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i rented " brokedown palace " last night blind , having heard nothing about it beforehand , and i enjoyed it immensely despite some flaws . for anyone wishing to have the same experience i would suggest reserving judgement of the movie until viewing it in its entirety . that is no easy task . superficially , it bears an unfortunate ( and not necessarily unintended ) resemblance to several other movies , notably " return to paradise " and " midnight express . " as a result nearly every review of " brokedown palace " i subsequently read became hopelessly entangled in making the obvious comparisons . the consequence was nearly universal condemnation , which is a shame as this is a fine film . for those who have yet to view the movie , let me say that it is not an attempt to portray the nightmarish reality of the third world criminal justice system ( as was " midnight express " ) nor completely the moral dilemma and examination of the meaning of friendship and humanity that was the heart of " return to paradise . " in my view , if this film is to be compared to any other source it would have to be joseph conrad 's acclaimed novel , " lord jim . " problematically , the basic storyline seems more than familiar : two american teenage girls on vacation are sentenced to spend most of their lives in a thai prison for drug smuggling in an obvious set - up involving a suave con - man , a shadowy criminal conspiracy and a corrupt third world " justice " system . the girls are alice ( claire danes ) and darlene ( kate beckinsale ) . they 're life - long buddies who planned a high - school graduation trip to hawaii , and then secretly changed their destination to the more exotic thailand without telling their parents . once there , they find a $ 6 hotel and go sight - seeing , which includes sneaking into a luxury hotel to sip expensive drinks poolside . they get caught trying to charge the bill to the wrong room , a minor transgression which will later come back to haunt them , but they are saved from hotel security by a charming , friendly australian , nick ( daniel lapaine ) , who takes care of the bill with a more polished execution of the girl 's scam . he then proceeds to separate the girls and make smooth moves , first toward alice , then toward darlene . by now alarm bells are going off among viewers . the ever - present nick is too slick and his stories do n't add up ( to us ) --the girls , of course , are too naive to notice . long before it happens , we 're anticipating the inevitable disappearance of the fast - talking smuggler and the arrest of our teenaged sitting - ducks at the airport en route to hong kong caught holding the bag ( literally ) containing heroin . just as predictably , the thai police and courts do their part in meting out injustice and our trusting tourists are prison - bound for a long stretch . left unanswered is the red herring issue of whether one or the other of the girls was a willing accomplice . for those in need of a ready answer , might i suggest closer scrutiny of the bell hop at the girl 's fleabag hotel . as one door after another to their comfortable former life is closed , the girls and their families turn in desperation to the noiresque expatriate lawyer / fixer " yankee hank " ( bill pullam ) and his thai - born partner - wife . a recurring element of the movie is the tension between appearance and reality as expressed in one of the film 's tag lines , " who do you trust ? , " and hank is no exception although seasoned movie- goers and those familiar with pullman 's oeuvre will find few surprises . much of the remainder of the movie is a smorgasbord of intriguing themes incompletely explored in short - hand fashion . lou diamond phillips , for instance , plays a delightfully sinister and callous dea agent who , while appearing to be casually accommodating to hank , withholds vital information at crucial moments . is he part of a wider conspiracy ? with an inherently powerful , if somewhat tired premise , the film offers by parts a riveting courtroom drama , a prison story , and a potential character study of american teens , their relationship , and what constitutes friendship between them . the result is reasonably engaging and suspenseful , with the girls ' interaction , hank 's investigation , and the various trials and hearings , offering hope for their release , delivering tension -- as does the foredoomed possibility of their escape . if " brokedown palace " has a major flaw , it is its creators ' tendency , like time - constrained tourists , to take frequent side trips down fascinating alleys only to reverse direction half - way down and return to the story 's main avenue . and , if that were all there was to " brokedown palace , " it would n't be a very good movie . but i believe the writers and director were after bigger game and , in this , they succeeded . for the main theme of the movie , like the proffered name of its location , is freedom -- in all its permutations . ultimately , the other sub - themes may be considered window dressing . young and pretty , alice ( danes ) is an old soul ; a wild , streetwise teenager with a thirst for freedom and adventure . presented as a perfect blend of yin and yang , dark and light , is her cautious best friend , darlene ( beckinsale ) . clear - eyed and straightforward , alice is more complex than her friend . she comes from a poorer background , has a reputation for getting into trouble and has lost the trust of everyone ( including her own father ) . whereas darlene 's life is " on - track , " aimed at college , marriage , kids , a career , a suburban home , middle age and " fulfillment , " alice 's is uncertain , unfocused , and yearning . one poignant scene in the film shows darlene shouting across an open moat to visitors -- friends and relatives from home , whose lives continue while hers is in limbo . tellingly , alice is present but not included . just as revealing of their different personalities , when alice and dar first come to thailand , the openness and delight on alice 's face does n't read as simple naivet ? ; the way she stands up and stretches as she and her friend ride along in a small boat , reaching toward the sun , she really is drinking in what she believes to be freedom , while " dar " remains seated in the shade . " brokedown palace " begins with an admission by alice of her guilt in a tape recording sent to hank . however unintentional , it 's all alice 's fault . she 's responsible for persuading her friend to lie to her parents , to sneak away from the safety of hawaii to the perils of thailand , to try the petty scam which places them in the clutches of the evil nick . ( in case one misses this point in the inevitable confusion of a film 's beginning , darlene obligingly reminds alice of her culpability in prison . ) dar , of course , is the willing dupe which , in her view , confers innocence . never mind that it was her coercion of a reluctant alice to accompany her to hong kong which placed them in police custody in the first place or that her naive confession sealed their fate . dar is innocent . it does n't matter . alice is the subject of this movie . she and her journey toward personal freedom . along the way we are treated to an unsympathetic portrait of the shallow american culture which created these girls with their half - baked sensibilities and materialistic goals . in the end , that culture , like its representatives , " yankee " hank and dar 's father ( a " man who knows how to grease the wheels " ) , proves as impotent as its government in the face of the girl 's tragedy . thailand 's culture , contrary to most opinion , comes off much better by comparison . it amazes me that reviewers argued this point at both extremes . i believe the filmmaker 's view was that thai culture is vastly different from the american but not necessarily inferior . the thai ( with the sole exceptions of a corrupt official and a spiteful prison spy ) were uniformly consistent in their behavior and true to their principles . the girls were shown to be treated no better but certainly no worse than the native - born . their prison ( in stark contrast to the probable reality ) was no hellhole , being relatively clean and sunlit . the prison authorities demanded good hygiene , provided medical care when needed , and " hard manual labor " consisted of picking grass ! the thai guards were authoritarian ( what else ? ) but certainly not routinely sadistic . as for the thai justice system , the reasoning of the thai judges , during both an appeal hearing and in the film 's penultimate scene was devastating in its logic and morality . ' freedom ' has many faces and " brokedown palace " explores many of them . in the extreme , we have freedom of the body and freedom of the spirit . some settle for the former alone while others remain imprisoned with an entire nation to roam without the latter . but freedom seldom comes without a price . which is why the movie 's other tag lines are : " what is your dream ? " and " how far would you go ? " i believe i could make a good case for the interpretation that the person who attains freedom , incarcerated or not , by film 's end is alice . she finds redemption and salvation through the acceptance of personal responsibility . i think the light bathing only her figure among the assembled prisoners in the final scene visually signals that fact . kate beckinsale 's character might more properly be likened to the " released " temple bird referred to twice during the film , " trained to fly back to its cage . " as the thai magistrate observed in the film 's climactic scene , the issue was always one of " character ; " and the jamaican prisoner made it clear that " freedom " is achieved within oneself . if one thinks back over the movie , which character was transformed by their experiences ? increasingly , the cinema landscape seems to have become littered with endless permutations of ' kung fu woman'--female characters virtually indistinguishable from male action figures . here , at last , is the story of a modern heroine . in reading the many user 's comments , i was struck by what seems an unusual phenomenon : whether or not a person liked the movie , almost everyone praised the actors . think about that . when was the last time you came away from a motion picture possibly hating it , but raving about all the performances in it ? do yourself a favor : rent " brokedown palace " and watch it with a open mind . there 's more there than meets the eye .

1POS

was nearly universal condemnation , which is a shame as this is a fine film . for those who have yet to view the movie and what constitutes friendship between them . the result is reasonably engaging and suspenseful , with the girls ' interaction , hank 's investigation : whether or not a person liked the movie , almost everyone praised the actors . think about that . when was the last time

everyone 's heard about this movie , and more specifically , * the * scene . everyone 's heard the famous barnyard animal quote squealed ( no pun intended ) over and over . and everyone 's got to admit that they will never travel down a river again without thinking of deliverance . good ! that 's what you 're supposed to do ! oh , if you are one of the ones who has n't seen this yet , or you ( somehow ) have n't heard about what happens , here 's your spoiler warning . deliverance was a real shocker for it 's time ( 1972 ) . major advances were being made in films , and deliverance made its own advances when it introduced a new horror into the film industry . when it was first released , it literally shocked the audiences . it was something that , for the most part , had really never been seen on the big screen before ( among wide - release films with an r rating ) . but by today 's film standards and in today 's world , such scenes as the one in deliverance can be reproduced in a way that is n't as shocking , although they can be even more graphic ( e . g . pulp fiction ) . pulp fiction did it in a way , and expanded on it in a way , that it could even be interpreted as funny . but in 1972 , deliverance was no laughing matter . the story centers around a group of four atlanta men who decide to take a rafting trip down a backwoods river in georgia while the river is still there and in its glory . the initial leader of the group is lewis ( burt reynolds in his prime ) , a real outdoorsman and more of a daniel boone - type then any of the others . joining him are ed ( jon voight ) , bobby ( ned beatty ) , and drew ( ronny cox ) . the group 's first objective is to find someone ( s ) to drive their cars down the river to the point where they will end their trip . they make arrangements with a few mountain men , who accept $ 40 . 00 for the task . drew also has the famous " dueling banjos " competition with a local who is , let us say , genetically challenged . the men then set off down the river , with lewis , also the master at canoeing , leading the way . everything seems to be going fine , until the two canoes split up , leaving the unexperienced ed and bobby alone . they encounter two hillbillies , armed with a shotgun , who captured them . ed is tied to a tree while bobby is sodomized by one of the men . ed nearly receives the same cruelty , but lewis arrives just in time to fire an arrow through the rapist 's back . the other hillbilly gets away , and the men have to decide what to do with the dead body . disposing of dead bodies is done rather frequent throughout this film . while attempting to make a quick " paddle for it " , both canoes tip over . drew , who was without a life jacket , was possibly shot and can not be found . lewis suffered a rather nasty compound fracture during the incident and is in serious condition . this leaves ed and bobby . ed decides to go out and look for the remaining hillbilly , alone , with the bow and arrow . the question arises if he will be able to handle himself , as he horribly botched a first shot attempt at a deer , to which his comment " i wonder how anyone could kill a living thing " will have more meaning in the future . deliverance is definitely a wild ride ( oops , i 'm doing it again ) . it is extremely tense at some points and very dramatic . it 's definitely one of those " must see " movies and should be considered one of the classics of its decade .

1POS

will have more meaning in the future . deliverance is definitely a wild ride ( oops , i 'm doing it again ) . is extremely tense at some points and very dramatic . it 's definitely one of those " must see " movies and should be considered one of the classics of its decade .

in october of 1997 , audiences were dazzled by the horror surprise hit i know what you did last summer . the film went on to gross over 70 million dollars in the u . s . , and even developed a cult following , much like the previous year 's 100 million dollar grossing scream . when the trailer hit theaters in september attached to urban legend , it looked like a wonderful follow - up . did it live up to the first film ? the answer is no . jennifer love hewitt returns as julie james , a survivor of the serial killer that attempted to kill her and her friends a year before . she has been so upset since the incident . nightmares haunt her all over the place , but she has to move on . she know attends college , and is best friends with a funny , outgoing girl named karla ( brandy ) , who is trying to hook julie up with will benson , played by newcomer matthew settle . karla 's boyfriend is tyrell , the funny , outgoing type , who is played by soul food 's mekhi phifer . freddie prinze jr . also returns as ray , julie 's boyfriend from a year ago . one morning , julie and karla are called up by a local radio station who are offering four tickets to the bahamas if they can correctly identify the capital of brazil . of course , they answer it correctly , and they are off to the bahamas . julie wants ray to come , but he declines the offer , so karla secretly invites will instead to help boost her plan of hooking him up with julie . after they arrive at their hotel , it is just them and the staff on the island . it starts off as the weekend of their dreams . something just had to come to mess up the one care - free weekend of julie 's life though . ben willis ( muse watson ) is back , and he is n't letting anyone survive this time . will ray come to the rescue before he can kill them off one by one ? jennifer love hewitt and brandy turn in respectable performances . brandy in particular was impressive , considering this is her first feature film . you could see that the characters were horrified , and they would do anything possible to survive . matthew settle and freddie prinze jr . are a completely different story . let 's start with settle . matthew is completely fake in this film . you could not believe a word coming out of his mouth . you could tell he was acting , and its reasons like him that this one is n't as good as the first one . he does do a good job towards the end , but that does n't clear up the scars he already left on the film . freddie prinze jr . is almost as bad as matthew settle was . he is almost completely unbelievable , and the majority of his lines are completely meaningless and out of place . we do n't see him as much as settle , otherwise he could have done just as much damage as settle did . mekhi phifer is alright as tyrell , but yet again the dialogue is out of place . the plot of i still know turns out to be a pretty good one at the end of the movie . i like where the filmmakers went with this second installment , but maybe if it occurred in the same town as the first one , it would have been a bit better . the cinematography and setting of their island are simply wonderful . there are a lot of very nice shots around their hotel . the sound is pretty good , but still not as creepy as the first film 's . jennifer love hewitt 's song , " how do i deal " is also played for about thirty seconds . i still know what you did last summer is nothing compared to the first film . the first film was very suspenseful , and it contained some very memorable scenes . the last fifteen minutes of i still know what you did last summer really picked up , and almost reached the same level as the first film . before this part in the film , there are many unnecessary deaths and fake scares . that is okay though , because the film is still very much fun and there are a few suspenseful scenes . i think the reason this film was n't as scary as the original was because in the first one , the killer terrorized the people involved in the incident . he made them suffer for what they did . in the second film , ben willis just kills anyone he feels like . he does n't stick with ray and julie , who were the ones he is actually after . he had to go after karla , will , and tyrell . if the characters he stalked were in some relation to the incident that went on when he was ran over by julie , ray , helen , and barry , it could have been much better , and it would have made a lot more sense . the bottom line- not a disappointment , but a third in the series would be out of hand .

1POS

off one by one ? jennifer love hewitt and brandy turn in respectable performances . brandy in particular was impressive , considering this is out of place . the plot of i still know turns out to be a pretty good one at the end of the movie . i like where bit better . the cinematography and setting of their island are simply wonderful . there are a lot of very nice shots around and fake scares . that is okay though , because the film is still very much fun and there are a few suspenseful scenes . i think

brian depalma needs a hit * really * badly . since scoring big with the untouchables in 1987 , depalma has seen casualties of war , raising cain and particularly the disastrous bonfire of the vanities go down in flames . consequently , it would be easy enough to consider carlito 's way a shrewd commercial choice for depalma , reteaming with al pacino ( scarface ) and returning to the gangland ground which has yielded his two greatest box office successes . it does n't hurt any that he has latched on to a solid story and brought out dynamite performances from pacino and sean penn . carlito 's way , while hampered by depalma 's characteristic excesses and stylistic cannibalism , is a truly tense and engrossing drama . carlito brigante ( pacino ) is a life - long criminal who finds himself unexpectedly given a second chance . in 1975 , carlito is released from prison after serving only five years of a thirty year sentence when his conviction is overturned on a technicality . he declares himself reformed , tired of life on the streets and determined to fulfill his simple dream of buying into a rental car business in the bahamas . among those who find this conversion hard to believe are david kleinfeld ( penn ) , carlito 's crooked attorney and childhood friend , and bodyguard pachanga ( luis guzman ) . carlito rediscovers old flame gail ( penelope ann miller ) , and seems ready to retire in peace . old ways die hard , though , and old associates pull carlito step by step back into a life he ca n't seem to shake . carlito 's way will probably make the strongest impression with the two outstanding set pieces which bracket the film . in the first , carlito accompanies his young cousin on a drug buy which will have anyone with a pulse on the edge of their seat ; the film closes with an equally thrilling chase through the new york subway and grand central station . both highlight depalma 's gift for choreographed mayhem , and these are not the only occasions when the stage blood flows freely . yet for all the viscera , i found the character study even more compelling . carlito brigante has a lot of michael corleone in him , an aging gangster trying unsuccessfully to go legit . but where the culmination of the godfather saga played like opera , there 's more of an immediacy to carlito 's way , an ever - present sense of doom launched by the title sequence which sets the flashback story in motion . you sense that there 's no way , after so many years , that carlito can stay out of trouble . indeed , he observes that his attempt at the straight life is more a function of time than a change of heart : " you do n't get reformed ; you just run out of wind . " pacino captures carlito 's dilemma with surprising subtlety and the cautious observation borne of years of experience watching every corner for an enemy . sean penn is even better , turning in his best performance to date as kleinfeld . a jew in the world of puerto rican and italian wiseguys , kleinfeld is an outsider with a huge chip on his shoulder . he could have been simply pathetic , a heavy drinker and cocaine addict playing tough with guys way out of his league , but penn invests kleinfeld with tremendous nervous energy and an overwhelming survival instinct . he shows a man moving steadily towards the brink , making the moment he goes over quite jolting . as compelling as the narrative is , viewers may experience a profound sense of deja vu . depalma continues to steal shamelessly from other directors , this time adding scorsese to his repertoire with a point of view tracking shot and a copacabana scene with more than passing resemblances to goodfellas . he even recycles some of his own previous plagiarisms , like a 360 degree swing around a kiss ( vertigo via body double ) and the climactic shootout which will strike many as far too reminiscent of the train station sequence from the untouchables . from a story standpoint , there 's an obligatory love story with a cliche'd long - suffering girlfriend character . penelope ann miller is a good but limited actor who does n't do anything new with the role , and eventually she becomes just a distraction , never integrated fully enough into the story . still , it 's easier to be forgiving of superficial flaws when the backbone is so solid . the two principle characters held an iron grip on my attention , one all the cinematic thievery in the world could n't break . carlito 's way plays like a tragic novel : deliberate , confident and powerful . those willing to grant depalma his tendencies towards the extreme should find themselves well- rewarded .

1POS

box office successes . it does n't hurt any that he has latched on to a solid story and brought out dynamite performances from pacino and sean penn . carlito 's way , watching every corner for an enemy . sean penn is even better , turning in his best performance to date as kleinfeld . a jew in the world of puerto it 's easier to be forgiving of superficial flaws when the backbone is so solid . the two principle characters held an iron grip on my attention , one all the cinematic thievery in the world could

i 've never been a huge fan of jeff bridges , but i loved him in the big lebowski . the part of jeff " the dude " lebowski was reportedly written specifically with bridges in mind , and the fit is perfect . the dude is an unemployed denizen of los angeles , a hippie slob on a bowling team with a soft spot for white russians . he 's enjoying a leisurely soak in the tub when two thugs break into his apartment demanding to be paid for the money his wife owes . after much pleading he convinces them they have the wrong guy , but not before they urinate on his rug . the dude assumes that these " collection agents " were after another jeff lebowski , a famous millionaire who also lives in l . a . so he goes to meet his namesake to ask for enough money to replace his rug . the millionaire refuses , but calls him back when he discovers his wife has been kidnaped . he wants the dude to act as go - between for the kidnapers . dude and his friend walter ( john goodman ) take on the task , and get caught in an intricate web of kidnapers , millionaires , high schoolers , nihilists , artists , pornographers , thugs , and league bowlers . comedy is perhaps the most subjective of genres , so take my recommendation as you will : for me , the big lebowski is very funny . it is an incredibly successful comedy , the ratio of laughs to intended jokes much higher than in most films . not only are the two leads ( bridges and goodman ) funny separately and together , but each supporting character is a refreshing comic figure . all the characters end up as the butt of jokes , but the jokes are always deserved and never contrived . each person may be a comic caricature , but there is always a respectful self - acceptance that lets us laugh at these people without condescension . the characters are firmly established , and they never change their behavior for a quick , cheap laugh . it 's not what they do that 's funny , it 's who they are , which is why the acting is so important , and so successful , in this movie . worth mentioning are john turturro as jesus ( that 's jee - zus , not hay - soos ) , the greaser bowler who 's in a lusty marriage with the game ; julianne moore as the post - post - feminist artist whose work has been described as " vaginal ; " steve buscemi as the eager tagalong bowler who is constantly rebuked and ignored by teammates dude and walter ; and sam elliott as the rambling , long - winded narrator . aside from the performances , what makes all the characters funny and interesting is the astute dialogue . people lose trains of thought , they interrupt , they boast , they repeat themselves , they repeat their friends . . . they sound natural . taken with fargo , the coen brothers ' last film , it is evidence that the brothers are observant listeners and gifted writers . ethan coen is not just good at directing actors , he 's also good at technical directing . he and cinematographr roger deakins created a beautiful world on film . perhaps " beautiful " is the wrong word ; nihilists , carpet - pissers and thugs are not objects of beauty . but the bowling photography and a series of viking / bowling fantasy dream sequences are lovingly photographed , as though the dude himself were in charge of immortalizing them on film . all around , the big lebowski is great , solid comedy . outstanding acting , writing , direction and photography all combine to make this a great comic success .

1POS

never been a huge fan of jeff bridges , but i loved him in the big lebowski . the part of jeff " was reportedly written specifically with bridges in mind , and the fit is perfect . the dude is an unemployed denizen of los angeles take my recommendation as you will : for me , the big lebowski is very funny . it is an incredibly successful comedy , the ratio of laughs to intended jokes much higher bridges and goodman ) funny separately and together , but each supporting character is a refreshing comic figure . all the characters end up as the butt of that lets us laugh at these people without condescension . the characters are firmly established , and they never change their behavior for a quick , it 's who they are , which is why the acting is so important , and so successful , in this movie . worth mentioning are john turturro them on film . all around , the big lebowski is great , solid comedy . outstanding acting , writing , direction and photography all combine to make this a great comic success .

synopsis : captain picard and the crew of the starship enterprise disobey federation orders and defend a peaceful community of 600 , the ba'ku , from the evil admiral dougherty and ru'afro . the enterprise crew , in the meantime , experience the rejuvenating qualities of the ba'ku homeworld : lt . worf grows a pimple , data sings opera pieces , picard scores with a ba'ku chick , riker shaves while sharing a bubblebath with troi , and the enterprise women note their firmer breasts . comments : " star trek : the next generation " was a hugely successful sequel tv series to " star trek , " a science fiction series which developed a devoted fan following in the 1970s . even though it still enjoyed high ratings , " star trek : the next generation " ended production after seven years so that the cast could replace the original " star trek " 's cast in paramount 's film franchise centering on the voyages of the starship enterprise . star trek : insurrection is the ninth " star trek " movie and the third to focus on the " star trek : the next generation " crew . star trek : insurrection qualifies as one of those movies star trek fans , such as myself , would rate somewhere between " okay " and " good . " after star trek v : the final frontier , a nearly awful movie almost as bad as the repugnant " star trek : voyager " tv series , " star trek " fans could probably swallow anything paramount throws out in the trek film franchise . i do n't wish to spend this review comparing insurrection to the eight other trek movies . most people reading this probably have n't followed " star trek " anyway , so a comparison would seem tedious at best . let me , thus , make my comparisons briefly so that it 's out of my system : star trek : insurrection is not as good as the previous installment , star trek : first contact ; star trek : insurrection 's comic tone may be best compared to star trek iv : the voyage home ; star trek ii : the wrath of khan is still the best trek movie . okay . let 's move to the movie itself . star trek : insurrection infuses a basic science fiction premise , humanity 's exploration and colonization of space , with a lot of lowbrow humor and witty oneliners . this combination works well more often than it fails , but when it does fail , the humor really seems cheesy . much of this film appeals to trek fans ' nostalgic fondness for the starship enterprise 's crew . audiences unfamiliar with trek lore may miss the significance of some plot points and may even become confused at times . star trek : insurrection begins with scenes of the tranquil life on the ba'ku homeworld . forget the actors and special effects , the beautiful setting of this movie , with its snowy mountaintops and verdant valleys , steals the show . this tranquility , however , is broken by data , an android , who reveals to the ba'ku that they are being secretly monitored by the federation and their alien allies , the son'a . it seems that this world is a veritable fountain of youth , sustaining its inhabitants indefinantly in a young , healthy state . the enterprise crew , led by captain picard , investigates data 's actions and uncovers a conspiracy between the son'a and an enterprise admiral to relocate the ba'ku and plunder the planet 's youth - restoring properties . sound pretty heavy ? it is , though this plot , anything but unique and groundbreaking , is undermined by the film 's constant barrage of humor . when going after data , for instance , picard sings an opera piece with him ( this is supposed to be cute and humorous ) . in a much more funny sequence , work grows a large pimple on the side of his nose as a result of his exposure to the ba'ku homeworld , a pimple which his crewmates , try as they might , can not avoid looking at . the acting in star trek : insurrection is , for the most part , pretty good . since they 've been playing these characters for years , those portraying the enterprise crew reassume their roles effortlessly enough . the terrific actor patrick stewart plays captain jean - luc picard and delivers a moral speech , picard 's trademark , with his usual aplomb . brent spiner , another fine actor , plays the android data well enough again and provides the best moments of comic relief in the film ( though the old android - wishing - to - be - human motif will tire some trek fans familiar with the routine from the tv series ) . the supporting cast who appear in this movie alone are also pretty good . despite many other critics ' negative opinions , f . murray abraham ( the winner of an academy award for his performance in amadeus ) plays the major villain ru'afro well enough . ru'afro reminds me , somewhat , of the baron harkonnen in the 1984 film version of dune . like the baron , ru'afro continuously has his skin looked after : it is stretched and stapled by servants . in one particularly memorable scene , ru'afro becomes very agitated , and his facial skin splits open and bleeds . ru'afro is no khan from star trek ii -- the best trek villain ever -- but he is much better than the forgettable dr . soran from star trek : generations . ( okay , i promise , no more comparisons . ) donna murphy must also be noted as a ba'ku woman , anij , who picard falls in love with . murphy is not a young woman with a supermodel body ; she is a mature woman with an attractive countenance . this is the type of woman whom picard , for those who know the character well , would be enchanted with . in fact , the chemistry between murphy and stewart works very well here . a particular plot point involving anij 's ability to slow time down , an ability which she shares with picard , becomes one of the most intriguing parts of the movie . for as good as the actors and setting were , star trek : insurrection 's special effects were surprisingly disappointing . they proved adequate , sometimes barely , for a 1990s mainstream science fiction film , but they fell way short of the standard trek movie and paled in comparison to those seen in the trailer for star wars : the phantom menace ( a trailer which reportedly preceded many showings of insurrection ) . the space battles involving the enterprise and sona ships , in particular , seemed trite and unsuspenseful , and the final confrontation between picard and ru'afro took place on a completely unconvincing interior of a satellite . the new enterprise itself , only seen in this film and its predecessor , remains largely unexplored , though its exterior does n't look quite right for a reason i can not explain . despite star trek : insurrection 's frequent comic goofiness and occasional substandard special effects , i enjoyed the film . it maintains roddenberry 's largely optimistic view of the future and rejects the gritty violence of its predecessors , particularly star trek : first contact ( though , do n't get me wrong , the dark tones of trek films like first contact can work very successfully ) . i 'd recommend insurrection as a matinee film for a saturday afternoon , especially for fans of trek or science fiction in general . rated pg , i ca n't see this film being objectionable to the viewing audience , young or old .

1POS

, humanity 's exploration and colonization of space , with a lot of lowbrow humor and witty oneliners . this combination works well more often than it fails ba'ku homeworld . forget the actors and special effects , the beautiful setting of this movie , with its snowy mountaintops and verdant valleys , steals as they might , can not avoid looking at . the acting in star trek : insurrection is , for the most part , pretty good . since they 've been playing these characters for years portraying the enterprise crew reassume their roles effortlessly enough . the terrific actor patrick stewart plays captain jean - luc picard and delivers 's frequent comic goofiness and occasional substandard special effects , i enjoyed the film . it maintains roddenberry 's largely optimistic view of the

us critic - type people are always shaking our heads and telling everyone that movies are n't thrill rides , but i think that " back to the future ii " is one of the few exceptions . if the original film had the spirit of the 1950s , then this has the spirit of the 80s : full of fights ; chase scenes ; cliff hangers ; special effects ; some detective work ; and of course the vision of the high - tech future . the film picks up exactly where the first film left off , with doc ( lloyd ) , marty ( fox ) , and jennifer ( elizabeth shue ) travelling 30 years into the future , because something bad is going to happen to marty and jennifer 's kids . doc tells marty he must take his son 's place at an incident that will cause a chain reaction if marty mcfly jr . says yes to griff ( wilson - in one of four different roles ) . whoever said history tends to repeat itself was n't joking , especially when it comes to the movies . essentially the same chase scene that marty endured in the 50s takes place again in the year 2015 , but it 's not as authentically exciting this time because it is so obviously a parody of itself . at the end of the situation marty has changed the course of history for the better , and it seems like everything 's copasetic right ? wrong . since when do things go according to plan in the " back to the future " movies ? there are so many minor conflicts and details that effect the plot and the direction of the story i wo n't even bother to list them all . basically we get to see marty as an old man , his house , his family , etc . we also go back to an alternate 1985 , and then back again to 1955 , with everything happening so fast the film never stops to catch a breath . the films ' best aspect is the fact that it actually goes back to the first movie and shows a lot of the action that occurred from another angle . it 's difficult to convey the sense of wild and zany fun without describing every little detail . the only thing sacrificed in this film is the suspense . instead of a grand finale , we get lots of little victories . by the end everything is back to normal , but something happens that leads to yet another sequel , but it does n't seem gratuitous . " back to the future part ii " is a really great adventure movie . it certainly has more originality than other films but it lacks a certain charm that was dominate throughout its predecessor .

1POS

fast the film never stops to catch a breath . the films ' best aspect is the fact that it actually goes back to the . " back to the future part ii " is a really great adventure movie . it certainly has more originality than other films but

magnolia left me relling from the theatre , staggering from the relentless assault of an adventurous director reveling in his craft . at nearly three and a half hours , magnolia will strike some as a brute of a film . it not only demands your attention , but challenges you to grasp the significance of seemingly unrelated storylines and hidden intentions . it is delirious , depressing , heady , pretentious , surreal filmmaking . it 's also a movie that will polarize its viewers . director paul thomas anderson takes a talented cast , wraps them in a net of interrelated stories and sets them spinning in a symphony of despair whose song does n't let up until an oddly exhilerating , biblically influenced pseudo - climax . the character 's make up a modern day gomorrah in the soulless way in which they live their lives . there is frank mackey ( tom cruise ) , a slithery snake charmer of men whose " search and destroy " seminars teach how to mentally rape a woman to get into her pants . there is earl partridge ( jason robards ) , a dying media tycoon yearning to make amends for a lfe of callousness by finding his estranged son . there is game show host jimmy gator ( phillip baker hall ) , a self absorbed tv icon who is hiding more than a few secrets from his public . and there is police officer jim kurring ( john c . reilly ) , who cloaks himself in the codification of organized religion and the legal system , perhaps masking a man who needs rules to fuel his decision making process . given equal weight are stories involving a coke - addled emotional cripple ( melora walters ) , a former tv quiz show champion ( william h . macy ) . a materialistic , adulterous wife ( julianne moore ) , a child ( jeremy blackman ) victimized by a mentally abusive parent , and a caring , empathetic nurse ( philip seymour hoffman ) . hovering over all these characters is a cloud of death , lies and despair . it is not a pleasant movie . there is not one bad note in the acting . it is affecting and layered and wonderful . there is a moment where tom cruise wordlessly implodes that rivals work he has done in whole films . then he tops himself with a mesmerizing deathbed scene . walters plays her character with red - eyed rawness and a fierce self - destructiveness that is anxiety inducing . robards convincingly portrays a fading whisper of a man , who still hears a lion 's roar when he speaks . director anderson has apparently given the actors lattitude to emote . the problem is that he stays on them too long . julianne moore 's character , linda , quickly escalates to a frenzied pitch of guilt , tears , screaming and remorse and never backs off from it . after a few hours , it turns from interesting to chinese water torture . quite a few scenes , such as the game show , go on just a bit too long and will be off - putting for those used to a pat 90 minute film where the main theme is reiterated several times just in case you missed it the first go around . and just what is the theme ? alienation ? hopelessness ? anderson challenges you to draw your own conclusions and he does n't make it easy . the film starts by showing three , strange and seemingly unrelated events . it 's a harbinger of the synchronicity to come . at times , different stories reach reach key moments at the same time . other times , stories seem to veer off into uncharted territory , regardless of what else is happening . anderson is audacious enough to even have a group sing in the middle of the film ! what 's surprising is that it mostly works . if you have doubts about anderson 's intentions , i 'll ask you to pay attention to the final frame . despite all the sturm und drang , magnolia ultimately speaks to man 's capacity for hope and attempts at redemption . despite magnolia 's needlessly long running time and its propensity for uneven editing as anderson plays the auteur , showing off fro the masses , i have to admire his guts . this is truly adventurous filmmaking that spits in the face of conventional storytelling . my rating : a bulleye . ( stars ) a side note : helping anchor the film is a perfectly matched soundtrack featuring aimee mann . her lyrics often add depth to a scene thematically while the actual music is both morose and beautiful . when she sings " save me " at the end , it enhances the yearning felt by the characters , just as " wise up " mirrors the anguish felt by all as they contemplate their lives .

1POS

and despair . it is not a pleasant movie . there is not one bad note in the acting . it is affecting and layered and wonderful . there is a moment where tom cruise wordlessly implodes a group sing in the middle of the film ! what 's surprising is that it mostly works . if you have doubts about anderson 's intentions , plays the auteur , showing off fro the masses , i have to admire his guts . this is truly adventurous filmmaking that spits in the face of conventional storytelling . my

a group of high school kids mix up with a group of hip - hop artists as a documentarian strives to discover why today 's youth seem attracted to black culture . the review if black & white , the new film from writer / director james toback , is eventually remembered for only one thing , it will be the revelation that brooke shields , claudia schiffer , marla maples and mike tyson can act . however , this partly improvised gem will be remembered for more than that . black & white is a fascinating film ; it makes a statement about america 's youth and hip - hop culture without getting heavy - handed overly serious . featuring a cast of known commodities ( ben stiller , robert downey jr . ) and hot newcomers ( singers bijou phillips ) , toback 's is a complex film worth seeing . black & white has multiple storylines that are all related to each other , a la robert altman . there is dean the basketball player ( allan houston ) who is asked to rig games for money by mark clear ( stiller ) in exchange for fifty grand a game . this eventually spills over into the life of dean 's long - time friend rich ( power ) , a gangsta who controls 20 city blocks of harlem . rich has to deal with the imminent opening of a white - owned club on his turf . meanwhile , the young white girls who like to hang around with rich and his homies get talked into being in a documentary by sam donager ( shields ) and her gay husband terry ( downey jr . ) . others who make appearances are william lee scott as the young white punk will , joe pantoliano as his district attorney father , jared leto as a high school teacher , marla maples as the mother of one of hip - hop crazed teens , claudia schiffer as dean 's girlfriend , and mike tyson as . . . mike tyson . the stories ebb and flow through the film , losing and gaining prominence over time . friendships are lost , lovers are gained , and there is an occasional burst of violence . originally rated nc-17 in the united states , black & white features a lot of sex between black gangstas and young white girls . while the film was trimmed down to a tamer r rating , viewers will wonder what could be more explicit than what they are seeing . the three - way sexual beginning of the film nicely warns viewers of what they are in for , and several audience members got up and left at that point . the frequent sex is one of the film 's few flaws as the titillation is overdone and at times completely unrelated to anything else going on in the film . to toback 's credit , the level of violence in black & white is almost nil . these gangstas and hip - hop artists are given real problems and concerns , and only become gun - toting crazies when it benefits them to appear that way . whenever a character finds himself on donager 's handheld digital camera , he starts spouting off righteous tirades on america and proclaims his independence , but not everyone has fully bought into the idea . charlie ( phillips ) is full of bluster about why she loves hip - hop , but admits that " in ten years time , i 'll be way over this . " these youth know they are going through a phase , and are simply enjoying it . toback fills the spaces between these tirades with scenes that are lightweight and funny . most of the humour comes from mike tyson , who provides the film 's comic relief without really trying . he is given big words like vernacular to say , and as rich tries to discuss a particular street problem with tyson , he frequently has to ask him to use smaller words and explain himself better , playing on tyson 's image as a dimwit . but tyson also gets the film 's scariest moment . as he is mercilessly hit upon by the very gay terry , tyson is a marvel to watch as he fights to remain calm . the scene is entirely improvised , with downey jr . being told to just keep at tyson until he gets a reaction . the reaction he gets , being slapped and then choked is astonishing , as downey jr 's face turns a frightening shade of purple . black & white is a film about hip - hop culture , and the film 's omnipresent hip - hop soundtrack strongly supports this . but toback keeps things from becoming too serious ; by moving from story to story as quickly as he does , toback keeps us from becoming attached to any one character 's struggle . thus black & white 's message about hip - hop becomes secondary to the film itself . toback just wants us to have fun and maybe learn a little about hip - hop along the way . and we do .

1POS

remembered for more than that . black & white is a fascinating film ; it makes a statement about america 's youth and it . toback fills the spaces between these tirades with scenes that are lightweight and funny . most of the humour comes from mike tyson ,

one year has passed since the last time we saw them , and but wayne campbell and garth algar are back but , they 've moved out of their parents homes , and now have their own pad in an abandoned warehouse . wayne 's still hopelessly infatuated with his girlfriend , cassandra , and of course garth is still having his own , personal growing pains . they guys are just finishing off one of their shows , and head off to an aerosmith concert where they run across cassandra and her new manager , a stereotypical industry slime not unlike the character rob lowe portrayed in the previous film . again , the promoter is not only after the money that cassandra 's talent can bring in . the storyline quickly degrades to a parallel of the original , " guy loses chick , guy realizes mistake , and guy gets chick back . " fortunately , there is more to this movie than this somewhat sheer plot . the wit and humor in this film are surprisingly intelligent and fresh with many inside jokes on the film and music industries as well as just a lot of hilarious scenes of wayne and garth showing their true color . highlights of the movie include a spoof of jurassic park , garth 's seduction by a married woman , a surprise appearance by charleton heston , a 1960 's batman setup in the guy 's pad , and some pretty groovy chats with jim morrison and some " naked indian guy , " an unexpected lip - sync of ymca ( you could see that one coming a mile away ) and of course a hilarious parody of those badly - dubbed kung - fu movies we love to laugh at . and if you 've ever wondered why there 's always boxes of watermelons , chickens , and people walking plate glass in the middle of streets , you 'll find out here . this movie also explores wayne and garth a little more . garth has somewhat of a " coming of age " and wayne gets to learn a little about himself ( with a little help from our old friend , jim morrison ) . a few old jokes from the previous movie are explored here again , but this time with a few twists to keep them fresh , and luckily , few , if any of them are overused . overall , the movie has plenty of continuity flaws ( especially in the fight scent between garth and cassandra 's dad ) , but these are easily overlooked as this is , after wayne 's world . the plot is flimsy but manageable . there are a few special effects , but they are fairly seamless , and fill nicely into the plot . the acting is good , for this sort of movie , but there are some very bright spots . in the big picture , this movie is just plain fun . there is lots of intelligent humor that makes this film special . during the whole one hour and 40 minutes , i did n't even think about looking at my watch a single time . silly , but riotous at times , this is an excellent movie even better than the original .

1POS

realizes mistake , and guy gets chick back . " fortunately , there is more to this movie than this somewhat sheer plot . the wit and humor in this film are surprisingly intelligent and fresh with many inside jokes on the film and music industries fairly seamless , and fill nicely into the plot . the acting is good , for this sort of movie , but there are some very bright spots . in the big picture , this movie is just plain fun . there is lots of intelligent humor that makes this film special . during the whole one . silly , but riotous at times , this is an excellent movie even better than the original .

john carpenter directed this stylish and gory vampire flick to which has it 's good side and it 's bad . it 's held up by some good performances and dazzling special effects leading up to an ending that 's pretty satisfying . james woods gives an outstanding performance that almost covers up the movie . the good side : some neat scenes of vampires and violence . the bad : no scares . yes that 's right , even though being directed by one of horror 's most cherished directors , ' vampires ' is the least bit scary , if not at all . james woods stars as jack a vampire hunter out to stop the plans of the ' master ' vampire valek played by thomas ian griffith whom wants vampires to walk in the daylight . daniel baldwin plays his sidekick montoya , a wise - cracking guy who really is n't that funny . in the opening scene jack along with montoya and the team of vampire hunters , find an abandoned house to which vampire occupy . of course we all know sunshine kills vampires , and that is just how they kill these vampires : hooking them to ropes and dragging them outside letting them burn to death . after throwing a party for what happened , the vampires that did not die come back to trash it . they kill almost all of jack 's team , leaving only a few alive . sheryl lee plays a prostitute katrina who was bitten by valek , but not yet turned into a vampire . she is rescued by jack and ? flees with them on their search for valek . they have to fight they 're way against vampires , leading up to a finale that is well - done with great special effects . ' vampires ' definately could have been done better . the make - up , special effects and story are first rate , but there is no scares or terror that the film could have had . it to me had more humor than horror , almost being compared to ' fright night ' with the mix of violence and comedy . john carpenter does a great job of directing this film . he eases through some tough times and saves the flaws , which are noticeable but forgettable . the script is clever and funny , with many lines that make us laugh out loud . i much enjoyed ' vampires ' with a few exceptions . it 's one of those films you see but do n't take to heart . you enjoy the time you spent and go on . the recently released ' psycho ' is the same way , it 's not as good as you 'd hope but it is fun and entertaining . ' vampires ' is a good horror flick with no scares but plenty of other content to please the viewer .

1POS

it 's bad . it 's held up by some good performances and dazzling special effects leading up to an ending that 's pretty satisfying . james woods gives an outstanding performance that almost covers up the movie . the good side saves the flaws , which are noticeable but forgettable . the script is clever and funny , with many lines that make us laugh out loud it is fun and entertaining . ' vampires ' is a good horror flick with no scares but plenty of other content to please the viewer .

in the wake of the smashing success of " rumble in the bronx , " it 's looking more and more likely that more jackie chan films will see american release . rumor has it that one of these films will be drunken master ii . the version i have is a copy from the laserdisc ; it 's widescreen and bilingually - subtitled , as are most hong kong films these days . availability over here in the united states is very limited ; these films must either be purchased via pirates or sought out from asian distributors such as tai seng . the subtitling on the copy i have is slightly hard to read ; the letters are white and a bit small . although the american release will almost certainly be dubbed , this review is of the subtitled version , so please keep that in mind if you 're reading this review to help you decide whether to go out and see it . to be fair , i must admit that i 've never been very fond of " period - piece " martial arts movies -- the ones set in some nebulous china of the distant or not so distant past . perhaps it 's because most of those i 've seen were filmed on inferior stock , with either butchered dubbing or all - but - illegible subtitling , or perhaps it 's because their plots all tend to be very similar to each other and , in many cases , all but nonexistant . in fact , many of them get so wrapped up in their subplots that they seem to forget their main plot entirely until only a few minutes before the end . or , for that matter , it might be because the jackie chan films with more modern settings ( armour of god , rumble in the bronx , etc . ) tend to have more spectacular stunts , often involving large motor vehicles and large explosions , whereas period pieces simply have the martial arts . having said that , i must now turn right around and say that drunken master ii is a remarkable exception to all or most of the above , is one of the better martial arts films i 've seen , and i quite enjoyed it . surprised ? well , so was i . drunken master ii is about a young man named wong fei - hong ( played by jackie chan ) who is a master of the drunken boxing style of kung fu . where he learned this style is uncertain , as his father , wong kei - ying ( ti lung ) is steadfast in his opposition to fei - hong 's practicing it rather than some more normal style of kung fu . apparently , fei - hong is some sort of figure from chinese folklore , rather like paul bunyan is for americans , but i 've heard very little about this , and could quite well be wrong , so i 'll leave analysis of that to the people who know it better . one of my friends points out that the character of wong fei - hong is also featured in the " once upon a time in china " movies , but i have not yet seen those . the plot of drunken master ii is somewhat hazy , as are the plots to many such films , but if you 're watching a jackie chan film , odds are you are n't expecting something on the order of " war and peace " . the story seems to revolve around those evil foreigners who are spiriting away ancient chinese relics ( and hence , china 's cultural heritage ) while overworking , underpaying , and beating up chinese workers in a nearby steel mill . however , this plot merely serves as a framework for the other main story of the film -- fei - hong 's perpetual struggle to win his girlfriend , supplicate his father , keep his ( pregnant ) mother ( played by anita mui ) from fighting , and keep from getting beaten up by evil foreigner thugs . the macguffin that drives the plot ( s ) is a precious antique jade imperial seal which is being taken away by the evil foreigners . in the beginning , fei - hong accidentally steals it while trying to recover an identically - wrapped box containing the medicinal ginseng his father was bringing back for a customer . in the process , he clashes with another thief , who is himself trying for the seal but ends up instead with the ginseng . after fei - hong narrowly avoids getting caught with the seal by the evil foreigners ' lackies , thanks to some timely intervention by a general 's son ( a cameo appearance by andy lau , who would later take on the starring role in drunken master iii ! ) , comedic chaos ensues back at the wong household when fei - hong and his mother attempt to come up with a replacement for the missing ginseng . and so it goes . and the plot thickens later on , such as when fei - hong 's girlfriend maneuvers him into a kung fu match with a rival , or when fei - hong and the thief , now revealed to be a loyalist manchu officer trying to recover the seal and stop the evil foreigners , are attacked en masse ( another grand kung - fu movie tradition ) , but i think i 've already spent more time on the plot than it really deserves . let 's move on to the real draw of jackie chan movies . . . the action . there 's plenty of martial arts action to be found in this movie . . . of course , in a kung fu film , that 's to be expected . however , this is n't just another kung fu movie ; this one has jackie chan doing the fight and stunt choreography , and jackie chan is a genius . the primary martial arts " style " featured in the film is drunken boxing , a form of kung fu which attempts to draw the adversary off his guard by making it seem like the fellow using it is drunk . further , for the purposes of this film at least , drunken boxers fight better when they actually _ are _ intoxicated . . . but there 's a fine line between just drunk enough and drunk into a stupor . under normal circumstances , the idea of someone staggering around looking sloshed but managing to fight effectively and even incredibly might seem rather stupid , but jackie pulls it off with flair . the kung fu sequences are so intricate in their staging and execution that it is pointless to try to describe it on paper , so i 'll just say that the fights -- especially the big climactic fight at the end -- in themselves make the movie worth watching . another thing drunken master ii has going for it is the stunt work . even without motor vehicles ( well , not counting a train ) , there are some remarkable stunts in this film . among other things , jackie dives off a balcony into a table and crawls across hot coals ( not once , but at _ least _ twice , if you count the outtake shown during the credits ) . ( quicktime movies of these stunts can be found through the www movie database . ) unlike in american films , these stunts are _ not _ faked . drunken master ii stars several veteran actors of the hong kong movie scene , including jackie , ti lung ( " a better tomorrow " 1 & 2 ) , and anita mui ( the " heroic trio " series , " rumble in the bronx " ) . the performances are first - rate , especially when it comes to the comedy parts of the film . the scene where fei - hong and his mother conspire literally behind fei - hong 's father 's back to cover up for the missing ginseng root is hilarious , as is the scene where fei - hong 's mother , having just revealed that she is pregnant , is threatening to hurt herself ( in order to draw her husband 's anger away from fei - hong ) . jackie has developed his knack for physical comedy into a sort of mastery over the years , and he 's in fine form all through drunken master ii . as far as cinematography is concerned , it certainly works for this film . it 's nothing spectacular , but is at least a dozen times better than all those old kung fu movies of the 70s . the picture is crisp and clear . one thing i find particularly worthy of mention is that , at least in the copy i have , the screen was wider than any film i 've ever seen on videotape before -- almost a whole 1/3 of the screen was blocked out above and below . ( watch this on a bigscreen tv or movie theater if you can . ) it will be an utter shame if this film is eventually pan - and - scanned for american video release . drunken master ii shows the full potential of " period piece " kung fu movies , and it 's good enough to overcome even my usual distaste for such movies . the plot does meander a bit , but that 's to be expected in this type of film . if you like this kind of movie , you 'll love this movie , and if not , well , give it a chance anyway . if nothing else , the martial arts and stunt sequences are by themselves worth the price of admission or rental .

1POS

turn right around and say that drunken master ii is a remarkable exception to all or most of the above , is one of the better martial arts films i 've seen , and i quite enjoyed it . surprised ? well jackie chan doing the fight and stunt choreography , and jackie chan is a genius . the primary martial arts " style " featured in and even incredibly might seem rather stupid , but jackie pulls it off with flair . the kung fu sequences are so intricate in their the big climactic fight at the end -- in themselves make the movie worth watching . another thing drunken master ii has going for it vehicles ( well , not counting a train ) , there are some remarkable stunts in this film . among other things , jackie dives into a sort of mastery over the years , and he 's in fine form all through drunken master ii . as far as cinematography is concerned film . if you like this kind of movie , you 'll love this movie , and if not , well , give it a , the martial arts and stunt sequences are by themselves worth the price of admission or rental .

at first glance , three kings looks to be just another war movie , the 90s version of all those favourite war movies with names i can not remember . the 90s version , it definitely is , just another war movie ? not in your dreams ! imagine pulp fiction approach to saving private ryan , tha 's three kings for you . believe it or not , it bears the cool of the former and the stark humane meaning of the latter . the story brings us to the twilight of the gulf war , with the allied troops victorious . majpr archie gates ( clooney ) leads an enterprising bunch of grunts to a rather unorthodox post - war looting spree ; the millions in gold bars secretly stowed away by saddam in a desolate village in the desert . as the rest of the troops are celebrating their victory and getting ready to be shipped home , this ' wild bunch ' goes awol on an armed hum - vee ( the vehicle of choice of the us army ) . they soon find out that they have much resistance , as they get tangled with the local rebellion against saddam 's forces . frequently switching their modes between looters and robin hood 's merry men , they become consciously attacked by their own morals . as the film begins to roll , it seemed to have a rather ' light ' mood to it . ' special ' effects such as when gates describes to his men how a bullet can kill simply paves the way for a light - hearted funny action movie . three kings is much smarter than that . as the conflict becomes more and more complex , the audience will be trapped in a limbo , trying to stay focussed on that light - mood / serious - mood that the film seem to portray . i personally found this analogous to the same feelings of the main characters involved in the film ; trapped between their initial plan paved by greed and their own sense of humanity . this simply made the entire experience of watching three kings truly brilliant . action sequences are not shot as your old - fashioned war films nor anything like steven spielberg 's in - your - face war violence . they are carefully built to generate tension with just the right tight close - ups and pauses , right before the action starts . not john woo for sure but more of sergio leone 's spaghetti western style ( tons of them starring clint eastwood ) . great performances by clooney and wahlberg but the brilliance have to lie in the conception of this film ; the screenwriter and the director . three kings ranks among the best films of the year , well , for me at least . highly recommended .

