Short Subjectives October 07 2004

Opening Friday
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (PG-13) Billy Bob Thornton plays a high school football coach who leads a team in Odessa, Texas, to the state championship. Based on the best-selling book of the same name.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS (R) This 1950s-style, Hollywood-glossy romantic epic is as shallow as the characters it tries belatedly to make us care about. Don’t expect art and you may enjoy it. Guy (Stuart Townsend) falls for free-spirited Gilda (Charlize Theron) when she bursts into his Cambridge dorm room in 1933 and never gets over her, despite her lack of political consciousness. Penelope Cruz plays Gilda’s “protégé” (nudge nudge, wink wink), who shares Guy’s ideals. Head in the Clouds runs too long on too little momentum but may be perfect for a generation that wants their romance heavy on sex and light on emotional involvement. — Steve Warren

RAISE YOUR VOICE (PG) A small-town girl (Hilary Duff) who dreams of becoming a singing star enrolls at a prestigious music school over her parents’ objections. Rebecca De Mornay and “Sex and the City’s” John Corbett co-star.

RIDING THE BULLET (PG-13) Stephen King’s short story of the same name riffs on the old urban legend of the ghostly hitchhiker. The film version stars Jonathan Jackson and David Arquette.

TAXI (PG-13) Jimmy Fallon plays an accident-prone police detective who, after losing his driver’s license, enlists a sassy cabbie (Queen Latifah) to help him run down a trio of gorgeous bank robbers, led by supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Based on a French film of the same name.

TYING THE KNOT (NR) See review

?Duly Noted
BEST OF THE ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL (NR) The Atlanta Film Festival presents an evening of audience faves and award-winning short films from the 28th annual event, including the documentary “LSD A Go Go” and the Oscar-winning animated short “Harvie Krumpet,” narrated by Geoffrey Rush. Oct. 14-15, 7 p.m. Cinefest, GSU University Center, Suite 211, 66 Courtland St. $5. 404-352-4225. www.imagefv.org.

GIVE ME YOUR HAND (2004) (NR) Fans of Buena Vista Social Club will be intrigued by this documentary on the surprisingly vibrant Cuban community, which gives special attention to its traditional music. Latin American Film Festival. Sat., Oct. 9, 8 p.m. Woodruff Arts Center, Rich Auditorium, 1280 Peachtree St. $5. 404-733-4570. www.high.org.

LADY COUNTRY DOCTOR (1958) (NR) The residents of a remote German village fly into a tizzy when a woman takes over the practice of their deceased country doctor. The German Heimatfilm of the ’50s. Oct. 13, 7 p.m. Goethe Institut Inter Nationes, 1197 Peachtree St., Colony Square. $4. 404-892-2388.

THE MAN WHO COPIED (2003) (NR) A voyeuristic copy machine guy becomes obsessed with the woman across the street and dabbles in counterfeiting in this lighthearted film from Brazil. Latin American Film Festival. Fri., Oct. 8, 8 p.m. Woodruff Arts Center, Rich Auditorium, 1280 Peachtree St., and Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m., Lefont Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive. $5. 404-733-4570. www.high.org.

THE MEDIA PROJECT (NR) The filmmaking program for students 15-19 years old presents the latest batch of short films. Tues., Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m., Atlanta-Fulton County Library, 1 Margaret Mitchell Square. Free. 404-352-4225. www.imagefv.org.

OTOMO (1999) In this film based on a true story, a West African immigrant in Germany encounters racism and police brutality. African Film Series. Thurs., Oct. 7, 7 p.m. Georgia Tech Global Learning & Conference Center, Room 236, 84 Fifth St. Free. 404-894-4233. www.gatech.edu.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) (R) The cult classic of cult classics, the musical horror spoof follows an all-American couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) to the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a drag-queen/mad scientist from another galaxy. It’s all fun and games until Meat Loaf gets killed. Dress as your favorite character and participate in this musical on acid. Midnight Fri. at Lefont Plaza Theatre and Sat. at Peachtree Cinema & Games, Norcross.

