Datasets:

gmihaila

/

movie_rationales_truncated

like 0

as much as i wanted to like this film as i went into it , the more pleased i was when i left . first , getting through all the usual lines of newspaper glitz : " if you liked scream , you 'll love wild things ! " " campbell gives a stunning performance ! " " this twisty plot will have you dazzled for days ! " ( oh yeah , the day a newspaper uses these is the day neve campbell falls in love with me ) now , onto more serious stuff ( and with this film , i mean that in nearly a sarcastic way ) . wild things has single - handedly broken down the rules surrounding the r rating from the mpaa . i 'm not saying that in a bad way , but when you see this film , you may be shocked by what you see . however , perhaps the mpaa was pleased by the film 's charming cast and tricky plot , that they let the film slide with an r rating . being mormon , i 'm bound to hear an uproar from religious zealots warning me not to see the film . trouble is , i have already seen it . and i like it ! wild things is a film noir of the 90s , filled with 40s sensibilities , and yet breaking the rules and modern - day taboos of 90s culture . the style in which it is filmed is rich in color . the actors are all gorgeous people , seemingly drawn from the same gene pool and placed into this film . sure , it 's all too good to be true , but ai n't it fun to watch ? when movies like this come along ( sort of a better version of basic instinct ) there is bound to be people who either love it or hate it . there will be people who do n't want to admit liking what they see , but i tell you , most anyone who sees this will like it . wild things begins at blue bay high school , the one high school in the world that any teenager would love to get into . it 's almost as if students are put through entrance exams just for admittance ( totally based on looks alone ) . of course , there are those select few who may look slightly ugly , but compared to the average person , they are gorgeous . immediately , the film finds its tone and the audience settles in for an enjoyable time . we can turn off our brains , right ? wrong . while you may be expecting one thing to happen , it certainly does n't turn out that way . the film begins in a classroom , with nearly all the main characters present . there 's sam lombardo ( matt dillon ) , a counselor for the students . he 's heading the class discussion . there 's also kelly van ryan ( denise richards ) , a snobby rich teen who has fallen in love with sam . teaching the class , however , are two policemen : ray duquette ( kevin bacon ) and gloria perez ( daphne rubin - vega ) , who want to talk about ' sex . . . ( cheers ) crimes ( boos ) ' . " what is a sex crime ? " ray asks . " not gettin ' any ! " one student responds . this pretty much sets the tone of the film we are about to watch . however , upon hearing this , one student , suzie toller ( neve campbell ) , stands up and leaves the room , commenting that they can both kiss part of her body . and so , wild things sets into motion . quickly , kelly begins hitting on sam , but sam does n't want anything to do with her advances . kelly is stubborn and continues to pursue him . she even pleads with him to let her wash his jeep . surprisingly , that 's really all i can tell you about the plot . any more would give away one of the many crucial plot twists . and what 's more , these plot twists are actually unpredictable . going along the way of scream , wild things maintains that film 's surprises , and then adds even more to them . there are more plot twists in this film than probably any i have ever seen . and even though you think you may get tired of them , the surprises are so genuine that it 's rather pleasing . going back over them in my mind , nearly all of them work , though some stretch the boundaries of belief . thankfully , the convoluted plot does n't give us much time to think about each one , pouncing yet another twist on us before the shock of the previous one has worn off . as for the critics who complain that the film is trashy -- well , it is . this is pretty much just one trashy film . however , it is the kind of trashy that is n't hard to watch . it 's good trash , in a sense . one , the screenplay knows that it 's not to be taken seriously , and it includes a lot of humor and satire into the story . this varies everywhere from kelly 's mother ( theresa russell ) , who is more of a caricature of rich people , all the way to an ambulance - chasing lawyer ( bill murray ) , who wears a neck - brace to cover an insurance scam he is running . bill murray also provides the best character in the film , and most of the genuine laughs . and two , the sex is more than gratuitous , although not unwelcomed . wild things is supposed to have sex in it ( what film with that title would n't ? ) , and this movie breaks the boundaries . instead of having heterosexual sex scenes , it also includes lesbian scenes between denise richards and neve campbell ( do n't worry . . . it 's not as graphic as you might think ) . the heterosexual scenes are quite graphic , but the surprise shocker is kevin bacon 's full - frontal nude scene . it 's very brief , so if you blink , you may miss ( ahem ) it . and , for as long as i can remember , i do n't think i have seen an r - rated film show an erect one before ( it 's not completely , but judging from the audiences ' reaction , it was more than they expected too ) . also , during one scene late in the film , there seemed to be a relationship brewing between bacon and dillon 's characters , but nothing came of it ( makes you wonder if the director had to cut it in order for the r rating , or if the actors refused to do it ) . what first made me want to see wild things was its cast . neve campbell , of course , has been one of my favorite actresses since the scream films were released . here , however , she turns every typical role she has done on its head and plays a gothic pothead . the closest role to this was her performance in the craft ( though even in that she was a nice girl ) . campbell is probably the best in the film and shows her wide range of talent . you can tell she will be around for a long time . denise richards will also be around for a long time , although she may be limited to the roles without much range . here , she gets to express more emotions than in her stiff ( yet effective ) performance in starship troopers . hopefully one day she will land a very good role that can display her ability . and then there is daphne rubin - vega , a newcomer to the movies . she gives a very good performance , although her character is mostly left to the background for the first hour and a half . towards the end she does get a bigger part . on the male side , matt dillon is probably the best , giving a subtle performance that surprises with every twist . kevin bacon has a slightly wooden character , but he makes the most of it . you must have admiration , though , for what he did on screen . and judging from many of the women 's reactions in the theater to that shot , they have grown a deeper appreciation for bacon ( yeah , right ) . and then there is bill murray . his performance is the comic relief , and he nearly steals the film . as a whole , the entire cast works wondrously together , and they seem at home , even when doing the menage a troi . director john mcnaughton , who has previously done the critically acclaimed henry : portrait of a serial killer , has constructed a wonderfully twisty plot that works . his direction is smooth and stylish . the visuals are striking , filled with rich colors , and almost so realistic that we can actually breathe the humidity in the air . however , he seems more at home when the actors are n't talking . his fly - by shots of the swampy areas are brilliant , and his photography of denise richards ' climbing out of the pool is a highlight . the cinematography is gorgeous in its details . its not often that you see a film like this , and we should watch it just to see how the camera can take pictures . then , there is the music . this was probably the most obvious thing to me , as it set the perfect mood for the film . it 's hard to describe in words , so just see the film and listen to it . it 's wonderfully composed and presented . and be sure to stick around during the closing credits ! mcnaughton has finally put the ending credits to good use ( while most comedies use it for outtakes ) . he has included some small scenes which help explain the preceding events . some may say that these are lame attempts to explain the convoluted plot , but it 's an entertaining way to finish the film . plus , there are some shocking moments in these ending credits which just add to the fun . wild things is appropriately rated r for strong sexuality , nudity , language and violence . again , the nudity is rather unnecessary , but let 's face it -- people want to see it . so why not give it to them ? neve campbell , admirably , has a no - nudity clause in her contract , and the most you see of her is from behind as she takes her top off ( way to go , neve ! ) . the sex scenes are graphic , especially the first one we see , between the mother and one of her deck hands . one almost wonders how they got away with the r rating . the language is quite harsh too , ranging from sexual innuendo to your average , everyday profanity . and i ca n't stress it enough : do n't allow kids under 18 to see this film . the target age for the movie is the 18 - 24 range , and that 's who should see it . it 's definitely not for those under 18 ! did i mention that this film is rated r ? however , for those that do get a chance to watch it , you will probably more likely be pleased , and may even take friends to see it the next time .

1POS

trouble is , i have already seen it . and i like it ! wild things is a film noir of the 90s , gorgeous . immediately , the film finds its tone and the audience settles in for an enjoyable time . we can turn off our brains , right ? though you think you may get tired of them , the surprises are so genuine that it 's rather pleasing . going back over them in my mind , nearly that she was a nice girl ) . campbell is probably the best in the film and shows her wide range of talent . you can tell she will be around for a rubin - vega , a newcomer to the movies . she gives a very good performance , although her character is mostly left to the background he nearly steals the film . as a whole , the entire cast works wondrously together , and they seem at home , even when doing henry : portrait of a serial killer , has constructed a wonderfully twisty plot that works . his direction is smooth and stylish . the visuals are striking , filled with rich colors , and almost so realistic that we can actually breathe the humidity in the air . however , he seems more at home when the his fly - by shots of the swampy areas are brilliant , and his photography of denise richards ' climbing out of the pool is a highlight . the cinematography is gorgeous in its details . its not often that you see a film like see the film and listen to it . it 's wonderfully composed and presented . and be sure to stick around during the closing

the postman delivers but not first class the postman a film review by michael redman copyright 1997 by michael redman [ warning : my opinion of this film is definitely in the minority of reviewers perhaps because it hits so many of my cinematic buttons : post - apocalypse stories , hope in a desperate situation , grassroots uprisings and kevin costner . even worse , i thought that " waterworld " was watchable . read the following with those particular grains of salt . ] it 's the year 2013 and things have fallen apart . due to a world war in the late nineties , the resulting three - year winter and a devastating plague , life in the former united states has been reduced to isolated primitive fiefdoms . although this is the future , it looks like a western . as the film opens , kevin costner ( his character 's name is never revealed ) is wandering the utah wastelands with only his mule bill for company . giving extraordinarily bad shakespearean performances in exchange for food and lodging , costner is an outsider in a land of outsiders . running into even worse luck , he is forcibly conscripted into the racially pure holnist army of general bethlehem ( will patton ) . the rag - tag retro - futuristic cavalry is the descendent of militia groups and is even called the " clan " after a brutal boot camp , he ( and you can see this coming a mile away ) escapes . taking shelter in a wrecked postal truck , he liberates the uniform and mail bag from the skeleton in the cab who no longer has a use for either . once he reaches oregon , land of beautiful women , bright youngsters and rock and roll ; he pretends to be a representative from the " restored congress of the united states of america " . this scam gets him inside the walled towns where the promise of mail delivery renews optimism in the hearts of the inhabitants . food and other opportunities come his way in the form of spirited abby ( olivia williams ) who wants him to father a child because her husband is sterile . shortly her husband is killed by bethlehem and she and the postman ( as costner is referred to for the rest of the film ) become a reluctant item . although the postman knows he 's running a fraud , the concept of renewed communications sets the kids ' imagination afire ( especially ford lincoln mercury ( larenz tate ) , his second - in - command ) and they form a new pony express dedicated to getting the mail through . the revived postal service doubles as an army to fight the holnists ' tyranny . the postman has become a symbol for hope in a rube goldberg manner . although the movie appeals to my sensibilities , there are so many things wrong with it that they can hardly be counted . it 's derivitive of costner 's own " waterworld " and clint eastwood westerns . there 's little here that we have n't seen dozens of times before . the film is often down - right corny . a scene where the postman is on horseback and grabs a letter from the hands of a bright - eyed child is embarrassing in its slow - motion banality . the film 's final few minutes should have been left on the cutting room floor . despite the film 's excessive three hour length , several things are never explained . what was the war about ? how did civilization change so rapidly ? everyone has horses : where did all they come from ? the " law of eights " that bethlehem lives by seems to have its origins somewhere beyond the film , but where ? are we to believe that the rest of the world is in the same shape and has n't made their way west to help or conquer ? there is some jumbled symbolism here that does n't appear to make sense . the tale is obviously saying that communication can defeat evil in much the same way that the internet has the potential to topple governments , but beyond that there are some oddities . the evil army is called " holnists " which sounds coincidentally like the new age " holism " , but why ? is it another coincidence that it takes place in 2013 , just one year after many ancient prophesies ( including the ending of the mayan calendar ) predict a new world for mankind ? why is the general named " bethlehem " ? there seems to be some reason for that , but what ? sometimes the movie feels like a joke . an army of postal workers armed with guns ? considering the headlines of recent years , it takes a tremendous leap of faith to cheer for these guys . it 's even more difficult to accept those re - powering the federal government as the heroes . given the current climate of the country and the distrust of big government , it 's asking a lot for the audience to get behind the film 's nationalism . even with its numerous flaws , the movie all comes together , if only for those who have the same weaknesses that i have . it 's doubtful that " the postman " is going to find much of an audience , but a few of us are going to have a good time . besides we 're all awaiting the fall of civilization caused by the year 2000 millennium computer bug . ( michael redman has written this column for over 22 years and would like to announce that the " michael redman " arrested near indianapolis last week for accepting an illicit package from federal express is , to the best of his knowledge , not him . perhaps this similarly - named person should have used kevin costner 's postal service . )

1POS

symbol for hope in a rube goldberg manner . although the movie appeals to my sensibilities , there are so many things wrong with it that film 's nationalism . even with its numerous flaws , the movie all comes together , if only for those who have the same weaknesses

there are certain people in the world who have some talent that very few people have , but they chose not to take advantage of this for some personal reason . " good will hunting " is about one of those people . the will hunting of the ( horrible ) title ( let 's face it , this film would be a bitch to title ) , played by co - writer matt damon , is a mathematical genius . he can do almost any mathematical connundrum in about the time it takes to brew a cup of irish cream cappuccino . and he works at mit . . . as the janitor . one day , the professor of one of the most challenging courses , proffessor lambeau ( " breaking the waves " 's stellan skarsg ? rd ) , puts a big problem on the board for his students to attempt to complete . the next day , it 's already done on the board , but no one in his class claims to have done it . so lambeau puts another problem on the board , this time one that took he and his colleagues over two years to prove . and , duh , it 's done again . of course , they catch the guy who did it red handed - will . before lambeau can find will again ( he ran away when he caught him ) , will has gotten into a fight with a bunch of punks on a basketball court , and struck a police officer , so lambeau gets him out on probation with two agreements : a ) he work with him on math , and b ) he get some therapy . after going through some therapists whom he psyches out in one way or another ( for a hypnotist , he fakes being under his spell , then launches into an impromptu performance of the 70s classic , " afternoon delight " ) . finally , lambeau 's old college roomate , sean mcguire ( robin williams ) , a psych professor , agrees to treat him , and the two begin a rocky relationship , as sean tries to get will to open up . turns out will had a rough childhood , being abandoned , and placed in foster homes and what not . it also turns out that will does not want to do simple mathematics all his life ; he wants a challenge . and that is to hang out with his buds ( including the other co - writer , ben affleck ) , and do honorable jobs , like construction . is it right to make this genius follow in the footsteps of einstein and kasinsky ? should this guy be forced to do something he does n't want to do ? this appears to be one of the million questions in this film , which is jam - packed with greatness , but does not have the totally brilliant whole it should . i 'm not saying " good will hunting " is a bad film at all . it 's a very enjoyable film with tons of great moments , and lots of great things about it . the acting is amazing , with two oscar - nomination - worthy performances from damon and williams , who have amazing chemistry together . we also get some great support from stellan skarsg ? rd ( great name ) , ben affleck , and from minnie driver , who plays will 's love interest , skylar . there are tons of individual moments that i adored . i loved all the comedy in the film , especially a scene where damon proves a schmuck out of a college student who is quoting a historian to impress some chicks , his various attempts at therapy , and of course , my favorite scene in the entire film , the one where he delivers a long , exstensive rant to some nsa agents about the downside of working for them . i liked the relationship between some of the people , like will and skylar , will and sean , sean and lambeau , and will and his friends . there are scenes between them which are just amazing to watch . and there are even moments in the film which are so honest in their portrayal , that i felt rightfully uncomfortable . like the break - up scene between will and skylar , will and sean 's first meeting , a bar scene between sean and lambeau , and a scene where sean tells in detail how he does n't regret meeting his first wife , who would later suffer a slow , painful death , and leave him lonely and slightly bitter . however , the main flaw of the film is there 's too much of everything , and not enough of it either . the film tries for deeper relations between the characters , but they 're sometimes either overwritten or underwritten . take for example the relationship between sean and will : the film gets an interesting father / son as well as doctor / patient relationship going with out any problems , but when it tries to show them as equals , it falls on its face . we hear how they went to the same town , and there are even scenes where the film shows how hypocritical both of them are at times . but this never takes off like the other parts of their relationship do . also , will 's relationship with his best friend , chuckie ( affleck ) , has a nice climax , but not enough rising action . we see them joking around , but when chuckie arrives at a decision between the two of them , it seems more like a superficial reasoning than a more selected one . their relationship never goes beyond " just best friends , " and his decision just seems to be a generalization of any two best friends instead of something more . . . human . maybe it was just me . and it also goes for a parallelism with the relationship between sean and lambeau , but that , again , is underwritten . and , of course , as in most films like this , the girl / boy relationship is pretty underwritten . we never understand what they see in each other , so when skylar confesses that she loves him , it seems more like it 's there for plot details that anything else . minnie driver is interesting , though , and breathes life into her character . the writing is a bit at fault here , but what makes all this worthwhile is the little moments in the film where it acheives true awesomeness . sure , it feels overstuffed , but it 's extremely enjoyable . the dialogue that affleck and damon have written is amazingly fresh , and seems extremely human . i think that they should get a nomination for their script chiefly because of the dialogue , which is amazing . while this is probably director gus van sant 's most conservative film ( you 'd hardly know it 's the same director of " to die for , " the only van sant film i 've seen , really ) , it 's still a pretty remarkable film , albeit a tad overrated ( what 's this " best picture " deal ? ) . and if a film puts a smile on my face despite posessing a lot of flaws , i have no problem with reccomending it to anyone .

1POS

of the million questions in this film , which is jam - packed with greatness , but does not have the totally brilliant whole it " is a bad film at all . it 's a very enjoyable film with tons of great moments , and lots of great things about it . the acting is amazing , with two oscar - nomination - worthy performances from damon and williams , who have amazing chemistry together . we also get some great support from stellan skarsg his friends . there are scenes between them which are just amazing to watch . and there are even moments in the film which all this worthwhile is the little moments in the film where it acheives true awesomeness . sure , it feels overstuffed , but it 's extremely enjoyable . the dialogue that affleck and damon have written is amazingly fresh , and seems extremely human . i think that they i 've seen , really ) , it 's still a pretty remarkable film , albeit a tad overrated ( what 's this "

i guess it 's a credit to jackie chan and the general likeability of the franchise that rush hour 2 could not be ruined even by the nauseating " comedy " of chris tucker . i 'm a fan of jackie chan in just about any medium , and this movie lets him not only do his impressive - as - ever martial arts schtick , but show off his comic timing as well . it would have worked better if he was the only name above the title . the plot is your basic martial arts flick clothesline for stunts and special effects . this time around , the evil smugglers are led by ricky tan ( john lone ) , who makes his fortune by shipping counterfeit money into the united states ( i 'm still not sure how you can make a fortune doing that : is there a place where one can exchange fake bills for real ones ? ) . the only way to tell the phony money from the genuine article is to set it on fire and see what color it burns . of course , it 's up to hong kong detective lee ( chan ) and trash - talking lapd detective james carter ( tucker ) to take the bad guys out and the authorities , to the extent that they even exist , stay out of their way . rush hour 2 turns the tables on the first film in that here it 's carter who gets the two of them into trouble and lee who winds up having to get them out . i guarantee that my rating would have been at least a half of a grade higher had anyone other than chris tucker been cast as the foil for jackie chan . he refuses to shut up . not only did his voice feel like a jackhammer on my head , but his jokes just are n't funny , a pathetic mixture of sub - par eddie murphy fasttalking blather and wannabe chris rock white - man - black - man jokes that wind up being more offensive than funny . i realize that in a movie like this some of the biggest laughs come from letting the actors ad lib beyond what the script dictates , but did n't anyone realize how irritating tucker 's incessant ranting and raving was ? if this is all the comedian has to offer then i do n't care to see any more of his films . fortunately , chan makes for a marvelous straight man , and he redeems the fledgling comedy completely . it 's not often that one actor can so completely save a movie , but there is no other name for what he does ; whenever he 's on screen , rush hour 2 comes to nearly breathtaking , often hilarious , life . much of it hinges on the dubious value of how cute it is to watch chan try to be a " player , " but who cares ? i can think of few high concepts that are funnier . the movie ends with outtakes that , as usual , show that chan is n't perfect , and that it does , indeed , take him a few tries to get some of his incredible stunts to look seamless . chris tucker botches some lines as well , and his mistakes are funnier than anything he says in the whole movie . a lot of people have pointed out rush hour 2 is n't very different from its predecessor in tone or style . but i liked the original , and i like the sequel , though a certain sidekick seems to have done his best to ruin it . director brett ratner ( the family man ) keeps it moving at an entertaining pace and manages to keep the laughs coming despite the fairly miserable hit to miss ratio of the jokes ( i guess sometimes the shotgun approach works ) . it 's not great jackie chan , but it 's jackie chan , and that 's enough . up next : jay and silent bob strike back

1POS

, and this movie lets him not only do his impressive - as - ever martial arts schtick , but show off his comic timing as well . it would have worked better if he n't care to see any more of his films . fortunately , chan makes for a marvelous straight man , and he redeems the fledgling comedy completely . it ; whenever he 's on screen , rush hour 2 comes to nearly breathtaking , often hilarious , life . much of it hinges it . director brett ratner ( the family man ) keeps it moving at an entertaining pace and manages to keep the laughs coming despite the fairly

some critics , including siskel & ebert , are on the record stating that martin scorsese 's raging bull , the story of boxer jake la motta , is the best film of the ' 80s . since there are still a number of ' 80s films that i have n't seen , i do n't feel qualified to make such a judgment , but i 'll say this without hesitation : raging bull is a great motion picture , and i would be surprised if more than a handful of films released between january 1 , 1980 and december 31 , 1989 come close to its level . bio - pics often fall into one of two categories : overblown hero- worship or a dry , dull textbook account . it 's rare that a movie with the moniker " based on the life of ? " comes across as anything more than sporadically energetic and marginally entertaining . raging bull is the perfect counterexample , and a brilliant argument for film makers to continue to work in this genre . the picture takes the life of boxer jake la motta , a middleweight icon from the ' 40s and ' 50s , and develops one of the most compelling character studies ever to reach the big screen . for all 129 minutes , director martin scorsese and actor robert de niro ( in the title role ) have us mesmerized by this individual who is by turns sympathetic , sad , and horrifying . historically , raging bull is said to be mostly accurately , with the lion 's share of the details culled from la motta 's own autobiography ( which was co - written with joseph carter and peter savage ) . however , although la motta is credited as the movie 's " consultant , " he was reportedly unhappy with the final result , because it portrays him as nothing short of an uncouth , insensitive lout . the la motta of the movie is a man of extreme appetites who is driven by base , bestial impulses ? paranoia , jealousy , and blind rage . sex and violence are inextricably linked . the title is apt ? la motta is a raging bull . in the ring , he is a terror , not just beating his opponents , but destroying them . outside of it , he is no less vicious or more easily controlled . the two people who spar with him on life 's canvas are his wife , vicki ( cathy moriarty ) , and his brother / manager , joey ( joe pesci ) . these are the two who mean the most to jake , and who , as a result of his inability to trust himself or others , he loses . he beats vicki mercilessly because he suspects her of infidelity , and , when he inaccurately believes that his brother betrayed him , his lets loose with an explosion of violence . raging bull opens in 1941 when la motta , an up - and - coming fighter , is battling his way into the upper echelon of the middleweight class . over the years , he wins several key bouts , including one against his arch - rival , sugar ray robinson ( johnny barnes ) , but his unwillingness to capitulate with the local godfather keeps him from an opportunity to participate in a championship match . meanwhile , away from the ring , la motta falls in love with 15-year old vicki , who he marries after discarding his shrewish first wife . vicki becomes jake 's greatest prize ( a wife , in his view , is not a companion , but a possession ) and the source of his most extreme pain . his own insecurity is so great that he can not accept that a woman as beautiful as vicki could be faithful to him . hence , he is constantly haunted by a belief that she is sleeping with someone else ? perhaps even his brother . ( this leads to the famous line parodied in waiting for guffman and elsewhere : " are you f * * king my wife ? ? ? " ) in the late ' 40s , la motta gets his first shot at a championship fight , but with one huge condition : he must take a fall . he does it so badly that an investigation is launched and he is almost thrown out of boxing . two years later , he wins the championship , only to lose it in a subsequent bout to sugar ray . by the late ' 50s and early ' 60s , when the film ends , jake has become a pathetic figure ? a broke , overweight loser who has spent time in jail for corrupting the morals of a minor , has lost his wife and children , and is trying to earn a few bucks by doing a cheap standup routine . raging bull is the other side of rocky . sylvester stallone 's tale of boxing triumph was released to great critical acclaim in 1976 . it won the 1977 best picture oscar , and a sequel arrived in theaters before raging bull went into production . but , where rocky romanticizes boxing , raging bull takes a cold , unflinching look at the violence both inside and outside of the ring . while scorsese 's primary aim is to present a riveting deconstruction of la motta the man , he never backs away from showing the seedy , ugly underside of a sport where gambling , greed , and organized crime force fighters to throw matches to continue working . rocky shows boxing at its noblest ; raging bull shows it at its most diseased . there 's little i can say here that has n't already said about de niro 's performance . in a career that has included many fine roles , this is his most outstanding . the level of intensity de niro brings to la motta is unwavering . and , although there 's a lot of travis bickle ( de niro 's character in taxi driver ) in la motta , scorsese and de niro go to great lengths to make sure that , if we never fully sympathize with him , at least we understand the forces that drive him . this is a complete characterization and a perfect example of acting . as the younger jake , de niro is trim and fit . as the fat , older man , de niro gained 50 pounds and turned his body into a grotesque parody of its normal form . how many actors would go that far ? the best oscar statue is only one testimony to the lasting power of the performance . cathy moriarty and joe pesci both earned nominations for their supporting work ( although neither won ) . their portrayals have the same raw energy that infuses de niro 's . pesci , who has basically re - created the same personality in two other scorsese films ( goodfellas and casino ) , presents joey as a slightly more intelligent version of his brother . the misogyny and violence are still there , only better concealed . but , when joey snaps , as he does in one scene where he pounds on a mobster ( frank vincent ) , it 's startling to behold . moriarty , on the other hand , must play the temptress with virginal qualities ? the only kind of woman who would ensnare jake . later , she 's called upon to portray the battered wife and mother whose love has turned into fear . scorsese and cinematographer michael chapman elected to shoot the bulk of raging bull in black - and - white ( a few " home movie " segments are in color ) . the choice is perfect for the movie , giving raging bull a unique look in an era when a black - and - white approach is almost unheard of . ( one important recent exception , schindler 's list , eschewed color for some of the same reasons that raging bull did . ) in black - and - white ( especially considering scorsese 's choice of shots and use of slow motion ) , the violence is stark and disturbing . there 's no room for romanticism in the ring with inky black blood staining the canvas . during fight sequences , the director also uses a number of point - of - view shots designed to show the world , however briefly , from la motta 's perspective . scorsese could have chosen to end the film with la motta 's loss to sugar ray , where he surrendered his middleweight crown . after that , his career was all downhill . yet the director allows the film to run for thirty minutes after this pivotal moment , stretching more than a decade into la motta 's future . the reason is obvious : scorsese is n't as interested in boxing as he is in the character . following his retirement , la motta is still as violent and volatile as ever , but he has lost the arena in which he can legally unleash those tendencies . we see the results of this beast let loose on society and how the consequences of his actions reduce him to a parody of his former self . who can not feel a surge of pity for la motta as he quietly recites marlon brando 's speech from on the waterfront ? ( " i coulda been a contenda . " ) perhaps raging bull is indeed the best film of the ' 80s . and , if not , it 's certainly perilously close to the zenith .

1POS

i 'll say this without hesitation : raging bull is a great motion picture , and i would be surprised if more than a entertaining . raging bull is the perfect counterexample , and a brilliant argument for film makers to continue to work in this genre actor robert de niro ( in the title role ) have us mesmerized by this individual who is by turns sympathetic , sad in a career that has included many fine roles , this is his most outstanding . the level of intensity de niro brings to la form . how many actors would go that far ? the best oscar statue is only one testimony to the lasting power of the performance . cathy moriarty and joe pesci both earned nominations for their supporting work ( although neither won ) . their portrayals have the same raw energy that infuses de niro 's . pesci , who has basically re " home movie " segments are in color ) . the choice is perfect for the movie , giving raging bull a unique look ( " i coulda been a contenda . " ) perhaps raging bull is indeed the best film of the ' 80s . and , if not , it 's certainly perilously

much ballyhoo has been made over this new version of " lolita , " made in a time when one would think that a faithful adaptation of the infamous novel could be made , over its use of pedophilia , and as such , it 's important to address it straight - forwardly , before any other ideals such as goodness and themes can be discussed , as this film has been in film limbo for a number of years , lying around in vaults san a distributor , and having critics waiting to either hail it a masterpiece or call it anticlimactic horseshit . when seeing this film , after all the hoopla , keeping in mind that there are people , namely me , who are fans of the novel , who have been eagerly awaiting this flick since its creation . . . well , you just have to wonder why no one really picked it up for distribution . what 's even worse is that seeing this " lolita , " especially the first time and if you 're familiar with anything " lolita , " is admittingly very anticlimactic . this is a real pity because when you really sit down to watch this film , ignoring all the crap that has preceeded it , it 's really quite a film , perhaps the best film by director adrian lyne ( although , really , look at its competition : " flashdance , " " fatal attraction , " and " indecent proposal " ) , at least besides " jacob 's ladder . " i 've seen this " lolita " twice : the first time , i was n't so blown away . it seemed overly dramatic and surprisingly unaffecting . the second time , not really thinking about how i 've waited for what seems like forever to see it and how i 'm seeing it on a tv set on a premium cable channel and not a giant movie theatre , it really affected me emotionally . the story itself is a surprisingly heartbreaking one , which is why it 's such a good novel , and why this is such a good film . the story of a pedophile obsessed with a young 14-year old girl named dolores a . k . a . lolita is great because it 's not trash for the perverted but because it 's about human obsession with things that are out of one 's reach . its protagonist , the comically - named humbert humbert , is not your average pedophile , but a seriously wounded human being who embodies how we are all destroyed by our sick obsessions and idosyncrasies . the character of lolita is almost a symbol of the forbidden apple in christian mythology , something that will destroy us but that we ca n't live without . these ideas are all worked into this film nicely , but done in a way that is not heavy - handed at all , but instead lyrical and emotionally devastating . the focus of this film , and the reason for making it , it seems , was to really penetrate the emotional depths of the novel and bring them to life on the screen in beautifully dramatic images , and scenes which are blatantly over - stylized . the tone of the book is a comical one , but it 's also a tragic one , and humbert , telling the story from his perspective , blows every single thing out of perspective . humbert exists in a fantsy world of his obsessions and desires , and this reflects the way the entire film has been designed . we get a sense that perhaps it 's by doing this that humbert has really trapped himself into a fate that will ultimately leave him haggard and destroyed . he weeps uncontrollably and never lets himself get over his original 14-year - old love , and allows himself to embody her as lolita . he lets his feelings for her navigate all his decisions , and by the end , he has nothing but overly - dramatic feelings for her . the story recognizes the extreme of this , almost out of a test , seeing if the readers will really sympathize with someone who is socially deemed a pervert , and one almost wonders while reading the book if the author , vladimir nabokov , wrote the book as a means to bring into focus his own sick obsessions , and perhaps bring them to peace . the weirdest thing about this film is that by the end , when humbert has reached the finale of his obsessional journey , we can easily sympathize and even identify with him . the opening and final images of the film are the same , and who has n't done a similar action , that is wandering about without any sense of reality or anything else but a deep sadness in us ? this is the second time the novel has been adapted for the screen , the first time being filmed in - shock - 1962 , by stanley kubrick , who could n't possibly have brought the novel to the screen with as much faithfulness as lyne has been able to do , but did the next best thing : he economized for everything and came up with a droll black comedy about obsession in general . in that film , he used the traps of society as benefits . the studio demanded the final scene , that of a heinous murder , come first in the film so to portray humbert first as a murderer and second as a pedophile . . . and when you see it , it gives the film depth of a man trapped by obsession . the censors would n't allow anymore than a couple glances and subtle dialogue to show the , um , relationship between humbert and lolita , so kubrick decided to play it as comedy , but still allow the tragedy to seep through . looking at these two versions , especially after reading the novel ( and we all know that when we 've read a novel and see a film adaptation , we are bound to be angered by any size differences ) , it 's really impossible to compare them . they both go for different things , and one has a lot more room to be as sexually frank as the novel was . and although it 's true that several scenes are similar , and are thus up for comparison , overall it 's unfair to say which one is better and which one is worse . i have never been one for saying the level of greatness of a film adaptation of a novel is deemed by how faithful it is , and i wo n't say that here . however , this film is pretty amazing , mostly because hey , i loved the book , and this film nearly reminded me of it . it does n't have nearly as much wit ( a couple comical scenes , and even a lot of good chuckles , but just not totally witty ) , but it does have the same emotional toll that the novel had . some of that is in the casting of the two leads . jeremy irons , with his deep , soft british voice and gentle look , is an amazing humbert . he 's droll in a very unique way , and , well , no one can look distraught the way he does . he brings a wonderful sympathy to the role that goes beyond pathos and really comes up as being easy to identify with the audience . and when he looks at lolita with love , and she looks at him with lust , you know that he 's her prisoner for as long as he lives . and dominique swain , who plays the title character , is rather incredible . she pulls off the tough role even better than sue lyon did in the original , wonderfully balancing the qualities of seduction , bratiness , and self - centeredness that marks the character . it 's easy to see why she surrenders to humbert : she loves the attention , and knows that she can have her way with him at any time . when he denies her something , she blackmails him effortlessly ( a scene involving a rocking chair and a little foot action is damn near classic ) , and when he stands up to her , she weeps and runs away , leaving humbert to follow her . there are two other minor characters in the film , one who 's a road block in the beginning , and the other who 's a reappearing threat to the relationship . the former is charlotte , lolita 's mother , played by melanie griffith . in the book , charlotte is a monster of a woman : overbearing , constantly scolding her child , overly - religious , and ultimately selfish . and she 's the one obstacle humbert has to overcome to obtain his goal , at least in the beginning . as played by shelly winters in the original , she represented all these qualities ; as played by griffith here , she 's about half of them . it 's annoying to watch a film and play a game where you try to see who could have done the role way better than the one on screen without mentioning the actor who played them first . and even though griffith is not really bad , persay , she 's nothing more . the other is clare quilty , the writer who is also trying to seduce lolita , and succeeds , but at a price . langella takes a totally different direction than the one peter sellars took in the original . quilty was a comic character in the original : a threat in the form of many forms , popping in states of rambling , german , proning , and eventually drunk . langella takes the other route , allowing all of the creepiness to be unearthed , and the result is a character who exists in shadows and low shots , and who meets a wonderfully ironic ending , the exact opposite of what we thought of him . as you can see , most of these are not improvements or mistakes done on the part of lyne and his screenwriter , stephen schiff , but just parts of a whole new look at the novel , at least cinema - wise . this version is beautiful , and perpetually saddening . the camera movements are stylized , and each shot is breathtakingly rich . the acting is for the most part wonderful , and when we watch it , we really get a sense that for humbert , who is telling the story , the only two people on earth most of the time were humbert and lolita . more importantly , it takes us right up the brink of emotion , then jumps right over it . by the end , with humbert sadly driving recklessly in his car , following what he says is the only part of his life he does n't regret , we feel that we all lose to something we can never have .

1POS

this flick since its creation . . . well , you just have to wonder why no one really picked it up for distribution . what 's even worse is that seeing this " , ignoring all the crap that has preceeded it , it 's really quite a film , perhaps the best film by director adrian lyne ( although , really , look premium cable channel and not a giant movie theatre , it really affected me emotionally . the story itself is a surprisingly heartbreaking one , and i wo n't say that here . however , this film is pretty amazing , mostly because hey , i loved the book , his deep , soft british voice and gentle look , is an amazing humbert . he 's droll in a very unique way one can look distraught the way he does . he brings a wonderful sympathy to the role that goes beyond pathos and really comes dominique swain , who plays the title character , is rather incredible . she pulls off the tough role even better than sue lyon did in the original , wonderfully balancing the qualities of seduction , bratiness , and self in shadows and low shots , and who meets a wonderfully ironic ending , the exact opposite of what we thought at the novel , at least cinema - wise . this version is beautiful , and perpetually saddening . the camera movements are stylized , and each shot is breathtakingly rich . the acting is for the most part wonderful , and when we watch it , we really get

capsule : side - splitting comedy that follows its own merciless logic almost through to the end . . . but not without providing a good deal of genuine laughs . most comedies these days have one flaw . they 're not funny . they think they 're funny , but they are devoid of anything really penetrating or dastardly . occasionally a good funny movie sneaks past the deadening hollywood preconceptions of humor and we get a real gem : ruthless people , for instance , which established a microcosm of a setup and played it out to the bitter end . liar liar is built the same way and is just about as funny . this is one of the few movies i 've seen where i was laughing consistently almost all the way through : instead of a couple of set - pieces that inspired a laugh ( think of the dismal fatal instinct ) , the whole movie works like clockwork . jim carrey playes a high - powered lawyer , to whom lying is as natural as breathing . there is one thing he takes seriously , though : his son , and we can sense the affection that they have for each other right away . but his wife is divorced and seeing another man , and now it looks like they may move away together . the son goes with them , of course . the movie sets up this early material with good timing and a remarkable balance of jim carrey 's over - the - top persona with reality . then the plot springs into action : after being snubbed ( not deliberately ) by his father at his birthday , the kid makes a wish as he blows out the birthday candles : that for just one day , dad ca n't lie . he gets the wish . what happens next is sidesplitting . everything turns into a confrontation : when cornered by a bum for some change , he shouts , " no ! i 'm not giving you any money because i know you 'll spend it on booze ! all i want to do is to get to the office without having to step over the debris of our decaying society ! " he ca n't even get into an elevator without earning a black eye . and what 's worse , he 's now gotten himself into an expensive divorce settlement that requires him to twist the truth like abstract wire sculpture . carrey , who i used to find unfunny , has gotten better at his schtick , even if it 's a limited one . he uses it to great effect in this movie . there is a scene where he tries to test his ability to lie and nearly demolishes his office in the process ( there 's a grin breaking out across my face right now , just remembering the scene ) . he ca n't even write the lie ; his fingers twitch , his body buckles like someone in the throes of cyanide poisoning , and when he tries to talk it 's like he 's speaking in tongues . equally funny is a scene where he beats himself to a pulp ( do n't ask why ) , tries to drink water to keep from having outbursts in the courtroom ( it fails , with semi - predictable results ) , and winds up biting the bullet when he gets called into the boardroom to have everyone ask what they think of them . this scene alone may force people to stop the tape for minutes on end . the movie sustains its laughs and also its flashes of insight until almost the end . a shame , too , because the movie insists on having a big , ridiculous climax that involves carrey 's character flagging down a plane using a set of motorized stairs , then breaking his leg , etc . a simple reconciliation would do the trick . why is this stupid pent - up climax always obligatory ? it 's not even part of the movie 's real agenda . thankfully , liar liar survives it , and so does carrey . maybe they were being merciful , on reflection . if i 'd laughed any more , i might have needed an iron lung .

1POS

to the end . . . but not without providing a good deal of genuine laughs . most comedies these days have one flaw . they is one of the few movies i 've seen where i was laughing consistently almost all the way through : instead of a couple of set - pieces that dad ca n't lie . he gets the wish . what happens next is sidesplitting . everything turns into a confrontation : when cornered by . carrey , who i used to find unfunny , has gotten better at his schtick , even if it 's a limited one . he uses it to great effect in this movie . there is a scene where he people to stop the tape for minutes on end . the movie sustains its laughs and also its flashes of insight until almost the end . a shame , too ,

maybe the most important thing about this movie is that it 's not handled like the hallmark hall of fame movie of the month , because it very well could have been a manipulative tearjerker , broadcasted on abc on a monday night , starring kelly martin and yasmeen bleeth , respectively . because it 's not handled like the greatest story ever told is precisely why it 's so great . underneath the to - die - for cinematography , the brilliant acting , and incessantly wonderful direction is a film of modesty , not sure whether or not this story is totally great but with the balls to run with it , tell it in a certain original way . it does n't merely go from plot point to plot point . it goes from character to character . it obsesses itself with the depth and the style of it all , and makes the story of a world - reknowned cellist who contracts ms and dies prematurely into the story of two sisters , both musicians , who have a totally unique relationship . it 's that their relationship is the center of the story that makes this film transcend any cornball , shamelessly tired tearjerker qualities it could have had and makes this , unlike " patch adams , " effortlessly emotional and real . in short , this movie is just awesome . it merely tells its story really well , and that 's something that just has to be commended these days , when most stories are botched because they 're not told by great storytellers . director anand tucker tells this story well . he overdramaticizes everything , but still keeps it real . the film tells the story of hilary and jacqueline du pr ? ( rachel griffiths and emily watson , respectively ) , two sisters who are first seen in childhood ( played by auriol evans and keely flanders , respectively ) as the very best of friends . they are also both musicians , hilary a flutist and jackie a cellist , and when it all begins , both are considered child prodigies , but hilary is seen as the better of the two . jackie , a bit jealous , works and works at her playing skills , and soon the tables are turned . when they both hit adulthood , hilary strives for a comeback , while her sister is playing in famous halls around the world , but instead of fame , captures the heart of a hapless , joyful conductor , kiffer finzi ( david morissey , in a semi - star - making turn ) . they marry , after a short courtship , and move to a lovely country house , making jackie incredibly jealous since her cello playing becomes a symbol of her current life : when she plays , she has the eyes of the world , but when she stops , she 's alone . she enters into a shallow relationship with an equally famous pianist , daniel barenboim ( james frain ) , in hopes that she may overcloud her sister , but she eventually begins to lose it , and runs away to hilary 's country home , where she hopes to gain admittance by hilary to sleep with her husband , since no one she sleeps with gives her any pleasure . it 's all terribly melodramtic , as you can see , and by the time jackie has contracted ms ( in a brilliantly edited scene that surpasses the breakdown scene in the semi - smiliar " shine " in technical and emotional devastation ) , it would have been the time that i could easily call the sign for melodramatic overload if it had n't been handled in such a way . the key thing here is that it 's not about her gradual death and slip into insanity but rather that it 's about her tumultuous relationship with her sister , which , i might add , is perfectly realized . their relationship is the most down - to - earth complex entity of the year : they love eachother more than anyone else in the entire world , but they 're also completely jealous of one another . when a young jackie surpasses her playing abilities , she tries in vain to make a comeback but ca n't , and almost seems to marry to get back at jackie for her success . when jackie lands on top and sees her sister marry a wonderful man , she is jealous of her lifestyle to the most extensive brinks that i 've ever seen in a film ( only two sisters who truly love eachother would dare share the same man ) . and the whole time , their love for eachother is never doubted or even tested . another thing i really liked is emily watson 's performance . i usually make it a note to never overpraise an actor for playing either a drunkard or a lunatic or someone with a mortal disease ( or any combination of the three ) . my reasoning for this is that it 's a fucking easy job . the worst case for this very year may be thandie newton in " beloved " : sure , she 's good , but what 's so tough about playing a woman who stumbles around , slurs her words together , and acts like a three year old inside a 20-year old 's body ? hell , i could play that if i had a pair of breasts . in that same exact movie , though , is a performance by kimberly elise where she has to be the rock that holds the family together as her mother slowly goes insane , her brothers run off never to be seen again , and her mother 's lover is scared off . she has to actually deal with real emotions , something much harder than mere stumbling about . but the academy of arts and sciences loves loves loves overpraising performances like newtons . if you do n't believe me , look at jack nicholson 's performance in " as good as it gets " : great performance , but easy job . this is n't so for watson , though , because her insanity comes from real emotions , not just a plot point . and thanks to the opening sequence , where we see her and hilary as kids , we understand the motives behind all her actions , and by the time she actually contracts ms and begins to loose her sanity and her life , we 've already understood that this is the last straw for a woman plagued with terrible neuroses . rachel griffiths , who would have otherwise been the understudy to watson 's protagonist , actually matches watson step - for - step , because as watson grows insane , and demands unspeakable things from her , griffiths holds her own , and has to deal with what she is able to give her sister who needs emotional help from her . griffiths , an otherwise unknown actress ( and watson being famous from " breaking the waves " and " the boxer " ) , is absolutely brilliant , just as absolutely brilliant as watson is , and if the academy and all the other critics groups , who 've already deemed watson 's performance the best of the year , glance over hers because she 's the one who does n't get to go insane ( read : she gets the boring role ) , then the scream of hysteria you hear will be from me . after all , griffiths has the thankless job of keeping things real - the tom cruise role in " rainman " ( the one who should have gotten oscar consideration and not hoffman ) . she does , and if anyone deserves accolades from the academy this year , it 's griffiths . together , the two actresses work extremely well , though , and both have to go through deep emotional hell , the likes of which have n't been seen this year . if it had n't been for an otherwise not - totally - great final section that deals way too much with jackie and not enough with hilary ( when the two had gotten equal treatment for the entirety ) , i 'd say this is one of the top ten best films of the year . it 's so close to perfection , in its structure , its treatment of its subject , and its beautiful technical specifications ( cinematography nomination , without a shred of doubt in my mind , and maybe film editing ) , that it 's nearly a shame that it 's not the flawless gem that it should be . but , hey , as it is , i can hardly complain .

1POS

handled like the greatest story ever told is precisely why it 's so great . underneath the to - die - for cinematography , the brilliant acting , and incessantly wonderful direction is a film of modesty , not sure whether or , " effortlessly emotional and real . in short , this movie is just awesome . it merely tells its story really well , and 're not told by great storytellers . director anand tucker tells this story well . he overdramaticizes everything , but still keeps it real her sister , which , i might add , is perfectly realized . their relationship is the most down - to - waves " and " the boxer " ) , is absolutely brilliant , just as absolutely brilliant as watson is , and if the academy and all critics groups , who 've already deemed watson 's performance the best of the year , glance over hers because she 's the one who academy this year , it 's griffiths . together , the two actresses work extremely well , though , and both have to go through deep two had gotten equal treatment for the entirety ) , i 'd say this is one of the top ten best films of the year . it 's so close to perfection , in its structure , its treatment of its subject , and its beautiful technical specifications ( cinematography nomination , without a shred of doubt in

as i write the review for the new hanks / ryan romantic comedy you 've got mail , i am acutely aware that i am typing it on a computer and sending it a billion miles away on the internet . i am also aware that i have just spent the last 2 hours watching the world 's biggest paid commercial for america online . and i wonder : is that so bad ? well , the commercial part is . as for the movie , well , as long as i can watch tom hanks and meg ryan , i think i 'll be okay . to paraphrase james berardinelli , whose reviews i admire very much , tom hanks and meg ryan can act . they are both wonderful , but for all of hanks ' glorious work in serious films , such as his magnificent performance in saving private ryan , and his glorious triumph in philadelphia , i like him best when he 's suitably obnoxious . tom hanks is wonderful when he is obnoxious in a romantic comedy when he 's going to get the girl : the only question is how ? meg ryan , america 's high school sweetheart , can act . she 's had a handful of memorable performances , including the great scene in the diner in when harry met sally ( i must not mention what she does , due to the , well , um , you get the idea , and if you do n't , get the movie-- fantastic ) . but , i like her best when she 's , well , perky . she is so adorably perky / cute that together with hanks , they are the most amazing onscreen duo in my short lifetime . some people have them going back to really old classic romantic couples , but i do n't really know . all i know is that i just like them both . they have such wonderfully kinetic chemistry that 's really hard to resist , and i 'm not going to even try . they 're just really , really cute , sweet , and charming . hanks and ryan collaborate once again with nora ephron , who directed them in the megahit sleepless in seattle . here , the setup is a little different . kathleen kelly ( ryan ) owns a small children 's bookstore which her mother founded 42 years ago and passed down to her . she is successful , beautiful , and dates a well - known columnist with very radical idea ( kinnear ) . she is also having an affair , of sorts . you see , kathleen , with the handle shopgirl , is secretly emailing ny152 . they have a strictly un - detailed relationship : there are no specifics , and they have no idea who each other is . ny152 happens to be joe fox ( hanks ) , a multimillionaire bookseller who is the heir to the fortune of the fox chain of mega - bookstores , run by his father ( coleman ) . fox books has decided to open a store on the west side , right across from a little children 's bookseller named " shop around the corner " , run by a perky girl named kathleen kelly . every morning , these two email each other silly , and every day , they fight " to the death ! ! " . it 's a charming premise , and one that works nicely , balancing the immense troubles kathleen is in with the romance she wants to have . it also has the great sense of being a classic romance : there is no " let 's have sex tonight " mantra , if you 'll excuse my bluntness . this is a solid romance built around that vague concept of love . hmm . well , the movie goes through twists and turns , having some sad moments and happy ones , until at one moment tom hanks and meg ryan " hook up " , to use modern terminology , and kiss their way into happiness . you know it 's going to happen , the question is now ? thankfully , ephron has a wonderful supporting cast with posey , kinnear , chappelle , and a host of others , including a great scene involving brothers , aunts , and two sweet kids . it 's all cute and wonderful , and for all of the idealism , it makes me feel good . hanks is as obnoxious as ever on the outside and as warm on the inside as he always is . he is , i believe , america 's greatest actor . does he show it here ? nah . but he 's still tom hanks , and she 's still meg ryan . which is what this movie boils down to . it 's pure confection . all the bits about the godfather , the jokes , the superb script , it 's all really sweet . there are some immense flaws , like pacing . the last third of the movie really does n't work as well as i would have liked , and for a romantic comedy , it 's slow . once hanks knows the secret , it gets really slow . i even looked at my watch a couple times , to make sure ephron was going to deliver the big onscreen kiss i was waiting for , so that i could get home at a reasonable hour . the other problem is that this movie is shaping up to be really dated . e - mail ? when my kids are my age , i do n't know what we 'll be using . but hanks can do more with one eyeroll than anybody , and meg ryan just loves to dive into a pillow better than anyone in movie history . they just work together , and it 's nice to see . it gives you , well , a smile . the script helps with some great lines that are absolutely hilarious , and that always come at the exact right time to keep the audience awake . i was arguing with my father on the drive back home on what the purpose of movies was . i 've always believed that movies are very powerful , very powerful indeed . you see , mankind has three abilities he needs to survive : the ability to think , entertain , and procreate . movies can definitely do the first two , and as for the third , well , i 'd rather not think about that . i always thought films that made you think enlightened you and made you see something from another viewpoint , and that films that entertained you were good , because you forgot about your troubles and thought about something nice for a night . and i was thinking about how incredible a year tom hanks has had . hanks was the driving force behind one of the year 's best films in saving private ryan , which is one of those thinking films that truly made someone wonder about the world . he 's also half of the glue behind the year 's best example of pure entertainment . tom hanks and meg ryan are magical , as is this movie . it 's a sweet , lovely affair with a technology twist . it may be a long commercial , but it gave me a pretty big smile on my face .

