Boxoffice-January.2000

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• ••1/2 THE INSIDER self into the case and in the process finds Starring A I Pacino, Russell Crowe, she has to confront her own demons in Christopher Plummet; Diane Venom and order to have any chance at rescuing the Philip Baker Hall. Directed by Michael victim who has been buried alive, with a Mann. Written by Erie Roth and Michael limited oxygen supply, by her captors. Mann. Produced by Pieter Jan Brugge and The plot unfolds with few surprises, it MichaelMann. A Buena I ista release. Drama. sags badly in the middle and the ending is Rated Rfor language. Running time: 157 min. a pretty much foregone conclusion. But Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino. subdued the film is essentially saved by a couple of since "The Devil's Advocate") is a produc- superb acting jobs. Mike Kerrigan er at "60 Minutes." known for his ability to secure difficult interviews and for the dependability of his word. His integrity is compromised when he gains the trust of Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), an exemployee of tobacco giant Brown & Williamson whose insider knowledge of the operation threatens the safety of his wife and two little girls. Securing Wigand's testimony that the "seven dwarfs." as he calls the seven CEOs of big tobacco, were fully aware of the dangers of smoking when they testified to the contrary, Bergman is betrayed by his company. CBS refuses to air the segment because of a lawsuit threatened by Brown & Williamson. As Wigand. Crowe steals the show. Besides deliberately gaining weight and graying for the role, the Australian has adopted the nervous ticks of his character, honestly portraying the reluctant hero as a man plagued by a hot temper, belligerence and revenge, but also a loving father torn between protecting his family and revealing the truth to the American people. Writer-director-producer Michael Mann. who last directed 1995's crime drama "Heat." employs the same stylistic elements here, amply using slow motion and handheld close-ups that, while sometimes as dizzying as those in the notorious "Blair Witch Project," demonstrate the confusion and desperation experienced by the characters. Mann's elegant stylization and Crowe's superb performance pull together a picture daunted by potentially dry subject matter and a hefty running time. — Anniee Ellingson OXYGEN **l/2 Starring Maura Tierney and Adrien Brody. Directed and written by Richard Shepard. Produced by Jonathan Stern. Richard Shepard, Carole Curb Nemoy and Mike Curb. A Vnapix release. Crime drama. Rated R for violence and language. Running time: 92 min. Detective Madeline Foster (Maura Tierney) is having a rough day. After a fleeing felon uses her for target practice she unwinds with a bout of rough- -make that sadistic—sex with a mystery lover and copious amounts of alcohol. All of which hardly makes her a suitable candidate to solve a kidnapping, especially as the person heading up the investigation is her unsuspecting husband. But she throws her- REVIEW THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL •• Starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Chris Rattan, Peter Gallagher and Bridgette Hi/son. Directed by William Malone. Written by Dick Beebe and William Malone. Produced by Robert Zemeckis, Joel Silver and Gilbert Adler. A Warner Bros, release. Horror. Rated R for horror violence and gore, sexual images and language. Running time: 93 min. Billionaire theme-park mogul Steven Price ("Mystery Men's" Geoffrey Rush) loves designing thrill rides and is always trying to outdo himself. So when his wife ("The Faculty's" Famke Janssen) asks to have her birthday party at an abandoned psychiatric institute for the criminally insane, he sets out to make the evening a to-die-for experience. Things go smoothly until unforeseen demonic forces intervene and the staged game becomes deadly. The evil that pervades the asylum is brought to life using some of the best special effects seen on film; however, all the visual bravura doesn't fill in the gaping plot holes or generate any real frights. —Dwayne E. Leslie LIARS POKER *1/2 Starring Richard Tyson, Caesar Luisi, Jimmy Blondell and Flea. Directed and written by Jeff Santo. Produced by Billy Savino and Jeff Santo. A North Branch Entertainment release. Drama! Thriller. Rated R for language, sexuality and pervasive violence. Running time: 93 min. "Nobody beats me at Liar's Poker." announces Jack (Richard Tyson) to a circle of card players—a remark that also metaphorically applies to his other dealings with members of the group, including the womanizing Niko (Caesar Luisi), the hapless Freddy (Flea) and the enigmatic Vic (Jimmy Blondell), all of whom appear to associate with Jack as more a matter of obligation than camaraderie. The film follows each character's business dealings with the alpha male, whose volatile temperament, combined with the