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Dave F's Top 10 List (plus others) for 2000

1. "Almost Famous," 2. "Traffic," 3. "Gladiator," 4. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," 5. "Dancer in the Dark," 6. "Unbreakable," 7. "High Fidelity," 8. "Croupier," 9. "You Can Count on Me," 10. "Panic" Director: Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic"); Actor: Geoffrey Rush ("Quills"); Actress: Bjork ("Dancer in the Dark"); Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro ("Traffic"); Supporting Actress: Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous"); Foreign Film: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon;" Original Screenplay: Cameron Crowe ("Almost Famous"); Adapted Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan ("Traffic"); Cinematography: Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic"); Original Score: Tan Dun ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon")

Dave's scale is 1 star (*) through 4 stars (****)

 

Dave F's 2001 Reviews Click on the name of a film to be taken to Dave's review of that film

A.I. Amélie Amores Perros Before Night Falls Best in Show Billy Elliot Blow Bread and Roses Bread and Tulips Bully Chicken Run Chocolat Chuck and Buck Chunhyang The Closet The Contender Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon The Curse of the Jade Scorpion The Deep End Diamond Men Enemy at the Gates Erin Brockovich Faithless Focus Ghost World The Gift Hannibal Hedwig and the Angry Inch Heist The House of Mirth Human Resources The Interview In The Bedroom Iron Monkey Legally Blonde L.I.E. The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Malena The Man Who Wasn't There Meet the Parents Memento The Mexican Monsters Inc. Moulin Rouge My First Mister O O Brother Where Art Thou Ocean's Eleven The Others Our Lady of the Assassins Our Song Pollock The Pledge Remember The Titans Requiem for a Dream Rock Star The Score Sexy Beast Shadow of the Vampire Shrek Sidewalks of New York Snatch Spy Kids Startup.com State and Main Swordfish The Tailor of Panama Thirteen Days Tigerland Together Traffic Waking Life With a Friend Like Harry Wonder Boys

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"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring": One very noticeable difference between film and literary media lies in character development. The author of a book, in order to create a visual setting in the reader's mind, is often very descriptive of his characters. In the medium of film, a few words of dialogue or even simple facial gestures are the substitute for complete character development. In J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful book "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first book in his Lord of the Rings trilogy, he goes to great lengths to develop his characters, explaining the class structure and respect levels of his players, and gives his novel a very real sense of innocence and wonder, sprinkling it with lovely songs and delightful characters. In Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's famed novel, Jackson all but abandons much of that delightful innocence and careful character development in favor of a deeper exploration of the novel's darker side: the desire to destroy the evil found within a single ring. Jackson's decision, while understandable given his potential audience and daunting task of paring down nearly 400 pages of text into a three-hour film, was a little disappointing to someone who was anxious to see how Tom Bombadil would play on the big screen (his wonderful character from the novel was cut out of this film). Still, this is a film, not a book review, and on a film level, "Fellowship" is spectacular entertainment.

"Fellowship" begins with a party. Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), a hobbit (a small, dwarf-like creature) from the town of Bags End in the country of Shire in Middle Earth, is turning 111, and in keeping with tradition, throws himself a birthday party to end all birthday parties. His nephew and heir, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) suspects something is up, and sure enough, the crafty old Bilbo pulls a disappearing act literally, leaving Frodo with his riches and a magical ring, one of several rings created by the gods of the past, but a unique ring that allows its bearer to disappear when it is placed upon a finger. The ring also casts an evil presence upon its user. It is decided the only way to get rid of the curse and the evil it attracts (from those who are desperate to possess it) is to bring it back to its original source, the fires of Mount Doom at Mordor, where it will be destroyed. Helping Frodo in his journey are his hobbit friends Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin Took (Billy Boyd). Frodo's friend and mentor, Gandalf the White (Ian McKellen), maintains a presence to ensure the group is safe. Eventually aiding in their cause are Aragorn (Viggo Mortenson), Boromir (Sean Bean)--humans (or Big People as described in the book), who just show up and aren't explained at all (a major flaw). Also helping are two elves, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies). Together they form the Fellowship of the Ring and the evil they battle is led by the Dark Lord, Saruman (Christopher Lee, doing what he does best) and his forces of Orcs, who will do anything to get the ring. What the film explores are the adventures the group experiences and the evil they encounter, and how the ring that is the constant companion of Frodo causes the group to see him in a different light. Frodo, despite the little explanation in the film (it is thoroughly explained in the novel), is a well-respected savior, who has the ability to destroy all evil by destroying the ring. In the film, you often wonder why they're being so protective of the little man. Fellowship, for the most part, is well-cast and solidly acted, led by Elijah Wood, who seemed an odd choice to play Frodo, but now I can't picture the character without him. Popping up in cameo roles (to be expanded for the next two films) are Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, a good elf with the ability to foretell the future (her sequence also allows a peek at scenes from the upcoming sequels) and Liv Tyler as Arwen, another good elf, who seemed to be there as a love interest for Frodo. Peter Jackson had an amazing task at hand and given the obstacles (in addition to satisfying the legion of loyal readers of the famed novels) did a very good job. The CGI was terrific in spots and bad in others, but the film never lacked for beautiful scenery (with New Zealand doubling as Middle Earth) and judging the film strictly for what it is--an action-adventure story, "Fellowship" is almost without peer. I would love to be fourteen again just to see this film, to capture the feeling of wonder, to allow my imagination to go wild. Honestly, the best advice I could give for those who are considering this film is to skip the novels and see the film with a clear, open mind. If you've read and loved the books, prepare yourself to be a little disappointed. Still, I would definitely recommend this film. *** (out of) ****  

"In the Bedroom": It has been theorized that actors make good directors because they know how important it to be patient with actors; to let them breathe a scene. The latest actor-turned-director is Todd Field, best known as Nick Nightingale, the loyal piano player in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut." It appears Mr. Field was paying close attention to the great master, because Field's directorial bow is not only one of the most impressive debuts in years, but his film "In the Bedroom," is among the best of the year. "In the Bedroom" has a very misleading title, but necessary because the name of the short story upon which the film is based (by Andre Dubus) would literally reveal details of the film that are better left unknown. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek play Matt and Ruth Fowler, a nice couple living in the lobster and canning community of Camden, Maine with their (roughly) 20 year-old son, Frank (Nick Stahl), an extraordinarily bright young man with a brighter future ahead of him as an architect. Frank is spending his summer catching lobsters and making time with an older woman, Natalie (Marisa Tomei), who has recently separated from her husband, Richard (William Mapother). Without revealing too many details, tragedy strikes young Frank, and Matt and Ruth are left to deal with the consequences of no longer having their only son in their lives. What follows is a close examination of how they deal with their loss. Again, I would love to say more, but all I can tell you is you owe it to yourself to see this amazing film. It is so powerful, yet so subtle, that it will break your heart. Think "The Sweet Hereafter" or to a lesser degree, this year's "The Deep End," and you'll get the idea. And I cannot rave enough about the performances from Tom Wilkinson, as the crushed father, who finds different ways to grieve than his wife, Ruth, who is played with heartbreaking effectiveness by Sissy Spacek, and Marisa Tomei, who is so underrated as an actress. It's Field's direction that is almost the star of the show. He fills his film with simple 20-second scenes, many containing sparse dialogue, but still carrying a powerful message. As the viewer, you feel the characters' pain--and that can't be taught. "In the Bedroom" is a tough, emotional pill to swallow, but should not be avoided. Simply remarkable. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) ****

"Ocean's Eleven": Hollywood is fond of remakes, adaptations, homages, rip-offs, okay -- making films from ideas that originally belonged to someone else. Their latest attempt is an 'homage' to "Ocean's Eleven," the 1960 heist film featuring Frankie, Dino, Sammy, and the rest of the Rat Pack. For this year's remake, director Steven Soderbergh assembled a modern-day all-star cast including George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle. With all that star-power and talent, you'd expect a good film, right? Well, yes and no. Clooney plays Danny Ocean, an ex-con just released from prison. Danny likes to steal things, and all that time in prison allowed him the chance to cook up a doozie of a scheme: rob the main safe that contains all the "house" money for three major Las Vegas casinos that happen to be owned by Harry Benedict (Andy Garcia in his best role in years), who happens to be dating Danny's ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts). To do the job right, Danny recruits old friend Dusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), who in turn brings in a host of experts, including Cheadle, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner (oh yeah!!), and of course, one of Benedict's sworn enemies, an ex-casino owner/money man played by Elliot Gould, who like Garcia, and for that matter, the great Carl Reiner, hasn't had a juicier role in years. Put 'em all together and you have twelve men, twelve egos, and two weeks to pull off the most elaborate robbery in history -- $160 million dollars taken from an impossible safe. Can they do it? What do you think? The bigger question is: can Steven Soderbergh convince us it can be done? Well, not exactly. The plot is fairly absurd, and there are logistic questions aplenty, but the film is entertaining and that's what really counts. I'd venture to say that practically no other other director in Hollywood could have made this work except for Soderbergh, whose style in this film is, in a word -- COOOL. From the music to the graphics, this film oozes of cool. The performances are all fairly rock solid, but you can't help but think of better performances from nearly every actor in the cast. Clooney was better in a similar role in another (superior) Soderbergh film, "Out of Sight," while Pitt has been better in several films. Cheadle? Hey, "Boogie Nights" and "Out of Sight," baby. Julia Roberts? Flat, wasted, and strictly pretty wallpaper. Ah, but again, "Ocean's Eleven" is pretty good entertainment and it is "cool." So…see it if that's your criteria. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Sidewalks of New York": Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? In the world of film, it's done all the time. In fact, it's welcomed. Writer-director-actor-caterer-gaffer Edwards Burns, doing his best Woody Allen impression, shows us he can not only copy the master of the talking-head-New York films, but he can one-up him by adding a helpful dash of real people to his film. Burns starts "Sidewalks" with the concept of a man on the street interviewing an eclectic group of people about various aspects of their sex lives. He talks to Burns the actor, playing Tommy, a producer of an "Entertainment Tonight" type program. Tommy is a single guy who meets Maria (Rosario Dawson), a school teacher who is recently divorced from Ben (David Krumholz). Ben has been desperate to reunite with Maria--at least until he meets café waitress Ashley (Brittany Murphy), who is charmed by Ben, but is locked in an affair with a married dentist named Griffin (Stanley Tucci), who for some unknown reason is bored with his wife Annie (Heather Graham), a real estate agent, who eventually meets Tommy, who is looking for a new place to live. Whew! My impression of the first hour of "Sidewalks" was that it was just a one-sided product of Edward Burns' male fantasies. The second hour, when he showed the female perspective--when he painted the ugliness of the male side, was what turned this small, talky film about the love (and sex) lives of New Yorkers into an excellent portrayal of life and human angst among the young set. The difference between this film and a typical Woody Allen film, is the people are more real and are acting real-life situations, and not reciting impossibly witty dialogue (sorry, Woody)--and hey, people actually talk about their graphic sex lives instead of skirting around it in an old-fashioned, puritan sort of way. This is New York and we believe every minute of it. The cast of "Sidewalks" was outstanding. Hey, Stanley Tucci as the bad guy? Alright! And Edward Burns can not only write and direct, but he can act. Mix in solid performances by the impossibly lovely Rosario Dawson, the very underrated Brittany Murphy, the always good Heather Graham, the charming David Krumholz, plus a delicious turn by Dennis Farina (you are now forgiven for "Snatch") as the ultimate male chauvinist pig, and the result is a well-paced, entertaining film about real people. Recommended highly. ***1/2 (out of) ****

"Our Song": The time is a few years ago. The place is Crown Heights in Brooklyn during the time when the area was sprayed for the West Nile virus. For three teenage girls, Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson), all they want to do is be happy and get through the day. It's summertime, and the weather is particularly stifling. The three best friends are either working their part-time jobs or playing with the Jackie Robinson Steppers, a marching band rehearsing for the annual Labor Day parade that is so big in Brooklyn, and also trying to compete its way to a big contest in Alaska. So the underprivileged band members from the poor ghetto rise up and beat all the rich schools, right? That's the plot? Actually, no. Writer-director Jim McKay ("Girls Town") barely touches upon the contest, preferring to show how each girl adapts to her surroundings given their individual home life situation. We only learn of the West Nile situation from background noise, and until a friend tells them, the girls are blissfully unaware their high school has been closed due to excessive asbestos, meaning each girl may be separated for the upcoming school year. As for the girls' home life, Lanisha's mom is Cuban-American and divorced from Lanisha's father, a black man. Lanisha is especially close to her parents and among the three girls, is the most grounded. Maria is part Puerto Rican, part black, and three months pregnant, but doesn't feel close enough to her single mom to tell her. Joycelyn's mom would rather be partying and doesn't give her daughter the love she needs. Soon Joycelyn, no longer able to completely connect to her two bilingual best friends, will drift on to a different course. Jim Clark (IRResponsible for "Kids" and "Bully") could learn a lot from Jim McKay, whose film is almost a documentary for its feel (no score, several short, quiet scenes), eschewing the stereotypes, yet still managing to keep it real. McKay, armed with his hand-held camera and a budget of under $500,000, is able to succeed where most films about ghettos have failed: he made a realistic film without all the clichés. In fact, there's no physical sex, nudity, or a single drop of violence in "Our Song" despite the chance to tell all the stories that inhabit the rough streets of the actual Crown Heights. The teenagers in the film listen to rap music, flirt with boys, share a gallon of ice cream; they do normal things, but are still surrounded by realities. "Our Song" isn't yet another depressing teen angst film that repeats all the same issues. There are no plot twists, no heavy drama - in fact, "Our Song" is so natural, so uncontrived, that you almost forget it is a scripted drama, not a documentary. The leads, each making their film debuts, are perfect. They're 15 year-old girls coping with everyday life, and we believe every minute of it. Sensing the importance of the message of this film, McKay put together an education package for "Our Song," with the hope it will be shown at high schools. It's a shame this film is so small (but worth the search), and rated "R" because it will miss its target audience: young, impressionable teenagers on the cusp of making some very important decisions about their lives. "Our Song" is a sincere collection of slice-of-life moments that put together, form a true gem of a film. Recommended highly. ***1/2 (out of) ****

"Heist": David Mamet films make me think of three things: brilliant dialogue, delicious con games, and the impossibly alluring Rebecca Pidgeon. "Heist," Mamet's latest film, has each of these elements, and while none of them are at their strongest (Pidgeon in "The Spanish Prisoner," "State and Main," or perhaps "The Winslow Boy"? Take your pick.), it's still classic Mamet and it's still entertaining. "Heist" stars the ageless Gene Hackman as Joe Moore, a classic thief who's just been made-- by a video camera --during a botched robbery at a jewelry store. Joe wants to run, but his fence and money man, Bergman (Danny Devito at his slimy best) convinces him to make good by doing one last job, a robbery of gold from a Swiss airliner. In order to make sure there are no screw-ups or double-crosses, Bergman insists that his equally slimy nephew Jimmy (Sam Rockwell) join Joe's crew, which includes slick Bobby (Delroy Lindo) and resourceful Pinky (Ricky Jay). Also tagging along is Joe's wife, Fran (Pidgeon, wearing a bad hairstyle that does her no justice). It isn't long before everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Double-crosses, triple-crosses, con games --- the works. Mamet, who wrote and directed "Heist" (of course), as I mentioned, isn't at his crispest, but he gets great performances from his gifted cast, whom he supplies with one great line after the other: "He's so cool, when he goes to sleep, sheep count him." And: "What are you going to do?" "That's what everyone wants to know." In Mamet's impressive body of work, "Heist" ranks somewhere in the middle, and that is still saying something. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Waking Life": is a different kind of animated film. Writer-director Richard Linklater ("Dazed and Confused") filmed a live-action movie using a hand-held digital camera, and after assembling a cut, had a team of animators go to work on the footage like a child with crayons. The difference is, this is no child's film. In fact, if you're an adult who has yet to get in touch with his deep, inner self, then this might not be for you, either. "Waking Life" takes the concept of a young man (Wiley Wiggins) who wanders through life as if it's a dream. The problem? It is a dream, and each time he thinks he's waking up, he's really just *dreaming.* Confused? Good. "Waking Life" spends its entire 97 minutes treading a plot-less world filled with impossibly pretentious, but insightful characters who mostly are just full of themselves. This is the kind of film Holden Caufield, Timothy Leary, and Jack Kerouac would've dug. Get the picture? Recommended if psychoanalysis is your thing. Personally, I found the film's examination of dreams very insightful, but I found myself having a lucid dream *during* the film. Not a good thing. **1/2 (out of) ****

"Monsters, Inc.": Let me preface this review by stating I *love* animated films. A director of a typical live-action film can take a story and make it his or her own, but usually they're limited by their surroundings. A director of an animated feature, surrounded by the right talent, has the ability to duplicate his or her vision onto the silver screen. Director Pete Docter, who also wrote "Monsters Inc.," along with the two fantastic "Toy Story" films, starts with the premise of a secret world of loveable monsters, whose very survival is dependent upon a child's screams, and runs and runs with it. Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and Mike Wazowsky (Billy Crystal) are monsters that punch in every night at Monsters Inc., an energy plant that gains their resources from the screams of children. Each night as their child sleeps, a monster will enter the closet from inside the plant, and leave once he has sufficiently scared the child. But if the monster comes in contact with the child or any part of their world, then it could mean death. Mean? Hardly. Less emphasis is placed upon the actual act and more is concentrated on the plot of the film, which is primarily the adventures of the hulking Sully, who, despite his gentle demeanor, is the most effective monster at Monsters Inc., and his cute pipsqueak pal, Mike. Sully is about to break the scream record, but is facing stiff competition from Randall (Steve Buscemi), a slimy chameleon whose subject, Boo, is terrified of him. Predictably, a breach occurs, and Boo by mistake goes into the closet and winds up trapped in the monster's world. The loveable lunk, Sully, risking monster death, hides her from his company and the hundreds of people who are looking for her. As silly as this plot sounds, it works. Boo is irresistibly adorable (she is voiced by the now five year-old Mary Gibbs), Sully is completely charming, and Mike Wazowski is very memorable. Docter and his computer-animation team tied it all together very nicely. The story, while charming, doesn't have the incredible pacing of the "Toy Story" films (especially "2"), but its animation is superior. The team at Pixar does an amazing job with this film. Every detail, every little shadow is covered; a true work of art. Despite its theme, "Monsters Inc." is good entertainment for the whole family. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Amélie": How does one describe this film without excessive hyperbole? Without adjectives like beautiful, charming, breathtaking, witty, clever, wonderful, inventive? I don't believe it can be done, but I'll give it a shot. "Amélie" is the story of Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou), a young woman who grew up in a somewhat dysfunctional family, which left her shy and outcast. Amélie's life changes forever when she stumbles upon an old box filled with a small child's toys. She decides to return it to its rightful owner, who is now a man in his forties. The profound effect the box has upon the owner gives Amélie the idea to try to do little good deeds for others -- things like vibrantly describing a street scene to a blind man; bringing two lonely people together; helping a rejected writer get published, and in general, little acts of random kindness that bring joy to people's lives. And all along, whether Amélie is touching the lives of her co-workers and customers at a French cafe, her father, or her friends in her neighborhood in a small village in France, she refuses to think of herself; of her own life that is missing its mate. Without giving away key details, after about an hour-and-a-half of one breathlessly clever scene after the other, "Amélie" melts into a beautiful romantic comedy, the kind I wouldn't normally watch, but at the same time, the kind I cannot resist. "Amélie" was co-written and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who previously treated us to "Delicatessen" and "City of Lost Children." Jeunet, as with his previous films, has such a fabulous sense of style. His imagination seems to know no bounds, and he crammed many of his wild, off-the-cuff visual ideas (created from years of random note-taking) into beautiful scenes that only enhance the wonder of his film. Jeunet also interspersed his film with bits of animation (he was reportedly inspired by Tex Avery), and slick, but never distracting camera angles; all for a film whose overall look is beautiful and very reminiscent of the haunting "City of Lost Children." To top it off, the tale of "Amélie" is told in a witty and charming narrative, resulting in an effect that is completely entertaining. One of my favorite touches occurred during the long opening credits when Jeunet introduces his characters by demonstrating their likes and dislikes. In fact, the first ten minutes or so of this film will leave you smiling so much it will hurt! The whole film, for that matter, rarely slows down in the charm department, and it never gets to the point where it's too overbearing or phony. "Amélie" is also filled with deliciously quirky characters and memorable performances, especially from Audrey Tautou, who is so beautiful, charming, and wonderful as Amélie, that she could melt the coldest of hearts. With "Amélie," Jeunet creates one of the sweetest, most charming films to come along in years. In this time of uncertainty and bad news, "Amélie" is a beautiful, sweet tonic. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles)

