Films review June
A BEAUTIFUL MIND (PG-13)
I’ve always believed that there’s a very thin line between genius and madness. The brilliant people I know are also the most eccentric. I know how I feel after a day of multitasking. Imagine how you would feel if your mind never shut down. It would be enough to drive you crazy. 
That’s the point of “A Beautiful Mind,” a positively entertaining and extremely complex drama about the effects of mental illness. Directed with confidence by Ron Howard from a powerful script by Akiva Goldsman, “A Beautiful Mind” features an Oscar-worthy performance by Russell Crowe as John Forbes Nash Jr., a brilliant mathematician whose struggle to cope with schizophrenia is filled with emotional highs and devastating lows. Please click title for complete review. (Universal)
A RUMOR OF ANGELS (PG-13)
Despite a fine performance from Vanessa Redgrave, “A Rumor of Angels” never reaches an ethereal plain. It’s a sweet but overly sentimental tale of a young boy and an old woman finding each other one summer, but not in a creepy, “Summer of ‘42” way. Trevor Morgan (“The Patriot”) plays 12-year-old James, who has never gotten over the death of his mother, and resents his father (Ray Liotta) for remarrying and spending most of his time away from home working. Since young James can’t stand his stepmother (Catherine McCormack), he befriends local eccentric Maddy Bennett (Redgrave). Both have lost loved ones (she lost her son in the Vietnam War, but maintains that she’s in contact with him in the afterlife), so they immediately connect. James is a handful, but Maddy is up to the challenge. Instead of allowing the sweet nature of the film and the relationship to float to the top, director Peter O’Fallon drops depth charges to get their faster, and it’s not only apparent but annoying at times. (MGM)
“Affair of the Necklace” is as pretty as a Parisian postcard, and just as flat. The filmmakers hang opulent production values on a wire-hanger thin script, creating a sagging epic that feels more like an exclamation point than a period piece. Director Charles Shyer, whose forte has been light comedies like “Father of the Bride” and “Baby Boom,” lacks the gravity needed to make this all talk, no action drama rise to the giddy level of such similar fare as “Dangerous Liaison” and “Dangerous Beauty.” The only thing dangerous about “Affair of the Necklace” is how much Shyer allows the cast to mug. Please click title for complete review. (Warner Bros.)
DEVIL’S BACKBONE, THE (R)
While “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman was hogging the spotlight, another ghost story was slowly weaving its way across America. Hardly anyone got a chance to see director Guillermo del Toro’s “The Devil’s Backbone,” which is a real shame, because it’s a much superior ghost story. The director of “Mimic” and “Blade II” has created a Spanish-language chiller that immediately grips you in its supernatural story and has no problem raising goose flesh. Filmed with haunting style and outstanding performances, “The Devil’s Backbone” stars an amazing Fernando Tielve as a 12-year-old boy named Carlos who has been deposited in an old and desperately poor orphanage in the middle of nowhere. As the Spanish Civil War rages on over the horizon, the adults and children imprisoned inside the orphanage find it difficult to make ends meet. When Carlos tells the other boys that he has seen the ghost of a boy, he sets into motion a series of events that will prove deadly for some members of the orphanage. There’s a lot of story in “The Devil’s Backbone,” all brilliantly brought to life by del Toro, who gets honest performances from every cast member and is a master of setting up suspense. Outstanding on all counts. (Columbia-TriStar)
FINAL (R)
Actor Campbell Scott steps behind the camera to direct this fascinating psychological study. Denis Leary is extremely engaging as Bill, a patient who wakes up in the psychiatric wing of a hospital, his mind filled with memories of another life and time. With the help of a psychiatrist named Ann (Hope Davis), Bill attempts to retrieve his real memories, but has a hard time distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined. Writer Bruse McIntosh does an excellent job of creating just the right tone of ambiguity, never allowing us to jump ahead of the characters. Is Bill really crazy, or was he the subject of a cryogenic experiment that went wrong? (Lion’s Gate)
GOSFORD PARK (R)
You’re invited to a weekend of hunting, gossip and murder. Dress is formal. Welcome to “Gosford Park,” a smashing British ensemble that blends together the best of Agatha Christie and Merchant Ivory. It’s “Murder on the Orient Express” by way of “Howard’s End,” and the end result is one of director Robert Altman’s best films in years. The maverick filmmaker redeems himself once again, overcoming the disaster of “Dr. T and the Women” to deliver a film so captivating and full of life you can’t help but be swept up in its drama and intrigue. Blessed with a pedigree cast and a biting, witty labyrinth of a script by Julian Fellowes, Altman relishes in the class struggle between the rich and those who serve them. Please click title for complete review. (USA)
I AM SAM (PG-13)
Sean Penn earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a mentally challenged single father faced with the reality of losing his 7-year old daughter. Penn is quite good as Sam Dawson, who manages just fine with his small group of friends in raising daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning), who knows that her father is different and accepts it. When Lucy begins to fall behind in school, a social worker is called in. With the possibility of losing Lucy, Sam turns to overworked and stressed out lawyer Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer) to defend his right to raise his daughter. After much soul searching, Harrison agrees to represent Sam, and they set out to beat a system that obviously doesn’t have Sam and Lucy’s best interests in mind. Sweet and fuzzy, “I Am Sam” may have received a theatrical release, but plays no better than your run-of-the-mill Lifetime Cable movies. The set-up and pay-off are so calculated and obvious the film becomes nothing more than a waiting game. (New Line)
