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Ensemble
Heist Movie OCEAN'S TWELVE: Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Soderbergh and George Nolfi. Produced by Jerry Weintraub. Executive produced by John Hardy, Susan Ekins, Bruce Berman. Cinematography, Steven Soderbergh. Production design, Philip Messina. Editor, Stephen Mirrione, Costume design, Milena Canonero. Composer, David Holmes. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julia Roberts, with Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Vincent Cassel, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould. Warner Bros., 2004. PG-13. 120 minutes. Ocean's Twelve is funnier than the original, which was a remake of a Rat Pack movie from the 1960s, an era of hard booze, gentlemen crooks and fast cars. The thieves who stole millions from two Vegas casinos in a daring heist in the 2001 movie and got away with it have scattered to various European locales or retired in style in the states.
Now mobsters on Terry Benedict's (Andy Garcia) payroll are hunting them. Benedict is the can't-take-a-joke, Vegas entrepreneur, who was fleeced $160 million and lost his girlfriend to Danny Ocean (George Clooney). He wants the money back. Plus interest. Ocean calls the old crew together after Benedict's men show up at his California home and hassle his wife, Tess (Julia Roberts). The casino's money is long gone or tied up in investments, but the guys realize Benedict's threats are real. There's nothing for it but another heist. But how can they come up with $20 million in two weeks? The heist itself is not the subject of the film. The characters are. The camaraderie between the actors as well as their generosity in working for reduced wages in return for a piece of the show is crafty. Clooney, Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan, second in command, and Matt Damon as wannabe leader Linus Caldwell dominated magazine covers and talk shows before the movie opened. If Twelve busts blocks, they will make a lot of money. What you pay for at the box office is watching this outstanding, professional cast have a great time in the upper-crust environs of Amsterdam, Paris, Monte Carlo, Lake Como, Rome and Castellamare del Golfo in Sicily. The actors' off-screen pranks and friendships spill over to create trust and intimacy between the fictional characters, with the result being a movie that doesn't take itself seriously. A slight vehicle, Ocean's Twelve may turn out to be one of the better films of the holiday season, since some of the most anticipated offerings won't play Eugene until January and February 2005. Director Steven Soderbergh doesn't like to make the same film twice, and he hasn't. His best caper film will always be The Limey, and here he doesn't waste his energy tying up every conceivable plot strand. Writer George Nolfi brings into the film a mysterious European thief nicknamed the Night Fox, played by French actor Vincent Cassel. Now the story becomes one of rival jewel thieves Ocean and the Fox competing for a priceless Fabergé egg and the right to be called the world's greatest thief. Actor Don Cheadle as Cockney Basher Tarr adds his laconic quirkiness to the production as the crew's explosives man. Cheadle has made many memorable screen performances, my favorite being the cynical but devoted DEA agent in Soderbergh's award-winning Traffic. I'm looking forward to Cheadle's star turn in Hotel Rwanda, which captured Toronto's Audience Award in September. Tiny roles are played by other actors I admire, notably Albert Finney in an uncredited role as super-thief La Marque, and Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, the original "Fitz" in the British TV series "Cracker," as an Amsterdam eccentric named Matsui. Hard to miss though onscreen only briefly are Carl Reiner (Saul Bloom) and Elliott Gould (Reuben Tishkoff), two great actors who prove again there are no small parts. Ocean's Twelve won't win any prizes, but it's a lot of fun, and so what if you can't quite remember the plot by the time you exit the theater? Soderbergh leaves you with a few wonderful images — reflection of the Eiffel Tower in Brad Pitt's sunglasses; the split-second recognition between Pitt and Catherine Zeta Jones as he sprints from the police while she sits at an outdoor café; an abashed Damon after he fluffs the encounter with Matsui; and Cassel practicing the contortionist moves of the exotic dance he will perform to avoid the laser rays that guard the golden egg. Now playing at Cinemark, Ocean's Twelve gets high marks for its unabashedly confident entertainment value. Kudos!
Ahistoric
Nonsense HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: Written and directed by John Duigan. Produced by Michael Cowan, Bertil Ohlsson, Jonathan Olsberg, Jason Piette, André Rouleau, Maxime Rémillard. Executive producers, Julia Palau, Matthew Payne. Cinematographer, Paul Sarossy. Editor, Dominique Fortin. Production design, Jonathan Lee. Costume design, Mario Davignon. Starring Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz and Stuart Townsend. With Thomas Kretschmann, Steven Berkhoff. Sony Pictures Classics, 2004. R. 124 minutes.
