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Fear
of Strangers CRASH: Directed by Paul Haggis. Story by Haggis; screenplay by Haggis, Bobby Moresco. Produced by Cathy Shulman, Don Cheadle, Bob Yari, Mark R. Harris, Bobby Moresco, Paul Haggis. Executive producers andrew Reimer, Tom Nunan, Jan Korbelin, Marina Grasic. Cinematography, J. Michael Muro. Production design, Laurence Bennett. Editor, Hughes Winborne. Music, Mark Isham. Costume design, Linda Bass. Starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Chris "Ludacris: Bridges, Thankie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Nona Gaye and Michael Pena. Lions Gate Films, 2005. R. 107 minutes. Thankfully, this excellent film returns to the big screen for those of us who missed it earlier. Crash is one of the best films of 2005, along with Hustle & Flow (not now showing in town). Both films shatter stereotypes, spotlight incredible performances by both black and white actors, and serve as examples of the unprecedented collaboration it takes to make serious movies with relevant societal themes. While Hustle & Flow 's characters struggle to break free of endemic poverty through creativity, Crash 's characters battle ubiquitous racism that underlies society's thin layer of restraint. Both films aim to show us how different yet alike we all are.
The single obstacle in writer, director, producer Paul Haggis's deeply felt film is the sheer number of characters. However, Haggis has carefully drawn each character in detail, and a formidable cast brings each of them to life emotionally. It is rare to see such a range of feelings on the screen. It's helpful to think of the characters in pairs whose lives overlap with others. The film takes place over a couple of days near Christmas in present-day Los Angeles. The movie gets its title from L.A.'s car culture. Detective Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) and his assistant and lover, Detective Ria (Jennifer Esposito), are involved in a minor accident. Graham sees the crash as a metaphor for the isolation city residents live within, but Ria doesn't agree. Later in the movie, their lovemaking is interrupted by a disturbing call from Graham's mother, (Beverly Todd). Two African American men leave a restaurant in a nice section of the city at night, good-natured Peter (Larenz Tate) and Anthony (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), who is wound-up about perceived racism from their waitress. A couple walks toward them on the sidewalk, Rick (Brendan Fraser), who turns out to be a district attorney, and Jean (Sandra Bullock), his Brentwood wife. Anthony decides to boost their car, roughing up the couple a bit. Jean is shaking, while Rick is furious. Peter goes along with Anthony for the ride but acknowledges the dangerous game they're playing by sticking a plastic statue of a saint on the dashboard. Veteran white cop, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon), and a rookie, Officer Thomas Hansen (Ryan Phillippe), look for the DA's stolen van. Over Hansen's objections, Ryan pulls over an upscale couple, Cameron Thayer (Terrence Howard) and his wife, Christine (Thandie Newton). Ryan humiliates the even-tempered man driving the elegant van, which riles the woman. The cop takes it out on her, while her husband watches. The new cop is appalled. A late-working Mexican American locksmith, Daniel (Michael Pena), returns home to find his daughter frightened. He tells the child a story about fairies and gives her an invisible cloak of protection. In a film of excellent performances, four interlocked portrayals stand out. Dillon brings a depth and fluidity to the racist cop, Ryan, who has worries at home with his ill father. As a privileged woman who feels betrayed by her husband and violated by the cop, Newton's character gets real when drastic circumstances require her to re-evaluate her attitudes. Phillippe gives a nuanced performance as a rookie whose one wrong choice affects many lives. Howard's development of Cameron's strength and confidence is rooted in subtle self-reflection. Bullock gives the best performance of many years as a pampered woman who sees the shallowness of her life through physical and emotional pain. Cheadle plays the most splintered character, and his silence speaks to Graham's inner distress. Tate shows us that Peter sees, too late, that his shuck-and-jive personality won't get him out of every scrape. Ludacris plays lightly with Anthony's complicated anger but ultimately does a right thing. Crash is now playing at Movies 12. See it soon. Very highest recommendations.