SAVED! (PG-13) Director Brian Dannelly may think he lassoed himself some first-rate gonzo satire, but this drama of hypocritical Christian high school students toothlessly mimics the biting wit of Alexander Payne (Election). The unfunny dramedy tippy-toes to avoid outright blasphemy in depicting the out-of-wedlock pregnancy of a good girl (Jena Malone) after she tries to “cure” her boyfriend of homosexuality. The only real relief from this airless morality lesson is a wry performance by Macaulay Culkin as a paraplegic student flirting with his wild side, and a hilarious turn by Martin Donovan as hip-hop Pastor Skip. Thurs., Oct. 7. Cinefest, GSU University Center, Suite 211, 66 Courtland St. 404-651-3565. www.cinefest.org. — Felicia Feaster

SEEING OTHER PEOPLE (R) A bride-to-be (Julianne Nicholson) worried about her sexual inexperience suggests to her prospective husband (Jay Mohr) that they “see” other people in the weeks before the big day. This comedy from “The Simpsons” writer Wallace Wolodarsky features such popular TV actors as Lauren Graham, Bryan Cranston and Andy Richter. Oct. 8-14. Cinefest, GSU University Center, Suite 211, 66 Courtland St. 404-651-3565. www.cinefest.org.

TASUMA, THE FIGHTER (2004) A 67-year-old veteran of France’s colonial wars in Algeria and Indochina encounters Kafkaesque trials when he attempts to collect his pension. African Film Series. Fri., Oct. 8, 7 p.m. Georgia Tech Global Learning & Conference Center, Room 236, 84 Fifth St. Free. 404-894-4233. www.gatech.edu.

?Continuing
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (R) In this satiric social x-ray of London’s Jazz Age glitterati, comic obstacles impede a too-cool pair of socialites (Stephen Campbell Moore, Emily Mortimer) en route to matrimony. Writer-director Stephen Fry (best known from the BBC’s “Jeeves & Wooster”) adapts Evelyn Waugh’s novel Vile Bodies with a snappy pace and splashy look that evoke our modern-day, “Access Hollywood” obsession with celebrity. The young actors expertly assay the period’s lost generation, while screen vets like Peter O’Toole steal scenes as upper class twits. — Curt Holman

CRIMINAL (R) First-time writer-director Gregory Jacobs scores with a faithful, if not quite as fresh, remake of the Argentine con-man drama Nine Queens. When a seasoned swindler (John C. Reilly) takes an amateur con artist (Diego Luna) under his wing, a high-stakes con falls directly into their laps. Reilly’s precise performance deepens the twisty, fast-paced film into a character study of a grasping operator forced to face up to his past misdeeds. — CH

A DIRTY SHAME (NC-17) It’s the squares against the libertines once again in John Waters’ ribald tale of a repressed middle-aged Baltimore mother Sylvia (Tracey Ullman) who suffers a concussion and finds her libido kicked into overdrive. Blue collar Baltimore is inflamed by Sylvia and her oversexed clan (led by sexual messiah Johnny Knoxville) as Waters’ film unravels into a shock-o-rama melée of dumb potty and booby humor. Waters’ overage, carnivalesque hijinks are as juvenile as ever, but his nods to the vintage exploitation films that trafficked in such delirious sexual content can be inspired. — FF

FIRST DAUGHTER (PG) The luminous performance of Katie Holmes and worthy direction of Forest Whitaker direction deserve a far better script than this total chick flick provides. As the child of U.S. President Michael Keaton (oh, stop snickering!), Holmes chafes against the obtrusive Secret Service presence when she goes to college. She falls in love with Marc Blucas, not knowing he’s undercover S.S. (Didn’t she see the trailer?) As a romantic comedy it’s light on romance and comedy but heavy on First Family values. — SW

THE FORGOTTEN (PG-13) Is someone trying to make Julianne Moore think her dead nine-year-old son never existed? Or is she really delusional, as therapist Gary Sinise says? This interesting puzzle is solved too quickly (presumably to lock in our sympathy), leaving us with less interesting “Who” and “Why” questions as The Forgotten becomes a standard thriller with X-Files overtones. Moore keeps it watchable and underrated director Joseph Ruben (The Stepfather) pulls off some good shock moments. — SW

GARDEN STATE (R) Zach Braff of the NBC sitcom “Scrubs” writes, directs and stars in this droll, amiable dramedy that loses some of its considerable charm as it goes along. Braff plays a emotionally detached, aspiring actor in Los Angeles who gets a new lease on life over an eccentric homecoming in New Jersey. Braff injects some droll sight gags (reminiscent of “Scrubs’” own sense of humor) into his often sharp script, but the last act relies on symbols and epiphanies that feel derivative from the films of more seasoned directors. — CH

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE (PG-13) Director Mamoru Oshii presents the long-awaited follow-up to the stylish anime cult fave. This high-tech murder mystery takes place in mankind’s future, when the line separating humans, cyborgs and robots blurs to the point of disappearing altogether.

