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from the December 27, 1996 edition The Monitor's 1996 Movie GuideIt's that time of year again. Movie critics from coast to coast are sizing up the year's entertainment, winnowing their favorites for proverbial Top Ten lists. Filmmakers and advertisers are positioning their flicks for the Oscar race. And we at the Monitor have had our eyes on the big screen, too. Last year's Annual Movie Guide was such a success we are delivering it again. Many familiar features are back, along with some new ones, to help you plan outings to the theater or the video store. In addition to thumbnail reviews with star ratings from both our film critic, David Sterritt, and the Monitor staff panel, there are the year's best family films, the four-star winners,
the biggest moneymakers, even the duds. We're especially delighted this year to present two new features: Reader Ratings and Reader Favorites. Last month, we published a survey listing 50 of the year's most popular films to date and asked you to rate them. More than 400 of you filled out your scorecard, and many of you not only named your favorite film, but also wrote insightfully about why it moved you. Be sure not to
miss these highlights on Pages 12 and 13. Hollywood was especially prolific this year, so reviews spilled onto additional pages, squeezing out two of last year's popular features, our critic's Top Ten list and other critics' views on the year in film. These will appear in the Monitor next week. Happy viewing in the new year! Freeze Frames 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. Motion Picture Association of America ratings are as follows: G General Audiences: All ages admitted. PG Parental Guidance: Some material may not be suitable for children. PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. R Restricted: Children under 17 require accompanying parent or adult guardian. NC-17 No Children Under 17 Admitted (age may vary in certain areas). EVALUATION SYMBOLS Ratings Meaning O Forget it * Poor ** Fair *** Good **** Excellent 1996 Theater Releases THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO (G) *** The classic tale of a lonely man who carves a piece of wood into a marionette that comes to life and has many adventures before turning into a real boy. Martin Landau is a sturdy Geppetto and the animated Pinocchio is fun to watch, although the 1940 cartoon version from Walt Disney remains the story's best movie adaptation. Parents should be warned that the picture contains some
frightening scenes that may be much too intense for young children. Steve Barron directed. **** Heartwarming, magical, well-acted. ALASKA (PG) *** Two youngsters trek through the Alaskan wilderness in search of their father, whose plane has crashed, and run into trouble with unscrupulous poachers during their journey. The adventure is colorful, suspenseful, and entertaining, and Charlton Heston plays one of the bad guys with the kind of masterful movie-star presence that Hollywood rarely comes up with anymore. Some animal scenes
might be upsetting for young children. Directed by Fraser Heston. V *** Adventurous, exciting, beautiful scenery. AMERICAN BUFFALO (R) ** Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz play a small-time crook and a junk-shop owner who plan to rob a coin collector with help from a youngster in their neighborhood. Although the movie is less powerful than some stage productions of David Mamet's drama, his staccato screenplay etches a ferocious portrait of human possibilities gone astray, and depicts the sad results that occur when
talking becomes a substitute for thinking. Contains extremely foul language. Directed by Michael Corrente. P V AMERICAN STRAYS (R) O A homicidal vacuum-cleaner salesman, a killer for hire, and a destitute dad are among the seedy characters of Michael Covert's lurid comedy-drama. It fulfills the dire prediction that Quentin Tarantino's vicious "Reservoir Dogs" would spawn imitators with all of its offensiveness and none of its cinematic talent. John Savage, Jennifer Tilly, Carol Kane, and Eric Roberts
are among the wasted performers. S V P ANGELS & INSECTS (Not rated) ** In the late 19th century, a young naturalist moves into the luxurious home of a wealthy nature enthusiast, where he develops complex relationships with his new fiance and a woman who's less beautiful but shares his interests and enthusiasms. Mark Rylance, Patsy Kensit, and Kristin Scott Thomas head the cast of Philip Haas's period drama, which is handsomely filmed but less
involving than its varied material would lead one to expect. Contains explicit sexual material. S N V P ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED (PG) *** Informative, very moving documentary on the life and times of the articulate Jewish girl whose diary, written while her family hid from Nazi genocide in an Amsterdam attic, has touched countless millions since it was published almost 50 years ago. Written and directed by Jon Blair. Contains explicit images of concentration-camp carnage. V ANTONIA'S LINE (Not rated) ** A strong-willed woman returns to her ancestral home in the Netherlands after World War II and sets up an unusual household, run by and for the females of the family. Directed by Dutch filmmaker Marleen Gorris, known for her longtime interest in gender and sexuality, this feminist fable would be more effective if the male characters were well-rounded human beings instead of
two-dimensional symbols who'd be more at home in a medieval morality play. Contains violence; sexual and homosexual activity. S N V P *** Individualistic, original, powerful. The Arrival (PG-13) ** Screenwriter David Twohy ("The Fugitive," "Water- world") makes his directorial debut with this visitors-from-Outer-Space film that seems like a half-baked episode of TV's "The X-Files." Charlie Sheen plays a researcher who stumbles onto a visit by extraterrestrials and a conspiracy led by bad guy Ron Silver to cover it up. Consider this a warmup for
the mega-budget, similarly themed blockbuster "Independence Day." V P By Frank Scheck THE ASSOCIATE (PG-13) ** Whoopi Goldberg is winning as a Wall Street wheeler-dealer who cooks up a fictitious male partner so traditional business types will take her one-woman firm more seriously. Dianne Wiest and Eli Wallach head a strong supporting cast, but the pace is too stretched-out and the plot is too tricky for the movie's stock to pay maximum dividends. Also contains a surprising amount of nudity
and scatological humor. Daniel Petrie directed. S N P V ** Slow, sappy, has its moments. AUGUST (Not rated) *** Anthony Hopkins makes his movie-directing debut with this adaptation of Chekhov's classic play "Uncle Vanya." He also plays the key role of a middle-aged man whose modest life on a country estate is disrupted by a visit from its absentee owner and his attractive American wife. While the film is more sturdy than inspired, good-looking cinematography and Hopkins's own
music score provide an appealing background for sensitive performances by a well-chosen cast. P V AVENTURERA (Not rated) *** Reissue of a flamboyant Mexican melodrama about a young woman who leaves her unhappy family for life as an unwilling prostitute and then as a singing star in nightclubs. Directed by Alberto Gout in 1949, this "musical tragedy" treats its unsavory material with relative taste and restraint despite its amusingly excessive style. V BARB WIRE (R) O The heroine is as tough as her name, flashing gracefully arched fingernails as she twists the throttle on her mean-looking motorcycle in a future America turned inside-out by civil war. Some will find this campy fun. Others will wish Ms. Wire would go back to the comic books that spawned her. David Hogan directed the numbingly violent action. Pamela Anderson Lee and Temuera Morrison head
the cast. S V N P BASQUIAT (R) *** Jean-Michel Basquiat was a young black painter who became a protege of pop artist Andy Warhol, captivated the celebrity scene with his offbeat work, and tragically died young from drug abuse. Written and directed by Julian Schnabel, himself a gifted painter, this is one of the rare art-world movies that succeeds as both human drama and visual artistry. The acting is also excellent,
with Jeffrey Wright imaginatively supported by Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Parker Posey, and David Bowie as Warhol. But it contains vulgar language and drug use. P V S *** Moving, depressing, believable acting. BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (R) *** The lives, loves, lingering hopes, and occasionally sour grapes of several young men approaching their 30th birthdays in a small Massachusetts town where aspirations outstrip opportunities. Scott Rosenberg's screenplay is overwritten and Ted Demme's directing doesn't have much dash, but the picture is redeemed by sensitive acting from Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, Michael
Rapaport, Natalie Portman, Matt Dillon, Martha Plimpton, Max Perlich, and Rosie O'Donnell. P V *** Moody, self-conscious, funny. BEAUTIFUL THING (R) ** A young black woman who's obsessed with Mama Cass and a white teenager who's discovering a gay identity are the main characters of Hettie Macdonald's modest comedy-drama about life in an English working-class neighborhood. S V P *** Bleak, inconclusive, colorful characters. BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA (PG-13) ** Wandering into the real world because their TV set was stolen, the snickering teens leave a trail of messy misadventures from one coast to the other. Admirers of their MTV series will find a few laughs in this animated odyssey. Others will find it as repetitious as it is vulgar. Voices include Robert Stack, Cloris Leachman, Eric Bogosian, and director Mike Judge playing both heroes plus
their high-school principal. Beware of gross-out gags galore. P V S N BED OF ROSES ** This film has all the ingredients for a great romance, but it never quite gels. Even first-rate actors Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson deliver disappointing performances as two emotionally wounded people who find each other. The flowers shown throughout the movie are exquisite; they steal the show. P S By Melanie Stetson Freeman ** Flat, empty, beautifully filmed. BEFORE AND AFTER (PG-13) *** The bonds of a middle-class family are sorely tested when a teenage son is arrested for murder and his father destroys evidence that might be vital to the case. Ted Tally's screenplay is graceless at times, but thoughtful performances and low-key directing by Barbet Schroeder make the picture a vivid exploration of how complex and ambiguous "family values" can be in the
real world. Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep are convincing as the parents. Edward Furlong stands out as the teenager and Alfred Molina provides a fine shot of energy as his lawyer. V P S BIG NIGHT (R) ** A struggling Italian restaurant is the main setting for this poignant comedy about two brothers whose financial problems overlap with romantic woes and a touch of family rivalry. Stanley Tucci wrote the screenplay with Joseph Tropiano and directed the picture with Campbell Scott. He also leads the talented cast, which includes Isabella Rossellini and Ian Holm. Contains a great deal of
foul language. P V S **** Heartwarming, appetizing, witty. BIO-DOME (PG-13) O Two geeky guys bungle their way into a sealed-off scientific experiment, decide to check out the action, and end up trashing the joint. Pauly Shore is less a comedian than a class clown, and his dim-witted mugging makes Jim Carrey's antics seem creative triumphs by comparison. Vapid, vulgar, and more to the point, not funny. Jason Bloom directed. P S N V THE BIRDCAGE (R) *** Armand and Albert are homosexual, but Armand's son wants to marry the daughter of a conservative senator, so they agree to "act straight" for a while. Based on the popular French movie "La Cage aux Folles," the fast-moving comedy was directed by Mike Nichols from Elaine May's screenplay. Robin Williams and Gene Hackman head the well-chosen cast. Contains a
great deal of material about homosexuality. P N *** Hilarious, frenetic, and touching, but stereotyped and superficial in its treatment of both homosexuals and conservatives. BLACK SHEEP (PG-13) * Chris Farley and David Spade once made quite a funny film, "Tommy Boy," but this dopey dud is no "Tommy Boy." While the release of this raucous political spoof coincides nicely with America's presidential primaries, the clichd antics outnumber the effective joke-slinging. Farley plays a kid brother who gets in the way of his sibling's ambitions for the
governor's mansion. Spade plays Farley's unsuccessful baby sitter. If this slapstick duo ever campaigns for a third movie together, they need a new speechwriter. By Katherine Dillin P V BLUSH (Not rated) * After the new Communist government cracks down on their illegal trade, two Chinese prostitutes turn their lives in fresh directions, but remain linked by romantic attachments and memories of their past. Directed by Li Shaohong, this historical drama is varied and ambitious, but suffers from uninspired acting and a wooden visual style. S V P BOGUS (PG) * A young orphan makes friends with an imaginary Frenchman, who brightens his days and helps him come to terms with his new stepmom. The story is wholesome, but the movie has many more dull stretches than one would expect from veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison and a cast led by Whoopi Goldberg and Gerard Depardieu. V BONJOUR TRISTESSE (Not rated) *** Revival of Otto Preminger's lavish 1958 melodrama about a manipulative teenager whose mischievous schemes cause unhappiness for her father and his fiance. David Niven and Deborah Kerr are typically captivating as the older folks, but Jean Seberg's pert performance and Preminger's gorgeous views of the French Riviera steal the show. BOTTLE ROCKET (R) *** Three unbelievably boring young men decide to form a gang and enter a life of criminal adventure. This deliciously offbeat comedy gets much of its oomph from a loopy screenplay and lead performances that can only be called hilariously bland, or is it blandly hilarious? Wes Anderson directed the picture and wrote the screenplay with Owen C. Wilson, who stars with Luke Wilson and Robert
Musgrave. Kudos to all. P V S ** Zany, cult wannabe, twentynothing. BOUND (R) * Two women, a former convict and a gangster's girlfriend, team up for a criminal job and a love affair. Larry and Andy Wachowski directed this lurid, sexually explicit thriller. S V P N A BOY CALLED HATE (R) * He spends most of the movie running from the law after shooting a couple of people, and filmmaker Mitch Marcus sees him and his girlfriend as both criminals and victims of their awful backgrounds. Although the picture is capably acted and directed, the story is trite and the characters are all too familiar. Contains sex, foul language, and a considerable amount of violence. V S P BOYS (PG-13) *** Leisurely tale of the relationship between a troubled prep-school student and a somewhat mysterious young woman he rescues after a horseback-riding accident. Winona Ryder and Lucas Haas are quietly convincing as the main characters. Written and directed by Stacy Cochran, who has grown considerably as a filmmaker since her debut movie, the suburban satire "Her New Gun." S V
P BREAKING THE WAVES (R) ** Not long after she begins a happy married life, a deeply religious woman's new husband becomes severely disabled and asks her to start relationships with other men. Lars von Trier's drama poses complicated moral questions, leaving the audience to decide whether the wife is engaging in noble self-sacrifice or allowing unhealthy impulses to rule and ruin her life. Unfortunately,
the film is more successful at setting up ethical conundrums than at profitably exploring them. Robby Muller did the striking cinematography, using the unusual combination of wide-screen format and hand-held camera work. V S N P BREATHLESS (Not rated) **** Revival of Jean-Luc Godard's endlessly inventive movie about the love affair of an American student and a French hoodlum. The film helped launch France's revolutionary New Wave movement in 1959, changing the face of filmmaking in Hollywood and around the world. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg star. V S BREATHING ROOM (R) * That's what the discontented lovers need while they figure out whether to stay together or take off to separate lives. Likable performances can't compensate for the hackneyed plot and corny dialogue that dog Jon Sherman's comedy from start to finish. S V P BROKEN ARROW (R) ** Patriotic pilot Christian Slater and treacherous rat John Travolta duel over a pair of stolen nuclear bombs, both equipped with digital timers that start tick-tick-ticking whenever the picture needs a shot of suspense. The screenplay has some amusing punch lines, and Samantha Mathis steals a scene or two as a park ranger who never expected so much excitement on her usually peaceful
turf. But don't expect the kind of eye-popping kinetics that director John Woo cooked up before leaving Hong Kong for Hollywood. V P ** Lightning-paced, crazy, cartoonish. BROTHER OF SLEEP (R) * The mysterious tale of a young, prodigiously gifted musician whose artistic talents and passionate nature lead to complex, often stormy relationships with the people close to him. The story is imaginatively filmed but often teeters under the weight of its heavily romantic ambitions. Joseph Vilsmaier directed the German production. S N P V BUTTERFLY KISS (Not rated) * Amanda Plummer is even more weirded-out than usual as a serial killer wandering through England with her sadly befuddled girlfriend. Directed by Michael Winter- bottom. Contains much explicit sex and violence. S N V P BYE-BYE (Not rated) *** Troubled by family difficulties, two North African brothers leave their Paris slum to stay with relatives in a Marseilles slum, where the younger boy gets involved with drugs and the older one finds romantic complications with a young Arab woman. Imaginatively directed by Karim Dridi, this well-acted French production launches a devastating attack on the dehumanizing effects of poverty
and racism. But it contains sex, nudity, violence, and foul language. S N V P THE CABLE GUY (PG-13) ** Jim Carrey plays a weird TV technician who thinks you're his best friend if you accept a free hook-up to the pay channels. The acting is energetic, but there's more violence and vulgarity than many moviegoers * Revolting, moronic, boring. CARRIED AWAY (R) ** In a conservative Midwest community, a middle-aged teacher becomes sexually involved with one of his high school students. The film paints a convincing portrait of middle-class life in the sort of modest environment Hollywood often overlooks, and Dennis Hopper gives a touching performance as the schoolteacher. But many moviegoers who'd appreciate these aspects of the film will be
repelled by its scenes of graphic sex and nudity. Amy Irving, Hal Holbrook, Julie Harris, and Gary Busey are also in the cast. Directed by the respected Brazilian filmmaker Bruno Barreto. S N V P CATWALK (Not rated) ** Robert Leacock's documentary on the high-fashion scene visits model Christy Turlington as she zooms from Milan to Paris to New York, decked out in designer goodies that are almost as glamorous as she is. The picture is colorful but offers few hints of analysis or insight. P CAUGHT (R) ** A young drifter moves into the household of a New York fish merchant, has an affair with his attractive wife, and earns the hatred of their son, a failed entertainer steeped in rage and jealousy. The story's human drama is realistic and often touching until an unconvincing conclusion weakens its effect. Edward James Olmos and Maria Conchita Alonso star. Contains graphic sex and foul
language. S P V N CELESTIAL CLOCKWORK (Not rated) ** A young Venezuelan woman leaves the altar on her wedding day and flees to Paris. There she dreams of becoming an opera star while sharing an apartment with four eccentric new friends, including a video artist who disapproves of her ambitions. Ariadna Gil gives a lively performance in Fina Torres's comedy. S N P THE CELLULOID CLOSET (R) *** Lily Tomlin narrates this documentary on the treatment of homosexuality in films, giving a historical overview and suggesting that biased screen images have contributed to real-life violence against homosexuals. Stars like Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg provide commentary; film clips range from silent pictures to hits like "Some Like It Hot" and "The Color Purple."
