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AMERICAN SPLENDOR (R) -- B+
Shari Spring Berman and Robert Pulcini's comic book-like rendering of underground
comic book writer Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti) is hilarious, if a little pandering,
in its glorification of misanthrope as hero. (Pekar does a much better job in
the comic book of the same title.) Still, novel filmmaking techniques and performances
by Giamatti and Hope Davis make this a fun, breezy film. (Simmons) AMC Palace
20, Canal Place
AMERICAN WEDDING (R) --
The American Pie series concludes as dorks Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan
tie the knot. Several key alumni skipped this one, including Chris Klein and Mena
Suvari. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20
ANYTHING ELSE (R) --
Woody Allen directs, writes and co-stars (but in a supporting role) in this story
of young writer Jason Biggs (the moronic American Pie series) falling hard
for whacky Christina Ricci and then turning to his mentor (Allen) for advice.
(Turning to Woody Allen for romantic advice? Hmmm.) Co-stars Jimmy Fallon, Glenn
Close and Stockard Channing. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 20
BAD BOYS II (R) --
Actors Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite with the filmmaking team of director
Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer in this slam-bang sequel to the 1995
hit. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
CABIN FEVER (R) --
In this horror flick from Eli Roth, five friends are spooked by a mysterious virus
on a camping trip after graduation. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC
Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
COLD CREEK MANOR (R) --
Parents Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid move their city-bound family to the country
but run into major trouble when the previous owner of their new home gets out
of prison and tries to get his house back. Directed by Mike Figgis (Leaving
Las Vegas). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR (PG-13) --
In order to win a regular adult role, former kid actor David Spade tries to relive
a childhood he never had because of early Hollywood fame. AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Hollywood Cinemas 9
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (R) -- B+
The latest from director Stephen Frears (The Grifters, High Fidelity)
overcomes niggling plot missteps and clumsy symbolism to craft a thriller with
a heart about desperate immigrants struggling to survive (and ultimately leave)
contemporary London. Features great performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou
(Amelie) and Sergi Lopez (With a Friend Like Harry ... ). (Simmons)
Canal Place
THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS (PG-13) --
New York ad exec Cuba Gooding Jr. must form a gospel choir in his former Georgia
hometown in order to collect on the inheritance left him by his dead aunt. (Happens
every day.) Co-stars a slew of music types including Beyonce Knowles, Montell
Jordan, Faith Evans and Melba Moore, as well as New Orleans' own Wendell Pierce
(Waiting to Exhale). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
FINDING NEMO (G) -- A
This Disney/Pixar collaboration about a little fish separated from his father
floats fantastically on the voice talents of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres
and a winning script penned by director Andrew Stanton. Technologically, Nemo
is stunning, but -- more importantly -- this fish tale has heart and humor akin
to its older sibling Toy Story. (Carlson) AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20
FREAKY FRIDAY (PG) --
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan assume the roles previously played by Barbara
Harris and Jodie Foster, respectively, in Disney's remake of its own 1976 comedy.
AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand
FREDDY VS. JASON (R) --
Everyone's two favorite titans of terror face off in the grudge match of all time.
Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) slices and dices his way into the dreams of Jason
Voorhees (Ken Kirzinger). Who will survive? AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Grand
JEEPERS CREEPERS 2 (R) --
A basketball team along with its coach and cheerleaders are terrorized on the
road back from a game by a winged monster in this sequel to the surprisingly successful
(and good) 2001 thriller. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand
LE DIVORCE (PG-13) --
B- This Merchant/Ivory adaptation of the Diane Johnson novel looks at
the families of an American wife and a French husband who are divorcing. I am
a fan of the Merchant/Ivory canon, but this is not their best work. Naomi Watts
as the wife and Kate Hudson as her sister are strong and convincing, but the picture
suffers from too much story (including an attempted suicide and a murder) and
too little character development to pack much emotional punch. (Barton) Canal
Place
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (R) --
The Catholic Church takes another shot in the gut in writer-director Peter Mullan's
fictionalized '60s account of the Irish order of Catholic nuns and their sometimes
brutal treatment of the supposedly troubled girls in their care. Stars Geraldine
McEwan, Dorothy Duffy and Anne-Marie Duff. Canal Place
MATCHSTICK MEN (PG-13) --
A- Ridley Scott's often humorous drama about a neurotic flim-flam man's
relationship with the 14-year-old daughter he just met offers terrific performances
by Nicolas Cage and Alison Lohman and a story that takes you places you don't
expect. It's not perfect, but it's close. See it before you let anyone tell you
much about it. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Prytania
MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER (PG-13) --
Ashton Kutcher takes time out from his Oedipal complex to star as a young man
who tries to seduce boss Terence Stamp's daughter (Tara Reid) while house-sitting
for the boss. AMC Palace 16
ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO (R) --
Director Robert Rodriguez apparently lays to rest yet another trilogy (Spy
Kids being the other) in this third installment of his El Mariachi
series, reuniting Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek and adding Johnny Depp and
Eva Mendes. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette,
Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
OPEN RANGE (R) -- B+
Director Kevin Costner returns to the genre he loves (and does) best with this
epic Western tale, a beautifully shot picture postcard of the waning days of an
American lifestyle. Free-grazers Costner and Robert Duvall find themselves in
brutal confrontation with corrupt lawman James Russo and ruthless rancher Michael
Gambon. Costner's silent, steady man-with-a-past fits hand in glove with Duvall's
original Marlboro Man, the actors' silences speaking volumes about screen presence.
