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25TH HOUR (R) -- A Spike
Lee's subtlest and most effective film since Clockers is the story of
a convicted drug dealer (Edward Norton) on the last day before he goes to prison
for seven years. A penetrating study of the dealer and his straight friends,
this picture wonders pointedly if our criminal justice system doesn't make things
worse rather than better. Bryan Cox, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper and
Rosario Dawson fill out the capable cast. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) Canal
Place
ABOUT SCHMIDT (R) -- 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 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 16, AMC Palace
20
THE BACKYARD (R) -- Documentary
by Paul Hough probes the D.I.Y. world of wrestling wannabes who take their dangerous
moves (using all
manner of weaponry) literally to neighborhood backyards throughout the country
and England. 7:30 p.m. Friday through Feb. 13 at Zeitgeist
BECKETT ON FILM (NR) -- Zeitgeist's presentation of films of the
legendary playwright's works concludes with Program VI: Edna Hughes' Act Without
Words II, Robin LeFevre's A Piece of Monologue, Anthony Minghella's Play,
Richard Eyre's Rockabye, and the documentary Making Beckett on Film. 7:30
p.m. daily through Wednesday at Zeitgeist
BIKER BOYZ (PG-13) -- Veteran
biker champ Laurence Fishburne tries to retain his title as the top biking
dog in Cali in this vroom-vroom film.
Cast includes a who's-who of once-was actors -- Lisa Bonet, Larenz Tate and
Kadeem Hardison -- along with Eriq La Salle and, ahem, Kid Rock. Feature debut
from
director Reggie Rock Blythewood and writer Craig Fernandez. AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
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, 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 12, AMC Palce 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood
Cinemas 9, Prytania
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL JOURNEY OF MAN (NR) -- As New Orleanians prepare for Cirque du
Soleil's incoming tour of Dralion, here's a chance to capture another
show by the world-famous circus. This one explores how humans develop over time. Entergy
IMAX
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. But the real star
of the show is screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who once again tells a vivid story
about identity, celebrity and illusion. Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts
are capable in support; check out the cheeky cameos. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this
issue.) 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
FINAL DESTINATION 2 (R) -- David
Ellis takes over for James Wong in directing the sequel to the surprise thriller
hit of 2000 about a person
who can see future dead people. This time, folks try to prevent an unborn child
from dying, as the plot intersects with the previous film. Stars A.J. Cook,
Andrew Downing, Michael Landes, Ali Larter and Tony Todd. AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE FREE SCHOOL (NR) -- B+ Mike
Buser-Ferris directed this surprisingly comprehensive and lucid examination
of the 30-year history of the experimental
New Orleans school that sprang up as an alternative to the public school system.
While obviously reverent in tone, Buser-Ferris nevertheless presents a balanced
look at the school, lauding its promise and groundbreaking ideas while acknowledging
its flaws. (Previously screened at last fall's New Orleans Film Festival.)
(Simmons) 8
p.m. Thursday at Zeitgeist
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
20
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
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
HE DIED WITH A FELAFEL IN HIS HAND (NR)
-- Richard Lowenstein directed and adapted the cult novel by John Birmingham
about an Australian man (Max's Noah Taylor) who seems relentlessly trapped
in a series of shared living arrangements with various oddball roommates.
Part of Film Movement's series in New Orleans. Followed by the short film Time
Out by Robbie Chafitz. 9:30 p.m. Friday through Feb. 13 at Zeitgeist
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) 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
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
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
THE PIANIST (R) -- Roman Polanski (Chinatown, The
Ninth Gate) returns with this fact-based story of composer/pianist Wladyslaw
Szpilman (Adrien Brody), who evaded capture by the Nazis by hiding out in the
Warsaw ghetto for six years. (Polanski himself survived the Holocaust; his mother
died in Auschwitz.) Polanski helped Ronald Harwood adapt Szpilman's autobiography.
The film has won scores of critics awards as well as best picture at the Cannes
Film Festival and best drama at the Golden Globes. Canal Place
THE RECRUIT (PG-13) -- CIA
instructor Al Pacino tabs recuit
Colin Farrell (The Minority Report) to root out apparent double agent
Bridget Moynahan. But who's being doubled here? 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
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 1
| 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 |
Other Stories This Week in Movies:
Balcony Seats
25th Hour
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
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