8 MILE (R) -- C+ Semi-autobiographical
it might be, but 8 Mile is smaller than life. The raw energy and talent
of Eminem is dampened by a too-long script and Curtis Hanson's torpid direction.
Kim Basinger and Brittany Murphy give tired performances in a film only briefly
invigorated by its portrayal of Detroit's hip-hop club scene. (Carlson) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Downtown Joy
ADAM SANDLER'S 8 CRAZY NIGHTS (PG-13) --
Adam Sandler meets animation meets Hanukkah meets basketball meets musicals
in this bizarre holiday film from the popular comedian. Also features the voices
of fellow SNL alums Jon Lovitz and Kevin Nealon. AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
ALI ZAOUA: PRINCE OF THE STREETS (NR) --
B+ Nabil Ayouch directed this poignant tale of Moroccan street kids trying
to bury their colorful friend after he is murdered by their former gang. While
the story meanders a bit, it's well worth watching the performances of preteens
Mounim Kbab, Mustapha Hansali and Hicham Moussoune as children who've had to
grow up a lot faster than they should. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.) 8
p.m. Wednesday-Thursday at Zeitgeist
ANALYZE THAT (R) -- Director Harold
Ramis and actors Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal reunite for this sequel to
the 1999 mob comedy Analyze This. Here, Paul Vitti (De Niro) is fresh
out of prison and dealing with retirement from the "family business," while
his shrink (Crystal) is dealing with the pressure of taking over his own family
business. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
APOLLO 13 THE IMAX EXPERIENCE (PG) --
Ron Howard's 1995 film about the ill-fated space flight (starring Tom Hanks,
Kevin Bacon and Ed Harris) becomes the first 35mm live-action film to be digitally
remastered for IMAX viewing. Entergy IMAX
DIE ANOTHER DAY (PG-13)--
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past month, you know the James
Bond series celebrates its 40th anniversary with Pierce Brosnan sexing up American
spy Halle Berry. The two team up to battle the Axis of Evil. Directed by Lee
Tamahori (Mulholland Falls). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
DRUMLINE (PG-13)--
A street drummer in Harlem brings his own sense of rhythm to a marching band
after getting a scholarship to a college in the South. Directed by Charles Stone
III (those "Whazzzup?" Bud commercials, and Paid in Full). Co-stars Nick
Cannon and Orlando Jones. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Downtown Joy, Hollywood Cinemas 9
EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO (THE CRIME OF
FATHER AMARO (R) -- B-Carlos Carrera's
anti-clerical drama about the pell mell corruption of a young contemporary priest
(Gael Garcia Bernal) has important things to say about the abuse of power and
the art of self-justification. The film lacks either subtlety or a needed human
balance, however, and in that way becomes less convincing and affecting than
it otherwise might. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) Canal Place
THE EMPEROR'S CLUB (PG-13)--
The relationship between a prep-school teacher (Kevin Kline) and one of his
troubled students (Emile Hirsch) over a three-decade span. Director Michael
Hoffman. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20
EMPIRE (R)--
Drug dealer John Leguizmo tries to quit while he's ahead, only to find out that
he's been ripped off by investor Peter Sarsgaard and girlfriend Denise Richards.
Debut from writer-director Franc Reyes. Excellent supporting cast includes Ruben
Blades, Sonia Braga and Isabella Rossellini. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
EQUILIBRIUM (R)--
Futuristic cop Christian Bale begins to question the morality of enforcing the
use of a drug that keeps people from suppressing their emotions in this sci-fi
thriller directed by Kurt Wimmer. AMC Palace 20
EXTREME OPS (R)--
A film crew shooting extreme-sports dudes near the former Yugoslavian border
accidently catches a Serbian war criminal on the lam in this action film starring
Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20
FAR FROM HEAVEN (R) -- ATodd
Haynes' stylized, almost painterly drama tells the story of a white 1957 suburban
Connecticut housewife whose husband is grappling with his homosexuality, while
she takes refuge in a friendship with her black gardener. This picture is smart,
understated and profoundly affecting. Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis
Haysbert are all superb. (Barton) Canal Place
FRIDA (R) -- B+ Salma Hayek shines in
her portrayal of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. So does Alfred Molina as husband/artist
Diego Rivera in this paradoxically vibrant and episodic bio-pic from Julie Taymor
(Titus), who does a marvelous job of literally bringing Kahlo's art to life.
