the two are kept busy . one , the other or both are in nearly every scene . hanks has his decent guy routine down pat , yet each time he does it , it seems effortless , spontaneous and fresh . ryan smoothly moves between spunky and vulnerable , with a sexy touch of winsomeness added to the brew . their scenes together sparkle , even though they lack the nostalgic romanticism of sleepless in seattle . and the shadow of that earlier hit hangs over you 've got mail like dried - up mistletoe . the sparks created by the earlier movie are , by necessity , not evident here . true , these are two people seeking true love , but you 've got mail is more comic and less poignant than its predecessor . the ephrons ' script is witty and sharp . however , as a director nora ephron is a bit uneven . some scenes drag , while others , especially when hanks and ryan are revealing their souls via e - mail , are crisp and tidy . also , the script gets sloppy toward the end with characters merely disappearing from the story . a nice , romantic soundtrack adds to this date - night special . overall , you 've got mail is a lush and cute outing , taking advantage of the star appeal of its two leads . it 's a nice holiday movie , one for holding hands and snuggling . committed to lifelong learning through effective communication

1POS

you 've got mail is a timely romance for this impersonal , computer - driven decade . two of mega bookstores ( think barnes & noble ) . their charm and chemistry are the glue that binds this film , even through some of the script 's rough spots effort in their protagonists that they give short shrift to the talented supporting cast , including parker posey , greg kinnear , jean stapleton down pat , yet each time he does it , it seems effortless , spontaneous and fresh . ryan smoothly moves between spunky and vulnerable , with a sexy touch of winsomeness added to the brew . their scenes together sparkle , even though they lack the nostalgic romanticism of sleepless and less poignant than its predecessor . the ephrons ' script is witty and sharp . however , as a director nora ephron is a the end with characters merely disappearing from the story . a nice , romantic soundtrack adds to this date - night special . overall , you 've got mail is a lush and cute outing , taking advantage of the star appeal of its two leads . it 's a nice holiday movie , one for holding hands and snuggling . committed to lifelong learning through effective communication

according to hollywood movies made in last few decades , life in small town is one of the worst things that could happen to a human being . even worse fate awaits those who were unfortunate to grow up in those dark , god - forsaken places and later forced to live forever traumatised by the experience . on the other hand , it seems that something more than atlantic ocean divides europe from america , because one of the most popular and beloved european films takes exactly the opposite view . this film is amarcord , 1974 comedy by famous italian director federico fellini , which later gave inspiration to numerous imitations and homages , and even led few american screen artists to adopt its heretical views about benefits of small town life . the film is based on the screenplay by fellini and tonino guerra and it lacks the plot in usual sense . instead we follow one year in 1930s italian summer resort town of rimini through the series of short vignettes that depict various local events and customs , as well as series of local , often very colourful characters . although many of those characters occasionally take the role of narrator , movie concentrates on its nominal protagonist , 14-year old boy titta ( played by bruno zanin ) and chronicles his sexual frustrations , obsession with local beauty queen named gradisca ( played by magali noel ) , problems in his lovingly dysfunctional family , as well as troubles his father ( played by armando brancia ) have with mussolini 's fascist regime . amarcord was often noted as the ultimate nostalgia film , and it probably explains why it is very popular , even among those people who actually do n't like federico fellini 's work very much . every member of its potential audience would find part of himself or herself in this film , because fellini in this film clearly illustrates natural human desire to paint past in the best way possible . distortion between actual past and its subjective interpretation could be found even in the title of the film - word " amarcord " is nothing more than badly pronounced phrase " i remember " in local italian dialect . in the same way the word is distorted , so is the past in memories of those who remember it . after the premiere , fellini rejected any claims about autobiographical character of this film , but it does n't matter whether rimini of amarcord actually resembles rimini of fellini 's childhood or not ; any place and any time could resemble characters and situations of this film . fellini 's views on nostalgia are clearly illustrated with a way he mixes reality and fantasy in this film . even the most naturalistic scenes are laced with dark humour and grotesque images . characters look like caricatures , actors playing them often deliberately overact , and women , especially those who fuel titta 's sexual fantasies , often have certain body parts with gargantuan proportions . every now and then , scenes that depict 1930s reality gradually slide into fantasies of movie 's characters and rimini becomes almost indistinguishable from the magical place in characters ' visions . because of that , almost everything in this film looks different , and in most cases better , than it would have looked in the real life . even the fascism gets fellinian make - over - fellini views mussolini 's totalitarian regime as nothing more than visual spectacle ( explaining why similar regimes enjoyed such popular support throughout history ) and opportunity for comedy . when fascists finally show their true colours and begin torturing their opponents , even this becomes opportunity for scenes of macabre humour . unlike many of his italian colleagues in 1970s , who had used 1930s period setting to explicitly condemn fascism and serve fashionable political agenda , fellini does n't care that much about politics . lack of self - righteous moral perspective is compensated with fellini 's humanistic approach to his characters . each of them , regardless of age , gender , social class or physical appearance , is given opportunity to express his or her views , dreams and fears . fellini treats all those characters with warmth and affection , even when he paints them as grotesque caricatures of real people . because of this warmth and democratic spirit , amarcord could be viewed as one of the most humane films of 20th century , and it keeps its general feel good atmosphere despite depicting having many uncomfortable , melancholic and even tragic moments . fellini could n't produce such effects without using his own directorial talent that gave a very personal touch to this movie . vignettes are n't memorable because of the characters only ; fellini uses camera , painting film in bright colours , especially in the scenes that depict character 's fantasies . fellini also knows how to use locations , whether such location happens to be luxurious hotel , bright - coloured beach or rural countryside . even the down - to - earth streets of rimini , where everyone knows everyone , gets magical dimension during the snowfall . on the other hand , lack of credible special effects somewhat diminished the same effect during the ocean liner scene . this atmosphere is also provided by incredible talent of composer and fellini 's long - time associate nino rota . his amarcord theme is probably one of the most recognisable , most popular and most relaxing and uplifting pieces of film music ever produced . that music alone should be the reason to view amarcord as one of the indisputable classics of seventh art .

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more than atlantic ocean divides europe from america , because one of the most popular and beloved european films takes exactly the opposite view . this film is amarcord , 1974 comedy by famous italian director federico fellini , which later gave inspiration to numerous imitations and homages , and even led few american screen artists to adopt local events and customs , as well as series of local , often very colourful characters . although many of those characters occasionally take the role mussolini 's fascist regime . amarcord was often noted as the ultimate nostalgia film , and it probably explains why it is very popular , even among those people who actually do n't like federico fellini 's work very much . every member of its potential audience would find part of himself or herself in this film , because fellini in this film clearly illustrates natural human desire to paint past in the best way possible . distortion actually resembles rimini of fellini 's childhood or not ; any place and any time could resemble characters and situations of this film . fellini 's views on nostalgia are clearly illustrated with his or her views , dreams and fears . fellini treats all those characters with warmth and affection , even when he paints them as grotesque caricatures of real people . because of this warmth and democratic spirit , amarcord could be viewed as one of the most humane films of 20th century , and it keeps its general feel good atmosphere despite depicting having many uncomfortable , melancholic and even tragic moments . fellini could n't produce such effects without using his own directorial talent that gave a very personal touch to this movie . vignettes are n't memorable because of the characters only in the scenes that depict character 's fantasies . fellini also knows how to use locations , whether such location happens to be luxurious hotel , during the ocean liner scene . this atmosphere is also provided by incredible talent of composer and fellini 's long - time associate nino rota . his amarcord theme is probably one of the most recognisable , most popular and most relaxing and uplifting pieces of film music ever produced . that music alone should be the reason to view amarcord as one of the indisputable classics of seventh art .

