15 Minutes (R) Robert De Niro and Ed Burns play the pistol-packing Good Guys on the trail of a pair of mad dog killers with a mania for videotaping their crimes. Tough, exciting and just off-kilter enough to keep us guessing, 15 Minutes is a thriller that manages to transcend the buddy movie genre and even say a few interesting things along the way about America's mania for celebrity and sordid reality TV. Also stars Kelsey Grammer and Avery Brooks.
3000 Miles to Graceland (R) A substandard heist flick with nothing going for it but glib style and a bunch of crooks dressed up as Elvis impersonators (late period, Fat Elvis), 3000 Miles to Graceland wears its quirkiness on its sleeve as if it actually meant something. Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell are the leaders of a gang who pull off a big Las Vegas casino heist and then wind up battling to the death over the loot.
Billy Elliot (R) The film borrows a good bit more than just its economically depressed but high-spirited, working-class English environment from The Full Monty; the whole comedic premise here depends on turning gender roles upside down and flying them in our face — in the nicest possible way, of course. See, 11-year-old Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) has a problem: He's discovered he has an unexpected passion and aptitude for ballet, something no self-respecting coal miner's son should ever be caught dead fancying. When the film is in pure feel-good mode, it does a bang-up job of it. Also stars Gary Lewis and Adam Cooper. At Channelside starting March 23.
Blow Dry (PG-13) Utilizing many of the same half-quaint, half- cartoony elements as he did in The Full Monty but wielding a much heavier hand, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy shows us what happens when a mob of foppish hairdressers invade a small British town and butt heads with the local philistines. It's all likable enough, but the movie seems to be straining to entertain, and many of the characters, situations and jokes feel slightly less than fresh this time around. Stars Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths, Rachael Leigh Cook and Josh Hartnett.
Carman (PG-13) Former pro boxer Orlando Leone Jr. plays Carman, who wants to honor his late father by starting an inner-city ministry for young people in this Christian-oriented film. Through plot twists, the unknown ends up fighting the current cruiserweight champion in a hyped match that gives him a chance to fulfill his dream. Also stars Michael Nouri, Jeremy Williams and Allia Hererra.
(Not Reviewed)
Cast Away (PG-13) Tom Hanks stars as a Fed Ex employee whose plane goes down, stranding him on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Cast Away makes us feel the physical suffering the central character endures, and there are some engaging sequences here, but most of the movie's pretty unsurprising, with a curiously formless ending that just seems to go on forever. Also stars Helen Hunt.
Chocolat (PG-13) Free-spirited Juliette Binoche opens a chocolate shop in a repressed village, setting up a didactic conflict of indulgence vs. denial. The French locales, food and faces are lovingly photographed (the disarming ensemble includes Judi Dench, Johnny Depp and Alfred Molina), but the film cannot equal the comparably themed but richer Babette's Feast. Chocolat melts in your hands, not in your heart.
—Curt Holman
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (PG) Ang Lee's poetic reinvention of the martial arts genre takes place in China in the early 19th century (although the look and feel is as magically timeless as the film's characters are eternal), where recently retired master warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) has agreed to take on one final mission to retrieve a prized sword and avenge the death of his master. The other crucial elements to Crouching Tiger's deliriously romantic human schema are Mu Bai's fellow warrior, Yu Shu Lien (Michele Yeoh) — who is deeply in love with him, as is he with her, although each has found it impossible to openly express love — and Jen (Zhang Ziyi), an independent young noblewoman who may not be quite who she appears to be. Crouching Tiger is filled with marvelous archetypes, charismatic performances and, perhaps best of all, some of the most astonishing and lyrical action scenes ever filmed.
Down to Earth (PG-13) Chris Rock plays an amateur comedian whose dream is to play the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. After a traffic accident causes him to be taken off to heaven before his time, he's returned to Earth in the body of a wealthy old white man. The movie is inconsistent, the big laughs spotty. Rock is a talented comedian, but unfortunately Down to Earth does not advance the quality of his film career.
