2002 Mega Movie Guide
(Page 31 of 49)
Sterritt **** A little knowledge can be a wonderful thing, or so it seems to the hero of this delightful comedy-drama. He's an Indian man living in Trinidad, where his smattering of book learning brings him enough local prestige to become first a masseur and healer, then a small-time writer, and then an aspiring politician - though each step up the ladder of success doesn't necessarily bring more of the personal happiness he's in search of.
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Sex/Nudity: 1 instance of innuendo. Violence: 1 mild scene. Profanity: 11 expressions. Drugs: At least 8 scenes with smoking or drinking.
Director: Joe Carnahan. With Jason Patric, Ray Liotta, Chi McBride, Busta Rhymes. (105 min)
Sterritt * A young cop with a bad career history (Patric) rejoins the force, teaming with a violence-prone colleague (Liotta) who's under investigation for a long list of abuses. The movie is designed to show off Liotta's acting skills, but pointless mayhem and sheer nastiness crowd out any virtues it might have had.
Director: Walt Becker. With Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Kal Penn. (95 min.)
Staff * Van loves being big man on campus so much he's been an undergraduate for nearly seven years. Truth is, he's afraid to try his people skills in the real world. What shakes him out of it is a serious-minded journalism major trying to crown her college career with a story on him. What could've been an off-the-wall comedy collapses under its own excesses as these two hatch obscene revenge plots against her vacuous boyfriend. By M.K. Terrell
Sex/Nudity: 48 instances of innuendo and implied sex. Violence: 5 instances. Profanity: About 30 harsh expressions. Drugs: 13 scenes with drinking and smoking, including 1 instance of drug use.
Director: Godfrey Reggio. (89 min.)
Sterritt **** All three parts of Reggio's adventurous "qatsi" trilogy are free-association documentaries exploring the idea that humanity has fallen out of balance with the natural world and needs to realign its psychological and spiritual priorities if it is to survive and prosper. This last installment focuses on "life as war," but the shimmering beauty of Reggio's images and the pulsing allure of Philip Glass's music suggest an optimistic prognosis for our uncertain future.
Sex/Nudity: None. Violence: 14 scenes, including police clubbing people, nuclear explosions. Profanity: None. Drugs: 1 scene of smoking.
Director: Edward Decter. With D.J. Qualls, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Griffin, Eliza Dushku. (100 min.)
Staff *1/2 Dizzy Gillespie Harrison (Qualls) is a high school senior who stretches the boundaries of geekiness, until a convict teaches him you don't need a magic wand, a spider bite to be cool - you just need an attitude. His newfound charisma inspires a whole school to greatness. Now all he needs is a little humility. An earnest young cast brings welcome freshness, but rationality and cohesiveness skipped class. By M.K. Terrell
Sex/Nudity: 6 instances, mostly innuendo. Violence: 12 scenes with violence. Profanity: 44 harsh expressions. Drugs: 1 scene with alcohol.
Director: Douglas McGrath. With Charlie Hunnam, Anne Hathaway, Jim Broadbent. (133 min)
Sterritt *** Large-scale adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel about a young man who encounters a motley list of friends and foes while trying to rescue his family from poverty. Some portions of the film are a Dickensian delight, especially when Broadbent's slimy Squeers and Tom Courtenay's good-natured Noggs are on the screen. But Hunnam isn't up to the title role. It's an uneven film, but Dickens admirers shouldn't miss it.
Director: Fabián Bielinsky. With Gastón Pauls, Ricardo Darin, Leticia Brédice. (115 min.)
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