1POS

this simply made the entire experience of watching three kings truly brilliant . action sequences are not shot as your old - in - your - face war violence . they are carefully built to generate tension with just the right tight close - ups and pauses , right before the action starts . not john woo style ( tons of them starring clint eastwood ) . great performances by clooney and wahlberg but the brilliance have to lie in the conception of this film ; the screenwriter and the director . three kings ranks among the best films of the year , well , for me at least . highly recommended .

mickey mouse had better watch his back -- there 's a new critter in town , and he 's the nameless animal attraction of " mouse hunt , " dreamworks skg 's clever first foray into family fare . although it runs out of steam towards its end , this live - action comedy still boasts enough energized slapstick and inventive set pieces to best disney 's entire 1997 non - animated , kiddie - oriented catalog . . . but consider that list includes dismal tripe like " air bud , " " flubber " and " that darn cat , " and it 's really not such a difficult feat to pull off . still , throw the two rodents in a boxing arena , and i 'll be hoping that the mouse from " mouse hunt " knocks some sense back into mickey . nathan lane ( robin williams ' significant other from " the birdcage " ) and lee evans ( last seen as a nervous bellhop in " the fifth element " ) play ernie and lars smuntz , befuddled brothers who have just inherited two unwanted assets from their late father ( william hickey , in his last role ) -- a dilapidated old string factory and a dilapidated old mansion . although lars made a deathbed promise to upkeep the former , he and ernie decide to sell the latter for big bucks after learning it was designed by a famed architect . but there 's a lone obstacle in their way -- a single mouse lives within the walls of the house , and he 's not about to give up his place of residence without a fight . movies aimed at young audiences are rarely this visually exquisite . the effects blending the talents of 60-some live mice , one animatronic mouse and one computer - generated mouse are pretty seamless . the splendid production design seems to be straight out of tim burton 's mind ; the smuntz 's architecturally - unsound mansion is like something straight out of " the nightmare before christmas , " and the vortex of bizarre machinery in their factory resembles some of vincent price 's warped contraptions from " edward scissorhands . " " mouse hunt " is a pretty dark movie -- even some of the humor can be grim -- but it 's hardly ever mean - spirited . the star of the show is neither the top - billed lane nor the titular mouse . it 's lanky british comedian evans , whose hysterical bodily antics suggest a cleaned - up jim carrey without the obnoxious overkill ( note a toned - down but nonetheless outrageous impromptu striptease ) ; evans ' banter with the ever - affable lane is funny stuff , too , and holds its own against the movie 's more flashy physical shtick . vicki lewis ( beth from " newsradio " ) is solid in a supporting role as lars ' money - grubbing wife . and in a nifty bit of novelty casting , christopher walken is a macabre delight as a spooky exterminator who takes his job a little too seriously , popping a dropping into his mouth and noting to his tape recorder that the mouse has a " calcium deficiency . " blech . a basically one - joke idea -- a mouse outsmarts a couple of bumbling humans -- is given a rather engaging execution . their sparring is imaginatively realized ( i do n't think i 'll ever forget the sight of that tiny little mouse making his getaway on a rolling wheel of gouda ) , and although you really never fully root for either side , that 's okay -- a warm - and - fuzzy union between the two parties is practically promised from the first frame they share . " mouse hunt " may take a while to get going ( the rather lengthy set - up could test the patience of some of the younger children , although i rather liked it , much in part to lane and evans ) , and the climactic sequence is allowed to play out for a bit too long , but this appears to be one family movie that most members of the family will be able to find agreeable , not unlike the original " home alone . "

1POS

towards its end , this live - action comedy still boasts enough energized slapstick and inventive set pieces to best disney 's entire 1997 non - animated , and one computer - generated mouse are pretty seamless . the splendid production design seems to be straight out of tim burton 's mind evans ' banter with the ever - affable lane is funny stuff , too , and holds its own against the movie vicki lewis ( beth from " newsradio " ) is solid in a supporting role as lars ' money - grubbing wife . and in mouse outsmarts a couple of bumbling humans -- is given a rather engaging execution . their sparring is imaginatively realized ( i do n't appears to be one family movie that most members of the family will be able to find agreeable , not unlike the original " home alone . "

a miracle of filmmaking , " some like it hot " is a brilliant film , and maybe the foremost example of slapstick comedy brought to screen with clever sight gags and plot twists . it is the pinnacle of writer - director billy wilder 's career , a stunning feat considering the vast catalogue of films he had helped make . jerry ( lemmon ) and joe ( curtis ) are two stage musicians who go from gig to gig , trying to earn enough money to feed themselves . one night , as they 're playing at a banned prohibition speakeasy , the place is raided . as it turns out , the owner , spats columbo ( george raft ) was ratted out by toothpick charlie ( george e . stone ) . several weeks later , on valentine 's day , jerry and joe go to a garage to pick up a car and end up witnessing a gangland murder of charlie by columbo in a parking garage . eager to escape , the duo are forced to take a job in florida with all expenses paid . the only catch . . its a girls band . so josephine ( curtis ) and daphne ( lemmon ) , make their way onto the train and go to florida . on the way there , they meet sugar kane ( monroe ) , a bombshell singer who is looking for love . jerry and joe immediately fall for the singer , but there 's two problems : 1 ) they 're in drag , and 2 ) millionaire osgood fielding ( joe e . brown ) falls madly in love with daphne . what follows in pure hysteria , still complicated further by the arrival of spats columbo to florida for the " italian opera lovers festival " . tony curtis is hysterical as joe / josephine , especially in his preposterous attempts to woo sugar . marilyn monroe , in a wonderfully comic performance , is sugar , providing incredible timing and sex appeal , along with true sincerity . the scenes , however , are all stolen by either brown or lemmon . lemmon is hysterical as daphne . cast as the less rational one , lemmon 's performance is ridiculously crazy , it is disorder in the style all billy wilder 's . brown is particularly hilarious as osgood , as we are treated to the finest kind of comedic irony . he manages to use lemmon 's ingenious performance as a springboard for an even loonier performance as a completely eccentric millionaire . every set - piece is flawless , as wilder brilliantly changes settings constantly , and uses every comic trick in the book to make his picture . wilder 's script is stunning , as he carefully combines gangsters , cross - dressing , romance , sex , music , gender roles , and social taboos in a riotous blend of wit and oddball craziness . wilder manages to create scenes of utter hysteria , so pitch - perfect that the audience is dying of laughter with the last comic piece , the final line of this absolutely incredible film . wilder 's is dead wrong when he says nobody 's perfect : billy wilder is , especially when he makes something this disastrously funny . nobody 's perfect but billy wilder .

1POS

a miracle of filmmaking , " some like it hot " is a brilliant film , and maybe the foremost example of slapstick comedy brought pinnacle of writer - director billy wilder 's career , a stunning feat considering the vast catalogue of films he had helped make hilarious as osgood , as we are treated to the finest kind of comedic irony . he manages to use lemmon 's ingenious performance as a springboard for an even loonier performance as a completely eccentric millionaire . every set - piece is flawless , as wilder brilliantly changes settings constantly , and uses

a welcome cinematic trend over the past couple of years has been to make the works of shakespeare more accessible to the younger audiences who are the vast majority of moviegoers by contemporizing the bard and altering the settings to familiar surroundings . a prime example of this is 1999 's 10 things i hate about you , which was basically the taming of the shrew in a high school . less successful was last year 's adaptation of hamlet with ethan hawke as the heir apparent of the denmark corp . here the setting was the corporate world of new york . now comes o , a faithful retelling of one of the most tragic of shakespeare 's tragedies . like 10 things i hate about you , the stage is a high school - a private prep school where odin james ( mekhi phifer ) is the on - court general , the basketball team 's standout player . julia stiles , featured in 10 things i hate about you as well as performing ophelia in hawke 's hamlet , plays desi brable , odin 's girlfriend , whose father also happens to be dean of the institution . josh hartnett ( pearl harbor ) is on hand for the villainy , playing the scheming hugo , who sets the tragic wheels in motion . o was actually filmed a couple of years ago , but was shelved because of the columbine high school tragedy . the movie , directed by tim blake nelson - best known for his co - starring role in o brother , where art thou ? - and written by brad kaaya , is very grim . an air of tragedy weighs it down from the opening scene to the closing credits . and that is how it should be . of all of shakespeare 's tragedies , othello is the most harrowing , not because of any body count , but because of the psychological havoc wreaked by iago , whose motivation in the sheer pleasure of his treachery . kaaya 's profane - filled script - after all , these are high school kids - does offer hugo a subtle motive of sorts . the young man considers himself the basketball team 's prime utility man who does a little bit of everything - pass , shoot , rebound - but is constantly in the shadow of odin . plus his father , the team 's coach - played with a ferocious intensity by martin sheen - showers more love and concern on his star player than on his own flesh and blood . the script follows the familiar lines of the classic . hugo begins dropping hints to odin concerning desi 's fidelity , eroding the star 's confidence in those he considers closest to him , affecting both his relationships and his game . it all ends in blood , of course , which is why the movie was originally shelved . the performances in o vary . phifer is at first cocky and self - assured , emotions he handles with ease . he also does quite well displaying odin 's darker side ; his defensive sensitivity about being the only black at the institution , his growing distrust of those he loved , his rage and the erosion of his belief system . hartnett is appropriately cool and machiavellian as he weaves his deadly web of lies and deceit , turning friend against friend , and lover against lover . stiles seems a bit stilted , but occasionally also rises to the occasion , moving from adoration to confusion to fear of her young knight . the film does contain a few missteps : a subplot involving hugo 's theft of the school mascot is left hanging . also desi 's actions concerning michael ( andrew keegan ) , odin 's former teammate and best friend who was kicked off the team because of one of hugo 's machinations , is puzzling . why she would continually be seen with michael - however innocent the circumstances - when she knows her man suspects the two of cheating behind his back . it is irrational . but these are minor carpings . overall , o is a stylish and faithful adaptation . if nothing else , it may encourage some people to read the original text , and that will counterbalance the severity of this feature .

1POS

corporate world of new york . now comes o , a faithful retelling of one of the most tragic of shakespeare 's tragedies . plus his father , the team 's coach - played with a ferocious intensity by martin sheen - showers more love and concern on assured , emotions he handles with ease . he also does quite well displaying odin 's darker side ; his defensive sensitivity about but these are minor carpings . overall , o is a stylish and faithful adaptation . if nothing else , it may encourage some people

there is a scene early in soul food , george tillman 's comedy - drama about a large african - american family and the ordeals they go through during a crisis , that caught me completely off guard . during a wedding , the groom is flirting with some tramp , and in an attempt to to prevent a scene , his mother in law , played by irma p . hall , comes to the rescue . the way in which she does this makes me think irma p . hall is one of the greatest actresses around right now . however , this is just one magical moment in a movie filled with them . vanessa williams , vivica fox , and nia long star as three sisters who have each gone their own way in life . williams is teri , a successful lawyer , who is frustrated by her husband miles attempts at a music career . fox is maxine , the strongest of the sisters , which can be confirmed by the stability of her marriage and the wisdom of her son ahmad , who narrates the film . long is bird , a hairdresser who is the last of the three to get married . her husband lem is an intense passionate individual whose temper gets the best of him sometime but never stops loving . at the center of everything is irma p . hall , as big mama jo . every sunday , the family gathers together for dinner at mama jo 's house . there is lots of conversation , lots of laughs , and the occasional controversy . mama jo presides over the family like all mothers should . she is stern and disciplined , but also caring and forgiving . everything is going fine , until a tragedy befalls mama jo . all of a sudden , a chain reaction of events begin to destroy the family . it gets so bad , sunday dinner is even cancelled . without mama jo 's guidance , there is noone to keep the family together , which frustrates ahmad . miles and maxine 's marriage begins to fall apart , as he focuses on his music and flirts with the troublesome faith . lem 's temper gets the best of him when his convict past starts to catch up to him . and teri tries to prevent maxine 's efforts to sell mama jo 's house . the third act of the film deals with ahmad 's attempts to patch things up . he decides to take over where mama jo left off , and tries to get the family back together for one more sunday dinner . the acting by everyone in the ensemble is outstanding , with special notices to irma p . hall and brandon hammond . hall gives a performance that deserves to be recognized by the academy . her mama jo is one of the most memorable characters i have ever encountered in a movie . brandon hammond is an actor with a bright future . he is wise enough not to play cutesy and shows an admirable range and depth , and speaks the final lines of the movie on the perfect note . tillman obviously based this movie on his own memories of growing up . every scene in the movie is purposeful and convincing ( except maybe an odd flashback sequence ) . the dialogue is beleiveable and funny . and then there 's the food . tillman gives us several close ups of the soul food , and it indeed looks very tasty . i can see why sunday dinners became such a tradition for this family . soul food is one of the most purely entertaining movies of the year .

1POS

greatest actresses around right now . however , this is just one magical moment in a movie filled with them . vanessa williams , vivica fox , and nia long the family back together for one more sunday dinner . the acting by everyone in the ensemble is outstanding , with special notices to irma p . hall and brandon hammond . hall gives a performance that deserves to be recognized by the academy . her mama jo is one of the most memorable have ever encountered in a movie . brandon hammond is an actor with a bright future . he is wise enough not to play cutesy and of growing up . every scene in the movie is purposeful and convincing ( except maybe an odd flashback sequence ) . the dialogue is beleiveable and funny . and then there 's the food . tillman gives for this family . soul food is one of the most purely entertaining movies of the year .

director david fincher has such an eye for detail which is very rare in hollywood these days ( terry gilliam comes to mind as another one ) . film is one of the best art forms because not only can you tell a story , but you can use the camera to capture the smallest detail and have it mean something . but most directors seem to go for action with the slightest ounce of a story . so whenever a director uses the camera to its fullest potential , the film almost automatically deserves a good review . and when they add a fascinating story to it , you have nearly perfect entertainment . fincher 's the game is no exception to this . the game is one of the most interesting and complex films to come out of hollywood in a long time . fincher has n't made a film since " seven , " his box office and critical hit which defied expectations and became one of the best movies ever . so it is about time he made another film . and what a ride it is . the game is n't quite as powerful as " seven , " but in some ways it is better . overall , the game could have used a little more clarity , or a little more uncertainty . it walks a line of insanity and reality , but it never goes either way until the very end . the outcome is satisfying enough for the preceding events , and it makes a lot of sense once everything is set straight . unfortunately , unlike " the usual suspects , " we are never given enough information to figure out for ourselves what is happening , whether it be true or false . however , this also gives the film a frightening aspect which the game uses to the fullest extent . the game is told completely from its main character 's point of view . nicholas van orton ( michael douglas ) is a high - strung and isolated businessman . he lives alone in his giant mansion , divorced from his wife elizabeth , and is celebrating his 48th birthday ; the same age at which his father committed suicide at , in the same mansion . for his 48th birthday , conrad ( sean penn ) , the rebel of the family , gives nicholas a gift certificate to crs : consumer recreation services . " it will make your life fun again , " his brother promises . as skeptical as nicholas is , he is somewhat intrigued , and annoyed by the lack of information -- something this businessman hates . seeing a billboard in an office , he decides to visit the mysterious company . jim feingold ( james rebhorn ) greets nicholas and guides him through the sign - up process , which consists of psych - tests , physicals , emotional responses , and other mind games . " each game is suited to each person 's emotional and psychological needs , " explains feingold . one day , nicholas gets a call from crs and they explain that he failed the tests . even more intrigued and now somewhat angered at the time he spent signing up , he starts asking around to see what people can tell him about the company . what he does n't realize is that the game has already begun . the phone call is just the first of many strange events to be thrown nicholas ' way . how he finds out that he is involved has to be witnessed because it is amusing and fun and visually impressive . the detail involved in fincher 's shots is incredible and almost requires a second viewing just to appreciate the effort that went into them . with " seven , " fincher had almost every single shot mean something . he also has the unique ability to make you look at exactly what he wants you to . compared to " seven , " though , the game is light and comical . because of this film 's sense of humor and self - awareness , nothing can be taken quite seriously . so do n't try to make much sense of what goes on in the game , because it does n't want you to . what does make sense is the final revelation -- when everything becomes apparent and clear . if taken as it is , the game 's ending makes complete sense . but if you try and critique every minute detail , then you get yourself into plot holes and incredibility . perhaps that is the reason i docked the film . while trying to remain realistic and plausible , the plot is too unbelievable to create any real tension on screen . we do n't really care if douglas ' character lives or not because it is n't believable . the ending requires you to have believed anything that has happened previously , but if you suspend disbelief and take the film as it is , you can accept the game as an emotionally and psycholically disturbing thriller . michael douglas gives a terrific performance as nicholas . douglas has played lonely businessmen before , but here he adds another level to his performance . his character , who is normally level - headed and relies on facts , is forced to trust nobody . can he believe the waitress he bumped into ? what about his brother who got him involved in the game in the first place ? douglas portrays this aspect of his character extremely well , and gives one of his best performances ( even better than his " falling down " persona ) . the supporting cast is essential in this film , and casting was critical . sean penn is always good , and he gives yet another credible performance as douglas ' brother . deborah kara unger ( from " crash " ) is the waitress he bumps into , and her performance is extremely good . in fact , she almost steals the film from douglas . james rebhorn portrays his character very well , and adds some confusion and desparation to douglas ' predicament . another good performance comes from armin mueller - stahl ( from " shine " ) as the book editor . but considering that douglas is in every single scene of the game , he not only commands this cast , but makes this distant and lonely character come to colorful life . the game is rated r for language , violence , some gore , and some nudity and drugs . what is essential for this film to work is the writing . john brancato and michael ferris have woven a confusing and compelling screenplay with witty dialogue , and some very funny moments . this screenplay will probably get an oscar nomination for best original screenplay because it does almost exactly the same thing the usual suspects ' did . however , the visuals of the game are enough to make the viewer enjoy the vexing plot . and if you can get yourself to believe everything occuring on the screen , you will be thoroughly entertained by one of this year 's best films .

1POS

director david fincher has such an eye for detail which is very rare in hollywood these days ( terry gilliam comes to mind and when they add a fascinating story to it , you have nearly perfect entertainment . fincher 's the game is no exception to this . the game is one of the most interesting and complex films to come out of hollywood in a long time . impressive . the detail involved in fincher 's shots is incredible and almost requires a second viewing just to appreciate the as an emotionally and psycholically disturbing thriller . michael douglas gives a terrific performance as nicholas . douglas has played lonely businessmen before , portrays this aspect of his character extremely well , and gives one of his best performances ( even better than his " falling down " persona critical . sean penn is always good , and he gives yet another credible performance as douglas ' brother . deborah kara unger ( from " ) is the waitress he bumps into , and her performance is extremely good . in fact , she almost steals the film from with witty dialogue , and some very funny moments . this screenplay will probably get an oscar nomination for best original screenplay because it does almost exactly the

originally launched in 1978 , this popular film was re - introduced in 1998 to a whole new generation of moviegoers . based on the mighty successful musical from broadway , grease was followed in 1980 with the less stellar grease 2 ( 6 . 5/10 ) , starring a young michelle pheiffer in one of her first feature film roles . plot : high - school musical set in the 1950 's showcasing the relationship between the cool danny zuko of the t - birds ( travolta ) and the innocent and pure sandy olsen ( newton - john ) from australia . the film follows the couple and their vivacious friends during their last year at rydell high through song , dance and humour . critique : fun - loving , energetic and innocent look back at times much simpler . this movie effectively juggles a thin romantic story line and the overall experience of the 1950 's , with a superb soundtrack and some great dance numbers . admittedly , i am somewhat biased in this opinion , since this film blasts me into my past as a rebellious youth ( grease was one of schmoe 's first big - screen experiences , and every other scene sends me reeling into the times of my elaborate grease bubble - gum card collection ) , and the lesser responsibilities that i possessed at that time . but apart from the nostalgic vibe , i was still extremely impressed by this film , as it continued to amuse me , despite my previous dozen or so viewings . this film took john travolta from a dim - witted " sweathog " on tv 's welcome back kotter , and transformed him into a movie - star of spectacular proportions ( saturday night fever ( 7 . 5/10 ) in 1979 confirmed that sudden popularity ) . unfortunately for the rest of the cast , his popularity was not terribly contagious , despite their effective showings in this classic movie . on the down side , some of the absolute innocence in this film might bore or turn people off ( like when sandy sings about " drinking lemonade " and " staying out until 10 " with danny in " summer nights " ) , and the plot is n't exactly the most elaborate story - line ever created , but despite these small reservations , this movie carries enough great music and high energy to keep anyone amused through its rapid 110 minute running time ( and believe me . . . i am not a fan of the musicals ! ! ) . make sure to look for a young lorenzo lamas in the static role of the brainless football player , as well as the national bandstand dance contest as one of the film 's absolute highlights . and do n't forget to buy the popular soundtrack afterwards , so that you could listen to its peppy tunes whenever you 're feeling a little blue . little known facts : henry winkler , of tv 's happy days ' fonzie fame , turned down the part of danny zuko because he did not want to be typecast for the rest of his career . both travolta and conaway were smitten by newton - john during the filming of this picture . conaway eventually bowed out of the woo - fest , and married newton - john 's sister a year later ( divorced after five years ) .

1POS

high through song , dance and humour . critique : fun - loving , energetic and innocent look back at times much simpler . this movie effectively and the overall experience of the 1950 's , with a superb soundtrack and some great dance numbers . admittedly , i am somewhat biased in this opinion but apart from the nostalgic vibe , i was still extremely impressed by this film , as it continued to amuse me line ever created , but despite these small reservations , this movie carries enough great music and high energy to keep anyone amused through its rapid 110 minute running , as well as the national bandstand dance contest as one of the film 's absolute highlights . and do n't forget to buy the popular soundtrack

set in the late 80 's at the height of yuppie excess and based on the book by bret easton ellis ( who explored the same themes in another book which was also made into a movie , less than zero ) , american psycho puts a new spin on the yuppie " genre " that ellis helped to create . christian bale is perfectly cast as patrick bateman , a high powered yuppie who hides a terrible secret from his fianc ? e and his colleagues . it seems that bateman is a serial killer and , unfortunately for his contemporaries , his tenuous grasp on reality is starting to slip . as he tries to balance his meticulous daily routines with slaughtering co - workers and prostitutes and hiding their bodies , his mental fabric slowly begins to unravel . i was first introduced to the novel when i was still in high school . i read an associated press article in our local sunday newspaper detailing the problems ellis was having getting his novel published due to the controversial violence in it . as usual when anything is controversial i try to seek it out , but i soon forgot about the novel and did n't end up thinking about it again until i stumbled across it a couple of years later at a bookstore . i picked it up and read it , but was ultimately disappointed because it left more questions than answers . the movie has a similar effect , but at least it 's less cryptic than ellis ' novel . for once , a film has actually turned out to be better than the novel it was based on . both the book and the film open with bateman describing his fastidious morning preparations ( down to exactly what facial scrubs and exfoliating creams he uses ) but the novel seems to concentrate more on these excesses throughout . the movie continues to touch upon these things but makes more of a point to immerse us in bateman 's impending madness than to detail things as painstakingly as the novel does . as a result , the film is immensely more entertaining . lions gate seems to be the studio champion of controversial films ( having picked up kevin smith 's catholic - rattling dogma ) and here with american psycho there is no difference . screenwriters mary harron and guinevere turner had the unenviable task of trying to take a novel about yuppies filled with graphic violence and sex and make a marketable film out of it . some cuts had to be made to the finished film to keep from getting an nc-17 , mainly involving a sex scene comprising bateman and two women , and initial reports said the film was unwatchable . thankfully , it is watchable and harron and turner have made one of the most scathingly satirical films this side of south park : bigger , longer & uncut . side note # 1 : co - writer guinevere turner also makes an appearance in the film as an ill - fated acquaintance of bateman 's who , after bateman suggests that she start making out with a female prostitute , proclaims that she 's not a lesbian nor has any interest in it . the ironic humor of the scene stems from the fact that turner ( the writer / director of the film go fish and who also assisted kevin smith with parts of his script for chasing amy ) is a lesbian . it 's a subtle in - joke and it 's one i found to be pretty humorous . despite having a rather high profile supporting cast of young up - and - comers ( including reese witherspoon ) , most of the roles are a waste and are the equivalent of extended billed cameos . the real draw here is christian bale and his over - the - top performance as patrick bateman . whenever i read a novel i always try to imagine what it would be like as a movie and who would be perfect to cast as the characters . i always had a hard time trying to decide who i would cast as bateman , but i never thought bale would deliver a performance as perfect as his ends up being . to say bale runs away with the character is a vast understatement and he proves that he 's as adept at chewing scenery as al pacino or rod steiger . one sequence in particular , involving bateman describing his love for huey lewis and the news ' song " hip to be square " right before burying an axe in a co - worker 's head , features one of the most eccentric and kinetic performances i have ever seen on film . side note # 2 : despite the fact that huey lewis ' " hip to be square " and a pair of phil collins songs appear in the film , do n't expect to see them on the soundtrack release . huey lewis expressly requested that his song , featured in a rather large set piece in the film ( much akin to the use of " stuck in the middle with you " in reservoir dogs ) , not be included on any soundtrack release . i 'm assuming that collins requested the same . on a similar note , whitney houston 's cover of " the greatest love of all " is also involved in a scene comparable to the other two and it is very obvious that it is n't the houston version at all but merely an instrumental version culled from an unknown source . apparently , houston was n't as open about the use of her song as the others were . a bigger controversy than the violence and sex has been brewing since the film 's release : that of whether or not patrick has actually committed the crimes we have viewed during the course of the film . do n't look to the book for any answers because it will only serve to confuse you more . several web sites have been dedicated to the subject but i 'm still undecided . there is evidence both for and against but the most scathing evidence against comes from a scene near the end of the film where bateman goes on a killing spree taking out cops , old ladies , and cleaning staff with equal gusto . the scene seemed very dream - like and as absurd as the action films it suddenly seems to be parodying ( as an example , bateman blows up a police car very cinematically after firing several shots from a handgun in the general direction of the car ) . i kept waiting for bateman to wake up and for the film to continue on from there , but bateman never does wake up and the whole sequence , though comic , throws the film off - balance ( which i suppose was the intention ) . other than the few flaws i have mentioned , american psycho is an incredibly entertaining film ( although you may not leave the movie fully understanding whether or not what has just transpired actually occurred in bateman 's reality ) . i think this movie is destined for greatness as a cult film and deserves the spot it will take as such . it may not change anyone 's life , but it will certainly have an effect . i know i will certainly hear " hip to be square " in a different context the next time i hear it . [ r ]

1POS

" that ellis helped to create . christian bale is perfectly cast as patrick bateman , a high powered yuppie who hides less cryptic than ellis ' novel . for once , a film has actually turned out to be better than the novel it was based on . both the book and the film open with bateman painstakingly as the novel does . as a result , the film is immensely more entertaining . lions gate seems to be the studio champion of , it is watchable and harron and turner have made one of the most scathingly satirical films this side of south park : bigger , longer & waste and are the equivalent of extended billed cameos . the real draw here is christian bale and his over - the - top a performance as perfect as his ends up being . to say bale runs away with the character is a vast understatement and he proves that he 's as adept at chewing the few flaws i have mentioned , american psycho is an incredibly entertaining film ( although you may not leave the movie fully understanding actually occurred in bateman 's reality ) . i think this movie is destined for greatness as a cult film and deserves the spot it will take as such .

ever wonder what happened to gabe kaplan ? you remember , he was the title character in that 70 's sitcom , " welcome back kotter . " always trying to help out the sweathogs , frequently trying to dodge mr . woodman , ever wary of his wife 's tuna casserole . " so , " you ask , " where is he now ? " mr . kaplan actually spends much of his time these days playing professional high - stakes poker . that 's right . i 'm not sure if it 's his main source of income , but from what i 've heard , the guy occasionally comes away with $ 20 , 000 at a time . and there you were , thinking i was going to tell you he was doing off - broadway theater . you silly goose . well , gabe kaplan is n't in the movie rounders , nor is the film about the actor come gambler 's life . but rounders is about poker , and gabe plays poker , and i thought that was kind of a neat connection . sorry about the segue , or lack thereof . matt damon plays mike mcdermott , a law student who also has a singular talent for the game of poker . he 's been playing for a while , and more than being proficient , he has caught the bug . he goes to all the underground games in new york city , knows the regulars , and knows how to win . in the beginning of the film , he 's built up a nice thirty grand nest egg , which he takes to the speakeasy - type gaming parlor where the big boys play . mike is there to make his bid into the upper echelon by staking it all against teddy kgb ( john malkovich ) , an oreo - munching cardshark with ties to the russian mafia . mike has the potential to take a large pot and go to vegas and buy into the world series of poker , but instead he loses it all in a single hand . months later , he 's paying his way through law school by driving a delivery truck . when mike 's best friend and poker buddy worm ( edward norton ) finishes his jail term for hustling some students , he wants to pick up right were they left off , working as a team to part others with their betting cash . although mike has stopped playing cards as a promise to his girlfriend and fellow law student , jo ( gretchen mol ) , worm connives mike into playing once more , and mike , bitten again by the bug , slides down that slippery slope , risking his relationship , education , and reputation as playing poker again becomes the focus of his life . to make a film about gambling , a filmmaker will usually have to play up the glamorous side to get the audience behind the characters . this is because few moviegoers will care a whole lot about some guy in a leisure suit or terry cloth shirt sitting at a folding card table with a stogie in his mouth . rounders , however , seems to go more for the latter than the former . the card clubs mike and worm frequent are n't very glamorous at all . there 's a basement , a lodge with elk heads on the wall , a goulash joint - these are the kinds of locales in which director john dahl sets his shots . except for one brief instance when the two players visit atlantic city , the film is bereft of the flashing lights of the casinos or the pleasant color of the green felt table . the reason rounders still captures our attention is because it is less about the game of poker than it is about the personalities which enjoy and are slaves to it . we 're given a nice set of interesting characters with clear motivations , and good actors to play them . matt damon is very natural as mike , who struggles between his desire to play the straight and narrow by finishing law school , and answering what may be his true calling , playing professional poker . ed norton 's worm is truly a worm , always looking for the angle and playing everyone for what they 're worth . john turturro , who amazes me with his acting range , tones it down in this film by playing joey knish , a virtual poker prodigy in his time who now plays the underground games to make rent and child support payments . he 's both a friend and mentor to mike , and turturro 's low - key performance is totally convincing , just as john malkovich 's heavily - accented teddy kgb is imposing as an adversarial dragon mike must slay to prove himself . martin landau is also thrown into the mix as one of mike 's law professors , abe petrovsky . while landau slips well into the role , his character , spitting out personal anecdotes about staying true to one 's self , facilitates the channeling of the storyline toward a predictable ending . perhaps the weak link in the otherwise formidable line - up of acting talent , however , is gretchen mol who just did n't seem to have much presence on screen . she 's a genuine peach to look at , kind of a cross between actress renee zellweger and singer jewel ( and i would n't be surprised if the three of them formed some kind of blond - haired triumvirate and attempted to take over the world ) , but her delivered lines seemed very flat , and i found myself looking for matt damon 's reactions instead . a good thing about rounders is that it does n't get bogged down in the character development and statement making so much that it ca n't find time for humor . the film is peppered nicely with scenes that both make you laugh and keep the pacing going , such as a sequence where mike and worm move rapidly around new york from one game to the next , in widely different locales . one game in a cigar club had me in stitches . " i love the sweetness of this dark maduro wrapper , " says one of the players , clearly more interested in displaying his pretentiousness over the cigar in one hand than in the cards in his other . i was hoping mike and worm would really take these guys . with all the poker being played , rounders had the potential to be very confusing . you might think you know a lot about poker , but think again . luckily , we 're given a narration by damon during the more intricate moments to explain what 's going on . the narrations are more informative than intrusive , and apprise us of what the stakes are and why certain players want to do the things they do . it 's nice that as the characters develop , so does our comprehension of their world . as a film about success and survival in the realm of underground poker , rounders delivers in spades . wait ! as a film about the culture of cards , rounders is an ace . hang on ! packed with great acting and great characters , rounders is a full house . okay , i guess that 's enough . oh , by the way , if you ever want to get into a game with ol' gabe kaplan , be sure to bring a note from epstein 's mother .

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of the green felt table . the reason rounders still captures our attention is because it is less about the game of poker enjoy and are slaves to it . we 're given a nice set of interesting characters with clear motivations , and good actors to play them . matt damon is very natural as for what they 're worth . john turturro , who amazes me with his acting range , tones it down in this film by playing joey mike , and turturro 's low - key performance is totally convincing , just as john malkovich 's heavily - accented teddy found myself looking for matt damon 's reactions instead . a good thing about rounders is that it does n't get bogged down ca n't find time for humor . the film is peppered nicely with scenes that both make you laugh and keep the pacing going , such as a sequence where mike and worm move cards , rounders is an ace . hang on ! packed with great acting and great characters , rounders is a full house . okay , i

did you ever wonder if dennis rodman was actually from this planet ? or if sylvester stallone was some kind of weird extra - terrestrial ? i used to think that about my 7th grade english teacher , ms . carey . but after seeing this movie , they may have confirmed my suspicions . as the story goes , at any time , there are over a thousand aliens living among us here on earth . the men in black ( mib ) are the watchdogs that oversee the cosmic citizens , guardians of our beloved planet from nasty - tempered aliens , and secret service to the stars . based in new york city ( where weird is the norm ) , the mib organization gives human form to our space - faring emigrants so that they may walk and live among us unnoticed . but to enforce the laws of earth , the mib carry weapons that are powerful enough to meet or exceed destruction quotas in one single blast . they carry other - worldly technology to erase people 's short - term memory when common folk see the mib in action . and their best leads on cosmic things - gone - awry are the supermarket tabloids . little do we know that there are much stronger battles of good v . evil going on in the depths of space . one of the aliens - as - human on this planet is an important diplomat that is carrying something very precious . it holds the ' key ' , literally , to universal peace . a giant cockroach - like alien soon arrives on the planet and steals this ' key ' . in the wrong alien hands ( flippers ? mandibles ? tentacles ? ) , it can be used as a weapon . therefore , it must be recovered and returned to it 's rightful owners . otherwise , to ensure universal safety , earth will be destroyed , along with the ' key ' . now , it 's the mib who must prevent this catastrophe . the mib agents on the case are " k " , played by tommy lee jones . he is crustier than burnt toast and even more serious than al gore . the stars in the sky no longer spark wonder in his eyes . he is accompanied by a flippant rookie , " j " , played by will smith . but , despite this shoot - em - up , protect - earth - from - destruction premise , this is nothing at all like a typical summer action movie . and , this is n't an independence day knockoff . rather , this is a stylishly offbeat sci - fi comedy that pokes fun at what the government always denies ? that there are real aliens that live here , and that the government does its darndest to cover them up . but to give it some sense of excitement and to keep it within the parameters of the summer movie recipe , there must be some kind of earth - hangs - in - the - balance scenario . yet , this movie is very appealing . the abundance of wierdness ( talking aliens , pee - wee atomizers , a mortician who ' lives ' for her work , and lots of yucky bugs and slime - splattering galore ) , is played straight , like as if this were normal ( of course , we are in nyc ) . it gives it a deadpan feel , which makes it all the more funnier and odder . jones plays the venerable seen - it - all agent with seriousness and maturity . smith is likeable and makes a great comic partner to jones ' straight man routine . they click like dorothy 's ruby red shoes . the look and feel of the movie is made even better with direction from barry sonnenfeld ( the addam 's family ) . this guy has a knack for ' gothic ' comedy , and successfully transfers his macabre sense of humor onto the screen . and , an appropriate dose of special effects helps to bolster the oddness of their task without diverting attention from the human actors . the story moves well , and before you know it , the end credits are already rolling ! the result is 100 minutes worth of fun in the form of ewwwws and blechhhs , aaaahhhs and wows . let the men in black protect and color your world .

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n't an independence day knockoff . rather , this is a stylishly offbeat sci - fi comedy that pokes fun at what the government always denies ? the - balance scenario . yet , this movie is very appealing . the abundance of wierdness ( talking aliens , pee - all agent with seriousness and maturity . smith is likeable and makes a great comic partner to jones ' straight man routine . they click like shoes . the look and feel of the movie is made even better with direction from barry sonnenfeld ( the addam 's family has a knack for ' gothic ' comedy , and successfully transfers his macabre sense of humor onto the screen . without diverting attention from the human actors . the story moves well , and before you know it , the end credits are already rolling ! the result is 100 minutes worth of fun in the form of ewwwws and blechhhs , aaaahhhs and

i feel no hesitation in saying that " there 's something about mary " is the best film that i will see all year . from the moment the credits started to roll at the end of the picture , there was no doubt in my mind that i had seen a masterpiece that will remain unsurpassed in the remaining months of 1998 . it is that good of a film . when gene siskel said this about " fargo " only a few months into ' 96 , i dismissed the notion as ridiculous . how could you possibly know that a film is so great that nothing you could possibly see in the future could beat it ? but after seeing the farrelly 's hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt masterwork , i now know what siskel was talking about . once in a ( very great ) while , a film comes along that is so daring , so brilliant and simply so enjoyable that at the end , you just want to stand up and cheer . and you know , at that instant , that you have just experienced something very special . now for the shocker ; " mary " is the grossest and most disgusting film i have ever viewed ( " pink flamingos " obviously notwithstanding ) . the movie is so rude and , i guess , inappropriate in nature that i had a hard time sitting in a theater watching it with my parents ( luckily i had seen it before them , so i could warn the about what they were in for ) . forget " blazing saddles " , " animal house " and even the former king of gross - out comedy , " monty python 's meaning of life " ; they were all only preludes to the farrelly 's assault on the senses . in fact , this may even be the funniest film i 've ever had the pleasure of seeing ( the only real contender is " monty python and the holy grail " ) , and most certainly the most hilarious to come out all decade . but as funny as it is , something also has to be said about the overall sweetness of " mary " ; it has a huge heart . you see , the farrelly 's are truly gifted filmmakers . they do n't just present you with a string of dick and fart jokes ( although there are plenty to go around ) . they also , very wisely , add an unbelievable amount of charisma to the main characters and actually have them develop as the story progresses . it 's funny , though . if you just look at an outline of the story , it seems kind of contrived and predictable . but believe me , it is anything but . ben stiller plays ted , a very shy and clumsy teenage geek who lusts after the school babe , mary ( cameron diaz ) . after he sticks up for her retarded brother , warren ( w . early brown - the cameraman , believe it or not , from " scream " ) , his dreams come true when she invites him to the prom . in one of the film 's funniest scenes , something goes wrong ( i wo n't ruin it for those who know nothing about the film ) and ted is unable to face mary ever again . jump to the present . after years of self - loathing , ted finally hires private detective pat healy ( a suitably slimy matt dillon ) to track her down so he can have one last chance at winning the woman he has loved since high school . healy finds that mary is still a full - blown hottie and decides to try and keep her for himself . admittingly , the basic story line leaves a little to be desired . after all , with a not - really - all - that - funny premise , how can you sustain laughter for nearly two hours ? somehow , the farrelly 's pull it off . the performances here are also right on target . as ted , stiller adds just the right amount of clumsy charm to make his character not irritating , as he would normally be , but very lovable . and cameron diaz is perfect in her role for obvious reasons , but the actor who really grabs your attention is w . earl brown as mary 's brother . no other actor has even come close to playing a mentally retarded man with as much natural ease as brown displays here . i know he wo n't be nominated , but this is the guy who should not be counted out when it comes time to hand out the oscar nods in february . as good as the actors are , though , it 's the directors ' movie all the way . i guarantee that on almost every other top ten list at the end of the year , you will see the number one space occupied by steven spielberg 's wwii epic " saving private ryan " . and yes , that is a great film worthy of the recognition it has been getting . but which is harder ; making a great war film or having your audience laugh so hard that they ca n't breath for minutes at a time ? i 'll let you decide that one for yourself , but this critic is sticking to his guns . there is just something about " mary " .

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saying that " there 's something about mary " is the best film that i will see all year . from the moment the credits started to roll at was no doubt in my mind that i had seen a masterpiece that will remain unsurpassed in the remaining months of 1998 . it is that good of a film . when gene siskel said this about " fargo " could beat it ? but after seeing the farrelly 's hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt masterwork , i now know what siskel was talking about . great ) while , a film comes along that is so daring , so brilliant and simply so enjoyable that at the end , you just want to stand the senses . in fact , this may even be the funniest film i 've ever had the pleasure of seeing ( the only real contender is " monty python and the holy grail " ) , and most certainly the most hilarious to come out all decade . but as funny as it is , something also huge heart . you see , the farrelly 's are truly gifted filmmakers . they do n't just present you with a string ? somehow , the farrelly 's pull it off . the performances here are also right on target . as ted , stiller adds just the right amount be , but very lovable . and cameron diaz is perfect in her role for obvious reasons , but the actor who really grabs ; making a great war film or having your audience laugh so hard that they ca n't breath for minutes at a time ? i 'll let you decide that one for yourself

" i 'd rather die today and go to heaven than live to be a hundred and go to hell , " earnestly proclaims the pentecostal preacher . with that line coming from a fundamentalist christian minister , hollywood has taught us how we should fill in the rest of the story . he will be turn out to be a scoundrel who has less actual belief in god than the average american , and all of his preaching will turn out to be a cynical ruse to extort money from his naive congregation . from elmer gantry on , we have learned what to expect when the movies go to church . well , think again , for the apostle , which robert duvall has wanted to make for over a decade , does not take the usual tack of smearing the minister , and by implication all , the rest of organized religion . instead it gives us a highly devout man , who certainly has his foibles , but with an absolute dedication to his ministry and his god . and arguably just as surprising , the good - spirited film is no comedy , even if it does have humorous moments . instead of levity the picture takes a touchingly serious approach as it introduces us to a world not normally seen in motion pictures . when in the privacy of his attic , robert duvall , as texas preacher euliss " sonny " dewey , argues sternly with his lord , the scene shares a kinship with emily watson 's character crying out for her god in breaking the waves 's most powerful scene . the body of the story starts with sonny 's coming upon an horrific auto accident , which is another part of life generally ignored by modern screenwriters . with his well worn bible in hand , sonny leaps from his car so that he can go pray over and with the accident 's dying victims . the scowling police officer orders him to go away , and , after he has tried to work his miracles , sonny leaves with a smile in the confidence that he has done the lord 's work . robert duvall not only gives a moving and realistic performance surely destined to receive an academy award nomination but is also the film 's director , writer , executive producer , and chief financier . rarely has a movie been such a labor of love . with a white suit , peach - colored shirt and tie , and dark sunglasses , sonny looks as much like a rock star as a preacher . duvall has every movement down pat . even when he is walking down the street , the ever strutting sonny can not contain his energy . he dances and claps all the way . sonny 's churches having more black members than white means that he shares his preaching duties with many deep - voiced black orators , but his rhetoric is always competitive . " i may be on the devil 's hit - list , but i 'm on god 's mailing list , " he shouts to the congregation in a revival tent . and they lap it up . people jump up , scream , " praise the lord ! " and mean it . the intensity of their shared religious experience is palpable . but sonny is no saint . it turns out that he has a wandering eye , which angers his wife jessie , played in a remarkably controlled performance by farrah fawcett . jessie gets her revenge by taking up with the church 's youth minister and conniving to gain control over sonny 's church , leaving him unemployed . sonny , letting his temper get the best of him , does something foolish , which causes him to have to leave town and two beloved kids forever . the bulk of the film occurs in a small , predominately black church in louisiana , which he builds up from a derelict building with no congregation into a remodeled church ( " one way road to heaven : holiness temple " ) with an enthusiastic flock . in this part he rebaptizes himself as the apostle e . f . the apostle is a hard worker willing to take on any odd job necessary to obtain the funds for his church . he asks his members to tithe , but he gives all of his money . and his good deeds extend to secret donations of food for the local poor folks . a man who ca n't stand to be still , he tells one of his friends , " i quit school because i did n't like recess . " in his new town he meets toosie ( miranda richardson ) , who , like him , has a family that she has n't seen in a while . his romance with the separated woman , like the rest of the film , does n't follow the standard patterns we have grown to expect from our movies . billy bob thornton shows up one day playing a local racist and general troublemaker . his confrontation with the apostle is yet another of show 's many surprising scenes , again breaking many rules and conceptions about what approach deeply religious people might take . although it probably could n't have ended any other way , the movie does wrap things up nicely . and do n't miss the sweet epilogue during the film 's closing credits . a tour de force acting performance by duvall and a surprising and unrelentingly dedicated script makes for an outstanding and moving film . the apostle runs a little too long at 2 : 12 . it is rated pg-13 for mild profanity and brief violence and would be fine for kids eleven and up .

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his god . and arguably just as surprising , the good - spirited film is no comedy , even if it does have humorous the lord 's work . robert duvall not only gives a moving and realistic performance surely destined to receive an academy award nomination but is also the film 's director , writer , could n't have ended any other way , the movie does wrap things up nicely . and do n't miss the sweet epilogue during the film 's closing credits . a tour de force acting performance by duvall and a surprising and unrelentingly dedicated script makes for an outstanding and moving film . the apostle runs a little too long at 2

one of the best movies i 've ever seen . i 'd heard extremely good things about this movie , and though the previews did n't really intrigue that much , it was a movie i 'd been anticipating for a few months now . for some reason i 'm not sure of - this movie was not that big a sucess over in the u . s . it was a definite hit with the critics , but did n't exactly set any box office records . after viewing this incredibly well directed , written and acted movie , i ca n't help but wonder - why ? the strength of this film is it 's gritty realism . the main characters are all human with individual flaws , no stereo - type hollywood heroes . you may not agree with many of their actions in the movie or their approach to life , but that is what makes it so real . i had expected this movie to be more of a drama than a thriller , but i was mistaken . even the interrogation scenes moved at such a pace so that it felt just as thrilling as any car chase . and the ending . . . . . . whoa . i 've never seen a movie in my life where everyone in it acts brilliantly . the three male leads - guy pearce , kevin spacey and russell crowe are all just terrific . the ' best actor ' oscar talk surrounding this film should have netted one of them a statue , but there is one problem there . how could they have chosen between these three actors ? there is no way i could look at this film and say one of them was better than the other two . it 's impossible . kim bassinger 's performance is also a revelation . i 'd never been a big fan of hers before and always thought she was , well . . . what 's the word - a twinky ? that impression has changed , as she complemented crowe and pearce perfectly . the depth to the story and characters is truly astounding . no cardboard characters here . the plot is full of twists and turns and some very clever sequences . pearce 's interogation of three seperate suspects is nothing short of brilliant . i really ca n't fault this movie at all . i was so glad to see fellow australian 's pearce and crowe star in such a breathtaking movie . i had been very familiar with russell crowe beforehand from his many australian films , but had not seen much of guy pearce . i intend to change this next time i visit the video store : )

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exactly set any box office records . after viewing this incredibly well directed , written and acted movie , i ca n't help but wonder - why ? the ending . . . . . . whoa . i 've never seen a movie in my life where everyone in it acts brilliantly . the three male leads - guy pearce , kevin it 's impossible . kim bassinger 's performance is also a revelation . i 'd never been a big fan of hers changed , as she complemented crowe and pearce perfectly . the depth to the story and characters is truly astounding . no cardboard characters here . the plot is full of twists and turns and some very clever sequences . pearce 's interogation of three seperate suspects is nothing short of brilliant . i really ca n't fault this movie at all to see fellow australian 's pearce and crowe star in such a breathtaking movie . i had been very familiar with russell crowe beforehand

this reviewer is ignorant of what hands were responsible for delivering the original version of the abyss in 1989 . whether it was the meddling of studio executives , or the work of writer / director james cameron himself , the original cut of this underwater sci - fi thriller was entertaining enough but also quite seriously flawed . the main problem was fairly simple : the film 's climax was unworthy of its build - up . someone at 20th century fox - and no doubt cameron himself - must have agreed , because in 1993 came the theatrical release of the abyss : special edition . now available on video , it seems timely to re - evaluate what , in its newly revamped state , is now a near - masterpiece despite its borrowings from films like 2010 : odyssey two , alien and close encounters of third kind . the plot is thus . we meet the crew of an experimental underwater mobile oil rig designed by the hard - nosed lindsay ( mastrantonio ) and captained by her soon - to - be - divorced husband bud ( ed harris ) . the rig and its crew are diverted from their normal duties when the navy seeks their help in investigating the mysterious sinking of a u . s . nuclear submarine . requiring a dive part - way down a three mile deep trench , three navy divers arrive to command the operation , led by the edgy lieutenant coffey ( biehn ) . but a series of strange sightings soon convinces at least one member of the civilian crew that whoever or whatever they 're dealing with , as she memorably puts it , " are n't speaking russian " . meanwhile on the surface a hurricane is brewing and , even worse , a series of incidents around cuba involving russians ships and an increasingly nervous u . s . navy sets off an international crisis of possible catastrophic proportions . this crisis is mirrored in the confines of the now isolated underwater rig , with the trigger - happy and increasingly paranoid lieutenant coffey at odds with the crew about how do deal with the mysterious goings - on around them . the human drama is often riveting , with the principal players performing with an intensity that recalls the fine ensemble acting in cameron 's aliens . the stunts , hardware , special effects and underwater cinematography are all outstanding . and so they should be : cameron 's technical credentials are well established . but what ultimately makes the film so gripping is three intersecting plot strands : 1 ) the tension between old sparring partners lindsay and ex - hubby bud ; 2 ) the war of wills between the civilian crew and the navy divers as a series of escalating crisis ' befall them ; and 3 ) the slowly unfolding revelation of what lies at the bottom of the three mile deep abyss . the abyss : special edition is an improvement on the original film in two major respects . one is that it further fleshes out the relationship between bud and lindsay , a relationship at times touching , at others incredibly intense and volatile . the second improvement is the restoration of some absolutely crucial scenes towards the film 's end , when the aliens demonstrate their control over water with a terrifying and extraordinary display of power to a world on the brink of nuclear war . with the inclusion of these startling scenes , the story 's climax is now given real weight . why on earth were they left out of the original ? this reviewer finds it utterly incomprehensible . so then , we have 25 minutes of additional footage that 's turned a decent underwater thriller into something quite magnificent . i say " quite " because some flaws do remain . the most grating is several moments of corny hollywood schmaltz - some new , some old - that may well have you reaching for the barf bag . nonetheless , the abyss : special edition now stands this somewhat maligned film among james cameron 's greatest achievements , alongside aliens and terminator 2 . see it and be moved , gripped and spellbound .