What possible reason is there to make a romanticized war movie at a time when combatants and civilians alike are being killed, brutalized, blown up and tortured in several grim wars across the planet? There was never a good war. Since Saving Private Ryan, most of the movie-going public in this country, at least, has put that crappy cliché to rest. The Spanish Civil War — heavily idealized in John Duigan's new film — was a miserable, lopsided affair that led to countless deaths, bitter reprisals and 30 years of dictatorial repression. World War II was an unrelenting bloodbath. Head in the Clouds fails to acknowledge such facts. Watching this film one may not notice that Paris is occupied by the Nazis, food is scarce, dissidents are hunted down and cruelly dispatched, and people are freezing in their apartments. Duigan doesn't deal with such messy details. Duigan's main character, Gilda (Charlize Theron), sails through the 20th century's worldwide depression of the 1930s, the rise of Fascism, the militarization of Germany and Italy, and Hitler gobbling up his neighbors. The film's only reference to Hitler is a brief radio rant. A free spirit, Gilda tries to party on even as her best friends and lovers, Guy (Stuart Townsend) and Mia (Penelope Cruz), follow their consciences to the doomed fighting in Spain. But even Guy and Mia's war experiences are air-brushed with romance. There are opportunities for the film to examine conditions favorable to war, such as Gilda's rich French father (Steven Berkhoff) with his far-right loyalties, but Duigan doesn't pursue them. I can't believe a rebellious woman such as Gilda would have been politically neutral during WWII's continental convulsions. But as far as her snooping neighbors can see, she's sleeping with a Nazi officer (Thomas Kretschmann) and living high. This is a movie so flawed at the center it can't be fixed. What's worse is that Duigan and the producers who helped create this film don't see its myriad problems. Here is a summing up of the film from its production notes: "'Head in the Clouds' reminds us that as much as we want to pursue our own desires and nurture our passions, we cannot hide from the real problems of history that continue to define our time." Reality check, please: Does that sentence make you feel infantilized? Patronized? The unctuous, meaningless phrasing of "the real problems of history" alone makes me want to slap some suit silly. This is a bloodless movie, and Duigan has no one to blame but himself. Pity the poor suckers he brought into this debacle. The actors cannot overcome such obstacles. Charlize is bright and brittle, while Stuart is boring and ineffectual. Only Penelope brings a suitable gravity to her role, but she still has to do silly things such as a sexy tango with Charlize — a torrid scene-stopper in Salma Hayak's Frida, but merely a hedonistic gesture here. Even the appropriation of the historic musical figure of Django Reinhardt (John Jorgensen) seems gratuitous to me. Don't waste your time on Head in the Clouds. Wait for something better, or see Sideways or Closer again. This really bad movie opens at the Bijou on Dec. 17, hopefully for a short time.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: After Hours (1985): Director Martin Scorsese follows Griffin Dunne on an eccentric, late night tour of NYC, darkly comic and scary. He runs into many women who are deeply screwed up, such as Rosanna Arquette, Teri Garr, Linda Fiorentino; also John Heard, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong. Wondrous and weird. Discussion following film. At 6 pm on 12/9 at DVA. Free. Alfie: One of the true playboys of the movies, Alfie (Jude Law) plows through a swarm of women never thinking of commitment until he lets the love in. Alfie's beauties include Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon, Nia Long, Jane Krakowski. R. Movies 12. Finding Neverland: Johnny Depp stars as British playwright J.M. Barrie, based on Allan Knee's play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan. Directed by Marc Foster, it also stars Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell and Dustin Hoffman. Winslet and Depp's performances are radiant, but the real star of the show is 12 year-old Freddie Highmore, playing the actual child, Peter Llewelyn Davies, who inspired Barrie's play. The picture is heartbreaking, gorgeous and probably too complicated for young children. PG. Cinema World. Flight of the Phoenix: Using Robert Aldrich's 1965 adventure film as his base, John Moore updates the main story, in which crash survivors in the vast, remote Gobi Desert attempt to put their fractured plane together and fly out. Stars include Giovanni Ribisi, Dennis Quaid and Jacob Vargas. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Forgotten, The: Julianne Moore is a grieving parent. She learns from her psychiatrist (Gary Sinese) and others that her 8-year-old son never existed. Directed by Joseph Ruben, the film also stars Dominic West, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Anthony Edwards. PG-13. Movies 12. Head in the Clouds: John Duigan's lame WWII drama fizzles, despite starring roles by Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz and Stuart Townsend. Patronizing, air-brushed version of Europe during 1930s and '40s. Pure escapist fare. Not recommended. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: The New York Times calls the Lemony Snicket books "mordantly funny," but the stories of the misadventures of three orphans who fall into the hands of an evil count are popular with children and adults. Jim Carrey plays said count, three game kids bedevil him, and Meryl Streep, Timothy Spall, Billy Connolly, Luis Guzmán, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Adams and Catherine O'Hara help. Directed by Brad Silberling and written by Robert Gordon. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Shark Tale: In this computer-animated feature, a lovable tropical fish with the voice of Will Smith takes on the underwater Mafia when he assumes responsibility for killing the godfather of the Great White Sharks. Other voices include those of Jack Black, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Angelina Jolie and Martin Scorsese; Eric Bergeron. Directed by Vicky Jenson. PG. Movies 12. Spanglish: James L. Brooks's comedy/drama stars Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Anne Bancroft and Paz Vega. A non-English speaking woman goes to work for an upscale LA family. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Films open the Friday following EW publication date unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
