Man on the Moon - * * 1/2*

Man on the Moon

Andy Kaufman was such a distinct comedic performer that it is surprising that it took this long to have a biopic devoted to his life. Director Milos Forman takes the helm, and in an unusual move, has cast Jim Carrey as the multi-faceted comedian and jokester. Even with Carrey’s spot-on performance, and the strength of Kaufman’s material, Man on the Moon fails to capture the true essence of Kaufman.

Andy Kaufman was never your typical comedian. In fact, he considered himself a song-and-dance man…but his specialty was elaborate hoaxes and practical jokes. His first claim to fame was “foreign man”, wherein Kaufman would pretend to be a recent immigrant, desperately wanting to succeed on stage, and yet utterly and hopelessly inept.

It’s at a club where manager George Shapiro (Danny DeVito) spots Kaufman’s act, and almost immediately signs him as a client. Shapiro arranges for Kaufman to join a new TV sitcom, Taxi, where Kaufman’s foreign man is given a name, Latka, and Kaufman rockets to national stardom.

But though Kaufman craved fame, he would be just as happy with infamy. Together with his friend and writing partner, Bob Zmuda (Paul Giamatti), Kaufman creates his most despicable creation, obnoxious lounge lizard Tony Clifton. And when Clifton’s insult humor starts seeming mundane, Kaufman launches a new career: a mysogynist wrestler of women. Just when you start thinking Kaufman can’t take his hoaxes any farther…he takes that next step. Bu

First of all, Jim Carrey has Andy Kaufman down cold. It’s as good (or possibly even better) impersonation of Kaufman than Andy himself could have done. And yet though Carrey’s performance tries to go beyond mere mimic, the screenplay holds him back. There are very few times when Andy is not “on” and doing one of his bits, and we barely get a glimpse of the man behind the mask.

And that is the most troublesome part of this film. It plays more like a highlight reel of Andy’s career rather than a straightforward biopic. Yes, Andy’s bits were good, and they’re enjoyable enough in the movie. But, Man on the Moon doesn’t succeed much beyond creating a best-of compilation, and that is a disappointment.

Still, as Carrey melts perfectly into Kaufman’s doppelganger, we have time to appreciate some of the other good performances which pepper the film. In particular, Paul Giamatti makes a distinct impression as one of the only men who comes close to truly understanding Andy’s warped sense of humor. Danny DeVito has a good turn as Shapiro, who’s alternately delighted and frustrated by his client. However, it’s slightly jarring to have DeVito missing from the Taxi scenes, when nearly all the other cast members returned for cameos.

One misfire in the cast is Courtney Love, although that has more to do with a weakly drawn character than Ms. Love’s acting skills. As Andy’s girlfriend, she always seems to be lagging one step behind. And, whereas Andy lacks a distinct character outside of his acts, she doesn’t even have those acts to fall back on.

Andy Kaufman’s life is a difficult one to adapt. Although Man on the Moon scores a coup by casting the chameleonic Carrey as Kaufman, the film never truly satisfies. Man on the Moon is a good primer of Kaufman’s work, but answers little about the man himself.

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Any Given Sunday - *

Any Given Sunday

Oliver Stone directs this look at the NFL. Al Pacino will star as the coach who pressures a veteran QB (Dennis Quaid) to play hurt, or risk getting replaced by an up-and-coming QB (Jamie Foxx). Elizabeth Berkley will portray Pacino’s love interest, and Jim Caviezel will portray his son. Lela Rochon will play Foxx’ girlfriend Vanessa. Tom Sizemore, Matthew Modine, LL Cool J, Ann-Margaret, Cameron Diaz, James Woods, Charlton Heston, Bill Bellamy, Jim Brown, Aaron Eckhart, Frank Gifford, Lawrence Taylor and Johnny Unitas also star. Previously titled The League and On Any Given Sunday.

Capsule Review: Loud, brash and fatally uninteresting, the film doesn’t show us anything that hasn’t been shown before. Some of the football footage is fun…but the tough hits were better in The Waterboy! Don’t be sold by the names in the cast… you can definitely skip this one.

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Topsy Turvy - * * 1/2*

Mike Leigh directs this period piece about Gilbert and Sullivan and the creation of their most famous comic opera, The Mikado. Timothy Spall, Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville star. 

Capsule Review: Interesting, but way overlong. The first hour of Topsy Turvy could have been severely trimmed, and wouldn’t have been missed. This one’s an easy call for Gilbert and Sullivan fans (go see it), but others needn’t rush as quickly. The performances are first rate, throughout.