1POS

much , tom hanks and meg ryan can act . they are both wonderful , but for all of hanks ' glorious work in i like him best when he 's suitably obnoxious . tom hanks is wonderful when he is obnoxious in a romantic comedy when he her best when she 's , well , perky . she is so adorably perky / cute that together with hanks , they are the most amazing onscreen duo in my short lifetime . some people have them going i know is that i just like them both . they have such wonderfully kinetic chemistry that 's really hard to resist , and i 'm not going to even try . they 're just really , really cute , sweet , and charming . hanks and ryan collaborate once again with nora ephron they fight " to the death ! ! " . it 's a charming premise , and one that works nicely , balancing the immense troubles kathleen is in with the " mantra , if you 'll excuse my bluntness . this is a solid romance built around that vague concept of love . hmm . , chappelle , and a host of others , including a great scene involving brothers , aunts , and two sweet kids . it 's all cute and wonderful , and for all of the idealism , it makes he always is . he is , i believe , america 's greatest actor . does he show it here ? nah . but all the bits about the godfather , the jokes , the superb script , it 's all really sweet . there are some , well , a smile . the script helps with some great lines that are absolutely hilarious , and that always come at the exact right time are magical , as is this movie . it 's a sweet , lovely affair with a technology twist . it may be a long commercial , but it gave me a pretty big smile on my face .

are we victims of fate in life or can we create our own destiny ? director / writer brad anderson seems to be saying yes to both questions in his witty film " next stop wonderland " . the two main characters , alan and erin , spend the entire movie in each other 's orbit , catching glimpses of one another , yet not quite connecting until the inevitable conclusion . is it fate that keeps them near each other and ultimately puts them together ? does this predestination carry over to all aspects of life ? as the film starts , erin castleton ( hope davis ) , a melancholy 29- year old late shift nurse , is ending her live - in relationship with her boyfriend ( hoffman ) . rather , he is ending it with her . arriving home from work , erin finds her boyfriend parked in front of their apartment , car packed with his belongings . in a fumbling , amusing and self deluding ramble , he instructs erin to watch a videotape he 's made detailing why their relationship is doomed to fail and why he 's leaving . it 's obvious he lacks the courage to confront her directly as he rails on about accomplishing something with his life and taking a stand , all the while backpedaling his way out of their relationship . he then flees the scene with the grace of an inept thief . erin 's mother ( holland taylor , in a surprisingly effective , small role ) , fearing that her daughter will be without a man in her life , takes out a personal ad for erin . to erin 's embarrassed horror , the ad describes her as a " frisky , cultured , carefree professional with a zest for life " . eventually , erin responds to the tidal wave of responses , which makes for some of the most humorous , telling moments of the movie as she meets prospective suitors and " poseurs " . alan , a plumber and aspiring marine biologist , first spots erin as he 's cleaning the inside glass of a fish tank at the boston aquarium . wearing a wet suit and goggles , he follows erin from window to window , separated by the glass as erin , oblivious to his gaze , enjoys the fish . later , we see him on a train as she sits on a platform outside , mere feet away . the movie spends it 's entirety having their paths circle each other without crossing . there are several subplots involving alan . one concerns his attempts to get on the job track at the boston aquarium , thereby escaping his apparent fate to carry on the family plumbing business . another subplot involves his father 's desperate attempts to force fate 's hand by gambling away his life at the dog track . a distracting focus is put on alan 's debt to a loan shark and the manner in which he pays it off . the movie tries too hard to make alan a likable guy . thankfully , his dream- guy persona is counterbalanced by erin 's distant , yet fundamentally hopeful , personality . the film moves along at an unhurried pace , albeit too much so in the latter third , as we wait for the two to meet . co - writers anderson and lyn vaus throw a couple of possible red herrings into the mix as the two find other possible relationships . the films shifts into a much slower gear as we wait for these romances to blow over . when alan and erin eventually do meet , we see that perhaps they both were destined for each other as they share a lingering , almost subliminally knowing , gaze . it 's a sweet , measured moment . the disappointment comes in the fact that we 've come to know the pair , yet we do n't get to view their impending romance . the film 's inherent belief in the subtle persistence of fate and the wonder it can bring to one 's life makes " next stop wonderland " a quiet pleasure in a cinematic landscape littered with explosions , shallow characters and overdone special effects .

1POS

seems to be saying yes to both questions in his witty film " next stop wonderland " . the two main characters thief . erin 's mother ( holland taylor , in a surprisingly effective , small role ) , fearing that her daughter will tidal wave of responses , which makes for some of the most humorous , telling moments of the movie as she meets prospective suitors and " poseurs " . to one 's life makes " next stop wonderland " a quiet pleasure in a cinematic landscape littered with explosions , shallow characters

i 'm an avid fan of the " alien " saga , so this review is obviously a tad biased ( at least i admitted it ) . of course , that does n't mean that i 'm gon na be giving this a four - star review or something , because " alien : resurrection , " the fourth film in the cool - as - hell series is not an absolutely amazing film , much like the first two were . however , it 's a very good film which never fails to entertain , and consists of yet another mutation in the style of the series . in short , i had a good time . " alien : resurrection " leaves off 200 years after the last one , where our heroine protagonist , ellen ripley ( sigourney weaver ) , the science fiction genre 's answer to job , had killed herself after discovering that an alien was inside her body , waiting to pop out like it did to john hurt in the first one . of course , the last one was n't very great or anything ( i liked it , though not as much as the first two ) , and more importantly , it was n't financially successful ( a tawdry 55 million bucks ! ) . so back we are , with ripley back as a clone , which means we get another little satirical look at cloning ( not that that 's a bad thing , but it 's becoming a cliche ) . so she 's cloned aboard an even more futuristic - looking ship called " the auriga " by some doctors ( including the necessary bad government guy , dr . wren , played by j . e . freeman , as well as the little - seen dr . gediman , played by none other than brad douriff ) , mainly because they have a version of her with the alien still inside her . once you get past the fact that you ca n't figure out where they got her blood ( although i think it might have been from the blood samples taken by charles dance in the third one ) , the film 's okay . also on board are a band of mercenary pirates , including michael wincott , ron perlman , kim flowers , raymond cruz , dominique pinon ( a jeunet sytable ) and . . . winona ryder , who plays analee call , who turns out to have a bit of a secret ( i wo n't state it , but unless you 've been shacking up with salinger for the past two years , you probably know all about it - although it 's nicely covered up ) . there 's a bit of a non - sexual - yet - slightly - homoerotic relationship between her and ripley , but it 's never really deepened enough . oh well . well , as you might have guessed , the alien and its spawn escape and run around the ship . and it pretty much does away with most of the people on the ship ( including some shocks - dan hedaya , for instance , who 's death is comical yet sad since , well , he 's dan hedaya ) , and the remaining people ( about 7 or 8 ) are left to try and escape and stop the aliens from doing any major harm since the ship is heading quickly towards earth . of course , the plot is all balderdash , and just an excuse for some good old " alien " -brand fun . the real focus of the series seems to be on style , not really substance ( although there 's always a bit of it , most notably in " aliens " with the relationship between ripley and the little girl ) . what 's interesting about the series is that each film is stylistically different in its approach . " alien " is a claustrophobic exercise in quiet frights . " aliens " is a wild , tense thriller . " alien 3 " is a bleak , moody piece of semi - noir . " alien 4 " is kind of like an off - beat french film , filled with lots of humor , and cool scares . jean - pierre jeunet ( without his usual directing partner , marc caro ) creates a ship filled with the kind of scares films like " das boot " has , with echoes hinting at a possible threat . the chills in the film are really cool , especially with the music , which is sometimes turned down completely for certain scenes ( there 's the most tense surgery scene since " face / off " towards the beginning ) . and not every chill turns into a bloody mess or anything like that . this all combined with some good old humor makes this as interesting visually and stylistically as the others . there are even a couple scenes which just stick out afterwards as being brilliantly executed . one is the aforementioned surgery scene . another one takes place between call and ripley , which is just awesome . the underwater chase scene and the ladder scene afterwards is one of the most tense , thrilling , and jaw - dropping scenes in the entire saga ( with a small allusion to jeunet 's earlier film , " delicatessen " ) . and the way they do in the final alien is hysterically cool ( with a lovely allusion to " goldfinger " ) . but the best scene in the entire film ( i 'm sure i 'm not the first to mention it ) takes place when ripley sees all the variations on her as they cloned her ( she has a an " 8 " tatooed on her arm ) . it might be the most emotionally stimulating scene in the entire saga . the screenplay by joss whedon is not a great piece of work , as it never really deapens a lot of the characters . however , it does make us care about most of them , so that when there 's very little of them , and it looks like one or more of them may become alien chow , we are pretty scared . and , yeah , there are some very funny lines ( ripley : " who do i have to fuck to get off this boat ? ! " johner : " well , i can get you off . but not this ship . " ) the acting is good all around , with stand - out performances from ron perlman as the male chauvenist pig johner , and leland orser ( the poor bastad in " se7en " who performed the " lust " sin ) as an anxiety - ridden wannabe woody allen who has an alien inside him . winona ryder is good , but not amazing like she usually is ( although she meshes well with the film ) . of course , and as usual , sigourney weaver steals the show . playing a variation on the ripley character ( less emotional , and more rude and bitter ) , she pulls it off while still being utterly lovable . she 's not going to get an oscar nomination like she did for " aliens , " but she 's just awesome . overall , it 's a thrilling , entertaining film which does n't really amaze like the first two , but is much more amazing than the third installment . the style is the best part of the film , which is n't really a bad thing , but it being the best part takes away from a lot of the depth the film occasionally tries to apply . but it 's entertaining as hell , and it 's definitely fit for the " alien " series .

1POS

, much like the first two were . however , it 's a very good film which never fails to entertain , and consists of yet another mutation in the style of the series . in short , i had a good time . " alien : resurrection " leaves off 200 years has , with echoes hinting at a possible threat . the chills in the film are really cool , especially with the music , which is sometimes turned mess or anything like that . this all combined with some good old humor makes this as interesting visually and stylistically as the others . there are even a couple scenes which just stick out afterwards as being brilliantly executed . one is the aforementioned surgery scene . another one the underwater chase scene and the ladder scene afterwards is one of the most tense , thrilling , and jaw - dropping scenes in the entire saga ( with a small allusion to you off . but not this ship . " ) the acting is good all around , with stand - out performances from ron perlman as the male chauvenist pig johner , . of course , and as usual , sigourney weaver steals the show . playing a variation on the ripley character ( less nomination like she did for " aliens , " but she 's just awesome . overall , it 's a thrilling , entertaining film which does n't really amaze like the first two , but is much more amazing than the third installment . the style is the best part of the film , which is n't really a bad thing , but the depth the film occasionally tries to apply . but it 's entertaining as hell , and it 's definitely fit for the " alien

it may seem weird to begin a film about glam rock with a sequence that includes a spaceship , a green ovular pin , and the birth of oscar wilde , but if one really strains , they can see that perhaps maybe these connections are not half off . wilde 's philosophy was that everyone should be true to their own human nature , and the result of his following this philosophy was that he was imprisoned , loosing his family and his career . the glam rock movement in the early 70s in england had a similar take and came to a similar demise . the main difference was by placing makeup on their face and acting out on their deepest fantasies and inquiries about life ( mostly dealing with androgony and sexuality ) , they became less and less like themselves and more and more like everyone else . and that 's why the movement seemed to end as soon as it began . it 's been said that todd haynes ' " velvet goldmine , " the film that chronicles what it was like to be a part of the movement , not only from those who experienced it but by those who created it , steals a lot from " citizen kane , " and that 's true . in the film , a british journalist in the 80s , arthur stuart ( christian bale ) , is asked to go back and find out what happened to 70s glam rock star brian slade , a fictitious rock star , who faked his own death on stage , bringing the end not only to his career but to the entire glam rock movement . structure - wise , this totally steals from " kane , " not only from the set - up ( he interviews three people , and the story is a result of their flashbacks ) , but in other things , like the beginning ( death , then newsreel ) , and smaller details , like the bitter ex - friend in a wheelchair and the bitter ex - wife as a washed - up lounge singer , found in a bar after hours . this is no " kane , " and it really does n't aspire to be : it does n't attempt to be the deep outlook of something gone like " kane " did , and it does n't really uncover anything poignant about humanity . instead , it uses the flashbacks as a form of contrast between the magic that was the glam rock era and the boredom that was life after glam rock for those who were participants . the 80s scenes are dry and deliriously melancholy , equipped with a performance by bale that is perhaps appropriately dull and unengaging . but the 70s scenes are engaging , though , not to mention addictively campy . they radiate with gorgeous cinematography that nicely accentuates all the vibrant colors of the era , and a feel that 's so eerily lighthearted that when combined with the then - footage , they become not only a symbol of decadence , but of times when everything seemed so simple . instead of creating the world the way it was , haynes paints their own world as if it were a narcotic fairy tale : the glam rock movement was full of so much freedom and liberation that after you 've experienced it , everything else seems so mundane . there 's no outside world to speak of , secluding these people inside a protective globe that will eventually crack . haynes focuses his story on the tale of blade and the other fictitious rock hero , curt wild , and their relationship that created , molded , and then brought down the movement , reducing everyone else who contributed to it as merely that - contributors . blade - played with reserve by the pouty jonathan rhys meyers - and wild - played with anarchic wildness by ewan mcgregor - are little more than thinly disguised recreations of david bowie and iggy pop , respectively , complete with the creation of a ziggy stardust persona named maxwell demon and the confirmation that the two rock stars may have very well not only have been one - time partners in music , but also partners in bed . through discussions with slade 's ex - manager cecil ( michael feast ) , ex - wife mandy ( toni collette , reinventing herself as an american blonde dish who fakes a british accent when with slade ) , and finally ex - partner wild , journalist stuart begins to remember his own experiences in the era , like his discovery of his rebelliousness cum conformity , including the moment when he began questioning his own sexuality ( when he opens up his first slade record , he finds a naked and green slade lying on a crimson blanket ) , and finally running away from home to be part of the london scene , finally resulting in leading a boring job in america . haynes demonstrates that he 's quite the visual auteur , molding scenes that are like long heald breaths , such as a seemingly long sequence juxtaposing a slade / wild concert of them performing a brian eno cover , " baby 's on fire , " with scenes from a decadent drug party ; and the film 's most wow - inspiring sequence , the first concert scene of wild with his band , the ratttz , where mcgregor lets loose so much anarchic steam that his wild iggy - esuqe movements ( including stripping naked ) and screams that the film captures that perfect moment when one discovers a major talent , and another ( slade ) discovers his idle . even the brief music videos , spoofs of bowie 's , have a rare visual flair that 's pure camp , and which would cause ken russell to drool . the best sequence , though , may be the beginning , following the prelude , a sequence which acts as the middle ground for both the actual being of the movement and the post - movement era . in it , stuart and his mates are going to the infamous slade concert where he fakes his own death , where he kills off his alter ego maxwell demon in what appears to be a real assasination , which brought about the end of the era in one swift fake bullet . with brian eno 's famous " needle in the camel 's eye " playing in the background , the scene has a detached exhileration - the song does n't seem to be played in quite the same way the other songs are . it has a distance that 's hard to put a finger on , and it seems to represent that all this is coming to a quick and sad ending , and when one sees slade in the dressing room before the show , docked in a silver frock with wings and blue hair , depressingly staring into the mirror , it comes off as a none - too - obvious prophecy of the finale in the beginning of the film . this movie 's not so much about plot , but more about the way it is presented , making this one of those films which is classified as being " style over substance , " a statement which prompts many critics to line up for attack . however , for the most part , the engaging part of this film is not the story but rather the way in which haynes creates this world , by using his sets , costumes , cinematography , and especially the music to play as characters in his film . the music is especially notable . the soundtrack , which is wall to wall , consists of old school glam rock tunes by the likes of brian eno , t - rex , and roxy music , as well as covers by slade 's band ( with vocals by thom yorke , and occasionally rhys meyers himself ) , and even newer music by shudder to think that sounds uncannily bowie - like . the cast is rather impressive , but no one really walks away with the film , and no performances are extremely good . although eddie izzard , as slade 's manager ( who challenges slade 's first manager to an arm - wrestling match to see who gets control of his career ) and michael feast as the first and tragic manager come off greatly , and collette and mcgregor have their moments , rhys meyers and bale are noticably sub - par , neither putting a lot of effort into their respective roles . some of it is at fault with the actual construction of the film by haynes . rhys meyers ' brian slade remains merely a metaphor for the glam rock era , dying when he turned into a retro - garbo , resorting to a life of salinger - ism , and found in the mid-70s to be lying around , sniffing coke off the ass of a party girl . in fact , no one in this film is really seen as a person , rather than just as a symbol or composite of a type who thrived during the era . bale 's character is an especially tough sell : bitter and depressed by flashbacks to his young adulthood , he 's not an extremely personal character , and his cliched experiences ( being hounded by the record store guys for buying a record put out by a " poof " ) never help us communicate with him . nevertheless , rhys meyers and mcgregor have the excuses that their characters are not really characters but rather the results of an era that has left them , and others , bitter , part of which helps the film work , since this is a major piece of eye candy . at the prime of the movie , they at least look the role of fashionable leaders - slade with his perpetually - changing , androgonys persona , and wild with his topless and unpredictable image , which clash and fuse into an unstable union . their story - of how slade was so influenced by wild that he adapted it into a similar who - cares attitude crossed with camp - is engaging , without the personal background . the story of stuart , though , is a tougher sell because he 's the everyman , and when you ca n't totally identify with the everyman , your story 's in slight trouble . as a cultural rock piece , " velvet goldmine " is rather good , but it is merely good . it never totally takes off , although it has moments where it absolutely flies , but then comes back down . it 's really nothing more than a bunch of really great moments , surrounded by material that could really be much better . the beginning is captivating but slow , the middle is fantastic , and the ending is not only shallow but worse than that , it drags ( the final half hour not only does it not bring the story to any real conclusion , it could probably stop at any point ) . and did anyone really figure out what the mystery is that arthur unearths ? it almost seems like there was no point in the entire investigation other than to unearth the past , which is commendable but not totally so . still , it does what the oliver stone pic " the doors " did n't do right , becoming very insightful to what happened , using the visual style to hit most of the right notes of contrast between what made the era so great to those who lived during it and why after living through such an era that everything else seems half - assed ( i suppose the message is : " live life , but after you 've lived it , what else is the point when you 'll be forced to live with regretful memories ? " ) . the really superb achievement of this film is that during its flashbacks , it successfully creates for the audience what it must have felt like to be in that era , but with the added perk of knowing the result of all that goes down .

1POS

performance by bale that is perhaps appropriately dull and unengaging . but the 70s scenes are engaging , though , not to mention addictively campy . they radiate with gorgeous cinematography that nicely accentuates all the vibrant colors of the era , and a , and which would cause ken russell to drool . the best sequence , though , may be the beginning , following the for attack . however , for the most part , the engaging part of this film is not the story but rather the the music to play as characters in his film . the music is especially notable . the soundtrack , which is wall to wall , shudder to think that sounds uncannily bowie - like . the cast is rather impressive , but no one really walks away with the film ) and michael feast as the first and tragic manager come off greatly , and collette and mcgregor have their moments , rhys similar who - cares attitude crossed with camp - is engaging , without the personal background . the story of stuart a cultural rock piece , " velvet goldmine " is rather good , but it is merely good . it never totally takes off , although it has moments where it absolutely flies , but then comes back down . it 's really nothing more than a bunch of really great moments , surrounded by material that could really be much better . the beginning is captivating but slow , the middle is fantastic , and the ending is not only shallow but worse " the doors " did n't do right , becoming very insightful to what happened , using the visual style to hit to live with regretful memories ? " ) . the really superb achievement of this film is that during its flashbacks , it

when i first heard that romeo & juliet had been " updated " i shuddered . i thought that yet another of shakespeare 's classics had been destroyed . fortunately , i was wrong . baz luhrman has directed an " in your face " , and visually stunning piece with this film . it revolves around the two rival families , who in this version each run multi - million dollar enterprises . these rival companies / families are the capulet 's and the montague 's . the younger generation of these two families have formed gangs , who despise one another . as the storylines goes , romeo montague ( played by leonardo dicaprio ) and juliet capulet ( claire danes ) meet at a fancy dress party , and it is love at first site . i never believed love at first site was possible until i saw this film , the scene in which romeo 's eyes meet juliet 's through the fish tank is one of the most memorable . of course , they can not publicly reveal their love , for their families are arch enemies . so they marry in secret , this is where things begin to go wrong . the story , as with all good shakespeare , ends in tragedy . the cinematography is spectacular to say the least , and the soundtrack provides the perfect atmosphere in which to " lay our scene " , as the film says . there is very little to criticise . the performances are convincing , and several of the film 's younger stars may find that it provides a launch for their careers . the modernisation of the script is ingenious and clever . despite the well known storyline , this latest version still manages to cause tears among many members of the audience ( especially the younger generation ) , and this is certainly a great credit to the film .

1POS

yet another of shakespeare 's classics had been destroyed . fortunately , i was wrong . baz luhrman has directed an " in your face " , and visually stunning piece with this film . it revolves around the two rival as with all good shakespeare , ends in tragedy . the cinematography is spectacular to say the least , and the soundtrack provides the perfect atmosphere in which to " lay our scene " , as film says . there is very little to criticise . the performances are convincing , and several of the film 's younger stars may for their careers . the modernisation of the script is ingenious and clever . despite the well known storyline , this latest version especially the younger generation ) , and this is certainly a great credit to the film .

krippendorf 's tribe is a formula comedy . done poorly , formulaic comedies might seem to signify the downfall of american cinema . however , every now and then , one emerges , like krippendorf 's tribe , that actually works . professor james krippendorf ( richard dreyfuss ) , the renowned anthropologist , is in trouble . his university gave him a hefty grant to discover a lost tribe in new guinea . however , he found . . . nothing . his wife has recently died , and he has spent the remainder of the grant money in raising his three kids : shelly ( natasha lyonne ) , mickey ( gregory smith ) and edmund ( carl michael lidner ) . tonight , he is expected to lecture on his newfound tribe . rather than break the news ( and face the consequences of misusing his funds ) , he invents a tribe : the shelmikedmu ( named after his kids ) . however , one lie begets another as he is not only required to deliver filmed proof of the shelmikedmu , but his research becomes a popular phenomenon . soon , professor krippendorf is caught up in an elaborate ruse in which he films mockumentary footage starring his children as the shelmikedmu tribal members . his efforts are hampered by the boasts of an over - eager colleague , veronica micelli ( jenna elfman ) , and the intense scrutiny of a rival anthropologist , ruth allen ( lily tomlin ) . krippendorf 's tribe does seem to require a little suspension of disbelief . no one seems to question the way his field documentaries seem to be shot with multiple cameras , or that his newly discovered tribesmen have startlingly blue eyes . luckily , as the film builds momentum , that suspension of disbelief is easy to come by . though there 's some mild humor in the krippendorf family trying to pass themselves off as a lost tribe , the real humor of the film is in how james gets trapped in his ever increasing snowball of lies . the double meanings to many of the shelmikedmu appearances are enjoyable , and the comic timing required for some of the film 's latter scenes is superb . richard dreyfuss is terrific as the hapless professor who soon loses control of his own imaginary tribe . jenna elfman 's position as a romantic lead seems a bit forced at times , but she plays the part with extreme affability . even the kids , who in films like this tend to be a bit on the precocious side , are endearing and humorous . yes , the film does veer occasionally into some rather lowbrow humor , but it has the best excuse of all : it 's funny . it may not go down as an all - time classic , but it certainly delivers what you expect from a comedy : plenty of laughs .

1POS

, one emerges , like krippendorf 's tribe , that actually works . professor james krippendorf ( richard dreyfuss ) , the trying to pass themselves off as a lost tribe , the real humor of the film is in how james gets trapped in the double meanings to many of the shelmikedmu appearances are enjoyable , and the comic timing required for some of the film 's latter scenes is superb . richard dreyfuss is terrific as the hapless professor who soon loses control of his lead seems a bit forced at times , but she plays the part with extreme affability . even the kids , who in films like this to be a bit on the precocious side , are endearing and humorous . yes , the film does veer occasionally into some , but it has the best excuse of all : it 's funny . it may not go down as an all - it certainly delivers what you expect from a comedy : plenty of laughs .

not since 1996 's shine , which starred geoffrey rush as pianist david helfgott , has a movie so defiantly laid bare the lives of world - class musicians . in fact , if one were to watch these films together , it would almost certainly stand as a convincing argument that a life of music naturally leads to all varieties of social ills . yet hilary and jackie , the sophomore effort from director anand tucker , has something more to say -- it softly but strongly explores the complex relationships of sibling rivalry and love in a very compelling tale . emily watson and rachel griffiths are the leads in this tale , playing the sisters du pr ? . both musicians from childhood , hilary ( griffiths ) is renowned flutist while jacqueline ( watson ) is easily as skilled on the cello . the two comepete for and win many honors as children and as young women , both together and seperate . their careers as musicians surpass and then bow to one another 's , and although their lives take very different paths -- hilary settles down to marriage and a family while rachel skips across the globe on a world concert tour -- they are bound together by their deep family love . the performances of watson and griffiths are excellent in style and substance . they contrast each other wonderfully , and while watson 's portrayal of jackie du pr ? is at times eccentric and perhaps unsympathetic , both characters are charged with emotion . the frank cottrell boyce script , which is based on the book by hilary and piers du pr ? , brings a great deal of depth to these characters as well . the script is also to be commended for its well - polished dual nature . cottrell boyce adopts a style which one might expect to see in a mystery thriller ( which was in fact the case with david koepp and robert towne 's script for mission : impossible ) and skillfully molds it to the story of two rising musicians on different courses to fame . the latter parts of his script are controversial to say the least , and the rather depressing ending takes the wind out of an envigorating story . some will leave this movie feeling disenfranchised . nevertheless , hilary and jackie is a movie that reaches an upper echelon of contemporary cinema through solid fundamentals and is a decent watch all around .

1POS

family love . the performances of watson and griffiths are excellent in style and substance . they contrast each other wonderfully , and while watson 's portrayal of jackie du pr at times eccentric and perhaps unsympathetic , both characters are charged with emotion . the frank cottrell boyce script , which is based the book by hilary and piers du pr ? , brings a great deal of depth to these characters as well . the script is also to be commended for its well - polished dual nature . cottrell boyce adopts a style which one might expect robert towne 's script for mission : impossible ) and skillfully molds it to the story of two rising musicians on different courses upper echelon of contemporary cinema through solid fundamentals and is a decent watch all around .

luckily , some people got starship troopers . some people knew it was supposed to be silly . for those of you who did n't , how could you miss it ? from the very beginning , when we see an interactive internet - like promotional video for the armed forces of the future , it should be obvious this film is to be taken lightly . i guess without blatant one - liners and home alone style slapstick , some people just do n't recognize such goofy humor . such a dry approach to such intentionally campy humor must have left some disillusioned . first thing to do before seeing this movie - lighten up . meet the equivalent of " beverly hills 90210 " meets " mighty morphin power rangers " . four close friends are now graduating high school and are ready to join the armed forces , which , in the future , means fighting for the whole galaxy and not just your country . johnny rico ( casper van dien ) is ready to join the infantry , mostly because his girlfriend carmen ibanez ( denise richards ) has enlisted to be a pilot . dizzy flores ( dina meyer ) has enlisted as a trooper , and it 's possible she 's joining merely to follow rico , whom she 's always had eyes for . if you saw these three on the street , you 'd automatically start searching for the fashion designers and photographers , for never has a movie 's cast looked so much like the cut - out cover of " seventeen " magazine . the lone non - supermodel , carl jenkins ( played by doogie howser himself , neil patrick harris ) is the brainiac who gets into the military intelligence division , the top secret department that pretty much leaves doogie - er , carl out of the picture . ( good call - now we can put all our drooling efforts into only the most deserving of characters ) . right off the bat , rico becomes the star of the show , far surpassing all the other soldiers and becoming squadron leader in a short period of time . but a horrific accident during a standard training exercise ( which follows all to closely to his breakup with carmen ) leaves rico ready to call it quits . with his bags packed and his civilian clothes back on , johnny is ready to walk off base and catch the next flight home . well sorry , rico suave , but there 's no place like home , especially after gigantic alien insects have destroyed it . that 's right , the planet is being attacked by a colony of arachnid - like alien beings that a can of raid just is n't going to destroy . with a sudden change of heart ( and clothes ) , rico is back in the game , following his fellow starship troopers off to fight a mean group of daddy long legs . what starship troopers really is , is a spoof of all that it even remotely touches on - the soap opera like love affairs of high school , the love for sci - fi and thirst for gore shared by this same age group , etc . nothing is taken seriously . it 's almost as much a satire on young adults as clueless , but with its sly and futuristic approach , it 's not as recognizably so . it 's a spoof so subtle that many wo n't recognize the spoofery . if you deem this as sci - fi / action , you 're wrong . it 's sci - fi / action / comedy , with the comedy being on the level of such cult favorites as evil dead 2 . starship troopers just may be on the road to cult status as well . gore is a factor heavily brought up in reviews of this film , but the gore , too , is meant to be cheesy . yes , it 's graphic , but it 's also brutally phony , and that 's what makes it such great fun to watch . not since the old " mr . bill " skits on " saturday night live " has torture and mutilation been such a joy to watch . people were laughing out loud every time a body was severed in half or a head was viciously decapitated . perhaps it brings back fond memories of the severities we inflicted upon our sisters ' barbie dolls as young children . with the actors resembling ken and barbie so closely , it 's a good chance this is the case , whether we 're fully aware of it or not . starship troopers has it 's slow parts , but it 's truly an alternative to your typical sci - fi / action flick or lame juvenile comedy . aside from the intentionally cheesy gore , the special effects are quite astounding . when the spaceship passes a meteor , it 's quite an awesome spectacle , visually crisp and captivating . if you 're looking for brainless fun , this is the epitome of your search . a beautiful cast , awesome special effects , fast - paced action , campy acting , and a whole lot of gore . this is brainless heaven . just remember not to think .

1POS

also brutally phony , and that 's what makes it such great fun to watch . not since the old " mr . bill " torture and mutilation been such a joy to watch . people were laughing out loud every time a body was severed in half or a juvenile comedy . aside from the intentionally cheesy gore , the special effects are quite astounding . when the spaceship passes a meteor , it 's quite an awesome spectacle , visually crisp and captivating . if you 're looking for brainless fun , this is the epitome of your search . a beautiful cast , awesome special effects , fast - paced action , campy acting , and a whole lot of gore . this is brainless heaven . just remember not to think .

the happy bastard 's 30-second review notting hill a cute romantic comedy from the writer of the hit comedy four weddings and a funeral , notting hill stars julia roberts as anna scott , a very popular actress with a $ 15 million asking price for movies . one day she wanders into a travel book store owned by a simple london resident ( played by hugh grant ) , and sparks somehow begin to fly . sure , there are points of turmoil , such as putting up with grant 's slightly disgusting ( but very hilarious ) roommate spike , anna 's pesky ex - boyfriend ( alec baldwin in a humorous cameo ) , and , on top of all that , those damn press . it 's a fresh sort of complexity to see in a romantic comedy , very different from , say , a stubborn father or " not the right time " like as seen in usual flicks . roberts is terrific as the astonishingly beautiful actress , and grant is surprisingly good as the straightforward guy still trying to get a hold of what has actually happened with this girl . in short , a sweet romantic comedy that has a lot of good laughs , particularly provided by spike . one tee - shirt really says it all about him . in an attempt to turn on a woman , he shows the front of the shirt , which says : " you are the most beautiful woman in the world . " on the back ? " fancy a f * * k ? "

1POS

right time " like as seen in usual flicks . roberts is terrific as the astonishingly beautiful actress , and grant is surprisingly has actually happened with this girl . in short , a sweet romantic comedy that has a lot of good laughs , particularly provided by spike . one tee - shirt

first , i am not a big fan of the x - files tv series . i have nothing against it particularly , i just do n't happen to watch it . having said that , i can now say that i liked the x - files pretty well . for us non - fans , there 's nothing big going for it , but there are a lot of little things . the movie opens on an ice cave in north texas in 35 , 000 b . c . two proto - humans enter the cave and find a space alien cocooned inside . the alien breaks free and kills one man in a struggle while the other is seemingly captured by the bloody ooze from the alien . the movie jumps to the same cave today where a boy ( lucas black , from sling blade ) is captured by the same black ooze . we then cut to fbi agents scully and mulder ( gillian anderson and david duchovny ) , who have been pulled off of their previous assignment ( investigations into the paranormal ) and put onto the bomb squad detail . a caller has threatened a federal building in dallas , texas . on a hunch , mulder checks out the building across the street , and , would n't you know it , he turns out to be right . the fbi finds the bomb in time to evacuate but not in time to defuse . five people die in the blast , and when mulder learns who the victims were , a light bulb goes on over his head . the two agents team up to investigate , against fbi orders , the links mulder has made . their search leads them back to the north texas cave , all across the country , and even to antarctica as they get closer and closer to " the truth . " the plot , and " the truth , " are uninspired . i got the feeling that what i learned was supposed to shock and amaze me . it did n't . the possible existence of aliens on earth has been explored so many times before in movies that one could hardly count them . but the point of the x - files is not what the truth is , but the extent to which it has been hidden . it 's a slightly more interesting angle , but it still raises expectations about that " truth " too high . if this were the whole film , i would say the movie was mediocre , perhaps even boring . but there are other qualities that make me like this movie well enough to recommend it . the pacing of the film was brisk enough to hold my interest . before the audience can get tired of one location , the agents follow a hot tip to another location , and so on and so forth . the locations are not all computer - generated sets , either . there are some artificial settings , but the desert night of nevada , the edge of suburbia in texas , and the endless fields of snow in antarctica ( actually somewhere in north america . ) make this fantastic film feel more real . ward russell 's cinematography is very good . the overall look is dark and ominous , appropriate to the intended tone of the film 's plot . russell is able to make something as innocuous as a cornfield look foreboding . when the movie is set in darkness , the picture quality is still rich and detailed . finally , and specifically , there is an incredible shot at night in which the camera crosses the tracks in front of a fast oncoming train . i do n't know if the shot is faked in any way , but it looks dangerous , and it looks great . the movie 's soundtrack is also used to convey the dark tone of the film . ( skip to the next paragraph if you have yet to see the movie - there is a spoiler in the following sentences . ) during the opening prehistoric sequence , a howling wind dogs the soundtrack , never giving the characters or the audience an escape from the lonely terrible sound . in one of the movie 's most effective sequences , metallic doors suddenly slam open to release a cloud of buzzing bees . the visuals of the scene are good , but what makes it so surprising and frightening is the sound . there was no question as to who the movie 's stars would be . even so , duchovny and anderson are an interesting pair of actors and a good combination . both are easy on the eyes and together , they have some good timing , banter , and energy . there is a hint of chemistry between them , but it never gets in the way of their professional relationship . they are like a couple of kids out exploring the empty lot at the end of the street . there might be some romantic interest , but for now they 're more interested in their environs than they are in each other . no single element really makes this movie outstanding - not even the sense of paranoia that makes the tv show so popular . but enough things were done right that the x - files is one of the more interesting summer adventures to come along .

1POS

. having said that , i can now say that i liked the x - files pretty well . for us non - fans , there 's nothing there are other qualities that make me like this movie well enough to recommend it . the pacing of the film was brisk enough to hold my interest . before the audience can get tired of one location ( actually somewhere in north america . ) make this fantastic film feel more real . ward russell 's cinematography is very good . the overall look is dark and ominous , appropriate is set in darkness , the picture quality is still rich and detailed . finally , and specifically , there is an incredible shot at night in which the camera crosses the tracks in in any way , but it looks dangerous , and it looks great . the movie 's soundtrack is also used to convey would be . even so , duchovny and anderson are an interesting pair of actors and a good combination . both are easy on the eyes and together , they have some good timing , banter , and energy . there is a hint paranoia that makes the tv show so popular . but enough things were done right that the x - files is one of the more interesting summer adventures to come along .

many people will not find much to like in what dreams may come , the new film by visionary director vincent ward . most will come to see the computer animated landscapes and vibrant colors . but little do they know ( as i so plainly found out ) that this has quite a complex story to tell . walking out of the theater , i could see the audience 's disgust . . . one member even had to be awakened after the film ended . do n't believe the previews that you see . . . this is definitely not a film for everyone . this is quite possibly one of the most adult - oriented films to come out in recent years . kids will get bored with the slow plotting and the complex storyline . the plot is just as fluid as the heaven that ward presents to us . it goes back and forth in time , as if it has no boundaries . think of the film city of angels . now add a more complex screenplay and a more unique vision . both films deal with the afterlife , but i doubt what dreams may come will do well at the box office . costing around $ 85 million to make , the film would have to do extremely well in order to make it 's money back . but due to it 's story , i doubt it will . for everyone who thought titanic 's story was too simple and cliche , here is proof that if james cameron had written a more complex screenplay , it may not have done nearly as well . but do n't get me wrong . . . i hope the film does do well . it 's a vision of pure visceral enjoyment that hardly ever gets put to the screen . i doubt most of us could have thought of this place , even in our own mind . what dreams may come is the second best film of the year when it comes to visuals . the only film that surpasses it is dark city . full of rich , shocking colors , we get to see a heaven that most of us would probably die to get to . but do n't do that , because you 'll end up going to hell . what dreams may come begins with two boats colliding on a lake . chris " christy " nielsen ( robin williams ) is startled by the sudden jolt , but is even more startled by the beauty of the woman in the other boat . annie ( annabella sciorra ) spies chris , as well , and both eventually bond and get married . annie is an artist , whose paintings are colorful , lush , and surrealistic . chris is a doctor and loves annie more than life itself . they also have two children , marie ( jessica brooks ) and ian ( josh paddock ) . but one day , the two children are killed in a car crash , and it almost destroys annie . she tries to commit suicide , but fails , and is then put in an institution . chris copes with the problem by realizing they are n't around anymore , and nothing will change that . just as annie gets her life back in order , chris is killed while trying to save the life of a car crash victim . chris goes to heaven , or his version of heaven , rather . guided by albert ( cuba gooding , jr . ) , chris explores his new surroundings with pure delight and joy . that is , until he realizes how miserable he is without annie . prior to heaven , he would try to comfort annie , but the more he was around , the more pain she felt . chris decides to leave her alone . little does he realize what will happen next . i 'm not about to say , because the plot point is crucial to the rest of the story ( many critics , however , give it away ) . certainly , chris dying is crucial to the plot , but they tell you that he dies in the previews . story is not necessarily important for this movie to work , because it deals with the afterlife . however , strangely , virtually nothing is heard of god or the devil . a couple of comments here and there , but the story maintains its focus on chris and his search for the love of his life . " we 're soul mates ! " chris exclaims . heaven , in movies , is almost always depicted as a glowing city of white , purity , and love . usually , it also looks like it rests among the clouds . but what dreams may come goes a different route . it shows us a heaven that most of us have never seen before . chris ' heaven is his memories brought to life . his thoughts can make anything real , and he makes the paintings annie drew become his heaven . " i 've never seen anyone use real paint before , " albert says . equally good as the depictions of hell which cast away the normal stereotypes of fire and brimstone . instead , it 's a state of being . in one gloriously horrific scene , chris and his " tracker " ( max von sydow ) arrive at a sea of faces . thousands of heads are stuck above ground , their bodies somewhere else . mostly dead silent , some quips are made , almost as if to lighten the mood . it 's truly a frightening sequence . production designer eugenio zanetti is definitely going to be up for an oscar nomination . using state of the art computer technology , worlds are created for exploration . sometimes , some scenes play out as if they are only there for the visual impact . it 's not necessary to be there , but we appreciate seeing it . costume designer yvonne blake ( who also appears in the film ) has done an incredible job providing some interesting and colorful costumes . cinematographer eduardo serra , whose work was last seen in the luscious wings of the dove , has a difficult job , as most cinematographers do working with special effects . but serra 's entire universe is a computer generated image , and he does a masterful job . writer ron bass , adapting from the novel by richard matheson , provides a very fluid screenplay with no real set plot . the story is extremely vague in its details , allowing viewers to think for themselves about the meaning . and director vincent ward puts it all together into his final vision . what dreams may come is a good example of german expressionism which may just turn off a good portion of the audience . your average movie goer more than likely is n't used to expressionistic techniques . the film will also definitely draw attention from religious people , but they should n't take it too far . it is , after all , just a movie . robin williams has continuously impressed with his dramatic performances , while his comedic roles have been suffering . his comedy is perfection when he makes up his own stuff , but when is confined by a screenplay , he is n't quite as effective . but drama is really his strong point , and you can see that here . it 's doubtful he 'll get another oscar nomination , but i would n't really mind if he did . the real surprise here is annabella sciorra who impressed last year with cop land . this may be her breakout role and may garner her some much needed attention . it 's also quite possible that she could get an oscar nomination . however , the academy does n't like to award performances for these types of films . cuba gooding , jr . has been better , but he 's certainly not distracting . max von sydow is underused , as are jessica brooks and josh paddock . a treat for some movie goers is to see werner herzog appear ( if they even recognize him ) as chris ' father lost in the sea of faces . it 's not hard to see why herzog would be attracted to this film , considering he thinks that audiences are starving for great images . overall , it 's williams and sciorra 's film . what dreams may come is rated pg-13 for thematic elements involving death , some disturbing images , language , and some partial nudity . the film is definitely aimed at a more adult audience . some will find the plot distracting . some will find the visuals absolutely glorious . and some will find both . the only real problem with the film , that i could see , was that it slows down considerably during the midsection , just after we have been immersed in the visuals and before the search for annie begins . by the way , some controversy even surrounded the title , which was mistaken for a sexual term ( " what " becomes " wet " and you should understand ) . in actuality , the title is from a soliloquy in hamlet . just thought i should let you know .

1POS

in our own mind . what dreams may come is the second best film of the year when it comes to visuals . the only film that surpasses it is dark city . full of rich , shocking colors , we get to see a heaven that most of anyone use real paint before , " albert says . equally good as the depictions of hell which cast away the normal truly a frightening sequence . production designer eugenio zanetti is definitely going to be up for an oscar nomination . using state of the art computer technology , worlds blake ( who also appears in the film ) has done an incredible job providing some interesting and colorful costumes . cinematographer eduardo serra , whose work was last seen annabella sciorra who impressed last year with cop land . this may be her breakout role and may garner her some much needed attention . it 's also quite possible that she could get an oscar nomination . however , the academy does n't like to award adult audience . some will find the plot distracting . some will find the visuals absolutely glorious . and some will find both . the only real

when i was growing up in 1970s , boys in my school used to divide into two groups , based on their action movies preferences . the first one , myself included , liked movies that featured spectacular car chases , lots of machinegun fire and huge explosions . the latter one preferred hong kong martial arts flicks , probably because they could ( or , to be more precise , thought they could ) imitate its stunts in the real life . decades later , while refining my own cinematic taste , i began to appreciate and actually like those movies , probably because of overexposure to shoot - em - up idiocy of 1980s ramboids . yes , most of the kung fu and other " martial arts " flicks were cheap , they had predictable and formulaic plot , and asked very little of production values aside from martial arts skills . but , in the same time , those movies had their own rules and in the hands of capable director could become a terrific guilty pleasure and source of relaxation . the best of those movies , one that passed the test of time and managed to keep its own cult status after quarter of century was enter the dragon . made in 1973 in a joint hong kong - hollywood venture , it was intended to bring bruce lee 's skills and kung fu philosophy to the western audience . it succeeded , but it is still debatable whether by its own merit or by the unfortunate and mysterious death of bruce lee that immortalised the myth about that actor . lee plays a quiet shaolin monk who is a martial arts expert . he is approached by interpol official who asks him to join tri - annual martial arts tournament that is held on a remote island , owned and controlled by han , renegade shaolin monk . interpol suspects that the martial arts business is just cover for narcotics , gun - running and prostitution operations and lee must find the evidence necessary for authorities to intervene . lee accepts the mission because of personal reasons - o'harra , han 's brutal bodyguard was responsible for the tragic death of lee 's sister years ago . the island is also destination of two colourful martial arts experts from us - williams ( played by jim kelly ) is black activist running from the racist police , and his friend roper wants to make money in order to pay gambling debts . the plot of enter the dragon was in many ways influenced by james bond ( the 007 franchise itself would return favour by using kung fu elements in the man with the golden gun two years later ) . the main hero was faced against a power - hungry megalomaniac on a remote island , alone against whole army of bad guys . on the other hand , lee was more believable hero than bond ; deprived of guns and super - tech gadgets , he had to rely only on his personal skills in order to survive . in the same time , the plot , although extremely thin , allowed him even some internal battles - between the natural instinct to avenge his sister and his own anti - violent philosophy . the latter provided some opportunities to evaluate lee 's acting skills and some new elements to his impressive screen presence . although two other main actors - john saxon being the obligatory good white guy and jim kelly being the obligatory black good guy - were intended to share top spot with lee , they served as nothing more than a comic relief . it is a real shame to see kelly , definitely the worse actor than saxon , to steal the scenes from him only because his lines , being the worst possible blaxploitation cliches , sound so damn over the top . other actors , not including shih kien who turns han into typical , although not very convincing bondian villain , are nothing more than fist fodder for bruce lee ( among them is young jackie chan ) . fighting scenes are still impressive today as they were 25 years ago , although they mostly lack gore associated with that genre . in many way they are also more realistic ( they were personally staged by lee himself ) , demanding only a blow or two to incapacitate or kill the opponent . i 'm not a martial arts expert nor the martial arts fan , but comparing those scenes with typical scenes today i simply ca n't avoid to appreciate the difference from today 's movie fights when masses of bloody pulp manage to get up from the floor and win in the end . so , despite all the obvious flaws that preclude this movie of being top 100 of all times , enter the dragon is a incredibly entertaining piece of cinema and the martial arts flick that can be enjoyed even by those who do n't like that particular genre .

1POS

become a terrific guilty pleasure and source of relaxation . the best of those movies , one that passed the test of time and managed skills and kung fu philosophy to the western audience . it succeeded , but it is still debatable whether by its own of bad guys . on the other hand , lee was more believable hero than bond ; deprived of guns and super - lee 's acting skills and some new elements to his impressive screen presence . although two other main actors - john saxon being lee ( among them is young jackie chan ) . fighting scenes are still impressive today as they were 25 years ago , although they mostly associated with that genre . in many way they are also more realistic ( they were personally staged by lee himself ) , 100 of all times , enter the dragon is a incredibly entertaining piece of cinema and the martial arts flick that can be enjoyed even by those who do n't like that particular genre

one of the sweetest tales to ever be made , it 's a wonderful life is n't perfect , but its good natured charm and beautiful performances light up the screen with glorious results . probably the greatest " feel - good " film of all time , it 's a wonderful life aims for the heart , and strikes with a golden arrow . on christmas eve , george bailey ( stewart ) is being prayed for by many in the small town of bedford falls . you see , george is in trouble , and he has always helped others who needed it . this one time , however , god answers his prayers , and sends down the lovable guardian angel clarence ( travers ) to try and save george . clarence has got his own problems , however . clarence is an angel without his wings , and each time the bell rings , the wings pass him by . the bailey case is a way for him to earn those magical wings and become a true angel . but before clarence can save george , he first has to go through a cliffs notes version of george bailey 's life . we see george sacrificing his hearing to save his brother 's life , sacrificing his college education to save the family business , sacrificing his dream of living far away to support his brother , and even sacrificing his life to make sure his brother is happy working somewhere else . when the bank his family owns is in trouble , george gives away his honeymoon money to make sure the bank is n't sold to the evil mr . potter ( barrymore ) , who wants nothing less than to get the baileys out of bedford falls . one christmas , potter gets his chance . uncle billy bailey ( mitchell ) loses $ 8 , 000 of the bank 's money . without the money , the bank must close down . george is stuck in a tremendous bind , and contemplates suicide . clarence , the faithful servant , is there just to pick him up , and to show him what bedford would be like without george . this is all a lead - in to the very famous last scene , where george finally sees what true happiness is about . it 's a wonderful life does have its faults . the movie is beginning to feel dated in the details , especially in the treatment of women and men . the sex roles in the film are weirdly out of place in the 90 's , like something out of a revisionist look . all the men drink too much and slap their wives too much during some portions of the film . there are , however , endearing moments in all of this . capra puts in just enough humor mocking the sex roles of the 50 's to make the movie remarkably enjoyable . the story is hackneyed , and the ending feels , well , a little too sugarish . there 's this uneasy feeling of sugar over everything , especially the sequences where george is either in trouble , or helping somebody . it 's a little too nice for my liking , at times . there is , however , enough humor , enough wit , and enough of jimmy stewart to get the movie through the middle part , which would be the most difficult . but watching it 's a wonderful life is never boring or difficult : it 's always interesting , right until the finale , which , for all its sugar , makes delightful sense and is beautifully done . capra does have his monumental cliches , but the actors relish them and overplay everything to perfection . donna reed is perfect as the loving , obeidient wife , and lionel barrymore is gloriously grump as mr . potter . everyone else is magnificent , including bert and ernie ( ward bond and frank faylen ) . there is a general sense of goodness , as if everyone in the film knows that they are making a great film , and they relish that . stewart , however , is the king of all of this . he is sometimes awkward , especially when saying " merry christmas " to all objects , animate or inanimate . but he is james stewart , and he 's lovably delightful throughout the film . have i complained ? i should n't have . this is a really good movie . no , this is a great movie . better yet , this is a phenomenal movie . there is a reason classics are invented : to make sure that people will always have great movies to aid them in their quest for living life . this is one of those films . it is a " feel - good " movie , something people complain a little too much about . but capra 's reworking of " a christmas carol " is the greatest christmas movie of all time . there , i 've said it . i have to admit , the first time i saw this , i saw it with my family , including my 11 year old kid sister . they all loved it . they loved george , his wife , his troubles , and the beautiful ending . is it a little too sugar - coated ? maybe . no matter . this is a film that should be watched time and time again , with families around a coffee table , and eggnog on the plate . it is a film that just makes you feel good about life , family , and hope . it is the perfect christmas film , flaws and all . it is frank capra 's greatest acheivement , and that really does say a lot . for about 121 out of 129 minutes , this movie is flawless . the rest can be excused : no film is perfectly flawless . i ca n't get over how much i love this movie , and how much you will , after watching it , digesting it , and sitting with your family , appreciating how special life really is .

1POS

one of the sweetest tales to ever be made , it 's a wonderful life is n't perfect , but its good natured charm and beautiful performances light up the screen with glorious results . probably the greatest " feel - good " film 's a wonderful life aims for the heart , and strikes with a golden arrow . on christmas eve , george bailey ( stewart ) portions of the film . there are , however , endearing moments in all of this . capra puts in just enough sex roles of the 50 's to make the movie remarkably enjoyable . the story is hackneyed , and the ending feels little too nice for my liking , at times . there is , however , enough humor , enough wit , and enough of jimmy stewart to get the movie through the middle part , which would be the most difficult . but watching it 's a wonderful life is never boring or difficult : it 's always interesting , right until the finale , which , for all its sugar , makes delightful sense and is beautifully done . capra does have his monumental cliches , but the actors relish them and overplay everything to perfection . donna reed is perfect as the loving , obeidient wife , and lionel barrymore is gloriously grump as mr . potter . everyone else is magnificent , including bert and ernie ( ward bond and frank and they relish that . stewart , however , is the king of all of this . he is sometimes awkward , especially when saying " . but he is james stewart , and he 's lovably delightful throughout the film . have i complained ? i should n't have . this is a really good movie . no , this is a great movie . better yet , this is a phenomenal movie . there is a reason classics are invented : to capra 's reworking of " a christmas carol " is the greatest christmas movie of all time . there , i 've said it . i have maybe . no matter . this

of circumcision , psychic wounds and the family sitcom the opening segment is something of a foretaste of this film . there 's a guy 's voice telling us how he tries to imagine what his biological parents look like , and on the screen we see images of a variety of oldish men and women . as his imagination plays o n , he ( and we ) picture these motley characters in a mix - and - match shuffle of unlikely marriages , businesswomen with bums , matrons with paint salesmen , the images coming on in a faster and faster frenzy . it 's not just a witty , funny summing up of the film 's themes - you might not guess it yet , but it sets the pattern for the way the story goes on . what starts out as a step in a fairly sensible direction , gets taken on a road trip , put through a detour or two and finds itself freewheeling towards an immin ent crash . that may not sound so different from the average family sitcom , and the general idea of the film does n't , at first , seem so wildly distant from standard - issue hollywood comedy : man who was adopted as a child ( ben still er ) sets out on a journey to meet his real parents , along with his wife ( patricia arquette ) , his baby , and a pretty psychology - researcher ( tea leoni ) in tow . various mix - ups , shenanigans , oddball characters and , yup , disasters follow . but if you think you 've been here before , the dialogue and the direction ( by david o . russell , who made spanking the monkey ) take it into another dimension . the dreaded t - name seems an inevitable reference point ( what with a drug overdose scene and the casting of arquette from true romance ) but really the point is that the foot - massage master has n't got a monopoly on plot twists and fast , funny , irreverent lines , or on the absurdities of ordinary speech . whether it 's about circumcision , psychic wounds , oral sex , carjacking , the beauties of the armpit area , or ronald reagan , the script never seems to run out of hilarious invention . the best thing is how these words are n't just there for the punchlines , but are great precisely because they 're said in character , like tea leoni 's neurotically - charged psychobabbler who 's able to say under assault , " it 's understandable if you find this threatening " . the cast is excellent throughout , and , rather than singling out anybody , kudos are due to the fine ensemble acting , with the sometimes frenetically overlapping dialogue and the sense of a dozen different reagents colliding to the point of fission . there are some elements of a woody allen film in this ( not to mention the hand - held camera and loose , improvisational feel of some scenes ) . like allen , russell 's interests are in the volatile sexual politics of couples and the neurotic obsessions in both pare nts and children ( and everybody , really ) . still , if you 're expecting a privileged moment of revelation and emotional outpouring a la " murphy brown " / " frasier " / fill - in - the - blank - american - comedy , well , it wo n't happen . the film sets up expectations like these , with the lead character 's search f or his origins and his hopes of self - healing , only to knock them down . if the conventional sitcom structure is to put a slightly loopy family in catastrophic conditions only to rediscover their essential lovey one - ness , flirting with disaster 's charact ers embark on a journey to seek that essential state but find themselves only plunging into more weirdness and dysfunctional chaos the further they go . and that , the film suggests , is the essential family state - and you better learn to love it . somehow , this is perversely feelgood cinema , right up to its manic end .

