Monthly Archives: October 1997

Critical Care - * * 1/2*

Critical care is a hit-and-miss satire of the health care industry. It’s hits come in the form of a finely complex ethical dilemma. However, it misses when it veers off into blatant fantasy. Dr. Werner Ernst (James Spader) is a … Continue reading

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Switchback - * 1/2*

SwitchBack is yet another “hunt the serial killer” film. It tries to apply a twist to the rapidly tiring genre, by mixing the traditional elements with a cross country road movie (something which was done with much greater success in … Continue reading

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Red Corner - * *

Richard Gere’s views about China are well know. That is why when you see him starring in a film about China, such as Red Corner, you know it’s not likely to paint a flattering view. However, he could have made … Continue reading

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A Life Less Ordinary - * *

Fresh off the success of Trainspotting, and with a boatload of pressure, Danny Boyle decided to tackle a rather different project for his next directing effort. And, while A Life Less Ordinary is definitely not a mainstream sell-out, it isn’t … Continue reading

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Gattaca - * * *

Gattaca is the rather unusual title for a fairly good science fiction drama. No, its not a prison riot film…rather, its title is a play on the building blocks of DNA (and also the name of a company in the … Continue reading

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Playing God - * 1/2*

The laconic David Duchovny returns to feature films for the first time after starring in the hit TV show, The X-Files. However, he should have been a bit pickier in his choice of projects. Playing God is a standard crime … Continue reading

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I Know What You Did Last Summer - *

Ahh…thank you, Scream. Due to its surprising success, the onslaught has begun. I Know What You Did Last Summer tries and fails to imitate its overrated predecessor. Whereas Scream tried to be clever and failed, I Know What You Did … Continue reading

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Devil’s Advocate - * * *

Ya gotta love advertising campaigns. They sum up Devil’s Advocate so succinctly (an attorney goes to work for the Devil), that you might think the whole film was just a particularly apt jab at lawyers. But, rather than being what … Continue reading

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Boogie Nights - * * * 1/2*

Director Paul Thomas Anderson has created a sweeping saga of an unlikely subject: the adult film industry. Technically brilliant, and with good acting, Boogie nights is a very good, but not great, film. The film follows the meteoric rise and … Continue reading

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Rocket Man - 1/2*

Does the world need another Pauly Shore? Apparently the folks at Disney think so. Introducing man-boy Harland Williams, an infantile comic who brings new meaning to the word, “annoying”. In Rocket Man, he gets his shot at stardom, but he … Continue reading

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