enormous wealth he's obviously gained from sources other than his day job as a car salesman, imply he has a position as a mob boss. It's quite evident that almost every aspect of "Liar's Poker," Jeff Santos directorial debut, is supposed to create an oppressive tension. From the uniformly slow dialogue delivery by the ensemble cast to the Cimmerian soundtrack that thumps incessantly throughout the pic. one gets the impression that a sense of overwhelming dread should be sinking in. Disinterest, however, is the more pervasive feeling, with the disjointed chronological sequences forcing the viewer to work harder at following a plot that isn't very compelling in the first place. ••• Francesco Dinglasan DATS Starring Dina Meyer, Lou Diamond Phillips, Leon and Bob Gunton. Directed by Louis Morneau. Written by John Logan. Produced by Brad Jenkel and Louis Rosncr. A Destination Films release. Horror. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of bat attacks, and brief language. Running time: 91 mins. "Why? I'm a scientist, that's why," is the reason given for genetically altering two bats to be smarter, more aggressive and omnivorous. The research bats quickly spread the virus they carry amongst thousands of local bats, and soon the night belongs to the horde and nothing in path is safe once night falls. their This is a very intense film once it gets past the preliminaries of introducing everyone. After the first attack, it's apparent how vicious the bats can be—so when the town ignores warnings to stay indoors, one can't help but cringe at what's coming. The film skillfully mixes in humor without undermining the tension. Dwayne E. Leslie DODY SHOTS **l/2 Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Jerry O'Connell, Amada Peet and Tara Reid. Directed by Michael Cristofer. W ritten by David McKenna. Produced by Jennifer Keohane and Harry Colomhy. A New Line release. Drama. Rated R for strong sexual content including graphic sex-related dialogue, language, violence and scenes of alcohol abuse. Running time: 102 min. This is an old-fashioned cautionary tale under the glossy veneer of a sex romp. Much of the film is taken up with people talking dirty about the most primeval of urges, and the rest of the time they are practicing them. But the underlying theme is that sex—especially casual, drunken sex—comes with a price. Four women and four men all in their 20s are independently plotting their evening which seems to basically consist of mass quantities of booze, some lively dancing and a chance of a close encounter of the carnal kind. The octet gets together in various combinations and the games begin. But even in the many steamy scenes. nobody seems to be having much fun. It is a good-looking cast but it's hard to tell how talented they really are. Mike Kerrigan 68 (R-7) BOXOFHCI
BRINGING OUT THE DEAD • • Starring Sicolas Cage and Patricia Arquette. Directed by Martin Scorsese. \\ ritten by Paul Schroder. Produced by Scott Rodin and Barbara De Fina. A Paramount release. Drama. Rated Rfor gritty violent content, drag ose and language. Running time 121 min. A graphic, sometimes harrowing and sporadically eccentric ride-along with a New York City paramedic named Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage). •Bringing Out the Dead" begins with the same kind of alienated, introspective voice-over as one might expect from Robert DeNiro's similarly four-wheeled nocturnal philosopher Travis Bickle. Constant nightly exposure to the decadence and depravity of a pre- Rudy Giuliani urban jungle riddled with crime, drugs, alcoholism and the stench of death has begun to push Pierce over the proverbial edge. Only after meeting Mary Burke (Patricia Arquette). the troubled daughter of a heart-attack victim who refuses to die, does Pierce suddenly find a reason to try to beat his demons and help her. The obvious parallels to the DeNiro/ Jodie Foster axis in "Taxi Driver" notwithstanding, "Bringing Out the Dead" fails on almost every level at which "Taxi Driver" succeeded. It's a stylistic hodge-podge that is worsened by a convoluted narrative that substitutes too many recurring weirdos and repetitive themes for dramatic substance.— Wade Major REVIEWS CRAZY IN ALABAMA ••1/2 Starring Melanie Griffith, Meat Loaf Aday and l.acas Black. Directed by Antonio Bonderas. Written by Mark Childress. Produced by Debra Hill and Diane Sillan Isaacs. A Columbia release. Drama. Rated PG-13 far some violence, thematic material, language and a scene of sensuality. Running time: 109 min. This '60s-set civil-rights tale's biggest flaw is the parallel it tries to make between its two divergent stories: In the first, lusciouslipped Kewpie doll Lucille (director Antonio Banderas' wife. Melanie Griffith) sets off for Hollywood with her abusive husband's severed head in a hat box. In the second, her young nephew Peejoe ( Lucas Black. "Swing Blade"), stands up to a racist sheriff (Meat Loaf Aday of "Fight