1POS

foot - massage master has n't got a monopoly on plot twists and fast , funny , irreverent lines , or on the absurdities of ordinary speech . whether beauties of the armpit area , or ronald reagan , the script never seems to run out of hilarious invention . the best thing is how these words are n't it 's understandable if you find this threatening " . the cast is excellent throughout , and , rather than singling out anybody , kudos are due to the fine ensemble acting , with the sometimes frenetically overlapping dialogue and the sense

nosferatu the vampyre ( germany 1979 ) a film review by mike watson copyright 1999 mike watson this extraordinary re - telling of bram stoker 's " dracula " by german filmmaker werner herzog deserves the most prominent of places in cinematic vampire lore . inspired by f . w . murnau 's 1922 silent film of the same name , herzog 's film is a work of exquisite bleakness , an oddly touching tragedy with a beautiful and uniquely haunting quality that lingers long afterwards . the original full - length english and german language versions of nosferatu have at last received a video release by u . s . distributor anchor bay entertainment , and in gorgeous widescreen prints . until now only a shortened english language version of the film was available on video , and only in europe . both of these re - releases restore the film to its full length , but viewers should still be wary of the english version due to its often stilted dialogue . apparently the english dialogue coach herzog had on the set during filming was incompetent , and some of the voices also seem to be dubbed . the german version with english subtitles remains the definitive one . everyone knows the story of dracula . or do they ? his story has been so bastardised on film over the years that a brief reminder of the basic plot certainly wo n't hurt . jonathan harker is a young lawyer sent to the gloomy castle dracula in transylvania to do business with a creepy count ( played by klaus kinski ) who wants to buy a house in harker 's hometown . upon seeing a photo of harker 's wife ( the radiant isabelle adjani ) he instantly falls in love with her . locking harker up in his castle , he sets off on a long journey to meet this woman whose beauty so bewitches him . upon divining his identity as a vampire , adjani seduces the count and lures him to his death one morning as the sun rises . that is a story familiar to millions , but herzog has elevated stoker 's tale into the realm of - and i use this term a tad reluctantly - cinematic art . nosferatu is as much a meditation as it is a film , shot through blue - ish and white filters and peopled with characters who perform as if they were half hypnotised . the film 's surreal , dream - like quality is utterly mesmerising . there is much to enjoy , but i 'll limit my praise to a few key points . holding the film together is kinski 's remarkable performance as count dracula . past screen portrayals , including bela lugosi 's famous turn , have largely been one dimensional and tended towards camp . but kinski . . . oh boy , this is something far more compelling . aided by a startling make - up job , he portrays dracula 's vampirism not simply as pure evil but as some sort of loathsome disease . this man is dreadfully lonely . he lives in utter solitude , shunned by the locals for his hideous appearance and reputation for bloodlust . kinski 's portrayal of the count is both creepy and deeply affecting . when he dies , you almost feel as if this man 's tortured soul has been freed at last . then there 's the unforgettable soundtrack , largely composed by german group popul vuh . it is so eerily beautiful and evocative that it 's quite impossible to imagine the film without it . popul vuh are longtime herzog collaborators and play an ancient - sounding kind of spacemusic using piano , chants , and exotic instruments . when i first saw this film some years ago i was so impressed i tracked down and bought a number of their albums . the one i still listen to the most is " tantric songs " , from which most of the music in nosferatu is taken . it 's a testament to the music 's depth that it is as powerful without the pictures as it is with them . the album is still available on the highly respected ambient and world music label celestial harmonies . this is a timely re - release by anchor bay . after francis ford coppola 's unscary and woefully overblown version of bram stoker 's tale in 1992 , it is a joy to go back to herzog 's film and see the amazing things he has done with what is now a century - old story . to some aficionados , nosferatu is quite simply the greatest vampire film ever made . without a doubt , it is an unmistakable classic of the genre . do n't miss it .

1POS

herzog 's film is a work of exquisite bleakness , an oddly touching tragedy with a beautiful and uniquely haunting quality that lingers long afterwards . the original full - length the film 's surreal , dream - like quality is utterly mesmerising . there is much to enjoy , but i 'll limit my praise to a few key points . holding the film together is kinski 's remarkable performance as count dracula . past screen portrayals , including bela camp . but kinski . . . oh boy , this is something far more compelling . aided by a startling make - up job , for bloodlust . kinski 's portrayal of the count is both creepy and deeply affecting . when he dies , you almost feel as if soul has been freed at last . then there 's the unforgettable soundtrack , largely composed by german group popul vuh . it is so eerily beautiful and evocative that it 's quite impossible to imagine the film without overblown version of bram stoker 's tale in 1992 , it is a joy to go back to herzog 's film and see the amazing things he has done with what is now a century - old story . to some aficionados , nosferatu is quite simply the greatest vampire film ever made . without a doubt , it is an unmistakable classic of the genre . do n't miss it .

even if i did not know that director and co - writers james wong and jeffrey reddick of the creepy final destination helped create the hit television show the x - files , i would have inevitably made a connection . the similarities are very apparent from the inexplicable phenomenon- like plot , to the mysterious characters , to the overall dark , ominous settings . it would have been perfectly fitting to see fbi agents mulder and scully investigate this case , they witness stuff like this on a weekly basis ( in fact mulder and scully would have been a much more welcome change to the bland one dimensional fbi agents seen in this movie ) . another more important similarity , is that both succeed in entertaining and thrilling at the same time . this is a great accomplishment for a teen horror movie , especially when compared to some of the trash , of the same genre , released in the last couple of years ( urban legend and i still know what you did last summer are classic examples from the bunch ) . what helps final destination is its unique premise . unlike your average horror flick in which some invincible psycho with a knife chases blonde cheerleaders , the villain presented is unusual , it 's the grim reaper . this being already has predestined when and how you will die . according to the brief history lesson given in this film , everyone was meant to die at a certain time , some people at 100 , others at 17 , whatever death chooses . what is unique about death is that it 's already dead , so you ca n't really kill it . the only way to defeat death is to cheat it ; the question is how do you do that ? this dilemma is what faces alex and a group of teenagers . alex has been having some dreams that the airplane which will take his class on a trip to paris will crash , leaving no survivors . alex begins to realize that his dreams are a little too real and eventually gets himself and six others kicked off the plane right before it takes off . shortly after , the plane does indeed crash leaving some of the seven survivors confused and others feeling immortal . however , death is n't through with them yet . it gradually kills off the seven one by one , leaving those currently still alive frantically trying to trick death again . the plot allows for some of the most creative , original death scenes i have seen in a while . some scenes build up the perfect amount of tension until an elaborate climax , others are so unexpected they will leave your jaw wide open in shock . creativity and originality are two adjectives lacking in most horror films nowadays but final destination is not like most horror films . sure , it has your traditional share of jerks and outsiders ( ali larter 's character is particularly annoying ) , but the shocks , from the beginning to the end , are extremely entertaining . also director wong has the sense not to take the movie too seriously . he knows its just another entertaining guilty pleasure that wo n't win any academy awards ( not even a golden globe ) . the myriad of inside jokes and gags ( the characters are named after famous horror directors , one character who plays a jerk is named carter , like x - files creator chris carter , and a song by john denver , who died in a plane crash , plays whenever death is near ) show this movie is a bunch of guys having a good time making a movie . and from this , i had a great time watching the movie .

1POS

) . another more important similarity , is that both succeed in entertaining and thrilling at the same time . this is a great accomplishment for a teen horror movie , especially when compared to from the bunch ) . what helps final destination is its unique premise . unlike your average horror flick in which some invincible trying to trick death again . the plot allows for some of the most creative , original death scenes i have seen in a while . some scenes build up the perfect amount of tension until an elaborate climax , others are so unexpected they will leave your jaw wide open in shock . creativity and originality are two adjectives lacking in most horror films nowadays but shocks , from the beginning to the end , are extremely entertaining . also director wong has the sense not to take good time making a movie . and from this , i had a great time watching the movie .

" take a number , fill out a form , and wait your turn . " starring kati outinen , kari v ? ? n ? nen , sakari kuosmanen , elina salo ; written & directed by aki kaurism ? ki ; cinematography by timo salminen it might be possible to call drifting clouds a satire or a black comedy , but that would imply a sense of anger , of vitriol , of energy ; drifting clouds is what you get when the rage and vitality are gone . it is the sad , slow story of lauri and ilona , a married couple caught between the wheels of capitalism as it grinds inexorably onward . he loses his job as a tram driver , because everyone drives cars nowadays . within a couple of months , she loses her position as a head waiter , when her restaurant is bought out by a chain and the entire staff replaced . a conversation early in the film reveals a lot about their situation . lauri has surprised ilona by buying her a tv , which she greets with little enthusiasm . she notes that they have n't finished paying for the bookshelves or the couch yet . he says that in four years the payments will be done and then they can buy some books for the shelves . it would pass as deadpan humour if it was n't spoken with such resigned weariness . this sets the tone for the rest of the movie . there is humour and idiosyncracy at the periphery , but at the centre there is frustration and futility , and sorrow for the ways in which the logic of profit reduces people , until their worth is equated solely with their earning capacity . there is an element of political commentary in this critique of the mechanisms of capitalism and the stultifying social environment it creates , but in drifting clouds the political is subsumed by the personal : the movie is about two people and what happens to them , and nothing else matters . lauri and ilona live lives starved for friendship , respect , culture , passion . they go to the movies , and walk out past old posters for l'atalante and l'argent , but the movie they have just seen is a pointless , violent , unfunny comedy . their house and workplaces are uniformly unpleasant , painted and upholstered in lifeless colours ( ugly greens , dull reds , insipid blues ) , full of inelegantly functional objects and appliances . the art design is impeccable in its tawdriness , and director aki kaurism ? ki often matches the colour of characters ' clothes with the background colour and/or lighting , so that it seems as if they are almost physically fading into the environment . there is no suggestion of sexuality in the relationship ; ilona and lauri sleep in separate beds and their gestures of affection lack the heat of desire ; their lives are now bound by something more complex and desperate than love . their downward , downsized , downtrodden lives have a momentum that is almost comic , as one setback succeeds another , bottoming out when lauri stakes all their remaining money on the spin of a roulette wheel . it must have been tempting to play the story for more laughs , more farce , more deadpan wit , but the film 's great strength is the sober , empathic manner in which it observes lauri and ilona 's misfortunes . irony would be an injustice . situations and settings are broad and exaggerated -- this is not realism -- but they are not distorted . the emotions are authentic . if it is difficult to laugh at anything that happens , despite the droll performances , the laconic humour , that 's because kaurism ? ki brings such compassion and understanding to the manifold indignities that are suffered . he shows us how humiliating it must be for a woman of thirty - eight , who has worked long and hard to win a respectable position , to be forced to accept a job as a dishwasher in a two - bit restaurant ; how humiliating it must be for a man nearing 50 to confront his wife 's former employer , demanding the rest of her wages , only to have the crap beaten out of him , unable to land a single punch , when the employer and his cronies refuse to give him the money . all this is observed keenly , with great economy : every cut , every line of dialogue , is judicious . if most films are novelistic in their telling , this one brings the focus and concentration of a short story to bear . but what is gained in nuance and acumen is rather undermined by the sense that the material barely accommodates the 96-minute running length . i have seen many movies far less profound , less humane , less necessary than drifting clouds , but they filled me with an urge to watch them again , and this one did not . it does not need to be seen twice : its every detail and implication can be absorbed in one viewing . it is not a movie that will be seen by a large audience , because it can not be pitched to one . there is no selling point . it is all understatement , restraint , melancholy . the characters are unremarkable , their best years behind them , their dreams dissipated ; it takes all the effort they can muster just to pay the bills . this does not make them less fascinating , merely less marketable , which is a shame , because this is a movie which should be seen , precisely because it pays attention to people and emotions that most movies prefer to ignore . it engages us and touches us and resolves -- surprisingly , and movingly -- into something resembling a happy ending . the only thing greater than the ill - luck that governs the characters ' lives is their refusal to give in to despair . their persistence is rewarded with what might be called a " feel - good " ending elsewhere , but not here , because this ending differs in kind from most such endings : this one has truly been earned .

1POS

laughs , more farce , more deadpan wit , but the film 's great strength is the sober , empathic manner in which it observes is not realism -- but they are not distorted . the emotions are authentic . if it is difficult to laugh at anything that merely less marketable , which is a shame , because this is a movie which should be seen , precisely because it pays attention to people and emotions that most movies prefer to ignore . it engages us and touches us and resolves -- surprisingly , and movingly -- into something

ingredients : london gal , fate , true love , running joke about monty python 's spanish inquisition synopsis : american actress gwyneth paltrow with dark hair , playing a londoner ? believe it . sliding doors is a love ' what if ' story . the gimmick is that it 's really two stories : the film follows the life of helen ( gwyneth paltrow ) down two directions . in the beginning , likeable gal ' helen ' ( gwyneth paltrow ) gets unexpectedly fired from her advertising job . so she goes into the subway train station meaning to return home early to her apartment and her sleeping live - in lover gerry ( john lynch ) . helen does n't know it , but she is at a fateful junction in life : 1 ) if she enters through the sliding door of a london subway train her life takes one path with one future 2 ) if she stays on the platform her life takes another path with a different future . the film shows what happens in both paths , switching back and forth between intertwined , parallel stories . in story one , helen meets a charming and talkative monty python fan named james ( john hannah ) on the train . arriving home early , she discovers that her live - in , gerry ( john lynch ) , is having sex with his former lover lydia ( jeanne tripplehorn ) . this leads to a life where helen moves out . helen 's winsome new friend james helps her recover from a broken heart , and encourages her to start her own business . in story two , helen experiences a different fate . she misses the train , never meets james , and does n't get home early enough to discover gerry 's infidelity . in this new life , helen takes up odd menial jobs , and faces the constant sneaking suspicion that all is not right with her relationship with gerry . will the truth of the heart finally work its way through a number of problems and setbacks in both scenarios ? opinion : rejoice all ye monty python fans , gwyneth paltrow fans , and watchers of quirky romance flicks . at last here 's proof that there 's still creativity in 1990s filmmaking . sliding doors is refreshingly different from anything this year . not only is it a well - acted , heartwarming film , but it 's also easily gwyneth paltrow 's best recent performance . when helen ( paltrow ) screams that her unfaithful boyfriend is a ' shagging wanker , ' ( a british phrase better left untranslated ) she sounds like she knows what she 's talking about ! nor does sliding doors go overboard with formulaic true love or other stereotypes . nobody scrambles around in danger , screaming , " i will find you no matter what , my darling ! " when helen finds herself on a boat in the starlight with james , she does n't take the easy way out and leap into his arms , since she 's supposed to be recovering from heartache . and handsome live - in boyfriend gerry is n't the stereotypical screen hunk ( either a stud or a snob ) . instead he 's a nervous and indecisive , almost helpless hunk . another example : when one of the protagonists lies wounded in a hospital , sliding doors gives us neither the ' hospital miracle ' nor a maudlin tragedy but surprises us with a third variation . in other words , all of the characters seem non - stereotyped , human , and local . there are minor inconveniences . since sliding doors switches back and forth between two possible fates , it 's occasionally difficult to distinguish between the two . distinguishing between the two stories is n't a problem in the scenes containing paltrow , who sports two different hairstyles . but in scenes containing only lydia and gerry , who look the same in both stories , it 's slightly confusing . also , quite a few snappy comebacks referring to american pop culture ( seinfeld , woody allen , etc . ) are spoken by the british characters . but these seem slightly forced , given that the remaining dialogue is predominantly british slang . possibly an attempt by the screenwriter to balance the british so that american audiences can feel more comfortable ? sliding doors is a charming , quirky , original , happy romance with a little ' philosophy of fate ' thrown in . monty python and the meaning of fate , anybody ?

1POS

watchers of quirky romance flicks . at last here 's proof that there 's still creativity in 1990s filmmaking . sliding doors is refreshingly different from anything this year . not only is it a well - acted , heartwarming film , but it 's also easily gwyneth paltrow 's best recent performance . when helen ( paltrow ) screams that her unfaithful american audiences can feel more comfortable ? sliding doors is a charming , quirky , original , happy romance with a little ' philosophy of fate ' thrown in

sick : the life and death of bob flanagan , supermasochist by fernando vallejo starring bob flanagan and sheree rose . interviews by kathe burkhart , kirby dick and rita valencia . produced and directed by kirby dick . running time : 90 mins . this film is not rated . the central themes of " sick : the life and death of bob flanagan , supermasochist " are pain and love , and its subsequent effect on a person 's life . its protagonist , bob flanagan , who died at the age of 52 , suffered from cystic fibrosis , a mortal disease which debilitates the lungs by saturating them with thick coats of mucus , preventing him from normal breathing . the movie is about much more than recouperating ( or attempting to ) from this disease . an audacious , fabulously triumphant docudrama , " sick " chronicles the life of flanagan and his vicious , unthinkable acts of sadomasochism conducted with his mistress of 15 years , sheree rose , who amazingly provided much of the footage for the film . flanagan 's idelogy crosses the realms of rebelliousness and becomes transcendental , similar to terry zwigoff 's brilliant 1994 " crumb " , which also explored the dysfunction of an artist by painting not a sympathetic portrait , but a realistic one . both crumb and flanagan revelled in their defects . but flanagan was not only a man content on enduring the pain via lungs , he inflicted acts of pain on himself at a very young age , courageously defying god ( he was an irish catholic ) and turning his body into a work of art , which he unraveled in museums and lectures . behold these works of physical art . among them is a metal ball inserted inside his anus , and , --the most disturbing scene of the decade-- , nailing his penis to a board . flanagan was a man of great intelligence , wit and humor , as well as adopting a sense of candidness scarcely seen in modern filmmaking . not only did he approach his disease with humor , peforming burlesque acts in front of an audience , he was also revitalized by his approachment . most with cystic fibrosis do not make it past their earlier twenties ( there 's also a subplot involving a female devotee who knew death was awaiting her . ) but the most outstanding thing about " sick " is flanagan 's relationship with sheree . brimming with honesty , sensual stimulation and unapologetically sad moments of pain , their powerful bond lifts " sick " into a rare cinematic high , where we forget we are in an auditorium and become a part of these people . the last scene , where we see the hero murmuring the last words to his wife in a hospital bed , as he struggles for his last moments of life , is raw , tender , hideous . it goes a step beyond cinematic intimacy .

1POS

" sick " is flanagan 's relationship with sheree . brimming with honesty , sensual stimulation and unapologetically sad moments of pain , their powerful bond lifts " sick " into a rare cinematic high , where we forget we are in an auditorium and life , is raw , tender , hideous . it goes a step beyond cinematic intimacy .

studio expectations must not have been high for " great expectations " -- the film 's release date was pushed from late december to late january at what appeared to be the last minute , therefore putting any academy awards chances it has off until this time in 1999 . it 's actually a smart move , because while this updated take on the charles dickens tale is n't quite oscar fodder , it * is * strong enough to be distinguished from the cinematic dumping ground that usually makes up the first five or six weeks of any given year . " great expectations " also demonstrates how to modernize a classic story right , especially after the excruciatingly wretched excesses of baz luhrmann 's " william shakespeare 's romeo + juliet . " " great expectations " opens somewhere in 1970s florida ( the original story is set in 19th - century england ) , as eight - year - old finn ( jeremy james kissner ) meets a trio of people who will have a profound effect on his life in the future . there 's icy , 11-year - old estella ( raquel beaudene ) , a pseudo - playmate of finn 's ; ms . dinsmoor ( anne bancroft ) , estella 's auntie who 's quite off - kilter over a past romance that never took off ; and a mysterious prisoner ( robert de niro ) whom finn saves the life of . finn , who lives with his sister 's affable boyfriend ( lone star 's chris cooper ) , fancies himself an aspiring artist , and proves his prowess by whipping up an unusual portrait of estella using only ms . dinsmoor 's lipstick , eyebrow pencil and the wallpaper from her dilapidating mansion . flash forward into the ' 90s ( after a brief stop in the ' 80s ) , and finn ( now played by ethan hawke ) , despondent over a strange hot - and - cold relationship with the elusive estella ( gwyneth paltrow ) , receives quite a bit of money from an unknown benefactor ; it 's enough cash to send him to new york to focus on a career in art . there , finn seems to gain everything he could ever want -- wealth , prestige and a high place in the glamorous art world . when estella resurfaces -- albeit with an aloof fianc ? ( hank azaria ) -- finn also sees the chance to renew their mutual attraction . but she 's not the only ghost from finn 's past that 's going to be paying him a visit . comparisons with the afore - mentioned " romeo + juliet " seem inevitable since these films are the only ones in recent memory to plop classic drama into a current setting . " great expectations " is a much better venture , though , because it treats its source with even - handed respect , where " romeo " was never quite sure whether to be a spoof , a homage or both . the movie is a visual banquet thanks to emmanuel lubezki 's sexy cinematography ; notably , he captures a revisited fountain kiss between the two leads with a luscious , erotic charge that 's steamier than the film 's ( surprisingly muted ) love scenes . the eclectic rock soundtrack compliments the on - screen action beautifully , especially new songs by tori amos , mono and duncan sheik . acting credits are first - rate , often hiding the screenplay 's occasional slip - ups . hawke is sincere and solid as a leading man ( something we also learned from " gattaca " ) , and his finn is quite a likeable guy . paltrow 's estella , on the other hand , is rather underdeveloped . while the actress is at her icily seductive best , we 're not told very much about her character , and as a result , it 's often hard to understand why finn would appreciate her beyond a physical level ( but , oh , * what * a physical level ) ; sometimes , we root for finn although we do n't quite understand why she 's fueling his fire . robert de niro is nice and sophisticated in the benevolent kind of role he rarely gets to play ; on the other end of the acting spectrum is bancroft , a macabre , throaty delight who mambos and sucks down cigarettes with an eerie enthusiasm that would make norma desmond jealous . alfonso cuaron 's visually elegant direction helps to distract from the dry moments that pop up more frequently around the movie 's climax . another problem is predictability ; you can guess your way through the plot even if you are n't familiar with the story . despite its script flaws , though , " great expectations " is undeniably romantic without being corny or gloppy . and frankly , it 's nice to see a film that embraces softened sensuality other than explicit sexuality . perhaps that renovated release date , awfully close to valentine 's day , will end up helping " great expectations " ' seemingly average box office chances after all .

1POS

is n't quite oscar fodder , it * is * strong enough to be distinguished from the cinematic dumping ground that usually into a current setting . " great expectations " is a much better venture , though , because it treats its source with even spoof , a homage or both . the movie is a visual banquet thanks to emmanuel lubezki 's sexy cinematography ; notably , he captures a revisited fountain kiss between film 's ( surprisingly muted ) love scenes . the eclectic rock soundtrack compliments the on - screen action beautifully , especially new songs by tori amos , mono and duncan sheik . acting credits are first - rate , often hiding the screenplay 's occasional slip - ups . hawke is sincere and solid as a leading man ( something we also learned from " gattaca " ) that would make norma desmond jealous . alfonso cuaron 's visually elegant direction helps to distract from the dry moments that pop up script flaws , though , " great expectations " is undeniably romantic without being corny or gloppy . and frankly , it 's nice to see a

seen december 28 , 1997 at 8 : 45 p . m . at the crossgates mall cinema 18 ( guilderland , ny ) , theater # 8 , with matt perreault and my sister jena for free ( matt paid using pre - paid passes ) . if there 's ever been an exception to the perils of excessive cliches and non- stop action , the james bond films are it . and if there 's ever been a james bond film that not only proves this , but does so by pushing it to the extreme , " tomorrow never dies " is it . opening sequences almost always make or break action films . when done properly , not only are they actually exciting , but they foreshadow things to come . this film starts off on the right foot by establishing the kind of atmosphere that could only be found in an action movie , but with a sense of the self - aware , enclosed universe where james bond movies take place in . first there 's a high - tech , slightly complicated scene involving a british warship crossing into unfriendly , chinese waters . there 's definite tension as there seems to be an unknown , but certainly hostile , third party involved who is manipulating both sides . when the scene ends in tragedy , it 's clear there 's some kind of powerful conspiracy going on , and who else to call on for such a case but james bond ? the film uses good judgment in the way it introduces us to bond ( brosnon ) . as the enemy was portrayed as evil and mysterious , bond is clearly ( and obviously ) depicted as an out - and - out hero . he single - handedly takes out a small army of terrorists , and then must escape in the nick of time by flying away in a fighter jet while the co - pilot tries to strangle him and a terrorist in another jet tries to shoot him down ! this might sound like the kind of cliches films like this are notorious for ( over- ) using , but it works here because the film knows how to get our attention quickly . it 's not about the payoff because it 's obvious bond will escape , instead , it 's the way it processes the action sequences by going over the top and not apologizing for it , all the while creating for witty , hysterical comedy . it seems less emphasis is placed on the villains in thrillers anymore , because of political correctness , and just plain copping - out on behalf of the filmmakers ( even the term " villain " sounds passe ) . what the film deserves kudos for is its ability to create a villain as heinous as they come , yet making him seem completely plausible . jonathon pryce delivers a perfect performance as the arrogant , cunning elliot carver , a media mogul whose goal is to take over the world , that is , through his massive media empire , not through nuclear weapons . through some interesting detective work , bond and the english ministry of defense believe carver is behind the trouble brewing in the southern asian seas as a way to create and accurately cover his own news . not only is that an original idea for a conflict , but one which could carry over into reality . surprisingly , this is about as detailed as the story allows the specific plot to become . the film 's hook is the action , and of course those cool gadgets and we get plenty of that here as bond goes out to investigate carver and finds himself in a jam or two along the way . the story works much like bond himself - always on the run and concentrates more on the individual conflicts than any general plot . somehow a chinese agent , wai lin ( yeoh ) , bumps into bond a few too many times and they find themselves working together . the chemistry between brosnon and yeoh is rigid , but also works because of this , not in spite of it . the two are constantly on the run from carver and his goons , yet the film manages to balance the stunts and special effects with its clever story . although " tomorrow never dies " is far from perfect , it is quite an impressive film in terms of its ability to be so cliche and cartoony and not make plausibility an issue .

1POS

, but they foreshadow things to come . this film starts off on the right foot by establishing the kind of atmosphere that could only be for such a case but james bond ? the film uses good judgment in the way it introduces us to bond ( brosnon this are notorious for ( over- ) using , but it works here because the film knows how to get our attention quickly . it 's not about the payoff because it 's not apologizing for it , all the while creating for witty , hysterical comedy . it seems less emphasis is placed on the villains the term " villain " sounds passe ) . what the film deserves kudos for is its ability to create a villain as heinous , yet making him seem completely plausible . jonathon pryce delivers a perfect performance as the arrogant , cunning elliot carver , a media manages to balance the stunts and special effects with its clever story . although " tomorrow never dies " is far from perfect , it is quite an impressive film in terms of its ability to be so cliche and

james jones , one of the major novelists from the middle of the twentieth century , has written a number of fictional works about the effects of war on the individual . a veteran of world war ii , and a witness to the pearl harbor bombings , his novels are not only grounded in realism but poetic in nature . they are reminiscent of stephen crane in their blunt eloquence , a trait which lends itself to razor - sharp focus . but perhaps none matches the scope of his autobiographical novel , the thin red line ; now a cinematic masterpiece from director terrence malick . the book 's principal cast , some thirty characters , has been trimmed down for this rendition , but it still retains its most endearing value . each of the roles has an everyman quality , emphasizing jones ' examination of world war ii on the american soldier . there 's a definitive chain of command present , and this also plays on the motivations of the cast . but most importantly , and perhaps intrinsic to the novel but not to the movie , a dynamic and effective voice - over is used . malick has several characters relating their thoughts , giving the viewer a greater perspective of the issues at stake . the issues at stake are many and one . told from a limited third - person perspective ( as opposed to a top - down , omniscient view ) , the movie entails the struggle of an american infantry company ( " c - for - charlie " ) to take a hill during the conflict at guadalcanal . the south pacific island is seen by the top brass as the key position for american armed forces to hold if they want to win the war . and want to win the war they do . in an excellent performance , nick nolte plays c - for - charlie 's commanding officer , lt . col . gordon tall . he 's an aging soldier who embodies the win - at - all - costs mentality , if only to impress his superior ( john travolta , in a questionable cameo ) . this philosophy is opposite that of captain bugger staros ( elias koteas ) , who dearly values the life of each and every one of the men under his command . at the front are the privates and corporals ( adrien brody , james caviezel , ben chaplin , et al ) , lead by 1st sgt . welsh ( sean penn ) , who must actually execute the suicide orders handed down to them . the thin red line is filled with intense , visual poetry , but it 's nearly three hours long . although the interest level is high throughout the first two hours , the climax comes forty - five minutes before the end of the movie ; it goes without saying that the movie drags on the back end . the thin red line will doubtless be compared to 1998 's other masterpiece of war , saving private ryan a countless number of times . but to do so is to belittle both films , for although similarities abound , so do differences . director malick has a story to tell , and for those interested in listening , this can be a very outstanding movie .

1POS

his autobiographical novel , the thin red line ; now a cinematic masterpiece from director terrence malick . the book 's principal cast handed down to them . the thin red line is filled with intense , visual poetry , but it 's nearly three hours long . although the interest level is high throughout the first two hours , the climax comes forty and for those interested in listening , this can be a very outstanding movie .

an energetic , visually stunning , but intellectually hollow recreation of the mysterious life of jeanne d'arc . in history jeanne d'arc is lost in an ocean of mystery and controversy , which creates the perfect launching pad for talented and creative directors , who can basically alter the story as they wish . she came in a time where people desperately needed a saint . a hero that could rescue them for misery and deliver peace and happiness . director / writer luc besson ( ' nikita ' , ' leon ' ) portrays his version of the peasant girl who commanded the armies of france and was burned at the stake for witchcraft . besson tries to recreate the person behind the legend . he tries not to show her as a saint or a villain . he shows her as a human being . in a time where blood was almost pouring from the sky , and the air smelled of rotten flesh , it is hard to keep your sanity . the only support and hope is in god . at the age of 13 , jeanne ( milla jovovich ) watches her own sister murdered and raped by the english soldiers . this terrible event makes a lasting impact on jeanne 's mind . god is no longer her support . he has become her obsession . she starts seeing visions and signs that command her to raise an army and free france from the siege of the english tyranny . with the help of the wise yolande d'aragon ( faye dunaway ) and charles vii ( john malcovich ) , whose grand royal ambitions and life are at stake , jeanne raises an army and marches towards the english walls . after this the film stays mostly on the battlefield , where besson demonstrates his ability to direct amazing action sequences , only occasionally resorting to a calmer tempo . the movie is filled with dreamy , symbolic images of pure artistic craftsmanship , that create a surreal and occasionally paranoiac atmosphere . the film is lost in time and space , hysterically jumping back and forth in jeanne 's thoughts , imagination and conscience . besson 's visual style permits the audience to enter the medieval age , feel the smell of fresh blood and the adrenaline pumping in your body in the heat of battle . but the film is far from being flawless . the script needs a lot of polishing . except for jeanne , there are no real characters . and although a grand star cast is assembled , their characters are nothing more than props , not more alive than the costumes that they are wearing . as for the maiden of lorraine herself , she is portrayed as a simple girl , too small for her divine task . in the latter part of the film , we see her as hysterical , confused and on the brink of madness , with her past purity and innocence for ever lost . jovovich handles the part with more panache than one might expect . but though her screen time is incredible excessive , both malcovich ( ' being john malcovich ' ) and dunaway ( ' titus ' ) surpass her rather overacted and simply unprofessional performance . and even hoffman manages to breathe some life into his dreadfully small part . besides casting jovovich , besson 's only mistake is his extreme sense of patriotism that in the end ruins his so gloriously crafted painting . there are some viscously evil englishmen that murder , pillage and betray with a smile on their faces . and some incredibly brave and noble frenchmen , represented by the " three musketeers " of this story -- the brave gilles de rais ( vincent cassel ) , the wise aulon ( desmond harrington ) and the strong la hire ( richard ridings ) . though all those actor perform well , their characters are nothing more than symbols -- banners that proclaim the glory of france . and thus , there is no sense of realism in this film . ' the messenger ' has muscles instead of brains . there is some relief in the end , where besson lays down his armor and starts thinking . dustin hoffman 's appearance helps and the film ends elegantly and surprisingly effective with a climax worthy of praise . jeanne 's character is unlocked , but whether god was in the picture or not , is never quite explained . was she a confused peasant girl driven by her own hunger for revenge ? or was she truly a messenger of god ? the film poses as many questions as answers and nothing is completely obvious . bess o messenger ' is nothing more than a fairly good film . it is not much that you remember of it after you leave the theater . maybe the sound , the dreamy sequences , but certainly not the dialogue . it is an elegant and adrenaline pumping history lesson for the mtv - generation , that although presents some interesting material , works better when it 's on the battlefield .

1POS

an energetic , visually stunning , but intellectually hollow recreation of the mysterious life of jeanne , there are no real characters . and although a grand star cast is assembled , their characters are nothing more than props , not the strong la hire ( richard ridings ) . though all those actor perform well , their characters are nothing more than symbols -- banners messenger ' has muscles instead of brains . there is some relief in the end , where besson lays down his armor and starts thinking . dustin hoffman 's appearance helps and the film ends elegantly and surprisingly effective with a climax worthy of praise . jeanne 's character is unlocked , but whether god sequences , but certainly not the dialogue . it is an elegant and adrenaline pumping history lesson for the mtv - generation , that although presents some

i 'm not quite sure what to say about mars attacks ! , which is obviously the work of a deranged genius . when tim burton 's twisted alien invasion comedy really works , it 's breathtaking and hilarious in equal measure . and when it does n't work , it 's just dull . i 'm not even sure it works more often than it does n't , but where it counts -- that is , when this gleefully evil invading force from the red planet gets down to the business of blasting us to kingdom come -- mars attacks ! is brilliant . mars attacks ! is based on a rather unsavory series of trading cards released by topps in the 1950s , and it takes its cues from the same sources as this summer 's independence day -- old alien invasion flicks , disaster movies , and big - budget special effects extravaganzas . but unlike independence day , which was a painfully middle - of - the - road appeal to the hearts , minds and wallets of america , mars attacks ! has a fully developed and very personal sense of wonder about it . the big difference is that while independence day celebrated the resilience of human beings , mars attacks ! portrays us as the greedy and hapless schmucks that we are . the title sequence is just splendid -- an incredible swarm of flying saucers rises out of the canals of the red planet and then storms earthward through the solar system in formation . the spinning metal saucers are dead ringers for the invading forces of movies past , and their first appearance on the big screen in combination with danny elfman 's thundering , theremin - driven score is absolutely jaw - dropping . it 's so overwhelming that , i swear to you , i had trouble breathing . the movie lays low for the next 40 minutes . we get a glimpse of the alien leader , resplendent in a purple - sequined cape , when a television message is broadcast to the people of the world -- naturally , the only way to communicate with earthlings is to preempt our regularly scheduled programming . but mostly , the first act is spent developing characters , setting up mildly comic situations , and drawing a quirky but dishearteningly drab picture of america according to tim burton . it 's a good thing that the most compelling personality in the movie belongs to the aliens , because burton 's just not interested in making more than caricatures out of his human stars . anyone who comes to mars attacks ! expecting to see a lot of one favorite actor is bound to be disappointed -- with few exceptions , these characters are dispatched as the film progresses . jack nicholson is a lot of fun as the president of the united states but fizzles as a sleazy las vegas hotel developer . rod steiger does an amusing enough take on dr . strangelove 's buck turgidson , glenn close brings some star power to the role of the first lady , and martin short is a presidential aide who meets the martians in the white house 's " kennedy room , " a secluded nook where he unwittingly tries to seduce an alien dressed up as a big - haired , pointy - breasted sexpot ( lisa marie , the burton flame who played vampira in ed wood ) -- in an earlier scene , it 's made clear that the aliens studied human sexuality in the pages of an old issue of playboy . sarah jessica parker hosts her own tv show and michael j . fox is her newsman husband . the octogenarian sylvia sidney has a funny part as the old woman who cackles , " they blew up congress ! " and plays a decisive role in the defeat of the alien menace . jim brown and tom jones are the film 's vegas - based heroes , and director barbet schroeder ( reversal of fortune ) has a funny cameo as the unfortunate french president . also on hand and underutilized are annette bening , pierce brosnan , pam grier , lukas haas and natalie portman ( the latter two also show up in woody allen 's everyone says i love you ) . the real stars , of course , are the computer - generated martians , and they 're fantastic . with bare brains glistening atop their grinning skull - faces , round egg - eyes with red pupils darting this way and that , these animated invaders are malevolence incarnate -- joe dante 's gremlins are the closest equivalent in recent memory , but burton 's little monsters are more inventive . the film 's raison d'etre are the scenes of crimes against mankind -- the most famous monuments of the world crumble under the alien assault , easter island is turned into a bowling alley , and the nasty little buggers perform hideous medical experiments on captured humans . the sheer level of mayhem is staggering , especially when the aliens make their first attack , blasting human beings into iridescent skeletons . parents are urged to pay special attention to the pg-13 rating -- it 's earned . the special effects vary from charming to astonishing to deliciously cheesy , and at least a couple of shots of mass destruction seem to have been engineered specifically in response to independence day , although mars attacks ! was in production long before that film 's release . cinematographer peter suschitzky , who makes the most of wynn thomas 's wildly imaginative production design ( thomas helped define the spike lee style ) , actually took time off from his mars attacks ! regimen to shoot crash for david cronenberg . cronenberg 's movie will almost certainly be more somber -- it wo n't be released in the u . s . until early next year -- but mars attacks ! is surely a similarly elegant nightmare . this is not a nice movie . ( and which studio executive was duped into giving burton $ 70 million to make it ? ) by setting the film 's final scenes in the nearly empty , holocaust - ravaged america that independence day conveniently avoided , burton 's invasion epic suggests that the world we 've got may not be worth saving until many of the people on it are dead . the victims of his invasion are naive , greedy , or disastrously self - absorbed -- and a good thing , too , since the movie 's wicked charm is dependent on our ability to take this invasion partly as a wish - fulfillment fantasy . the surviving cast members are the innocents and the entertainers , who triumph by determining that the alien invaders -- the ultimate elitists -- are actually susceptible to the kitschiest strains of american pop culture . ultimately , this messy masterpiece is the year 's funniest comedy and a weird , winking affirmation of the power of the people .

1POS

's twisted alien invasion comedy really works , it 's breathtaking and hilarious in equal measure . and when it does n't work blasting us to kingdom come -- mars attacks ! is brilliant . mars attacks ! is based on a rather unsavory minds and wallets of america , mars attacks ! has a fully developed and very personal sense of wonder about it . the big difference is that while independence hapless schmucks that we are . the title sequence is just splendid -- an incredible swarm of flying saucers rises out of danny elfman 's thundering , theremin - driven score is absolutely jaw - dropping . it 's so overwhelming that , i swear to are dispatched as the film progresses . jack nicholson is a lot of fun as the president of the united states but fizzles as , and director barbet schroeder ( reversal of fortune ) has a funny cameo as the unfortunate french president . also on hand and course , are the computer - generated martians , and they 're fantastic . with bare brains glistening atop their grinning skull - a good thing , too , since the movie 's wicked charm is dependent on our ability to take this invasion partly american pop culture . ultimately , this messy masterpiece is the year 's funniest comedy and a weird , winking affirmation of the power of

capsule : trippy , hyperspeed action machine from hong kong 's accomplished tsui hark . van damme and rodman have nice chemistry , the stunts are eyepopping , and stuff gets blowed up real good ; what more do you want ? i admit i was all set to loathe double team ; it reeked of cheapjack timing - oriented marketing ( stick dennis rodman in a movie , quick , while he 's hot , and do something about jean - claude van damme 's flagging career while we 're at it ! ) . surprise -- double team transcends its dumb roots and turns out to be a mess of fun . bring some friends , get some pretzels , and have a blast . van damme is jack quinn , an ex - agent who is brought back in for " one last mission " -- you 'd think any spy worth his shoe phone would run like hell when he hears those words . but van damme 's character has a pregnant wife who 's also a sculptor , and some unpleasant pressure gets used to get him to come through on this mission . he 's been assigned to take down an old enemy , a terrorist named stavros ( mickey rourke , looking oddly subdued ) , who may be back up to his old tricks . in the first showdown between quinn and stavros , the movie wears its ambitions proudly on its sleeve : nonstop action . an amusement park , a hospital , a private " retired spy " 's retreat , most of rome , various houses , planes , cars and other modes of transport , and the coliseum ( ! ) all become arenas for some of the most bone - rattling shoot - outs and punch - outs filmed . they are better seen than described and are reason enough to see the film : one jaw - dropping scene has van damme taking on a man who uses a switchblade with his * feet * . ( van damme is a good , dextrous athlete and fighter , but he is often upstaged . ) there are other nice touches . stavros and quinn both want the same thing : to retire in peace with their families . that ambition ties them together in various ways , and also humanizes them a bit . one of the things about hk action movies is that there 's always some form of human element , and that 's carried over into this movie as well . it gives weight to scenes that would otherwise be forgettable . also good is dennis rodman , playing a weapons dealer named yaz -- a character who sticks out like a fistful of broken fingers and who is funny just standing there . rodman is natural on screen ; he 's fun to watch , especially when slinging bad guys like basketballs , and deserves to get a movie of his own , based on what 's seen here : a lightweight , fast - moving entertainment that showcases all of its pieces excellently .

1POS

capsule : trippy , hyperspeed action machine from hong kong 's accomplished tsui hark . van damme and rodman have nice chemistry , the stunts are eyepopping , and stuff gets blowed up real good ; what . surprise -- double team transcends its dumb roots and turns out to be a mess of fun . bring some friends , get some pretzels , and and fighter , but he is often upstaged . ) there are other nice touches . stavros and quinn both want the same thing : and who is funny just standing there . rodman is natural on screen ; he 's fun to watch , especially when slinging bad guys like basketballs , and own , based on what 's seen here : a lightweight , fast - moving entertainment that showcases all of its pieces excellently .

the heartbreak kid ( reviewed on aug . 26th/1998 ) starring charles grodin , cybill sheppard , eddie albert in " the heartbreak kid " , charles grodin plays one of the most unbelievably obnoxious characters i 've seen on screen in a long time . he 's a guy who spends virtually the entire running time of the movie bullshitting his way from one situation to another . i doubt he ever expressed any genuine feeling at all during the film . as the film opens , he has just gotten married , and is on the way to miami beach for his honeymoon . halfway there , he begins to resent his bride . by the time he arrives at his hotel and has met the cybill sheppard character , he is ready to divorce his wife . as played by grodin , this character is the type of person that nothing will ever be good enough for him . the phrase " the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence " was practically written with him in mind . however , if he finds something he really wants , he will pursue it for as long as it takes . the only problem is , once he has it , he immediately loses interest . the end of " the heartbreak kid " is both hilarious and sad for that very reason . charles grodin is at his smarmy best here , and sheppard is quite appealing as the object of grodin 's desire . however , the real scene stealer is jeannie berlin , daughter of director elaine may , as grodin 's whiny bride . she owns every scene that she 's in , and makes you almost want to root for what the grodin character is trying to do . " the heartbreak kid " was written by neil simon and it shows . simon loves to deconstruct and analyze human relationships , and he 's at the top of his game here . as maddeningly obnoxious as the grodin character is , he 's the type of guy that everyone knows . the character of george costanza on " seinfeld " seems to have been modelled after him . the only problem with the film is that it 's not that funny , and it 's billed as a comedy . as much as i could see the realism in the characters , it would have been nice to have a chuckle here and there . " the heartbreak kid " is not a date movie . it has an extremely negative view of relationships , so seeing it with a girlfriend / boyfriend , could be hazardus to your health .

1POS

hilarious and sad for that very reason . charles grodin is at his smarmy best here , and sheppard is quite appealing as the object of grodin 's desire . however , the real scene stealer is jeannie berlin , daughter of director elaine may , simon loves to deconstruct and analyze human relationships , and he 's at the top of his game here . as maddeningly obnoxious as the grodin character is ,

it 's a curious thing - i 've found that when willis is not called on to carry the whole movie , he 's much better and so is the movie . even though , in the sixth sense he is the " name " , he does n't have the pivotal role . that honour goes to haley osment who plays cole sear ( cute pun , seer ) a 9 year old boy who can see ghosts . if osment was cute or precious , the director going for the maudlin , this would be nothing more than a movie - of - the - week , thankfully , osment is not only better than that , but in some instances , blows everyone else off the screen in a bravura performance . we get to see his fears , vulnerabilities , strengths and intelligence which makes the sixth sense one of the best movies i 've seen this year . the whole cast matches him in quality , with willis giving a fairly low key performance that matches the subject matter . one thing about this movie , its target . this is n't a sfxfest like the haunting or a gorefest , this is more what i 'd call a supernatural drama , more interested in characters than in dazzling you with makeup . one caveat : there 's a lovely twist in the movie , something like the usual suspects , where you end up replaying the movie in your head rethinking what you have just seen . i was extremely lucky to see it as a sneak preview in toronto , before any hype or critical reviews were out , so i went in with no biases . if anyone want to talk to about the movie before you see it , do n't let them . let the director explain on his own pace and you 'll enjoy the movie vastly more .

1POS

only better than that , but in some instances , blows everyone else off the screen in a bravura performance . we get to see his fears , vulnerabilities , strengths and intelligence which makes the sixth sense one of the best movies i 've seen this year . the whole cast matches him in quality , with willis giving a fairly low key performance that

i 'll be the first to admit i did n't expect much from the emperor 's new groove : more celine dion - esque song - and - dance numbers , cuddly characters that become cross - promotion devices in mcdonald 's happy meals , and hollywood stars trying to gain credibility by adding a voice - over job to their resume . i was dead wrong about all of those things . the emperor 's new groove is funny . damn funny . and the cute characters in the film are the dangerous ones . the script is fast and furious , with no singing and dancing . the animation is clean and would give walt a warm feeling all over . the humor is dry and aimed at both the cynicism and the goodness in all of us . the story is ridiculously weird and comes off as a strange acid trip involving talking , cross - dressing llamas and schizophrenia . here 's the plot ; try to follow along . set in a mythical kingdom , the film follows the adventures of kuzco ( david spade ) , an arrogant and egocentric emperor . when kuzco fires his power - hungry advisor , yzma ( eartha kitt ) , she and her " assistant " kronk ( seinfeld 's patrick warburton ) change him into a llama . kuzco then gets stranded in the jungle and must rely on pacha ( john goodman ) , a llama - herder whose home was to be replaced by kuzco 's water world theme park , to save him . then the fun starts . for the next sixty minutes , the audience is treated to something unheard of in disney films these days : imagination . yzma , voiced by the talented singer eartha kitt , looks like a cross between norma desmond , joan crawford , and a really old vegas showgirl . the dialogue between her and her oblivious assistant kronk is quick , sharp , and feels like an episode of seinfeld ( which would make sense ) . david spade and john goodman 's character interactions make you feel like you 're watching an old hope / crosby film . spade is beyond dry with his humor and shoots below the belt on several occasions , and i laughed out loud several times . needless to say , that is an extremely rare thing in disney screenings these days . the best part about the emperor 's new groove is how audacious the film is . the sheer weirdness factor is very high . cross - dressing , schizophrenia , duality of soul , people being turned into every animal on noah 's boat , llama cpr , homoerotic tendencies , an emperor with his own theme song and singer , michael jackson dance moves , and a guy that can communicate with a squirrel are only a few of the oddities that make the film a true orginal . simply put , the emperor 's new groove is one of the best children 's films out for this holiday season . kids will enjoy the adventures , and parents will enjoy the story and dialogue . that 's a tough thing to pull off in a single package , but this emperor manages to do it .

1POS

of those things . the emperor 's new groove is funny . damn funny . and the cute characters in the film are the dangerous ones . the script is fast and furious , with no singing and dancing . the animation is clean and would give walt a warm feeling all over . the dialogue between her and her oblivious assistant kronk is quick , sharp , and feels like an episode of seinfeld ( which would make sense ) . david spade and and shoots below the belt on several occasions , and i laughed out loud several times . needless to say , that is an extremely rare thing in disney screenings these days . the best part about the emperor 's new groove is how audacious the a squirrel are only a few of the oddities that make the film a true orginal . simply put , the emperor 's new groove is one of the best children 's films out for this holiday season . kids will enjoy the

before even seeing a single frame of the film , it would be easy to snicker at deep impact , in which a comet on a collision course with earth threatens the existence of all life on the planet . it is the latest entry in this decade 's dubious revival of the ' 70s disaster film , and the first of two " the sky is falling " flicks to hit screens this year ( the other being this coming july 's armageddon , in which a meteor is the threat ) . its tagline , " oceans rise . cities fall . hope survives " is not as cornball as that of the utterly ridiculous collapsing tunnel thriller daylight ( " they came in alone . . . the only way out . . . is together " ) , but it 's every bit as treacly . the opening moments of deep impact offer more to snicker at . the cheesiness is not confined to the disaster movie conventions , such as the usual opening " roll call , " in which all the major characters and their personal problems are introduced . the most prominent of the " personal " stories is that of ambitious tv news reporter jenny lerner ( tea leoni ) , who is distraught that her father ( maximilian schell ) left her mother ( vanessa redgrave ) for a younger woman ( rya kihlstedt ) . what is just as snicker - worthy is how this co - venture between paramount and dreamworks skg aggressively pushes another high - profile corporate collaboration , microsoft and nbc 's cable news network msnbc , which employs jenny , who is the film 's ostensible main character . in the vision of america presented here , msnbc is the television news source of choice in every home , when in reality it only reaches a fraction of the country . the initial signs point toward something along the lines of a volcano or dante 's peak , but there 's one thing about deep impact i underestimated : the skills of director mimi leder . she won an emmy for her helming work on nbc 's smash er , which is essentially a weekly disaster movie , each episode featuring a new set of guest stars with their own personal and medical crises . the challenge presented by this format to the director is twofold : ( 1 ) to make the audience care for these guest characters , regardless of how briefly seen or thinly written they are , and ( 2 ) powerfully tug at the emotions without being heavy - handed or overly melodramatic . having passed the " er challenge " in numerous episodes and showed a flair for creating suspense in the peacemaker , leder could not be a better fit to bring michael tolkin and bruce joel rubin 's rather formulaic disaster screenplay to screen . as the countdown to impact progresses , the ominous feeling of doom is palpable , leading the final act to take on a surprisingly convincing and affecting emotional dimension . there 's nothing here that will profoundly move anyone , but the fact that anything manages to touch the heart is high achievement in a genre generally more concerned with effects . situations that initially feel contrived , such as jenny 's familial crisis and the teenage romance between sarah hotchner ( leelee sobieski ) and comet discoverer leo biederman ( elijah wood ) , achieve some poignance ; and even the more vaguely drawn characters , including u . s . president tom beck ( morgan freeman ) , astronaut spurgeon " fish " tanner ( robert duvall ) , and his rather faceless crew ( ron eldard , jon favreau , mary mccormack , blair underwood , and alexander baluyev ) aboard the comet - bombing spacecraft messiah , have their share of touching moments . the latter fact owes a debt to the actors , who all do a solid job and are well - cast , with the possible exception of leoni ; she delivers a decent performance , but her trademark unconventional speech rhythms and line delivery make her somewhat hard to buy as a star news broadcaster . although its catastrophic theme and impressive special effects work ( the giant ocean waves are particularly spectacular ) place deep impact in the same category as the likes of twister , it is the first of the ' 90s disaster films to successfully marry the advanced film technology with emotions that ring true -- a film that makes a genuine impact , even if it is n't as deep as hoped .

