Boxoffice-September.1997
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ResponseNo 129<br />
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REVIEWS<br />
learning to be Players (A.J. Johnson and<br />
Jermaine Big Hugg Hopkins) are comically<br />
depicted. The film is funny and of course<br />
appeals more to men, but women who've<br />
done a little Playing themselves will enjoy<br />
it just as much as the ones who want Dray<br />
to be caught. Dwayne E. Leslie<br />
TALK OF ANGELS ^•^<br />
Starring Polly Walker, Frances<br />
McDormand, Vincent Perez and Franco<br />
Nero. Directed by Nick Hamm. Written<br />
by Ann Guedes & Frank McGuinness.<br />
Produced by Patrick Cassavetti. A<br />
Miramax release. Romance. Rated PG<br />
for some politically motivated violence.<br />
Running time: 97 min.<br />
If Miramax learned one thing from "The<br />
English Patient," it was that romance and<br />
war make compelling cinematic bedfellows<br />
(a lesson that seemed to have become lost<br />
since the days of "Gone With the Wind,"<br />
"Doctor Zhivago" and "The Sound of<br />
Music"). Unfortunately for the brothers<br />
Weinstein, the formula doesn't work to that<br />
extent in "Talk of Angels." Lovingly<br />
adapted by Ann Guedes and Frank<br />
McGuinness from Kate O'Brien's novel<br />
"Mary Lavelle" and ably directed by veteran<br />
West End stage director Nick Hamm,<br />
"Talk of Angels" is an undeniably beautiful<br />
and often seductive tale of colliding cultural<br />
sensibilities and ferocious passions, all set<br />
to the backdrop of an impending Spanish<br />
Civil War. Sadly, the passions depicted onscreen<br />
are fairly tepid ones, playing more<br />
like a dime novel than the meaningful epic<br />
the filmmakers intended.<br />
Its notion of a reserved English-speaking<br />
woman liberated by Latin passions is nothing<br />
new to the movies. In this instance,<br />
though, the Polly Walker/Vincent Perez<br />
pairing doesn't quite click. At times, the<br />
filmmakers almost seem to expect the sheer<br />
beauty of the two actors to substitute for<br />
chemistry. What ultimately salvages the<br />
film from mediocrity is nothing less than<br />
the craft of its execution, a credit to firsttime<br />
helmer Hamm and an excellent supporting<br />
cast that includes Frances<br />
McDormand ("Fargo") as one of Mary's<br />
fellow Irish governesses.<br />
PICTURE PERFECT ••<br />
Wade Major<br />
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Kevin<br />
Bacon, Jay Mohr and llleana Douglas.<br />
Directed by Glenn Gordon Caron. Written<br />
by Arlene Sorkin, Paul Slanskyand Glenn<br />
Gordon Caron. Produced by Erwin Staff<br />
A Fox release. Romantic comedy. Rated<br />
PG- 13for sensuality and related dialogue.<br />
Running time: 102 min.<br />
Jennifer Aniston ("She's the One") stars<br />
in this slight and contrived romantic comedy<br />
as Kate, an ambitious advertising executive<br />
who in order to "dress the part" lets<br />
her bosses believe she is engagecfto a random<br />
man in a photo, Nick ("Jerry<br />
Maguire's" Jay Mohr), that she met only<br />
briefly at a friend's wedding. Having the<br />
fictitional fiance wins her a promotion, but<br />
Kate's bosses want to meet the man. Kate<br />
persuades Nick to help her out of her predicament.<br />
Nick, who's been looking for an<br />
excuse to see Kate again, is glad to oblige.<br />
The actors share a few cute moments and<br />
try to make the most of obvious situations.<br />
The script has interesting comments to<br />
make about the expectations people place<br />
on love, marriage and commitment, but it<br />
fails to follow through; its structure disintegrates<br />
just at the point when it should take<br />
off, when Kate faces actually wanting to be<br />
with Nick, now against the wishes of her<br />
bosses. Of course, the problem here as with<br />
most romantic comedies is that there is very<br />
littie to draw these two people together.<br />
Particularly, Nick has many more reasons to<br />
dislike Kate than to like her. Yet it's easy to<br />
forgive these movies, given enough funny<br />
sidekicks, interesting situations and clever<br />
lines—all of which, unfortunately, "Picture<br />
Perfect" has too few. Susan Lambert<br />
SPAWN •••<br />
Starring Michael Jai White, John<br />
Leguizamo, Theresa Randle, D.B.<br />
Sweeney and Martin Sheen. Directed by<br />
Mark A.Z. Dippe. Written by Alan<br />
McElroy. Produced by Clint Goldman.<br />
A New Line release. SF/action. Rated<br />
PG-13 for thematic elements involving<br />
the demonic underworld, violence, intense<br />
fantasy action and crude humor.<br />
Running time: 95 min.<br />
"Spawn" opens with a spectacular sequence<br />
that creates a hving comic book like<br />
no other, and issues a warning: All roads lead<br />
to heaven or hell, depending on ones' choice;<br />
life is the test. Twisted between his own<br />
slowly remembered nature and the fantastic<br />
powers of the Devil Malebolgia is black<br />
superhero Spawn, played by Michael Jai<br />
White ("City of Industry"). Once human, now<br />
a creature bom from hell to do its bidding.<br />
Spawn can't be what he was (human) yet can't<br />
be what he was created to be (evil).<br />
"Spawn" is the feature version of a megasuccessful<br />
comic book series (also called<br />
"Spawn") created by writer/artist Todd<br />
McFarlane. The screen "Spawn" terrorizes<br />
its namesake/hero less than the comic series<br />
(a rough cut was edited after getting an R<br />
rating for pervasive violent content and<br />
menace), slows down some character revelations<br />
and is less literal a translation than<br />
the HBO series. Yet it delivers a satisfying<br />
rendition of the comic's essence, as supernaturals<br />
battle to destroy or protect mortals.<br />
The movie belongs to Jai White, whose<br />
eyes, voice and movements lock the audience<br />
into his heart and staiggle. Playing Clown, an<br />
agent of the Devil, John Leguizamo ("Romeo<br />
and Juliet") delights by delivering wickedly<br />
funny lines throughout and moving nimbly<br />
despite a heavy costume. A Dippe Goldman<br />
Williams production, "Spawn" uses 375 visual<br />
effects shots to create a dark and complex<br />
world. Those effects are well integrated and<br />
cleverly active; the best, if too sparingly used,<br />
is Spawn in the kinetic red cape of his full<br />
costume. Also good are church and city sets.<br />
What're massing are pieces of story logic and a<br />
clearclimax, but perhaps the latter holds promise<br />
of more to come. Karen Achenbach
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