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Based on Vito Russo's book. Contains a few sexually explicit excerpts. S N V P CHAIN REACTION (PG-13) ** Bright young physicist Keanu Reeves plays a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with CIA agent Morgan Freeman, who believes the world isn't quite ready for the plentiful new energy source our hero is cooking up. Hollywood blockbusters don't get much more discombobulated than this confused thriller, but Freeman is still a fine actor, and the nighttime shots of Chicago are an eyeful.
Directed by Andrew Davis. V P THE CHAMBER (R) ** A young attorney takes on the defense of his grandfather, a bigoted murderer facing the gas chamber, hoping to stop the execution by any means necessary. Gene Hackman gives a powerful performance as the killer, and the storytelling is often gripping. But the film contains much extremely offensive language and gratuitous depictions of violence, some of it aimed at children, not needed to
get the plot across. Also featuring Chris O'Donnell and Faye Dunaway. James Foley directed. V P ** Engrossing, thoughtful, predictable. CHUNGKING EXPRESS (PG-13) *** Two separate stories about Hong Kong policemen with romantic problems. One meets a female smuggler who helps him forget his former girlfriend, and the other gets involved with a music-loving waitress who pokes into his life behind his back. Written and directed by Wong Kar-wai, the film is an imaginative piece of filmmaking and an evocative essay on contemporary Hong Kong as it
prepares for a return to Chinese rule. S P V CITIZEN RUTH (R) *** Pregnant yet again, drug-addicted Ruth Stoops considers an abortion as a way of dodging the child-care authorities, then becomes a hapless pawn in an ongoing battle between prochoice and prolife warriors. Alexander Payne's equal-opportunity satire persuasively argues that no ideological group has a lock on "values" or "correctness," and reminds us that fanatics
can be found on every side of an issue. Laura Dern gets strong support from Swoosie Kurtz, Mary Kay Place, and Burt Reynolds. Contains drug abuse, foul language, and a graphic sex scene at the very beginning. S P V CITY HALL (R) ** An ambitious New York City mayor copes with the complexities of urban government, helped by a young deputy who learns that nothing in life is as simple as it once appeared to his idealistic eyes. Al Pacino and John Cusack head a fine cast, but script problems keep the drama from achieving its "Godfather"-inspired goals. Directed by Harold Beckers with less intensity than he
brought to earlier films. V P *** Energetic, well-crafted, intense. COLD COMFORT FARM (PG) **** A prim young Londoner takes up residence on her family's ancestral farm, inhabited by a conglomeration of oddballs and presided over by a cranky old matriarch who hasn't ventured from her bedroom in decades. John Schlesinger's rollicking version of Stella Gibbons's novel is acted with the highest of spirits by Kate Beckinsale, Joanna Lumley, Eileen Atkins, Ian
McKellen, Freddie Jones, and many others. Malcolm Bradbury wrote the screenplay for the brightly filmed British production. P V *** Quirky, amusing, Fawlty Towers meets the Addams Family. COURAGE UNDER FIRE (R) *** Ordered by the White House to determine whether a female helicopter pilot should receive a posthumous medal, an army investigator hears a different version of her story from everyone he interviews, raising questions of military honor and the chaotic nature of wartime events. Edward Zwick directed this reasonably thoughtful drama, helped by Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan in the main
roles. Contains a great deal of explicit violence and foul language as well as alcoholism and drug addiction. V P *** Intense, compelling, well-crafted, violent. THE CRAFT (R) * "Carrie" was scary back in the '70s, but this '90s fantasy raises the ante to a whole quartet of high-school girls with witchlike powers. The first half is restrained, but the later scenes are a hackneyed hodge-podge of fright-movie cliches. Andrew Fleming directed. P V CREMASTER 1/CREMASTER 4 (Not rated) *** Quirky videos by Matthew Barney, a widely acclaimed artist. The first one is best, playing visual games with a dirigible, a football field, a pile of grapes, and a platoon of dancers who'd feel at home in a Busby Berkeley musical. The other, involving a race car and a satyr played by Barney himself, is less engaging but equally inventive. N THE CRUCIBLE (PG-13) *** Arthur Miller's classic drama about the 17th-century witch hunts in Salem, Mass., touched off when a group of girls are caught having a wild party, blame the devil for their crimes, and bolster their defense by accusing local women of consorting with the forces of evil. Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis, Joan Allen, and Paul Scofield head the cast. Effectively if unexcitingly directed
by Nicholas Hytner. V S N *** Emotional, powerful, an important film to see. CURDLED (R) ** Pitch-dark comedy about a young Latin woman who takes a job with a service that cleans up after violent crimes. The action oscillates between wry humor and grotesque, bloodthirsty scenes that show the touch of gore-master Quentin Tarantino, who served as executive producer. William Baldwin and Angela Jones star. Written and directed by Reb Braddock. V P ** Bloody, voyeuristic, satirical. CUTTHROAT ISLAND (PG-13) ** Dazzling opening stunts worthy of a James Bond pic can't begin to overcome a plot as lifeless as any one of the corpses strewn throughout the story. Glamorous Geena Davis stretches credibility as a 17th-century pirate captain trying to outwit a rival in the race for hidden treasure. The scenery and special effects are all that may save this big-budget effort from total oblivion.
Matthew Modine also stars. Co-produced by Davis and her husband Renny Harlin, who also directs in a hyperkenetic style. S V P By Greg Lamb ** Swashbuckling, showy, plotless. DADETOWN (Not rated) ** A fiction film made to resemble a PBS-type documentary, this timely drama traces the tensions that arise in a small town when a large, impersonal corporation sets up its headquarters just as a decades-old local company faces cutbacks and layoffs. Imitation documentaries are among the hardest of films to pull off, and this is a reasonably well-crafted specimen of the breed. Directed by
the late Russ Hexter. P V DAYLIGHT (PG-13) ** A busy New York City tunnel has collapsed on a rush-hour crowd, but a former paramedic played by Sylvester Stallone is on hand to rescue the handful of people still alive and scrambling for safety. The action doesn't make much sense, but it has a tad more inventiveness than the usual Stallone epic, and Amy Brenneman and Claire Bloom lend it an extra touch of class. Rob Cohen
directed. V P DEAD MAN (R) **** Johnny Depp plays an accountant named William Blake who wanders through the Old West with an Indian friend named Nobody. Wounded by gunfire, Blake dodges three hired killers who want to finish him off. Jim Jarmusch wrote and directed this mystical western, which gains much of its resonance from Robby Muller's rich black-and-white cinematography and Neil Young's moody music.
Contains a few moments of jarringly explicit sex and violence meant to debunk simplistic myths about the values held by frontier society. S V N P * Nihilistic, gruesome, and amoral, but unconventional and poetically filmed. DEAD MAN WALKING (R) *** Fact-based story of a Roman Catholic nun who befriends a convicted murderer, helping him appeal his sentence and prepare for the death penalty that awaits him if their efforts fail. Although it's often preachy and self-conscious, Tim Robbins's drama is socially courage- ous in its critical dissection of capital punishment, and deeply moving in its insistence on the fundamental
humanity of its characters. Superbly acted by Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn; vividly photographed by Roger Deakins. Contains reenactments of a harsh crime. V P **** Profound, humane, thought-provoking. DEAR GOD (PG) ** A wave of Divine intervention hits Los Angeles when a con man takes a job at a post office in lieu of jail and starts answering God's mail. Although long on cuteness and catchy songs, this fluffy comedy is short on substance, despite the efforts of charmer Greg Kinnear in the lead. Directed by Garry Marshall ("Pretty Woman"), it also stars Tim Conway and Laurie
Metcalf. ** Feel-good movie, upbeat, funny. DENISE CALLS UP (PG-13) *** This must be a sign of the times: a movie in which nearly all communication takes place via phone, fax, and other media-age devices. The picture is both an amusing satire and a telling reflection of the ways high-tech communication both brings people together and encourages them to stay apart. It would be a major film if its characters were more fully developed and its story, about
life and love in the yuppie world had more depth. Cleverly directed by newcomer Hal Salwen. Contains some heavy sexual innuendo. S P V DIABOLIQUE (R) ** A private school is the backdrop for a murder scheme leading to deceit, duplicity, and death. The story won't have much suspense for viewers who've seen the 1955 original by Henri-Georges Clouzot, rightly regarded as an all-time suspense classic. The remake goes for camp as well as chills, providing a few good laughs alongside some needlessly nasty violence. Sharon Stone,
Isabelle Adjani, and Chazz Palminteri star, but Kathy Bates is best as a detective snooping around the evil doings. Directed by Jeremiah Chechik. S N V P DOWN PERISCOPE (PG-13) ** Kelsey Grammer of TV's "Frasier" commands a crew of misfit submariners in his first big screen role. The loopy plot and hijinks of Grammer's sailors provide some laughs as he captains a 1950s diesel sub in war games against the Navy's best. Critics may consign this farce to the briny deep, but teens could enjoy its good-natured spoof of all things nautical. P S By
John Dillin ** Outlandish, mischievous, coarse jokes. DRAGONHEART (PG-13) ** Dennis Quaid gets top billing as a medieval dragon slayer, but the main attraction is Draco himself, a nasty-looking critter who's really an overgrown Muppet with a friendly disposition. His abilities include fighting, flying, and synchronizing his lips with Sean Connery's off-screen voice. David Thewlis plays the villain, a dangerous despot whose survival is magically linked
with Draco's life. Rob Cohen's movie has flashes of wit, but there's little substance to the story, and Draco's charms are surrounded by too much graphic violence. V P S *** Whimsical, fantastic, noble. EDDIE (PG-13) ** An ordinary fan becomes coach of a pro-basketball team and gets to whip the players into shape while saving the franchise from the machinations of its greedy owner. The comedy is silly and sometimes vulgar, but sports enthusiasts and Whoopi Goldberg aficionados should enjoy it. Directed by Steve Rash and colorfully filmed by Victor Kemper. Contains vulgar language and a brief sexual
encounter. P S EMMA (PG) *** Gwyneth Paltrow is enchanting as a self-confident young woman who decides to wile away her time by playing matchmaker for a friend whose romantic life would fare much better without interference. Directed by Douglas McGrath from his own screenplay, based on the same richly ironic Jane Austen novel that inspired "Clueless," the gorgeously filmed comedy features good supporting
performances by Greta Scacchi and Juliet Stevenson. **** Genteel, sprightly, romantic. THE ENGLISH PATIENT (R) ** Badly wounded in World War II, a pilot recovers under the care of a sensitive nurse while remembering his wartime experiences and his earlier involvement with another woman. Told through persuasive performances and stunning camera work, the sweeping story shows how pressures of war may shake up conventional notions of loyalty, integrity, and even identity itself. But the film
doesn't gather the emotional momentum that would make it compelling as well as impressive. Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, and Kristin Scott Thomas head the cast. Directed by Anthony Minghella. S V N P *** Profound, engaging, beautiful cinematography. ENTERTAINING ANGELS: THE DOROTHY DAY STORY (PG-13) ** Fact-based story of a progressive newspaper reporter who made her Roman Catholic faith the basis for a lifetime of helping the poor and advocating social reforms. The story embraces many excellent values, but the acting and directing are often stagey and unconvincing. The cast includes Moira Kelly, Martin Sheen, Lenny Von Dohlen, and Brian Keith. Directed by Michael Rhodes. S V
P ERASER (R) * Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a witness-protection agent battling his treacherous boss over a weapon-smuggling operation. The picture is effectively made, but viewers will want to erase the horrific violence that erupts in scene after scene, leading to an unusually mean-spirited finale. Charles Russell directed. V P *** Classic Schwarzenegger, supercharged, grisly. ESCAPE FROM L.A. (R) * The year is 2013, the place is a lawless island called Los Angeles, and the hero is a rough-and-ready outlaw who must find the president's runaway daughter and retrieve an electronic device that could return the industrialized world to the stone age. Although the special effects are cheesy, the social-satire wisecracks are pretty funny. Kurt Russell heads the cast, but Cliff
Robertson, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, and Peter Fonda are more fun to watch. Directed by John Carpenter, who also made the earlier "Escape From New York." V P * Endless violence, retrograde, goofy special effects. THE EVENING STAR (PG-13) ** The sequel to "Terms of Endearment" is at least as sentimental as its predecessor, but it still has an attention-grabbing heroine: the eccentric Aurora Greenway, now 15 years older and possibly a bit wiser now that she's raised her grandchildren after her daughter's death. Like any self-respecting soap opera, the film alternates between sexual relationships (usually
extramarital) and illnesses (usually fatal) on its way to a bittersweet ending. In the cast, Shirley MacLaine and Juliette Lewis make the strongest impressions. Miranda Richardson, Jack Nicholson, and Donald Moffat are also on hand. Written and directed by Robert Harling. S N V P EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU (R) *** Making his first musical, Woody Allen focuses on a lovelorn author and a wealthy Manhattan family whose members have a variety of interrelated adventures. The story and style are as catchy and carefree as any in Allen's career. But skeptics will observe that his view of human nature remains narrow and shallow beneath its beguiling surfaces. Allen stars along with Drew Barrymore,
Alan Alda, Tim Roth, and Julia Roberts. P S EVITA (PG) ** The life and times of Eva Peron, who rose from back-country squalor to fame and fortune as the wife of Argentine leader Juan Peron, told entirely through songs and stylized dramatic scenes. The movie takes no particular stance on the controversies surrounding its heroine, seen by some as a self-serving egomaniac and others as a tireless champion of the poor. Nor can much insight be
gleaned from Madonna's energetic but oddly impersonal performance. Alan Parker directed this adaptation of the stage hit by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas whip up a little charisma as the dictator and a man-in-the-street narrator. S V EYE FOR AN EYE (R) O A woman longs for vengeance after her daughter's murderer is set free by the legal system. The goal of this hate-filled movie is to stir up the lowest instincts of its audience, then satisfy the artificially induced rage with a burst of self-righteous bloodshed. Directed by John Schlesinger, who used to make constructive pictures like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and
"Midnight Cowboy," but appears to have lost his way. Sally Field's overwrought acting doesn't help. S V N P EXECUTIVE DECISION (R) *** There's nerve gas on the plane with a big bomb attached, and disaster looms if Kurt Russell and company don't outwit the terrorists who planted it. The movie wants to be an airborne "Speed," and director Stuart Baird stirs up some terrific suspense scenes. Some of the violence is nasty and unnecessary, though. V P *** Tense, occasionally brutal, tip-top formula. EXTREME MEASURES (R) ** A young physician stumbles on a conspiracy to conduct dangerous medical research by kidnapping homeless people and subjecting them to damaging experiments. The action is gripping and the story raises important issues about medical ethics in a high-tech society. Gene Hackman is in excellent form, and Hugh Grant does the most finely tuned acting of his career to date. The film contains
grisly medical scenes, though. Directed by Michael Apted from Tony Gilroy's screenplay, which loses some plausibility in the last few scenes. V P A FAMILY THING (PG-13) *** A man who's always considered himself an ordinary white Southerner learns that his biological mother was a black woman, and he leaves rural Arkansas for crowded Chicago to meet a black half-brother he never knew he had. The story is thin, but the film has rich emotions and a highly constructive moral sense, showing how racial divisions crumble once people recognize their
artificiality. It's a pleasure to see Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones sharing the screen, proving yet again that they're among the world's greatest movie actors. Richard Pearce directed. P V N *** Touching, superbly acted, simplistic. THE FAN (R) * Wesley Snipes plays a major-league star who's stuck in a bad slump, and Robert De Niro plays a down-on-his-luck salesman who's become dangerously obsessed with the ballplayer and turns to violent crime to get his attention. The first half has some scary insights into modern-day competitiveness in business and sports, but the second half sinks into suspense-movie clichs and
bone-crunching may- hem. Tony Scott directed Phoef Sutton's screenplay. V P FARGO (R) ** Strapped for cash, a small-time businessman arranges for his wife to be kidnapped to get the ransom. Directed by Joel Coen and produced by Ethan Coen, the pitch-dark comedy has good acting by William H. Macy as the devious husband and Frances MacDormand as the pregnant policewoman who cracks the case. Contains explicit sex and grotesque violence. S V P *** Whacked-out, funny, great camera work, but violence erupts out of nowhere. FATE (Not rated) ** The sad relationship between an accordion player and his unfaithful mistress serve as metaphors for contemporary Eastern European decadence in F. Kelemen's strikingly filmed but self-consciously squalid melodrama, which appears to be strongly influenced by French author Georges Bataille and American avant-garde film. Contains a graphic rape scene. P N S V FEAR (R) O Macho pop defends precocious daughter against psycho boyfriend. Dull, dirty, dismal, derivative. S V P FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN (Not rated) ** Nonfiction look at a American Army division that battled Nazi forces on skis in mountainside combat during World War II. The lively but uneven film was made by George Gage and Beth Gage. V P THE FIRST WIVES CLUB (PG) *** Infuriated when their husbands leave them for younger companions, three middle-aged women band together for revenge. The dialogue is often silly but Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn deliver it with enough crackerjack energy to keep audiences laughing. Also features Maggie Smith, Bronson Pinchot, Dan Hedaya, and Marcia Gay Harden. Hugh Wilson directed. P *** Hilarious, stereotypical, caustic. FLED (R) * Two convicts, one black and one white, flee a Georgia road gang and enter a complicated mix of action and intrigue centering on a missing computer disk. Kevin Hooks's adventure movie starts like a rehash of the '50s classic "The Defiant Ones," then turns into a hackneyed chase picture full of sickening violence, thudding vulgarity, and silly jokes. Laurence Fishburne
