All's not Wellesley when Julia cracks a Mona Lisa Smile
By Robert Wilonsky,
December 18, 2003
The Mona Lisa Smile in question belongs, of course, to its star, Julia Roberts. Why? For no particular reason, actually. It's just what Italian... More>>
The Cooler, somewhat unbelievably, asks us to swallow a Las Vegas fairy tale
By Bill Gallo,
December 18, 2003
William H. Macy's plain-vanilla features and hang-dog screen demeanor have served him well. Who could resist him as the clueless car dealer who... More>>
The idiots what brung you Dumb and Dumber ain't funny no more
By Luke Y. Thompson,
December 11, 2003
Remember the Farrelly brothers? Makers of Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary? Known for crossing the line of good taste and making... More>>
What a bad feeling--and taste--Honey leaves behind
By Robert Wilonsky,
December 04, 2003
Honey is one of those movies you will see (or not, whatever), swear you've seen before in several other guises and incarnations, then immediately... More>>
Silly Caucasian boy Tom Cruise likes to play with Samurai swords
By Bill Gallo,
December 04, 2003
In his career as a Hollywood action figure, Tom Cruise has been dressed in some pretty hip outfits--a macho fighter pilot's sleek leather jacket,... More>>
The Missing misses plenty, except ancient prejudices
By Robert Wilonsky,
November 27, 2003
In director Ron Howard's The Missing, Tommy Lee Jones' Samuel Jones takes his place among the oldest archetypes in the Western genre--the white... More>>
Michael Crichton seems pretty clever. The doctor-screenwriter-novelist digs odd history (Eaters of the Dead, a.k.a. The 13th Warrior), clashing... More>>
The Cat in the Hat forms clumps for easy scooping and disposal
By Gregory Weinkauf,
November 20, 2003
If you're hankering for a movie about an awkward yet lovable "outsider" type who wanders into a pastel mock-up of Middle America and cajoles the... More>>
Peter Weir masters the sea epic--and Russell Crowe
By Gregory Weinkauf,
November 13, 2003
Russell Crowe to his agent: "More Oscar-bait. Now." Agent, considering his cut of Crowe's $20 million payday: "Yes, sir."
A possible scenario,... More>>
In the annals of fraud and fakery, a discredited ex-magazine reporter named Stephen Glass likely will wind up a mere footnote. The people who... More>>
Richard Curtis is in Love with love, so what's new?
By Robert Wilonsky,
November 06, 2003
With its soundtrack stockpiled with songs of romance and Christmas and a screenplay by the man who wrote Bridget Jones's Diary, Four Weddings and... More>>
Revolutions runs a playful joyride through a nifty vision of hell
By Gregory Weinkauf,
November 06, 2003
A not terribly long time ago in an uninhabitable galaxy called Burbank, a generally astute movie studio founded by four Polish siblings alienated... More>>
'Tis the season and all that jive; beneath the tree this first week of November you will find two films set during the final week of December,... More>>
The spooky beauty of Elephant, Gus Van Sant's strange take on the Columbine massacre, arises not from the shock of sudden violence but from the... More>>
One man's deceptions help highlight our own flaws in The Human Stain
By Bill Gallo,
October 30, 2003
The riddles of identity that drive and disturb Philip Roth's impressive body of fiction usually focus on contemporary Jewish characters whose... More>>
Jane Campion guides Meg Ryan through a stunning career transformation In the Cut
By Gregory Weinkauf,
October 30, 2003
Remember that silly little-girl version of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, snuffling "I'm difficult!" through a charming tantrum? Well, make it... More>>
Pieces of April's story of a family falling apart to come together is no turkey
By Robert Wilonsky,
October 30, 2003
Pieces of April, made by playwright-turned-novelist-turned-screenwriter-turned-director Peter Hedges, could be confused for a compendium reel of... More>>
