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(Back to February)
MARCH...
Starsky & Hutch 3.5.4 At the Movies March
2004
***
Starsky & Hutch.
1:30pm. Fri 3/5/4. Mat $7. UA Metro. My review for mediasharx.com is here. *** Monday‚Thursday March 8‚11 PICCADILLY Daily: 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 A thrilling rediscovery in a gorgeous restoration, E.A. Dupontís 1929 silent masterpiece Piccadilly stars the sultry Anna May Wongóarguably the first Asian film actress to gain worldwide fameóin her greatest role. In the 1970s, silent siren Louise Brooks was "rediscovered" by author Kenneth Tynan. In the 1980s, Josephine Baker captivated filmgoers anew when her films were reissued. Now, it is the lovely and talented Anna May Wongís turn to bewitch audiences. In addition to this pristine restoration of Piccadilly, there are three new biographies of the star coming out shortly as well as two documentaries in the works. The hit of the 2002 New York Film Festival, Piccadilly sold out all 1,000 seats on the first day. The festival wrote, "The film is a thrilling cinematographic jewel and a landmark in the emancipation of non-white actresses." After many years of supporting roles in Hollywood, Beverly Hills High-grad Wong left for Europe in search of good roles. And did she find one. Her electric, sexually-charged performance in Piccadilly is a revelation. Wong is mesmerizing as Shosho, the Chinese scullery maid at a London nightclub who overnight becomes the toast of Londonóand the object of sexual desire of all around her. The camera adores Wong, and against Alfred Junge's astonishing set design, she glows on the big screen. Piccadilly was the brilliant apex to Dupont's trilogy of backstage life (Varieté and Moulin Rouge), showcasing the director's signature mix of great acting, amazing imagery and astonishing camera movements. Directed by E. A. Dupont. Original screenplay by Arnold Bennett. Art direction by Alfred Junge. With: Anna May Wong, Gilda Gray, Jameson Thomas, Cyril Ritchard and Charles Laughton. (1929) 108m. Black & White and tinted. That's about it. Pretty melodramatic, not nearly as racist as one might think for a film that old. At imdb. *** Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. Kabuki. 12:20pm; Fri; 3/12/4; PG; $7 Mat; Aud #4; bought at 12:22pm. My review for mediasharx.com is here. *** Spartan; Bridge; Marnie, Aaron, Patricia; $9.50; R; 4:30pm; 3/14/4; bought at 4:12; from Kjersti. I liked this movie a little more than did Marnie, Aaron and Patricia, I think. I thought I noticed some weird Buffy the Vampire Slayer connections -- here. Tagline: She's missing. Plot Outline: The investigation into a kidnapping of a well-known political figure. Lots of twists and turns in the story that I didn't see coming. Enjoyable and original. Ed O'Neill is very good, and would have been nice to see more of him, newcomer Kristen Bell is quite memorable. Cast: Val Kilmer, Clark Gregg, Andy Davoli, J.J. Johnston, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill, Sa? Taghmaoui, Tia Texada, Derek Luke, Mark Pellegrino, Matt Malloy, Kristen Bell, David Paymer. Written and directed by David Mamet. Original Music by Mark Isham. Cinematography by Juan Ruiz Anchía. At imdb. *** Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; 11:4am; Fri; 3/19/4; Vogue; Mat $7; bought at 11:34am. Tagline: Would you erase me? Plot Outline: A couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with. Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Jane Adams, David Cross. Directed by Michel Gondry. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth. Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. I liked this movie, but everyone else I know loved it. I felt like in the last third the film got bogged down a little too long with Carrey trying to outrun the people trying to erase his memory. But everyone else I know who saw it liked it more than I did, plus I got no sleep the night before I saw it, so there's that... At imdb. *** Taking Lives; 2:10pm; Sat; 3/20/4; Mat $7; UA Coronet. My review at mediasharx.com is here. *** The Dreamers; with Marnie; 3.22.04; 7:30pm; Lumiere; NC17; $9.50. Plot Outline: A young American studying in Paris in 1968 strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. Set against the background of the '68 Paris student riots... bla bla bla. I like Marnie, so that aspect of seeing this movie went well. And I like nudity in films, so that was also good, although male nudity isn't something I get too excited about, and a lot of the nudity was male. But Eva Green definitely appeared nude as well. And, there was one moment that was quite exhilarating, that just kind of engrossed me, took me back to a moment in my own personal life. That was nice. But this film was a little long, and definitely cringingly pretentious at times. A lot of issues of incest were kind of left untouched. Movie left you with things to talk about. (ie Michael Pitt finds the most arousing moment to masturbate to be while writing a letter to his mother. Hmm.) Cast: Michael Pitt, Eva Green, Louis Garrel, Anna Chancellor, Robin Renucci, Jean-Pierre Léaud. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Written by Gilbert Adair. At imdb. *** The Ladykillers; 11:45am. $6.25. 3/26/04. Empire 3. Bought at 11:49am. Tom Hanks and Irma P. Hall give nice performances in this remake of the much superior 1955 film, which features Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Danny Green, Jack Warner, and Katie Johnson; and directed by Alexander Mackendrick. Tagline: The greatest criminal minds of all time have finally met their match. Plot Summary: A remake of the 1955 comedy, the story revolves around a Southern professor who puts together a group of thieves to rob a casino... Co-starring Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Diane Delano, George Wallace is good as the Sheriff, John McConnell is the Deputy, Stephen Root (Newsradio, Office Space) is good, George Anthony Bell is energetic and funny as a preacher, Greg Grunberg (of Felicity and Alias) is wasted as a blustering TV Commercial Director. Directed by Ethan & Joel Coen. Screenplay by Joel & Ethan Coen, based on William Rose's screenplay for the 1955 film, The Ladykillers. Producers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Tom Jacobson, Barry Josephson, Barry Sonnenfeld. Original Music by Carter Burwell. Cinematography by Roger Deakins. Film Editing by Ethan & Joel Coen. This remake, as usual for a Coen Bros film, is pretty, but empty. Also only a few funny parts, plus the supporting characters are never really very well developed -- unlike in the original. At imdb.
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