and Stephen Baldwin star. V P N S FLIRT (Not rated) * A simple story, about young people caught in an uncertain romantic situation, is repeated three times with different characters in different settings. Hal Hartley's innovative comedy-drama is more ambitious than successful, but it deserves credit for trying something genuinely unusual. V N P FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (R) ** With his wife and new baby in tow, a young man sets out to find the parents who gave him up for adoption years ago, but his search runs into one zigzag after another. Directed by David O. Russell, whose earlier "Spanking the Monkey" was more original. Ben Stiller leads a cast that includes Mary Tyler Moore, Alan Alda, and Lily Tomlin in supporting roles. Be warned that the
comedy includes a great deal of verbally and visually explicit sexual humor. S P V ** Zany, crass, dumb plot. THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET (R) ** Leo has been writing popular romance novels for years, but lately her personal problems have grown so oppressive that she can't muster her old enthusiasm for entertaining plots and happy endings. Pedro Almodvar's Spanish drama is his most involving work since the comedy "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," but its mood of ironic melancholy doesn't hold up
enough to make the picture a full success. P S N FLIPPER (PG) ** A boy and his dolphin, and the crusty old uncle who loves them both. The scenery is great, and the story is often cute, even if it borrows liberally from "Free Willy" as well as Flipper's old TV series. But some fishing scenes may be upsetting for children. Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan star. Written and directed by Alan Shapiro. V P *** Squeaky clean, family fare; Flipper is a big ham. FLY AWAY HOME (PG) *** While coping with family problems, a teenage girl hatches a bunch of goose eggs for fun, then realizes her new pets won't know how to migrate south for the winter unless someone shows them the way - an ideal job for her and her father, an inventor who loves tinkering with lightweight aircraft. Nature specialist Carroll Ballard directed this eye-dazzling family film, which has
superb airborne cinematography to compensate for some soggy spots in the story. Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin star. V P **** Uplifting, heartwarming, adventurous. FOUR ROOMS (R) * Four creepy comedies set in a hotel. The episodes by Allison Anders and Alexandre Rockwell - about a coven of witches and a jealous husband, respectively - are as vacuous as they are vulgar. Offering small compensation, Robert Rodriguez brings glimmerings of imagination to a yarn about two feisty kids and a beleaguered bellman, and there are touches of stylistic interest in Quentin
Tarantino's tale of an unconventional wager. In all, though, a dreary and disorganized stew. S V N P FOXFIRE (R) * Unhappy with their boring lives in a small-minded community, several high school girls form an angry gang under the leadership of a new friend with a powerful but enigmatic personality. The screenwriters have borrowed the basic plot but not the disturbing political implications of Joyce Carol Oates's propulsive novel "Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang," pushing the film
toward well-crafted exploitation rather than thought-provoking commentary on American sexism. Directed by Annette Haywood-Carter. V N P FRENCH TWIST (R) * Labored comedy about a lesbian who barges into a married couple's life. Written and directed by Josiane Belasko, whose lively performance is the most memorable asset of the French production, originally titled "Gazon Maudit." S V P N THE FRIGHTENERS (R) * A cut-rate ghostbuster, played by Michael J. Fox, feuds with an ectoplasmic bad guy who's continuing a murder spree he started when he was still alive. The special effects are more impressive than in Peter Jackson's earlier horror comedy, "Dead Alive," but the story is mostly an excuse for exaggerated mayhem and violent jokes about unfunny subjects. V P S ** Ghoulish, extremely violent and idiotic, but has good acting and special effects. FRISK (Not rated) O Kinky sex leads to murder. Directed by Todd Verow with some flashes of imagination. Skip it. S N V P FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (R) ** On the run after a crime spree, two psychopathic brothers take a pastor and his family as hostages, and the whole gang runs into a passel of vampires in a sleazy Mexican saloon. The combination of director-editor Robert Rodriguez and screenwriter-actor Quentin Tarantino means plenty of surprises, almost all of them nasty. Tarantino stars with George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, and the
wonderful Harvey Keitel. Contains extremely graphic violence. V S N P O Bizarre, lame, gory. FROM THE JOURNALS OF JEAN SEBERG (Not rated) **** The life and career of actress Jean Seberg, from her debut as a 17-year-old star to her untimely death after many unsuccessful movies and harassment by the FBI for her left-wing political involvements. Mary Beth Hurt provides commentary as Seberg's on-screen alter ego, but the picture's real excitement comes from filmmaker Mark Rappaport's ingenious juxtapositions of clips
and stills from relevant movies. S N P V THE FUNERAL (R) ** The killing of a small-time gangster spurs his Italian-American family to bloody revenge. Abel Ferrara's movies are often prone to excesses like the highly explicit sex and "Godfather"-type violence on display here, but the melodrama has serious ideas about subjects as complex as the struggle between free will and evil impulses in a changing society. Christopher Walken,
Isabella Rossellini, Chris Penn, and Annabella Sciorra head the cast. Ken Kelsch's moody cinematography deserves an Oscar and then some. S V N P THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS (R) ** Reissue of Vittorio De Sica's radiantly filmed story about a wealthy Jewish family that sees its comfortable life about to be swallowed by the Holocaust and its horrors. Hailed in 1971 as a triumphant comeback for Italy's popular "neorealist" movement, the Academy Award-winning drama looks beautiful but mannered on its 25th anniversary, wrapping its cry against fascism
in a haze of nostalgia for class privileges of yore. Dominique Sanda and Helmut Berger star. N GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER (R) O Somebody sure did when Hollywood made this flick. Dan Ackroyd plays an ethics professor with an ethical dilemma of his own. His kindly neighbor (Jack Lemmon) may be a Nazi mass killer. But what's supposed to be light moral comedy comes across as scatterbrained. And its awkward performances are no better than a first rehearsal. Worst is the final sex scene, meant to be humorous, but
merely revolting. V S P By Katherine Dillin * Asinine, pointless, incredibly boring. GET ON THE BUS (R) *** A dozen African-Americans head for the Million Man March on a chartered bus. Spike Lee gets surprising comic and dramatic mileage out of a few characters in a limited setting. There is much extremely vulgar language, however, including explicit dialogue about sexual activity. The lively cast includes Ossie Davis, Charles Dutton, Richard Belzer, and Andre Braugher. P V *** Message-oriented, clever dialogue, funny. THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS (R) * A bright young engineer and a grizzled adventurer battle a mysterious menace in the African wilderness. The story has promise, but it's so macho there's hardly a female face to be found, and too many scenes are drowned in excessively gory violence. Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas star. Stephen Hopkins directed. V *** Wild, riveting, beautifully filmed, contains violent hunting scenes. GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI (PG-13) *** Rob Reiner directed this fact-based drama about a young attorney's successful effort to prosecute the long-ago murderer of civil-rights leader Medgar Evers, with help from the victim's widow and other, more surprising sources. Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and the frighteningly intense James Woods head the cast. V P GIRL 6 (R) ** A would-be actress goes to work for a phone-sex company. Much of the movie exploits its subject for low-grade laughs, but in the end it takes a foursquare stand against the sleazy business it portrays, exposing its capacity for decadence and degradation. Spike Lee directed Suzan-Lori Parks's screenplay. Theresa Randle heads a cast that also includes Madonna, Ron Silver, Halle Berry,
John Turturro, and Quentin Tarantino. Contains much explicit sex-related talk. P S N V GIANT (G) **** Reissue of George Stevens's much-loved 1956 epic about a quarter of a century in the lives of a Texas cattle rancher and his steadily growing family. Elizabeth Taylor is lovely and gifted, Rock Hudson shows a little more personality than usual, and James Dean manages to steal every single scene he's in. V GIRLS TOWN (R) *** Three ethnically diverse high school girls are shocked into a new awareness of violence and sexism when their best friend commits suicide after being raped. The screen-play was derived from long sessions of improvised acting, and some scenes are more like acting-class workshops than fully developed dramatic episodes. But the material is powerful and most of the performances are
excellent. Lili Taylor heads the cast. Directed By Jim McKay. V P THE GRASS HARP (PG) ** The adventures of a boy raised in the South by his highly eccentric aunts and their feisty maid. Much of the action is likable and good-natured, especially when the main characters take to living in a tree. But director Charles Matthau doesn't give it the warmth and energy that make Truman Capote's original novel and play so compelling. Starring the director's father, Walter
Matthau, along with Edward Furlong, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and Nell Carter. P THE GREAT WHITE HYPE (R) ** A greedy boxing promoter decides to boost his fortune by finding a white opponent for the current African-American champ. The movie aims sharp satirical jabs at racial exploitation in contemporary sports. Much of the humor is more crude than cutting, though. Reginald Hudlin directed the impressive cast, which includes Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Cheech
Marin, Peter Berg, and Jon Lovitz. S V P N O Base, boring, stereotyped, nasty. THE GREEN HOUSE (Not rated) ** After his son is executed by the Nazis despite a willingness to cooperate with them, an old Frenchman shields his little granddaughter from the truth. He tells her she's a Resistance fighter and makes up "missions" for her to carry out. Philippe de Broca's comedy takes on social importance by dealing with issues of Nazi-French collaboration, but there's something
distasteful about its whimsical treatment of life-and-death themes. V P GRUMPIER OLD MEN (PG-13) ** Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon return to Wabashau, Minn., in this sequel to "Grumpy Old Men." It's summer instead of winter, but the fish are still biting and the pranks are still flying. Howard Deutch directed. P S By Yvonne Zipp ** Light, slow, funny one-liners. GUIMBA - THE TYRANT (Not rated) *** The cautionary fable of a selfish king in precolonial Africa who allows shameless favoritism and preoccupations with sex to undermine the power he wields so recklessly. The moral lesson is seriously conveyed but the style of the director, Mali filmmaker Cheick Oumar Sissoko, often fills the screen with festive color, commotion, and comedy. S V P HAMLET (PG-13) *** The most ambitious screen version of Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedy, shown in a dazzling big-screen format and featuring an all-star cast. Branagh's acting and directing are equally immodest, but he keeps the action hopping at a lively pace. Most noteworthy in supporting roles are Derek Jacobi as the king, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, the wonderful Julie Christie as
Gertrude, and Billy Crystal as the gravedigger. Other familiar faces, from Robin Williams and Jack Lemmon to Charlton Heston and Gerard Depardieu, are pretty much wasted. S N V HAPPY GILMORE (PG-13) ** He's an athlete with a temper too hot for the hockey rink, and when he switches his sport to golf, the country-club set has no idea how to handle him. Adam Sandler is funny as the volatile hero, and the screenplay is just abrasive enough to keep the story surprising. Dennis Dugan directed. P V N S HARRIET THE SPY (PG) *** A bright sixth-grader keeps tabs on her urban environment and jots her observations in a notebook. But grown-ups gripe when this interferes with school, and kids complain when her writing criticizes them. Spunky acting and bright, color-filled photography make the picture fun to watch even when the story wanders. Directed by Bronwen Hughes and based on Louise Fitzhugh's hugely
popular novel. P V *** Snappy, relevant, funny. HATE (R) ** Three young men get hold of a police officer's pistol in an ethnically mixed housing project near Paris, with tragic results. This hard-hitting French melodrama is less involving than Mathieu Kassovitz's previous picture, the spunky "Cafe au lait," but it takes on historical impor- tance with its precedent-setting portrait of social despair in the "banlieu"
neighborhoods that other French film- makers have since begun to explore. "La Haine" is the original French title. Contains violence, vulgarity. V S P HEAT (R) ** Robert De Niro plays a nasty criminal and Al Pacino plays the obsessive cop who's determined to bring him down. The performances are persuasive but the plot rattles on much too long. Written and directed by Michael Mann in his usual moody style. V P ** Bloody, intense, stereotypical. HEAVEN'S PRISONERS (R) ** Alec Baldwin stars as an ex-cop caught up in a complicated plot involving the fatal crash of a small plane filled with illegal immigrants. The steamy New Orleans atmosphere and the performances of an attractive cast, including Kelly Lynch, Mary Stuart Masterson, Teri Hatcher (of TV's "Lois and Clark") are the main reasons to see this muddled, overlong thriller. Baldwin
brings his charisma to the lead role. V N P By Frank Scheck *** Moody, suspenseful, gritty. HEAVY (Not rated) *** Victor didn't worry much about his weight until an attractive young woman came to work at his mother's diner, sparking new emotions that his limited experience hasn't taught him how to handle. Written and directed with uncommon sensitivity by James Mangold, a strikingly talented newcomer. Superbly acted by a well-chosen cast including Pruitt Taylor Vince as the title
character, Shelley Winters as his mom, Deborah Harry as the diner's other employee, and Liv Tyler as the new face in town. S P HIGHWAY OF HEARTACHE (Not rated) O Cartoonish comedy about an unhappy homemaker who shoots her spouse and hits the road to become a country-music star. Gregory Wild directed the racist, sexist, misogynistic mess. S V P N HOMAGE (R) * Tension simmers in a rural household inhabited by a lonely woman, her rebellious daughter, and a disturbed young man working as a hired hand while he decides what to do with his life. Solid performances by veteran Blythe Danner and Sheryl Lee, who played Laura Palmer in the "Twin Peaks" series, aren't enough to make the overcooked tale click. The film is directed by
newcomer Ross Marks from Mark Medoff's screenplay. V S P N HOMEWARD BOUND II: LOST IN SAN FRANCISCO (G) ** Two dogs and a cat have an adventurous outing in the Bay Area after their family loses them during a vacation. The story is lively enough, but kids will know these talkative pets are strictly from Hollywood. Directed by David R. Ellis. Contains some vulgar humor. V *** Funny, sassy, good lines from the cat. THE HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF (R) ** Juliette Binoche and Olivier Martinez flee a raging epidemic in France during the early 18th century. Fans of old-fashioned epics will enjoy the dashing heroics, but look out for graphic scenes of violence and illness. Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, who honed his historical skills on a sweeping screen version of "Cyrano de Bergerac" a few years ago. Several famous French
faces appear in cameo performances. V S N P HOUSE ARREST (PG) ** Some youngsters lock their feuding parents in a basement, hoping the experience will help the moms and dads grow up a little. There's some amusing satire on middle-class mores, but too much time is wasted on aimless shenanigans. Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollack head the cast. Harry Winer directed. V P THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (G) *** This feature-length animation turns Victor Hugo's tragic hero into a candidate for the Seven Dwarfs, frolicking with cute little gargoyles when he isn't busy helping a handsome soldier save a gorgeous gypsy from an evil judge. The cartooning is expertly done in keeping with the Walt Disney tradition. But some may question the wisdom of turning a serious, complex, and often
tormented literary classic into a feel-good musical comedy. Some scenes are much too intense or violent for young children. V *** Thought-provoking, breathtaking, sophisticated. I'M NOT RAPPAPORT (PG-13) *** Two grumpy old layabouts - a cranky Jewish socialist and a black worker heading for unemployment - sit around Central Park, gripe about their problems, and develop a relationship based more on their advancing years than any similarity in their backgrounds. Their experiences teach us much about life in the contemporary city, and even more about the elusive nature of identity. Walter
Matthau and Ossie Davis give rousing performances for Herb Gardner, who directed the comedy from a screenplay based on his memorable Broadway hit. P V I SHOT ANDY WARHOL (Not rated) *** Fictionalized look at the life and times of Valerie Solanas, who wounded the controversial pop artist in a 1968 assault prompted by her unstable personality and infatuation with an aggressive brand of guerrilla feminism. Buoyed by Lili Taylor's explosive acting, the movie paints a vivid portrait of Warhol's eccentric universe without stinting on lurid details and outrageous
behaviors. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Mary Harron. S V N P IF LUCY FELL (R) O Years earlier, painter Joe and psychotherapist Lucy decided they'd jump off the Brooklyn Bridge if they didn't find romance by their 30th birthdays. Now the deadline is near - but if anyone jumps it's likely to be moviegoers who paid to see this amazingly dumb comedy, about which there's nothing good to say except that the Brooklyn Bridge looks as handsome as ever.