INFERNO (NR)
Burn, baby, burn! A pedestrian script and lackluster acting and directing put out the flames of this action-adventure about a small town in the path of an out-of-control forest fire. Familiar faces like Jeff Fahey and Dean Stockwell get burned by a script that feels like it was pieced together from every other forest fire movie ever made, while the fanning flames are not enough to heat up the screen. If you have to watch “Inferno,” wait until it comes on cable, so you won’t feel like you got ripped off when you turn off the television. (Monarch)
JIMMY NEUTRON (PG)
Nickelodeon hits one out of the ballpark with this delightful computer animated tale of a young boy genius who is charged with saving the world’s parents from a group of egg-shaped aliens who plan to sacrifice them to a chicken-like creature. One of three 2001 releases nominated for a Best Animated Film Oscar, “Jimmy Neutron” is fun from the first frame to the last, an intergalactic roller-coaster ride that should please both adults and children alike. In the small town of Retroville, Jimmy Neutron is considered to be the resident boy genius. His inventions don’t always work, but when they do, watch out. When Jimmy and his friends sneak out to attend the opening of a new amusement park, icky aliens attracted by Jimmy’s toaster satellite kidnap all of the parents and hijack them back to their planet. When Jimmy learns what happened to their parents, he gathers his friends for a rescue mission that is both thrilling and hilarious. The vocal talent is excellent, giving the computer images human appeal. Available at sell-through. (Paramount)
KILLING YARD, THE (R)
Powerful made-for-cable drama about the aftermath of the deadly Attica Prison riots of 1973, and one man’s life-threatening crusade to prove the innocence of one prisoner accused of murder. Alan Alda is excellent as Defense Attorney Ernie Goodman, who teams up with civil rights activist Linda Borus (Rose McGowan) to save the life of Shango (Morris Chestnut). The trial takes place three years after the fact (the actual riot is told in vivid black and white flashbacks that take on a cinema verite look), and Shango doesn’t much hope for the system, much less Goodman. After initial hesitation, the two men bond and work towards seeking justice for Shango, despite the fact that Goodman has Trans-Global Amnesia, and could die of a stroke before the trial is over. “The Killing Yard” is a riveting story about two men, both facing death sentences, who must rely on and trust each other if they are to reach the finish line. (Paramount)
OUTSIDE THE LAW (R)
Strictly for fans of actress-martial artist Cynthia Rothrock, “Outside the Law” is an overly familiar action film about a secret agent on the run after a military mission goes wrong and her team is killed. Suffering from the loss (which included her fiancee), Julie Cosgrove (Rothrock) takes leave of her job and senses to reclaim her life. On the run from the Feds, she arrives in a small Florida town, where some of the locals she befriends are indebted to the mob. Cosgrove’s training comes into play when one of her new friends is murdered, and she goes after the parties responsible. Pretty pedestrian. (Columbia-TriStar)
SHALLOW HAL (PG-13)
The latest laugh-fest from the Farrelly Brothers (“There’s Something About Mary”) features winning performances from Jack Black (“High Fidelity”) and Gwyneth Paltrow and enough laughs and heart for several films. Black plays Hal, an extremely shallow man who judges women by their outer rather than inner beauty. After an encounter with relationship guru Tony Robbins, Hal is reprogrammed to see only inner beauty, which explains why Hal is attracted to Rosemary, who in his eyes looks like Paltrow but in reality weighs over 300 pounds. There are plenty of fat jokes, but the film isn’t one big fat joke. Instead, it finds humor is some of the most unexpected places, and then sets out to prove that true love is more than skin deep. I really appreciated the film’s sense of fairness and ability to make sense out of a subject that could have been cruel. Jason Alexander is equally funny as Hal’s disbelieving friend. Highly recommended for a good laugh and lots of heart. (Fox)
TEENAGE CAVEMAN (R)
The latest installment of Columbia-TriStar Home Video’s “Creature Features” collection of drive-in remakes finds director Larry Clark (“Kids,” “Bully”) radically updating the 50s horror film with enough teen violence, sex and drugs to satisfy genre fans. Andrew Keegan (“The Broken Hearts Club”) plays David, who exists in a primitive futuristic world where tribes live in caves. When David is forced to kill his father in order to save his girlfriend, he and his friends are banished from the tribe. Their quest leads them to an ancient society that has evolved into a futuristic nightmare. The young cast seems totally in tune with the campy nature of the beast, while Clark delivers a film that respects the original while making it his own. (Columbia-TriStar)
VOID, THE (R)
Boy, creating a black hole can really suck, literally. At least this B-movie doesn’t suffer the same fate. Amanda Tapping (“Stargate”) stars as Eva Soderstrom, a team member at Filadyne, which has developed a super-collider to solve the world’s energy crisis. Run by the overeager Dr. Thomas Soderstrom (Malcolm McDowell), Filadyne is on the brink of success when the collider is accidentally started and creates a black hole capable of engulfing the planet. With only 24 hours to save the world, Eva turns to her best friend (played by Adrian Paul of “Highlander”) to help her turn off the collider. Definitely produced on a limited budget, director Gilbert Shilton puts everything on the screen, creating effective set pieces and some nasty action. The performances are more than adequate, and the script is familiar without being insulting. (Lion’s Gate)