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- on around them . the human drama is often riveting , with the principal players performing with an intensity that , hardware , special effects and underwater cinematography are all outstanding . and so they should be : cameron 's technical but what ultimately makes the film so gripping is three intersecting plot strands : 1 ) the tension between old sparring partners lindsay mile deep abyss . the abyss : special edition is an improvement on the original film in two major respects . one is that it further footage that 's turned a decent underwater thriller into something quite magnificent . i say " quite " because some flaws do now stands this somewhat maligned film among james cameron 's greatest achievements , alongside aliens and terminator 2 . see it and be moved , gripped and spellbound .

i have a soft spot in my heart for pure , amoral sleaze . i liked showgirls ( there , i said it ) . i typically enjoy myself when sitting through that eszterhaz , sex - filled cinematic tabloid - ish trash . wild things is the best sleazy film i 've ever seen . it 's filled with great performances , graphic sex , three - way sex , rape charges , double - crosses , plot twists , genitalia of all genders , graphic violence , death , witty humor , and , best of all , denise richards . criticizing this film for being disgusting , raucous , and just plain wrong is as fundamentally pointless as criticizing citizen kane for being disturbing , or titanic for being lofty and epic . wild things is a film that succeeds in its endeavors , but i do n't just admire it for this -- i admire it for being so entertaining and such a fun time at the movies . i must admit up - front , however , that i am directly in the center of the age group to which this film has been engineered to appeal . i imagine that this shows . it 's hard to give a plot summary without giving away pieces that should n't be known . i thought i had the whole thing worked out from the trailer , but i was wrong ; there are a lot of turns here . i 'll just say that the film takes place in blue bay , a rich little town in florida . in blue bay lives sam lombardo ( matt dillon ) , a teacher who is accused of rape by two of his students , kelly van ryan ( denise richards ) , and suzie toller ( neve campbell ) . kelly 's mother , sandra ( theresa russell ) , immediately presses charges . all of this happens fairly early in the film . and right up until this point , i had the whole film predicted . i was wrong , though , and every time i was proven wrong , i was shocked . wild things is n't even remotely plausible , but it is so fun to see where the story takes us that the implausibility of every scene is meaningless , and often invited , just for kicks . i remember first seeing the preview for wild things before the replacement killers . i 'd give the preview four stars . it made me want to see the movie so much that i 've been waiting for it anxiously ever since . over the past few weeks though , i started to realize that there was no way the film could live up to the preview ( see independence day ) ; thankfully , i was proven wrong . the preview for this film is one that needs to be studied by marketing analysts of every distribution company : not only does it make us want to see the film , but it does n't give away any of the secrets . but i 'm not here to talk about the preview . i 'm here to talk about denise richards . now , i found her mildly interesting in starship troopers , but in wild things she appeals to such a base instinct that every scene she 's in demands attention in a way that almost no other performer can . of course , this might have something to do with her oceanic eyes . . . and flawless body . . . but i thought she did a great job acting , too ( stop laughing ) . no , richards is truly a find -- she is talented , and always convincing in this film . this mixed in with her insane physical appeal makes her a vital asset to any film she may grace in the future . the other actors are good , too . dillon is as suave as ever ( it 's nice to see him bouncing back from albino alligator and in & out ) . bacon does a good job acting all determined and stuff as a sex crimes officer . neve campbell gives the most layered performance of all of them , though i wo n't pretend that any of these characters are deep and complex . for a plot like this to work , all of these people have to be insane and basically contrived . that 's okay , because director john mcnaughton knows that he 's making a self - consciously wicked film . each scene -- even the three - way sex scene -- is observed with hilarity by mcnaughton , and the result is a sleaze - fest that 's too smart to resist . there is n't an inconsistent moment in wild things : every bit of it is alluring garbage , so trashy it 's funny , and so entertaining it 's painful . i loved it .

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liked showgirls ( there , i said it ) . i typically enjoy myself when sitting through that eszterhaz , sex - filled cinematic tabloid - ish trash . wild things is the best sleazy film i 've ever seen . it 's filled with great performances , graphic sex , three - way sex , rape titanic for being lofty and epic . wild things is a film that succeeds in its endeavors , but i do n't just admire it for this -- i admire it for being so entertaining and such a fun time at the movies . i must admit up - front , however , . wild things is n't even remotely plausible , but it is so fun to see where the story takes us that the implausibility of every scene is meaningless , and wild things she appeals to such a base instinct that every scene she 's in demands attention in a way that almost no other performer can . of course , this might have something to do . . . and flawless body . . . but i thought she did a great job acting , too ( stop laughing ) . no , richards is truly a find -- she is talented , and always convincing in this film . this mixed in with her insane the other actors are good , too . dillon is as suave as ever ( it 's nice to see him bouncing back from albino alligator and in & out ) . bacon does a good job acting all determined and stuff as a sex crimes officer . neve campbell gives the most layered performance of all of them , though i wo n't pretend that any of these and the result is a sleaze - fest that 's too smart to resist . there is n't an inconsistent moment in wild things : every bit of it is alluring garbage , so trashy it 's funny , and so entertaining it 's painful . i loved it .

tarzan chad'z = good ) 1999 , g , 90 minutes [ 1 hour , 30 minutes ] [ animated - adventure / drama ] starring the voices of : tony goldwyn ( tarzan ) , minnie driver ( jane porter ) , lance henriksen ( kerchak ) , brian blessed ( clayton ) ; written by tab murphy , bob tzudiker , noni white ; produced by bonnie arnold ; directed by chris buck , kevin lima ; based on the story ` tarzan of the apes ' and characters created by edgar rice burroughs . seen july 4 , 1999 at 7 : 15 p . m . at crossgates cinemas 18 ( guilderland , ny ) , theater # 9 , by myself for free using my hoyts season pass . [ theater rating : * * * 1/2 : very good sound , picture and seats ] title : ` tarzan ' beautiful to look at , easy to follow . review : disney continues its trend of producing animated summer blockbuster movies meant mostly for children but with enough wit and charm for adults to be interested and at least entertained by the story . the basic premise is the same as every other ` tarzan ' story : a boy is raised in the african jungle by gorillas and becomes one himself never really understanding ( or even noticing ) that he 's human and is a lot different from the animals he befriends . the first third of the film shows how tarzan comes to be adopted by kala ( voiced by glen close ) , a female gorilla who lost her own child in a classic case of darwanism . her mate , kerchak ( henriksen ) , is a mean , conservative leader of the pack of gorillas who make up tarzan 's extended family . he refuses to acknowledge tarzan ( voiced by alex d . linz during the childhood scenes ) as a son and often has to hold himself back from killing tarzan after he continually does dangerous , wild things that are the result of his own childish instincts . i have a feeling children will quickly be able to identify with tarzan since all he really is is just a kid who wants to have fun and it 's funny how the adults fail to comprehend this . later , as the story transitions from tarzan as a child to a full - grown man ( voiced by goldwyn ) , he is encounter by a party of three humans from england : jane porter ( driver ) , a beautiful woman who is something of a zoologist and an artist , her father prof . archimedes q . porter ( voiced by nigel hawthorne ) who is also a scientist ; and their slick and cunning , yet barbaric safari bodyguard clayton ( blessed ) . it 's easy to tell where the story is going at all times but the screenplay does n't seem like it was written hastily nor dumbed down for children 's enjoyment . sure there 's a lot of cliche stuff here , like clayton 's smugness and diabolical manipulation of tarzan and jane ; the goofy supporting characters ( voiced by rosie o'donnell [ in full brooklyn accent ! ] and wayne knight - ` hello newman ! ' ) . there 's also a lot of fun action such as tarzan 's swinging through the jungle on vines and sliding down and around tree branches and trunks . it 's just like skateboarding really fast and doing all sorts of tricks ( those mcdonald 's commercials really prove this point ) . ultimately , you get exactly out of ` tarzan ' what you expect . . . and i mean that as a compliment , so have high expectations . pros : animation and sound are a feast for the senses , story is lighthearted , breezy and not dumbed - down , no stupid sing - along songs to get stuck in your head . cons : surprisingly violent , should have been rated pg . young children may not understand some of the more adult themes ( parents , be ready to have some heavy questions thrown your way ) . running time is a bit short . would you recommend this to friends ? not to my friends , but to the movie - going public i would . score : or with no 0 rating ) .

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, picture and seats ] title : ` tarzan ' beautiful to look at , easy to follow . review : disney continues its trend of producing animated summer blockbuster movies meant mostly for children but with enough wit and charm for adults to be interested and at least entertained by ` hello newman ! ' ) . there 's also a lot of fun action such as tarzan 's swinging through the jungle on vines ` tarzan ' what you expect . . . and i mean that as a compliment , so have high expectations . pros : animation and sound are a feast for the senses , story is lighthearted , breezy and not dumbed - down , no stupid sing - along songs to get stuck

i 've always been told that there are two things in life that are unavoidable - death and taxes . oddly , i 've never given much thought to either of the two . maybe if i did , at least i 'd stop getting collection notices from uncle sam . yes , let me make a resolution to devote myself to better record keeping , hold on to all my receipts , and to do what it takes to have the satisfaction that my returns are mistake - free and will keep me from incurring penalties . it seems that the issue of death may not be so different , at least envisioned here in this film . as this tender love story goes , if you do good things and have a clear conscience when you die , you ascend to a place of great peace and beauty . the dreams , wishes , and fantasies that you had when you were alive come true . for those who die with a burdened soul , however , they wind up in that other place . chris and annie ( a winsome robin williams and a radiant annabella sciorra ) seem like the perfect couple that deserve all that heaven has to offer . their love for each other is strong and their bond is undeniable . but tragic events eventually tear apart the fabric of annie 's happiness . and when chris dies after a terrible car accident , she commits suicide - a tortured soul who blames herself . despair is perhaps the greatest sin , and she will wallow in her guilt throughout eternity . chris , on the other hand , has made it to heaven , and upon learning of annie 's fate , he journeys to hell to find her and to try to free her from her nightmare . this film brims with imagination , containing a lush imagery that shows the arcadia that is heaven and the bitterness and frightfulness that is hell . it seems that heaven and hell could very well be a product of our fantasies or nightmares . it 's shape and look is as infinite as our imagination . as chris explores his new fantastic world and discovers things both amazing and wondrous , he also begins to learn more about himself . certain questions baffle him at first . why does his home in heaven ooze with paint ? what is the significance of the asian stewardess ? why does he have an all - too - willing guide ( cuba gooding , jr . ) to help him find annie ? but as he slowly begins to realize the answers , it makes him stronger and gives him a greater chance to save annie . " dreams " is both visually and tellingly beautiful . alas , i have one regret . the movie did well to gather more and more emotional speed , but the denouement was curiously unsatisfying . it seemed as if it was racing to some kind of great finish , but its intensity seemed to wane in its final moments . however , your eyes will still well up with tears and you 'll find lots to savor . the storytelling is purposeful and well constructed . the journey is imaginative . and i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this film .

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try to free her from her nightmare . this film brims with imagination , containing a lush imagery that shows the arcadia that greater chance to save annie . " dreams " is both visually and tellingly beautiful . alas , i have one regret . the movie with tears and you 'll find lots to savor . the storytelling is purposeful and well constructed . the journey is imaginative . and i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this film .

it was a crazy time in france , what with the french revolution right around the corner . king louis xv would soon die , and his son would become king louis xvi . such is the setting for beaumarchais : the scoundrel about the controversial playwright , spy and playboy pierre - augustin caron de beaumarchais . beaumarchais was the author of the plays , " the barber of seville " and " the marriage of figaro . " today people think of them as quaint and harmless operas , but , back in 1773 when the movie takes place , they were so scandalous that beaumarchais was thrown into prison more than once . the movie beaumarchais : the scoundrel takes a light - hearted approach to its subject , resulting in an inviting motion picture . one of france 's most expensive productions ever , the movie was a huge hit when it opened there last year . now in theatrical release in the united states , it eschews the seriousness of most art house films with a romping good story . the secret of the film 's success , other than the lavishness of sylvie de segonzac 's costumes , has to be the performance by fabrice luchini as beaumarchais . with his glistening eyes and his infectious smile , he mesmerizes the camera and the audience . his wry little lips seem always to hint at some unspoken deviousness he is planning . in a land where court intrigue determines one 's destiny , constant scheming was a way of life for the aristocracy . as our story starts , we learn that beaumarchais has bought himself a judgeship . into his court comes a member of the nobility demanding an immediate sword fight . beaumarchais , who has been having an affair with the man 's wife , makes him wait until the current case on the docket is decided . that over with , the fight is on . with luchini 's charisma , it is hard to root for anyone other than him . audiences may remember him from the marvelous colonel chabert , in which he played the attorney . although he does not have half of the good looks of his assistant gudin , played by manuel blanc , he dazzles the women and the viewers with his grace and style . michael epp 's warm and intimate cinematography provides a nice accompaniment to jean - marc kerdelhue 's lush but realistic looking sets . jean - claude petit 's music , especially the hauntingly lovely flute solos , make for an enchanting time at the movies . director jean - claude brisville , who wrote the script along with edouard molinaro , fleshed out a play by sacha guitry which , according to the press notes , was just a series of historic vignettes . the disorganization of the play still comes through at some points in the movie , but the actors smooth it over with their good - hearted style . typical of the scenes that come out of nowhere is the one in which a rotund benjamin franklin appears in a large pot of hot water , taking his bath . one episode has beaumarchais working with a renegade spy who may or may not be a man . another has beaumarchais using his personal fortune to aid the american revolution . all of this may sound like a dull historical drama , but it is anything but . the story plays more like theater of the absurd than a movie based on historical facts . the radiantly lovely sandrine kiberlain plays marie - therese , the real love of beaumarchais 's life . but he is so likable that members of the audience may want to compete with her for him . still , with his beguiling smile , one can never quite be sure if you should trust him . the movie , on the other hand , can be trusted to deliver a high old time . beaumarchais : the scoundrel runs 1 : 41 . it is in french with english subtitles . the film is not rated but would be an r for some nudity and sex , and should be fine for most teenagers .

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france 's most expensive productions ever , the movie was a huge hit when it opened there last year . now in theatrical it eschews the seriousness of most art house films with a romping good story . the secret of the film 's success , other . with his glistening eyes and his infectious smile , he mesmerizes the camera and the audience . his wry little lips seem always to hint at style . michael epp 's warm and intimate cinematography provides a nice accompaniment to jean - marc kerdelhue 's lush but realistic looking , especially the hauntingly lovely flute solos , make for an enchanting time at the movies . director jean - claude brisville , who wrote the in the movie , but the actors smooth it over with their good - hearted style . typical of the scenes that come out of nowhere absurd than a movie based on historical facts . the radiantly lovely sandrine kiberlain plays marie - therese , the real love him . the movie , on the other hand , can be trusted to deliver a high old time . beaumarchais : the scoundrel runs 1 : 41 .

what surprises me most about the long - awaited batman is that the movie centers not on the caped crusader but on the joker . the dark knight actually has less screen time than his homicidal arch nemesis ! i can hear batfans everywhere protesting : " first they had the nerve to cast michael keaton as batman , and now they think they can get away with making him second banana to the joker ! ! " and , indeed , this situation would have been altogether inappropriate and intolerable were it not for the fact that someone at warner brothers had the savvy to cast jack nicholson in the role he was born to play . nicholson deserves the top billing he is receiving in the posters and opening credits since his astounding , oscar - worthy performance as the joker is the highlight of batman . nicholson shows no inhibition or shame as he pulls out all the stops to create a joker that makes cesar romero look like bozo the clown ( romero played the joker in the ' 60s tv series ) . on one hand , nicholson 's joker is extremely funny . his murderous escapades and manic outbursts ( which include defacing paintings in an art museum and invading the television airwaves with hilarious pirate broadcasts ) bring humor and laughter into an otherwise dark film . but on the other hand , his outwardly jovial disposition is only a mask for his intense contempt for all of mankind . the joker 's cruelty and demented , diabolical nature are truly frightening and sinister . this guy is off his rocker , and he not only knows it , he flaunts it ! but enough about nicholson as the joker : i 'm sure most people are wondering about michael keaton as batman . like many , i was outraged when warner brothers announced that keaton had been cast as the caped crusader . but batfans need not worry because holy unconventional casting ! keaton delivers . he is convincing as the tormented millionaire , bruce wayne , and beneath his hard , black body armor , he is mysterious and formidable as the batman . even though the screenplay only halfheartedly attempts to develop the character , keaton manages to give hints of the inner turmoil and emotional rage that drive wayne to don his bat gear and battle the low life scum of gotham city . visually , batman is a knockout nothing short of a triumph for director tim burton and his production team . the movie successfully captures the film noir look and bleak , gloomy atmosphere of such batman comic books as " the dark knight returns " and " the killing joke . " burton 's film is a feast for the eyes ; the $ 35 million budget is definitely on the screen . the sets , costumes , and make - up are stunning and worthy of oscar nominations . nicholson is n't joking when he boasts , " wait ' till they get a load of me ! " his grimacing smile , green hair , and purple suits over orange shirts are colorful and outrageous . keaton 's wardrobe is equally appropriate . batman 's cape , mask , and body armor make him look threatening , frightening , and invincible bringing to mind not adam west 's campy costume in the tv series but peter weir 's outfit in robocop . production designer anton furst 's sets are a wonder . gotham city is dark and foreboding , almost as if it were an expressionist vision of new york . the batcave is cold , bare , and desolate . the world that burton and furst have created in batman is a melancholy nightmare of violence and corruption . the movie 's gritty bladerunner / robocop look is a joy to behold . the plot , on the other hand , is not as rousing . the screenplay is not up to snuff in comparison to the stylized sets and superb acting . it takes forever for what little story there is to finally kick into gear . batman tries to walk a thin line between action and character psychology , but it fails to give us enough of either one . as i mentioned earlier , the screenplay gives us plenty of the joker , but it never fully establishes batman 's psychological motives and underpinnings . in terms of action , batman is not as thrilling as you might expect . burton seems more concerned with the visual and dramatic elements of the story . more than anything , batman is a mood film . while batman may not completely absorb and excite you , it will likely impress you with its success at bringing to life the style and spirit of the batman comic books . thanks to its distinctive look , the movie like a good comic book transports us to another world .

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is receiving in the posters and opening credits since his astounding , oscar - worthy performance as the joker is the highlight of batman . nicholson ) . on one hand , nicholson 's joker is extremely funny . his murderous escapades and manic outbursts ( which include not worry because holy unconventional casting ! keaton delivers . he is convincing as the tormented millionaire , bruce wayne , and beneath life scum of gotham city . visually , batman is a knockout nothing short of a triumph for director tim burton and his production team . the movie successfully captures the film noir look and bleak , gloomy atmosphere of such batman comic books " the killing joke . " burton 's film is a feast for the eyes ; the $ 35 million budget is definitely on the the sets , costumes , and make - up are stunning and worthy of oscar nominations . nicholson is n't joking when he boasts , " in robocop . production designer anton furst 's sets are a wonder . gotham city is dark and foreboding , almost as . the movie 's gritty bladerunner / robocop look is a joy to behold . the plot , on the other hand , is while batman may not completely absorb and excite you , it will likely impress you with its success at bringing to life the style and spirit of the batman comic books . thanks to its distinctive look , the movie like a good comic book transports us

casting " doogie howser " star neil patrick harris as mind - reading military intelligence is only one of the guilty pleasures of " starship troopers , " a hugely entertaining , mega - budgeted sci - fi yarn directed by paul verhoeven , who 's making quite a recovery from his 1995 g - string epic " showgirls . " sure , " starship troopers " qualifies as cinematic junk food , but that 's forgivable when the junk food is this tasty . everyone needs a high - calorie change - of - pace from fall 's onslaught of costume dramas and other assorted oscar bait , and " troopers " does the job admirably despite its flaws . for its first hour , " starship troopers " plays like a cheeky futuristic hybrid of " saved by the bell " and " g . i . jane . " in the distant years ahead , high school grad johnny rico ( casper van dien ) signs up for federal service along with his girlfriend carmen ( denise richards ) ; he gets accepted into the mobile infantry but she wants to travel to the fleet academy to become a starship pilot , so the couple is broken up . but there 's temptation awaiting both of them -- johnny 's is in the form of an old friend ( dina meyer ) also in the infantry and still harboring a secret crush , while carmen attracts the eye of her flirtatious instructor ( patrick muldoon ) . personal rivalry and sexual jealousy carry over into the final 65 minutes , when an impending alien menace begins making good on its threatening presence and obliterates part of south america , killing johnny 's parents and destroying his home . our weakening , lovesick protagonist is given new reasons to stick around the mobile infantry , and is dispatched with a group of fellow fighters to the aliens ' home planet , where he will head up a ground assault to end the threat for good . but the enemy is far smarter , more diabolical and numerous than the good guys give them credit for , and after an initial walloping , they must re - examine their strategy . the exposition -- played like a futuristic soap opera -- is silly , but aware of its own ridiculousness enough to merit more smiles than groans . once we get past the campy character introductions and the numerous ( but never boring ) training sessions , " starship troopers " really kicks into high gear . its last half is all gruesomely violent action -- a fury of severed limbs , decapitations , disembowelments , brain removal , explosions and other jolt - inducers that are really going to please the 13- and 14-year - old boys lucky enough to dodge getting carded or caught on their way into this deservedly r - rated show . the creature design and special effects are amazing as expected , and their interaction with the human actors are a realistic , imaginative high point . it 's nice to see intergalactic beasties that are n't too derivative of the titular menace from " alien . " these monsters are appropriately terrifying sights , especially the arachnids , a spider - scorpion - crab combo that 's all sharp talons and even sharper legs . they attack in packs of hundreds , and it 's a funny , scary sight to see these bugs take repeated hits and still crawl , jerk and struggle towards their intended victims in a determined , gooey mess . it matters not that they actually have a laughable master plan in mind ( ask yourself if a species like this seems capable of carrying out such a plot ) ; these sequences of insect warfare are numerous , bloody and immensely satisfying . the occasional dramatic moments -- one cast member 's death , the final resolution to johnny 's love triangle -- are botched , a testament to how " starship troopers " fails to create any strong , outstanding characters . these bland ken - and - barbie archetypes serve the story adequately enough to keep any distractions at arm 's length , but restrain the film from achieving a higher ground a la " star wars , " where even the slightest aliens had definite personality . the acting is decent ( but never spectacular ) ; most of the performers hail from aaron spelling territory -- smallish roles on " beverly hills 90210 " and/or " melrose place " -- and it occasionally shows . van dien , for example , is limited but perfectly likeable . in smaller parts are the afore - mentioned neil patrick harris as johnny 's best friend and jake busey ( gary 's son ) as johnny 's sidekick ; the latter excels at playing creeps ( see " the frighteners " or " contact " ) but seems off - kilter as a second banana . " starship troopers " is based on the novel by robert heinlein , a sci - fi writer who has n't exactly seen any recent adaptation justice done to any of his books what with 1994 's howler " the puppet masters . " but the overall familiarity to the " alien " trilogy -- and the promise of great gobs of gore -- could act as a crowd - drawer . its own possible influence , however , might well work against it when the franchise continuation " alien : resurrection " opens in a few weeks . we will know then which film to crown as the best summer movie of the fall .

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patrick harris as mind - reading military intelligence is only one of the guilty pleasures of " starship troopers , " a hugely entertaining , never boring ) training sessions , " starship troopers " really kicks into high gear . its last half is all gruesomely violent action -- rated show . the creature design and special effects are amazing as expected , and their interaction with the human actors are a realistic , imaginative high point . it 's nice to see intergalactic beasties that are these sequences of insect warfare are numerous , bloody and immensely satisfying . the occasional dramatic moments -- one cast member 's

historical epic as a genre was almost banished from hollywood in early 1990s . for many critics , scholars and , most importantly , film producers , it was a thing of the past - something that could have attracted crowds only in the era of black - and - white television and non - cgi special effects . but in 1995 , same as in the case of dances with wolves five years ago , there came the man who decided to use of all his energy and talents of actor , producer and director in order to revitalise that particular genre . and , same as in the case of dances with wolves , he was awarded for his effort with " oscars " . the name of the film was braveheart , and the name of its director and main actor was mel gibson . the plot chronicles the life of scottish warlord and folk hero william wallace ( 1272 - 1305 ) . in his time , english king edward i " longshanks " ( played by patrick mcgoohan ) has almost completely subdued entire british isles , including scotland , whose proud inhabitants are now subjected by " ius primae noctis " and various other forms of humiliation and oppression by english knights . although english had killed his father many years ago , young scottish commoner william wallace ( played by mel gibson ) does n't care about politics and wants only to have peaceful life with his new bride murron ( played by catherine maccormack ) . murron 's death changes that and wallace takes arms and , together with small but dedicated band of followers , begins guerrilla campaign that would systematically destroy almost every english garrison in the country . through time , more and more people join his ranks and in 1298 wallace 's rag - tag army scores surprising victory against english knights in the battle of stirling bridge . but the newly won freedom is endangered by the internal squabbles between scots themselves , especially nobles under pretender robert the bruce ( played by angus macfadyen ) , who would n't like to have a simple commoner as a national leader . braveheart was only the second film in the directorial career by mel gibson , so it would n't be fair to compare it to the better known genre classics directed by david lean or anthony mann . however , even when we apply such criteria braveheart is more than decent historical epic that takes new and refreshing approach to the genre . the most noticeable element of this approach is naturalism . while older hollywood films set in medieval europe used to give fairytale - like vision of picturesque castles , splendid costumes and knights in shining armour , gibson shows us the extremely unpleasant world of poverty and feudal injustice where might made right and life was hard , short and brutish . this general unpleasantness is especially underlined in the scenes of battle , where hand - to - hand combat is naturalistically displayed in all its gory details , never seen since verhoeven 's ultra - naturalistic flesh & blood . compared with this naturalistic approach , most of old hollywood epics look like stage plays . braveheart also employs humour at the right places , not only to make bloody realities of medieval british isles more bearable to sensitive audiences , but also to underline its down - to - earth atmosphere , so different from previous historical epics . what makes braveheart " larger than life " is his protagonist . mel gibson obviously invested plenty of his energy and talent in bringing the mythical figure of william wallace and , as a result , character of 15th century poems is transformed into superhuman being that resembles late 20th century comic book hero . wallace is more than superior to his enemies , both physically and mentally , yet he is able to show his sensitive , more vulnerable side . naturally , when the character is based on epic poems , most of historical accuracy is going down the drain ( which was the case with almost every historical epic from hollywood in 1990s ) . however , even those who do n't particularly care about history or are willing to give poetic license to scriptwriter randall wallace might think that he went over the top in idolising wallace , especially in the second part of film when scottish superhero manages to seduce princess isabel ( played by sophie marceau ) and make her a child . because of that the disbelief is hardly suspended , and final scenes are n't as effective as they should be . mel gibson as an actor is truly wonderful , and he is also helped by small army of very good british and irish actors . most memorable of them all is patrick mcgoohan , whose cold , calculated and evil medieval monarch is one of the most effective villains seen in contemporary cinema . brendan gleeson ( who would later become famous for his role in boorman 's general ) is also very good as wallace 's trusted companion , as well as ian bannen is effective as leprosy - stricken king john balliol . david o'harra is very entertaining as wallace 's irish ally , and angus macfadyen brings a lot of anxiety into his conscience - stricken character of robert the bruce . women in this film have rather thankless roles , especially marceau as one - dimensional french princess . catherine mccormack as wallace 's wife was more interesting , but she was eliminated from the picture early on . from the technical point of view , the film is also very good . photography by john toll brings a lot of scottish natural beauty to the screen . on the other hand , the musical score by james horner employs too much of modern - day instruments for period piece set in medieval times . although mostly welcomed by critics and audiences alike , braveheart was often criticised for homophobia and other forms of extreme conservatism . the main reason for that was the fact that gibson , among many historical facts , chose to be faithful only to those related to sexual orientation of " longshank " 's son prince edward ( played by peter hanly ) . he is not only presented as a villain , but also as one of the less competent in villain 's camp - and portraying of homosexuals as villains or inferior to heterosexuals is almost unforgivable sin in " politically correct " hollywood . to make things even more obvious , good guys in this film are the total opposite of effeminate and incompetent edward - rugged macho men of mountains who are more practical and efficient because they tend to employ conservatives ' common sense instead of fashionable theories of ivory tower liberals . however , although the message of this film might look right - wing , it owes more to leftist ideology of various national liberation movements in 20th century . according to that ideology , oppressed classes ( workers , peasants ) are better suited to fight for national freedom because their members has less to lose in that struggle and , as such , they are more radical , less willing to make compromises and more efficient ; on the other hand , privileged classes ( aristocracy , bourgeoisie ) are more likely to betray the cause of freedom and be in cahoots with foreign oppressors in order to keep their privileges . this marxist worldview is presented in braveheart without any subtlety . in the end , whether the audience is patient enough to discover hidden meanings or simply wants to enjoy entertaining historical epic , braveheart is more than adequate choice for all fans of this recently resurrected genre .

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however , even when we apply such criteria braveheart is more than decent historical epic that takes new and refreshing approach to the genre . the most noticeable element of this they should be . mel gibson as an actor is truly wonderful , and he is also helped by small army of very good british and irish actors . most memorable of them all is patrick mcgoohan , whose cold , calculated and evil medieval monarch is one of the most effective villains seen in contemporary cinema . brendan gleeson ( who would famous for his role in boorman 's general ) is also very good as wallace 's trusted companion , as well as ian early on . from the technical point of view , the film is also very good . photography by john toll brings a lot of scottish simply wants to enjoy entertaining historical epic , braveheart is more than adequate choice for all fans of this recently resurrected genre .

if you had a chance to create a genetically perfect child , would you do it ? " gattaca " is a film which presents a future where society has answered " yes " to this question , but then ponders if this was actually the right decision . " gattaca " came out only a couple months following the first genetically engineered creature , the lovable dolly the sheep , and with this in mind , the film only becomes more frightening . the way the realm of genetics is heading , it may only take a couple decades until the future " gattaca " presents becomes true . contrary to the misleading trailers , " gattaca " is not a sci - fi thriller , in the way that there 's lots of murder , hitchcockian suspense , and chase scenes . this is a quiet , sad film about intelligent theories . in fact , the film seems like it would have been written by george orwell or aldous huxley ( the latter who 's novel " brave new world " featured genetically engineered children ) . it 's a film that may likely become a cult hit to people who are frightened by a promise of shallow utopia , which is exactly what " gattaca " presents . . . and the main reason i dug it so much . the story revolves around the genetically insufficient vincent freeman ( ethan hawke ) , a man with high hopes but a 90 % chance of heart problems , and a prospected life span of around 30 years . as a child , he was put down because of the threats of genetics , while his younger genetically perfect brother , anton ( loren dean ) , was promised whatever his heart desired . vincent yearns to be an astronaut , but when he gets a job at a giant space company , it 's as a janitor ( ernest borgnine plays his boss ! ) . but one day , he finds out that it 's probably possible that his desires can come true in the form of a business deal brought out by a black market geneticist ( or something ) , german ( " wings " ' tony shalhoub , who did like hundreds of cameos in films back in ' 97 : " men in black , " " a life less ordinary " . . . ) , who 's client is a genetically perfect man , jerome morrow ( jude law ) , who has unfortunately been crippled . fortunately , though , there 's no record of the accident , and he 's willing to give someone else his life . since vincent looks a bit like him . . . after a couple alterations ( some minor , some really major ) , he has donned the life of jerome , and is doing his job . there , he meets a genetically imperfect woman , irene ( uma thurman , who 's genetically perfect in real life anyway , hee hee ) , and the two begin a kind of relationship , albeit a very shallow one since romance is deemed by how great a man 's stats are . however , a murder of a high - level worker at his office is killed , and one of vincent / jerome 's eyelashes is found by the anal retentive investigators headed by a semi - wily inspector , hugo , ( alan arkin ) , and none other than vincent 's long lost brother , anton , who has n't seen him since they were teenagers . we know vincent / jerome did n't do it , but with his older picture being posted everywhere , not only vincent / jerome 's in trouble , but also the real jerome , who 's as much in it as he is . however , there is n't many big suspense set pieces , which is actually a blessing because if they were tossed in , the film would lose it 's message and descend into just being a sci - fi thriller a la william gibson . the suspense in the film comes from the idea that vincent and jerome can easily be captured just by dropping a hair or dead skin . while there are several scenes which are pretty frightening , there are no big distractions from the point of the film , much to the dismay of commercial audiences . what is actually portrayed is the lack of life in the utopian society that is created . irene has no real spunk in her life , and is rather amazed by the sheer beauty of a sunrise rather than genetically perfect people . and the genetically flawless jerome is in actuality a bitter man , claiming that his accident was really no accident . what jerome has done is fool the system in giving a man who yearns for better things a chance at that , and the ending is shocking as it 's a definite work of dystopian propaganda , but does n't have the down ending of other works of this kind . the production design of this film is probably the best i 've seen this year : it 's stunning , very pleasing to the eye , but still very cold . since genetics has ruled out any chance of improvement , the world has cooled into a state of inhumanity , and the sets echo a sense of shallow misery . and the sequence of all the high - level workers doing their jobs has a kind of gilliam - esque feel to it , showing the nightmare of slipping into a routine zombie - like life . the ability to perfect people has left humanity cold and generally unhappy . the acting from everyone is great , with thurman giving a wonderfully cold performance , and hawke creating a character who has been beaten down by the system but has found a new sense of optimism by a bitter man who was willing to give it out anyway ( interesting pointless fact : uma and ethan started dating after this film , and currently she is pregnant with his child ) . but the best performance belongs to jude law , who steals every scene he 's in , and creates a character filled with the pessimism over having such a horrible burden placed on his burden . i think that people are generally tempted by the fact that genetics can actually create perfection in a child , but whether or not they would actually act on this temptation is something i 'm not sure of . " gattaca " warns us not to go any farther , chiefly because we 'll create a world of elitism where the elite are shallow and unhappy , and as bitter and angry as the lesser people are . and when i see a possible future featuring a 12-fingered piano player , well folks , that just creeps me out .

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gattaca " presents . . . and the main reason i dug it so much . the story revolves around the genetically insufficient vincent freeman this kind . the production design of this film is probably the best i 've seen this year : it 's stunning , very pleasing to the eye , but still very cold . since genetics has ruled perfect people has left humanity cold and generally unhappy . the acting from everyone is great , with thurman giving a wonderfully cold performance , and but the best performance belongs to jude law , who steals every scene he 's in , and creates a character filled with

in one scene from " the people vs . larry flynt , " the hustler magazine publisher appears at a self - staged free speech rally . as graphic photos flash on a huge screen behind him , flynt strides confidently across the stage , delivering a rousing speech over what really constitutes obscenity . the spectacle was reminiscent of the scene in " patton " where the general spoke in front of a giant american flag . both scenes were stirring , larger than life , richly entertaining , and felt totally like contrived set pieces for big hollywood movies . overall , that sums up " the people vs . larry flynt . " the film is a wildly entertaining hoot which , despite being based on fact , feels like a big , phony hollywood movie . the son of a kentucky moonshiner , flynt ( woody harrelson ) ran away from home and ended up operating strip clubs in cincinnati . there he met althea leasure ( courtney love ) , a bisexual stripper who became his fourth wife and the love of his life . to bolster interest in his clubs , he started a sexually explicit newsletter that grew into hustler magazine . flynt , along with the magazine 's rag - tag management team , headed by his brother jimmy ( played nicely by woody 's real - life brother , steak & shake commercial veteran brett harrelson ) , viewed playboy magazine with contempt . they mocked its slick articles and airbrushed photos , striving to keep hustler focused on " what guys really want , " explicit photos that would make a gynecologist squirm , and extremely crude humor . the film 's prime example of hustler 's attitude is a cartoon depicting characters from the wizard of oz in an orgy , giving the audience an opportunity to giggle at flynt 's " naughtiness . " director milos forman conveniently ignores the magazine 's frequent attempts to derive humor from child molestation , racism , and endless scatological cartoons . flynt 's rag labored in well - deserved obscurity until he published nude photos of jacqueline onassis , which brought the magazine international attention , big money and the attention of conservatives . an obscenity bust followed , the first in a long series of battles between flynt and the law . lawyer alan isaacman ( edward norton ) enters the scene , hired by flynt 's wife . norton , an exceptional actor , is wonderful as the beleaguered lawyer trying to navigate the legal system while dealing with flynt 's increasingly childish and bizarre behavior . in court , we meet the sputtering conservatives , headed by citizens for decency leader charles keating ( james cromwell . ) as keating blathers about flynt 's immorality , the camera slowly moves in for a close - up of his name tag , inviting the audience to gloat at the notion of morality being trumpeted by keating , who was later convicted in a $ 2 billion s&l fraud . flynt 's other prime foe is rev . jerry falwell , who sues over a hustler parody involving him and his mother having sex in an outhouse . tragedy strikes as flynt is shot by a would - be assassin , leaving him paralyzed from the waist down . a dark period follows , as flynt and leasure hole up in an l . a . suite , strung out on pain killers . flynt eventually kicks drugs , but leasure succumbs to addiction , and later , aids . after watch falwell on tv , describing aids as a punishment from god , flynt directs his lawyer to take the falwell case to the supreme court , leading to the film 's climactic courtroom scene . " the people vs , larry flynt " is at its weakest when moralizing on free speech and lionizing flynt . " if they 'll protect a scumbag like me , then they 'll protect all of you , " declared flynt . he 's right , of course , but the director forman cheats in portraying the opposition as little more than hypocritical buffoons . he also cheats in casting woody harrelson as flynt . harrelson is an attractive , charismatic man , and his strong performance paints flynt as a colorful folk hero . even a cursory look at the real flynt , who is making the talk show circuit , and plays the judge in an early courtroom scene , shows a bloated , morose and bitter man . an accurate portrayal of flynt would have made a more difficult film to watch , but a richer one . despite its flaws , " flynt " is a fast moving , rousing movie with some terrific acting , especially by courtney love , whose vibrant performance will likely garner an oscar nod . the story may be candy - coated , but it 's still delicious candy .

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general spoke in front of a giant american flag . both scenes were stirring , larger than life , richly entertaining , and felt totally like contrived set pieces for big people vs . larry flynt . " the film is a wildly entertaining hoot which , despite being based on fact , feels like scene , hired by flynt 's wife . norton , an exceptional actor , is wonderful as the beleaguered lawyer trying to navigate the legal system one . despite its flaws , " flynt " is a fast moving , rousing movie with some terrific acting , especially by courtney love , whose vibrant performance will likely garner an oscar nod . the story may be candy - coated , but

we all know the fate of " child 's play , " which is the same for almost any film these days that does marginally well financially : sequel hell . with the newest installment in the quasi - popular series currently out ( that would be " bride of chucky " - and it grossed 11 million in its opening weekend , which i think is the sign of the apocalypse number five ) , it 's kinda fun to go back and see how it all began rougly ten years ago with the original , a task which is a retread for some , and for others ( namely myself ) a chance to see what all the fuss was about . alas , the original " child 's play " actually is n't that bad . even seeing it in the tiny , claustrophobic , and mechanically - challenged theatre at my college was n't the horribly dull experience i thought it would be , not just because of the nicely rowdy crowd ( which you almost need to watch a film like this - and if you do n't believe me , try and watch this flick by yourself one day ) , but because as a whole , this is n't a bad movie . it 's not great , but it does have two things that many horror films like this one do n't have : 1 ) a rather nifty premise , and 2 ) a sense of humor , both which save this from horror hell , which is precisely where , say , " i know what you did last summer " has recently gone . the premise of " child 's play " is that a serial killer named charles lee ray ( brad douriff ) is shot and almost killed by a chicago hard - boiled detective ( chris surrandon - see what happens to some oscar nominees ? ) , and before he dies , utters a voodoo chant that sends his soul directly into a kid 's doll called chucky , a doll which has got to be the scariest - looking kid 's doll i 've ever seen . the next day , a bum who 's stolen it sells it to single - mother karen barclay ( catherine hicks ) , who then gives it to her young son andy ( alex vincent ) for his birthday . of course chucky begins talking to the kid and trying to find a way to get out of the doll , but certain twists come up . like the guy he learned voodoo from reveals to him that the only way to break the curse is to take over the body of the first person he told he was inside the doll , that being andy . and soon enough , chucky is killing people either for revenge or for what seems like fun , and people are discovering that chucky is n't just a kiddie doll one by one . the idea is a neat one , ripe for lots of comic terror , and luckily it utlizes a lot of that . it plays with an idea stolen from a classic looney toons short that when someone knows that chucky is alive , they tell people about it , but when he tries to prove themselves , chucky does nothing , and everyone thinks they 're crazy . it plays with this , as well as the whole child - like thought that dolls and toys come to life , and even manages to cram in a couple really frightening moments . even if there 's an entire sequence devoted to cliches ( a woman alone in a house hears a noise , goes to investigate it , and finds nothing , but wait for the kicker a second later ! ) , there 's also a harrowing car ride with chucky trying to knife the detective from the back seat , and then trying to attack him when the car finally crashes , leaving the viewer with at least rather visceral exprience . the ending is rather fun , as well , albeit a tad too drawn - out ( about four different endings , maybe five ) , and the characters are more intelligent than the average horror film line - up , making them easier to sympathize with . if there 's one horrible thing about many horror films , it 's that the protagonists are morons who you ca n't help but shout obscenities at , and for the most part , " child 's play " steers away from that . and most of all , the chucky character is a good one , not just because he provides instant comic relief ( look ! that doll 's moving on its own ! ) , but because he 's a generally scary character . if there 's anything really wrong with " child 's play , " it 's that it 's too trite and has too less self esteem . at almost 90 minutes , " child 's play " features way too less to be a real classic of horror . it throws itself into a simple three act set - up that renders it quick and almost forgettable if it were n't for the fact that the film deals with a psychotic doll . if the film had more confidence in what it was presenting , it would really push the envelope and become even more than just a short bit of horror escapism , which is precisely why this kind of film is only memorable as a cheap little horor film . . . which is n't necessarily a bad thing . as such , " child 's play " is content to be just the short , typical horror film , but saves itself via a sense of humor and a nice quasi - campy feel that makes it much more enjoyable than the average short , typical horror film .

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one day ) , but because as a whole , this is n't a bad movie . it 's not great , but it does have films like this one do n't have : 1 ) a rather nifty premise , and 2 ) a sense of humor , both is n't just a kiddie doll one by one . the idea is a neat one , ripe for lots of comic terror , and luckily leaving the viewer with at least rather visceral exprience . the ending is rather fun , as well , albeit a tad too drawn - about four different endings , maybe five ) , and the characters are more intelligent than the average horror film line - up , making be just the short , typical horror film , but saves itself via a sense of humor and a nice quasi - campy feel that makes it much more enjoyable than the average short , typical horror film .

director : penelope spheeris ( decline of western civilization ii - the : metal years , dudes , & suburbia ) cast : mike myers ( wayne campbell ) , dana carvey ( garth algar ) , : rob lowe ( benjamin oliver ) , tia carrere ( cassandra ) summary : wayne and garth have a public access show called " wayne 's : world . " the show is a underground hit , until benjamin : oliver comes onto the scene . benjamin wants to turn the : show into a big hit nationwide , possibly destroying the : essence of " wayne 's world " in the process . [ expectations - medium ] long review = = = = = = = = = = = i must admit being a bit reluctant going into this film . i did n't believe that they ( mike myers and dana carvey ) could hold it up for an hour and a half , i figured that perhaps the first half - hour would be great , and the rest would be " fluff . " however , i was really surprised about how well they were able to keep the laughs going for the virtually the whole film , with the exception of the ending . ( which i wo n't discuss for obvious reasons , but it 's not * that * bad . ) story : the plot was quite thin , but it really was n't that noticeable , because of the rapid - fire jokes that myers wrote in . alot of the jokes are very similar to hot shots ! , in being very " parodyish . " ( okay , bad term . ) extremely witty throughout , although ( as in hot shots ) it got a bit repetitive in the middle . acting : as in many comedies , the acting is n't really * that * important . however , myers turns in a good performance as wayne , playing the character perfectly , ( although i still liked him better back on much music , in a more " canadian " type of mode . ) carvey is okay as garth , but he lacks the spark myers puts into wayne . tia carrere is mediocre as cassandra , playing it very stilted . lowe is fine as ben oliver , but is nothing to write home about . without a doubt , this movie is mike myers all the way . direction : spheeris is a classic " music " movie director , making dudes , and decline of western civilization ii -- the metal years . ( she also directed the boys next door , which is different , to say the least . ) she is very capable , knows how direct a comedy , the correct camera movements it instill laughs , etc . one of the better jobs i can remember for a comedy . overall : i would suggest to anyone that likes snl 's skits to go see this film in the theatres . however , my personal opinion , as in most comedies , is that they work just as well on video . you definately have to be fan of music , and all forms of media in general to enjoy this film . without a doubt , this is the best comedy so far this year . it 'll make tons ' o ' dough for everyone involved . let 's just hope they make a thousand sequels . [ sorry , i had to get the lame joke in . . . forgive me . ]

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fluff . " however , i was really surprised about how well they were able to keep the laughs going for the virtually the whole film , with the exception it really was n't that noticeable , because of the rapid - fire jokes that myers wrote in . alot of the jokes are parodyish . " ( okay , bad term . ) extremely witty throughout , although ( as in hot shots ) it got n't really * that * important . however , myers turns in a good performance as wayne , playing the character perfectly , ( although i still liked him better back on which is different , to say the least . ) she is very capable , knows how direct a comedy , the correct camera forms of media in general to enjoy this film . without a doubt , this is the best comedy so far this year . it 'll make tons ' o ' dough for

natural born killers is really a very simple story that , in essence , has already been told in bonnie & clyde with some major variations in emphasis , mood and degree . both films glamorize " outlaws , " in one case bank robbers and killers and in the other mass murderers . both relate the story of a couple liberated by love . but where bonnie & clyde was partial and subtle , natural born killers is total and blatant . where bonnie & clyde was social , natural born killers is psychological . what bonnie & clyde hinted at , natural born killers confronts and explores . what bonnie and clyde stole , mickey and mallory kill . to examine natural born killers as nothing more than a psychological odyssey of realization and exposure of the frauds surrounding them , expressed metaphorically as killing , subdues the mysterious power this film wields . for the most part , when mickey and mallory kill , they kill all that frustrates them unnecessarily , they kill what is trying to kill them , they kill what dissembles and cowers from life , they kill what needs to be killed . this mythos is at least as old as the hindu trinity . brahma created . vishnu preserved . and siva destroyed , but he destroyed what needed to be destroyed to make way for the useful creations of brahma . the following may be painfully mundane but metaphorically so accurate , i 'm forced to say it for clarity 's sake : a plumber must remove the old lead and copper pipes , that is , destroy the old plumbing system in order to replace it with the new one made of plastics . your plumber , bonnie and clyde , mickey and mallory , and siva are all productive destroyers . i think you could say without much of a challenge that religion is responsible for more killing and death , presently and historically , than any other phenomena . muslims kill christians . hindus kill muslims . christians kill pagans . jews kill christians , etc . you could reverse subject and predicate in each instance and still not be challenged . religion is an orgy of killing . the institution of the state only misses first place for technical reasons like it has n't been a major player for as long or the two are frequently indistinguishable . " the state is the divine idea upon earth , " hegel said , meaning it is absolute , all - powerful , ineffable , unassailable , infallible , authoritarian and patriarchal just like jhvh , allah , god , etc . well , what does all this have to do with natural born killers ? let me first say that religions of this nature , in the ideal , take the place of sex . consider the catholic church , which in its hey - dey , took religion as seriously as any other religion or institution ever . god takes the place of sex as manifested in all those vows of celibacy taken by the pope , cardinals , bishops , monks , etc . they forego the one , in order to come closer to the other . during the middle ages , when this doctrine was unmitigated and unchallenged , the most repressive regime the west has ever known in terms of scope and magnitude rose to power . ( parenthetically , witness plato as well . in the republic , he attempted to launch the first systematic absolutist regime . not coincidentally he was something of a mystic himself , regularly assailing the passions . ) catholicism , as policy , attacks the passions as evil . it sees intercourse only as a means to perpetuate the species not as a way to pleasure . masturbation is considered a sin with the sacrament of penance necessary for absolution . this is religion , this is authoritarianism in its essence . as further evidence , the nazis had the same attitudes as the church on these matters . our culture , most of the cultures of the world have been steeped in this tradition for thousands of years . we ca n't help but adopt , even internalize some of these same authoritarian attitudes , leading to a destructive split between the biological and social self . mickey and mallory knox internalized them , too , then through spontaneous sexual awareness sparked in each one of them by the presence of the other , discovered them , and began expurgating them from themselves and from the world in the process unifying themselves . it is a straightforward liberation through sex . as some good patriarch once observed , " you can maintain control as long as everyone keeps their clothes on . " m&m had a vision of what the world would be like without contradictions . they saw what civilization and culture and everyday life would be like under such conditions . " the moment of realization is worth a thousand prayers , " as mickey says . as a the most consistent and impassioned critic of western culture there is nietzsche applying his typical stridency to the matter : let us look each other in the face . we are hyberboreans -- we know well enough how remote our place is . " neither by land nor by water will you find the road to the hyberboreans " : even pindar , in his day , knew that much about us . beyond the north , beyond ice , beyond death -- our life , our happiness . . . . we have discovered that happiness ; we know the way ; we got our knowledge of it from thousands of years in the labyrinth . who else has found it ? --the man of today ? -- " i do n't know either the way out or the way in ; i am whatever does n't know either the way out or the way in " --so sighs the man of today . . . . this is the sort of modernity that made us ill -- we sickened in lazy peace , cowardly compromise , the whole virtuous dirtiness of the modern yea and nay . this tolerance and largeur of the heart that " forgives " everything because it " understands " everything is a sirocco to us . rather live amid the ice than among modern virtues and other such south - winds ! as far as i can tell , this is what the movie has to say . its alleged critique of the media is only secondary , tertiary , quaternary , subsidiary for sure . for example wayne gayle 's first report ends with some gen x dude saying , " if i were a mass murderer i 'd be mickey and mallory , " in his most excellent bill and ted voice . on one level you cd make the humdrum observation that because the media had glamorized these two psychopaths that the uncritical , impressionable gen x dumb guy confused the matter and took them for heroes . it seems more likely that he made an independent judgement at a subconscious level recognizing what m&m were up to and confessing that if he had the balls to be so honest with himself he 'd be just like them , killing and destroying what deserves it . let me exemplify what i 've been saying by analyzing a scene from the film , namely the scene where mallory fucks the gas station attendant , kills him , and then castigates him for giving her " the worst fuckin ' head i 've ever had in my life ! ! ! " now , i never claimed that mickey and mallory had a perfect relationship , because demonstrably they did n't , and this scene and the ones leading up to it show us this . sometimes they are the source of each others frustrations , but unwilling to kill each other , since they love each other so much and are responsible for each others liberation , they must kill in place of their lever . it 's no secret that in this scene mallory fantasized that her victim was mickey . as the attendant approached he took on mickey 's character in the eyes of mallory . she needed to kill him because of he kidnapped that girl in the hotel room and was having secret fantasies about her while making love to mallory . upon discovery , mallory views this as a betrayal , judges him , and commutes his sentence on someone else . the style of the movie is a whole ' nother matter that i wo n't get into very deeply but surely it is partially responsible for its power . let me just say that its editing has the opposite effect of a western with shots that linger forever on a salon entrance or the like suggesting the expansiveness , barreness and boredom of the frontier lifestyle . the rapid succession of all those 8 mm , 16 mm , 35 mm images from various perspectives with a soundtrack sometimes in sync and sometimes out of sink instills a skittish , frenetic mood . also , jungian archetypes abound . these ca n't help but trigger deep psychological responses we can barely understand especially when they flash across the screen for barely a few frames . some of the best scenes and lines that come to mind . ( quotes are paraphrased only ) : mickey to mallory : " one of these days i 'm gon na be cummin ' for you , " in prison , while mallory jacks mickey off . semen is a symbol for great potential and things to come . at the time they have n't yet had sex nor have they killed anyone yet . the two of course go hand in hand . for an even more explicit semen scene see silence of the lambs . mickey during his marriage to mallory : " as creator of my universe , i pronounce us man and wife . " the way woody delivers this line is truly haunting , but telling , too . it reveals m&m are well on their way to expunging all their destructive tendencies and replacing them with positive ones . this is what mickey means by " creator of my universe , " he is giving himself or creating for himself healthy attitudes . it is not necessarily a schizophrenic retreat into solipsism as it first appears . scagnetti 's first meeting with mallory is through her pubic hair he plucks from the gas station attendant 's mouth . the indian sage releasing mallory 's father , who was reincarnated as a snake : " old man , go be a snake , " after telling his " snake story " that ends with " bitch , you knew i was a snake . " after mickey shoots this sage to death during a bewildering nightmare , mallory says , " you killed life ! ! ! " this is another telling quote because it implies they did n't see themselves as killers of life . then what were they killing up to that time ? in some case just those zombies faking their way through life , the living dead , as it were . in other cases , all the anti - life forces , the cops and their parents . the butterfly just before the movie shifts into the prison . it of course symbolizes rebirth . dr . emil reingold , as portrayed by steven wright , passing judgement on m&m : " mickey and mallory know the difference between right and wrong , they just do n't give a damn . " this is reminiscent of nietzsche 's whole philosophy , and maybe a direct reference to his beyond good and evil . mickey : " the rabbit says the moment of realization is worth 1000 prayers . " mickey ( again in his interview ) : " me and you , we are not the same species . " notice when the escape is in progress we get some role reversals in terms of leadership and control . mickey the prisoner becomes the leader of his little gang . the wardens become prisoners and the civilians like wayne gayle and his producer follow the leader , no matter who it is . mickey : how ya feelin ' ? wayne : fucking great ! mickey : you got the feelin ' ? wayne : i 'm alive . i 'm alive for the first fuckin ' time ! what an incredible transformation this is . he got the feeling and he could n't contain himself . what a feeling . that feeling of metaphysical freedom that you can create your own universe . mickey when almost caught in a dead end , " think , think , think , think . " go figure it out . dwight ( tommy lee jones ) in general , because he may be the sickest fuck in the whole film . his whole attitude can be summed up with , " destroy them ! ! ! "