1POS

there 's one thing about deep impact i underestimated : the skills of director mimi leder . she won an emmy for her helming work on nbc 's smash er , latter fact owes a debt to the actors , who all do a solid job and are well - cast , with the possible exception of leoni ; she delivers a star news broadcaster . although its catastrophic theme and impressive special effects work ( the giant ocean waves are particularly spectacular ) place deep impact in the same category as the is the first of the ' 90s disaster films to successfully marry the advanced film technology with emotions that ring true -- a film that makes a genuine impact , even if it is n't as deep as hoped

the heist of a flawless , 84 carat diamond , fixed bare knuckle fights , irish gypsies and a dog are just some of the goings on in director guy ritchies 's sophomore feature , " snatch . " " lock , stock and two smoking barrels " intro'd helmer / scripter ritchie with a hyper - kinetic , in your face underworld comedy that grabbed the viewer 's attention from beginning to end . his protagonists were innocents set adrift in a see of sharks to swim or be eaten alive . with " snatch , " the director does n't remake his first work , but he does delve more deeply into the criminal underbelly of london , mining a rich collection of characters in the process . > from the very beginning , " snatch " tosses you into the action with the theft of the fabulous diamond , the desire of new york gangster avi ( dennis farina ) . en route from antwerp , diamond thief and courier frankie four fingers ( benicio del toro ) stops in london to make a separate deal with avi 's partner and cousin , doug " the head " ( mike reid ) . frankie 's addiction to gambling tempts him into making a bet on an illegal boxing match for boris " the blade " ( rade sherbedgia ) , a ruthless russian mobster . the bet turns out to be a setup for a robbery by a trio of bumbling incompetents - vinnie ( robbie gee ) , sol ( lennie james ) and portly tyrone ( ade ) - that goes miserably awry . meanwhile , a couple of young toughs , turkish ( jason stratham ) and tommy ( stephen graham ) , are trying to break in to the boxing game with the help of local villain brick top ( alan ford ) , who also owns a pig farm . when their first fighter is put out of action , with one punch , by a wild irish gypsy named mickey o'neil , they figure to put the loose canon in as the contender in a fixed fight . mickey proves less than reliable and goes against turkish and tommy 's deal . brick top , impressed by mickey 's performance , decides to gives them another chance - after calmly explaining that it takes 16 pigs about eight minutes to completely devour a corpse . when avi does n't get his precious rock , he jumps on a plane for london and hires a local legend , " bullet tooth " tony ( vinnie jones ) , to find frankie and the diamond . things spiral out of control as all these forces head on a collision course of double - cross and double - deals - and a dog that ate a squeaky toy . guy ritchie ( mr . madonna to some ) is an extraordinarily talented auteur who has a wonderful knack for pulling together his unique collection of cast and crew and feeding them funny and gritty dialog that spews out of the characters ' mouths like machine gun fire . the helmer marshals his large ensemble actors in a frantically paced caper comedy that makes you laugh and feel queasy at the same time , the above description by brick top being just one example . the assemblage of actors and non - actors in rough - and - tumble settings gives " snatch " an earthy feel in its depiction of london 's criminal underworld . the cast of characters is too large to credit here , but two of the performances - first among equals , you might say - are worth noting . alan ford is brilliant as the ruthless , evil brick top . when he refuses sugar in his tea because " i 'm sweet enough , " it makes you shiver , even as you laugh . his is one of the best gangster characters i 've seen in years . the other outstanding perf is given by none other than brad pitt , the name actor the movie 's popularity may hang upon , at least initially . pitt , as mickey o'neil , is hard drinking , hard fighting , highly unreliable and nearly incomprehensible with a unique irish brogue and dialect of the pikers , the irish travelers of europe . this gypsy brigand would steal the fillings from your teeth , especially if it would benefit his beloved mum ( sorcha cusack ) . when brick top threaten the safety of mickey 's family , he makes an enemy that can not be stopped . pitt puts a credible spin on his character and does some incredible physical stuff , too , as a bare - knuckle boxer . the production team behind the camera includes ritchie alumni , producer matthew vaughn and lenser tim maurice - jones , and other talented technical artist that bring the hyperactive imagination of the author to visual life . there is a patent feel to the look of " snatch " and " lock , stock and two smoking barrels " that reeks of " signature " for ritchie , but i 'm not sure how this will translate in his future works . there is so much talent in the filmmaker that i would like to see him branch out in other directions . nonetheless , " snatch " is terrific sophomore effort , a darn good action comedy and a hoot to boot . i give it a b+ .

1POS

guy ritchie ( mr . madonna to some ) is an extraordinarily talented auteur who has a wonderful knack for pulling together his unique collection of cast and crew and feeding them funny and gritty dialog that spews out of the characters ' mouths like machine might say - are worth noting . alan ford is brilliant as the ruthless , evil brick top . when he you shiver , even as you laugh . his is one of the best gangster characters i 've seen in years . the other outstanding perf . pitt puts a credible spin on his character and does some incredible physical stuff , too , as a bare - knuckle boxer . this will translate in his future works . there is so much talent in the filmmaker that i would like to see him branch out in other directions . nonetheless , " snatch " is terrific sophomore effort , a darn good action comedy and a hoot to boot . i give it a b+ .

tbwp is probably the single most profitable film ever . not surprising , considering its tiny us$100 , 000 budget , to date it has earned in excess of us$130 million . that 's a shocking 100 times profit ! rumours have it that a smart internet ` marketing ' ploy was so successful in gaining cult - like fanatics , by word of mouth coupled with strings of excellent reviews , the film just exploded in the box - office , raking in millions on its opening weekend . shot in 16 mm and video ( i suspect . ) , the film chronicles the forays of 3 students who go in search for the legendary blair witch . audiences are put in the first - person perspective in the entire mis - adventure , often wobbly and blurry at times , it takes a bit of getting used to in the beginning . this is supposed to be the material they discovered in the woods where the 3 disappeared ; edited and put onto the screen for the benefit of our audiences . tbwp is simply smart . filmed to look as if it was really a stock - shoot by a bunch of students in search of the blair witch as a school project , one may suspect ( like yours truly ) that its simply a lazy but smart approach to film - making . simply amazing in that respect , i must say . talk about impact , oh yes , tbwp does have quite a bit , in fact most audience will find it deeply disturbing . i did , especially the last bit but i 'm not revealing more . you have to see it for yourself . i ca n't help but feel a tad cheated after knowing how commercially successful this film has become . could it be that finally , an indie - film has unwittingly found a formula for commercial appeal ? or was it all simply a ploy by the big players right from the beginning ? well , i guess the fact stays ; tbwp is highly original , clever and will most definitely leave most with something dreadful to talk and think about for weeks prior to watching this film . no gore , no special effects , i just ca n't get over how terribly smart this film is !

1POS

tbwp is probably the single most profitable film ever . not surprising , considering its tiny us$100 , 000 screen for the benefit of our audiences . tbwp is simply smart . filmed to look as if it was really a a lazy but smart approach to film - making . simply amazing in that respect , i must say . talk about well , i guess the fact stays ; tbwp is highly original , clever and will most definitely leave most with something dreadful to this film . no gore , no special effects , i just ca n't get over how terribly smart this film is !

i am starting to write this review before going to see strawberry and chocolate , cuba 's oscar nominee for best foreign film , directed by tomas gutierrez alea ( who also directed the sometimes and in some circles critically acclaimed memorias del subdesarrollo-- " memories of underdevelopment " . i saw memorias as part of a cuban cinema class back in the late ' 70s ; it merged the politics of the cuban revolution with mundane elements of the human condition . i knew then that memorias was probably a state - sanctioned political missive , and now expect strawberry will follow suit . fellow internetters , primarily in the newsgroup dedicated to cuba ( soc . culture . cuba ) , have mentioned that strawberry is a harsh criticism of the revolution and its current state of affairs . i have jumped to the conclusion that strawberry is nothing more than a veiled attempt at espousing the party line -- it probably looks like political criticism , but it ai n't so . having some first hand and extensive anecdotal knowledge of castro 's repressiveness , i ca n't conceive of his tolerating honest and adversarial criticism of the revolution , and i ca n't imagine his letting anyone even suggest his failure as a leader of a failed movement . as kids say these days , duh ! , the revolution 's current state needs no criticism ; its physical and spiritual crumbling is self evident . the proper questions to put relate to castro 's legitimacy . i bet the film takes castro 's power for granted , and that this or any other movie , produced under cuba 's state control , can not question his right to run cuba 's political show ( ongoing now for more than 36 years ) . that 's why i just ca n't believe strawberry is an honest criticism of the regime . let 's see what happens after the room goes dark and the screen lights up . i saw the film -- twice . i was right ; castro remained intact . strawberry negotiates the relationship between a young " dialectic materialist , " as he describes himself , and a homosexual photographer ( diego ) in 1979 cuba . the young man ( david ) is the son of peasants ; a symbol of the revolution 's reason for being . grateful to the revolution for the opportunity to receive a university education , he studies political science instead of literature , his avocation , because he perceives it is his duty . therein lies a likely unintended irony , since cuba has no need for political theoreticians . cuba 's government is castro . diego 's lifestyle is the antithesis of revolutionary life . he enjoys the finer things -- tea , opera , art . he does not do " voluntary work " for the revolution . his small apartment is a sensual oasis . the moniker " bourgeois " figuratively hangs over his head during the early parts of the movie . however , he is a " revolucionario " in his own way . the supporting roles are filled by : an aging busybody with a heart of gold and a troubled psyche ; david 's roommate , who rally takes the communist party line to its expected extreme ; david 's ex - girlfriend , who dumped him for another guy , yet wants to bed him before she leaves for italy with her husband ; german , a gay sculptor whose work diego is attempting to exhibit , and who strikes a faustian pact with the government . gutierrez alea and co - director juan carlos tabio do a fine job at almost showing that homosexuals can be revolutionaries too . heck , towards the end of the film you begin to think the guy deserves a medal for his patriotic fervor . he really loves the revolution ( as supposedly does everybody else in cuba ) and wants to make it better by exposing and correcting some of its flaws . real criticism is missing though . this movie is political window dressing . luis aguilar leon 's op . ed . piece on fresa in the miami herald ( 10 march 1995 , at 21a ) did not color my judgment ; it presaged my intuition . aguilar leon expressed my sentiment about this film 's political angle best : like many artistic manifestations in cuba , strawberry and chocolate sprang from a totally manipulated environment . as art critic ivan de la nuez well states in the latest issue of the magazine postmodern notes , the silenced artists are those who refuse to accept " the charade in which artists can provoke up to a point , while the institutions legitimize themselves by forbidding them to go beyond that point . " although terrible propaganda , this is otherwise a fine film .

1POS

. gutierrez alea and co - director juan carlos tabio do a fine job at almost showing that homosexuals can be revolutionaries too . that point . " although terrible propaganda , this is otherwise a fine film .

capsule : this is a 1950s or 1960s style heist film , set in the present . robert deniro stars as a risk - adverse safecracker who wants to retire form crime but takes one last job at the request of a personal friend ( played by marlon brando ) . edward norton plays a hotshot young sharpster who is also in on the crime . the plot is mostly straightforward suspense with little nonsense . , +2 ( -4 to +4 ) i am sure i must have seen almost the identical plot before . this is a heist film made for an adult audience who probably wanted a crime film like they had seen in theaters when they were teens . there are no superhuman acrobats taking nosedives off of buildings like in entrapment . there is no rock score . there are no ballet- like martial arts . this is just a basic heist film with a decent and distinctly credible and un - flashy script . nick ( played by robert deniro ) is a safecracker who has managed to be successful by never taking risks . if a job is not a safe bet ( pun intended ) , he backs out . sometimes even the safe bets turn out not to be so safe . when one job very nearly goes wrong nick is unnerved enough to decide that it is nature telling him that it is time to get out of the game . he returns to his home in montreal where he owns a jazz club , and decides to manage it full time . he proposes to his girl friend diane ( angela bassett ) . she has one condition . he must stay retired from crime . but before the deal can be cemented , max , a montreal kingpin and personal friend , has one last supposedly easy job for nick . nick wants no part particularly because the heist will be right in his hometown of montreal . more and more details seem to complicate the job . nick 's partner in the crime is to be a smart , but uncontrollable young crook , jack ( edward norton ) . jack treats a locked front door like a welcome mat , even at his associates ' homes . the young crook is a know - it - all who seems good at everything he does but at avoiding rubbing people the wrong way . together they plan to steal a priceless historic artifact from the montreal customs house . the script by kario salem , lem dobbs , and scott marshall smith works like an episode of the old " mission impossible " television series . we see pieces of the heist being put together , last minute changes , and things that go wrong , much like a good episode of " mission impossible . " this team might not be bad choices to write scripts for the tom cruise " mission impossible " films . the complications are , however no more and no fewer than are needed to make the story believable . the telling is cold and noirish , which is just what it is supposed to be . director frank oz , the voices of yoda and miss piggy proves surprisingly good at directing a serious crime film . the score has a more than adequate cast with little flashy or scene - stealing acting . edward norton probably has the flashiest role and even that is low - key by today 's standards . he plays what is nearly a double role . jack pretends to be a brain damage victim to be hired for a job in the customs house . one nice ( ? ) character i have not mentioned is stephen ( jamie harrold ) . stephen is a master hacker who lives in his mother 's basement in a house with a lot of screaming in both directions . he seems like the last person the risk adverse nick would want to depend upon . the film itself remains low - key up until the time of the climactic heist . then the pace really picks up . before that the plot even stops twice for jazz interludes . though oz never lets the music steal time from the story the way woody allen does in sweet and lowdown . on the subject of music , the score of the score is by howard shore . it adds tension to the suspense scenes , but never seems to have much of a melody . angela bassett is the one misused celebrity in a totally minor role that should have been played by a less famous actress who needed a break . she has nothing to do in the film but demand that nick give up crime and to look like an attractive reward if he does . speaking of being attractive the score seems to be attracting an older audience who learned to appreciate much the same sort of film in the 1950s and 1960s . it does the job . i rate it a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale .

1POS

arts . this is just a basic heist film with a decent and distinctly credible and un - flashy script . nick ( played by robert deniro ) is a at directing a serious crime film . the score has a more than adequate cast with little flashy or scene - stealing acting . edward norton probably has the flashiest role and even same sort of film in the 1950s and 1960s . it does the job . i rate it a 7 on the 0 to

do n't let the following quirks of this review , fool you into believing that this movie is anything short of an ultimate labour of love . but one can see the humour of roberto benigni when you see that ? life is beautiful , even though i 'm a short , ugly looking man with an obnoxious laugh . life is beautiful even though i have n't amounted to much in life , except working out the finer intricacies of waitering . i 'm a lucky sort of a guy , especially when a beautiful woman strips away my venner of superficiality to find a new age , sensitive guy with the biggest heart in the entire world underneath - life is beautiful ! i 'm a jew , but life can still be beautiful . the nazis put me in a concentration camp , but life is still beautiful . i love my son very much and that 's what matters , and that 's what makes life beautiful . my ability to entertain somehow convinces my son that living in a concentration camp is somewhat beautiful ? i get shot for my efforts and the woman i love , but hey that 's life and that 's still a beautiful thing - so by jove do n't give me any crap about it ! by far the movie with the biggest heart this decade and well deserves every nomination and award that it has achieved . well done , there should be more film directors and actors like you roberto benigni .

1POS

you into believing that this movie is anything short of an ultimate labour of love . but one can see the humour of roberto benigni jove do n't give me any crap about it ! by far the movie with the biggest heart this decade and well deserves every nomination and award that it has achieved . well done , there should be more film directors and actors like you roberto benigni .

getting it right is a far far cry from the teenage sex comedy you might expect from a summer movie about male virginity . the film was directed by randal kleiser , who brought us such bubble - gum classics as grease and the blue lagoon . but thanks to kleiser 's surprisingly good direction and an intelligent script , getting it right is a pleasantly quiet , moving , and memorable film -- one geared strictly toward a sophisticated , adult audience . getting it right stars jesse birdsall ( emily lloyd 's boyfriend in wish you were here ) as gavin , a painfully shy 31-year - old hairdresser who lives at home with his parents and who -- gasp -- is still a virgin . gavin has no problem whatsoever making small talk with the elderly women who clamor for his services at the hair salon , but expose him to a single 30-year - old beauty and he 's a mess . much to gavin 's surprise , the woman who finally brings him out of his shell and robs him of his virginity is joan ( lynn redgrave ) , a rich , married , and lonely 45-year - old . getting it right is the simple story of gavin 's awkward and haphazard efforts to get it right ; that is , to find the right woman to fulfill his life . getting it right is one of those rare movies that devotes itself entirely to in - depth character development . gavin 's self - conscious voice - over narration of his experiences firmly thrusts us into his psyche . we observe his fascinating metamorphosis from shy and passive introversion to assertive and self - confident maturity . birdsall 's superb , understated performance as gavin is the real backbone of the film ; he seems convincing and authentic throughout . the charm of getting it right also lies in the wide array of people who inhabit or invade gavin 's life . despite her limited screen time , redgrave makes quite a splash in the movie as gavin 's middle - aged seducer . for a supporting character , joan is unusually and impressively complex , thanks in large part to redgrave 's magnificent performance . gavin is also pursued , or perhaps plagued , by minnie , the totally neurotic daughter of a rich aristocrat . after minnie and gavin meet at a party , she takes great pleasure in disrupting his safe and simple life . helena bonham carter is delightfully pathetic and kooky in the role , and sir john gielgud , with his tongue in his cheek , embodies the height of arrogance as her father . gavin 's eventual love - interest is jenny , the adorable twenty - year - old single mother who assists him at the beauty salon ; london stage actress jane horrocks ' fine performance yields a touchingly sweet character . peter cook , the great british satirist , appears briefly in the film as gavin 's uptight employer . the scenes of gavin 's home life with his parents are also a treat . gavin 's over - protective mother ( pat heywood ) , whom even woody allen would find overbearing , almost steals the movie . her life seems limited to just two activities : treating gavin like a 10-year - old and preparing exotic but inedible meals , such as scalding hot curry and baked chicken with chocolate sauce . gavin and his father 's attempts to avoid eating her meals are extremely amusing . getting it right , for the most part , is very well - crafted , except for two minor shortcomings . first , the movie is about 15 minutes too long , and consequently it loses momentum at times . second , the film includes an altogether extraneous subplot about the domestic problems between gavin 's best friend , harry , and his unfaithful lover , winthrop . overall , however , getting it right is quite memorable for its humor , depth , sophistication , and outstanding acting . director kleiser and screenwriter elizabeth jane howard ( adapting her own highly acclaimed novel ) deserve praise for finding just the right tone for this tale of growth , maturation , and self - discovery .

1POS

and the blue lagoon . but thanks to kleiser 's surprisingly good direction and an intelligent script , getting it right is a pleasantly quiet , moving , and memorable film -- one geared strictly toward a sophisticated , adult audience . getting it right stars jesse birdsall ( emily lloyd to assertive and self - confident maturity . birdsall 's superb , understated performance as gavin is the real backbone of the film ; aged seducer . for a supporting character , joan is unusually and impressively complex , thanks in large part to redgrave 's magnificent performance . gavin is also pursued , or perhaps plagued , the scenes of gavin 's home life with his parents are also a treat . gavin 's over - protective mother ( pat heywood ) , whom even woody allen would find overbearing , almost steals the movie . her life seems limited to just two activities : getting it right , for the most part , is very well - crafted , except for two minor shortcomings . first , the winthrop . overall , however , getting it right is quite memorable for its humor , depth , sophistication , and outstanding acting . director kleiser and screenwriter elizabeth jane howard ( adapting her own highly acclaimed novel ) deserve praise for finding just the right tone for this tale of growth , maturation , and self

no matter what you suspect , this is n't your usual action thriller . the usual suspects is an intelligent crime mystery story from up - and - coming director bryan singer . it 's one of those movies that , after everything is revealed rapid - fire at the end , you immediately want to rewind and watch again because earlier scenes take on a new light . plot twists a - go - go are what you get here -- i gave up trying to figure out the mystery of keyser soze after awhile and just sat back and waited for them to reveal it to me . keyser soze is a name you 'll hear at least a hundred times if you watch the usual suspects and for good reason . it 's not only the name of the mysterious ( and possibly even mythical ) crime boss in the movie , it also sums up the movie -- " keyser soze " in latin means " an intelligent crime mystery story from up - and - coming director bryan singer . " or maybe i should n't have bought a foreign - language dictionary from the same company that makes those 99-cent encyclopedias sold in supermarkets . at the movie 's opening , a group of known criminals are brought in for a police lineup , including mcmanus ( stephen baldwin ) , keaton ( gabriel byrne ) , fenster ( benicio del toro ) , buckney ( kevin pollack ) and verbal ( kevin spacey , winner of the best supporting actor academy award{symbol 153 \ f " times new roman " \ s 10 \ h } for his performance in the movie ) . verbal is so - named because he frequently rambles on about anything or nothing . he also earns his name as the movie 's narrator , spouting memorable lines like " the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did n't exist " ( although , obviously , he does exist -- what else could explain kris kross having a comeback in 1996 ? ) while being interrogated by police detective chazz palminteri ( any actor with multiple z 's in their name is okay in my book ) . we see the story unfold as spacey retells it . the five felons , upon being released from the lineup , get their revenge on the police by exposing a corrupt taxi service -- whereby elite criminals pay to be smuggled through town in cop cars -- and stealing all the money and drugs in the car . it 's a definite case of male bonding for the five criminals , who later find out they were brought together by the unseen keyser soze , who sends a minion to them with an offer they ca n't refuse . namely , they have to destroy soze 's main competitors in organized crime by infiltrating a ship , shooting a bunch of people , burning all the drugs and stealing $ 91 million cash . spacey does a terrific job of bringing his seemingly unintelligent " cripple " character to life and baldwin , byrne , palminteri and the rest make for a good supporting cast . the usual suspects is one of those movies that deftly mixes scenes of violence and explosions with an underlying sense of mystery and suspense , keeping the viewer guessing until the very end -- and then still leaving a few details open for scrutiny and discussion . i suppose all that would be cleared up if i really had rewound the movie and watched it again instead of changing the channel and wondering in disbelief what the hell kris kross was doing on mtv . a different mystery , i guess , which may turn into a _ murder _ mystery if that video ever comes on again . . .

1POS

n't your usual action thriller . the usual suspects is an intelligent crime mystery story from up - and - coming director bryan singer . movie -- " keyser soze " in latin means " an intelligent crime mystery story from up - and - coming director bryan singer . for a good supporting cast . the usual suspects is one of those movies that deftly mixes scenes of violence and explosions with an underlying sense of mystery and suspense , keeping the viewer guessing until the very end --

" dangerous beauty " is a really nothing more than a grandiose soap opera set in venice circa 1583 . it is beautifully filmed , wonderfully acted , and certainly nothing short of entertaining , but it lacks any true fundamental seriousness . dealing with themes of forbidden love , religious intolerance , subordination of women , sexual freedom , and the roles of pleasure and sin in a high - cultured society , it still feels like brightly lit fluff . the director , marshall herskovitz , does n't want to follow the dark and dangerous trail this story could lead down , so he opts for a more genial , livelier , and relatively shallow interpretation . the film takes place during the renaissance , a time when venice was the pleasure capital of europe . at this time , venice was its own republic , and it thrived on being the central juncture of east - west commerce . the film is told almost entirely through the viewpoint of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie of venice , so we rarely get to see how the rest of the society lived . however , there is an abundance of detail concerning the lives and livelihoods of the upper classes , their hedonistic lifestyles and constant merriment . the story centers on veronica franco ( catherine mccormack ) , a lower class woman who falls in love with marco venier ( rufus sewell ) , the son of wealthy aristocratic parents ( jeroen krabb ? and joanna cassidy ) . unfortunately , the culture of that time period did not view marriage as an act of love -- rather , it was more like a business transaction , where rich families married their sons and daughters to each other in order to secure power , wealth , and ensure that outsiders could n't get in . veronica , despite her charm and good looks , is certainly an outsider . after a short love affair , marco breaks her heart with the news that he can not marry her . however , because she is beautiful and intelligent , veronica has a chance to enter marco 's world , albeit not as his wife . she decides to become a courtesan -- a class of women who were as well - educated as they were ravishing , and sold their sexuality to wealthy men for the privilege of wining and dining with the elite . a courtesan was not a mere prostitute ; they were afforded a special place in society , and they were greatly revered , respected , and often envied . at one point , a character mentions that some rulers obtain more political advice from their courtesans than from their lieutenants . veronica goes through the transformation with the help of her mother , paola ( jacqueline bisset ) , who was once a famed courtesan herself . once she enters the lifestyle , veronica finds that it suits her quite well . she is allowed to read all the books she wants , she is given the opportunity to publish her poetry , and she has the richest and most powerful men in the republic throwing themselves at her feet , including the awestruck marco . their relationship develops into a playful bantering , with veronica utilizing her newfound power by constantly rejecting marco 's advances . in many ways , their relationship is sad because marco is married to a women he is unable to love , and veronica is consumed by multiple relationships with men she is unwilling to love . " love the love , not the man , " as her mother told her . " dangerous beauty , " which was based on a factual book by margaret rosenthal , flows along as smoothly and serenely as the grand canal running through the heart of venice . it has multiple plot lines -- including veronica 's adversarial relationship with a court poet ( oliver platt ) , her role in obtaining france 's military assistance in venice 's battle against the turks , and even the dreaded shadow of the plague and the encroachment of the spanish inquisition -- yet it is never confusing or overbearing . much of the film 's success is due to the glowing performance by catherine mccormack in the lead role . known chiefly for the small part she played as the lover whose murder raised mel gibson 's ire in " braveheart " ( 1995 ) , mccormack shows the true gifts and inarguable talent of a leading lady . she has the kind of exquisite classical beauty that would be treasured in a courtesan ; her character is intelligent , witty , and both sensual and vulnerable , all of which mccormack easily transmits with a single flash of her eyes . the rest of the roles are also filled well , including rufus sewell whose performance here and earlier this month in " dark city " have assured him a solid place in hollywood . he has the same kind of unusual good looks and charm of ray liotta , and he seems perfectly at home in period dramas . oliver platt plays a variation of the comic relief role that he has come to inhabit like a second skin , although the film deals his character a cheap blow at the end by having him improbably join the inquisition and turn into the bad guy . platt is a good actor , but he 's just too hard to hate . jacqueline bisset proves that she is every bit as stirring as she ever was , and even fred ward turns up in a small , but moving performance as marco 's uncle . " dangerous beauty " is marshall herskovitz 's sophomore directorial effort , after the overlooked 1993 film " jack the bear . " partnered with edward zwick , herskovitz has spent most of his time as a producer on television ( " thirtysomething , " " my so - called life " ) and in the movies ( " legends of the fall " ) . his directing style can be best described as transparent -- it never gets in the way of the story , yet it has no discernible flourish or particular distinctions . he could have approached the film in any number of ways , including overdosing on the sexual aspect , which he wisely avoids . " dangerous beauty " contains just enough bare flesh and ribald sex to make it appropriately erotic , but not so much that it seems exploitative . herskovitz is also aided by a strong supporting crew , including the luscious photography by bojan bazelli , whose previous efforts include the highly - stylized thriller " kalifornia " ( 1993 ) and abel ferrara 's dark sci - fi film " body snatchers " ( 1994 ) . bazelli captures the film in strong , bold colors , and be brings sixteenth - century venice to life in wide , panoramic shots that are often enhanced with digital imagery . however , the real details are found in the production design by norman garwood ( " brazil , " " the princess bride " ) and the costumes by gabriella pescucci ( " the age of innocence " ) . the only problem with " dangerous beauty " is that it does n't stick with you . it 's a good story well - told with interesting characters , but it 's easy to shrug off once you 've left the theater . the only sequence that has the chance to be truly indelible is veronica being pulled in front of the hypocrisy of the inquisition and threatened with the death penalty for her transgressions , but it never quite comes off because it 's simply too melodramatic and conventional . herskovitz tries with all his might to make it a nailbiter , but somehow its outcome is a foregone conclusion , and like the rest of the film , it carries no real weight , despite the potential severity of the subject matter .

1POS

soap opera set in venice circa 1583 . it is beautifully filmed , wonderfully acted , and certainly nothing short of entertaining , but it lacks any true fundamental seriousness . dealing was based on a factual book by margaret rosenthal , flows along as smoothly and serenely as the grand canal running through the heart of venice . much of the film 's success is due to the glowing performance by catherine mccormack in the lead role . known chiefly ire in " braveheart " ( 1995 ) , mccormack shows the true gifts and inarguable talent of a leading lady . she has the kind of exquisite classical beauty that inquisition and turn into the bad guy . platt is a good actor , but he 's just too hard to hate . ever was , and even fred ward turns up in a small , but moving performance as marco 's uncle . " dangerous beauty " is it seems exploitative . herskovitz is also aided by a strong supporting crew , including the luscious photography by bojan bazelli , whose that it does n't stick with you . it 's a good story well - told with interesting characters , but it 's easy to shrug off once you

imagine this scenario : you and any of your family members are scudding through one of those long , excruciating cross - country car trips , far from the city and into the deserted rural routes . so far , the trip is idyllic when , abruptly , your car malfunctions and you are stranded in the middle of nowhere . it is not an easy situation , but a perfectly plausible one , the panorama in which breakdown musters it 's throbbing suspense and skillfully executed tautness . it is not easy to cobble a distinct and gripping thriller nowadays , but breakdown does n't bungle into rudimentary plot holes or cliches and it derives a masterful , titillating climax that by it 's finale , engrosses a viewer with total absorption . the plot is somewhat reminiscent of 1988 's the vanishing . kurt russell and kathleen quinlan respectively play jeff and amy taylor , a massachusetts couple en route to california for a brand new job . when they stop for gas somewhere in the arid southwest , jeff is confronted by a pugnacious driver , who later , will be an important player in the plot department . minutes later after that , their brand new , strikingly red , jeep grand cherokee unexpectedly stops . jeff can not detect the car 's problem , so he allows amy to take a ride with red ( j . t walsh ) , a heedful truck driver who will convey her to the nearest town , where jeff will meet her at a local diner . it is facile for the film to turn into a pseudo - suspenser , but instead it opts for maximum fervor . jeff manages to re - start the car himself , but when he arrives at the diner , she is nowhere in sight . disconcerted , the coffee shop 's bartender informs jeff where to search for his wife , a town about twenty miles from here . there , trouble arises . and i shall not reveal anything else , since that would be spoiling the fun of what 's head . there are many involving , tight scenes in breakdown but the final climactic period which includes a magnificent chase with three cars and a huge truck , will have you feeling as if your legs are made out of pure foam . it is a pleasure to be part of a classic confrontation of good vs evil , and rooting for the good guys , in this case jeff . kurt russell is one of the few top - notch hollywood actors which does n't overblow his acting , and gradually gains reliance on his role as it progresses . so you can assume his alteration in breakdown is letter - perfect . suffice it is to say he undergoes a transformation , from a jolly man , to a guy frantically pursuing a loved one . not many well - paid actors can deliver these type of performances , but russell is one of them . as an everyday man , he pulls it off extremely convincingly , what also surprised me more was his rigorous physicality , which he effectively practices almost all throughout the films 93 minutes . although the film is blotted with a couple of portentous action sequences ( very well done ) yet the tightness is generated by the subtle circumstances this man is presented with . faced with an enigma about his wife 's whereabouts , the movie succeeds by conveying us in realistic territory with veritable characters , including the cryptic villains , who in essence , make the movie what it is . what 's most impressive however , is the feature debut by writer / director jonathan mostow . mostow , hitherto directed the showtime thriller flight of a black angle , alleviates the contrivances and generics of the script by gingerly pursuing the trajectory of the plot , efficiently letting the tone and the mood of the story generate that nail - biting suspense sought for in a well- made affair . contrary to most american thrillers , he does n't rely on visual flair , but on aesthetics and substance . after breakdown , he should gain vast notoriety . the villains in the movie are n't your routine out - of - this - world idiosyncratic psychos that are harming for no particular objective . the baddies in breakdown , all well acted , are normal , seemingly inoffensive townspeople who beneath their trustworthy layer , conduct an amoral business of corruption and murder . the movie smartly portrays these men as loathsome rednecks , and , of all things in the world , it is becoming rather easy to root for villains ( jon voight in anaconda ) in today 's movies . worth a special mentioning is j . t walsh ( who previously worked with kurt russell in executive decision ) as the leader of the gang , he renders a deliciously wicked performance , temporarily stepping out of the minor roles he is known for . alfred hitchcock used suspense -- and action-- not only to stimulate , but as a way of aiding his audience 's fascination in his stories , which were slowly realizing man 's biggest fears . breakdown yields exactly that . it magnificently taps into the psyche of an ordinary man , acting like an ordinary man , looking like an ordinary and some sort of superhero . despite one or two iffy moments even hitchcock , i think , would approve of breakdown . ( 1 : 33 )

1POS

does n't bungle into rudimentary plot holes or cliches and it derives a masterful , titillating climax that by it 's finale , engrosses a viewer with guys , in this case jeff . kurt russell is one of the few top - notch hollywood actors which does n't overblow his acting , and gradually gains is one of them . as an everyday man , he pulls it off extremely convincingly , what also surprised me more was his rigorous physicality in essence , make the movie what it is . what 's most impressive however , is the feature debut by writer / director an amoral business of corruption and murder . the movie smartly portrays these men as loathsome rednecks , and , of all things in executive decision ) as the leader of the gang , he renders a deliciously wicked performance , temporarily stepping out of the minor roles he is 's biggest fears . breakdown yields exactly that . it magnificently taps into the psyche of an ordinary man , acting like an ordinary man

steve soderbergh 's " sex , lies , and videotape , " which won the grand prize at the cannes film festival in 1989 , arguably began the resurgence of independent films . made on a shoestring budget of $ 1 . 2 million , with then relatively unknown actors , it is a provocative , thoroughly original drama . the film mostly focuses on the four central characters , all in their late 20's - early 30 's . ann ( andie macdowell ) , an unfulfilled housewife , is married to john ( peter gallagher ) , an insensitive lawyer , who , unbeknownst to her , is having an affair with her younger sister , cynthia ( laura san giacomo ) . complicating matters even worse is graham ( james spader , who won best actor at cannes ) , john 's old college buddy , who comes to stay at their house . ann is absolutely won over by him , even though she clearly has stated that she has very little interest in sex . that is the set - up for the last hour of the picture , and since the film is entitled , " sex , lies , and videotape , " it is best to keep the rest of the story developments at bay so that they will come as a genuine surprise . director steven soderbergh has proven to be a wildly offbeat filmmaker , ranging from the independent , to the mainstream ( 1998 's " out of sight " ) , to the downright kafkaesque ( 1997 's " schizopolis " ) . he is the type of director who obviously takes a lot of chances , and believes in the work that he does , and , " sex , lies , and videotape , " is probably his most confident , and maybe even best , to date . the performances are superb from all four leads , but macdowell stands out in what is probably the main character . she is always a very winning actress , but this is probably her most three - dimensional role that she has had ( with a close second being altman 's 1993 mosaic , " short cuts " ) . the other parts are perfectly cast as well , from spader 's ominous graham , to gallagher 's self - involved john , to giacomo 's outspoken cynthia . the final act of the film , especially , comes right out of left field , and turns out to be both shocking and oddly touching , and it would be criminal to give away the film 's secrets . suffice to say that , through one powerful sequence , ann is able to somewhat come out of her shell , and john learns a valuable lesson about honesty , as well as deception . the film has one fault , however . the characters are almost all emotionally cold and isolated from one another , and often unlikable . if there had been a few extra scenes with gallagher , it probably would have helped , since his relationship with macdowell is n't quite as explored as i would have liked . " sex , lies , and videotape , " although minorly flawed , is still easily a brave and adult motion picture that is far more mature and honest about its subject matter than the usual film . soderbergh clearly knew what he was doing while he was making it , and the final product certainly proves this .

1POS

million , with then relatively unknown actors , it is a provocative , thoroughly original drama . the film mostly focuses on the four central characters sex , lies , and videotape , " is probably his most confident , and maybe even best , to date . the performances are superb from all four leads , but macdowell stands out in always a very winning actress , but this is probably her most three - dimensional role that she has had ( with a close second being " short cuts " ) . the other parts are perfectly cast as well , from spader 's ominous graham , to

synopsis : private detective tom welles is hired by a wealthy widow to uncover the origins of a snuff film owned by her late husband . after uncovering the authenticity of the film , welles descends into an underground world of perverse pornographers seeking vigilante revenge on the filmmakers . comments : 8 mm is one of the more disturbing mainstream movies i have seen in a long time . though it does n't present a snuff film ( a movie which documents a person 's murder for real , usually during or after some form of sexual act ) as explicitly as the cult classic mute witness and violence as shockingly as , say , natural born killers , 8 mm stays in your head long after you see it . it is not fun to watch ; see something else if you get upset by realistic , sadistic violence . this film 's violence and perverse sexuality skirts closely into nc-17 territory . for those with strong stomachs , however , 8 mm is an intelligent , worthwhile thriller , especially during its second hour . nicolas cage , after a couple ho - hum movies , returns to material which allows him to utilize his strong acting abilities . as tom welles , a private detective and caring family man to a wife and newly - born daughter , cage skillfully and convincingly portrays a decent man whose unwavering energy slowly transforms into obssession and violence as he is pulled into a nightmarish world of underground pornographers and brutal sexual deviants . serving as a guide to this world is joaquin phoenix , who plays a struggling songwriter named max california . california , despite his name , is a surprisingly intelligent and complex character , and phoenix does a very good job at slowly pulling the audience to sympathy for the character . the real star of the movie , though , must be peter stormare . stormare played the " really , really evil guy " in fargo , and his character , dino velvet , in this movie seems about ten times more evil and unpredictable . his performance is very chilling . 8 mm 's success may hardly be surprising . it was directed by joel schumacher , who , hopefully , saw this film as an apology for the absolutely dreadful batman and robin . before directing the last two batman duds , however , schumacher was responsible for several well - made horror flicks : lost boys , flatliners , and falling down . 8 mm certainly joins the rank of these minor classics and is perhaps most reminiscent of falling down in that both films present an average man who self - destructs before the audience 's eyes . 8 mm was written by andrew kevin walker , who also penned the academy award - winning thriller seven a few years back . like seven , 8 mm is full of dialogue which haunts you well after leaving the theater . welles is searching for answers . how could anyone possibly drug and then slowly , methodically , sadistically kill a teenaged girl to make a film ? when confronting one of the perpretrators at the end , the murderer responds that there are no reasons . he just enjoys it . that , walker seems to suggest , is where the real terror lays : not in the crime itself but in the fact that rational motives do not exist . a couple minor faults led me to my four - star rating ( five stars is the highest rating i give ) . one , i found it a little difficult , early on , to accept the fact that a hardened private detective would get physically disgusted when first seeing a snuff film . yes , snuff is a horrible thing , but a detective of welles ' caliber has probably encountered awful things before . second , some of the clues welles gathers are too convenient . he discovers , for example , the victim 's diary in her private bathroom , despite the fact the the police , the fbi , and her own mother have all investigated the room before . finally , the closing scene seemed trite and improbable considering the rest of the film . despite the above criticisms , 8 mm is an engrossing story . one of the best scenes in the film occurs toward the end as a crazed welles , who no longer seems like a hero , brutally beats one of the pornographers responsible for the snuff film . he pulls a gun on the man and , for a relatively long amount of time , struggles to decide whether or not to kill him . he then leaves the building and calls the victim 's mother , in the middle of the night , to basically see if she would support the action . the entire scene is tense , unpredictable , and emotionally charged . rarely , anymore , do horror films or thrillers provoke suspense in me as 8 mm , with scenes like this , did . 8 mm is most certainly not for the faint of heart . this is a graphic , oftentimes unflinching , look into the darkness which resides in both ordinary and extraordinary people . if you 're prepared for a film of this nature , i give it an enthusiastic recommendation .

1POS

those with strong stomachs , however , 8 mm is an intelligent , worthwhile thriller , especially during its second hour . nicolas cage , , returns to material which allows him to utilize his strong acting abilities . as tom welles , a private detective and caring is a surprisingly intelligent and complex character , and phoenix does a very good job at slowly pulling the audience to sympathy for the character . the real star of the movie , though , must be peter stormare . stormare played film . despite the above criticisms , 8 mm is an engrossing story . one of the best scenes in the film occurs you 're prepared for a film of this nature , i give it an enthusiastic recommendation .

to me , nicolas cage sounds like an ideal choice for the lead role in a martin scorsese film . despite the rantings that sean penn so rudely expressed , the actor remains a gifted and versatile screen presence . ever since the big success of the action - thriller ` face / off ' in 1997 , the hollywood road has been a rocky one for mr . cage . the perpetually awful assassination thriller ` snake eyes ' was one of 1998 's worst films . ` 8 mm ' was a disappointing lost cause . but who better than scorsese to match cage 's wit and intensity , which he does in miraculous fashion with ` bringing out the dead ' . cage delivers one of his finest performances as frank pierce , a new york city emergency paramedic who is running on fumes from day - to - day . after five years of the stress - inducing job , frank basically just staggers onward , relying on heavy doses of caffeine and booze until his shift finally ends . he also begins seeing the ghosts of past patients who died under his care , namely a young girl named rose , who stares back at him with pale features at every street corner in new york . frank desperately wants to be fired , but his boss needs him to scour the city and help those in need ( ` i 'll fire you tomorrow . . . ' he promises ) . frank is accompanied by a fresh face every night in the ambulance . the first is larry ( john goodman ) , who always has food on the brain . the second is marcus ( ving rhames ) , a deeply religious black man who incorporates the power of jesus into a regular rescue operation . and finally , tom ( tom sizemore ) is a deranged sociopath hungry for blood . i found it unique how scorsese used each of these characters for a single shift with frank , but they never figured into the actual plot . each is merely a colorful presence to help develop frank 's character , because ` bringing out the dead ' is predominantly a study of his mind and detailed personality . the one character alongside frank that truly comes into play is mary ( patricia arquette ) , the daughter of a newly admitted patient who suffered from a severe heart attack . arquette , who recently received the wounds of christ in ` stigmata ' , performs well around real - life husband cage . it 's unfortunate that , after such intriguing character trials and tribulations , the relationship between frank and mary slips during a mishandled , ineffective finale . the movie belongs to the one - two punch of cage and scorsese , who were born to collaborate their efforts in an arrangement similar to ` bringing out the dead ' . although it certainly lacks the grit and hard - edge of something like ` goodfellas ' , scorsese manages to hit a nerve with his latest picture . the incredible camera - work and photography represent stunning flashes of brilliance in an otherwise unspectacular conglomeration . fans will be pleased to find the director has returned to his abrasive , darkly humorous roots after somewhat of a departure with 1997 's ` kundun ' . does ` bringing out the dead ' rival scorsese 's finest work ? only occasionally . some of the film feels surprisingly limp , but there is enough energy in it 's interesting material and breathtaking visual appearance to suffice . those expecting a grisly , risqu ? product may be somewhat disheartened at the fairly straight - arrow approach - but it 's still a solid , admirable effort . ` bringing out the dead ' was written by the acclaimed paul schrader , who collaborated with scorsese on such classics as ` taxi driver ' and ` raging bull ' . schrader 's script is full of moments - wonderful , sharply defined moments - that are sorted throughout the remainder of his meandering screenplay . the exceptional aspects of the film are it 's astounding technical credits and the amazing cast . goodman and sizemore are both electric ( well , mainly sizemore ) , but it 's the phenomenal ving rhames who deserves a second look . watch the actor 's deeply inspired dedication as he resurrects a gothic band member , and you 'll understand why he won a golden globe . ` bringing out the dead ' is raw and electrifying often enough to mask it 's certain flaws . scorsese - and cage , for that matter - have done better , but their intentions are certainly admirable .

1POS

fashion with ` bringing out the dead ' . cage delivers one of his finest performances as frank pierce , a new york city emergency paramedic - edge of something like ` goodfellas ' , scorsese manages to hit a nerve with his latest picture . the incredible camera - work and photography represent stunning flashes of brilliance in an otherwise unspectacular conglomeration limp , but there is enough energy in it 's interesting material and breathtaking visual appearance to suffice . those expecting a grisly , risqu ? fairly straight - arrow approach - but it 's still a solid , admirable effort . ` bringing out the dead ' was written by ' . schrader 's script is full of moments - wonderful , sharply defined moments - that are sorted throughout the remainder of his meandering . the exceptional aspects of the film are it 's astounding technical credits and the amazing cast . goodman and sizemore are both electric ( well , a gothic band member , and you 'll understand why he won a golden globe . ` bringing out the dead ' is raw and matter - have done better , but their intentions are certainly admirable .

at first glance , daylight would seem like your typical disaster movie . on second glance it looks that way too . although , as typical disaster movies go , daylight is n't that bad . admittedly , it seems to rip off a great deal of its plot devices from disaster flicks of days gone by ( think poseidon adventure ) . but the decent dialogue and surprisingly good acting make up for the " have n't i seen this scene somewhere before ? " feeling that creeps up all too often during the film . sylvester stallone stars as the recently fired head of new york 's emergency response team . by sheer luck , he is in the right place at the right time when disaster strikes the unaware inhabitants of this little film . " what disaster is that ? " you ask , as you inch ever closer to the edge of your seat . glad you asked . through a whole sequence of entirely probable events ( about as probable as hitting the lottery ) a large explosion takes place in the lincoln tunnel running under the hudson river in new york city . the explosion results in the tunnel collapsing at both ends , which causes not only massive loss of life , but traps a dozen people inside the wreckage of the tunnel . good old sly , who is only feet away from entering the tunnel when it collapses , offers his services to the rescuers , who gladly accept it . sly then enters the tunnel through a vent shaft ( think judge dredd ) which he can only go in , and not out off , and proceeds to try to rescue those trapped inside . so begins the fun , but the fun has to be quick , because this tunnel has started to spring a leak . the acting is about what you would expect of a stallone movie . not superb by any means , but far above some of his other films ( think judge dredd again ) . daylight 's acting is probably average , or a little above , in terms of this sort of genre , starring this particular star . amy brenneman is the only actor of any note , and she does a pretty good job as stallone 's reluctant helper . oh yeah , stallone 's real life son , sage , is in this too . sage -- nice name . i guess it could be worse , he could have been named nutmeg or parsley . note to sage -- you are still young . go to school and get a good education -- you do n't have a future in acting . the plot runs along the same lines as the acting -- interesting , but predictable . mostly due to the fact that it was pretty well recycled from a dozen other action flicks . the biggest problem with a film of this nature is that they try to cram too many things into the movie . as soon as the cast clears one seemingly impossible hurdle , another one seems to pop right up , even worse than the last one . i realize that it would n't be much of a movie otherwise , but it does make the movie a bit predictable . adding to the predictability is the cast of characters , which of course , has to include at least one or two difficult people who want to do things their own way and think the qualified guy ( in this case stallone ) does n't know what he is doing . why is it in disaster movies we can never have everyone agree with each other and all work together ? would this be too much to ask ? ca n't we all just get along ? special effects were n't bad -- but i 've certainly seen better . some of the scenes , while fun to watch , were such blatant rip - offs that you had to wonder if scripts from old movies were just copied verbatim . especially all of the scenes that involved anything underwater ( the tunnel , of course , starts to flood ) . i really expected gene hackman , roddy mcdowell and ernest borgnine to appear at any minute -- i was n't sure if i was watching daylight or the poseidon adventure . i suppose if you have to rip off a movie for good ideas , the poseidon adventure is a good one to use . the underwater sequences ( aside from the deja vu ) were very well shot and worked fairly well . they were the best part of the movie by a long shot . better than average stallone flick . i realize that 's not saying much when the man has judge dredd on his resume . but certainly not up to the standards of cliffhanger . daylight is a fun movie , and as long as you are n't expecting a whole lot you might even be pleasantly surprised .

