Amazing Journeys (PG) IMAX films are about scale, size — from the unfathomably huge (the oceans, the cosmos themselves) to the microscopically small — and this latest IMAX production gives us a little bit to look at from both ends of the spectrum. Amazing Journeys examines the migration habits of various creatures.
(3 1/2 Planets)
Amelie (NR) Amelie wears its heart proudly on its sleeve even as it calls to mind all those glorious old Looney Tunes freak-outs where something is always happening and the screen literally vibrates with visual and verbal gags. If the film feels like a cartoon, though, then it's a cartoon of the cosmic variety — as much about fate, destiny or whatever you want to call it as anything by Kieslowski (or Tex Avery). Our plucky and quintessentially quirky heroine Amelie (saucer-eyed Audrey Tautou, who actually looks like a cartoon character) spends the entire movie tempting fate by arranging good deeds and choreographing love connections for her neighbors and, eventually, herself. As is his stylistic wont, Jeunet crams every inch of the film with marvelously composed shots of bric-a-brac and arcane doo-dads, lavishing equal, fetishistic attention upon a kitschy garden gnome and the sensual pleasure of cracking open the crust on a well-turned creme brulee. The film, which is really as much a fairy tale as it is a cartoon, brims over with imagination and emotion, and the impossibly fetching Montemartre neighborhood in which it's set is as much a dreamscape as it is an actual physical location. Also stars Mathieu Kassovitz. Held over at Tampa Theatre. Call theater to confirm.
(4 1/2 Planets)
Bandits (PG-13) Director Barry Levinson mixes buddy-crime-flick shtick and romantic comedy (a la Ally McBeal) and peppers it with the stylish verite camera moves and music video-style montages he employed in his TV show Homicide. The combination makes for an entertaining, though unevenly paced and overly quirky, two hours of madcap caper fun. Stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett.
—Julie Garisto
(3 1/2 Planets)
Black Knight (PG-13) See Film.
Bones (R) Stylishly lensed but incoherently told horror tale about — as near as we can tell, anyway — a ghetto boss who returns from the dead. Bones is a vapid, convoluted mishmash of Hellraiser, Candyman and a dozen other, better horror films, and, despite top billing, Snoop Dogg isn't even in the movie very much. That's a blessing, actually, since he's pretty awful.
(1 1/2 Planets)
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (G) Multimedia performance artists/acrobats/magicians Cirque du Soleil find their way to the big screen — the really big screen — in this visually spectacular IMAX 3-D experience. The film's astonishing imagery constitutes an authentic document of Cirque du Soleil in motion, as well as a beautifully poetic tribute to the glory of the human body. At IMAX Channelside.
(3 1/2 Planets)
Corky Romano (PG-13) Goofy-looking vehicle for rubber-faced SNL regular Chris Kattan. The loser son of a Mafioso, Corky must help the family by infiltrating the FBI.
(Not Reviewed)
Domestic Disturbance (PG-13) A cute little kid is terrorized by his evil step dad (Vince Vaughan). Never fear, though: Bio-pop John Travolta is on to him. Also stars Steve Buscemi.
(Not Reviewed)
Don't Say a Word (R) A slickly made but only modestly interesting thriller in which a child psychologist (Michael Douglas) races against time to meet the ransom demanded by his daughter's kidnappers. What Douglas' character needs to do is extract information locked in the mind of a deeply traumatized patient and then convey that info to the bad guys. There's much less here than meets the eye, but there are some passable moments of suspense, and the film is skillfully crafted enough to occasionally give the thin storyline the illusion of substance.
(2 Planets)
From Hell (R) Ye Old London Town comes off as a cross between something out of a vintage Hammer flick and a Marilyn Manson horrorshow, with Johnny Depp starring as an absinthe-swilling, opium-smoking inspector on the trail of history's first and, arguably, most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper (depicted here as a predictable blend of Lecter and Dracula). The moody atmosphere in this most explicit and goriest of mainstream Ripper movies is so thick you could cut it with a bloody scalpel, but underneath all the extraordinary visuals and conspiracy theories beats the heart of a fairly routine slasher flick. Also stars Heather Graham.
(3 Planets)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (PG) A wizard, a true star. Living up to the hype in almost every way, Chris Columbus' big screen adaptation of the first Harry Potter book is a rousing blend of fantasy, mystery, action and pure charm that puts the film in a league with modern adventure classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark or the original Star Wars trilogy. The movie creates a genuine sense of wonder and its 2 1/2 hours practically fly by, bolstered by a strong script, amazing sets and special effects, a classic John Williams score, and some great performances by a well chosen cast of young newcomers and seasoned pros, all of whom strike just the right tone. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith.
(4 1/2 Planets)
Heist (R) David Mamet is back with a crowd he clearly loves — con artists and crooks — but don't expect the metaphysical mind games of The Spanish Prisoner or House of Games this time around. Heist is about as close to a no-frills action movie as Mamet's likely to come, with a number of set pieces revolving around finely tuned robberies, and a relative minimum of angst or stylized chat (although it does contain its share of prime Mametspeak). Gene Hackman is in top form as the leader of a gang of tough but weirdly endearing thieves, and it's his presence that really carries the film. The movie's twists and turns begin to seem a bit contrived after a while, but, on the whole, Heist is an oddly crowd-pleasing bit of business that shows that the commercialization of David Mamet continues apace. Also stars Danny DeVito.