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wo n't get into very deeply but surely it is partially responsible for its power . let me just say that its editing has the a soundtrack sometimes in sync and sometimes out of sink instills a skittish , frenetic mood . also , jungian archetypes abound . these ca n't flash across the screen for barely a few frames . some of the best scenes and lines that come to mind . ( quotes are paraphrased only ) : mickey to

the bond series is an island in the film world ; where else would we look forward to cliches , and all of the other things that occur in most of these films ? where else would pure escapism , a vulnerable hero , the " talking villains , " blatant product placement , predictable action sequences , and lots of promiscuity be hoped for instead of a significant change ? i do n't understand it myself , but that 's what the bond series is based on . for ( i think ) 18 films , we 've mostly got the same thing over and over again , with some variation ( and a bit of change , most notably in the two dalton films ) . but even i , a king of cynicism , ca n't bitch about it . and " tomorrow never dies , " the ( again , i think ) eighteenth bond film , and second brosnan bond film , is no exception . thank god ! the plot , as in most of them , is pure balderdash , but seems to have a nice kind of edge to it . instead of just plain billionaire psychotics , we get a rupert murdoch - esque media mogul / psychotic - elliot carver ( jonathan pryce , looking bitching with a white - haired cru cut , and always talking like he 's out of breath ) , who has the admittingly ingenius idea of getting ratings by creating a war . no , this is not " wag the dog " - he wants a real war , between china and england , and is stupid enough to put the coverage out before anyone else discovered it . . . in comes bond . james is sent all around the world , trying to do research on carver , fighting with his men , and running into ( on more than one occasion ) a chinese secret agent like him : wai lin ( michelle yeoh , asian action star extraordinaire . . . and co - star of " supercop , " nearly stealing the screen from jackie chan in that one ) . the two eventually , and predictably of course , begin working together , and yes , there is some sexual tension between the two . luckily , their relationship is never strained , and she never gives into his cassanova - ness until the finale . thank god again . in every bond film , james bags , on average , three women ( sometimes more , sometimes less - the latter being more potent towards the aids - cautionary dalton ) , and he does n't spoil this one ( though we never see them , of course - i mean , they need to stay around a pg-13 rating ) . there 's always one at the beginning with some chick we never see again , the big bond girl ( yeoh ) , and this time we have an almost - cameo by teri hatcher as carver 's wife , paris , who , it seems , was once one of the girls he bags at the beginning . yes , teri 's very attractive , but she seems kind of dull . of course , it 's not really her fault ; her part is under - written , and she 's only in a small part of it . oh well . and there are always the big henchmen , the guys who do the dirty work for the polished big villains . this time we get a tall , arian - looking ( not to mention robert shaw in " from russia with love " -looking ) guy named stamper ( goetz otto ) , who is pretty awesome , although a bit stiff ( well , mostly his posture , really ) . and for a bit of comedy , we get a cameo from vincent shiavelli as a german or austrian assassin who is ordered to do in bond at one point . the government people have small parts , as usual , with q ( desmond llewelyn , looking near death , sadly ) getting only one scene ( in a more grouchy mood than usual ) , and m ( judi dench ) , getting more than m usually gets ( i mean , it is judi dench ) . and for no reason whatsoever , except 'cause he was so good in " goldeneye , " joe don baker shows up again as wade , admitting he has no reason for being there , and is this time more annoying . again , oh well . the action sequences are not a let - down , although sometimes go on too long . they pop up every now and then , mainly because they have to ( for the sake of the series ) , and some significant ones are the opening one , one in a garage with a bmw that runs on remote control , and a motorcylce chase ( on a bmw cycle , nonetheless ) through china streets ( or was it vietnam . . . the plot 's not really essential ) . they 're more high - tech , and feature much more laughs , which , yeah , i dig . so what if they 're distracting ; they 're supposed to be ! the acting , from most around is great . yeoh is , actually , one of the better bond girls , mainly because she 's so unique . the better bond girls are more independent , and have a certain wily - ness to them . pussy galore , with her homoerotic undertones and all , is one of the best , and diana rigg , who married bond at the end of " on her majesty 's secret service " only to be killed , added some emotional depth . yeoh is notable since she 's so active , and has great chemistry with brosnan . pryce is an awesome villain , being slimy and lovable at the same time . and brosnan is , once again , the mack daddy . the bond series is built on cliches , mainly because they 're so fun and add to the escapism . if you can remember the dalton years , and they 're serious direction , you remember how unsuccessful they were , both financially and aesthetically . the series would falter if bogged down with too much plot , too many themes , and too much characterization . i do n't really understand it myself , yet i 'm one of the bigger fans of the series in the northeast united states . having seen all of them more than once ( yes , i 've seen this twice already ) , you can tell i adore them . while it 's not one of the best , like " goldfinger " or " from russia with love , " " tomorrow never dies " is nonetheless a truly awesome installment , even if not being as fully amazing as some of the better ones .

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guy named stamper ( goetz otto ) , who is pretty awesome , although a bit stiff ( well , mostly his they 're distracting ; they 're supposed to be ! the acting , from most around is great . yeoh is , actually , one of the better bond girls , mainly because she 's so unique . the better bond girls are more independent , and yeoh is notable since she 's so active , and has great chemistry with brosnan . pryce is an awesome villain , being slimy and lovable at the same time . love , " " tomorrow never dies " is nonetheless a truly awesome installment , even if not being as fully amazing as some

this sometimes - tedious and often - moving documentary charts the life and times of anne frank , the young diarist and most - famous victim of adolph hitler . writer / director / producer jon blair has collected a staggering amount of historical material on both anne and the frank family . we meet miep gies , one of the family 's protectors who is still alive . she recounts how she found the diary in the days after the germans captured the franks . we watch otto frank , anne 's father and surviving family member , in interview footage filmed before his death . blair successfully combines these clips , footage , and other historical records to recount exactly what happened during that terrible period of european history . as narrated by kenneth branagh and with diary excepts read by glenn close , anne frank remembered retells more than just anne 's story . we meet and learn about the * many * friends , family members , and acquaintances whose lives were touched by this young woman and her writings . winner of the last year 's academy award for best documentary .

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this sometimes - tedious and often - moving documentary charts the life and times of anne frank , , in interview footage filmed before his death . blair successfully combines these clips , footage , and other historical records to were touched by this young woman and her writings . winner of the last year 's academy award for best documentary .

john sayles ' " men with guns " is about what happens to a society when brute force and constant threat of violence are the only means of gaining and maintaining power . the film takes place in an unnamed central american country , where the men with guns are the rulers . most of the country is divided into tiny segments - some are controlled by guerrillas with guns , some are controlled by army soldiers with guns , and all the spaces in - between are controlled by thieves , bandits , and terrorists . all people not fitting one of those descriptions are defined only by their powerlessness . however , like so many central american countries , this one also features modernity . there is an unnamed capital city that bears all the hallmarks of contemporary civilization : skyscrapers , hospitals , televisions , highways , etc . but , it might as well be in another country because those who live in the comforts of the city have either decided to ignore the violence ravaging the rest of the land , or else they are simply ignorant of it . the film 's main character , dr . fuentes ( federico luppi ) falls into the latter category . one of his patients , an army general , describes him as the most educated man he has ever met , and also the most naive . fuentes is a true liberal , a caring man who thinks he can cure the ills of his country by fighting bacteria and ignorance among the indigenous indians . with government assistance , he has trained a large group of eager young medical students and sent them into the rainforest to cure and educate . this program was to be his legacy , and he repeats over and over that it was a good idea . however , when he ventures into that same rainforest to visit his prot ? g ? s , he finds that things have not turned out as he has envisioned . as he travels deeper into the forest , going from village to village , the story is always the same : the doctors were all killed by either the guerrillas or the army soldiers , usually for helping the other . when dr . fuentes asks a village woman why the army killed one of the doctors , she replies simply , " because they had guns , and we did n't . " rational science and all its attempts to cure have been wiped out by the men with guns , because others ' sickness and ignorance helps them maintain power . dr . fuentes picks up several companions during his journey , all of whom are characterized by their loss . first , there is a young boy named conejo ( dan rivera gonz ? lez ) , who has neither a mother nor a father . next , fuentes crosses paths with a thief named domingo ( dami ? n delgado ) , who deserted the army because he was tired of being jeered into committing murderous atrocities . through his ordeal in the army , domingo has lost most of his self - respect , and defines himself only by his pistol . along the way , the group also picks up padre portillo ( dami ? n alc ? zar ) , a priest who has lost his faith . as domingo is running from the army , so is portillo - he has been labeled a guerrilla sympathizer , and ran away from the village in which he was preaching . last , the group takes on a mute girl named graciela ( tania cruz ) , who has n't spoken since she was raped two years earlier , her innocence and even her will to live forcefully taken from her . sayles two major strengths as a director - characters and setting - are abundantly evident in " men with guns . " ( like many of his films , sayles might have tightened this one somewhat in the editing room , but a longer - than - necessary running time is a sin almost always committed when the director is also the editor . ) he creates fascinating , complex characters , especially dr . fuentes and domingo . their uneasy relationship is also somewhat humorous in context of the film 's overarching theme of violence as power - domingo 's attempts to control fuentes with his revolver are constantly undermined by fuentes ' belief that the revolver is unloaded ( at first it is , but later is is n't ) . the setting is also as thick with detail as the rainforest itself . sayles knows how to bring a location to life , whether it be an early twentieth - century coal mining town in " matewan " ( 1987 ) or a contemporary texas / mexico bordertown in " lone star " ( 1996 ) . sayles is not a particularly inventive director - he likes to let his actors do most of the work - but he and cinematographer slavomir idziak ( " gattaca " ) successfully evoke both the beauty and the danger of the central american terrain . sayles also maintains a strong sense of authenticity by filming everything on location in mexico , using all latin american actors , and having all the dialogue spoken in either spanish or native indian dialects . the one exception is a couple of bumbling american tourists who work not only as comic relief , but as evidence of just how clueless the united states is about what is going on a few hundred miles south of the texas border . it would not be a stretch to say that " men with guns " is a depressing film . in fact , the two feelings it evokes most are hopelessness and failure . in addition to loss , the main characters are also failures at something , whether that be dr . fuentes failure to change anything through medicine , or padre portillo 's inability to stand up and be the martyr he always dreamed of being . nevertheless , it is bleak material sayles has chosen , and he deals with it accordingly . the last shot of the film does offer a hint of hope , even in a world where , as one character puts it , " nobody refuses the men with guns . "

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committed when the director is also the editor . ) he creates fascinating , complex characters , especially dr . fuentes and domingo . their uneasy as thick with detail as the rainforest itself . sayles knows how to bring a location to life , whether it be an early twentieth - century coal the danger of the central american terrain . sayles also maintains a strong sense of authenticity by filming everything on location in mexico , using all

plot : during a 10-week span in london in the fall of 1888 , jack the ripper , a man whose identity was never uncovered , committed five ritualistic , grisly murders of prostitutes . this film is based on the graphic novel which assembled a theory behind the century - old mystery . critique : awesome ! i love dark movies , i love stylish movies , i love good mysteries and i love johnny depp . . . so yes , i really dug this movie ! the hughes brothers are back with a vengeance , out to show the world that they are directors to be taken seriously , and this movie , my friends . . . is very serious ! in fact , it 's also very gruesome and bloody and morbid and creepy and black as hell . it ai n't for the kids , i 'll tell you that much . and if any of those recent hack directors of two - bit scream - esque slasher flicks want some advice on effective " kill scenes " , do not look any further , because each one committed to this film is a cinematic stunner , especially when compared to their generic slice - and - dice contrivances . in fact , most of this film 's structure is very creative , the actors , all solid , the atmosphere and " feel " of the picture , remarkably real ( got ta love those " unfortunates " ) , and the descent into darkness , well honed by the filmmakers . you can almost taste the seediness off the screen and quickly come to appreciate the politics of the time . but it 's also an impressive mystery film , based on the true - life tale of jack the ripper , a man whose identity was never discovered . the theory in this film is based on the graphic novel " from hell " written by alan moore and presents a compelling story , which despite being a little oliver stone - ish , did manage to tie up all of its loose ends quite nicely , and present us with an entertaining bowl of mayhem , sexual depravity , drug usage , insanity , murders and love ? yes , the brothers even managed to slip a little " love " story in here , and despite not truly being developed , i guess it could 've been much worse and taken up more time than was provided already . that 's right , there 's no real need to put any " romance " in a film about a mass murderer ! but that aside , you got ta give up the props to actor extraordinaire johnny depp , who once again possesses the strength in character and flawless acting abilities , to center this movie all the way through . sure , he 's just playing a less goofier version of his ichabod crane character from sleepy hollow , but he does it so well and even added a michael caine accent to his mixed bag of tricks in this one . i was also surprised at how little heather graham annoyed me in this film ( i was sure that her presence would ruin this movie , but she was fine ) and how little the dreams / fantasies of depp 's character had to do with the film 's development ( from what i had seen in the trailer , i thought the filmmakers were going to make this the crux of the story , but thankfully , it was n't ) . on the downside , the film does n't really explain the whole freemasons cult organization real well and lacks character development . but then again , a story about the most mysterious serial killer of all - time is probably not the ideal spot for character refinement . i mean , the less i knew about each person , the more suspicious i became of each one 's motives , reasons , etc . . . in fact , i was actually quite surprised by who was presented as the killer in the end , and that was in part , due to the distance to which i 'd been held from the film 's characters . . . or am i giving the filmmakers too much credit for something that might not have been their intention ? perhaps . overall , this is an extremely creepy production , with glorious cinematography ( reminiscent of coppola 's dracula and burton 's sleepy hollow ) , a grim score and solid acting . but it 's not for everyone . some may be utterly repulsed by the gory particulars of these tragic events , and even though the murders are n't shown as graphically as you might think , there 's enough here to send the squeamish right out the doors . but i for one love movies that blend their eclectic visual style with an interesting mystery and palpable , gothic atmosphere , and this flick is just that and plenty more ! and god knows that i will certainly not be surrendering the burnt image of jack the ripper 's haunting cape silhouette and gleaming silver knife from my mind anytime soon . . . brrrrr ! where 's joblo coming from ? the crow ( 9/10 ) - dark city ( 9/10 ) - dracula ( 7/10 ) - jfk ( 9/10 ) - the nightmare before christmas ( 10/10 ) - the ninth gate ( 8/10 ) - the others ( 9/10 ) - quills ( 8/10 ) - shadow of the vampire ( 6/10 ) - sleepy hollow ( 8/10 )

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theory behind the century - old mystery . critique : awesome ! i love dark movies , i love stylish movies , i love johnny depp . . . so yes , i really dug this movie ! the hughes brothers are back with a vengeance , out to show the world that they are directors in fact , most of this film 's structure is very creative , the actors , all solid , the atmosphere and " feel " of the picture , remarkably real ( got ta love those " unfortunates " ) , and the descent into darkness , well honed by the filmmakers . you can almost taste the seediness off the screen the politics of the time . but it 's also an impressive mystery film , based on the true - life tale of jack a little oliver stone - ish , did manage to tie up all of its loose ends quite nicely , and present us with an entertaining bowl of mayhem , sexual depravity , drug usage , insanity mass murderer ! but that aside , you got ta give up the props to actor extraordinaire johnny depp , who once again possesses the strength in character and flawless acting abilities , to center this movie all the way through . overall , this is an extremely creepy production , with glorious cinematography ( reminiscent of coppola 's dracula and burton 's sleepy hollow ) , a grim score and solid acting . but it 's not for everyone . some may

in ` enemy at the gates ' , jude law is a gifted russian sniper made hero by a political officer named danilov ( joseph fiennes ) who uses him in a propaganda newspaper to raise the hopes of the soldiers and people of stalingrad . it 's world war ii , and the russian - german standoff in town could determine the outcome of things for the motherland . law 's vassili is the russian 's top pawn to victory . lots of war stuff happens . an older , german version of jude 's character played by ed harris shows up halfway into the proceedings . he 's equally talented , and the two men play a cat and mouse game trying to kill each other . they constantly switch roles , as the war fades far into the background . the cast also includes the terrific rachel weisz as a love interest for both vassili and danilov the set - up is decent , and so are the production values . boasting a wide range of grimy locales , greasy hair , and tattered costumes , the art direction prospers . the actors , however , suffer the problem matt damon had in ` saving private ryan ' . either their eyes , teeth , skin , or a combination of other features looked too white and clean . with dirt and blood all around , the blinding teeth or bright eyes of these actors divert attention from the action . that said , the players are mostly good in their roles , although i do n't think ed harris was really trying . maybe he realized his role struck a difficult chord in one - notedom . while the film is technically about snipers , there are far too many predictable sniping scenes . director jean - jacques annaud expects us to view each tense situation with jude and some cohort in a tight spot as edgy and exciting , but after about the sixth time , in which we realize that jude is not going to die , it 's relatively pointless . we get that he 's talented , okay , let 's move on . that 's the problem with ` enemy at the gates ' ; it just does n't know when to stop . witness the wasted seventeen minutes that could have been spent elsewhere . reestablishing his title as the most beautiful ( and often talented ) man on film , jude law carries the movie . without him , this costly production would have gone into the ground . the story and acting are of good quality , but there 's never a sense of authenticity or reality . something about this war movie is undeniably modern , and it loses its feeling . strange enough , the screenplay is based on the true story of a real russian sniper .

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, as the war fades far into the background . the cast also includes the terrific rachel weisz as a love interest for both vassili and grimy locales , greasy hair , and tattered costumes , the art direction prospers . the actors , however , suffer the problem matt actors divert attention from the action . that said , the players are mostly good in their roles , although i do n't think ed harris was really wasted seventeen minutes that could have been spent elsewhere . reestablishing his title as the most beautiful ( and often talented ) man on film , jude law carries the movie . without him , this costly production would have gone

it 's been a good long while since we had a good old fashioned thriller , where mostly everything goes right for the audience and wrong for the characters , but it 's been even longer since i saw a thriller that actually * shock * cared for the characters , not merely judged them but actually allowed their human foibles , flaws , and strengths to emerge so radiantly . i 'd saw that it 's been at least a couple decades , even as far back to the great hitchcock thrillers , though i 'm hardly comparing " a simple plan " to , say , " rear window " or " strangers on a train . " yet it 's almost as good . it 's simple , yet strangely complex , and astonishingly rewarding , because instead of moving from plot point to plot point , and merely laying out they - might - be - caught overtones , it instead concerns itself with the moral corruption and depths of greed that its protagonists can go to , all without ever judging them as either evil or even immoral . elegantly directed by sam raimi ( yes , the same ) , " a simple plan " concerns itself with the discovery of a crashed plane and within a bag full of millions of dollars by an upright , moderately financially stable working man ( bill paxton ) , his dim - witted brother ( billy bob thornton ) , and his drinking buddy ( brent briscoe ) . without anyone around , and the possibility that no one would come looking for it , the three debate and debate but finally reach the decision that yes , they will keep it , but until any authorities or possible owners of the cash come looking , and so they generally do n't flaunt anything they do n't want to flaunt , they 'll keep it stored away in the custody of paxton . the possibilites of this circumstance are much diverse : a ) they could endlessly play cat and mouse with the authorities ; b ) they could try to fight off the rightful owners , who are either villainous or just ; or c ) they could fight amongst themselves . " a simple plan , " though borrows a little from each of these . a little tiff with the cops here , a subplot involving an alleged fbi agent ( a chilling gary cole ) there ) , and a bit of inside feuding over here . but , as austin powers would say , that 's not necessarily its bag ( baby ) . what i most admired about this film , and what makes this a far superior and unique thriller is that it 's successfully able to have its cake and eat it too . it effectively involves some of the traditional thriller cliches , like the ones mentioned above , but at the same time , it involves itself more deeply with the way the characters become morally corrupt and what price they have to pay to have what they think is happiness in a black duffle bag . so while steps are taken to neatly cover things up , and these subsequent steps go miserably awry , the film choses to never loose the sight that in covering things up to the extent that these characters have to , they are slowly losing their souls and their humanity . in one early scene , paxton and thornton have to make a trip back to the plane to return some of the money so it does n't look like it was all stolen ( not a bad idea ) , when thornton screws up ( as he does continuously throughout the movie ) , and paxton has to do some major covering - up ( read : homicide ) . instead of a quick murder and immeadiate hands - washing , raimi shows a lengthy , painful shot from a low - angle onto paxton 's face as he tries to sift through his emotions and reach a conclusion . there 's a similar shot afterwards of paxton watching the murder he 's committing and taking in all the horror which is also wonderfully effective , but the previous shot is even better : more morally complex and more gut - wrenching . in short , probably the best piece of direction raimi 's ever done , demonstrating once again that sometimes the simplest way to do something yields the best results ( for further proof , watch " persona " 's " sex scene " and witness what may be the best scene ingmar bergman 's ever done ) . but the film hardly stops here ; it follows completely through and rarely loses sight of its characters humanity and the depletion thereof . yet it also moves from step to step in such a graceful method that we never feel like the film is merely stamping out the plot points of the story . when the time comes for paxton to start becoming selfish and thus diabolical ( with aid from his pregnant wife , played by bridget fonda , a pal to raimi ) , he does , and soon the horror of the situation is escalating to tragic heights . there 's at least two grand shootouts , and at least one of them may be one of the greatest shootouts in cinema history , and when they arrive , they do n't come with masochistic delight but with cringe - inducing horror . during the one , i was actually sinking into my chair , with the mantra " they ca n't do this , can they ? " streeming through my head . in fact , this film , which is getting many comparisons to the coen 's [ superior , but forget about it ] " fargo , " has many similar moments of manic insanity , attributed to the major amount of subtlety and restraint with which the directors direct what , in other hands , would be over - the - top distractedness ( imagine , i suppose , robert rodriguez directing this . . . then again , after seeing the " evil dead " films , i 'd hardly assume raimi would be able to pull something like this off , although there are moments of the film which are easily dubbed " raimi " moments , a rifle - shot notwithstanding ) . instead , raimi directs with maturity and a gentle touch , easily letting the story and characters co - exist , while still letting some of the more traditional raimi elements come out , like some offbeat comic touches . most particularly , billy bob thornton 's character , jacob , is a brilliant creation . his dim - wittedness is often hilarious ( for most of the film , every line he uttered was greeted with howling laughter ) , but there 's authenticity to the performance that strangely enough makes sure that we 're not totally laughing at him . the chuckles he gets are not necessarily ones of full - condescension because thornton is so damn real . jacob 's a multi - dimensional character , and while being stupid , we see that as not so much a flaw , but a strength to his character : his simplicity is endearing and many of the acts he commits are out of a strong inner strength and belief system , primarily towards the middle where his bud and co - conspirator begins to make some heavy waves concerning the money . the final third of the film spends much time with him , and many of the touches upon his character , not only by thornton but also by screenwriter scott b . smith ( adapting his own book , by the way ) are just great . i particularly admired a back story about an old high school girlfriend , told by thornton with such sincerity and acception that the cruel story is reversed to near - sweetness and further strength of his saddened character . thornton is absolutely brilliant in this performance , by far the best performance he 's ever given and further proof that he 's the best character actor in contemporary cinema ( if you do n't believe me , go back and watch his wonderful performance in " primary colors , " a performance that would have been nominated for an oscar if this had n't been in the same year ) because he 's easily able to slip into a character , and make him completely and utterly believable . he brings so much weight to the film that , as it is with most character actors , it 's difficult picturing anyone else in the role . the rest of the cast is great too , from paxton 's declining working man to chelcie ross ' amiable town sheriff . even fonda shows off her talents nicely . and if i had any complaints about the film , it 's that the plot is almost too simplistic , and that at times , it seems too much like an exercise , like a cruel test on humanity that still pays attention to the humanity involved . and the occasional narration is , as it usually is , annoying ( narration should be used with extreme caution , especially when you 're trying to set things up and/or express emotions - did n't raimi watch the first murder scene ? ) . and , the thing that can most usually go wrong with a movie , the ending is basically amiss . i wo n't reveal it , but it 's way too cruel and too much of an outsider set - up , as if the appearance of a plane was n't already too much of that anyway . for a film that deals so much and so intimately with the humanity of the characters involved , this is the wrong ending . imagine a character - controlled ending ; otherwise , it 's like if in " crime and punishment " if the police had caught him instead of him breaking down and confessing . . . not that i 'm at all comparing " a simple plan " to dostoevsky . the ending does work , despite my protestations , but to me , there was something incessantly nagging and unsatisfying about it ; but if you had no qualms and were happy as a clam with it , then just ignore me and go about your day . but despite my mere claims , make no mistake that i was completely and utterly edge of my seat throughout , and even sometimes curdling up by the situations that occured , not because of any kind of gore factor ( which is , thankfully for this , very minimal ) , but because the film places its characters in situations and gives them such painful things to overcome that i 've frankly not seen much like it in quite awhile . at least not since the previous worthy hitchcockian masterpiece .

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" or " strangers on a train . " yet it 's almost as good . it 's simple , yet strangely complex , and astonishingly rewarding , because instead of moving from plot point to plot that 's not necessarily its bag ( baby ) . what i most admired about this film , and what makes this a far superior and unique thriller is that it 's successfully able to have its cake ) . but the film hardly stops here ; it follows completely through and rarely loses sight of its characters humanity and the depletion thereof . yet it also moves from step to step in such a graceful method that we never feel like the film is merely stamping a rifle - shot notwithstanding ) . instead , raimi directs with maturity and a gentle touch , easily letting the story and characters co - exist , billy bob thornton 's character , jacob , is a brilliant creation . his dim - wittedness is often hilarious ( for most of the film , every line he uttered was greeted with howling laughter ) , but there 's authenticity to the performance that strangely enough makes sure that we 're not totally ( adapting his own book , by the way ) are just great . i particularly admired a back story about an old high school girlfriend , and further strength of his saddened character . thornton is absolutely brilliant in this performance , by far the best performance he 's ever given and further proof that he 's the best character actor in contemporary cinema ( if you do n't believe me my mere claims , make no mistake that i was completely and utterly edge of my seat throughout , and even sometimes curdling up by the situations that

some of my friends who went to live in usa complain about one thing - that country is very different from the one depicted in hollywood movies . that is especially true for those who end up somewhere in that unexplored land between los angeles and new york where they find , to their big surprise , that the majority of people vote republican , go to church every sunday and usually do n't tolerate liberal attitudes that are taken for granted in an average american film . such rude awakening , however , can happen in another direction - conservative people are sometimes forced to discover unpleasant truths about world they live in . something like that happens to jake van dorn ( george c . scott ) , successful grand rapids businessman who shares strong calvinist convictions with the rest of his community . one day his daughter kristen ( ilah davis ) disappears from calvinist youth convention in california . van dorn is worried because he does n't believe that his daughter would run from home . however , the truth delivered by private investigator andy mast ( peter boyle ) is even harder - kristen is spotted in cheap pornographic film . infuriated van dorn is unsatisfied with the way mast 's investigation is going , so he goes to los angeles to search for kristen himself . unfortunately , he lacks experience and the quest , that brought him to the utter depths of sex underworld , is fruitless . things change when he devises cunning plan and , while doing it , stumbles on sympathetic prostitute and part time porno actress nicky ( season hubley ) . almost two decades after its release , hardcore is mostly forgotten by critics and film scholars . it is a real shame , because very few movies in today 's hollywood would dare tackle controversial issues that writer and director paul schrader explored in his second directorial attempt . in late 1970s , it was totally different situation - films were expected to have mature , serious themes for the mature audience . for schrader this film was nice opportunity to expand the subplot of his previous work , taxi driver - one that deals with the great generational divide that tormented the american society in 1970s . on one side we have an old america that sticks to the puritan ideals of hard work and strict morals that made that country great . but that america is obviously unable to cope with the new challenges brought by the social turmoil in 1960s and , instead of facing them , prefers to live in rural , conservative cocoons . the new america , on the other hand , fares no better - ideals of the so - called " sexual revolution " , same as all other " revolutions " of the swinging sixties , degraded into exploitation and depravity . instead of being " liberated " , baby boomers are stuck with their own inability to cope with the newly discovered freedoms . schrader very cleverly brings the idea that those two americas , actually , are n't so far away - nice example is a brilliant scene in which van dorn , already described as an authoritarian and paternalistic capitalist , meets sleazy porno producer ; the latter one also turns out to be authoritarian , paternalistic and very dedicated to this job . the difference between the two is simply in the line of work . many contemporary critics actually accused schrader of promoting conservative agenda . on the surface , it may look that way - audience is forced to sympathise with van dorn and his quest . in the first scenes , he is portrayed as nice family man who actually does n't deserve to experience parent 's worst nightmare . the scene in the porno cinema that reveals kristen 's fate is extremely cruel ; pain and humiliation , brought by oscar - winning actor george c . scott , is of such intensity , that the audience feels sorry for him and simply must support his agenda . van dorn is perhaps flawed , and the subtle hints lead to the unflattering truth at the end ; but the viewers simply know that his cause is just , and that prodigal daughter must be better off with her loving father than with the sleazy pornographers that only want to exploit her body . on the other hand , schrader , who grew up in an environment very much like van dorn 's ( his own parents would n't allow him to watch movies until he was 18 ) , knows better and tries to bring another side of coin . even the people connected with sex underworld can show redeeming qualities - like nicky , who actually tries to improve her life , and sleazy detective who develops something like a conscience at the end . unfortunately , schrader fails to erase the impact of the shocking scene at the beginning , and his attempt to reconcile the opposing sides of america seems lost in somewhat clich ? d finale . the script is slightly flawed , and schrader as director does n't show too much originality - his style seems too influenced by techniques that scorsese used in taxi driver . apart from the scenes in grand rapids , those two films even look alike . but the content might be more than interesting for today 's viewer , especially those inspired by the current 70s revival . until boogie nights , no hollywood mainstream movie ever dared to explore the phenomenon of pornography in 1970s . hardcore , on the other hand , might serve as precious document , because it depicts sex film industry in the period often regarded as the golden age by connoisseurs - before the advent of video , when many of the porno filmmakers could afford to think of themselves as artists . the view of such age and the industry is very unflattering , though , but for the film whose main character takes time to explain calvinist doctrines to the audience , that should n't be too surprising . anyway , despite some flaws , hardcore remains very interesting and powerful piece of cinema .

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inability to cope with the newly discovered freedoms . schrader very cleverly brings the idea that those two americas , actually , are n't so far away - nice example is a brilliant scene in which van dorn , already described as an authoritarian hardcore , on the other hand , might serve as precious document , because it depicts sex film industry in the period surprising . anyway , despite some flaws , hardcore remains very interesting and powerful piece of cinema .

vampire lore and legend has always been a popular fantasy element , substantiated by not only the sheer number of movies about the subject , but also the proliferation of cults and sects of adherents . and , unlike any of the more outlandish myths , the vampire holds some real - world probability ( one study claims 1 , 000 bloodsuckers exist worldwide , and places 50 in los angeles ) . but lest the nasties be mistaken for simple comic book bad guys , john carpenter would like to remind us that they are - and always have been - a truly frightening element of the thriller genre . and remind us he does in his latest film , vampires . there was some question , as halloween weekend approached , of how well vampires would do in comparison to new line cinema 's immensely successful blade , released in august . the two films take noticeably different stands on the vampire issue , and do n't even agree on some basic points of the slaying method . ( for instance , blade 's main weapons are silver and garlic , whereas main character jack crow 's technique is a wooden stake to the heart . ) blade also gives more of a face to the vampire civilization , while carpenter would like us to remain in the dark about how the pasties operate . both have their advantages , and here , carpenter 's style lends itself to a darker breed of suspense rather than the action movie that blade director stephen norrington delievered . when it 's all said and done , though , the vampires still kill and die with a bloody flourish ; the level for gore is indeed set to maximum . this time , our hero is vatican - sponsored slayer jack crow ( james woods ) . he 's a cynical , battle - worn veteran , and the best of his bunch . he and his team are responsible for cleaning out the american southwest , and after exterminating a nest one night , they run up against a super - vampire ( termed a " master " ) named valek ( thomas ian griffith ) . valek kills all of jack 's team except for his partner , tony montoya ( daniel baldwin ) , and as the two regroup , they learn that valek is the original vampire - now over six hundred years old . apparently , valek and his minions have been sweeping the southwest for decades in search of a cross that will enable them to walk in the daytime . so with the aid of a priest named adam ( tim guinee ) and a bitten hooker ( sheryl lee ) as bait , they track valek down for the final confrontation . the script for vampires , written by don jakoby and based on the john steakley novel , is perhaps the wittiest piece of screenplay to see production all year . crow , in particular , is a fun source of one - liners , and woods does every one of them with perfect stoicism . baldwin , lee , and guinee are all fine supports , adding to the character pool , but the other true highlight of the movie is thomas ian griffith 's bad guy . griffith 's intense expression is perfect for the role , and the only downside is that he 's got to talk sometime . luckily , he 's got few lines , and manages to pull off a rather thrilling performance . all said , fans will surely be impressed by this picture , and those who found apt pupil a bit limp will be excited by this one . certainly a worthwhile visit to the theaters .

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vampires would do in comparison to new line cinema 's immensely successful blade , released in august . the two films take remain in the dark about how the pasties operate . both have their advantages , and here , carpenter 's style lends itself to 's a cynical , battle - worn veteran , and the best of his bunch . he and his team are responsible for cleaning out and based on the john steakley novel , is perhaps the wittiest piece of screenplay to see production all year . crow , in particular liners , and woods does every one of them with perfect stoicism . baldwin , lee , and guinee are all fine supports , adding to the character pool , but the other griffith 's bad guy . griffith 's intense expression is perfect for the role , and the only downside is that 's got few lines , and manages to pull off a rather thrilling performance . all said , fans will surely be impressed by this picture , and those who found apt pupil bit limp will be excited by this one . certainly a worthwhile visit to the theaters .

if the current trends of hollywood filmmaking continue , we are probably five or six years away from the moment when the 1980s would become the next golden age of movie nostalgia . although some hollywood products already use the last decade as a background for their stories ( mostly in ironic way , like grosse pointe blank and romy & michelle 's high school reunion ) , some time should pass before the good memories of that era overcome the bad ones . until that happens , 1980s would be remembered as the decade of greed , when the revolutionary ideals of 1960s turned into its cruel , materialistic opposite and the money became the only thing that matters . contemporary movies are good in illustrating what was bad for the people who had to live in those times . one of such movies , one that probably brings the essence of 1980s to the screen , is william friedkin 's to live and die in l . a . the money is n't just the symbolic motive in the film , it is the major elements of the plot . rick masters ( willem dafoe ) is an ex - convict who used his artistic abilities in order to become one of the best counterfeiters in l . a . being too intelligent to fall into police traps , and ruthless enough to eliminate anybody or anything that could jeopardise his career , masters managed to elude law for years and became well- connected . richard chance ( william l . petersen ) is a secret service agent , adrenaline junkie whose life gets new meaning after his partner got killed by masters . however , his plans of bringing the counterfeiter down meet one obstacle after another . finally he sets up a final sting , but his superiors deny him the necessary money . being frustrated , and against the reluctance of his new partner john vukovich ( bill pankow ) , he decides to get the money by robbing underworld courier . their plan backfires with almost tragic consequences when their target turns out to be undercover fbi agent , but chance decides to carry out his scheme anyway . like french connection , one of his previous masterpieces , this friedkin 's movie was inspired by real life . gerrald petievich , author of the novel that later served as basis for his screenplay , spent many years working as a secret service agent . that turned to be useful for the portrayal of that law enforcement agency , not much utilised by hollywood . secret service millieu was also cleverly used in order to bring the viewer into the decade of greed ; the beginning scene where the movie 's hero works as a part of presidential security detail is a nice opportunity to hear reagan 's speech that could illustrate the political and economical notions of those times . ultramaterialistic and egotistical view of the world is shared by almost any character in the movie . willem dafoe brilliantly portrays dangerous and intelligent psychopath , whose ruthlessness and lack of any moral fibber does n't seem like affliction in the reagan years ; on the contrary , those qualities actually makes masters socially acceptable . compared with him , and all the other side characters that want their " piece of the action " , two heroes on the side of law seem like losers . instead of being a classical good guy , secret service agent richard chance ( portrayed by william petersen in his most impressive role so far ) is nothing more than a lunatic whose adrenaline addiction and madness work against his better judgement ; his sidekick , who should serve as those " better judgement " is a weakling and sentimental fool that gets suckered in the end . in such surroundings of moral decay , the not so happy , yet surprising ending does n't seem out of line ( although the very last shot leaves too much questions unanswered ) . the dark atmosphere of l . a . - city of glamour and moral decay - is nicely captured by william friedkin 's directing skills . the tight and realistic scripts with memorable characters ( portrayed by such capable actors like john turturro , dean stockwell , debra feuer , darlanne fleugel and steve james ) gave opportunity for friedkin to use another gimmick that made him famous in his 1971 masterpiece - great car chase . that scene alone , with lot of realism , thrills and surprise twists , is worth seeing the rest of the film . the soundtrack , provided by now almost forgotten band " wang chung " , is also one of the more memorable of that decade . in every case , to live and die in l . a . is one of the rare movies in which hollywood actually tries to tell some unflattering truths about the world and succeeds in it .

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by almost any character in the movie . willem dafoe brilliantly portrays dangerous and intelligent psychopath , whose ruthlessness and lack of secret service agent richard chance ( portrayed by william petersen in his most impressive role so far ) is nothing more than a lunatic whose adrenaline addiction . - city of glamour and moral decay - is nicely captured by william friedkin 's directing skills . the tight and realistic scripts with memorable characters ( portrayed by such capable actors like john turturro , dean stockwell , debra feuer , almost forgotten band " wang chung " , is also one of the more memorable of that decade . in every case , to live and die in tries to tell some unflattering truths about the world and succeeds in it .

jean - luc picard ( patrick stewart ) and the rest of the crew of the u . s . s . enterprise are back for their third outing in the ninth film based on the 1960 's series , star trek . gone are kirk , spock and mccoy and in their wake in the very able and very talented cast from star trek : the next generation . as usual , a crisis is brewing and it is up to the crew of the enterprise to make the galaxy safe again . this time out the united federation of planets and an alien race led by f . murray abraham are trying to move some colonists off a planet against the colonist 's will . it turns out that this planet is the fountain of youth and the federation and their alien buddies feel that is should be used for the good of everyone and not just a few hundred colonists . of course picard feels that this sort of treachery is wrong , so he disobeys direct orders and vows to help protect the colonists . insurrection is a lighter movie than the last two star trek films . the film focuses on the lofty question of whether the rights of society as a whole outweighs the rights of a small group . in this respect it gets back to the roots of star trek by disguising social commentary as science fiction . it does n't do a bad job , other than it tries to inject too much humor into the story line . many of the jokes are your typical inside star trek - fan - only jokes , while many of the others just fall flat . the other criticism that i had with the story was that it ignores common sense . there are only a few hundred people on this whole planet , why do they have to be moved ? the explanation is that the planet has to be bombarded with deadly radiation so that this fountain of youth effect will be strong enough to help heal f . murray abraham 's aliens who number only a couple of dozen . so the basic story line is bad enough in that we have a few hundred being booted out for a few billion , at least that 's plausible . but in reality we have a few hundred being moved for the benefits of a few dozen , which makes no sense whatsoever . the other little hiccup in logic is the inclusion of worf ( michael dorn ) , the trusty klingon . worf was on star trek : the next generation , so they want to include him in the films . no problem so far . worf is now a character of star trek : deep space nine , so the writers have to find a way to have him show up . in the last star trek movie , first contact , the included worf in a credible fashion , in this one , the writers are so lazy that the completely gloss over why he is even in the movie . what little explanation they do give is so small that you would have missed it if you were n't hanging on every word on the screen . my minor problems with the movie aside , star trek : insurrection does have an overwhelming number of good points as compared to its bad ones . while many of the jokes do miss the mark , many are pretty good , even for non - trekkies . the special effects are among the best for the star trek series . the action is plentiful and well done . this is a very good - looking movie . it should come as no surprise to anyone who ever watched star trek : the next generation that the acting is first rate . it is very obvious that these actors have been working together for over a decade . they interact with each other with a skill that few other ensemble casts can muster . most star trek fans probably will not be disappointed with this latest film in the series . if you 've always hated star trek , there is nothing here that is going to change your mind . star trek : insurrection is not the best film in the series , but it is good enough to dispel the long standing tradition of the odd numbered films in the series being far inferior to the even numbered ones .

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kirk , spock and mccoy and in their wake in the very able and very talented cast from star trek : the next generation . as usual problems with the movie aside , star trek : insurrection does have an overwhelming number of good points as compared to its bad ones . while many of the jokes do miss the mark , many are pretty good , even for non - trekkies . the special effects are among the best for the star trek series . the action is plentiful and well done . this is a very good - looking movie . it should come as no surprise to anyone who ever watched star trek : the next generation that the acting is first rate . it is very obvious that these actors have been

the promotion for fear and loathing in las vegas ? has made the film out to be a comedy , and for about the first hour or so it seems like it might be one . it 's 1971 , and the hippie movement has left behind quite a few wash - outs , among them journalist raoul duke ( johnny depp ) and his " attorney " dr . gonzo ( benito del toro ) . these two spend most of the film in a drug - induced stupor , having strange hallucinations , trashing their hotel rooms , and either annoying or scaring almost everyone that crosses their path . duke is first assigned to cover an outdoor desert motorcycle race in las vegas , but gets lost in a blur of drugs , beer , and flying dust , and ends up wandering around with no clue who won . he leaves vegas briefly before he is sent back , in what can only be described as a strangely appropriate twist of fate , to cover a drug enforcement conference . fear and loathing has been misinterpreted by some as glorifying the use of drugs . it does n't , even in the beginning -- while the pair 's antics are sometimes amusing and relatively harmless at first , the humor here is still fairly dark . director terry gilliam views them with a rather satirical eye , and even when we 're laughing , we 're laughing at them rather than with them . they spend most of their time paranoid , angry , or just plain befuddled , which is probably an understandable reaction to seeing the entire room suddenly fill up with giant reptiles . the black comedy may be entertaining to watch onscreen , but it 's probably not something most other audience members would want to experience first - hand . all this aside , i was starting to grow a bit restless as the film drew near its one - hour mark , thinking to myself that i wanted something more out of this than just an off - kilter satire of drug culture . thankfully , the script delivers it before too long , as duke , in a rare moment of lucidity , stops to recall how he was once an enthusiastic hippie , " riding the wave " of something that seemed special and important . now it 's six years later and the wave has finally broken , as he puts it . materialistic culture is still alive and well and , for most of this film , right in his face in las vegas ; the " american dream " of which duke occasionally speaks is still just as shallow and phony as ever . the social protesters have lost , and the more questionable aspects of the movement have turned ugly and left casualties such as duke to drift in a sea of drugs and disillusionment . in many ways , fear and loathing is gilliam 's most reality - based film ; all of his others , with the exception of the fisher king , have made use of some sort of fantasy or science - fiction plot elements . yet it is his off - the - wall masterpiece brazil ? to which this film bears the most visual resemblance . the protagonist of brazil found himself alternately surrounded by a plastic , soulless society and the constant chaos of totalitarian police inspections and terrorist attacks , and similarly duke 's world is composed of the artificial , empty glam of las vegas and the bizarre anarchy of his drug hallucinations . unlike the protagonist of brazil , however , duke is not a particularly admirable figure , and neither is gonzo . during the latter half of the film , their trips turn nastier and the consequences worse , eventually building up to an incident an a diner in which gonzo crudely frightens and humiliates a waitress , while duke , though he does n't seem to approve , does n't do anything to stop it either . by the time this scene takes place , they do n't seem like hippies or peaceniks or protesters or anything of the sort any more ; they just seem like a couple of stoned jerks in a diner . duke seems to realize at some level that he 's become something he does n't like , but he 's either too apathetic or too defeated to do anything to change . this film has taken a critical drubbing from many who view it as an essentially pointless film that simply throws one trip scene after another at the audience . while gilliam may have overdone it in a few places , i think he and his co - writers deserve more credit than that . there 's plenty of substance here , particularly in the second half ; its observations about the broken and defeated rebels from the ' 60s and the objects of their rebellion just are n't usually very pleasant . unlike , say , brazil ? or the fisher king , both of which feature a character who dares to let himself dream in a repressive environment , fear and loathing in las vegas ? shows us someone who 's given up on his dreams and resorts to the quick fix of drugs . in its own psychedelic , whacked - out way , it 's sad and regretful , but i think it 's also a bit of a kick in the pants , a challenge to find an alternative between chemically - induced withdrawal and the equally addictive drug of vegas - style materialism . indeed , duke himself admits at one point that he 's never learned to accept that you can get higher without drugs than with them . i 'm not sure if he 's any closer to accepting it by the end or not , but i suspect the audience will get the idea .

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places , i think he and his co - writers deserve more credit than that . there 's plenty of substance here , particularly in the second half ; its observations

james cmaeron 's breakthrough feature was the first of his films to showcase his obsession with technology and more specfically technology run amok . for those of you who do not know the plot : in 2029 machines have engineered a nuclear for the expressed purpose of wiping out the human race . human survivors are systematically hunted down and destroyed . however , some humans are fighting back led by the heroic john connor . to stop connor , the machines send a terminator ( arnold schwarzenegger ) back to 1984 to murder connor 's mother , sara ( linda hamilton ) , and thus prevent connor from ever being born . in response , the humans send a protector , kyle reese , played by michael biehn . images of machines and of humans ' reliance on machines dominate the film . even though the characters know that the benign oil drillers of 1984 will become the ruthless hunter killers of 2029 , humans continue to use the machines . in the climax of star wars , luke relies on the force alone -- his own spiritual power -- to destroy the death star . in the terminator , however , sara must use another machine -- a giant hydraulic press -- to vanquish her enemy . cameron seems to be implying that this reliance on technology is inescapable -- and he 's not happy about it . unabated technological growth brings about the terminator 's other obsession : the apocalypse . we have plenty of imagery regarding armageddon : thousands of human skulls line the streets of future la . children watch the flames in a burning television . when the terminator arrives in 1984 an almost biblical lightning storm precedes him . even though the " future is not set , " there is no doubt about where the world is headed at the end of the movie : the machines will rise and the humans will have to struggle for their very existence . all sara can do is await it . ( cameron does n't wimp out like he does in terminator 2 ) the end of the world is the human race 's own fault , too . after all it is the humans that created in the evil machines in the first place . back in 1984 , when the cold war was still in full effect , the film must have been seen as a very apt metaphor for nuclear war ( another obsession of cameron 's ) . these days , one can read a criticism of machine - like behavior in humans . true , humanizing touches are put into paul winfield 's and lance henriksen 's detective characters , but the terminator is also able to move through the city undetected . cameron also draw parallels between the mechanical efficiency between the terminator and reese when they first arrive in 1984 la . from a technical standpoint the terminator is very well done . arnold schwarzenegger is a perfect antagonist -- unstoppable , merciless , obdurate . we are not meant to empathize with this ultimate killing machine as we are in some of schwarzenegger 's later works ( eg , commando ) , but fear him . cameron and hurd 's script basically depicts a one hour and forty - five minute chase , taking a few moments here and there to explain time travel and develop the romantic subplot . while we do see the hackneyed dialogue cameron is now so well known for , there is also considerable suspense especially for the first time viewer who may be unsure of kyle reese 's intentions . cameron directs the film at a rapid , kinetic pace . either the camera is moving or something within the frame is moving -- usually both occurs . the violence is not particularly graphic ( temple of doom 's heart - pull scene outgrosses the terminator 's ) , but it is brutally staged making it that much more effective . for a low budget film , the terminator 's special effects and art direction ( especially in 2029 la ) are remarkably well done . special mention should be made of the stop motion effects work at the end of the film depicting the terminator endoskeleton . it is some of the best stop motion i have ever seen . one thing that does n't hold up after all the years , however , is linda hamilton 's hairdo .

