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90 MILES (NR) -- B Juan Carlos Zalvidar returns to New Orleans to present his first-person account of his emigration from Cuba to Miami during the Mariel boat lift of 1980, and his subsequent return. (Simmons) 7:30
p.m. Friday through Thursday, April 3, at Zeitgeist
ABOUT SCHMIDT (R) -- A Alexander Payne
and Jim Taylor's offbeat comedy-drama is the story of a widower (Oscar-nominated
Jack Nicholson)
who struggles to decide whether he should dissuade his daughter from marrying
her boyfriend. Kathy Bates scored the film's other Oscar nomination for
Best Supporting Actress. (Barton) AMC Palace 20
ADAPTATION (R) -- A Director
Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman (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). (Winner
of four Oscar nominations.) (Barton) Canal Place
AGENT CODY BANKS (PG) -- The federal government turns to huggable
teen Frankie Muniz for a secret spy mission. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
ALI ZAOUA: PRINCE OF THE STREETS (NR) -- B+ Nabil
Ayouch directed and co-wrote this poignant tale of Moroccan street kids trying
to bury their colorful friend
after he is murdered by the gang he deserted. 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. Another great performance from Said Taghmaoui (Three Kings, Hideous
Kinky) as the gang leader. Presented by Film Movement. (Simmons) 9:30
p.m. Friday through Thursday, April 3, at Zeitgeist
ARAB CINEMA (NR) -- Zeitgeist continues this series of films
exploring Arab culture, politics and life both in the Middle East and the United
States. This week's offerings: Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Palestinian Family and Al
Sabbar. 7:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday 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. AMC
Palace 16, Grand
BOAT TRIP (R) -- Manly
men Cuba Gooding Jr. and Horatio Sanz try to score with the ladies by booking
a trip on a cruise liner, only to
realize they've been booked on a gay cruise liner! (Groan.) Supporting cast
includes Richard Roundtree, Roselyn Sanchez, Will Farrell, Vivica A. Fox
and, oh my, Roger
Moore. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE (PG-13) -- Attorney Steve Martin meets convicted
felon Queen Latifah over the Internet in another salt-and-pepper comedy. AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
BUGS! 3D (NR) -- This
latest IMAX offering charts the progression of a praying mantis and a butterfly
through the rain forests of Southeast
Asia. Entergy IMAX
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 both give more than able
performances as huckster lawyer Billy Flynn and his new leading lady Roxie
Hart, respectively. (Winner of 13 Oscar nominations including Best Picture.)
(Carlson) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Prytania
CITY OF GOD (R) -- A- Fernando Meirelles' harrowing
drama about astonishingly violent gangs of children in a Rio housing project
isn't a perfect film, but it's one viewers won't soon forget. Raised in poverty,
ignorance and hopelessness, boys in their teens and even younger kill each other
to control territory not worth having. The miracle is that we meet one child
who manages first to survive and ultimately to escape. (Barton) (Reviewed in
this issue.) Canal Place
CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE (R) -- Romeo Must Die's DMX and Jet Li
reunite as a gang leader (DMX) who recruits an agent (Li) to free the gangster's
kidnapped daughter from a criminal. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Grand
DAREDEVIL (PG-13) -- Ben
Affleck is a lawyer for the underdog by day and a man-in-tights superhero at
night, ably assisted by his girlfriend
Jennifer Garner. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Grand
DELIVER US FROM EVA (R) -- Gary Hardwick wrote and directed this
romantic comedy about a man (LL Cool J) recruited by his three friends to
woo and marry their perfectionist sister. AMC Palace 20, Grand
DREAMCATCHER (R) -- Four
longtime friends battle an alien force on a reunion hunting trip deep in the
woods of Maine in this effort by
director Lawrence Kasdan (Body Heat, The Big Chill) and Oscar-winning
screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) in adapting
the Stephen King novel. Cast features Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore,
Morgan Freeman and Donnie Wahlberg. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC
Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
FINAL DESTINATION 2 (R) -- David
Ellis takes over for James Wong in directing the sequel to the surprise thriller
hit of 2000. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