"The Man Who Wasn't There": The Brothers Coen have such a good reputation that for serious film fans seeing their films are an automatic. Who cares what the critics say? There's something for everybody. Unfortunately, with "The Man Who Wasn't There," the Brothers Coen (Joel and Ethan), possibly taking their reputation a little too seriously, have mailed in their latest film. "Man" is the story of Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a dull man with the dull job of a second chair barber. Alls well in Ed's life until he realizes his flirty wife (Frances McDormand) is fooling around with her boss, Big Dave (James Gandolfini). When Ed is presented with a business opportunity to invest $10,000 in a new invention called drycleaning, he cooks up a scheme to blackmail Big Dave for the money, knowing that Big Dave will be ruined if his rich wife (a department store heiress) finds out about his infidelity. From there the film takes a few twists and turns; bodies begin to pile up, and misunderstandings abound. And all the while, dull Ed never cracks a smile or shows any anger; he's as emotionless as can be. Joel Coen, who directed and co-wrote the film with his brother Ethan, set "Man" in 1940s Santa Rosa, California, and filmed it in glorious black-and-white, giving the film a true noir feel. Sadly, the film features boring ol' Billy Bob Thornton in nearly every scene (he also serves as the film's narrator), while interesting people like Frances McDormand and James Gandolfini are completely wasted. And unlike their previous films, the Coens' dialogue is flat, and the quirky characters are few (Tony Shalhoub as an egotistical lawyer is a notable exception). To their credit, the look of the film is gorgeous, and despite his dry character, Thornton is good. I went to this film knowing next to nothing about it (the best approach), but would not allow myself to be tricked into liking it. The Coen Brothers films are great. True in most cases, but not here. This one is dull as dishwater. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"Our Lady of the Assassins": German Jaramillo plays Fernando, a fiftyish man returning to his home of Medellin, Columbia after an absence of thirty years. It is German's intent to make Medellin his final resting place. He looks up an old friend who runs a male brothel, and it isn't long before Fernando finds a young companion. In Alexis' (Anderson Ballesteros) world of Medellin, violence is commonplace. The ex-gangbanger still feels out of place without his gun - a necessary tool considering Alexis, with a bounty on his head, is always looking over his shoulder. In Fernando, he sees a wise man, who will provide for him, and a lover who reminds him life isn't always rough. Barbet Schroeder, a veteran making his Spanish-language debut, directs "Our Lady," with a grittiness befitting of his subject. He fills his film with scenes of shocking violence, but interestingly, keeps the homosexual overtones of his lead characters somewhat subdued, preferring to demonstrate the effects the violence has, not only on the psyche of his characters, but how the violence is reacted to with great apathy by the citizens walking the streets of Medellin. Schroeder goes to great lengths to prove that Medellin is an ugly, drug-infested place, where people shoot people almost routinely. We get it. "Our Lady of the Assassins" doesn't ask us to care about its characters, and we don't. This would seem to be the downfall of Schroeder's film. We have no rooting interest. Instead, we have a lurid look in a seedy, violent world that in the end adds up to nothing. Disappointing. ** (out of) **** (In Spanish with English subtitles)

"Focus": When meek office clerk Lawrence Newman (William H. Macy) is convinced he needs to start wearing glasses, he begins to see things in a new light. Beginning with a woman (Laura Dern) he turned down for employment because of his company's policy against hiring Jews, and culminating with a series of neighborhood incidents seemingly caused by a neighborhood bully (Meat Loaf Aday), the apathetic Lawrence has to decide if he wants to be a party to the hatred or if he should take a stand. Fred, the bully, is the leader of a local organization dedicated to ridding the Brooklyn community of Jews. When Lawrence continues to avoid joining the hate group, he is suspected of being Jewish (his new glasses don't exactly aid his cause). To make matters worse, he ends up falling in love with, and marrying Gertrude Hart, the same woman he'd earlier suspected of being Jewish. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and for the first time, Lawrence knows what it feels like to be hated not for anything he'd done, but for his perceived faith. "Focus" was directed by first-timer Neal Slavin, and based on Arthur Miller's controversial (for its time) novel published in 1947. In fact, "Focus" takes place during that era, and part of its effectiveness is in the noirish feel of the film (Slavin is a noted photographer, which is very much in evidence in this film), and in its sharp script (adapted by Kendrew Lascelles), which could've been written by David Mamet. Its appeal is in how it makes you think about your convictions; and about how far you would go to help your neighbor whether or not you subscribe to his beliefs. "Focus" is sharpened by the performances of its leads, particularly Macy, who reminds the viewer of a meeker Jerry Lundegaard, and David Paymer, who plays Mr. Finkelstein, the local newsstand owner, who's under constant threat by the hate group. Paymer's performance is simple, but powerful. Meat Loaf Aday (yes, the singer) is very effective as Fred, and Dern, though underused, is solid as Lawrence's wife. "Focus" is an often slow and heavy-handed film, but has an important message that deserves to be heard - and seen. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg": Baseball has always been a very important part of my life. Growing up in the '70's, I endeavored to learn as much about the great game as possible. I absorbed books on its history and its heroes. For me, the heroes were Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle. For the Jewish community, it was Hank Greenberg, the slugging first baseman for the Detroit Tigers during the Thirties up until 1946. The documentary "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" focuses on Greenberg, not so much as a baseball hero, but as a hero to Jews who had few Jewish heroes in sports. The documentary, conceived and directed by Aviva Kempner, was a labor of love for the filmmaker, having grown up as a Tiger fan. She interviewed Greenberg before his death in 1986, and years later, after finally getting funding, was able to release her film. As a baseball documentary, it is good, but not great, and doesn't measure up to better films on the subject ("Ken Burn's Baseball," "The Short Heard 'Round the World," and many of the one-hour shows on ESPN Classic are far more entertaining). Its shortcomings are in its focus: how one incredible athlete was an inspiration to generations of Jews, and less about that incredible athlete's accomplishments as a baseball player, or for that matter, as a human being stripped away of any religious or ethnic background (ironically, in later years Greenberg was a non-practicing Jew). As a baseball fan, I can barely recommend the documentary. As a non-Jew who prefers to look at people as people, and not judge them by the color of their skin or their religious beliefs, I would've preferred a more balanced documentary -- or at least one that was a little more forthcoming of its intentions. Still, having said that, I see the importance, the meaning, and the hope this baseball player -- this human being -- brought to the Jewish community, and I appreciate the importance this documentary brings towards curbing the anti-Semitic undercurrent of our society. As a documentation of a person's life, it is very flawed. Again, its seemingly singular focus of the importance of one man upon the Jewish culture, caused it to virtually ignore huge chunks of Greenberg's life (we didn't meet the mother of his children until almost the end of the documentary). The baseball portion was there, but was clearly secondary, and we learned more from a handful of lines right before the final credits, then during the first 90 minutes of the 95 minute documentary. See "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" as a sometimes interesting study of hero worship among the Jewish community. I cannot recommend it for any other reason. ** (out of) **** (Video)

"My First Mister": This has certainly been the year of the teen angst film. Just over the past several months, I've watched "L.I.E.," "Bully," "O," "Ghost World" (the best of the lot), and now "My First Mister," which isn't a teen angst film per se, but has a principle character, Jennifer (played by Leelee Sobieski), who could rival Thora Birch's Enid, for angsty teen of the year. 17 year-old Jennifer, or "J" as she prefers to be addressed, lives with her ultra-sweet mother (Carol Kane) and step-dad (Michael McKean), who give her all the support she needs, but still she feels the need to rebel against the world. J is into tattoos, self-mutilation, wears black, listens to loud music, and she fills her face (literally) with plenty of piercings. It's a shame because she has a real exterior beauty, and, as it is slowly revealed, a real inner beauty. J, looking for a job, impresses a men's clothing store manager (Albert Brooks) with her tenaciousness, who also convinces her to tone down her appearance. Her new boss, Randall, or as she prefers, "R" is a lonely man in his late-40's who works his shift, goes home, and turns into himself all over again. The two bond in a special way, forming a very unlikely friendship (but in the interest of good taste, a non-sexual relationship) as each person helps the other to overcome their social inadequecies. Christina Lahti makes her directorial debut with this film, and boy does she overdo it. She resorts to silly gimmicks, unneeded plot devices, and just stuffs the heck out of the film. And she really attempts to jerk the tears out of her audience (and it seemed to work on those around me), which at that point was shameless since the direction she chose to take the film was an unnecessary one. Thanks to Lahti's irresponsible handling of the film, she effectively wastes two fine performances from Leelee Sobieski, who clearly isn't just passing through as an actress, and Albert Brooks, who is just right for his role. "My First Mister" is a frustrating exercise in what could've been. Very disappointing. * 1/2 (out of) ****

"Diamond Men": Robert Forster stars as Eddie Miller, a diamond salesman in the twilight of his career. Eddie has just suffered a serious heart attack and is facing forced retirement because his company is no longer able to obtain insurance for him to carry more than $1 million in diamonds. Eddie is able to squeeze a few more weeks out of his employer but only to break in a new salesman. Donnie Wahlberg (Mark's brother) plays the new guy, Bobby Walker, a former vending machine salesman, who thinks he has what it takes to take over Eddie's line in central Pennsylvania. The film is a study in the contrasts of the two men. Eddie is a quiet professional who just lost his wife of many years, while Bobby is a brash 28 year-old party animal who still hasn't sowed his wild oats. Eddie resents the new kid's aggressive style, while Bobby just wishes his mentor would loosen up a little. When Bobby introduces Eddie to his friend, Tina (Jasmine Guy), the 'madam' of the Altoona Riding Club, shy Eddie refuses to participate until he meets Katie (Bess Armstrong), an attractive older woman, who sees Eddie for the person he is: a gentleman. Meanwhile, the influence of Eddie has transformed Bobby to the point where he is able to reach that point where he knows what he wants out of life. "Diamond Men" doesn't take itself serious enough to be considered a poignant character study, but writer-director Dan Cohen, who based his film on the life of his father (he comes from three generations of diamond salesmen) keeps his story light and grounded, resists the usual cliches for the most part, and through the solid performances of his charming casts, manages to squeeze a simple little tale that entertains. In fact, for me, the crossover from decent to recommended is based on the four principle characters and the performance from their actor. Robert Forster, playing a rehashing of his bailbondsman character from "Jackie Brown," is wonderful, while Donnie Wahlberg has charm to burn. And Jasmine Guy and Bess Armstrong are perfect in their roles. Overall, this small little film gets a passing grade. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Iron Monkey": When I first saw previews of this film, I figured it was just a well-timed rip-off of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." What I didn't find out until I was researching background for this review was that "Iron Monkey" actually came out before "CTHD"--seven years earlier, as a matter of fact. And now eight years after its initial release in Hong Kong, this (apparently) legendary Kung-Fu film has landed in the U.S. Yuen Woo-ping, the person responsible for choreographing the action scenes in "The Matrix" and "CTHD," directs "Iron Monkey" from a script co-written by Tsui Hark (who directed some of the "Once Upon a Time in China" films). Rongguang Yu plays Dr.Yang, the good-hearted local doctor of the Chinese province of Zhejing. When Dr. Yang isn't treating the sick, he is flying around as the Iron Monkey, a masked crusader of good, who acts as sort of a Robin Hood for a community living under the tyrannical rule of Governer Cheng (James Wong). Man after man (and sometimes woman) is sent after the Iron Monkey in an attempt to stop him from his mission: to slowly return the fortune the governor has stolen from the impoverished people. And each time they are turned away by the fierce Kung-Fu mastery of the Iron Monkey--that is until Kung-Fu expert Wong Kei-Ying (Donnie Yeng) and his young son (Tsang Sze-Man) arrive in Zhejing. The governor, knowing Kei-Ying is the one person capable of capturing the Iron Monkey, decides to imprison Kei-Ying's son until the Iron Monkey is brought in. The rest of this film is fairly routine for a Hong Kong action flick, except the martial art sequences, which are, in a word--breathtaking. The final sequence, which pits three men standing atop tall wooden sticks that happen to be on fire, is jaw-dropping and one of the most amazing action sequences I've ever watched on film. But while the film does take place in the mid-1850's and was filmed in 1993 China, it shouldn't excuse its pitiful treatment of women. Sure, it's cartoon violence (for the most part) but watching women fighting men, who are fighting back, just isn't pleasant. Still, that being the one glaring flaw of the film, what "Iron Monkey" has to offer is still entertaining--sometimes routine and inept, but nonetheless entertaining. And it is a film that stands out from among its peers. Recommended if you like the genre. *** (out of) **** (In dubbed (!) Cantonese with English subtitles).

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch": Cult films and musicals have been a reasonable success in the past ("Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Little Shop of Horrors"), but rarely has the combination been so entertaining. John Cameron Mitchell writes, directs, and stars as Hedwig, a frustrated rock star whose band "The Angry Inch" is relegated to a U.S. tour of Bilgewater's, a family seafood restaurant, whose patrons are more than just a little shocked by the appearance of Hedwig, who is now a woman, but used to be a man. The operation, done years earlier in Hedwig's native Berlin, was botched, leaving Hedwig with an inch's worth of a man. Deserted by her Army husband, Hedwig, a talented songwriter and singer, with an obvious gift for words, forms a band, filling it with Korean women who are also attached to American army personnel. Eventually, Hedwig finds the love of a 17 year-old boy who aspires to be a rock star. The boy, Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt), upon discovering Hedwig's 'handicap,' runs off -- with Hedwig's songs in tow, and winds up becoming a star. Angry and bitter, Hedwig and the Angry Inch chase Tommy's band through their tour (Bilgewater's always seem to be next door to the arena -- It was so close that Hedwig could open the doors to hear his rival's concert). Their shows, a unique blend of very funny songs and monologue, also allows the film to unfold via flashback. The very brilliance of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" lies in Mitchell, whose story, on the surface, sensational and preposterous, is so fantastically told (Mitchell also uses animation) and performed, that once you put aside the utter weirdness of the characters, you cannot help but be entertained. The first hour of the film is sheer genius. The last half hour begins to slip when Tommy is finally introduced, but is saved by Mitchell's virtual one-man show (adapted from his off-Broadway play of the same name) and performances by Hedwig's new husband, Yitzhak (Miriam Shor), who is really a woman. Yitzhak has to hide 'his' desire to wear frilly dresses and Hedwig's er...wigs -- real gender-bending fun!. Also of note is the music of Stephen Trask (Trask and Shor also play members of the Angry Inch), who uses influences from Lou Reed and David Bowie with very positive results. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is a true tour-de-force, and a real showcase for John Cameron Mitchell's abundance of talent. Recommended highly. ***1/2 (out of) ****

"Together": Lukas Moodysson ("Show Me Love") wrote and directed this story of a group of young, free-lovin' Communists living in a commune in 1975's Stockholm. Goran (Gustaf Hammarsten) leads the group, which includes his sexually adventurous girlfriend Lena (Anja Lundqvist), and their friend Lasse (Ola Norell). Also inhabiting the house is Lasse's ex-wife-turned-lesbian, Anna (Jessica Liedberg) and the openly gay Klas (Shanti Roney), who'd rather be spending time with Lasse. The commune, named Tillsammans ("Together" in Swedish) rejects idealism and materialism -- a noble idea -- but whose holes are ultimately exposed once the characters learn more about each other. The group begins their transformation when Goran's sister Elizabeth (Lisa Lindgren), escaping her abusive husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist), moves in along with her two young children. Anna immediately sees Elizabeth as a potential conquest, while Anna's 14 year-old daughter, Eva (Emma Samuelsson) forms a tender friendship with the 13-year-old boy next door. Their sweet and innocent relationship forms the emotional center of the film. Meanwhile, Lasse's young son bonds with Elizabeth's boy, and together they bring war toys, TV, and even hot dogs into the picture, showing the group there is something to be said for life in the Western world. Moodysson, clearly a director with an extremely bright future, is also an excellent storyteller. His script is a rare one that actually develops its characters, yet doesn't lose sight of its story. The mere fact he is able to bring tenderness and sympathy for Rolf, the abusive husband, says a lot. Moodysson, using influences of Dogme 95 filmmaking, uses his zoom lens somewhat habitually, but the camerawork never suffocates his film. "Together" is an often funny look at the kooky life of a young, impressionable group of people bent on doing the right thing. It was an often slow and wordy film, but ambitious and entertaining enough to recommend. *** (out of) **** (In Swedish with English subtitles)

