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APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2006 |
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AEON FLUX (dir: Karyn Kusama, PG-13) – Some cool ideas don’t amount to anything but boredom in this adaptation of the cult classic anime. Charlize Theron certainly looks awesome in her action hero couture but the movie ends up being a waste of her time as well as ours. |
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BAZAAR BIZARRE (dir: Benjamin Meade, Not Rated) – Crime writer James Ellroy presents this documentary about Bob Berdella, Kansas City’s most terrifying serial killer. | |||
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CASANOVA (dir: Lasse Hallstrom, R) – Lasse Hallstrom once directed MY LIFE AS A DOG and that’s bought him a lot of goodwill over the years. He tested my patience with THE SHIPPING NEWS, CHOCOLAT and THE CIDER HOUSE RULES so it’s nice to see him back in fine form here with Heath Ledger as the legendary ladies man. |
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DANDELION (dir: Mark Milgard, R) – The fragility of young love is the focus of this drama starring Taryn Manning and Vincent Kartheiser, set against a backdrop of the rugged beauty of Idaho. | |||
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DUANE HOPWOOD (dir: Matt Mulhern, R) – Everybody’s least favorite FRIEND David Schwimmer takes a flying leap at credibility with this gritty story of a man trying to get his life in order and win back his wife, played by Janeane Garofalo. |
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THE HEIRLOOM (dir: Leste Chen, Not Rated) – Family secrets turn deadly in this thriller from Taiwan when a man inherits his ancestral home. | |||
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INCANTATO (dir: Pupi Avati, Not Rated) – Set in Italy in the 1920s, this delightful comedy follows the relationship of a young academic and the blind girl he falls in love with. Unfortunately his father (played by Giancarlo Giannini) has other plans for him. |
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^THE INTRUDER (dir: Claire Denis, Not Rated) – Claire Denis, a director known for enigmatic movies like BEAU TRAVAIL, turns in her most mysterious work yet with this film that “99 percent of North American audiences just won’t get.” | |||
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KARAS: THE PROPHECY (dir: Various, Not Rated) – Matthew Lillard and Piper Perabo lend their vocal stylings to this anime set in a future Tokyo populated by ghostly beings as well as humans. |
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*MATCH POINT (dir: Woody Allen, R) – You’d probably be forgiven for being skeptical of the notion that Woody Allen would make one of the year’s best movies seeing that his recent output has included HOLLYWOOD ENDING, ANYTHING ELSE and THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION. Perhaps he just needed to hit rock bottom in order to make his best movie in eons. Whatever the reason, MATCH POINT is a revelation in every sense - a glorious cinematic exercise that leaves you giddy. | |||
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MR. BARRINGTON (dir: Dana Packard, Not Rated) – This locally-made production has won kudos everywhere it’s been screened for its intriguing ghost story that utilizes haunting music and eerie visuals to great effect. |
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OYSTER FARMER (dir: Anna Reeves, Not Rated) – An aspiring thief robs a fish market but then loses track of the money in this Australian romantic comedy. Problems arise when he falls for the beautiful young woman he suspects of taking it. | |||
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ROOMS FOR TOURISTS (dir: Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Not Rated) – Five young women get stranded in a rural town for the night and end up fighting for their lives in this low-budget Argentinean shocker. |
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SHADOWS IN THE SUN (dir: Brad Mirman, Not Rated) – Harvey Keitel, Joshua Jackson and Claire Forlani star in this willowy romance set in the stunning Italian countryside. The artist formerly known as Pacey plays a literary agent sent to track down a reclusive author but instead falls for his lovely daughter. | |||
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SHOPGIRL (dir: Anand Tucker, R) – Claire Danes tries to choose between old-guy-with-money Steve Martin and young-guy-without-money but-at-least-he-doesn’t look-like-my-grandfather Jason Schwartzman in this winsome romance based on the novella by… Steve Martin. |
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SURGE OF POWER: THE STUFF OF HEROES (dir: Michael Donahue, Not Rated) – This campy sci-fi parody may not boast good reviews or production values but it does tell the tale of a gay superhero and boast a cameo by Lou Ferrigno. | |||
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3 EXTREMES II (dir: Kim Jee-Woon / Nonzee Nimibutr / Peter Ho-Sun Chan, R) – Three more short films with nothing on their mind but freaking you out. I haven’t fully recovered from viewing the first 3 EXTREMES installment so it’s unlikely I’ll be brave enough to deal with this. |
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TRISTAN + ISOLDE (dir: Kevin Reynolds, PG-13) – James Franco from FREAKS & GEEKS and SPIDER-MAN breaks out the body armor for this action-packed epic romance centered around squabbling English tribes banding together to defeat a brutal Irish king. From the director of WATERWORLD. | |||
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24 HOURS ON CRAIGSLIST (dir: Michael Ferris Gibson, Not Rated) – This documentary examines all the crazy shenanigans that people get up to over the course of one day on the world’s largest community board - such as posting for one night stands, Led Zeppelin cover bands, doors for sale and free pets. | |||||
| * = Greg's pick of the week ^ = Bart's pick of the week | ||||||
