13.2QQ3-
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<£> B ad S anta
If E lf is the perfect family holi-
lay film, Bad Santa is the perfect
adult holiday film. Billy Boh Thornton
(just nominated for a Golden Globe for this
part) plays a dninken Santa Claus who also
happens to he, along with his dwarf sidekick,
a safecracker and thief. Rarely has a movie
this vulgar been so side-splittingly funny; it’s
Christmastime as if John Waters had directed
a script by T he Simpsons writers on crack.
— Andy M angels
T he B arbarian
I nvasions
Frcnch-Canadian auteur Denys Arcands
1986 film T he D ecline o f the A m erican Em pire,
about the ideals and doubts of a group of
Montreal baby boomers, had a thoughtful
awareness and sophistica
tion (including a then-
progressive depiction of
homosexuality) that were,
in the Reagan ’80s, unusu
al and welcome. A rcands
T he Barbarian Invasions is
a worthy sequel; his explo
ration o f contemporary
North American life is, 17
years on, as engaging as it
was in '86.
W hen the dying
Rémy (Rém y Girard)
gathers his friends—
including Claude (Yves
Jacques), now living
with his partner in Italy— the circle ruefully
grapples with the failings of their lives and
their generation as evidenced by tumbled
familial relationships and a decidedly non-
utopian stxdety. Arcand has achieved a truly
personal, gentle sociopolitical epic.
— Christopher M cQ uain
^
¿S'* ^
T he C ooler
Character actor William H. Macy takes
center stage in this intense dramedy about a
sad sack whose odd job requires him to jinx
gamblers at a Las Vegas casino. But when lady
luck (Maria Bello) enters his life, his cruel bass
(A lec Baldwin) flips out. O ne of the more
enlightening films about Sin City, with strong
support from Paul Sorvino as a lounge singer
who is way past his prime.
— Jim Radasta
n What's popped
L
T he L ast
S amurai
It’s 1876, and tradition
al Samurai warriors must
fight the emperor’s army
against the West’s assimilation of
Japan. Sounds like a tough battle, but
they’ve found a secret weapon— Tom Cmise!
In this Asian version of D ances with W oltvs, he
defeats from the U.S.-Japanese alliance to fight
for a nobler cause and fall in love with one of its
women. Ken Watanahe as Samurai Katsumoto
leads a number of solid performances in what is
otherwise recycled material.
— Lisa Bradshaw
and what's flopped,
In a theater near you.
T he L ord of the
R ings : T he R eturn
of the K ing
Hear ye, hear ye, let it be known this is the first
film on which I’ve ever bestowed the coveted five-
kernel rating. Not having been a filmgix'r who
slathered over the first two entries in this epic trilo
gy from director Peter Jackson, it surprised even
me. The Return o f the King surpasses those in depth
of story, cinematography, character development
and sheer beauty of sound over imagery. The battle
scenes have been continually gixxl, but this time
they reference their own brutality and hopelessness.
And the women get meatier parts. I know you
won’t miss this movie, but don’t miss this movie.
— LB
< & < & < ■ & (& > S hattered G lass
‘'■''J. dud, bottom of the but;
d%> < y o n l y if you’re really hungry
<r^!>
<*£> gixxl effort, pass the salt
¿2i> mmmm, tasty!
<£><%> <g> < 3> <£> 8ct the
o’ com
the Clemes in this riveting true story about
Stephen Glass, a reporter who fabricated stories
for The N ew Republic. A likable charmer, he
slowly unravels as his co-workers (including
Peter Sarsgaard and Chloe Sevigny— a mini Boys
D on’t Cry reunion) begin to doubt his credibility.
-JR
S omething ’ s G otta G ive
Subm itted for your approval: an alternate
universe in which a renowned playwright
(D iane K eaton) falls for her daughter’s
boyfriend, a cadaverous hip-hop mogul (Jack
N icholson), because he calls her “flinty.”
Writer/director Nancy Meyers (W hat W om en
Want) somehow manages to fill her film with
characters whose words and actions
have no bearing on any reality with
which I’m familiar.
-JR
Hayden Christensen devs penance for A ttack o f *
r.»
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