When Lina Wertmuller, the elfin feminist gadfly of Italian cinema, made SWEPT AWAY back in 1974, it was a tantalizing and brutal take on the war between the sexes, between the classes and on the whole human comedy. When Guy Ritchie re-wrote the script for his wife, Madonna, I’m sure he thought it was a… Read More »
OPPORTUNISTS, THE
Here we have a bittersweet little character study masquerading as a caper flick. There are, as you would expect, a few plot twists, none terribly surprising, but handled with a surprising, unaffected charm considering the downbeat nature of the story. Our hero is one Victor Kelly, played by an astonishingly low key Christopher Walken. Hes… Read More »
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
The problem with translating any of the Harry Potter books to the big screen is that author J.K. Rowling has cram-packed so much delicious detail onto virtually every page of her magnum opus. As with the previous effort, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERERS STONE, director Chris Columbus and company have done a stand-out job of capturing the… Read More »
NICHOLAS NICKELBY
NICHOLAS NICKELBY is a perfect entertainment. Its got comedy, drama, romance and a moral. Enacted by a sterling cast from a literate script, it captures the spirit of Dickens without a misstep in its 108 minute running time. The eponymous hero of the piece is the noble but impoverished Nicholas. He is left an orphan… Read More »
SHANGHAI KNIGHTS
It is always with a mixture of trepidation and resignation that yours truly approaches the cinematic sequel. Sure, there was GODFATHER II and THE WRATH OF KHAN, but for the ones that hit, there are a gazillion that miss so big that one’s faith in the filmmaking community is sorely tested. I’m pleased to say… Read More »