Directed by Eric Schaffer. He also stars with Sarah Jessica Parker. P S ** Bad editing, undeveloped potential, annoying. INDEPENDENCE DAY (PG-13) ** A likable scientist, a feisty soldier, a goofy crop-dusting pilot, and the president of the United States are among the heroes who save Earth from an evil intergalactic empire. The action is fast, furious, and loaded with explosive effects, but the theme is a regrettable return to the us-against-them paranoia that dominated much science fiction in the cold-war era. Directed by Roland
Emmerich. Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Will Smith star. Contains a great deal of violence. V P *** Explosive, disjointed, spirited. INFINITY (PG) ** Bright young scientist Richard Feynman falls in love, marries, and cares for his increasingly ill spouse while developing his expertise in physics and working on the Los Alamos nuclear project in the 1940s. Directed by Matthew Broderick, who earns credit for taking on a real-life hero involved with interesting real-world issues. But he exercises poor judgment by reducing his material to
ordinary domestic drama and barely acknowledging the profound moral issues raised by Feynman's actual career. Broderick and Patricia Arquette star. S P INSTITUTE BENJAMENTA (Not rated) **** A shy young man enrolls in a school for servants, and discovers that his teachers are harder to comprehend than the profession he hopes to follow. Directed by the Brothers Quay, famous for their surrealistic animated films, this live-action story is as beautiful and unsettling as an inexplicable dream, bringing a Kafkaesque touch to class-related issues. V P THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU (PG-13) ** A man is stranded on a tropical island run by a mad scientist who's trying to fuse humans with animals in cruel genetic experiments. Based on H.G. Wells's haunting novel about the dangers of uncontrolled science, John Frankenheimer's movie uses a great deal of violence, killing, and horrific weirdness to make the same point with a lot less subtlety. Not as memorable as the
old Charles Laughton version, but better directed than the Burt Lancaster remake. Marlon Brando is sensational, giving his wittiest performance in years. Also with Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Fairuza Balk. V N P * Moronic, silly, disappointing. IT'S MY PARTY (R) * A man diagnosed with AIDS throws a farewell party before ending his life. A compassionate attitude and vivid acting by Eric Roberts don't outweigh the picture's superficial approach to a sadly serious subject. Randal Kleiser directed. The good cast includes Bronson Pinchot, Olivia Newton-John, George Segal, Marlee Matlin, Lee Grant, and Roddy McDowell. P JACK (PG-13) ** Jack is diagnosed with an illness that causes him to mature at quadruple the normal rate, and his parents aren't sure how to handle a four-year-old boy in a full-grown body. Don't be misled by the idea of Robin Williams as a cuddly child-man. The movie takes several turns into sexual and scatological humor, and much of the story is haunted by loneliness, anxiety, and death.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, best known for the "Godfather" films. V P S ** Humorous, uninspired, sad. JACK & SARAH (R) ** Faced with the daunting prospect of raising his baby daughter alone, a young English widower shoos away his fussbudget mother and teams up with an American nanny who makes up in enthusiasm what she lacks in experience. The movie has a warm heart and a lively spirit, although its romantic subplot is mighty predictable. The stars are Richard E. Grant and Samantha Mathis, but memorable
moments are also provided by Ian McKellen and Judi Dench, who head the stellar supporting cast. Directed by newcomer Tim Sullivan. P S JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (PG) *** James is an orphan living with two horrible aunts, but his life takes a magical turn when a giant peach springs up in his backyard, populated with insects who launch it on an adventurous ocean voyage. Told through both animation and live action, the fantasy is almost too inventive for its own good, filling the screen with unsettling pictures and situations that could be much too scary
for young viewers. The noisy soundtrack features voice-only performances by Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jane Leeves. Directed by Henry Selick, who made "The Nightmare Before Christmas." V **** Fun, wildly creative, action-packed. JANE EYRE (PG) *** Smartly acted, handsomely filmed adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic coming-of-age tale about a spirited young woman who becomes a governess for a wealthy man with a handsome face, a dour demeanor, and a family secret locked away in the attic. Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt acquit themselves well in the leading roles, and smaller parts are superbly handled by a roster
of first-rate British talents, including Joan Plowright, John Wood, and Billie Whitelaw. Anna Paquin portrays the young Jane. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli. V **** Elegant, faithful, enriching. JEAN LA PUCELLE (Not rated) *** Joan of Arc's courageous career is the subject of this intimate epic by Jacques Rivette, one of France's most brilliant filmmakers. Sandrine Bonnaire combines persuasive realism with an almost mythic sense of purpose in her portrayal of the title character, aided by Rivette's elegant and eloquent visual style. V JERRY MAGUIRE (R) ** An athletics agent tries to start his own company after losing his job, and learns a lot about human decency from a family-loving football player who stays loyal to him. The movie takes a refreshing stance in favor of family life, but the repetitious story moves erratically and runs on much too long. Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. are fine as the agent and client, and Renee Zellweger
is better yet as the hero's new girlfriend. Directed by Cameron Crowe. Contains foul language and a very explicit sex scene. S P V N *** Laugh-out-loud humor, action-oriented, gives viewer a window into the sports business. JINGLE ALL THE WAY (PG) *** A busy executive makes the biggest mistake of all by forgetting to buy a certain gift for his son - a popular action toy that every little boy wants for Christmas. The film is a mix of screwball comedy and action film as Schwarzenegger and another forgetful dad, played by Sinbad, race all over town on Christmas Eve to find this toy. While the film, directed by Brian Levant, is somewhat
rough-and-tumble at times, the story is endearing and the end highlights the true spirit of unselfish giving. P V By Sharon Johnson-Cramer. ** Infantile, formulaic, hackneyed. JOE'S APARTMENT (PG-13) ** A college grad moves to the big city and meets an artist who helps him find an apartment with low rent but 50,000 talking cockroaches for roommates. With many comic moments and insect show tunes, the first feature film produced by MTV is surprisingly entertaining despite an unoriginal love story, much vulgar language, and a lot of roach-infested garbage. Written and directed by John
Payson. P V By Allison Baldasare THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING (PG-13) ** A white mountain man helps a runaway slave escape her cruel master. The story is filmed with picturesque skill by director John Duigan, but it would seem more powerful and authentic if it paid due attention to the brave woman at the heart of the adventure, instead of following Hollywood convention and letting her white friend grab the limelight. Jason Patric and Thandie Newton star.
Narrated by poet Maya Angelou. V P S JUDE (R) ** A young man and his cousin fall in love despite their marriages to other people, and encounter much unhappiness in a conservative society that won't tolerate their relationship. The basic plot of Thomas Hardy's great novel "Jude the Obscure" comes through accurately enough, but its sublime irony and sardonic wit apparently got lost in the misty English countryside.
Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet star, and Michael Winterbottom directed. Contains explicit sex, animal slaughter, and a horrifying scene of death involving young children. S N V JUMANJI (PG) * Two children meet an overgrown kid who's been trapped for years in the exotic world of an adventure board game. Mostly trite and tacky despite Robin Williams's strenuous acting. Some scenes may be disturbing to young children. Based on Chris Van Allsburg's book. Directed by Joe Johnston. V *** Fast-paced, fun, somewhat scary. THE JUROR (R) ** Chosen for the jury in a mobster's murder trial, a woman fights for her son's life after he's kidnapped by a psychotic crook who wants a not-guilty verdict for his boss. Everybody betrays everybody in this twisty-turny thriller, basically just another Hollywood exercise in tormenting female characters so audiences will cheer the vengeful finale. Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin
cook up an effective mix of chemistry and tension. Contains sex and violence. S V N P * Superficial, dumb, one big yawn. KAZAAM (PG) * Caught up in major family problems, a 12-year-old boy meets a 3,000-year-old genie who dispenses good advice - and a wish or two - that helps both of them weather the storm. The plot is hamstrung by trite formulas, and there's too much violence and family tension for very young viewers. Shaquille O'Neal is likable as the title character, though, and the screenplay has somewhat
less vulgarity and innuendo than many Hollywood comedies. Directed by Paul M. Glaser. V P KINGPIN (PG-13) ** A washed-up hustler tempts a gifted bowler to leave his Amish community, which needs money to save its farmland from foreclosure, and get rich by literally gambling on his talent. Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and Bill Murray give riotous performances, but be warned that the comedy is overloaded with gross-out humor from beginning to end. Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly,
of "Dumb and Dumber" fame. V S P ** Juvenile, screwball, stereotypical characters. L5: FIRST CITY IN SPACE (Not rated) **** A seven-year-old girl grows up in a humanly made city between the Earth and the moon, and looks on as her father singlehandedly solves a water-supply problem that threatens the community's existence. The story is short and simplistic, but the Imax 3-D visual effects are astonishing. Tony Myers supervised the production and Allan Kroeker directed the live-action material. LA CEREMONIE (Not rated) *** This slyly unsettling thriller focuses on two working-class women who develop dangerous hostility toward the well-heeled household where one of them is employed. Claude Chabrol, the most Hitchcockian of all French directors, carries the absorbing story from a tantalizing start to a disturbingly violent climax. The extraordinary cast includes Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Bonnaire, and
Jacqueline Bisset. V P LAND AND FREEDOM (Not rated) *** Events and issues of the Spanish Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a young Englishman who volunteers to join the fight against fascism. Directed by British filmmaker Ken Loach, who has explored moral and political questions throughout his career, the movie works best during its quieter moments. The action scenes are handled less convincingly than their historical importance
demands. V P S LAST DANCE (R) *** Sharon Stone gives her most mature performance to date in this sometimes thoughtful, sometimes melodramatic story of a woman sentenced to death for a horrible crime she committed in a drug-induced daze and now regrets. Rob Morrow plays a bureaucrat who befriends her and tries to have her sentence commuted. Bruce Beresford directed. V P LAST MAN STANDING (R) * Bruce Willis plays a stranger who gets involved with a bootlegging war between two rival gangs. What promises to be a hard-hitting crime melodrama degenerates into a repetitious round of bone-crunching violence, and why is Willis's gun always twice as loud as anybody else's? Directed by Walter Hill from his own screenplay, based on Akira Kurosawa's far superior
"Yojimbo." V P S LAST SUMMER IN THE HAMPTONS (R) ** Theatrical enthusiasts gather for a summertime project, and echoes of Chekhov and Renoir abound as their personal and professional lives merge into a bubbling emotional stew. Much of the action is tinged with satire and irony, although darker shades enter when incest and jealousy become part of the mix. As in other Henry Jaglom pictures, the effect is like attending a party crowded with
his favorite friends; it's diverting for a while, but you're glad to escape when it's over. Andre Gregory and Viveca Lindfors are among the guests. P S THE LAST SUPPER (R) ** Pitch-dark comedy about a group of graduate students who invite strangers to their home for dinner and conversation, then murder the ones with political ideas they don't like. The movie is an equal-opportunity satire,, mocking ideologues of all persuasions but its message is muted by its dubious pleasure in grim details. Stacy Title directed Dan Rosen's screenplay , which echoes
the classic "Arsenic and Old Lace" at times.. Annabeth Gish, Ron Perlman, Courtney B. Vance, and Charles Durning are in the talented cast. V S N P THE LEOPARD SON (G) *** The life and adventures of a young leopard growing up in the Tanzanian wilderness. The film is stunningly photographed by director Hugo van Lawick, but is burdened by a simplistic narration that frames animal life in strictly human terms. John Gielgud is the narrator. V LIFE OF OHARU (Not rated) **** Re-issue of Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece about a young woman who has many varied experiences after she's exiled from her native village for falling in love with a man of lower rank. First released in 1952, the Japanese drama exemplifies Mizoguchi's deep thoughtfulness about moral issues and his compassionate concern with women in a profoundly patriarchal society. It's
also a wonderful display of his visual artistry, telling the story through a seamless series of superbly graceful shots. THE LINE KING: THE AL HIRSCHFELD STORY (Not rated) *** A delightful journey through the life and work of Al Hirschfeld, the legendary show-business caricaturist. A huge assortment of stars and fellow artists comment on his unique contribution to several decades of American culture, and the nostalgia is nicely tempered with intelligence and wit. Directed by Susan W. Dreyfoos. N LITTLE INDIAN, BIG CITY (PG) * You can take the boy out of the rain forest, but can you take the rain forest out of the boy? Learning that he has a son who's grown up in the wilds of Venezuela, a French businessman takes him to Paris and tries to civilize him a bit, only to find the kid's values are more solid than his own in many ways. Herve Palud directed the corny but colorful French comedy, dubbed into
English for the American market. P V LOADED (R) * Young film enthusiasts gather in a country home to make a movie but get sidetracked by sex, drugs, and a tragic accident. Directed by Anna Campion, the picture is imaginatively made but has little of value to say about the social and moral issues it raises. S N P V LONE STAR (R) *** A skeleton is discovered near a small Texas community, rekindling old debates about whatever happened to a sheriff who once ruled the county with a violent and racially bigoted hand. John Sayles's offbeat western shows how public controversies often overlap with private grudges and conflicting memories. It contains violence and a surprise ending with strong sexual overtones that
many will find objectionable. Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, and Matthew McConaughey star. S V P N ** Humane, intelligent; message of tolerance takes unhealthy twist at end. THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (R) * Fast-talking private eye Samuel L. Jackson helps amnesiac Geena Davis uncover her past as a government assassin and fight her way through a vicious battle with enemies on every side. The suspense sequences are straight from the standard Hollywood blueprint, and the movie as a whole is so sloppily assembled that it's almost incoherent at times. Directed by mayhem specialist Renny
Harlin. S V P * Painfully loud, shallow, stupidly violent. LOOKING FOR RICHARD (PG-13) *** Al Pacino's inventive movie alternates scenes from Shakespeare's darkly dramatic "Richard III" with amusing real-life material about the challenge of making Shakespeare plays alive and fresh for contemporary audiences. The cast includes Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder, Kevin Spacey, Aidan Quinn, and Estelle Parsons, and documentary scenes feature James Earl Jones, Vanessa
Redgrave, Kevin Kline, and John Gielgud, among others. Contains violence and vulgar language, though. V P *** Creative, stunning, insightful. LOSING CHASE (R) * While coping with family problems of her own, a young woman takes a job caring for a middle-aged woman recovering from a nervous breakdown, and the two develop a complex relationship. The story is often tritely told, but Helen Mirren and Kyra Sedgwick give earnest performances. S V P THE LOW LIFE (R) * An aspiring writer holds down tedious jobs, hangs out with boring friends, and mopes about the awfulness of it all. The story offers a bit of pathos and ironic humor, but most of the time it's just another slacker movie. Directed by George Hickenlooper. P V KANSAS CITY (R) ** Two interrelated stories set in Kansas City during the 1930s jazz age. In one, a white man botches his plan to rob a black tourist and enters the clutches of a threatening gangster. In the other, his wife kidnaps the spouse of a presidential adviser, hoping the powerful man's influence can save her husband. Robert Altman's film works less effectively as a drama than as an
atmospheric visit to a bygone era, but there's lively music along with punchy acting by Harry Belafonte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson. V P KASPAR HAUSER (Not rated) * Energetic drama about events in an 18th-century German town where a young man mysteriously appeared after being raised in a dungeon, then set free to make his way in a world he could barely comprehend. Written and directed by Peter Sehr, who sees the episode as part of a clandestine scheme to manipulate the royal succession. Andr Eisermann's strong performance as the title character