1POS

gone by ( think poseidon adventure ) . but the decent dialogue and surprisingly good acting make up for the " have n't i seen this stallone movie . not superb by any means , but far above some of his other films ( think judge dredd again ) . daylight 's acting underwater sequences ( aside from the deja vu ) were very well shot and worked fairly well . they were the best part of the movie by not up to the standards of cliffhanger . daylight is a fun movie , and as long as you are n't expecting a

after the simple looking little spacecraft lands in a automobile wrecking yard , out steps a steel - gray , human - like creature with aquamarine eyes and clad in a muscular suit . spencer , the boy who observes this , having seen his fill of science fiction flicks , figures this thing must be a robot from outer space . with the exception of disney and a few others , most studios view children 's films as a way to ship a cheap and unimaginative product and thereby make a quick profit . star kid stands out as that rare kids ' film that is undoubtedly low - budget but is also highly imaginative . remember , the robot ? it was n't one at all but rather a " phase one assault cyborsuit . " the cyborsuit is actually a prototype combat enhancer developed by the trelkins and jettisoned for latter retrieval when they are under attack from the invading broodwarriors . the significant twist in the story is that spencer gets to go inside the cyborsuit , and the cyborsuit , nicknamed cy , has plenty of spunk . cy keeps questioning the kid about everything including words like " cool . " upon hearing that " command , " cy starts rapidly decreasing the temperature in the cyborsuit until spencer screams for him to stop . and when cy speaks , we see spencer 's view , the backside of cy 's lips and eyes . as 12-year - old spencer , joseph mazzello from the jurassic park film series gives a remarkably good performance as a wimpy and initially tongue - tied kid . even when enclosed in his powerful new cyborsuit , he has his fears but he learns to overcome them . " if you run away , things do n't get better , whether it 's bullies , spiders , or girls , " his science teacher advises him after he has difficulties dealing with all three . turbo ( joey simmrin ) , the school 's chubby bully , beats up on him , spiders frighten him , and , most embarrassing of all , he ca n't speak when in the presence of his would - be girlfriend . with his cyborsuit on , he learns some bravery that transcends his time inside cy . spencer lives with his dad and his older teenage sister stacey , played by a smart - mouthed ashlee levitch , who looks like a younger sarah jessica parker . stacey derides her brother , whom she barely tolerates , by referring to him only as " the fungus . " this whole setup for spencer 's downtrodden and delightfully funny life makes his acquisition of some superhuman powers a source of mirth and empowerment . the beauty of mazzello 's performance is that you can vicariously experience his fear and share in his enjoyment when he goes after the bully to teach him a lesson he 'll not soon forget . the ensuing mayhem has some of the home alone antics , but the slapstick is kept tightly under control by writer and director manny coto so that one never feels embarrassed to be laughing . the romantic angle is handled ever so delicately . when cy wishes to know if spencer wants to mate with the object of his desire , michelle ( lauren eckstrom ) , his eyes open wide in revulsion . " mate with her ! " spencer exclaims . " pllllleeeeease , i just like her that 's all . " the show has many funny twists . in one , cy sees a man in a barney - like costume and begins firing at him , thinking he is an alien life - form . soon things get way out of hand , and cy and spencer have to beat a hasty retreat . as proof positive of the show 's class , it actually contains tasteful bathroom humor -- thought that was an oxymoron in a kids ' picture , did n't you ? cy can not allow spencer to leave the cyborsuit , and what happens when he needs to urinate becomes both sweet and hilarious . the director 's staging of this sequence is one of the film 's more charming moments . oh , and eating is pretty funny too . spencer , whose idol is the comic book character " midknight warrior , " gets to face the challenge of a lifetime when a broodwarrior comes to capture the cyborsuit . spencer 's valiant battle gives him a chance to find his mettle . and the action sequences in the battle manage to be quite respectable for a kids ' show full of inventiveness and lacking the usual repetition . for a family movie mixing humor , fantasy , and action , star kid delivers . although it 's probably not the sort of movie you 'd want to see without kids , with them you 'll have a magical time with a relatively straightforward but well developed story . you 'll be rooting for and laughing with spencer and his buddy cy all the way through . star kid runs 1 : 41 . it is rated pg for fantasy combat . although the basically cartoonish broodwarrior might scare the littlest kids , i saw none of this in evidence in our packed screening , so i would say the show is fine for kids five and up , and possibly the younger ones . my son jeffrey , age 8 , got really excited about the picture . he called it " an especially good movie " and gave it * * * * . when i asked him to tell me his favorite characters , he mentioned almost everyone in it from the boy to the cyborsuit to the bully .

1POS

product and thereby make a quick profit . star kid stands out as that rare kids ' film that is undoubtedly low - budget but is also highly imaginative . remember , the robot ? it was n't one some superhuman powers a source of mirth and empowerment . the beauty of mazzello 's performance is that you can vicariously experience his fear and share so that one never feels embarrassed to be laughing . the romantic angle is handled ever so delicately . when cy wishes to know if spencer wants to . as proof positive of the show 's class , it actually contains tasteful bathroom humor -- thought that was an oxymoron in a kids ' , and what happens when he needs to urinate becomes both sweet and hilarious . the director 's staging of this sequence is one you 'd want to see without kids , with them you 'll have a magical time with a relatively straightforward but well developed story . you 'll be rooting for and laughing with spencer really excited about the picture . he called it " an especially good movie " and gave it * * * * . when

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . like its own opening shot , from out of the darkness boogie nights triumphantly explodes upon the film scene with stunning authority and clarity , persuasively heralding its helmer paul thomas anderson as a bonafide major talent . a sprawling epic set in the heart of the disco era and focused upon the ascension and decline of a troupe in the adult film industry , boogie nights is an astonishingly ambitious feature film which is completely effective both as an utterly entertaining joyride and as a strikingly impressive piece of filmmaking . the film follows a soft - spoken young man , eddie adams ( mark wahlberg ) from torrance , through his induction into the erotic picture business to stardom , and later , to a harrowingly precipitous drop . as boogie nights opens , he 's toiling as a dishwasher in a trendy san fernando valley nightclub , and living at home under the thumb of a tyrannical mother who denigrates him at every opportunity . recruited by fatherly jack horner ( a rejuvenated burt reynolds ) , a successful porn filmmaker , eddie abandons his old life in favour of a new one as dirk diggler , pornstar . wholeheartedly embraced by jack 's troupe , including the maternal amber waves ( julianne moore ) , reed rothchild ( john c . reilly ) , buck swope ( don cheadle ) , rollergirl ( heather graham ) , dirk and his " one special thing " are quickly propelled to the top of his field , fulfilling his mantra of being a " big bright shining star " . his lack of discipline , however , incites a chain of circumstances which sees dirk and his friends unravel as a new decade is ushered in . the element of boogie nights which literally commands attention is the bravura direction by mr . anderson , whose fascination and prowess with the camera is obvious . from the terrific tracking shot throughout a nightclub which opens the film and introduces the players through to the showy sequence in the camera follows a female partygoer diving into a pool , mr . anderson 's accomplished command of the camera is without question . while novice directors often demonstrate an unfortunate lack of restraint in terms of flamboyant camerawork which ultimately proves to be aggravating , impertinent and self - congratulatory ( case in point : marc rocco 's unforgettable perpetual - motion helming of murder in the first ) , in boogie nights every zoom or pan by mr . anderson , be it slow and deliberate or energetically sharp , is purposeful and potent . it 's a rarity and a delight to discover such a confidently assured work so early in a filmmaker 's career -- boogie nights is only his second feature film , following up his debut feature from earlier this year , hard eight -- and although it 's somewhat derivative ( his storytelling style is reminiscent of robert altman , while in terms of visuals he 's clearly influenced by martin scorsese ) , at least he 's borrowing from some of the best , and it 's entirely effective within the context of this film . while boogie nights is astonishingly polished from a technical perspective , in terms of sheer entertainment value it 's also rollicking good fun , with a wickedly deadpan sense of humour . the film perfectly captures the essence of the disco period in terms of music , clothes , hairstyles , dance , idioms , and culture , aided immeasurably by impeccable production design by bob ziembicki and costume design by mark bridges , and boogie nights convincingly catapults the audience back to this recent , pre - aids - scare period in american history where uninhibited , free - wheeling lifestyles abounded . while much of the film 's humour pertains to the characters ' obliviousness of now - outdated aspects of their lives then prevalent in society -- a prime example is part - time salesman buck swope 's demo of a stereo system with an eight - track tape , and inviting a prospective customer to get ' freaky deaky ' with the music -- it 's elicited with an undercurrent not of ridicule , but of wistful reminiscence , and some the throwback elements in the film are strangely wondrous . a giant ensemble disco dance production number in a nightclub is funny , to be sure , but oddly magical , and the sequence which lovingly explores eddie / dirk 's bedroom , completely adorned with posters and elements of iconic 1970s figures ( farrah fawcett , cheryl tiegs , bruce lee ) is breathtaking . ably supported by a well - selected collection of period music ( all of which purportedly came straight from mr . anderson 's personal collection ) , there 's a clear affection for the era in boogie nights . it 's the period aspect and the playfully comic nostaligism of boogie nights which has been played up in its marketing campaign in deference of the pornography element of the storyline ; the film 's promotional trailer markedly avoids any explicit reference to the adult film industry which unites its characters . after the debacle with 1996 's milos forman film , the people vs . larry flynt , another finely - crafted work which was knocked off the market prematurely due to controversy regarding its pornography - related storyline , the new line marketing team faced a unique challenge with boogie nights in terms of attempting to deemphasize the relatively risque erotic picture element of the story in order to increase salability to the general public . however , while boogie nights delves into the world of the adult film industry of two decades ago , it 's hardly a lurid or seamy film -- given the subject matter , there 's very little nudity , and virtually none of it can be construed as gratuitous -- and boogie nights smartly depicts erotic filmmaking not as a hotbed of carnality , but simply as a business . the glimpses on the sets of jack horner 's shoots reveal that while the films he makes are intended to titillate , there 's a candid matter - of - factness in terms of sex ; his cast and crew are professionals who are merely doing a job , and it 's refreshing that the obvious cliches of depravity and sinful lechery often linked to dismissive portraits of adult filmmaking , such as coercion or debauchery , are avoided . if anything , boogie nights is more interested in the process of adult filmmaking than the adult films themselves . jack horner 's dream is an honourable one -- he genuinely aspires to make a great film -- and to some degree boogie nights is reminiscent of ed wood ( albeit lacking a certain wistful innocence ) . in both films , the world of quickie low - budget filmmaking is explored , and both jack horner and the version of ed wood by tim burton , scott alexander , and larry karaszewski share similar mindsets -- jack 's retort of " there are shadows in light , baby " to his cinematographer 's complaint about poor set lighting echoes back to ed wood 's " it 's not about the little details , it 's about the big picture ! " rant when it is pointed out that his graveyard set for plan 9 from outer space appears patently false . in boogie nights and ed wood , the aspirations of the respective filmmakers ' prove to be bemusing , not in their intentions -- there 's nothing inherently silly in the goal of making an ' artistic ' erotic picture -- but in the degree that they miss the mark . much like the humour lacing ed wood , the laughs involving jack horner are double - edged ; after viewing a hilarious excerpt from one of his latest films which hybridizes the james bond and porn genres , when jack breathes " this is the best work i 've ever done " , it 's genuinely funny , but given his utter sincerity , also possesses a tinge of sadness . mr . anderson is at this point clearly a greater talent as a director than a screenwriter . while boogie nights shows great inventiveness in staging , there really is n't any clever dialogue in the film , though a valid point certainly can be made that none of the film 's characters particularly lend themselves to thoughtful verbal exchanges ; when one considers that the film 's * protagonist * literally does n't say a single insightful thing throughout the entire 152 minute running time , it 's no wonder why the playfully inane " how much can you bench ? " banter between dirk and reed constitutes one of the film 's finest exchanges . and while mr . anderson creates a rich collection of fascinating characters , it 's problematic that some of the the threads given to the film 's characters are simply stale material -- julianne moore 's child custody battle is fairly cliched stuff , better suited for a less risque and uninspired tv - movie version of her character 's story , and far less interesting than the thread dealing with her woefully hackneyed filmmaking ambitions . still , even if he does n't always know what to do with his characters , mr . anderson most definitely captures their essences , and his resolutely nonjudgemental affection for them is infectious -- misguided , even aimless , hopelessly naive , self - destructive , insufferable : i loved them just the same . in any case , it 's hard to pick nits with a screenplay which contains one of the most audacious and inspired ( and ultimately best - executed ) scenes of the year : a scene where dirk diggler and reed rothchild are dragged along by their loose - cannon compadre to the home of drug baron rahad jackson ( a mesmerizing alfred molina in an unforgettable performance , even if it 's a small one ) in a suicidal drug deal scam , only to find that the millionaire is a crazed eccentric ( the part where he stops the deal to listen to the crescendo of night ranger 's " sister christian " on his stereo system is sheer brilliance ) flanked by an armed bodyguard . if this scene already was n't tense enough with these elements , mr . anderson introduces a chinese boy that wanders through the scene , who for no discernable reason is tossing firecrackers around the room , pushing the scene to a new , surreal level of delightful giddiness . there are some other interesting touches in boogie nights . mr . anderson recycles the use of long methodical chimes on the soundtrack from hard eight ; here , it accompanies the violent intercut sequences which depict the prostration of various characters to frightening effect . similarly , a painful scene where crew member scotty j ( philip seymour hoffman ) breaks down in tears in the driver 's seat , sobbing " i 'm so stupid " after being rebuffed by dirk after an awkward but heartfelt advance is strikingly played out exactly as a later scene with dirk in the driver 's seat after a particularly tumultuous and traumatic evening . boogie nights is exceedingly well cast , and each of the actors rise to the occasion ; the ensemble cast is uniformly good . while most of the acting accolades will no doubt go to mr . wahlberg ( fulfilling upon the sparks of promise he demonstrated in some of his earlier films ) and mr . reynolds ( terrific as the father figure and stable anchor of the film , ringing true in every respect ) , a handful of other performances which might otherwise be overlooked deem mention . mr . reilly demonstrates here , as he did for brief glimpses in ulu grosbard 's georgia , a genuine aptitude for comedy -- many of his scenes in boogie nights are among the very funniest in the film . i 'm not sure how much of his performance as reed was scripted and how much was done on the spot , but he plays the quintessential second banana character to a tee . mr . reilly is the best part of the big disco dance production number , and it 's wickedly funny to watch his reed join in with dirk after the fact in threatening the new stud on the block during a macho altercation . worth the price of admission alone is the glimpse of him getting down in the recording studio while the dirk character is laying down a numbingly bad ( and dead - on period ; it sure sounds like bad early 1980s to me ) demo track " you got the touch " in a vain attempt at a musical career . mr . reilly plays his vacant character with utter conviction which is convincing and effective . ms . graham , with her long dirty blonde hair , innocent demeanour , and huge hazel eyes , looks like a disney animated heroine come to life -- or in this case , a disney animated heroine who came to life , made a wrong turn , and ended up on the new line lot in a film focused on the late 70s / early 80s adult film industry . consequently , it 's a bit incongruous to see this cheery sweet - faced starlet whizzing about the set on her roller skates , but in a scene where she 's lounging in a limousine prowling the streets , garish red lipstick messily smeared on , giving the camera a hilariously pouty come - hither look , all one can do is gulp . her role in the film sadly needs more fleshing out ( err -- in a figurative sense ) -- she 's essentially a glorified extra -- but she does score impressively in her key scene which is unnerving in its sheer primal ferocity . ( if only mr . anderson had filmed the scene so that we could actually see the expression of rage and anguish on her face , though ! ) and a cautionary tale for the strict and prudish : as a teen , ms . graham 's parents forbade her to take a part in the twisted cult classic heathers ; since then , her most notable roles have been as a junkie ( gus van sant 's drugstore cowboy ) and now a porn starlet . draw your own conclusions . perhaps the most quietly touching performance in boogie nights is that of mr . cheadle , who lends dignity to his role as a character in search of his identity , and whose quest is comically manifested by a series of changes in his sense of fashion . his relationship with his cheerfully supportive new wife jessie st . vincent ( an interesting melora walters ) is wholly compelling has genuine sweetness , and although his general longing for acceptance from others is perceptible , it 's no more so than in the bank scene where his loan application to open a stereo store is rejected due to his background in the porn industry . while the scenario is familiar , the wounded look in cheadle 's eyes makes the scene unforgettable . luis guzman 's most famous work is possibly in brian de palma 's carlito 's way , and here he plays a variation on the same character : maurice t . rodriguez is a hapless but good - natured nightclub owner who 's a hanger - on to jack 's group , ingratiating himself into the clique and constantly hounding jack , with little disguise made of his desperation , for a part in one of his erotic pictures . jack 's eventual acquiescence to maurice 's request leads to one of boogie nights ' biggest comic payoffs . boogie nights is a stunning achievement due to the virtuoso direction by mr . anderson , who immediately asserts his presence in the film industry as a presence of note with this work . striking a fine balance between humour and drama , and exceptionally well - crafted , there 's no doubt that boogie nights is among the very best films of the year .

1POS

opening shot , from out of the darkness boogie nights triumphantly explodes upon the film scene with stunning authority and clarity , in the adult film industry , boogie nights is an astonishingly ambitious feature film which is completely effective both as an utterly entertaining joyride and as a strikingly impressive piece of filmmaking . the film follows a soft - spoken young man partygoer diving into a pool , mr . anderson 's accomplished command of the camera is without question . while novice directors often demonstrate an unfortunate lack of be it slow and deliberate or energetically sharp , is purposeful and potent . it 's a rarity and a delight to discover such a confidently assured work so early in a filmmaker 's career -- boogie nights , in terms of sheer entertainment value it 's also rollicking good fun , with a wickedly deadpan sense of humour . the film perfectly captures the essence of the disco period in terms of music , and some the throwback elements in the film are strangely wondrous . a giant ensemble disco dance production number in a farrah fawcett , cheryl tiegs , bruce lee ) is breathtaking . ably supported by a well - selected collection of it can be construed as gratuitous -- and boogie nights smartly depicts erotic filmmaking not as a hotbed of carnality , but as a director than a screenwriter . while boogie nights shows great inventiveness in staging , there really is n't any clever dialogue 's finest exchanges . and while mr . anderson creates a rich collection of fascinating characters , it 's problematic that some of the the threads a particularly tumultuous and traumatic evening . boogie nights is exceedingly well cast , and each of the actors rise to the occasion ; the ensemble cast is uniformly good . while most of the acting accolades will no doubt did for brief glimpses in ulu grosbard 's georgia , a genuine aptitude for comedy -- many of his scenes in boogie nights are among part of the big disco dance production number , and it 's wickedly funny to watch his reed join in with

bruce willis and sixth sense director m . night shyamalan re - team to tell the story of david dunne ( willis ) , a stadium security guard who has been having some problems at home that are affecting his relationship with his wife and child . on a return trip from new york where he was trying to get a job , dunne is in a horrible train accident that he is the only survivor of . to make things even stranger , dunne has also escaped the accident completely unscathed . a comic book art dealer named elijah price ( samuel l . jackson ) , who was born with a degenerative bone disease that causes his bones to be so brittle that they break constantly , has been seeking out someone like dunne his entire life . price felt that there had to be someone exactly the opposite of him . . . someone whose bones would be so strong that they would never break . price contacts dunne and convinces him to come down to his gallery for a talk where he suggests that dunne could quite possibly be something akin to a superhero from the comic books price used to read when he was a child . dunne does n't believe him at first , but price assists him in discovering his " powers " and helps him hone his craft until he discovers what his true calling really is . writer / director m . night shyamalan had a tough act to follow with his sleeper hit the sixth sense . how exactly does one follow up on one of the biggest and most popular thrillers in recent years ? for shyamalan , the answer must have come as easy to him as nuclear physics does to kindergartners . does this new film measure up to his breakthrough box office smash , though ? the answer to that question is not a very easy one , either . as far as pacing goes , the sixth sense seemed almost interminable . it was n't until the surprise ending was revealed that i realized the film was actually intentionally ( and perfectly ) paced in order to give the audience ample time to re - connect all of the information they had seen once the climax had been reached . for unbreakable , shyamalan gave the film a much more satisfying pace which , in many ways , blows away the film that had come before . the story moves along at a steady pace and shyamalan 's direction is excellent , with the camera almost constantly moving . there are tons of great shots in the film , not least of which is a conversation that opens the film between willis ' character and another train passenger . the shot seems as though it were filmed like we were watching the two talk from between the train seats and the camera steadily glides back and forth between the two actors as they speak . also very impressive is the film 's score by james newton howard ( who also scored shyamalan 's sixth sense and the similar film stir of echoes , as well as this year 's dinosaur ) . several of the scenes are driven by a very catchy beat and help to increase the tempo of the film . one of the best examples of this is a scene in which dunne goes into a train station to " exercise " his powers . the music , in combination with the stellar visuals , really go a long way towards making this an incredible movie . if there was any one soundtrack i would make a must purchase this year , this one would be it . the film also boasts some great performances , including a precocious child actor trying to vie for the oscar throne left vacant by haley joel osment . willis turns in a great performance as the sad sack dunne , who just ca n't seem to figure out why he 's been depressed for the last few years . his character almost seems pathetic when we first meet him , but he eventually grows into his own under elijah 's tutelage . jackson is one of the better actors of our time , and here he turns in yet another great performance as the ever injured elijah . though his hairstyle is absurd , jackson seems to infuse such a great deal of pain into his role that the mortar board hairdo can easily be overlooked . robin wright penn 's role seems slightly underwritten , but she still manages to get across the intense hurt of her character 's need for love from her husband and her desire to make things work again . spencer treat clark , as the dunne 's young son jeremy , shows that shyamalan still has a knack for picking young actors , and he turns in one of the most competent performances in the film . out of all the characters , jeremy 's is perhaps the most emotional , and clark does a great job with the role . where the film does lose points though , is during its " surprise " ending . shyamalan has said in interviews that he was going to do an ending that blew away the one presented by the sixth sense , but i found myself saying " that was it ? ! " when unbreakable revealed its own ending . it 's not that the ending is bad , it 's just that the ending does n't quite have the emotional punch that the other film 's did . plus , it almost seems like it sets itself up for sequels ( and i wo n't reveal the ending here , but you 'll understand what i mean when you see it ) . essentially , what all of this means is that shyamalan has made another good film with unbreakable . the only real problem is that the ending does n't quite fill the shadow left by its predecessor . as long as it is n't held to the standard that sixth sense set ( which it ultimately will be ) , it should be a remarkably well liked film . one thing seems clear , though . shyamalan definitely has an affinity for comic books that he would like to share with the world and many comic book fans will also delight the vision he presents in this film .

1POS

, blows away the film that had come before . the story moves along at a steady pace and shyamalan 's direction is excellent , with the camera almost constantly moving . there are tons of great shots in the film , not least of which is a forth between the two actors as they speak . also very impressive is the film 's score by james newton howard ( dinosaur ) . several of the scenes are driven by a very catchy beat and help to increase the tempo of the film . the music , in combination with the stellar visuals , really go a long way towards making this an incredible movie . if there was any one soundtrack i would make this one would be it . the film also boasts some great performances , including a precocious child actor trying to vie for left vacant by haley joel osment . willis turns in a great performance as the sad sack dunne , who just ca n't actors of our time , and here he turns in yet another great performance as the ever injured elijah . though his hairstyle is what all of this means is that shyamalan has made another good film with unbreakable . the only real problem is that the which it ultimately will be ) , it should be a remarkably well liked film . one thing seems clear , though . shyamalan

there 's good news and bad news about mulan . the positive is that disney has found a happy medium between the heavy - handedness of pocahontas and the hunchback of notre dame and the childishness of hercules . on the other hand , the studio is pulling out all the stops on plot cliches and cheap laughs , several steps down from the days of the little mermaid and beauty and the beast . but mulan is a step in the right direction and disney 's best animated feature since the lion king . after giving native americans a turn in pocahontas , disney has decided to turn a movie over to the asians . mulan is set in feudal china and features the ever - popular heroine who marches to a different drum and wants to do more with her life than get married . that 's what we find out when young mulan ( voice of ming- na wen ) screws up her appointment with the matchmaker by letting a rogue cricket splash coffee all over her . cartoons . . . meanwhile , word comes from the emporer that one man from every family must join the army and help fight the huns . since mulan 's a girl , that means her decrepit old father must go . she pleads with the soldiers to have mercy on dear old dad , but that kind of groveling and desperation brings shame on her family . that 's chinese culture for you . . . so imagine how embarrassed the family is the next day when they find mulan has stolen her father 's uniform and sword and run off to join the army in his place . the movie in a nutshell is about the stuggles of being a woman in the army . it should have been called g . i . chang . mulan calls on her ancestors for help . they decide to summon the large stone dragon in the backyard to protect her , but a mini dragon named mushu screws it up . voiced by eddie murphy , mushu continues the tradition of cute talking animal sidekicks who do more slapstick harm than good for their human charges . murphy 's performance is a direct descendent of robin williams in aladdin -- lots of wisecracks and ad - libs and even an introductory song about how much fun they 're going to have . you ai n't never had a friend like mushu . speaking of songs , mulan does n't have too many of them , which is a plus with a story like this . disney songs about war probably would n't go over too well ( " heigh ho , heigh ho , it 's off to war i go . . . " ) , and the ones they do have are n't memorable . the best of the bunch , sad to say , is " be a man , " the requisite basic training montage song . yes , even in medieval china , they had to run through that web of car tires before they were ready for battle . sung by donnie osmond ( a bad sign if ever there was one ) , " be a man " accompanies footage of mulan 's platoon going from screw - ups to heroes . it makes me wonder , has there ever been a musical montage in a movie that 's ended badly ? i only wish real - life problems could be solved in two minutes with a peppy montage . for the curious , mulan does pass for a man in the army despite looking like a girl . all she does to transform herself is cut her hair to a sexy shoulder - length , talk macho and slap guys on the butt , as was male custom a thousand years ago in china . the deception fools everyone but the audience , who thinks she might be able to pass for a 12-year - old boy , at best . but she does manage to strike the biggest blows to the hun army , led by a big , evil - eyed attilla - looking monster . as a villain , the head of the huns is menacing , evil and entirely forgettable . i saw the movie yesterday and i do n't remember the man 's name . otherwise , mulan is a good movie . the animation of the characters themselves is n't as rich as it could and should be , but there are some amazing battlefield shots . eddie murphy pulls off some good one - liners , as do other star voices like harvey fierstein and pat morita , the quintessential asian movie star . hell , george " mr . sulu " takei does a voice in mulan . you get the sense disney said to themselves , " alright , let 's get out there and find us some chinese americans in hollywood . who can you think of ? " " well , there 's mr . myagi . . . " " good . " " and mr . sulu . " " perfect . we 've got ourselves a movie now . " soon disney really _ will _ be able to paint with all the colors of the wind .

1POS

mermaid and beauty and the beast . but mulan is a step in the right direction and disney 's best animated feature since the lion king . after giving native americans a does n't have too many of them , which is a plus with a story like this . disney songs about war remember the man 's name . otherwise , mulan is a good movie . the animation of the characters themselves is n't as as it could and should be , but there are some amazing battlefield shots . eddie murphy pulls off some good one - liners , as do other star voices like harvey fierstein and

harmless , silly and fun comedy about dim - witted wrestling fans gordie and sean ( david arquette and scott caan ) who idolize current world championship wrestling heavyweight champion jimmy king ( oliver platt ) . when king is screwed out of his title by a corrupt promoter ( joe pantoliano ) , gordie and sean take it upon themselves to find their fallen hero and restore his glory . my biggest fear about ready to rumble was dispatched early on , as the filmmakers are quick to show that wresting is indeed choreographed ( but not fake , mind you ) . the hook of the movie is that gordie and sean are just too stupid to realize that . arquette and caan are suitably over the top with their performances , which is exactly what a movie like this requires , and oliver platt ( one of my favorite actors ) is a riot as the drunken washed - up ex - champion . many have scoffed at the idea that platt should be playing a heavyweight champion wrestler with an unbeaten record , but for me it just added to the " silly factor " of the film , thereby increasing my enjoyment of it . one casting complaint however : rose mcgowan as a sexy dancer ? please . . . if rose mcgowan is sexy then i 'm marilyn manson . given the current state of the actual wcw , if oliver platt were appearing as jimmy king right now on wcw programming , he 'd be the most popular guy they have . on a similar note , the " plot line " of the wresting portions of the film are more entertaining than anything the wcw writers have been able to come up with in the last two years . although one does have to ask . . . why would any wrestling promoter fire the head wrestler of a company who is both unbeaten and extremely popular with the fans ? director brian robbins ( you 'll remember him as eric from tv 's " head of the class " ) just knows how to make good dumb movies . this movie fits in nicely with his previous efforts good burger and varsity blues . and screenwriter steven brill ( the epic mighty ducks trilogy , late last night ) manages to keep things both sophomoric and clever at the same time , with almost all the jokes of the film getting a laugh out of me . the only exceptions to that were : 1 ) a scene involving a van full of singing nuns and 2 ) any scene involving the old woman wrestling fan . those moments made me cringe and/or groan . as an added bonus though , the audience is treated to outtakes from the film as the final credits roll . [ pg-13 ]

1POS

harmless , silly and fun comedy about dim - witted wrestling fans gordie and sean ( too stupid to realize that . arquette and caan are suitably over the top with their performances , which is exactly what a movie like this requires , and oliver platt ( one of my favorite actors line " of the wresting portions of the film are more entertaining than anything the wcw writers have been able to come up with knows how to make good dumb movies . this movie fits in nicely with his previous efforts good burger and varsity blues . last night ) manages to keep things both sophomoric and clever at the same time , with almost all the jokes of the film getting a laugh out of me . the only exceptions to that were : 1 )

steven spielberg is now considered as one of the hollywood deities , because of the rare capability to deliver both huge commercial hits , like jurassic park , and " oscar " -awarded critical triumphs like schindler 's list . however , in the 1970s spielberg built his reputation by creating works of art that could slip in both categories . one of them is close encounters of the third kind , extremely popular and influential science - fiction spectacle . unfortunately , it had a bad luck to be released in the same year as star wars . although both films have a lot in common ( ground - breaking special effects , brilliant score by john williams ) their future was different ; one became an unstoppable cult phenomenon , and another almost forgotten and stuck forever in its shadow . when spielberg began work on that project , he was already established as a bright new hollywood star due to his previous commercial hit , jaws . together with other young directors of his " new hollywood " generation , like kauffman , carpenter , hill and millius , he exploited the great creative freedom of 1970s , when even the mainstream producers dared to experiment . ironically , it was spielberg himself whose later commercial success would established new unwritten rules of " blockubuster " philosophy . but in the mid 1970s , many things were different ; spielberg was young and eager to use hollywood resources for his very personal and artistic movie . although very personal , spielberg 's screenplay was partly based on the book " ufo experience " by dr . j . allen hynek and in many ways inspired by the popular urban mythology of extraterrestrial visitors to earth that began to grow in the world after ww2 . spielberg was not only inspired by the mythology , but his movie also gave the mythology itself a huge boost , unmatched until the contemporary era of x - files and the roswell anniversary . that was partly because he made the movie very realistic using the authentic ufo - related incidents as the element of the plot . the story begins with one of such incidents - team of international scientists come to the sonorra desert in mexico to find the u . s . navy planes of who went missing decades ago during the famous flight 19 . such events coincide with the ufo incident witnessed by roy neary ( richard dreyfuss ) , power company worker from muncie , indiana , who later becomes obsessed with his experience . because of his obsession he loses his job , family and sanity , but his loss is nothing compared to the experience of jillian guiler ( melinda dillon ) , single mother whose son becomes the victim of alien abduction . in the meantime , the scientists decipher the strange signals from outer space and u . s . government , in co - operation with the french , led by lacombe ( francois truffaut ) begin with the preparation for ultra - secret project . when the news of the poison gas leak in the middle of wyoming reach neary , he finally sees some sense in all his visions and begins the perilous journey toward the centre of endangered area . there he is joined by jillian who shared the similar visions . two of them must break through military pickets and reach their destination to find whatever is there . spielberg here shows great mastery by using the very same techniques of jaws to make completely different effects . the slow , gradual yet very disciplined series of dramatic incidents - " close encounters " - is set in order to bring the viewer to the great revelation in the finale . but , instead of the fear and horror we had to endure during the jaws , we are now overwhelmed by the sense of boyish wonder . throughout the movie the viewer knows that something big , magnificent and wonderful is about to happen , and great magician spielberg delivers his promise in the end . the last sequence , with its , even in this age , impressive special effects by the great virtuoso douglas trumbull , would leave many mouths open . one of the great virtues of this film is its optimism . aliens , who almost always get portrayed as the monsters in science - fiction cinema , are here benevolent and harmless creatures and the first contact between them and humanity is a beginning of something wonderful . it is very ironic , when we consider that the two classic sf movies that visually inspired spielberg actually told quite different story - howard hawks ' thing and byron haskin 's war of the worlds presented extraterrestrials as the threat to the mankind . spielberg 's humane approach and faith in the future also lies in great contrast to the pessimistic mood of its era ; the only hint of the contemporary gloom is post - watergate portrayal of government as conspiratorial towards the public . but , even such government is much more harmless compared to the murderous and chain - smoking men in black that became the stereotype thanks to x - files and its more cynical and disturbing visions . there lies the main , and probably the only flaw of this great picture - lack of conflict , and consequently , lack of drama . the movie has few excitements or even action scenes ( especially the last that may be an interesting homage to hitchcock 's north by northwest ) but generally , almost everyone - neary , jillian , government , aliens - are the good guys . despite such shortcomings , the actors were good and manage to bring multidimensionality to their simple roles . richard dreyfuss is very convincing as a ordinary , yet nice guy , who sinks into insanity only to rediscover himself in a grand finale . melinda dillon was , on the other hand , nominated for " oscar " as a struggling mother , yet she was overshadowed by teri garr as neary 's long - suffering wife ronnie . apart from visual wonders of this film , spielberg 's semi - official composer john williams again excels by his beautiful music , this time using the simple melody both as the element of a plot , and as the basis for his score . the aliens , who are the main subject of this film , were visually very convincing . too convincing , one of my acquaintances in the ufo - researching circles said . according to him , the depiction of extraterrestrials as grey - skinned little people with big eyes was so accurate , that it managed to freak out powerful government figures interested in suppressing the truth about ufos . so , they later approached spielberg and ordered him to make another movie with alien , this time designed to be anything but the real life . the result was e . t . , for many years the biggest commercial hit of all times , yet less inspirational for ufo enthusiasts . anyway , whether the viewer believes in existence of extraterrestrials or ufos , close encounters of the third kind remains the great movie , and one of the rare uplifting experiences in modern cinema .

1POS

files and the roswell anniversary . that was partly because he made the movie very realistic using the authentic ufo - related incidents as the element their destination to find whatever is there . spielberg here shows great mastery by using the very same techniques of jaws to make - is set in order to bring the viewer to the great revelation in the finale . but , instead of the fear and horror we sequence , with its , even in this age , impressive special effects by the great virtuoso douglas trumbull , would leave many mouths open . one of the great virtues of this film is its optimism . aliens , who - are the good guys . despite such shortcomings , the actors were good and manage to bring multidimensionality to their simple roles . richard dreyfuss is very convincing as a ordinary , , spielberg 's semi - official composer john williams again excels by his beautiful music , this time using the simple melody both as the who are the main subject of this film , were visually very convincing . too convincing , one of my acquaintances in the or ufos , close encounters of the third kind remains the great movie , and one of the rare uplifting experiences in modern cinema .

with the exception of their surrealistic satire barton fink , the films of joel and ethan coen fit into two broad categories : quirky and sometimes darkly humorous takes on the " film noir " genre in which crime schemes go wrong and spin increasingly out of control ( fargo , miller 's crossing , blood simple ) , and off - the - wall comedies centered around an eccentric , scatter - brained lead character ( raising arizona , the hudsucker proxy ) . their latest offering , the big lebowski , falls within the latter category , though there are elements of the crime - gone - wrong theme and even a touch of satire to be found in this film . the main difference , however , is that while the protagonists of raising arizona and the hudsucker proxy had lofty aspirations and ideals but did n't quite have the brains to get it all together , the main character of the big lebowski seems like a fairly intelligent guy who 's wise to the world , but he does n't really want to do much of anything besides go bowling , smoke pot , and generally relax . that main character is jeffrey " the dude " lebowski ( jeff bridges ) , introduced by the film 's rambling narrator ( sam elliott ) as " quite possibly the laziest man in los angeles county . " the dude is unemployed , needless to say , and spends most of his time at the bowling alley with his two best friends , walter ( john goodman ) , a borderline - psychotic who 's in the habit of pulling a gun when he thinks somebody 's cheating in a bowling match ( " has the whole world gone crazy ? ! " he shouts at a suspected cheater ) , and donny ( steve buscemi ) , who 's always a few steps behind the conversation and is constantly berated by walter for it ( " donny , you have no frame of reference here ! " ) . these three seem to more or less live for bowling tournaments , and as the film begins they are anticipating an important match with rival bowler jesus quintana ( john turturro ) , who , when we first meet him , is doing a dance in the bowling lane to accompany a spanish version of " hotel california " and , if it 's possible , seems to be even more of a head case than walter . if that does n't give you a good idea of this film 's absurdist tone , then perhaps this will : the entire scenario which drives the story is set in motion by two thugs mistakenly urinating on the dude 's rug . they 've mistaken him for a millionaire of the same name who is also known as the " big " lebowski ( david huddleston ) and whose nymphomaniac wife bunny ( tara reid ) owes money to porn producer jackie treehorn ( ben gazzara ) . the dude goes to the big lebowski seeking compensation for his ruined rug ; he does n't have any luck , but when bunny is apparently kidnapped , the elder lebowski asks him to deliver the $ 1 million ransom . unfortunately , walter gets involved and fouls up the drop - off , and before they can try again to get the money to the supposed kidnappers , the dude 's car gets stolen , along with the briefcase containing the money . soon , the dude is being harassed not only by the big lebowski himself but also by treehorn and by a group of german " nihilists " who demand the ransom money even though they may not have been involved in the kidnapping in the first place ; the dude and walter suspect that bunny may well have kidnapped herself in order to extort money from her husband to repay her debts to treehorn . meanwhile , the big lebowski 's daughter maude ( julianne moore ) , a feminist avant - garde artist who likes to make grand entrances swinging through the air naked , wants to recover the money for her family . the plot , however , is really just a vehicle for all these bizarre characters to run wild and wreak their own unique forms of havoc . the previews for the big lebowski feature creedence clearwater revival 's " run through the jungle , " and it fits : the coens see los angeles as a veritable jungle of oddballs and nutcases , with the sometimes bewildered dude left to run through it and try to avoid any more trouble ( usually unsuccessfully ) . the film does n't feature quite as many one - liners and sight gags as the coens ' other comedies ( though there are a few hilarious moments of visual humor , particularly in the dude 's dream sequences and acid flashbacks ) , but it more than makes up for it with the sheer fun of watching these strange characters interact . the film sometimes seems a little disjointed as a result - you get the feeling that the coens have not only set their characters loose in this " jungle " but are also themselves running crazy through the jungle of their own twisted imaginations - but for the most part the characterizations are interesting enough to overcome the shaky plotting and what turns out to be a somewhat anticlimactic resolution . there 's also a noticeable ( but not too heavy - handed ) thread of social commentary in the big lebowski , which , incidentally , takes place just as the gulf war is about to begin ; at the beginning , we see george bush on television making his " this aggression will not stand " speech . the coens take aim at just about every elite l . a . subculture in the book : the egotistical wealthy businessman ( " the bums will always lose ! " shouts the big lebowski at one point ) , the porn industry , the overbearing malibu policeman who berates the dude for disturbing their " peaceful beach community , " and so on . by the end , we really start to admire the dude , who almost certainly harbors the least " aggression " of anyone in this story ; his passive resistance ( emphasis on " passive , " albeit ) to the elite emerges as something more than just another quirky characterization in a film overflowing with quirky characters . he also turns out to have a pretty well - functioning brain in his head , even if he does n't like to use it very much ; his sarcasm towards treehorn and the malibu policeman shows that he knows when he 's getting a run around , and he does manage to unravel the kidnapping mystery by the end . the coens certainly poke fun at the dude for his laziness , but they do n't just treat him as fodder for cheap shots either . i think that , more than anything , is what makes the big lebowski a standout comedy : it manages to approach characters like the dude and , to some extent , walter , with genuine affection while still acknowledging that they are pretty scatter - brained . audience members may find themselves surprised at how much they like the un - dynamic duo by the end of the movie , given that they seemed like nothing more than the butts of an extended joke at first . " it 's good knowin ' he 's out there , the dude , takin ' it easy , " posits the narrator towards the end . i dare say that truer words have seldom been spoken .

1POS

dude 's dream sequences and acid flashbacks ) , but it more than makes up for it with the sheer fun of watching these strange characters interact . the film sometimes imaginations - but for the most part the characterizations are interesting enough to overcome the shaky plotting and what turns out to be a somewhat anticlimactic resolution more than anything , is what makes the big lebowski a standout comedy : it manages to approach characters like the dude and , to some extent , walter , with genuine affection while still acknowledging that they are pretty scatter - brained

" the endurance : shackleton 's legendary antarctic expedition " in 1914 , as the great war descended upon europe , sir ernest shackleton began his third expedition to antarctica , this time to be the first to cross the ice - bound continent on foot . 28 men set sail on the brigantine endurance and they would not be heard from again for nearly two years . director george butler , using film footage and photographs from the historic journey , tells their remarkable story in " the endurance : shackleton 's legendary antarctic expedition . " the expedition started out as a merely incredibly difficult quest to traverse , on foot , the vast wasteland of antarctica . as the intrepid ship and crew entered the weddell sea , the entry to the cold , cruel continent , they did not plan on the dense pack ice bringing the voyage to an abrupt halt as the endurance became trapped within sight of land . for months the ice thickened and compressed until the ship was crushed , stranding the men on the flow , propelling them away from their goal and , eventually , into their lifeboats for safety . shackleton , faced with a desolate situation , made the decision to lead the three tiny boats to the relative safety of uninhabited elephant island . once on this " safe " haven , shackleton next turned his sights to saving his crew and returning them to civilization . he and five of his men leave the island in an open boat to make the 800 mile journey on the world 's roughest sea to get help from the nearest inhabited island of south georgia . miraculously , the six land , after 17 days at sea , on the uninhabited side of the target island and are forced to trek across treacherous , snow covered mountains , covering 22 miles in just 36 hours . this ordeal is followed by several attempts by shackleton to get back to elephant island to rescue the remaining crewmen . in the end , he is successful and everyone made it back home alive , only to be swallowed up by the ravages of the war . the title of this fascinating documentary , " the endurance , " is more than just the name of ship that carried the crew of brave men to the edge of the world . it is also the description of the stamina and ability of every one of the men who survived 19-months of the toughest , most grueling conditions on the face of the earth . the name of the film is a tribute to every member of the crew and to the ship that sheltered them for many month of frigid antarctic weather . it also describes the focused mental state of shackleton who never gave up on himself or his men . with astonishing foresight , shackleton brought australian cinematographer and photographer frank hurley along on the journey . the filmed footage and photos are remarkable as they capture the ordeal of the men , day to day life , the affection all felt for their loyal sled dogs , the slow destruction of the endurance and the preparations to get off of the pack ice flow . after the sinking of the ship , the remaining film stock , with the exception of a still camera and three rolls of film , had to be discarded so the continuing chronicle of the incredible journey gets less photo documentation as the ordeal plods on . considering hurley was using relatively primitive photo technology in one of the world 's harshest environments and captured so much on film is a feat unto itself . ( hurley created his own account of the shackleton expedition in his 1919 documentary , " south , " an interesting companion piece for " the endurance . " if shackleton 's original idea , document his trek across the frigid southern continent , had been successful , it would have been considered a super human feat . as you watch the story of " the endurance " unfold , you realize that the disastrous obstacles the sir ernest and his men faced and overcame were even greater accomplishments than the first intent . ( shackleton 's amazing 800-mile journey in an open boat is fodder for a rousing adventure story all by itself . ) there are a couple of minor nitpicks with this fine work , though . actor liam neeson narrates the story , but his voice is too soft spoken and lilting for the dramatic tale . the nature of the ordeal also concentrates most of the visual material , both film and photo , in the documentary 's first half . as the crew 's adventure takes more drastic paths , hurley had less and less film stock available to chronicle the awesome events . helmer butler and his team fill in the blanks , but the treasure of " the endurance , " its film footage , is mostly relegated to the early months of the expedition . i ca n't think of a true - life adventure that shows , better , the triumph of man over seemingly insurmountable odds . " the endurance , " based on caroline alexander 's book , is an eye - opening documentary that goes where few men have gone before and , even more remarkably , all 28 survivors lived to tell about it . i give it a b+ .

1POS

footage and photographs from the historic journey , tells their remarkable story in " the endurance : shackleton 's legendary antarctic never gave up on himself or his men . with astonishing foresight , shackleton brought australian cinematographer and photographer frank hurley along on the journey . the filmed footage and photos are remarkable as they capture the ordeal of the men , day mostly relegated to the early months of the expedition . i ca n't think of a true - life adventure that shows , better , the triumph of man over seemingly insurmountable odds . " the endurance , " based on caroline alexander 's book , is an eye - opening documentary that goes where few men have gone before and ,

every year -- every year at the festival , i wait for that film to come along , that one that just pulls me out of my seat , sticks its face up next to my nose , and roars " sur - prise ! " into my bewildered visage . it 's almost always a surprise . it sure as niflheim was this time . amazing grace and chuck is being advertised as a modern fairy tale , of a boy in montana who quits his little league team for a very unusual reason . and , in the hands of anyone less careful than the creative staff of this film , it might very well be nothing more than a fairy tale , where we roll our eyes occasionally , smirk to ourselves , and maybe get a forced tear out of the eyes and a " boy , i wish that could happen " sigh out of the lips upon exiting the theater and tossing the empty pepsi cup into the trash . another e . t . another short circuit . this film floored me , for the simple reason that while it has a fairy tale concept , the rest of the film takes itself seriously enough , and presents itself well enough , to make it more of an american folk tale , with characters who are both icons and real people at the same time . america has always had its mythical heros , its paul bunyans and john waynes ; this film presents us with more general , but still universal , ideals : the honest , innocent children who have their own inner wisdom ; the athletes who seem to be amalgamations of courage , honor , and love for their respective sport ; the venerable elected official who leads with kindness and understanding , but has the grit to get things done when they need doin' ( does the latter sound familiar ? ) . amazing grace and chuck is a showcase for these characters , but it never leaves you with the feeling that it 's artificial , that it stands behind glass , or that any sharp breeze -- or , more importantly , sharp thought -- will shatter the wax facade of the panorama . this is a very sturdy scenario . the principals are always given dialogue , and always give performances -- always ( it just blows me away ) -- which made them seem real , yet enforces their particular mythic role . the writer / producer , david field , seems to literally take all the " yeah , but in real life , this would have happen " thoughts you get in your head , sticks them in the movie and uses them to bend the plot around to his original heading , in a stronger way then before ! astounding ! he uses obstacles to the plot to * enforce * it ! i am truly impressed ( indeed , envious ) with the skill in which he wrote the story and screenplay ; it 's so very unusual , especially in a hollywood film . i do n't want to give too much away , but the basic premise is that chuck ( joshua zuehlke ) , the little league pitcher , decides to give up baseball because of nuclear weapons . his decision begins an unlikely series of events that involve another athlete , a boston basketball player ( alex english ) , " amazing " grace smith , and , well , i 'm leaving it at that because i would n't spoil this film for you for the world . let me just say this , though : i am not recommending this film because i think it has a great message or because of any political positions it might imply . i do n't give a rat 's ass for the political point - of - view this film expresses , one way or another ; i 'm recommending you go see this film because , and only because , it 's an excellent story , told with excellence . no , i do n't believe what happens in this film could happen in real life ; while i tend to believe the arms control policy of this country is stilted , i believe in careful negotiations , mutual verification , etc . screw what i think . the point is , this film is able to suspend my disbelief and tell a story that is one of the most finely crafted pieces of american dream i have ever seen on the movie screen . this is the natural and more -- all the mythic qualities without the pretentiousness or the forced feeling of the conclusion , and a much better script to boot . it carried me into the beliefs and ideals of my boyhood -- and , more importantly , without any bumps or jolts that would snap me out of the trance with some hint of self - consciousness . special kudos to : both zuehlke ( a real - life little league pitcher who was picked for the part ) and english ( a forward for the denver nuggets ) for their seamless personification of their characters ; jamie lee curtis , who takes a surprisingly small role and makes it exceedingly memorable as amazing 's manager and friend ; william l . peterson ( in a * big * change from his role in to live and die in l . a . ) as a father who shows principles without having to stand up and wave a flag doing it ; and gregory peck , as the guy we wish ronald reagan really was ( and who some numbskulls still probably think he is

1POS

a fairy tale concept , the rest of the film takes itself seriously enough , and presents itself well enough , to make it more of an american folk tale , with characters who are both icons and real people shatter the wax facade of the panorama . this is a very sturdy scenario . the principals are always given dialogue , and always original heading , in a stronger way then before ! astounding ! he uses obstacles to the plot to * enforce * it ! i am truly impressed ( indeed , envious ) with the skill in which he wrote the story and screenplay ; it to suspend my disbelief and tell a story that is one of the most finely crafted pieces of american dream i have ever seen on the movie screen . this is the natural and pretentiousness or the forced feeling of the conclusion , and a much better script to boot . it carried me into the beliefs and ( a forward for the denver nuggets ) for their seamless personification of their characters ; jamie lee curtis , who takes

oh god how many john grisham lawyer films we have been munundated with ! in a perfect world , " a civil action " would be a breath of fresh air . it 's cynical about lawyers in a way that grisham is n't . it 's romantic in the exact opposite way a grisham book / film is n't . and , the capper , it has no distinct ending , and the law in hollywood films is that above all else , you must have an ending . even if it 's based on a true story , a true story which has n't yet ended , you must supply an ending , a false one , but an ending nevertheless . hell , " a civil action " is even more sly and more witty than any of the grisham works put together ( and that includes " the firm , " the only novel of his that will ever be regarded as a classic ) . yet it 's also oddly and slightly unsatisfying . weird . this is , in fact , a steve zallian film , not just the work of a hack , and zallian is the director of the much - admired " search for bobby fischer " ( did n't see it ) and writer of none other than " schindler 's list . " in short , i like this guy , and am a sucker for the way he tells his stories . after all , apart from the obvious it's - a - holocaust - film and it's - a - spielberg - film , is n't " schindler 's list " just a damn brilliant film , not so much a holocaust film as it is a wonderful character study . " a civil action " is the same way : it 's narrative is split between being a lawyer film and being a character study . and it 's here that the film seems to go a bit wrong . the main complaint of this film is that while , yes , it 's an engrossing lawyerly tale , it has no real ending , and that 's not necessarily the problem with the film . it 's that it 's just kind of unsatisfying . if this were a great film , it would feel complete , and still end basically the same way . but this film just seems to end , and i do n't want to be stupid and suggest an alternate ending should be tacked on : imagine , if you will , being one of those the film is about , looking forward to this film , and then discovered the truth has been through a surrealistic and unpleasant hollywood filter , just so the many wo n't bitch about what is , essentially , genuine . but the fact that it just ends is not , in all actuality , what is wrong with it . it 's rather that zallian has chosen , in the last half hour , to adandon the traditional lawyer story , and chose the other part of his story , the one about the lawyer , one jan schlictman ( john travolta ) , who 's shown in the opening and throughout most of the movie as a heartless but brilliant lawyer , brilliant because he 's manipulative and he always wins . it wishes to make it all about jan in the end , but the truth is , his change , although nicely done , is not full . we see him suffering from a personal crisis , and travolta does do a pretty good job in depicting his change of heart , but in the end , we do n't fully believe it . and i think that the problem is when he has made his decision , the film choses an odd angle to go at , a noble one , but one that gives the film 's conclusion that of incompleteness . in the opening of the film , we see him doing his old schtick , manipulating courts , winning cases effortlessly , and then discussing on a heard radio interview how great he is at his job and how much he cares for his cases . in short , he 's full of bullshit and we know it . in the film , he takes a case that is hardly desired : a town where several of the children have died mysteriously of lukemia and the source of the illness seems to be from a local factory that may or may not have been dumping waste into the river . point one , it 's not of the usual criteria ( jan points out , wickedly , that dead or wounded children are n't nearly as sympathetic as those struck down in the midst of their success ) . point two , it has been through several lawyers . after turning them down , jan changes his mind ( a muddled scene - he stops his car on a bridge , looks out . . . is he feeling a sense of overachievement ? ) , and he and his team of lawyers ( tony shalhoub , zeljko ivanek , and accountant william h . macy ) head out to the town to do battle with the town 's company . they spend millions of dollars examining the land , test the water , what have you ( this is where stephen fry , a possible oscar nominee for his brilliant performance in " wilde , " pops up thanklessly ) , and in the meantime question the parents of the dead children , and then , unsuccessfully , the workers at the plant . they also find themselves clashing with a brilliant lawyer for the company , the eccentric jerome facher , played by robert duvall ( more on him later on ) . as we progress , we get so involved in the way the story is being told , which is engulfing everything around it , including the individual and brief stories of some of the townspeople ( one of the best is a bit with james gandolfini as an employee of the plant living across the street from kathleen quinland , who lost her child , who begins to have a personal crisis ) . things begin to go downhill for the lawyers in the second half , as they are up against impossible odds : the judge ( john lithgow ) is not only a strickler , but a pal of facher ; the employees of the plant are either afraid or to loyal to testify ; no concrete evidence is being found , depsite the money spent to find it ; and they are quickly running out of money . as macy mortgages everything he can , including their homes and their office , he slowly loses his sanity ( his meatiest role since , oh , " fargo " ) , and we the audience begin to feel a real loss of hope for our protagonist . in fact , the last half hour is such a change from the rest of the film and so unresolved that it has been widely panned as not being up to par ( owen gleiberman , especially , criticized the film for not being overly - dramatic . . . i suppose like a grisham novel ) . this would n't be so if the change in jan had not been handled the way it is : instead of having a change of heart and automatically being perceived as good , he 's seen as being still full of bullshit . because he does n't take stock in the cares of his partners , and causes them all to lose their money and noteriaty in the lawyer field because he wants to help the people of the town , he is instead seen as being of good nature but not sure how to bring that out . the final half tries to redeem this , as must have been the point of making this in zallian 's mind , but what follows is a series of scenes where we merely see him making personal stands for his beliefs , and though he has changed considerably from the opening moments when he 's seen speeding back and forth from the town that wishes to employ him ( and thusly receiving two speeding tickets ) , we still feel that the big change in his life is that he 's not rich and esteemed anymore ( the film 's final title card is witty but in all actuality shallow ) . the fault is not that there is no closure to the court case ( it 's still going on , you know ) , but that its personal story feels like it needs either another chapter or another angle in the final one it has . we need to feel like the character has really made a big change in his life , and that the story is how a story of strife like the one of the town could inspire such a whopping change in his personal life . it only feels like half of that . maybe even less . and it 's not travolta , who does a great job here ( though never to be a truly memorable performance of his ) , but rather zallian , whose final chapter needs a rewrite . up to then , though , it 's an engrossing drama , one of the best of the year in fact , and one of the best lawyer films , period . the reason is because it recognizes that a court trial is not about those being defended or prosecuted , but rather it 's about the lawyers , the knights who battle eachother . we learn that the company is almost positively to blame for the deaths in the town , but the reason it ca n't be blamed is because it has the best prosecution you can find . and duvall 's facher is such a brilliant character and he does such a magnificent job at portraying that man that it 's almost easy to overlook how subtley great he is . facher is seen as an elderly man , a goofy eccentric , carrying a broken brown bag with stickers on it , eating lunches out of paper bags , and making a point to take time out of his day to listen to the radio , and scold anyone who interupts him . but look deeper and you see a master at work : his evil and manipulative nature are hidden under the eccentricities that others don upon him , and it 's difficult as hell to clearly generalize him in any way . that 's why i liked this film : it 's hard to put a pointer on . you can never see exactly where this film will land , and even when the credits roll , you still are n't sure what to make of it . call it the zallian effect . same thing happened with " schindler 's list " ( not that i 'm comparing oskar schindler to jan schlictman ) . each film is so greatly crafted that you ca n't help but get involved in its broad storytelling , interesting characters , and , most peculiarly , the wit that comes along with it . if only it felt totally complete ( like , say , " schindler 's list , " though at this point it may be unfair to make comparisons between the two ) , it might have been one of the best films of the year , and along with that , a full breath of fresh air .