written by mark rosenthal and lawrence konner starring charlize theron , bill paxton , david paymer as reviewed by james brundage i 'm beginning to get fed up . over my four years as a critic , the thing which has kept me going is the moderate balance of films . the good balances the bad . i try to see both in equal proportions . but disney 's mighty joe young remake marks the fourth week in which i have n't seen a truly terrible movie . it 's a backwards machismo , i suppose , the urge to see the things which you so loathe ; but i need to see a bad film every once in a while . and , you know what , mighty joe young does n't qualify . far from being bad , mighty joe young is actually a family fun movie . it 's enjoyable , appropriate , cute , cuddly , and all of those other things that i 've been seeing in every movie since a bug 's life . mighty joe young tracks a 2 , 000 pound gorilla in the wilds of africa that is taken to a reserve in . . . california ? . . . for safe - keeping . okay . a little unrealistic , but who ever said a kid 's movie had to have the slightest hint of realism . the first half of the movie is a gorillas in the mist - esque hatred of poachers woman - of - the - wild motif . the second half is a straight up parody of king kong , awestruck onlookers and all . mark one down . i 'm feeling relaxed . it is , as a point of fact , an extremely un - creative movie . but , as a vetern , i can say quite honestly that creativity does n't count for as much as it should . so that saves mighty joe from my wrath , although my colleagues and cohorts and surely bashing this film at this very moment . this is not the film to take a girl on a date to . it 's not the film for you . it 's the film for you and your family . when you 're right alongside your kid , all of the normal rights and wrongs slip away . the same thing happens when you watch a horror movie or an action flick . it becomes fun . all you have to do to enjoy mighty joe young is shut up and watch .

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. far from being bad , mighty joe young is actually a family fun movie . it 's enjoyable , appropriate , cute , cuddly , and all of those other things that i 've been seeing in every movie since a , awestruck onlookers and all . mark one down . i 'm feeling relaxed . it is , as a point of fact , to . it 's not the film for you . it 's the film for you and your family . when you 're right alongside your kid , all

notting hill 's trailer is awful : a laughless , schmaltzy montage . the movie was desperately marketed to the anti - phantom menace crowd , the same lovelorn females who ignored the love letter . and it apparently worked . perhaps the presence of julia roberts - whose allure beyond those perfect teeth still escapes me - had a lot to do with notting hill 's opening weekend success , but the film 's staying power is based on word of mouth . allow me to spread some more good buzz for notting hill . grant stars as william thacker , a travel - bookstore owner who works and resides in a tiny english district called notting hill . into his shop one day wanders famous actress anna scott ( roberts ) . a common thief , some spilled orange juice , and some stilted conversation leads to their first , highly impetuous ( or is that improbable ? ) , kiss . days later , william sneaks into her hotel suite under the guise of a magazine journalist , and so begins a passionate , albeit surreptitious , affair . ( aside : notting hill 's portrayal of press junkets is deadly accurate . ) only anna 's celebrity - or william 's lack thereof - threatens to drive a wedge between them . richard curtis has tapped into fantasy we all have considered , and for at least its first half - hour the picture 's " beauty and the beast " -like scenario is ( romantic ) escapism of the highest order . as with groundhog day or pleasantville , while watching the high - concept comedy notting hill one constantly imagines him / herself in the lead ; it 's william 's ordinaryness that entices the spoiled and bored anna . curtis ( who previously penned four weddings and a funeral ) is also smart enough to know that the unlikely couple 's situation is not enough to fuel two hours ' worth of entertainment , so some of notting hill 's finest moments revolve around william 's eccentric friends and family . by now , dear reader , you 've probably heard a lot about rhys ifans ' performance as william 's imbecilic welsh flatmate . yes , he 's a crowd pleaser , a walking sight gag , but his character is not nearly as involving as the wheelchair - bound ( and appropriately named ) bella ( mckee , the anguished waitress of naked ) or max ( tom mcinnerny ) , her lousy chef of a husband . in the movie 's best sequence , william , anna , and company sit around bloated from max 's latest concoction and hold a contest : the last brownie on the table goes to the diner with the saddest life . the scene ends only as a british writer would end it . if anything , fantastic bits like these dull the main plot 's dramatic impact . roberts and grant , especially , are appealing , but their relationship is convolutedly interrupted too many times ( four weddings ' suffered similar flaws ) , and william and anna ultimately only have one thing in common : they 're lonely . ( worth noting in roberts ' and grant 's favour : the ubiquitous " i 'm just a girl , standing across from a boy , asking him to love her " episode is not nearly so syrupy as it appears in clips , and it features some of the best emoting either actor has ever done . ) notting hill is nonetheless enjoyable ; on the visual side of things , i especially appreciated michell 's playful changing - of - the - seasons number . if only ( and this is a surprisinly minor gripe ) he had lopped off the egregious epilogue ; for a story that thrives on what we bring to it , the filmmakers work too hard to tidy things up , leaving our imaginations in the lurch .

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's staying power is based on word of mouth . allow me to spread some more good buzz for notting hill . grant stars as william thacker , to fuel two hours ' worth of entertainment , so some of notting hill 's finest moments revolve around william 's eccentric friends and family . by performance as william 's imbecilic welsh flatmate . yes , he 's a crowd pleaser , a walking sight gag , but his character is not nearly as involving as 's dramatic impact . roberts and grant , especially , are appealing , but their relationship is convolutedly interrupted too many times nearly so syrupy as it appears in clips , and it features some of the best emoting either actor has ever done . ) notting hill is nonetheless enjoyable ; on the visual side of things , i especially

