Narc (R)
A veteran narcotics detective (Ray Liotta) and a younger undercover narc (Jason
Patric)
search for the killer of a fellow officer. They yell at their superiors, beat suspects
and argue with their wives. If you like dark, ass-kicking, shoot-em-up cop flicks, this
isn't a bad one. I just don't see the point in watching these films unless they are
great. 105 minutes.
National Lampoon's Van Wilder (R)
Animal House this ain't. Ryan Reynolds stars as the smug Van Wilder, a
seventh year undergrad who also happens to be a popular campus wheeler-dealer.
Genetic lottery winner Tara Reid (Josie And The Pussycats) co-stars as a
journalism student who is assigned to do a story on Wilder for the school
newspaper. Van Wilder is unbelievably gross and the film doesn't break
any new ground but it is sometimes funny in an admittedly juvenile way. I can
really only recommend this film to people who dream of getting their learner's
permit during lulls in WWF telecasts. But then, their parents shouldn't let them
see this. Also starring Tom Everett Scott (pick two names dude) and Tim
Matheson (Animal House) as Van's dad. 95 minutes.
The New World
(PG13)
The year is 1607. A group of brave men sailing from England have
landed on the shores of what will eventually be known as Virginia.
The Native Americans that they encounter are at first curious and
then hostile when they realize that these strange smelling white
people are not only staying but there are more coming. This
beautiful and visually realistic film is long and slow and given the
historical material that they have to work with, incredibly nothing
much happens. Case in point: Early on during the Brit's first
winter, we see a group of Natives bringing the starving settlers
freshly killed deer and wild turkeys as well as pumpkins and corn. I
guess that director Terrence Malick thought that we didn't actually
need to see the first Thanksgiving Dinner ever! Then again, with no
football game on in the background, it wouldn't really be
Thanksgiving anyway. The one good thing to come out of this movie is
that finally Q'Orianka Kilcher (Pocahontas) will become a household
name. Also starring Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer and Jewish
Bale. 135 minutes.
The Night Listener
(R)
A restless and unhappy radio talk show host (Robin Williams)
befriends a young boy who has been sexually abused and recently
diagnosed with AIDS. Since they have only spoken over the phone, the
possibility exists that the boy does not really exist and is in fact
a cruel hoax perpetrated by a woman (Toni Collette) who claims to be
his mother. A lame "thriller" that Williams should have avoided but
the paycheck will probably last a lot longer than the movie. 82
minutes.
Nine Lives (R)
Nine vignettes, captured in that crappy looking new cheap digital
format. Each is a twelve minute story focusing on a different woman.
Some of the stories overlap. A few are interesting, a couple are
poignant while others are amusing. One part of the film that I saw
was out of sequence. The managers at The Spectrum told me that
unlike the usual three reelers, Nine Lives arrived in nine
unlabeled mini-reels. It must have been made a few years ago too
because Dakota Fanning (I recently found out that there is a law in
California that Ms. Fanning must be hired for one out of every three
films shot there) looks to be quite a bit younger than she is now.
Also starring Robbin' Write Pen, Sissy Spacechick (who's still
gettin' it done in her late 50's), Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction)
and the ultra-svelte Holly Hunter (Broadcast News, Raising
Arizona). 115 minutes.
 
Nine Queens (R)
Two men take part in an elaborate con game involving rare stamps. As the plot unfolds, more
characters are introduced and it becomes increasingly difficult to tell the swindlers from
the swindlees. In the tradition of The Sting and Croupier, Nine Queens is a masterful
film that will keep you guessing right up until the credits. In Spanish with subtitles. 115 minutes.
North Country
(R)
Josie Aimes (an excellent Charlize Theron) and her two kids move
into her parent's Minnesota home in order to escape an abusive
husband. Josie gets a job at the local mine where only a handful of
women work. In the male dominated world of mining, women face mental
and physical abuse on a daily basis. Because Josie is new and pretty
her abuse is particularly harsh. Fed up and unable to convince
management and ownership that there is a problem, Josie hires an
attorney (Woody Harrelson) who launches a class action suit. Based
on a true story and in the tradition of Silkwood, Norma
Rae, Erin Brokovich and Jodie Foster's The Accused,
North Country scores big until its focus shifts into the
courtroom. There it becomes a predictable cliché-ridden tear-jerker,
which is too bad. This film coulda beena contendah. Also starring
Sissy Spacechick, Richard Jenkins ("Six Feet Under"), Sean Bean and
dusting off her Fargo accent, Francis McDormand. 127 minutes.
Novocaine (R)
Steve Martin plays Dr. Frank Sangster, a dentist who is falsely suspected of dealing pharmaceutical
drugs and then framed for murder, in the off-beat film-noir Novocaine. There are enough
laughs, groans and double-crosses to keep you comfortably in your chair for less time than
it would take for a root-canal. A nice ending as well. This film was a big hit at the recent
Woodstock Film Festival. Also starring Laura Dern, Scott Caan and the deliciously trashy
Helena Bonham Carter (pick TWO names honey).
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