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25TH HOUR (R) -- Spike Lee directs Edward Norton as a guy who spends his last day before going to jail for heroin dealing partying with friends Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rosario Dawson. Canal Place
ABOUT SCHMIDT (R) -- A Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor's offbeat drama is the
story of a widower (Jack Nicholson) who struggles to decide whether he should
dissuade his daughter (Hope Davis) from marrying her boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney).
(Barton) Canal Place, AMC Palace 20
ADAPTATION (R) -- A Director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman, the creators of Being John Malkovich, have done it again with this story of a blocked screenwriter (Nicolas Cage) trying to adapt The Orchid Thief, a nonfiction bestseller by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) about a renegade Florida botanist (Chris Cooper). (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place
ANTWONE FISHER (PG-13) -- Denzel Washington makes his directing debut and
co-stars in the fact-based story of a troubled sailor (Derek Luke) who eventually
becomes a Hollywood screenwriter. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20
BECKETT ON FILM (NR) -- Zeitgeist's presentation of films of the legendary playwright's works continues with Programs IV, V and VI, including showings of Endgame, What Where and Act Without Words II. 7:30 p.m. daily, through Feb. 5
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (PG-13) -- B Steven Spielberg's account of a teenager
(Leonardo DiCaprio) who passed himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor and
a lawyer is a fun romp with a light brush of the director's established concerns
about divorce and a young man's search for a father figure. (Barton) AMC Palace
12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
CHICAGO (PG-13) -- A- A spectacular staging of the hit Broadway
musical showcases a sizzling Catherine Zeta-Jones as the notorious Velma Kelley.
Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger, although less comfortable with the physicality
of their roles, both give more than able performances as huckster lawyer Billy
Flynn and his new leading lady Roxie Hart, respectively. (Carlson) AMC Palace
20, Prytania
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (R) -- B+ George Clooney does his best
Steven Soderbergh imitation in his directing debut of the "unauthorized autobiography
of '70s game-show pioneer Chuck Barris (The Dating Game, The Newlywed
Game and The Gong Show), who also claimed to be a hitman for the CIA.
(For a complete review, visit the movies section of www.bestofneworleans.com.)
(Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
DARKNESS FALLS (PG-13) -- A troubled young man tries to help his lone
friend's younger brother, who is troubled by spirits from long ago that were
the inspiration behind the tooth fairy tale. Co-stars Chaney Kley and Emma Caulfield. 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. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
EL BOLA -- B Achero Manas directed this slightly poignant but surprisingly
thin drama about a 12-year-old boy who struggles to survive his shabby home life
and violent surroundings. Juan Jose Ballesta is excellent as the title hero.
(Simmons) 9:30 p.m. daily through Thursday at Zeitgeist
FAR FROM HEAVEN (R) -- A Todd 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. (Barton) Canal Place
GANGS OF NEW YORK (R) -- A Martin Scorsese's look at ethnic and religious
violence in 19th century Manhattan is cinematically brilliant. It has stunning
production design, haunting cinematography, searching themes and great acting
headed by Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. (Barton) AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
A GUY THING (PG-13) -- Jason Lee wakes up next to Julia Stiles after his
bachelor party -- but he's
engaged to her cousin (Selma Blair)! (Now that's a hangover.) Just who's
his intended, anyway? Directed by Chris Koch (Snow Day). AMC Palace
12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, 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 16, Chalmette
HOT CHICK (PG-13) -- A popular teenage girl gets a little comeuppance when she is magically transported into the body of Rob Schneider. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20
THE HOURS (PG-13) -- B Stephen Daldry and David Hare's adaptation of Michael
Cunningham's book about Virginia Woolf and two women later influenced by her
work offers a stellar cast including Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep
and Ed Harris, all working at the top of their vast talents. (Barton) (Reviewed
in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20
JUST MARRIED (PG-13) --
Newlyweds Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy are in for one bumpy ride of a honeymoon in this romantic comedy from Shawn Levy (Big Fat Liar). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
KANGAROO JACK (PG) -- Anthony Anderson and Jerry O'Connell must retrieve
$10,000 in stolen loot they were supposed to deliver for the mob in Australia
in this romp from David McNally (Coyote Ugly). Estella Warren (Planet
of the Apes) co-stars. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (PG-13) -- A+
Director Peter Jackson presents this spectacular sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Jaw-dropping combat sequences, an expert use of digital imagery and a true devotion to the heart of the Tolkien classic make movie magic. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
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). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
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) "Walk-In Movie Night" Series continues. 8 p.m. Sunday at the W French Quarter Hotel; $10 admission
NARC (R) -- A narcotics officer on probation for drug use (Jason Patric) is
reactivated for duty to investigate the death of another officer, teaming up
with the slain officer's partner (Ray Liotta). Directed by Joe Carnahan (Blood,
Guts, Bullets and Octane). AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
NATIONAL SECURITY (PG-13) --
A white ex-cop (Steve Zahn) who once beat the crap out an African-American man (Martin Lawrence) winds up working alongside him as a security guard in this comedy from Dennis Dugan. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
TWO WEEKS NOTICE (PG-13) -- Marc Lawrence, who had a hand in the scripts for previous Sandra Bullock vehicles (Forces of Nature, Miss Congeniality) writes and makes his directing debut with Bullock playing counsel to Hugh Grant's millionaire. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE WILD THORNBERRYS (PG) -- The crew from the popular Nickelodeon series shows up for its second animation feature, this time without the Rugrats. AMC Palace 16, Chalmette
| AMC Palace 12 734-2020; AMC Palace 16 734-2020; AMC Palace 20 734-2020; Canal Place 581-5400; Chalmette 277-9797; Downtown Joy 522-7575; Entergy IMAX 581-4629; Plaza 245-0102; Prytania 891-2787; Zeitgeist 525-2767
Compiled by David Lee Simmons
Contributors: Rick Barton, Shala Carlson, David Lee Simmons
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