(3 1/2 Planets)
Iron Monkey (PG-13) Originally released in 1993, Iron Monkey is one of those wonderful, wildly energetic Hong Kong classics to which Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger paid homage. This sometimes cartoonish tale of a larger-than-life, 19th century Chinese Robin Hood doesn't make any claims to the high art status of Crouching Tiger, but it doesn't need to: Iron Monkey was directed by Yuen Woo Ping, who choreographed the brilliant action sequences in Crouching Tiger and The Matrix, and the stylish wall-to-wall battle sequences here are often every bit as dazzling.
(4 Planets)
Island of the Sharks (PG) Another intriguing, typically beautiful IMAX underwater feature, this one taking us eyeball to eyeball with the denizens of the waters around the Cocos Islands off the coast of Costa Rica. At Channelside IMAX.
(3 1/2 Planets)
K-PAX (PG-13) Kevin Spacey stars as an enigmatic mental patient who befuddles and eventually charms everyone in sight, and ultimately even teaches his shrink (Jeff Bridges) to be a better person. Director Iain Softley creates a genuine sense of wonder for most of K-PAX's running time, although the magic dissipates a bit during the movie's second half, which dwells more on the history and psychology of Spacey's character. Also stars Mary McCormack.
(3 1/2 Planet)
The Last Castle (R) Robert Redford stars as a legendary three-star general sentenced to a maximum security military prison ruled with an iron fist by the cruel, heavy-breathing warden (James Gandolfini). Redford's character endures all sorts of abuse, becoming a hero to the other inmates in the process, and eventually orchestrates a plan to take over the prison. The Last Castle feels a bit like a watered-down cross between Cool Hand Luke and one of Hollywood's vintage POW movies, but the movie never rises above the sum of its parts.
(2 1/2 Planets)
Life as a House (R) Kevin Kline stars as a terminally ill man who decides to spend his last few months building himself a swanky home by the sea, while simultaneously attempting to build bridges with his estranged son (Hayden Christensen) and ex-wife (Kristen Scott Thomas). Director Irwin Winkler pays a lot of attention to the movie's surface but doesn't seem to have too much faith in the essence of his own story; he rarely allows the movie to take stock in itself or allows quiet, reflective moments that should have really made the film matter. Instead, the director's general tendency is to take a fairly ham-fisted approach that often makes it feel like the movie might have been better expressed on a greeting card.
(2 Planets)
The Man Who Wasn't There (R) From its very title to its blackmail and murder-laced plot, The Man Who Wasn't There is about as close to classic film noir as the Coen Brothers have ever come (Blood Simple included), albeit with a few flying saucers and Lolita-esque nymphets thrown in, just to screw with our heads. Billy Bob Thornton is just about perfect as a milquetoast husband trapped in a loveless marriage and a joyless job (he's a barber who dreams of being a dry-cleaner, just one of the Coen's numerous droll gags this time out). Roger Deakins' black-and-white photography is lush and mesmerizing, filled with enigmatic but unforgettable imagery that recalls the wallpaper-slowly-peeling-off-the-wall moodiness of the Coen's equally atmospheric Barton Fink. Like the title character of that earlier film, Thorton's ghostly, long-suffering barber is one of the Coen's most puzzling and deeply human characters yet. Rebounding nicely from the brightly colored ball of confusion that was O Brother Where Art Thou, the Coen Brothers have crafted one of the most intriguing and oddly contoured concoctions of their career. Also stars Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Shalhoub and James Gandolfini. Opens Nov. 23 at Beach Theatre.
(4 Planets)
Monsters Inc. (G) Imagination runs rampant in the best possible way in this latest animated treat from the folks at Pixar Studios (Toy Story 1 & 2, A Bug's Life). The movie's a vaguely screwballish comedy of errors, a bit like Three Men and a Baby, except that the men are actually monsters. Cute, likable monsters that is, who belong to a community of multishaped beasties who accidentally come into contact with one of the adorable little children they're charged with scaring. If the material isn't quite up to the trend-setting brilliance of the Toy Story movies, that's only a minor stumbling block in an otherwise clever and endearing entertainment. Featuring the voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, James Coburn and Steve Buscemi.
(3 1/2 Planets)
Novocaine (R) Steve Martin executes at least two perfect pratfalls in Novocaine. In each case, significantly, Martin slips in a pool of blood. That just about sums up the movie, a slightly quirky, slightly humorous update of vintage film noir, replete with double and triple crosses, femme fatales and a slippery world where one small mistake turns hero into antihero and plunges the everyday into chaos. The everyday shnook at the center of Novocaine is a boring and bored dentist (Martin) whose life quickly begins to go down the tubes when he falls for a drug-gobbling grifter (Helena Bonham Carter, doing a subtle variation on her role in Fight Club). The movie's attempt at injecting itself with an undercurrent of offbeat humor isn't entirely successful, but Novocaine still manages to be pretty entertaining in an essentially old-fashioned noir sort of way. Also stars Laura Dern, Scott Caan and Elias Koteas.
