The Brothers
Predictability is the norm in "The Brothers," but this comedy about commitment fears and other relationship woes consistently entertains even if it retreads a lot of the same ground as "The Wood" and "The Best Man." The four title characters are lifelong buddies whose constant philosophizing on relationships belies their cluelessness about women. The commitment-shy Jackson (Morris Chestnut) has finally met the woman of his dreams (Gabrielle Union, "Bring It On"), but she once had a fling with his father. Darren (D.L. Hughley) argues with his wife while Brian (Bill Bellamy) dodges mean-spirited ex-girlfriends. With the hang-ups of the other three, one wonders if Terry (Shemar Moore) can go through with his wedding. Writer-director Gary Hardwick gives his cast a fair workout and has a solid ear for dialogue. When a spurned lover stars shooting at them, Brian warns that the police won't be coming because, "In this neighborhood, gunshots are like doorbells." (R) -- DL
** 1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Cast Away
Not many actors could pull off a virtual one-man show, spending most of a movie stranded on an island with no human companions. Tom Hanks isn't just any actor, though, and he proves again why he's amassing an Oscar collection. If only the rest of this tedious, poorly structured film lived up to its star's talents. "Cast Away" is riddled with plot holes and drags on and on (and on), until finally lurching to a deeply unsatisfying conclusion. Poor Robert Zemeckis (who also directed Hanks in "Forrest Gump") wants to be profound and inspiring, but he just doesn't have it in him. (PG-13) -- LL
** Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
Chocolat
The latest flick from director Lasse Hallstrom is as light and charming as his "The Cider House Rules" was somber. A stiff, fussy French community is turned upside down when a single mother (Juliette Binoche, "The English Patient") opens up a chocolate shop in the middle of Lent. Her treats have an oddly medicinal quality that makes some locals addicts and the mayor (Alfred Molina) an enemy. While the supporting cast is splendid, Binoche's delightfully low-key performance anchors the flick. The endearing characters and the director's storybook tone make for some tasty (if fattening) cinema. (PG-13) -- DL
*** Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
In the hands of director Ang Lee ("Ride with the Devil"), the fight between two warriors (Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh) and two bandits (Chen Pei-Pei and Zhang Ziyi) for ownership of a 400-year-old sword becomes as urgent as a Biblical prophecy come true. While Lee is known for more introspective fare such as "The Ice Storm" and "Sense and Sensibility," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is loaded with eye-popping hand-to-hand battle scenes. It also contains many of the low-key dramatic touches that marked Lee's earlier films. For example, the actors make statements that are at odds with what their faces are telling the camera. Because of the care and detail devoted to each frame, "Crouching Tiger" is one of those rare films where the spectacle never comes at the expense of the story. As with the fabled sword itself, the elements combine into a lethally potent alloy. (PG-13) -- LL
**** Liberty Hall Cinemas, 644 Mass.
Down to Earth
The words "Chris Rock" and "bland" aren't normally used in the same sentence -- Rock's comedy has always been famously provocative. So how did he end up in this toothless fantasy? Rock plays a stand-up comic who dies before his time and is sent back to Earth in the body of a millionaire. If this plot sounds familiar, that's because it's a remake of the 1978 film "Heaven Can Wait," which was itself a remake of the 1941 film "Here Comes Mr. Jordan." The lack of originality doesn't end with the storyline, either. Rock's material here is often funny, but it's also recycled from his other work, only without the edge. The result is inoffensive and rather dull, two things Chris Rock should never be. (PG-13) -- LL
** Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Enemy at the Gates
Inspired by one of the Soviet national heroes of World War II, "Enemy at the Gates" is an engrossing tale of two opposing snipers amid the backdrop of the Battle of Stalingrad. Jude Law plays Vassili Zaitsev, a humble Russian marksman groomed by an idealistic Communist officer (Joseph Fiennes) who believes the sharpshooter can be a weapon of propaganda for an army that is losing hope. When the sniper's exploits reach Berlin, a deadly Nazi major (Ed Harris) is dispatched to kill him, and the two begin a game of cat and mouse through the crumbling remnants of the city. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud mounts an ambitious war story with some harrowing, frenetic battle scenes, which he often films through holes in rubble and cracks in architecture like a sniper adjusting his scope. If the movie has a vulnerable spot, it's that the viewer never reaches much of an emotional connection with the characters -- Fiennes' role is a particular dud. But the quality of the action and intriguing setting compensate for this central flaw. (R) -- JN
*** Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Exit Wounds
It's not very good, but as Steven Seagal movies go, "Exit Wounds" is something of a masterpiece. This time he plays a lone wolf Detroit cop taking down a corrupt system. Imagine "Dirty Harry" with all the cliches and lamer wisecracks. When he skips out on an anger management seminar and beats up an army of hoods, the flat-voiced actor declares, "See how much joy I give to people." Seagal is thankfully never called upon to use a facial expression other than the scowl that's permanently etched on his face. He also looks cooler without that goofy ponytail and has a couple of martial arts moves that don't look like the work of quick editing. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak ("Romeo Must Die") comes up with some impressive car wrecks and keeps the pace quick enough to almost be tolerable. There are a couple of crudely funny exchanges with Anthony Anderson ("See Spot Run") and Tom Arnold, but you know you're in trouble when a moonlighting rapper (DMX as an enigmatic crime lord) has more talent and charisma than the leading man. (R) -- DL
* 1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Finding Forrester
"Finding Forrester" incorporates large portions of "Scent of a Woman and "Good Will Hunting." Fortunately, director Gus Van Sant, who helmed the latter imbues the new film with just enough stylish touches to keep it from feeling stale or rote. Rob Brown, in a solid debut, plays a bright teenager from the Bronx who gets lessons on writing and living from a J.D. Salinger-like novelist (Sean Connery). The two leads play off each other beautifully, and Van Sant's low-key approach keeps the familiar story from feeling mundane. (PG-13) -- DL
*** Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
Hannibal
Hannibal the Cannibal is back in business, this time with Ridley Scott taking over directing duties from "The Silence of the Lambs" helmer Jonathan Demme, and Julianne Moore replacing Jodie Foster as FBI Agent Clarice Starling. In fact, the only person returning from the original is Anthony Hopkins, who inhabits Dr. Lecter with the same sophisticated cruelty as before. "Hannibal" never really feels like a continuation of its predecessor -- Scott's style is completely different, and the 10-year gap between stories leaves too many holes in the characters' motivations. On its own terms, however, this is a dark, often gruesomely funny film with its own distinct sensibilities. (R) -- LL
*** Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
Heartbreakers
Con artists have a long and entertaining history in Hollywood, from "The Lady Eve" to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." This time around, the schemers are Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt, as a mother-daughter crime team who try to scam a Palm Beach billionaire (Gene Hackman), while the daughter inconveniently falls in love with a bar owner (Jason Lee). The last 45 minutes of this movie show what it could have been: a tough, smart comedy with a stellar cast. It takes way too long to get to that point, though, while the audience suffers through plodding direction and Hackman's truly embarrassing performance. "Heartbreakers" is a perfect example of what happens when good ideas are handled badly. (PG-13) -- LL
** Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
The Mexican
With a storyline that's as twisted as a funnel cake, "The Mexican" is guaranteed to surprise. The biggest jolt may be seeing glamorous high-dollar stars Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts as Jerry and Samantha, a scruffy, bickering couple who break up when Jerry agrees to do one last job for a mob don. The task seems simple: He has to retrieve a rare, handcrafted pistol from Mexico. But then the assignment becomes a disaster. A sensitive hired gun (James Gandolfini from "The Sopranos") kidnaps Sam, mistakenly thinking that she knows where Jerry is. Roberts has more chemistry with Gandolfini than she does with Pitt, and that's actually an asset (unlike the advertisements, the final film features few exchanges between the two stars). Screenwriter J.H. Wyman comes up with several amusing developments, but some are just a bit much (too many people once thought dead turn out to be merely wounded). Still, it's a treat to see a mean, feisty dog who steals every scene he's in. Where was he when they were making "See Spot Run?" (R) -- DL
** 1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The eccentric Coen brothers combine Greek mythology and the legends of the American South in this somewhat disappointing comedy featuring George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson as a trio of escaped convicts who inadvertently gain fame as a singing group. If the movie's narrative (taken from Homer's "The Odyssey") loses steam at points, the Coen's give Clooney his juiciest role to date (as a hair-obsessed con man). Thanks to some gorgeous imagery, courtesy of cinematographer Roger Deakins and digital tweaking, and a great folk music soundtrack, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is a decent question to ask even if the answer disappoints. (PG-13) -- DL