appears to have been influenced by Bruno S.'s unusual acting in Werner Herzog's classic film on the Hauser legend. Contains sex and violence. V S N KIDS OF SURVIVAL: THE ART AND LIFE OF TIM ROLLINS AND K.O.S. (Not rated) *** Well-crafted documentary about a dedicated inner-city schoolteacher who helps disadvantaged high-school students develop their artistic talents and display their collaborative works at major museums and galleries. Always engrossing and sometimes inspiring. Directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine. P KNOCKS AT MY DOOR (Not rated) *** In a Latin American town run by authoritarian officials, two Roman Catholic nuns hide a political fugitive as an act of charity, knowing execution could await them if they're caught. The story is not dynamically told and the ending is not a happy one, but the film rises to a high moral plane with its moving tribute to the powers of love and compassion in what seem like
insurmountably hard circumstances. Alejandro Saderman directed the Venezuelan production. V P N MA SAISON PREFEREE (Not rated) ** An adult brother and sister are reunited when their mother becomes ill, and their strained relationship goes through complicated changes. The respected Andre Techine directed this moody French drama with his usual combination of strong technique, emotional distance, and sexual frankness. Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil star. The title translates as "My Favorite Season." S
N P MABOROSI (Not rated) *** A young woman tries to adjust to a new home with a new husband after her spouse inexplicably kills himself. Directed with moody intensity and great visual expressiveness by Hirokazu Koreada, and splendidly acted by a gifted and dedicated cast. S MAD DOG TIME (R) * Rivalry, jealousy, and mayhem erupt when a crazy criminal returns to his old haunts after a stint in a mental institution. Larry Bishop's pitch-dark comedy has a few moments of imaginative storytelling, but most of the way it's a sad waste of a celebrity-studded cast including Jeff Goldblum, Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin, Diane Lane, Richard Dreyfuss, and Burt Reynolds, plus cameos
by Richard Pryor, Michael J. Pollard, and Joey Bishop, the filmmaker's father. S V P N MADAME BUTTERFLY (Not rated) *** Elegantly filmed adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's great opera about a Japanese teenager who's wooed, wedded, and abandoned by a thoughtless American sailor in the late 19th century. The singers include Ying Huang as the title character, Richard Troxell as her faithless husband, and Richard Cowan as the American consul who tries to help them both. James Conlon conducts the
Orchestre de Paris and the Radio France chorus. Frederic Mitterand directed the French production. V THE MAGIC HUNTER (Not rated) ** A policeman protects a famous chess player whose life has been threatened, and subplots connect this with medieval tales about people and animals saved from harm by their simple faith. Hungarian filmmaker Ildiko Enyedi directed this life-affirming fantasy with great imagination, but it contains small amounts of violence and nudity. Gary Kemp stars. S V N THE MAN BY THE SHORE (Not Rated) ** Political intrigue in Haiti during the 1960s is the subject of Raoul Peck's thoughtful drama, which treats fascinating themes but is too low-key and elliptical to gather much dramatic power. V P MAN OF THE YEAR (Not rated) * A gay man becomes the centerfold model for a women's magazine. This mock documentary has a message of tolerance, but it isn't enough to compensate for weak acting and klutzy filmmaking. Directed by and starring Dirk Shafer, who also wrote the screenplay, based on his real experiences. P MANNY & LO (R) * A pregnant teenager and her little sister flee from society, kidnap a nurse to help them when the baby's born, and develop a strangely close relationship with their hostage. The acting is convincing, especially by Mary Kay Place as the nurse, but the rather flimsy drama never picks up much emotional power. Written and directed by Lisa Krueger. S V P MARS ATTACKS! (PG-13) ** Martians invade Earth and kill lots of people with their rayguns. Rarely have so many Hollywood resources been expended to make every ingredient of a movie as tacky as possible. The result can be viewed as an uproarious satire of science fiction in the "Independence Day" mold, or as a rehash of "Gremlins" without the novelty of the original. Tim Burton directed a
stellar cast including Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, Michael J. Fox, Glenn Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paul Winfield, and Rod Steiger. V P *** Original, fun, slow to get going. MARVIN'S ROOM (PG-13) ** Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton play estranged sisters who renew their relationship when their family is hit with serious illnesses. The movie places a wholesome emphasis on the importance of family ties and the invaluable support these can provide. But the story often seems unfocused, and the talented cast doesn't appear to be fully in synch with its heart-wrenching material. Also
featuring Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Gwen Verdon. Directed by Jerry Zaks from the late Scott McPherson's screenplay, based on his stage drama. P V MARY REILLY (R) * Find out how Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde looked to one of their servants, a quiet young woman who's endured various kinds of abuse before coming into her strange new job. Philippe Rousselot's carefully shaded cinematography looks great, but the screenplay is pretentious and there's little to applaud in the top-heavy acting by John Malkovich and Julia Roberts. Contains explicit
violence and other distasteful material. V P S MATILDA (PG) *** She's astonishingly smart, and on top of this she develops psychic powers, using them to defeat bad grown-ups including an evil principal who literally tortures the children in her school. Danny DeVito's film has energetic acting by himself and Rhea Perlman as Matilda's parents, Mara Wilson as Matilda, Embeth Davidtz as a loving teacher, and Paul Reubens as a bumbling cop.
But parents should be strongly warned that the picture is packed with weird and violent details that could be extremely upsetting for youngsters. Based on Roald Dahl's book. V P ** Positive images of kids, clichd, occasionally scary. MERCY (Not rated) *** Gripping melodrama about a young black woman who engineers the kidnapping of a child in order to spite a rich white executive who seduced and abandoned her. Engrossing and well acted, although the ending is weak and the little-girl character isn't convincingly developed. Directed by Richard Shepard. P V S MICHAEL (PG) ** Three tabloid reporters visit a rural town where an angel has taken up residence; taking him back to Chicago, they quickly discover that the heavenly visitor is a down-to-earth fellow with a surprising taste for profane pleasures. Nora Ephron's comedy tries to be sweet, hip, innocent, and sophisticated all at the same time, and it doesn't take long for these contradictory goals
to cancel one another out. John Travolta is winning in the title role. William Hurt and Andie MacDowell head the supporting cast. S V P MICHAEL COLLINS (R) ** A bold Irish fighter spearheads rebellion against British rule, and he holds a running argument over the proper form of the struggle with a politician who advocates different means to the same end. Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman give sturdy performances, but Neil Jordan's historically based drama seems oddly cool and distant with regard to its incendiary subject. Contains much foul
language and a great deal of killing and other mayhem, some of it extremely graphic. V P **** Majestic, emotional, engaging. MICROCOSMOS (G) **** A closeup look at the world of insects, using cinematic tools that multiply the sizes of very small creatures until they fill the wide screen, showing a color and variety that are nothing short of amazing. Vividly directed by French filmmakers Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou. A MIDWINTER'S TALE (R) ** An actor tries to revitalize his career by herding a low-talent cast through an offbeat "Hamlet" production with a poverty-row budget and a drafty old church for a theater. Kenneth Branagh's comedy has few memorable moments but paints an affectionate portrait of a theatrical subculture. Joan Collins and Richard Briers are among the hardy troupers. P S THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES (PG-13) * A male professor asks a female professor to join him in a platonic relationship so they can enjoy companionship while concentrating on their work, but she finds herself falling totally in love with him. The story might have been entertaining if the characters and their motivations made a speck of sense. Directed by Barbra Streisand, whose main priority appears to be making herself as
lovable and beautiful as movie magic allows. Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall, and George Segal trudge obediently in her glamorous wake. S P *** Romantic, funny, clever one-liners. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (PG-13) ** Espionage expert Tom Cruise cracks a case teeming with trickery, treachery, and twists. Some of the suspense set-pieces are impressive, but the picture would pack a greater wallop if it were stitched together more tightly and consistently. Directed by Brian De Palma in the strictly commercial, by-the-numbers mode he polished in earlier epics like "Scarface" and
"Carlito's Way." Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny, Ving Rhames, and Vanessa Redgrave head the supporting cast. Based on the popular '60s television series. V P ** Cloak-and-dagger, snazzy, suspenseful. MOLL FLANDERS (PG-13) ** The adventures of an 18th-century woman who falls into prostitution but finds a better life with an idealistic painter who falls in love with her. Daniel Defoe's great novel combines frequent ribaldry with explicitly feminist views of his society's ills. Pen Densham's movie has strong female characters but stresses sensuality over the story's other themes. Robin Wright,
Stockard Channing, and Morgan Freeman star. S V N ** Idealistic, victim-filled, too long. THE MONSTER (Not rated) ** Dark comedy about a brave policewoman who moves in with a mild-mannered crook after her supervisors mistake him for a notorious sex maniac. The title role is energetically played by Roberto Benigni, the hugely popular comedian who also directed this Italian production. But there's a distasteful undertone to the farce, which tries to coax laughs from material related to sexual
violence. V S P MOTHER (PG-13) *** Wondering where his life took a wrong emotional turn, a twice-divorced writer moves back in with his mother and finds her personality just as inscrutable as his own. Albert Brooks has devoted his career to exploring the American psyche in comic terms, and while this installment in his ongoing chronicle is less engrossing than "Real Life" or the great "Lost in
America," it makes many mischievous points about middle-class folkways, mores, and idiosyncrasies. Debbie Reynolds is terrific as the mother. Contains a bit of very raunchy dialogue. S P MOTHER NIGHT (R) *** Nick Nolte gives the most thoughtful and moving performance of his career as an American author recruited by the US government for a double-agent job that calls on him to subvert the Nazi cause by appearing to support it faithfully. Based on Kurt Vonnegut's inventive novel, Keith Gordon's drama explores complex ethical issues with quick intelligence and wry humor. Contains
nudity and sexuality. S N V *** Powerful, stirring, thought-provoking. MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS (PG) * A musician takes a teaching job to support his family so he can do some serious composing, but gets sidetracked for 30 years by the demands and rewards of his new profession. The movie takes an admirable stand in favor of real support for culture and education; but soggy screenwriting and Richard Dreyfuss's unexciting perform- ance make the result seem as dinky as the five-minute
symphony our hero unveils. Stephen Herek directed. P ** Inspiring, earnest, overwrought. MR. WRONG (PG-13) * Ellen DeGeneres thinks he's Mr. Right until she learns his poetry stinks, his money is inherited, and his idea of a good time is shoplifting from the corner store. Mighty thin stuff despite contributions of Joan Cusack and Dean Stockwell. Directed by Nick Castle. V P ** Sad, corny, comic nightmare. MRS. WINTERBOURNE (PG-13) ** Mistaken identity allows a down-and-out young mother and her newborn baby to move in with a wealthy family, masquerading as relatives and hoping the secret won't be discovered. The comedy is appealing as Hollywood's umpteenth variation on the Cinderella story, but think about its patrician views of upper-class privilege and you might find it too simplistic for comfort. Ricki
Lake and Shirley MacLaine head the amiable cast. V P *** Romantic, implausible, charming. MULHOLLAND FALLS (R) * Four muscular cops enforce the law on their own nasty terms in Los Angeles during the 1950s, but meet their match when a murder leads them to a scandal involving nuclear experiments and cold-war secrecy. The picture appears to be partly inspired by the 1955 classic "Kiss Me Deadly," but is far less biting and original despite the efforts of a hard-working cast that includes
Nick Nolte, Chris Penn, John Malkovich, and Melanie Griffith. Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Lee Tamahori, whose earlier "Once Were Warriors" coaxed more credibility from the sledgehammer style he favors. V P S N ** Well-acted, flawed, somber, bloody, salacious. MULTIPLICITY (PG-13) ** Caught in a job that allows him too little time with his family, a busy man allows a scientist to clone him - which seems like a great idea until more clones start arriving, each of lower quality than the last. Michael Keaton gives a game performance, but the comedy isn't very inventive and the second half is taken over by a string of smarmy bedroom jokes. Andie MacDowell co-stars.
Directed by Harold Ramis. S V P *** Zany, light; versatile acting by Michael Keaton. MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND (G) **** Robert Louis Stevenson's classic about a boy's coming of age will never be the same. Kermit the frog replaces Errol Flynn as swashbuckling buccaneer. Miss Piggy replaces, well, Miss Piggy is too original to be compared to anyone. Ratso the rat runs a Caribbean cruise business on the side selling tickets to "ugly American" rats on a 19th-century sailing ship. Great
for the whole family. By Jim Bencivenga **** Rib-tickling, adventurous, clever. MY FELLOW AMERICANS (PG-13) * Grumpy old presidents. Jack Lemmon and James Garner play two former Chief Executives schlepping through the American heartland with sinister assassins at their heels. Peter Segal's comedy has a few witty moments surrounded by a lot of silliness. P V ** Formulaic, disappointing, mildly entertaining. MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE MOVIE (PG-13) *** A demented scientist forces a man and his robot friends to watch an old Hollywood movie, which they greet with a nonstop torrent of jokes, gags, and smart-alecky remarks. The picture they're heckling is a shorten-ed version of "This Island Earth," a 1955 fantasy that deserves more respect than the MST3K folks give it. But some of their wisecracks are funny, and the show
is short enough to pass painlessly. Jim Mallon directed the satire, which is identical to the TV series that spawned it. P V THE NEON BIBLE (Not rated) *** A young Southern boy copes with challenges posed by his irresponsible father, his lonely mother, and an exotic aunt who comes to live with them. Based on John Kennedy Toole's sensitively written novel, Terence Davies's film is less a compelling story than an impressionistic journey through a troubled teenager's inner life. While earlier Davies films use gliding camera
movements to evoke a sort of visual music, this one uses exquisitely framed images to create a more painterly effect. Gena Rowlands, newcomer Jacob Tierney, and Diana Scarwid lead the fine cast. V NELLY & MONSIEUR ARNAUD (Not rated) *** At a difficult time in her life, a young woman takes a job typing the memoirs of a professional man much older than herself. They develop a complicated friendship that touches emotional chords deeper than either of them expected. Directed with taste and precision by Claude Sautet, the French drama also benefits from sensitive acting by Emmanuelle Beart, perhaps the most luminous
actress in European film today, and Michel Serrault, a veteran star whose many credits include the original "Diabolique" and "La Cage aux Folles." P NORTH BY NORTHWEST (NOT RATED) **** Reissue of Alfred Hitchcock's rollicking 1959 thriller with Cary Grant as an advertising executive on the run from spies and G-men with a gorgeous double agent by his side. Eva Marie Saint and Leo G. Carroll head the stellar supporting cast. V NUEBA YOL (Not rated) ** This rare export from the Dominican Republic centers on a hard-working widower who mortgages his house in Santo Domingo, moves to a cousin's home in New York City, and quickly learns that American streets are not filled with the golden opportunities he'd hoped to find. Dominican comedian Luisito Mart is likable in the starring role, but first-time director Angel Muniz has
trouble sustaining the picture's bittersweet tone. V P THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (PG-13) ** An overweight science teacher slims down with a laboratory potion that turns him into a loud and obnoxious woman-chaser, but he realizes in the end that cultivating your own good qualities is the only honest way to win affection from others. Eddie Murphy has impressive energy, but he needs mountains of makeup and special effects to accomplish what Jerry Lewis did with sheer talent in
the original 1963 version of the comedy. Parents should be strongly warned that the movie contains an extremely large amount of bathroom humor and other gratuitous vulgarities. P V *** Sophmoric, amusing, predictable. OLIVER & COMPANY (G) *** First released in 1988, the animated Disney version of Dickens's great "Oliver Twist" is about a stray kitten who teams with a gang of rascally dogs to outwit a wicked kidnapper. There are some exciting sequences, but the picture ranks far below classic animal-toons like "Lady and the Tramp" and "101 Dalmatians," and the atmosphere is rather wan
despite the pioneering use of computer-animation techniques. Directed by George Scribner. Bette Midler, Roscoe Lee Browne, Dom DeLuise, and Cheech Marin are among the voice-only stars. V 101 DALMATIaNS (G) *** Live-action remake of the classic Walt Disney animation about a fur-obsessed woman who kidnaps 101 pooches so she can make a luxurious coat from their silky fur. The story seems awfully far-fetched when real people play the characters, but the canines are cute and Glenn Close was born to play Cruella De Vil, the monstrous magnate who sets the plot in motion. Directed by Stephen Herek.