GOING UPRIVER: THE LONG WAR OF JOHN KERRY (NR) George Butler’s documentary recounts the extremes of the U.S. experiences in Vietnam through presidential candidate John Kerry’s military service and subsequent anti-war activism. While Going Upriver presents Kerry in a positive light, it resists being pigeonholed as a “campaign video” by stirring up the raw, difficult emotions associated with the Vietnam war, including an engrossing, day-by-day recap of the vets’ famed week-long Washington D.C. protest. Preceded by “Soldier’s Pay” from Three Kings director David O. Russell. — CH

HERO (PG-13) Kung fu star Jet Li portrays a nameless fighter who recounts his victory over three super-assassins, but China’s emperor suggests there’s more to his story. Zhang Yimou’s Oscar-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003 features the flamboyant martial artistry of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the shifting narrative of Rashomon. With gorgeously color-coded flashbacks, Hero plays less like a conventional action film than a grand master’s chess game of cold yet dreamlike beauty. — CH

IMAX THEATER: Amazing Journeys (NR) Here’s the movie Imax was made for! Neither didactic nor evangelical, it appeals to all ages and images you’ll never forget. The film examines migration — of monarch butterflies, gray whales, red crabs, zebras and wildebeest, birds and humans. Director George Casey adds cinematic touches of comedy, drama and suspense to avoid a dry documentary feel in what may be the best Imax film yet. Forces of Nature (NR) Volcanoes and tornadoes and earthquakes, oh my! Not to mention the scientists who study them to improve their forecasting ability in hopes of saving lives. It’s like watching the best of the Weather Channel on a giant screen — without getting your local forecast. NASCAR: The Imax Experience (PG) Stock car racing seems a perfect subject for 3-D Imax but this survey course — “NASCAR 101” — doesn’t begin to realize the potential. Fans have seen it all before and if non-fans had any interest, they’d be fans. The film includes surprisingly little racing footage, and cuts away too quickly from the shots that put you in the action. Fernbank Museum of Natural History IMAX Theater, 767 Clifton Road. 404-929-6300. www.fernbank.edu. — SW

LADDER 49 (PG-13) It’s Backdraft for post-9/11 America. Firefighter Joaquin Phoenix recalls his years of hijinks and heroism in the Baltimore Fire Department while waiting for Chief John Travolta’s men to rescue him from a burning building — or not. It couldn’t be more formulaic. You’ll recognize several clichés from old war movies, but here the enemy is fire. Without a fraction of the edge of Denis Leary’s Rescue Me series on FX, Ladder 49 unfolds like a Lifetime movie for men. Our brave firefighters deserve a better tribute. — SW

MR. 3000 (PG-13) The king of The Original Kings of Comedy, Bernie Mac proves himself a capable, charismatic leading man in this feel-good movie that, despite an original premise, seems overly familiar. Returning to baseball at 47 to make up three discounted hits, Stan Ross (Mac) finally becomes a team player. If Big Mac can make a movie like this work in spite of its flaws, when a good script comes his way, he should hit it out of the park. — SW

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (R) The man who would grow up to be a violent revolutionary and the star of every counterculture’s t-shirt, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, receives some emotional backstory in Brazilian director Walter Salles’s earnest but lightweight film. Before he took up firearms, Che traveled with best friend through South America, and discovered the kind of poverty and injustice his bourgeois Argentinean upbringing denied. Bernal and the scenery are beautiful but this bio-picture lacks the fire in the belly its radical subject deserves. — FF

MY MOTHER LIKES WOMEN (NR) This Spanish comedy by Ines Paris and Daniela Fejerman gets a little heavy in the second half but proves generally frothy and sometimes very funny. Rosa Maria Sarda plays a woman whose three grown daughters, for various reasons including greed, have trouble accepting that Mom’s new partner is a woman — and young enough to be their sister. With a sitcom mentality, they plot to liberate mama by tempting her lover into infidelity, requiring one of them to do the deed. Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. — SW

PAPARAZZI (PG-13) In this Hollywood thriller, Cole Hauser plays a rising movie star and family man bedeviled by overzealous celebrity photographers (lead by Tom Sizemore). Insert Sean Penn joke here.

