Upcoming Releases
CATCH A FIRE (PG-13) Director Phillip Noyce's latest political thriller, set against a backdrop of South African apartheid, revolves around an everyman who sees the light and becomes active in the resistance. Stars Tim Robbins, Derek Luke and Bonnie Henna. Opens Oct. 29 at local theaters. (Not Reviewed)
SAW 3 (R) More slicing, more dicing, more Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions ostensibly designed to assure those closet sadists amongst us (and let him who is without sin cast the first stone) that torture can be "interesting." You were expecting Shakespeare, maybe? Stars Angus MacFadyen, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell and Dian Meyer. Opens Oct. 29 at local theaters. (Not Reviewed)
TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (PG) Tim Burton's masterpiece of neo-gothic animation (which was actually directed not by Burton but by visionary-for-hire Henry Selick) just keeps getting better and better. The good folks at Disney, never ones to shy away from cashing in on a good thing, have tweaked the film's brilliant digital visuals into a "new" version making use of a new 3D technology that only a few local theaters are currently capable of projecting. That means you may have travel a bit to see this puppy, but, believe me, it's worth it. This might just be the ultimate Halloween classic. Featuring the voices of Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey and Paul Reubens. Opens Oct. 29 at local theaters. 4.5 stars
RECENT RELEASES
THE BLACK DAHLIA (R) A lush homage to all things noir, De Palma's film takes as its springboard James Ellroy's fictionalized account of one of L.A.'s most famous unsolved crimes — the grisly 1947 murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth "Betty" Short — and then proceeds to pump up the darkness to nearly operatic proportions. The Black Dahlia unfolds in an opulently decadent, morally cracked L.A. At the center of the movie is a triangle consisting of the two investigating homicide detectives — a pair of former boxers nicknamed "Fire" and "Ice" (Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart) — and the beautiful hooker-turned-homemaker (Scarlett Johansson) who is their mutual object of desire. The movie practically disappears in its own frantic convolutions by the end, but it hardly matters. De Palma is in top form here, with several brilliantly choreographed set pieces establishing the tone, and a monochromatic palette (by master cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond) that's about as close as a color film can get to black-and-white. Stars Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank and Mia Kirshner. 3.5 stars
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (PG-13) A slacker (Dane Cook) barely working at a Wal-Mart-like megastore has the hots for the cute new employee who looks a lot like Jessica Simpson (Jessica Simpson). The catch is that he's been told she'll only date guys who win the store's coveted "Employee of the Month" award, causing radical changes in slacker-boy's behavior. Also stars Andy Dick, Dax Shepard and Efren Ramirez. Opens Oct. 6 at local theaters. (Not Reviewed)
EVERYONE'S HERO (G) Although it's mostly significant for being the final project of the late Christopher Reeve, Everyone's Hero offers amusing, non-threatening fun that will primarily be appreciated by kids young enough to think Home Alone is the funniest thing on the planet. The titular hero is none other than Babe Ruth himself (voiced by Brian Dennehy), and the film recounts the efforts of a plucky young 10-year-old (Jake T. Austin) to recover and return the Babe's beloved, recently stolen bat. This being an animated children's movie, it turns out that the famous bat can talk, as can a stray baseball the kid finds along the way, and the threesome (boy, bat and ball) soon become fast friends and teach one other valuable life lessons — in between shenanigans. The movie gets away with its anachronistically wholesome, ultra-idealistic feel by setting itself in a kinder, gentler America of the 1930s (where even the bums are apparently cute, clean and well-fed), and the humor here, though frequently physical in nature, is similarly less aggressive and irreverent than what we're used to in our kids' movies these days. You could do worse. Also featuring the voices of William H. Macy, Rob Reiner, Raven-Symone and Whoopi Goldberg. 3 stars
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (R) As in Unforgiven and other key Clint Eastwood films, Flags of our Fathers is about mythmaking and heroes who are not really heroes. There will be those who hail Flags of our Fathers as Eastwood's most "important" movie for addressing this favorite subject in such an epic and obvious way, but it is for exactly those same reasons that the director's new film feels so turgid. The movie's main characters are the three surviving soldiers from the famous photograph of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima (Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach), recruited for a nationwide publicity campaign to beef up the war effort. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding that photograph are considerably fuzzier and less heroic than they seem, and the three soldiers spend most of the movie trying to keep it together while selling an illusion to the public. For 132 rather long minutes, Eastwood and screenwriter Paul Haggis (master of the ham-fist from Crash) lurch back and forth between scenes showing us the chaos and cruelty of war and scenes showing us how that same war is packaged and sold, sanitized into something curiously bloodless. The battle scenes are plenty graphic but the storytelling sputters and sprawls so badly that it's hard to get emotionally involved. The movie's rhythm is all fits and starts, with several characters appearing out of thin air to briefly take center stage (particularly in the last act) and others so sketchily developed that there's an awful lot of agonizing going on here about people we barely know. The production (by Spielberg) screams class and the material begs to be taken seriously, but Eastwood makes his points in the film's first 15 minutes and then essentially just repeats himself. Also stars Barry Pepper, Paul Walker, Jamie Bell and John Benjamin Hickey. 2.5 stars