1POS

nevertheless . hell , " a civil action " is even more sly and more witty than any of the grisham works put together ( and , but the truth is , his change , although nicely done , is not full . we see him suffering from a personal crisis , and travolta does do a pretty good job in depicting his change of heart , but in the even less . and it 's not travolta , who does a great job here ( though never to be a truly memorable performance of needs a rewrite . up to then , though , it 's an engrossing drama , one of the best of the year in fact , and one of the best lawyer films , period . the reason is because it recognizes that a court trial oskar schindler to jan schlictman ) . each film is so greatly crafted that you ca n't help but get involved in its

the seasoned capt . dudley smith ( james cromwell ) questions his new protege , ed exley ( guy pearce ) about his political views when it comes to police work . " would you plant evidence to get a conviction if you knew the person to be guilty ? would you shoot a man in the back if you knew that it was the only way to make sure he got what he deserved ? " exley , squeaky clean , innocent , and pent with the desire to perform his new duties with integrity and honesty quickly answers with a pointed ' no . ' stunned , smith pleads , " then , for the love of god , do n't be a detective . " la confidential is a dandy piece of filmmaking that brings us back to the classic times of hollywood in the 50s . organized crime was the biggest concern , corruption existed everywhere , and every cop had his own way of getting the job done . there was " hollywood " jack vincennes ( kevin spacey ) who gets most of his information from the editor of a sleazy tell - all / show - all tabloid , sid hudgeons ( danny devito ) . sporting dark sunglasses and a white sports coat , he is n't afraid to flash his tinseltown style . detective bud white ( russell crowe ) has only a narrow - minded view of the law , and he uses excessive force to exact his unique kind of interrogation and brutal justice . and then there is golden boy exley , wide - eyed and ambitious but extremely naive . a horrible multiple murder begins to draw these three men together , each of whom become inexorably connected in their search for truth , action , and personal vindication . almost immediately , an arrest is made . but something does n't seem quite right . new developments become sinuous as the story begins to draw us deeper into the labyrinth of corruption and crime within the department . suspicion and questions begin to mount . odd alliances are created . and as layers of the truth become revealed , the story grows more complex and intriguing by the moment . when the mystery expands , we see other seemingly guilty characters enter the lives of these three cops , including a high - priced hooker ( kim basinger ) and a shady millionaire ( david strathairn ) . all of the characters ' levels of involvement are not immediately clear . we watch with riveted fascination to learn more about why they are there and their stake in the case . we sense a cross - pollination of clues that brings us , the audience , closer to the truth . we hope that the three detectives can throw away their spite for one another and can pull their resources together in order to untangle the intricately created web of mystery . absorbing and affecting , this movie has all the necessary ingredients to create a terrific gourmet serving of film noir . it boasts mysterious figures in control , double - crosses , hard information from sleazy sources , dirty politicians , corrupt cops , haunting women , and hard - nosed cops experiencing moral ambiguity . the underlying mystery is compelling . the look and feel of the movie is gorgeous . the entire cast is crisp and wonderful to watch ( i would n't be surprised if cromwell received an oscar nomination for his performance ) . and , the dialogue is rich and memorable . the best line of the movie is spoken when a key player dispenses advice to one of the detectives unsure of what to do . " do n't start trying to do the right thing , boy - o , " says he . " you have n't had the practice . " " l . a . confidential ' ' triumphantly achieves the rare gift of complexity and coherence while satisfying our desire for a good old - fashioned movie .

1POS

do n't be a detective . " la confidential is a dandy piece of filmmaking that brings us back to the classic times of hollywood order to untangle the intricately created web of mystery . absorbing and affecting , this movie has all the necessary ingredients to create a terrific gourmet serving of film noir . it boasts mysterious figures in control experiencing moral ambiguity . the underlying mystery is compelling . the look and feel of the movie is gorgeous . the entire cast is crisp and wonderful to watch ( i would n't be surprised if cromwell received an oscar nomination for his performance ) . and , the dialogue is rich and memorable . the best line of the movie is spoken when . " " l . a . confidential ' ' triumphantly achieves the rare gift of complexity and coherence while satisfying our desire for a good old - fashioned movie .

aliens ! ! well , that is what this movie is about . computer generated aliens . ok , the movie is not just about computer generated aliens . it 's about computer generated aliens and a secret organization known as mib . if one was n't green and running around the other would not exist as it 's known . the computer graphics in this movie are spectacular , they make you want to believe that aliens like the ones depicted exits . since seeing this movie i have to agree concede that denis rodman is an alien , he simply has to be . well , in all seriousness the aliens created here are not only of the monster variety but are also of the soft , squishy and cuddly kind . just adds something of a lighter note to the movie where it could have become very dark . along with aliens comes the humor and in a pretty decent way . j , well soon to be j , a smart ass cop ( played by will smith ) runs down what he thinks is a would - be villain and gets some attention from the mib and k in particular . k aims to recruit our poor j , but that is not the whole point of this movie . the main duty of the mib is to police the extra terrestrials on earth who have chosen it as a home or a refuge . that 's also the main point of this movie : protect the earth from the scum of the galaxy . some of the scum from space is awfully bad and just down right nasty . color commentary abounds when forced to deal with alien scum and none other than will smith and tommy lee jones are there to deliver the punch . the dialogue is witty to say the least . this wittiness lets the movie flow well from scene to scene developing the characters to the extent needed for this movie . tommy lee jones ( as k ) and will smith ( as j ) provide both the action and the comedy beautifully . the characters they play do n't seem to be wrong in any way nor does their performance as them . i would have to say that k is more amusing than j , but what 's one without the other . both roles complemented each other very well and the script seemed to be written for these two actors . the story also goes deep enough to provide a proper background so the audience is not totally clueless . altogether good performances were put in by all the cast and the director blended everything marvelously with the necessary special effects to create a good movie . a movie well worth seeing if you are up for some lighthearted and witty humor . as most movies have their good things they also have their bad things . the character development in this movie was not all that grand because it did n't need to be . but if there was more character development and if there was some development of the alien characters that might have added quite considerable to the movie . especially the evil alien , he did need some work . though this could have been worked on , the movie was what it proposed to be a rather shallow and witty comedy . that was achieved rather well , with some interesting commentary and observations . a movie worth a view , but keep in mind what the movie is and if you are not fond of will smith 's form of humor then i would n't go . originally written after original release . totally rewritten december 26 , 1997

1POS

's known . the computer graphics in this movie are spectacular , they make you want to believe that aliens like tommy lee jones are there to deliver the punch . the dialogue is witty to say the least . this wittiness lets the movie k ) and will smith ( as j ) provide both the action and the comedy beautifully . the characters they play do n't seem to be j , but what 's one without the other . both roles complemented each other very well and the script seemed to be written for these two the director blended everything marvelously with the necessary special effects to create a good movie . a movie well worth seeing if you are up for some lighthearted and witty humor . as most movies have their good things they also

in the opening shot of midnight cowboy , we see a close - up of a blank movie screen at a drive - in . we hear in the soundtrack human cries and the stomping of horses ' hooves . without an image projected onto the screen , the audience unerringly identifies the familiar sound of cowboys chasing indians and can spontaneously fill in the blank screen with images of old westerns in our mind 's eye . even without having seen a cowboys and indians movie , somehow the cliched images of them seem to have found their way into our mental schema . but do cowboys really exist , or are they merely hollywood images personified by john wayne and gary cooper ? exploring this theme , director john schlesinger uses the idea of the cowboy as a metaphor for the american dream , an equally cliched yet ambiguous concept . is the ease at which salvation and success can be attained in america a hallmark of its experience or an urban legend ? midnight cowboy suggests that the american dream , like image of the cowboy , is merely a myth . as joe buck migrates from place to place , he finds neither redemption nor reward in his attempt to create a life for himself , only further degeneration . during the opening credits , joe walks past an abandoned theater whose decrepit marquee reads ` john wayne : the alamo . ' as joe is on the bus listening to a radio talk show , a lady on the air describes her ideal man as ` gary cooper ? but he 's dead . ' a troubled expression comes across joe 's face , as he wonders where have all the cowboys gone . having adopted the image of a cowboy since youth , joe now finds himself deserted by the persona he tried to embody . joe 's persistence in playing the act of the cowboy serves as an analogue to his american dream . he romanticizes about making it in the big city , but his dreams will desert him as he is forced to compromise his ideals for sustenance . by the end of midnight cowboy , joe buck loses everything and gains nothing . just as the audience can picture cowboys chasing indians on a blank screen , we can also conjure up scenes from pretty woman as paradigms of american redemption and success . but how realistic are these ideals ? joe had raped and been raped in texas . the scars of his troubled past prompt him to migrate to new york , but he does not know that his aspirations to be a cowboy hero will fail him there just as they had in texas . alongside the dream of success is the dream of salvation . the ability to pack up one 's belongings and start anew seems to be an exclusive american convention . schlesinger provides us with strong hints as to joe 's abusive and abused past with flashbacks of improper relationships with crazy anne and granny . we understand that joe adopts the fa ? ade of a cowboy , a symbol of virility and gallantry , as an attempt to neutralize his shame . he runs from his past only to be sexually defiled this time by his homosexual experiences in new york . in the scene at the diner which foreshadows joe 's encounter with the gay student , joe buck spills ketchup on himself . standing up , we see the ketchup has made a red stain running from the crotch of his pants down his thigh . schlesinger visually depicts the degeneration of joe 's virility by eliciting an image of bleeding genitals , signifying emasculation . beyond the symbol of castration , the scene may also connote the bleeding of a virgin 's first sexual encounter , a reference to joe 's first homosexual liaison . the fact that the idea of a bleeding virgin is relegated only to females furthers the imagery of joe 's emasculation . it is ironic that joe has trouble prospecting for female clients , but effortlessly attracts men . joe believes his broncobuster getup is emblematic of his masculinity ; new yorkers see his ensemble as camp and ` faggot stuff . ' there are two predominant images of new york . the first is that new york is the rich , cosmopolitan city where hope and opportunity are symbolized by the tall skyscrapers and the statue of liberty . the other new york is travis bickle 's new york , a seedy , corruptive hell on earth . joe envisions new york as the former , but is presented with the latter . mirroring the irony in which joe envisions his cowboy attire as masculine , he mistakenly buys into the fable that new york is filled with lonely women neglected by gay men . joe thinks he is performing a great service for new york , but the city rapes him of his pride and possessions . the people steal joe 's money , the landlord confiscates his luggage , and the homosexuals rob him of his dignity . what has become of joe 's american dream ? schlesinger responds to this question with the scene at the party . joe gets invited to a shindig of sorts and at the gathering is exposed to a dizzying array of food , drugs , and sex . at the party , all of joe and ratzo 's desires are made flesh ; joe flirts successfully with women and ratzo loads up on free salami . contrasting joe 's daily struggles , shots of warhol 's crew display wanton indulgence . there is an irreverence in the partygoers ' attitude ; we see a shot of a woman kowtowing to nothing in particular , orgies breaking out in the periphery , and drugs passed around like party favors . the party makes a mockery of joe ' s ideals . joe believed that hard work and persistence were the elements for success in america ; scenes of the party and his rendezvous with shirley suggest that it is the idle who profit from joe 's toils . the american dream , schlesinger suggests , is merely a proletarian fantasy , for those who are content no longer dream , but become indolent . as joe heads to miami , all that was significant of the cowboy image has left him . his masculinity is compromised and his morality is relinquished . for joe , nothing is left of the cowboy hero and commensurately , he surrenders the identity . tossing his boots into the garbage , he returns to the bus for the last leg of his journey to miami . the final shot of midnight cowboy shows joe inside the bus , more introspective , taking only a few glances outside the window . instead of the frequent pov shots of joe excitedly looking out of the bus on his way to new york , schlesinger sets up this final shot from the exterior of the bus looking in through the window at joe . reflections of the palm trees ratzo so raved about run across the bus ' window with joe hardly taking notice . the scenery of miami no longer exacts the same excitement from joe as before . the world seems smaller to joe now ; the termination of his journey coincides with the termination of his american dream . no longer does joe aspire to be the enterprising gigolo ; he resolves to return to a normal job and resign to basic means . midnight cowboy presents two familiar incarnations of the american dream . there is the frontier fantasy that if you are brave enough to repel a few indians , you can set up a ranch out west and raise a beautiful family . then there is the jay gatsby dream that a man of humble stock , with perseverance , can make a fortune in the big city . joe 's attempt to realize these dreams robs him of his innocence in texas and morality in new york . during his search for an intangible paradise , joe ends up raping a girl and killing a man . an allegory of chasing the promise of the american dream , joe buck 's progressive moral atrophy is a warning against the pursuit of illusory icons .

1POS

the promise of the american dream , joe buck 's progressive moral atrophy is a warning against the pursuit of illusory

metro i 've seen san francisco in movies many times . there was 1994 's interview with the vampire and most recently the rock . now , yet again , san francisco is the setting for this movie . eddie murphy stars as inspector scott roper of the sfpd . he is their top hostage negotiator , and the very best at what he does . when his best friend on the force is killed by joe ( michael wincott , in a terrific performance ) , a psychotic , demented jewel thief , roger makes it his mission to capture the guy before he strikes again . meanwhile , roper tries to rekindle a relationship with his british ex - girlfriend veronica , while helping to rear a new up and comer from swat who 's an expert sniper and marksman ( michael rappaport ) . despite the obligatory cop movie scenes ( does every cop / new partner movie have to start the same way ? ) where the sgt . assigns roper a partner , roper confronts the sarge , etc . , this film is still one heck of an explosive ride . a scene involving a cable car has to be seen to be believed , and boasts some amazing car stunts . eddie murphy shines in this tailor - made role , and for once , his character shows depth and concern . when confronting joe in prison , you can feel the anger drip from every word . michael rappaport is basically throwaway . he serves no purpose , except to be buddy to murphy and get disabled in the final reel so that eddie can save the day . typical action escapist fare . michael wincott offers the best performance as the crazed killer and jewel thief joe . never before have i seen such a villian written like this where i could actually believe that he was serious and take him seriously . maybe i just thought that this role was different due to wincott 's perfectly raspy voice . i do n't know . what i do know , though , is that although metro is basically a typical action retread , it manages to cover new ground and shed new light on tired old cliches ' . the film is a triumph , and an entertaining one at that . it does n't meander or trail off from its main character . an enjoyable two hours , metro is enjoyable , witty , action - packed , and fun , and makes for a great action movie that 's perfect for all of us that need an escape from reality .

1POS

the sarge , etc . , this film is still one heck of an explosive ride . a scene involving a cable car has to be seen to be believed , and boasts some amazing car stunts . eddie murphy shines in this tailor - made role , and for once , his character shows depth and the day . typical action escapist fare . michael wincott offers the best performance as the crazed killer and jewel thief joe . never that although metro is basically a typical action retread , it manages to cover new ground and shed new light on tired old cliches ' . the film is a triumph , and an entertaining one at that . it does n't meander or trail off from its main character . an enjoyable two hours , metro is enjoyable , witty , action - packed , and fun , and makes for a great action movie that 's perfect for all of us that need an escape from reality .

susan granger 's review of " hearts in atlantis " ( castle rock / warner bros . ) timing is everything , and the timing just seems right for this poignant psychological drama that combines the coming - of - age nostalgia of " stand by me " with the mystical power of " the green mile . " based on stephen king stories adapted by screenwriter william goldman and directed by scott hicks , it 's set in 1960 in harwich , connecticut , where fatherless 11 year - old bobby garfield ( anton yelchin ) lives in a boarding house with his resentful , self - centered mother ( hope davis ) . he 's devoted to his neighborhood friends ( mika boorem , will rothhaar ) but his pivotal relationship is with a strange , new tenant , ted brautigan ( anthony hopkins ) who opens the world of literature to him after his selfish mother refuses to buy him a birthday gift and hands him , instead , a library card . knowing he 's longing for a schwinn bike , ted offers to pay him $ 1 a week to read him the local newspaper and keep his eyes peeled for signs of the malevolent , ominous low men who are chasing him to exploit his special powers . the story structure consists of one long flashback , framed by the present , featuring the adult bobby ( david morse ) , minimizing the supernatural elements while emphasizing the human drama hopkins ' mysterious character is genteel , sensitive and benignly seductive . the only explanation is that he 's a psychic who is wanted by the fbi to aid in their hunt for communists and even that seems appropriate , given the inexplicable state of the world right now . the production values and performances are solid , particularly hopkins - arguably the finest , most versatile actor of our era - and the children with whom he forges a firm bond . on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , " hearts in atlantis " is a wistful , enigmatic 8 , evolving with subtle power to an emotionally effective catharsis .

1POS

of the world right now . the production values and performances are solid , particularly hopkins - arguably the finest , most versatile to 10 , " hearts in atlantis " is a wistful , enigmatic 8 , evolving with subtle power to an emotionally effective catharsis .

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . floating life , australia 's first - ever submission to the academy of motion picture arts & sciences for consideration in the best foreign language film category ( its dialogue is in cantonese , english , and german ) , marks a special accomplishment by clara law . a compelling , at times poignant film , it manages to maintain its truthfulness while teetering between comedy and melodrama . floating life centers around a hong kong family 's sense of dislocation and loss of identity after moving to australia in order to avoid the communist takeover of hong kong , and is divided into clearly defined vignettes , each chapter labelled with title cards pertaining to houses , which serves to emphasize the film 's theme of family . the film opens with mr . and mrs . chan ( edwin pang , cecilia fong sing lee ) and their two teen sons ( toby wong , toby chan ) leaving the bustling , claustrophobic metropolis of hong kong to join their second daughter bing ( annie yip ) in australia . with their spacious , immaculately - white new house and the vast abundance of neighbourhood greenery , the chans initially find this serene new land a strange and wonderous one , and - with neurotic bing cooly remarking about the possible dangers of australian life ( killer dogs , poisonous spiders , dangerous ultraviolet rays ) - a frightening one . this sets up a wonderfully amusing scene early in the film where the four immigrants , aimlessly ambling about their new suburban neighbourhood , are sent scrambling by the yelps of a little white puppy . the tone set up early in the film is broadly comic , and one expects floating life to depict the clash of cultures as the chans struggle to acclimatize themselves to the new ways of australian life as they integrate themselves into australian society ( a scene where the two teen sons meet up with a sunbathing neighbourhood girl is left dangling ) , but the film suddenly veers towards an introspective and melodramatic tone . floating life shifts its focus away from the exploits of the new immigrants and towards bing 's domineering of her newly - reunited family , setting out a set of stringent and oppressive rules which create tremendous tension within the household and threaten to fracture the family . meanwhile , elder daughter yen ( annette shun wah ) , happily settled in germany with her husband and young daughter , begins to suffer an identity crisis , manifesting itself with her claims to her patiently exasperated husband that their new home is cursed with bad feng shui , and further exacerbated upon hearing of the familial conflict down under . among the dramatic threads of floating life , this is perhaps the most effective and engaging , with an interesting set of characters and a storyline which generates a genuine emotional punch . the one misguided vignette in floating life involves eldest son gar ming ( anthony wong ) , left behind in hong kong to resolve various affairs on behalf of his family and to await his immigration papers before rejoining his parents and brothers in australia . emotionally detatched and aimlessly drifting , his is an uncompelling character , and consequently subsequent attempts to draw out pathos are uninvolving and ineffective . his desperate search for emotional fulfillment is depicted by philosopical droning on the exquisite peak of an orgasm , which quickly becomes tedious . ms . law 's film cheerfully embraces melodrama - each of the major vignettes feature excessively emotional climaxes which i could n't help but find reminiscent to wayne wang 's acutely unsubtle the joy luck club - but despite the director 's rather clear attempts to tug at the heartstrings , i could n't help but be touched by a powerful and affecting soliloquy delivered masterfully by cecilia fong sing lee which truly packs an emotional wallop and , in dramatic terms , is certainly the highlight of floating life . floating life at times spreads itself too thin ; given the myriad of characters involved , it could either stand to delve into each vignette a little deeper , or narrow its focus to a select group of key characters . however , it is a fine film , with a thoughtful and insightful screenplay by clara law and husband eddie ling - ching fong , and some superb acting by a cast consisting almost exclusively of non - actors ( special note is to be made of cecilia fong sing lee , annette shun wah , and a short but dazzling performance by an actress who portrayed gar ming 's girlfriend from vancouver ) . floating life is ultimately about the ties that bond a family together , which are able to withstand great distances and new environments .

1POS

) , marks a special accomplishment by clara law . a compelling , at times poignant film , it manages to maintain its truthfulness while teetering between the dramatic threads of floating life , this is perhaps the most effective and engaging , with an interesting set of characters and a storyline which generates a genuine emotional punch . the one misguided vignette in floating life involves eldest affecting soliloquy delivered masterfully by cecilia fong sing lee which truly packs an emotional wallop and , in dramatic terms , is certainly the highlight of floating life . floating life at times spreads itself to a select group of key characters . however , it is a fine film , with a thoughtful and insightful screenplay by clara law and husband eddie ling - ching fong , and some superb acting by a cast consisting almost exclusively of non - actors

plot : a peculiar french girl grows up lonely with her father and does n't quite know what she wants out of life . one day , she falls upon something , and believes that her ticket to happiness may be in helping others . she starts with the people around her , but when she suddenly falls for her own guy , she ca n't act strongly enough because of her shy and dreamy nature . critique : a clever , quirky , original french flick set in a picturesque paris , featuring an endearing lead with a giant imagination , much loneliness and a little bit of love for everyone . this is a " feel - good " kind of movie , a fairy tale for grown - ups who are bummed out about life . it does n't pretend to be deep , it does n't weigh itself down with long expositions or intricate studies of its characters , it 's basically just a " cute movie " in the same vein as chocolat and pay it forward , with some amazing visuals and incredibly nice intentions ( and if chocolat was somehow able to nab an oscar nomination for best picture last year ( a sham on so many different levels ) , you might as well slap this film up for consideration also , since it 's quite a bit better and much more original than the former ) . one thing that this film is n't though , at least according to me , is the best film of the year ( it was bestowed the honor of " best " in at least 3 different film festivals so far this year ) . it actually managed to stagnate a little bit about halfway through and it just went on for way too long ( it 's a little over two hours but it felt even longer ) , with much of the second half of the movie devoted to many different characters , all of whom were n't as interesting as the lead , and a lot of indecisiveness from ms . amelie herself , which got frustrating . thankfully , this film does n't bog itself down with too much of that stuff , and actually goes out of its way to invent new ways to shoot scenes , to integrate moments of fantasy into its fabric and to transport the audience inside the imagination of this kind - hearted french girl . on the whole , it 's a lot of fun and it carries a beautiful message of love and support for your fellow man . the lead , audrey tautou , is perfect for the role , and gives you enough moments of truth to develop her character into someone that you care about by the end of the film . unfortunately , the rest of the cast is n't as well - developed , and even though most of them are pretty appealing , a couple could 've been left out to save time and at least one was left stranded plot - wise , by the film 's end ( what happened to the guy in the caf ? who was spying on his ex - girlfriend the whole movie ? ) . now i have n't seen too many recent french films , i will admit , but if this is the kind of " scene " that they 're developing over in " le pays du vin " , i would n't mind catching more of their flicks in the future ( crimson rivers was another french film that i saw earlier this year , which i really liked- ironically , that film was directed by mathieu kassovitz , who is the co - star in this film ) . granted , the english subtitles got a little tough to keep up with at times ( i speak and understand french also , but some of the local colloquialisms went over my head ) , especially since the film 's visuals were so intriguing that you just could n't help but constantly gawk at them , but the general idea , the background music , the nifty french neighborhoods , the very creative way of enveloping the audience into the story - line from the start , were all very easy to appreciate , and i for one was especially glad to have seen this movie during these trying times in the world . in fact , i 'd recommend it to anyone looking for a jolly ol' time at the movie house , with a particular emphasis on folks with a lot of imagination , a little loneliness in their lives and many dreams in their hearts . and this guy directed alien : resurrection ? get outta here ! ! note : i especially loved the way that the script detailed and showed the loves / hates of everyone with exact mentions in the film . it was very original , very well shot and very nostalgic , as many of us were able to relate to the behaviors described . good stuff ! where 's joblo coming from ? chocolat ( 6/10 ) - crimson rivers ( 8/10 ) - ghost world ( 9/10 ) - like water for chocolate ( 8/10 ) - o brother , where art thou ( 7/10 ) - pay it forward ( 5/10 ) - rushmore ( 9/10 ) - woman on top ( 7/10 )

1POS

because of her shy and dreamy nature . critique : a clever , quirky , original french flick set in a picturesque paris , featuring an vein as chocolat and pay it forward , with some amazing visuals and incredibly nice intentions ( and if chocolat was somehow well slap this film up for consideration also , since it 's quite a bit better and much more original than the former ) . one thing that this film kind - hearted french girl . on the whole , it 's a lot of fun and it carries a beautiful message of love and support for your fellow man . the lead , audrey tautou , is perfect for the role , and gives you enough moments of truth to develop local colloquialisms went over my head ) , especially since the film 's visuals were so intriguing that you just could n't help but constantly gawk at : resurrection ? get outta here ! ! note : i especially loved the way that the script detailed and showed the loves

eric rohmer 's " pauline at the beach , " is one of those small , deliberately paced , but charming foreign films in which not much happens plot wise , but a lot happens to the characters emotionally . the film takes place during a few weeks of august at the normandy coast , and centers on six different characters , primarily pauline ( amanda langlet ) , a wise beyond her years 15-year - old who has come to stay for the summer with her older cousin , marion ( arielle dombasle ) . on the first day at the beach , marion runs into an old high school flame ( fedoore atkine ) , and although he wants to rekindle their relationship , she is more interested in an older , more seductive womanizer ( pascal greggory ) , who is also secretly having an affair with a candy vendor ( rosette ) . while pauline watches as an outsider at what is happening between all of the adults , she forms a relationship of her own with a young teenage boy ( simon de la brosse ) . " pauline at the beach , " is not a film in which big dramatic things occur , and there is not a clear - cut , tidy conclusion to the story . instead , it is a picture that simply observes its characters in every day life , and the surprises come from little character details . the film is quite talky and slow moving , and so it is pretty safe to say it is n't for those who are only a fan of action movies , but is a treat for those viewers who often like to venture outside of the big - budget genre and see a good art film . this is the first film by acclaimed director eric rohmer ( 1969 's " my night at mauds , " and 1971 's " claire 's knee " ) that i have seen , but his direction is assured and intelligent , as is the screenplay , which he also wrote . " pauline at the beach , " is a film worth seeing .

1POS

is one of those small , deliberately paced , but charming foreign films in which not much happens plot wise , are only a fan of action movies , but is a treat for those viewers who often like to venture outside of ) that i have seen , but his direction is assured and intelligent , as is the screenplay , which he also wrote . " pauline at the beach , " is a film worth seeing .

after a rather disappointing " mary railly " , stephen frears is now officially back in business with a comeback worthy of praise . this is one of the best surprises of this season -- a sweet , small budget comedy with a big heart . in fact it 's not even a comedy . it 's a drama or even more precise -- a clever satire on human relationships and needs . based on a 1995 critically acclaimed novel by british author nick hornby , ` ` high fidelity ' ' is a wry and likable story about a man 's quest for fulfillment and happiness . rob gordon was a dj . it seems that he could make everything spin -- except his own life . now he owns championship vinyl , a little musical store , somewhere in new york . when he suddenly gets dumped by his girlfriend , a gorgeous blond attorney , life suddenly looses every purpose . decimated , humiliated and on the verge of a mental ( and emotional ) breakdown , he starts meditating over his life and the way it could have been -- about what 's right and what 's important . he starts " categorizing " life , dividing it into " top 5 lists " . and the most important is the " top 5 list " over the most painful breakups of his life , starting with 5th grade , when he found his young girlfriend with another boy . though you might think that people change , grow more mature with age , it just does n't seem that way and all rob 's relationships were different versions of that first . where did he go wrong ? was it he that screwed up ? or maybe life just stinks ? while he is lost in his own self - pity , he must think of the " top 5 list " over his needs for the future , find the right elements and mix his life together . with clever parallels to the cult of celebrity , music and with incredibly direct narration , it addresses the average audience member , in other words -- people like you and me . although a lot of this honor should be addressed to the screenwriter _ _ _ _ _ _ and frears , the director , the acting is equally important as the written word . and here john cusack should absolutely be mentioned . he is simply superb . it is as much his movie as it is frears ' . the film would not be the same without him . cusack -- whose character is sadder , wiser and 35 -- brings intelligence and warmth to post- mod irony . most of his dialogue is delivered directly to the camera -- not an easy task -- but cusack pulls it off . his interpretation feels so emotionally right , so incredibly realistic and precise that frears ' message simply ca n't be ignored or overseen . the other members of the cast do an equally remarkable job . both _ _ _ _ _ _ and jack black are fabulous . even catherine zeta jones appears in a role where she actually acts , not just looks beautiful . however , the most unexpected pleasant surprises is provided by todd louiso who delivers a spectacular comic performance as rob 's co - worker and friend dick . this is such an impressive achievement that it 's almost worth a oscar - nomination . he is simply a joy to behold . otherwise , everyone are in their place , and at the right time -- all part of frears ' colorful blend . pretty much like edward norton 's " keeping the faith " , this film does n't follow any formula or belong to any genre -- it 's dramatic , tragic , sarcastic , comic and even cynical , but never bitter or angry . it 's a little bit of everything , pretty much like life itself . nothing seems unreal or staged . it reflects reality as a mirror . as you watch it , you go through the same emotional problems as the main character . you feel and think and reflect . this effect has become a rarity nowadays . although it 's primarily about the perils of love , ` ` high fidelity ' ' is secondarily about pop music . rob owns championship vinyl and his employees , timid dick ( todd louiso ) and overbearing barry ( jack black ) , are fellow music snobs . music is the language in their lives , the measure by which they define themselves and mark the significant events of their lives . and so does the movie . it is as much a musical film as anything else , as rob 's journey is wonderfully portrayed through carefully inserted musical fragments . in the end , you have gained something while watching it . it 's not the film of the century or even of the year . it 's not an special effects extravaganza . it does n't require big explosions or digital creatures to succeed . it 's a small movie about the big things . and even though it does not contain heavy philosophy , you feel as if you have experienced something of significance , and you will experience that nice warm feeling for quite some time .

1POS

disappointing " mary railly " , stephen frears is now officially back in business with a comeback worthy of praise . this is one of the best surprises of this season -- a sweet , small budget comedy with a big heart . in fact it 's not even a comedy . . and here john cusack should absolutely be mentioned . he is simply superb . it is as much his movie as it is it off . his interpretation feels so emotionally right , so incredibly realistic and precise that frears ' message simply ca n't be ignored or overseen . the other members of the cast do an equally remarkable job . both _ _ _ _ _ _ and jack unexpected pleasant surprises is provided by todd louiso who delivers a spectacular comic performance as rob 's co - worker and friend dick . this is such an impressive achievement that it 's almost worth a oscar - nomination . film as anything else , as rob 's journey is wonderfully portrayed through carefully inserted musical fragments . in the end , you have gained

plot : a group of asbestos cleaners get a job removing the gunk from an old insane asylum . as each day passes , the crew members begin to discover things about the place and themselves which set other things in motion . saying anything else about the plot would be a crime . have fun . . . critique : " i feel like shooting myself in the head " are the first words that came out of my mouth after seeing this movie , a good indication as to what kind of film to expect here . this ai n't your average " happy go lucky " kind of picture . this is a deliberately slow - paced mystery - horror film drenched in atmosphere , with a very creepy insane asylum ( in which most of the film takes place ) , very few clues up - front and lots to talk about afterwards . will it bore some people to sleep ? you bet it will ! is it made for the scream audiences of the day ? absolutely not ! i guess you can describe this film as a horror movie for the " cerebral crowd " . a film that patiently unwraps itself frame after frame , giving away very little with each step and each sound , unwinding itself until its final scenes offer up a world of revelations and plenty more to discuss later . i 've always loved movies that have me talking about them afterwards like the shining and lost highway and this film fits right into that group . in fact , i guess i can pussyfoot around the actual word all i want but the best way to describe this kind of movie is a " mindfuck " . if you feel like watching a movie that moves very slowly , gives you a handful of characters with divergent backgrounds , tosses a few very ambiguous and supernatural cookies your way and is extremely disturbing once you put it all together , well , then this movie is definitely for you ! it 's the kind of film that you actually have to see twice to fully appreciate ( damn , i missed that whole " peanut butter " thing ! ) and one that will likely creep the shit out of you if watched alone in the dark . " brrrrrrrrr . . . now what was that sound in the basement ? honey , can you go check ? " and one thing this film does n't have , unlike its hollywood - ian counterparts like the haunting , is special effects . in fact , that 's one of the greater things about this movie : it feels real because it looks like it 's actually taped on video with very credible actors in very credible circumstances ( i did some research and it was , in fact , shot on digital video . . . ah - ha ! ) . another great thing about it is that it 's actually very gory and somewhat violent in theme , and yet we rarely see anything of the sort on the big screen ( it 's mostly implied , kids ! ) . and as clich ? d as it might be to say . . . it 's usually much scarier when stuff is left to our imagination or implied in movies as such . other films that this one reminded me of include henry : portrait of a serial killer and the blair witch project , with that same real sense of dread , brooding and terror . the film does however move awfully slow and if you really do n't get " into " it completely ( you really need to concentrate here ) , you will lose the motion of the story and the pent - up tension might be released . but overall , this film is yet another great example of the horror genre making a very cool comeback this year with no tight tanktops in sight . and with david caruso acting like the king hotshot like only he can , how can you go wrong ? definitely not a film for everyone but a must - see for anyone looking to throw themselves into the psyche of the disturbed ( count me in ! ) . stanley kubrick would be proud ! oh yeah . . . so where 's that gun again . . . ? where 's joblo coming from ? the blair witch project ( 4/10 ) - blair witch 2 ( 7/10 ) - the haunting ( 3/10 ) - the house on haunted hill ( 7/10 ) - lost highway ( 10/10 ) - the pledge ( 6/10 ) - the shining ( 9/10 ) - the sixth sense ( 8/10 ) - unbreakable ( 8/10 )

1POS

disturbing once you put it all together , well , then this movie is definitely for you ! it 's the kind of film that you actually have is special effects . in fact , that 's one of the greater things about this movie : it feels real because it looks video . . . ah - ha ! ) . another great thing about it is that it 's actually very gory and might be released . but overall , this film is yet another great example of the horror genre making a very cool comeback this of the disturbed ( count me in ! ) . stanley kubrick would be proud ! oh yeah . . . so where 's that

hedwig and the angry inch ( 2001 ) john cameron mitchell , miriam shor , stephen trask , michael pitt , theodore liscinski , michael aronov , andrea martin , maurice dean wint , ben mayer - goodman . animation by emily hubley . adapted from the stage play by john cameron mitchell and stephen trask . music and lyrics by stephn trask . written and directed by john cameron mitchell . 91 minutes . rated r , stars ) had " hedwig and the angry inch " came out in the ' 70s , right after david bowie 's " ziggy stardust , " it likely would now be regarded as one of the most popular rock musicals of all time . released in the 500 channel , sensory overload world of 2001 , however , the big screen adaptation of the acclaimed off - broadway musical must do battle with countless other productions clamoring for attention . i almost missed it . every august , the major studios try to squeeze the last few dollars out of summer moviegoers by dumping all of their shakier offerings on the marketplace at once . i was so busy trying to keep up with national releases like " summer catch " and " bubble boy " that i passed over any independent film that looked like it would only have a short local run . but an e - mail from a reader asking why i had n't reviewed the movie prompted me to make a late evening trip to the theater . thank goodness for readers like him . " hedwig and the angry inch " is a gender - bending glam - rock spectacular packed with great songs . stylistically , the hook - laden tunes are reminiscent of bowie , " bat out of hell " era meatloaf and " the rocky horror show , " without ever seeming like imitations . as with " tommy , " " hedwig " tells a story of isolation , pain and defiance , but without the bloated feel of that beloved , but overrated rock opera . writer - director - star john cameron mitchell and composer - lyricist stephen trask have cooked up a real winner . mitchell stars as hedwig , a singer from east berlin touring a chain of u . s . coffee shops with her pan - slavic band , the angry inch . while the patrons of the run - down restaurants look on in shock , and sometimes horror , hedwig boldly tells the sad story of her life in song . she was once a boy named hansel ( ben mayer - goodman ) , living with his mother ( alberta watson ) and listening to rock and roll on american armed forces radio . life is an exercise in duality for hansel . a wall splits his hometown into two parts . mother describes love as the emotion that comes when you find your other half . as hansel grows up , the duality becomes more pronounced . after initially mistaking him for a girl , a gi from the states ( maurice dean wint ) falls in love with hansel and wants to marry him . alas , hansel will never pass the mandatory physical . mother helpfully suggests a sex change , but the operation goes bad , hence the references to " the angry inch " ( yes , i know this part is squirm - inducing , but stick with me - it 's worth it ) . several years later , mr . right is long gone and hansel becomes hedwig , decked out in a farrah fawcett - style wig and fronting a band made up of korean women . hedwig finds a new love in tommy ( michael pitt ) , a beatific lad with a unique take on christianity . but tommy does hedwig wrong , stealing her songs and becoming a superstar . cut to the present . tommy gnosis ' stadium tour is thriving and hedwig is suing him . despite warnings from her manager ( andrea martin ) that she could easily be labeled a stalker , hegwig and her new band , the angry inch , continue their coffee shop tour , shadowing the thief by playing whatever city he is in . if this sounds like a bizarre premise for a rock musical , take a few seconds and consider the plotlines of " tommy " and " rocky horror . " as hedwig , john cameron mitchell does a magnificent job taking a character that could have simply been a caricature or an icon and turning her into a compelling human being . mitchell has world - class style and vocal chords to match . even though the backstory is unusually strong , mitchell never forgets that the production is first and foremost a rock musical . everything is propelled by one terrific song after another and , trust me , these are full - fledged rock songs , not the over - processed fluff that passes for rock in most musicals . while mitchell remains in the center of the stage throughout the film , there is much of interest on the sidelines . miriam shor does fine work as yitzhak , hedwig 's lover and bandmate , conveying a great deal through expressions alone . decked out in a bandanna and a surprisingly convincing beard , she makes a mighty attractive man . as always , " sctv " veteran andrea martin is a welcome presence onscreen and michael pitt is beguiling as tommy , the angelic - appearing little rat . artist emily hubley adds to the magic with a string of dandy animated sequences that charm the eye while underlining the central themes of the musical . " hedwig and the angry inch " surrounds a weird , funny and touching story with a knockout series of songs performed by an exceptional cast . true originals do not come along very often ? do n't let this slip out of town without seeing it .

1POS

inch " is a gender - bending glam - rock spectacular packed with great songs . stylistically , the hook - laden tunes are reminiscent star john cameron mitchell and composer - lyricist stephen trask have cooked up a real winner . mitchell stars as hedwig , a singer from east and foremost a rock musical . everything is propelled by one terrific song after another and , trust me , these are full - fledged is much of interest on the sidelines . miriam shor does fine work as yitzhak , hedwig 's lover and bandmate , conveying as always , " sctv " veteran andrea martin is a welcome presence onscreen and michael pitt is beguiling as tommy , the hedwig and the angry inch " surrounds a weird , funny and touching story with a knockout series of songs performed by an exceptional cast . true originals do not come along very often ? do n't let this slip out of town without seeing it .

with many big - budget science fiction films , great ideas are often wasted by bad scripts , cheesy plot twists , and , terrible acting . the fifth element , the abyss , and godzilla had great concepts squandered by bad acting , writing , or both . at first glance , the matrix , larry & andy wachowski 's sci - fi / kung - fu / shoot - em - up spectacular , looks like a prime candidate to join the list of high - concept bad movies , especially with dopey keanu reeves in the leading role . but despite high levels of cheese and gaudy dialogue , the matrix works . it 's an uncanny blend of action and surreal fantasy that borrows from dozens of other films ( most obviously the terminator films , star wars , and total recall ) , but remains refreshingly original and interesting throughout . reeves plays neo , a computer hacker who stumbles into an initially bewildering set of encounters with " trinity " ( carrie - anne moss ) , a rival hacker who has supernatural powers and stunning good looks , a unseen , omniscient cult figure known as " morpheus " ( lawrence fishburne ) , and a trio of creepy men in dark suits who act like irs agents from hell . neo quickly learns that the world he has known all his life is not what it seems . moreover , he discovers that the grim , bleak world he is introduced to has been waiting for him to save it . neo is reluctant to assume the role of messiah , with grave doubts that he is actually " the one " prophesized to come and save the world . reluctant or not , what follows is a mix of hong kong - style slow - motion shootouts , surreal dream sequences , high speed chases , and comic book kung - fu fights . the film also raises interesting philosophical questions about reality . how exactly do you know what is real and what is in your mind ? and if the real world were much harsher and grim than a fantasy one you were living in , would you want to face the true world or continue to live in a more comfortable illusion ? unfortunately , the matrix does n't provide many answers to the questions it raises , but at least it puts some ideas behind all the explosions , shoot - outs , and flying roundhouse kicks . perhaps stealing the entire show in the matrix is australian actor hugo weaving , who plays agent smith , the leader of the creepy agents in sunglasses and suits who seem capable of being anywhere and doing anything to stop neo and friends from destabilizing the matrix . weaving 's stony appearance , deadpan voice , and chilling comments put a grim human face on the haunting , evil technological force that controls the matrix . like robert patrick as the shapeshifting t-1000 terminator in terminator 2 : judgement day , weaving is more frightening than any monstrous alien or homicidal robot because , despite his power and seeming invincibility , he looks ordinary , even scrawny . weaving embodies his role with a memorably chilling presence . the film features some truly breathtaking special effects and stylish cinematography . it seems to be deliberately kitchy , with stylized fight sequences directed by hong kong stunt specialist wo ping that reportedly required months of martial arts training by the actors . in a few scenes , the posing and posturing is unintentionally funny . just seeing keanu reeves engaging in serious kung fu is a bit jarring . however , with the comic - book style and tone of the film , you can sustain willing disbelief long enough to enjoy the ride without losing patience . the matrix is n't a classic . its open - ended and confusing conclusion raises more questions than it answers . it fails to resolve many of its own plot twists and philosophical questions . it also relies on some conventional sentimentality to save the hero - the kind of shmaltzy feel - good goo that most of the film avoids . reportedly , the producers have high hopes for the film being the first in a trilogy and have already begun work on the story for the sequel . unfortunately , audiences deserve a little more than a vague sense that the story will continue in the future . the matrix is an fun , enjoyable diversion , like a big puff of cotton candy at a carnival . just do n't be surprised half an hour later when you still feel a little hungry .

1POS

, star wars , and total recall ) , but remains refreshingly original and interesting throughout . reeves plays neo , a computer hacker who stumbles , shoot - outs , and flying roundhouse kicks . perhaps stealing the entire show in the matrix is australian actor hugo weaving , who role with a memorably chilling presence . the film features some truly breathtaking special effects and stylish cinematography . it seems to be deliberately kitchy , with stylized story will continue in the future . the matrix is an fun , enjoyable diversion , like a big puff of cotton candy at a

" the deep end " uses a color palette of rich earth tones surrounded by a vast array of blues . alluring , attractive blues , but also icy and foreboding . after taking in their beauty , the eye seeks out the reassuring browns and greens , like a tired swimmer searching for the safety of land . the production works that way as well ? it pulls you in initially as a crisp , thoroughly - modern thriller , with clipped exchanges between defiantly non - communicative characters . but the real draw of the film is the submerged humanity of two key players as " the deep end " gradually reveals the melodramatic core beneath its ironic candy coating . spoiler alert : the following reveals the basic storyline . i believe the plot points are incidental , because the real rewards come in exploring the mindset of the main characters , but still , you should proceed at your own risk . with her husband tom , a naval officer , often away at sea , margaret hall ( tilda swinton ) holds down the fort , taking care of the children , beau ( jonathan tucker ) , paige ( tamara hope ) , and dylan ( jordon dorrance ) , while her father - in - law jack ( peter donat ) hovers in the background , always watching . the story opens with margaret leaving the family home in lake tahoe to storm a male strip club in reno . it seems that beau , her eldest , is having an affair with darby reese ( josh lucas ) , a disreputable sort 12 years his senior . margaret demands that darby leave her son alone , only to have the man smirk at her and announce he 'll be glad to steer clear of beau ? for $ 5000 . back at home , she tries to talk about it all with her son , but the kid wo n't even confirm that he 's gay , let alone discuss the issues she has with his boyfriend . he does , however , get attentive when she reveals darby 's $ 5 , 000 offer , even as he maintains his sullen demeanor . late in the evening , darby shows up outside , tossing pebbles at beau 's window like a schoolchild . the two meet by the water at the boathouse , where something important happens . i wo n't reveal what ; suffice to say we become aware of a significant fact that margaret does not . all of this happens in the first few minutes of the movie , by the way . within a day or so , margaret 's life becomes even more complicated when a suave man named alec goran visnjic ) turns up with an explicit videotape documenting the sex life of beau and darby . he and his associate are willing to destroy the tape , once margaret coughs up $ 50 , 000 . oh , what 's a mother to do ? end spoilers written , directed and produced by scott mcgehee and david siegel ( " suture " ) , " the deep end " is based on elisabeth sanxay holding 's 1940 's novel , " the blank wall , " which was also the source of the 1949 film , " the reckless moment . " i 've neither read the book nor seen the movie , but i understand that the filmmakers changed some details . in holding 's story , the " scandalous " relationship is between an older man and margaret 's teen - age daughter . switching the gender makes the tale seem more contemporary , and it also raises questions about margaret 's motives . many reviews of " the deep end " describe margaret as a mother ferociously protecting her son , but i wonder . consider this : margaret lives in a meticulously kept upscale home . her husband is absent most of the time and seems to be regarded as a larger - than - life figure . her father - in - law is constantly present , almost as if he is monitoring for his son . and when her husband does call , margaret is careful not to tell him about anything disturbing that is going on with the family . so is margaret a mother who accepts her son 's sexual orientation and is simply trying to shield the young man from a lover she fears will take advantage of him ? or is she caretaker of a museum of upper middle class complacency , desperate to maintain the status quo so that everything will be postcard perfect when the old man returns from the sea ? you sort it out . regardless , the resonance of " the deep end " comes from two actors . goran visnjic , best known from the tv drama " er , " is striking as a blackmailer unlike any you 've seen before . he engages margaret in a mesmerizing dance of protocol , chivalry and simmering eroticism . but the star of this show , without a doubt , is the remarkable tilda swinton . watch the shadings , depth , resource , vitality and understated sexuality she gives margaret and try to imagine the film without her . days after my second viewing of " the deep end , " i can still vividly picture her negotiating with villains , trying to connect with her son and diving into icy blue water . " the deep end " is an exceptional film and tilda swinton is the best part of it .

1POS

known from the tv drama " er , " is striking as a blackmailer unlike any you 've seen before . he engages margaret in a mesmerizing dance of protocol , chivalry and simmering eroticism . but the star of this show , without a doubt , is the remarkable tilda swinton . watch the shadings , depth , resource icy blue water . " the deep end " is an exceptional film and tilda swinton is the best part of it .

warning ! : may contain some mild spoilers and offensive material . rated : r ( ! ) for sexual content , crude and sexual humor , and some nudity . . ( a mild r rating ) starring : rob schneider , oded fehr , eddie griffin , arija bareikis , amy poehler , norm mcdonald . running time : 88 minutes " deuce bigalow : male gigolo " is simply a hilarious good - natured comedy that may offend some , but underneath all it 's crude humor and sexual content is a sweet little love story that is surprisingly involving . it is n't any kind of cinematic classic , but it 's a very very funny comedy that keeps us entertained until the end credits which themselves are funny too . it has all it needs to be a breezy entertaining comedy : the acting is up to pace and some of the performances quite funny , the screenplay is witty and smart , and the whole story is sweet and cute . deuce bigalow ( rob schneider ) is your typically average guy : he cleans fish tanks for a living and gets an average of 10 bucks for it . though one might call him a loser , deuce gets a job he would never thought he would get . he gets to clean the tank for a male gigolo ( oded fehr ) and gets offered to watch over his place while he goes on a trip . trying to be like him he hangs upside down from a pole and accidentally pushes off the fishtank and burns his cabinets . the thing is now he has to try and find $ 6 , 000 dollars in three weeks to make sure everything looks right again . so he decides to go " man - whoring " and to his luck gets the oddest people on earth : an over - weight woman who decidedly wants to eat everything in site , a woman with narcolepsy who sleeps all the time , a woman who has sudden screaming outbursts , and a woman he ca n't stop thinking about . he charges $ 10 but he is willing to negotiate . from now on he is considered deuce bigalow : male gigolo . with non - stop laughs an a abundence of crude humor " deuce bigalow : male gigolo " is sometimes like last years hit " there 's something about mary " that is offensive but very funny . the screenplay by harris goldberg and rob schneider himself is a smart , clever and witty screenplay that seems to have been written with care to make is so hilariously funny . the characters in the film are all actually likable especially " jabba lady " with her big body but soft heart . there are actually times in the movie where i fell out of my chair laughing so hard that my stomach was killing me . even though i thought " toy story 2 " and " being john malkovich " were the funniest of the year " deuce bigalow " follows right behind them . the directing by mike mitchell is fantastic and shows he took time on the film . rob schneider gives a surprisingly endearing performance and when his romance develops with one of his customers kate ( arija bareikis ) it is a sweet romance that we get involved in and actually like being involved in it . " deuce bigalow " is a good - natured film worth all the merit it can get . its not a classic or a masterpiece , it 's just a comedy that we do n't feel bad about watching . sure it may come off as offensive and may come off as dumb sometimes , but you can not deny that it is n't funny . " deuce bigalow : male gigolo " is no disappointment . its a fast paced , entertaining sweet and hilarious comedy that may be destined to become a cult classic . fans of schneider will not be disappointed and fans of crude but nice comedies will not either . for some reason the film garnered an r rating but with no " f words " or extensive use of sexual content or explicit nudity i was really wondering why the film was r . a mild r to put it to the least , but even if your under 17 or above at least 13 this film is good enough for you to see . do n't try to be one of those people who make so much of a film that they do not like it , just sit back , laugh and enjoy the movie .