The plot unfolds at a not-unpleasant snail's pace, ultimately exploding in a rare,
original and brilliantly choreographed gunfight. AMC Palace 12, Hollywood Cinemas
9
THE ORDER (R) -- F
In the end, I haven't a clue what writer/director Brian Helgeland thought he was
up to in this tale about a young priest (Heath Ledger) investigating the death
of his mentor. For a time, it seemed the filmmaker was interested in issues of
institutional church corruption. In the end, its idea of valid vengeance and absolute
moral clarity offend every religious impulse I deem central to Christian faith.
(Barton) AMC Palace 20
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (PG-13) -- B+
Gore Verbinski's action/comedy employs Hollywood conventon from the ultimate victory
of the heroes to the benedictory kiss of the star-crossed lovers. The picture
is quality summer popcorn fun, however, due to a witty script and the performances
of Geoffey Rush as the lip-smacking villain and the fascinating Johnny Depp as
the film's eccentric pirate hero. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20
SEABISCUIT (PG-13) -- B+
Gary Ross capably adapts Laura Hillenbrand's surpise best-selling book about the
legendary thoroughbred race horse. Though there's not enough horse in this horse
movie, the action is well-shot, and leads Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Tobey
Maguire all do what's asked them (especially Maguire as jockey Red Pollard). (Virgets)
AMC Palace 12
SECONDHAND LIONS (PG) --
Shy teen Haley Joel Osment (yes, he's growing up) bonds with great-uncles Michael
Caine and Robert Duvall while he's visiting with troubled mom Kyra Sedgwick in
this film set in 1960s-era Texas. Directed by Tim McCanlies (Dancer, Texas)
and co-starring Nicky Katt and Josh Lucas. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER (PG-13) --
Robert Rodriguez closes out the Spy Game series with this update of the
Cortez siblings, in which brother Juni must rescue sister Carmen after she is
kidnapped by a virtual-reality game. Grand
S.W.A.T. (R) --
The fascist '70s TV show gets the big-screen treatment with Samuel L. Jackson,
Colin Farrell and others doing battle with evil drug lord Olivier Martinez. Let's
just hope the theme song is as cool as the one for the TV show. AMC Palace
12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
THIRTEEN (R) -- B
Writer-director Catherine Hardwicke and co-screenwriter/co-star Nikki Reed are
at their best when picking over the harrowing details of growing up as a teen
girl in L.A., but not so much when it comes to developing an actual story arc.
Evan Rachel Wood's Tracy and her seductive, dangerous pal Evie (Reed) are sexually
charged but scattered, using every weapon at their disposal to survive the horrors
of teen life. Thirteen succeeds with the little picture while sacrificing
a bigger picture that never comes into focus. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.)
Scheduled to open Friday at Canal Place
UNDERWORLD (R) --
In one of the more bizarre updates on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, vampire
tough-chick Kate Beckinsale falls for human dude Scott Speedman, whose blood werewolves
covet mightily. Feature-film directing debut by music-video director Len Wiseman.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
UPTOWN GIRLS (PG-13) --
Socialite Brittany Murphy tops the A-list until her accountant embezzles her inheritance.
She's forced to get a job as a nanny for the challenging Dakota Fanning (I
Am Sam). AMC Palace 20
| 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:
Film Review
Thirteen
Matchstick Men
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