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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 who is ordered to seek help from crazy-like-a-fox Jack Nicholson.
(Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20
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 fails to break new narrative ground. But it
has a big, open heart and well-developed characters and introduces a luminous
new star in Parminder Nagra . (Barton) Canal Place
BLIND SPOT -- HITLER'S SECRETARY (PG) -- A
Andre Heller and Othmar Schmiderer's documentary interview with 81-year-old Traudl
Junge, who served as one of Adolf Hitler's four private secretaries from 1942
until his suicide, is the story of a bright, articulate and unusually introspective
woman's nearly 60-year struggle to understand how she could have liked and admired
a monster. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) Scheduled to open Friday at Canal
Place
BRUCE ALMIGHTY (PG-13) -- B+
Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac reteam for this charming cosmic comedy about
a man fed up with what he perceives as God's indifference to his plight. When
he blasphemes once too often, God (in the form of Morgan Freeman) grants him omnipotence
and says, "Here, you do better." Needless to say, all hell breaks loose. Carrey
really sells this one with his peculiar -- and appealing -- mixture of vulnerability
and vulgarity, making a funny film with (considering the sources) a surprisingly
sacred heart. (Carlson) 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
in the rain forests of Southeast Asia. Entergy IMAX
DADDY DAY CARE (PG) --
Dot-com bust victim Eddie Murphy tries his hand at a day-care center with his
buddies in this comedy directed by Steve Carr (Dr. Doolittle 2) and co-starring
Anjelica Huston and Louisiana's own Lacey Chabert (The Scoundrel's Wife).
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
THE DANCER UPSTAIRS (R) -- B
John Malkovich directs the screen adaptation of Nicholas Shakespeare's novel of
Latin American revolution. Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls) delivers
a transcendent performance as Agustín Rejas, a policeman set on the trail
of an anonymous Peruvian terrorist known only as Ezequiel. (Carlson) Canal
Place
DOWN WITH LOVE (PG-13) --
B- A female advice columnist (Renee Zellweger) goes against her better
judgment and falls for a swinging ladies' man (Ewan McGregor) in 1963 Manhattan
in this romantic comedy homage to the three Rock Hudson/Doris Day collaborations
of the same era. Director Peyton Reed gets all the atmospheric stuff right, and
McGregor adds to the breezy feel, but Zellweger is a disappointment, and after
awhile you wonder what's the point of all this. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.)
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Hollywood Cinemas 9
FINDING NEMO (G) --
A young fish is separated from his father while swimming around the Great Barrier
Reef in this latest Pixar animation effort starring the voices of Albert Brooks,
Willem Dafoe, Austin Pendleton, Geoffrey Rush and New Orleans' own Ellen DeGeneres.
Written and directed by A Bug's Life co-writer/co-director Andrew Stanton.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
GERRY (R) -- B-
Two friends (Matt Damon, Casey Affleck), both named Gerry, struggle for survival
after getting lost during a hike in the desert in this intriguing but ultimately
tedious experimental effort from Gus Van Sant. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.)
8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday through June 12 at Zeitgeist
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. Grand
HOLES (PG) --
B+ Adapted from Louis Sachar's prize-winning young adult novel, this Andrew
Davis film about a young teen in a stern Texas reform school mixes three narratives
over a 100-year period into an often magical brew about family, courage and friendship.
(Barton) AMC Palace 20, Grand
IDENTITY (R) --
Ten Little Indians gets the postmodern treatment in this murder mystery
thriller from director James Mangold, which stars John Cusack, Ray Liotta and
Amanda Peet. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
THE IN-LAWS (PG-13) --
Madcap adventures ensue when CIA spook Michael Douglas and foot doctor Albert
Brooks meet as their children are about to get married in this remake of the 1979
comedy starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
INTO THE DEEP: 3D
-- IMAX dives deep underwater to explore sea life. Entergy IMAX
THE ITALIAN JOB (PG-13) --
The 1969 British heist movie that starred Michael Caine and Benny Hill gets the
American treatment (with the heist set, in fact, in Los Angeles!) with Mark Wahlberg,
Charlize Theron, Edward Norton and Mos Def. Directed by F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator).
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
LEWIS & CLARK: GREAT JOURNEY WEST (NR) --
The adventures of the famous 19th century explorers hits the very big screen.
Entergy IMAX
LIKE MIKE (PG) --
Hollywood Cinemas 9's Summer Kids Movie Camp Series continues, with Lil' Bow Wow
being transformed into an NBA star. 10 a.m. Monday through Friday at Hollywood
Cinemas 9
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 who falls in love with an Italian pop singer. AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
MADAME BUTTERFLY (NR) --
The Country Club's poolside movie series continues with the screening of the 1932
version starring Cary Grant as the naval officer who falls for (and two-times)
a Japanese woman. 8 p.m. Thursday at the Country Club
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. Grand
MATRIX RELOADED (R) --
A The badass Wachowski brothers are back with a sequel that's equal, as
Matrix Reloaded rejoins Neo (Keanu Reeves) on his quest for digital self-fulfillment.
Amazing choreography by Yuen Wo Ping and the ever-ingenious imaginations of the
Wachowskis fuel a film packed with unbelievable action and that now-familiar mystic
sensibility. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
A MIGHTY WIND (PG-13) --
A Christopher Guest's latest mockumentary pokes fun at folk music by staging
a reunion concert. The humor is smart, subtle and so rich you may want to see
it twice to pick up lines and insinuations that flew by you the first time. Co-writer
Eugene Levy gives the best performance of his life as a damaged singer whose best
moments come on stage. (Barton) Canal Place
SPACE STATION (NR) --
A 3-D look at the International Space Station. Entergy IMAX
SPIDER (R) -- B
David Cronenberg's creepy tale of a psychologically damaged man revisiting the
scenes of his childhood achieves the chilling atmosphere it strives for and offers
fine performances by Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson and Gabriel Byrne. For
Cronenberg fans, of which I have never been much of one, this will probably hit
the mark. But he didn't aim for my heart. (Barton) Canal Place
WRONG TURN (R) --
Six very attractive young people are stalked by three psychos while roaming lost
in the West Virginia wilderness. Stars Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington and Jeremy
Sisto. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand,
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). (Carlson) 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 |
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