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Magnolia - * * * 1/2*

Magnolia

Exodus 8:2 – And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs

Paul Thomas Anderson, director of such films as Hard Eight, and Boogie Nights, examines the accidental intersections of life in Magnolia. The film is scattered with several unusual touches which grant a slightly absurd edge to this otherwise serious film. However, these intriguing touches, inspiring both awe and incredulity, combine with a superb cast and a well-written script to create a truly epic ensemble drama.

Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) is the long-time host of a popular game show, pitting child prodigys against adults. His show has made stars of child geniuses, such as ex-boy genius Donnie Smith (William H. Macy), and modern-day boy wonder, Stanley Spector (Jeremy Blackman). Jimmy Gaynor’s wife, Rose (Melinda Dillon), is trying to hold together her fragmenting family, in particular her distant, coke-addicted daughter, Claudia (Melora Walters). Claudia, in turn, is being wooed by earnest police officer Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly), who doesn’t know the truth of her addiction.

The second family within Magnolia are the Partridges. Rich TV producer Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) is dying of cancer, and his young wife Linda (Julianne Moore) is wracked with guilt. Earl appeals to his caretaker, Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman), to locate his estranged son. That son happens to be none other than Frank T. J. Mackey (Tom Cruise), the driving force behind a series of misogynistic seminars entitled “Seduce and Destroy”.

The events of Magnolia take place over the course of one fateful day (and night) in which the fates of the characters entertwine as they all try to make and break connections. Hefty doses of coincidence and divine intervention add variety to the film, and serve as a catalyst for all the participants within.

Magnolia will best be remembered for its sharp doses of unreality into an otherwise grounded drama. Its unusual scenes, such as a group sing-along, or a heavily foreshadowed weather disturbance, are certainly attention grabbers, but even without them, Magnolia would still be a strong drama.

Magnolia has a great script. From its fascinating (although totally unrelated) opening prologue, to some magnificent character showcases, Anderson’s script is witty, vibrant and entertaining.

The strong ensemble in Magnolia is definitely a plus. There’s not a soft apple in the bunch. Tom Cruise is electric in the film’s showiest role, and yet the actors in more subtle situations are never overshadowed. If I had to highlight one other actor in the group, I’d single out Philip Seymour Hoffman, who makes one of the most “normal” people in the film, and makes him fascinating to watch.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s style still feels derivative (of the works of Scorsese and Altman, among others). He has an eye for clever sight gags, including an appropriate numerical motif, and seems to love long tracking shots. However, apart from the overuse of the fluid camera, his direction is invigorating, and aptly highlights the performers. He also manages to make a three hour ensemble drama enthralling all the way through, which is no easy task in itself.

To put it simply, Magnolia is mesmerizing. Few ensemble dramas are able to hold your interest as consistently as this film, and leave plenty of room for discussion afterwards.

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Fantasia 2000 - * * *

Fantasia/2000

The original Fantasia was a bold experiment merging animation and classical music. Its episodic nature was originally intended to be an ever-evolving work in progress (with new segments swapping out the old ones). After 60 years, Fantasia/2000 is the result, presenting seven new classical pieces set to animation (and the return of one of the original segments). As an added benefit, for the first five months of Fantasia/2000’s release, the film is presented exclusively in IMAX theaters, giving the animation an epic feel. However, this new Fantasia is much like the old one, mixing some very good segments with some very bad ones.

The opening segment is set to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It’s an abstract work, though a little more substantive than the Toccata and Fugue segment from the original Fantasia. This one deals with fluttering triangles, both good and evil. It’s a little obscure, and though pleasant to watch, is never truly breathtaking.

The second segment is one of the film’s best. Set to Respighi’s Pines of Rome, it follows a herd of flying humpback whales in the arctic. Yes, you read that right, “flying”. Needless to say, it’s not terribly realistic, but it does produce some very beautiful imagery, particularly in and around a glacier.

The third segment is a mixed bag. Set to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, it interweaves four storylines from 1930s New York. What is most striking about this piece is the artwork, which is unlike any of Disney’s prior cartoons. Based on the drawings of Al Hirschfeld, the segment has a very flat, linear feel. The storylines aren’t terribly compelling, but the interesting artwork makes for a mildly enjoyable segment.

The next segment is a story on it’s own. Using the music of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, it tells the Hans Christien Andersen tale, The Steadfast Tin Soldier. In it, a one-legged toy soldier combats an evil jack-in-the-box for the love of a beautiful porcelain ballerina. The action is nearly all computer animated, and well done. The story, on the other hand, is rather straightforward, and nothing to shout about.