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1984 la . from a technical standpoint the terminator is very well done . arnold schwarzenegger is a perfect antagonist -- unstoppable , is now so well known for , there is also considerable suspense especially for the first time viewer who may be unsure ) , but it is brutally staged making it that much more effective . for a low budget film , the terminator 's and art direction ( especially in 2029 la ) are remarkably well done . special mention should be made of the stop motion of the film depicting the terminator endoskeleton . it is some of the best stop motion i have ever seen . one thing that does n't hold up after all

it might surprise some to know that joel and ethan coen , who have brought such unabated lunacy to our movie screens as " raising arizona " and " the hudsucker proxy , " made their feature film debut with " blood simple , " a grim and often gruesome tale of revenge , murder , and literally fatal misconceptions in rural texas . it bears some resemblance , story - wise , to the coens ' recent " fargo , " but even the darkly satirical humor and the enjoyably quirky characterizations that characterized that film are scarce here ; " blood simple " is pretty much cold and brutal from beginning to end . the premise of " blood simple " is really just a slight variation on the standard love - triangle / revenge scheme : sleazy bar owner julian marty ( dan hedaya ) hires a shifty private detective ( m . emmet walsh ) to kill his wife abby ( frances mcdormand ) and her illicit lover ray ( john getz ) . things start to go haywire when walsh decides instead to fake the murder with photographic trickery but , upon collecting the money , becomes uncertain as to whether or not marty is capable of keeping his mouth shut about the scheme . to reveal any more details of the story would be to give away too much , but what ensues is a series of bloody ( and i do mean bloody ) confrontations , each triggered by one or more characters misunderstanding what is actually happening . every act of violence or deception in this film makes sense when seen through the perpetrator 's eyes , but we , the audience , are made privy to the " big picture " and thus can recognize that each misdeed is somehow either unnecessary or directed at the wrong person . this aspect of the story , along with the intense atmosphere of repulsion and brutality - one gets the sense that if guns and , in one case , shovels , were not available , some of these characters would claw each other to death - are the most effective components of the film . the coens might have done well to title the film " fear and loathing in texas . " some have labeled " blood simple as a modern - day noir , but , while i am not an expert on either genre , it seems more like a horror movie than anything else . the coens seem much more interested in the plot twists and the atmosphere of confusion and paranoia than they do in the characters , and the final sequence is nothing more than a showdown between the one ( relatively ) innocent character and the only one of the murderers left alive . that said , " blood simple " is a very good horror movie ; the fear and suspense here are genuine . the coens also add plenty of quirky touches that nudge the weirdness meter upwards , such as when a character enters an empty room and accidentally steps on a gun , discharging it as it skitters across the floor , or when a murder attempt unfolds in a way such that abby mistakes her attacker for another character who has in fact been killed earlier in the film . that said , " blood simple " is not exactly flawless . for one thing , the motivations for the killings are still a little thin at times ; i can understand that the characters had tracks to cover ( or at least thought they did ) , but i found it a little hard to accept that all of them would so quickly resort to murder . and although they at least didn ? t have anyone get hacked to death with a knife , the coens also are n't quite immune to horror cliches ; they indulge in a prolonged dead - guy - seems - to - have - come - back - to - life - but - then - we - find - out - it's - only - a - dream scene that had me rolling my eyes . the film also ends so quickly after the final confrontation that i found myself wondering if they had simply run out of film . " blood simple " is not quite the masterpiece of neo - noir that many seem to think it is , but it 's a decent movie and it showcases the coens ' ability to handle suspense and violence in a visceral but non - exploitative manner . i would firmly recommend it to all " coen - heads " as well as anyone looking for something original in a thriller .

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these characters would claw each other to death - are the most effective components of the film . the coens might have done well alive . that said , " blood simple " is a very good horror movie ; the fear and suspense here are genuine . the coens also add plenty of quirky touches that many seem to think it is , but it 's a decent movie and it showcases the coens ' ability to handle suspense a visceral but non - exploitative manner . i would firmly recommend it to all " coen - heads " as well as

kirk douglas is one of those rare american actors who can say more with a simple glance than most can say with pages of dialogue . all he has to do is look at someone with a raised eyebrow , and you instantly know what he 's thinking . " detective story " features one of kirk douglas 's finest performances . he stars as a new york detective that has his whole world fall apart in one night . the film is based on a play , and this is quite evident , as most of the movie takes place in the one - room flat that the detective 's work in . the film opens with the douglas character getting ready to go home to his wife , but through a series of events , he never quite makes it there . the bulk of the movie follows the case of a man named schneider , a surgeon who routinely performs abortions with a high fatality rate . however , this schneider character has a connection in the past of douglas 's wife ; a connection douglas himself is not aware of . many secrets are revealed in the last half hour of this film . secrets i would not dream of giving away . with a name like " detective story " , one would assume the film would resemble an episode of " nypd blue " , but it does n't quite work out that way . however , we do see douglas at work on a few other cases throughout the running time . lee grant ( virtually unrecognizable ) plays a meek jewish woman arrested for shoplifting . her scenes with bendix , another detective , provide the movie with a few laughs . the performances all around are fantastic . douglas may be the leader of this ensemble , but he 's not the center of attention all the time . we get to catch a glimpse into other cases and other detectives working on those cases . which brings me back to douglas . he has a really emotional scene towards the end of the picture that really makes you feel for him . we can see that this is a man who has spent his whole life trying to eliminate crime , but has finally realized that what he 's really done is gotten back at his criminal father . how he handles coming to terms with this is something really worth seeing . kirk douglas is the kind of actor we do n't seem to see to much of these days : he 's a tough guy , but the human elements are never hidden too deeply underneath that gruff exterior .

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know what he 's thinking . " detective story " features one of kirk douglas 's finest performances . he stars as a new york detective that has shoplifting . her scenes with bendix , another detective , provide the movie with a few laughs . the performances all around are fantastic . douglas may be the leader of this ensemble , . how he handles coming to terms with this is something really worth seeing . kirk douglas is the kind of actor we do

" a man is not a man without eight taels of gold . " starring sammo hung , sylvia chang ; directed by mabel cheung ; written by cheung and alex law ; cinematography by bill wong eight taels of gold begins as a fish out of water story and at some point becomes a love story involving two people whose past choices prevent the fruition of their love . neither aspect of the movie is entirely successful , but both are good enough . and along the way there is one perfect scene , which is one more than you find in most films . slim ( played by portly sammo hung , better known as a star and director of hong kong action movies ) is a chinese immigrant who drives a yellow cab in new york . when the movie opens , we see him shouting obscenities at another taxi driver . he does not seem particularly out of place . in fact , he is about to return to visit his home in rural china for the first time in sixteen years , spending most of his life savings in the process , and it is there that he will become the proverbial fish out of water , as he realizes that you can never go home . he brings with him some statue of liberty cigarette lighters , cheap sunglasses , and lobsters ( which have to be large , to prove they 're american ) --the tokens of his success . he also wears a gold chain and a gold watch , because without eight taels of gold , a man is not a man ( my dictionary tells me that taels are a unit of weight used in the far east , and i assume the phrase is a chinese proverb ) . he loses most of this stuff -- except the gold -- when his van crashes into a river and he has to hitch a ride , so to speak , on a raft along the river which runs past his parents ' village . when he arrives unannounced , he almost induces cardiac arrest in his father . all of this has the makings of a routine comedy , and the movie has its amusing moments , as when the villagers take turns giving slim gifts during a celebration of his homecoming , and they all give him birds , so by evening 's end he is surrounded by turkeys , ducks , geese and other sundry fowl . but eight taels is not a comedy -- it is a sad , sweet story about the choices people make , and how they are sometimes irreparable . director mabel cheung ( an autumn 's tale , the soong sisters ) sees clearly what it is like to have lived half of your life in one country and half in a country on the other side of the world -- what it is like to no longer have a place to call home . slim does not belong in china , nor does he belong in america , where he can barely speak the language . seeing water buffalo in the fields and rafts poled down the river and fireworks exploding gloriously in the sky over a small village , we come to know the world slim left behind , and it seems as if he too is knowing it for the first time , and wishes it felt more like home . the condition of the expatriate is eloquently portrayed ; i , being one , was sympathetic . on his way to his parent 's village , slim hooks up with jenny ( sylvia chang ) , whom he knew when she was a girl nicknamed odds - and - ends , which is what he continues to call her , although she is now a mature , professional , attractive woman , to be married in the spring to an american - chinese man . slim and odds - and - ends fall for each other . that 's predictable . the manner in which their ( non- ) romance is played out is not . the emotions involved are adult and complex , and the film avoids cheap solutions to their dilemma . it 's typical , for instance , that the fianc ? in this sort of plot be a colossal jerk , because it makes it easier to empathize with the unrequited lover . but here the fianc ? is a decent , ordinary guy , and although slim would like to feel anger , he can not . the fianc ? has done nothing wrong ; the situation is the result of bad luck or bad decisions , take your pick . eight taels has its share of flaws ( the early sequences in america and on the plane to china are especially weak ) , but it compensates with insight . when odds - and - ends tells slim that her future husband wants to move to san francisco , she notes resignedly , " it 's all the same . wherever we go , we 'll be in chinatown , " and her straightforward statement expresses much . there is insight , too , in the understanding of the consequences of slim and odds - and - ends ' decisions : he to move to america , she to marry a chinese - american . both their choices were perhaps born of impatience , perhaps of a sense that the grass is always greener -- and it turns out that both choices were wrong . but they can not undo them ; they must live with what they have done . such is life . the movie is tender toward these people , but it offers no false comforts . everything that is right and true about eight taels comes together in one great scene , which is the culmination of the love story . slim and odds - and - ends sit in a secluded spot and talk hesitantly , with the muted pop - pop of fireworks exploding in the night behind them , and it seems the conversation will lead to a kiss . the exchange that follows , and what slim then does , is poignant and perfect : with clarity and understatement , we see two people 's lives , their heartbreaks and virtues , summed up in a single moment . yes , the film is flawed , but moments like that justify most of its inadequacies .

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neither aspect of the movie is entirely successful , but both are good enough . and along the way there is one perfect scene , which is one more than you find in most films . slim ( played by portly sammo hung , better more like home . the condition of the expatriate is eloquently portrayed ; i , being one , was sympathetic . on . everything that is right and true about eight taels comes together in one great scene , which is the culmination of the love story . that follows , and what slim then does , is poignant and perfect : with clarity and understatement , we see two people

the summer movie season is always the biggest and brightest season for movies throughout the year . we are introduced to blockbuster hits that are usually trashed by critics , loved by the people , and make tons of money at the box office . this year , the tradition continues with an update on the universal 1932 classic , the mummy . i have always been a sucker for this kind of monster movies , and i always seem to be the only critic who really likes them . that tradition continues as well with this fun special effects extravaganza . in the mummy , the up and coming brendan fraser stars as the adventurous explorer rick o'connell . he teams up with a curious , clumsy librarian named evelyn , played by rachel weisz , to find the mysterious city of the dead , hamunaptra . evelyn loves egypt , and would truly like to visit the city that people call a fable . rick has claimed he has been to hamunaptra during a battle , and that 's why she chose him to lead her there . also tagging along on the journey to the city of the dead is evelyn 's brother , jonathan , played by john hannah ( sliding doors ) . now in hamunaptra , the three uncover " the book of the dead . " the curious evelyn unlocks the book , reads from it , and now the body of the ancient egyptian imhotep ( arnold vosloo ) becomes alive and is out to kill the ones who opened and read from the book . along with imhotep arising from the dead , the ten curses of egypt become in full effect , launching unbelievable forces against the three and another group who set out to find hamunaptra . not only is imhotep furious with those who awoke him , he is also out to restore the life of his girlfriend that lost her life long ago in ancient egypt . do n't expect huge things out of the mummy , but just expect to have a good time . this movie is extremely campy and plays out like an old horror film with beefed up special effects , which may turn off some viewers . on the other hand , this type of film is one of my favorites , but that 's up to you to decide . there is one thing that definitely not campy or corny about the mummy though . the state of the art special effects take you into a completely different world . we are dazzled by faces rising out of the desert , swarms of beetles and locusts , and even creatures crawling under a human 's skin . these may have been in other movies before , but not like in the mummy . as of now , the mummy holds the title for best special effects of this year , but all this could change when star wars episode 1 : the phantom menace is released into theaters across the country . in the past , brendan fraser has played mainly comedic roles . when playing " george " in disney 's george of the jungle , he was mainly not known by anyone . i would say that gods and monsters is the film that gave him a name , and now the mummy will give him a name amongst teens . in the mummy , fraser gets to play an action hero , and i liked him in this sort of role over the comedic role , as in the films blast from the past and george of the jungle . although brendan fraser is great , rachel weisz gives the best performance among the cast . weisz really reminded me of a character from an old , horror film . the way she acts , looked , and talked all reminded me of someone not from this time . evelyn is probably the only character that was likable , considering that the other characters , like john hannah 's , did n't get much personal attention . in many films , when different genres are mixed , the mixing usually works , and i like it for the most part . in the mummy though , not all of the mixing works . there are some scenes that have a lot of potential horror , some with potential comedy , some with potential drama , and some with potential pure action , but the film tries to mix them together too often for the mixing to work . the mummy could have gotten an " a " rating from me if it had gone purely with one of these . i did n't mind the corny one - liners here and there during action sequences , but it certainly could have done without them . the cinematography is amazing in the mummy . particularly in one scene depicting ancient egypt , we are taken into a very fun portrayal of egypt , mummies , and the treasures left behind by the ancient egyptians . the costume design in the film is also up there with the great cinematography . from ancient egyptians outfits to original troops outfits , the costumes are always top notch . the bottom line- with the mummy , the summer is off to its usually great start .

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expect huge things out of the mummy , but just expect to have a good time . this movie is extremely campy and plays out like on the other hand , this type of film is one of my favorites , but that 's up to you to decide . not campy or corny about the mummy though . the state of the art special effects take you into a completely different world . we are in the mummy . as of now , the mummy holds the title for best special effects of this year , but all this could change when star wars episode , fraser gets to play an action hero , and i liked him in this sort of role over the comedic role , as in the films blast jungle . although brendan fraser is great , rachel weisz gives the best performance among the cast . weisz really reminded me of a , but it certainly could have done without them . the cinematography is amazing in the mummy . particularly in one scene depicting ancient egypt , we are taken into a very fun portrayal of egypt , mummies , and the treasures left behind ancient egyptians . the costume design in the film is also up there with the great cinematography . from ancient egyptians outfits to original troops outfits , the costumes are always top notch . the bottom line- with the mummy , the summer is off to its usually great start .

jacques tati 's 1953 classic " les vacances de m . hulot " ( also known as " mr . hulot 's vacation , " in english ) ought to be the textbook on how to do non ? dialogue comedy in film . the characters hardly ever speak to each other directly , and the film operates on the paper ? thin premise that monsieur hulot , played by tati himself , is awkward and clumsy and generally manages to annoy the other guests at the beach resort hotel where he is taking a week 's vacation . yet the film had me beside myself laughing more consistently than any in recent memory . part of the reason the film works so well is the clever setup for the various gags . slapstick has often been regarded as an unsophisticated and even crude form of comedy , but i think part of the reason for this is that it often seems forced : you can only see movie characters start running after something and then crash face - first into a pole so many times before you start to wonder what all these poles are doing there in the first place or why these people do n't watch where they 're going . in " les vacances de m . hulot , " the gags build upon each other and often start out relatively low - key . in one sequence , for example , hulot is painting the side of his small row boat on the beach when , while his back is turned , the paint can gets caught up in the oncoming waves , washes away , then comes back up on the other side of the boat . while crossing over to get the can , hulot steps in the boat and unknowingly cracks it . when he actually takes the boat out into the water , it breaks in half , but the two halves flip up against each other , trapping him inside as the bystanders mistake it for a shark fin and panic on the beach ensues . tati does n't waste a single opportunity for humor ; scenes that might have yielded one joke in most comedies are good for at least four or five in this film . it has been said that comedy relies on frustrating the audience 's expectations , and " les vacances de m . hulot " succeeds brilliantly in that area as well . tati accomplishes this largely through a sort of deadpan understatement . when hulot goes into a separate room during dinner and starts playing a record at defeaningly loud volume , no fights or shouting matches ensue ; instead , the waiter calmly walks in and shuts off the power in the room , disconnecting the record player and leaving a puzzled hulot sitting in the dark . tati also uses running gags to this effect , allowing them to keep running far longer than most comedy directors would ; more often than not , we can see them coming and think , " oh , he 's not going to do that again , " but , lo and behold , he does . for example , there is a recurring joke in which hulot 's noisy , sputtering car engine wakes everyone in the middle of the night as an exterior shot reveals the hotel 's lights coming on one by one . then this image turns up again in the finale , which i will not give away other than to say that involves a lot more noise in the middle of the night than a car engine could ever produce . the ending is one of two elements that really make this a four - star film as opposed to merely an above - average , clever comedy . as much as i was laughing during this film , i was thinking to myself occasionally that tati had to top himself at the end to really make this work as a complete viewing experience ; suffice it to say that he did . the other important aspect is that the film never seems disdainful of its characters . it easily could have turned the tables on hulot and had the other guests exact some kind of revenge on him ; alternatively , it could have portrayed the others as humorless curmudgeons . instead , tati seems to regard his characters with cheerful amusement more than anything else and invites the audience to like them , however strange or irritating they might seem . " les vacances de m . hulot " is not subtitled , but the dialogue is sparse and for the most part not terribly essential to the flow of events . anyone with a taste for this kind of absurd humor ought to make this film their next rental from the video store . note : " les vacances de m . hulot " was not rated by the mpaa . it would at most receive a pg rating .

1POS

is taking a week 's vacation . yet the film had me beside myself laughing more consistently than any in recent memory . part of the reason the film works so well is the clever setup for the various gags . slapstick has often been regarded as an unsophisticated and shark fin and panic on the beach ensues . tati does n't waste a single opportunity for humor ; scenes that might have yielded one joke in most , and " les vacances de m . hulot " succeeds brilliantly in that area as well . tati accomplishes this largely film as opposed to merely an above - average , clever comedy . as much as i was laughing during this film

i had lost all faith in pg-13 movies that are intended for teenagers and adults . the last dozen or so that i have seen have all felt incomplete , as if the most crucial scene was deleted in order to obtain a more lucrative rating . however , after seeing the creative frequency last week and now the exciting u-571 , my bias is beginning to go away . both films are as innocuous for younger viewers as they are intellectual for older viewers . even better , i did n't think either one of these films would be any good from first instincts . everyone loves surprises . u-571 looked like another action film using an actual war as an excuse to shoot torpedoes and bullets . this may be true , but the action is so extraordinary that it is clear director / co - writer jonathan mostow completed his ultimate goal ; to blow the audience 's socks off . set during the early stages of world war 2 when the united states struggled to break the codes of the technologically advanced german u - boats , u-571 follows a small crew of american men who swipe the typewriter necessary to solve the enigma from an enemy ship . there 's only one problem : the american ship they came from and hoped to return to has been shot down stranding the men on a german submarine known as ( you guessed it ) u-571 . it is now up to the mostly young and inexperienced sailors , led by an interim captain named tyler ( matthew mcconaughey ) , to return the typewriter to america without getting sunk by far superior german ships . the film starts off very slowly with a somewhat weak opening action sequence and another uneventful half an hour to introduce several of the sailors ( most of whom die when the mission goes awry or just inexplicably disappear ) . once the crew gets on the u - boat , the movie shifts to another level and never leaves this high energy level until the ending credits roll down . as soon as the action starts , it does not stop and luckily , because it is so exciting , i did n't want it to stop . this is not a movie for those wanting to avoid loud noises , from the wonderful , heart - pounding score to the constant yelling of panicking men , make sure you see this at a theater with surround - sound ? otherwise , do not see it all . the best parts of u-571 are when tyler is forced to make impromptu decisions on how to escape seemingly impossible situations . throughout the movie , several morals or characters are introduced to make tyler 's job as stressful as possible . germans gun down their own men , tyler 's mentor captain dahlgren warns him that a captain has to be prepared to sacrifice even the most beloved soldiers for a victory , another sailor ( erik palladino ) threatens mutiny . all of these examples , and several others , increase the chaotic atmosphere and the importance of tyler 's every move . they also make u-571 one of the most exhilarating movies i have seen in a while .

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torpedoes and bullets . this may be true , but the action is so extraordinary that it is clear director / co - writer jonathan starts , it does not stop and luckily , because it is so exciting , i did n't want it to stop . this is not a movie for those wanting to avoid loud noises , from the wonderful , heart - pounding score to the constant yelling of panicking men , make sure of tyler 's every move . they also make u-571 one of the most exhilarating movies i have seen in a while .

the 1990s produced two brilliant science fiction films . one was _ gattaca _ . the other was _ the thirteenth floor _ . just as _ gattaca _ was overshadowed by the mighty _ titanic _ , _ the thirteenth floor _ was relegated to obscurity by _ the matrix _ . however , _ the thirteeth floor _ , though it deals with similar themes , is a much better movie than the frenetic , childish and improbable _ matrix _ . a cutting edge computer scientist , hannon fuller ( played by the charming armin mueller - stahl ) , is murdered . his associate , douglas hall , ( craig bierko ) apparently framed and suspected by the police , enters into the simulated world they have created in order to unravel the mystery . along the way a beautiful blonde ( gretchen mol ) , more bodies , and a deepening mystery about simulated worlds complicate the picture . _ the thirteenth floor _ unfolds slowly and telegraphs its punches , choosing to elicit the more complex emotional response of empathy and anticipation rather than the cheap one of mere surprise . the result is a movie that is a failure from two conventional points of view . first , its plot revelations can be foreseen if one has carefully followed its complex storyline . second and more seriously , it demands that its audience think and feel . no wonder it fell through the cracks . done in film noir style as a murder mystery , this is a relatively deep movie that functions on several levels . many audiences will simply be bewildered by it , rather than engaged , which is a shame , because this movie amply repays a little emotional and intellectual investment . i recommend a second viewing simply to get the flavor of the frequent ironic foreshadowing in the opening parts of the movie . despite its philosophical challenges , _ the thirteenth floor _ derives its emotional force from the love story between jane fuller ( mol ) and douglas hall ( bierko ) , as well as the close friendship between douglas hall and hannon fuller . in that sense it is more akin to _ gattaca _ than _ the matrix _ , which , for all of its cute philosophical byplay , is an adolescent movie with no emotional depth whatsoever . the moment when jane fuller confesses her love for douglas hall is at once satisfying , wrenching and intellectually challenging . in its final moments the film even takes on itself , when david , jane 's husband , who has come to enjoy killing , accuses her of being the sick one . although there is a victory for the leading characters , this resolution suggests a disturbing element of fantasy in jane , and thus a deep - seated character flaw . in fact , hannon fuller 's activities in the simulated world , the behavior of jane 's husband , and the effects of entering the simulation on douglas hall all hint at similar issues with those characters . this is not a film of good people beset from without by great evil . the tragedy is not in their stars , but in themselves . the major actors , all of whom are required to play two or even three roles , perform extremely well . bierko , who will be familiar as the psycho from _ the long kiss goodnight _ , is outstanding . d'onofrio as whitney , who plays a pivotal role in support , also turns in a good performance . the lovely gretchen mol , whose elegance , integrity , and determination suggest bergman in _ casablanca _ , does a wonderful job . her voice , however , lacks the necessary weight at times . this could be because she was given the worst lines in a movie whose major weakness is the script . some minor flaws , hairline cracks in fine porcelain , appear in places . there are one or two instances of jerky editing . the script takes the edge off the film 's climaxes . the atmosphere becomes too claustrophobic at times ( yet , there is a clue there too ) . one wonders if even after two decades , _ blade runner _ is still casting its long shadow over sci - fi films . one can see a group of suits in their suite , waving their hands imperiously at directors like the emperor in _ amadeus _ : " make it more like_blade runner _ , you know , dark and rainy . " _ the thirteen floor _ is that rare exception among hollywood movies : a , rich , emotionally satisfying , intelligent sci - fi movie . and yet , ultimately , it proves the suits right . for when good sci - fi is made , where is the sf community turning out in droves to see it ? if we do n't support great sf , who will ?

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_ , though it deals with similar themes , is a much better movie than the frenetic , childish and improbable _ matrix _ movie amply repays a little emotional and intellectual investment . i recommend a second viewing simply to get the flavor of the frequent ironic foreshadowing are required to play two or even three roles , perform extremely well . bierko , who will be familiar as the psycho from _ the long kiss goodnight _ , is outstanding . d'onofrio as whitney , who plays a pivotal role in support , also turns in a good performance . the lovely gretchen mol , whose elegance , integrity , and determination suggest bergman in _ casablanca _ , does a wonderful job . her voice , however , lacks the necessary weight and rainy . " _ the thirteen floor _ is that rare exception among hollywood movies : a , rich , emotionally satisfying , intelligent sci - fi movie . and yet , ultimately , it proves the suits

finding the courage to face life full - on is a difficult task . summoning up the audacity to fall in love is a harder job . if you 're a total jerk like melvin udall is , the odds are even more against you . melvin ( jack nicholson ) is a successful romance author who is just the opposite of what you would expect someone in that profession to be . a solitary man hidden away in his new york apartment with no human interaction and not even a hint of ever having been in a passionate relationship , he avoids the outside world as much as possible . his obsessive - compulsive disorder rules his life as he uses several different bars of soap to wash his hands and refuses to step on a crack on the sidewalk . ( there 's a great scene when he has to cross a floor made of mosaic tiles -- _ very_small _ mosaic tiles . ) melvin has some great lines . when his publisher 's receptionist asks him how he writes women so well in his books , he responds " i think of men and i take away reason and accountability . " do n't get him wrong , he 's not merely a misogynist . setting his sights higher than that , he 's also a homophobe , racist , anti - semite , xenophobe , animal - hater and intensely dislikes people who talk in metaphors . when we first meet him , he 's busy dumping a neighbor 's dog down the garbage chute . he 's an equal opportunity bigot . he does venture outside his apartment every day to eat breakfast at a local cafe . melvin is such a grouchy curmudgeon that waitress carol connelly ( helen hunt ) is the only one willing to wait on him . and she 's none too happy about it . when carol does n't show up for work , melvin 's routine is shot and he 's determined to do something about it . tracking down her address , he shows up at her place begging her to come back to work so that he can eat breakfast . the fact that she 's a poor single mother caring for a chronically ill son does n't appear to phase him , he wants his food . much more upsetting is that his gay artist neighbor simon bishop ( greg kinnear ) is brutally attacked during a robbery . this does n't upset melvin much ( " do n't worry , you 'll be back on your knees in no time " ) but when he is bullied into taking care of simon 's dog , his life is turned topsy - turvey . melvin is sequestered because he 's afraid of what 's out there on the other side of his apartment door . he has to make sure it 's ritualistically locked three times to keep the world on its proper side . when he brings the dog home he reluctantly grows fond of it , talking to it and taking it everywhere he goes . this little crack in his emotional armor opens him up . hiding behind his need for carol to return to work so she can serve him , he pays for a specialist to treat her son . he even develops a friendship with simon . all three people are heavily damaged . melvin has retreated from life in his apartment . carol has devoted herself to her son , convinced that she has to give up her life for him . simon is estranged from his parents and his friends disappear when he is hospitalized and his money runs out . a more unlikely trio to form relationships , you 'd rarely see . and in the midst of it all , there are some wonderful moments . melvin is hilarious in his grouchiness and touching as he attempts to be nice . " you make me want to be a better man , " he tells her . one of the best aspects is that even as he opens up , he is still a curmudgeon . carol , afraid that his monetary contribution to the wellness of her son hides a hidden agenda rushes over to his apartment in the rain to explain in no uncertain terms that she will never sleep with him . it only takes her a second to realize that she is delivering that statement while looking as if she just left a wet t - shirt contest . there 's hardly anything left to say about jack nicholson . i do n't remember ever seeing him in anything less than a stellar performance and his over - the - edge melvin is no disappointment . nicholson may be the best actor working today . hunt does a commendable job matching nicholson 's energy . she is n't afraid to be seen as something less than a babe and her portrayal of exhausted run - down carol struggling with seemingly overwhelming obligations is top - notch . their on - screen chemistry is a bit odd . each does a wonderful job with the character , but together , there 's something a little off . it 's a minor problem : they do work well together , but that missing element is what prevents this from being a four - star film . director james l . brooks ( " terms of endearment " , " broadcast news " ) has a movie that is picking up awards by the bucketsful ( nominees for all the top golden globes , winners from the national board of review , inevitable oscars ) and has a winner on his hands . " as good as it gets " is n't exactly the quality that the title says , but it 's pretty darn close . ( michael redman has written this column for over 22 years and as soon as he finishes this one , he 's off to an annual 12 night celebration typically held in freezing weather during a snowstorm . this year it 's in the sixties and raining . that wacky el nino . )

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see . and in the midst of it all , there are some wonderful moments . melvin is hilarious in his grouchiness and touching as he attempts to be 's hardly anything left to say about jack nicholson . i do n't remember ever seeing him in anything less than a stellar performance and his over - the - edge melvin is no disappointment . nicholson may be the best actor working today . hunt does a commendable job matching nicholson 's energy . she is n't afraid to their on - screen chemistry is a bit odd . each does a wonderful job with the character , but together , there 's something

bruce willis stars as malcolm , an award winning child psychologist who discovers one night that one of his former patients is still suffering from inner demons . the now grown man breaks into his apartment while he and his wife ( olivia williams from rushmore ) are celebrating his award , shoots malcolm in the stomach , then takes his own life . almost nine months later , malcolm discovers cole ( haley joel osment , in a brilliant performance ) , another young man afflicted with the same turmoil as his former patient . he takes on the child 's case in the hope of redeeming himself for botching up the previous one , alienating his wife in the process . he soon discovers that they boy can see and speak to the dead , and his life becomes forever turned upside down . although the first hour is very slow , the sixth sense turns out to be a very powerful and moving film . i was expecting this film to be mercury rising 2 , but was astonished to discover an extremely well plotted out little thriller with an outstandingly satisfying ending . you 'll find yourself mentally retracing your steps through the film to see if you actually saw what you think you did once the credits roll . i must give m . night shyamalan a lot of credit for a brilliantly written screenplay . the cast should also be given a lot of credit for making the movie as solid as it is . a lesser cast could have made this film a joke . bruce willis portrays his character perfectly , balancing his need to help cole and his agony over his strained relationship with his wife skillfully . haley joel osment shines as nine year old cole , showing patience in his character that few young actors these days can pull off . toni collette , looking markedly different from her pathetic character in muriel 's wedding , gives a strong performance as cole 's mother , who is trying to cope with both her son 's " illness " and the passing of her mother . finally , olivia williams deftly portrays a woman having to struggle with a husband who 's not around and flirtations with a co - worker that could lead to a begrudgingly accepted end . it 's a shame that they show cole 's abilities in the trailer , because the movie takes close to forty minutes to get around to doing the same , so we already know what 's going on before most of the rest of the cast does . in retrospect though , the forty minute set - up is essential to enjoying the end of the film , so i have fewer complaints now then i did while i was watching the film . i 'm glad that the run of teen - styled horror films has passed and filmmakers are starting to make more adult fare . films like this , the similarly themed stir of echoes , and countless others to be released later in the year should make for a pretty entertaining close to 1999 . [ pg-13 ]

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the first hour is very slow , the sixth sense turns out to be a very powerful and moving film . i was expecting this film to be mercury rising 2 , but was astonished to discover an extremely well plotted out little thriller with an outstandingly satisfying ending . you 'll find yourself mentally retracing your steps through give m . night shyamalan a lot of credit for a brilliantly written screenplay . the cast should also be given a lot of credit for making the movie as solid as it is . a lesser cast could have made this film a joke . bruce willis portrays his character perfectly , balancing his need to help cole and his agony different from her pathetic character in muriel 's wedding , gives a strong performance as cole 's mother , who is trying to cope

i suppose an argument could be made that toy story is one of those films that did n't need a sequel . beloved by kids and their parents , respected equally by mainstream america and geekish movie buffs , that first movie remains a landmark of recent history , the one that burst open the possibilities of computer animation and demonstrated through wild invention and giddy chutzpah just how complacent the disney animation machine had become in cranking out fluffy razzle - dazzle entertainment full of formula storytelling and banal songwriting . if disney was embarrassed at being beaten at its own game ( toy story was a smash hit of unexpected proportions , and one that caught the merchandising end of the business unaware as demand for action figures far outstripped supply ) , it did n't show , and as distributor and part - owner of the property , at least it had a piece of the action . toy story 2 was greenlighted as a direct - to - video project , disney 's standard tactic for milking a few more bucks out of hot franchises without expending the effort of developing a proper feature film . as someone who does n't believe sequels are necessarily a bad thing ( granted , they usually are a bad thing , but that 's because they 're made for the wrong reasons ) , i had to wonder what in the world they were thinking . fortunately , disney claimed to have been so knocked - out by early animation tests that they let pixar go full - speed ahead with a theatrical sequel . lucky thing , too -- like the first movie , this one is a joy to behold on the big screen , and technically , it improves on its predecessor on just about every level . ( from a business standpoint , the end credits show that the new creations are copyrighted by pixar , while the previous film 's elements are shared between pixar and disney , a sign of the production house 's new cachet in hollywood . ) visually , the main shortcoming of this fully computer - generated movie is that human figures are still rendered relatively poorly , making them look a little creepy . fortunately , that eerie unreality fits in perfectly with the perspective of the movie , where the secret world of toys is more immediate , and arguably more attractive , than the world of the humans who surround them . as before , the story is predicated on the premise that the toys scattered around the bedroom of a little boy named andy -- and , indeed , all the toys scattered around the bedrooms of all little children -- come to life in the child 's absence . while the toys scamper about and chatter endlessly among themselves , the real joy of a toy 's life is to mean something to its owner . one of the subjects of this new film is the sadness of toys that have been broken or abandoned , left on a shelf to gather dust , and another is the sort of emotional limbo inhabited by toys that are mere prizes of covetous collectors . most often , those toys are packed away in dark spaces , safe from sunlight and humidity , and often they 're not even removed from their packaging . imagine what a chip that would put on your shoulder , and you 'll understand the attitudes of the collector 's items that show up in this movie . sheriff woody ( voiced by a note - perfect tom hanks ) , the longtime favorite among andy 's toys who was challenged in the previous go - round by the arrival of flashy - new - thing action figure buzz lightyear ( tim allen ) , suffers an injury early in the film , when andy tugs too hard on his arm and pulls a seam apart , revealing the stuffing inside . this accident catalyzes some uneasieness among the toys , who know too well that a broken toy is often a forgotten toy , and a forgotten toy is one that loses its reason for existence . those anxieties are crystallized when andy 's mom tears through his living room , collecting old toys for a yard sale . and there 's an ironic twist to the tale , as woody winds up being stolen by an avid toy collector who needs exactly that quaint cowboy figure to complete a set that he hopes to sell to a japanese toy museum for a sizable sum . the rest of andy 's toys , who owe him quite a debt , resolve to rescue him . that this film manages to turn a box marked " 25 cents " into a symbol of doom , or to make its screed against the retention of collectible toys by wrongheaded profiteers fuel for a metaphysical dilemma , is a testament to its skill at metaphor , seamlessly translating the hopes and fears of our real world into that of the toys . operating on this level of abstraction , toy story 2 tackles some mighty heavy issues without once preaching or veering into pretentiousness . ( the worst i can say is that randy newman seems to have reserved his sappiest lyric in years for sarah mclachlan , who stops the movie cold by singing it at just about the halfway mark . ) sometimes i think toy story 2 tries too hard . there 's somewhat less of the seat - of - the - pants loopiness that energized the first film , allowing it to surprise and excite on a near - constant basis , and more philosophizing about toys , collectors , the nature of happiness and the meaning of life . while that leads to fewer bellylaughs , it does make way for more elaborate humor and an uncommonly ambitious reflexivity that asks the toys to consider their own status as commodities that move in and out of fashion . ( just do n't ask why andy 's favorite toy is based on a tv series that was canceled in 1957 . ) where else in mainstream movies do you get such an awesome moment as the one where buzz arrives at al 's toy barn to find it stocked to the gills with his doppelgangers , buzz lightyear action figures ? forget the self - congratulatory science fiction of the matrix -- this is a fundamental mind - bender for buzz , and the audience shares his humility and wonderment at the sight . here , as in the roughly concurrent scene where woody watches tapes of the howdy doodyish children 's tv show that originated his character , we see our protagonists come face - to - face with god . in sly ways , then , toy story 2 can be read as a film about mortality , a metaphorical consideration of aging and death . significantly , the film 's very first sequence concludes with a grim shocker that had our opening - night crowd in a near - uproar . and toward the end , when buzz and woody speculate on how long they have before andy grows up and discards his old toys , one of them observes , with an alacrity both inspirational and heartbreaking , that it will be fun while it lasts . so toy story 2 joins the tradition of children 's stories , largely neglected of late , that say something real about the inevitable joys and tragedies of existence . what 's really striking is that both toy story films ( and , to a lesser degree , pixar 's a bug 's life ) are kids ' movies with wit and sophistication to shame most of their ostensibly adult counterparts , not to mention whatever piece of tot - friendly eye - candy is due from the disney dream factory any given summer . it puts one in mind of the glory days of chuck jones and the old gang at warner bros . animation . i 'm not sure lasseter and his pals at pixar will ever operate at quite that level of purely visual invention -- they love traditional narrative too much -- but , boy , it makes me wonder what they might come up with next . -------------------------------------------------------------- directed by john lasseter , colin brady , ash brannon , and lee unkrich written by lasseter , brannon , peter docter , andrew stanton , rita hsaio , doug chamberlain , and chris webb cinematography by sharon calahan starring ( voices ) tom hanks , tim allen , and joan cusack usa , 1999 theatrical aspect ratio : 1 . 85 : 1 --------------------------------------------------------------

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lucky thing , too -- like the first movie , this one is a joy to behold on the big screen , and technically , it improves on its predecessor on just about every level . ( from a business standpoint , the end credits up in this movie . sheriff woody ( voiced by a note - perfect tom hanks ) , the longtime favorite among andy 's by wrongheaded profiteers fuel for a metaphysical dilemma , is a testament to its skill at metaphor , seamlessly translating the hopes and fears of our real 's a bug 's life ) are kids ' movies with wit and sophistication to shame most of their ostensibly adult counterparts , not

tone alone can not sustain a film , but it can go a long way . if i can find myself lost in the time and place of a story , it scores immediate style points . when that tone is backed up by an outstanding story and great acting , the effect can be described best by an adjective i do not use lightly : " literary . " what 's eating gilbert grape ? is such a film . it 's a rich , memorable and stunningly acted story of desire colliding with responsibility , staged in a manner which many viewers might find too prosaic , but which insinuated itself into my imagination with its confidence . gilbert grape ( johnny depp ) is a young man living in rural endora , iowa , facing incredible responsibilities . as the man of the house since his father 's suicide , gilbert must support the family by working at the local grocery store . he also must watch over his mentally handicapped brother arnie ( leonardo dicaprio ) and help care for his extremely overweight mother ( darlene cates ) . gilbert seems destined to spend the rest of his life in the small town until the arrival in endora of becky ( juliette lewis ) , a free spirit passing through with her grandmother when their truck breaks down . as he spends time with becky , gilbert begins to think about all the things he is missing . slowly his resentment builds , until he realizes that he can no longer live his entire life for other people . director lasse hallstrom ( my life as a dog ) and legendary cinematographer sven nykvist create a magnificent visual backdrop for peter hedges ' screenplay , based on his own novel . endora is a town on the edge of the world represented by the giant foodmart , a tiny insular community where everyone knows everyone else . the midwestern sunsets and sprawling fields are beautifully photographed , and the atmosphere of the town is intensely real . minor characters , like crispin glover as the town 's mortician , are vividly realized , and there are echoes of the last picture show in mary steenburgen 's desperately unhappy housewife . one of the most perfectly realized scenes focuses on the grand opening of a burger franchise , attended by the entire town and accompanied by the off - key high school band . not a single note in the depiction of endora rang false . the same can be said of the character of gilbert . it 's testimony to the precision involved in his creation that he came together completely with one perfectly placed line , when becky responds to gilbert 's description of his father with , " i knew someone like that once . " gilbert is a man harboring an ever - growing bitterness about where he finds himself in life , a bitterness which reveals itself in moments of surprising cruelty . in one scene , he allows local children to look at his mother through their window , displaying her like a side show attraction . his entire life seems to be mocked by arnie 's repeated chants of , " we 're not going anywhere , " but instead of expressing his dissatisfaction he lets his anger simmer , and it becomes clear that he is following in his father 's footsteps in this regard . johnny depp expertly demonstrates the tension central to gilbert by playing everything below the surface , but he never gives in to one - dimensional blankness or simply regurgitates his naif roles in benny & joon and edward scissorhands . depp 's performance is overshadowed , however , by leonardo dicaprio 's astonishing oscar - nominated supporting work as arnie . he puts to shame such big name actors as john malkovich and dustin hoffman , whose mentally challenged characters never seemed completely real . dicaprio is perfect to the last twitch and squeal , and anyone who has ever spent time with mentally challenged kids will be hard - pressed to spot a flaw . darlene cates , a first - time actor , brings real pain to her scenes as gilbert 's tortured mother , and laura harrington and mary kate schellhardt are solid as gilbert 's sisters . only juliette lewis does n't quite click , playing a critical role with her now familiar dopey drone and too little genuine spark . gilbert grape does seem to drift into its conclusion , but it never lost me . thanks to a lovingly created setting and a marvelous cast , this 1993 release proves well worth the wait .

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gilbert grape ? is such a film . it 's a rich , memorable and stunningly acted story of desire colliding with responsibility , staged in a manner life as a dog ) and legendary cinematographer sven nykvist create a magnificent visual backdrop for peter hedges ' screenplay , based on his own picture show in mary steenburgen 's desperately unhappy housewife . one of the most perfectly realized scenes focuses on the grand opening of a burger franchise , his father 's footsteps in this regard . johnny depp expertly demonstrates the tension central to gilbert by playing everything below the performance is overshadowed , however , by leonardo dicaprio 's astonishing oscar - nominated supporting work as arnie . he puts to shame such big name mentally challenged characters never seemed completely real . dicaprio is perfect to the last twitch and squeal , and anyone who has ever spent time with mentally conclusion , but it never lost me . thanks to a lovingly created setting and a marvelous cast , this 1993 release proves well worth the wait .

hollywood has a . 750 batting average with elmore leonard adaptations . last year 's touch was ill - conceived and just plain odd but get shorty , jackie brown and now out of sight all were highly entertaining movies . steven soderburgh , master of sex , lies and videotape , now adds crime to his repertoire in this tale of bank robbery , prison , double - crossing , uncut diamonds and , oh yeah , true love . george clooney is the protagonist , a risky choice after such duds as batman and robin and the peacemaker , but for once i did n't want to slap the taste out of his mouth . he plays his role in out of sight as the suave cary grant - type perfected in hitchcock movies , the kind of guy to whom crime is just a profession like any other . nowhere present is clooney 's usual ain't - i - sexy sneer -- there 's just enough leftover lightheartedness to fit in with the leonard style . clooney is definitely a perfect successor to john travolta in get shorty . clooney plays a man who 's robbed about 200 banks without ever using a gun . in the opening scene , he walks into one bank and robs it not only with ease but with charm . of course , he gets caught , so it 's not all good . it 's while doing time in a florida prison that clooney learns of one rich inmate 's ( albert brooks in a frightful bald wig ) collection of diamonds in detroit . clooney and cohort ving rhames plan the score , while protection artist and fight promoter don cheadle begins rival plans . meanwhile , there 's jennifer lopez . unintentionally funny in selena and intentionally funny in anaconda , she 's finally graduated to a worthy role as the u . s . marshal who happens to be driving up to the jail on the night clooney escapes . rhames is waiting to give him a ride in a stolen car , and lopez makes it a threesome , her hostage ass locked in a trunk with clooney . he 's covered in dirt and has a gun to her neck , and it 's a little cramped in there , but they manage to make a love connection anyway , probably because it 's a movie . the relationship between clooney and lopez is at the heart of the movie , and one of the details that elevates it beyond your normal noir - ish crime story . the leonard movies are more obsessed with dialogue than crime , and this is no exception . although they 're not really germane to the plot , lopez 's relationship with her father ( dennis farina of get shorty ) , rhames ' relationship with his christian sister ( you could call her sister christian ) and a pop - in cameo by michael keaton all lend extra class to a movie already full of it . out of sight spans at least three years but has a non - linear structure , focusing on the jailbreak / brooks score and flashing back to earlier times . this is a movie with a brain , as smooth and calculated as the clooney and lopez characters themselves . the entire cast does the material justice -- clooney and lopez coming into their own , and rhames and cheadle cementing their positions as two of my favorites . here 's hoping future leonard adaptations continue to carry the torch . serving america for almost 1/20th of a century !

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to fit in with the leonard style . clooney is definitely a perfect successor to john travolta in get shorty . clooney plays a ) and a pop - in cameo by michael keaton all lend extra class to a movie already full of it . out of sight spans at least three years but score and flashing back to earlier times . this is a movie with a brain , as smooth and calculated as the clooney and lopez characters themselves . the entire cast does the material justice -- clooney and lopez coming into their own , and rhames and cheadle cementing their positions as two of my favorites . here 's hoping future leonard adaptations continue to carry

synopsis : rumored to be about a true person , the story of mulan has circulated in oral tradition for over a thousand years , and has inspired operas , literature , and even coinage . ( since 1984 , china has been issuing annual gold and silver coin sets commemorating famous historical figures ; the 1992 set includes mulan . ) in the ballad of mulan ( written in the 5th or 6th century ) , an imperial edict by the khan ( emperor ) orders men from each family to be drafted into the army to defend china . a girl 's parents hear sighing , and think that their daughter mulan ( the name means magnolia ) is dreaming of boys , but actually she 's dreading what horrors might befall her old infirm father if he were to be drafted off to battle . mulan bravely runs away , masquerading as a boy , to serve in the army instead of her father . ten thousand miles and twelve years of brutal war later , the army finally returns in triumph . the emperor wants to reward mulan 's valor with a prestigious position in government , but she declines , accepts a horse , and returns home quietly to don her true clothes . mulan 's old army buddies visit and get the shock of their lives when they find out that mulan is actually a woman . the disney animated feature mulan is similar to the ballad story , only it adds a modern character for comic relief : mushu the dragon ( eddie murphy ) . in disney 's mulan , when a fierce army of invading huns threatens to overrun peaceful china the emperor orders one man from each family to be conscripted into the army . old mr . fa ( soon - tek oh ) is handicapped and has no son ; he has only his spirited young daughter mulan ( ming - na wen ) . fearing for her father 's life , the courageous mulan secretly cuts her hair , disguises herself as a man , and sneaks off to serve in the army in her father 's stead . meanwhile mushu , the disgraced and demoted guardian dragon of the fa family , has been reduced to the size of a squirrel and the status of incense burner . ( his only duty is to ring a gong . ) mushu hits upon a plan to redeem himself and regain his guardian status by helping the disguised mulan to become a macho male warrior hero . with the help of mushu , a horse , and a lucky cricket , can army recruit mulan save china and bring honor to the fa family ? opinion : east meets west . i know a chef in santa fe that does this sort of magic ; he combines asian culinary influences from the west coast with latin american from down south and european from the atlantic to concoct new creations that hit just the right combination of flavors . from their state of the art animation studio in orlando , disney is hoping to work the same kind of east / west magic with mulan . i mean , what would you say if i told you that a new movie featured tang dynasty art , with donny osmond singing , ming - na wen acting , and eddie murphy playing a chinese dragon that makes pop references to batman and the reverend jessie jackson ? yet this is the case in the disney 's re - interpretation of the familiar chinese classic . the end result is spectacular ; mulan is one of disney 's best movies ever . personally , i 'm also glad to see the detestable american stereotype of the weak - willed subservient asian woman take a beating : mulan is portrayed as a normal , if spirited , compassionate gal capable of taking the initiative . mulan is more than just eastern graphics and faces combined with westernized pop and disney . kids of any age will like the family themes , and will understand the good guys versus bad guys thing . and adolescent and preteen girls can appreciate the romance factor , while the boys admire the battles . and adults can admire those male / female nuances as well as the interplay between traditional notions of family , honor , and duty with industrial age notions of romantic love , gumption , and questioning . but even the tiniest details reveal quality . the movie 's art supervisors spent three weeks in china researching the right look : negative spaces , positive detail , period clothing , and graphic designs typical of the time and place . computers were used for crowd scenes of up to 30 , 000 people , and a special program called ' attila ' was used for a spectacular sequence involving 2000 attacking huns on horseback . and singers osmond and salonga are at the top of their game . balance is crucial . a movie about a chuckling lone dragon played by eddie murphy might not be disney 's cup of tea , but if you use the character as a comic sidekick to balance a determined and spirited heroine , then , pow ! the dream team . by the same token , a tale about a girl in the army might be a sober exercise in filial piety by itself , but toss the dragon in there and you 've got enough wahoo individualism for a light hearted disney romp . it 's rare that a movie can seamlessly combine elements from both east and west , old and young , male and female into a cohesive and entertaining whole , but mulan hits the universal bullseye . it 's movie for any age , creed , gender , or color .

1POS

's re - interpretation of the familiar chinese classic . the end result is spectacular ; mulan is one of disney 's best movies ever . personally , i 'm also glad to see the huns on horseback . and singers osmond and salonga are at the top of their game . balance is crucial . a movie about a chuckling disney romp . it 's rare that a movie can seamlessly combine elements from both east and west , old and young female into a cohesive and entertaining whole , but mulan hits the universal bullseye . it 's movie for any age , creed ,

if you 've ever perused my college comedy diary " another year in the life of a nerd " ( i never run out of cheap plugs ) , you know i did n't get along with my first - semester roommate too well . in fact , during the three - week period between thanksgiving and christmas break , i said a total of four sentences to him . so when i saw in the residence hall cable listings a movie called roommates , i envisioned 90 minutes of conflict between a couple of bickering young adults trapped in a 10 x 13 foot dorm room . then i saw that the star of roommates is peter falk . scratch that idea . but i still say someone should film the story of two college roommates whose relationship is less than ideal . of course , in my case it would be a silent picture . even without the college element , i still decided to watch roommates because i had absolutely nothing to do , unless you count studying for final exams ( and who does ? ) . i 'm glad i did . peter falk 's performance was actually what made the movie . and this is a guy i never considered a real actor , more like someone who went around in a trenchcoat solving prescripted mysteries . falk pleasantly surprised me here , permanently earning my respect , so all you " columbo " fans who think i live to insult the guy can just falk off . falk plays rocky , a 107-year - old polish baker who raises his grandson after both the kid 's parents die . the movie begins with the mom 's death and the son moving in with his grandparents . after a couple stops along the son 's journey to manhood , roommates progresses to the present day , with the grandson a surgeon and rocky in a condemned house he refuses to leave . the surgeon reluctantly offers the only possible solution -- rocky will have to move into his place , the basement of a building rented by a group of chinese students ( " communists ! " ) . the movie spans nine more years of rocky 's relationship with his grandson , and the trials posed when the grandson meets and falls in love with -- gasp -- a woman , and starts spending all his time with her . so , in his grandson 's absence , rocky turns his pursuits to professional boxing , achieveing the world heavyweight title in a climactic fight with apollo creed . . . or am i confusing movie plots again ? roommates has an almost epic feel to it , covering several generations of a family with one fiesty immigrant who refuses to die . death , though , knocks at the door of almost every other major character in the the movie . roommates has about as many casualties as the first halloween . the number ca n't be counted on one hand , unless of course you 're the victim of some hideous genetic mutation . and you can probably guess who says farewell to planet earth at the end of the movie ( no , not duran duran ) . i wo n't come out and say it . instead , i 'll just sit here and hum " eye of the tiger " until each and every one of you figures it out . roommates plays on all the major emotions . it knows when to make you laugh and when to make you cry . movies that can perfectly mix comedy and drama are always hits with the audience , even though this one bombed at the theaters . my point ? there are no absolutes . or , another possible point , peter falk just is n't such a great box office draw . either way , this is still a good movie and you should give it a chance like i did , whether you hate your roommate or not .