—Cooper Cruz
Enemy at the Gates (R) As the Russian and German armies face off during World War II's decisive battle of Stalingrad, director Jean-Jacques Annaud's engaging new film zeroes in on the personal and very intense war of nerves between two dueling snipers. Jude Law plays the Soviet sharpshooter Vissili Zaitsev, a simple lad who becomes something of folk hero and a major morale booster to the besieged Russian populace. Ed Harris delivers yet another outstanding performance as Konig, the Nazi marksman called in to eliminate Zaitsev, an act designed to break the spirit of the Russian army. The film is engrossing from beginning to end, effectively balanced between the massive, ugly sprawl of the war and the intimate push and pull between its individual characters. It's all shot with a gritty, almost monochromatic palette of pale, metallic blues and grays that perfectly captures the bleak, chaotic times. The Russians are nominally the good guys, of course, but Enemy at the Gates really does believe that war is hell, and the Ruskies are ultimately revealed to be nearly as skanky as the Krauts. Best of all, for some at least, there are no pesky subtitles to read; both sides speak over-so slightly accented English. Also stars Joseph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.
Exit Wounds (R) Steven Seagal, cops and corruption. And Tom Arnold. What more do you need to know? Also starring DMX, Isaiah Washington.
(Not Reviewed)
Fantasia/2000 (G) A perfect choice for the new Channelside IMAX, Fantasia 2000 was designed for that format. The seven animated segments here are basically all over the stylistic map. Amid several attractive but somewhat disposable segments are the movie's two, unmitigated success stories: a depression-era fantasy set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and peopled with wonderfully stylized Al Hirschfield drawings; and a reprise of the original Fantasia's "Sorcercer's Apprentice" segment.
Get Over It (PG-13) In this teen comedy, dude gets the boot from his longtime girlfriend, then turns his attention to his best friend's younger sister. Stars Kirsten Dunst, Ben Foster, Martin Short.
(Not Reviewed)
Hannibal (R) Screenwriters David Mamet and Steven Zaillian do a faithful and reasonably good job adapting this sensationalistic but uninspired sequel to The Silence of the Lambs. Most problematic of all is that we see so much of Dr. Lecter himself that he becomes infinitely less mysterious, interesting and frightening than he was in the original movie, finally coming off as simply routine — much like Hannibal itself. Also stars Ray Liotta and Giancarlo Giannini.
House of Mirth (PG-13) Terrence Davies reins in his more abstract impulses to offer up a surprisingly faithful, no-nonsense rendering of Edith Wharton's century-old tale of secrets and lies in New York high society. The truth of the matter is that the film could almost certainly have used an infusion of nonsense — or at least something that feels alive — because Davies' The House of Mirth, faithful though it may be, is a dry and bloodless affair, not to mention a depressing one. Gillian Anderson stars as Lily Bart, a bright and attractive young woman who winds up ruined by a destructive network of untruth and gossip. The director does a decent enough job of making this ancient, upper crust milieu watchable (in a reliable, Masterpiece Theatre sort of way), but the mood here is more chilly than it needs to be, the pace plods and the actors stand around too often looking like they're posing rather than performing. Held over at Tampa Theatre. Call theater to confirm.
In the Mood for Love (PG) Set in Hong Kong in the early '60s, director Wong Kar-wai's ravishing In the Mood for Love follows two characters, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung), who discover that their respective spouses are having an affair with each other. That we never actually see either of the adulterous lovers is just one of the rich ironies in a film that's as much about what doesn't happen as what does. The odd and ultimately redeeming thing about all this is that none of it seems remotely bleak or depressing. Wong's clearly loves his characters, particularly when they're being stubborn or foolish, and In the Mood for Love communicates that affection in every richly nuanced, visually sumptuous frame. Held over at Channelside. Call theater to confirm.