CONTINUING: Alexander: Oliver Stone's action adventure epic stars Colin Farrell as Alexander the Great, with Val Kilmer, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson and Anthony Hopkins. Tedious at three hours, this epic by Oliver Stone misses the mark. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Blade: Trinity: Vampire hunter Blade (Wesley Snipes) is back. Meanwhile, vampire leaders are bringing back the rejuvenated Dracula, their progenitor, who's now called Drake (Dominic Purcell). Yikes! Written and directed by David Goyer and based on the Marvel Comics character, the film also stars Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey and Natasha Lyonne. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Bourne Supremacy, The: Paul Greengrass (writer, director of Bloody Sunday) directs Matt Damon as assassin Jason Bourne in the second installment of Robert Ludlum's espionage thrillers Also stars Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Kurt Urban and Franka Potente. One of the summer's best films. Highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason: Lackluster Bridget Jones sequel stars Renee Zellwegger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant again. Directed by Beeban Kidron, romantic comedy also stars Jacinda Barrett, Jemma Jones and Jim Broadbent. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Christmas With the Kranks: Based on John Grisham's Skipping Christmas, this comedy stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Julie Gonzalo and Tim Allen and is directed by Joe Roth. Also stars Dan Aykroyd, Cheech Marin and M. Emmet Walsh. PG. Cinemark. Closer: Director Mike Nichols (Angels in America) looks at the relationships of four strangers, played by Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. Outstanding performances by all four make this a film not to be missed. Shows the anger, resentment and folly that result from such high-voltage matters as fidelity, sexuality and relationship. Ignore the negatives and see it. Very highest recommendations. One of 2004's top movies. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Friday Night Lights: High-school football is a big deal in 1988 Odessa, Texas, and director Peter Berg has fun with the fictional locals played by Tim McGraw, Billy Bob Thornton and Jay Hernandez. PG-13. Movies 12. Garden State: Zach Braff wrote, directed and stars in this funny, resonant romantic comedy, which co-stars Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard and Ian Holm. Braff and Portman help the film get to a truth about what it is to be 20-something in the early years of the 21st century. Highest recommendations. R. Movies 12. Online Archives. I Heart Huckabees: The delirious, new laugh-out-loud comedy from David O. Russell (Three Kings, Flirting with Disaster) stars Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts and Jude Law. One of 2004's top films, it gets my very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. Online archives. Incredibles, The: Writer, director Brad Bird and Pixar Animation Studios create an action-adventure story set in suburbia where a former top crime fighter, Mr. Incredible, gets the call to jump back into actions. PG. Cinemark. Online archives. Napoleon Dynamite: Jared Hess' indie comedy stars Jon Heder as a high schooler, who lives in Idaho with his grandmother. The Village Voice says, "the film is an epic, magisterially observed pastiche on all-American geekhood, flooring the competition with a petulant shove." PG. Movies 12. National Treasure: Directed by Jon Turteltub and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, adventure stars Nicolas Cage searching for treasure George Washington hid during the Revolutionary War. Sean Bean plays his British rival who's anxious to score the treasure first. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Ocean's Twelve: Director Steven Soderbergh returns with the gang: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts and newby Catherine Zeta-Jones. A recent group interview in Premiere makes reveals they had a blast making this sequel. Highly recommended for its unabashedly confident entertainment value. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Polar Express, The: Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) directs a wholly CG animation adventure, starring Tom Hanks in multiple roles in this adaptation of children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. Called "performance capture," the technique uses actors' live-action performances to drive the emotions and movements of the digital characters. G. Cinemark. Cinema World. Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement: Anne Hathaway is being groomed to be queen of Genovia, but she has to land a husband before she can be crowned. Garry Marshall directs. Julie Andrews costars. G. Movies 12. Ray: Jamie Foxx plays late, great Ray Charles in this musical, biographical drama, directed by Taylor Hackford. Co-stars Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Richard Schiff, Aunjanue Ellis and Sharon Warren. Outstanding performance by Foxx. One of the year's finest films. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Sideways: Fresh social comedy by Alexander Payne follows two guys on a bachelor week in California wine country. Great performances by Paul Giamatti (American Splendor) and Thomas Haden Church ("Wings") sweetens the tale, as do Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. One of the best films of the year. Don't miss. R. Bijou. Online archives. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, this digital special effects sci-fi action film was shot without sets and locations. Brainchild: writer/director Kerry Conran in collaboration with producer Jon Avnet. Other stars include Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon and Bai Ling. PG. Movies 12. Online archives. SpongeBob SquarePants: Animated feature starring one of Nickelodeon's most absorbing characters. Voices by Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson and others. PG. Cinemark. Team America: World Police: With animated wooden marionettes, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) create an action adventure film about an international police force devoted to global stability and battling bad guys. Not for kids. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Without a Paddle: High-speed comedy adventure stars Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard as clueless adventurers who go into the Oregon wilderness in search of lost treasure. PG-13. Movies 12.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
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