It is at this point that Fantasia/2000 truly begins to slide downhill. In an unwise attempt to capture the silly comic spirit of the first film’s Dance of the Hours, Fantasia/2000 introduces Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, and illustrates it with a goofy piece involving flamingos and yo-yos. The chuckles are few to begin with, and die off quickly. Thankfully, the segment is mercifully short.

In the only returning segment from the original Fantasia, Disney has remastered The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. While the storyline and music are good, the film is a jarring contrast to the rest of the imagery in Fantasia/2000. Whether it is the limitations of the aging film stock, or the process involved in blowing up the images to IMAX size, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice looks jarringly grainy, and unmistakeably bad next to the newer segments. Perhaps it will translate better on smaller screens, but for now, it’s a pity.

Next comes a new segment featuring Donald (and Daisy) Duck. Cast as a helper on Noah’s ark, Donald must herd together all the animals to the tune of Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. Though animated well, the storyline for this segment is paltry, and the humor very sparse. It is one of the worst parts of the new Fantasia.

But, finally, the film gets a chance to redeem itself in its final (and best) segment. Using Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, this segment tells an epic tale of the birth, death, and rebirth of nature. With only three characters (a sprite, an elk, and a deadly phoenix), this final segment manages to create some of the most beautiful and stunning imagery present both this film and the original Fantasia. It’s a breathtaking finale, and one truly worthy of the IMAX treatment.

In a move that will certainly date the film, each segment is introduced by a celebrity guest (with talent including Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, and others). The comic banter with which they segue into the next portion of the film is eerily reminiscent of the overscripted remarks by the presenters at awards shows. Where’s the fast-foward button when you need one?

Younger children may very well get impatient in the dialogue-free animation sequences, but older children, and those with a fondness for music, will get a kick out of the film. Thought the individual segments vary widely in quality, the IMAX treatment is a very good addition which only serves to enhance the full film. Fantasia/2000 ends up as a worthy, but not spectacular, successor to the original.

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Stuart Little - * *

Stuart Little

E.B. White’s classic children’s story, Stuart Little, has long defied a successful screen adaptation, primarily because its main character is a walking, talking mouse. Now, with the latest in animation technology, Stuart is vibrantly brought to life. And yet, the movie runs astray when it diverges from the book’s original plotlines.

The film opens as the Littles (Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie) are preparing to adopt a new child. Their son George (Jonathan Lipnicki) extolls, “I want a little brother, not a big brother.”, but he isn’t prepared for the stature his new sibling: a mouse named Stuart (voiced by Michael J. Fox).

No one seems surprised that Stuart can talk, although the other animals in the house keep quiet when the humanfolk are around. In particular, the Little’s family pet, a cat named Snowbell (voiced by Nathan Lane), causes no end of trouble for Stuart (since he certainly doesn’t want it to be known that his new owner is a mouse).

Stuart faces the typical problems of childhood: struggling to fit in, trying to get along with his new sibling. But then, Stuart also has the whole species thing to deal with. He feels a deep yearning to find his true, mouse parents, despite his happiness with his new family.

The animation of the title character in Stuart Little is impressive. Although he never seems quite real, he never seems like a cartoon, either. The textures, from the rough fabric of his little clothes, to his bristly fur, are all sharply realistic…you feel like you can reach out and touch them on screen. And yet, there’s still something that separates Stuart from the live-action humans (and other animals) on screen.

However, the efforts to update Stuart for modern audiences aren’t quite as impressive. There’s nothing as unhip as trying too hard to be cool. The gratuitous flatulence jokes are regrettably a staple of today’s films. But Stuart Little’s acquisition of a subplot from Annie is just plain stale.

The actors lend a sour note to Stuart Little. Both Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis are very stiff when around Stuart…it’s hard not to notice that there’s not really a mouse there. Jonathan Lipnicki is still just as precocious as in Jerry Maguire, but it seems odd that he wouldn’t see a talking rodent as a cool sibling. Michael J. Fox’s voice just doesn’t seem to fit a mouse, but Nathan Lane is delightful as Snowbell the cat.

In the end, Stuart is, well, just gosh-darn cute. And that describes most of this movie. It’s a nice enough film, but nothing particularly memorable.

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Bicentennial Man - * * 1/2*

What does it mean to be a man? What are the essential qualities, the defining criteria? Based on a pair of Isaac Asimov’s stories, the robot drama, Bicentennial Man, asks these key questions. While its overall analysis is simplistic, there’s a good story at the film’s core. By that key virtue,

Robin Williams stars as Andrew, a human being who happens to be born in a robot’s body. To assist with household chores, he is purchased by the Martin family (in one of the most optimistic views of technological progress since Strange Days) merely five years from now. However, Andrew is different from your run-of-the-mill robot: he is unique, displaying characteristics of curiosity, independent thought, and creativity.

