Films Review September
40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS (PG-13)
That is how long it rains on Matt Sullivan’s (Josh Hartnett) parade. A handsome hunk who has just broken up with his girlfriend, Matt has decided that instead of hopping right into the sack of the next available woman, he will stay celibate for 40 days and 40 nights. Matt’s plan goes according to schedule until he meets the lovely Erica (Shannyn Sossamon), who turns out to be the girl of his dreams. Will Matt be able to keep it in his pants and honor his vow, or will he let temptation takes its toll? Cute premise wears out its welcome before the final frame, but the stars are so likeable we are willing to follow them for most of their journey of discovery. (Miramax)
DEATH TO SMOOCHY (R)
So much talent, so much waste. There’s a good idea buried under this dark and unfunny comedy about a kid television host (Robin Williams) who loses his job after a scandal. “Rainbow” Randolph is the toast of kiddy T.V. until he’s forced off the air. Rainbow is replaced by Smoochy, a singing purple rhino played by good-hearted Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton). Quickly slipping off the slope of reality, Rainbow launches a campaign of terror to disgrace Smoochy and win back his job. Not only is Mopes forced to contend with the crazy Rainbow and his entourage, he finds himself being manipulated by sleazy agent Burke Bennett (Danny DeVito). “Death to Smoochy” was also directed by DeVito, whose forte behind the camera has been dark, twisted comedies like “War of the Roses” and “Throw Momma from the Train.” DeVito has obviously lost his bite. There’s nary a laugh in “Smoochy,” which takes the obvious and demotes it the lowest common denominator. It’s sad to see folk like Catherine Keener, Norton, Williams and DeVito wallow in such muck. (Warner)
FRAILTY (R)
In my lifetime, I have only had occasion to watch two movies through the gaps between my fingers, not counting the last three Pauley Shore films. Both “The Exorcist” and “Jaws” generated the unwilling response, perhaps because those two films managed to depict their fantasy world with such reality (okay, so the shark looks fake by today’s standards). Now I can add “Frailty” to that list, a film so compulsively wicked in nature that I had no choice in shielding myself from the horror coming off the screen. Directed by and starring Bill Paxton (“Twister”), making a most assured debut behind the camera, “Frailty” is the kind of film that haunts you because it could be true. Please click title for complete review. (Lion’s Gate)
HOLLYWOOD ENDING (PG)
Woody Allen has been spoofing Hollywood conventions for so long that it was only a matter of time before he finally turned the camera on himself. Has it really been thirty-seven years since Allen leaped from the small screen to the big screen with his irreverent comedy “What’s New Pussycat?” I feel old when I realize that 1977’s “Annie Hall” is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Since 1969’s “Take The Money and Run,” Allen has written and directed thirty-one theatrical films (and written and acted in several more). “Hollywood Ending” is his latest, a comic look at what happens when a past-his-prime director gets the opportunity of a lifetime, then experiences hysterical blindness on the first day of shooting. Please click title for complete review. (DreamWorks)
THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN (R)
Hollywood heavyweights Burt Reynolds, Rod Steiger (in one of his last performances), and Tom Berenger mock themselves in this sloppy yet occasionally endearing con game. Looking to raise enough cash for their next big break, Kage (Reynolds), Floyd (Steiger) and Tom (Berenger) turn misfortune into a fortune when they take a local mobster for millions of dollars. Using their rusty but charming talents, the men turn one coincidence after another to their advantage. Of course their plan to rob the mobster’s casino by posing as detectives goes astray, forcing the group to put on the performance of their life. Exit stage left. The actors seem like they’re having a good time, but the script and lackluster direction hold them back. There’s a good idea here, but it needs refinement and better execution. (Lion’s Gate)
KISSING JESSICA STEIN (PG-13)
What’s a neurotic New York journalist to do when she gets fed up with the dating grind in general and men in particular? Why, answer a “women seeking women” ad in the newspaper. That’s the route taken by Jessica, (Jennifer Westfeldt), who sees life passing her by and wants something meaningful and lasting. Jessica doesn’t know what to expect when she meets Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen) for a couple of drinks. What begins as a whim eventually turns into mutual curiosity, and finally a shaky but hopeful relationship. Watching Jessica and Helen navigate the waters of a new relationship is engaging and enjoyable. Written by the two stars, based on their popular stage play, “Kissing Jessica Stein” is a winning date movie that doesn’t exploit the lesbian relationship. It’s part of who the characters are, and the writing is so smart and observant we care more about who they are rather than what they are. You’ll have a good time. Trust me. (Fox)
