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The Monitor Movie Guide
DECEMBER 22, 1995
Movies containing violence (V), sexual situations (S), nudity (N), and profanity (P) are noted. Ratings and comments by the panel (blue stars) reflect the sometimes diverse views of at least three Monitor staffers. Look for more guidance in our full reviews.
EVALUATION SYMBOLS
David Sterritt Staff Panel Meaning
O O Forget it
* * Only if it's free
** ** Maybe a matinee
*** *** Wait in line
**** **** See it twice
New Releases
BALTO (G)
** Against all odds, a wolf dog makes a perilous trek for medicine to save an Alaskan town from an epidemic. Simon Wells directed this handsomely drawn feature-length cartoon, which also has a couple of touching live-action sequences. May be too intense for younger children, though. V
LAMERICA (Not Rated)
*** After the fall of Albania's communist regime, two Italian entrepreneurs travel there to start a phony business enterprise. One of them finds his life inter- twined with a befuddled old man whose innocence and ignorance stand as poignant metaphors for a changing Europe that doesn't yet know where its future lies. Gianni Amelio's drama is moving and intelligent, if less resonant than his earlier "Open Doors" and "Stolen Children." V
NIXON (R)
*** Oliver Stone portrays the former president as a hugely complicated mixture of conflicting qualities - on one hand a foul-mouthed bigot and geopolitical killer who bombs Southeast Asia with hardly a shrug, on the other a perspicacious world-changer who might have been a 20th-century giant if his personality hadn't been so flawed. Less cinematically daring but more psychologically rich than Stone's amazing "JFK," the picture is as rambling, mercurial, infuriating, and fascinating as its hero. Anthony Hopkins heads a superbly chosen cast. V P
*** Long, entertaining, cathartic.
SHANGHAI TRIAD (R)
*** Recruited to serve a notorious mobster, a young boy witnesses the illicit power games and tumultuous romantic secrets that flourish in the Shanghai underworld during the 1930s. Giving the popular "Godfather" genre a clever Chinese twist, Zhang Yimou's drama is less original than masterpieces like his "Ju Dou" and "The Story of Qiu Ju," but packs an entertaining wallop with its inventive filmmaking and deft performances. Gong Li stars as the gangster's petulant moll. V S
WAITING TO EXHALE (R)
** The tribulations and triumphs of four African-American women in search of meaningful romance. Directed by actor Forest Whitaker, the comedy-drama gets off to a zesty start but lapses into superficial sentiment coated with syrupy music and familiar story twists. The good cast includes Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Gregory Hines, and Giancarlo Esposito. P S
Currently in Release
ACE VENTURA 2: WHEN NATURE CALLS (PG-13)
* Jim Carrey & cast have some hilarious moments - especially the opening parody of "Cliffhanger." But this is mostly a couple hours of the rubber-faced, very likable Carrey mugging for the camera. Youngsters may enjoy it. But the humor is generally of the genre heard in the boys' locker room at the high school gym. By John Dillin
** Sophomoric, bathroom humor; Jim Carrey shines.
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (PG-13)
*** Comedy about a well-meaning but wishy-washy chief executive who happens to be a widower. He learns a few things about principle and commitment when political enemies make a phony character issue out of his romantic relationship with an attractive lobbyist. Michael Douglas and Annette Bening head the well-chosen cast, but what gives the movie substance is its willingness to take real stands on real political issues. Rob Reiner directed. P