1POS

went around in a trenchcoat solving prescripted mysteries . falk pleasantly surprised me here , permanently earning my respect , so all you " columbo " fans who think out . roommates plays on all the major emotions . it knows when to make you laugh and when to make you cry . movies that can perfectly mix comedy and drama are always hits with the audience , even though this such a great box office draw . either way , this is still a good movie and you should give it a chance like i did

capsule : the director of cure brings a weird and very complex concept to the screen . one viewing will not be enough to understand fully the premise of pulse . the idea is something about ghosts and the internet . the film has an amazing apocalyptic style . , +2 ( -4 to +4 ) perhaps the most disturbing ( and disturbed ? ) filmmaker in the world is kiyoshi kurosawa . his films all seem to have one style , bleak . the worlds he creates are terrifying and cold . little known in the us to date , his films deliver the kind of horror that so many of our filmmakers promise and are unable to deliver . most of his ideas are fresh and at the same time morbid . his 1998 film cure , with one of his niftiest ideas , is just now getting a sadly limited release in the us and hopefully enough people will see it that his name will soon be one to conjure with . cure is probably his classic . last year he released seance , a remake of seance on a wet afternoon . that was perhaps a miscalculation inserting supernatural elements into a non - supernatural story . pulse is kurosawa back on form . taguchi , a young computer expert , is late with his delivery of some important software . two co - workers go to his apartment and find it a dismal dark affair in spite of his computer equipment . taguchi , acting very strangely , lets his friends look for the missing software . meanwhile he slips behind a plastic curtain . when he fails to respond to calls his friends follow him behind the curtain and discover he has hanged himself . if that was not horror enough the body seems to disappear leaving just a strange dark mildew - like spot on the wall . taguchi 's computer seems to have been infected with some kind of computer virus . people whose computer gets the virus seem superficially to die via suicide . but they are not entirely dead . their spirits seem to remain present somehow in the real world and on the internet . people who get the computer virus are asked if they want to see a ghost . if they say yes , they seem to be able to see real time images of the spirits still nearby somehow . the computer shows them impossible images of ghosts in their own rooms as seen from cameras that do not exist . this is all somehow connected to heaven and hell somehow filling up and overflowing " like a computer disk . " instead the dead seem to be staying on earth and inhabiting computer viruses . there is some sort of passage between worlds having something to do with doors marked with red tape and strange electronic disturbances on computers . leave it to kurosawa to find a new kind of death . this is a film that has more weird ideas piled together than lifeforce and somehow kurosawa makes the film all work . it may not totally convey his message of isolation and its parallels to death , but whatever it does convey is nightmarish . kurosawa , who directs his own screenplay , ties his story into the real world with some familiar and accurate computer discussion . frequently the plot is advanced with character hunches being assumed to be fact . his plotting is frequently hard to follow and always very strange . junichiro hayashi , the cinematographer who recently has been doing all of kurosawa 's films , creates a dark , cold , and gloomy tone . images are obscured by semi - lighting or are behind plastic curtain . scenes are not milked for their horror the way american exploitation films might . people are shot with guns but there is little if any blood in evidence . seeing black silhouettes on computer screens is not immediately scary . kurosawa is not going for and easy visual shock , but a deeper metaphysical dread . of any horror filmmaker in the world , kiyoshi kurosawa is the one to watch . i rate this metaphysical look at isolation a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale .

1POS

something about ghosts and the internet . the film has an amazing apocalyptic style . , +2 ( -4 to +4 ) perhaps the same time morbid . his 1998 film cure , with one of his niftiest ideas , is just now getting a sadly limited release in more weird ideas piled together than lifeforce and somehow kurosawa makes the film all work . it may not totally convey his message of isolation of any horror filmmaker in the world , kiyoshi kurosawa is the one to watch . i rate this metaphysical look at isolation a 7

when i first heard that disney 's next animated feature was going to be tarzan , i was almost horrified . i was worried that disney was going to make another hercules ( sorry , jerk - ules ) . that effort was too overloaded with comedy ( and the hero was too boastful and pompous to be considered a sympathetic hero ) , and , after viewing it to this day , i find it a disgrace for disney animation . when i saw the trailers , i was thinking " hmm . . . this is n't bad at all . this just might have potential . " when i bought the soundtrack , i was really quite surprised at how different it sounded from most disney features . i have never really heard of phil collins , nor have i heard of mark mancina , so i was wondering , how would these two make this disney flick spin ? i was pleasantly surprised : the music is top - notch . phil collins ' songs are terrific , percussion - heavy pieces of work that seem to break the formula for typical disney songs . the score from mark mancina was also neat ; it reminded me a bit of the lion king , but it was more original . so , the soundtrack was n't bad at all , considering it was by two people i am not familiar with . this film could be good . . . but will it be ? when i finally went to see it ( on opening day , as i tend to do with most disney animated features ) , my question was answered , in a complete turnabout of expectations for me : disney 's tarzan is surprisingly decent . the story starts out with tarzan 's parents surviving a shipwreck and finding a home on an island where apes live in peace . however , one day , a vicious leopard , sabor , attacks and kills tarzan 's parents , leaving him ( at this time , a baby ) alone - until kala of the apes rescues him . kala wants to raise the child as her own ( she lost hers previously to sabor ) , but her mate , kerchak is not too sure . " it 's not our kind , " he says . he agrees , though , to let her take care of little tarzan , but " that does n't make him my son . " tarzan grows up , vowing to be " the best ape ever " , but no matter how hard he tries or what he does ( at the guidance of his hilarious ape friend , terk ) , he just ca n't convince kerchak that he is one of the apes , even when he defeats sabor in a battle . one day , a new animal shows up : humans . this is where jane comes into the picture . she is on an expedition with her father ( professor porter ) , and a despicable hunter ( clayton ) searching for gorillas . tarzan rescues her when she is chased by baboons , and soon they get to know each other . even though tarzan falls in love with jane , this causes things to go wrong . clayton tricks tarzan into taking him , jane , and porter to see the apes , who are convinced that he has betrayed them . worse , clayton has plotted to send the gorillas to london for money . will tarzan find out which family he belongs to and save the apes ? i 'm not gon na tell you , sorry . you 're gon na have to see for yourself . and see it you should ; the animation is , as always , top notch , particularly when tarzan goes soaring through the trees ( read that , skateboarding ) . the deep canvas computer generated effect adds an authentic feeling to the jungle which tarzan lives in . in fact , it seems similar to the computer imagery / cel animation combination in rival disney animted films , such as fox 's anastasia and dreamworks ' prince of egypt . could it be that disney was actually taking ideas from their rivals ? the casting is fairly good . tony goldwyn is emotionally believeable as tarzan ( and to my relief , the animators have succeeded in not making him another hercules . nicely done ) , and glenn close is wonderful as kala ( she has a beautiful singing voice , too , by the way ) . lance henrikson as kerchak somewhat reminds me of robby benson 's beast voice , which makes him all the more ferocious and gripping . minnie driver had me a little worried at first as the voice of jane . i thought she had the most annoying voice in the whole film ( when i first saw the trailers ) , but when i saw the film , i did n't have a problem with her . i take back my insult on driver . it 's nice to hear nigel hawthorne do another voice for a disney animated feature ( he was fflewdurr flamm in disney 's most underrated classic , the black cauldron ) ; he is funny and delightful as professor porter . on the villiany side of the voices , brian blessed ( the guy who did boss nass in star wars : episode i - the phantom menace ) brings a pompous , and later on vicious , voice to the sinister clayton . he might not be the strongest character in the film ( he 's just a plain bad guy , nothing else ) , but blessed 's vocal work contributes greatly . but if there is any voice that i think steals the whole show , it should be rosie o'donnell , who is hilariously funny as terk . she also has a fiesty attitude ( " i 'm gon na kill ya ! " she says , more than once ) . i almost sung along with her during one of the film 's best moments , where the apes make a mess of the human 's camp , via song , er , scatting " shoo - be - doo , da - be - dah " . i can see why she wanted to have a rock song for the film , she 's a good singer . not that she was the only funny character in the film , though . wayne knight ( who played stan in space jam ) gives a whimsically funny style to tantor , an elephant who is especially worried about stepping into " un - sanitary " water . ( thankfully , there is no real sound of flatuence - that would have killed the picture ) . the songs , as i said before , are decent , mostly sung by collins . this sets a new standard for disney animated films because for the first time , the characters do not sing . i tolerate musical numbers from characters a lot more than some other guys would , but i found this to be a nice change of pace . the story does have elements of comedy in it , but they also load it with strong dramatic touches , which makes this film far better than the unbelieveably uninspired hercules . if there is anything disappointing about tarzan , it might be the omission of the ' n sync version of " trashing the camp " from the film . i heard it on the soundtrack , and wondered where it was going to be . i was upset that it was n't , because i had thought of taking a few friends of mine who like ' n sync to see tarzan . oh , well . . . overall , i was enthralled with tarzan . i would n't hold it high the way i do with mulan or the hunchback of notre dame ( my all - time favorite disney classics ) , but this film deserves a high place among disney 's greatest achievements . i give a nod to disney for following up their spectacular * * * * * masterpiece , mulan , with this great animated adaption of egar rice burrough 's tarzan .

1POS

how would these two make this disney flick spin ? i was pleasantly surprised : the music is top - notch . phil collins ' songs are terrific , percussion - heavy pieces of work that seem to disney songs . the score from mark mancina was also neat ; it reminded me a bit of the lion king turnabout of expectations for me : disney 's tarzan is surprisingly decent . the story starts out with tarzan 's parents surviving you should ; the animation is , as always , top notch , particularly when tarzan goes soaring through the trees ( that disney was actually taking ideas from their rivals ? the casting is fairly good . tony goldwyn is emotionally believeable as tarzan ( and hercules . nicely done ) , and glenn close is wonderful as kala ( she has a beautiful singing voice , 's most underrated classic , the black cauldron ) ; he is funny and delightful as professor porter . on the villiany side of the show , it should be rosie o'donnell , who is hilariously funny as terk . she also has a fiesty attitude ( wayne knight ( who played stan in space jam ) gives a whimsically funny style to tantor , an elephant who is especially worried about they also load it with strong dramatic touches , which makes this film far better than the unbelieveably uninspired hercules . if there is anything - time favorite disney classics ) , but this film deserves a high place among disney 's greatest achievements . i give a nod * * * * masterpiece , mulan , with this great animated adaption of egar rice burrough 's tarzan .

the opening crawl tells us that the galaxy is in turmoil over the taxation of trade routes , and the greedy trade federation has used it 's armada of powerful space battleships to blockade the planet naboo . we soon find that the federation plans to invade the planet with an enormous army of warrior robots and force naboo 's ruler , the young queen amidala ( natalie portman ) to sign a treaty giving the federation control . however , the galactic republic has sent jedi knights qui - gon jinn ( liam neeson ) and obi - wan kenobi ( ewan mcgregor ) as emissaries to the federation in order to negotiate for the ending of the blockade . no sooner do they arrive than the federation leaders are instructed via holographic transmission by a mysterious cloaked figure to destroy the jedi , and the first battle begins . it seems that for me and thousands of people like me , the love for george lucas 's trilogy of star wars movies has only grown over time . we 're the fans , not the freaks . we wo n't go dressing up like darth vader ( although you have to admit those imperial uniforms are pretty darn cool ) , and we wo n't incorporate lines from the script in our everyday conversations ( not all the time , anyway ) , but if someone wants to challenge us to a little trivia contest , we 're throwing down . all right , stop looking at me like that . we have been faithfully and patiently waiting . waiting for this movie ever since the end credits of return of the jedi started to roll . you see , the trilogy is not just a set of movies , but a religion of sorts to we , the faithful disciples , and the phantom menace is tantamount to the second coming of the messiah . unfortunately , it is not our savior . for weeks beforehand , i was going around telling people that this movie had better be damned good - stupendously good - miraculously good . anything less and it 'll be the biggest disappointment of the century . i did n't want the doomsaying prophecy to come true , really i did n't , but this film nevertheless fails to reach the pinnacles of filmmaking . character development is virtually nonexistent . with the possible exception of qui - gon , most of the film 's characters seem left with nothing to do but go through the motions . none seem very affected by their experiences , and few even show any passion at all . contrast this with the horribly irritating comic relief we are nearly continuously subjected to in the form of jar jar binks , a creature belonging to a race which lives in underwater cities on naboo , in precarious symbiosis with the land dwellers led by amidala . jar jar 's life is saved by qui - gon early in the film , and travels with our heroes for the sole reason of making us laugh ( or supposedly so ) . his speech mannerisms are so " cute - ified " that i could n't understand a third of what he was saying , and the slapstick he performed was just distracting . his head gets caught in an electronic field , his foot gets caught in the stirrup of some large beast , he describes being in trouble as " deep doo doo , " and even manages to step in some of the same while walking around in mos eisley spaceport . therein lies a key difference between this film and one of its predecessors . in star wars , we had obi - wan telling us mos eisley was a " wretched hive of scum and villainy . " in the phantom menace , we get doo doo . the films of the trilogy took me away from my everyday life and immersed me in a story " a long time ago in a galaxy far , far away . . . . " this film , on the other hand , constantly reminds me that it 's only a movie by including situations and phrases that are so uniquely modern american that they seem incredibly out of place and serve to jerk the viewer from the experience . perhaps the most blatant offense occurs during a scene where young anakin skywalker enters into a pod racing competition ( it 's kind of like chariot racing with large engines instead of horses ) , and there are a couple of commentators in a press box delivering indy 500-like play by play . i liked the pod race ; it was really exciting and ratcheted the tension , but when the heck did lucas think up the idea of putting in the sportscasters ? the race would have been even more exciting without the distraction . this aspect , coupled with the emphasis on humor simply baffled me . i suppose one may say that lucas was trying to appeal to the younger viewer , but would more intelligent scenes and dialog hurt this appeal at all ? did n't millions of youngsters still go back to see the original star wars in 1977 over and over again ? did n't the action figures still sell like hotcakes ? of course they did , and it 's only poor judgment that allows the most - eagerly awaited film in history to be marred by pandering to children who would still have enjoyed a film with more appeal for adults . one aspect that will appeal broadly , however , is the use of special effects . the people at lucas 's industrial light and magic , the world 's premiere effects house , outdid themselves in providing seamless integration of computer - generated images and real - life footage . some of the scenes have to be seen to be believed , especially the shots of a land battle between the federation 's robot army and jar jar 's countrymen . the space battles are also impressive , although improved over past efforts by only subtle margins to the casual observer . this , however , is a testament to the work which ilm produced two decades ago and still holds up well today . john williams is back , of course , providing a score for the film as only he can . his music is pervasive throughout , as rousing and as dramatic as ever , always serving to punctuate scenes noticeably and appropriately . since this film is supposed to be the first installment in a nine - episode story ( star wars , the empire strikes back and return of the jedi being episodes four , five and six , respectively ) , the phantom menace has the daunting task of setting up the origins of several characters we know already , in addition to those with whom we unfamiliar . as a result , attention to history and characterization was spread a little thin . it would have been nice to get more in depth with yoda and obi - wan , for example , but given the fact that there were several new characters to cover , it is understandable that some of the development has been left for the next two films . one of the new characters is darth maul , hailed as the new villain with as much hype as marketing forces could muster prior to this film 's release . in spite of the hype , darth maul is a character which almost did n't have to be in the film , his role is so insignificant . he has maybe three spoken lines ( believe it or not , a second actor voices the character ) and the rest of the time just scowls and looks mean . with that working against him , he never has a chance at being interesting and instead ends up an utter disappointment . lucas seems to have wanted to develop the spiritual nature of the star wars universe , something which has been prominent throughout . however , he does so largely by paralleling the star wars spirituality with the bible , offering an easy out for story - writing and once again bringing the viewer back to planet earth with a real - life connection . oddly , while trying to capitalize on spirituality , lucas at the same time introduces the fact that mastery of the force is dependent upon having little force - loving parasites in your body 's cells . this only serves to de - mystify the workings of the force a few notches by offering a scientific connection . do n't let me mislead you too far . the phantom menace , by most standards , is a good film . it contains a lot of visual treats , sets the stage for an epic story , gives us a bit of excitement here and there , and even allows us to revisit some of our old friends . it 's just that when held up to it 's predecessors ( and to not do so would be unrealistic ) , this film simply pales .

1POS

have enjoyed a film with more appeal for adults . one aspect that will appeal broadly , however , is the use of special effects . and magic , the world 's premiere effects house , outdid themselves in providing seamless integration of computer - generated images and real - life footage . some of the scenes have to be seen to be believed , especially the shots of a land battle between the jar jar 's countrymen . the space battles are also impressive , although improved over past efforts by only subtle margins only he can . his music is pervasive throughout , as rousing and as dramatic as ever , always serving to punctuate scenes noticeably and appropriately . . the phantom menace , by most standards , is a good film . it contains a lot of visual treats , sets the stage for an epic story , gives

in december of 1996 , a little movie called " scream , " was released , became a box - office smash , and resurrected films targeted at teens . first , it was teen slasher movies that were the big fad ( both " scream " movies , " i know what you did last summer , " " urban legend , " etc . ) , but just recently , the popularity has switched over to the teen comedy genre ( a ' la ' 80s john hughes ) , starting with last june 's " ca n't hardly wait . " it may be the first week of april in 1999 , but so far this year we have been given a movie aimed at the 25-and - under market almost every single week : " varsity blues , " " jawbreaker , " " cruel intentions , " " simply irresistible , " " the rage : carrie 2 , " and " the mod squad . " coming april 9 are two more of this type : " never been kissed " and " go , " and on april 23 , we 've got the teen satire " election " and the teen horror - comedy " idle hands . " jeesh ! out of all of these moves , however , the one that is most similar to the latest incarnation , " 10 things i hate about you , " is this past january 's mediocre , ho - hum " she 's all that . " although similar in plotting ( ok , darn near identical ) , " 10 things i hate about you , " a modern - day version of shakespeare 's " the taming of the shrew " ( " she 's all that " got its inspiration from " pygmalion " ) , is an infinitely superior film in every department , from the smart direction by first - time feature director gil junger to the charming and well - written screenplay by karen mccullah lutz and kirsten smith to the striking ensemble cast , who give the best group of performances in a teen comedy since 1985 's " the breakfast club . " and to top it all off , in the inevitable climax set at the prom , at least we did n't have to once again suffer through a goofy , inappropriate dance sequence ( who could forget , or want to remember , for that matter , this ludicrous development in " she 's all that ? " ) . the day wide - eyed , shy new student cameron james ( joseph gordon - levitt ) starts school at seattle - based padua high , he is swept away at the sight of the beautiful and popular sophomore , bianca stratford ( larisa oleynik ) . although he does n't know french , he purposefully learns some of it just so he can tutor her , but finds that her paranoid gynecologist father ( larry miller ) wo n't allow her to date until her bitter , unconventional older sister , kat ( julia stiles ) , a senior , decides to . kat , of course , has sworn off the likes of boys , but cameron sets out to find someone that will be the perfect match for her , which is exactly what he finds in the form of the rebellious patrick verona ( heath ledger ) . complicating matters , cameron 's dorky friend , michael ( david krumholtz ) , decides to use a wealthy jock , joey ( andrew keegan ) , who also has his sights set on bianca , as a pawn so that he will pay patrick to get kat to go out with him , and then cameron hopes to steal bianca away from joey . as you can see , " 10 things i hate about you " includes a huge number of characters , some of which i have n't even mentioned , such as kat 's shakespeare - obsessed friend , mandella ( susan may pratt ) and bianca 's materialistic comrade , chastity ( gabrielle union ) . at a short , but well - used running time of 98 minutes , all of the characters are perfectly handled , satisfyingly developed , and , for the most part , are not treated as caricatures ( another flaw of " she 's all that , " where the bad guys ( and gals ) ran around constantly saying , " you 're vapor " ) . since i could sympathize with the realistic depictions of the central characters , and since many of the comedic and dramatic scenes were surprisingly effective , i got completely caught up in all of the relationships and was thoroughly entertained . aside from a good screenplay , it 's the performances that can make or break a movie , and director junger has really hit the jackpot . aside from joseph gordon - levitt ( " 3rd rock from the sun " ) , who gives his strongest performance to date here , none of the actors are that well - known , but it is this aspect that brings a particular freshness to the proceedings . as the main character of kat , julia stiles ( last seen in the miniseries " the ' 60s " ) is marvelous and always believable , and certainly has a bright future ahead of her . even though it is her role that is initially the most difficult and hard - edged , it was easy to identify with kat 's way of thinking ( she is against the silly tradition of the prom and loves reading sylvia plath ) , and i completely admired her individuality . no one , i think , could have portrayed her as perfectly as stiles does . heath ledger , as the infamous bad - boy of the town , injects much life into patrick , and has a lot of chemistry with stiles . one other actor of note is larisa oleynik who , with the help of screenwriters lutz and smith , is able to turn bianca into a person with multi - dimensions , even though she is accurately self - centered at the on - set . in one truthful scene , cameron angrily asks her if she has always been so selfish , and bianca grudgingly realizes that yes , she has . one off - beat element of the film , and a source of some hearty laughs , is the way that the school 's staff act , which is strikingly unformal . allison janney , as the guidance counselor ms . perky , who is writing a trashy harlequin romance novel , is comic dynamite , as is daryl " chill " mitchell as the english teacher , who reads shakespeare to the class in rap and , at one point , sends kat to the office because , for once , she actually thinks one of his assignments is really good . although there are a few cheap laughs that are thrown into the film near the beginning , most of it actually works , especially in the humorous and witty dialogue exchanges and quirks between the characters . in one very funny scene , chastity asks , " i know people can be overwhelmed , and they can be underwhelmed , but can people just be . . . whelmed ? " at another point , bianca and kat 's father ( a stand - out larry miller ) , who is constantly terrified that his daughters are going to get pregnant , only allows bianca to go to the prom on one occasion : before she leaves , she has to put on the heavy fat suit he has so she will get an idea of what it 's like to be pregnant . " 10 things i hate about you " once and for all proves that there is still life in the teen comedy genre , and this movie is probably more reminiscent of the great john hughes than any other film of the ' 90s . it also helps that the movie has a perfectly - assembled soundtrack , mixing indie - rock with new wave ' 80s songs ( and with , thank goodness , no rap ) . by the film 's end , it actually had me rooting for certain characters to get together , and i was also quite pleased with how everything was wrapped up , especially in the final scenes involving kat and bianca , kat and her father , and a flawlessly - acted and moving sequence in which kat gets up to read the poem she has written for her english class ( this is where the title comes from ) . luckily , i doubt i would be able to find ten things i hate about " 10 things i hate about you , " but the positive aspects of the film far out - number ten .

1POS

got its inspiration from " pygmalion " ) , is an infinitely superior film in every department , from the smart direction by first - time feature director gil junger to the charming and well - written screenplay by karen mccullah lutz and kirsten smith to the time of 98 minutes , all of the characters are perfectly handled , satisfyingly developed , and , for the most part , are not can make or break a movie , and director junger has really hit the jackpot . aside from joseph gordon - levitt ( " 3rd rock from the sun " ) , who gives his strongest performance to date here , none of the actors are that well - in the miniseries " the ' 60s " ) is marvelous and always believable , and certainly has a bright future ahead of her . even though it is her role the town , injects much life into patrick , and has a lot of chemistry with stiles . one other actor of note is larisa film of the ' 90s . it also helps that the movie has a perfectly - assembled soundtrack , mixing indie - rock with new wave ' 80s me rooting for certain characters to get together , and i was also quite pleased with how everything was wrapped up , especially in the " 10 things i hate about you , " but the positive aspects of the film far out - number ten .

the last steve martin film i saw , the spanish prisoner , was a very different approach for the comic actor . as a millionaire leading a massive conspiracy in order to rob " a process " from a clueless businessman , martin 's character did it all for money . in his most recent movie , bowfinger , martin plays yet another con man except this time he does it to succeed in the film industry . he wants to direct a successful picture that will force people to remember his name , that will make him more popular at the parties , and , most importantly , that will cause fed ex to deliver important business packages to his front door . playing the title role , martin is once again the good guy ; the one we cheer for to complete his low budget action movie . this con man is very likeable for some reason , even though he is doing the same exact thing as the malicious jimmy del from the spanish prisoner . maybe the message is that , in hollywood , to win over the trust and friendship of others , you have to be a little evil . bowfinger is a very clever comedy with great performances from its two stars . martin , who also wrote the screenplay , is perfect as a jerk with a conscience and eddie murphy does his best " peter sellers " in two different , but equally hilarious , roles ; one as a big time move star and the other as his nerdy , burger king employee brother . the story follows aging and failing director / producer bobby bowfinger as he makes one last attempt to become a respected member of his field by creating a b - action movie called chubby rain . in order to attract actors and crew members , bowfinger promises them that hot shot actor kit ramsey will star in the movie . the only problem is that kit refuses to be in it . but this wo n't stop the aggressive bowfinger . he is so determined to complete his film that he decides to put kit in it without even telling him . he has his actors approach kit on the streets of los angeles in character with a hidden camera filming the footage . will bowfinger be able to make his film ? or will kit ramsey discover what exactly is going on ? bowfinger is a very cartoon - like movie that pokes fun at hollywood and its famous residents while simultaneously holding a very solid story line . the only area where the film really lacks is the cameo department . this is the kind of movie that cameos are all about , it is always funny to see actors / directors / producers making fun of themselves or co - workers especially in a playful movie such as this . besides the very repetitive and superflous ending , bowfinger is a joy to watch . if you take a movie like this seriously then you will never enjoy it . if you accept the incredulous plot and the extreme caricatures of real entertainment figures , the movie is great fun .

1POS

you have to be a little evil . bowfinger is a very clever comedy with great performances from its two stars . martin , who also wrote the screenplay , is perfect as a jerk with a conscience and eddie murphy does " peter sellers " in two different , but equally hilarious , roles ; one as a big time move star fun at hollywood and its famous residents while simultaneously holding a very solid story line . the only area where the film really lacks is besides the very repetitive and superflous ending , bowfinger is a joy to watch . if you take a movie like this seriously then plot and the extreme caricatures of real entertainment figures , the movie is great fun .

whenever studio executives try to combine the successful formula of two blockbuster films , the end result is always a mess of a script , acting , directing , and generally a waste of time for any audience with an average iq above 40 . the latest movie morass from hollywood , the crew , appeared equally destined to fail , a strange combination of grumpy old men and goodfellas tossed together with the likes of richard dreyfuss and burt reynolds helming the ship . the scary thing is that it 's actually entertaining and a breath of fresh air in this otherwise stale month . the crew works for several reasons . the clever script is reminiscent of an old billy wilder movie , following four " past their prime " wiseguys from jersey who now live in the raj mahal apartment house in miami beach . the wiseguys find themselves being evicted from their " golden paradise " by greedy landlords bent on raising rents for new beach bunnies and boys looking for beachfront property . the four mobsters , bobby bartellemeo ( richard dreyfuss ) , joey " bats " pistella ( burt reynolds ) , mike " the brick " donatelli ( dan hedaya ) , and tony " mouth " donato ( seymour cassel ) decide to hatch a scheme to plant there a dead body heisted from the morgue in order to drive out the new tenants and keep their home . this " simple plan " suddenly goes screwy , of course , and the boys become involved with a stripper named ferris ( jennifer tilly ) who wants her stepmother killed , a paranoid latin drug lord who 's convinced a mysterious rival is out to get him , and a rat with its tail on fire . the crew works as a strong comedic vehicle driven by a great ensemble cast of talented character actors and subtle leading men . instead of concentrating on bobby 's search for his daughter , the film gives equal screen time to all four wiseguys , balancing the production . the acting talents of such screen veterans as dan hedaya , seymour cassel , and the great , great burt reynolds are brought out by each character 's uniqueness and synergy within the wiseguy circle . a strong supporting cast including jeremy piven as a philandering boyfriend / cop / partner and miguel sandoval as the paranoid drug lord provide the most laughs . the film was produced by barry sonnenfeld and carries a hint get shorty with its energetic camera work by michael dinner , emmy award - winning director of the wonder years . the quick script written by barry fanaro , screenwriter of kingpin , is carried by plenty of subtly dry humor and wit . the crew is a prime example of how simple and dry - witted a comedy can get these days . the great thing is that this comedy does not need to be punctuated by bodily fluids , phallus symbols in the head , or grandmothers giving head in a spa . in the steady flow of " extreme " comedy these days flowing from hollywood like a broken water main , it 's the elder statesmen like dreyfuss , reynolds , and hedaya that can carry a comic arc with only a few weapons of choice - a decent script and good acting .

1POS

reynolds helming the ship . the scary thing is that it 's actually entertaining and a breath of fresh air in this otherwise stale month . the crew works for several reasons . the clever script is reminiscent of an old billy wilder movie , following a rat with its tail on fire . the crew works as a strong comedic vehicle driven by a great ensemble cast of talented character actors and subtle leading men . instead of concentrating on bobby 's search for his 's uniqueness and synergy within the wiseguy circle . a strong supporting cast including jeremy piven as a philandering boyfriend / cop / barry fanaro , screenwriter of kingpin , is carried by plenty of subtly dry humor and wit . the crew is a prime example of how simple dry - witted a comedy can get these days . the great thing is that this comedy does not need to be punctuated by comic arc with only a few weapons of choice - a decent script and good acting .

along his carreer , mel gibson has collected several successes , not only from an economic point of view but also from an artistic point of view . for all that , i think no one could guess the skills and abilities now disclosed in braveheart . the australian actor decided to produce and direct a film about sir william wallace , a popular scotch hero of the 13th century , where he would also perform the principal role . accepting so huge challenge , mel gibson run the risk of stain all his work of years , with a suppoosed failure , just to see recognized , by everyone , all his potentialities and , that way , to consolidate his position in hollywood . it was , definitely , an enormous risk but i 'm sure mel knew exactly well what he was going to face . braveheart is , in fact , a magnificent and magisterial film . for three hours we are completely absorbed by the narrative 's rhyitm which never gives place to a single moment of monotony or uninterest . the william wallace 's story is the story of so many others brave liberty 's defenders who fought and gave the life for that essential value , along the centuries . seeing himself and his people victims of injustices and violent repression , william wallace dares to face the powerful edward i , king of england , in a war by the autonomy of scotland . as the victories succeed the number of fighters with wallace goes growing up . his courage and inteligence are admired by everyone , including the princess isabelle of wales , wife of edward 's son . however , william wallace was also surrounded by enemies and some of them were closer than he thought . braveheart may not be an historically corrected movie but the nature of its message make us think about the importance that we give to liberty , nowadays . mel gibson directs with a lot of brilliancy a brilliant cast . patrick mcgoohan has a very nice performance as edward i , the king longshank . the scene when he waits for the death and loses his voice is really good . sophie marceau , as princess isabelle , has along the movie no more than fifteen minutes of performance but mel gibson gave to those minutes such a very special treatment that princess isabelle soon becomes one of the major characters in braveheart . i also liked the performances of angus macfadyen , as robert the bruce , and , of course , mel gibson , as william wallace . however , i think this time the mel gibson 's work as director was much better than his work as actor . the excellent music composed by james horner is another thing that helps braveheart to be the success that it really is . when we join that music to the beautiful scotch landscapes , view by the camera of john toll , then we realize all the beauty of this film . braveheart is , in my opinion , one of the best movies of 1995 ! i 've heard some people saying that mel gibson is gon na be a new david lean . for now , let 's see if braveheart equalizes the 6 oscars of lawrence of arabia . it wo n't be easy ! it 's gon na be one more challenge for mel gibson .

1POS

going to face . braveheart is , in fact , a magnificent and magisterial film . for three hours we are completely absorbed by the narrative 's rhyitm which never gives place to that we give to liberty , nowadays . mel gibson directs with a lot of brilliancy a brilliant cast . patrick mcgoohan has a very nice performance as edward i , the king longshank . the scene he waits for the death and loses his voice is really good . sophie marceau , as princess isabelle , has along soon becomes one of the major characters in braveheart . i also liked the performances of angus macfadyen , as robert the bruce , and was much better than his work as actor . the excellent music composed by james horner is another thing that helps braveheart this film . braveheart is , in my opinion , one of the best movies of 1995 ! i 've heard some people saying

renown surrealist director , the 77-year - old frenchman alain resnais ( hiroshima , mon amour / last year at marienbad / m ? lo ) , has created a lighthearted musical played as an homage to britisher dennis potter and his pennies from heaven ( 1978 tv serial , 1981 movie ) and the singing detective ( 1986 ) . the film follows potter 's gimmicky style of having the characters jump into lip - synched old or contemporary french pop songs to express their private thoughts . he also follows the kind of sweet and colorful musicals his fellow countryman jacques demy loved to direct , such as " the umbrellas of cherbourg " and " the young girls of rochefort . " the tale has resnais 's unique touches as a director to go along with his homage . it is a satire about class differences and falling in love with the wrong person , and that there is a song in everyone 's heart for every occasion . what hinders this production is that the stars are not portraying particularly engaging characters , the songs are not memorable and stand little chance of being recognized by an american audience ( the exceptions might be the edith piaf and maurice chevalier numbers ) , and the farce seems more banal than daring . yet it is not without its striking moments and charms , such as when jane birkin does a cameo and sings one of her own songs . also , the glossy amberlike photography added a very french romantic feeling to the story , while the mood of paris as being a place for love to flourish above all else , which has always been embellished in movie lore , comes through with flying colors . it also does a good job of showing you the way paris is in the 1990s and in the way ordinary people exist there . it tells the romantic story of six parisians who become intertwined with each other in their ordinary lives as they search for happiness . they are the attractive sisters odile ( sabine az ? ma ) and camille ( agnes jaoui ) , with the older businesswoman odile married and decidedly set on a bourgeois life of material comforts . she is married to the glum and laconic claude ( pierre arditi ) . she once went out with a businessman , nicolas ( jean - pierre bacri ) , who left her 8-years ago and now shows up in paris and asks her help to find someone to rent a flat for his family . simon ( andre dussolier ) works as a real - estate salesman and is trying to find nicolas a flat , in his spare time he writes radio plays . simon 's boss is the much younger , unscrupulous and arrogant marc duveyrier ( lambert wilson ) , who inherited the firm from his father and is the real - estate agent selling a more luxurious and larger flat with a better view to odile , but fails to tell her that a building project is going up soon that will block her view . screenwriters and actors jean - pierre bacri and agnes jaoui wrote themselves the best parts . jaoui 's camille is a university scholar finishing up a ph . d . in history , using for her thesis the study of ' the yeomen in the year 1000 at lake paladru . ' she works as a tour guide in the meantime and suffers from panic attacks , even though she appears to have outwardly perfect self - control . on her tours for the last four years has been the much older simon , pretending to be doing research for his plays but really attracted to her , but not having the nerve to tell her this . to his dismay , he finds out she is dating his mean - spirited but handsome boss , whom she meets when looking at her sister 's new place and seeing him crying but not realizing that it was from a cold , not because he 's so sensitive . bacri as the classy nicolas , turns out to be now working as a chauffeur . he is a hypochondriac with a history of depression who visits many doctors , until he finds one who tells him there is nothing wrong with him . odile still pines for him , but he 's married , telling her he expects his wife to arrive shortly . love is ' the same old song ' that makes the world go ' round , even when all the characters are liars and not exactly open to what their true motives are . everything comes together in a bourgeois housewarming party for odile 's place , as the characters reveal their true feelings and all their deceptions and neurotic impulses are either uncovered or about to be . there 's not a lot of bite to this satirical musical , but resnais has never made a bad film and is one of the best current french directors , if not the best . this film is not one his great ones , but it still has enough pep in its light touches to be interesting . it not only has an odd way for the characters to break into song but -- some males even sing in a female voice while some females sing in a male voice . it is also interesting in the way it examines its characters ' behavior as being similar in business as in love .

1POS

banal than daring . yet it is not without its striking moments and charms , such as when jane birkin does a cameo and lore , comes through with flying colors . it also does a good job of showing you the way paris is in the 1990s but resnais has never made a bad film and is one of the best current french directors , if not the best . this film is not one his great ones , voice while some females sing in a male voice . it is also interesting in the way it examines its characters ' behavior as

in 1987 the stock market crashed , and oliver stone 's wall street was released to critical acclaim and packed movie houses . wall street lucked out in its timing ; the recent crash gave the film a resonation it might not of had , and though its kill - or - be - killed approach to business was exaggerated , that very ideology was keyed into the mind set of the quintessential reagan - era businessman . stone constructed his film as a mythical good vs . evil tale relayed in the fast - paced milieu of the burgeoning stock exchange . critics and audiences lauded wall street , elevating its status to that of a contemporary classic . i 'm proud to say that i will never be counted as one of them . i found wall street to be just as axiomatic and pandering as the majority of stone 's output with its thin caricatures , obvious sentiments , and a charisma barren performance by the young charlie sheen . stone goes for broke in every scene ( the same could be said for nearly all of his works ) . this approach tends to bury his purported message beneath a heap of good intentions . he directs stock exchange scenes in typical hyperbolic mode with people shouting into phones as if they were in a plummeting airplane . it 's all an excuse for stone to ratchet up the emotion with false intensity , rather than explore what these situations are really like . i have a feeling the brokers would be psychologically manipulative ( as they are presented in boiler room ) rather than laughably over the top . these guys are salesmen after all , not televised judges . more than anything i am baffled by why so many adore wall street . the only possible solution i can muster is its release date . and not just the timeliness of the " greed is good " subject matter : the film was plumped down in the eighties , a decade in which the one - joke comedy rose to an art form , and a group of glamorous brat packers smirked their way through inane high concept , low result movies . in my mind , the eighties will forever be remembered as a decade with not only a proliferation of bad movies , but bad music , bad hair , and bad clothes . maybe stone 's after school special set in wall street was viewed as a welcome change of pace . boiler room is an equally well - timed film with some similarities to stone 's piece of crap . they both feature a consequential father - son relationship , though boiler room 's is much more subtle and touching . and they are both concerned with the power of greed , yet the men in boiler room are akin to poseurs presuming to be big shots rather than the slippery - smooth , heartless gordon gecko figures of wall street . boiler room is a message movie as well , though ( at least until the end ) does n't shove it in our faces . boiler room is about the pursuit of cash and the degrees to which people will go for that cash . as i said , this film is indeed timely in a society where who wants to be a millionaire is the number one prime time show every day ( bringing about a revolution of prime time tv watching that has n't been seen in quite a while ) ; not only do we want to be millionaires , we want to watch other people become millionaires ! in our super - judgmental , power - oriented culture the desire for money supersedes everything ; when you have money , you have it " all " . and seth ( giovanni ribisi ) wants it " all " the easy way . he 's a well - intentioned college drop out who gets lured into working for an illegally run brokerage firm ( the kind that sells junk stock ) whereupon he meets others just like him . ben affleck is cast as jim , the company headhunter , who struts in commanding the room like a frat boy gordon gecko . his job is to influence trainee 's into becoming enthusiastic employees by giving a speech that subtly attacks their man hood . it 's ironic that he sells these pups the same load of b . s that they 're told to dish out to prospective buyers . affleck 's character is obviously supposed to recall alec baldwin 's similar character in glengary glen ross , and that proves detrimental to the actor 's performance . affleck shouts , curses and be - littles his rookie employees just like baldwin , minus the edge . when alec played the scene he became the part , spewing those brutal lines as if they were his own . by comparison affleck simply looks as if he were doing a really hammy line reading . the brokers approach their job with the fervor of overzealous jocks : they storm to work like football players on the way to the big game . rap music thumps on the soundtrack effectively illustrating who these guys think they are : intellectual gangsters . they are n't above a rumble as a test of man hood especially during leisure time where the lumbering scott caan seems all too eager to use his fists in minor disputes . we drink up this world along with seth , and watch him become seduced by it , just like we might be . as in all cautionary tales , boiler room begins with seducing us into its illustrious world of profit and wrongdoing , then smacks us with the consequences of all the recklessness . i know this story . we all do . but it can work if it 's told with intelligence and energy , and that is how writer \ director ben younger tells it . as a director of ( please excuse my french ) mise - en - scene younger has much to learn . his style is sitcom bland . but his writing is n't . younger 's script is well studied in the vernacular of this bunch ; his dialogue is like a junior david mamet . despite the moderate camera work younger fills his phone - pitch scenes with tension that comes from just the performances and the tightly wound script . the brokers \ hucksters counter every customer objection , gently bullying them into buying stock . these moments are filmed like psychological action scenes : a tense confrontation between a victimizer and a victim who is n't aware that he is one . with the exception of affleck 's brief appearances , the performances are truly exceptional . ribisi , who has the edgy looks of a character actor , is extremely potent here , working his pale angular face , and eerie , plaintive stare for all their worth . he conveys child - like vulnerability ( his character seems to hide in a corner whenever things are n't going his way ) in some scenes , and in others he 's ferociously cut throat . the jekyll and hyde contradiction works well in the movie : ribisi is confident when it 's just him and the phone , but cowardly in front of authority figures including his abrasive father ( authoritatively played by ron rifkin ) . boiler room thankfully avoids wall street - like histrionics in the sales - pitch sequences ; the sales build slowly like a crescendo of intelligent psychological ploys . those ploys are taught to seth by chris ( vin diesel ) , a kind broker who alternates between seth 's friend and his mentor . diesl shines in his minor role . this week i saw the sci - fi opus pitch black in which diesel plays a completely different role in an equally effective manner . in that film he has the kind of role that might have gone to arnold schwarzenegger in the 80 's , and in boiler room he has the kind of role that might have gone to elliot gould in the 70 's . nicky katt is also memorable as a superior broker obsessed with what he ca n't have . nia long , as the firm 's secretary , ( a lone black women amongst many white men ) is ribisi 's love interest in a part that at first looks to be as insignificant as most of the parts this talented actress gets , but develops into something more interesting . the two make an oddly likeable couple . long is smart and brash , and ribisi is charmingly aloof . at one point he says to her " i 'm just lookin ' for some chocolate love " . it 's a terrible line but ribisi delivers it in such an innocuous child - like way , it becomes sweetly endearing . unfortunately , towards the end , the boiler room turns a tad schmaltzy . there is much crying , hugging , and sorrowful stares . this is okay when taken in small doses , but younger 's conclusion is constructed as a series of these boo - hoo moments , one following the other . a particular misstep is his attempt to show the effect that seth 's manipulations have on one of his poor victims . it 's not a bad idea but the execution is lacking , with those scenes feeling tacked on to further spell out the message . that message being , " greed is bad " . yes it 's patently obvious , but boiler room conveys it by introducing us to a culture that i have n't seen much of in the movies : the disenfranchised twenty something entrepreneur . and all wall street did was introduce us to a simplistic fantasy world of saints and sinners . boiler room offers neither extreme . it gives us what is in between , and for that i am thankful .

1POS

but his writing is n't . younger 's script is well studied in the vernacular of this bunch ; his dialogue is like a junior david mamet . . with the exception of affleck 's brief appearances , the performances are truly exceptional . ribisi , who has the edgy looks of a 's ferociously cut throat . the jekyll and hyde contradiction works well in the movie : ribisi is confident when it 's just him and . it gives us what is in between , and for that i am thankful .

look back at all the times in your life when there was a fork in the path to the future . some sort of decision had to be made , and , for better or worse , it irrevocably altered the course of your existence . > from time - to - time , everyone thinks about the roads not taken , and how things might have turned out if the choice had been different . perhaps even more dizzying to contemplate is how a seemingly minor action -- catching the 10 am train , for example -- could have an equally profound , yet less obvious , impact . maybe that 's where you met your significant other , and , had you reached the platform just a few seconds later ? film makers are no less fascinated by issues of destiny than anyone else , and that 's why there 's no shortage of movies about this subject . the best of the bunch were probably made by the late polish director krzysztof kieslowski , who was obsessed with questions of fate and chance . these themes weave their way through many of his movies , including decalogue , the double life of veronique , and the triptych of blue , white , and red . however , they are most explicitly examined in a 1981 film called blind chance , where kieslowski presents the three different fates of one man after a minor action ( missing or catching a train ) changes the course of his life . in his autobiography , kieslowski on kieslowski , the director describes his attraction to the concept this way : " [ the idea is ] rich and interesting ? that every day we 're faced with a choice which could end our entire life yet of which we 're completely unaware . " while this approach has been the fodder for several notable dramatic films ( including , in a way , frank capra 's it 's a wonderful life ) , sliding doors is the first romantic comedy to plumb its depths . the " road not taken " approach is n't just a plot device , either . writer / director peter howitt expands upon both possible fates of a character after she just misses / catches a train . the audience watches , with ever - growing fascination , how this one event impacts upon every aspect of her life : her future career , where she lives , whom she loves , and whether she has a family . as her separate destinies diverge and then re - converge , she becomes two completely different individuals . that woman is helen , played by gwyneth paltrow as a long , dark- haired brit . one day , after losing her job as an advertising executive , she decides to return home in the middle of the day . the scene of the pivotal moment is a train platform . in scenario # 1 , she just slips through the sliding doors before the train pulls out of the station . on board , she meets the cheerful , talkative james ( john hannah ) , a monty python fan who is taken with her beauty . minutes later , in her flat , she walks in on her lover , gerry ( john lynch ) , in bed with another woman ( jeanne tripplehorn ) . in scenario # 2 , she misses the train and , shortly thereafter , is the victim of an attempted mugging . she does n't meet james and fails to make it home in time to discover gerry 's infidelity . juxtaposed one against the other , while sharing many places , cues , and characters , the two stories proceed in parallel from there . on one level , for viewers who enjoy pondering the workings of fate , sliding doors can be viewed as a deep and wonderful experience . but , for those who just appreciate a romantic comedy characterized by solid acting , a script with a few twists , and a great deal of genuinely funny material , sliding doors still fits the bill . one of its most obvious strengths is that it can satisfy many different types of audiences -- those who demand something substantial from their motion pictures , and those who could care less . it should n't come as any surprise that the acting , at least from three of the four leads , is solid . paltrow , who does double duty as two helens who are initially the same , yet gradually become much different , is the standout . she plays both of her roles effectively and believably -- the shy , insecure woman who stays with gerry and the liberated , platinum - blond who severs the ties to her old life and embarks on a new career with a new man . john hannah , known to most american viewers as the younger gay character in four weddings and a funeral , is instantly likable . john lynch , taking a break from movies about ireland 's troubles , does a good job presenting gerry as a inept , selfish philanderer . only jeanne tripplehorn , who plays an over - the - top vixen , seems out of place . her attempts at broad comedy are occasionally jarring , and it 's occasionally difficult to see her lydia as anything more than a plot element . one member of the supporting cast deserves special notice . douglas mcferran , who plays gerry 's best friend , russell , is an absolute delight , stealing every scene that he 's in . part of this is surely because he is given the best lines in the movie . on one occasion , he has a marvelous monologue bemoaning how advances in the telecommunications industry have trapped men into a life of monogamy . on another occasion , while laughing at gerry 's plight with the women in his life , he comments , " being with you makes the wait for the next episode of seinfeld more bearable . " but it 's not all in the dialogue . mcferran tears into this part with relish ; his performance becomes one of the most memorable aspects of a top - notch comedy . this is the first feature film for peter howitt , and he approaches the task with unimpeachable aplomb . the script is shrewd and inventive , combining wit , romance , and intelligent melodrama into a crowd - pleasing whole . sliding doors grants more than just a good time at the movies , however . for those who are so inclined , its central theme offers an opportunity to ponder some of the more philosophical questions about the workings of the universe -- all while having a good time .