FLYBOYS (PG-13) Intrepid young American James Franco and a handful of his fellow countrymen join the beleaguered French flying forces struggling to stave off the Germans during World War I. This is being billed as the first WWI aviation film in over 40 years. Also stars Jean Reno, Martin Henderson and David Ellison. (Not Reviewed)
GRIDIRON GANG (PG-13) While it's basically just another spin on Remember the Titans and The Longest Yard, Gridiron Gang, against all odds, turns out to be a somewhat meatier variation on your standard inspirational sports movie. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Sean Porter, the manager of a juvenile correctional facility, who takes a bunch of aimless, angry inmates and gives them something to live for by turning them into a first-rate football team. Most of the requisite clichés are on board here, encapsulated by The Rock's periodic pep talks extolling the virtues of self-esteem, teamwork and "heart," and you can be sure that every one of the movie's scruffy underdogs will eventually get his day — but director Phil Joanou instills Gridiron Gang with some smart touches and an unexpected toughness that make it a lot easier to believe in the film. The movie's grittier, more aggressive grace notes don't completely redeem its warm and fuzzy tendencies, but there's still plenty to like here, and The Rock holds down the center nicely. The guy's no Brando, sure, but as slabs of action-hero beefcake go, his acting chops could make Vin Diesel weep. Also stars Xzibit, Vanessa Ferlito, L. Scott Caldwell and Leon Rippy. 3 stars
HOUSE OF SAND (R) Told over a span of nearly six decades, this curiously dreamlike, unabashedly poetic import obliquely chronicles the survival strategies of three generations of mothers and daughters navigating the hostile deserts of Northern Brazil. Real life mother and daughter Fernanda Montenegro and Fernanda Torres assume those roles on screen and then trade those positions back and forth as the film progresses across the years, positing an oddly mesmerizing meditation on aging, the relationship between humankind and nature, and the cycles of life. Inspired by the legendary arthouse classic Woman in the Dunes, House of Sand tackles some monumental, enormously complex themes in a manner that is starkly minimalist and often nearly wordless. The film is long and very slow and sometimes seems to flirt with pretentiousness, but director Andrucha Waddington also supplies us with a steady stream of passages of terrifying beauty. This is tough stuff, by which I mean to say it's the sort of uncompromised artistic vision that's all too rarely seen on screen these days. Also stars Ray Guerra, Seu Jorge and Luiz Melodia. Opens Oct. 20 at Tampa Theatre. Call theater to confirm. 4 stars
HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS (PG) An 11-year-old boy is threatened by a bully and winds up having to prove himself by scarfing down a fully-stocked buffet of fat, wriggling worms. The title might just say it all, as the movie is basically being publicized as a bunch of kids trying not puke as they consume a series of gross-out recipes including "worm a la mud," "the green slusher," and the always popular "peanut butter and worm sandwich." Fans of MAD magazine and Fear Factor get in line. Stars James Rebhorn, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Tom Cavanagh. (Not Reviewed)
THE ILLUSIONIST (R) Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is a master magician in 19th century Vienna, summoning ghosts from mirrors and commanding orange trees to grow from seeds in seconds. Exploiting the power of art and of the supernatural, the charismatic Eisenheim's cosmic parlor tricks soon gain him a rabid following among the local hoi polloi — putting the magician on a direct collision course with their sadistic, egomaniacal ruler, Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). There's also a beautiful woman (Jessica Biel) in the mix, natch, desired by both men, and so making this royal pissing match all the more personal and vicious. For most of its running time, The Illusionist has the good sense to keep its mysteries exactly as they should be: mysterious. It's a handsomely crafted, pleasant enough diversion, but the film nearly squanders its accumulated good will in a cheap-shot ending that attempts to "surprise" us by tying up every loose end in an elaborate M. Night Shyamalan meets The Usual Suspects bow. Also stars Paul Giamatti. 3 stars