[ note that followups are directed to rec . arts . movies . current - films and rec . arts . movies . startrek . current only , not to rec . arts . sf . movies . -moderator ] star trek : first contact a film review by michael dequina copyright 1996 michael dequina star trek : first contact ( pg-13 ) anyone familiar with the series of star trek movies knows of the " even - odd pattern " --the even - numbered installments of the series are good while the odd - numbered ones are , well , not - so - good . the pattern continues with the new star trek : first contact , an energetic sci - fi adventure that ( coincidentally ? ) is the eighth entry in the hugely popular series . in this first trek feature to feature only cast members from the late star trek : the next generation television series , captain jean - luc picard ( patrick stewart ) and the rest of the 24th - century crew of the starship enterprise -- commander will riker ( jonathan frakes , who also directed ) , android lt . cmdr . data ( brent spiner ) , lt . cmdr . geordi laforge ( levar burton ) , lt . cmdr . worf ( michael dorn ) , dr . beverly crusher ( gates mcfadden ) , and counselor deanna troi ( marina sirtis ) --travel back to 21st - century earth while doing battle with the borg , a race of cybernetic beings that share a collective mind with the borg queen ( alice krige ) . the borg intend to alter history and assimilate all of humankind into their race -- starting with the earth - orbiting crew of the enterprise and a 21st century stowaway ( alfre woodard ) . this is an interesting plotline that is sure to mesmerize trekkers everywhere and engage everyone else , but , unfortunately , it only makes up the star trek half of the script by brannon braga and ronald d . moore . the other half of the title -- first contact -- refers to a subplot that takes place on 21st - century earth , where riker , troi , and laforge meet legendary scientist zephram cochran ( james cromwell ) , who is about to embark on the first warp speed flight in human history , which directly leads to the first contact with extraterrestrials . while this story does tie into the main plot and pays off interestingly in the end , it is nowhere near as involving or exciting as the borg battles on the enterprise . not helping matters is the tiresome cochran character , an eccentric whose drunken schtick starts out funny but becomes too one - note after a while . in the end , though , the first contact subplot does n't detract from the enjoyment of the film as a whole . the story is typical sci - fi fantasy , but the conviction of the cast -- most notably the always - phenomenal stewart -- makes you believe and care . frakes , making his feature directorial debut , keeps the action swiftly rolling along and delivers the action goods , even upping the violence a notch ( this is the first trek film to bear a pg-13 rating ) to greater effect . st : fc has a bigger budget than the last trek outing , the middling star trek generations , and it definitely shows on screen -- the production design and especially visual and makeup effects are outstanding ( in particular those involving the borg queen ) . braga and moore 's mostly sharp script will please both trek devotees and the rest ; the references to the borg storyline in the tv series , the continuity with the previous film ( e . g . the ongoing saga of data 's emotion chip ) , and a fleeting star trek : voyager crossover will make trekkers squeal with delight , but such points are made easily accessible to those less familiar to the trek mythos . paramount was reportedly worried about the staying power of its trek franchise with the next generation cast now carrying the helm . based on the entertaining success that is star trek : first contact , i 'd say the studio has nothing to worry about ( at least not until this cast retires and the crew of the wan star trek : deep space nine takes over . . . ) .

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continues with the new star trek : first contact , an energetic sci - fi adventure that ( coincidentally ? ) is the eighth entry in 21st century stowaway ( alfre woodard ) . this is an interesting plotline that is sure to mesmerize trekkers everywhere and engage everyone else , but , unfortunately , it only makes up the while this story does tie into the main plot and pays off interestingly in the end , it is nowhere near as involving , but the conviction of the cast -- most notably the always - phenomenal stewart -- makes you believe and care . frakes , generations , and it definitely shows on screen -- the production design and especially visual and makeup effects are outstanding ( in particular those involving the borg queen ) . braga and moore 's mostly sharp script will please both trek devotees and the rest ; the references to the borg storyline in the tv ) , and a fleeting star trek : voyager crossover will make trekkers squeal with delight , but such points are made easily accessible to those is star trek : first contact , i 'd say the studio has nothing to worry about ( at least not until this cast retires and the

slavery is bad . after hundreds of years , we 've finally figured that one out . this almost universal belief is the both the strength and weakness of director steven spielberg 's latest " serious " film . during the late 1830s , a portuguese slave ship carries a cargo of black men and women kidnapped from their home on africa 's west coast to cuba to be sold into slavery . fifty - three of them are stuffed into the " la amistad " ( from a spanish word for " friendship " ) by their new spanish owners . freeing himself from his chains , senge pieh ( djimon hounsou ) , renamed cinque by his masters , leads a bloody revolt . after killing most of the crew , the africans force the remaining sailors to return them to their home - or so they think . instead the ship heads up the coast to the united states . the amistad is boarded by an american naval ship and the revolutionaries are put on trial in connecticut for murder and piracy . the legal question becomes are they free men fighting justly for their freedom or are they property . if they are property , who do they belong to ? their masters ? the spanish government ? salvage rights of the officers who captured the ship ? the us government ? the defendants are pawns in several games . abolitionists theodore joadson ( morgan freeman ) and lewis tappan ( stellan skarsgard ) want to free them , but tappan sees them primarily as a means to further the cause . their lawyer roger baldwin ( matthew mcconaughey ) views the case as a simple one of property rights and a chance to make his share of legal fees . south carolina senator john c . calhoun ( arliss howard ) pursues the case for the political advancement of the southern states . president martin van buren ( nigel hawthorne ) is willing to force the result towards his own political ends . when the verdict looks to free the africans , van buren replaces the judge with one more sympathetic to his wishes . even that does n't work and the new judge frees the kidnap victims . at the urging of calhoun , the president then appeals the case to the supreme court , populated by a majority of slave - owners . this little - known ( try finding it in any history text book ) incident from america 's past would have gone down a darker path were it not for former president john quincy adams ( anthony hopkins ) who is persuaded to argue the case before the supreme court . the slavery issue is easy pickin 's for spielberg . much like his " shindler 's list " ( which followed " jurassic park " as this follows " lost world " ) , the moral sides are not difficult ones to choose . nazis and slave traders : both treat groups of others as less than human . it 's not hard to see who the bad guys are . without that question to ponder , the director 's job is more difficult . he has to make the story interesting . spielberg succeeds for the most part . the visual aspect of the film is beyond reproach . where the movie falls down is a bit more subtle . there are very few _ people _ in the tale . in fact , cinque is the only character who is fleshed out . tappan and joadson are " abolitionists " : symbols but not humans . van buren is a weak politician but nothing else . the rest of the " slaves " barely exist other than dressing for the set . like many other films about people of color , almost all the major players are white . the film 's salvation lies in the acting strength of everyone involved and the powerful presence of hounsou . the former model 's first major role is a winner . without speaking more than five words of english , he conveys more emotion than most actors with a thousand lines of dialog . the other stand - out is hopkins who seems to be making a career out of portraying american presidents ( he also played the title role in " nixon " ) . the impassioned speech by the doddering old man who phases in and out of rationality is among the best court - room drama ever on the screen . there are some other great moments . especially impressive are the african 's struggle to understand what is going on in the strange land . their interpretation of the bible based solely on the pictures and their own experiences is poignant . as grand as the epic is , it would have more impact had it focused more on the experience from the point of view of the africans . more humanity in the fight for humanity would have made it a four - star film . ( michael redman has written this column for a real long time and is just now getting around to seeing some 1998 films . )

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. he has to make the story interesting . spielberg succeeds for the most part . the visual aspect of the film is beyond reproach . where the movie falls down is a bit more players are white . the film 's salvation lies in the acting strength of everyone involved and the powerful presence of hounsou . the former model 's first major role . without speaking more than five words of english , he conveys more emotion than most actors with a thousand lines of dialog . the other stand - out is hopkins who seems to be making a career out old man who phases in and out of rationality is among the best court - room drama ever on the screen . there are some other great moments . especially impressive are the african 's struggle to understand

