<£^> <&> B ig F ish
story about
queer ser
ial killer
A ileen
Wuomos,
a prostitute
who murdered
six men 13 years
ago in Florida.
Writer/director Patty Jenkins
manages to combine multiple
social commentaries relatively
free from judgment while elic
iting suburb performances from
Theron, Bm ce Dem as her
only real friend and Christina
R icci as her partner— who
alternately loves and uses her.
— LB
Albert Finney shines in
this otherwise dismal look at a
man (Billy Crudup) about to
become a father trying to solve the
mystery of his own dying father’s
(Finney) tall tales. Too fantastical for its
violence and too violent for its fantasy,
Big Fish is yet another example of a Tim
Burton directing job gone wild (see:
Sleepy Hollow and Planet o f the Apes).
— Lisa Bradshaw
<&> T he B utterfly E ffect
A college student (A shton Kutcher)
exploring the blackouts he experienced
as a kid discovers his ability to travel
back in time to change his troubled
past and that of his 1) crazy father, com m it
ted to a mental institution; 2) single, hard
working, young mom; 3) girlfriend terrorized
by her drunken pedophile father; 4) brutally
cniel girlfriend’s brother; 5) childhood friend
driven insane by acts of brutally cruel girl
friend’s brother. Sound like too much? It is.
— LB
more confident they get. Sure, it’s formulaic
and a little cheesy— but in a good way.
— LB
<£%>
H ouse of S and and F og
An alcoholic divorcée (Jennifer Connelly)
takes revenge on an Iranian immigrant (Ben
Kingsley) whose family moves into her foreclosed
house after she neglects to pay the bills. Although
beautifully shot and well-acted, this tragedy left
my eyes dry because the central figure draws little
sympathy for her self-centered actions.
— Jim Radosta
C alendar G irls
This winning little English film recounts
the true story o f a bunch o f middle-aged vil
lagers who decide to add a little spice to the
annual fund-raising calendar o f their women’s
organization— by posing nude. Helen Mirren
leads a graceful cast of characters who really
do become more and more attractive the
M onster
M ystic R iver
Rereleased for Oscar fanfare, this murder
mystery is more somber and intense than most.
Director C lin t Eastwood does well by the actors,
including Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence
Fishbume, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden.
(Sean Penn is a little too Method; his “thing”
works better in 21 G ram s.) It’s not quite the pow
erhouse many critics claim but still a fine example
of solid, confident storytelling.
— Christopher M cQuain
<£%><&> P ieces of A pril
Writer Peter Hedges (Whm’s Eating Gilbert
G rape) makes his directorial debut with this quasi-
quirky dramedy about a black sheep (Katie
Chari ize Theron should win the Golden
G lobe for her lead role in this gritty true-life
only if you’re really hungry
<C§>
good effort, pass the salt
mmmm, tasty!
get the big tub o’ com
Holmes) who reluctantly prepares Thanksgiving
dinner for her dysfunctional family because Mom
(Patricia Clarkson) is dying of cancer. T he film
has scattered moments of insight but never stays
on track, and the ending is a major cop-out.
-JR
W in a D ate with
T ad H amilton !
I’m grading this youthful romantic comedy
on a curve because, well, I’m a child of the
’80s who appreciates any directors aspiring to
be the next John Hughes. Robert Luketic
(Legally Blonde) shows promise with a cute
concept (small-town girl scores night out on
the town with celebrity bad boy trying to
clean up his act), a formulaic twist (best
bud hides his crush on her) and mem
orable characters (hom y friend,
unhip dad, shallow agents).
— JR
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