INFAMOUS (R) Douglas McGrath's Infamous — which chronicles the same period in the life of Truman Capote as the one depicted previously in the significantly better Capote — winds up almost completely swallowed by the shadow of its predecessor. McGrath's film navigates pretty much the same bases as the ones covered in Capote — Truman (Toby Jones, nailing Truman's distinctive mannerisms and whiny lisp in a performance/impersonation that exists almost entirely on the surface) travels to Kansas, where his interviews with a pair of killers ultimately put him way too close to his subject — but with a considerably broader, more theatrical style that doesn't particularly suit the story being told. Capote masterfully explored the moral, aesthetic and psychological complications of a writer's possible exploitation of his subject; Infamous seems more interested in the cute sparks resulting from the odd and quintessentially urbane Capote's interaction with the local hicks. As if semiconscious of its own failings, Infamous overcompensates during its second half with some bizarrely bombastic monologues and, most audaciously, a bona fide love connection between Capote and one of the killers (a badly miscast Daniel Craig), but the movie remains a bauble that desperately wants to be taken seriously. And as Truman himself knew all too well, desperation is never very pretty to look at. Also stars Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hope Davis, Peter Bogdanovich, Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini. 2.5 stars
INVINCIBLE (PG) Fans of Remember the Titans and The Rookie are the intended audience of this rags-to-riches sports story from the same studio that brought you those aforementioned flicks. Mark Wahlberg stars as a down-on-his-luck 30-year-old bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles and, against all odds, winds up becoming a star player. Also stars Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rispoli and Kevin Conway. (Not Reviewed)
JACKASS: NUMBER 2 (R) More painful, senseless self-mutilation, crude, public displays of base humiliation, spewing and splattering of bodily fluids and other signposts of the impending demise of Western Civilization. That's entertainment, and it's all in a day's work for our hosts, Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera and Steve-O. (Not Reviewed)
JET LI'S FEARLESS (PG-13) Directed by Ronny Yu (Bride with White Hair) and choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix, Kill Bill), this Jet Li martial arts vehicle (reportedly his last) arrives with some fairly serious credentials. The film, which has already set box office records in Asia, features Li as a legendary kung fu fighter in turn-of-the-century China. Also stars Masato Harada, Shido Nakamura and Anthony De Longis. (Not Reviewed)
LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (R) Former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was one of the most colorful madmen in modern history, and Forest Whitaker, who is the main reason to see this movie, captures all of Amin's bluster and creepy pathos beautifully, from the smallest private insecurity to the most grandiose derangement. Painting a portrait of Amin through an outsider's eyes, The Last King of Scotland invents a hero — a young Scottish doctor named Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) — who becomes an insider in Amin's regime and then, having made his deal with the devil, proceeds to succumb to the considerable temptations of hell. Director Kevin MacDonald wants us to focus on how easy it is to be seduced by evil, so for much of the movie's running time we share Garrigan's cluelessness as to the extents of Amin's outrages. Only gradually do we begin to suspect the immense divide between the carefully mediated image and the barbaric reality of Idi Amin, and it's not until nearly an hour into the film that the real story begins to emerge. We don't begin to get the full measure of Idi Amin until a bit too late in the game in The Last King of Scotland, but when the movie finally plays its hand, it's the real deal. Also stars Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney and Gillian Anderson. 3.5 stars
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (R) The current darling of the Sundance crowd and the feel-good bummer of the summer, Little Miss Sunshine is all about gawking at the geeks. The family members in this bittersweet comedy are all hugely dysfunctional and the movie turns them into such ridiculous figures of fun that it often feels condescending, but Little Miss Sunshine is ultimately much more interested in being endearing than offensive. Or, heaven forbid, edgy. Everything here is fair game for comedy (the more embarrassing the better), but husband and wife co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris diligently avoid letting comic exaggeration slide into cruelty, supplying a comforting squeeze of the hand of a full-blown group hug whenever possible, so that we walk away from even the most potentially unpleasant scenes feeling uplifted rather than dirty. The result is a movie that, although often very amusing, also feels more than a little forced as it struggles to balance its quirkiness with the big, fat heart it wears so proudly on its sleeve. The excellent ensemble cast includes Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin. 3 stars
OPEN SEASON (PG) On the heels of Madagascar and The Wild, here's yet another kid-friendly take on the whacky high jinx ensuing when city-bred beasties get thrust into the great outdoors. Martin Lawrence lends his voice to the character of Boog, an overly domesticated grizzly bear who finds it tough going when his owner leaves him to fend for himself in the great outdoors. Lack of creature comforts and an abundance of annoying fellow animals are bad enough (nut-wielding squirrels with Scottish accents, skunks and beavers with attitudes, a needy deer voiced by Aston Kutcher), but the worst threat of all is gun-toting humankind, natch, providing the movie with its obligatory message. The humor here encompasses a familiar mix of the heartwarming, slapstick and poop jokes, and the animation looks much like every other CGI kiddie flick you've seen over the past few years (not a bad thing, but not exactly good, either), but the movie's no better or worse than most of its recent inspirations. If you can get past the disturbing concept of a buddy movie starring four-legged versions of Lawrence and Kutcher, you may even have find yourself having a fairly good time. Also featuring the voices of Debra Mesing, Gary Sinise and Billy Connolly. 3 stars