The
Mercer Boys FOUR BROTHERS: Directed by John Singleton. Written by David Elliot and Paul Lovett. Produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. Executive produced by Ric Kidney and Erik Howam. Cinematography, Peter Menzies Jr. Production design, Keith Brian Burns. Editors, Bruce Cannon, Billy Fox. Costume design, Ruth Carter. Composer, David Arnold. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund with Terrence Howard, Josh Charles. Sofia Vergara and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Paramount Pictures, 2005. R. 103 minutes. I was disappointed in John Singleton's tale of four adopted sons who reunite in Detroit as a family when their mother dies in a convenience store shooting. After seeing the dramatic, involving films Hustle & Flow and Crash, I looked forward to another movie with black and white characters rooted in the reality of the performances. Wrong. The first off-the-track situation is that nobody in the old neighborhood believes two black men — Angel (Tyrese Gibson) and Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin) — and two white men — Bobby (Mark Wahlberg) and Jack (Garrett Hedlund) — could be brothers. So much is made about skin color differences the film can say nothing serious about race.
The only person who remembers the Mercer boys is Lt. Green (Terrence Howard), and he doesn't recall them fondly. Green knows hotheaded Bobby will surely lead his otherwise semi-respectable brothers in a no-holds-barred attempt to discover who killed their mother, a nearly saintly woman by all accounts, and why. When the boys watch the grocery store's video of the shooting, they see that she was deliberately murdered. That information gets them digging for the truth wherever it may lie. And true to Green's concern, they will take the law into their own hands. There you have it. The movie now leaves behind its story and scatters into incoherence. Revenge plots devolve into generic patterns, whether they are found in Westerns or gangster films. If the writers had wanted to do something novel for the genre, they could have taken clues from HBO's "The Wire" or "The Sopranos" or even from an earlier (and much better) Wahlberg movie, The Yards (2000). Instead of the layered portrait of an ex-con working his way back into the life he left behind when he was left to take the rap for his best friend, the filmmakers here settled for Wahberg as a (biographically speaking) former street-smart kid. Piece of cake. But no soul. This film calls for none of the acting chops Wahlberg has earned through heart-felt performances in Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees, where he showed great comic flair. Sorry to say, but with Wahlberg settling for less, the other actors didn't have much of a model. Still Benjamin finds a way to make an impression as the "responsible" brother, a family man and a businessman, who stayed in town when his brothers left. And Howard is just too good an actor to keep down. He allows Green's even nature to prevail over his cop instincts to lock up Bobby and defuse the charged environment. Using a wholly different method, Chiwetel Ejiofor, the British star of Dirty Pretty Things, makes gangster Victor Sweet out to be a overly confident live wire. But the four brothers spend the first part of the movie horsing around, teasing each other and trivializing their familial connection. Then they spend the last part of the movie shooting or threatening to shoot gang-bangers, roughing up other toughs, storming around, driving recklessly and well, you get the drift. Boring.
