Month: September 2000

(On VHS, September 2000) This, according to my sources, received a warm critical reception upon release. Either those critics aren’t working any more, or my sources are wrong: While it’s a competently-made film with good acting and adequate direction, the script (by Joe Ezherhas, who would go on to make such trash classics as Basic Instinct and Showgirls) is disappointingly weak. Though the start of the film is solid (woman is killed; husband is suspected and accused), the rest of the story gets ludicrous (a female attorney accepts to defend the husband, only to fall in love with him in a matter of days) and then solidly predictable. You only have to ask yourself what would be most interesting dramatically, and presto it happens! The ending is, with fifteen year’s insight, one of the tritest things I’ve seen in a while, a stock-routine thriller conclusion that thinks itself clever but really isn’t.

(On VHS, September 2000) Even staunch civil-right defenders might admit that the current plague of would-be cinema censors might have a point after watching Idle Hands. Depictions of violence, drugs and sexual content are not bad things in themselves, but when they’re used to such juvenile goals, they’re definitely not as morally acceptable as in the context of, say, an anti-war drama. To put it simply, Idle Hands is a meaningless teen film that wallows in the gratuitous use of the afore-mentioned violence, drugs and sex. There are stupid moments everywhere, insipid jokes and inane plotting everywhere you care to look. Chances are that you won’t because this slasher is pretty stupid even as slashers goes. (Yes, that includes I Still Know What You Did Last Summer) What’s even less funny is how Idle Hands drapes itself in the excuse that “it’s a comedy!” to feebly justify it. There are, granted, a few bright spots: Devon Sawa does a good job (especially in the “fighting his hand” scenes) and Seth Green is his usual scene-stealing self. There are a few good jokes. But they’re not enough to bring this film much above mediocre ratings.

(On VHS, September 2000) Boring by-the-numbers horror film starring Jeff Goldblum as a man getting psychic visions about/by a serial murderer fascinated by Goldblum’s daughter. You can guess where it goes from there. Flat direction, bad writing, obvious plotting. Not as bad as completely devoid of good -or memorable- qualities. You can skip this one.

(On VHS, September 2000) Avoid! Though it stars the ever-dependable Russell Crowe in a suitable tough-guy role, the rest of this low-budget effort hovers between ludicrousness and boredom. Ludicrousness, demonstrated by scenes after scenes of implausible plot mechanics and suspect character choices. For instance, the conservative -and myopic- Japanese husband suddenly buys a gun, kills his best friend without remorse, shaves his head, chucks his glasses and goes across the country on a motorcycle to kill his runaway wife. Boredom, as interminable stretches of nothingness (I’m not talking about the Australian desert) pepper the narrative. Rent Natural Born Killers if you want a similar story, but only die-hard Crowe afficionadoes will enjoy this one. And even then…

(On VHS, September 2000) A professional hit-man dealing with his ten-year high-school reunion? Funny premise, and even if Grosse Pointe Blank never quite delivers everything we could expect from this concept, it remains a great little comedy. Of course, most of this success depends on the leads, John Cusack as a tone-perfect assassin with faint neurotic tendencies and Minnie Driver as an adorable, but dangerously bitter radio DJ. Both are sympathetic, cool, competent and enormously likable. The film itself lacks the spark required to propel it from good to great (many missed opportunities and not enough laughs from a fertile premise, mostly) but that shouldn’t be a reason not to check it out, especially if you’re a fan of either leads.

(On VHS, September 2000) In humor, there’s a tendency to assume that everything relevant was invented recently, but this Marx Brothers film shows that most comedy tactics were used well before our birth. Duck Soup isn’t a film to see for a strong plot (there isn’t one beyond stringing together a few vignettes), original characters (the Marx brothers basically play their specialties; Groucho with his verbal deftness, Guido with his pantomime and Chico somewhere in between) or cinematic qualities (though there are a few surprisingly modern sequences). But is it funny? Definitely. Enough to track down the film and see it as a group. You’ll be quoting from it for days after.

(On VHS, September 2000) This teen comedy (about four friend who practically do everything in order to get to a KISS concert) is more entertaining than it should have been, though not much more. The teenage antics and handled with a heap of good-natured anarchism and it’s hard to be unsympathetic to such cheerful mayhem. There are quite a few good scenes, though some showcases (the strip performance, the church love scene and the subsequent confrontation with the parent, notably) don’t come off as strongly as they should. The film also ends five minutes too quickly, crying out for some sort of “twenty years later” epilogue. Maybe a bit too scattered to maintain a high level of interest.

(On TV, September 2000) Years before Three Kings, this was the first film set during the Gulf War. Notice that it’s not about the Gulf War; it’s about a military investigator trying to find the truth about a helicopter pilot’s alleged heroism. Through various interviews, a Rashomon-like mosaic or truth emerges, both good and bad. (Though, in the end, definitely too sugary good to be very interesting) Not to be watched by those who are easily bored: The film starts out slow (after a good first five minutes) and remains that way for thirty minutes, until conflicting testimonies appear and things start to heat up. Then the film becomes compelling, but unfortunately you have to hang on until that point. A few actors slated for greatness – Meg Ryan, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon- pepper the film.

(On TV, September 2000) John Cusack junkies will love the film, which shows him in the mold of the smart-proper-clean-cool protagonists he does best. Plus, he gets the chance to act against Al Pacino, which is always fun to see. Non-fans won’t be as enthusiastic about this film, which constantly shows signs of being brilliant, but has to settle for being merely okay. You’d think that a city-wide plot about crime, power and corruption in New York City to be involving, but not really. The film goes through the motions but never sparks and finally kills itself at a train stop scene. The final few minutes are predictable. Too bad.

(On TV, September 2000) A Chinese movie parody? Heck, yes, and a pretty funny one at that. Though much better in its first hour when it spoofs action films, (what with the totally unexpected The Matrix gag and the hilarious Mission: Impossible mask riff) it then moves on to parody the less-familiar genre of Hong Kong gambler films. Still, The Tricky Master is a fun way to spend an evening, and there are a few touches (like the appropriate use of Computer-Generated Imagery) that ought to perk anyone’s interest. Don’t expect much more, however, than a series of comic vignettes (most of which making references to films you’ve never seen) loosely connected together by a threadbare plot. Stay at the end; bloopers run through the credits.

(On TV, September 2000) As cat-and-mouse movies about cops and robbers go, this one’s pretty good. A great script (loses steam in the last hour, though) filled with clever details, neat tricks and fun repartee provides the solid foundation for the film, and the good acting does the rest. It’s interesting to see how the villain plays upon the ultra-competent protagonist’s biggest strengths in order to get his way. On the downside, there are at least two major plot holes (the locked emergency exit, and the final car’s origin.) as well as a few incoherently staged scenes (the middle shootout is particularly confusing). Still, the film is slickly produced, and the result is engrossing. A Hong Kong film that would hold its own against Hollywood fare.