Groovy Movie Selector
December 9th,1999
by Arik Ben Treston
Anywhere But Here -
Susan Sarandon and Natalie
Portman star in this mother/daughter relationship drama about growing up
and learning to love. Portman is the wiser-than-her years one and
Sarandon plays the wild, out-there mom who needs to learn to settle
down. While the performances are wonderful, both actresses have great
chemistry, ultimately, the film is generally empty without too much to
surprise us. Will we get letters if we say it’s a ‘chick-flick’?
OK, we won’t say it then.
The Messenger -
The Story of Joan of Arc
– Luc Besson, director of La
Femme Nikita, The Professional, and The Fifth
Element brings his overly-excited caffine-induced style to the oft
told story of Joan (of Arc fame). While made on an elaborate and grand
scale, the movie forgets to retain enough and the performance by Milla
Jovovich (Fifth Element) isn’t as good as the role deserves. A
lot is at stake but in the end, the film crashes and burns.
Pokémon: The First Movie
–
(According to my nephew.)
It doesn’t matter what is said
here, if you have little kids, chances are you are going to see this if
you haven’t already. Sorry.
The Insider -
Michael Mann (Heat, Manhunter) brings back the old style
conspiracy films. Centered around the true case of Jeffrey Wigand, the
Tobacco industry insider who wants to spill all to “60 Minutes,” the
film follows Wigand (Russell Crowe) and segment producer Lowell Bergman
(Al Pacino) as they try to get the show to air. As most know, CBS pulled
the story from air largely due to pressures of massive lawsuits against
the Tiffany Network. Mann manages to take a story which might seem more
of a film subject that HBO would do and translate it into a big-screen
thrill ride.
The Bachelor -
I would like to divorce this film
from my memory. A dull updating of Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances
falls flat on its dowry. Happy to be a bachelor, Chris O’Donnell finds
out he has 24 hours to get married or he will lose a 100 Million-Dollar
inheritance. Renée Zellweger (Jerry Maguire) wastes her talents
as a fed up girlfriend. Feminism flies out the window as hordes of women
trample over each other to catch this available man. I almost got
trampled as we ran out of the theatres, trying to get away from this
marital mess.
Princess Mononoke -
A breath of relief for all the Pokémon fever that is going around. This
popular animated Japanese film (dubbed for U.S. release) is just the
thing to see if you want animation with heart.
Light It Up -
Frivolous attempt at teen rage as a group of students take
their high school hostage to demand the rehiring of ousted teacher Judd
Nelson. Why anyone would fight for Judd Nelson is beyond me, but that’s
beside the point. It is a bad attempt to capture a sense of disparity
between teens and authority. It’s been done better than this before
(think: Breakfast Club.)
Toy Story 2 -
Wow. This is one of those great times where sequels outdo
their predecessors. This time, Woody is mistakenly sold to a nasty
collector (voiced by Wayne Knight, “3rd Rock From the Sun,” Newman
on “Seinfeld”). The mission for Buzz and the other toys is to save
him. This is not only for kids, the filmmakers know adults and injected
plenty of humor in it for us as well. This is a big treat that deserves
to be seen in all of its computer-animated glory, on the big screen.
Sleepy Hollow -
Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice,
Batman, Mars Attacks!) is back in top, dark form.
Collaborating with Johnny Depp (Ed Wood, Scissorhands)
again, Burton manages to make his first R rated film quite a dark and
scary journey. Based on the familiar story of the headless horseman, we
follow the headache-inducing mystery of the horseman and Ichabod Crane (Depp)
who is trying to figure out what is going on. (Those Burton fanatics out
there will be happy to know that Danny Elfman does the score again.) Not
for the wee ones, (oh why not, they can be scared once in a while.) A
big dark visual treat.
End of Days -
When Arnold said “I’ll Be Back” he wasn’t kidding. For his first
movie in a few years, Schwarzenegger plays Jericho Cane, a down on his
luck former cop who’s lost everything in his life. The only way he can
redeem himself is by saving the world and beating the Devil (Gabriel
Byrne)! Arnold should have waited to come back when there was a better
script around. While the effects are great, the movie lacks in
conviction and retreads over the same territory that we have seen many
times before. It isn’t completely fresh, it isn’t completely
original. Bummer.
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