OPENING
OR RETURNING: American Splendor: Cleveland crank Harvey Pekar, writer and file clerk, is celebrated in this excellent film for his ordinary, working-class life and daily gripes, made famous in his illustrated comics. Stars Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and a host of great supporting actors. Very highest recommendations. 2003 Academy Award noms: Adapted screenplay, Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. R. At 6 pm on 8/21 at DIVA. Free. Online archives. Archaeology Mini Film Festival: The first program includes two films: Time Team-Garden Secrets (U.K.) and Sagalassos, the Forgotten City (Belgium). Films only $6; with dinner, $10-$20. At 8 pm on 8/20 at DIVA. Bright Leaves: In a film only marginally about tobacco, American documentary filmmaker Ross McElwhee (Sherman's March) crosses his native North Carolina for this layered look at family, folklore and the art of filmmaking itself. The New York Times review said the movie "leaves you feeling invigorated by the boundless curiosity, humor and high spirits of its creator." At 11 pm on 8/23 on "P.O.V." PBS, cable channel 10. Bewitched: Nora Ephron (You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle) directs this story about the remaking of the classic 1960s sitcom "Bewitched" starring Will Ferrell as Darrin and Nicole Kidman as Samantha. Best when it's a sweet love story but always watchable. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Forty-Year Old Virgin: Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) has lived a life of involuntary chastity, and his friends are determined to do something about his state. Directed by Judd Apatow, the film stars Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd and others. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Inside 9/11: A four-hour mini-series presents "a comprehensive and compelling perspective on that tragic day." Shows in two 2-hour segements at 9 pm on 8/21 and 8/22 on National Geographic Channel. Ladies in Lavender: WWII drama directed by Charles Dance stars Judy Dench and Maggie Smith as unmarried sisters who rescue a Polish man who washes ashore. Turns out he's a concert violinist, and local artist Natascha McElhone is interested. PG-13. Bijou. Local Indie Shorts: Films by Leif Fuller, Ben Chinburg, Cody Yarbrough, Thaddeus Konar, Anthony Mello, Sara Stennett, Jaylene Arnold, John Michael McColl and Henry Weintraub screen on 8/19-8/21 at LateNite Bijou. Mr & Mrs Smith: An action adventure romantic comedy thriller about a bored married couple (Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt) who is surprised to learn that they are assassins hired to kill each other. Directed by Doug Liman (Bourne Identity). PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Pulp Fiction: The often-imitated 1994 Quentin Tarentino followup to Reservoir Dogs stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, with Amanda Plummer, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames and Harvey Keitel in three violent stories of crime, lust and greed. A fabulous look at the everyday life of the criminal community, with terrific performances by Travolta and Jackson as the duo who pull all the stories together. Oscar for Tarantino's screenplay. R. Midnight on 8/19 and 8/20 at Movies 12. Red Eye: You've all seen the trailer: Rachel McAdams is horrified to learn that her father has been kidnapped and the monster (Cillian Murphy) who's in on it is seated right next to her on a red eye to Miami. Directed by Wes Craven. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Supercross: The Las Vegas Motorcross race figures in this story of two brothers whose father dies suspiciously. Cliché city. PG-13. Cinemark. Valiant: Vanguard Animation's first film includes voices by Ewan McGregor as Valiant, John Cleese, Jim Broadbent and Ricky Gervais. Set in WWII, the film's about the competition between brave English carrier pigeons (the good guys) and German falcons. Computer animation looks great. G. Cinemark.
CONTINUING: Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girls in 3D, The: Cayden Boyd stars as a boy whose imaginary superhero friends come to life and join him on a series of adventures. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids). PG. Movies 12. Batman Begins: Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Memento) directs an all star cast to bring you the story of how young Bruce Wayne (Christopher Hale) becomes the Dark Knight. Also stars Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Katie Holmes. PG13. Cinemark. Online archives. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Tim Burton's reimagining of Roald Dahl's perennial children's favorite dark chocolate treat stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka with Freddie Highmore, his child co-star from Finding Neverland, along with Helen Bonham Carter. Loved it! Highest recommendations. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Cinderella Man: Russell Crowe stars as real-life, Depression Era boxer Jim Braddock; Renee Zellwegger plays his supportive wife, Mae. Directed by Ron Howard, picture also stars Paul Giamatti. A complicated, focused and courageous fighter, Braddock not only spars in the ring but also struggles to keep his family together despite the country's widespread, crippling poverty and record unemployment. Very highest recommendations. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Crash: Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) wrote, directed and produced this urban drama set in Los Angeles, which looks at the complexities of racial tolerance in contemporary America. Stars Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe and Lorenz Tate. One of the best films of 2005. Very highest recommendations. R. Movies 12. See review this issue. Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo: Rob Schneider stars in this sequel to Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigalo. Bigalow goes back to work after his former pimp is accused of murdering Europe's Greatest Gigalos. R. Cinema World, Cinemark. Dukes of Hazzard: Good ole boy cousins Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville are drivin' the back roads of Hazzard County with cousin Jessica Simpson. With Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds, Joe Don Baker and Lynda Carter. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives. Fantastic Four: Marvel Comic's superheroes, transformed by cosmic rays while on an outer space mission, battle the evil powers of Doctor Doom. Directed by Tim Story, movie stars Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon. PG-13. Cinemark. Four Brothers: After their mother is murdered, four brothers reunite to avenge her death. From John Singleton, the director of 2 Fast 2 Furious, this disappointing film stars Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin, Garrett Hedlund, with Terrence Howard. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review this issue. Great Raid, The: John Dahl directs Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Connie Nielsen and Joeseph Fiennes in the true story of the 6th Ranger Battalion's men who travel 30 miles behind enemy lines in 1945 to liberate more than 500 American POWs held by the Japanese in the Phlippines. R. Cinemark. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Irreverent sci-fi comedy based on the late Douglas Adams' cult novel follows the adventures in space of the most ordinary man in the world, Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) and his best friend (Mos Def). Directed by Garth Jennings, film also stars Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, John Malkovich, Warwick Davis, Helen Mirren, Thomas Lennon, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy; with Stephen Fry as the narrator. Great fun! PG. Movies 12. Online archives. Longest Yard, The: Lots of world-class athletes from NFL players to kick-boxers and wrestlers star along with Adam Sandler, Burt Reynolds and Chris Rock in this comic tall tale of a group of diverse inmates who team up to play against their guards. PG-13. Movies 12. March of the Penguins: Documentary director Luc Jacquet's film chronicles the oft-repeated survival of the species in the wind-strewn wilderness of Antarctica. Film tracks a pair of Emperor Penguins across continent. Includes intimate scenes of the big birds mating. The female lays one egg, passes it to the male and takes off for a three months round trip to the sea and food. Meanwhile, the male penguins don't eat but focus exclusively on keeping the eggs alive for the gestation period. G. Bijou. Cinemark. Me and You and Everyone We Know: Strange-in-a-good-way film by installation artist Miranda July. July stars with John Hawkes, Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff in roles where first one character and then another makes tentative attempts to connect with another person and ease their essential loneliness and separation. One of the year's most interesting film. Very highest recommendations. R. Bijou. Online archives. Must Love Dogs: Directed by Gary David Goldberg, a television sitcom director, pic stars the fabulous Diane Lane as a divorcée beginning to date again. Co-stars John Cusack, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher Plummer and Elizabeth Perkins. Sure to be a popular, commercial romantic comedy. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Sahara: Penelope Cruz, Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn team up to look for a long-lost Civil War battleship that protects a secret cargo. PG-13. Movies 12. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Four young women who've been friends since childhood are now going their different ways. They wonder how they'll stay in touch until they discover a pair of jeans that fit each of them perfectly. Stars America Ferrera, Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel and Amber Tamblyn. PG. Movies 12. Skeleton Key: Something wicked lurks in the Louisiana mansion where Kate Hudson works as a live-in nurse. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Sky High: Son of superheroes The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), poor Will (Michael Angarano) must go to Sky High, an elite high school, where he battles a nasty gym coach (Bruce Campbell), a bully, teen angst, parental expectations and girl problems. Wow! PG. Cinemark. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: The long-awaited final episode in George Lucas's series stars Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman. From Village Voice reviewer Ed Halter: "Lucas packs his latest with physics-defying deep-space dogfights and zhoozhing lightsaber battles, frequently cutting back and forth between two simultaneous melees on separate planets, deploying his signature Flash Gordon wipes." PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Stealth: Commanding officer Sam Shepard orders test pilots Jamie Foxx, Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel to bring an AI-based auto-pilot onboard. Then the machine turns renegade and takes over, right, like in Kubrick's 2001. PG-13. Cinemark. War of the Worlds: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this retelling of H.G. Well's seminal sci-fi adventure thriller about an invasion of Earth by Martians, as seen through the eyes of ordinary people played by Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, and Tim Robbins. Riveting, challenging and moving; very highest recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Wedding Crashers: Hyper pranksters Owen Wilson and Vince Vaghn star in this throwback to a rowdier time in movies. Things go well for the boys until they meet up with Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher and their parents, Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour. R. Cinemark. Cinema World.
MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
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