RED LIGHTS (NR) This French thriller in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock depicts a French couple whose road trip takes an ominous detour after they pick up a hitchhiker.

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE (R) In the spirit of the videogame that started it all, the franchise’s second film features probably the most — though far from the best — action of any movie this year. The mindless plot fills the zombie gap between Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead and relies on clichés that weren’t good enough for the first movie. — SW

SHARK TALE (PG) A too-obvious message movie about keepin’ it real and accepting “different” children, this computer-animated undersea comedy has its share of laughs but is no Shrek or Finding Nemo. It lands all the fish puns Nemo threw back, some in the name of product placement. (Kelpy Kreme Doughnuts, anyone?). Amid such fine voice actors as Will Smith, Renee Zellweger and Jack Black, Martin Scorsese, of all people, turns out to be the breakout talent. — SW

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (R) A put-upon English bloke (co-writer Simon Pegg) gets so caught up in his girlfriend and roommate problems that he scarcely notices the apocalyptic zombie crises happening around him. Writer-director Edgar Wright rises above the undead genre’s schlocky traditions with a first act of comic genius. The intensity of the zombie-siege sequences runs contrary to the film’s deadpan comedy, but its rapid pace, hilarious ensemble and inventive action scenes make it a splatter classic. — CH

SILVER CITY (R) A law firm investigator (Danny Huston) tries to link a deceased John Doe to the Colorado gubernatorial campaign of a dim-witted politician (Chris Cooper). Director John Sayles’ sprawling story provides a step-by-step primer on corrupt American politics, but so seriously pursues his serious themes that he looses his sense of humor. Cooper and Daryl Hannah provide sharp supporting roles, but Sayles brought more punch to Lone Star’s suspiciously similar story. — CH

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (PG) When giant flying robots attack cities around the world, Gwyneth Paltrow’s sassy reporter teams with Jude Law’s heroic mercenary to find the suspected evil-doer. Filmmakers shot actors in front of blue screens and digitally filled in all of the stunningly detailed backgrounds. But Sky Captain falls into the trap of the Star Wars prequels by paying more attention to the digital effects than the slow-moving story and underdeveloped characters. — Heather Kuldell

TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR (NR) South Korea’s most expensive and highest-grossing film of all time depicts the relationship of two brothers as they face the horrors of the Korean War.

UNCOVERED: THE WAR ON IRAQ (NR) Robert Greenwald, director of the snarky anti-Fox News documentary Outfoxed, takes a more sober approach to dismantle the Bush Administration’s justifications for waging war against Iraq. Greenwald provides devastating reality checks on the “yellowcake uranium” State of the Union address and Colin Powell’s United Nations speech about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. But though the film builds an air-tight case, its dry, talking-heads style gives it a short shelf life. — CH

WHAT THE #$ ! DO WE KNOW? (NR) This head-scratching hybrid of philosophical documentary and narrative feature proves to be about everything and nothing. As a framing device follows a divorced photographer (Marlee Matlin) on her daily routine, intercut with talking-head interviews with physicists and other heavy thinkers about quantum science, human perception and positive thinking. Grating, silly animation accompanies the persuasive section about how people can get addicted to negative emotions, while much of the film’s deep thoughts embody New Age spirituality at its most squishy. — CH

WIMBLEDON (PG-13) Britain’s annual Big Romantic Comedy isn’t one of its best. Paul Bettany isn’t bad but tries too hard to be the new Hugh Grant as a fading tennis player who gets into a Star Is Born romance with brash youngster (think a female John McEnroe) Kirsten Dunst at the tournament. It’s Bettany’s story but Dunst gets top billing in this transatlantic film, written by Americans, that reduces England to an “exotic” setting. — SW