Into the Deep (G) If your eyes have already darted down to the extravagant number of planets awarded this film, bear in mind that the rating owes as much to the phenomenal IMAX 3-D experience as it does to the movie itself. Into the Deep is an extremely well made 40-minute documentary on underwater creatures, but in 3-D, it becomes an absolutely breathtaking experience. Whatever we're watching, we feel ourselves immersed in the image to the point where it literally becomes difficult to tell what's part of the movie and what's not. This is not your father's 3-D. At Channelside IMAX.
The Mexican (R) Another one of those discombobulated, self-consciously quirky comedies in which the humor hinges almost entirely on the premise that the gangsters in the film are just regular, slightly neurotic, middle-class guys. Brad Pitt plays a baby-faced, slightly klutzy bagman for the mob. He's got a nagging, psychobabbling girlfriend (Julia Roberts) who wants him to quit his job, but that doesn't stop him from heading down to Mexico to retrieve a valuable antique pistol for his bosses. The Mexican is a handsomely produced film with some oddly engaging little bits scattered throughout, although the whole is too shapeless to probably be remembered a few months from now.
O Brother Where Art Thou? (PG-13) The Coen Brothers' latest foray into the lunatic fringe is a much-mutated take on Homer's Odyssey by way of vintage Preston Sturges screwball comedy, liberally sprinkled with Three Stooges bonk-and-splat. George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson star as a dim-witted trio of escaped convicts taking the long route home while seeking some sort of treasure that may or may not exist. Also stars Charles Durning and Holly Hunter.
Ocean Oasis (G) A fascinating exploration of the richly diverse life forms inhabiting the Baja, Calif., peninsula, the brand new IMAX production Ocean Oasis spends most of its time under water before giving us a brief contrasting look at the curious plants and animals doing their thing above the surface. We're treated to numerous, spectacular shots of sharks, moray eels, manta rays and all manner of sea creatures gliding beneath the surface, as well as wonderfully poetic sequences of shape-shifting jelly fish (much better than lava-lamp watching) and even a moment of reflection over the massive corpse of a whale floating silently through the deep. The narration is informative without being too intrusive and often illuminates intriguing nuances of the on-screen mating, birthing, feeding and dying.
Pollock (R) Long before Andy Warhol had his 15 minutes in the sun, Jackson Pollock was America's first Superstar Artist. Alternately sullen, exuberant, sensitive and piggish, the self-perpetuating enigma of Pollock's personality runs as deep as the mystery of his groundbreaking painting — and Pollock brings us up close and personal with them both. Sometimes too close for comfort. Ed Harris (who also directed) manages to convey the essence, warts and all, of this most notorious of 20th Century splatter artists. Also stars Marcia Gay Harden and Amy Madigan.
Recess: School's Out (G) Kiddie animation in which a group of heroic tykes take on a power-mad ex-principal who's hatched a plan to do away with summer, so that the kids will — gasp — have to go school year-round! Featuring the voices of Andrew Lawrence and Ashley Johnson.
(Not Reviewed)
Road to Redemption (PG) A spiritually-themed tale of a couple who happen upon stolen mob money, gamble it away, then high-tale it from gangsters. A road trip full of hijinx and, of course, redemption ensues. Stars Pat Hingle, Johnny Meyer and Julie Condra.
(Not reviewed)
Save the Last Dance (PG-13) A love of dance bonds a 17-year-old, white, wannabe ballerina and her black boyfriend, but peer pressure twists their friendship in other directions. Stars Julie Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas.
(Not Reviewed)
Saving Silverman (PG-13) A haplessly stupid would-be comedy. The whiff of a plot finds Silverman (played with an astonishing lack of charisma by Jason Biggs) accepting a marriage proposal from a gorgeous psychologist who's a whip short of being a dominatrix (Amanda Peet). His two long-time pals (Steve Zahn and Jack Black) can't abide this, of course, so they set out to scuttle the relationship by — what? — kidnapping her.