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misses / catches a train . the audience watches , with ever - growing fascination , how this one event impacts upon every aspect of workings of fate , sliding doors can be viewed as a deep and wonderful experience . but , for those who just appreciate a romantic comedy characterized by solid acting , a script with a few twists , and funny material , sliding doors still fits the bill . one of its most obvious strengths is that it can satisfy many different types of audiences at least from three of the four leads , is solid . paltrow , who does double duty as two helens gradually become much different , is the standout . she plays both of her roles effectively and believably -- the shy , insecure woman who stays with gerry gay character in four weddings and a funeral , is instantly likable . john lynch , taking a break from movies about who plays gerry 's best friend , russell , is an absolute delight , stealing every scene that he 's in . part dialogue . mcferran tears into this part with relish ; his performance becomes one of the most memorable aspects of a top - notch comedy . this is the first feature film for peter howitt , and he approaches the task with unimpeachable aplomb . the script is shrewd and inventive , combining wit , romance , and intelligent melodrama into a crowd - pleasing whole . sliding doors grants more than just a good time

three things i learned from " being john malkovich " : when getting on the elevator for your first day of work on the 7 1/2th floor of a building , always bring your crowbar ; do n't stand in the way of your wife 's actualization as a man ; and , whenever entering a portal into the mind of another human being , wear old clothes , because , hey , it 's muddy in there . " being john malkovich " is the most original film to come down the pike in a very long time . wildly surrealistic , yet presented in a down - to - earth , funky style , this is the kind of movie that sticks in your head . after savoring the sheer inventiveness of the storyline , you roll around the wealth of ideas contained within it . from the ethics of relationships and politics of immortality to the very nature of identity itself , there 's a lot to think about here . just do n't forget to have fun . clearly , all parties involved in the making of the film certainly did , starting with writer charles kaufman . " i wrote ' being john malkovich ' without an outline , " he explains in the press notes , " blindly , with no sense of direction or purpose . it 's important to me that i do n't have a map before i start . this allows me to surprise myself , stay engaged , discover things , and , hopefully , allow the unconscious to surface . " spike jonze ( mark wahlberg 's na ? ve buddy in " three kings " ) takes it from there . the white - hot director of the beastie boy 's " sabotage , " an award - winning parody of ' 70s tv cop shows , as well as numerous other music videos and commercials , eschews typical mtv flash for his feature film debut . jonze wisely realized that a storyline this unusual is most effectively presented in a low - key style . his flat , matter - of - fact approach works perfectly . and then there 's the cast . john cusack plays control freak craig schwartz , a street performer who periodically gets decked by parents objecting to his remarkably expressive , but decidedly erotic puppet shows . over the years , his marriage to obsessive pet store employee lotte ( cameron diaz ) has devolved . once passionate lovers , the two are now little more than courteous roommates . financially strapped , craig takes a job as an entry - level file clerk at lestercorp , located on the 7 1/2th floor of a manhattan building . navigating around dr . lester ( orson bean ) , his 105 year - old boss and floris ( mary kay place ) , lester 's dotty secretary , craig tries to settle into his new position , but two things keep him distracted . first , there 's the beautiful and imperious maxine ( catherine keener ) , who delights in tormenting craig over his obvious lust for her . and then there 's the hole behind the file cabinet , which turns out to be a portal into the mind of actor john malkovich . craig learns that anyone who enters the portal gets whooshed into the subconscious of malkovich , where they can experience life from his point of view ( with enough concentration , you can even influence his actions ) . after 15 minutes , the visitor gets ejected and unceremoniously dumped in a ditch on the side of the new jersey turnpike . then things get a little weird . by the way , if you 're concerned that i gave away too much of the plot , rest assured - - i barely scratched the surface . one of the most satisfying aspects of the fable is that kaufman is not content to simply milk laughs from his bizarre set - up . instead , he crawls into the dark premise as completely as craig crawls into malkovich , rummaging around and toying with the various philosophical implications of compromising another person 's identity . he also examines the consequences of the malko - visits to craig , lotte , maxine and , of course , john malkovich himself . the performances are superb . malkovich ( best known to mainstream audiences for his work in " dangerous liaisons , " " in the line of fire , " and as head psychopath in the guilty - pleasure " con air " ) tweaks his own image in a dandy self - deprecating turn . far from his effete , vaguely reptilian persona , this malkovich is just another schlub , drinking with his pals and trying to get laid ( incidentally , charlie sheen also plays himself in a hilarious parody of his well - earned bad boy reputation ) . as always , john cusack nails his part , handily pulling viewers along even as craig 's actions become unconscionable . the big surprises come from catherine keener and cameron diaz , both playing against type . kenner , usually cast in icy subordinate roles , is terrific as a highly intelligent , extremely manipulative femme fatale . cameron diaz , barely recognizable under a mess of brown , curly hair , sheds her perpetually sunny smile and draws big laughs as a woman thrown into extreme sexual confusion after taking a ride in malkovich . " being john malkovich " stumbles towards the end , as jonze and kaufman try too hard to resolve the various subplots . additional characters and increasingly complex explanations lead to a cluttered finale . regardless , this contemporary " alice in wonderland " is a real treat . i enjoyed watching " being john malkovich , " but only later , after reflecting on the film , did its resonance fully hit me . at one point , craig says , " do you know what a metaphysical can of worms this portal is ? " truer words were never spoken .

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muddy in there . " being john malkovich " is the most original film to come down the pike in a very long time . wildly surrealistic , yet presented in a down - to - earth , funky style , this is the kind of movie that sticks in your head . after savoring the sheer inventiveness of the storyline , typical mtv flash for his feature film debut . jonze wisely realized that a storyline this unusual is most effectively presented in . his flat , matter - of - fact approach works perfectly . and then there 's the cast . john cusack maxine and , of course , john malkovich himself . the performances are superb . malkovich ( best known to mainstream audiences for his bad boy reputation ) . as always , john cusack nails his part , handily pulling viewers along even as craig 's actions recognizable under a mess of brown , curly hair , sheds her perpetually sunny smile and draws big laughs as a woman thrown into extreme sexual confusion after taking regardless , this contemporary " alice in wonderland " is a real treat . i enjoyed watching " being john malkovich , "

in my reviews i try to make gentle recommendations rather than telling you what to see or what not to see . i realize that we all have different tastes and i can not predict what my audience will like and what they will dislike . but in the case of american beauty , i must make an exception . if you have n't yet seen it , go see it . now . stop reading this review and head for your local multiplex , then after you 've seen it , come back . i 'll wait here . welcome back . if you followed my advice ( and i see no reason why you should not have , do you ? ) , i 'm sure you 've just had one of the richest cinematic experiences of your life . american beauty is an extraordinary film , a powerful , jolting exploration of the dark side of the american dream . it 's humorous but it is n't funny because of the unrelenting ominous undercurrent that runs throughout the whole production . mixing comedy and the darkest of drama was the way this film was intended , and by god , it works , making it one of the year 's very best . lester burnham ( kevin spacey ) has entered the mother of all mid - life crises . he is living life without a purpose . he is bored , depressed and sick of his sheltered , insignificant existence . he barely ever talks to his family , has no sex life , is stuck at a dead - end job and thinks he has no reason to live . but one day , when he and his equally troubled wife ( annette bening ) attend one of his daughter 's ( thora birch ) cheerleading performances , he sees something that makes him come alive . what he sees is the performance by his daughter 's friend , the head cheerleader . he develops a lust for the promiscuous young girl ; an obsession which soon becomes pedophilic in nature . but for the first time , lester feels that he is actually living . this crush is only the beginning . lester proceeds to make more and more radical changes in his life , buying the car of his dreams , cursing off the boss and quitting his job ( " today i quit my job , told the boss to f * * * himself and blackmailed him for $ 60 , 000 -- would you pass the asparagus please ? " ) , buying drugs from the voyeur - next - door ( ricky fitts , a teenager who mysteriously videotapes what he considers to be " beauty " ) and refusing to be docile in family affairs . his new attitude further alienates his daughter , only reassuring her that her parents are nothing more than freaks of nature unjustly forced on her by the powers that be , and inspiring her to enter a relationship with her eccentric neighbor . and the burnhams 's neighbors provide american beauty with a significant chunk of its dramatic momentum . ricky fitts ( wes bentley ) serves as the film 's thematic center , providing the obscure , powerful meaning of the title . colonel fitts , the father , is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the movie , even considering his limited screentime . kevin spacey has never been better , and this performance will certainly earn him a chance to put a little gold person on his mantel . he never plays his droll character as a freak , rather , he effectively portrays him as a normal person led to drastic self - exploration by his dissatisfaction with life . spacey is poignant and devastating in the role of a lifetime . equally astonishing is young thora birch , who plays her potentially stereotypical rebellious teen character with suprising feeling and tenderness . at two hours and ten minutes , american beauty did n't feel nearly long enough . it 's a complicated , unforgettable film that , like the ice storm two years ago , dares to explore the darkest reaches of suburban life . powerfully and cynically , it dissects the notion of the pretty house with the white picket fence and appealing garden being the american dream . it claims that this picture - perfect image is just that -- an image , and hiding behind it are lives much darker than common knowledge would have it . the dark , deeply ironic ending , though given away by our narrator in the first few minutes of the movie , stays with you for weeks after it 's all over . american beauty is just the kind of uncompromising film hollywood needs every now and then to counterbalance the mindless drivel we see released ; even more so considering it 's a masterpiece .

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? ) , i 'm sure you 've just had one of the richest cinematic experiences of your life . american beauty is an extraordinary film , a powerful , jolting exploration of the dark side of the american dream . it drama was the way this film was intended , and by god , it works , making it one of the year 's very best . lester burnham ( kevin spacey ) has entered the the title . colonel fitts , the father , is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the movie , even considering his limited screentime . kevin spacey has never been better , and this performance will certainly earn him a chance to put a little gold person on his mantel . he never plays his droll character as a freak poignant and devastating in the role of a lifetime . equally astonishing is young thora birch , who plays her potentially stereotypical weeks after it 's all over . american beauty is just the kind of uncompromising film hollywood needs every now and then to counterbalance the mindless drivel we see released ; even more so considering it 's a masterpiece .

' pleasantville ' ( 1998 ) taps into hollywood 's lack of integrity with subtle messages that can be easily missed ( www . pleasantville . com ) april 2 , 1999 ( friday ) cast : tobey maguire , reese witherspoon , william h . macy , joan allen , j . t . walsh , jeff daniels mpaa rating : pg-13 for sexual content and thematic elements genre : drama in my opinion : in short : it takes a lot of careful observation to see the true morals and lessons brought out in this film ; one can easily be misled as to what the real message is . review : in a literally colorless world with an almost mechanical population , there is no room for transitioning variety or even the customary happenings of everyday life , such as rain , fire , or emotions . the town of pleasantville has one adjective : pleasant . there is no sadness , no fear , no danger , no discomfort , no love , and no hate . put simply , it 's a place alanis morissette could really work wonders for . j one big note however is that it is only a 50 's sitcom that airs in reruns on an " oldies " tv station ? or is it ? i had waited months to see this movie and after doing so on opening day i was not disappointed . i found it quite intriguing and delightful and went back 3 more times in the period it endured at the box office . but it was n't until months later , when i slipped in for a small showing in one of those crummy " dollar theaters " after not having seen it for so long , that my eyes were opened to such a deeper meaning and perspective than i had previously experienced . it is a far too feasible misconception that this is a film which forwards the idea that a world without some " healthy " immorality is not a world at all . instead , the actual message , which so far has not been recognized by many viewers that i know of , is that a world without immorality does n't give one the ability to discern right and wrong for himself , because everything is automatically right . there is no room for mistakes and growth and learning because there are no mistakes to be made , no space for growth , and never anything new to learn , and that is the key component to the entire purpose of the story . now i 'm not saying that 's necessarily the way it was intended to be interpreted , but that is hands down the proper way in which it should be . besides a hidden symbolic depth and themes that go beyond what we can absorb from previews , this film has elements of physical wonder and strength that make it just so great to watch . the visual effects are indeed striking and what little color is revealed is impartially favorable . after spending the bulk of the movie staring at black and white , it 's hard not to identify and appreciate the fact that our own world allows for all that brilliance and more . a truly intelligent addition to it all , however , is the charming and ardently attainable cast that operates together like clockwork . that said , the plot goes as such . david and jennifer are two very 90 's high school twins with the typical " relationship " outline of don't - mess - with - my - life - and - i - won't - mess - with - yours . they demonstrate the well - known teenage qualities of two of the common versions of adolescents today . david is the shyer , subtler twin who would rather watch tv land than mtv , while jennifer is the wild , licentious one who spends her days at the mall and relishes in the pleasures of the offensive world of degradation . but when a freak accident enchantingly plops them smack dab in the middle of pleasantville as two of the main characters , they are forced to depend on each other to make it back home . nevertheless , jennifer works her magic and introduces the town to a more unrestrained approach to life , and while david frantically tries to stop her and get them back home , he realizes that change was exactly what the town needed . and , as said earlier , not to flip the town around into some corrupt society , but rather to give people the choice to decide between good and bad and to reap the results of their decisions and learn from them . not only were difficult choices being brought upon the town , but the simple accepted occurrences of ordinary existence also began to take place . people got hurt . they cried . they became afraid and happy and thoughtful and started to think for themselves , and that 's when their physical world turned colors as well . this can be looked upon as quite a controversial movie , but to me the message is finally clear . i hope after reading this people can be more open to the film than they had been in the past , and realize that without choosing how our own lives will be run , we 'll never know what we could have done better . until the next great movie i see , i remain sincerely , danielle flynn , imr

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see this movie and after doing so on opening day i was not disappointed . i found it quite intriguing and delightful and went back 3 more times in the period it has elements of physical wonder and strength that make it just so great to watch . the visual effects are indeed striking and what little color is revealed is impartially favorable . own world allows for all that brilliance and more . a truly intelligent addition to it all , however , is the charming and

note : some may consider portions of the following text to be spoilers . be forewarned . east meets west in mulan , the latest installment in disney 's parade of annual animated feature films . an odd fusion of ancient asian traditions and disconcerting elements which betray obvious mass - market commercial sensibilities , this confident entry is easily the most engaging and satisfying hollywood animated feature in years , but falls short of actualizing its potential . though not for lack of trying . in many respects , mulan is among disney 's most mature efforts , skirting the surface of adult themes and daring to sneak glimpses into the messier side of combat . the violence of the battles in the film are admittedly sanitized -- the imagery of a pillaged village , neatly encapsulated in the form of a child 's discarded doll , is in itself no more harrowing than luke discovering his fallen guardians in star wars , and mulan 's later heroics in dispatching of the ruthless invaders is done so in the most tidy , bloodless method imaginable -- yet how often does a hollywood animated film , long considered as the last safe refuge for the innocent , dare touch upon the consequential horrors of war in such a provocative manner ? in an instant , idealistic mulan 's innocence is lost , and her jovial squadron are reminded of what their efforts are spent defending . the film , based upon an ancient chinese fable , centers on a spirited young woman who disguises herself as a man in order to serve as her family 's obligatory conscript when china finds itself under attack by huns ( cartoonishly depicted by easy demonic overtones , replete with glowing yellow eyes and dagger - edged teeth , although lent a surprisingly genuine sense of menace ) . dipping into the mythology of other cultures for the first time after cavorting in animated revisitings of familiar western / european fables and literature for decades , disney 's new film is boldly set in ancient china rather than relocated elsewhere , story intact , to some neutral territory , and revels in its east asian roots ; aside from a predominantly asian - american cast providing the film 's vocal work , there 's liberal usage of oriental iconography throughout , and the artwork reveal hints of japanese anime influence . while the film does occasionally reach its limits and starts to tread upon old stereotypes -- invoking pseudo - asian references to items like beancurd and rice in every third sentence grows rather hoary , and i ca n't imagine that the regiment for ancient chinese warriors * really * included karate - chopping blocks of stone in two -- it 's rather remarkable that a movie primarily positioned for american and european audiences delves so wholeheartedly into new foreign territory . the film also freely touches upon cultural idiosyncrasies from its outset ; although savvy viewers should easily pick up on the intrinsics immediately , it 's startlingly assertive in providing as little shorthand as it does to unfamiliar youngsters with regards to the customs and traditions of mulan 's land . at its core , the film is a tale of heroic adventure , and as such paints its story in bold strokes of honour , perseverance , nobility and courage . as such , animation is the perfect vehicle for this flavour of epic , where stark emotional simplicity is able to effectively work hand - in - hand with visual purity . scenes which would play out as unbearably hokey in live action , such as mulan 's venerable father pridefully tossing aside his cane when accepting his draft notice , are lent a sense of strength and conveyed with greater emotional clarity in animation . mulan capitalizes on this during its strongest moments , particularly during our heroine 's character - defining opening half - hour . it 's when the film attempts to integrate the traditional mainstays of recent hollywood animation -- the friendly animal sidekick , the colourful array of supporting characters -- into the mix where it goes slightly awry . off to battle , mulan finds herself being trailed by a jive - talking diminutive dragon called mushu and an agreeable little " lucky " cricket , who ostensibly appear to assist in her subterfuge and realistically serve as audience - friendly comic relief . they 're affable presences , and not precisely ineffective -- reasonable amounts of humour are elicited , and eddie murphy ( who voices mushu ) is amusingly earnest -- but amidst all the high melodrama , the effect is mildly jarring and , from a storytelling perspective , questionable in its necessity . at training camp , mulan antagonizes and eventually wins over a trio of fumbling recruits ( easily characterized simply as the short clown , the skinny clown , and the big clown ) , who provide more levity into the film with decidedly less effectiveness , and , in a familiar retread of traditional disney patterns , she grows a certain fondness for a handsome , square - jawed young captain , shang . everybody needs love , even ancient chinese warrior princesses , but not necessarily in * this * film . the romantic angle , which lets the air out of the sails of the story 's neo - feminist underpinnings , lacks any genuine spark and plays out like a contractual obligation . another staple of recent disney animated films , a cache of hummable little ditties , has also obligingly been carried over to mulan but proves to be a decided weakness . composed by matthew wilder , none of the handful of tunes are particularly distinguishing , and one -- " i 'll make a man out of you " ( unimaginatively accompanying a tired montage featuring our crew of characters transforming into lean fighting machines ) -- becomes so grating and hackneyed that it seems almost interminable . only " reflections " , an early ballad of lament , proves to be a song of any consequence , serving as an effective showcase for lea salonga , one of musical theatre 's most wondrously pure voices . nonetheless , mulan is an especially appealing piece of work from the disney factory , with a strong narrative arc and pleasant artwork ; the computer - generated stampede of hun warriors charging down a snow mountain is wholly impressive . while the blatantly child - friendly elements at times seem incongruous with the remainder of the film , they 're not dissuasive and remain fairly enjoyable . briskly paced with a smart , energetic heroine and filled with high adventure , the film is ultimately most satisfying on the intimate scale of father and daughter .

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mass - market commercial sensibilities , this confident entry is easily the most engaging and satisfying hollywood animated feature in years , but falls short of actualizing its potential . though included karate - chopping blocks of stone in two -- it 's rather remarkable that a movie primarily positioned for american and european audiences aside his cane when accepting his draft notice , are lent a sense of strength and conveyed with greater emotional clarity in animation . mulan capitalizes on this during its strongest 's most wondrously pure voices . nonetheless , mulan is an especially appealing piece of work from the disney factory , with a strong narrative arc and pleasant artwork ; the computer - generated stampede of hun warriors charging down a snow mountain is wholly impressive . while the blatantly child - friendly elements at times , they 're not dissuasive and remain fairly enjoyable . briskly paced with a smart , energetic heroine and filled with high adventure , the film is ultimately most satisfying on the intimate scale of father and daughter .

plot : a big - time momma 's boy ca n't seem to leave his mother 's crib and make good on the babies that he himself has produced in the world . he visits his kids ( and their mommas ) every now and then , but his main goal in life is . . . well , he does n't have any goals . then one day , his mother gets an ex - gangsta boyfriend and suddenly he is n't as welcome anymore in his own house . it is n't long after that , that his girlfriends start realizing what a jerk he really is and well . . . it 's either time to grow up or bow down ! critique : first things first ! this movie ai n't about the " hood " at all , it 's an intelligent film about love , relationships , family , friendship , maturity and growing up . do not avoid this film because you think it 's about gangbangers and stuff , because it is n't at all . it 's about you , it 's about me , it 's about your girlfriend , your mother , your problems and your inability to face up to your responsibilities and to , well . . . grow up ! this is an extremely well - written film , with some of the most developed characters that i 've seen on the screen all year , with superb acting performances to match . granted , the film does start a little slow ( and go a little long ) , but hang in there , because once you appreciate and get to know all of its characters , you will be glad that you did . this is n't a kid 's movie . this is about the step that you need to take in order to pass into full " adulthood " and some might not appreciate the grander theme behind that step . i certainly did , because i too passed , and am passing , through many of these very same things right now ( yeah , yeah , i still live with my momma ! ! ) and related to a lot of the events that went down in this flick ( oh yeah , and for the record , i 'm not black but that made absolutely zero difference in this case ) . but that 's not even half the story . you see , the film is damn funny , too . . . and i mean , damn funny ! i was crackin ' up at almost every other scene , and they were n't " set - up jokes " like your typical comedies either , just day - to - day things that we could all relate to ( like the scene in which ving rhames is " drinking koolaid " in the kitchen and his infamously improvised " african squat f * * k " scene , which you just got ta see to believe ! ) and there are the performances , too . ving rhames , now here 's a man who has already established an early lead in the race for best supporting actor at the end of this year . damn dude , you scared the shit outta me ! tyrese gibson , i have no idea where this guy came from ( an r&b singer and mtv vj , you say . . . hmmmm ? ) , but other than his uncanny resemblance to taye diggs , he nailed this part to the tee . from scene one on , i was glued to his performance and sympathized with his character as he molded and shaped himself into the person that he hoped to become one day . and everyone else , too . gibson 's girlfriend in the film , taraji henson , made me a backer with her many subtle touches , all of which helped raise her character several levels above the " typical " bitchie girlfriend that we 've seen in many of these relationship movies . but that 's the thing that i liked the most about this movie . everyone seemed real , the situations felt authentic , the characters all came across as people like you and me with issues and struggles and hopes and fears . i liked this movie a lot because it was masterfully written , wonderfully acted and genuinely entertaining to watch . and yeah , i even liked the whole homage to boyz ' n the hood that singleton pulled off in the end ( he called this movie a " companion piece " to that film ) . a very solid follow - up to an ever greater original , baby boy is a film to be seen by anyone who feels like they never wanna grow up . note : the guy who plays jody 's best friend in this movie is omar gooding , cuba gooding jr . 's younger brother ( cuba starred in 1991 's boyz ' n the hood ) . where 's joblo coming from ? the best man ( 8/10 ) - brothers ( 5/10 ) - shaft ( 7/10 ) - summer of sam ( 7/10 ) - what 's cooking ( 7/10 )

1POS

about the " hood " at all , it 's an intelligent film about love , relationships , family , friendship , maturity and growing up . do not avoid this film because you think it 's about gangbangers and stuff , , well . . . grow up ! this is an extremely well - written film , with some of the most developed characters that i 've seen on the screen all year , with superb acting performances to match . granted , the film does start a little slow 's not even half the story . you see , the film is damn funny , too . . . and i mean , damn funny ! i was crackin ' up at almost every other scene , and they were n't " set - up jokes but other than his uncanny resemblance to taye diggs , he nailed this part to the tee . from scene one on , i was glued to his performance and sympathized with his character as he molded and shaped 've seen in many of these relationship movies . but that 's the thing that i liked the most about this movie . everyone seemed real , the situations me with issues and struggles and hopes and fears . i liked this movie a lot because it was masterfully written , wonderfully acted and genuinely entertaining to watch . and yeah , i even liked the whole homage to boyz ' n the hood that singleton pulled off a " companion piece " to that film ) . a very solid follow - up to an ever greater original , baby boy is a

it is an understood passion and an understood calm . bud white walks into the home of lynn bracken , a prostitute " cut to look like veronica lake . " he 's one of l . a . 's finest investigating the murder of fellow cop , and one of the leads takes him to her home . it 's understood that he is quiet thunder , a guy who 's calm voice is more powerful than his arms . it 's understood that she 's supposed to be beautiful , but underneath her face is pain and scraped out lines that say her life could have been so much more . you know without having to be told . " you 're the first guy who has n't told me i look like veronicca lake in under a minute , " she says . " you look ten times better . " he says it without thinking . like he knows without her having to say anything . white 's face does n't turn , it does n't blush . you see his eyes , and you believe him . it 's a perfect moment in a near perfect movie . l . a . confidential is the best movie of the year . it is grace and poetry ; a richly layered work of pure entertainment . it is a portrait of police and morality as it works it 's way through characters that are so real on screen that you believe that they might have a soul . in a phrase , it is everything . it is funny , it is exciting , has enough action and adventure and mystery and grace and suspense . it is the pinnacle of a movie , a complete work , a flawless film . it 's hard to tell you about the plot , because it 's about so much more than plot . besides , there 's too much to describe . sure , it 's about police and searching for corruption and who fights for the right reasons and the definition of justice . but it 's also about what you feel when you look into the eyes of the characters in the film . director curtis hanson has perfectly framed each character , letting you see into them , rooting for them one moment , doubting them the next . the actors work with their lines , but in this movie their most important weapon is their eyes . you can tell what each person is feeling just by looking into their eyes for one moment . russell crowe plays bud white , a muscle cop with a beef for wife beaters . his movements are fierce . when he strikes , you jump , when he 's calm , you know it wo n't be for long . his intensity oozes out of the screen . you follow his character through the movie afraid of him , but in sympathy of him , because you know how good his heart is . he 's looking for a way to solve crimes , you 're just never sure how he 's going to do it . his counter is ed exley , played with a chisselled face by guy pierce . you feel for him , for his character , because of all the cops in the movie he 's the one that 's actually trying to do the right thing by going by the book . you know that he must face the reality of breaking the book , and you love the way he gets there . i 've seen l . a confidential twice , immediately after it was over , i wanted to hit the rewind button and watch it again . i did n't want the theater experience to end . it 's been a long time since i actually experienced a movie , feeling like i got something after i walked out . that 's why i love movies ; the great ones can be too rich and powerful to describe . watch l . a . confidential : after you leave the theater , you feel like you just watched a classic movie . that 's why la confidential stands as the best movie of the year . l . a . confidential ( directed by curtis hanson . starring russell crowe , guy pierce , kevin spacey , james cromwell , and kim basinger .

1POS

his eyes , and you believe him . it 's a perfect moment in a near perfect movie . l . a . confidential is the best movie of the year . it is grace and poetry ; a richly layered work of pure entertainment . it is a portrait of police and morality as soul . in a phrase , it is everything . it is funny , it is exciting , has enough action and adventure and mystery and grace and suspense . it is the pinnacle of a movie , a complete work , a flawless film . it 's hard to tell you about the plot the characters in the film . director curtis hanson has perfectly framed each character , letting you see into them , rooting for them , you know it wo n't be for long . his intensity oozes out of the screen . you follow his character through the movie afraid of a . confidential : after you leave the theater , you feel like you just watched a classic movie . that 's why la confidential stands as the best movie of the year . l . a . confidential ( directed by curtis

capsule : bleak and point - blank -- just the way it should be . makes its case with cold - blooded precision and intelligence . " serial killer chic " is a relatively new entry to the cultural vocabulary , and one of the more stomach - turning ones . i 've never found someone automatically admirable or even interesting because they killed creatively or in great numbers , and because of that i had apprehensions about seeing henry . i was n't sure i wanted to see the story of multiple murderer henry lee lucas portrayed as some kind of nihilistic hero / antihero . thankfully , that 's not the way henry works . the director , john mcnaughton , took a small budget and a gallery of actor friends and created a chilling and intelligent piece of work . it does n't provide cheap - jack explanations for henry 's behavior : it shows him up for what he is , an unrepentant and un - idolizable man who killed when the mood struck him . at the film 's opening , henry 's friend ottis toole has a sister , who comes by to stay while she tries to find work in chicago . in a viciously riveting scene , he admits matter - of - factly to having murdered his own mother , and she covers his hand with hers . they are damned together from that moment on . henry and ottis eventually begin to kill for fun . the movie is especially good at showing how they seem to have drifted casually into it : there 's a scene where the two go to buy a new tv . the pawnbroker they talk to goads henry with ugly words , and henry responds by stabbing the man to death with a soldering iron . no preface -- it smashes into us as suddenly as it does the broker . in a scene which many damned the movie for , unseen , they steal a video camera and film the murder of a whole household , playing it back over and over again for their own enjoyment . the movie itself , however , does not glorify the killings , but shows instead that henry feels no joy at his work , only irritation . henry succeeds thanks to excellent writing and direction as well as acting . michael rooker is credible as henry from the first frame , just standing there , and the rest of the cast works by being unaffected and casual as well . the producers had originally comissioned a slasher film from mcnaughton , but he decided to give them something more memorable , and consequently the film nearly did n't see release . the film does not glorify or justify -- it just shows us , with unflinching coldness , what henry was . i 'm hard pressed to see how anyone can see this and consider henry any kind of " victim " or " hero " . then again , probably , so would henry .

1POS

a small budget and a gallery of actor friends and created a chilling and intelligent piece of work . it does n't provide cheap - jack explanations for henry and ottis eventually begin to kill for fun . the movie is especially good at showing how they seem to have drifted casually into no joy at his work , only irritation . henry succeeds thanks to excellent writing and direction as well as acting . michael rooker is credible as henry from the first frame , just standing there

you do n't have to know poker to like " rounders , " but it might help . that a great deal of this sharp little drama is set in the back rooms of new york 's cardshark underground astoundingly does n't limit its accessibility , even for those who ca n't tell royal and straight flushes apart . " rounders " ' success , then , is owed to its proficient cast and intriguing portrayal of a world not many viewers will be familiar with . the dialogue may be filled with terms that only true players will grasp , but you do n't have to speak the language to understand the words - a statement that pretty much sums up the effectiveness of the whole show . matt damon , fresh off his " good will hunting " hot streak , is perfect for the role of mike mcdermott , a young law student with a tremendous gift for gambling . but after losing all of his tuition money in a killer high - stakes match with russian poker aficionado teddy kgb ( john malkovich , deliciously hammy ) , he shifts his focus to scholarly matters , leaving his true area of expertise far , far behind . things change , however , when mike 's old buddy worm ( edward norton ) re - enters his life - it seems worm , just out of jail , owes a hefty sum to nasty thugs , and is counting on his friend 's superlative skills to help him pay off the debt . that " rounders " ' story quickly molds itself into a conventional , predictable tale of redemption does n't hinder its potency . director john dahl , infamous for his neo - noirs " red rock west " and " the last seduction , " gets extremely convincing mileage out of the been - there , done - that plot mechanics by trumping up the relationship between mike and worm . damon and norton bring so much to their roles that they 'd be worth catching even if " rounders " ultimately folded , but the movie ups its fascinating ante by contrasting their wildly different ways of winning . any sequence where the two men sit at the table together is an unarguable highlight . if only the other character interaction was as successful , " rounders " might merit consideration when it comes time to number the year 's best films . current " it girl " gretchen mol is sweetly appealing as mike 's girlfriend jo , aware and weary of his seedy past , but her scenes with damon number too few to be very effective . john turturro 's aging mentor and famke janssen 's tempting siren , both interesting sketches , are hampered by the same limited screen time . and as a wizened judge , the great martin landau makes memorable a role that 's mostly a plot device - he 's on hand mostly to sort - of save the day and provide a voice for " rounders " ' moral . that moral , by the way , is " our destiny chooses us , " and it 's something of a surprise when " rounders " supports this solemn proverb by eschewing the conclusion you might expect ; mike does learn from his mistake , but neither the mistake nor the way he learns from it is what it initially appears to be . in the end , " rounders " sees gambling as less a mere addiction than a potential art form , but the poker itself is only a metaphor for a much larger picture . the road to true fulfillment lies within the realization and exercising of your natural passions , the movie espouses , no matter what they might be . here , low - rent lowlifes like worm just are n't cut out for the cards . screenwriters david levien and brian koppelman entertain and educate in their quest to vividly render a culture that 's often generalized by movies ; even complete poker neophytes should cross the line from observers to participants when the movie gets to its concluding game scene . inside every adventurous filmgoer , there is a desire to be taken someplace new and exciting , and that 's the precise allure of " rounders . " it ultimately matters not that a few of our tour guides feel partially - realized or that the journey itself is cluttered with sites we 've seen before , because the final destination is a satisfying one . in the end , " rounders " holds a winning hand .

1POS

" ' success , then , is owed to its proficient cast and intriguing portrayal of a world not many viewers will be familiar with off his " good will hunting " hot streak , is perfect for the role of mike mcdermott , a young law student with a rock west " and " the last seduction , " gets extremely convincing mileage out of the been - there , done - that plot the relationship between mike and worm . damon and norton bring so much to their roles that they 'd be worth catching even if " rounders other character interaction was as successful , " rounders " might merit consideration when it comes time to number the year 's best films . current " it girl " gretchen mol is sweetly limited screen time . and as a wizened judge , the great martin landau makes memorable a role that 's mostly a plot device - he 's on hand mostly to sort - of for the cards . screenwriters david levien and brian koppelman entertain and educate in their quest to vividly render a culture that 's desire to be taken someplace new and exciting , and that 's the precise allure of " rounders . " it ultimately matters not that is cluttered with sites we 've seen before , because the final destination is a satisfying one . in the end , " rounders " holds a winning hand .

melvin van peebles ' " sweet sweetback 's baadasssss song " was a watershed moment in the history of american cinema and the black movement . it was released less than a decade after the civil rights movement had begun and almost twenty years before the rodney king incident . its violent and highly sexualized revenge tale of a macho black hustler fighting back against white oppression and winning was something that had never been seen on an american movie screen before . in style , content , and how it was conceived and produced , " sweet sweetback " was a cinematic revolution , whether or not one agrees with its subject matter . van peebles , a black american who first gained recognition by writing novels in france , built " sweet sweetback " from the ground up almost entirely by himself . because no studio would dare fund such a film , he was forced to raise all the money himself . the movie ended up costing about $ 500 , 000 , part of which was put up by none other than bill cosby . van peebles cut costs by hiring non - union labor and taking on most of the film 's responsibilities himself . he wrote the script , scored the music , edited and directed the film , as well as starred in the central role . he was also a brilliant entrepreneur who always found a way to make an extra buck . for instance , when the mppa slapped the film with a dreaded x - rating , van peebles not only threatened to bring a lawsuit against jack valenti and the mpaa , but he also developed a little marketing scheme : he coined the phrases " rated x by an all - white jury , " which he put on the movie posters to help advertise the film . he also printed the phrase on tee - shirts which he had no problem selling . the storyline in " sweet sweetback " is deceptively simple . it takes place in los angeles , and van peebles stars as the title character , a tough male hustler of few words who grew up in a brothel , and makes money by doing what he does best : having sex . one day , he agrees to go with a couple of amiable white cops down to the station to make it look like they 're bringing in suspects on a politically - charged case involving murder . however , on the way to the station the cops arrest a young black revolutionary named mu - mu ( hubert scales ) , who they proceed to beat viciously . acting out of complete impulse rather than political motivation , sweetback fights back and beats the cops to the brink of death . the rest of the film follows sweetback as he evades the cops on his way to eventual escape in mexico . although the repetition of watching sweetback run gets a little old by the end of the film , this plot allows van peebles ' camera to roam the darker side of l . a . - the ghettos , alleys , and back - street whorehouses that other films had always overlooked . van peebles ' entire point in making the movie was to secure on celluloid a vision of the black experience in america that other filmmakers had ignored . at the beginning of " sweet sweetback , " he offers this epigraph , which is a traditional prologue used in medieval times when a messenger brought bad news : " sire , these lines are not an homage to brutality that the artist has invented , but a hymn from the mouth of reality . . . " van peebles wanted to make sure that his vision was one of reality , not of exaggeration . of course , with today 's abundance of rap and hip hop music that sings the same ode to black inner - city life , as well as films by spike lee , john singleton , and the hughes brothers , " sweet sweetback " does n't seem all that revolutionary . it is important to remember that this film must be viewed in the context and time period in which it was made . at that time , " sweet sweetback " was so controversial that only two theaters in the entire united states would play it . distributors were petrified of a film that , in van peebles ' words , gave the black audience " a chance to see some of their own fantasies acted out - about rising out of the mud and kicking ass . " of course , once it caught on , it caught on big . " sweet sweetback " is now considered to be the film that kicked off the blaxploitation era , although van peebles disassociates " sweetback " from other movies like " shaft " ( 1972 ) and " the mack " ( 1973 ) , because those were financed by big hollywood studios . " sweet sweetback " is also the only film deemed mandatory viewing by the black panthers . however , even if when viewed from an african - american perspective , " sweet sweetback " is certainly not without its controversies . when it was first released , an article was published in " ebony " magazine denouncing the film , while at the same time the black panthers used an entire newsletter to praise it . there have been arguments that the victory for sweetback is really no victory at all - beating cops and then running away to mexico is nothing to be proud of . others have pointed out that sweetback has little to say throughout the film ; he has no political motivations , and therefore the violence and havoc he wreaks is not rooted in fundamental beliefs , but in personal and selfish motives . still others point to the clich ? black potency that stereotypes sweetback as being good at nothing but having sex , illustrated in a scene where he gains the respect of a white biker group by bringing their female leader to orgasm . nevertheless , a movie like " sweet sweetback " can not be made without conflicting points of view . it is a revolutionary movie not because it 's about one man 's defiance , but because it put front - and - center black issues that had never been dealt with before . until that point , american cinema was an almost exclusively white domain , and with the exception of sidney poitier , all black actors were relegated to specifically black roles that were important only in relation to whites . the fact that " sweet sweetback " was a movie by black about blacks , was something new ( in the opening credits , van peebles lists the starring actors as simply " the black community " ) . van peebles tells an interesting story that goes a long way toward defining the difference between " sweet sweetback " and all movies that had come before it . when the movie first opened , he saw it in a theater next to an older woman . near the end of the film , when sweetback is wounded by the police and stumbling through the southern california desert , she kept saying to herself , " oh lord , let him die . do n't let them kill him . let him die on his own . " it was so ingrained in her mind that death was imminent for any african - american in a movie who rebelled against white authority , that she could n't even conceive of the possibility that the film might end with his successful escape . and , of course , sweetback does escape , and the screen fills with the message : " watch out ! a baad asssss nigger is coming back to collect some dues . " beyond the political aspects , " sweet sweetback " is an entertaining picture , which van peebles always intended it to be . he squeezed every drop out of his limited budget , and produced a film that , although dated now , was technically fantastic at the time . he shot in rough , documentary - like fashion , while also utilizing almost every visual and aural trick his technology would allow him . he makes good use of older techniques like split screens , freeze frames , reversed color schemes , and overlapping images . the only time the film ever looks bad is during the night sequences , because van peebles simply did not have the needed equipment . watching " sweet sweetback " more than twenty - five years after its initial release , one realizes that it still has bite . arguments can be made that race relations in the united states have made quantum leaps since the early seventies , but there are still problems that are reflected in this film . but there is more to the film than its racial aspect . the legacy of " sweet sweetback 's baadasssss song " is not only the plentiful amount of art and music told from the african - american perspective , but more importantly , the work of every artist who has fought to fund and produce that which is important to him .

1POS

was conceived and produced , " sweet sweetback " was a cinematic revolution , whether or not one agrees with its subject matter simply " the black community " ) . van peebles tells an interesting story that goes a long way toward defining the difference between beyond the political aspects , " sweet sweetback " is an entertaining picture , which van peebles always intended it to be . and produced a film that , although dated now , was technically fantastic at the time . he shot in rough , documentary - like fashion

there seem to be two reactions to dark city . you either love it or you are unimpressed . count me as a " love it . " as good as the crow and spawn are , dark city is better . where the former two have a specific comic - book following , the latter is an original work with the potential for broader appeal . it has a similar look to the others , but dark city is much more thoughtful and much less violent . not clever or complex , the story is still fascinating , like a selection from the twilight zone . a man ( rufus sewell ) is awakened in his bathtub by a man with a syringe . surprised , the attacker runs off . the dazed man gets out of the tub and finds a woman 's body in the room . a mysterious caller warns him to leave the apartment immediately , so he packs some clothes and leaves , never sure why he 's leaving or what he 's fleeing . ghoulish figures in long coats recognize the man and chase him through the dark city , hounding him like figures in a nightmare . an odd blast of willpower allows the man to dream himself free from his pursuers long enough to check his i . d . the amnesiac learns that he is not dreaming and that his name is john murdoch . now if only he could remember the rest of his life . . . . dark city is good on many levels . first , the look of the movie is excellent . give credit to production designers george liddle and patrick tatopolous for creating a coherent look from diverse elements . there are visual elements from the american 1920s-60s , mixed with dickens - era urban industrial elements . it is all pulled together in a sad , dark look reminiscent of the diner in edward hopper 's painting , nighthawks . proyas ' use of models gives an appropriately eerie unreality to the film 's world ( for not only does the audience see the city a model , but so do the ghouls ) . the look is like a cross between tim burton 's batman and the bleak animation of the brothers quay . second , the editing of the film is good . the pacing is on track , and the plot is revealed , the " amnesia " explained , in satisfying increments . also , the stylized editing within each scene gives the movie a tense , caffeinated look . third , the special effects are well used . they look good , but more importantly , the right effects are used for the right job . one example stands out in my mind : the coated figures who haunt the city can attack telekinetically . a simple ripple effect is used . a more showy effect could have been chosen , but then it would have just been gratuitous . restraint was shown where necessary , letting the more critical effects look more impressive . finally , like gattaca , dark city spends a just a little effort striving for mythical significance . unlike gattaca , the story is just open - ended and non - literal enough to be successful . john murdoch 's recovery from amnesia is tied to the passing of the night , and the hopeful coming of the dawn . his struggle with amnesia is both figuratively and literally the struggle of all mankind ( at least in his world ) . when we finally see the big picture of the movie 's world , it is as mysterious as the iroquois image of the world being carried on the back of a giant turtle . a few minor flaws keep me from giving this movie the same perfect score roger ebert gave , but i do strongly recommend it , for its look , its pace , its story , and its timelessness .

1POS

. you either love it or you are unimpressed . count me as a " love it . " as good as the crow and spawn are , dark a specific comic - book following , the latter is an original work with the potential for broader appeal . it has a similar look to the others , but dark city is much more thoughtful and much less violent . not clever or complex , the story is still fascinating , like a selection from the twilight zone . a of his life . . . . dark city is good on many levels . first , the look of the movie is excellent . give credit to production designers george liddle and patrick tatopolous for creating a coherent look the bleak animation of the brothers quay . second , the editing of the film is good . the pacing is on track , and the plot , caffeinated look . third , the special effects are well used . they look good , but more importantly , the movie the same perfect score roger ebert gave , but i do strongly recommend it , for its look , its pace , its story

for the first reel of girls town , you just ca n't get over lili taylor . is it possible to remain unperturbed that a woman of this age is playing a high school student ? harder still , can you avoid astonishment at how perfect she is in the part ? with the sure , showy expertise of a de niro , taylor imbues unwed mother patti with all the faux fuck - you confidence she can muster . it 's a deeply felt , dead - on performance , and by the halfway point you 've forgiven taylor her own maturity . for all its verite pretenses , girls town is less about a bunch of high - schoolers than it is about a movie director and a cadre of writer - performers examining their own feelings about rape , relationships , and american womanhood . the movie 's opening scenes sketch an easy friendship between a group of four smart / sassy high school outsiders on the verge of graduation : patti , angela ( bruklin harris ) , emma ( anna grace ) , and nikki ( aunjanue ellis ) . but about 10 minutes into the film , we get word that nikki has swallowed a fistful of pills and bowed out of life . the remaining girls manage to smug nikki 's diary out of her grieving mother 's home , and page through it at patti 's place , investigating the root of nikki 's despair . what they find is cruel and galvanizing -- nikki had been raped by an editor at a newspaper where she interned , and was privately questioning the sanity and value of a world where such a thing could happen . shell - shocked by the truth of the matter , the three girls begin to talk among themselves and come to a realization about their own lives . emma says she was raped last year on a date with a football player . patti 's barely sympathetic , wondering what the hell emma thought she was doing with her shirt off in a jock 's car . and anyway , patti 's had her own share of guys who would n't take no for an answer . pained , acrimonious debate ensues as the trio grow more and more angry -- angry about the impossibility of saying no , and angry with themselves for being weak , for being naive , for putting up with it . " why do we put up with it ? " emma finally asks , once the argument has reached a fever pitch . " we try to talk about it , and look what happens . we fight for 20 minutes . " there 's the admirable crux of this picture . girls town is a political film , in that it calls for action . but it 's incomplete - it 's never quite sure how to justify that action , or what form it should take . the trio become crusaders for their right to dignity , and it 's surely one of this year 's most stirring movie moments when emma lobs a concrete block through the passenger - side window of that damn jock 's car ( doing the right thing ? ) . they hang out in the bathroom , chatting incessantly and scrawling slogans and naming names on the door to a toilet stall . " subvert the patriarchy , " emma writes , and then starts a hall of shame list underneath that other students begin to contribute to . the girls silence their hecklers , take revenge on the deadbeat father of patti 's child , and eventually come face - to - face with nikki 's tormentor . still , the movie has a desperately unfinished quality , and none of these subsequent exploits is particularly satisfying . ( you keep waiting for someone to call the cops on these brazen girls , but nobody thinks of it . ) perhaps searching for a resolution missing from the material at hand , the film borrows its epigraphs from audre lorde and queen latifah ( " who you callin ' a bitch ? " ) . the points are well taken , but they should have been unnecessary . long on characterization but a little short on story , girls town is less than it could have been , and too self - congratulatory for my own taste . director jim mckay is best known as a consort of r . e . m . 's michael stipe ( he directed the nearly unwatchable tourfilm for that band ) , and girls town is his first foray into feature filmmaking . the movie was created and scripted by committee , but mckay and his lead performers had to shoot on a shoestring when , predictably , the group could n't secure funding . then again , girls town on a budget would hardly be the same film . the movie 's slapdash quality is key to its significance . truth be told , all three of the leads look too wise for high school , but that 's ok -- there 's a once - removed quality to their fine , spontaneous performances , as the women take a very skillful look back at the girls they once were , the girls they wish they had been , or some combination . for all its flaws , this one gets extra points for having its uncertain head and heart in the same noble place .

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fuck - you confidence she can muster . it 's a deeply felt , dead - on performance , and by the halfway point you 've forgiven taylor we fight for 20 minutes . " there 's the admirable crux of this picture . girls town is a political film -- there 's a once - removed quality to their fine , spontaneous performances , as the women take a very skillful look back , or some combination . for all its flaws , this one gets extra points for having its uncertain head and heart in the same noble place .

" the fighting sullivans " contains a major plot development in the last ten minutes that every movie guide has seen fit to give away . there was no dramatic tension for me while watching the film , as i knew exactly what was going to happen . and that 's the worst thing that can happen before viewing a movie . because of this , i will tread lightly so i do n't ruin it for anyone reading this review , and it would be very advisable to avoid all other material regarding this film until after you have seen it . " the fighting sullivans " revolves around a family that consists of a mother , father , sister , and five brothers . the brothers are very close , despite the occasional disagreement . they are inseperable , and never stray from one another . their friendship and loyalty is the foundation of this picture . the first half of the movie follows the brothers as young children , and their various adventures . when four of them get into a fight with some local boys , the youngest sullivan , who is inside a church at the time , comes running out to assist , but not before properly exiting the chapel . if i 'm being awfully vague about details , it 's because what i have told you is essentially the first hour and a half . all i can say is go watch this film , because it is a fine portrait of a family that sticks together , through the good and the bad . and after you see the movie , you will understand why this review has been written the way it has .

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hour and a half . all i can say is go watch this film , because it is a fine portrait of a family that sticks together , through the good and the bad . and after

big courtroom thrillers have always captivated america . o . j . simpson , tom capano , the menendez brothers . all these names are synonymous to americans and courtrooms . and , of course , courtroom dramas are not a new topic to hollywood . whether it be john grisham 's thrilling novels or television 's famous dramas , the courtroom has always provided big bucks . so when i rented a civil action , i was expecting the film to be like the rainmaker , a brilliant law film that kept viewers on the edge of their seat . however , what i saw in a civil action was far different from what i expected , a major surprise , but fortunately , a pleasant one . john travolta always seems to come up big when you least expect it . no one expected him to light up the screen in grease , nor in saturday night fever . but , whenever he gets knocked down , he always seems to come back fighting . a civil action is not john 's best performance , but a strong one that could rival any performance in 1998 . travolta proves that a normal and believable performance can vault a film into oscar nominations . his performance is not flashy , nor memorable , just solid . if he delivered the only solid performance , this film would still be average . luckily , he has a strong supporting cast . william h . macy is probably one of the most underrated actors in hollywood . he continues to deliver great performances one after the other , but he is still regarded as a secondary actor . in a civil action , he delivers yet another great performance as travolta 's paranoid and greedy accountant . he is not a lovable character , but a character who stands out in your mind whenever you think of the film . he is not one of the big time lawyers , just a measly accountant . but , he delivers one of the best supporting roles of 1998 , but there is actually someone better in a civil action . robert duvall is also an underrated actor . he gets many leading roles , but is never heard when you hear of big box office draws like tom hanks , brad pitt and jim carrey . duvall has a supporting role in this as a lawyer of the co - defendant . duvall is magical in this role . he is the wise teacher , who not only battles it out in the courtroom , but also manages to teach every major player a lesson , in his own twisted way . in many non - comedic films , directors are always trying to find a way to implement a touch of comedy , to keep the audience on their toes . unfortunately , they usually just key in on one character whose main objective is to be funny ( jar - jar binks , anyone ? ) . however , this usually backfires because the character is never fully developed . this is not the case in a civil action . they have comedy coming from all sides . whether it be duvall 's inane questions or macy 's sharp anger , the laughs come in a steady pace . granted , it 's not roll in the aisle funny , but it provides a nice addition to the film . the plot is terrific- somewhat . the setup is nice with the film actually starting with a victory in the courtroom . then the case that will make or break jan ( travolta ) 's career rears its ugly head . they find out the goldmine involved with the case and wind up taking it . however , budgets soon flounder and jan finds himself in deep debt . i will not spoil the rest , although i must speak of the one downside to the film . the courtroom debates are great , but the actual problem they are fighting for is never fully explored . it left me somewhat confused , although the rest of the film is terrific . all in all , john travolta is back yet again in this great film . his supporting cast , consisting of macy and duvall , turn in tremendous performances , which ease the load on travolta . the film is smart , witty and thought provoking . not only does it gauge in - court battles , but also the various tolls it can take on the major players . a civil action provides everything a drama lover craves .

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civil action was far different from what i expected , a major surprise , but fortunately , a pleasant one . john travolta always seems to come up big when civil action is not john 's best performance , but a strong one that could rival any performance in 1998 . travolta proves that a normal and believable , this film would still be average . luckily , he has a strong supporting cast . william h . macy is probably one of the most underrated actors in hollywood . he continues to deliver great performances one after the other , but he is still regarded as a secondary actor . in a civil action , he delivers yet another great performance as travolta 's paranoid and greedy accountant . he is time lawyers , just a measly accountant . but , he delivers one of the best supporting roles of 1998 , but there is actually someone better in a civil action . robert duvall is also an underrated actor . he gets many leading roles , but is never this is not the case in a civil action . they have comedy coming from all sides . whether it be duvall 's inane questions or macy not roll in the aisle funny , but it provides a nice addition to the film . the plot is terrific- somewhat . the setup is nice with the film actually starting with a victory in the one downside to the film . the courtroom debates are great , but the actual problem they are fighting for is somewhat confused , although the rest of the film is terrific . all in all , john travolta is back yet again in this great film . his supporting cast , consisting of macy and duvall , turn in tremendous performances , which ease the load on travolta . the film is smart , witty and thought provoking . not only does it gauge in - court battles can take on the major players . a civil action provides everything a drama lover craves .

time bandits , from director terry gilliam , is a very different fantasy action / adventure movie about a group of time - traveling dwarves , led by randall ( david rappaport ) , who have stolen a map of the universe . this map contains time hole , that , if exploited , enable the men to travel back and forth through time . the supreme being of the universe ( ralph richardson ) is the former employer of these treasure - seeking bandits , and he wishes desperately to regain the map . . during the travels , he appears as a ghostly face , demanding that they return the map that they have stolen . but , according to randall , they are just " borrowing " it . kevin , a young boy who seems quite bored with his life , is unexpectedly brought into the schemes of the little men when they appear in his room , which has a portal for time traveling . he joins up with the men and becomes part of their gang , following them on their robberies . their first victim is napoleon ( ian holm ) , whom they rob during a battle that he is commanding . from here , the group travels to the middle ages , meeting up with robin hood himself . eventually , kevin is separated from the group and travels to an egyptian time where he is taken in by king agamemnon , played by sean connery . kevin accidentally saved the king 's life , and the king wishes to have kevin as his son . but the group of bandits find kevin and transport onto the deck of the titanic . meanwhile , the evil genius ( david warner ) is watching the group from fortress of ultimate darkness , attempting to find a way in order to bring the men , and the map , to him . when randall learns of the fortress of ultimate darkness , which supposedly contains " the most fabulous object in the world " , the dollar signs seemingly appear on his eyes , as he is convinced that they must travel there . once inside the fortress of ultimate darkness , it is unclear as to if any of the men will make it out alive . time bandits is a fantastically made film that caters to the imagination of anyone . with a terrific soundtrack , courtesy of george harrison , whom also was an executive producer , time bandits is sure to be a very surrealistic , time - traveling adventure with unforgettable characters that is sure to entertain anyone . terry gilliam , however , does not utilize that greatly his trademark ability in moviemaking during this film , although this does not affect the film that greatly . and finally , if you liked labyrinth , you 'll love time bandits .