1POS

minutes " deuce bigalow : male gigolo " is simply a hilarious good - natured comedy that may offend some , but underneath all it 's n't any kind of cinematic classic , but it 's a very very funny comedy that keeps us entertained until the end credits which themselves are funny too . all it needs to be a breezy entertaining comedy : the acting is up to pace and some of the performances quite funny , the screenplay is witty and smart , and the whole story is sweet and cute . deuce bigalow ( rob schneider ) is your typically he is considered deuce bigalow : male gigolo . with non - stop laughs an a abundence of crude humor " deuce bigalow : male gigolo " is sometimes like the screenplay by harris goldberg and rob schneider himself is a smart , clever and witty screenplay that seems to have been written with care to make year " deuce bigalow " follows right behind them . the directing by mike mitchell is fantastic and shows he took time on the film . rob schneider gives a surprisingly endearing performance and when being involved in it . " deuce bigalow " is a good - natured film worth all the merit it can get . its not a classic or a masterpiece , it bigalow : male gigolo " is no disappointment . its a fast paced , entertaining sweet and hilarious comedy that may be destined to become a cult classic . a film that they do not like it , just sit back , laugh and enjoy the movie .

underrated movies are a common reoccurrence in show business today . 1998 's ' hope floats ' was extremely underrated and was one of the best movies of the year . we always get films that make big money at the box - office but critics and audiences pan on them . this year ' double jeopardy ' is one of those films . critics are calling it predictable and worthless , audiences are disappointed with it and think it was a disappointment . but as i viewed ' double jeopardy ' i found that it was a great movie , it has a surprising sense of humor and a big dose of heart , along with heart - pounding suspense and twists and turns here and there it certainly is a really good movie . the always wonderful ashley judd plays libby parsons , a woman with a seemingly normal life : a great loving husband , a beautiful son and a great friend . her husband nick parsons has made a surprise for her and is going to buy her the sailboat she has always wanted . after a night of bliss libby wakes up in the middle of the night to find blood all over her and all over the sailboat , her husband is missing and there is a bloody knife on deck . of course being in shock she picks it up and a coast guard comes over and sees her . however she is n't immediately ceased until they find out his life insurance was worth two - million dollars and they start to wonder rather she killed him for the money . she pleads not - guilty but is found guilty and sent to prison for six years . while making a phone call to her best friend who adopted her son for her and she hears him say hi to his dad , which makes libby 's heart stop right there . she realizes she must get out and prove that he is n't dead , one of her cell - mates tells her that as long as she has been convicted of a crime she can not be convicted of it again . which means she can shoot him in the middle of mardi gras and they can not do anything about it . after she gets out she goes to a halfway house run by parole officer tommy lee jones . he is a man who has had his share of bad things . while out for the day she breaks into a school and tries to track down her kid and husband , leading up to some jaw - dropping twists that are both predictable and not . whatever happens the film was excellent to me . i found the writing well - written as well as the acting was great . ashley judd is such a talented and beautiful actress that she is a hero in a sort in this movie . even if you know what is going to happen in the end , you do n't know how . this is one of those movies that you really do know what is going to happen , except you do n't know how they are going to make it happen . it could be one way or another , it could be this way or that way . the movie is highly stylized and extremely well - made . it gets most of it 's power from the two leads : ashley judd and tommy lee jones both give excellent performances . the characters are well - realized and believable and we feel libby 's pain when she can not see her child for 6 years . even though a lot of critics did n't like the film , i loved it . the director took his time making the movie , and put a lot of shadowing in the movie . i found it not to be boring at all and it 's only flaw comes from some predictability . it moved at a fast pace , has suspense , humor , heart and great acting . s and to me that 's what it was .

1POS

underrated movies are a common reoccurrence in show business today . 1998 's ' hope floats ' was extremely underrated and was one of the best movies of the year . we always get films that make big money at the box - office but critics and audiences pan on them . this year ' double jeopardy ' is one of those films . critics are calling it predictable and worthless , audiences are disappointed with it and think it was a disappointment . but as i viewed ' double jeopardy ' i found that it was a great movie , it has a surprising sense of humor and a big dose of heart , along with heart - pounding suspense and twists and turns here and there it certainly is a really good movie . the always wonderful ashley judd plays libby parsons , a woman with a seemingly normal life : a great loving husband , a beautiful son and a great friend . her husband nick parsons has made a surprise for her and is going to buy her the sailboat she has always wanted . after a night of bliss libby wakes up in the middle of the night to find blood all over her and all over the sailboat , her husband is missing and there is a bloody knife on deck . of course being in shock she picks it up and a coast guard comes over and sees her . however she is n't immediately ceased until they find out his life insurance was worth two - million dollars and they start to wonder rather she killed him for the money . she pleads not - guilty but is found guilty and sent to prison for six years . while making a phone call to her best friend who adopted her son for her and she hears him say hi to his dad , which makes libby 's heart stop right there . she realizes she must get out and prove that he is n't dead , one of her cell - mates tells her that as long as she has been convicted of a crime she can not be convicted of it again . which means she can shoot him in the middle of mardi gras and they can not do anything about it . after she gets out she goes to a halfway house run by parole officer tommy lee jones . he is a man who has had his share of bad things . while out for the day she

as fairy tales go , cinderella has to be one of the most famous . almost everyone knows it , well at least in north america . so it is natural that someone will try to make a movie out of it . it has been done before with varying results . this version of the story is both similar to the original and different at the same time . the basic story remains unchanged but , one thing that seems to vanish with this version , and that is all the fantastical elements of the story . there is no fairy god mother or anything even remotely of that nature . after the fantastical elements are stripped away what is left is a realistic believable rendition of the cinderella story and an interesting love story at the least . . unlike in the fairy tale , the prince plays a much larger part than just that of the masked ball at the end . the ? prince ' , who happens to be the crown prince to the throne of france , meets ' cinderella ' , known as danielle , on a few occasions , most coincidentally and he becomes smitten with her . although this seems to be a far cry from the traditional story it allows for the main plot to proceed with enough room for some imaginative story telling . . the story takes place in a renaissance setting ; in france , with leonardo da vinci providing some comic relief on more than one occasion . this addition of leonardo da vinci , was quite successful in that it added some color to the movie , since some of the roles are a bit stereotypical . for example the role that was scripted for the prince leaves a few things to be desired . for instance the character seems to be a bit too unstable and fickle , a crown prince should not be anything remotely like that . especially since he is portrayed to be in his mid twenties at the least and almost ready to take the throne . the characters of danielle ( cinderella ) played by drew barrymore , and that of the evil step mother , played by anjelica huston , are well developed and well played by the two women . although the part of danielle is a bit stretched it is not too unlikely and not totally unbelievable . the nuances of the character are brought out well by drew barrymore and from watching the movie it seems like she had fun making the movie . as a contrast the part of the evil step mother is clearly seen from the very beginning and is almost clique . but , anjelica huston seems to add a certain flair to the role that makes it suit the movie nearly perfectly . the actual story is fairly predictable since it is after all the basic story of cinderella , but there are more than enough twists in how the story is told to make it interesting and enjoyable . the acting is of high caliber and seems deserved of praise . all in all this movie takes you back into history , into a seemingly magical fairy land . but , do n't get me wrong there is nothing but reality , it is just refreshing to watch a movie that is not based in a familiar setting with everyday familiar things happening . so although the story is basically familiar the world it is set in is not , and that adds a dimension to the film which in this humble reviewers opinion makes it worth seeing

1POS

evil step mother , played by anjelica huston , are well developed and well played by the two women . although the part of danielle not totally unbelievable . the nuances of the character are brought out well by drew barrymore and from watching the movie it seems add a certain flair to the role that makes it suit the movie nearly perfectly . the actual story is fairly predictable since it is than enough twists in how the story is told to make it interesting and enjoyable . the acting is of high caliber and seems deserved of praise . all in all this movie takes you back into dimension to the film which in this humble reviewers opinion makes it worth seeing

it stands as a moment one will not soon forget : a giant , green ogre flips through the pages of a cliche fairy tale , narrating it with every bit of dull inspiration that the story holds . this leads one to believe that this serves as the prologue to shrek , dreamworks ' second computer animated feature , but in a pricelessly hilarious bit of cinema , a page of this tale serves as that ogre 's toilet paper . from this opening moment , one can infer shrek 's defying of all expectations regarding it as a standard , disney - esque fairy tale . although rampant moments of hilarity dot shrek , the true charm of the film lies in the bold elements of friendship , courage , and acceptance , excelled by outstanding direction , stunning actor voice work , and most importantly , a witty screenplay with more going on than meets the eye . while shrek features an abundance of humor related directly toward adults , positive friendship values aimed at younger children fulfill the storyline : shrek , the previously mentioned ogre , holds a position of absolute nothingness within his community . the jolly green giant meets a fellow outsider , known only as the donkey ( his species ) who talks , and although he remains reluctant to warm up to him for a good portion of time , shrek eventually comes to a mutual understanding with him by acknowledging their common state as outcasts of the world . the pair team up to retrieve princess fiona from a castle guarded by a dragon for the powerful lord farquaad , learning quite a bit about each other and themselves along the way . their friendship exhibits the core theme of the need for someone to lean on , exemplifying to any child who may witness the film that acting as an honest companion can unquestionably affect someone . shrek and donkey endure as supposed freaks of nature due only to their differences from others but cling to each other for support and guidance along their journey . courage demonstrates itself within two major storylines : along the journey to rescue fiona , donkey 's immeasurable cowardice reveals itself . whether he encounters walking over a shaky bridge or living alone , donkey withholds fears that he continuously puts aside without self - acknowledgment . but the yapping donkey must face his phobias when presented with the giant , fire - breathing dragon guarding fiona ; either he dies from terror or he triumphs with courage . he wisely chooses courage by pretending as if no dangerous situation actually faces him , allowing the donkey to overcome a horror that likely only continued due to his insistence of them . secondly , upon shrek 's and donkey 's redeeming of princess fiona , the ogre finds the princess has plans for whomever saves her : to satisfy her desire for a ( human ) knight in shining armor . throughout this storyline , shrek faces his deep , perpetual misgivings of inhering as an ogre and struggles to determine how he will reveal his true identity to fiona . an ongoing struggle occurs between himself and his reluctance of the truth , but eventually , shrek courageously conquers his fear by telling the forbidden secret to fiona . children can realize from donkey and shrek that fear remains only as complicated as one makes it ; if one sets his / her mind to overcoming something in particular , endless possibilities exist . after the friendships and courage prevail , the three central characters at the heart of shrek must take one more stretch of development : acceptance . surprisingly , fiona holds a dark secret of her own : due to a spell cast upon her years ago , she transforms into an ogre by night . in this storyline , fiona must learn to hold acceptance for herself , and she must realize what beauty truly means : to simply act as one 's self . upon fiona 's learning of shrek 's desire to pursue a relationship with her , fiona , knowing that acceptance of herself serves as the only platform for her love with shrek to work , gives in to her inner demons of self - ridicule and hatred . any child can pull from fiona 's transformation the meaning of beauty and the meaning of self - acceptance . on the technical side , shrek triumphs . directors adam adamson and vicky jenson pace shrek in a consistent and satisfying manner , evenly distributing the lessons learned by the central characters . these central characters spring to life thanks to brilliant voice work from mike myers ( shrek ) , eddie murphy ( donkey ) , and cameron diaz ( princess fiona ) . myers creates his shrek as a lovable and troubled ogre whose green color not only serves as a skin color but perhaps his envy of other , " normal " beings . murphy succeeds with his donkey through recreating the high - strung persona that so many know the actor to have off screen . cameron diaz exudes charisma and innocence as fiona , giving the princess / ogre a sense of power that many female characters in animated films lack . while the direction and voice work certainly elevate shrek , the ultimate factor in the film succeeding lies in the screenplay , written by ted elliott , terry rossio , joe stillman , and roger s . h . schulman . the script never underestimates the intelligence of the viewer , combining the three previously spoken of elements with humor for adults and children alike . capping it off with a constant tongue - in - cheek feel that pokes fun at classic disney animated features , the fresh and entertaining screenplay delivers . with shrek , dreamworks executive jeffrey katzenberg has certainly one - upped himself by creating an instant animated classic that will live on for ages to come . the smaller children will laugh and cheer ; the adults will laugh even harder and leave understanding much that their children did not . a film that breaks stereotypes and creates a definite standard of its own , shrek can certainly endure as one for the ages .

1POS

shrek , dreamworks ' second computer animated feature , but in a pricelessly hilarious bit of cinema , a page of this tale serves as that ogre tale . although rampant moments of hilarity dot shrek , the true charm of the film lies in the bold elements of friendship of beauty and the meaning of self - acceptance . on the technical side , shrek triumphs . directors adam adamson and vicky jenson pace shrek in a consistent and satisfying manner , evenly distributing the lessons learned by the central characters . these central characters spring to life thanks to brilliant voice work from mike myers ( shrek ) , eddie murphy ( know the actor to have off screen . cameron diaz exudes charisma and innocence as fiona , giving the princess / ogre a sense while the direction and voice work certainly elevate shrek , the ultimate factor in the film succeeding lies in the screenplay , written by ted elliott , terry rossio , joe and roger s . h . schulman . the script never underestimates the intelligence of the viewer , combining the three previously spoken of elements with humor feel that pokes fun at classic disney animated features , the fresh and entertaining screenplay delivers . with shrek , dreamworks executive jeffrey katzenberg has certainly one - upped himself by creating an instant animated classic that will live on for ages to come . the smaller children will laugh and cheer ; the children did not . a film that breaks stereotypes and creates a definite standard of its own , shrek can certainly endure as one for the ages

for a movie about disco - era excess , " 54 " comes up surprisingly short on the sleazy happenings at the titular late 1970s and early 1980s manhattan dance club . think of it as a sort of " boogie nights " -lite - where that similarly - structured and -set portrayal of the porn industry was loaded with salacious goings - on and skidded on a destructive midpoint tone shift , " 54 " leaves the kinkier details to your imagination . it never needlessly revels in its seedy subject matter , but it thankfully never resorts to preaching , either . in fact , were it not for the rampant drug use and the intermittent dark moment , " 54 " would be about as feathery as the time period 's popular female hairstyle . studio 54 was a haven for the rich , famous and generally good - looking before it closed its doors forever in 1986 . inside , anything went and , we are told , everything did . the film 's fictional main character is shane o'shea ( ryan phillippe , the jerky jock from " i know what you did last summer " ) , a fresh - faced 19-year - old who dreams of venturing beyond the club 's velvet rope and coming face - to - face with the wild decadence he can only read about in magazines . his wish comes true when studio 54 owner steve rubell ( mike myers ) spots him amongst a crowd of gawkers one night in ' 79 and permits him passage - but not before he doffs his hideous shirt , of course . once inside , shane becomes seduced by the club 's dizzying vortex of sex and drugs . he has such a good time that he does n't want to leave , so he seeks employment as a busboy . he quickly becomes friends with greg ( breckin meyer ) and anita ( salma hayek ) , a married couple who work along side of him ; greg 's a fellow busboy with aspirations to make the big money as a studio 54 bartender , while anita checks coats but desires a recording contract to call her own . after rubbing elbows ( among other things ) with a renowned socialite ( sela ward ) and gaining the personal interest of rubell , shane begins to ascend to the upper echelons of 54 . but fame does n't come without a price . " 54 " 's major shortcomings lie within its handling of the supporting players - at a slim hour - and - a - half , the film is too short to take on such a multi - character focus , and more than a few balls are dropped in the resulting juggling act . alleged last - minute edits and reshoots are more than likely to blame for the occasionally rushed development and ambiguous interaction , since " 54 " sometimes feels like it 's missing a scene here or there . nowhere is this more apparent than in shane 's relationship with soap opera actress julie black ( neve campbell ) , a frequent studio 54 patron whom he 's long admired from afar . the romance is prodded along before it has a chance to transform into something special . that " 54 " works despite these limitations , then , is largely due to the competence and energy with which it 's assembled . sure , it 's shallow , slick , sanitized portrait of a bygone age , and sure , we 've seen the rags - to - riches story gazillions of times , but debut director and screenwriter mark christopher keeps things moving with lively snapshots of the studio 54 hustle and bustle and an even livelier cast to inhabit his bouncy vision . the film boasts some fine comic creativity , the pinnacle of which is disco dottie ( " the wedding singer " 's ellen dow ) , an elderly dancing queen who plays the loving grandmother in public , but slides up to shane behind 54 's closed doors and asks for a " funky little treat . " the solid , sexy cast smooths out - if only while you 're caught up in the film - any rough spots belonging to their alter - egos or the plot . newcomer phillippe has the charisma and joisey accent down pat ; he and campbell , as fetching as ever , look so good together it 's a shame their subplot goes nowhere . meyer exhibits the congenial appeal that made him a delight to watch in " clueless " ( he was the stoner with the joker - smile ) , while hayek simply sizzles , especially when leading a dance class with the mantra , " one , two , three , attitude ! " sherry stringfield , unidentifiable under big ' 70s hair , takes on her first big - screen gig since she left " er " as rubell 's accountant , but she 's criminally underused . as the droopy - eyed , drug - addled steve rubell , myers is worth the price of admission alone . when he 's not playing the life of the party , the ex- " saturday night live " comedian strips away all of rubell 's confidence and swagger to show a man desperately trying to fill his empty , unhappy life with exorbitance ; it 's a moment worthy of pity when , while lounging on a bed of money and vomiting from a particularly heavy evening , he attempts to seduce one of his employees . and while his performance is largely serious , myers mixes the empathy with a delicate " austin powers " -esque wink , thus keeping consistent with " 54 " 's overall feel - gaudy , larger - than - life and satisfyingly ornamental , not unlike a giant disco ball .

1POS

to transform into something special . that " 54 " works despite these limitations , then , is largely due to the competence and energy with which it 's assembled . sure , it 's shallow , slick , sanitized cast to inhabit his bouncy vision . the film boasts some fine comic creativity , the pinnacle of which is disco dottie ( " it 's a shame their subplot goes nowhere . meyer exhibits the congenial appeal that made him a delight to watch in " clueless " ( he was the stoner with the joker - smile ) , while hayek simply sizzles , especially when leading a dance class with the mantra eyed , drug - addled steve rubell , myers is worth the price of admission alone . when he 's not playing the life of the

in 1994 , an insider 's look at a scandal - ridden run for the democratic presidential nomination ( closely based on clinton 's 1992 campaign ) was written anonymously ( former newsweek writer joe klein later claimed true authorship ) . now , the book , primary colors , has been made into a movie , directed by mike nichols , and , in light of recent presidential scandals , seems to be more relevant than ever . but the film is more than a diatribe against , or a paean in praise of , the president . it is a fascinating look at the political machinery , and the ethical quagmire , that surround modern politics . jack stanton ( john travolta ) is the governor of a small southern state running for the democratic presidential nomination . he is charismatic , but has several flaws which threaten to doom his campaign , and strains his relationship with his wife , susan ( emma thompson ) . the film is told from the point of view of henry burton ( adrian lester ) , grandson of a civil rights leader , who is swept away by stanton 's ideals and helps to organize the campaign . he joins political strategist richard jemmons ( billy bob thornton , looking an awful lot like james carville ) , and campaign advisor daisy green ( maura tierney ) . governor stanton 's past repeatedly pops up to haunt him , a fact that his chief rival , lawrence harris ( kevin cooney ) , consistently uses to his advantage . to help clean up the stanton campaign , jack and susan bring in an old friend , libby " the dustbuster " holden ( kathy bates ) . the acting throughout primary colors is superb . it would be worth seeing the movie for bates ' wild performance alone . she enlivens the atmosphere with energy in a truly boisterous performance . travolta does a fair clinton impersonation as governor stanton , although his accent does stray a little . emma thompson delivers a strong performance as his suffering wife who ca n't let anything show that might hurt the presidential run . the problem with political movies is that they tend to alienate over half of their audience by promoting one side or the other , or else the movie is vague to the point of boredom . primary colors treads lightly on this issue . though stanton is clearly portrayed as a democrat , and there are a few minor barbs thrown in the way of republicans , the movie touches on few actual political issues . in fact , most of the " bad guys " are fellow democrats on the same road to the white house . rather than issues , the film is primarily concerned about scandals and spin control . although the film strays into some obviously non - clinton territory , it is difficult to completely separate it from reality ( particularly when certain scenes seem to highlight the president 's current troubles ) . primary colors ' chief problem is its length . it runs about 15 minutes too long . there are some scenes which could have easily been cut . for example , midway through the film , the candidate gives a speech to an assembly of laid off machinists . the scene 's only apparent purpose is to establish stanton 's character , which has already been done in similar scenes earlier in the film . the extra length is n't long enough nor tiring enough to be annoying , but it mars an otherwise excellent film . republicans , democrats , and political agnostics should all be able to find something to like in primary colors . it 's a funny , and at some times shocking , look at the modern political process .

1POS

" the dustbuster " holden ( kathy bates ) . the acting throughout primary colors is superb . it would be worth seeing the movie for bates ' wild performance alone . she enlivens the atmosphere with energy in a truly boisterous performance . travolta does a fair clinton impersonation as governor stanton although his accent does stray a little . emma thompson delivers a strong performance as his suffering wife who ca n't let anything show excellent film . republicans , democrats , and political agnostics should all be able to find something to like in primary colors . it 's a funny , and

this movie was one of the first american films done by director paul verhoeven . he has done films since then such as basic instict and starship troopers . all of his movies have one main thing in common- they do n't skimp on the violence . in a verhoeven movie a guy does n't get shot once in the chest- he gets shot many times all over the body . robocop takes place in detroit in the future . things are pretty bleak . the company ocp rules the city with an iron fist and is moving in on running the police force . peter weller plays a cop who goes on a mission with his partner , nancy allen . peter weller goes in an empty room alone and gets killed . meanwhile ocp has a failed demonstration of a ed-209 model robot crime fighter . someone comes up with the idea of having a cyborg robocop so they use any parts worth scalvaging from peter weller and make him into the robocop the movie is titled after . the plot of this movie generally runs at a decent pace . it drags a bit towards the end with robocop wanting to finish everybody off , but plot twists keep it exciting . the acting is bad from weller when he is human , but very good when he is robocop . nancy allen does a decent job . this movie does n't leave itself open for a sequel exactly . but they made one anyway . enter . . . robocop 2 starring : peter weller and nancy allen directed by : irvin kershner detroit is in a more bleak state than it was in the first film . ocp is trying to develop an improved ' robocop 2 ' that will be more than a match for criminals . most of the police force is on strike due to ocp taking it over , leaving robocop to be the police force in the city . this film is pretty bizaare . it has a 13 year - old drug - lord who curses as much as eddie murphy , even more violence than the original , and some more humor . the plot of this movie is pretty large , almost too much so . there are three or four plot lines weaving around that do n't really match up . the effects are still decent though . this sequel is n't more of the same really , just a darker version robocop dealing more with drugs than with armed criminals . if you liked the first one , watch this . but be dissapointed . so later comes . . . robocop 3 starring nancy allen and robert john burke ocp is now owned by a large japanese company . robocop joins a band of rebels to counter - attack the evil empire , i mean ocp . the japanese send a cyborg - ninja to deal with robocop . among other things . . . this movie is easier to follow than the last one . which means the plot is n't quite as crowded . this movie is n't anything special though . just more of robocop blasting things up in a more kid - friendly way . really not reccomended .

1POS

movie is titled after . the plot of this movie generally runs at a decent pace . it drags a bit towards the end with robocop wanting to finish everybody off , but plot twists keep it exciting . the acting is bad from weller when he is lines weaving around that do n't really match up . the effects are still decent though . this sequel is n't more of the same really

eyes wide shut is n't the masterpiece many were hoping to see in stanley kubrick 's final film , but it is an impressive achievement ; a mesmerizing , haunting , adult psychodrama about marriage , fidelity and sex . it 's a stanley kubrick film from beginning to end , consistently exhibiting the auteur 's trademark penchant for long , continuous takes , his unparalleled deftness behind the camera and his uncanny ability to extract gorgeous performances from his exhausted cast ( indeed , eyes wide shut attained infamy even before its release for its notoriously laborious shoot : kubrick , a renowned perfectionist , reportedly held his cast " hostage " on the set for nearly a year ) . in an uncharacteristic maneuver , kubrick cast two big - name stars in the lead roles , namely real - life husband and wife tom cruise and nicole kidman . they play bill and alice harford , a volatile couple who , during the course of a couple nights , ponder the validity of the idea that a husband and a wife must be faithful to each other . he is an m . d . , she 's unemployed and we are introduced to them as they are getting ready to go to a fancy party . at the affair , they are both propositioned and both nearly succumb to the temptation to play around with someone else . when they return to their lavish new york apartment kidman ( after smoking a dash of weed ) inquires whether her husband had sex with two models who approached him during the night . he ( truthfully ) says that he did not and asks what happened with that hungarian guy she was dancing with . they proceed to argue until alice tells her spouse a lustful story : evidently some time ago , she had a thing for a young naval officer . she admits that she was ready to give up her whole future with bill and their young daughter if this guy wanted her even for one night . bill is jolted by alice 's story and we anticipate his reaction , but at that moment he gets a phone call and has to go " show his face " at the house of a just - deceased patient . this turns out to be the beginning of a long and eventful night on the town . the daughter of the dead patient hits on him but he wisely turns her down . he almost does the dirty deed with a kindly hooker who approaches him on the street . then , through a series of coincidences , he winds up at a gothic mansion where a ritualistic ( and frankly , creepy ) orgy takes place , with costumed people performing various public sex acts on each other . erotic dread mounts as cruise ( who 's not supposed to be there ) wonders the spacious halls watching the " action " until he is discovered to be an outsider . much hoopla has been raised over the fact that warner bros . digitally edited the orgy scene . with the help of a computer , they put in cloaked figures to block some of the actual sex acts ( they can still be seen , just not in all their glory ) in order to avoid the dreaded nc-17 rating . european viewers will see the film as kubrick envisioned it . roger ebert calls the american version the " austin powers version , " and many others have bashed the alterations . i am of the potentially controversial opinion that the figures only supplement the scene 's mystical atmosphere . the first thing one notices about eyes wide shut is how it looks . this is an artful , distinctively gorgeous production , shot in dark , moody hues and featuring some elaborate , beautiful scenery . from the giant mansion used in the film 's centerpiece to the decor at the christmas party to the harford 's apartment , this film is always a pleasure to look at . to boot , a great soundtrack makes it more atmospheric still . at the core , behind the graphic , controversial content and unappealing mood , this is a good - natured movie that emphasizes the importance of fidelity . it looks at sex as almost perfunctory by portraying it as unnerving rather than erotic . it 's something superficial and yet something necessary to achieve a deeper relationship . at the end , it seems , bill 's eyes are wide open to the special kind of love he and his wife have for each other , more meaningful than anything he could ever hope to find on the streets of new york . kubrick elicits wonderful performances from both cruise and kidman . tom is completely convincing as dr . harford , a man who seems guided solely by destiny , with no control of the course his life will take . nicole projects a quiet intensity as the jittery yet aggressive wife and her performance is stunningly effective : she 's headed for an oscar nod . the movie has some help from a similarly strong supporting cast , at the head of which is director - cum - thespian sidney pollock , enigmatic and articulate as harford 's mysterious friend . eyes wide shut is not perfect : the last hour could have used a slightly more scissor - happy editor and both cruise and kidman are too good- looking for me to believe that either would have a very strong temptation to philander . still , this is an important work from a great director , and while it may not be on par with some of stanley kubrick 's best it is a worthy final film , a complex exploration of jealousy and faithfulness . ? 1999 eugene novikov&#137 ;

1POS

to see in stanley kubrick 's final film , but it is an impressive achievement ; a mesmerizing , haunting , adult psychodrama about marriage eyes wide shut is how it looks . this is an artful , distinctively gorgeous production , shot in dark , moody hues and featuring some to find on the streets of new york . kubrick elicits wonderful performances from both cruise and kidman . tom is completely convincing as the jittery yet aggressive wife and her performance is stunningly effective : she 's headed for an oscar nod . the movie has some help from a similarly strong supporting cast , at the head of which is director - cum

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . milos forman 's first film since the ill - fated valmont , columbia 's the people vs . larry flynt , is a vastly entertaining ( if not particularly enlightening ) biopic of hustler publisher and self - made millionaire larry flynt , who became an unlikely champion of freedom of speech rights in the united states in the late 1970s and early 1980s . the film unweaves its tale in a chronological order : we open with young and dirt - poor larry flynt and his brother jimmy , peddling jars of water in true entrepreneurial spirit out in the rural outback of kentucky . cut to forward in time , where the two flynt brothers , now young men , are running the struggling hustler go - go clubs in cincinnati . the strip clubs are in a dire financial state , and in a last - ditch effort to salvage the operations , flynt decides to go to a print shop and churn out a promotional newsletter . this evolved into the adult periodical _ hustler _ magazine , creating larry flynt a vast financial empire , and the rest is history . what sets flynt apart from other publishers is his struggles against those who would have him cease publication of his adult material , and who railed and preached against him - flynt spent time in incarceration and was paralyzed by an assassination attempt - and his driven , single - minded insistence to buck the system and fight for his freedom of expression , regardless of personal cost . the people vs . larry flynt also weaves in the bittersweet story of flynt 's true love , althea leasure , whom he meets as a dancer in his club and later marries , and who devotedly stands alongside him throughout his trials and tribulations . considering the serious nature of the film 's theme - the importance of the united states ' first amendment - the people vs . larry flynt is surprisingly and wonderfully light - hearted and humourous . much of the comedy is elicited from larry flynt 's outlandish stunts at his courtroom appearances - some of his chosen apparel is hilarious - and for the most part these elements of the film work far better than some of the more dramatic points , such as an uninspiring flynt monologue set at a free speech rally in front of an enormous american flag dealing with the subjectivity of obscenity . the film 's focus is on the flynt 's many battles over first amendment rights and freedom of speech , but the heart of the people vs . larry flynt is the touching love story between flynt and althea . larry flynt is shown as being occassionally gruff , harsh , and overtly aggressive with his friends and colleagues , but with althea , we see his loving , affectionate side . there 's a scene where flynt tenderly takes his ill wife on a ride on his wheelchair that is heartbreaking . ultimately , the emotional power that the film hits at its conclusion comes not from his achievements from his battles against censors , but from the strength of flynt and althea 's love for each other . woody harrelson is entirely engaging in what must be certainly a career - topping performance as the irrepressible larry flynt . harrelson plays flynt with the right mixture of outrageousness and confident stubborness to make him endearing and entirely sympathetic to the audience , and a very compelling protagonist for the film . courtney love plays althea leasure in a startling turn , completely raw and impulsive . it 's a very solid performance , brash and naturalistic , and love is extremely compelling ; it 's difficult to take your eyes off her onscreen , and her chemistry with harrelson is dead - on . edward norton , as flynt 's straight , level - headed lawyer is often upstaged by his flashier co - stars in the people vs . larry flynt , much as his counterpart lawyer alan isaacman was upstaged by flynt during many of the courtroom scenes , but norton shines in his big scene where he addresses the supreme court in the climactic scene of the film . one can sense the frustration that norton 's character feels when harrelson 's free - talking flynt sabotages trial after trial on him by openly speaking his mind , and this results in a heightened emotional punch when norton 's isaacman has the opportunity to sway the supreme court judges . milos forman keeps the film moving - although it runs over two hours , it never drags - and his direction of the film is very effective , eliciting a great deal of empathy for a subject which could be construed by some as extremely sordid and unsympathetic . there 's also a great visual technique which forman uses to indicate the passing of time in one shot , which is both clever and extremely entertaining . two minor quibbles with the film - it certainly seems like the people vs . larry flynt is in a rush to get to its main theme , with flynt battling against authorities and the system for his freedom of speech . consequently , the first thirty minutes of the film , introducing and setting up the characters , seem unduly rushed ; perhaps it is merely due to the fact that these characters are so interesting , but i felt it would have worked better if this route was taken in a more leisurely fashion . it also felt like there was a distinctive lack of insight into the inner workings of these characters - the film clearly shows what flynt , althea , isaacman , and rev . jerry faldwell did , and on a superficial level some of their motivations , but it never seemed like one could really understand the characters on a deeper level . for example , why larry flynt was compelled by ruth carter stapleton ( president carter 's sister ) to be born - again is a mystery to me . then again , perhaps it was to him as well . these two points do n't detract greatly from the film . the people vs . larry flynt is certainly among the very best studio - released films of 1996 , and works both as a ringing political statement about the importance of freedom of speech and the depths to which larry flynt would go to advance the cause of free expression , and as a touching love story .

1POS

columbia 's the people vs . larry flynt , is a vastly entertaining ( if not particularly enlightening ) biopic of hustler publisher first amendment - the people vs . larry flynt is surprisingly and wonderfully light - hearted and humourous . much of the comedy is elicited from larry flynt ill wife on a ride on his wheelchair that is heartbreaking . ultimately , the emotional power that the film hits althea 's love for each other . woody harrelson is entirely engaging in what must be certainly a career - topping performance as the irrepressible larry flynt . harrelson plays flynt with the right mixture of outrageousness and confident stubborness to make him endearing and startling turn , completely raw and impulsive . it 's a very solid performance , brash and naturalistic , and love is extremely compelling ; it 's difficult to take your eyes off her onscreen , and her chemistry with harrelson is dead - on . edward norton , as flynt 's straight , level runs over two hours , it never drags - and his direction of the film is very effective , eliciting a great deal of empathy for a subject some as extremely sordid and unsympathetic . there 's also a great visual technique which forman uses to indicate the passing of time in one shot , which is both clever and extremely entertaining . two minor quibbles with the film - it certainly the film . the people vs . larry flynt is certainly among the very best studio - released films of 1996 , and works both as a ringing political

until i saw the night of the hunter , it had been a long time since i had gasped while watching a movie . forget the others and the deep end ( which veered toward strained dramatics ) , the night of the hunter is by far the scariest movie i 've seen so far this year . even though the movie is nearly 50 years old and there 's a not drop of blood to be seen . luckily , the night of the hunter , charles laughton 's first and final directing gig , has been restored by the ucla film and television archive and is being re - released in october 2001 . so , there 's still plenty of time to spill your popcorn all over the place . robert mitchum stars as harry powell , a reverend with a nasty habit of courting and then killing widows for their cash . his newest target is young mother willa harper ( shelley winters ) , whose murderer husband ben ( peter graves ) has hidden $ 10 , 000 somewhere . powell finds out about the stash and decides to court mrs . harper after he 's released and ben is hanged . but finding the money is n't easy for powell , who must contend with his stepchildren ( billy chapin and sally jane bruce ) , who know where the money is , but are n't telling . the hard part about seeing a classic now is the pop culture monster has usually drawn and quartered and then flaunted all the memorable moments , thus ruining the spontaneity and adventure when we finally watch it for the first time . how many spoofs or salutes to the shower scene in psycho have we seen in other movies ? what about the brilliant baby stroller sequence from battleship potemkin ? ( no , i 'm not blaming brian de palma entirely for this sampling problem . ) yes , there are some visual elements that other directors seem to have borrowed from the night of the hunter . powell 's " love " and " hate " knuckle tattoos obviously influenced spike lee in do the right thing ( remember radio raheem ? ) . and powell 's black suit , with black tie and white shirt , could have shaped quentin tarantino 's early visual style . seeing the night of the hunter for the first time , i was amazed at how much it crackled with wicked wit and fright and how much intensity was intact . you can now sign me up as president of the robert mitchum fan club . he plays the role with a controlled malice that induces unease every time he appears . he 's like the senior class president with an evil streak . if i ever need to stay awake , i 'll just picture him crooning , " leaning . . . leaning . . . . " any actor who wants to play a character with a touch of evil should study his performance the way a rabbinical student studies the torah . and credit must be handed out to laughton and cinematographer stanley cortez , who create a series of haunting , surreal shadowy images over the rural depression - era backdrop . it 's a testament to both men that they 're able to invigorate what has become a hackneyed storyline ( kids harassed by evil guardians ) by sticking to the old maxim that we 're more scared by what we do n't see . screenwriter and legendary film critic james agee does a beautiful job giving shape and substance to an array of supporting characters : the drunk birdie ( james gleason ) who 's haunted by his wife , and the spoons ( evelyn varden and walt spoon ) whose marriage has become a verbal vaudeville act . the only lapse is the movie 's third act , when pearl and john run away from home and find a home with the motherly , bible - reading mrs . cooper ( lillian gish ) . her showdown with powell is memorable -- a battle done with dueling hymns . however , the whole segment feels a little rushed and underdone , but it 's still a thrill seeing the queen of the silent film era handling a shotgun . do yourself favor and do n't miss this if it comes to a nearby theater . note : a series of revealing , but overlong , outtakes preceded the movie . the highlights included the legendary laughton ( who sounds eerily like mr . pitt from seinfeld ) running winters ' lines with mitchum , and the adorable , tiny bruce having trouble descending a coal pile . hours more of such footage exists , as laughton liked to keep the cameras constantly rolling . screened as part of the 2001 new york film festival retrospectives ( feature story coming soon ) .

1POS

the night of the hunter for the first time , i was amazed at how much it crackled with wicked wit and fright and how much intensity was intact . you can now sign me up as president of the robert mitchum fan club . he plays the role with a controlled malice that the way a rabbinical student studies the torah . and credit must be handed out to laughton and cinematographer stanley cortez , who create a shadowy images over the rural depression - era backdrop . it 's a testament to both men that they 're able to invigorate what has become a hackneyed storyline ( kids harassed by n't see . screenwriter and legendary film critic james agee does a beautiful job giving shape and substance to an array of supporting characters

jamaica is a hot vacation spot . the exchange rate encourages delusions of wealth ( approximately 30 jamaican dollars to one american ) , the sea is a brilliant blue , the air is warm but lacks humidity . and as tourism is unfortunately jamaica 's biggest trade , foreigners enter and leave with a sense of relaxation . life and debt takes a brassy look at life inside this impoverished country . while normal documentaries take the sally struthers approach of underlying scenes of starving children with tearful music , this film guides the viewer with a sarcastic voiceover that brings the troubles home without begging tears to the surface . the voiceover is written by acclaimed author jamaica kincaid . it guides the audience along a tourist 's journey and the story of the native inhabitants . instead of telling you what you are already seeing on screen , it quips , " you do n't see what happens after you flush the toilet . " this engages a viewer to see and think about devastation instead of merely being told it is there . this strong , sparse storytelling approach runs throughout the film . stephanie black is also intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals . this is n't just another talking head show of people moaning about their horrible lot in life . people are interviewed from all sectors of occupation , from field to factory , as well as social theorists and the banking organizations that continue to invest in the country . the variety of discussion perpetuates a compelling internal dialogue with any viewer , whether they are seeing jamaica for the first time or not . of course , as can be expected , the united states is slammed , owing to its involvement with the international monetary fund and the world bank . officials look moronic as they explain why their plans for jamaica 's economy will help the country back on its feet , but only if they are willing to follow the advice word for word . the next moment we see why and how each of these initiatives has failed , usually due to imports being cheaper than local labor or whether or not the soil is appropriate for the next agricultural trend the u . s . is forcing on the citizens . admittedly , some of the back and forth between the business - minded organizations and the failures they produce gets repetitive , but it also drives home the impact ignorance can have on both sides of an international argument . but jamaica is n't against the united states , and this documentary does not accuse the u . s . of being the sole perpetrator of its grief . if anything , it begs for a better understanding of the nature of jamaican society before stepping in to change it based on foreign regulations .

1POS

without begging tears to the surface . the voiceover is written by acclaimed author jamaica kincaid . it guides the audience along a tourist what happens after you flush the toilet . " this engages a viewer to see and think about devastation instead of merely being told it is there . this strong , sparse storytelling approach runs throughout the film . stephanie black is also intelligent in how she chooses to disclose the problems faced by the locals . this is n't just another talking head show of

denzel washington is among the many actors this holiday season to give very impressive milestone performances . this perhaps may be washington 's very best to date . he joins matt damon and jim carrey in having the talent , this season , to become his character , copying mannerisms and personal styles perfectly . his very believable performance makes the long and uninteresting " the hurricane " a much better film than it actually is . when his rubin " hurricane " carter feels pain and is tormented by racism , he creates for the audience a great sense of sympathy , disgust , and maybe even some embarrassment from the fact that this is our very own country that is breaking laws to support silly prejudices . the horrific true events carter suffered from all of his life are slightly more disturbing and terrifying because they only took place a few decades ago . the powerful expressions of denzel washington alone , as his tortured carter , sum up the troubles of racism in america 's history . he is that amazing . the problem with " the hurricane " is that when compared to washington , all of the other actors are not nearly as memorable in their roles . mainly because the script focuses so much on carter , that it leaves little interest or room for the other actors . this is , without a doubt , washington 's movie but in order for any film to be completely satisfying , it must utilize everyone in the cast to their highest potential not just the stars . denzel washington is the only reason to see this film for his inspirational and very depressing tour de force performance . as rubin carter , we see a black man whose existence has been a punching bag for the white american court system . > from the age of eleven to twenty one he was sent to a juvenile prison for a crime he did not commit . then after a successful marriage and boxing career , he was harshly imprisoned again for life after being framed for a triple murder . carter 's second term in prison seemed almost inevitable when faced off against jealous , powerful white men who refused to let him succeed . from these past experiences in jail , carter realized that he must make his case heard for all of america . after several court appeals , an autobiography , and many public marches for his freedom , carter remained locked in prison . it was not until a young black boy from brooklyn being educated in toronto read carter 's book in the 1980 's , that a serious battle for freedom took place . the young boy and his three canadian guardians decide to dedicate all of their time to the case until carter is released . the greatest scenes in the film are when carter begins to lose his mind after spending three months in isolation . washington really shows the breakdown of carter when after swearing he would never go to jail again , he is unfairly framed at the height of his innocent career . the devastation in washington 's eyes show a man who has struggled to do the right thing his whole life only to be punished for it . in the hole , carter attempts to maintain emotional balance but he can not . his anger is heightened to a point of no control . we see multiple carters , a violent angry one , a silent passive one , and a mediator . we see an emotional boxing match inside carter 's head . from this point in the hole to the end of the film , this fight continues . it is very apparent at times which side is winning the battle and in some scenes there is a direct switch from angry to caring or the opposite . when carter sees that white canadians want to help him get out of prison , the angry carter at first erupts . white people have been trying to hurt him his whole life , this reminder leads to anger in his head . however , as the film continues and the canadians continue to help carter we see the calm side him . he realizes that society is changing . that racism is decreasing and now carter wants to leave jail immediately and become a part of this world . very rarely have i seen such determination to perfect his role as washington has done here . if only the other actors had this same determination . dan hedaya , ridiculously plays the man who sends carter to prison twice by forcing witnesses to lie and switching evidence around . it felt like his character was taken straight out of a " scooby doo " episode ; he would have gotten away with it if it was n't for those annoying little kids . " the kids " in this film are the three canadians who are terribly underused making their relationship with carter underdeveloped and unbelievable . the lawyers who help release carter also are underused , as is clancy brown as a kind prison guard ( the complete opposite of his character in " shawshank redemption " ) . there is a great amount of talent in this supporting cast but it just never appears . hedaya was superb in " clueless , " same for david paymer in " get shorty , " harris yulin in " ghostbusters " and liev schreiber in " the daytrippers . " it is a mystery how this many actors signed on to such shallow roles . on the other hand , it is absolutely no mystery why denzel washington agreed to play rubin " hurricane " carter . this role is about as far off from shallow as you can get .

1POS

impressive milestone performances . this perhaps may be washington 's very best to date . he joins matt damon and jim carrey in having they only took place a few decades ago . the powerful expressions of denzel washington alone , as his tortured carter , up the troubles of racism in america 's history . he is that amazing . the problem with " the hurricane " is that jail immediately and become a part of this world . very rarely have i seen such determination to perfect his role as washington has done here . if only the other actors had this same determination

[ note : after claiming otherwise , my appetite was indeed whetted by kenneth branagh 's hamlet to search out other attempts to translate shakespeare to film in hopes of finding a better mousetrap . as it happens , it did n't take long . ] is there a more romantic director than franco zeffirelli ? known mainly to american audiences as the man behind 1968 's romeo and juliet ( required viewing for many high schoolers , and as much as most ever learn of shakespeare ) , he is also a favorite at the metropolitan opera , where his achingly beautiful designs further the already lush emotion of many a puccini aria . last year he gave us his beautifully realized version of jane eyre , one of the twin peaks ( with wuthering heights ) of romantic literature . it might seem peculiar , then , that zeffirelli ever had an interest in translating hamlet for the screen . at first blush , hamlet is far removed from romance . the hero , though a prince , is depressed , conflicted and confused . the ostensible love interest gets little screen time , and her scenes with her prince are usually as an object of mockery . the plot is full of political intrigue and the players are as cursed as the house of atreus . it is zeffirelli 's genius , however , that he is able to expose the romantic core of hamlet and give the sometimes dry tale an emotional embrace . in this italian master 's hands , romance is everywhere -- in a son 's worship of his father , in the bonds of deepest friendship , in the private thoughts of young lovers , even in the mystery of castles by the sea . after all , the story hinges on a ghost , and what could be more romantic than that ? what seemed like a cheap way to sell tickets at the time turned out to be one of the most romantic gestures of all , namely , hiring then - reigning hollywood hunk mel gibson to play the lead . who could believe that the man who made his mark playing mad max and a " lethal weapon " ( in the series of the same name ) would have the skill to succeed in the most famous role in the english language ? franco zeffirelli , that 's who . and it is apparent in every frame that his instinct was right on the money . what gibson brings to the role is a naturalness and ease which makes the whole story meaningful , not to mention comprehensible . his line readings sound spontaneous rather than rehearsed . his movements and gestures ( excepting his sometimes too active eyes ) are totally in keeping with the character . this is a hamlet whose pain we feel , whose struggle we empathize with , and whose death we mourn as sincerely as horatio at film 's end . glenn close , the other big name in the production , also does well by the script and satisfies as hamlet 's mother , gertrude -- though i must confess i 'm still trying to understand the character as written . ( zeffirelli 's incestuous interpretation of hamlet 's relationship with his mother does n't help . ) alan bates makes a believably evil claudius without resorting to the mannerisms of a hollywood heavy . by and large the rest of the cast performs admirably and comfortably . of special note are the cinematography by david watkin and the score by ennio morricone . both support the realistic mood marvelously ( as do the sets and costumes ) , without any overstated effects that declare " this is important ; this is shakespeare ! " i particularly appreciate that the words are often spoken without any music at all : the melody of a wonderfully wrought phrase is given its due . perhaps it is difficult to call edited shakespeare " definitive . " and there are certainly quite a few other filmed versions of hamlet that i have not seen . but if you 've ever felt the urge to overcome your fear of the bard , this hamlet is an excellent place to start .

1POS

players are as cursed as the house of atreus . it is zeffirelli 's genius , however , that he is able to expose the ( in the series of the same name ) would have the skill to succeed in the most famous role in the english language ? franco zeffirelli , that 's gestures ( excepting his sometimes too active eyes ) are totally in keeping with the character . this is a hamlet whose pain we feel , the mannerisms of a hollywood heavy . by and large the rest of the cast performs admirably and comfortably . of special note are the cinematography by david watkin and the score by ennio morricone . both support the realistic mood marvelously ( as do the sets and costumes ) , without overcome your fear of the bard , this hamlet is an excellent place to start .

the happy bastard 's quick movie review me tarzan . . . you happy viewer . for a minute there , i thought i was going to be groaning over the release of disney 's latest , another adaptation of a legend from the past . ( remember the pathetic pocahontas ? yikes ! ) but guess what- disney , a company that 's been on a roll lately with animated films , strikes again with another wonderful tale that pleases the eyes as well as the inner kid in you . the story is pretty basic- tarzan is left orphaned and a female gorilla who 's lost her young adopts him into her group . as he matures into a much older man , tarzan still wonders just why he 's so much different from the clan , and then arrives a hunter , a professor , and the professor 's lovely daughter , jane- who meets tarzan rather quickly after getting in trouble with a group of feisty babboons . from there , tarzan faces tough choices- should he stay with the ones that he grew up with or go join his own kind in england ? the voicework here is pretty top - level . tony goldwyn is very convincing as the ape man ; minnie driver adds a delectable touch to the already - beautiful jane ; nigel hawthorne makes for a pretty nasty hunter voice ; rosie o ' donnell keeps the laughs rolling as tarzan 's best ape friend terk ; and wayne " newman " knight has his moments as a panicky elephant . the movie is superb throughout , mixing a great script with incredible computer - assisted visuals . when tarzan tree - surfs ( a twist that was added on top of the same ol' vine swinging- and a great one , i might add ) , the camera twists and turns , allowing the trees all around to come to life vividly . i could n't believe my eyes- disney has come a long way since starting in a ballroom for beauty and the beast . and the music 's not half bad , either . fortunately , there 's no ridiculous singing characters here , just a great set of songs by phil collins that perfectly fit the mood . there 's some great action sequences here as well , including a wonderfully done chase between tarzan , jane , and the aforementioned babboons . but , of course , it 's not all action- there 's a message here as well that has to do with family . this is easily one of disney 's best animated films of the decade and it 's one i ca n't wait to put in my home library . . . that is , if my vcr still works in the year 2000 .