OVER THE HEDGE (PG-13) Bruce Willis has his most convincing action hero role in some time, supplying the voice for a wily raccoon on a mission. The raccoon hooks up with a community of woodland creatures, leads them to the promised land of suburbia, introduces them to the glories of junk food, and shows them how to snatch the stuff in a series of daring heists. The catch here is that the raccoon has a hidden agenda — to eventually snag all the food for himself (specifically, for a intimidating bear he owes big time) — but, this being DreamWorks' latest PG-rated animation, the proper life lessons kick in just in time to ensure happy endings all around. Over the Hedge won't change anyone's life — the movie lacks the rafters-raising wit of a Shrek or the emotional richness of Pixar's best stuff — but this is solid, second-tier kiddie fare, and an awful lot of fun. Features the voices of Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell and Nick Nolte. 3.5 stars
THE PRESTIGE (PG-13) The story sounds a bit dopey but with credentials like these, who cares? Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins) directs Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival magicians engaged in a battle to see who's top dog in turn-of-the-century London. Also stars Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie. Opens Oct. 20 at local theaters. (Not Reviewed)
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (R) Working for the first time from a self-penned script, director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) has created a film that is in almost every way an extension of his daring, ridiculous, and unabashedly cerebral collaborations with acclaimed screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Gondry's new movie may lack the high-concept hook and metaphysical subtleties of many of Kaufman's projects, but The Science of Sleep's delirious jumbling of fantasy and reality is its own reward — ingenious, provocative and, for much of its running time, a thing of pure beauty. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Stephane, a graphic designer given to mixing up dreams with reality, and whose hyperactive imagination eventually takes over the movie. The film's lack of a linear structure may sometimes appear to lack cohesiveness, but it's a well-thought-out randomness that mirrors not only the mess of the protagonist's mind ("Fuck organization," he declares at one point), but the way that dreams work in general. Gondry trades here in Bunuel-ian non-sequiturs and communicates some very sophisticated ideas in ways that are extremely clever, yet executed with a certain deliberate primitiveness. (Cameras and cars are likely to be constructed from cardboard, water from sheets of cellophane, and those omnipresent dreams are concocted in a ridiculously lo-fi TV studio, out of a witch's brew of booze, spaghetti and old vinyl records.) There's a love story here as well that doesn't engage us quite as much as it should, but the movie succeeds, sometimes spectacularly, in almost every other way. Also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat, Miou-Miou and Pierre Vaneck. 4 stars
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (R) The buzz was apparently getting so bad on this "prequel" to the Texas Chainsaw horror franchise that all advance screenings simply came to a halt — which means we didn't get to see it. As is often the case in situations like this, that's probably a blessing in disguise. Stars Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Cyia Batten, Diora Baird and Matthew Bomer. (Not Reviewed)
WORLD TRADE CENTER (PG-13) Oliver Stone's curiously conventional new film comes a little too close to being the movie everybody feared United 93 would turn out to be. Stone's movie is both too much and not enough, too calculating and often alarmingly bogus as it proceeds to boil down the events of September 11 into the ordeal of a couple of Port Authority cops trapped in the rubble of the twin towers. World Trade Center is essentially an old-school disaster flick, a based-on-real-life Apollo 13-ish drama that segues predictably between the plight of beleaguered, confined heroes and the agonies of their free-roaming friends and loved ones. The scenario plays out in methodical, surprisingly formulaic fashion (Stone, whose best films have always been written by himself, works here from a script by Andrea Berloff), with the director sublimating his unique filmmaking instincts and brazen stylistic flourishes in the service of a final product that, frankly, looks like it could have been made by any old hack. The nominal star here is Nicolas Cage, literally a talking head here, spending most of the movie completely immobilized and buried up to the neck in debris like some sooty reject from a Samuel Beckett play. When the movie isn't dwelling on Cage howling into the darkness, it's following around his significant others as they strut and fret, seizing on every sentimental cliché in the book. Also stars Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon. 2.5 stars
This article appears in Oct 25-31, 2006.