"Bread and Tulips": Rosalba Barletta (Licia Maglietta) is a bored housewife -- at least that's what we learn after her family accidentally leaves her behind at a rest stop during a bus trip through Italy. At first, Rosalba promises her family she'll catch up to them the following day, but a spontaneous trip to Venice (she'd never been) changes everything. Suddenly this bored housewife finds a job, meets another man (a suicidal waiter played by Bruno Ganz), and seems to forget all about her husband, Mimmo (Antonio Catania) and their two teenage sons. Mimmo, conveniently saddled with a mistress, discovers he misses his housecleaner, so he sends amateur detective, Costantino (Giuseppe Massironi) to find her. Constantino, of course, falls in love with Rosalba's new neighbor -- a holistic masseuse played by Marina Massironi. And for good measure, Rosalba's abandonment is 'justified' by her husband's infidelity (but she doesn't know!); one of her teenager's pot-smoking habit; her meaningless life at home (I guess having a family doesn't count), and this new, interesting man in her life, who happens to be able to spin fifty-cent words and recite poetry, while her husband at home would rather talk about his plumbing fixture business. Okay, so forget the fact she had no real reason to leave home in the first place. Forget the fact that writers Silvio Soldini (who also directed) and Doriana Leondeff flunked Screenwriting 101; that they string along the viewer for ninety boring minutes, while trying to cram in charming moments with morally-bankrupt characters, and then ask us to like the results. For some reason, in dramas like "L.I.E." (minus the charm) this approach works, but here it just seems phony. In the film's defense, the characters, while largely scrupleless (since when does this disqualify a film, anyhow?), *are* charming, but the bumbling writers spent so much time trying to justify the characters' actions, that we begin to realize they don't deserve our sympathies. Ultimately, "Bread and Tulips" straining to live up to the tradition of the great Italian comedies of the past, collapses under the weight of its own mediocrity. Disappointing. ** (out of) **** (In Italian with English subtitles)

"L.I.E.": or Long Island Expressway, is the metaphorical setting for the tale of Howie, a 15 year-old boy whose life -- just like the famous expressway -- runs east, west, and sometimes straight to hell. Many people, including Harry Chapin, Alan Pakula, and Howie's mom, have died there. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano), who is left somewhat mentally detached by the loss of his mother, finds solace hanging out with his buddy Gary (Billy Kay), a sort of pretty boy whose secret life includes lending sexual favors to strangers. Their friendship, fueled by robbing houses, is a odd one. Howie isn't sure who he wants -- Gary, the love of his aloof father, the bizarre friendship of an older man known as 'Big John' (Brian Cox), or just a tender shoulder to cry upon. Howie, despite his angst, is a sweet boy. His character's development is what makes "L.I.E." interesting. This isn't a film for closed-minded types who are put off by distasteful characters, and who forget a film is just a film. "L.I.E." succeeds because it is able to take four characters: Howie, Gary, Big John, and the brief character of Big John's young lover -- and strip away the insignificance of what makes them so socially unacceptable, showing instead how they are human beings who need a form of emotional support. The film, co-written and directed by Michael Cuesta, also succeeds because of performances by Paul Franklin Dano, the confused and misunderstood young boy capable of reciting Walt Whitman from memory, and Brian Cox, who is best known as the original Hannibal Lecter (in the film "Manhunter"). Cox's Big John is every bit as disturbing as Lecter, only on the opposite end of the spectrum. Cox's sympathetic performance is a big reason why we can watch this film with little trepidation. Yes, even pederasts, hustlers, and thieves have feelings. "L.I.E." in many ways reminded me of "My Own Private Idaho;" a little less bizarre, but disturbing for its core themes, and with a deep inner soul that is well-worth looking into. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Rock Star": Okay, I admit it: I'm a sucker for nostalgic films -- films to which I can completely relate. "Rock Star," set in the early-80s, celebrates a lot of the music I listened to as I experienced my ascent into adulthood. Unfortunately, it didn't result in a film that reminded me of some of the great films I watched during that era. "Rock Star" is based on the real-life experience of Tim "Ripper" Owens, a nobody in a heavy-metal tribute band who ended up replacing the lead singer of his favorite band. In this film, Owens is Chris "Izzy" Cole (Mark Wahlberg), the lead singer of Blood Pollution, a 'tribute band' (don't say cover) for Steel Dragon, the big heavy metal band of the day. When the actual band decides to fire their quirky singer, they turn to Izzy, who impressed them at a concert. So, a boy's dream comes true -- or does it? Chris spent much of his young adult life obsessing over details of a person's life, and now he steps into his shoes. The film's message is pretty plain and predictable. We never really care about the characters. We figure Chris will give his girlfriend (played by a cardboard cutout named Jennifer Aniston) the shaft -- that he'll succumb to the sex and drugs lifestyle of the typical rocker. Oddly enough, director Stephen Herek and writer John Stockwell gives us all that, but pack so much incidental material into the film that we wind up with the Cliff Notes version. "Rock Star" pretends to be "Almost Famous," but isn't remotely close to that film in depth or story. Wahlberg sleepwalks through the film; Aniston is decent for a cutout, and only Timothy Spall as Steel Dragon's manager gives a performance that's worth noting. Do yourself a favor -- buy the soundtrack, pop it into your car's player, and listen to it as you drive *past* the theater playing this film. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"O": is based on William Shakespeare's "Othello" and is set in a modern-day prep school in Charleston, South Carolina. Unlike recent adaptations of other Shakepearean works, "O" goes out of its way to distance itself from the play, skipping the traditional dialogue in favor of teenspeak, and filling the soundtrack with rap songs. None of this will sit well with fans of the original work, but watching how director Tim Blake Nelson and writer Brad Kaaya transcribe Shakespeare is, at the very least, interesting. "O" is Odin James (Mekhi Phifer), star basketball player, the coach's darling, and the only black person in the school. Odin seems to have it all -- the dean's daughter, Desi (Julia Stiles), as his girlfriend, college coaches who want him to play for their school, and the admiration of his coach (Martin Sheen), who sees him as a son -- which is all well and good, except he happens to *have* a son already on the team -- Hugo (Josh Harnett), whose extreme jealousy of Odin becomes the crux of the film. Josh decides he wants to knock a few chinks in Odin's mighty armor, so he begins with Odin's relationship with Desi, which is supposed to be a secret from her father. Using the school's outcast, Roger (Elden Henson), and Odin's best friend, Mike (Andrew Keegan), Hugo manages to manipulate his way to a very violent revenge. It is never made clear why Hugo goes out of his way to harm several people just to get one, but those details don't seem too important when you're playing with Shakespeare. Overall, "O" was loud, overly violent, borderline silly, and somewhat pointless. The performances were very solid, especially Josh Harnett as the exceptionally twisted Hugo, and it gets a point for not kowtowing to the norm of a teen film, but in this age of high school violence, its message -- even if you can credit (blame?) it to long-dead playright, is irresponsible. ** (out of) ****

"Human Resources": Like two recent films, "Startup.com" and "Bread and Roses," "Human Resources" is a film about the workforce, and its documentary style (with only one professional actor) gives it an honest, yet very powerful feel. Franck (Jalil Lespert, the lone professional) is a business student who lands a management trainee job at a unionized parts factory, where his sister and father also work as part of the assembly-line team. It isn't long before Franck is thrust into a position of trying to further his own career while trying to act as a middleman between management and a union that is resisting the idea of a new 35 hour work-week. He is also stuck in the tough position of trying to maintain a relationship with a father who is threatened by the company's new ideas, and resentful of his son's role. Predictable results follow, but not enough to flaw this very powerful film about the working man and his family. "Human Resources" was directed and co-written (with Gilles Marchand of "With a Friend like Harry" fame) by Laurent Cantet, who seems to stand back and allow the amateur actors to pour their frustrated emotions upon the screen. We never learn much about the characters, but know enough about their human spirit to root for them and their plight. This one simple thing is what separates "Human Resources" from ordinary films. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles)

"The Curse of the Jade Scorpion": is Woody Allen's latest, but far from greatest film. Writer-director Allen also stars as C.W. Briggs, a claims investigator for North Coast Insurance. The time and place is 1940s Manhattan (surprise!) and Briggs, a self-proclaimed asset to his company, is threatened by North Coast's newly hired efficiency expert, Betty Ann Briggs (Helen Hunt), who is toying with the idea of farming out some of the company's claims investigations to an outside firm. Complications ensue (don't they always?) when Briggs becomes a suspect in a series of jewel heists and has to use his professional wiles to save his own hiney. The lesser said the better, but it is safe to say that this is far from Allen's best work. The one-liners come fast and furious, but given the circumstances, are often inappropriate. "Jade Scorpion" isn't a *bad* film (Allen seems incapable) and is supported by a top-notch cast including Dan Ackroyd and David Odgen-Stiers, but I expected more and was delivered the ordinary. Average. ** 1/2 (out of) ****

"The House of Mirth": is based on the Edith Wharton novel, and was directed and adapted for the screen by Terrence Davies. Gillian Anderson plays Lily Bart, a rising socialite on the lurch in New York just after the turn of the 20th century. It is a grand time, where opulence and social-standing is the order of the day. When young Lily is spotted alone with a married man, a scandal ensues, and rather than defend herself, Lily allows herself to spiral downward. We watch her descent and admire her courage, but aside from the character issues, wonder if she deserves our pity. Can we truly feel sorry for this woman? In the end, we do. Wharton's story clearly takes an unusual (for its time) feminist stance -- showing women in positions of power, and doing decidedly 'unlady-like' things like smoking cigarettes, but the women are still submissive, playing into the hands of a 'proper' society that mandates they marry and procreate. "The House of Mirth" does a nice job of showing the romance between Lily and Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz), a lawyer, who is the person for Lily, but she is too blinded to the fact he lacks the money needed to fund a marriage between the two. Ultimately, "Mirth" succeeds because the performance of Anderson as Lily, and the terrific direction from Terrence Davies, whose camera captures the emotions of the characters and guides the story from a first-half exercise in pretentious behavior, to the butterflying of Lily. Throw out a horrid performance by Eleanor Bron as Lily's rich aunt, and add in a delicious turn by Laura Linney as Lily's 'friend' Bertha, and you have an entertaining film with a good payoff. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (Video)

"Bully": We live in a voyeuristic society. From reality television to rubberneckers on the freeway, people are fascinated by how the other half lives. In director Larry Clark's ("Kids") latest film, it is Clark who seems to be the voyeur. He gives us yet another peek into the sordid lives of misguided teenagers. It was bad enough that we had to bear witness to the sex, drugs and underaged drinking of "Kids," but now he mixes in a good ol' fashioned murder. Clark, basing "Bully" on a true story, tells his tale of a group of kids in Florida, who would rather get stoned and have irresponsible sex, than hold jobs or attend school. Lisa (Rachel Miner) and Ali (Bijou Phillips) are a pair of come-hither young girls who meet a pair of surfers, Marty (Brad Renfro) and Bobby (Nick Stahl), and it isn't long before the sex and drugs happen.Along the way, it becomes too apparent that Bobby is just a little too abusive towards not only his best bud Marty, but to everyone else in their tight little circle. The newly pregnant Lisa, trying to control her new boyfriend Marty, convinces the group it is time to get rid of Bobby -- permanently. The story is interesting enough, and the performances solid, but you can't help but feel a little dirty. Clark's hand-held camera takes us places we don't want to go, and paints a pretty ugly picture of today's youth, and the adults in this film -- the few that are actually seen -- are portrayed as ignorant and ineffectual. The worst part of the story is that it never builds an adequete case for Bobby as a bully. Sure, he's a real louse, but in the end, he's the one who's going to school and has actual ambitions, while his pals (who his oblivious dad thinks are bringing his son down) are the losers. Perhaps that's the message of the film. "Bully" is ambitious enough, but you can't help but wonder why Clark, who already mapped most of this territory in "Kids" and in several of his books of photography on teen-age life, feels it's necessary to keep ogling the subject. Disappointing. ** (out of) ***

"The Deep End": How far would you go for a loved one? That is the question, but one Margaret Hall (Tilda Swinton) never asks herself, even when she discovers the dead body of the older lover of her teenage son, Beau (Jonathan Tucker). And when known associates of the lover come around pointing fingers and offering silence in exchange for money, Margaret never wavers in her devotion to her son -- or her other two children, whom she is forced to raise with little emotional help from her Navy husband, who is rarely home. Vagueness is the best medicine here, as the less you know, the better the film will be for you. "The Deep End" was co-written and co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (who gave us the very interesting "Suture" a few years ago) from a story by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, "The Blank Wall," which was reportedly among Alfred Hitchcock's favorites. Like "Suture," "The Deep End" is clearly inspired by the tone of Hitchcock's films, that of an interesting character-based mystery with lots of interesting twists and camera angles. In "The Deep End" basic human nature from love to compassion to devotion, is explored. The title of the film has multiple meanings but refers mostly to the madness that dark secrets can have on a psyche. In Margaret's case, it is the many holes she digs while trying to shelter her son. Tilda Swinton as Margaret is amazing. She seldom cracks a smile, and Giles Nuttgens' cinematography follows every line on her face; every expressive gesture, capturing the essence of her remarkable performance. It is a shame the smallness of this film and the timing of its release will probably eliminate it from many year-end lists, because Swinton deserves special recognition. "The Deep End," reminded me a lot of another one of this year's films, "The Pledge." Like the Sean Penn film, "The Deep End" was set in the gorgeous Northern California resort community of Lake Tahoe, and was similar in mood and tone, but this film is just a little bit better. I often lament the lack of *good* Hollywood films, but "The Deep End" (from Fox's independent arm, Fox Searchlight) reminds me they're still made. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Ghost World": Enid (Thora Birch) keeps a sketchbook diary of the various characters she encounters during the spare moments of her life. Along with her best friend, Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), the two young girls -- fresh out of high school -- spend much of their days mocking the people around them while pondering their next life moves. Rebecca would like to get an apartment with Enid, but the less motivated Enid would rather play it safe by staying at home with her single dad (Bob Balaban), whose unconditional love for his daughter permits him to be passive when Enid dyes her hair purple and listens to loud punk rock -- her passion, at least until she meets Seymour (Steve Buscemi), an older, sad-type, who is more at home with his old 78 blues records than in more traditional social environments. Enid and Seymour meet almost by accident, during one of Enid and Rebecca's people experiments. The two girls mischievously answer a lonely hearts ad placed by Seymour, but Enid winds up feeling sorry for the little shy man (he isn't aware of the ruse) and befriends him. Their new friendship, coupled with her growing differences with Rebecca, slowly breaks apart the relationship between the two girls -- just the first of many transformations for Enid. And because of his new friendship with Enid, Seymour breaks out of his shell, while Enid, filled with compassion for Seymour, is unable to commit to things in her own life such as art school, a steady job, accepting her father's new girlfriend, and of course, to Rebecca.

"Ghost World" was directed by Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb"), who also co-wrote the often funny script with Daniel Clowes, from Clowes' underground comic book of the same name. They fill their film with smart, snappy dialogue and plenty of quirky characters, and music (!) oh, the music! Everything from 30's blues to 60's Japanese pop to late-70's punk, and it all works. Their story starts as a focus on the two principle characters, Enid and Rebecca, while gradually adding the people who become a part of their lives, but by the end of the film it is clear "Ghost World" is really about Enid, and how she is transformed by those people. Enid, on the surface, is just another teenager with angst to spare, but underneath -- the part we're allowed to see -- lies a fascinating creature. Thora Birch as Enid, is a revelation. Birch, blessed with her second great part, is truly a gifted actress. But unlike her role as Kevin Spacey's teenaged daughter in "American Beauty," in "Ghost World," Birch is the center of the film, and she shines -- oh, does she shine. Steve Buscemi, once again, just...belongs. Buscemi, forever the role player, is one of our most underappreciated actors. As Seymour, he is wonderful. Only the young Scarlett Johansson ("The Horse Whisperer"), is underwhelming. Her strengths and weaknesses as an actress seemed to match those of Rebecca, which would seem to be the purpose, but still she seemed miscast, and pales next to the brilliant performance from Birch. I ponder the title of the film since there are no ghosts per se in "Ghost World." There are probably metaphors to be found, but ultimately, how I felt after watching the film, and the next day, and the day after that when I *still* couldn't get it out of my head, answered my question. "Ghost World" isn't a film that's easy to explain, and why I liked it so much may be a more difficult question, but thinking of the amazing Enid and how her character achieves closure, and of the brilliant beauty that Zwigoff and Clowes created, haunts me. In a world where teen films show silly, unrealistic situations depicted by shallow, unimportant characters, it is a comfort that a film like "Ghost World" can still make it through the cracks. "Ghost World" is hardly the feel good film of the year, nor does it ever attempt to reach that distinction, but you won't find a more honest or better film about the struggles of commitment; of taking that big leap forward into the real world. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) ****

"The Others": As I sat in my theater seat, prepared to watch "The Others," it became apparent almost immediately that the room was without air-conditioning. As the seats filled around me, the stickiness in the air became a distraction. And then the film began -- and the discomfort mounted. The situation made me think of the late, great film director Stanley Kubrick, who, among his many peculiarities, had strict control over the theaters that would show his films. The acoustics in the room had to be *perfect* or his film would be shown elsewhere. It made me wonder if the writer-director of "The Others," Alejandro Amenabar, requested the theaters be as uncomfortable as possible, to help build a tense atmosphere. In this case, it didn't matter, as Amenabar's terrific story kept things tight and tense throughout. The aptly titled film begins in 1945 with three servants showing up at the door of an old, magnificent home located in Jersey, on the Channel Islands in England, where Grace (Nicole Kidman) and her two young children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley) live while waiting for the man of the family to return home from World War Two. The servants, led by the nanny, Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), are there to replace the previous staff, who left under mysterious circumstances. Grace, as the new servants learn, is an eccentric and demanding woman, who dotes upon her children, making sure electricity is never used in the home; that no door can be opened before another is shut, and that curtains are closed in each room -- rules necessary because of Nicholas and Anne's rare condition that makes them photo-sensitive, meaning any overexposure to light could be life-threatening. It isn't long before Grace discovers there's something wrong with the house, puncuated by young Anne's insistence that she has seen "intruders" in the house. Grace's deep religious beliefs do not allow her to accept these ideas. From there, we realize something is indeed wrong -- very wrong within the house, but like this year's other great word-of-mouth film, "Memento," the less you know, the better, so I will stop here. I went into this film expecting little -- maybe something better than "The Amityville Horror" and "Poltergeist." What I came away with was a great film -- yes, great. "The Others" is spookier and scarier than any horror film I've ever watched. And given its almost generic genre, it's pretty darn original. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming, and others that were somewhat predictable, and one heck of an ending, probably the best of its type since last year's "Unbreakable." The very talented Amenabar, who also wrote the film's music, kept "The Others" at a very slow, deliberate pace, allowing the suspense to build. The film, in fact, plods along, but the payoff is so impressive that it is easy to overlook the first hour. And Amenabar resisted silly plot devices, special effects, and violence, and kept the 'creep' factor high, and along with the excellent story, drew some outstanding performances from his cast, especially Nicole Kidman, who was absolutely brilliant as Grace. Kidman continues to emerge from the shadow of her famous ex-husband, and is poised to be the next great actress, a la Meryl Streep and Katherine Hepburn. "The Others" is one of those special films that demands to be seen twice. I know I'll have a special grin on my face when I see it for the second time. Recommended highly. ***1/2 (out of) ****