MONSOON WEDDING (PG-13)
Indian director Mair Nair delivers a bouquet of colorful characters and amusing, everyday events that collide over a long weekend wedding. Father Lalit (Naseeruddin Shah) has a lot on his mind. Not only is he giving away his daughter (a lovely Vasundhara Das) in an arranged wedding to a non-resident Indian, he has to contend with unruly guests, rising costs, a pending storm, and most of all, his sanity. Nair does an excellent job of involving us in the action, making us feel as if we are guests at the wedding. The performances are natural and inviting, and since most of the cast speak English, you won’t have to read sub-titles. Instead, enjoy the delicious slices of life that the director and cast serve up, complete with musical numbers. If you enjoy ensemble films like “Nashville,” you will appreciate every frame of this import. (Universal)
MONSTERS INC. (G)
What is there left to say about “Monsters, Inc.” If you haven’t bought a copy yet, then you should be ashamed of yourself. How can you deny your inner child this absolutely adorable computer animated comedy about a world where monsters reign. Not all of the monsters are scary, like Mike (voice of Billy Crystal), who works with giant Sully (voice of John Goodman) at Monsters Inc., the energy company that supplies the power to the city of Monstropolis. That energy is culled from the screams of children, induced when the monsters sneak out of their closets late at night. Remember all those times your kid said there was a monster in the closet? Well, this film confirms it. If there’s anything worse than a monster in the closet, it’s making contact with a human, which comes with severe consequences. So imagine Mike and Sully’s shock when Sully accidentally brings back a little girl from his nightly scare. Afraid that the little girl’s presence will cook their collective gooses, Mike and Sully attempt to hide “Boo” from the powers that be until they can get her safely back home. Nothing goes according to their plan, opening the door for some hilarious visual and verbal gags. The animation is stunning (you can see every hair on Sully), while the story has as much heart as it does laughs. Available at sell-through. (Walt Disney)
PANIC ROOM (R)
“Panic Room” is an occasionally intense, stylish thriller that demands you suspend disbelief and logic in order to appreciate what is on the screen. It’s a movie that only works in the moment. The second you leave the theater it all falls apart. When “Panic Room” hustles it is easy to forgive its flaws and lapses, but every time it slows down to catch a breathe, you begin to wonder what all of the fuss is about. The screenplay by David Koepp is simple and straightforward. Jodie Foster plays a single mom who is looking for a better life for her young daughter Sarah (a spirited and resourceful Kristin Stewart). Looking for a new abode, Meg Altman (Foster) settles on a four-story New York brownstone. Please click title for complete review. (Columbia-TriStar)
SPRING FORWARD (R)
Shakespeare said that the play was the thing, but in the case of “Spring Forward,” the cast is the thing. Without the beautifully realized performance of Ned Beatty as Murph, a Parks and Recreation worker who befriends his new coworker Paul (Liev Schreiber), an ex-con desperately in need of direction, “Spring Forward” would fall back. Basically a two-person character piece, “Spring Forward” benefits from terrific performances and strong direction by Tom Gilroy, who makes it easy for us to care about these two men and their lives. Beatty is extremely poignant as a man who has lived his life without much regret, while Schreiber is excellent as a man haunted by the choices he made and lives with on a daily basis. How these two reach a mutual plateau of respect makes this little film a big winner. (MGM)
STOLEN SUMMER (PG)
First time director Pete Jones, working from the script that won him Miramax’s Project Greenlight contest, delivers a warm, tender tale of two boys whose unlikely friendship takes them on a journey of hope and awareness. Adi Stein is quite good as Pete O’Malley, an eight-year-old third grader who gets into trouble at his Catholic school. After being admonished by a nun, Pete decides to make amends by doing good deeds around his Chicago neighborhood. His first act is to convert Danny Jacobsen (Mike Weinberg), a seven-year-old Jew, to Christianity. Couldn’t he just help old ladies cross the street? Despite the concerns of his parents (a winning Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt), Pete and Danny set off to prove that friendship is just as powerful as religion. Not a great film, but not the disaster the HBO series “Project Greenlight” led us to believe it was. Jones redeems himself quite nicely, and gets natural, pleasing performances from most of his cast. (Miramax)
ALSO NEW THIS WEEK:DESERT SAINTS (R/Artisan)