reflecting on " bedazzled , " a lively comedy about the devil who seeks to possess the soul of a pathetic loser , one sinful thought remains in my mind . if hell means having to spend an eternity with elizabeth hurley ( who portrays the fiery demon ) , then use that pitchfork and point me the way . with her pouty lips , irresistible british accent , and wild display of haute couture , hurley crackles with naughtiness and fills your mind with temptation . it 's practically impossible to turn this beelzu - babe down . her next target is elliot ( brendan fraser ) , a tech support geek who is clumsy , awkward , and just too eager to please . to aptly picture him , you would have to remember a saturday night live skit featuring " steve the copy guy " who effortlessly irritated his co - workers with his unpolished social skills . eugene , thus , is loathed and feared by his co - workers , who do their best to stay out of his way . yet , beyond his annoying mannerisms , he 's a lovable oaf . he wishes that he could get closer to allison ( frances o'connor ) , a co - worker with whom he is infatuated but who has never taken notice of him . however , the odds of him getting together with her are about the same as a snowball 's chance in hell . " dear god , " he prays . " i would give anything to have that girl in my life . " guess who then shows up ? she makes an offer that is too hard to refuse . " seven utterly fabulous wishes for one piddling little soul . " there 's even an escape clause . if elliot 's wish does n't go exactly the way he likes , he need only ' beep ' her ( one guess as to what the three - digit number is ) and he gets to start over . the remainder of the film consists of elliot 's various fantasies that incorporate his personal desire to have enormous amounts of wealth , power , fame and allison 's love . but when he makes sweeping statements such as " i want to be very , very powerful and very , very rich and married to allison " , he 'll soon learn that the devil is in the details . for example , ( and we 've seen this several times in the trailers ) , he is granted his wish , but finds out that he 's a columbian drug lord and that allison , while married to him , has her eyes on someone else . apparently , the devil is just as eager to skew his fantasies as she is to possess his soul . his other wishes also end up with some strange but funny twist that short - circuits his new life . soon , elliot wishes that he had never made that deal . given the mischievous nature of the devil , " bedazzled " has many amusing moments . a lot of the credit goes to fraser who turns in a great comic performance . he ably assumes various personas . his funniest segment is when he wishes that he could be the most sensitive man in the world . allison becomes so frustrated with him that she practically urges him to take advantage of her . hurley also heightens the humor quotient , especially in the transitional scenes when fraser waits to start his next wish after bailing out of the previous one . it 's clear that she 's having a good time with it all . yet , while the filmmakers work hard at creating funny scenes , they conspicuously avoid developing the allegorical underpinnings between good and evil that could have added more heft to this story . but that would be playing with fire . what they 've got works , so you can easily accept it for the pleasant little comedy that it is .

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reflecting on " bedazzled , " a lively comedy about the devil who seeks to possess the soul of use that pitchfork and point me the way . with her pouty lips , irresistible british accent , and wild display of haute couture , hurley crackles with naughtiness and fills your mind with temptation . it 's practically impossible to turn this beelzu - devil , " bedazzled " has many amusing moments . a lot of the credit goes to fraser who turns in a great comic performance . he ably assumes various personas . his funniest segment is when he wishes that he could be the most practically urges him to take advantage of her . hurley also heightens the humor quotient , especially in the transitional scenes when fraser waits to story . but that would be playing with fire . what they 've got works , so you can easily accept it for the pleasant little comedy that it is .

the muppet movie is the first , and the best movie among the ever - growing list of muppet movies . the muppet movie tells the story of how our hero , kermit the frog , came to be a star . a delightful movie for all ages , the muppet movie is * bursting * with cameo appearances by countless hollywood stars of the 80 's and today . the muppet movie begins in a movie theater , where all of the muppet stars are anxiously awaiting the first showing . once everyone is settled down , the movie inside of the movie begins . it starts out with kermit in a swamp , playing his banjo and singing ( this shot required jim henson to spend hours underwater ) . kermit is discovered by bernie , a big - time hollywood agent who happens upon kermit by accident . bernie believes that kermit holds much potential to become a big star in hollywood . kermit ponders the idea of becoming a big movie star , where he could " make millions of people happy " . kermit decides to leave his swamp and make the trip out to hollywood . along the way , kermit befriends his now famous muppet companions , beginning with fozzie bear , who had been spending his days doing stand - up comedy at the el sleezo cafe , owned by james coburn . the two decide to team - up and continue on their way to hollywood . but , doc hopper ( charles durning ) , the owner of a chain of french fried frog leg restaurants has a different idea . he wants kermit to be his spokesman , but kermit is humiliated at the idea and spends the movie avoiding him and his assistants . the trip continues , with kermit and fozzie meeting miss piggy , rowlf , gonzo , the electric mayhem band , and more muppets who all share the same wish : to make it to hollywood . oh , and even more celebrities continue to appear . kermit and miss piggy continue to get to know each other a little better , including a rather funny scene at a restaurant with steve martin as the waiter . eventually , kermit and the group make it to hollywood . that is , after kermit is finally able to elude doc hopper and proclaim his freedom . lord lew , a big - time hollywood producer portrayed by orson welles , gives kermit his shot at stardom and gives him the go - ahead to produce a movie . the muppet movie is definitely a movie that is fun for all ages . it is also a sure - deal as one parents can watch , and enjoy along with their kids .

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the muppet movie is the first , and the best movie among the ever - growing list of muppet movies . kermit the frog , came to be a star . a delightful movie for all ages , the muppet movie is * bursting * with cameo ahead to produce a movie . the muppet movie is definitely a movie that is fun for all ages . it is also a sure - deal as one parents can watch , and enjoy along with their kids .

all great things come to an end , and the dot - com era embodies that perfectly . beneath a mound of bankruptcy paperwork lies the remains of a former dot - com darling , the company kozmo . com , an online convenience store stocked with ice cream , porn videos , and other basic necessities of a urban dweller , all hand - delivered by couriers within an hour . designed in 1997 by two college roommates -- joseph parks , a 27 year old goldman sachs banker , and yong kang - kozmo flamed out in three short years , raising more than $ 280 million in venture capital funding and from partnerships with such bigwigs as starbucks and amazon . com . by december 1999 , the company boasted 4 , 000 employees in 11 cities , its barking ceo park attracting all kinds of media attention . the company was set for an ipo in may 2000 . . . until april 14 , 2000 , the day the stock market took its first big dive , ending the internet era . by april 13 , 2001 , kozmo was out of money and ceased operations . unlike the earlier , similar documentary startup . com , which chronicled the rise and fall of another dot - com , govworks , e - dreams focuses both on its original founders , especially park , and on the common folks that ran the day - to - day operations . the contrast is amazing , showing how a cult persona can convince anyone that any idea is the next big thing . the film 's director , wonsuk chin ( too tired to die ) , expertly juxtaposes upper management company meetings with on - the - spot interviews with the bike messengers , general managers , and floor staff that kept kozmo humming . the film 's images give a backbone to the company and provide an emotional edge to its ultimate demise . the most satisfying part of the film comes in understanding , to a degree , the expectations of numerous ceos commanding these titanic - type businesses . in the film 's final interviews with park , we learn what happens when the money dries up and backers do n't return phone calls . in the end , the name of the game was profit , and if you could n't make money , even the dreamers got the axe . screened at the 24th annual mill valley film festival .