"The Score": Sometimes it's best to know as little as possible about a film before you see it. And because I see so many films, I see a lot of trailers. And trailers tend to give a lot away -- sometimes even the ending. I probably saw the preview for "The Score" a dozen times, and wouldn't you know it, when watching the full film, I knew a certain thing would happen, and that thing, which I expected in the middle of the film, turned out to be the next-to-last scene of the film! What happened to the big payoff afterwards? You know, the thing that attracted me to the film in the first place? Am I giving anything away? No -- except perhaps a lesson. Okay, to the film: "The Score" is the story of Montreal restaurant owner and professional thief, Nick Wells (Robert De Niro). Nick is given one last score by his fence guy, Max Baron (Marlon Brando) -- steal a priceless scepter from Montreal's Customs House, a seemingly impossible job except Max has an inside connection -- one of the maintenance men, played by Edward Norton. Norton is Jackie Teller, who is mentally handicapped to co-workers, but is really faking it in order to gain their trust as he stakes out the building. Wells is reluctant to work with the young buck, especially given his taste for easier, low-risk jobs, but the lure of one last score is too great. "The Score" was directed by Frank Oz (you know -- the Muppets guy) and reportedly De Niro himself. And the film was written by too many names to mention in this tiny space -- and it shows. Oz does a pretty good job of keeping the mood tense and is blessed with a talented cast, but there's nothing new here. De Niro has done this role many times. Brando is, at best, an interesting sidenote to this film. And Angela Bassett, playing De Niro's girlfriend, is background material. Even Edward Norton, who is too underappreciated as an actor, rehashes his schtick from "Primal Fear." Did the trailer spoil the film for me? Yes. Though seeing the film cold probably wouldn't have changed my opinion. Disappointed. ** (out of) ****

"Legally Blonde": isn't the type of film I generally watch, but hey -- I'm a big fan of Reese Witherspoon, and I loved "Clueless" and "Dick," two films I *hoped* inspired this film," but alas "Legally Blonde" is just another dumb comedy straight from the Hollywood factory. The difference between "Blonde" and most of Tinsel Town's dumbed-down efforts is "Blonde" is harmless, mostly non-offensive, and does have its moments of charm, mostly from Ms. Witherspoon, who shows she also does comedy -- very well. "Blonde" begins as ditzy sorority queen, Elle Woods (Witherspoon), all set to accept an engagement ring from her rich boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), suddenly finds herself dumped because as the son of a senator, Warner feels Elle doesn't project the right image (too Marilyn, not enough Jackie) he needs to succeed at Harvard Law School and eventually, as a senator. Hmmm, must be Elle's foo-foo pink persona or her precious little scamp of a dog. Heartbroken and still in love with Warner, Elle decides to follow her love to law school, despite her obvious shortcomings. Fortunately for Elle, she managed to maintain a 4.0 average throughout high school and at CULA, where she was homecoming queen and president of her sorority, which along with her charming personality, somehow gained her entry into Harvard's prestigious law school. From there, the film turns a little silly and predictable. Warner finds his socialite; Elle insults, then charms her way into everybody's heart. Elle is picked to aid in a murder case; the right people end up together, and everybody lives happily ever after. The end. My chief problem with "Legally Blonde" was that it didn't use its interesting premise in the best way. No in-jokes, nothing dark about the film -- no edge whatsoever. I was expecting edge, and got just another Cineplex comedy, which is fine if you prefer harmless fluff. Witherspoon was terrific -- but thats it. Watch it on an airplane, but don't bother springing for the headphones. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"The Interview": is a film that won praise and lots of awards in Australia, where the film was first released a few years ago. It didn't reach our shores until last summer and it has finally been released on video. Hugo Weaving plays Eddie Fleming, a drifter, who is flagged as the chief suspect in a case of a stolen car. Taken into custody by a career detective John Steele (Tony Martin) and his cocky partner Wayne Prior (Aaron Jeffery), the pair interview the shaken drifter until slowly they realize the man they have in their custody may be responsible for a whole lot more than just the theft of an automobile. Throughout the interrogation, the two detectives employ a series of tactics, including starvation, all designed to unnerve their suspect. Is Fleming telling them what they want to hear just to mess with them, or is he really guilty? And to add to the mystery, Steele is being investigated by internal affairs officer (Barry Walls) for his questionable way of handling suspects. Is the interview, which is secretly taped, a setup to nail Steele? Is their 'suspect' just a ploy? Director and co-writer Craig Monahan in his feature debut, does an outstanding job of creating an unnerving atmosphere. Monahan was obviously inspired by "The Usual Suspects" (with Weaving playing the Keyser Soze character), but who cares? "The Interview" is like one of those great forties film noir mysteries that keeps you glued to your couch. "The Interview" is a true gem that may be hard to find, but is definitely worth adding to your "find and rent" list. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) **** (Video)

"The Closet": After watching a bad British gangster film, it was refreshing to watch a *good* French comedy. Perhaps there's a good Italian coming-of-age film or maybe a memorable Swedish meaning-of-life film in my future. Perhaps. Presently, it's "The Closet," a nice film about a boring man, Francois Pignon (Daniel Auteuil), who learns he is about to lose his accounting job at the condom factory -- a position he has held for twenty years, because he's too boring. This news comes not too long after his wife left him (due to boredom). His 17 year-old son doesn't want to hang out with him because he's too....boring. Naturally depressed, Francois is contemplating jumping out the window of his highrise when he meets his new neighbor, Belone (Michel Aumont), who, like Francois, is lonely. Belone is sympathetic to Francois' plight and offers a solution for how to avoid his impending termination: convince his employers he's gay. A condom factory couldn't possibly want the bad publicity that comes with firing a *gay* man without just cause. Right? A series of doctored photos placing Francois at a leather bar are sent to the office, beginning the farce. The ploy works and Francois' job is saved, but the antics are just beginning. Santini, Francois' macho, homophobic co-worker (Gerard Depardieu), is warned that his inflammatory actions towards Francois will not be tolerated, so out of fear that *he* could be fired for political incorrectness, Santini goes out of his way to befriend his 'gay' co-worker, a situation that only raises more eyebrows. Francois' immediate boss, Mlle. Bertrand (Michele Laroque) is suspicious and begins a series of tests to see if Francois is 'what' he says he is. Several, often funny scenes follow, and thankfully, are handled in a tasteful manner. In fact, writer-director Francis Veber keeps his film headed on the right course, never crossing that delicate line of bad taste. Veber's script deftly shows the human side -- from Francois' loneliness and great desire to be accepted by his ex-wife and son, to Belone (portrayed wonderfully by Michel Aumont) -- a gay man who happened to lose his job years earlier because of his sexual preference. Trusting the new sensitive times, Belone wants to help his new friend avoid a similar fate. Veber manages to resist the usual stereotypes of his characters (it isn't immediately apparent that Belone is gay), and when he does allow himself to slip, it is handled effectively. Apart from Aumont's excellent performance (Belone's character was beautiful and deserving of more screen time), Daniel Auteuil is sweet as Francois -- a portrayal that recalls the innocence of Peter Sellers' best roles. Gerard Depardieu is mostly comic relief, but handles it very well. All in all, "The Closet" is a pleasant little French comedy. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles)

"Sexy Beast": What is it about British films that keeps us coming back for more? Last year gave us gems like "The War Zone," and "Billy Elliot," but this year we're stuck with pretentious fare like "Snatch" and now "Sexy Beast," which tries hard to distance itself from the obnoxious styling of "Snatch," but forgot to provide us with interesting characters, let alone an interesting plot. Ray Winstone ("The War Zone") plays Gary 'Gal' Dove, a retired gangster now living the good life in Spain with his ex-porn star wife (Amanda Redman). Enter Don Logan, a big, bad gangster played by Ghandi...um, Ben Kingsley. Logan has a large bank job lined up and he wants Gal's help -- and he won't take no for an answer. Who cares if the job is silly -- drilling through a neighboring Turkish bath to get to the bank's vault -- or that the film's characters are all unlikable? This is a *British film,* and first-time director, Jonathan Glazer, attempting to follow in the ex-music video shoes of Guy Ritchie (at least Glazer's style is less obnoxious than Ritchie's) and others like David Fincher and Spike Jonze, thinks he has what it takes to be a successful film director. First he needs a good script, and then a good cast. Well, one out of two ain't bad. If Glazer thinks he can maintain the rich British legacy by giving us incomprehensible dialogue ('es got a Coc-knee acksunt! 'ats funnee!) and bad attempts at humor, then he is wrong! The only -- and I mean ONLY reason to even watch "Sexy Beast" (and only if you're stuck in a hotel room with free cable) is for Ben Kingsley's amazing performance. The man is gifted, yes, but lacks consistency in his selection of roles. "Sexy Beast" is a waste of time. * 1/2 (out of) **** (In 'Cockney' WITHOUT English subtitles -- BAH!)

"A.I.: Artificial Intelligence": Some years ago, the late Stanley Kubrick optioned the rights for "Supertoys Last All Summer Long," a short story written by Brian Aldiss, with the intent of producing a film based upon the story's premise of an artificial being trying to find love in a world of humans. Kubrick went so far as to commission an artist (Rick Carter) to create storyboards, and collaborated with Ian Watson on a 90-page treatment of Aldiss' original story. Shortly before Kubrick's death in 1999, and having hit a wall with the story's third act, the director asked Steven Spielberg to take over the project, feeling Spielberg's optimistic storytelling would bring out the rest of the tale. "A.I." takes place in an unknown period in the future, long after global warming has set in and mechas begin to threaten to outnumber humans ('orgas'). The film opens with the development of the latest and greatest robot -- a boy-toy 'mecha,' a mechanical being incapable of basic human functions, such as the ability to eat, display emotions, or sleep -- among other things, but one with all the visible physical characterics of a human being. The young mecha-boy "David" (Haley Joel Osment) is the work of Professor Hobby (William Hurt), who has a sort of puppet/puppetmaker relationship (there are many references to Pinocchio in this film) with David, whom he feels is his greatest achievement. Eventually a young couple, Monica (Frances O'Connor) and Henry (Sam Robards), whose young son Martin lies in a frozen state while waiting for a cure for his disease, 'adopt' David. Monica has serious difficulties trying to invest her emotions in her new son, and when Martin finally comes home, and after a few creepy incidents (mainly brought upon by a jealous, manipulative Martin), she decides to abandon David in a forest. David, along with his supertoy, Teddy -- a mecha-stuffed bear who can walk, talk, and react to situations -- are left to fend for themselves. In the forest, David meets Gigolo Joe (Jude Law), a love-mecha, whose purpose is show women that once you go mecha, you'll never go back. It is at this point in the story (leading up to the point of Kubrick's writer's block) that "A.I" takes a powerful and decidedly darker direction.

In the future world's ode to Auschwitz, mechas are rounded up and taken to the Flesh Farm, where they are are ridiculed, tortured, and destroyed, all for the entertainment of thousands of mecha-hating spectators. David, Gigolo Joe, and Teddy manage to escape the Flesh Farm (as the result of a sentimental little girl -- a classic Spielberg touch) and head to the refuge of Rouge City -- a sort of Las Vegas of the future, filled with women looking for robots like Gigolo Joe. All the while, David longs for his mommy, slowly developing emotions he isn't supposed to have. Seeking his destiny, David is led to believe he needs to find the Blue Fairy in order to find his mommy, who he believes will give him what he so desperately craves -- love. The rest of the story is too important to reveal, but I will say that it's visually spectacular and Spielberg's imagination has seldom been more realized. And the ending, given the difficult parameters of the story, while sensible, is very open to discussion, and with a closer examination of the people in David's 'life,' could have been different, resulting in a better film. Still, I liked "A.I" and a large part of the reason why is because it is so darn thought-provoking. While it is a Spielberg film, filled with the syrupy, schmaltzy stuff he does best, Spielberg does manage to tone it down a lot, even taking many unpredictable paths. And the character of David is utterly fascinating. Haley Joel Osment, playing David, is perfect -- conveying the same creepiness and charm of his previous roles. Dare I say he's a natural? And Jude Law, whose character was also very interesting, is terrific as Gigolo Joe, but one can't help but wonder how much better the film could've been had Spielberg lifted the PG-13 reins off Law's character. William Hurt as David's creator, Professor Hobby (as in 'Hobby Films,' Kubrick's old production company), like Frances O'Connor, gave a solid performance in an underdeveloped role. In fact, most of the flaws in "A.I." are the fault of Spielberg's script, which needed a few more zigs and zags from its storylines and characters. Still, credit Spielberg, who managed to marry his sense of innocence with Kubrick's vision, to create an often comfounding, but ultimately stirring story that is Spielberg's darkest work to date. I found myself chuckling at the confused audience around me, who, expecting the second coming of "E.T.," didn't know quite what to think of what they had just witnessed. Warts and all, as Spielberg's homage to the grandmaster Kubrick, "A.I" is still an impressive film. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Startup.com": I attended the screening of "Startup.com" knowing next to nothing about the film. I knew it had something to do with the rise and fall of an Internet company -- a topic that interested me since I have friends in Silicon Valley who have experienced the very same thing. The film began documentary-style and it wasn't until mid-way through that I figured out it was a *real* documentary about a real company (a cameo by ex-president Bill Clinton at an Internet summit was the dead giveaway). As it turned out, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (she co-directed the project with Chris Hegedus) was a former roommate of Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, who with lifelong friend Tom Herman, started an Internet company called govWorks.com. Their new company's business plan was simple: provide a website that would allow people to pay parking tickets, renew driver's licenses, and perform other various functions that would take a person half the day in some smelly government office (we've all been there). Great idea, eh? Heck, I thought so even when I was still duped into thinking I was watching a mockumentary. The idea behind the documentary was to show the two principles: Kaleil, the aggressive go-getter with a vibrant personality and an ability to charm the VCs (venture capitalists) into investing in his company's ideas -- and Tom, with his technical know-how and laid-back aura -- and how the two were able to interact despite their clashing personalities. Noujaim and Hegedus had excellent access to their subjects (who didn't even acknowledge the camera until near the end) which allowed them to sneak into their personal lives; seeing how the pressure to raise capital plus develop their product, affected not only their relationship, but also those around them. We see the company go through various crisis'; deal with security issues and competition, and we watch the company grow from a half-dozen employees to nearly 300, to less than 100 after the doc.com bubble burst -- all in less than 18 months. The story isn't especially compelling, but this is a documentary, not a fictional product of an overactive imagination, and given that restraint, "Startup.com" works -- even if its real-life product didn't. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Bread and Roses": Undocumented immigrants are an overlooked, but very important part of our country's economy. By accepting menial jobs for below-poverty wages, the immigrants help keep the rich rich, and our class structure in place. These 'blights upon society,' whom we've all at one time or another taken for granted, are a 'necessary evil,' at least that's one of the points British filmmaker Ken Loach tries to make in his latest film, "Bread and Roses," a story about (mostly) immigrants struggling to survive in modern day Los Angeles. The film begins with Maya (Pilar Padilla) trying to cross the border to be with her family. Her sister Rosa (Elpidia Carrillo), continuing a Latino tradition, saved parts of her meager salary from her job as a janitor so she could afford to pay someone to smuggle Maya into the U.S. After a struggle to get over, Maya is able to get a job working with Rosa as part of a crew of janitors (Loach, making a point, repeatedly refers to the 'maintenance' or 'facility' workers as janitors) who maintain a very large office building in downtown L.A. The workers happen to be non-union and are paid $5.75 per hour without benefits -- alarming in this day and age, especially when union personnel -- performing the same duties -- were paid $8.50 an hour plus benefits nearly twenty years earlier. These facts are presented to Rosa and Maya by a union organizer played by Adrien Brody ("The Thin Red Line"), who shares an extra special passion for his job and is determined to bring down the company responsible for paying the substandard wages. Brody's union supports an organization known as "Janitors for Justice" that has successfully forced other buildings to pay union wages. The maintenance company, one of the larger in the country, is supervised locally by Mr. Perez (George Lopez), who rules his crew with a firm hand -- firm enough to scare Rosa into resisting the efforts of her co-workers to form a union. Therein lies the first conflict -- one that is a genuine problem for many real immigrants who are afraid of losing their modest gains in their struggle to provide not only for their family here in the States, but for their families in their native land.

Loach, a noted left-wing director (his politics are so far to the left that he takes a brutal swipe at the Democratic Party in one of his film's scenes), working from a brilliant script by his frequent collaborator, Paul Laverty, paints an honest, but depressing picture of life for the unfortunate class, peppering his story with little subplots such as Rosa's husband needing an operation; Maya's co-worker's struggle to save enough money to get into law school, and Maya's romances, that are often distracting and a little heavy-handed but never enough to overwhelm the beauty and compassion of Laverty's touching story. In one scene, a co-worker tells Maya that she will become invisible to others once she puts on her uniform. This is just one simple, but powerful scene from "Bread and Roses," which benefits from solid performances from its mostly unknown cast. Brody and newcomer Padilla are excellent, but it's Elpidia Carrillo as Rosa who is the film's standout. In another especially memorable scene, Carrillo delivers a powerful message to her sister, revealing many of the things she's had to endure in ensure her family would reach their goals. An unforgettable scene in a powerful film. "Bread and Roses" delivers a staunch reminder that no human being is invisible. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Swordfish": reminds me a lot of that television commercial for the online brokerage firm -- you know, the one where the guy wants to sell all his stock in the film company after watching a preview for their latest $200 million extravaganza, "Blow'd Up!" In John Travolta's latest film "Swordfish," Vinny Barbarino likes to blows things up, shoot people, and generally terrorize innocent human beings. Vinny, who goes by the moniker of Gabriel Shear (Travolta) for this film, plays a looney terrorist who believes his violent acts actually protect the United States from other terrorists who wouldn't dare threaten our soil once they realize we mean business (huh?). So he hires the renowned and recently unincarcerated computer hacker Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman) to help him hack into government computers in order to steal some forgotten DEA slush money -- unmanaged money that in 17 years time has magically grown from $400 million to $9.5 billion (huh?). These are just a couple of the holes in this silly film with an utterly preposterous plot. Stanley doesn't want to go back to prison and would rather devote his time to getting back his ten year-old daughter, but can't resist the lure of the money and the chance to limber up his typing fingers against the government's encryption devices. Also along for the ride is Shear's beautiful assistant Ginger, played by Halle Berry, whose display of her personal assets seemed to be her sole purpose for being in this film. Director Dominik Sena ("Gone in 60 Seconds" -- the bad version) and writer Skip Woods are to blame for this mess. Travolta, playing yet another over-the-top baddie, is actually pretty decent in his role, but Jackman's range is nonexistent, and Berry is nothing more than pretty wallpaper.

