Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 27th, 2004
Synopsis
When archaeologist Billy Connolly disappears, and his glasses and a parchment with hiswriting on it turn up in a ruins dating back to 1357, son Paul Walker and friends realizesomething weird is going on here. It turns out that weasel entrepreneur David Thewlis hasaccidentally tapped into a wormhole that permits time travel to that area of France, and in thatyear (smack in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War). Walker, Frances O’Connor, GerardButler and others travel back to...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 26th, 2004
Synopsis
Still reeling from the death of their young son, Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine,along with young daughters Sarah and Emma Bolger move from Ireland to Manhattan. Life istough. Considine can’t find any acting work, the family is forced to live in a rotting apartmentbuilding in Hell’s Kitchen, Considine in particular is stuck in the grip of the past tragedy, andMorton’s new pregnancy is fraught with complications.
The above outline makes the film sound grim as all...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 26th, 2004
Synopsis
Bill Paxton accompanies James Cameron on another expedition to the Titanic, and narratesthis documentary about their exploration of the ship. Though the narration is hobbled by anendless stream of pseudo-profundities, the underwater photography is simply stunning. Thanks totwo remote-controlled robots, we get to see the interior of the ship. Computer animation andsuperimposed extras (the ghosts of the title) both re-create the ship as it once was, and help usvisualize where...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 25th, 2004
Synopsis
Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, daughter of President Mark Harmon. She is extremelyfrustrated with the fact that her social life is consistently ruined by the vast phalanx of SecretService personnel that shadow her every move. Harmon promises to ease up on her while theyvisit Prague, but he breaks his promise, and she flees, hooking up with handsome photographerMatthew Goode. A travelogue of Europe ensues, with romance aborning. Trouble is, Good isactually another Secret Ser...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 24th, 2004
The Farelly brothers are back with another unconventional comedy, this time about conjoint twins (otherwise known as Siamese twins). When I first saw the ads for this movie, I thought, “Yikes, what jokes in bad taste are the Farelly’s going to poke at the conjoined community?” I watched this move with some trepidation, but was surprised to find Stuck On You the least offensive and most accessible of all of the Farrelly’s pictures.
The movie follows the lives of Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnea...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 23rd, 2004
Synopsis
Type A real estate salesman Eddie Murphy can't ever stop selling, even when this meansneglecting his family. His drive lands them all into trouble when he insists they take a detourfrom their vacation to follow up on a mysterious offer concerning the mansion of the title. Soonenough, He and his family are trapped in the massively haunted building, running hither andthither from ghosts, while his wife (Marsha Thomason), believed to be the reincarnation of themaster's long-lo...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2004
I remember all of the controversy and discussion that was stirred up when Judy Dench won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love. It’s not that the public felt that she didn’t do a great job, it’s just that she was only in the film for approximately six minutes. What’s more, Cate Blanchette was in a film called Elizabeth that same year, in which she played the same historical figure, and was nominated for the role of Best Actress, which sh...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2004
Universal got it right a few years ago when they adapted The Grinch who Stole Christmas. Jim Carrey was perfectly cast as the heartless Grinch, the costumes and set design were excellent and the mild deviations from Dr. Seuss’ classic were appropriate and added more heart to the story. The most important aspect that was captured was the moral of the story – that being angry and miserable leads to a unsatisfying life of loneliness and that an act of kindness can fill the world with joy.
Now take all...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 20th, 2004
Synopsis
Three men are after a fortune in gold, and they will stop at nothing to get it. Boiled down toits essentials, that is the plot of TGTBTU. Granted, there are all sorts of betrayals anddouble-crosses along the way, but they don’t change the fact that the story is essentially a verysimple one, and you might wonder how the film takes up three hours. It certainly doesn’t throughcharacter development. In fact, there is very little that sets the characters apart (which is par...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 20th, 2004
Film
Kata (Katrina Gibson) and Ana (Melida Prado) are best friends growing up on the streets of L.A. To pass time they steal cars, hang out with their fellow gang mates, and compete in dance contests against rival gangs. When Ana gets pregnant by a member of a rival gang, she must choose between the street life and a life where she leaves it all behind, including Kata, to raise her child.
The urban drama is a genre that may have been maxed out early on. We had amazing trendsetters in Bo...