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that ran the day - to - day operations . the contrast is amazing , showing how a cult persona can convince anyone that , wonsuk chin ( too tired to die ) , expertly juxtaposes upper management company meetings with on - the - spot staff that kept kozmo humming . the film 's images give a backbone to the company and provide an emotional edge to its ultimate demise . the most satisfying part of the film comes in understanding , to a degree

since their film debut in 1984 with the tightly wrought texas thriller " blood simple , " joel and ethan coen have been one of the most eclectic , original , and downright fascinating creative teams in modern hollywood . their films are highly stylized , deeply embedded in a particular time and place , and their characters are more often than not everyday people who get caught up in highly unusual circumstances . in " the big lebowski , " their first cinematic offering since the multiple academy award - winning " fargo , " the action takes place in los angeles during the gulf war , and the hero of the story is jeff lebowski , aka the dude . the dude is played by jeff bridges -- one of hollywood 's most underrated actors -- in the best stoned performance since sean penn stumbled through the halls of ridgemont high . the dude is a simple man who has never quite made it out of the sixties . he has shaggy , shoulder - length hair , a grizzled goatee badly in need of a trim , and he wears mostly stained tee - shirts , long shorts , and gellies without socks . he smokes a lot of pot , drinks a lot of white russians , and is more than content to spend the majority of his time bowling with his two buddies , a slightly psychotic vietnam vet named walter sobchak ( john goodman ) and donny ( steve buscemi ) , one of those guys who always wants to be part of the conversation , but never quite makes it in . one day , the dude is confused with another jeff lebowski ( david huddleston ) , this one being a millionaire philanthropist whose trophy wife , bunny ( tara reid ) , owes a lot of people a lot of money . the main plot and all its accompanying side - plots and coenesque diatribes are far too complicated to get into here . suffice to say that the dude becomes deeply involved with the big lebowski when bunny is kidnaped and the dude is asked to be a courier for the ransom money . by the time all is said and done , walter has become deeply involved , as has the big lebowski 's daughter , maude ( julianne moore ) , a feminist performance artist , a pornographer named jackie treehorn ( ben gazzara ) , and a group of german nihilists led by peter stormare , who was so great as the silent but deadly kidnaper in " fargo . " " the big lebowski " plays like an amalgam of all the coen brothers ' earlier efforts . it shares their previous films ' strong sense of time and place , as well as their send - ups of movie genres and political and cultural ideologies . " lebowski " has the same kind of crazed caricatures that made " raising arizona " such a hoot ; it has surrealistic dream sequences ( one of which involves a busby berkley - like dance number ) that characterized the ending of " barton fink " ; and it has the same kind of cartoonish look and feel that pervaded " the hudsucker proxy . " the film was shot by veteran cinematographer roger deakins , who has worked with the coens on three other films , " barton fink , " " the hudsucker proxy , " and " fargo . " deakins always gives the coens ' films a distinctive visual style , and here he does a brilliant job of capturing the bright colors of seedy los angeles in the early nineties , whether that by the obnoxious blue bowling suit worn by the dude 's main competitor jesus quintana ( john turturro ) , or the strikingly manic dream sequences , one of which involves the dizzy spectacle of watching a strike from a bowling ball 's point of view . if " fargo " was the coen brothers ' most restrained effort in years , " the big lebowski " marks their return to over - the - edge filmmaking . it is overflowing with style and attitude , which helps make up for the scattered plot fragments that never quite come together in the end . the coens fill the screen with lighting , set design , music , and hilarious performances from all the leads , especially bridges and the always reliable john goodman , who shows real comic timing in his untimely ' nam - inspired outbursts and his intense dedication to his adopted judaism . with joel directing , ethan producing , and both writing , the coen brothers seem limitless in their capacity to turn our world inside out . their talent lies not in their ability to reflect the norms of reality , but in their potential to dig out the darkest corners of life and bring them to light . the coens rejoice in the oddballs of the world , and they put them center - stage to show that it 's not just guys like the dude who are nuts , but the entire planet .

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blood simple , " joel and ethan coen have been one of the most eclectic , original , and downright fascinating creative teams in modern hollywood . their films are highly stylized , deeply embedded in a particular time and place , and their characters dude . the dude is played by jeff bridges -- one of hollywood 's most underrated actors -- in the best stoned performance since sean penn stumbled through the halls of ridgemont high amalgam of all the coen brothers ' earlier efforts . it shares their previous films ' strong sense of time and place , as well as their send - ups of movie genres and political and cultural ideologies . " lebowski " has the same kind of crazed caricatures that made " raising arizona " such a hoot ; it has surrealistic dream sequences ( one of which involves a busby berkley - like pervaded " the hudsucker proxy . " the film was shot by veteran cinematographer roger deakins , who has worked with the coens on fargo . " deakins always gives the coens ' films a distinctive visual style , and here he does a brilliant job of capturing the bright colors of seedy los angeles in the early nineties , whether to over - the - edge filmmaking . it is overflowing with style and attitude , which helps make up for the scattered plot fragments screen with lighting , set design , music , and hilarious performances from all the leads , especially bridges and the always reliable john goodman , who shows real comic timing in his untimely ' nam - inspired outbursts and his ethan producing , and both writing , the coen brothers seem limitless in their capacity to turn our world inside out . their talent lies not in their ability to reflect the norms of reality , but in their potential to dig out the darkest corners of life and bring them to light . the coens rejoice in the oddballs of the world , and they put

lean , mean , escapist thrillers are a tough product to come by . most are unnecessarily complicated , and others have no sense of expediency -- the thrill - ride effect gets lost in the cumbersome plot . perhaps the ultimate escapist thriller was the fugitive , which featured none of the flash - bang effects of today 's market but rather a bread - and - butter , textbook example of what a clever script and good direction is all about . the latest tony scott movie , enemy of the state , does n't make it to that level . it 's a true nineties product that runs like greased lightning through a maze of cell phones and laptop computers , without looking back . although director scott has made missteps in the past , such as the lame thriller the fan , he 's generated a good deal of energy in pictures like crimson tide and top gun . that vibrant spirit is present here , shown in well - timed and carefully planned chase scenes that give the movie an aura of sheer speed . enemy of the state also features an unprecedented use of amazing cinematography -- director of photography daniel mindel throws a staggering amount of different views , angles , lenses , and film stocks at the audience that goes a long way toward involving the audience in the movie . enemy is truly a visual experience , and that 's only one of the reasons it 's such a fun watch . the movie lights up with an aging senator visited by nsa deputy chief thomas reynolds ( jon voight ) . reynolds wants a new communications act passed to allow the government free reign in the use of surveilance equipment , but the senator plans to bury the bill in committee . reynolds has the senator offed , but not before the murder is caught on a naturalist 's camera . by an extremist chain of events , the tape ends up in labor lawyer robert dean ( will smith ) 's posession , and it 's not long before he 's running from reynolds ' cronies . it 's only with the help of an ex - spook named brill ( gene hackman ) that dean is able to get to the bottom of things . the acting is top notch , and the three principles - smith , hackman , and voight - are generally more mature and excellent all around . smith puts aside the wisecracking act and becomes a normal human being ; voight tones down the amount of sneer he puts into his character for greater ominpotence ; and hackman is simply over the top in the mysterioso role . smith 's regular joe comes off particularly well , as he runs from authorties for reasons that he knows not . the supports are also in fine form , lending credibility to the main roles and advancing the plot in key areas . this is , for the holiday crowd , the hot ticket ; as well as anyone looking for a serving of genuine action in a market that is otherwise lacking .