Two things that really annoyed me about "Swordfish" were writer Skip Woods' gall to critique the script for "Dog Day Afternoon," and in the same scene, the need to knock the current state of Hollywood movies when his film (he was also listed as a producer) may be the worst of the lot. Maybe it was intended, but then again, maybe I'm giving the film too much credit. The single most alarming thing about "Swordfish," however, is its appalling violence. Sena slipped in clever car chase scenes, complete with street violence that makes Michael Mann's "Heat" tame by comparison -- strictly, or so it seemed, for shock value. It won't be so funny when the sick copycats come out of the woodwork. I used to think the conservative faction of our society was a bit too overzealous when it came to decrying violence in films. After watching a film that depicted busy city blocks being blown up, and hostages wired with explosives, I'm sharing their concern. May the failure of this film discourage Hollywood from continuing its bad example. And while I'm making useless wishes, may the countries of the world enjoy continuous peace. In summary, "Swordfish" is worthless tripe. * (out of) ****

"Moulin Rouge": begins with the opening of a red curtain and a conductor directing the famous 20th Century Fox lion, and ends with one of the most original and moving credits in recent movie history. The two hours in between are no less ambitious. Director Baz Luhrmann, continuing with the promise he showed in his previous films, "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo and Juliet," revives the story of the infamous Paris nightclub, The Moulin Rouge, and adds many modern touches. Luhrmann's version is set in Paris circa 1899. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) is struggling to complete his latest play "Spectacular, Spectacular!" until he "accidentally" meets a failed writer named Christian (Ewan McGregor), who has improvised a song using lyrics to the theme from "The Sound of Music" (who cares if the song was written sixty years later -- thats the joke), magically unlocks Toulouse-Lautrec's writer's block. Together, they manage to convince Zidler (Jim Broadbent) who happens to be the owner of the Moulin Rouge, to put up his nightclub as collateral in order to attract an investor for their newest work. The very rich Duke of Worcester (Richard Roxburgh) is willing to back the project provided he is allowed to become closer to the club's brightest star and lead in the proposed play, Satine (Nicole Kidman). Convinced by Zidler to woo the Duke, Satine instead seduces Christian, which is enough to set off their libidos and put the play in jeopardy. Zidler and players spend the next ninety minutes (or so) romping through one musical number after the other, often skewing classic pop songs of the modern era (just wait until you see Jim Broadbent's take on Madonna's "Like A Virgin") for plot -- and comic -- relief. All the actors do the actual singing (and fairly well) and perform the often difficult numbers, despite having little to no experience with musicals. Nicole Kidman as Satine is stunning (hello Tom? Earth to Tom?) and McGregor, despite seeming very out of place, does an excellent job as Christian, who has it bad -- real bad -- for Satine. The always entertaining John Leguizamo doesn't give his best performance, but gets points for spending the entire film on his knees (playing a dwarf). Broadbent, who was wonderful in "Topsy Turvy," is terrific here, especially when he is allowed to sing. And Roxburgh is deliciously evil as the Duke. With "Moulin Rouge," Baz Luhrmann has created an energetic, often spectacular musical, that's both large in scope and ambition. Purists may be put off that a 'period piece' would dare feature songs inspired by lyrics written by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Sting, but despite the film's frenetic pacing (that sometimes threatens to untrack the film) and the odd romance between Christian and Satine that didn't quite work for me, "Moulin Rouge" really entertains. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Best in Show": I confess -- I've never watched "Waiting for Guffman" or even "This is Spinal Tap" (I know, shame on me), two of the more famous Christopher Guest "mockumentaries." Guest's latest film, "Best in Show," is now available for rental, and having missed its theatrical run, I made a point of hitting the video store during its first day of release. "Best in Show" takes on dog shows -- specifically the dog owners and how they behave as they compete in the Mayflower Dog Show, held annually in Philadelphia. Guest, who also directed and co-wrote the film (with co-star Eugene Levy) plays Harlan Pepper, the owner of Hubert, a bloodhound. Harlan, when he isn't preparing Hubert for dog shows, owns a bait shop in Pinenut, North Carolina, which he talks about in a casual, and often funny, manner that becomes a staple among each of the characters and their storylines. Levy plays Gerry Fleck, a geeky bad-dresser who has to live with two left feet (literally) and the fact that his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) has spent 'quality time' with a large portion of the male population -- half of whom manage to show up during the course of the film. Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock play an over-the-top, obnoxiously superficial yuppie couple (complete with matching cosmetic braces) who dote over their Weimaraner, even consulting a pet psychiatrist when they they feel their precious pup may have suffered 'damage' after watching one of their lovemaking episodes. Jennifer Coolidge plays Sheri Ann Cabot, a gold-digger with a rich old husband (played by Patrick Cranshaw, who, since the early 1970's, has somehow managed to make a living playing elderly men), while allowing professional dogtrainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) to handle her prize-winning French poodle and eventually, Sheri Ann herself. The always entertaining Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins play a gay couple (probably the sanest couple in the film). Finally, Fred Willard and Jim Piddock play dog show commentators with sharply contrasting styles. Naturally, with such an eclectic cast, the humor runs wild and works most of the time, especially when the characters are allowed to improvise, but the haphazard format, while necessary, doesn't allow the film to gel, and some of the storylines and characters, especially Fred Willard's obnoxious commentator, are overdone. "Best in Show," as a series of skits, works, but as a complete film, doesn't quite hit the mark. Mild recommendation. ** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Requiem for a Dream": Drug addiction isn't pretty. Most of us are very fortunate to not know its true effects. With "Requiem for a Dream," writer and director Darren Aronofsky ("Pi") goes out of his way to help curious outsiders understand what it's like. The film begins with widow, Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), glued to her television set. The perennially jaded Sara is hooked on a gameshow/infomercial hosted by Tappy Tibbons (Christopher McDonald) that encourages its viewers to avoid red meat and refined sugar. Her only son, Harry (Jared Leto), in an almost daily ritual, helps to support his heroin habit by pawning his mother's television set, only to have mom, who doesn't seem interested in cutting out the middleman, buy it back from the confused pawnshop owner. Harry and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans), spend their days getting high with Harry's girlfriend, Marianne (Jennifer Connelly), while scheming for ways to turn their addictions into a profitable business. Sara's addictive personality is put to the test when she's invited to appear as a contestant on her favorite show. Through self-induced pressure to lose weight in order to fit into her favorite dress, Sara becomes addicted to prescription diet pills. All this makes for a very depressing setting, but Aronofsky makes the best of a bad situation by taking us along for the harrowing ride. Aronofsky, working with Hubert Selby ("Last Exit to Brooklyn"), co-adapting the screenplay from Selby's novel, does an incredible job conveying the vision of the original novel. With the help of tricked-up camera work by his cinematographer Matthew Libatique, and extreme editing by Jay Rabinowitz, Aronofsky is able to simulate the effect of each drug -- from Harry's spiraling-out-of-control heroin habit, to each of Sara's different highs and lows, depending upon the timing of her day. The effect is startling, giving the viewer an almost accessory point-of-view, and a very deliberate discomfort. The film's mood, structure, and theme could be described as a cross between "Trainspotting," "A Clockwork Orange," and almost any film by David Lynch and Ken Russell, but by showing its characters' innermost emotions through the use of artificial stimulants, it marches through daring territory, giving the viewer an unsettling, but fascinating look at the sad world of junkies. Darren Aronofsky is a true visionary with an exciting future in cinema. And "Requiem's" performances are nearly letter perfect. Ellen Burstyn is amazing as Sara, the lonely widow, giving a courageous performance that should stand as one of the best by an actress in a long, long time. And Jennifer Connelly is excellent as Harry's girlfriend, whose personal dignity becomes inconsequential when it comes to feeding her addictions. Jared Leto, who keeps finding great roles, continues his growth as an actor with his shining turn as Harry, the star in his mother's eyes, but to others, a pathetic junkie. Finally, Marlon Wayans as Tyrone, the junkie haunted by his desire to impress his mother, gives a sad and touching performance. "Requiem for a Dream" isn't uplifting; doesn't ask for respect for the hopelessly addicted, but deserves to be appreciated as an insightful look into the world of addiction -- and as an excellent film. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) **** (DVD)

"Shrek": Lately, I've had great success with family-oriented films. Feeling good about seeing "Spy Kids," and with nothing new playing in the theaters, I filled my urge to see a film with "Shrek," DreamWorks' latest stab at Disney's empire. Scarcely a few minutes into the film, I was bombarded with flatuence, inappropriate rock music, and several silly jokes featuring fairy tale characters. Uh-oh. "Shrek" does manage to improve somewhat from there, but the story of an insecure ogre trying to help a trapped princess seek her true love, while filled with several moments of charm, fails to appeal on a higher level -- that is, the adult level the filmmakers were obviously trying to cross. Shrek is that ogre, and is at his peaceful best when he is ignored. That peace is disturbed when he is blackmailed into rescuing a princess held captive in a tall castle by a fire-breathing dragon. Nothing terribly original. The film, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, attempts to be cute by filling the story with various in-jokes and deliberate stabs at Disney -- Michael Eisner is portrayed as an evil prince with a 'size' problem -- wow, funny stuff. "Shrek" was created by Pacific Data Images -- PDI, the folks behind "Antz," and produced by DreamWorks. The film uses computer animation to very realistic effect and features the voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, and Eddie Murphy (doing his best Robin Williams/Aladdin impression), but pales in comparison to several other animated films. True, it isn't fair to compare "Shrek" to *other* films, but since it has chosen to pluck many of the best ideas from those other films, the comparison is just. "Shrek" would be harmless fun to an 8-to-12 year-old child and would make a suitable rental in a family environment, but I wouldn't recommend it for couples without children who are seeking good entertainment. ** (out of) ****

"With a Friend Like Harry": Michel (Laurent Lucas) is on the way to his vacation home in France with his wife, Claire (Mathilde Seigner) and their three little daughters, when he encounters a man claiming to be his old friend Harry from college. Harry (Sergi Lopez) is traveling by car with his girlfriend, Plum (Sophie Guillemin) to Switzerland, but manages to talk the family into allowing them to tag along in order to "catch up," despite the fact Switzerland is in the opposite direction. Still not remembering Harry, but not wanting to be rude, the very passive Michel agrees -- and the screws begin to tighten. You see, Harry is a strange fellow who lives by the rule: if you don't like something, just get rid of it -- whether its a car, or...well, you get the picture. Harry also has a photographic memory for all things Michel, even things Michel would like to forget, like his earlier days as a writer. Harry, remembering reading the first chapter of a promising, but unfinished novel that Michel started some fifteen years earlier, sees a hidden genius in Michel's work, and encourages him to resume his writing -- and won't stand for any negative outside forces that might discourage Michel from finishing that book. Director and co-writer, Dominik Moll takes his time fleshing out the characters, but wisely avoids telling us too much. We know something isn't quite right with Harry, but we spend most of the film trying to figure it out. Moll, obviously a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, fills his film with tense moments, and haunting music -- really building up the suspense and keeping the pace very deliberate, before hitting his audience about ten minutes before the end of the film. The director also resists turning "Harry" into a slasher film, preferring to assume his viewers are intelligent. A large part of the reason why "Harry" works is because of the creepy and very effective performance from Sergi Lopez in the title role. Lopez plays Harry like a French version of Ted Bundy -- with charm and a bite. In fact, I'm reminded of another shocking and effective French thriller, "The Vanishing." I prefer the older film, but "With a Friend Like Harry," while slow to develop, still packs a strong punch. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles)

"Spy Kids": I've been a fan of Robert Rodriguez's work ever since he gave us the fantastic $7000 film, "El Mariachi" nearly ten years ago. At the time, I was amazed by how Rodriguez was able to do so much with so little. "Spy Kids" is the writer-director's latest film, and again, given a paltry budget (by Hollywood standards, considering the genre) of $35 million, Rodriguez was able to create a dazzling film with special effects and an imagination that rivals films costing four times as much. Admittedly, I was put off by the insipid title and "silly" theme of "Spy Kids," but the word-of-mouth on this film was so strong that I had to satisfy my curiosity. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) in their younger days, were rival spies until they fell in love, had two children, and "retired" to the job of consultants for the spy outfit, OSS. A chance to save the world one more time proves too enticing for the pair, so they leave their children -- twelve year-old Carmen (Alexa Vega) and eight year-old Juni (Daryl Sabara) in the care of their "Uncle" Felix (Cheech Marin) in order to track down the persons responsible for kidnapping many of OSS' key secret agents. The kids catch wind of their parents' past lives when the adults are kidnapped by an evil children's show host, Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), who's bent on creating a world of evil children. Determined to find their parents, and with the aid of Felix, and Gregorio's gadget-crazed brother, Machete (Danny Trejo), Carmen and Juni become spies. Hokey? A bit. Wildly successful? Definitely. Robert Rodriguez, armed with influences from the obvious (James Bond films) to the obscure (Pee-Wee's Playhouse), created a marvelous collection of wild ideas married to eye-catching special effects. Alan Cumming is *perfect* as Floop, a wild takeoff on Pee-Wee Herman, and the kids, especially the very natural Alexa Vega, are excellent. One minor gripe: while Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino's performances are fine, they seem a little too *pretty* for their roles of the spy parents. Overall, I marvel over the way "Spy Kids" is able to appeal as a children's film, an entertaining tongue-in-cheek spy movie, and put it all together into a neat little package that winds up being the perfect family *and* perfect popcorn movie. I applaud Robert Rodriguez for leaving behind the violence of his past films and creating a film with minimal cartoon violence, no toilet humor -- and surprise -- no profanity (he actually mocks the latter two in separate scenes). I hope *somebody* in Tinsel Town is taking notes, for this is a formula that actually deserves copycats. "Spy Kids" is fantastic entertainment for every movie lover. Bravo, bravo!! Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Tigerland": Director Joel Schumacher has been experiencing a losing streak. Lately his films have been worse than the 1962 Mets. Fed up with the Hollywood game, Schumacher agreed to direct a low budget film written by, and starring, a bunch of newcomers. The film, "Tigerland," is the story of the last placed green soldiers trained before they were shipped off to fight the Vietnam War. The film begins in Louisiana in 1971, where newly drafted (and elisted) men spent eight weeks in boot camp, followed by a one-week stint at Tigerland, where conditions were simulated to closely mimic that of Vietnam. Colin Farrell stars as Roland Bozz, a very brash private seemingly on a personal mission to remove any fellow soldier whom he feels doesn't belong in the war. Bozz quickly gets under the skin of his superiors, but earns the respect of most of his peers, especially Private Paxton (Matthew Davis), who enlisted in the Army so he could write about the experience, a la Hemingway and Jones. Paxton, slowly realizing he isn't cut out for shooting the enemy, is fascinated by Bozz, who has a soft spot for wayward soldiers, and a very persuasive nature. Ross Klavan (a veteran of the actual Tigerland) and Michael McGruther wrote the script, attempting to show us not that war is hell, but that *everything* leading up to it -- especially Tigerland, is hell. Unfortunately, Joel Schumacher, always the stylist, used his meager budget as an excuse to go Danish on us. In other words, he made his film utilizing the infamous Dogme 95 rules (!), which meant the use of natural lighting, handheld cameras, and no expensive Vietnam era classic songs. The style did work in places, but overall, felt cheap, and should've been left to a professionals like Lars von Trier, who helped pioneer Dogme 95 with films like "Breaking the Waves," and "Dancer in the Dark." The story of "Tigerland" had potential, but with the exception of Bozz, didn't bother to flesh out any of its characters. In fact, Colin Farrell as Bozz, is the lone bright spot in the film. Farrell has a commanding screen presence and will be heard from again -- in better films. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"Billy Elliot": is a sweet film about an 11 year-old boy, who despite pressure from family and friends, wants to dance -- just dance. Young Billy Elliot (Jamie Bell) lives with his widowed dad (Gary Lewis), brother Tony (Jamie Draven), and elderly grandmother (Jean Heywood). His father and brother, along with most of the other men in the northern England town of Everington, are part of a bitter coal miner's strike. Billy, mostly ignored by the men, who'd rather fight the riot police, discovers an attraction to dancing and joins the otherwise all girl's ballet class run by Mrs. Wilkinson (Julie Walters). Mrs. Wilkinson (addressed as "Miss" by her students) recognizes a special talent in Billy and encourages him to pursue an audition in London for the Royal Ballet School. Of course, none of this is fine with dad, whose idea of a boy's interests doesn't include ballerina shoes. Billy finds himself battling with his family and all the pressures of his young life, especially living in a such a volatile town, but ultimately finds release for his angst through dancing. The film's song and dance sequences are wonderful, especially all the great T-Rex numbers, not to mention a very inspired version of The Jam's "A Town Called Malice." I loved the way some of the numbers were choreographed -- an obvious tribute to the musicals of yesteryear -- to include many of the cast members, all dancing or tapping away in separate scenes. Director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall, stepping through very familar territory (sort of "Flashdance" meets "The Full Monty"), manage to rise above it, crafting a fine and very entertaining film, enhanced by performances from its cast, notably Jamie Bell as Billy, who shows remarkable poise in a difficult role, and Julie Walters, as Billy's feisty, chain-smoking ballet teacher. The film also deserves recognition for the way it handled stereotypes; it could've gone over-the-top with some of its subjects, but wisely chose to handle it with class and even a little tenderness. "Billy Elliot" is mostly by-the-numbers, but does it well. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Amores Perros": The rough English translation of "Amores Perros" is "Loves's a Bitch," a title that couldn't be more appropriate. First-time director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, wearing a host of influences upon his sleeve, including Tarantino ("Reservoir Dogs") and Kieslowski ("Red"), makes the most of Guillermo Arriaga's brilliant script, utilizing an overlapping three-part story. Set in Mexico City, the first story concerns 18 year-old Octavio (Gael GarcÌa Bernal), who dreams of running away with his sister-in-law (Vanessa Bauche), not only because he loves her, but because he feels he can give her a better life than his brother, who is wasting away as a small-time thief. Octavio, by virtue of having a tough Rottweiler dog, falls into the local dogfighting game, making a ton of money in the process, but alienating a local hood, setting off an event that intersects each of the film's storylines. The second story involves a married man (Alvaro Guerrero), who makes the decision to leave his family in order to live with his supermodel mistress, Valeria (Goya Toledo), who seems to be more interested in her dog, Richie. Valeria is involved in a horrific accident, and because of her stubbornness and love for the dog, has to live with the resulting consequences. The final -- and strongest -- story is of a street person known as "El Chivo" (Emilio EchevarrÌa) who happens to kill people for a living. It may sound silly on the surface, but it's anything but. El Chivo (translating to "The Goat") is reaching a crossroad in his life. He reads an obituary that reveals his ex-wife -- and mother to his long-estranged daughter -- has died. He wants to reconnect with the daughter, but realizes his life of violence that led to their separation, must end. He ponders whether or not to complete his latest assignment: killing a client's business partner. Several factors, including meeting a dog -- the same dog in the first story -- affect his final decision. Obviously, Gonzalez Iñárritu was trying to use dogs as a metaphor for his human characters, showing how their lives and the decisions they make, parallel. As a lover of animals, I would like to note that, repeating the disclaimer before the opening credits, the violence upon the animals, while initially a little unsettling, was done tastefully. More unsettling for me would be the thought that opinions of this film would be based upon the violence, which would be missing the point of the stories, and the greatness of the film. Despite the obvious tribute to "Reservoir Dogs," whose violence, unlike in "Amores Perros," was often for shock value, Gonzalez Iñárritu's film is closer in mood to Kieslowski and Bergman, in that he's not afraid to show the depth of emotions from his characters, and a preference to use violence as a metaphor rather than gratuitously. The film's performances, especially Emilio EchevarrÌa's tortured soul, are excellent. And Arriaga's script, like Gonzalez Iñárritu's direction, is nearly flawless. The story is so rich in depth, and so brilliantly paced, that you'll barely notice the film's long running time --- this just doesn't feel like a film in the hands of newcomers. With "Amores Perros," Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu has made a daring, and very profound masterpiece of a film. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) **** (In Spanish with English subtitles)

