David Fincher’s Fight Club (A-) is an awesome underground action drama with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt playing the opposite ends of the spectrum of modern men of today. Fed up with his WASP-y life, Norton’s character finds himself lured into a nihilistic world of fighting and vulgarity, where he can finally feel again. But it’s not as simple as it seems, when you can’t tell anyone about fight club. Helena Bonham Carter is great in a supporting role as a love interest of both guys. Norton and Pitt are outstanding in their parts and add iconic cult characters to their repertoire.
All posts by Stephen Michael Brown
“Pleasantville” Showcases Modern Mores in Bygone Time
Gary Ross’ Pleasantville (B) transports two 1990’s teens (Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon) into an alternate 1950’s sitcom reality, and the mores of the four passing decades get a dose of parody and pathos in a story that blends drama and comedy. Although quite entertaining, it pales a bit in comparison to the similarly themed Back to the Future. It is lifted by a supporting performance by Joan Allen as a mom who finds unexpected liberation and by quite lovely effects morphing a color and black and white world into vivid existence.
Animated “Mulan” is Strong Disney Film
Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook’s animated film Mulan (B+) takes place in China during the Han dynasty where Fa Mulan (a marvelous Ming-Na Wen), daughter of aged warrior Fa Zhou, impersonates a man and takes her dad’s conscription slot to fend off a Hun invasion. Filled with rich animation, exciting set pieces, lively songs, tense drama and witty comic interludes, it’s an epic part of Disney’s animation Renaissance. Although the plot is lifted from Asian legend, the story of cross dressing to fit into a man’s world is a bit Ori-Yentl; but the creativity, scale and scope work magnificently. Eddie Murphy’s travel-size dragon sidekick and a lucky cricket are an added bonus of delight. The sumptuous drawing detail is a mark of distinction for the film, and while it’s not quite as engaging as some other Disney films of its era, it’s in a prestigious pantheon.
“Shakespeare in Love” is Rhapsodic Romance
John Madden’s Shakespeare in Love (A) is a splendid celebration of love and language as a female stage player (Gwyneth Paltrow) sneaks her way into 1593 London’s Rose Theatre troupe and into the heart of William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) himself. The central couple is quite charming as they find themselves falling into many best-of-the-Bard situations. Mark Norman and Tom Stoppard’s witty screenplay is a ripe match for a cast of game actors including Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck, Colin Firth and Judi Dench. This one is for lovers of refined romantic comedies and is sure to provide much ado for those who watch it on date night.
“Gods and Monsters” a Gargantuan Emotional Drama
Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters (A-) is a drama about the final days of Frankenstein film director James Whale, regally played by Ian McKellan, haunted by his WWI service and transfixed by his own homosexuality and his new gardener played by Brendan Fraser. Lynn Redgrave is outstanding as Whale’s disapproving housemaid. Superbly filmed and acted, the movie makes deft metaphor for the exploring and remembering of one’s demons.
“Your Friends and Neighbors” Features Snarky Ensemble
Neil LaBute’s Your Friends and Neighbors (B+) assembles a perfectly nasty ensemble of characters to showcase the darkness of modern-day suburbia. Although big stars such as Ben Stiller give the film marquee value, it’s LaBute’s tart dialogue on central display. Catherine Keener and Jason Patric are among the most deliciously hateful, with the latter’ third-act soliloquy one of the film’s most memorable. Fans of dark comedy will be tickled crimson with this bloodbath of the bourgeoisie.
“Saving Private Ryan” Pays Tribute to Greatest Generation Through Search Party Story
Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (B) has one of the most amazing, bloody and grueling first twenty minutes of war re-enactments ever committed to film with its beach invasion of Normandy. Unfortunately, the remaining film featuring a search for the title character is rather pedestrian. Tom Hanks and an ensemble of Hollywood A-listers lead the charge to find Ryan (Matt Damon). The remaining film includes a series of exciting and nostalgic episodes but not a one that again matches the opening sequence.
“Titanic” is Simply Spectacular in Terms of Romance and Historical Sweep
James Cameron’s Titanic (A-) is an epic disaster spectacle mixed with an epic romance. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are the star-crossed lovers aboard the ill-fated ship. Their playful romantic sequences are the film’s heart. The effects and production design are also exquisite. I wasn’t wild about the framing device with Bill Paxton and Gloria Stuart or aspects of the shallow screenplay or the one-note villain Billy Zane, but it’s hard to deny the power of the romance, the James Horner music and the tragedy of the night the dream died. Cameron truly outdoes himself with this larger-than-life modern classic.
“Good Will Hunting” is Wonderful Drama
Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting (A) is a magnificent coming of age movie about a South Boston troublemaker (Matt Damon) who is also a secret prodigy and learns to give in to his abilities and learn from and love those around him, including an inspiring girl (Minnie Driver) and a fabulous teacher (Robin Williams). Ben Affleck, who in real-life co-wrote the script with Damon, plays his buddy in the film. Van Sant does a great job capturing the naturalistic settings and scores the film with superb music by Elliott Smith.
“Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” Doesn’t Fully Gel
Director Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (C-) is an awesome atmosphere and environment in search of memorable characters and story. The mood and music conjure the iconic town of Savannah, Georgia, and the sultry, sassy Lady Chablis is marvelous playing herself. But John Cusack, Kevin Spacey, Jude Law and others in the cast simply seem lost in an altogether non-engaging murder mystery. The clock just never seems to start ticking on much of a good time.
“The Rainmaker” an Enjoyable Underdog Legal Drama
It’s far from vintage Francis Ford Coppola work, but there’s certainly some pep to the step in the law procedural drama The Rainmaker (B). Matt Damon is an engaging lead, and Coppola plumbs family dynamics and back story to excellent effect. The film is also notable for a solid supporting cast including Danny DeVito, John Voight, Danny Glover and Dean Stockwell in the ensemble. Along with The Client and A Time to Kill, this is one of the three best adaptations of the works of popular novelist John Grisham.
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” and I’m Not That Impressed
Jim Gillespie’s I Know What You Did Last Summer (C) is an average entry into the horror renaissance ushered in by Scream. Producers realized they could churn out movies on the cheap with attractive young casts, and this is no exception. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillipe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. play friends who are being stalked by a killer, one year after covering up a car accident in which they were involved. The film never catches fire despite some suspenseful moments. It’s imminently watchable and immediately forgettable but gave birth to a few stars who have done steady work since.