Just out., July 18, 2003, Page 42, Image 42

I
B end I t
L ike
B eckham
Whenever an independent film appeals to
the masses, I can’t help but worry, “What’s
wrong with this picture.7” (Think Chocolat.)
Fortunately, that isn’t the case with this U.K.
crowd-pleaser about an Indian girl who puts
her soccer aspirations ahead of her parents’
plans for an arranged marriage. Young audi­
ences will be delighted by the queer-positive
message when she is mistaken for a lesbian and
when a male friend comes out of the closet.
—Jim Kudos ta
(C^>
C inemania
This hilarious yet disturbing documen-
tary examines a little-known ailment plagu­
ing a small segment of society: People who
are hixiked on moviegoing. (We’re talking
up to 2,000 films a year.) You might pity
them as losers whose lives are crippled by
addiction, but I often found myself empathiz­
ing with their poignant observations about
the intoxicating draw of motion pictures.
-JR
but in the absolutely jaw­
dropping scenery and sets.
The 1800s never looked
this splendid.
—Andy Mangels
^ ratesofthe
cARIBBEAN; the
’-
C remaster 3
C urse of the B lack P earl
New York artist Matthew Barney’s film is,
like the others in his celebrated, museum-bred
Cremaster cycle (at Cinema 21 through
July 24), literally dreamlike; it deals in the
reality of the subconscious. Visually vivid and
dialogue-free, 3 incorporates evocative,
engrossing, sometimes nightmarish scenarios
and images derived from Celtic mythology,
Masonry, NYC architectural history, demoli­
tion derby and much more in an episodic but
conceptually whole meditation on the strug­
gle, triumph and failure of human endeavor.
—Christopher McQuain
dud, bottom of the bag
Those waiting for the biggest, most fun pop­
corn movie of the summer should know it has
arrived. Johnny Depp is hilariously nelly and
off-kilter as a pirate who must reluctantly aid
the hunky Orlando Bloom in his quest to res­
cue the woman he loves from the cursed
pirates aboard the Black Pearl. Although it
sags a bit in the middle, it’s full of raucous
action, a humorous story and some spectacular­
ly creepy skeleton effects.
—AM
S wimming P ool
T he L eague of
E xtraordinary
G entlemen
Brushing up on 19th century lit­
erature will help you catch all the
references in this graphic novel
adaptation. Characters from
Oscar Wilde collide with the
worlds of Edgar Allen Poe, Bram
Stoker, Mark Twain and others in
a twisty-tumy action story that
gets hogged down by some
explanatory sequences. Its real
strength lies not just in an excel­
lent cast (led by Sean Connery)
Gay filmmaker François Ozon (Under the
Sand) offers another curious romp in the
French countryside as British mystery writer
Sarah Morton (Charlotte Rampling) secludes
herself in her publisher’s home for relaxation
and to rejuvenate her unsatisfying work. Much
to her chagrin, the publisher’s young daughter
(Ludivine Sagnier, looking much grown up
from her perky, teen-age role in Ozon’s
8 Women) arrives to make her life difficult.
Simple conflict is made creepy and tense
under the writer/director’s fine hand, and per­
formances are impeccable.
only if you’re really hungry
good effort, pass the salt
nwnmm, tasty!
<X> <3>
get
big tub o’ com
<£><§><£> 28 D ays L ater ...
Director Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave,
Trainspotting) unwisely used ugly digital video
to shixrt his zombie horror flick about a SARS-
like plague that eliminates most of the human
race, leaving a few brave souls (including hot­
tie newcomer Cillian Murphy) stmggling for
survival. Imaginative premise, dull execution.
-JR
<%> <¿v>
<^> W inged M igration
From the makers of 1996’s Microcosmos
comes this Oscar-nominated documentary that
follows our flying friends as they head south for
the winter. Far from a typical nature film, it
carries a subtle yet unmistakable political mes­
sage about ecology, perseverance and
teamwork. The breathtaking, ground-
>
breaking cinematography must be
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seen to be believed.
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