Andrew’s emerging consciousness is first noticed by his owner, “Sir” (Sam Neill), who encourages him in his exploration of creativity, all the while aware that Andrew is merely a piece of property…not a true person. However, “Sir”‘s daughter, “Little Miss” (Halie Kate Eisenberg, and, later, Embeth Davitz) doesn’t share that distinction as Andrew becomes her closest friend.

As the march of time progresses, Andrew is retrofitted with more-and-more human-like accessories, thanks to the work of brilliant android researcher Rupert Burns (Oliver Platt). And yet, as Andrew continues on his quest for humanity, he must watch those he cares about grow old and die. Such is the curse of an immortal robot; a curse Andrew desperately desires to lift.

Robin Williams’ movies as of late have been plagued by an overwhelming dose of sentimentality, and Bicentennial Man is no exception. Once again, Robin is cast as a near-perfect figure struggling for a righteous cause, who along the way encounters both great joy and great sorrow. Robin coasts through another fluff role, only challenged by the task of emoting under heavy prosthetics.

The key weakness of Bicentennial Man is the humor. Although essentially a drama at its core, no Robin Williams film would be complete without its fair share of comedy. And yet when the jokes begin to roll here, the movie grinds to a complete, shuddering halt. At first, it seems that the humor might be muffled by Robin’s heavy robot makeup. However, as he becomes more expressive, the jokes become more pained. The ultimate cause is simply an unfunny script.

The dramatic storyline of Bicentennial Man is a good one, although a bit oversimplified. We are never allowed to understand what it must be like not to be able to feel. Robotic figures throughout science fiction, from Pinnochio to The Tin Man to Lt. Cmdr. Data, have all shared Andrew’s basic dream: to become human. Yet, we are isolated from the essence of Andrew’s desire. If we were to take the film literally, the chief reason for becoming human is to experience sex. And, while some may see that as a worthy goal, there has got to be something more fundamental at work.

The makeup throughout Bicentennial Man is well done. Robin Williams’ robot suit is well crafted (with only the joints looking oddly non-robotic). But the makeup crew also succeeds at the rare job of creating convincing age makeup. Kudos.

Bicentennial Man has its flaws, and plenty of them. However, even though its script may not live up to the central story ideas, the film does have its moments. And, if you pay attention to the dramatic storyline of a person yearning to be free, you can overlook the film’s many faults.

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Cradle Will Rock - * 1/2*

The intersection of politics, class relations and art has rarely been examined in the movies. Cradle Will Rock, the third directorial outing from Tim Robbins, examines this unusual juxtoposition with plenty of energy. But amid his many political musings, Robbins somehow forgot to make a good movie.

The primary storyline in Cradle Will Rock (and the source of the film’s title) is the production of a pro-union, anti-capitalist 1937 musical drama by Marc Blitzstein (Hank Azaria), as one of the final productions of the WPO (the government sponsored theater program). Produced by such notables as Orson Welles (Angus MacFadyen) and John Houseman (Cary Elwes), both of whom are portrayed as buffoons, the play within the movie features such struggling working-class actors such as Aldo Silvano (John Turturro) and Olive Stanton (Emily Watson), both of whom are, on the other hand, portrayed as martyrs.

Meanwhile, the director of the WPO, Hallie Flanagan (Cherry Jones), is coming under fire from Congress. The first wave of the Red Scare is gripping the nation, and anti-Communists are seeing enemies everywhere. A meek clerk in the WPO, Hazel Huffman (Joan Cusack), starts an anti-Red support group, and discovers a like mind in the fading ventriloquist, vaudevillian Tommy Crickshaw (Bill Murray).

Finally, in a completely unrelated storyline, Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) is looking for an artist to paint a mural in his new Rockefeller center. With a hearty endorsement from a visiting Italian fascist, Margherita Sarfatti (the heavily accented Susan Sarandon), he finally selects Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades), but finds himself unprepared for the radical political statements Diego plans to paint.

The overall theme of Cradle Will Rock is the passing of art from governmental hands into the private sector, and the detriment to creativity that shift has caused. It’s a theme worthy of examination, yet Cradle Will Rock seems more like the beginning of a diatribe than the beginning of a discussion. It’s hard to imagine that Tim Robbins could insert his political agenda into a film any more overtly than the entertaining Bob Roberts. But, remarkably he does it in Cradle Will Rock. The heavy political message oozes out of every frame of celluloid like thick tar which clogs up the proceedings, and weighs down the film.