(3 Planets)
On The Line (PG) Lance Bass, once derisively called the cross-eyed dude in N'Sync, and fellow member Joey Fatone, make their film debut in this romantic comedy. Bass plays an advertising agent who meets the girl of his dreams and then not only forgets to get the mysterious girl's digits, but her first name too. The movie takes several unexpected twists until Bass steps up to plate. N'Sync fans, and even those over the age of 15, won't be disappointed by these pop icons' invasion of the big screen.
—Casey Jennings
(3 planets)
The One (PG-13) Apparently failing to learn any sort of lesson from all those awful Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks where the Muscle from Brussels plays battling twins, Jet Li takes on himself in this vaguely sci-fi-ish action blow-out. Of course, one Jet Li is worth a dozen Van Dammes, but that's not nearly enough to save this generic mish-mash of The Matrix, Terminator and Twilight Zone. The non-stop heavy metal soundtrack is alone enough to drive you from the theater. Also stars Delroy Lindo and Carla Gugino.
(2 Planets)
Our Lady of the Assassins (R) A love story set in Hell — otherwise known as the mean streets of Medellin, Columbia, where a world-weary writer (German Jaramillo) returns home and takes up with a cold-blooded but strangely angelic young street kid (Anderson Ballesteros). Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about Our Lady of the Assassins is its ability to weave together the most ravishing and the most horrifying of images and ideas; the film's tone is largely contemplative and even poetic, but the unpolished reality is uncomfortably palpable. Also stars Juan David Restrepo. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm
(4 Planets)
The Producers (PG) Down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) conspire to put on the worst play of all time. They create the requisite hype to ensure a ton of up-front money from investors and plenty of leftover dough when the play flops, but things don't go exactly according to plan. Not a deliberate flop, this Mel Brooks' first movie didn't make big-time dough when it opened, but the satirical, edgy humor and Brooks' trademark politically incorrect fun have made this a critics' pick for one of the best comedies of all time. Opens Nov. 23 at Channelside Cinemas. Call to confirm.
—Julie Garisto
Riding in Cars with Boys (PG-13) Beverly Donofrio (Drew Barrymore) lives out the first two decades of her life of as a nice Catholic girl who gets pregnant at age 15 and then finds her dreams of college and a career constantly squashed by the demands of her dead-end life. The first 90 minutes of this overlong movie are listless, stodgy comedy, alternately screechy and sappy, while the last half-hour makes a bizarre and unpleasant turn into the realm of bargain-basement soap opera. The cumulative effect is a mess.
(1 1/2 planets)
Serendipity (PG-13) Another sticky-sweet and thoroughly uncomplicated romantic comedy about fate and true love, in which the main characters spend the entire movie trying to find each other. The movie is basically harmless but overly long, and its allusions to destiny and mystical connections are just short of pretentious. Stars John Cusack and the chick from Pearl Harbor.
(1 1/2 Planets)
Shackleton's Antartic Adventure (PG) An engaging mix of history, drama, fascinating archival footage and breathtaking, state-of-the-art photography, Shackleton's Antartic Adventure tells the incredible true tale of an epic battle for survival in the wake of a failed expedition to cross Antartica in 1914. The amazing journey of English explorer Ernest Shackleton and his intrepid crew encompasses an almost unbelievable array of hardships — impossible-to-navigate seas; a long ordeal being stranded in the exact middle of nowhere; being forced to trek on foot across uncharted territory that happens to be the most treacherous frozen wasteland in the world — and it's all captured in this exciting, well-told IMAX production. Kevin Spacey, one of the most distinctive voices of the day, provides the narration in a rare, irony-free performance.
(4 Planets)
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.
(2 P
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. Opens Nov. 21 at local theaters
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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.
(1 1/2 Planets)
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.
(1 1/2 Planets)
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 ideas and eccentricities, 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 non-linear debut, Slacker, in which a stream of what amounts to talking heads basically just parades 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 a revolutionary process by which the director and his team of digital artists basically turned the film's human actors into constantly mutating, elaborately animated paintings. The animation is beautifully done and not quite like anything that's been seen before. At times, it seems like some new kind of Expressionism, a remarkably effective way to give the character's abstract feelings and ideas a concrete form. Waking Life, which might have been merely watchable or even pretentious as a live action film (anyone remember Mindwalk?) is transformed by the digital re-imaging into something more than the sum of its parts, becoming a fascinating synthesis of form and function. And a great, semi-psychedelic head trip, to boot. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theaters to confirm
(3 1/2 Planets)
Zoolander (PG-13) Consistently funny, spot-on spoof of the fashion industry and all its pretty vacant pop culture tentacles. Starring Ben Stiller as the world's most clueless male model.
(3 1/2 Planets)
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted.
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2001.