—Eric Snider
Say It Isn't So (R) This gleefully sick comedy about a pair of young lovers who might just be brother and sister wasn't actually written or directed by the Farrelly Brothers, but it may as well have been. Their personal stamp is everywhere, from the guy walking around with public hair stuck to his face, to the fellow with his fist stuck up a cow's rectum, to the surplus of amputee jokes and cranky invalids singing "Louie Louie" through a voice box. The Farrellys actually only served as producers here, while a bunch of their pals did all the "real" work, which might account for the fact that Say It Isn't So comes off as a funny although not quite fresh reworking of many of the better bits from past hits like Kingpin and There's Something About Mary. Heather Graham and Chris Klein (still not quite over his Keanu Reeves stage) make a suitably sweet, wide-eyed couple anchoring all the depraved ookiness around them. Also stars Orlando Jones, Richard Jenkins and Sally Field. Opens March 23 at local theaters.
See Spot Run (PG) Did you hear the one about the spaced-out mailman who inherits a cute little kid and a crime-fighting dog? Wish we hadn't. The mailman (David Arquette) walks into walls, does spit takes with chewed-up food and reprises his basic spazz routine. The little kid makes goo-goo eyes at everything in sight, and the crime-fighting dog learns how to loosen up and have fun. The movie's attempts at comedy are consistently dull and aggressively stupid.
Sweet November (PG-13) Based on the 1968 film of the same name, Sweet November offers up a fairly distinguished cast that doesn't come together. Charlize Theron (Cider House Rules) plays a cheery but secretly troubled young woman who takes in a new man every month in order to "help" him. Keanu Reaves, her November man, gives a predictably flat performance as the high-rolling advertising guru who turns shamelessly sappy under Theron's quirky guidance. —Dustin Dwyer
To Kill a Lawyer (R) One of the most technically accomplished and ambitious films to play in the recent Tambay festival (and the Audience Award winner of that event), To Kill a Lawyer (aka Stavro), is a story of faith and personal crisis. Directed by local filmmaker Gino Cabanas and starring co-screenwriter Steve Stavrakis, this is a real movie-movie, beautifully photographed and with remarkably high production values. Some of the writing and acting is a bit uneven and self-conscious and occasionally even clumsy, but this is still a very promising and watchable effort. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
Traffic (R) Director Steven Soderbergh's latest magnum opus uses an economical but instantly identifiable style, raw emotion and a surplus of tough, jittery intelligence to transform itself into a vast, modern epic built upon some crucial and very difficult ideas. Traffic is a movie about drugs — one of the best you'll see — but it's not a "drug movie" in the sense of something like Trainspotting or Requiem for a Dream. Soderbergh's film isn't so much concerned with the allure of drugs, or with individual pain and the process of addiction as it is about the business of drugs that, often in the most subtle or inscrutable of ways, ties so much of the world together. Stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Luis Guzman and Dennis Quaid.
What Women Want (PG-13) Mel Gibson plays advertising executive Nick Marshall, a world-class chauvinist who suffers a freak accident and finds that he's suddenly able to read the mind of every woman he sees. Gibson's performance is good enough to keep us watching even during the dullest parts. Also stars Marisa Tomei.
The Wedding Planner (PG-13) She's a wedding planner who's great at her job but lousy at managing her own romantic life. He's a folksy kiddie-doctor who knows all the right things to say. They meet, and sparks immediately fly. The only hitch is that he turns out to already be engaged, and to one of her biggest clients, to boot.
Yi Yi Taiwanese auteur Edward Yang's meditative, minimalist epic unfolds as a series of small, seemingly disconnected moments that slip so effortlessly into one another we're hardly aware that a segue's taken place. Yang carefully, quietly observes the members of a more or less ordinary, middle-class Taiwanese family: a husband and wife experiencing what appear to be mini-mid-life crisis, their adolescent son and teenaged daughter (both feeling the first tentative twitchings of love), and an assortment of friends, colleagues and rivals. The austere, elliptical structure of Yang's vision may seem daunting at first, but, gradually and ever so subtly, Yi Yi reveals deep and abiding connections between all of its characters, emerging not just as a vital social statement and an enormously satisfying entertainment, but as a sublime work of art. Opens March 23 at Main Street Cinema in Clearwater. Call to confirm.
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted.
This article appears in Mar 22-28, 2001.