M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense (A-) pairs Bruce Willis and child actor Haley Joel Osment for a tender and suspenseful look at the afterlife. As a psychologist helping a boy who believes he sees and talks to people who have died, Willis is absorbing and effective. Newcomer Osment is very good in his role. Shyamalan turns the screws with great suspense, leading to a stunning showdown with fate.
Tag Archives: Drama
“American Beauty” Captures Malaise in Modern Suburban America
There is more than meets the eye behind both Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening’s picture-perfect marriage and nearly everything going on in their neighborhood in Sam Mendes’ revealing dark comedy American Beauty (A). The acting is superb and the satire biting in this cautionary tale with parallel tales of unhinged, unfulfilled adults and teens acting out fantasies in modern-day suburbia gone horribly awry.
“Magnolia” Interlaces Complex Characters in California Milieu
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (A) is a rich canvas of interweaving Los Angeles stories about the wounds people inflict on each other and the redemptive qualities the right people can bring to each other at just the right time and just the right moment. Tom Cruise and Julianne Moore are among the standout performers in this miracle play, in which you feel frogs really could start falling from the sky. Anderson’s quick pacing and cross-cutting also leaves room for some very long conversations and extremely poignant conversations. The songbook of Aimee Mann is almost a supporting character as it features prominently in many of the film’s vital scenes. This is a dramatic tour de force and will challenge the viewer in myriad ways.
David Fincher’s “Fight Club” Punches Modern Manly Toxicity and Consumerism in the Face
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“Ice Storm” Shows America at Crossroads
Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm (A-) is set in 1973, but its suburban characters’ escape through adultery, alcohol and sexual experimentation could just as easily be present day. Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood are among the outstanding ensemble. Lee is wryly observant and brings an outstanding vision to what people do behind the outward veneer of manners.
“Gattaca” a Brilliant Look at What Makes Us Human
Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca (A-) is a cautionary sci-fi thriller about two men played by Ethan Hawke and Jude Law in a future world in which one’s aspirations are dictated by genetic makeup. Hawke’s character has defects that will hold him back from his dream of space travel, and ultimately he devises a way to escape his overly engineered future. Uma Thurman is exceptional as his love interest. All actors are strong in this thought-provoking piece, including Ernest Borgnine in a small role. Jan Roelf’s production design, Michael Nyman’s score and Colleen Atwood’s costumes are all central to the gorgeous look and feel of this magnificent film.