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. (Winner of 10 Oscar
nominations including Best Picture.) (Barton) AMC Palace 20
THE HOURS (PG-13) -- B Stephen
Daldry and David Hare's adaptation of Michael Cunningham's book offers a stellar
cast including Nicole Kidman, Julianne
Moore, Meryl Streep and Ed Harris. (Winner of nine Oscar nominations including
Best Picture.) (Barton) AMC Palace 20
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (PG-13) -- C Donald Petrie's lame romantic comedy
stars Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in a contest of ill-imagined romantic
gamesmanship. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
THE HUNTED (R) -- FBI agent Tommy Lee Jones captures, then
loses, a killer who tracks deer hunters in the woods, then must recapture
him in the big city. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE JUNGLE BOOK 2 (G) -- C Awash
in jungle greens, this latest from the Disney sequel factory looks better than
it sounds. (Tisserand). AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette
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. AMC Palace 20
THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE (R) -- F Alan Parker's story of a former death
penalty abolitionist (Kevin Spacey) on death row for the rape and murder of a
colleague (Laura Linney) is an unholy mess. The narrative is cliched and at once
predictable and preposterous. Ostensibly designed to attack capital punishment,
this film, unintentionally or not, serves to support it. This is as annoying
a movie as I've seen in some time. (Barton) AMC Palace 12
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.Winner of six Oscar nominations
including Best Picture. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12
OLD SCHOOL (R) -- Thirtysomething buddies Will Farrell,
Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn decide to relive their college days by opening their
own frat house near campus. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
THE PIANIST (R) -- A Roman Polanski's true story of
a Polish pianist (Oscar-nominated Adrien Brody) who survived the Holocaust but
lost his entire family in the process. This film asks searching questions about
the nature of humankind. (Winner of seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture.)
(Barton) Canal Place, Hollywood Cinemas 9
PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE (G) -- Winnie the Pooh's more timid buddy must
gather all his strength to save his friends when they get into trouble in
this animated film from Disney. Note: Piglet's voice will once again be provided
by
Piglet veteran John Fiedler, one of the all-time great mousey TV and film
character actors (12 Angry Men, True Grit). AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE QUIET AMERICAN (R) -- C Only
those unfamiliar with the lovely lethargy of Graham Greene's writing will fail
to be disappointed by Philip Noyce's
lackluster incarnation of the 1950s Vietnam tale. Stars Oscar-nominated Michael
Caine. (Carlson) Canal Place
THE RECRUIT (PG-13) -- C+ Roger Donaldson's thriller
involves old CIA hand Al Pacino's relationship with new operative Colin Farrell.
Some surprises and an earnest performance by Pacino don't succeed in raising
a fundamentally predictable plot above the mediocre. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
TALK TO HER (R) -- B Pedro
Almodovar earned Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay
for his acclaimed story of two
men caring for women in comas. The film has much to admire; it's arrestingly
original, gentle and forgiving of spirit. (Barton) Canal Place
VIEW FROM THE TOP (PG-13) -- What's
up with '60s-era films centered around the airlines industry? Gwyneth Paltrow
is a hick blonde who seeks adventure
on the friendly skies as a flight attendant (they called them stewardesses
back then). Supporting cast includes Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Rob
Lowe
and Mark Ruffalo with a cameo by Mike Myers. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
WILLARD (PG-13) -- B+ Thanks
to a nervy performance by recovering
wack job Crispin Glover (River's Edge), debut director Glen Morgan hits
way more than he misses in this faithful remake of the 1971 cult horror hit.
R. Lee Ermey capably fills in the Ernest Borgnine role as Willard's harping boss,
while Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Dr.) is all but wasted as a supportive
co-worker. Note to Hollywood: A little CGI goes a long way, as this film proves.
(Simmons) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
| 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:
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