Shallow Hal (PG-13) The notorious Farrelly Brothers are back, with their least gross and, frankly, least funny film to date. Shallow Hal is the unconvincingly sweet story of the redemption of a sexist pig (Jack Black) who is one day magically blessed/cursed with the ability to only see inner beauty — resulting in his falling head over heels with a 300 pound woman (Gwyneth Paltrow, sometimes seen in an elaborate fat suit). A trim of about 20 minutes would have been a considerable help, and most of the best jokes were given away in the movie's trailer. Also stars Jason Alexander.
Spy Game (R) Typically slick, hyper-amped Tony Scott production about a retiring CIA officer (Robert Redford) who discovers his one-time protege (Brad Pitt) is about to be executed in China. Despite all the visual gymnastics, Spy Game never develops much real forward momentum, mostly because virtually the entire movie consists of a series of extended flashbacks that simply detail the exploits of Redford and Pitt's characters over a period of 15 years. Spy Game might at least have been fairly timely stuff — its subject, after all, is the down-and-dirty business of international espionage that's on everyone's minds these days — but in Scott's hands, it all seems a little too glib. Also stars Catherine McCormack.
Training Day (R) Rookie narc Ethan Hawke gets in way over his head during his first day on the job, when his partner/mentor (Denzel Washington) turns out to be the worst role-model cop since Harvey Keitel's character in Bad Lieutenant. Washington spends virtually the entire movie indulging in all manner of corrupt, sadistic and immoral behavior, and yet the movie is so essentially clueless it can't resist intermittently making him into some sort of hero in a way that appeals strictly to the audience's basest instincts. Training Day is grimy, confused, ugly and depressing stuff. Just what the world needs now. Also stars Scott Glenn.
Under Hellgate Bridge (R) Writer-director Michael Sergio tells the story of reformed junkie Ryan (Michael Rodrick), a lantern-jawed, urban warrior who returns to his old stomping grounds in Queens only to discover that both of his younger brothers have succumbed to smack, and his ex-girlfriend has married his arch enemy (Jonathan LaPaglia), a sadistic local mobster who keeps the whole neighborhood supplied with nasty narcotics. Although the film is sporadically successful at creating a moderately gritty realism (several of the actors playing junkies really do look like junkies), it constantly undermines itself with simplifications and outright idiocies that can't help but call attention to the movie's serious lack of insight and originality. Characters and plot points are routinely introduced in a jarringly awkward manner, while the dialogue is often pretty banal and made to seem even more so thanks to a hackneyed and overblown musical score that underlines all of the movie's most generic tendencies. Also stars Jordan Bayne. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (R) Japanese animated feature about a distant future where humans and vampires commingle in dark and complicated ways.
(Not Reviewed)
Waking Life (NR) Richard Linklater's new film is a circle dance of eccentric ideas, some of which eventually interconnect and some of which just drift off into the ether. Waking Life is similar in structure (or lack thereof) to Linklater's nonlinear debut, Slacker, in which a stream of what amounts to talking heads basically just parade through the film, offering up a series of skewed monologues, some intellectually rigorous, some simply silly. What transforms Waking Life into something considerably more than Slacker is that the director and his team of digital artists have transformed the film's human actors into constantly mutating animations that give the characters' abstract feelings and ideas a concrete form. Held over at Channelside Cinemas and Beach Theatre. Call theaters to confirm.
The Wash (R) Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg star as car wash co-workers in this DJ Pooh-directed comedy. Side hustles and dalliances with female co-workers abound, with a kidnapping (of the car wash owner) thrown in for good measure. Also stars George Wallace, Eminem and Tom Tiny Lister, Jr.