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energy in pictures like crimson tide and top gun . that vibrant spirit is present here , shown in well - timed and carefully planned chase scenes that give the movie an aura of sheer speed . enemy of the state also features an unprecedented use of amazing cinematography -- director of photography daniel mindel throws a staggering amount , lenses , and film stocks at the audience that goes a long way toward involving the audience in the movie . enemy is truly a visual experience , and that 's only one of the reasons it 's such a fun watch . the movie lights up with an aging senator visited is able to get to the bottom of things . the acting is top notch , and the three principles - smith , hackman , and voight - are generally more mature and excellent all around . smith puts aside the wisecracking act and becomes a into his character for greater ominpotence ; and hackman is simply over the top in the mysterioso role . smith 's regular joe comes off particularly well , as he runs from authorties for reasons that he knows not . the supports are also in fine form , lending credibility to the main roles and advancing the plot in key areas . this is , for the holiday crowd , the hot ticket ; as well as anyone looking for a serving of genuine action in a market that is otherwise lacking .

this film is based on the campy tv show from the 1960 's under the same appellation . mind you , most people ( including yours truly ) who will see this movie will not have seen any episodes from the original series . the movie is really a stand alone in that regard . the family robinson . . . lost in space . plot : set in the year 2058 , the family robinson is chosen to sail out into space in search of other planets that might contain the natural resources earth needs in order to survive its future . a colonization process , if you will . they are joined by able pilot west ( leblanc ) , and evil uninvited stowaway ( oldman ) , who does not want to see the trip conclude on a successful tip . eventually , their trek goes awry , and all are " lost in space " . " how do get back to earth ? " is the question that infests the rest of this sci - fi epic . critique : this film reminded me a lot of the fifth element ( 6 . 5/10 ) from the summer of 1997 . it 's a film with a lot of flash , but very little actual substance . admittedly , there is n't an annoying character like chris tucker from the other film , but this film does run a little too long , and did lose me in regards to its complex time - travel / multi - dimensional story line . having said that , the special effects in this movie were amazing , and the overall look and feel were also way above average . you really felt like you were in the future , and riding through space with these poor souls . unfortunately for this chosen family , their 10-year old son is the smartest one in the group , and the father is too wrapped up in his work to notice the rest of his family ( ever heard that one before ? yawn ! ) . the acting is ok , and i was especially surprised at the solid performance by tv friend 's matt leblanc who shows us all that he 's definitely more than just a pretty face . on the down side , the family riff - raff that cuts through most of the picture is lame and time - consuming ( even though we got ta give them credit for " trying " to develop characters in a sci - fi pic ) , the story line is hard to follow , the evil character in the movie actually tells people that he 's " evil " , and the movie goes on for about 20 minutes too long . on the slick side , many of the special effects are really cool ( the sequence in which the family is " paralyzed " during the hyper - drive is awesome , and the animated monkey that joins the family halfway through the flic is mucho cool ) , the credit presentation at the end of the film is slamming , and the adventures that they fall into are somewhat thrilling ( i will also admit that " somehow " they got me to semi - tear up near the conclusion of this picture . . . . very odd . . . . . ) . overall , if you 're a big sci - fi fan , check this movie out for the special effects and challenging narrative , and if you 're not , i would still suggest seeing this movie , but then you could probably wait until it comes out on video so that you forward past some of the boring parts . little known facts : this film will always be remembered as the movie that knocked titanic ( 7/10 ) out of the top spot at the box - office after 15 straight weeks at number one . garry oldman is british , and was once married to uma thurman for about six months . mimi rogers was tom cruise 's first wife .

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from the summer of 1997 . it 's a film with a lot of flash , but very little actual substance . admittedly , there multi - dimensional story line . having said that , the special effects in this movie were amazing , and the overall look and feel were also way above average . you really felt like you were in the future , and riding through space with these poor souls . ever heard that one before ? yawn ! ) . the acting is ok , and i was especially surprised at the solid performance by tv friend 's matt leblanc who shows us all picture is lame and time - consuming ( even though we got ta give them credit for " trying " to develop characters in a sci 20 minutes too long . on the slick side , many of the special effects are really cool ( the sequence in which the family is " paralyzed " during the hyper - drive is awesome , and the animated monkey that joins the family halfway through the flic is mucho cool ) , the credit presentation at the end of the film is slamming , and the adventures that they fall into are somewhat thrilling ( i will also admit that " somehow " they if you 're a big sci - fi fan , check this movie out for the special effects and challenging narrative , and if you 're not , i would still suggest seeing this movie , but then you could probably wait until it comes

1992 's alien3 marked not only the death ( by suicide ) of its popular protagonist , ellen ripley ( sigourney weaver ) , but , in many ways , the alien franchise itself -- box office receipts were anemic , thanks to poor audience word of mouth ; and the critics who rallied around the first two installments , 1979 's alien and 1986 's aliens , savaged david fincher 's slog of a sendoff ( myself included ) . hence , weaver , director jean - pierre jeunet , and the others behind alien resurrection faced a two - fold challenge -- not only somehow resurrect ripley , but also rescue this once - profitable series from the scrap heap . despite the odds , they have succeeded , even if the entertaining new installment does not measure up to the excellent first two . writer joss whedon devises a quick , easy , and painless answer to the dead ripley problem -- clone her , which is what shady military scientists do using some blood left behind on fiorina 161 , the prison planet of the third film . that done , the _ real _ challenge presents itself -- what do with her . alien introduced ripley as smart and resourceful ; aliens simultaneously toughened her up and made her more vulnerable , exploring her maternal side ; alien3 saw her undergoing the seven stages of death . what could be next ? whedon comes up with a clever spin : since the original ripley died while impregnated with an alien queen , the blood used for the clone is also " infected " with alien dna . so the new ripley is , indeed , new -- a human / alien hybrid blessed with heightened instincts and strength , a psychic bond with the deadly species , and a more predatory attitude . unfortunately , that is where alien resurrection 's clever streak in writing stops . the alien series is known for having stronger stories than most creature features . but the story in resurrection is more of an afterthought . the movie begins with a plot involving some military types attempting to train aliens to do their bidding , but once the creatures break free , it is once again ripley and a ragtag crew ( this time a bunch of interstellar smugglers , including tough waif call , played by a game winona ryder ) trying to exterminate them . and the alien ripley scenario is ultimately not exploited to its full potential ; i would have liked deeper exploration into the quandary of becoming one of the species she has spent her entire life trying to destroy . while the settling into tried - and - true formula is a little disconcerting , the formula is tried - and - true for a reason , and jeunet tackles the proceedings with giddy abandon . the alien , after all these years , is still terrifying , and a new breed that is introduced is no less so . the violence is appropriately grisly and extreme , and the action set pieces are suspenseful and exciting , most notably an extended underwater sequence . the film is absolutely mesmerizing visually , thanks to the solid work done by production designer nigel phelps and cinematographer darius khondji . as technically adept as jeunet 's direction is , perhaps his ( and , for that matter , whedon 's ) greatest contribution is the infusion of humor into this notably downbeat and serious series . a sense of humor may seem to go against everything this horror show stands for , but the self - awareness of the excess just adds to the fun . no , alien resurrection is not the great film that ridley scott 's alien or the even greater film that james cameron 's aliens was . but after the dauntingly slow gloom and doom of fincher 's alien3 , jeunet 's resurrection is a welcome return to its roots as a wild , reckless thrill ride . that is what made the alien series so popular in the first place , and that is what will keep the series popular in any future installments .