** 1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Say It Isn't So!
Like the movies the Farrelly Brothers have directed, "Say It Isn't So!" combines sentiment with the dark recesses of the human body (a man's fantasies about having Heather Graham cutting his hair disappear after seeing her confuse ears for follicles). Unfortunately, the siblings aren't credited with scripting or helming this one, and even though they produced, this new offering is one thing a Farrelly flick should never be: boring. The setup has crude possibilities. Chris Klein, in a serious step down from "Election," plays an Indiana dogcatcher who discovers that the woman of his dreams and a hot one-night stand (Graham) may actually be his flesh and blood. While there are grotesque images a-plenty (Klein gets his arm stuck up a cow's digestive system), the untamed creativity of the Farrelly's previous flicks is wanting. Sally Field has some moments as Graham's scheming mom, but she can't make a silk purse out of this limp cow's rectum. (R) -- DL
* 1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
See Spot Run
With three incompatible themes (dog movie, gangland story, single man learning the joys of fatherhood), "See Spot Run" is the closest a person can come to channel surfing in a theater. The hammy David Arquette plays a pooch-hating mailman who accidentally adopts a dog, who's really an FBI agent on the run. The committee that wrote this mess can't make sense of it, and neither can viewers. Because it fails on so many levels, one wonders why "See Spot Run" wasn't put to sleep during development. It makes one long for the subtlety and wit of "K-9" or "Air Bud." (PG) -- DL
1/2 Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Someone Like You
This movie is part of the same Single Neurotic Female genre as books like "Bridget Jones's Diary" and TV shows like "Ally McBeal" and "Sex and the City." In this case, the neurotic in question is a talk show producer (Ashley Judd) who gets dumped by her boyfriend (Greg Kinnear) then sets out to prove her "scientific" theory that men are, by nature, bed-hopping jerks. Of course, someone comes along to prove her wrong ("X-Men" star Hugh Jackman). Judd does reasonably well, even with the script's sillier moments, but her character is so utterly clueless, it's hard to sympathize with her -- the urge to yell unfriendly advice at the screen is almost overwhelming at times. That may be appropriate at bad horror movies, but it kind of ruins the mood of a romantic comedy. (PG-13) -- LL
** Southwind Twelve, 3433 Iowa.
Traffic
This seems to be the year of great movies about drugs. On the heels of the harrowing "Requiem for a Dream" comes this very different -- but equally compelling -- look at the issues surrounding the drug war. Director/cinematographer Steven Soderbergh ("Erin Brockovich") takes a clear-eyed approach to the subject, weaving together four complicated stories while giving each a distinctive look and feel. The cast, which includes Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro and Catherine Zeta-Jones, is typically eclectic and served well by Soderbergh's confident direction and Stephen Gaghan's heavily-researched script. This is that rare film that will inspire deep conversations on the way home from the theater. (R) -- LL
*** 1/2 Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
The Wedding Planner
Jennifer Lopez stars as Mary, a career-minded wedding planner who is thrown into the arms of a charismatic pediatrician (Matthew McConaughey) after a traffic mishap -- until she discovers he is the groom-to-be of a client whose upcoming wedding is her most profitable account. Video choreographer Adam Shankman makes his directing debut with "The Wedding Planner" and shows a real eye for staging. The director is also skilled at handling his leads, allowing McConaughey's Texas charm to flow comfortably and Lopez to slip into the central role with the same ease that a pre-"Brockovich" Julia Roberts might have. Unfortunately, the film's peripheral characters are less interesting, and in the case of a surprise Italian suitor (Justin Chambers), downright incomprehensible. But for the most part this frivolous comedy succeeds because of a tone as light as wedding cake frosting and lead performances as poised as the bride and groom at the top of the cake. (PG-13) -- JN
** 1/2 Plaza Six, 2339 Iowa.
You Can Count on Me
Not much happens in this film -- it has virtually no plot and only three or four major characters - but its outward simplicity belies the emotional depth of Kenneth Lonergan's Oscar-nominated script. Laura Linney (also a nominee) stars as a single mother whose "perfect" world is turned upside down by the arrival of her slacker younger brother (Mark Ruffalo). As the two of them come to terms with their own failings and slowly learn to accept each other, the audience is treated to a profound look at love and family, and given a chance to consider what those words really mean. (R) -- LL
*** Liberty Hall Cinemas, 644 Mass.
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