"Memento": "We all need mirrors to remind us who we are." For Leonard Shelby, it's tattoos and Polaroids with little scribbles to remind him not who he is, but how everything and everyone fits into his life. You see, Leonard has a condition: short-term memory loss. He can't remember what he did two minutes earlier, the result of trying to save his wife from a brutal attack -- an attack that resulted in her death. The police conclude his story doesn't fit and close the case, leaving Leonard to search for the killer. Ordinary, you say? Anything but. You see, "Memento" has a gimmick -- a darn good one. A gimmick that turns a potentially average film into one for the ages -- the best film noir you've *never* seen. "Memento" runs backwards. Yup, *backwards.* The story (which I won't spoil by revealing too many details) begins with the end and ends with the beginning, effectively putting the viewer in Leonard's shoes -- not knowing what already happened. Armed with a copy of the police report (that also tells him of his condition), Leonard (Guy Pearce) sets out to find a "John G," who's supposedly his wife's killer. Along the way, he meets up with some slick characters, including an eager stranger played by Joe Pantoliano and a lovely bartender (Carrie-Ann Moss) who seem to have too much of an interest in helping him find his killer. Leonard relies on snapshots with notes like, "Don't believe his lies," and "Find him and kill him." And his body is not only a temple but also a place for tattoos, including one that reads: "John G. raped and murdered my wife," written (appropriately enough) backwards so it can be read in a mirror. "Memento" was concocted by Jonathan Nolan (reportedly on a cross country drive) and directed by his brother, Christopher. The brothers Nolan are very careful not to give away much of the story despite the unorthodox style, and pace their film well, helped out by solid performances from the modest cast, especially Guy Pearce (best remembered as the straight-arrow cop in "L.A. Confidential") and the suddenly hot Joe Pantoliano, who seemed to be having a great time with his part. It's safe to say that every movie lover at one time or another has tried to dream up the slickest, most original film never made. Well, the brothers Nolan have done just that with "Memento," a film that will haunt you until you give in and see it a second time (been there, done that). In fact, "Memento" may wind up as the ultimate word-of-mouth film. *Real* juicy stuff complete with a great twist at the "beginning." See it once and poke some holes in it. See it again and watch the holes close up. Then tell a friend or ten. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) ****

"Blow": is director, Ted Demme's "Goodfellas," or at least it tries to be. "Blow" is the story of George Jung, a young man, who in the late-60's moved from the Northeast to California, finding free love and a large market for marijuana. George (Johnny Depp) devises a system using airline stewardesses (er, flight attendants) to smuggle the drug in their luggage, which, somehow, is never checked by airport security. Eventually, George gets caught and sent to prison, an experience that proves educational when he meets Diego (Jordi Molla), who introduces him to the world of cocaine-smuggling through his boss in Columbia, the infamous Pablo Escobar, who quickly recognizes that George is his ticket to cocaine distribution in America. George, using his old California connection, Derek Foreal (Paul Reubens), becomes so good at what he does that he amasses a $60 million fortune, becoming credited for 85% of all the cocaine in the United States. However, with success comes failure, and George proves he's a better screwup than a drug smuggler. Nice guy George allows a drug partner to walk all over him and a wife (Penelope Cruz) to destroy whatever's left. In the end, this terrible drug baron winds up with our sympathies -- not an easy feat, but one Johnny Depp, through his portrayal of George, is able to convey. George really isn't all that interesting, personally -- he's just had an interesting life. "Blow" has to overcome this handicap and for the most part, it does. "Blow" is boosted by the ambitions of it's director, Ted Demme ("The Ref"), who takes David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes' script, adapting Bruce Porter's account of George Jung's life story, and runs with it, borrowing heavily from the aformentioned "Goodfellas" adding a dash of "Boogie Nights," creating a film that's, for the most part, very entertaining and very performance driven, led, of course, by Depp, who is spectacular as George. Paul Reubens, a long way from his days as Pee-Wee Herman, gives a scene-stealing performance as a hairdresser-turned- drug dealer to the stars. Ray Liotta (wink, wink) is solid as George's dad. The disappointment is Penelope Cruz, who while showing some new range, is too far over the top to be taken seriously. Typically, the Hollywood studio system will take a true story and splash it up until it meets the studio's idea of a good film. In "Blow," it's clear Demme wanted to leave Jung's story alone. Ordinarily, this is a good thing. Here, it's a pity. "Blow" is a good contrivance or two from being a great film. Instead, we settle for pretty good. *** (out of) ****

"The Tailor of Panama": Geoffrey Rush plays Harry Pendel, a tailor to the rich-and-famous of Panama, a city recovering from the days of Noriega and newfound canals. Pendel is a man with a past and a lot of debts -- debts that can be paid off if he is able to sell disgraced British spy, Andy Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) on the idea that Panama may be ready to part with its famous canal. Osnard, itching to get back in the Queen's good graces, isn't necessarily convinced of Pendel's story, but has his own motives and decides to play Pendel's game -- with one of his own. There's sin, greed, and double-crosses -- the kind of stuff Ian Fleming might write about, except Fleming would figure out how to write it in a way that made sense. Director John Boorman, along with Andrew Davies and John Le Carre (from Le Carre's novel) wrote the screenplay for the film, which is entertaining only if you're able to sell yourself on the idea that phony intrigue is a good substitute for a preposterous plot. Sorry, but I ain't buying. Geoffrey Rush, as usual, is a delight to watch, and Pierce Brosnan is very good as an evil "James Bond" type, but Jamie Lee Curtis is woefully miscast as Rush's wife -- a role that has too many elements of her character in "Trading Places," which isn't a bad thing but not appropriate here. And good performances are nice, but they don't make up for a film that just isn't very good. I wanted to get lost in a really good spy thriller, but, sadly, "The Tailor of Panama" didn't fit the bill. Reading an old James Bond book would've been a better idea. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"Remember the Titans": As a new resident of the South, I can confirm the region's mad obsession with high school football. It's not uncommon for a medium-sized stadium to be filled to capacity on a given Friday night, or for state championships to be held in stadiums normally reserved for professional football teams. I took a special interest in "Remember the Titans" not because my Friday evenings are spent watching football, but in part because my town served as one of the film's locations -- doubling for Alexandria, Virginia, where in 1971, T.C. Williams High School was first intergrated. Prior to 1971, the Titans were coached by Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who despite an envious success rate, and because of pressure placed upon the school board, is replaced by a black coach, Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), who comes to Alexandria with his own positive track record, having coached an all-black high school in North Carolina to several championships. Coach Boone's tough love style doesn't mesh with Yoast's "good ol' boy" way of coaching, but despite their differences, and Yoast's initial reluctance to have another coach -- especially a black coach -- take control of his successful program, Yoast bites the bullet and stays with the school as defensive coordinator, in part to keep the white players from revolting. A large part of "Remember the Titans" deals with Coach Boone's boot camp, which took place before the fall season. The rigorous conditions of the camp help the black and white players, who quite obviously come from different backgrounds, to bond as teammates, and more importantly, as brothers. Two teammates in particular, Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) and All-American Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) don't like each at first, but despite intense pressure from the mostly bigoted community, already stinging from the fact a black man is coaching their boys and that black kids are being allowed to play on *their* football team, learn their differences are really few. Their relationship, along with the respect the two coaches slowly develop for one another, is one of the film's highlights. Make no mistake about it -- "Remember the Titans" is a feel good film about actual events, and while it is rife (which may not be strong enough of a word) with cliches and predictable events (it is, after all, a Jerry Bruckheimer production), it's still good entertainment, and an important film about a part of our history. First-time writer, Gregory Allen Howard, was inspired to write the script after learning of the actual events -- folklore style -- while visiting an Alexandria barbershop. Howard's script uses football as a tool to focus on black and white relations, which is the true center of the story, but thankfully, resists crossing the line to overpreachiness. "Remember the Titans," despite some continuity and factual errors (I'm guessing the editors have never watched a football game), was capably directed by Boaz Yakin ("Fresh") and sails along nicely thanks to some good performances from Denzel Washington, Will Patton, and the young actors, especially Hayden Panettiere as Coach Yoast's very precocious, and very football-mad nine year-old daughter, Sheryl. Panettiere was clearly the standout of this film and figures to have a very bright future ahead of her. Sappy, predictable films, like high school football, are a part of our culture. While "Remember the Titans" can't make any claims as the king of that genre, it manages to succeed where it should -- as a good time at the movies. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Faithless": is Ingmar Bergman's very personal story of a lost love. The film, directed by Bergman's long-time collaborator, Liv Ullman, begins with an elderly man -- a writer and film director named Bergman -- recalling an event from his past, an instance where he had an affair with his best friend's wife. The woman, Marianne (Lena Endre) is recreated in the elderly man's imagination and begins to "retell" the story, serving as a form of narrative for the film. Marianne is very satisfied with her marriage to world-renowned symphony conductor, Markus (Thomas Hanzon). Markus' best friend David (Krister Henrikkson) has a close relationship with the family, acting as a uncle to their beautiful nine year-old daughter, Isabelle (Michelle Gylemo), and as a brother to Marianne. Chance events cause the relationship between David and Marianne to blow up into a full-fledged affair -- an affair that has severe consequences to Marianne's marriage. Based upon events that happened in the great director's life many years earlier, Bergman's script studies the shattering effects infidelity can have not only upon a marriage, but also upon families and individuals. "Faithless" has Bergman's stamp all over it, especially in Ullman's patient, very deliberate direction. The film is highlighted by a brilliant performance by Lena Endre. She is simply mesmerising as the emotionally overwrought Marianne, a woman who must suffer the painful punishment for her marital mistakes. Henrikkson is excellent as David, whose selfishness helped destroy lives. The film, clocking in at two hours and twenty two minutes, is long on the surface, but its multi-layered, emotionally deep story allows the time to pass almost effortlessly. "Faithless" serves as a reminder that great, textbook films are still being made. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) **** (In Swedish with English subtitles)

"Enemy at the Gates": It's October 1942, and the Germans have advanced as far as Stalingrad in their effort to "win" World War Two. Through the propaganda efforts of a Russian newspaperman (Joseph Fiennes), young Russian sniper Vassily Zaitsev (Jude Law) becomes a national hero when it's reported how he killed scores of important German officers. In fact, Vassily becomes such a nuisance to the Germans that they send their best sharpshooter (played by Ed Harris) to put a stop to the Soviet Union's best weapon. "Enemy at the Gates" is based upon the real-life exploits of the two snipers, but there's controversy the love story that's a major part of the film, never took place. That part of the story -- conveniently -- is portrayed as a love triangle between Law, Fiennes, and the woman (Rachel Weisz) they both love. As much as I disdain Hollywood's tendency to stretch the truth for "dramatic effect," I will admit, while the romance angle seemed to be filler, it was handled nicely, despite the fact Law and Weisz looked too much like brother and sister. My chief problem with the film was Law, a good actor, but dead wrong for the romance part (as explained) and not the right guy to play a deadly sniper. Ed Harris' character is fascinating, but woefully undercooked. 13 year-old Gabriel Thomson played Sasha, a shoeshine boy who becomes a double-agent. Harris' interactions with Thomson, as the sniper tried to gain an edge in the cat-and-mouse game between the two killers, was probably the best part of "Enemy at the Gates" and worthy of more screen time. Joseph Fiennes' portrayal of a newspaperman with often misguided intentions, is interesting, but his last scene was so preposterous that it completely contradicted his character's previous two hours. The film, in fact, becomes undone in the last half hour, turning a pretty good film into a disappointment. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud (director of one of my favorite films, "The Lover") and his writing partner, Alain Godard, missed the mark when they sat down to adapt their version of the story. The film's ending is so ridiculous that it seemed cooked up by a studio executive, unsatisfied with the reality (something tells me I'm not too far off). Ultimately, "Enemy at the Gates" is a story in need of some good, uncompromising talent to turn it into a good film. ** (out of) ****

"Wonder Boys": I've long groused about Michael Douglas' lack of roles other than the strong professional, which, except for his brilliant turn in "Falling Down" some ten years ago, is pretty much all he's played. In "Wonder Boys," Douglas sheds that stereotype in a big way. Douglas is Grady Tripp, an eccentric pot-smoking college professor and successful writer who can't seem to complete his second novel (it's seven years after his first, "The Arsonist's Daughter," and he's on page 2661 and nowhere close to an ending). His editor, Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) is in town for the university's annual "Wordfest," but that's just an excuse to pressure Grady to complete the book. Grady's wife has just left him -- again -- and his mistress, the university's chancellor (whose husband happens to be Grady's boss), played by Frances McDormand, announces she's pregnant with Grady's child. One of his students (Katie Holmes) has a crush on him and another (Tobey Maguire) is an immensely talented writer with a problem for telling the truth. Mix in a dead dog, a stolen coat once worn by Marilyn Monroe, plus several oddball characters, and you have a recipe for a very strange movie. The film could've almost been called "Identity Crisis," as each character in director Curtis Hanson's film is suffering from some form of personal misgiving, from Downey and Maguire's characters sexual ambiguity -- seemingly brought to light by the symbolic presence of a transvestite early in the film -- to the confusion each character has with who they are and who they want to be with. Hanson, working from Michael Chabon's novel of the same name (the name "Wonder Boys" comes from the title of Grady's unfinished second novel), as with his previous film, "L.A. Confidential," had a great story with which to work, but doesn't quite live up to the success of that film, despite the efforts of his fine cast. Douglas is excellent as Tripp (here's hoping he keeps improving his !range) and the very talented, but so troubled Downey Jr., scores with another terrific performance. McDormand's great as usual, and Maguire, so wonderful in "Pleasantville" and "Cider House Rules," really shines as the quirky, but talented young writer. From "Wonder Boys," I expected an intelligent comedy. Instead, I got an intelligent drama with a few good laughs. Still, all in all, a good time and a good film. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"Pollock": is based upon the life of 20th century painter, Jackson Pollock, an artist best known for his eclectic style and more infamously, for his difficult personality. Actor Ed Harris not only plays the artist, but also directs "Pollock," working from a screenplay by Barbara Turner and Susan J. Emshwiller, based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Jackson Pollock: An American Saga" by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith. Harris' film alternates between showing Pollock's genius with a paint brush and his failures as a human being -- the latter the result of a long battle with alcohol abuse that ended tragically with his death in a car accident at the age of 44. The film begins with Pollock at 29, already depressed because of his 4F status (too neurotic) which kept him out of World War Two, and struggling as an artist. Pollock meets established artist Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden), who is not only impressed with his talents as an artist, but attracted to him as a person. Pollock eventually marries Krasner -- a courtship that accelerates his artistic abilities as well as his darker, more difficult side. Doors are slow to open for Pollock, but with the help of some of Krasner's art world friends like Peggy Guggenheim (Amy Madigan, Harris' real-life wife), art critic Clement Greenberg (Jeffrey Tambor), as well as fellow artist Willem de Kooning (Val Kilmer), Pollock's work -- and his genius -- are finally recognized. The film is somewhat difficult to describe since it basically repeats the same pattern of genius, troubled artist, gentle soul, abusive human being, over and over for two hours. The theme, as well as the film, is depressing but is (mostly) saved by the performances from Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden. The study of their relationship, as well as the mystification as to why such a strong woman would allow herself to be mentally abused for so many years, is the best thing about "Pollock." The film's look into the painting process (Harris does an excellent job re-creating the artist's works) was very enlightening, but I can only recommend "Pollock" to people familar with the life and work of Jackson Pollock -- and art students, while the casual historian (like myself) will be put off by the artist's unlikeable personality and enjoy it only as an exercise in good acting. ** (out of) ****