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series from the scrap heap . despite the odds , they have succeeded , even if the entertaining new installment does not measure up to the excellent first two . writer joss whedon devises a quick , easy , and painless answer to the dead ripley problem -- clone her , which - and - true formula is a little disconcerting , the formula is tried - and - true for a reason , and jeunet tackles the proceedings with giddy abandon . the alien , after all these years , is still terrifying , and a new breed that is introduced is no less so . the violence is appropriately grisly and extreme , and the action set pieces are suspenseful and exciting , most notably an extended underwater sequence . the film is absolutely mesmerizing visually , thanks to the solid work done by production designer nigel phelps and cinematographer darius khondji . as technically adept as jeunet 's direction is , perhaps his ( and , for that matter , whedon 's ) greatest contribution is the infusion of humor into this notably downbeat and serious series . a sense for , but the self - awareness of the excess just adds to the fun . no , alien resurrection is not the great film doom of fincher 's alien3 , jeunet 's resurrection is a welcome return to its roots as a wild , reckless thrill ride

most sequels do n't do what they 're supposed to do like " toy story 2 " does . far too many of them end up re - hashing the original and adding very little . is it any wonder that most sequels fail to live up to their predecessors ? thankfully , " toy story 2 " is a wonderful exception . i ca n't remember the last time i saw a sequel as consistently fun and inventive as this one . it 's yet another sign that pixar , the acclaimed animation studio behind " toy story " and " a bug 's life , " is still at the top of its game . woody and buzz are back in the sequel to the 1995 hit " toy story , " and things have changed a bit since the last one ended . woody ( voiced by tom hanks ) is preparing to leave with his owner andy for cowboy camp . in his absence , he has assigned buzz lightyear ( tim allen ) , now comfortable in his role as a toy , to take charge . unfortunately , woody 's trip is ruined when he is accidentally put into the family garage sale , and is stolen by an over - zealous toy collector ( wayne knight ) . off to save him are buzz and members of the old " toy gang , " including mr . potato head ( don rickles ) , rex the nervous dinosaur ( wallace shawn ) , hamm the piggy bank ( john ratzenberger ) , and slinky dog ( jim varney ) . while in captivity , woody makes a startling discovery : he is actually part of a collection of toys based on a 1950 's children 's show entitled " woody 's roundup . " he meets the show 's other characters , which include jesse ( joan cusack ) , his cowgirl sidekick , the wise old prospector ( kelsey grammer ) , and bullseye , his trusty horse . they have all been anxiously awaiting woody 's arrival , as once their set is completed , they will be sold to a japanese toy museum , and finally escape storage forever . this means woody now faces a difficult choice . with his friends coming to rescue him , does he go with them and spend a few more years with andy , or does he go to japan and be immortalized forever ? as in the original film , " toy story 2 " contains first - rate animation , and pixar studios has done a remarkable job improving on the impressive work they did there . reportedly , the film was originally slated for a direct - to - video release , but after seeing the improvements that had been made , disney rightly decided to release it into theaters . the film is well worth seeing on the big screen . the colors are bright , the textures sharp , and even the human characters look more " human . " the animation is consistently seamless , with the action fast and furious and the facial expressions believable . there are so many impressive sequences that i 'd find it impossible to list them here , but i was particularly wowed by a scene where buzz and his cohorts must get across a busy intersection to get to al ' s toy barn , the store owned by woody 's captor . pixar 's rendition of the family dog is also nicely done , with fur so realistic you almost feel you could reach out and touch it . the voice work is also perfectly complementary , and as with the first movie , does much to help further character development . tom hanks and tim allen again disappear into their roles as woody and buzz , making you forget who is doing the voice . it was woody and buzz up there , not tom and tim . all the cast members from the original reprise their roles , and each is excellent . several new voices have been added , with joan cusack , kelsey grammer , and wayne knight doing fine work . " toy story 2 " is strong in characterization , and is able to expand on what we saw in the first movie . woody faces difficult choices , while buzz is confronted with a new buzz who has n't yet realized his status as a toy , forcing him to see what he used to be like . the new characters are also developed quite well , especially jesse , who narrates a sarah mclachlan - aided flashback illustrating how she was loved , then forgotten by her owner . it may be computer - animated , and it may have sappy music , but it 's downright touching . the script , despite having a story and screenplay each credited to four different writers , is endlessly clever and inventive , especially considering that it 's a sequel . the reason " toy story 2 " works where other movie sequels fail is that it refuses to just capitalize on the original 's success by re - doing the same story and using the same characters . not this one . we get character change , new characters , and new issues brought up . " toy story 2 " is also remarkable for the way in which it keeps reinventing itself . there is always another clever idea waiting just around the corner here . the humor is sharp and witty , with something to amuse both kids and adults . there are funny asides to films such as " star wars " and " jurassic park , " among others , new takes on classic toys like barbie and rock 'em sock 'em robots , and appearances from other pixar efforts " a bug 's life " and the 1997 short " geri 's game . " ( geri himself makes an appearance as a toy repairman who fixes woody 's broken arm . ) the action is fast and furious , and the chases ( in the street , in a toy store , in an elevator , on a baggage carousel , and in an airplane ) keep getting bigger and better . " toy story 2 " never grows stagnant , because there is always something new to hold your interest . the more you pay attention to it , the more rewarding it is . it 's rare to see a film like " toy story 2 " come along , because it 's the kind of film that 's almost impossible to dislike . it 's created purely to entertain , and though i enjoy a thought - provoking drama as much as the next person , it 's nice to see that films are still trying to do exactly what movies first tried to do : send us out with a smile . it 's a fair bet that the whole family will have smiles on their collective faces after seeing " toy story 2 . " it 's the rare sequel that manages to expand on , and live up to , the original .

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their predecessors ? thankfully , " toy story 2 " is a wonderful exception . i ca n't remember the last time i saw a sequel as consistently fun and inventive as this one . it 's yet another sign that pixar , the acclaimed animation studio behind " toy story " and " a bug 's life , " is still at the top of its game . woody and buzz are back in the sequel to the original film , " toy story 2 " contains first - rate animation , and pixar studios has done a remarkable job improving on the impressive work they did there . reportedly , the film was originally slated for a rightly decided to release it into theaters . the film is well worth seeing on the big screen . the colors are bright , the textures sharp , and even the human characters look more " human . " the animation is consistently seamless , with the action fast and furious and the facial expressions believable . there are so many impressive sequences that i 'd find it impossible to list them here , but i was particularly wowed by a scene where buzz and his cohorts must get across a busy captor . pixar 's rendition of the family dog is also nicely done , with fur so realistic you almost feel you could reach out and touch it . the voice work is also perfectly complementary , and as with the first movie , does much cast members from the original reprise their roles , and each is excellent . several new voices have been added , with joan cusack , kelsey grammer , and wayne knight doing fine work . " toy story 2 " is strong in characterization , and is able to expand on what we saw in the first movie . woody faces difficult choices , while buzz is confronted he used to be like . the new characters are also developed quite well , especially jesse , who narrates a sarah mclachlan - animated , and it may have sappy music , but it 's downright touching . the script , despite having a story and screenplay each credited to four different writers , is endlessly clever and inventive , especially considering that it 's a sequel . the 2 " works where other movie sequels fail