You’d expect with a cast packed with as much talent as Cradle Will Rock that there’d be at least one decent performance. And you’d be right. Stage veteran Cherry Jones is spectacular as a chipper, strong woman unprepared for the ultimate voraciousness of the Congressional Red Hunt. However, that’s it. The remainder of the varied cast is either so bland as to be rendered neglible, or else overact wildly. Even the usually reliable Murray, Cusack(s) and Sarandon are unquestionably awful in this movie. Tim Robbins directs his cast like a minecar without a brake. Those on the flats go nowhere, and those on a slope careen well off the tracks.

That isn’t to say Cradle Will Rock doesn’t have its moments. There are brief flashes of wit throughout the picture, and the very final scene seems particularly inspired. But most of the film is about as entertaining as a very dry manifesto (which is essentially what it is).

With better planning (and a better script) Tim Robbins’ latest opus might have been bearable. As it stands, the film comes nowhere near his earlier successes of Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking. Still, the themes within Cradle Will Rock are intriguing, and deserve exploration in a better movie than this one.

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The Green Mile - * * 1/2*

The Green Mile

Writer/director Frank Darabont has apparently boxed himself into a rather unique corner. For his sophomore directorial outing, he follows his Stephen King period prison piece, The Shawshank Redemption, with yet another Stephen King period prison piece, The Green Mile. After the success of the first film, Darabont has gone a bit overboard with his second work. The Green Mile is good, but hardly worth a three hour epic.

Tom Hanks stars as Paul Edgecomb, the prison guard in charge of death row at Cold Mountain penitentiary. The floor of E Block is “the color of faded limes”, and hence, the trek through E Block to Ol’ Sparky, the electric chair, has been nicknamed The Green Mile.

The events of the film take place in 1935, and primarily center around one inmate: John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). John is a monstrously huge, but apparently gentle, black man condemned to death for the brutal rape and murder of two little girls.

As strange and mystical events begin to unfold on The Green Mile, Paul, and the other guards (including David Morse, Barry Pepper, and Jeffrey DeMunn), begin to suspect that a greater power is at work, and that Coffey may not be what he appears. Could a miracle occur in this unlikeliest of places?

The first thing that separates The Green Mile from Darabont’s Shawshank Redemption is the magical aspect of his latest work, and it also is the primary trait that weighs down The Green Mile. Whereas Shawshank succeeded primarily on the merits of its characters, The Green Mile hedges its bets with a hefty reliance on the supernatural. From an unusual mouse (named Mr. Jingles) to various mystical occurrences, these happenings become a crutch used by the film to prop up its one-dimensional events.

The acting throughout The Green Mile is solid, without being spectacular. Tom Hanks once again provides a strong support for a talented ensemble cast. However, when the actors are given a key chance to shine, they rarely exceed average expectations. Michael Clarke Duncan, as well as two of the film’s traditional bad guys, Doug Hutchinson (as pampered guard Percy Wetmore), and Sam Rockwell (as crazy inmate Wild Bill Wharton), deliver adequate performances where excellent ones might be expected. Of the film’s large cast, only Graham Greene and Michael Jeter (as a few of E Block’s other inmate residents) make more than a fleeting impression.

Clocking in at over three hours of length, The Green Mile certainly feels long. While the film captures an overwhelming majority of the plot details of the novel, a few should have been trimmed.

Still, even with its excesses, The Green Mile packs an emotional wallop. It is a testament to Darabont’s skills as a screenwriter that even after three pokey hours, he can bring the film to such a good, solid conclusion.

There are surprisingly few messages of any deep import delivered throughout the course of the movie. For a film with such a prevalence of executions, you might suppose The Green Mile would take a stand on the death penalty. However the film is rather noncommittal on the subject, showing it to be brutal and unwarranted in some scenes, yet necessary and just in others. In the end, the strongest message of the film is the simple “appearances can be deceiving”. It does appear to be an apt message, however, as the appearances of The Green Mile would suggest an excellent film, and we are left with merely a good one.

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Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo - 1/2*

Mike Mitchell directs this comedy about a fish-sitter (Rob Schneider) who accidentally becomes a gigolo when he answers one of his client’s phones by mistake. Arja Barreikis, Marlo Thomas, William Forsythe, Gail O’Grady, Eddie Griffin, Amy Poehler and Oded Fehr. Written by Schneider and Harris Goldberg.

Capsule Review: If you’ve seen the commercials, you’ve seen this movie. The film has perhaps three gags (all of which you can see coming), which are repeated ad infinitum. For less than 90 minutes, the film feels like an eternity. What should you expect from a film with a title like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo? For desperate Rob Schneider fans only.

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