(Simmons) Canal Place
FRIDAY AFTER NEXT (R)--
Ice Cube and Mike Epps reunite for the third installment of the Friday series,
this time with the pair working as mall security guards and trying to catch
the thief who stole their holiday presents. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Hollywood Cinemas 9
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
(PG) -- C-This second installment
is boring and utterly conventional -- all two hours and 50 minutes of it. It's
pretty apparent that too much time is spent on how everything looks and not
enough on how any of it feels. Kenneth Branagh as the wryly pompous Gilderoy
Lockhart is one of the only bright spots. Stay home and read the delightful
book instead. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
HAUNTED CASTLE (PG)--
Combination of live-action characters and computer-generated scenes fill this
3-D version of the Faustian tale. Entergy IMAX
HOT CHICK (PG-13)--
A popular but rather bitchy teenage girl gets a little comeuppance when she
is magically transported into the body of Rob Schneider, who then proceeds to
get into a series of wacky situations. Look for Adam Sandler as a bongo player.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
THE IMAX NUTCRACKER 3D (NR)--
The classic holiday tale comes to the very, very big screen. Entergy IMAX
INTO THE DEEP: 3D-- IMAX dives deep
into underwater to explore sea life. Entergy IMAX
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (PG-13)--
Director Peter Jackson presents the much-anticipated sequel to The Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Elijah
Wood, Liv Tyler and many more return as Frodo's quest to destroy the evil Ring
continues. Opens in wide release Wednesday.
MAID IN MANHATTAN (PG-13)--
Hotel maid Jennifer Lopez is mistaken for a socialite (and is then wooed) by
wealthy Ralph Fiennes in this romantic comedy directed by Wayne Wang (The
Joy Luck Club, Anywhere But Here). Written by John Hughes, who championed
the teen-comedy craze of the 1980s that spawned Sixteen Candles and The
Breakfast Club. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
METROPOLIS (NR) A+Fritz
Lang's 1927 silent classic returns to the big screen after being digitally restored
with nearly 40 minutes of additional footage. Lang's commentary on the Industrial
Age and class polarization remains as relevant today as it was 75 years ago,
making this a must see. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.) Canal Place
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (PG) -- B+Nia
Vardalos wrote and stars in this romantic comedy about a Greek-American woman
from a traditional family who falls in love with a WASPy school teacher (a charming
John Corbett). (Barton) AMC Palace 20
PANDORA'S BOX (R)--
Rob Hardy follows up one erotic thriller (Trois) with another, with Monica
Calhoun as a materially successful but emotionally bankrupt shrink who gets
caught up in a web of intrigue. Co-stars Michael Jai White. AMC Palace 16,
Downtown Joy
THE RING (PG-13) -- B-Despite
some nice ideas and a great set-up, Gore Verbinski's frightfest about a journalist
(Naomi Watts) trying to unravel the mystery behind a videotape that leads to
death for all who watch it is ultimately a disappointment. (Simmons) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 (G) -- B-Little
kids should probably never hear that Santa Claus is really the voice of Buzz
Lightyear, but Tim Allen's charm provides decent holiday glow to this seasonal
sequel. The storyline -- Santa has to land a Mrs. Claus to stay Santa -- makes
for a few genuinely sweet moments. Meanwhile, a fascist Santa clone (who might
frighten a few small fry) makes trouble back at the Pole, and a farting reindeer
brings cheer to the little kid in all of us. (Tisserand) AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
SOLARIS (PG-13) -- BGeorge
Clooney and Natascha McElhone star in Steven Soderbergh's remake of the 1972
sci-fi thriller by Andrei Tarkovsky, which in turn was adapted from the novel
by Stanislaw Lem. Soderbergh continues to make well-crafted movies, but his
focus on the love story ironically gives the film an unfocused, self-conscious
feel. (Simmons) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
SPACE STATION (NR)--
A 3-D look at the International Space Station. Entergy IMAX
STAR TREK: NEMESIS (PG-13)--
Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton and the rest reunited for another
voyage of the starship Enterprise, in which the Romulans are negotiating for
peace -- or are they? AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
TREASURE PLANET (G)--
Co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid) serve
up Disney's holiday animation offering, an outer-space version of Robert Louis
Stevenson's classic Treasure Island. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
WES CRAVEN PRESENTS: THEY (PG-13)--
No, the (former) master isn't director; perhaps that's for the best. Robert
Harmon (The Hitcher, Nowhere to Run) directs this thriller about
a grad student who tries to get to the bottom of her old childhood fear of the
dark after getting another round of the willies at night. AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