"Meet the Parents": Physical comedy, when done successfully, is a treat. It seems as though we've been inundated with one bad physical comedy after another over the last several years. In fact, *good* comedy films of that type date back to the days of Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle, nearly 90 years ago. Hal Roach was one of the early producers of this genre. Years later, one of his namesakes (I'm not certain if they're related), Jay Roach, is one of the more successful directors in this popular arena. Roach is responsible for the Austin Powers series and for "Meet the Parents." Ben Stiller stars in "Meet the Parents" as Greg Focker, a male nurse who is very much in love with his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo). He's prepared to marry her, but learns he must follow tradition and first ask Pam's father, Jack (Robert De Niro), for his daughter's hand in marriage. So...Greg "meets the parents." Naturally -- as with any good comedy -- things go wrong, *very* wrong. Greg's luggage containing the two carat engagement ring goes missing. Pam's father, who *happens* to be an interrogator for the CIA, is convinced Greg has something to hide. Pam's sister is preparing for a wedding of her own which Greg, as a result of all his good intentions while trying to impress Pam's father, manages to ruin. Misunderstandings run rampant. There are running jokes aplenty and a fair (but not excessive) amount of potty humor. And you know what? Most of it worked and I laughed quite a bit. De Niro, missing badly with his recent career moves, scores here with the role of the pyscho, overprotective dad. De Niro demonstrates quite a flair for comedy though I still prefer him in mobster movies. And Stiller is pretty close to brilliant as the loveable and well-meaning boyfriend. Stiller has all the necessary tools to be a successful film comedian and puts them all on display in this film. The film has a solid supporting cast led by Blythe Danner as De Niro's wife, but "Meet the Parents" is strictly Stiller and De Niro playing off each other's gifts. The script, written by James Herzfeld and John Hamburg, based upon a 1992 short written by Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke, keeps the jokes flowing, and Roach gets the most out of his cast. "Meet the Parents" won't go down as an all-time classic, but its very funny and worth checking out. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"The Contender": Oh, lucky me. It's March and thanks to the Oscars and the full release of some of last year's limited releases, I'm still able to watch quality films before the spring and summer dreck (except for perhaps the upcoming films, "Memento" and "Blow") is unleashed upon our hungry-for-anything public. "The Contender," thankfully, is quality -- in fact, it's a film oozing with the stuff. To simplify a fairly complicated plot filled with spoilers, the vice president of the United States dies and Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) is nominated by the President (Jeff Bridges) to be the replacement. One of the President's rivals, a Republican congressman, Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) heads up the confirmation committee. Runyon, and an impressionable and idealistic young congressman (Christian Slater), are determined to bring in their own man, Senator Jack Hathaway (William Petersen). Runyon, instead of running a clean confirmation, decides to put Hanson's life on trial by digging up old scandals designed to force her to withdraw. "The Contender" was written and directed by former film critic Rod Lurie, and unlike his previous effort, "Deterrence," "The Contender" is well-paced and brimming with one great scene after another. Lurie fills his film with delicious twists and juicy political subplots. I loved the way he dotted "The Contender" with simple scenes that went a long way towards explaining his characters' motivations -- basic screenwriting 101, but something that was sorely lacking in his last film, also a political thriller. As with "Deterrence," Lurie makes his political leanings very apparent, but as an extra nice touch in a film filled with 'em, his script is careful to play both sides of the spectrum, teaching us what we already know: our public servants are really wolves in sheep's clothing, but doing it in a way that really holds the viewer's attention. "The Contender" is a character-driven film that succeeds in large part due to its actors. Joan Allen is terrific as Hanson, an uncompromising woman who sticks to her principles no matter what the potential cost. And Bridges as President Jackson Evans, is wonderful as a cool Clinton type. However, it was Gary Oldman as Sheldon Runyon, not Bridges, in this man's opinion, whose performance rated an Oscar nomination. Oldman, as usual, delivers an outstanding performance as the "evil" Congressman bent on ruining a life in order to further his own flawed ideals. Christian Slater, William Petersen, and especially Sam Elliot as the President's chief of staff, are excellent in supporting roles. "The Contender" is a first-rate political thriller that really delivers the goods. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Before Night Falls": is painter-turned-director, Julian Schnabel's latest film, and like his only other film, "Basquiat," Schnabel profiles a misunderstood artist who died before his time. "Before Night Falls" is the title of one of poet-novelist Reinaldo Arenas' last books before he died of AIDS at the age of 48, and the title Schabel chose for his biography of Arenas' life -- a life marred by his Cuban upbringing and the relentless persecution brought upon by the way Arenas' country viewed his work and lifestyle. Schnabel, working with Cunningham O'Keefe and Lazaro Gomez Carriles, adapted Arenas' autobiography, turning it into a mish-mash of events in Arenas' life beginning with his tough childhood in 1940-50's Cuba, including his extreme closeness to his mother and the distance from the father he barely knew, to adulthood when Arenas' realized his gift for turning the written word into a beautiful art form, and when he grew comfortable with his sexuality despite the harsh punishment the pro-Castro revolutionaries had for anyone who contradicted the perceived way Cuban people should conduct their lifestyle. There were moments of pain and moments of joy in Arenas' life but was mostly an uphill battle -- especially to get his work recognized by the outside world. Schnabel, as with "Basquiat," uses his artistic gifts to craft a visual film that is at times breathtaking, but at other times, pretentious. "Before Night Falls" suffers from an inconsistent structure but still works due to the subject matter and because of the amazing performance by Javier Bardem as Arenas. It comes as no surprise that Bardem is the sentimental favorite to win the Best Actor Oscar at this month's award ceremony. Bardem performs his role effortlessly with understated grace. Bardem *is* Arenas. Johnny Depp and Sean Penn also weigh in with memorable cameos, especially Depp, who was quite amusing in dual -- and very opposite -- roles. "Before Night Falls" lacks the cohesiveness of a great film but its subject matter and the performance of Javier Bardem make it a film worth watching. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"The Mexican": Imagine Floyd and Virgil from "True Romance" all grown up and a little less whacked out -- okay, imagine if Tony Soprano upped his Prozac prescription....oh forget it. "The Mexican," for lack of a better description, is a clever little love story wrapped in a dark Tarantino-like comedy starring Julia Roberts as Sam, a controlling girlfriend with a dim-witted (hence the Floyd reference) boyfriend named Jerry (Brad Pitt), a runner for mafioso-type, Mr. Margolese (Gene Hackman). Margolese dispatches Jerry to Mexico to pick up a rare and cursed pistol known as "The Mexican." Sam protests and threatens to break off their relationship if Jerry takes the job. Jerry, with his back against a wall, decides he has little choice and heads to Mexico, where he runs into plenty of trouble trying to secure the mysterious pistol. Enter a hit man named Leroy (James Gandolfini) who kidnaps Sam to ensure that Jerry doesn't get any funny ideas about trying to sell the valuable pistol. From here the film takes off. Leroy, despite his profession, has a strong sympathetic side and winds up bonding with Roberts, who doesn't get along nearly as well with Jerry. Director Gore Verbinski and writer J.H. Wyman maintain a healthy pace and craft a film crackling with smart dialogue and sharp performances from its stars. Roberts, continuing to make better role decisions (just stay away from Hugh Grant and Richard Gere and you'll be fine) is excellent as the firecracker Sam. And Brad Pitt, continuing to impress, is perfect playing the not-quite-all-there Jerry. James Gandolfini -- it's Tony Soprano as you've never seen him before -- is flat-out wonderful as Leroy, the hitman with a secret heart of gold. Hey, I'll allow myself to be strapped in a chair and my eyes forced open if it means I get to watch James Gandolfini reading children's stories. The man dominates a screen, big or small, when he's on it. "The Mexican" is a good film and it has some very clever, very entertaining moments. Verbinski and Wyman were smart in minimizing the number of scenes with both the very volatile Roberts and Pitt, but "The Mexican" is still an unpolished gem. I have no doubts that Verbinski and Wyman will go on to bigger and better things but I suspect we would've seen a far better film had "The Mexican" been made five years from now. Ultimately, I liked the film but can't help but wonder how much better it could've been. *** (out of) ****

"Chunhyang": is a sometimes bizarre Korean language film about a young man, Mongryong (Cho Seung Woo) -- the son of a governor (and therefore in a "higher class"). Mongryong, while travelling the countryside, meets and falls in love with the beautiful Chunhyang (Lee Hyo Jung), who is a courtesan's (lower class) daughter. Severe consequences result from their relationship including the banishment of the governor, only to be replaced by a dictator who decides to punish the young couple by imprisoning and torturing Chunhyang. Mongryong, like his father, loses his class status and spends most of the rest of the film trying to get back the love of his life. The film's bizarreness -- some may say uniqueness -- lies in its setup. The narrator (or storyteller) is a performance artist practicing a Korean art form known as "pansori," the act of singing and performing a story. In this case, two men -- one singing and the other beating on a drum -- act out, in front of an audience inside of an auditorium, the story of "Chunhyang," while the film itself creates the images of the story. Director Im Kwon Taek used footage of an actual pansori concert and interspersed it with his own interpretation of the story of "Chunhyang." Unique? Yes. Repetitious and distracting? Yes. It did lead me to wonder if the story is background for the pansori or vice versa. The film does benefit from some very lavish cinematography and the performance of the stunningly beautiful Lee Hyo Jung in the title role, but for me, it was a difficult experience. I couldn't get into the Romeo and Juliet style story and didn't care enough about the characters or their plight to recommend the film. "Chunhyang" gets some credit for its originality but not for its poor execution. Disappointing. ** (out of) ****

"Thirteen Days": Unlike my movie review colleague, Bob K., I wasn't alive during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and cannot relate to that part of our history from a personal standpoint. However, none of this stopped me from thoroughly enjoying "Thirteen Days," a film that depicts those events that unfolded during a tense thirteen day period nearly forty years ago. The film begins in October 1962 when President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) is alerted to photographic evidence that the Soviets are stockpiling nuclear missiles in Cuba. JFK, along with his brother Bobby (Steven Culp), top advisor Kenny O'Donnell (Kevin Costner), and other members of his cabinet plus military advisors, wrestle with the decision facing them and their country: Do they bomb Cuba before the missiles are armed, or do they handle the matter diplomatically? "Thirteen Days" is a close examination of the political process that likely happened (the film is partly fictionalized for dramatic effect) including the cat-and-mouse game between Kennedy and Khruschev, and the infighting between the Kennedys and their top military men -- both parties wanting to take a different course to resolve the crisis. All this is shepherded by O'Donnell, JFK's trusted friend and advisor. The script, written by David Self, does an outstanding job of developing O'Donnell, showing his unrelenting personality, while keeping him balanced between right and wrong -- and maintaining the friendship and deep respect of his boss, the President of the United States of America. Costner as O'Donnell, doesn't break any new personal ground, and we're forced to suffer through his horrible "Bawstun" accent, but he is otherwise very effective. Greenwood as Kennedy, is a revelation. We never doubt Greenwood, for two hours, is the most powerful man in the world. And the decisions his character makes (that I'm assuming are factual) certainly left an impression upon me of the man whose life ended so tragically, not to mention what could've been for his brother, Bobby, who also died under tragic circumstances. "Thirteen Days" is director Roger Donaldson's second collaboration with actor Kevin Costner (the first being the considerably weaker "No Way Out"). Donaldson deserves credit for resisting the usual cliches, keeping the sentimentality to a minimum, and for coaxing several strong performances from his talented cast, including Culp as RFK, Bill Smitrovich as General Maxwell Taylor, and especially Michael Fairman, who was exceptional as Adlai Stevenson. "Thirteen Days" is a fascinating, completely absorbing political thriller in the tradition of "Fail-Safe." It may not be the most important movie I'll ever see, but after watching it and realizing just how close we came to nuclear disaster, it made me feel thankful for the opportunity to to be around to witness the re-creation. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Malena": In 1988, Giuseppe Tornatore released his wonderful coming of age film, "Cinema Paradiso." For me, it was both a celebration of the love of cinema and -- being a very young man at the time -- probably my first *favorite* foreign film. I must've watched the film a half-dozen times, falling in love with it a little more each time. Tornatore's masterpiece inspired me to discover the films before it; from "The 400 Blows" to "Murmur of the Heart," and the works of celebrated directors like Fellini, Truffaut, and Antonioni, and for that I am greatly indebted to Tornatore. Twelve years later, Tornatore has released his latest film, "Malena," also a coming of age story, but this time our hero is a thirteen year-old boy, Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro), and not with lust for the cinema, but lust of the heart for an older, married woman. The older woman, Malena (Monica Bellucci) is pining away at home in a small town in Italy while her soldier husband is away fighting World War Two. The beautiful and voluptuous Malena becomes the talk of the town and the subject of every male's eyes and every female's jealousy. The men all want to be with her and the women are convinced Malena is having affairs with their men. Renato is in the middle of it all, allowing Malena to get into his head, causing his crush to become an obsession. Writer and director, Tornatore, working from Luciano Vincenzoni's original story, can't help but borrow from the sentimentality of "Cinema Paradiso," from the theme of a young boy reaching puberty to more subtle things like the use of similar music. "Malena" tries hard to be a likeable film but suffers from poor character development (Malena barely speaks throughout the film and we learn little about Renato beyond his obsession for Malena) and an abrupt editing style that reduces seemingly important scenes to little anecdotal moments. Virtually the *entire* film is about Malena. She is all anyone -- from the main characters, to the gossipy townfolk -- talks about, as if everyone's life revolves around what she's doing. The film takes place during a major world war yet so little is devoted to what could be a bigger part to the story. Italian coming-of-age stories are not without their appeal and Tornatore has already made one of the best of its kind, but he falls way short of the mark with "Malena." Disappointing. ** (out of) **** (In Italian with English subtitles)

"Hannibal": When last we saw Hannibal Lecter, the nice cannibal from "Manhunter" and "Silence of the Lambs" was "having a friend for dinner." Fast forward some ten years and we now have a pretty good idea of the events of that "dinner." In "Hannibal," perennial bad guy Gary Oldman plays a permanently disfigured and paralyzed victim of a Lecter attack. Oldman, using his connections in Italy, where he learns the infinitely clever Hannibal (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is hiding, begins to exact his revenge. Meanwhile, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore), who never quite got over her long ago encounter with Hannibal, decides to sniff up Lecter's trail when clues to his whereabouts start to land on her lap. The rest of the film is filled with cat-and-mouse games, lotsa Hannibal trickery, and entirely too much Hollywood silliness. Yes, "Hannibal" is a film with lots of guts and plenty of brain, but not the kind <wink> I like in my films. Generally, I dislike comparing sequels to their predecessors, but it's impossible in this case. Nearly everything about "Silence of the Lambs" was masterful, while "Hannibal" is a poor attempt to ride upon its coattails. "Hannibal" does boast strong performances, especially from Hopkins, who realizes it will never get better than Hannibal Lecter, and Moore -- surprisingly -- makes us forget about Jodie Foster, as her Clarice is stronger and more determined. Gary Oldman, unbilled in the opening credits, literally shocked me when I read his name at the end. Oldman did a fine job running tit for tat with British knighthood, all while wearing unrecognizable makeup to show his character's grossly disfigured face. Alas, the performances couldn't save the overall silliness and sheer "Lamb" envy of the poor script. It's hard to believe that David Mamet and Steve Zaillian (adapting Thomas Harris' novel) wrote this film --- and that Ridley Scott, riding high from the success of "Gladiator," directed it. I knew I was in for a long two hours in the dark when the film began with a *really* bad (and fallacy filled) shoot 'em up action scene that gets Clarice Starling in hot water with her superiors. Gosh, rebel agent with an attitude problem who runs afoul of the boss? Never been done. But wait -- there's even a "turn in your badge and weapon" scene. Get the idea? Sadly, "Hannibal," as bad as it is, will con millions out of a very hungry public. Got five bucks out of me, and more importantly -- two hours and ten minutes of my life I'll never get back. Silly, silly, bad, bad. * 1/2 (out of) ****

"Chocolat": begins as a tasty treat but like the confection, wears off over time. Director Lasse Hallstrom, working from Robert Nelson Jacobs' adaptation of Joanne Harris' novel, initially guides this often compassionate tale to soaring heights only to come crashing down three-quarters through the film when predictable plot devices are inserted. Vivanne (Juliette Binoche), a chocolatier by trade, travels with her daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) to a quiet French town with the idea of settling down and opening up a chocolate shop. Their timing couldn't possibly be worse as it is the period of Lent. The villagers, who happen to be about 95% Catholic, are outraged and resentful of the intrusion. Vivanne, not particularly affiliated with any organized religion, finds herself boycotted by the town save for a couple of "radicals," namely the town outcast, Armande Voizin (Judi Dench) and an abused wife, Josephine Muscat (Lena Olin) who help Vivanne to slowly turn the village around. "Chocolat" is supported wonderfully by an impressive cast including Alfred Molina as the village's domineering mayor; Johnny Depp as an Irish gypsy; Peter "Mr. Woodchipper" Stormare as an abusive husband, and Carrie Ann-Moss as a controlling, widowed mother. Hallestrom tries to steer his film towards "Pleasantville" territory, recounting the tale of outsiders trying to show a narrow-minded town that there's room for an expanded thought process. However, Robert Nelson Jacobs' script gravitates towards a by-the-numbers path which ultimately grounds "Chocolat," which, up until the 90 minute mark, was an excellent film. It is comforting that Hallestrom likes to attach himself to compassionate films that address the need to open one's mind, but unlike his previous film "Cider House Rules," "Chocolat" lacks a great script. "Chocolat" is an often sweet, well-meaning film with an incredible cast, but falls just short of being a very good film. A mild recommendation. ** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Chicken Run": Animation, in several forms, has reached a new peak in popularity, and happily, the quality of the "art," both in literal terms and in the content of the finished product, keeps improving. Disney seems to bring us a new animated classic about every other year, while recently, we've been treated to the computer animated splendor of the "Toy Story" series and to the wonder (and importance) of "The Iron Giant." The year 2000 brought us Dreamworks' "Chicken Run," where claymation and fun rule the day. The story of "Chicken Run" is pretty basic but is quite a hoot. Co-writers and directors, Nick Park and Peter Lord (creators of the wonderful "Wallace and Grommit") take the premise of "The Great Escape," and the humor of "Hogan's Heroes," to a chicken farm, where several of the chickens, led by the feisty Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha of "Ab Fab" fame), fearing they'll be tomorrow evening's dinner, plot their "great escape." The farmer, Mr. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth) and his dogs continue to foil every escape plot until Rocky the Rooster (Mel Gibson), himself an escapee, but from a travelling circus, shows up. Rocky, desperate to stay concealed, agrees to teach the impressionable chickens how to fly their way out of the farm. Well, Rocky the "rooster" flies because he's shot out of a cannon. Hello! This is just one of the many delightful jokes in this terrific film. Park and Lord dot their film with many memorable characters, feeding them hilarious dialogue, yet the jokes never get old and the film never stales. As entertainment, "Chicken Run" is first rate. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"Shadow of the Vampire": For me, the most horrifying image in film history was that of Max Schreck, standing on a boat, in full vampire character (complete with long fingernails), as the title character in F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 silent film, "Nosferatu." Legend has it the previously unknown Schreck was *really* a vampire. Of course, that's just fantastic talk, but director E. Elias Merhige and writer Steven Katz expand upon that myth in "Shadow of the Vampire," a film that skirts the very edges of brilliance from its amazing opening credits to its appropriate use of Wagner to accentuate the film's tense moments -- not to mention Merhige's obvious homage to Murnau, resulting in some jawdropping shots. John Malkovich plays Murnau, the legendary director, as he begins work on his latest silent film, "Nosferatu." Murnau assembles his cast and crew, including Catherine McCormack as Greta, his demanding lead actress; Eddie Izzard as her husband; Udo Kier as the producer; Cary Elwes as the cameraman, and of course, Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck, an unknown "method" actor who will only work at night and insists upon being addressed as Count Orlock, his character's name (Murnau couldn't secure the rights to Dracula so he created a knockoff). Murnau, obsesses with the tiniest detail, but doesn't seem to mind what his Count Orlock does with his days and nights -- as long as he can deliver the role and allow Murnau to finish his film. "Nosferatu's" production takes a predictable turn as cast and crew members suddenly disappear or take ill, the product of Schreck staying a little too much in character. Willem Dafoe, as Schreck, is incredible and deserves recognition from the Academy. Shreck stays in character the whole film, playing an actor who may be a vampire playing a vampire. Brilliant stuff, played in equally brilliant fashion by the very underrated Dafoe. And John Malkovich, continuing to expand his range, is marvelous as Murnau, the quirky and oh-so-eccentric director. Steven Katz's terrific screenplay fed his characters, especially Murnau, with some great dialogue. The one to watch, however, is E. Elias Merhige, who, in just his second feature (he directed the little known "Begotten" nine years earlier), crafted an excellent and very funny film, often borderlining on camp. I loved the way Merhige used color in his film. He would move from earth tones, to black-and-white depending upon the moment of the story. I look very forward to the next film from this very talented director. Amazingly, "Shadow of the Vampire" clocked in at a very fast 92 minutes, seeming more like 62 minutes. In fact, out of disbelief that the film was over, I stayed to the end of the credits just to see if Merhige had an epilogue up his sleeve. The film's briskness and its abrupt ending (as the film within the film ended) was likely another tribute to the art of the short silent film -- yet another reason to appreciate this film. Merhige and Katz resisted conventional storylines, subplots, and unnecessary twists in favor of making a film that was as entertaining as it was fascinating. Recommended highly. *** 1/2 (out of) ****