Contains a great deal of cartoonish violence that might be too strong for very young viewers. V **** Fun, colorful, cute. ONE FINE DAY (PG) ** Two single parents juggle each other's kids during a hectic day of schedule changes, cellular-phone mixups, and other complications. The most original touch in Michael Hoffman's romantic comedy is that the perfect couple hardly set eyes on one another during the story, yet manage to fall madly in love all the same. Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney head the attractive cast. P
V *** Witty, slightly predictable, great chemistry between Pfeiffer and Clooney. OPEN SEASON (R) * A technological glitch in the viewer-counting system rockets a public-television network to first place in the ratings, ringing alarm bells at a commercial network that'll do anything to regain its leading position. Flat acting and filmmaking undercut the promising subject of the comedy, which was written and directed by Robert Wuhl, who also plays the main role. Others on hand
include Rod Taylor and Dina Merrill. S V N P ORSON WELLES: THE ONE-MAN BAND (Not rated) ** A nonfiction look at the later years of a brilliant American filmmaker, focusing mainly on tantalizing projects that circumstances never allowed him to complete. The movie as a whole is regrettably shallow, and rough-looking excerpts from such unfinished works as "The Other Side of the Wind" and "The Deep" may leave people unfamiliar with masterpieces like
"Citizen Kane" and "Touch of Evil" puzzled about his legendary status. Clips from "The Merchant of Venice" and much biographical information about Welles help to compensate, though. Directed by Vassili Silovic. S N OTHELLO (R) *** William Shakespeare's towering tragedy about a jealous husband manipulated by an evil companion. Laurence Fishburne gets off to a shaky start as the title character, and director Oliver Parker has trouble integrating the accents of his international cast into a convincing ensemble. His visual style is both pungent and poetic, though, and Kenneth Branagh's insidious Iago is far
and away the best performance of his uneven screen career. Irene Jacob is radiant as Desdemona. S N V *** Accessible, poignant, Fishburne is great. THE PALLBEARER (PG-13) *** Odd circumstances lead to a young man giving the eulogy at the funeral of a fellow student he can't remember having known. Afterward he finds himself involved with two very different women: the mother of the deceased "friend" and an acquaintance he's adored since high school. This ironic comedy-drama is like a milder version of "The Graduate," with David
Schwimmer working hard to equal Dustin Hoffman's star-making performance. The story leads its characters to morally dubious situations, but the outcome reaffirms traditional values. Directed by Matt Reeves with a gentle touch. S P V ** Shallow, trendy, tedious, uninspired. PALOOKAVILLE (R) ** Three young men plan a robbery that they mistakenly think will revitalize their aimless lives, and they totally botch the job. Alan Taylor's dark comedy is amusing but unmemorable. Vincent Gallo, William Forsythe, and Adam Trese head the cast. V P PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS (Not rated) *** Documentary about the prosecution of two teenagers charged with killing three Arkansas third-graders, paying particular attention to media coverage of the event, including the making of this film. Contains a remarkable amount of revealing information about everything from small-town crime to American opinions on the criminal-justice system and the attitudes fostered by evangelical
religion. Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky for HBO. Contains grisly photos and descriptions of a horrible crime. V P N THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (R) *** The story of a real-life pornographer who turned a sleazy magazine into a publishing empire. One of his many battles involved the leader of the Moral Majority organization, who sued the trash-peddler over a vicious parody but lost the case in a unanimous Supreme Court opinion written by one of the most conservative justices. Milos Forman's drama is full of outrageous material that
will offend liberals and conservatives alike, but it's positioned on the cutting edge of contemporary debates about free speech, feminism, and the effects of mass media on modern society. Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love play the title character and his drug-addicted wife. S V N P * Raunchy, maudlin, superficial. A PERFECT CANDIDATE (Not rated) *** Revealing and riveting account of conservative Oliver North's failed campaign for a Virginia seat in the United States Senate. Tautly directed by R.J. Cutler and David Van Taylor. Contains extremely foul language from North's political operatives. P THE PHANTOM (PG) * Billy Zane scampers between New York City and an exotic jungle, scavenging for magic skulls also coveted by all sorts of bad guys. Superman bends steel with his bare hands and Batman has amazing tools, and next to them the Phantom's mere pistols look kind of old-fashioned. At least the dialogue packs an occasional campy laugh, and while there's some nasty violence the picture is
a bit more restrained than much of its mid-'90s competition. Based on the inexplicably popular comic strip. V *** Comic-bookish, raw, scenic beauty. PHENOMENON (PG) *** John Travolta gives a gentle and touching performance as an ordinary man whose brainpower miraculously zooms after a mysterious light-flash from the sky zaps him one night. John Turteltaub directed the drama, which lapses into medical jargon and new-age clichs near the end, but it scores telling points with its respect for intelligence and optimistic view of human potential. V P
S *** Sentimental, gentle, depressing. PICNIC (Not rated) **** Reissue of Joshua Logan's brilliantly filmed 1955 drama about a handsome drifter who blows into a sleepy town just before the big Labor Day celebration, sweeps all the young women off their feet, and leads one of them to change her life forever. William Holden, Kim Novak, Cliff Robertson, and Rosalind Russell head the superb cast, and George Duning composed the irresistible score.
Based on William Inge's play. THE POMPATUS OF LOVE (Not rated) * A playwright, a therapist, and an avant-garde clothing designer are among the characters of this featherweight comedy-drama, which focuses on young New Yorkers who can't stop yakking about their personal and professional problems. Directed by Richard Schenkman from a screenplay he wrote with Jon Cryer and Adam Oliensis, who play two of the main roles. The odd title comes from an
obscure line in a Steve Miller Band rock song. P S V THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (PG-13) **** Jane Campion directed this deeply felt adaptation of Henry James's richly textured novel, about a young woman who jeopardizes her bright future by marrying a self-absorbed man despite signs that he regards her as just one more addition to his collection of beautiful things. Nicole Kidman plays the heroine with intelligence and panache, ably supported by John Malkovich and the
remarkable Barbara Hershey. Laura Jones wrote the briskly energetic screenplay and Stuart Dryburgh did the radiant camera work. S V *** Visually stunning, mysterious, authentic Henry James. THE PREACHER'S WIFE (PG) ** An angel arrives in New York to help a minister who's determined to build an imposing new church, and almost gets sidetracked by his other project of cheering up the clergyman's neglected wife. Based on "The Bishop's Wife," an eccentric Hollywood comedy from 1947, this warm-hearted entertainment gives commendable attention to the importance of religious and family
values in today's African-American community. It never builds much excitement outside the Whitney Houston musical numbers, though, and even appealing stars like Denzel Washington and Gregory Hines seem a little bland. Directed by Penny Marshall. V P *** Heartfelt, family-friendly, great gospel music. PRIMAL FEAR (R) * A hard-nosed attorney defends a nervous young man accused of a vicious crime. The violent story is long on nastiness, short on credibility. Richard Gere provides the star power but Edward Norton gives the best performance. Gregory Hoblit directed. V S N P ** Grisly, graphic, edgy. THE PROPRIETOR (R) * Friendship develops between a young American writer and an aging woman whose lively spirit is troubled by memories of her European past. The story is sometimes ragged and uneven, but the screenplay by Jean-Marie Besset and George Trow explores interesting angles of the social, cultural, and political mixing that characterizes the contemporary world. French actress Jeanne Moreau, still
one of the screen's most lovable icons, heads a varied cast including Sam Waterston, Sean Young, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Austin Pendleton, and Josh Hamilton. Energetically directed by Ismail Merchant. S P PURPLE NOON (PG-13) *** Reissue of Rene Clement's minor classic about a young man who kills a wealthy friend and takes over his identity as well as his bank account. The story is involving and suspenseful, but it falls far short of Patricia Highsmith's original novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley," which has more psychological depth on every page than the movie offers in its whole two hours.
Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, and Marie Laforet star in the French production, first released in 1960 as "Plein Soleil." V THE QUEST (PG-13) * Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme makes his movie-directing debut with this bone-cruncher about an American vying for the grand prize in a Tibetan fighting contest some 70 years ago. Also on hand is Roger Moore, giving a one-note portrayal of a British aristocrat. There are a few catchy sequences and the scenery is lovely, but most of the adventure is aimed at the video-game set. V
P ** Stunning fight scenes, predictable, empty, colorful. RANSOM (R) ** Mel Gibson plays a wealthy businessman whose nine-year-old son is kidnapped by a rogue cop who's less interested in lining his pockets than humbling what he sees as an arrogant aristocrat. Gary Sinise is chilling as the villain, and the screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon shows some interest in class hostility and other social issues, although this doesn't extend far
enough to allow the women of the story a chance to shine in their male-dominated surroundings. Contains much hard-hitting violence, including views of the suffering endured by the young kidnap victim. Ron Howard directed. V P *** Intensely horrifying, gripping, gut-wrenching. RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS (Not rated) **** Three enchanting tales of youthful love and courtship, set against an exquisitely filmed backdrop of Parisian parks, cafes, studios, and museums. The delightfully diverting stories were written and directed by Eric Rohmer, a founding member of France's great New Wave group and still one of Europe's most skillful and sensitive filmmakers. RICHARD III (R) *** Richard Loncraine's harrowing adaptation makes Shakespeare's memorable villain a rising fascist dictator in Europe during the early 1930s. Ian McKellan gives a ferocious performance that makes up in urgency what it lacks in charisma. Annette Bening is less impressive as Queen Elizabeth; there's solid work by John Wood and Jim Broadbent, though. Often brilliant, but contains
explicit violence and a hard-hitting atmosphere. V S *** Brilliant, audacious, understandable. RIDICULE (R) *** In the time of Louis XIV, as revolutionary flames are beginning to sizzle, a French engineer enters the royal court to propose a new drainage and sanitation system that will improve the nation's life immeasurably. But he finds himself surrounded by a network of petty rivalries in which a well-timed witticism can cut down an entire career. Patrice Leconte's dark comedy is
splendidly acted by Jean Rochefort and Fanny Ardant, among others. Look out for some visually jarring scatological humor near the beginning, though. S N P V THE ROCK (R) * A loony general hijacks a pile of poison-gas missiles and stashes them on Alcatraz, threatening to wipe out San Francisco if the government doesn't meet his demands. Can a mild-mannered toxicologist and an eccentric Alcatraz veteran stop him before it's too late? Learning the answer means sitting through more than two hours of violence, vulgarity, and all-around excess, served up
with high-tech trimmings by director Michael Bay. Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery star. Contains a great deal of mayhem and foul language as well as a brief sex scene. V P S ** Mind-numbing, Connery is great, entertaining but some scenes are shockingly violent. ROMEO & JULIET (PG-13) *** William Shakespeare's enduring story of a boy and girl who fall in love despite a bitter feud between their families. Moving the action to a modern American city, the hyperactive movie seems goofy and gimmicky at first, but it acquires real power when the cinematography settles down enough for Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes to do some excellent acting, helped by a superb
supporting cast. Directed by Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, who made the irresistible "Strictly Ballroom." Contains a good deal of raucous violence, though. V S P *** Fast-paced, incredibly creative, intense. ROUJIN Z (PG-13) ** Japanese animated film about a young woman who saves an elderly man from a computerized health-care system that's really a front for a sinister new military operation. Crisply designed and directed, although not as imaginative or exciting as fans of the "Japanimation" genre might wish. Contains violence, vulgar language, and scenes of illness. Devised by Katsuhiro Otomo
and directed by Toshiaki Hontani. V P THE SECRET AGENT (R) ** Ill-suited to his job as "agent provocateur" for a foreign government, a London shopkeeper botches his assigned task of blowing up a famous observatory, bringing tragedy to his family and others. Christopher Hampton's film conveys the basic plot of Joseph Conrad's sinuous novel but loses the book's sardonic tone and psychological depth. Bob Hoskins, Robin Williams,
and Gerard Depardieu play the anarchists, and Patricia Arquette is effective as the main character's beleaguered wife. V S P SECRETS & LIES (R) **** Looking for the biological mother who gave her up for adoption, a middle-class black Englishwoman is surprised to discover that her mom is poor, uneducated, and white. Mike Leigh's sensitive comedy-drama is superbly acted but contains much vulgar language, and some moviegoers may be troubled by its treatment of extramarital sex and promiscuity. P *** Sensitive, realistic, life-affirming. SET IT OFF (R) ** Angry at society for a variety of reasons, four young African-American women decide an influx of cash would solve all their problems, and they set out to pull off a bank robbery. The energetic story makes a case against crime by showing how each escapade has an outcome less happy than the last. In the end, though, the movie shows less interest in teaching lessons than in exploiting the
box-office appeal of violent action. Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, and Vivica A. Fox head the talented cast. Directed by F. Gary Gray. V P S SEVEN (R) *** Two cops, a fresh newcomer, and a jaded veteran track down a serial killer whose grisly crimes echo the seven deadly sins. Although the story isn't original, it's powerfully directed by David Fincher, and Morgan Freeman gives another of his superbly understated performances. Be warned that the picture contains enough horrific details to make it a worthy successor to "The
Silence of the Lambs," which was its inspiration. Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey round out the principle cast. S V P N * Horrifying, repulsive, masterly cinematography. SGT. BILKO (PG) ** "You'll Never Get Rich," starring Phil Silvers as an Army man with a zillion con games up his sleeve, was among TV's most reliably hilarious shows in the 1950s, the golden age of sitcoms. Steve Martin's gift for blending sentiment and cynicism makes him a good Silvers surrogate, but only a few fleeting moments recapture the spark of the old series. Directed by
Jonathan Lynn. P V * Tedious, silly, boring. SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D. (Not rated) O Gross-out comedy about an urban cop who fights crime with help from an ancient Japanese spirit. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz directed the Troma production, which isn't smart or savvy enough to compensate for its racist, sexist, and antihomosexual overtones. S N V P 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. V S SHE'S THE ONE (R) * Comedy about the increasingly strained relationship between two brothers with overlapping marital and romantic problems. Written by, directed by, and starring Edward Burns, who makes little improvement over the glib superficiality of "The Brothers McMullen," his previous picture. P V *** Funny, relationship-oriented, recycled. SHINE (PG-13) *** The fact-based story of a brilliant pianist whose musical gifts are offset by mental and emotional problems, made more severe by conflicts with his father, who never recovered from seeing the Holocaust destroy his family. The movie benefits from an involving story, sparkling music, vivid performances, and an avoidance of easy clichs about music's power to solve every problem in
time for a happy ending. Scott Hicks directed the Australian production. P V A SHORT FILM ABOUT KILLING (Not rated) *** A young thug murders a stranger, goes on trial for the crime, and suffers the death penalty. Krzysztof Kieslowski's relentlessly grim Polish drama, made in 1987, shows random homicide and state-sponsored execution as equally brutal and dehumanizing. Contains explicit violence. V P THE SILENCES OF THE PALACE (Not rated) *** Uncertain how to handle her unwanted pregnancy, a young woman visits friends and relatives in the palace where she grew up as a servant. She remembers the past and reassesses the options allowed her by gradually changing trends in her tradition-bound society. Moufida Tlatli directed this Tunisian drama, which doesn't build much storytelling momentum but sheds light on issues of
feminism, colonialism, and the relationships between personal and political liberty. N V A SINGLE GIRL (Not rated) *** A day in the life of a young French woman who takes a job as housekeeper in a hotel shortly after learning she is pregnant. The movie captures the textures and flavors of everyday Parisian life with uncommon acuteness, thanks to sharp-eyed filmmaking by Benoit Jacquot and fine acting by Virginie Ledoyen and others. Contains a brief moment of extremely graphic sex, meant to convey the
shocking surprises that may be faced by a young person confronting the real world for the first time. S N SLEEPERS (R) * The long, sordid story of four youngsters who get sent to a reform school where they are subjected to terrifying sexual abuse, then grow up and plot a complicated revenge against the guards who were responsible. The excellent cast includes Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Bruno Kirby, and Jason Patric. Barry Levinson's filmmaking style is often imaginative. The
story contains horrific scenes of sexual torture as well as sadistic killings and other disturbing material, though. S V P *** Gripping, emotionally compelling, powerful. SLING BLADE (R) *** A mentally slow man is released from a "nervous hospital" in Arkansas years after he killed his mother and her lover, who shocked him with their immoral behavior. The story has many unsavory elements including some strongly suggested violence, but most of the picture focuses on positive elements such as the hero's capacities for friendship, loyalty, and self-sacrifice.
