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AGENT CODY BANKS (PG) --
The federal government turns to huggable teen Frankie Muniz for a secret spy
mission. AMC Palace 20
ANGER MANAGEMENT (PG-13) -- C
Adam Sandler does the dumbed-down version of his character from Punch-Drunk Love, in this tale of an essentially likable guy suffering from an implosive anger problem and ordered to seek help from Jack Nicholson. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
ARAB SHORTS PROGRAM --
Series of short films exploring Arab life includes Hakim Belabbes' Whispers, about a Moroccan man's search for his lost childhood. 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at Zeitgeist
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (PG-13) --
B+ Gurinder Chadha's story of a British girl whose traditional Sikh parents want her to learn to cook and find a good Indian boy to marry rather than follow her talent and passion for soccer has a big, open heart. (Barton) AMC Palace 20, Canal Place
BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (R) --
Suburban Asian-American teens go so hip-hop that they become gangsta in this
film by Justin Lin. AMC Palace 20
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
BULLETPROOF MONK (PG-13) --
Martial arts action comedy features kung fu master Chow Yun-Fat trying to mentor
and tolerate brash young American Seann William Scott. Jaime King co-stars. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand
CONFIDENCE (R) -- B+
James Foley's caper flick stars Edward Burns as chief of a crew of grifters
and Dustin Hoffman, doing a mix of Ratso Rizzo and Tony Soprano, as the mobster
they need to satisfy for having accidentally ripped him off. This isn't The Sting (and nothing else has been, lately), but it's a thoroughly diverting, more than adequately clever entertainment. (Barton) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE GOOD THIEF (R) -- B+
Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview With the Vampire) teams up with Nick Nolte in this delightful homage to Jean-Pierre Melville's 1955 French New Wave classic Bob Le Flambeur (horribly translated as Bob the Gambler). Jordan updates and relocates, using Monte Carlo as the setting and a polygot for a cast, but the hipster cool set against existential angst remains delightfully intact. Nolte's ragged glory continues to shine, aided and abetted by a wonderful supporting cast. (Simmons) Canal Place
HEAD OF STATE (PG-13) --
Chris Rock goes for the hat trick in writing, directing and starring as a Washington,
D.C., alderman who finds himself replacing the Democratic Party's dead presidential
candidate. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, Chalmette, Grand
HOLES (PG) --
Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) directs Louis Sachar's adaptation of his own National Book Award-winning 1998 bestseller interweaving three stories suffused with fantasy and legend. Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver, Patricia Arquette and Tim Blake Nelson support a leading cast of child actors. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES (R) --
Hard rocker Rob Zombie puts his ghoulish name to the cinematic test with this
writing and directing debut about two couples who get lost on the road and wind
up in a whole mess o' trouble. AMC Palace 20
IDENTITY (R) --
Ten Little Indians gets the postmodern treatment in this murder mystery thriller from director James Mangold and starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
IRANIAN SHORTS PROGRAM --
Five short films present a spectrum of life inside Iran, including Seifollah
Samadian's Tehran: The 25th Hour, which chronicles the Iranian national soccer team qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at Zeitgeist
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY (PG-13) --
Hollywood's famed Douglas family -- Kirk, Michael and those other folks -- play
a dysfunctional family in this comedy from Fred Schepisi. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20, Grand
LAUREL CANYON (R) -- B-
Lisa Cholodenko's light romantic drama about a man (Christian Bale) living with his mother and struggling to choose between two beautiful women (Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone) explores predictable places along the way to no place in particular. But the picture is worth seeing for the always-wonderful Frances McDormand. (Barton) Canal Place
THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE (PG) --
Movie version of the TV series starring Hilary Duff as a junior-high school
student on summer vacation in Italy falling in love with an Italian pop singer. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
MALIBU'S MOST WANTED (PG-13) --
Jamie Kennedy tries to make it as a white rapper, much to the chagrin of his
dad (Ryan O'Neal), who's running for governor. Co-stars Taye Diggs. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
A MAN APART (R) --
DEA agent Vin Diesel and partner Larenz Tate join forces with a jailed drug
lord to battle the boss' unwelcome successor after Vin's wife is murdered. Clear? Chalmette, Grand
PHONE BOOTH (R) -- B+
Colin Farrell holds this Joel Schumacher-helmed film together as a fast-talking PR man trapped in a phone booth by an unknown sniper. A weak script and restricted set make this one a challenge, but Farrell rivets the audience with his considerable screen prowess. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand
THE PIANIST (R) --
A Oscar winner Roman Polanski's true story of a Polish pianist (Oscar winner Adrien Brody) who survived the Holocaust but lost his entire family in the process. (Winner of three Oscars.) (Barton) 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 animation 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). Grand
THE REAL CANCUN (R) --
MTV puts a Real World spin on this "documentary" about
a bunch of strangers trying to get laid on Spring Break. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
WHAT A GIRL WANTS (PG) -- B+
Light as a feather and just the right amount of sweet, this Dennie Gordon-directed
modern fairy tale has the WB's Amanda Bynes hopping the pond to seek out the
extraordinarily British father (Colin Firth) she has never known. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
X2: X-MEN UNITED (PG-13) -- D
An overabundance of lead characters and an empty script make this one of the least interesting comic book movies ever made. Half the cast is embarrassing (Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden); the other half ought to be embarrassed (Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Alan Cumming). Director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) does next to nothing to bring his characters to life, obviously only interested in setting up a third installment of the franchise. (Carlson) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, 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:
Balcony Seats
Confidence
X2: X-Men United
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