"The Gift": continues Sam Raimi's decline as a director. Raimi started out in the 80's with the brilliant "Evil Dead" series, whetting our appetite for what should've been a brilliant career. Apparently, selling out to Hollywood compromised Raimi's talents. Several average to below average films later (including "For the Love of the Game" and "The Quick and the Dead"), Raimi arrives with his latest: "The Gift," a film that uses fortune-telling as its angle to separate itself from all the other girl-gets-murdered-in-a-small-town films. Cate Blanchett is Annie Wilson, a single mom still grieving the loss of her husband. Annie, raising her three children in the small town of Brixton, Georgia, has a gift of "second sight," which she uses to earn a modest living, reading cards for her troubled friends, including one client (Hilary Swank) with a very jealous and violent husband (Keanu Reeves), who doesn't appreciate Annie's negative advice. Add in the local school principal (Greg Kinnear) and his spoiled young nymphomaniac of a fiance (Katie Holmes), who has her eye on Reeves, and you get a recipe for murder. Throw in the town's mechanic (Giovanni Ribisi) and there really isn't a moment in the film where it wouldn't be safe to go to the snack bar for more popcorn. "The Gift" is saved -- partially -- from some pretty darn good acting from its stellar cast. Blanchett, who seems a little out of place, is quite good as Annie. Keanu Reeves -- I never thought I'd say this -- is a very effective redneck, while Hilary Swank is the epitome of the poor, working class wife, looking like she'd just been made up for an episode of "Jerry Springer." Once again, an actress who is willing to *really* deglamorize herself in order to stay true to her craft. Ribisi, as the slightly off-center mechanic, is also excellent, but should (along with the rest of the cast) select his projects with greater care. The script, from Billy Bob Thorton and his writing partner, Tom Epperson, strains under the weight of being ordinary; routine. "The Gift" isn't a bad film -- it just isn't anything special and is only recommended for the performances of its cast, especially Blanchett and Ribisi. Average ** (out of) ****

"State and Main": is the latest David Mamet film, and like most of Mamet's work, the film succeeds because the writer-director is able to wed his words with the talents of his actors. "State and Main" is set in the small, fictional town of Waterford, Vermont (actually Manchester, Mass.) where a film crew headed by director, Walt Price (William H. Macy), writer, Joseph Turner White (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and producer, Marty Rossen (David Paymer) gather to make their latest epic, "The Old Mill." One little detail: the town's old mill burned down forty years earlier. This is just one of the problems facing Price, who also has to deal with his starlet's (Sarah Jessica Parker) sudden refusal to do a topless scene and his star's (Alec Baldwin) continued attraction towards young girls. The town (of course) is chock full of odd-ball characters, including a star-struck mayor (Charles Durning) and his "socialite" wife (Patty LuPone); the underaged town waitress (Julia Stiles) who predictably catches the attention of Baldwin; the local attorney/wannabe politician (Clark Gregg), who never misses a chance to take advantage of a situation, and his fiancee, Ann Black (Rebecca Pidgeon), who finds herself falling for the writer, White (Black and White? Hmmm), who has his own problems trying to rewrite his script without an old mill and a nude scene -- and without his missing typewriter. Mamet's story, while not terribly original (makes me think of his own "Wag the Dog" script, only with Hollywood, instead of Washington, DC, versus the little people), is loaded with witty dialogue and plenty of good running jokes (the town pothole; how to do an Internet company product placement in a film set in 1895), not to mention some wonderful performances from the stellar cast, especially -- no surprise! -- Philip Seymour Hoffman, who once again steals absolutely every single scene he's in, despite playing one of the saner characters in the film -- the dour writer with love and other things on his mind. Hoffman's relationship with Pidgeon (Mamet's real-life wife, appearing in yet another one of her husband's films) is touching and probably the best thing about this film. It's a shame Pidgeon, who is wonderful as Ann, doesn't make more films -- in fact, I could deal with a world filled with films featuring Hoffman, Pidgeon, and for that matter, William H. Macy and Sarah Jessica Parker, who are excellent as the director and starlet, respectively. "State and Main," while not being Mamet's best film (I'm partial to "Spanish Prisoner" and "Homicide"), is still an entertaining treasure that's well worth your time. Recommended. *** (out of) ****

"The Pledge": Recently, I read an article offering an opinion of the 25 most dangerous films of all-time. Most of the films on the list were deemed dangerous because of their theme and/or unnerving pace. I am of the opinion that these "types" of movies often wind up as the most interesting and worthwhile film experiences. "The Pledge" is an even more recent example. In the film, Jack Nicholson plays Jerry Black, a Reno police detective, who hours before he's to retire, is confronted with one last case -- the brutal homicide of an 8 year-old girl. He makes a promise to the little girl's parents that he will find the killer. Shortly afterwards, a suspect matching the description given by the lone witness to the aftermath of the crime, is captured. While this may sound like a routine cop and killer film, it is anything but. Jerry isn't convinced the suspect is the actual killer and despite the protests of his old partner (Aaron Eckhart) and superior (Sam Shepherd), he continues to pursue his own investigation which leads him to a small town in Nevada where he decides to "retire," purchasing a gas station as a trap to lure the person he believes is the real killer. "The Pledge," based on a novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt, was adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Olson-Kromolowski, and directed by Sean Penn. The film is Penn's third directorial effort (following "The Indian Runner" and the somewhat similar, "The Crossing Guard," also starring Jack Nicholson), and Penn shows a confidence and maturity that is evident in the direction he takes this bleak story. Instead of predictable cliches, he uses his actors, especially Nicholson, to convey the mood of the story. Nicholson as Black is a revelation and a reminder that he is still one of our greatest actors. Much of the second half of the film, with great success, is spent showing the highs and lows of Black's convictions and the effect they are having on his personality, taking Penn's film from ordinary crime drama to a serious, often gripping, psychological thriller. "The Pledge" is supported with a marvelous, eclectic cast including Robin Wright Penn as Lori, a single mother who ultimately plays a role in Jerry's life and in the conclusion of the film, as well as cameos from Harry Dean Stanton, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, and Benicio Del Toro (film #3 in 2001 for the extremely talented Del Toro). Most of the actors, especially Wright Penn (going without makeup) and Nicholson, play unglamorous roles, which is a testimonial to their dedication for their craft. "The Pledge" is a bleak, sometimes graphic, and often depressing film that works thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson's fascinating performance. Recommended *** (out of) ****

"Snatch": is writer-director Guy Ritchie's (most famous as Mr. Madonna) followup to his debut cult-favorite, "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," a film I must confess I haven't seen, though I suspect that "handicap" wouldn't have made "Snatch" any more enjoyable. The film, all 104 full-tilt minutes of it, is set in London, England, where illegal boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) and his buddy, Tommy (Stephen Graham) are trying to eke out a dishonest living while avoiding the bad sides of the underworld characters around them like Brick Top (Alan Ford) who likes to feed his pigs with the people who cross him, and Avi (Dennis Farina), a New York crime figure who is forced to cross the Atlantic when an 84-carat diamond that is in the possession of one of his men, Franky Four-Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) suddenly disappears. Meanwhile, a pawnshop owner (Robbie Gee), jeweler Doug the Head (Mike Reid), and Russian mobster, Boris the Blade (Rade Serbedzija) join in the hunt for the large diamond, while Turkish and Tommy seek out the skills of an Irish gypsy, Mickey O'Neil (Brad Pitt) with a mutt accent and mighty pair of fists ("Fight Club" redux, anybody?) to take a fall in their next big boxing match. "Snatch" is filled with weird characters, incomprehensible dialogue (a "running joke" that's just plain annoying), loads of violence, and unfunny humor, adding up to a pretty bad film. As for the performances, only Statham was notable. Even the usually reliable Farina was off his game, overacting in an almost parody of his typical tough-guy, smart-aleck role. Writer-director Ritchie clearly has talent, but needs to find a new style (his fast-paced camera and editing style works in small doses -- not for an entire film) and a new genre, as the Tarantino-"Trainspotting" "tributes" are better left to their original creators. Very disappointing. * 1/2 (out of) ****

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon": In Ang Lee's world, the hero and villain fly through the air and dance across rooftops. We are invited into this world in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," director Lee's latest film. "CTHD," shown in Mandarin language with English subtitles, combines martial arts with two separate love stories and three strong female characters (two of them over the age of 35), resulting in a film that should appeal to a broad cross-section of moviegoers. Chow Yun-Fat plays legendary warrior, Li Mu Bai. Bai sends long-time friend and partner in combat (and unrequited love) Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) to visit Sir Te (Lung Sihung) in order to gift him Bai's prized sword, the Green Destiny -- a weapon that served Bai well over the years. It is Bai's desire to finally retired from combat having accomplished everything except revenge for the death of his master at the hands of the elusive Jade Fox (Pei-pei Cheng). Bai quickly realizes he needs to finish that last part of business and sets out to borrow his trusty weapon, but by the time he reaches his friend, the sword has already been stolen by Jade Fox and her mysterious young protege, Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang). It turns out Jen is the daughter of Governer Yu (Fazeng Li) and is a guest of Sir Te; staying with him until the date of her arranged marriage. Jen, resenting her life, has been training with Jade Fox since the age of eight, rising to a level that allows her to defeat even the top opponent. She is also leading a double romantic life, having fallen in love with a notorious bandit (Chang Chen). Jen's constant rebelling, coupled with her avoidable innocence, creates a conflict that breathes life into the film, which is already charged with stimulating battle scenes and the very obvious chemistry between Bai and Lien.

"CTHD" is set in Beijing in the early 19th century and is based upon a story written by Wang Du Lu during that period. Longtime Ang Lee collaborator, James Schamus, adapted the story along with Kuo Jung Tsai and Wang Hui-Ling, paying special attention to Chinese traditions, yet portraying the film's three principle female characters in an extremely strong light. In fact, lead actor Chow Yun-Fat, a legend in Chinese cinema, plays a backseat role to the three women, especially beautiful newcomer Zhang, who plays her part with an unusual confidence. "CTHD" also boasts a haunting score from Tan Dun (with help from Yo Yo Ma) and some memorable cinematography from Peter Pau. Overall, "CTHD's" visuals are virtually without peer. Audible gasps (including my own) were heard throughout the theater during several scenes of the film. Lee used a fighting style similar to the one popularized in "The Matrix," only with less effects and a more fluid motion from his actors. And it isn't every film that can have a fight scene on the tops of trees (!!) without being dismissed as silly fantasy. In fact, "CTHD" boasts several gravity-defying fight scenes, but in each instance, the scene is so spectacularly choreographed (not coincidentally by "Matrix" choreographer, Yuen Wo Ping) that the viewer is too much in awe of the moment to question its likelihood, which in turn, seems to give "CTHD" an almost mythical fantasy aura -- yet another hat to wear for this multi-genre film. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," rises above its martial art film peers, stretching the genre to a new art form, and succeeds not only as an action film (I feel guilty describing "CTHD" in this way but it applies -- in superior fashion), but also as a sweeping epic and as a pretty darn good romantic story. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a spectacular, often breathtaking film that deserves to be recognized as an all-time classic. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) ****

"Erin Brockovich": 2000 was definitely Steven Soderbergh's year. He received most of his serious applause for "Traffic," but earlier in the year he helped make a little film called "Erin Brockovich" starring a someone named Julia Roberts. Soderbergh directed a script (written by Susannah Grant and Richard LaGravenese, based upon actual events) of a unsophisticated, single mother (Roberts, in the title role) who winds up taking on a very large utility company, and turns it into two hours of pretty decent entertainment. Erin, who isn't exactly the kindest person in the world, has had a rough life. She's a former Miss Wichita, has three young children, and can't seem to find a good man -- and for that matter, a good job. Erin, using her charms and a lot of moxie, finds work in a law office run by a crusty lawyer named Ed Masry (Albert Finney). One of her assignments leads her to a huge case of a California utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) which knowingly released a dangerous chemical that seriously harmed a small town's water supply. Erin convinces the community that their health problems are the direct result of exposure to the chemical and they should be compensated for their sufferings. The film also explores the pitfalls Erin encounters as the case consumes her life and affects her relationship with her children and her new boyfriend, George (Aaron Eckhart). Soderbergh, unlike his previous films (and "Traffic") keeps the stylishness to a bare minimum and works from a solid script that surprisingly doesn't have a big production ending. He also manages to coax some fine performances from his cast, especially Roberts and Finney. Aaron Eckhart (in another chameleon role), as usual, is excellent but underused, but then again his character's name isn't in the film's title. Like "The Sixth Sense" in 1999, "Erin Brockovich" is Tinsel Town's biggest hope for Oscar glory. Yes, the film could be described as a cross between "Norma Rae" and "A Civil Action," and, in my opinion, doesn't deserves any Oscars, but "Erin Brockovich" winds up avoiding some of the usual studio cliches (for which we can thank Steven Soderbergh), resulting in a pretty good film. Recommended *** (out of) **** (Video)

"Chuck and Buck": is the story of two men: Chuck, a 27 year-old music promoter living a normal life in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, and Buck -- also 27, but still trapped in his preteen adolescence and very much in love with Chuck, with whom he shared a few "experimental" moments way back when both men were 11 years-old. Buck's obsession with Chuck (now Charlie) is rekindled when two reunite at a funeral. Buck soon follows Charlie back to L.A. where he tries desperately to force his way back into his old friend's life despite the very obvious gap in their adult lives. He calls him constantly, drops in unexpectedly -- even writes a play that depicts some of their childhood experiences. Most of the film is very awkward and unnerving but is saved by a peculiar ending -- one that seems to validate Buck's purpose for seeking out his old friend. Much of what is going through Buck's head can be found in his play, which has to be a psychologist's dream. I'd especially love to hear a professional's opinion of Charlie's character, not the one depicted in the play, but in the film. "Chuck and Buck" was written by Mike White, who also plays Buck. White is so real in his portrayal that I can't help but wonder how much of his story came from personal experience. Most of the rest of the cast including Chuck (Chris Weitz) are amateur or inexperienced actors with the exception of Lupe Ontiveros, who plays Beverly, a theater manager who winds up directing Buck's play. Ontiveros brings a genuine warmth to the film and was rewarded with a best supporting actress honor from the National Board of Review for her performance. "Chuck and Buck" isn't the easiest film to watch -- by a longshot -- but it does have something to say and that message was enough to hold my attention. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (Video)

"Traffic": begins in Washington, D.C., where Ohio Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is about to be named the new national druz czar, an ironic distinction considering back at home in Cincinnati, the judge can't control his own 16 year-old daughter, Caroline (Erika Christensen), who is spiraling out of control with addictions to crack cocaine and heroin -- the negative influences from hanging out with the "in crowd," including her boyfriend, Seth (Topher Grace). Meanwhile, in Tijuana, Mexico, border patrol officer (Benicio Del Toro) is struggling with the temptation to join forces with a general (Tomas Milian) with a hidden agenda for wanting to bring down one of Mexico's two drug cartels, or for continuing to walk the straight line, despite his meager salary and all the temptations he receives to "look the other way." The film's third story takes place in San Diego, California, where a local drug lord, Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer) is brought down by snitch Eduardo Ruiz (Miguel Ferrer) much to the shock of Ayala's naive wife, Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who becomes bent on revenge out of a greedy desire to resume her lavish lifestyle. Don Cheadle and Luis Guzman (reuniting from "Boogie Nights") play DEA officers assigned to protect Ruiz. And that's the setup for "Traffic," arguably 2000's most compelling, and perhaps -- best -- film.

Director Steven Soderbergh, also acting as his own cinematographer, shot "Traffic," using a variety of cameras (including hand-held) and different color schemes for each of the film's storylines. Mexico was shot using a grainy yellow, while scenes in Ohio and Washington were shot in blue, with San Diego going with a natural light, often shifting or going with a mixture depending upon the mood of that city's principle character, Helena Ayala, or when some of the characters from the film's other two stories intersect. The effect winds up as intriguing and unpretentious -- something few filmmakers besides Soderbergh (Michael Mann is one who comes to mind) could pull off without completely distracting from the point of the film. "Traffic" in total logged 135 speaking parts, or about one for each of the film's well-paced minutes, yet, the often complicated storylines (the script was written by Stephen Gaghan, based upon the 1989 BBC miniseries, "Traffik") flowed smoothly, and the performances from the all-star cast were all first rate. Michael Douglas is terrific as a judge torn between the importance of his new job and for his real task at home with his daughter and wife (Amy Irving). Benicio Del Toro (the film's best performer) is absolutely riveting as perhaps Mexico's most honest cop. Del Toro, speaking very little English (subtitles were used in much of the Mexico sequences), is able to convey his concerns and frustrations through facial expressions and physical actions, rather than words. Erika Christensen, playing Douglas' overachieving, drug-addicted daughter is very effective, while a very pregnant Catherine Zeta-Jones, is excellent as the wife of the embattled drug lord. Luis Guzman and Don Cheadle, not surprisingly, interact very well with each other, and provide most of the film's sparse humor but without detracting from "Traffic's" central message: the effect the war on drugs has on many different lives. Soderbergh's film shows how the temptation of drugs effect the user, from bored rich kids, to the people who *get* rich from the distribution -- without taking a specific side or being overpreachy -- and he does it with scarcely a moment of boredom. "Traffic" is a masterful cinematic achievement. My highest recommendation. **** (out of) ****

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?": is the latest offering from the brothers Coen, and like their previous effort, "The Big Lebowski," "O Brother" tries to squeeze too many good ideas into a single film. "O Brother" starts with three convicts (George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro) escaping from their chain-gang in 1937 Mississippi. Clooney, plays the leader, Everett Ulysses McGill -- a Dapper Dan-wearing, Clark Gable wannabe. Everett, still in love with his ex-wife (who told her daughters their father was hit by a train), decides to escape when he learns she's about to re-marry. Of course, Everett doesn't tell that to half-wits Nelson and Turturro, instead leading them to believe they're escaping in order to get $1.2 million in stolen money hidden in a home thats scheduled to be destroyed in three days. Thus begins their journey (er, "Odyssey" -- the film was inspired by Homer's poem). Along the way, the trio encounter a mad bible salesman (John Goodman); helps a young blues guitarist (Chris Thomas King) who sold his soul to the devil; cuts a hit record; meets three lovely "sirens;" runs into notorious bank robber, George "Babyface" Nelson (Michael Badalucco); gets indirectly involved with two crazed politicians (Charles Durning and Wayne Duvall), and narrowly escapes the law (which is following the scent of Everett's hair goop). The film also boasts several entertaining musical numbers (the soundtrack is a keeper) and excellent performances from the large cast. While I enjoyed the interesting mix of quirky characters, running gags, and bright ideas -- all staples in Coen Bros. films -- the mix doesn't quite work when crammed into this particular film. I would like to single out Tim Blake Nelson, fantastic as Delmar -- the convict with a heart of gold, and George Clooney, who continues to impress as an actor with range, but Holly Hunter, playing Clooney's ex-wife, is completely wasted in the Coen's too-many-cooks broth. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," has many moments but doesn't quite click as a complete film. A mild recommendation for the film's obvious ambitiousness and "smile" factor. ** 1/2 (out of) ****  

 

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