Directed with skill and compassion by Billy Bob Thornton, who also plays the protagonist. V P SMALL FACES (R) * The setting is Glasgow in the late '60s, and the main characters are three young brothers who get into various tangles with friends, relatives, and members of a dangerous gang that both tempts and terrifies the youngest member of the family. The drama wanders a bit during its first half but develops real emotional power near the end. Directed by Gillies MacKinnon. V P N SOME MOTHER'S SON (R) *** The lives of two very different Irish women are thrown together when their sons are imprisoned for revolutionary violence and join a hunger strike that gains worldwide attention but threatens to kill them both. Helen Mirren is extremely moving as a dedicated pacifist caught between maternal love and her own philosophical convictions. Directed by Terry George. V P SOMEONE ELSE'S AMERICA (Not rated) *** Ethnic diversity receives a rousing, good-humored celebration in this understated comedy-drama about two men, from Spain and former Yugoslavia respectively, seeking slightly better lives in one of Brooklyn's crowded working-class neighborhoods. Tom Conti and Miki Manojlovic are just right as the heroes of the modest but moving yarn. Directed by Goran Paskaljevic. S N V P SONIC OUTLAWS (Not rated) **** Craig Baldwin's wildly inventive documentary tells the complicated tale of an artists' collective called Negativland. It released a record album containing "sampled" music from the rock group U2, and fought a resulting lawsuit by asserting that letters like U and numerals like 2 are public property - and so is the music of a band that sends its products into the
marketplace for everyone to hear. Full of music, spectacle, and ideas, the movie is both an informative study and an excellent example of cut-and-mix culture. P N SPACE JAM (PG) ** The owner of an outer-space theme park kidnaps Bugs Bunny and other cartoon characters, and they enlist Michael Jordan to help them in a basketball match that will free them if they win. The movie's mixture of animation and live action is fun, but don't expect the surprising story or thoughtful theme of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which set the standard for this sort of
romp. Bill Murray, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, and the voice of Danny DeVito round out the cast. Directed by Joe Pytka. V P ** Disappointing, unoriginal, formulaic. THE SPITFIRE GRILL (PG-13) ** Just released from prison, a young woman moves into a small New England community, takes a job at a modest restaurant, and puts together a new life that helps uplift many of the people around her. The story's traditional moral values are refreshing to encounter in today's movie atmosphere, but the film would be more effective if it seemed less calculated and sentimental. P
V **** Thoughtful, endearing, optimistic. SPY HARD (PG-13) ** Yet another Leslie Nielsen movie parody, targeted this time at James Bond pictures and their spinoffs. Most of the laughs come near the beginning, before Rick Friedberg's klutzy directing becomes annoyingly monotonous. Andy Griffith and Charles Durning lend the satire a bit of class as a supervillain and a spymaster. V P ** Slapstick, vulgar, laugh out loud. STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (PG-13) ** The crew of the Enterprise travels backward in time, staves off hostile invaders, and protects an eccentric inventor while he perfects the new warp-speed device that will transform life on Earth and make star-trek adventures possible. The action is carefully calculated to captivate a wide audience while allowing hard-core trekkies to savor nuances of plot and personality. Moviegoers
with only a casual interest in this series won't find much that's new or different, though. Jonathan Frakes directed. V P *** Intelligent, entertaining, best Trek yet. STEALING BEAUTY (R) ** A young American comes of age while visiting old friends of her parents in the Italian countryside. Bernardo Bertolucci's romantic drama has great visual beauty but little new to say about life or love. Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Jean Marais, and newcomer Liv Tyler head the cast. Contains explicit sex and a frequently sensual atmosphere. S N P ** Picturesque, voyeuristic, slow. STRIPTEASE (R) * After losing her secretarial job, a woman becomes a stripper to support her daughter. She caters to the whims of a demented politician in hopes of regaining custody of the child from her ex-husband, a petty crook. Andrew Bergman's comedy is aggressively vulgar every chance it gets and surprisingly violent to boot. Demi Moore, Burt Reynolds, and Ving Rhames head the cast. N V
P * Daft, excessive, boring. STONEWALL (R) * The time is 1969, shortly before a police raid on a New York bar gave new force to the movement for gay civil rights; the main characters are homosexual men coping with various personal and romantic problems. The late Nigel Finch directed the drama, which would be more involving if it did a better job of integrating its fictional stories with the political issues raised by the Stonewall
incident itself. V S P THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE (R) *** Isaac has devoted his life to publishing serious books in a meticulous way, but now his children want to turn the business in a more popular direction. His anger about this is worsened by encroaching illness and reawakened memories of his past as a Jewish child fleeing Nazi terrors. This sensitive, sometimes troubling family drama is one of the rare movies dealing with intelligent
adults tackling lifelike problems. Daniel Sullivan directed from a screenplay by Jon Robin Baitz, based on his play. Ron Rifkin, Timothy Hutton, and Sarah Jessica Parker head the very good cast. Contains vulgar language, sexual innuendo, and graphic scenes of illness. P V SUNCHASER (R) * After being diagnosed with a grave illness, a young man abducts a skilled surgeon and forces him into a long, frantic flight away from the authorities and toward a distant place where he hopes he can be cured. Michael Cimino directed this action-filled chase picture, which tries to add substance with touches of "new age" mysticism but winds up seeming utterly inconsequential
all the same. Woody Harrelson, Jon Seda, and Anne Bancroft star. V P S SUNSET PARK (R) ** Rhea Perlman plays the white female coach of a black male basketball team at an inner-city high school. Like every scrappy coach in the history of movies, she gets involved in the personal lives of her players while boosting their morale for the big game at the climax. Although a few scenes develop human interest, it's mostly one clich after another. Steve Gomer directed. P
V *** Fairly realistic, hopeful, unpredictable. SURVIVING PICASSO (R) ** Pablo Picasso's work combined intellectual rigor with emotional richness, and James Ivory's glowingly filmed drama captures the tempestuous energy of his talent along with the powerful charisma of his personality. By focusing on his relationship with a long-term lover in the years after World War II, it also captures his weakness for domineering behaviors that exemplified male
chauvinism in its most obnoxious forms. Anthony Hopkins plays Picasso in one of his most vivid performances. Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. N S P *** A Hopkins triumph, captivating, well-written. SWINGERS (R) ** A struggling actor reaches for success in Hollywood while pining away for a former girlfriend he left in New York. Jon Favreau wrote the screenplay and gives a sharp comic performance as the unhappy hero. The film con- tains foul language and strong sexual innuendo, though. Directed and photographed by Doug Liman. S P V THE SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (R) * Reissue of Jack Hill's cheaply made melodrama about an all-girl gang, first released in 1975. The action has a certain campy energy, but its obsession with sexual violence is extremely offensive. V P S N TARGET (Not rated) *** In failing health after a life of excess, an upper-caste Indian landowner hires an untouchable servant to take his place in the hunting parties that are his favorite pastime. Directed by Sandip Ray from the last screenplay completed by his late father, master filmmaker Satyajit Ray, this vividly filmed drama is at once a gripping psychological fable and a thoughtful allegory on class
stratification in contemporary India. V P THAT THING YOU DO! (PG) *** Four young Pennsylvanians start a Beatles-type rock band in the mid-'60s and hope they'll achieve fame with help from a smooth-talking record producer. Tom Hanks makes his directorial debut with this likable comedy, which shows that while pop culture is a business like any other, enthusiasm and high spirits can lead to satisfaction even if major success proves elusive. Tom
Everett Scott, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, and Ethan Embry play the leads, helped by Liv Tyler as a long-suffering girlfriend (with little to do in this mostly male story) and Hanks as the recording exec. P *** Optimistic, fun nostalgia trip, enthusiastic. THIEVES (LES VOLEURS) (R) ** This complicated thriller by respected French filmmaker Andre Techine centers on a detective who investigates the murder of his criminal brother, meanwhile recalling his sexual relationship with the brother's accomplice. The story offers more fast-moving intrigue than heartfelt emotion, but star performances by Daniel Auteuil and Catherine Deneuve lend it additional depth. Contains
explicit sex and violence. S N V P THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD (R) * Seeing this movie isn't one of them. Accepting one last job, a retired hit man finds himself on the wrong side of a vicious enemy, and the outcome is like a nincompoop version of "The Usual Suspects," which unfolds a some-what similar story with more success on every level. Gary Fleder directed Scott Rosenberg's screenplay. Andy Garcia and Christopher Walken head the
unfortunate cast. Contains much violence and other unpleasant stuff. S N V P THREE LIVES AND ONLY ONE DEATH (Not rated) ** Marcello Mastroianni plays the main character, whose identity shifts among different forms - a millionaire working as a servant, a husband who never returns from a simple errand, and so forth - all based on myths drawn from modern city life. The surprising story was directed by Raul Ruiz, one of today's most innovative filmmakers. P V A TIME TO KILL (R) ** A white attorney defends a black worker on trial in a Mississippi town for killing the men who abducted and raped his young daughter. There's strong acting by Matthew McConaughey as the lawyer, Samuel L. Jackson as the defendant, and Sandra Bullock as a law student eager to help, among others. But the drama's attack on racism would be more persuasive if it rejected vigilante
justice and recognized that hatred and violence of all kinds must be condemned if evils like bigotry are ever to be eradicated. Directed by Joel Schumacher and based on John Grisham's popular novel. V S P *** Riveting, unsettling, surprisingly witty. TIN CUP (R) * Kevin Costner plays a golf pro who's loaded with talent but hasn't got a disciplined bone in his body. Can he clean up his act and win the US Open, thereby impressing the psychologist he's fallen in love with and putting her present boyfriend - a conceited golf star - in his place? Ron Shelton's romantic comedy has no more visual excitement than a televised golf
tournament, but the climax is truly surprising, and there's solid acting by Don Johnson and Cheech Marin. P S N V *** Exciting sports scenes, romantic, witty, excessive alcohol. TRAINSPOTTING (R) ** The life and times of several young Scottish drug addicts. It's hard to recall a movie that etches the horrors of drug dependence more shatteringly than this British tragicomedy, which Danny Boyle has directed with ferocious energy. But moviegoers should be strongly warned that it contains over-the-top vulgarity of every description in nearly every scene. S V N P ** Iconoclastic, jarring; ranges from the hilarious to the horrific; compelling but difficult to watch. TREES LOUNGE (R) *** The gifted young actor Steve Buscemi wrote, directed, and stars in this low-key drama about a working-class man who uses alcohol, drugs, and flirtation as escape routes from his shabby life. At times the movie seems as lackadaisical as its hero, but its purpose is ultimately to expose the futility of the aimless living it depicts, and the acting by Samuel L. Jackson and others is
insightful and compassionate. In all, an impressive filmmaking debut. V P THE TRIGGER EFFECT (R) * Power and telephone lines go haywire and so do the people caught in the disaster, fleeing town or barricading themselves in their homes and buying guns to shoot anyone who seems too threatening. A couple of effective suspense scenes can't outweigh the silliness and senselessness of the overall story. Kyle MacLachlan and Elisabeth Shue star. Written and directed by David Koepp. V P
S ** Intense, thought-provoking, disturbing, reveals powerful insight into human nature. A TRUE AMERICAN (Not rated) * The conscience of a government employee is tested when he finds himself connected with a coverup involving toxic waste and dangerously tainted agricultural products. The film discusses urgently important topics, linking international-trade issues with simmering racial tensions inside the American power structure. Unfortunately, the acting and filmmaking are sadly weak throughout the
movie, which was written and directed by Paul Roberts on a shoestring budget. V P S THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS & DOGS (PG-13) *** Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman make a bright-eyed comedy team in this romance about a handsome photographer who falls in love with the voice of a radio veterinarian and the face of an air-headed model, mistakenly thinking they're the same ideal woman. Directed by comedy specialist Michael Lehmann. Contains a fairly explicit phone-sex scene. S P V *** Warm, lightweight; one disconcerting scene. TWELFTH NIGHT (PG) *** William Shakespeare's popular romance spins comic webs about twins separated by a shipwreck, a countess who's sworn off men for seven years, and a power struggle in her household involving several hilariously obnoxious characters. Trevor Nunn's lively interpretation makes the play into a witty meditation on the need to overcome gender stereotypes. Ben Kingsley, Helena
Bonham Carter, Nigel Hawthorne, and Imogen Stubbs head the cast. V *** Clever, feisty, creative replay of a classic. TWELVE MONKEYS (R) **** In a future society driven underground by a deadly epidemic, a convict travels into the bygone year of 1996, where a bizarre animal-rights group may hold clues to the illness's cause and cure. Bruce Willis is bruisingly good as the hero and Brad Pitt is suitably zany as the activist who dogs his trail. Directed by Monty Python comedy-troupe veteran Terry Gilliam, whose talent for
vivid imagery fills every shot with an anarchic energy that's manically appropriate to the unpredictable plot. Contains violence and vulgarity. V P *** Dark, apocalyptic, thought-provoking. TWISTER (PG-13) ** A handsome scientist spends half his time studying tornadoes from a front-row seat, the other half wobbling between his about-to-be-divorced wife and his new girlfriend. Audiences may howl at the hackneyed plot and dialogue, but you won't hear them over the Dolby sound effects assaulting your eardrums at a gazillion decibels. Directed by Jan de Bont, who made "Speed" last
year and will reach escape velocity soon if he keeps accelerating at this pace. Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt head the windblown cast. People living in real tornado zones may not be amused by the thriller's exploitative attitude. V P *** Visual wow! Comical thriller, lame plot. 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY (R) * A murder scheme goes wildly wrong, affecting a motley cast of characters including the killer, his bumbling henchman, a suicidal filmmaker, a compassionate nurse, a high-strung executive, and his long-suffering assistant, all of whom converge on a single Southern California house. The story has some laughs along with over-the-top violence and vulgarity. The cast includes James Spader,
Danny Aiello, Marsha Mason, Glenne Headly, Jeff Daniels, Paul Mazursky, and Eric Stoltz. Directed by John Herzfeld. S V N 2 FRIENDS (Not rated) *** The first feature film directed by Jane Campion, who went on to make popular dramas like "Sweetie" and "The Piano," etches the friendship between two teenage Australian girls with skill, sensitivity, and compassion. Also noteworthy is Helen Garner's screenplay, which borrows an idea from Harold Pinter and unfolds its slender but resonant story in reverse order,
starting with the conclusion and then moving steadily backward in time. Produced in 1986 for Australian television. TWO DEATHS (Not rated) * While revolution rages in a Romanian city, several men hold an impassioned conversation that exposes many of the social and personal dysfunctions leading to war, exploitation, and other ills. Michael Gambon and Sonia Braga lead the cast. Vigorously directed by Nicolas Roeg. Contains sexuality and some graphic views of wartime carnage. S V N P TWO IF BY SEA (R) ** This could have been a classic comedy of manners in the style of "My Cousin Vinny," with two working-class art thieves trying to lie low in a rich Rhode Island resort town. Denis Leary and Sandra Bullock manage to be likable, but nothing they say is particularly interesting, and a good deal of it is unprintable. You won't walk out of the theater, but you'll wish you
waited for it to come out on video. P N S By Scott Baldauf ** Predictable, cute, a rental. TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (R) *** Revival of Monte Hellman's minor 1971 classic about two car-crazed drifters and an aimless yuppie who race their souped-up autos across the Southwest, meeting new acquaintances and wallowing in existential angst. Much of the acting is barely recognizable as such, but the movie provides a vivid portrait of styles, attitudes, and behaviors once considered quintessentially cool. James
Taylor and Warren Oates star. P S TWO MUCH (PG-13) ** Antonio Banderas pretends to be twins so he can romance two very different sisters - feisty Melanie Griffith and thoughtful Daryl Hannah - while evading thugs hired by Danny Aiello, his victim in a recent con-man scheme. The cast also includes Eli Wallach as the hero's father, Joan Cusack as his assistant, and Austin Pendleton as a befuddled psychiatrist. But while the cast is
loaded with talent, the jokes often fall flat, and the story rambles on longer than the paper-thin plot requires. Directed by Fernando Trueba. S N V P THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (Not rated) **** Reissue of Jacques Demy's classic French tale about a young couple who drift into very different lives after their love is thwarted by tricks of time and circumstance. All the dialogue is sung, but few Hollywood-style musicals ever wove beauty, irony, and sadness into such a bittersweet emotional tapestry. Michael Legrand composed the haunting music, and Jean Rabier did the
exquisite cinematography. The picture was hugely popular with American audiences in 1964, and seems even more compelling today. Catherine Deneuve heads the cast. UNDER THE DOMIM TREE (Not rated) *** Affecting story of girls growing up during the 1950s in an Israeli boarding school for youngsters cut off from their families by the Holocaust and its horrors. Eli Cohen directed the Israeli production from a screenplay he wrote with Eyal Sher and Gila Almagor, based on Almagor's own experiences. P V N UNFORGETTABLE (R) * Great title for a movie you'll forget before you leave the theater. Troubled cop Ray Liotta injects himself with brilliant scientist Linda Fiorentino's memory serum to get the goods on his wife's killer. The plot is corny, contrived, and sometimes crazy; only the lyrical ending provides a minute or two worth watching. Directed by thriller specialist John Dahl, leagues below
his best form. Contains much graphic violence. V P N UNHOOK THE STARS (R) * Lonely after her family members disperse in different directions, an aging woman helps care for a neighbor's child, and the experience helps her take new initiatives in her own life. Gena Rowlands is wonderful as always in the leading role, clearly enjoying the opportunity to act in the first movie directed by Nick Cassavetes, her son. But the picture as a whole seems calculated and
predictable, diminishing the impact of its able performances. Also featuring Marisa Tomei and Gerard Depardieu. P V UP CLOSE & PERSONAL (PG-13) ** Robert Redford plays a veteran TV newsman with a handsome face, an impressive resume, and a dubious record of broken marriages. Michelle Pfeiffer plays an eager new journalist with a pretty face, a mostly faked resume, and more interest in reporting than romance - until she meets our hero, and they become teammates both in and out of the newsroom. This promising material is undermined
by a meandering screenplay and slow-motion directing by Jon Avnet. S V P ** Unconvincing, mushy, no chemistry between stars. UP/DOWN/FRAGILE (Not rated) *** Jacques Rivette, a founding member of France's historic New Wave movement and still one of Europe's greatest filmmakers, pays an amiable tribute to Hollywood musicals in this laid-back romance about three very different women whose paths cross in various Parisian locations. The movie's real concerns are time, identity, and the slippery path between reality and illusion.