Club"), who accidentally kills a young boy trying to integrate the public swimming pool. "He died for freedom, she had to kill for it," or something similar, says the script, trying to link the tales. Uh, actually, the descendants of Martin Luther King Jr. might not put a loopy starlet's grab for fame on a par with the institutional murder of a boy seeking justice. We're supposed to be tickled when Lucille artlessly announces to anyone who asks that her hubby's head is in her luggage. But the lines just kind of hang there. And though Black is more successful as the wide-eyed Peejoe, the whole civil-rights story is a giant cliche. Melissa Morrison PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED: DECEMBER/JANUARY/FEBRUARY FILMS The alphabetical list below notes the issue of BOXOFFICE in which our review of an upcoming film appeared, the star rating, and the distributor/release date information. "Agnes Browne" •••: USA, 1213; see September 1999. "The Big Tease" • •: Warner Bros., 1121; see September 1999. "The Cider House Rules" • *: Miramax, 12110; see November 1999. "The Cup" •••1/2: Fine Line, 1128; see November 1999. "The Emperor and the Assassin" •••1/2: SPC, 12117; see July 1999. "Eye of the Beholder" •••••: Destination, 1128; see July 1999. "Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai" ••: Artisan, 1114; see September 1999. "Jesus' Son" •: Lions Gate, 12129; see November 1999. "A Map of the World" *l/2: First Look, 1213; see December 1999. "Mifune" ••••: SPC, 2125; see December 1999. "Miss Julie" ••: MGM, 12110; see December 1999. "Mr. Death" ••: Lions Gate, 12129; see November 1999. "Onegin" ••: Samuel Goldwyn, 12117; see December 1999. "Simpatico" ••: USA, 12117; see November 1999. "Snow Falling on Cedars" ••••1/2: Universal, 12122; see December 1999. "Spanish Fly" ••: Avalanche, 1213; see November 1998. "Sweet and Lowdown" **l/2: SPC, 1213; see November 1999. "The Third Miracle" •••: SPC, 12129; see November 1999. "Third World Cop" ••: Palm, 2125; see November 1999. "Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment" •••: First Run, 12110; see June 1999. "The War Zone" •••1/2: Lot 47, 12110; see April 1999. "Wonderland" ••••: USA, 2118; see July 1999. LA CIUDAD (THE CITY) •••1/2 Starring Joe Rigano, Cipriano Garcia, Letida Herrera and Jose Rahelo. Directed and written by David Riker. Produced by David Riker and Paul S. Mezey. A Zeitgeist release. Drama. Spanish- and English-language: subtitled. Unrated. Running time: 89 min. "La Ciudad (The City)" is a beautiful if melancholy snapshot into the lives of illegal Latin immigrants who have come to New York City in the hopes of earning money to send to their impoverished families back home. Broken into four separate tales, "La Ciudad's" mild sensation of narrative frustration heightens the film's overall feeling of traumatic if poetic yearning of people determined to try against all odds. The stories, entitled "Bricks," "Home," "The Puppeteer," and "Seamstress," reveal much about the large and small elements that tug at each of the protagonists as they face life in the harshness of a sprawling foreign city. Riker's film is a stark and powerful vision of life on the streets for illegal immigrants and the bleakness that surrounds them and their quest for a not just a better life, but any life. "La Ciudad's" stories tell of realities too many of us would prefer to ignore. Luisa F. Riheiro MOLLY *1/2 Starring Elisabeth Shue and Aaron Eckhart. Directed by John Duigan. Written by Dick Christie. Produced by William J. MacDonald and Frank Bodo. An MGM release. DramalComedy. Rated PG-13 for mild thematic elements and some sex-related material. Running time: 89 min. The usually engaging Elisabeth Shue ("Leaving Las Vegas") takes an awkward and embarrassing turn in "Molly," the latest in a long line of pics ("Rain Man," "Awakenings," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Other Sister") attempting to demonstrate how developmentally challenged individuals have much to teach others about appreciating the simpler things in life. An experimental operation on Molly's brain frees her from the limitations of her autism and allows her to experience the delights of "normal life." In spite of the film's lofty goal to remind the masses that the disabled are human beings with feelings just like everyone else, "Molly" abounds with cliches about the very people it purports to represent, making it even more painful to watch Shue's grossly overacted take on autism. From attempting to liberate lobsters destined for the dinner plate at a fancy restaurant to a suggestion she makes to her brother that they have sex (all played with innocent naivete, of course), the scenes in which Molly is supposed to warm one's heart instead turn one's stomach. Francesco Dinglasan January, 2000 (R-8) 69
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Boxoffice-January.2000

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