expectation rating : a bit worse than expected ( mainly because i found the middle part to be a bit dull ) . roger ebert gave it a four star review , and while he is a critic that uses the full scale , and i often agree -- such as dark city being the best film of 1998 , he must have seen a better film . i read the book about five years ago and hugely enjoyed it . the opening of a simple plan reminded me a bit of the sweet hereafter . the landscape is snowy and cold , and is filmed what i feel is in a rather crisp manner ( which also reminds me of fargo ( which i loathed ) ) . one can almost sense the cold . but the movie far from the eye popping delights of the quick and the dead , instead raimi has made a more constrained film -- which probably is for the better . this is probably not a movie that would have been improved by lots of odd shots . the movie also reminded me of affliction , as the lead characters all seem to be hoping for and seeing a possibility to lead a better life than their father , and they see a chance for such a dream to come true . this chance is uncovered in a snow covered field , where an airplane has crash landed . in the plane three men find ? the american dream . . . in a gym bag . ? affliction too was set in a snowy landscape . it really seems very simple . just hold on to the money until spring , and if no one claims it , they 'll be safe to spend it and their hope of experiencing the american dream can come true . but the snow melts , and so might several of the character 's hopes . as in ? return to paradise ? , some of the characters are presented with a chance to do the right thing . but doing the right thing might not result in a better result than something more selfish . the movie 's biggest strength is that it fact makes sense . i have seen many movies based on books that just seem like selected scenes from the book visualized , eschewing anything remotely resembling a coherent story -- for example clear and present danger . the biggest problem seems to over - familiarization with the story . the writer perhaps feels that he does n't have to present scenes that are clear to him , but the lack of which only baffles an audience which has not read the book . this is definitely not the problem with a simple plan , even though the screenplay is by the book 's author . the movie is always clear on where it 's going , and always makes sense . i 'm sue a lot was cut , but really i ca n't remember what . even a minor scene involving a man complaining that he has paid for too much grains is included . the man only comes in on mondays , but he claims that he has been charged for one purchase too many . turns out . . . well , see the movie . one should be warned against seeing the trailer . it reveals several scenes from the ending moments ( which yes , like in the book , it is a downer ) , several plot developments , and much of the beginning . but much of this is not spelled directly out during the trailer , so if you 're lucky , you 'll have forgotten about all of this when you see the movie .

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, instead raimi has made a more constrained film -- which probably is for the better . this is probably not a movie that would have result in a better result than something more selfish . the movie 's biggest strength is that it fact makes sense . i have seen many movies based on books that though the screenplay is by the book 's author . the movie is always clear on where it 's going , and always makes sense . i 'm sue a lot was cut , but

it is simply amazing how " the green mile " developed in its three hour running time . based on the stephen king series of the same title , the film starts out painfully slow , with underdeveloped characters and idiotic dialogue . however , as the plot begins to progress , the film turns into pure perfection with outstanding performances and wonderful direction . frank darabont , who masterfully followed a prisoner 's story in " the shawshank redemption " , this time follows the perspective of a prison guard , paul edgecomb ( tom hanks ) . through edgecomb 's experiences on a cell block known as the green mile where death row prisoners wait and repent , the audience sees good and evil on both sides of the law . from an evil prison guard to an evil prisoner , " the green mile " is successful in creating sympathy for kind - hearted hard working guards and hard thinking prisoners . the plot follows edgecomb and four other guards as they meet a variety of prisoners and after having strong relationships with each eventually are forced to execute them . the performances by veterans and new comers to back up these original characters are superb . the ensemble acting in the film is perfect . hanks , david morse and barry pepper as guards are wonderful and are fitting for their roles . they are the characters we most relate to because of their calm less extreme roles . they are given the positions to make rational decisions at difficult times and they are the ones who fulfill the demands of the audience . the more unique characters perfectly create friction on the green mile and make the story interesting and exciting . some particularly note worthy roles of the unique characters include doug hutchinson , sam rockwell , and michael duncan . hutchinson , playing percy wetmore , a cowardly guard who hides his true feelings by tormenting others gives the greatest performance of the movie . every time he appears on the screen , the attitude of others is very uncomfortable and the creepy expressions he is able to create are effectively terrifying . it would come as no surprise if hutchinson was nominated for an academy award as best supporting actor , not only because he did a wonderful job as wetmore , but also because he stole every scene he was in away from veteran oscar winner tom hanks . rockwell , an independent film veteran , plays his role as wild bill wharton to perfection . as a prisoner who taunts and harasses the guards at all hours , he really gets under your skin and irritates you for having to watch him torture others . this irritation he creates makes his performance so believable . the last noteworthy performance belongs to duncan , as the enormous convicted killer john coffey who happens to hold the power of curing the ill . duncan does a wonderful job playing a frightened child - like behemoth , very similar to lennie small in of mice and men . his desire for love and the extinction of hate evokes the most compassion because it is very obvious that he is suffering for no just cause . his pain creates pain for the viewer . however , it takes over an hour for duncan to be introduced completely in the film . the film opens with a ridiculous present day setting which contains a scene that jabs at " the jerry springer show . " the scene , containing one old man complaining about how all guests on the show are inbred and rednecks . not only is this observation entirely pointless and out of place , but it is also hackneyed beyond all belief . as the film flashes back to 1935 , graham greene is quickly executed without any introduction . his death seems very rushed and without any knowledge of who he is , the scene is neither sad nor convincing . greene is not even given a final word , like some of the other characters , and we do n't even see him walk the infamous green mile . however , as the film begins to specifically introduce more characters , such as coffey and eduard delacroix ( michael jeter ) as well as the five prison guards , the film becomes more interesting . the speed in " the green mile " is perfect . if time was a matter of concern and the film was edited to the two hour mark , it would have been unsatisfactory because we would not be able to know the characters as they are or as they treat others . the three hour running is perfect for plot development and by the end of the film , a great amount of love or hate is attached to each character . " the green mile " is so good following the rough beginning , that when the pivotal moment at the very end finally comes , it is almost impossible not to feel some sort of sadness for every person in this scene . fighting back tears was a difficult task that i barely succeeded in doing . if you survive the first third of " the green mile " sit back and enjoy the remainder for some priceless entertainment .

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it is simply amazing how " the green mile " developed in its three . however , as the plot begins to progress , the film turns into pure perfection with outstanding performances and wonderful direction . frank darabont , who masterfully followed a prisoner 's story in " the shawshank redemption an evil prisoner , " the green mile " is successful in creating sympathy for kind - hearted hard working guards and hard relationships with each eventually are forced to execute them . the performances by veterans and new comers to back up these original characters are superb . the ensemble acting in the film is perfect . hanks , david morse and barry pepper as guards are wonderful and are fitting for their roles . they are the characters we most relate to because the ones who fulfill the demands of the audience . the more unique characters perfectly create friction on the green mile and make the story interesting and exciting . some particularly note worthy roles of the unique characters expressions he is able to create are effectively terrifying . it would come as no surprise if hutchinson was nominated for an academy award as best supporting actor , not only because he did a wonderful job as wetmore , but also because he stole every scene he was in away from veteran oscar winner tom hanks . rockwell , an independent film veteran , plays his role as wild bill wharton to perfection . as a prisoner who taunts and harasses the guards to watch him torture others . this irritation he creates makes his performance so believable . the last noteworthy performance belongs to duncan , as the enormous convicted killer john to hold the power of curing the ill . duncan does a wonderful job playing a frightened child - like behemoth , very similar jeter ) as well as the five prison guards , the film becomes more interesting . the speed in " the green mile " is perfect . if time was a matter of concern and the or as they treat others . the three hour running is perfect for plot development and by the end of the film , a great attached to each character . " the green mile " is so good following the rough beginning , that when the pivotal moment at the very end finally comes , it is almost impossible not to feel some sort of sadness for every person in this scene . fighting back tears was a difficult task that i barely succeeded in doing . if you survive the first third of " the green mile " sit back and enjoy the remainder for some priceless entertainment .