Spectators not in an intellectual mood can simply settle back and enjoy the song-and-dance routines. V VERTIGO (PG) **** Reissue of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece about a retired detective (James Stewart) who falls in love with a mysterious woman (Kim Novak) while trying to discover what ghostly force is driving her toward suicide. First released in 1958, this is the most profound work by one of world cinema's greatest artists, skillfully restored to its original big-screen splendor. V **** Gripping, complex, provocative. A VERY BRADY SEQUEL (PG-13) ** The lovable Brady family is still stuck in a 1970s time warp, oblivious to the changing world around them. They're easy prey for a crook who tries to con them by pretending to be Mrs. Brady's first husband, lost at sea years ago. The comedy has some mischievous laughs, but it's less original than the first Brady movie and relies on a considerable amount of sexual innuendo
about the teenagers of the family. V P ** Funny, groovy, farcical, tired. THE VISITORS (R) * Relentlessly silly comedy about a medieval knight and a bumbling servant who're abruptly transplanted to the 20th century. The humor is fast, furious, and vulgar. Jean Reno and Christian Clavier star, but Valerie Lemercier steals the show as their quick-talking modern friend. Jean-Marie Poire directed the farce, originally called "Les Visiteurs" and a record-breaking hit in
its native France. P V S VIVE L'AMOUR (Not rated) ** French title, Taiwanese movie. The main characters are a real-estate broker and two largely aimless men who form a love triangle even though they only occasionally cross one another's paths. Stylishly directed by Tsai Ming-Liang, who seems more interested in shots of Taipei than in the people of the tale. Contains explicit sex. S N V VUKOVAR (Not rated) * A modern version of "Romeo and Juliet," focusing on a Croatian woman and a Serbian man who marry just before civil war erupts in Yugoslavia, separating them. The drama doesn't have as much emotional impact as one would hope, but it's a vivid reminder of war's unspeakable consequences. Directed by Boro Draskovic in Vukovar, a bombed-out border town where Serbs and
Croats used to intermarry without a second thought. V S N P 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 sentiment coated with syrupy music and familiar story twists. The good cast includes Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Gregory Hines and Giancarlo Esposito. Contains sex scenes. P S *** Funny, opinionated, poignant. WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE BEST OF AARDMAN ANIMATION (NOT RATED) *** A collection of British cartoons. The grand finale, "A Close Shave," won an Academy Award for best animated short with its amusing story of a rather dull inventor and his dog tracking down a flock of kidnapped sheep. Other entries include a hilarious interview session with zoo animals and a sharp satire of children's TV shows that contain too much violence. In all, uneven
but lively. Directed by Nick Park and others. V *** Action-packed, very British, hilarious. THE WAR AT HOME (R) * A household is deeply shaken when one of its members, a Vietnam veteran still suffering from traumatic memories of the war, succumbs to mental strain as his family prepares a Thanksgiving celebration. The story wants to expose the shallowness of middle-class American society for refusing to face the harsh consequences of an unjust war, but its purpose is undermined by stagy dialogue and
pacing so slow that dramatic tension dribbles away long before the end. Directed by Emilio Estevez, who also plays the troubled vet. The director's real-life father, Martin Sheen, plays the main character's dad. Kathy Bates and Kimberly Williams are very convincing as the women of the story. Written by James Duff, based on his stage play. P V WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (R) *** The heroine is an 11-year-old girl who's not as pretty or popular as the other kids in 7th grade. Todd Solondz's movie begins like a suburban ugly-duckling tale with many comic overtones, but it grows darker as it goes along, evoking dangers that youngsters must be alert to in today's world - from drugs to child abuse - and showing how cruel children can be to one another
when grownups aren't around. Moviegoers should be strongly warned that the film contains sexual material and a great deal of extremely foul language spoken by its young cast. P V S *** Provocative, endearing, brings back memories. WHEN PIGS FLY (Not rated) *** An eccentric jazz musician makes the unexpected acquaintance of two ghosts, a woman and a little girl who lived very different lives a century apart. The story is a mere trifle, but it's energized by solid performances from Alfred Molina as the musician, Marianne Faithfull as the older ghost, and the wonderful Seymour Cassell as the villain. Sara Driver directed and Robby Muller
did the fine-looking camera work. V THE WHITE BALLOON (Not rated) **** A little girl sets off to buy a new goldfish for her New Year's Day celebration, loses the money her mother has reluctantly provided, and races the clock to complete her mission before the shops close for a long holiday. Directed by newcomer Jafar Panahi, this Iranian comedy is charming and winning every step of the way, and shows unusual cinematic imagination by unfolding its
story in real time. WHITE SQUALL (PG-13) ** Based on real events, this old-fashioned boys' adventure details the troubled voyage of a square-rigged sailing ship run by a salty adventurer-turned-teacher and crewed by 13 teenagers learning responsibility and teamwork on the high seas. The psychology of the story is shallow, but the action scenes pack a good visual punch. Jeff Bridges leads the mostly young cast. Directed by
action specialist Ridley Scott. V S P WHO KILLED PASOLINI? (Not rated) *** Poet, novelist, and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini was among the most noteworthy figures in postwar Italian culture, but his violent death was shrouded in mystery and innuendo related to his open homosexuality. This capably made docudrama suggests his murder was encouraged by government figures outraged at his intolerance for corruption and dishonesty. Marco Tullio Giordana directed the
Italian production. V S N THE WIFE (Not rated) *** A long, sometimes-crazy evening with two psychotherapists and a troubled couple that's dropped in for dinner. All the characters are a few degrees out-of-kilter, but filmmaker Tom Noonan digs into their personalities with the same insight, humor, and compassion he showed in his previous picture, the excellent "What Happened Was ..." Wallace Shawn, Julie Hagerty, Karen
Young, and the multi-talented Noonan provide the splendid performances. P THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD (PG) *** Robert E. Howard was a limited but lively pulp-fiction writer of the Depression era, inventing wild-and-woolly characters like Conan the Barbarian while living an introverted life in the Texas plains, where he loved and lost an aspiring author who couldn't quite enter her friend's exotic inner world. Dan Ireland directed this smart, sensitive drama from a screenplay by Michael
Scott Meyers; based on a memoir by Howard's long-ago girlfriend, it entertainingly captures the contrasts between his overripe prose and the gentler inflections of his all-American surroundings. Vincent D'Onofrio and Renee Zellweger are close to perfect as the romantic couple. V P THE YOUNG POISONER'S HANDBOOK (Not rated) *** Pitch-dark comedy about a young man whose enthusiasm for chemistry and murder makes him a menace to his family and friends. Imaginatively directed by Benjamin Ross, who wrote the screenplay with Jeff Rawle, based on a real case history. Snazzily photographed by Hubert Taczanowski, but contains graphic scenes of illness and death. V P This section was compiled, edited, and designed by Jane Lampmann, Jennifer Wolcott, Judy Nichols, Lisa Parney, Pamela Lowe, Jewel Simmons, David Herring, Leigh Montgomery, Yvonne Zipp, and Suman Bandrapalli. Family Films Looking for a movie to share with the whole family? Choose one of these Monitor favorites, and be sure to gauge age-appropriateness with our guide. Rated G: The Adventures of Pinocchio Giant Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Leopard Son Microcosmos Muppet Treasure Island Oliver & Company 101 Dalmatians Rated PG: Alaska Cold Comfort Farm Emma Flipper Fly Away Home Harriet The Spy James and the Giant Peach Kazaam Matilda Mr. Holland's Opus The Preacher's Wife That Thing You Do! Twelfth Night Not Rated The White Balloon Four-Star Films of 1996 Twenty-six movies won the highest rating during the year from our reviewers. Both Monitor critic and staff panel: Muppet Treasure Island (G) Vertigo (PG) Monitor critic David Sterritt: Breathless (not rated) Cold Comfort Farm (PG) Dead Man (R) From the Journals of Jean Seberg (not rated) Giant (G) Institute Benjamenta (not rated) L5: First City In Space (not rated) Life of Oharu (not rated) Microcosmos (G) North by Northwest (not rated) Picnic (not rated) The Portrait of a Lady Rendezvous in Paris (not rated) Secrets and Lies (R) Sonic Outlaws (not rated) Twelve Monkeys (R) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (not rated) The White Balloon (not rated) Monitor staff panel: The Adventures of Pinocchio (G) Emma (PG) Fly Away Home (PG) James and the Giant Peach (PG) Jane Eyre (PG) Michael Collins (R) 101 Dalmatians (G) The Spitfire Grill (PG-13) Monitor Survey Results Reader Ratings HOW did your picks fare? This scorecard will tell you how readers voted for 50 of the year's most popular movies. After tallying some 400 ballots, we averaged star ratings to come up with precise rankings. This resulted in many ties and, surprisingly, not a single four-star film. Total votes represent the number of ballots marked for that particular film. Average Rating Movie Title Total Votes 1. 3.4 Emma 150 2. 3.2 Big Night 94 Fly Away Home 99 The Spitfire Grill 81 3. 3.1 Cold Comfort Farm 102 Secrets and Lies 56 4. 3.0 Fargo 137 Courage Under Fire 115 5. 2.8 The Hunchback of Notre Dame 77 Phenomenon 124 Ransom 81 6. 2.7 James and the Giant Peach 75 That Thing You Do! 76 A Time to Kill 113 The Truth About Cats and Dogs 141 7. 2.6 The Birdcage 170 Matilda 48 Sleepers 57 8. 2.5 Giant 32 Lone Star 57 The Long Kiss Goodnight 39 Picnic 24 Primal Fear 71 The Rock 117 Romeo and Juliet 57 Twelve Monkeys 107 The White Balloon 31 9. 2.4 The First Wives Club 144 The Ghost and the Darkness 56 Independence Day 177 Mission: Impossible 159 Muppet Treasure Island 52 10. 2.3 Dragonheart 74 Executive Decision 91 Homeward Bound 2 41 Twister 146 11. 2.2 Eraser 80 The Leopard Son 15 Tin Cup 79 Up Close and Personal 104 12. 2.1 Happy Gilmore 49 13. 2.0 Harriet the Spy 34 14. 1.8 Jack 41 The Nutty Professor 65 15. 1.6 Spy Hard 24 16. 1.4 The Cable Guy 49 17. 1.3 Striptease 49 18. 1.0 Broken Arrow 8 L5: First City in Space 96 Sonic Outlaws 8 Reader Favorites We asked readers to name the film they enjoyed most this year and briefly tell why. Responses were sometimes surprising, but always thoughtful and enthusiastic. Here's a sampling of what you told us: Tin Cup This movie was like eating a hamburger and fries at the greasy spoon and taking the taste of the food and the whole surroundings in. "Tin Cup" is a movie you remember and think about when you see or smell or hear or touch or taste that particular thing. Like a good read, it was a good view. - Randy Ewing Jenks, Okla. Secrets and Lies Excellent acting and photography. Witty. Shows love and support can produce healing results. - M. Rowell Waterville, Maine Mission: Impossible It may not have been the action movie people were expecting, but it satisfied my craving for a good spy film with lots of gadgets and intrigue. Tom Cruise helped sway my vote, of course. - Ellen Sprague Godfrey, Ill. Harriet the Spy I felt it was truly told (filmed) from a child's viewpoint. - M. Holleman Houston Phenomenon A reaffirmation of the human spirit in an otherwise bleak movie landscape. - George Faithorn Mount Shasta, Calif. The Spitfire Grill "The Spitfire Grill" was my favorite film in 1996 because it tells a wonderful story about a woman and a community on a shared path of redemption and renewal. It reminds us how much we take our communities for granted. - Walt Aikman Auburn, N.Y. Romeo & Juliet A great mix of the modern and the master! Sweet, telling, and true to the Bard. - Robert D. Doleman Honolulu Big Night I have never seen a movie that so beautifully evoked all of the qualities I love in theater and fine food! - Storey Hieronymus South Boston, Mass. Cold Comfort Farm It was pleasantly amusing without the need for vulgarity or violence. - Bile Greene Philadelphia The Truth About Cats and Dogs Cute romantic story a la "Cyrano." Uma Thurman's acting-class scene where she savors dessert is a stitch. Radio-vet heroine is supposed to be unattractive compared to beautiful friend Uma, but really, she is good-looking enough to be in the movies, isn't she? - Pat Laub Meadville, Pa. Emma The drama of everyday emotions and characters is more exciting than any "action" film I've ever seen. Beautiful and moving. - Kim McQuiston Glen Ellyn, Ill. Fly Away Home "Fly Away Home," with its aerial scenes, provided a powerful message about the rhythm of the seasons, and of being in touch with nature - something becoming more and more difficult as our society becomes increasingly technology-reliant. - Madeleine Johnson San Luis Obispo, Calif. Fargo Despite the grisly features of "Fargo," I would watch this movie again for its humor and farcical view of American life. "Fargo" provided amazement and humor through its use of photography, stock characters, story line, and the Minnesota dialect, which friends tell me is how they really sound in Minnesota. - Annette Rude Kansas City, Kan. Lone Star Intriguing plot with characters I really cared about. No Hollywood formulas. - Charlie Hayward Grass Valley, Calif. The English Patient It was like watching a carefully crafted book unfold. Rich characters, beautiful story, elegant music, glorious cinematography, and intense acting. The first movie to leave me speechless since "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago." An epic. "The English Patient" will prove to be the best film of the decade. - Veronica Anne Sevcik Washington Top-Grossing Films Of the Year As of Dec. 16 Opened US Gross Foreign 1. Independence Day, (FOX) July 3 $306,124,05 $413,191,926 2. Twister (Warner Bros.) May 10 $241,708,908 $220,741,9733. Mission: Impossible (Paramount) May 22 $180,937,468 $226,896,7964. The Rock (Buena Vista) June 7 $134,067,443 $188,779,3555. The Nutty Professor (Universal) June 28 $128,794,050 $115,523,2206. The Birdcage (MGM/United Artists) March 8 $124,000,610 $57,745,7647. Ransom (Buena Vista) Nov. 8 $117,504,943 $13,008,9248. A Time To Kill (Warner Bros.) July 24 $108,706,165 $36,948,0219. Phenomenon (Buena Vista) July 3 $104,347,034 $44,275,36010. The First Wives Club (Paramount) Sept. 20 $101,684,873 $22,575,547- Provided by Exhibitor Relations Co., Los Angeles.The DudsAmerican Strays (R)Barb Wire (R)Bio-Dome (PG-13)Eye for an Eye (R)Fear (R)Getting Away With Murder (R)Highway of Heartache (not rated)If Lucy Fell (R)Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (not rated)These films earned a "Forget it" rating from either Monitor critic David Sterritt or the staff panel.
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