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made film that caters to the imagination of anyone . with a terrific soundtrack , courtesy of george harrison , whom also was an executive producer , time bandits is sure to be a very surrealistic , time - traveling adventure with unforgettable characters that is sure to entertain anyone . terry gilliam , however , does not utilize that

it seemed wholly appropriate that at a weekend screening of " the horse whisperer , " the start of the film was delayed some twenty minutes due to " projection difficulties . " robert redford 's film version of nicholas evans ' best - selling novel was supposed to have been in theaters last december , going head - to - head with " titanic , " but is only now making its much anticipated debut . this ( strategic ? ) delay has allowed " the horse whisperer " to compete , sans fanfare , against some smaller , unassuming movies during a relatively slower time at the box office . no matter . redford 's film stands head and shoulders above james cameron 's ocean - going tragedy , especially in the writing and acting departments . whatever the reasons for its postponement , " the horse whisperer " supports the old adage " better late than never . " redford has taken evans ' book and given it the big screen treatment . while parts of " the horse whisperer " are epic in scope and vision , especially the aerial " travelogue " that maps out this great country of ours , its real strength lies in the subtleties it uses to paint the fragile alliance between man and beast . when her daughter , grace , is involved in a terrible riding accident , hard - driven fashion editor annie maclean ( kristin scott thomas ) devotes herself to rehabilitating both grace and grace 's beloved horse , pilgrim . refusing to have the hideously disfigured animal put down , annie researches every possible source of information about equine cures before discovering an article about a faith - healing cowboy of sorts called tom booker ( redford ) , who has a way with horses and , perhaps , with people too . undeterred by tom 's initial reluctance to get involved , annie drives grace and a sedated pilgrim across country to meet him , and finally persuades tom to work with the uncontrollable animal . redford 's film unfolds slowly and lovingly , echoing the patience required in healing both physical and psychological wounds . the film 's a little long and , even if you have n't read the book , it 's pretty obvious where it 's heading -- but these are minor complaints . redford and thomas are strong and convincing as the couple drawn by a mutual affection for the great outdoors and each other , but it 's scarlett johansson as grace who shines in a more difficult role . dianne wiest , chris cooper ( " lone star " ) , and sam neill -- better than i 've seen him before -- round out the respectable supporting cast . and the director 's respect for horses is clearly in evidence . one word of warning , however : while brilliantly shot , the accident scene , involving an out - of - control truck , is extremely disturbing . redford 's canvas is huge and exquisite . he does n't hesitate to incorporate vast , sprawling vistas of the american northwest : spectacular , snow - capped mountain ranges , azure skies , and shimmering fields of wheat -- all are resplendent in cinematographer robert richardson 's viewfinder . veteran english composer john barry was originally signed to score the film but left the project which is a pity , since " the horse whisperer " is " dances with wolves " by way of " out of africa " ( oscar winners both for barry ) . fortunately , barry 's replacement , thomas newman , contributes a fine score that nicely balances the majesty of montana with the delicate , human conditions -- sonorous , string - laden passages that swell with pride playing counterpoint to more poetic , introspective movements ripe with nuance . " the horse whisperer " is that rare kind of movie : it looks good , it feels good , and by golly it does you good . the wait , it turns out , was well worth it .

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the box office . no matter . redford 's film stands head and shoulders above james cameron 's ocean - going tragedy , especially " that maps out this great country of ours , its real strength lies in the subtleties it uses to paint the fragile alliance between but these are minor complaints . redford and thomas are strong and convincing as the couple drawn by a mutual affection for the than i 've seen him before -- round out the respectable supporting cast . and the director 's respect for horses is clearly evidence . one word of warning , however : while brilliantly shot , the accident scene , involving an out - of fortunately , barry 's replacement , thomas newman , contributes a fine score that nicely balances the majesty of montana with the delicate , human conditions ripe with nuance . " the horse whisperer " is that rare kind of movie : it looks good , it feels good , and by golly it does you good . the wait , it turns out , was well worth it .

charlie sheen stars as zane , a radio astronomer who listens for sounds from other lifeforms . when he finally gets one , his boss destroys the tape and fires him . naturally , zane is not ready to give up , and he comes up with an ingenious way to do this himself . he is aided by a young neighborhood kid and they discover that the sound is coming from mexico . so zane goes down there to investigate , and runs into a lady studying why the temperature of the earth has dangerously risen so suddenly . zane is having marital problems at the time , and an offer by her to spend the night with him is very tempting . hearing charlie sheen deliver the line , " i guess there is something to be said for celibacy " is the funniest thing i have ever heard in a movie since matthew broderick discussed asexual reproduction in wargames . this is just the setup , and i do n't want to give too much away , because a large part of the movies fun is the surprises . charlie sheen , who has had a rocky career as of late , is in top form here . he is funny , serious , and determined to accomplish his goal . sheen 's absolutely terrific performance is another big plus to this movie . the story is ingeniously devised by twohy , who also wrote and directed the equally clever cable movie grand tour : disaster in time . the films major flaw is a very slow pace , and not much happens in the earlygoings . viewers may be growing restless for a while , but trust me if you stick around and keep your head in it , you will have a good time .

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there is something to be said for celibacy " is the funniest thing i have ever heard in a movie since matthew broderick discussed asexual reproduction in who has had a rocky career as of late , is in top form here . he is funny , serious , and determined to accomplish his goal . sheen 's absolutely terrific performance is another big plus to this movie . the story is ingeniously devised by twohy , who also wrote and directed the equally you stick around and keep your head in it , you will have a good time .

field of dreams almost defies description . although it 's about baseball , it 's not a baseball movie . although the film is extremely spiritual , it 's not about religion . and although field of dreams is melodramatic , it 's not a tearjerker . to really understand what field of dreams is all about , you have to see it . in the film , kevin costner plays ray kinsella , a baseball fan , ' 60s berkeley graduate , and iowa farmer . one day as he is standing in the middle of his expansive corn fields , ray hears a voice ; it tells him : " if you build it , he will come . " then ray has a vision and somehow concludes that if he builds a baseball field in the middle of his corn , shoeless joe jackson will arise from the dead to play ball once again . and even though it depletes his family 's savings and his neighbors think he 's crazy , ray clears away the corn and builds a baseball field , complete with bleachers and flood lights . " if you build it , he will come . " and lo and behold , shoeless joe does come -- bringing with him several of his dead teammates . and then ray hears the voice again ; it tells him to " ease his pain . " ray thinks this means that he must travel to boston to meet terence mann , an influential and radical novelist from the ' 60s who has since stopped writing and dropped out of society . with great aplomb , james earl jones plays the disillusioned author who joins forces with ray and embarks with him on a magical and spiritual journey . the cast in field of dreams is excellent , especially kevin costner in the lead role . costner gives a quiet , subtle , and moving performance as a man who before building the baseball field had done nothing crazy or spontaneous in his entire life . costner gives ray just the right mix of enthusiasm and idealism to make us believe in his mystic visions and swallow this wondrous fairy tale . amy madigan gives a fine supporting performance as ray 's feisty and loving wife , who against her better judgement supports her husband 's crazy ideas . in her most impressive scene , madigan vehemently argues against book burning at a p . t . a . meeting , displaying the sincere passion of a ' 60s berkeley radical . ray liotta is appropriately eerie and awe - inspiring as the ghost of shoeless joe , the legendary batter who was suspended from baseball for his involvement in the 1919 chicago " black sox " scandal . and finally , burt lancaster is memorable in a small , but important , role as a small town doctor whose professional baseball career was limited to only one inning . field of dreams is a touching fairy tale full of life , wonder , mystery , spirit , and humor . it , for the most part , succeeds in capturing our emotions and suspending our disbelief . ray kinsella 's spiritual quest in pursuit of his dreams proves to be moving and miraculous . but while field of dreams generally avoids excessive melodrama , it unfortunately does at times go overboard , and by the end it gets down - right sappy . in general , however , field of dreams is an emotionally satisfying fantasy -- one i can recommend to everyone but unromantic cynics .

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field of dreams almost defies description . although it 's about baseball , it 's not spiritual journey . the cast in field of dreams is excellent , especially kevin costner in the lead role . costner gives a quiet , subtle , and moving performance as a man who before building the baseball field had and swallow this wondrous fairy tale . amy madigan gives a fine supporting performance as ray 's feisty and loving wife , who against sox " scandal . and finally , burt lancaster is memorable in a small , but important , role as a limited to only one inning . field of dreams is a touching fairy tale full of life , wonder , mystery , spirit , and humor . it , for the most part , succeeds in capturing our emotions and suspending our disbelief . ray kinsella 's spiritual quest . in general , however , field of dreams is an emotionally satisfying fantasy -- one i can recommend to everyone but unromantic cynics .

making a sequel to a widely beloved film is a weighty proposition indeed , especially when the first film is considered by many to be a masterpiece . when it comes to living up to expectations , a filmmaker is almost doomed to some degree of failure . for a sequel to live up to or even surpass the original 's greatness is very rare indeed . and whereas " babe : pig in the city " misses equaling the greatness of its best picture nominated predecessor babe , it is a worthy companion piece . more than that , it is a spectacular work of art that deserves to stand alone in its own right . " babe : pig in the city " warrants the classification of being recognized with such classics like " the godfather : part ii " and " the empire strikes back " as being one of the greatest sequels ever produced . " babe : pig in the city " picks up precisely where " babe " left off . having won the sheep herding competition , farmer hoggett ( james cromwell ) and his pig are elevated to fame status . a series of unfortunate circumstances and hilariously freakish events leads to mrs . hoggett taking babe from the small country farm into the big city . in doing so , the film transports us into a wonderfully imaginative world that simultaneously mirrors and exceeds the creative design seen in the original . " babe : pig in the city " flourishes where so many sequels fail . most sequels simply rehash the events of the first film . not " babe : pig in the city " . this is a completely original tale that offers up a story drastically different than the first . also , by not being content to utilize most of the old characters , this film gives us many new ones to enjoy . in essence , it does n't attempt to copy itself . instead , it strives to achieve an originality of its own . and it succeeds . that 's not to say the familiar is absent . " babe : pig in the city " retains some of the best core elements and characters from the first film . along with babe himself , ferdinand the duck comes along for the ride , as does mrs . hoggett ( one of this decade 's best and most underappreciated comic characterizations , hilariously performed by magda szubanski ) . the three singing mice also make the journey , chiming in with their cute high - pitched vocals . the story structure is also similar as each segment is introduced with title cards read by the aforementioned mice . from there , we are guided once again by roscoe lee browne 's soothingly deep narrative . composer nigel westlake also returns with his whimsical music style that is perfect for cinematic fables such as these . but these elements are simply the frame that surrounds an entirely new painting . while staying at the flealands hotel , babe encounters a veritable ark - full of new animals . monkeys , kittens , and dogs of various breeds and sizes are some of the new " urbanites " that babe befriends , as well as some wonderfully comical pelicans that ferdinand the duck happens to encounter . each character is distinctly unique , some of which are imbued with personal human - like struggles that are endearing and touching . and while this world focuses largely on these animals , we are introduced to two new human characters as well . mary stein plays the owner of the flealands hotel , an animal - loving young spinster who harbors these lost creatures much to the dismaying anger of her fellow neighbors . stein 's landlady is a wonderfully odd caricature . we also meet fugly floom , an old soft - spoken clown who owns many of the animals in the flealands hotel , utilizing them as a part of the act that he performs at different parties and functions . not having known who portrayed fugly floom prior to seeing the film , it came as an unexpected pleasant surprise to see who it was . so as not to ruin this well - kept secret , i wo n't reveal the actor 's identity here . it was a treat indeed to see one of cinema 's legends grace the screen again in what was a superbly gentle and heartwarming performance . the greatest triumph of " babe : pig in the city " is the art direction . simply put -- it bleeds creativity , taking the look of the original film to a whole new level . restricted primarily to a farm the first time around , this second installment creates an entire city , dazzling us with unique fable - like architecture . but the stroke of pure genius by production designer roger ford is his use of our world 's architectural landmarks . designing a skyline that includes the statue of liberty , the sydney opera house , the brooklyn bridge , the hollywood sign and the eiffel tower , ford has created a singular city that encompasses all of our cities ( as seen in the film photo and pre - production drawing to your right ) . added to that , many of this city 's streets are the twin siblings of venice 's gondola - trekked rivers . the metropolis that has sprung from ford 's vision is a wondrous sight to behold . it is a world that you want to walk around in . norma moriceau 's costume designs belong in this world , vibrant in color and style equal to that of the ford 's landscape . most of the costumes are imaginatively cartoonish , with the most exotically grand design going to that of fugly floom 's clown outfit . andrew lesnie 's photography captures these elements with various lighting moods that are beautifully effective in creating the film 's multiple emotional tones . much press fodder has been made over the weeks leading up to the release of " babe : pig in the city " . reports stated that its original cut was branded with a pg-13 rating . these reports were discovered to be false as it was assigned a pg rating . but even so , to be anything harsher than the original ' s g rating had many parents and fans up in arms . by deleting a minimal number of shots , " babe : pig in the city " was eventually given the coveted g rating . although appeased , many fans were still concerned that it would be too dark , fearing that the film may have come to be possessed by tim burton himself . well , to coin a phrase , the reports of " babe : pig in the city " 's death at the hands of a dark , scary , felliniesque interpretation have been greatly exaggerated . granted it has its moments of pseudo - morbidity , but all - in - all " babe : pig in the city " is the funny and charming adventure that everyone was hoping it would be . whatever " dark " moments it may have can be attributed to director george miller ( the " mad max " trilogy , " the witches of eastwick " , " lorenzo 's oil " ) . having served as a producer and co - writer on the first film , miller moves into the director 's chair for this one , putting his own unique sense of style into this budding franchise . the story of " babe : pig in the city " is an enchanting yarn , but one that does n't achieve the emotional or character depth of the original . missing here is the attempt to broach such heady themes as personal identity , an individual 's worth , challenging conformity , and one 's purpose in life . " babe " dealt with this weighty subject matter , creating a timeless fable . " babe : pig in the city " should not have rehashed these themes , but i do wish it would have attempted to explore new ones . this film is not bereft of moral or message as it parallels such issues as urban strife , class differences , sacrificial courage , and so on . but this film 's goals are n't as lofty as the first 's , instead choosing to take a more straightforward approach , allowing its themes to take a back seat to an exciting , sometimes intense , fable adventure that is undeniably clever and inventive . " babe : pig in the city " also decides against developing a relationship to the level of which was present in the first film , specifically the one between farmer hoggett and babe . hoggett 's love for babe , which grew ever so gently , is what gave that film its charming and endearing quality . best exemplified in hoggett 's dance for babe , this moving relationship was truly unique . it is something that i wish would have been present again ( and could have through fugly floom ) , but was not . please understand , these are not negative criticisms , per se ' , but simply statements of what i see as the differences between " babe : pig in the city " being a very good film and the original being a great one . but having said that , these observations are minor critiques at best . as an overall piece , " babe : pig in the city " is a thoroughly enchanting and entertaining fable from beginning to end . sure , it is n't a great film , but it is an excellent one that possesses elements of greatness . it is a film that is magical with its charm and humor , exciting in its adventurous exploits , funny with its dry wit and cute voices , and breathtaking in its presentation . " babe : pig in the city " may not be moviemaking at its absolute best , but it is on level of cinematic quality that is rarely achieved or seen in cinema . as a result , if you choose to let this film pass you by , you will be missing of the year 's best cinematic treats .

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the greatness of its best picture nominated predecessor babe , it is a worthy companion piece . more than that , it is a spectacular work of art that deserves to stand alone in its own right . original . " babe : pig in the city " flourishes where so many sequels fail . most sequels simply rehash the events of the first babe : pig in the city " . this is a completely original tale that offers up a story drastically different than the first it does n't attempt to copy itself . instead , it strives to achieve an originality of its own . and it succeeds . that 's not to say the familiar is absent . " babe : pig in the city " retains some of the best core elements and characters from the first film . along with babe n't reveal the actor 's identity here . it was a treat indeed to see one of cinema 's legends grace the screen again in what was a superbly gentle and heartwarming performance . the greatest triumph of " babe : pig in dazzling us with unique fable - like architecture . but the stroke of pure genius by production designer roger ford is his use of our all " babe : pig in the city " is the funny and charming adventure that everyone was hoping it would be . whatever " of " babe : pig in the city " is an enchanting yarn , but one that does n't achieve the emotional or , " babe : pig in the city " is a thoroughly enchanting and entertaining fable from beginning to end . sure , it is n't a great film , but it is an excellent one that possesses elements of greatness . it is a film that is magical with its charm and humor , exciting in its adventurous exploits , funny with its dry wit and cute voices , and breathtaking in its presentation . " babe : pig in the city " may film pass you by , you will be missing of the year 's best cinematic treats .

let me first say that the conditions that i was forced to watch the matrix under were less than ideal . so i have tried to be as fair as possible considering that my viewing experience was significantly less than ideal . i watched the matrix in a theater that is in serious need of upgrades at the best of times . under no circumstances , should it have ever been allowed to show a big budget special effects laden film like the matrix . this theater , owned by the parent company of one of hollywood 's biggest studios , has n't even graduated into stereo sound yet . the mono sound that the audience was subjected to sounded as if it was coming out of a speaker that was many years past mandatory retirement age . in other words , the sound sucked . as someone used to digital sound in a movie theater , bad sound does n't do anything to add to a film . i 'm not even going to go into the horrible splicing job that the projectionist did putting this film together . there , i 've had my rant , now on with the regularly scheduled review . which sadly wo n't include commentary on the film 's sound which i 'm assuming was spectacular , but i 'm just guessing . my guess on the sound seems like a fairly solid one considering the visual quality of the matrix . it is nothing short of stunning visually . sadly , the rest of the film , while pretty good , does n't quite measure up to the obvious effort that was expended on making this film look so darn good . the matrix has at it 's core a good concept , although it strays into the confusing side more often than i would have liked . keanu reeves plays a computer hacker who is drawn into the frightening realization that reality is just a hoax . it turns out that that many years ago the world was devastated by some sort of disaster . now machines run the planet and humans spend their lives in a sort of incubator , plugged into a computer network . the computers are generating a virtual reality world which is a representation of the earth before it was destroyed . the population of the planet never realizes that their entire life is a hoax and that they really spend their entire lives as comatose . that is except a small band who have discovered this horrible secret and have escaped their virtual prisons . they now spend their lives combating the computers in an effort to expose this lie . reeve 's character , neo , is recruited by this band of rebels led by morpheus ( laurence fishburne ) . newcomer carrie - anne moss and one of hollywood 's most underrated actors , joe pantoliano , join fishburne in the band of freedom - fighters . the action sequences are nothing short of spectacular . this can be attributed as much to the amazing special effects as to many of the actor 's extensive pre - production training in martial arts . this lends itself to some of the best martial arts sequences that you are ever likely to see in a film . when you add this to some of the wild effects in the computer generated world , it all adds up to an eyeful . as i already said , the visuals far outpace the rest of the film . acting in the matrix is not bad , but it certainly is n't real good either . keanu reeves gives his usual fairly emotionless performances . although to his credit , it is one of his better performances . laurence fishburne on the other hand often seemed to forget that he was in a sci - fi action film . more than a few times he delivered his lines as if he thought he was performing in some sort of shakespearean drama . joe pantoliano was a little under used in this film but he made the most with what he had . carrie - anne moss turned out a surprisingly good performance for this her first feature film role . it 's nice to see that she was cast as much for her talent as for her breathtaking looks . you have to give all of the main actors a healthy dose of credit for the work that they obviously put into the physical training for their roles in this film . it was clear that no small effort went into getting the moves down perfectly for the fighting sequences . i also put much of the blame for the somewhat strained performances in the matrix on the dialogue , which was terrible at times . in more than a few places it got way too existential for my liking and at other times it was just plain weird . it almost seems as though the writers were having a difficult time trying to figure out how to explain the concept for the movie . so they decided to make the dialogue as obtuse as possible so that no one could figure out what the heck they were talking about . thereby covering up any leaps of faith that they may have had to make in the departments of logic and believability . my other major complaint with the matrix was with the very unsatisfying ending . the setup for it was hokey and frankly used in many a bad film before . the ending itself was just plain strange . the main reasons to recommend the matrix are the visual effects and computer animation which make this a real treat to watch . while the rest of the film ( acting , dialogue and to a degree plot ) detract from the high production values , they do n't detract enough to prevent me from recommending the matrix as a fun way to spend an evening .

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solid one considering the visual quality of the matrix . it is nothing short of stunning visually . sadly , the rest of the film , while up to the obvious effort that was expended on making this film look so darn good . the matrix has at it 's core a good concept , although it strays into the confusing side more often band of freedom - fighters . the action sequences are nothing short of spectacular . this can be attributed as much to the amazing special effects as to many of the actor 's extensive pre - production training in martial arts . this lends itself to some of the best martial arts sequences that you are ever likely to see in a film . when you add this to some usual fairly emotionless performances . although to his credit , it is one of his better performances . laurence fishburne on the other hand often seemed to what he had . carrie - anne moss turned out a surprisingly good performance for this her first feature film role . it 's . you have to give all of the main actors a healthy dose of credit for the work that they obviously put into the physical the matrix are the visual effects and computer animation which make this a real treat to watch . while the rest of the film ( acting , detract enough to prevent me from recommending the matrix as a fun way to spend an evening .

alchemy is steeped in shades of blue . kieslowski 's blue , that is . with its examination of death , isolation , character restoration , and recovery from loss , suzanne myers ' new independent film echoes the polish director 's internationally - acclaimed 1993 release . language aside , the principal difference between the films is that , while kieslowski took great pains to draw us into the main character 's world , alchemy keeps its viewers at arm 's length . as a result , while we 're able to appreciate the film 's intellectual tapestry , it is emotionally distant . alchemy is divided into three chapters : " charity " , " faith " , and " hope " . while there are common themes and story elements running through all three , the single constant is the main character , a sculptor / russian translator named louisa ( rya kihlstedt ) . when the film opens , she 's living with her painter boyfriend , whom she believes to be cheating on her . following his sudden death in an automobile accident , louisa 's life is thrown into turmoil . events swirls around her , and she ca n't find a source of stability . in her quest to make sense out of her loss , she befriends her late boyfriend 's mistress , visits her ill sister , and , eventually , abandons her old life by joining a " back - to- nature " cult . alchemy successfully explores a variety of compelling issues . in addition to asking the basic question of how a person should cope with the unexpected death of a loved one , it probes beneath the surface of concepts like the importance of faith in the healing process , the meaning of love , and the nature of art . does personality restoration come through interacting with others or escaping from the familiar ? are artistic epiphanies the result of focused solitude or of living life , with all of its various distractions , to the fullest ? myers ' challenge is to make these subjects , art film staples , engrossing in a new context . through louisa 's struggles , she succeeds . while alchemy is n't always emotionally appealing , it never loses its fascination . even when we 're not connecting with louisa , who is often more of a locus for ideas than a fully - developed personality , there 's enough material on - screen to hold our attention . the cinematography is stunning . city scenes are tinted with blue , adding a cold , bleak dimension to the film 's early portions . later , when louisa reaches the " wilderness " , we 're treated to a dazzling array of autumnal splendor -- brightly - colored leaves in the trees and on the ground . it 's a startling - but - effective visual contrast that emphasizes the changes taking place in louisa 's life as she travels the road back to emotional stability . the title refers to the practice of a group of mystical faith- healers who use " alchemy " to provide for the needs of the body and soul . and , although louisa partakes of their peculiar brand of medicine , it 's ultimately love and companionship , not alchemy , that brings solace . her pain is assuaged only when she lets go of the belief that the inherent safety of being alone is life 's ultimate goal . even though louisa 's final transformation lacks the impact it could have possessed had she been a more vital character , it 's still an intriguing and enlightening process to watch . alchemy is n't pure magic , but , especially during its best moments , it 's close .

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a " back - to- nature " cult . alchemy successfully explores a variety of compelling issues . in addition to asking the basic question of how enough material on - screen to hold our attention . the cinematography is stunning . city scenes are tinted with blue , adding a she been a more vital character , it 's still an intriguing and enlightening process to watch . alchemy is n't pure magic , but , especially

who would have thought ? jim carrey does drama . when i first saw the advertisement for the truman show , i thought , " what a hilarious idea for a movie ! " however , it was an even better premise for a drama . the truman show takes us into a world that revolves around one man . that man is truman burbank ( jim carrey ) . truman has no clue what is really going on in his world and frankly , cristof wants to keep it that way . christof is the " god " of this made - up world . he keeps everything running and gives the actors their roles . there were a few attempts to tell truman about his world , but they failed and life went on as normal . the opening parts of the film introduce to truman 's world . we see what he is doing at his current age , then we get a flashback at his past . it may seem a tad boring , but it is so intriguing that you will fall in love with the film right from the start . the film can be described in one word : weird . it seems like such a simple idea , yet it is something that a majority of us would never think of , but andrew niccol did . it seems like a warped idea , but it is andrew 's idea and he did wonders with it . jim carrey actually lived up to the hype . the hype , whether good or bad , always focused on carrey 's ability to do drama . no one doubted how extraordinary this film could be , the only thing they doubted was carrey . and he showed them all up . jim carrey was snubbed at the oscars . i do not think he was the best actor , but he deserved the nomination . he plays truman burbank , the unsuspecting star of the most popular television show in the world . he has lived a normal life for almost thirty years , but then strange things start happening . he ventures into the wrong elevator . a light crashes in front of him . his father comes back and is then pulled away . we are constantly teased with all of this and we know it is a show , but truman does not . and it is just a constant progression that never gets sluggish . carrey is able to shed his comedy to play a major role in a major drama . laura linney is magnificent as the camera hungry wife . she plays her role as advertiser and budding star to a point . peter weir does not make the cast perfect , and their flaws eventually lead to truman 's escape . the story unfolds until the show becomes too big and everything crashes down . despite carrey 's greatness , the best performance in the truman show undoubtedly is turned in by ed harris , who plays the " god " of truman 's world . he displays the pressure he is under , the world he has created . he becomes so paranoid that he believes he is a god and that truman has him to thank for his sham of a life . the action moves at a good pace , and rarely gets sluggish . but , the main point of the film is how it looks like a television show . it really makes you think . maybe your brother is an actor , maybe your best friend is in heated contract negotiations to stay on the show . some of the best parts of the film are when truman ventures into the wrong elevator and sees cast members drinking coffee and talking . or when truman tunes into the wrong station and hears orders being said for truman 's arrival . and when christof focuses in on truman and cues the dramatic music as marlon ( noah emmerich ) delivers his dramatic line . all of these ideas are just perfect for the film and extremely innovative . i was not only enjoying the film , i was overwhelmed by genius of it . overall , the truman show is one of the freshest and innovative films to come out of hollywood . jim carrey shows that he is not just a man of a million faces , but a legitimate actor who could go down as one of the best . andrew niccol is responsible for the screenplay and peter weir pulled it off to perfection . the truman show is a must see for anyone who likes movies in general because they will be thoroughly impressed by this creative film .

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idea for a movie ! " however , it was an even better premise for a drama . the truman show takes us into it may seem a tad boring , but it is so intriguing that you will fall in love with the film right from the start . the film can be described in one word : and he did wonders with it . jim carrey actually lived up to the hype . the hype , whether good or bad , always , but truman does not . and it is just a constant progression that never gets sluggish . carrey is able to shed his comedy to play major role in a major drama . laura linney is magnificent as the camera hungry wife . she plays her role and everything crashes down . despite carrey 's greatness , the best performance in the truman show undoubtedly is turned in by ed thank for his sham of a life . the action moves at a good pace , and rarely gets sluggish . but , the main point of the film is delivers his dramatic line . all of these ideas are just perfect for the film and extremely innovative . i was not only enjoying the film , i was overwhelmed by genius of it . overall , the truman show is one of the freshest and innovative films to come out of hollywood . jim carrey shows that of a million faces , but a legitimate actor who could go down as one of the best . andrew niccol is responsible for the screenplay and peter weir pulled it off to perfection . the truman show is a must see for anyone who likes movies in general because they will be thoroughly impressed by this creative film .

capsule : this is a harrowing look at a rarely dramatized chapter of wwii , life in a japanese prison camp . to end all wars is a moving film about the struggle of prisoners to retain their humanity and their dignity . the somewhat religious interpretation may not be to everyone 's taste . , +3 ( -4 to +4 ) more than any other people the japanese seem capable of acting with one goal and not letting any other consideration get in their way . this may be a holdover from the code of bushido when loyalty to ones master was the only law . during world war ii , of course , the one goal was winning the war . this led them to do some very inhuman things in pursuit of that goal . when the japanese had captured prisoners , they were very much treated in whatever way would be optimum for achieving the one goal . minimum resources were to be spent in maintaining prisoners in keeping with maximal positive output . while the germans , not known for their kindness in those days , had a 6 % mortality rate among captured prisoners of war , the mortality rate of japanese prisoners of war was 27 % . the best thing for the war effort was working prisoners nearly to death on the thailand to burma railroad . that railroad was needed if japan was to attack india as it planned to do . the best thing for the effort was not to waste much food on the prisoners so short and amazingly wretched food was the order of the day . and just being in the jungle without proper medical aid took its toll . in the public mind japan has never been held as accountable for war atrocities as was germany . filmmakers have been reticent to tell the story , perhaps for fear of offending the japanese . there are comparatively few films about the japanese pow camps . certainly there was david lean 's the bridge on the river kwai . there were some low - budget british exploitation films and that was about it . then there were tv series " a town like alice " and " tenko . " lest the experience be forgotten we have a new film to end all wars directed by david cunningham and written by brian godawa . it is based on the account of ernest gordan who survived the horror of that world war ii prison camp and went on to become for 26 years the dean of the chapel at princeton university . the film while realistic shows the conditions in the camp as being considerably more brutal and sadistic than bridge on the river kwai portrayed them . the story opens with six or so soldiers being marched into the prison camp only to be immediately placed in front of a firing squad . it turns out to be a grim joke , one of many that the sadistic japanese play to amuse themselves . beating and torture are commonplace events . men already imprisoned tell the new arrivals to enjoy the last of their health ; it will not last long with parasites and disease almost inevitable . however , unlike as in kwai , the prisoners want to avoid going to the hospital , called by the prisoners the death house . so goes a war within a war with the prisoners trying to maintain their humanity and with the japanese trying to make them interchangeable and highly expendable cogs in a rail - laying machine . this is more than just a battle of who will win the war but a battle of ideologies . the japanese believe that the individual is nothing , that conformity to group 's norms is all that gives a life meaning . conformity is purpose . before the film is over there will be some surprising revelations about the character of the prisoners and the character of those running the camp . if this story showed nothing but sadism from the japanese it would be one kind of story . if the british ( with one american , by the way ) and the japanese learned to respect each other it would be another kind of story . it is neither . it is a stirring and believable account of camp life . the color has been distorted in the film to give a washed out yellow . this serves a double purpose for cunningham . it gives an effect of technicolor film that has been left in heat . it also creates a distancing effect . the only touch that seems a little out of place is the use of gaelic music . this is a powerful and philosophical view of the prison camp experience . i rate it a 9 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +3 on the -4 to +4 scale .

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kind of story . it is neither . it is a stirring and believable account of camp life . the color has been distorted in place is the use of gaelic music . this is a powerful and philosophical view of the prison camp experience . i rate it a

another ' independent film ' , this comedy , which was brought by miramax for $ 5 million , is good fun . favreau and vaughn ( the lost world : jurassic park , 1997 ) play mike and trent , two everyday 20somethings on the lookout for women . the film just basically follows their plight on the lookout for lurve , and along the way we get to meet some of their friends , see their attempts at chatting up girls , and just basically get a insight into their lives . and all of this is great fun . swingers does n't rely on huge special effects , or big name stars to provide entertainment . no , it just has a great script and superb little known actors . the script , by favreau , is great . mike is always missing is girlfriend , who has n't called him for six months , and every time he meets a girl , he always end up telling her about the ex . the audience feels for this pathetic little man , thanks to the great script . vaughn is ' the money ' ( swingers speak for ' the best ' ) as the womanizing trent , always on the lookout for a new girl . some of his chat - up lines are awful , but he always seems to get the girl thanks to his ' hard man ' nature . vaughns character also gets the best laugh in the film , towards the end in a diner . the conversations that go on between mike and trent are great , but it never quite reaches tarantino standards ( which i suspect the film was trying to reach . ) there are some excellent , laugh out loud jokes in the film , and some superbly funny set pieces ( such as favreau cringe - worhy battle with a answer machine that always cut him off before he finishes his sentence . embarrassing to him , hilarious to the audience . ) mike & trents friends are also good , although there characters seem a bit underwritten , and we never really learn as much as we would like about them . although this is primarily mike and trents film , it would of been nice to learn a bit more about their friends . they just seem to wander aimlessly in the background . but again , the lines they say are usually pretty good , and they do have some funny parts . it 's just a shame that they did n't have more meatier roles . the acting is superb . as said above , vaughn is superb as trent , he 's definitely the best thing in the film . favreau is also good , acting as ' the little man ' very well , and the way he always feels sorry for himself is very funny . graham ( boogie nights , 1997 ) has a small but good role as lorraine , a girl mike finally falls in love with . she hardly features in the film at all , but she still manages to make an impact on the audience . swingers , then , is funny , but it does have some flaws . firstly , the running time is a bit too short . the film comes to an abrupt halt , and i actually wanted the film to carry on longer . it never really comes to a satisfying conclusion , which is a shame , as most films are too long ! also , this type of film has been done too many times , such as sleep with me ( 1994 ) . but these small flaws do n't really spoil what is a funny , entertaining comedy .

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was brought by miramax for $ 5 million , is good fun . favreau and vaughn ( the lost world : jurassic insight into their lives . and all of this is great fun . swingers does n't rely on huge special effects stars to provide entertainment . no , it just has a great script and superb little known actors . the script , by favreau , is great . mike is always missing is girlfriend , who has audience feels for this pathetic little man , thanks to the great script . vaughn is ' the money ' ( swingers speak the conversations that go on between mike and trent are great , but it never quite reaches tarantino standards ( which the film was trying to reach . ) there are some excellent , laugh out loud jokes in the film , and some superbly funny set pieces ( such as favreau cringe - worhy battle with a background . but again , the lines they say are usually pretty good , and they do have some funny parts . it shame that they did n't have more meatier roles . the acting is superb . as said above , vaughn is superb as trent , he 's definitely the best thing in the film . favreau is also good , acting and the way he always feels sorry for himself is very funny . graham ( boogie nights , 1997 ) has a but these small flaws do n't really spoil what is a funny , entertaining comedy .

a frequent error is the categorization of a terrorist as a soldier or a common criminal . a soldier commits acts of violence sanctioned by one nation - state against another . a common criminal commits acts of violence for personal gain . a terrorist employs random violence as a means to a political end . if the target nation does not affect the desired change in policy , the violence continues . it is the fear resulting from the fact that the terrorist may strike at anyone ( even total innocents ) , anywhere , at anytime that gives the figure his label . edward zwick 's the siege explores the possibility of this kind of violence taking place right here in the united states . you 'd think the opening bit was ripped right from the headlines . arab terrorists kill american citizens abroad , and the u . s . responds by retaliating against the sheik whom supposedly ordered the attack . however , unlike the real - life tomahawk cruise missile strike against bin laden 's camp and manufacturing facility , the film version depicts special operations troops kidnapping sheik ahmed bin talal . in retaliation , the terrorists bring the fight to the new world . unwittingly involved is fbi assistant special agent - in - charge anthony hubbard ( denzel washington ) , who works out of the bureau 's new york office at one federal plaza . while investigating a series of bombings in the big apple , he encounters cia agent elise kraft ( annette bening ) , also trying to uncover information . generally , the fbi is charged with problems inside the u . s . , while the cia takes care of problems in the international realm . even spies from other countries are off limits to the cia as long as they are in our country . hubbard therefore finds it highly unusual that an agency spook is nosing around what he considers his territory , but as the two form a tentative professional relationship , hubbard becomes more and more aware of an increasingly complicated series of allegiances and possibly illegal actions involving terrorism and the united states government . the original tagline for patriot games was , " there has never been a terrorist attack on american soil . " however true , it was pulled before the movie 's release because it sounded too much like a dare . revisiting the scenario of foreign terrorists committing acts of violence in the united states , the siege is almost an invitation in itself , because it shows just what kind of turmoil could be produced if an effective terrorist network were to set up operations here in america . admittedly , the terror wrought upon new york is a bit excessive ( who 's going to believe that a few bombs are going to cause new yorkers to jump at the backfire of a bus or to curtail their shopping by two - thirds ? ) , but the basic premise is still valid . i liked the fact that this film rises above the basic action - thriller fare of good guy g - men against bad guy terrorists by exploring some of the effects on society and law and order . it provides a very possible hypothesis that violent activity on the part of a few arabs would escalate into a series of hate crimes against the arab - american population , and that in an effort to find the terrorists , the civil liberties of the minority may be violated by the government itself . in fact , about halfway through the film , when the president authorizes the declaration of martial law within new york city , the liberties of all americans are put at risk . although it may actually be a side effect of a terrorist campaign , the demise of social order in america is a scary thought and a goal which would not be beneath many international terrorist groups . throughout , the film maintains a conflict between hubbard , who wants to use the fbi to pursue the terrorists within the letter of the law , and general devereaux ( bruce willis ) , who is in command of the army and of the mind that the greater good would be better served by suspending the law and pursuing the terrorists more forcefully . what results is a fascinating debate over the appropriateness and constitutionality of the declaration of martial law and the invocation of the war powers act , utilizing philosophy and historical examples to make points on both sides . it actually gets rather heady at times , but it 's a credit to screenwriters zwick , lawrence wright , and menno meyjes that they do n't underestimate the intelligence of the audience . i do n't know if it 's his tone or inflection or something else , but denzel washington has a way of spitting out dialog that makes whatever he says sound great . this , combined with his innate acting ability and his experience in playing the mid - level authority figure , makes his performance in the siege convincing and enjoyable . annette bening gives one of the more assertive portrayals of a female character i 've seen recently , and the chemistry she shares with washington is palpable . it 's somewhat unfortunate that her character 's fortitude is broken at a certain point , but it allows us to watch bening play a little more range . bruce willis is pretty much relegated to a tough - guy role , always standing straight , and with a permanent scowl fixed upon his face . however , the tension that exists between devereaux and hubbard is a major drive behind the film 's development . notable is tony shalhoub who plays fbi agent frank haddad , a lebanese immigrant . the role calls for evidencing both a kind of filial pride for his heritage , and contempt for those of his own race who might interfere with his integration into the american society . difficult to say the least , shalhoub does it with a naturalness you can almost reach out and touch . perhaps best known for his role as antonio the cab driver in the nbc sitcom " wings , " shalhoub gained notoriety for his dramatic abilities in the wonderful film big night . whereas denzel washington seems to be edward zwick 's favorite actor ( he directed washington in glory and courage under fire ) , james horner seems to be his favorite composer . i therefore found it odd that zwick chose the prolific score - writer graeme revell ( seven films this year already ) over horner for the siege until i realized that this film contained a lot of arabian - themed music , and horner 's record has shown more of a propensity for scores either neutral in ethnicity or irish - sounding at most . revell does a good job at providing appropriate music to punctuate key scenes and allowing the score to enhance the movie as a whole . it 's nowhere near as intrusive as in some of the other films we 've been getting throughout the year . missteps in the siege can be found in a couple of the excesses it takes . for example , it 's pretty clear throughout that the film is meant to be more of thriller than an action flick . unfortunately , there 's a scene where the army just cuts loose against some arab immigrants in a blatant display of firepower and explosions , obviously meant for the sole purpose of being eye - catching . in the middle of the city ( and against no real opposition ) , zwick even has the army use a cobra attack helicopter to shoot rockets into a building no farther than 50 feet from friendly troops . verisimilitude really goes out the window at that point . the film also gets a little preachy toward the end , focusing on the ability of different races to get along . a noble gesture , the film just puts the message across a bit too obviously . these flaws are glaring , but they do n't detract too much from an otherwise good film that makes you think about issues you may not have considered since history class .

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and pursuing the terrorists more forcefully . what results is a fascinating debate over the appropriateness and constitutionality of the declaration of martial actually gets rather heady at times , but it 's a credit to screenwriters zwick , lawrence wright , and menno meyjes that they level authority figure , makes his performance in the siege convincing and enjoyable . annette bening gives one of the more assertive portrayals of a female character i 've seen recently , and in ethnicity or irish - sounding at most . revell does a good job at providing appropriate music to punctuate key scenes and allowing glaring , but they do n't detract too much from an otherwise good film that makes you think about issues you may not have

very few people would be unaware of beavis & butt - head ( both created and narrated by mike judge ) . they are the two animated mtv characters who have the most annoying laughter know to human kind . you may have seen them on their television program , as they snigger and make lude remarks about women , anything related to sex , and the music film clips that they watch . in beavis & butt - head do america the pair finally make their big screen debut , to the delight of some , and the deplore of others . beavis & butt - head ( yes , those are their real names ) , are two very ugly teenagers with extremely warped minds driven by raging hormones . they live their lives in front of the television . the worst possible event occurs to the pair when their television is stolen . this happens as they sleep , and when they awake it takes them a few minutes just to decipher that the television has gone . beavis even tries to use the remote , though there is no television there . the two spot a van outside and two sinister looking men carrying a television . even at this point they have no idea what has happened . they look around , seeing all the evidence , but are completely oblivious to the fact that these men have just stolen their television . before the movie i knew that they were stupid , but i did n't realise just how stupid . this is typical of their behaviour throughout the film . eventually they realise that their television has been stolen , so they leave their sofa to go search for a television . luck would have it that they stumble into a hotel room ( looking for a television ) where a man is awaiting two guys whose task it is to kill his wife . this man , thinking that beavis & butt - head are the assigned killers , tells them that they can have $ 10 , 000 if they " do his wife " . beavis & butt - head , being the ignorant fools that they are , think that he is offering them $ 10 , 000 dollars to have sex with his good looking wife . they are taken to the airport where they fly to las vegas to " do her " . to them , this is the best day of their lives . not only are they going to lose their virginity ( one of their lifelong aims ) , but most importantly , they will have enough money to buy a big screen tv . inevitably they become caught up in a huge crime , and unbeknown to them , are tracked across the country by the fbi . oddly enough , it is their complete stupidity that spares them from being caught , as a result the fbi is convinced they are criminal masterminds . they end up travelling right across america , visiting places such as the hoover dam and washington dc . the irony is that although they visit so many grand and spectacular locations , their one time out in the big world away from their television , they are completely oblivious to it . at old faithful they are far more fascinated with the infra - red operated urinals than with the geyser itself . beavis & butt - head essentially have the journey of their lives . they even get to meet the president . but all they care about is getting their television back , and losing their virginity . this is one of the many reasons that the film is so funny - it 's unbelievable just how stupid they are , and how they can be so oblivious to everything around them . the humour is certainly crude , but then beavis & butt - head are just that ; crude , lude and rude . in the end you ca n't help but feel sorry for them , a pair of anti - social couch potatoes whose life is television . in this respect , and also with regard to authority ( such as the fbi ) mike judge is quite critical of amercian society . if you are easily offended , or find this pair particularly annoying , steer clear . otherwise , it should keep you laughing the whole way through . one note of warning : do n't take friends who like to imitate beavis & butt - head . . . . . you 'll never hear the end of it !

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virginity . this is one of the many reasons that the film is so funny - it 's unbelievable just how stupid they are , this pair particularly annoying , steer clear . otherwise , it should keep you laughing the whole way through . one note of warning : do n't take friends

let me start off by saying that leading up to the release of the latest bond film , i really was n't looking forward to it as much as i have with some of the previous films . i 'm not sure if it was the fairly lackluster trailers or the ever - present dread that the next film will fall back into the miserable ways of the timothy dalton years . i 'm happy to report that any doubts were erased after about the first 10 minutes of the film . by that point , it was evident that mr . bond was back with a vengeance . all doubts would have probably been erased sooner except for the fact that the first ten minutes of the film were n't exactly a pleasant experience . it seems that nobody told the geniuses working at the theater that the house lights are supposed to be turned off when the movie starts . it took a reminder from an audience member to clue them in . i guess they can be excused though , taking tickets and cleaning up popcorn between shows is extremely taxing on the brain . anyway , after somebody remembered what the light switch was for , i settled in for bond . i think the most noticeable aspect of this , the 19th film in the series , is that it really goes back to the almost tongue in cheek style of the roger moore films . there were probably more one - liners in this movie than in the last several combined . and bond 's last one - liner in the film is about the best of the series . the world is not enough also contained perhaps the most action of any movie of the series . everything from wild boat chases to the usual assortment of cool bond gadgets trotted out just when there seems to be no way out for 007 . for the most part , the action sequences worked very well . although , there were a couple of times that i thought some things were a bit over the top , even for a bond film . i think some of the blame can be laid at the feet of director michael apted . while he did a good job for the most part , there were points in the movie , specifically during action sequences , that he seemed to loose site of the fact that he was making essentially an action film . most noticeably sequences on a snow covered mountain and one involving bond getting through a closing door looked like apted thought he was filming some sort of high brow art movie . he almost seemed like he did n't know what he was doing . but they were brief scenes and really should n't take away from the otherwise solid job that apted did in directing . if you have ever seen a bond film , you wo n't be shocked to learn that plot has never been their strong suit . the world is not enough is no exception . this time we have yet another over villain that bond has to stop for the good of the world . 007 matches wits with the terrorist renard ( robert carlyle ) , a man who has a bullet lodged in his brain that makes him impervious to pain . why this point is included is beyond me . they took great pains to explain his condition , but it only came up later in the movie as a scene that can only be described as looking like an afterthought . anyway , renard , like the typical terrorist that he is , is bent on some harebrained scheme involving a mid - east oil pipeline . i guess world domination just is n't as attractive to terrorists as a money making venture anymore . bond is brought in to protect the pipeline 's owner , elektra king ( sophie marceau ) , who is the daughter of one of renard 's recent victims . along the way , bond has to enlist the help of a nuclear scientist , dr . christmas jones ( denise richards ) , and his old rival valentin zukovsky ( robert carlyle ) . like all bond films , you basically just have to suspend disbelief over the plot , since it is ridiculous beyond words . my biggest complaint would be that it was about the most disjointed of any of the bond films . there was at least one point that i had to stop and try to remember why bond was where he was and why he was doing what he was doing . the buddy that i saw the movie with was completely confused over an earlier kidnapping of marceau 's character . it was alluded to earlier in the movie briefly -- although not included in the film . later , it became a big part of the story and left him with the distinct feeling that he had missed something . but because it is a bond film , the beautiful women and nifty gadgets seem to make you forget about script problems quite quickly . after all , it is n't shakespeare . how about the cast ? brosnan seems to get better with each of his appearances as 007 . i grew up with the roger moore version of bond , so i really enjoyed the lighter style that brosnan brings to the character . judi dench , as m , had a bigger role in this film than in her two previous appearances in the role . she brought the talent with her that one would expect from an oscar winner . robbie coltrane was easily one of the best parts in goldeneye , so it was nice to see his russian mobster character revived in this movie . coltrane gets more screen time , which simply leads to him stealing even more scenes . then there are the bond girls . sophie marceau might be one of the most beautiful actresses working today . there is just something about her breathtaking eyes that makes her a natural to play the innocent victim . those that saw her in braveheart know she is more than just a pretty face . marceau may be the most talented actress to ever play a bond love interest . then we have denise richards . there was no doubt in my mind that she was cast exclusively for her looks . and after you see the outfits she wears , you wo n't have any trouble guessing what part of her anatomy caught the producer 's eyes . i was pleasantly surprised to find that she really did a good job playing a nuclear scientist . admittedly , there was one point that the audience snickered a bit at one of her technical lines of dialogue , but other than that she stacks up ( no pun intended ) to her bond girl predecessors nicely . i must say that the biggest disappointment was robert carlyle 's character . while carlyle did a fine job with the material that he had , his character just never worked for me . the producers tried very hard to add more complexity to his character , but it just never quite got off the ground . i guess i was hoping for a bit more regarding the whole impervious to pain aspect of his character , but the writers decided to play up the emotional side of his character . this might have worked well in another movie , but i do n't go to see bond movies for their deep characterizations . last , but not least , we have desmond llewelyn as q . this is the 17th appearance for llewelyn as bond 's gadget guy , and he is as good as ever . although his screen time has grown far more limited in the past few films , he is still a treat to watch . rumors abound that this may be his last appearance in the role . he says future appearances are up to a higher power . the producers have introduced his protege and future replacement , a bumbling and somewhat pompous character played by comedy master john cleese . while we do n't see much of him in this film , i think it is fair to say that desmond llewelyn 's legacy , whenever it is passed on , will be in very capable hands . so how does it stack up ? despite some problems , the world is not enough is a very entertaining movie . and , all things considered , what problems it does have are small compared to some that have plagued earlier bond movies . this is easily the best of the brosnan films . it may even be the best of the entire series , certainly in the top 3 . one thing is for sure , even after 19 movies , there is still plenty of life left in the james bond series . here 's looking forward to bond number 20 .

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into the miserable ways of the timothy dalton years . i 'm happy to report that any doubts were erased after about the first 10 minutes of the film . by that point , it was evident that mr . bond was back with a vengeance . all doubts would have probably been erased sooner except way out for 007 . for the most part , the action sequences worked very well . although , there were a couple of times that scenes and really should n't take away from the otherwise solid job that apted did in directing . if you have ever seen a bond film , something . but because it is a bond film , the beautiful women and nifty gadgets seem to make you forget about script problems quite quickly there are the bond girls . sophie marceau might be one of the most beautiful actresses working today . there is just something about her breathtaking eyes that more than just a pretty face . marceau may be the most talented actress to ever play a bond love interest . then we have denise richards . there was no 's eyes . i was pleasantly surprised to find that she really did a good job playing a nuclear scientist . admittedly , there was one appearance for llewelyn as bond 's gadget guy , and he is as good as ever . although his screen time has grown far more limited in the past few films , he is still a treat to watch . rumors abound that this may be his last appearance despite some problems , the world is not enough is a very entertaining movie . and , all things considered , what problems it some that have plagued earlier bond movies . this is easily the best of the brosnan films . it may even be the best of the entire