1POS

's been on a roll lately with animated films , strikes again with another wonderful tale that pleases the eyes as well as the inner kid in you . the story is pretty basic- tarzan is left orphaned with or go join his own kind in england ? the voicework here is pretty top - level . tony goldwyn is very convincing as the ape man " knight has his moments as a panicky elephant . the movie is superb throughout , mixing a great script with incredible computer - assisted visuals . when tarzan tree - surfs ( a twist that songs by phil collins that perfectly fit the mood . there 's some great action sequences here as well , including a wonderfully done chase between tarzan , jane , and the aforementioned babboons well that has to do with family . this is easily one of disney 's best animated films of the decade and it 's one i ca n't wait to put

one of the funniest carry on movies and the third with a medical setting . the main story is about dr . james nookey ( jim dale ) who is disliked by his superiors , frederick carver , head of the hospital ( kenneth williams ) , and dr . ernest stoppidge ( charles hawtrey ) who seems to dislike everyone . they attempt to cause him as much trouble in the hospital as possible and all the blame is laid on nookey . carver learns of a possible job opportunity from wealthy ellen moore ( joan sims ) on a distant tropical island and gets nookey trannsferred there . when nookey arrives at this island , he meets gladstone screwer ( sid james ) who has lived on the island just about all his life . screwer is in possession of a wonderful slimming drug made from natural ingredients . dr . nookey returns with the drug to england and sets up a new slimming business with ellen moore 's financial backing . however , nookey and moore face opposition from screwer who goes to england to cash in on the drug , and carver and stoppidge who want to know the ingredients to create a rival drug . the performances are all very commendable . sid james has a slightly ambiguous character to play this time and he excels in his role . kenneth williams , as usual , plays the unpopular and cunning head of the hospital . joan sims is entertaining as the wealthy benefactor and jim dale should really head the cast with his excellent portrayal of bumbling nookey . charles hawtrey plays an ' out - of - character ' role as dr . stoppidge , the nasty and evil practitioner who wants to knock nookey off his perch . some critics have said that this combination of hawtrey and stoppidge does not work well , but i think that it at least gives hawtrey a new part to play instead of the usual dimwit characters . as a matter of fact , hawtrey is suitably cunning in the part . other regulars in the movie include hattie jacques as the matron yet again ( but this part is probably her most boring ' matron ' ) and barbara windsor as nookey 's love interest and unofficial ' women 's lib ' campaigner , goldie locks . both jacques and windsor play their parts well . patsy rowlands appears briefly as miss fosdick , and there are very small cameos from wilfrid brambell ( from ' steptoe and son ' fame ) and peter butterworth . the jokes are mostly very funny , the story is quite appealing , and the regulars seem interested in what they 're doing . although it is another medical carry on movie and some of the jokes are borrowed from previous movies , it still comes out on top ( it is the best medical carry on ) because of the above factors . a must - see carry on movie .

1POS

one of the funniest carry on movies and the third with a medical setting . the main to know the ingredients to create a rival drug . the performances are all very commendable . sid james has a slightly ambiguous character to play this time and he excels in his role . kenneth williams , as usual , plays the unpopular ' campaigner , goldie locks . both jacques and windsor play their parts well . patsy rowlands appears briefly as miss fosdick , and steptoe and son ' fame ) and peter butterworth . the jokes are mostly very funny , the story is quite appealing , and the regulars seem interested in what they 're some of the jokes are borrowed from previous movies , it still comes out on top ( it is the best medical carry on ) because of the above factors . a must - see carry on movie .

whenever writer / director robert altman works in a specific genre , he has the tendency to rewrite it on his own terms . he made the west dirty in " mccabe and mrs . miller " ( 1971 ) , he parodied hard - boiled detective stories in " the long goodbye " ( 1973 ) , and he transformed a cartoon into flesh and blood with " popeye " ( 1980 ) . the same holds true for his most recent film , " the gingerbread man , " which reinvents a genre that has developed at an exponential rate over the last five years : the john grisham movie . by the time " the gingerbread man " was completed , there was very little evidence that it was ever based on a story by grisham . there 's no idealist young lawyer ala tom cruise , matthew mcconaughey , chris o'donnell or matt damon , and it does n't feature a great showdown in a courtroom . instead of being a grand ode to the powers of the legal profession , " the gingerbread man " is a rain - soaked , southern gothic noir thriller with wildly eccentric characters , a twisting plot line , black humor , a somewhat bleak ending , and even altman 's trademark full - frontal female nudity . the central character of the film is rick magruder , who is unlike any of grisham 's other lawyer heroes . he is older , experienced , and rich ; he drives a cherry - red $ 80 , 000 mercedes that never gets dirty , even in the incessantly pouring rain of savannah , georgia , where the story unfolds . rick is in the midst of an ugly divorce with his wife , leeanne ( famke janssen ) , and he rarely gets to see his two children , jeff ( jesse james ) and libby ( mae whitman ) . a reason is never given for the divorce , but it is n't hard to surmise that rick 's womanizing had a large part in it . whenever he 's late to pick up the kids on his visitation days , leeanne always assumes it 's because he 's been " screwing around . " after an office party celebrating another of his court victories ( he has n't lost in eight years ) , rick becomes involved with mallory doss ( embeth davidtz ) , one of the catering waitresses . he drives her home because her car has been stolen , and they end up in bed together . rick finds out that mallory is being terrorized and stalked by her slightly psychotic father , dixon doss ( robert duvall ) , a grungy , stringy , bare - footed old man who leads a commune of other greasy old codgers . it was actually dixon who stole her car that night , and when rick asks why , mallory replies that he always does " weird " stuff like that . as another character puts it , dixon is " a few beers short of six - pack . " rick ends up convincing mallory to have dixon brought to court and tried for competency . he succeeds with information dug up by clyde pell , a private investigator friend ( robert downey jr . ) , and testimony from mallory 's begrudging ex - husband , pete randle ( tom berenger ) . dixon is put in a mental hospital , but his commune buddies succeed in breaking him out . from there , the story delves into kidnapping , murder , double - crossing , and even a hurricane that adds an ominous cloud of constant violence to the action . altman 's cinematographer , changwei gu , gives the film a dark , soaked look . if it is n't night - time , at least it 's raining . gu shoots the interiors , which are almost all dark wood paneling , with a minimum of light . a great deal of the action takes place in the leafy georgia backwoods , which altman uses to create an acute sense of dread and vulnerability . in the city there is danger enough , but when rick has to venture into the woods , you can almost feel him leaving all hope of civilization behind as he literally enters another world . altman has worked in just about every conceivable genre , from westerns to epic dramas to comedies . but , no matter what the genre , he is always sure to give it the altman stamp , which usually consists of all kinds of idiosyncratic quirks and little details that are often missed without repeat viewings . " the gingerbread man " is no different , although his style is much more restrained here . however , without those little touches , the film could have easily slumped into a routine action / thriller . a great deal of the credit for the film 's success can be given to the actors , especially branagh , who rarely works outside of period pieces and his own direction . here , the british actor consistently maintains a serviceable southern drawl , while making an essentially contemptible character interesting and sympathetic . rick is an extremely flawed man , but branaugh brings real humanity to his character . without it , the entire film would fall flat because so much of it is reliant on the audience feeling rick 's pain and frustration . the supporting actors also put in fine performances , including embeth davidtz , who is probably best known for her heart - breaking role as the jewish maid in " schindler 's list " ( 1993 ) . tom berenger provides some gruff comic relief , and robert duvall spends most of his on - screen time just looking weird . it does n't seem like he does much because he has very little spoken dialogue , but watch him closely during the film 's one courtroom scene : his entire performance is in his eyes and his body language , and few actors could have pulled it off without being either silly or overbearing . while " the gingerbread man " is n't in league with altman 's greatest works like " nashville " ( 1975 ) or " the player " ( 1992 ) , it is nonetheless a solid piece of genre filmmaking , which may prove a successful vehicle to restart his somewhat lagging career . some critics love to stamp films like this as " commercial , " as if altman can only maintain artistic integrity if his films are aimed at a tiny audience and do n't make money . altman has done something much better : he took what could have been a generic movie , and by investing artistry and effort , he made it into something more .

1POS

recent film , " the gingerbread man , " which reinvents a genre that has developed at an exponential rate over the last have easily slumped into a routine action / thriller . a great deal of the credit for the film 's success can be given to the actors , especially branagh , on the audience feeling rick 's pain and frustration . the supporting actors also put in fine performances , including embeth davidtz , who is probably best known the player " ( 1992 ) , it is nonetheless a solid piece of genre filmmaking , which may prove a successful vehicle to restart his

" remember what the mpaa says : horrific and deplorable violence is ok as long as you do n't say any naughty words . " featuring the voice talents of matt stone , trey parker , mary kay bergman . rated r . filmmakers jump on real - life controversies faster than austin powers on felicity shagwell . the debate on whether cinema is to blame for teenagers turning into hoodlums has only begun to heat up , and already someone 's made a movie about it , and it 's not , thank god , a tragic account of a family ripped apart by the effect violence in films had on a teenage boy . instead we get a sharp , biting satire that takes no prisoners and leaves no conservative point of view unscathed . based on a popular ( and controversial ) cable tv show , south park : bigger longer and uncut can finally break loose of the shackles placed on the show by television restrictions and take bad taste to brand new heights . the movie is about a group of kids who sneak into a canadian r - rated movie and learn some naughty words . when they exhibit their new knowledge to their moms , they decide to " blame canada , " wage war against the neighbor country and execute " terrence and phillip , " the flatulent actors in the obscene film . the kids form an alliance they name " la resistance " ( with the accent on the third syllable of " resistance " ) to save their favorite thespians , in a hilarious spoof of ( tribute to ? ) les mis ? rables . in a subplot , one of the characters ( kenny , who else ? ) dies and goes to hell where he meets satan . satan and saddam hussein are lovers , you see . satan is a benevolent soul , while our favorite eastern ruler can only think about sex . apparently , too , if terrence and phillip are executed it will be the final sign of the apocalypse and satan can emerge from the deepest bowels of the underground kingdom to rule the earth . aside from being a brilliant satire , south park is also an all - stops - out musical , with unforgettable numbers like " shut your f * * * ing face uncle f * * * er " and " cartman 's mom is a big fat bitch " . almost invariably it 's funny stuff : often juvenile but always funny . the same can be said for the rest of the movie : it 's intelligent but delivered in a sophomoric manner ( i . e . toilet humor , endless profanity , etc . ) . not that there 's anything wrong with that : vulgarity , when done right , is my bag , baby . trey parker and matt stone , the twenty - somethings behind the film and the show , paint a bulls - eye on the motion picture association of america and proceed to be the first to start trying to hit it . cruelly mocking the fact that the mpaa 's rating system will allegedly tolerate grotesque violence as long as obscenities are n't uttered , the auteurs throw some nasty one - liner insults their way . the ratings - a - plenty association is n't the only target of this unsparing banter : people who favor censoring movies over gun control are equally fair game , with the " blame canada " plot being a not - so - cheap shot at them . the distinctively low - tech " cardboard " animation is oddly effective , even more so than the state of the art " deep canvas " technique aptly demonstrated in the recent tarzan . it 's more pleasant to look at , less intimidating up on the screen , and most importantly it does n't detract from the film 's concept as much as disney 's admirably awe - inspiring work does . the show 's popularity has been waning as of late , and perhaps this movie is just the thing to boost its ratings . perhaps not . having seen the show on numerous occasions , i can say that it 's not nearly as smart or as funny as this movie . the series may be better off simply continuing on the big screen every couple years . parker and stone have outdone themselves to the point where i am forced to ask : must the show go on ? ? 1999 eugene novikov&#137 ;

1POS

violence in films had on a teenage boy . instead we get a sharp , biting satire that takes no prisoners and leaves no conservative point of also an all - stops - out musical , with unforgettable numbers like " shut your f * * * ing face cartman 's mom is a big fat bitch " . almost invariably it 's funny stuff : often juvenile but always funny . the same can be said for the rest of the movie : it 's intelligent but delivered in a sophomoric manner ( i . e . toilet humor , endless profanity the distinctively low - tech " cardboard " animation is oddly effective , even more so than the state of the art the big screen every couple years . parker and stone have outdone themselves to the point where i am forced to ask :

for this review and more , visit clear illusions ( www . clearillusions . com ) the majority of scary movies signal the fact that a character is about to meet their demise with cheesy music , worn out dialogue such as " i 'll be right back , " or simply with the overall tone of the scene . how about a classic john denver song as a death signal for a change ? that 's the kind of bursting originality that allows " final destination " to invade the viewer 's mind , even days after seeing it , making one pause before ever entering a dark room , taking a shower , or even going to sleep . the unique and horrifying thriller is the best thing to happen to the slasher genre since 1996 's " scream . " " final destination , " directed by james wong and penned by jeffrey riddick , glen morgan , and james wong , the latter two being writers for the t . v . series " the x - files , " is a movie with wonderful ideas , and executes them effortlessly . it 's rare a film of this nature can grab an audience 's attention these days , as the genre has seem to be completely worn out ? ? ` but " final destination " has more in store for one than one can imagine . unlike " halloween " 's michael myers or " nightmare on elm street " 's freddy kruger , " final destination " 's killer is of the supernatural , the dark one himself , death . the intriguing premise is as follows ; a portion of a senior class is set to travel by air to paris for their class trip . after boarding the plane , one of the students , alex browning ( devon sawa ) dreams of their plane exploding into flames just after takeoff , killing everyone on board . once waking up , alex gets himself and six others off of that plane , all of who seem to be rather confused by the entire happening . shortly after their departure , the plane takes off , and guess what ; it blows up in middair . now , alex , and fellow survivors , who consist of friend clear waters ( ali larter ) , enemy carter ( kerr smith ) , carter 's girlfriend terry ( amanda detmer ) , the goofy billy ( sean william scott ) and his brother tod ( chad donella ) , and teacher , ms . valerie lewton ( kristen cloke ) , are in extreme danger , as it seems they have cheated death by getting off of that plane , and now death wants them . the number of survivors starts to peel back quite quickly as death goes around offing those who got off the plane ? ? ` but who is next , and how will death get them ? " final destination " is a film that is unbearably suspenseful ; always making the viewer frantic , as death will strike in the most unlikely of times . john denver 's " rocky mountain high " being played pretty much warrants another death ? ? ` everyone on that plane learned the hard way . although it 's usually given whose life will be taken next , the intensity and unpredictability of the film never fades , because you do n't know when death is coming . like the characters in the movie , i was constantly nervous and shaky during " final destination " . the slightest noise or movement nearby would send me a mile into the air ? ? ` and yes , the film is that intense . the cast is surprisingly effective and up to par ; the best ensemble in this genre since " scream . " the characters have multi - dimensional personalities for a change , and for the most part , you highly sympathize with them once death starts to come their way . devon sawa and ali larter are the main focus of the film , and both actors follow up their well written characters with even better performances , that , like the " scream " movies did for their cast , will launch them into superstardom . kerr smith and kristen cloke are also impressive , although the two do n't posses as much screen time as the leads . " final destination " is one exhilarating , exciting ride . any age should be able to enjoy the complexity and eeriness of the film , and should find an edge to it that most slasher films lack . for the blood loving moviegoer , " destination " contains buckets of blood , guts , and all that good stuff . " final destination " is a film that is destined to become a cult classic among horror fans , and a sleeper hit at the box office . hands down to the first film in years that has actually scared me . by scare , i do n't mean making me jump , or making me wonder if i 'm in danger , but by scare i mean a film that stays locked in your mind , absorbing you , leaving one question that 's constantly on your mind : is death coming for me ? the bottom line : make " final destination " your destination .

1POS

" the x - files , " is a movie with wonderful ideas , and executes them effortlessly . it 's rare a film of this nature can 's usually given whose life will be taken next , the intensity and unpredictability of the film never fades , because you do n't know when death is coming ` and yes , the film is that intense . the cast is surprisingly effective and up to par ; the best ensemble in this genre since " scream time as the leads . " final destination " is one exhilarating , exciting ride . any age should be able to enjoy the complexity , and a sleeper hit at the box office . hands down to the first film in years that has actually scared me . by scare , i do n't mean making me

errol morris , critically acclaimed director of the 1997 documentary fast , cheap and out of control , vaults to new heights with mr . death . this film , an examination of the life and work of controversial execution equipment designer and revisionist historian fred a . leuchter , jr . , is sure to draw audiences out of their malaise , stunning even the more jaded minds among us . do n't let the film 's cheesy dissuade you . following this sideshow of horror - lab special effects we are plunged quickly into a non - stop exploration of the weirdness that is leuchter 's life and mind . morris follows the trail of leuchter 's madness with appalling lucidity , revealing in a surprising and frightening way what most of us could have guessed to begin with : this leuchter guy is seriously messed up . virtually raised within the american penal system by a father who worked within prison walls , leuchter seems to have come somewhat naturally into his profession ; designing and maintaining execution equipment for state penitentiaries , in spite of his lack of credentials . after a moderately successful career making electric chairs and designing gas chambers and gallows , leuchter came to the attention of neo - nazi and revisionist historian ernst zundel , who was facing criminal charges in germany for publishing his ` theory ' that the holocaust never happened . morris 's interviews are surprisingly congenial , drawing the subjects into a carefree banter that gives them more than enough rope with which to hang themselves . zundel speaks to the camera as though it were his mensch . leuchter seems completely at ease , sometimes jovial . part of this effect may be due to morris 's new interviewing machine , called the interrotron , which is responsible for creating eye contact between the subject and the interviewer . this was the first time morris had used the device , and the results are startling . combine the irony of these interviews with leuchter 's reenactments and reels of creepy stock footage of his trip to auschwitz and birkenau , not to mention a haunting clip of thomas edison electrocuting an elephant , and you 've got one compelling and disturbing documentary . while this film is n't for the feeble - minded or weak - hearted , it is a valuable addition to the cultural landscape . aside from a few dragging minutes toward the end of the piece , morris has given us a fresh look at a dismal subject and i , for one , feel bettered by the experience .

1POS

1997 documentary fast , cheap and out of control , vaults to new heights with mr . death . this film , an examination haunting clip of thomas edison electrocuting an elephant , and you 've got one compelling and disturbing documentary . while this film is n't for the feeble - minded or weak - hearted , it is a valuable addition to the cultural landscape . aside from a few dragging minutes toward the end

summary five liberal iowa graduate students share a house and carry on a tradition of a large sunday dinner . for a year now they have been inviting a guest for dinner and discussion . on this occasion one of the roommates , pete ( ron eldard ) , brings home a stranger who picked him up when his car broke down . the stranger is zack ( bill paxton ) who appears like a decent enough good samaritan . nothing could be further from the truth . after some dinner conversation it appears that zack is , among other things , a racist " you know my grandfather once said that if he knew you coloreds were going to be so much trouble we 'd have picked the damn cotton ourselves " , and an anti - semite . an argument escalates at the dinner table and leads to violence . after zack assaults marc ( jonathan penner ) and pete , zack is killed . the roommates are at odds with what to do . marc , pete and paulie ( annabeth gish ) immediately wish to call the police . luke ( courtney b . vance ) and jude ( cameron diaz ) suggest something different . after more discussion they agree to dispose of the body and cover it up . they do not want to be sent to jail for what they feel was a justifiable homicide . when it is done the roommates realize that it was easier than they thought . so easy in fact that they decide that every sunday their dinner guest would be someone who opposes of their views . if they all agree that the guest deserves to die , they will poison them and bury them in the back yard . the back yard fills up rather quickly , its ' victims including ( among others ) a right to life extremist , an anti - environmentalist and a homophobe . by the time the roommates get to their tenth victim they begin to question their methods . are they giving the guests a chance ? are they even giving them good food anymore ? this film is what i like to call a " hidden treasure " . this film is such a pleasant surprise . a well written , devilish satire that is funny , sexy and original . this film should be a hit , but i guess the fact that it apparently had no marketing would n't give it much of a chance . i had never heard of it until i saw a copy at my video store . stacy title does a wonderful job directing . she somehow finds the time to give all of the characters enough screen time to develop a distinct personality . > from the five members of the house to other key characters including sheriff stanley ( nora dunn ) , the local law closing in on the truth , and the dream dinner guest , norman arbuthnot ( ron perlman ) , a rush limbaugh clone who should be the roommates easiest kill . perlman gives the films ' best performance . he finds the right note as the right wing big mouth who simultaneously offends and gains followers , and may just inadvertently talk his way out of death . the other actors are convincing as well , as all of the roommates deal with their murderous ways . some of the characters appear to be heading down the road towards insanity , while others grieve their decisions . when friends ask me to recommend a movie , this is usually the first one i think of . i am not saying that this is my favorite movie ( although it is in my top ten ) , but because the film was such a wonderful surprise , i have a fondness for it . i also try to recommend films like this : ones that have not been seen by many people , but should .

1POS

call a " hidden treasure " . this film is such a pleasant surprise . a well written , devilish satire that is funny , sexy and original . this film should be a hit , but i saw a copy at my video store . stacy title does a wonderful job directing . she somehow finds the time to give all of road towards insanity , while others grieve their decisions . when friends ask me to recommend a movie , this is usually the first one i think of . i am not saying that this is my favorite my top ten ) , but because the film was such a wonderful surprise , i have a fondness for it . i also

i can already feel the hate letters pouring in on this one , folks . i loved the wedding singer . but it gets worse . if i so much as mention titanic in the same sentence . . . hell , same paragraph as the wedding singer , i 'm bound to be lynched . well lynch me then , because i thought adam sandler and drew barrymore had the most convincing chemistry in recent memory , with titanic as the only exception . right away , you 're ready to discount my review , are n't you ? you 're thinking that i ca n't possibly know what i 'm talking about . after all , this is adam sandler right ? ? ? well , there 's more . . . i actually got choked up , and more than once . yes , the man who brought us billy madison and happy gilmore was able to bring sincere tears to my eyes . but before you shrug me off as an imbecile , i urge you to see the movie and see for yourself . the wedding singer is the story of robby hart ( sandler ) , a 1985 rock star wannabe whose soul achievement in life has been performing cover tunes at wedding receptions for the past five years or so . but when his own wedding results in a no - show for the bride ( angela featherstone as linda ) , robby begins to re - examine his life , and wonder why true love does n't exist for people like him . in the process of performing at these receptions , robby meets a waitress named julia , played with wholesome sweetness by drew barrymore , whose reputation is anything but this character . julia too is engaged , and when robby finds himself without a wife , his free time allows him to help her plan her own wedding , seeing as how her fiance , the " miami vice " loving glenn ( matthew glave ) , does n't seem all that interested . as the time goes by , we learn the reason glenn is do dispassionate about the wedding - he 's merely marrying julia to prevent a breakup , something he wants to avoid even if he does sleep around with tons of other women . it 's obvious that robby is going to fall for julia and feel a strong need to rescue her , but what is a lighthearted romantic comedy for ? this is n't sleepless in seattle , but i 'd actually compare it to that before i 'd compare it to happy gilmore . while the wedding singer maintains some of that post - snl cornball humor , its sincerity and charm carry it a very , very long way . sandler is great in his role , and yes , if you allow it , you can take him seriously . barrymore seems perfect along side him , and although the two more likely represent gen - x moronism and party - girl ditzism ( respectively ) , the two go together like bread and butter as a mid - eighties couple . one scene in particular , where julia ponders the future in a mirror , is so well done , i was on the verge of tears . unfortunately , sandler is going to make a lot of people shrug this one off as a no - brainer , but it 's got so much surprise substance packed inside that i 'm encouraging everyone to go see it . in fact , the entire theater applauded when the film ended , and laughs were so consistent , some jokes were probably missed due to the uproar . the 1985 setting was milked for everything it was worth , and for those of us that are old enough to remember it , it was a bodacious trip back ( and done very well ) . sandler shows a new side to himself while maintaining all his original charm ( or is it anti - charm ? ) . while the wedding singer only deserves three stars due to artistic merit , grading it on pure enjoyability would give this one four stars . it 's hilarious , and it 's touching . it 's got that great cheezy humor , but it also takes sandler to a higher level than anyone expected . this is one to see again and again . is it possible the wedding singer could be one of the sweetest romantic comedies of 1998 ? my " magic 8-ball " predicts it is certain .

1POS

maintains some of that post - snl cornball humor , its sincerity and charm carry it a very , very long way . sandler is great in his role , and yes , if you allow it , you can take him seriously . barrymore seems perfect along side him , and although the two more likely represent gen - where julia ponders the future in a mirror , is so well done , i was on the verge of tears . unfortunately , sandler is going to make a lot it 's got so much surprise substance packed inside that i 'm encouraging everyone to go see it . in fact , the entire theater applauded when the trip back ( and done very well ) . sandler shows a new side to himself while maintaining all his original charm ( or is it anti - charm ? ) . on pure enjoyability would give this one four stars . it 's hilarious , and it 's touching . it 's got that great cheezy humor , but takes sandler to a higher level than anyone expected . this is one to see again and again . is it possible the wedding singer could be one

hollywood is a pimp . a fat , cigar - smoking chump wearing a fur hat and 12 gold chains around its fat , hairy chest . all of its stars and starlets are an evil brood of scum - sucking vampires looking for the next percentage take , the next summer blockbuster , the next casting couch to audition on . pumping out comic - book adaptations , terrible sequels to mediocre films , and remakes of foreign films to the nearest american movie multiplex mall theater equipped with thin walls and bad sound systems . how much longer can the works of peckinpah , fassbinder , fuller , castle , preminger , and lee be placed and forgotten in the wrong sections of the local blockbuster stores ? how many more silver and weinstein films can we enduring in this stinky , decaying state of american cinema ? but now , from john " i do n't give a shit what you think about my movies " waters , comes the siren call to all frustrated filmmakers and aficionados : cecil b . demented , a warped and twisted tale of how far a filmmaker will go to create a personal vision of internal and social revolution . stephen dorff , in a career - defining role , is cecil b . demented , a crazed director devoted to making the most radical underground film . together with his film production cult , the sprocket holes - who wear tattoos of peckinpah , lee , fuller , castle , anger , fassbinder , preminger on various parts of their bodies as badges of honor , they kidnap a hollywood movie starlet , played with perfect ridiculousness by melaine griffith , and force her to take the starring role in demented 's film . with no budget and no contracts for extras , demented and his crew take to the streets for production of raving beauty , a crass terrorist film about an angry owner of an independent theater and her brood out to destroy the mainstream film business . using " ultimate reality " - with real bullets , real people , and real terror - demented and his crew of misfits attack a mall theater , terrorize the maryland film commission and crash a movie studio shooting a certain sequel to a really annoying tom hanks film . demented 's crewmembers are maimed and killed , popcorn machines are used for target practice , and no one can have sex until the film is complete . it 's like bowfinger , only , you know , good . the film moves with zigs and zags like the magic bullet of kennedy 's assassination . the zeal of demented 's cause catches quickly and conveys the urgent message of " doing something , anything , for the accomplishment of artistic motivations . " the crewmembers all hold the quirkiness common in water 's previous films - pink flamingos , hairspray , polyester , pecker -- and speak in the choppy , jaded dialogue used frequently by waters . it is as if water 's script strips away the unnecessary dialogue common to most pretentious indie films and just delivers the goods . cecil takes such warped avenues of expression that it seems like it might actually outdo itself . you can see how a major studio might take this film , re - edit it , cut a deal with the remaining crew members who are still alive , and make a few sequels , a la the blair witch project . but that 's for the future . overall , the ride is fantastic ; it 's one of water 's best films to date and this year 's fight club for filmmakers . director / writer : john waters starring : stephen dorff , melaine griffith , alicia witt , adrian grenier , larry gilliard jr . , mink stole , ricki lake , kevin nealon producers : john fielder , mark tarlov , anthony delorenzo , joe caraccio jr .

1POS

one can have sex until the film is complete . it 's like bowfinger , only , you know , good . the film moves with zigs and zags like the . but that 's for the future . overall , the ride is fantastic ; it 's one of water 's best films to date and this year 's fight club for filmmakers . director

back in 1998 dreamworks unveiled their first computer animated movie " antz " . the film was critically acclaimed , and went on to gross almost $ 100 m dollars at the domestic box office . again in 1998 they released their traditional animated film " the prince of egypt " and it named an instant classic , and became a huge hit as well . on a winning streak , they released " the road to el dorado " and it was n't as big as they hoped , but still did ok , then they had the fantastic " chicken run " in the summer . now in 2001 dreamworks has released what i can safely name , one of the top five best animated films . shrek ( mike myers ) is about a loving , green ogre who lives in the woods of duloc by himself . surrounded by fairy tale characters , he hopes somehow he would escape from everyone . the ruler of duloc is the short , heartless lord farquaad ( john lithgow ) , who is offering a reward to all the fairy tale creatures , if they are captured and arrested . of course many of the owners turn them in for gold and silver , but one of those creatures is donkey ( eddie murphy ) . a regular donkey , except he talks and has a definite attitude , after his owner tries to disown him , he escapes into the woods , and runs into shrek . lord farquaad however , has different plans and makes all the fairy tale creatures in the woods near shrek 's house . to get his property back , and his life back shrek must rescue princess fiona ( cameron diaz ) so lord farquaad can be a king . shrek wants his property back , but he never thought he would fall in love with princess fiona . " shrek " is such an amazing film , that while watching it you ca n't help but just smile the entire time and wonder why that other production company ca n't make movies like this . the animated graphics are so great , that they look every bit of realistic . i saw previews for this film all last year , and i thought to myself wow , what a great movie this will be . i must say i was not disappointed at all , and the film is the best of 2001 so far , and will go down on my best of 2001 list at the end of the year . the voice talents are brilliant as well , with the comic genius mike myers . in the past he has been a wayne , an austin , and a person married to an ax murderer . now he is shrek , not only does he do the voice talent . . . but he is shrek . with his irish accent , and he lovable personality , shrek becomes a friend to the audience and warms your heart . eddie murphy who showed his voice talent in 1998s " mulan " does another bang up job here , and he is the comic relief in the film . the tones of his voice , the lines he utters , and the jokes he gives , he even outdoes the comic genius of robin williams in " aladdin " . the always beautiful cameron diaz gives the voice of princess fiona and she does a great job as well . she is very funny , and her character fits her to a t . of course the best supporting voice is john lithgow , who is personally one of my favorite actors . he as the bad guy lord farquaad does a great job in being both sinister and funny at the same time . at times i was so amazed by the computer graphics , that you ca n't help but just start looking at backgrounds . there is many hidden jokes in the film , and even reflections of light on the screen like a camera . " shrek " is a definite kid film , but not just a kid film for it is a film for the entire family to enjoy . there are many adult jokes in the film that the kids wo n't get , but the parents will be laughing . believe me though , everyone will be laughing the entire way through . in the end , " shrek " gives a very important message to it 's audience to enjoy and be who you are . everybody out there is beautiful in their own way , even though it may be inside . there 's not many words that can praise " shrek " enough , but my words to you is to stop what you are doing and see this movie now .

1POS

2001 dreamworks has released what i can safely name , one of the top five best animated films . shrek ( mike myers ) is about a loving in love with princess fiona . " shrek " is such an amazing film , that while watching it you ca n't help but other production company ca n't make movies like this . the animated graphics are so great , that they look every bit of realistic . i saw previews for this film all last year a great movie this will be . i must say i was not disappointed at all , and the film is the best of 2001 so far , and will go down on my best of 2001 list at the end of the year . the voice talents are brilliant as well , with the comic genius mike myers . beautiful cameron diaz gives the voice of princess fiona and she does a great job as well . she is very funny , and her character fits sinister and funny at the same time . at times i was so amazed by the computer graphics , that you ca n't help but just start looking the parents will be laughing . believe me though , everyone will be laughing the entire way through . in the end , " shrek " gives a very important message to it 's audience to enjoy and be who you to you is to stop what you are doing and see this movie now .

" say , any of you know how to madison ? " --- brad " asshole " majors ( barry bostwick ) shows just how unhip he is after watching the kooky transylvanians wrap up their ode to the time warp in the cult classic the rocky horror picture show . the story behind the rocky horror picture show is one of legend . in the early 70 's , stage actor turned first - time playwright richard o'brien decided he wanted to make a musical homage to the crazy b - movies he had grown up with as a child , set to a bunch of catchy rock tunes of his own design . the result was the stage play the rocky horror show , which opened to fairly decent reviews in london in 1973 and was even hailed the best musical of 1973 by prominent drama critics in england . the play was so successful that the film rights were immediately snapped up and production on the film began a mere year later , in october of 1974 . the film version ( now titled the rocky horror picture show ) was released in 1975 . . . and immediately tanked at the box office . whether it was because fox was n't quite sure how to market it to audiences or that audiences did n't quite know what to make of it themselves has never really been determined , but the one common bit of knowledge about the film was that it was a huge flop . it seemed that the infectious spirit brought about by the stage version had not been infused into the film version and fox quickly had it pulled from theaters . a year later , something entirely strange and magical happened . prints of the film started to be distributed to theaters in small amounts and were circulating at midnight shows across the country , and it was then that a whole new audience found the film . this new audience was prone to dressing up like the characters from the film , acting out segments in front of the screen as the movie played , yelling rude comments at the screen , and just generally having a good time . word quickly spread about this new phenomena of interactive film and the rocky horror picture show 's life as the ultimate cult film was born . for the virgins out there who are unaware , the plot centers around a loving couple , brad majors ( barry bostwick ) and janet weiss ( susan sarandon ) , who come from a small town called denton . brad and janet have just attended the wedding of two of their friends and decide that they also want to be we d . they plan a trip to see the man who led to their meeting , dr . everett scott ( jonathan adams , who played the narrator in the original stage version ) , but their car gets a flat on the way to his home . remembering a castle they had seen back a few miles down the road , they decide to walk there and see if the residents have a phone they might be able to use to call for assistance . the castle is actually the home of a race of aliens from the planet transsexual ( in the galaxy of transylvania ) , who are lead by the eccentric fishnet - stocking wearing mad scientist dr . frank - n - furter ( tim curry ) . frank - n - furter has masterminded the secret to creating life and has done so in the form of rocky ( peter hinwood ) . as rocky becomes accustomed to his new environment , brad and janet find themselves at the mercy of frank - n - furter 's mad schemes . little do any of them know that the doctor 's handyman , riff - raff ( original author richard o'brien ) , and domestic , magenta ( patricia quinn ) , are actually transsexual planetary protectors who have been sent to stop frank from spreading his alien evil all over the earth . going back and revisiting this film after ten years ( 1990 being the first time i had ever seen it ) , it is amazing to me that this film ever got made or has had the staying power that it has . if i had been a fox executive around the time of its release , i do n't think i would have known what to make of it either . for all intents and purposes it is a bad movie ( though bad in a really good sort of way ) , but sumptuous production design and a great deal of incredibly catchy songs really help to increase the likability of the film . by the time the credits role , it is fairly easy to have gotten wrapped up in the film and its characters , and one really gets the feeling that richard o'brien definitely was a fan of the old cheesy b - movies his film is based on . when i say that the wall - to - wall songs are catchy what i really mean to say is that , once you hear them , they will be ingrained in your head for all of eternity . it goes without saying that the " time warp " is the most popular song in the film . even people who have never seen the movie know of that particular song . what those who have n't seen the movie do n't know though , is that there are even more songs in the film that are just as worthy of acknowledgment . my personal favorite is " over at the frankenstein place " , but " dammit janet " is also maddeningly catchy . tim curry 's vocals on the rocking tune " sweet transvestite " need to be heard to be believed . the finale of the film , a big floor show staged by frank - n - furter and featuring most of the cast in garters and fishnets ( including barry bostwick . . . frightening ! ) , features no less than four songs ( " rose tint my world " , " do n't dream it " , " wild and untamed thing " , and " i 'm going home " ) , all of which are immensely singable . the film 's true popularity and longevity resides in its audience participation though . despite the catchiness of the songs , this movie would have been long forgotten about if it had n't have been for the multitude of folks who dress up every friday or saturday night to rush out and be a part of their own little floor show . watching this film at home is nothing compared to actually experiencing this in a theater with hundreds of rabid fans ( unless you do n't mind inviting friends over and letting them shoot water guns in your home or letting them throw rice and pieces of toast all over the place ) . note : director jim sharman brought back to the central characters of the film , in the form of a sequel , resulting in the very much forgotten film shock treatment , which picks up with brad and janet ( this time played by cliff de young and jessica harper ! ) as contestants on a game show in their home town of denton . the two are menaced by the evil tv station manager ( also played by de young ) , who wishes to claim janet as his own . o'brien returned as a writer / performer on the project ( as did quinn , campbell , and gray in performance capacity only ) , but the film had nowhere near the spirit of the original . 25 years later , this film is still the pinnacle of cult filmdom and is continuously screened at midnight all over the world . as a lasting testament to the longevity of the film and its legion of fans , a brand new special edition 2-disc dvd set has been released that is the most comprehensive compendium of rocky horror to date ( even out shining the laserdisc special edition that was released for its 20th anniversary ) . if you are one of those people who ca n't get enough of the film , this disc should be more than enough to satisfy your appetites . in an attempt to recreate the interactivity of the film , fox home entertainment has released this wonderful 2-disc dvd set loaded with so many extras that it 'll take a good eight hours just to take in the majority of it all . the film itself is located on the first disc and has been given a beautiful transfer that shows it in its original aspect ratio of 1 . 85 : 1 ( enhanced for 16x9 televisions ) . the film is presented in two different versions , the us theatrical version and the uk version which adds a musical number during the finale called " superheroes " . for ambitious viewers , the disc also includes a hidden version ( located on the main menu by clicking left from the scene selection menu choice and highlighting a pair of lips in the lower left corner ) which presents the film in the manner it was originally supposed to have been seen . originally , the film was to have been similar to the wizard of oz , with the first half of the it seen in black and white ( and not changing to color until the transylvanians are first revealed to brad and janet during the time warp musical number ) . most reports , including a documentary on the disc , say that the color was supposed to appear when frank - n - furter first shows up in the elevator , but it does seem to work better where it was placed on this version , depicting the vast difference between the world brad and janet were used to compared with the one to which they are introduced . the film contains a commentary track by show creator ( and faithful handyman ) richard o'brien and co - star patricia quinn which is fairly enjoyable ( and quinn immediately starts off by refusing to speak about sarandon nearly contracting pneumonia while having to walk around wet and half - naked on freezing cold sets , which she apparently complained about the entire film and in future interviews ) . the two seem like old friends and have great stories to tell , but they also point out cast members that are sadly no longer with us anymore ( and there are quite a few ) . fox has also tried to recreate the feel of attending the film in a theater with several audience participation segments . the first feature ( and the most simple ) is a subtitle prompter which lets you know when to open up on people with your water guns or when the right time to throw your toast is . the second feature is an audience participation track , which lets you in on what you might hear on a good night out at the show . most of the comments are unintelligible because it is basically just a large group of people screaming their heads off , but every once and a while a comment can be heard that will invoke a bit of laughter . the final participation segment uses a technology very much like the technology used on the matrix dvd , where a pair of lips will appear on - screen during certain scenes of the film ( mostly during the musical numbers ) that can be selected by pressing enter on your remote . when selected , you will be taken out of the film and into a live participation version of the scene put on during one of the many screenings that occur all over the world . once the segment is over , you are deposited right back into the film where you left off . the first disc also contains a few dvd - rom goodies for those with that particular type of dvd player . there is a timeline of the evolution from the stage play version to worldwide cult sensation , a video jukebox , a you do n't know jack - styled trivia game ( which is about as bare bones a you do n't know jack parody as it can be ) , and a bizarre mad - libs styled word game known as riff - raff 's story lab . links to the rocky horror websites are also available from the dvd - rom portion of the disc . the second disc features even more goodies for the person who loves extras . former lite - rock video channel turned music historians vh-1 have allowed some of their outtake footage from the " behind the music : rocky horror " special that they ran earlier in the year to be shown here , as well as a pop - up video for the meat loaf - sung " hot patootie " . the " behind the music " segments are all very interesting , especially richard o'brien 's jaunt through the castle ( which is now a hotel ! ) where the film was originally shot . there are also extensions of the sarandon , bostwick , quinn , o'brien , and meat loaf interviews . as far as extras for the film itself go , there are two deleted musical numbers that are also included here . one of which is just the " superheroes " number available in the uk version , but there is also another rare musical number presented here called " once in a while " . a series of alternate takes are also presented here , but none of them are really much of a revelation ( except for the undressing scene in which we see that patricia quinn is having a hard time unbuttoning barry bostwick 's pants ) . for the completist who must have every little bit of rocky horror paraphernalia , a misprinted end sequence and alternate credit sequence are also presented here . rounding out the disc is a decent documentary called rocky horror double feature video show , two theatrical trailers ( proclaiming that the film is " a different sort of jaws " ) , a still gallery , and two sing - a - longs ( for " toucha toucha touch me " and " sweet transvestite " ) . fox 's special edition is the dvd set that rocky horror fans have been waiting for all their lives ( " you 're lucky . . . i 'm lucky . . . he 's lucky . . . we 're all lucky ! " ) . it 's not just amazing enough that tons of classic italian films are finally getting their recognition in the u . s . , but even long standing traditions are finally receiving their due on the wonderful dvd format . as with their excellent dvds of the abyss , fight club , independence day , and the sound of music , fox shows that they have most certainly made the commitment to provide the things that dvd lovers want . i raise a toast to them ( cue the throwing of the bread ) as i cut out the lights , sit back , and watch those disembodied lips begin to sing about b - movie tradition . [ r ]

1POS

and purposes it is a bad movie ( though bad in a really good sort of way ) , but sumptuous production design and a great deal of incredibly catchy songs really help to increase the likability of the film . the spirit of the original . 25 years later , this film is still the pinnacle of cult filmdom and is continuously screened at midnight all over the world

in " magic town " , jimmy stewart is in peak form playing a pollster who heads to a " perfect " town to gauge their reactions on the sorts of issues that only poll - takers care about . however , as time progresses , and he finds himself falling in love with the town ( and a woman ) , he begins to see that what he 's doing is wrong . the plot is standard stuff , but that 's not important . in a film like this , it 's the calibre of the actors that make or break it . obviously , since stewart stars , that 's practically a non - issue . he 's great in the film , as usual . there 's just something about him that always manages to be endearing , even when he 's deceiving the town folk . you 're always on his side , and you desperately want to see all of his goals come to fruitition . the film was directed by a longtime frank capra script - writer , and it shows . this is the type of feel - good picture that capra is famous for . by the time " the end " shows up on screen , everything has been wrapped up very nicely . there are no loose ends , and virtually every character gets a happy ending ( those that deserve one , anyway ) . in this age of cynicism , it 's refreshing to see a movie so upbeat . " magic town " is a delightfully entertaining motion picture . if you believe all old movies are slow - paced , you 'd be well - advised to check this one out .

1POS

stars , that 's practically a non - issue . he 's great in the film , as usual . there 's just something about him screen , everything has been wrapped up very nicely . there are no loose ends , and virtually every character gets a happy ending ( those that deserve one , anyway ) . in this age of cynicism , it 's refreshing to see a movie so upbeat . " magic town " is a delightfully entertaining motion picture . if you believe all old movies are

kevin smith is like a big kid . his humor is that of a sophisticated juvenile 's . he grew up idolizing star wars and loves comic books , having also written a few . he also has a cult following , mostly composed of teenagers , college students , and smith 's own fellow adolescent - minded grownups . smith is hilarious in person and in writing , but when he tries to be earnest and moralize , that is when he goes wrong . kevin smith is a better writer than director , and he 'll be the first to tell you that . that might also be part of the reason why his moralizing comes across as so heavy - handed . great directors show us their theses instead of having the characters sermonize them . this was true in the overrated chasing amy , and it is true for dogma as well . that is not to say smith 's message is a bad one . in dogma , smith tells us that problems arise when people believe beyond any doubt that their insight into god and god 's desires is superior to anyone else 's . basically , dogmatism is bad . changing the minds of the dogmatic is virtually impossible , and since the dogmatic believe that they have special insight , they also know what is best for you , whether you like it or not . this is not exactly a new message in movies ( see inherit the wind ) , but i have no problems with recycling old ones , particularly since dogma 's protesters are proving smith 's point . smith 's own problem with delivering this message is that he beats us over the head with it like we are reading a dogma for dummies book . but this is smith 's personality , and his simplistic views neglect such adult issues as how does one interpret the bible ( or koran , etc . ) correctly ( or if there even is a correctly ) and how one settles disputes of heretofore dogmatic concerns . the story concerns abortion clinic worker bethany ( linda fiorentino ) being chosen by voice of god , metatron ( alan rickman ) , to prevent the destruction of the universe by two fallen angels , bartleby ( ben affleck ) and angel of death , loki ( matt damon ) . along the way , forgotten thirteenth apostle , rufus ( chris rock ) , stripper muse serendipity ( salma hayek ) , and slacker duo jay and silent bob ( jason mewes and kevin smith himself ) come to bethany 's aid . fallen muse , azrael ( jason lee ) , proves to be the behind - the - scenes manipulator for all the chicanery . the logical but convoluted plot only exists as an excuse for the jokes and to make smith 's points , and in itself , has little dramatic momentum . among the supposedly outrageous claims made by the film is that god is a woman , jesus was black , and the bible was written by a bunch of racist , misogynistic white men . of course , kevin smith does not necessarily subscribe to these ideas himself . they are a metaphor for the fears and insecurities of the dogmatic . smith says as much in his amusing disclaimer that precedes the movie . when harvey weinstein asked smith to put it into the film before cannes , smith thought it might give validation to protesters ' claims that the film was sacrilegious , but then he rethought it and turned the disclaimer into a joke . the film 's humor is uneven . some parts are very funny as when bethany goes for a fire extinguisher when metatron makes a burning - bush kind of entrance . but many of the film 's jokes just bomb , as in virtually anything involving salma hayek 's serendipity . also , some of the jokes can be seen coming from a mile away . still , smith keeps the zingers coming at a sufficiently rapid pace . among the actors , fiorentino and rickman stand out by far . fiorentino virtually by herself gives the film emotional weight . damon and affleck are fairly lackluster . rock and hayek exist in the film pretty much only as comic relief as are mews and smith . but the latter duo fare much better because jay and silent bob , who recur in all of smith 's movies , are much more in line with smith 's brand of humor . bud cort , george carlin , janeane garofalo , guinevere turner , and alanis morissette all make cameo appearances .

1POS

a joke . the film 's humor is uneven . some parts are very funny as when bethany goes for a fire extinguisher when metatron seen coming from a mile away . still , smith keeps the zingers coming at a sufficiently rapid pace . among the actors , fiorentino and rickman stand out

review : ghost dog : the way of the samurai ( 1999 ) cast : forest whitaker , henry silva , cliff gorman , john tormey , gene riffini , victor argo , tricia vessey , isaach de bankole ' , camille winbush director : jim jarmusch writer : jim jarmusch rating : good shot ( stars ) languid , yet pointed and focused , ghost dog : the way of the samurai sublimely savages our cultural fascination with the mafia and the sleek , ultra - cool , cinematic image of the hitman . juxtaposing the samurai 's honor code of feudal japan against the tradition bound modus operandi of the american / italian mafia , it ceaselessly chips away with a sculptor 's precision at the archaic foundations of both as they lumber , dinosaur - like , to function in the modern era . director jarmusch gleefully plays the iconoclast , ripping into mafioso precepts with splashes of acidic wit . using a palate of bleached colors , jarmusch lugubriously maintains a tone of desolation that belies the many sparks of laugh out loud humor punctuating the film . he does n't cater to audience expectations of hyper - colorized , stylized violence and gunplay where no one dies . the action is presented in flat , brutal codas . bullets have permanence . death has consequences . the movie rises beyond standard conventions to become a meditation on the concepts of honor and loyalty . it is an anti - movie , of sorts . there are few photogenic , empathetic characters for the audience to fall in love with . this is n't a film that lovingly holds your hand . there are dark , contemplative moments and the film firmly holds you by the shoulder , just so , asserting itself for all to see . the fulcrum for the movie 's thematic balancing act is ghost dog , a mafia hitman . a twist on the stereotypical image of the mob enforcer , ghost dog is a hilarious contradiction in terms . unlike the sleek , muscular killing machines one is accustomed to , we are given an inner city black man who is overweight and slovenly , replete with chapped , dirty hands and rumpled clothing . he wears a hooded sweatshirt , which he often pulls over his head , giving him a monk - like appearance . there are no acrobatic back flips and shiny super guns in his arsenal . he uses old , worn weapons and simply goes about his tasks in economical , efficient and pleasureless fashion . ghost dog is a disciple of the old ways of the samurai , distilling the essence of his life through the filter of a book , which he reads daily , hagakure : the way of the samurai . life consists of simple pleasures for him : ice cream , warm rooftop naps and good books . ghost dog lives , as it were , by the basic tenet expressed by his book ; one should start each day considering oneself as dead . living atop an abandoned building , surrounded by his flock of pet carrier pigeons , ghost dog exists in a netherworld lacking creature comforts and friends . he craves nothing more . as he puts it late in the film , " i 've seen all i want to see . " he exists in a spiritual world of the mind , gaining moral sustenance from his readings . ghost dog was n't always as he is presented . in several roshomon - like flashbacks , it 's shown how ghost dog was assaulted by racist white males and beaten nearly to death until the timely intervention of a good samaritan , that " samaritan " being a foot soldier in an aging crime family . ghost dog pledges his life to the service of the man , louie ( tormey ) , as repayment . after years of loyal service , ghost dog is sent , by louie , to kill " handsome frank " , a made man within louie 's organization who has run away with the crime boss 's daughter , louise ( vessey ) . ghost dog wordlessly executes his task , witnessed by louise , whom he spares , as she sits watching a betty boop cartoon , clutching a copy of the book , roshomon . in a bit of synchronicity , louise loans the book to ghost dog . upset that frank was taken out by someone not from the family , the mob bosses , in turn , put out a hit on ghost dog in a perverse twist of loyalty to their assassinated comrade . the rest of movie holds the dated value systems of both the mafia and ghost dog up to the light of a new millennium with many acerbic asides as the two come factions come into conflict . the theme of old cartoons flares up time and again , each time showing cartoon violence that is in sharp counterpoint to the reality of ghost dog 's world . each time a character is shown watching a cartoon , it 's from the same era , betty boop , felix the cat , etc . , a reflection of days gone by . near the end , louise is watching a cartoon that 's a departure from the previously shown ones . it 's a bit of audacity on jarmusch 's part that is nicely effective , despite it 's surrealistic nature . as ghost dog floats through his world , his life is touched by two people . one is a sage little girl ( winbush ) who connects with ghost dog through their love of reading . she comes to symbolize a melding of the old ways and new sensibilities , just as louise ultimately does . by film 's end , the fact that jamusch is so effective at illustrating the tenuous bond between the two is a testament to his skill as a writer . the other person in ghost dog 's world is an ice cream ( de bankole ' ) vendor who only speaks french , yet intuitively shares a rapport with ghost dog . the vendor is the literal stranger in a strange land . jarmusch , through rapper / composer rza , underscores his film with rap and reggae music , which at first blush seems dichotomous , but its primal rhythms serve to strengthen the fundamental nature of the movie . ghost dog seems to draw some type of strength from the rap music he listens to as he negotiates the streets in various stolen cars . ( which , in and of itself , presents another paradox about ghost 's dog 's sense of honor . ) the head mafioso is played by henry silva with a stone faced resignation . of all the cartoonish mobsters , he is the only one who appears self aware of his state in the world . gorman plays sonny , a lieutenant who respects the old ways , yet has a quirky affinity for rap music , a love comically shown in several impromptu displays . ruffini seems the truest reflection of the mafia . he is a husk of a man , assisted by two hearing aids , who barks out advice without truly hearing what he , or others are saying . whitaker carries the film by using what truly great actor 's use , his face . ghost dog is reticent to speak , often going for long periods without doing so . the fact that whitaker can convey such a wide range of emotion through a gesture or look is a remarkable talent . although the film has a deliberate pace , some of the late night drives and walks taken by ghost dog dragged the momentum down . truly tragic is how ghost dog misinterprets japanese honor in his final confrontation with the mob . he reveals himself to be so desperate for spiritual guidance through the hagakure that he fails to truly adapt it to what is real and true in his world . carried on the shoulders of a remarkable performance by whitaker , ghost dog rises beyond being a characterization or icon , into a figure that garners sympathy , if not a bit of pity .

1POS

codas . bullets have permanence . death has consequences . the movie rises beyond standard conventions to become a meditation on the concepts of honor and at first blush seems dichotomous , but its primal rhythms serve to strengthen the fundamental nature of the movie . ghost dog seems to draw some a wide range of emotion through a gesture or look is a remarkable talent . although the film has a deliberate pace , some