D

DAN IN REAL LIFE: There should be a production photo from this movie next to the word "charming" in the dictionary. The gentle and, I’ll say it, charming love story introduces us to Dan Burns, an advice columnist and widower with three charming daughters. He’s doing his best to raise his motherless girls, but his 17-year-old wants to drive and his 15-year-old is madly in love. Both are problems for Dan. Then, to complicate his life further, he falls in love while at a family reunion. (And I really am forced to say that the family is charming.) Unfortunately, Dan falls for his brother’s girlfriend. Steve Carell has made quite a career playing nice guys who aren’t particularly smooth, but are sweet and sincere. And did I mention, funny? Marie, the object of Dan’s affections, is beautifully played by the adorable and, here’s that word again, charming Juliette Binoche. How could he not fall in love with her. She’s perfect, and his three daughters prefer her to him. This is a lovely movie that made us laugh and put a lump in our throats. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. GRADE B+

DARK BLUE: This is one good bad-cop movie. Kurt Russell is outstanding as Eldon Perry, an LA cop who has seen and done too much and whose personal life has suffered as a result. At the behest of his boss, Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson) Perry has done some heinous things. In the corrupt world of the LAPD, those actions have ensured his promotion to Lieutenant. The primary action takes place just before the jury verdict in the Rodney King beating case and 5 days before Perry's promotion ceremony. The climax takes place during the riots that ensued when the four policemen who beat King were declared Not Guilty. It was a brilliant choice to place this story in that infamous context. We admired the film because, although the basic plot is one we are familiar with, the execution is creative and not one bit hackneyed. The dialogue rings true and the characters are believable. The telling of the story never lags, and our attention didn't either. We were particularly impressed with Russell. He proves here that he is a fine actor. We also liked Lolita Davidovich as Perry's wife and Ving Rhames as a good LA cop. The very lovely Michael Michele (E.R. and Homicide) is credible as a police sergeant and the love interest for Perry's young partner, Bobby (Scott Speedman). The film has been compared to Denzel Washington's Training Day, but I liked this one much better. We applaud Director Ron Shelton for a great job. He previously directed two of our favorite sports movies--Bull Durham and Tin Cup. James Ellroy, who wrote the novel on which the film is based, also wrote the novel that was the basis for another great cop movie, L.A. Confidential. Screenwriter, David Ayer also wrote the screenplay for Training Day. GRADE B+

DAVID & LAYLA: (Released in 2006) This small independent film follows the real-life love story of public-access TV personality David Fine and the woman who is now his wife. It is an offbeat cross-cultural romance that ends with a positive message about getting along together. David is Jewish and Layla is a Kurdish Muslim. You can imagine the reactions of their families when they hear about the romance. The writer/director, Jay Jonroy, is a Kurdish-American and he has mixed broad comedy with cultural and political statements. There are pratfalls and testicle jokes mixed in with stories of Saddam’s atrocities against the Kurds. We didn’t think the mixture worked well. What’s more, the film had a very amateurish quality. Not the acting, however. That was uniformly good. Callie Thorne (Rescue Me) was particularly amusing as David’s high-strung sort-of fiancée—the woman David dumps when he meets Layla. David Moscow and Shiva Rose play the title characters and they do the best they can with the material. (Note: Moscow played Josh, the young Tom Hanks in 1988’s Big) We liked the concept of the film: Can a Jewish man and a Kurdish woman find happiness together, but we aren’t enthusiastic about the execution. Our local critic said it best when he wrote in his review that the film was proof, if proof be needed, that good intentions just aren't enough. GRADE C-

THE DA VINCI CODE: I know it’s a cliché, but, for us, this story makes a better book than a movie. Because we are both fans of Dan Brown’s novel, the movie did hold our attention. Director Ron Howard has done a good job of making a film that is faithful to the book, and at the same time, making the mystery easier to understand. Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, and Paul Bettany are all excellent. However, the film didn’t hold much intrigue for us because we knew how it would end. I will be very interested to hear from people who did not read the book—there must be a few out there. I am curious how the movie plays for them. Brown was not the first to write a novel on the theory that Jesus was not divine, but human, and that he had a relationship with Mary Magdalene. Nikos Kazantzakis explored the same theory in his book, The Last Temptation of Christ. In 1988, Martin Scorcese made an excellent movie from that novel. It, too, was greeted with much controversy. Both books are fiction, and make no claim otherwise, and yet people get very upset by any idea that conflicts with their beliefs. I can’t think that anyone’s faith will be shaken by this fictional mystery, but the Catholic Church does not agree. If it does nothing else, The Da Vinci Code may awaken an interest in history. The other day we watched with great interest a two hour History Channel presentation on the Knights Templar. Ron Howard had a good suggestion for people who might be offended by this movie: Don’t go see it. GRADE B

DEATH AT A FUNERAL: Farce done poorly can be painful. Farce done well can be hilarious. The farce in Death At A Funeral is done well, and it is hilarious. In spite of hearing only 85% of the dialogue, Gary still thinks it’s the funniest movie he’s seen in years. Discussing the plot of a farce is pointless, and what’s more, it would sound ridiculous, so all I’ll say is that it has to do with a funeral gathering, a psychedelic drug, a surprise guest and a variety of interpersonal relationships, both serious and amusing. Frank Oz (The Stepford Wives, Bowfinger, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) directed with a sure hand and the pacing was everything a farce should be. All the actors were perfectly cast. Matthew Macfadyen, who was Mr. Darcy in the recent Pride and Prejudice, is the dutiful son who is agonizing over delivering his father’s eulogy. Rupert Graves, who I remember best from the TV miniseries, The Forsyte Saga, is the selfish, successful son who comes from New York for the funeral. Alan Tudyk (Knocked Up, Dodgeball) is wonderful as a man who spends the entire film high on a hallucinogenic. And four-foot-tall Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent), is excellent as the surprise guest. I think the reason the Brits excel at farce is because they take it quite seriously. The actors never look like they are trying to be funny: They just respond to real-life situations in crazy, but believable, ways. Gary gives this film an enthusiastic A. I say B+. GRADE A/B+

DEATH TO SMOOCHY: This is a black comedy from the odd mind of Danny DeVito. It's about two kid show hosts, but it's not exactly a movie for kids. It deserves it's R rating because of the language used by all the characters except Smoochy. Robin Williams is Rainbow Randolph, the popular host of a kid show who is caught in a bribery scheme. The network fires him and hires squeaky-clean Edward Norton who has created a character called Smoochy, a purple Rhino. Norton is so "nice" he won't even eat animals: his favorite repast is a soy hotdog on a gluten-free bun. Rainbow hates Smoochy for taking his time slot, and decides he must die. As the movie progresses, several other people decide Smoochy must die, for various reasons. There are a few laughs in the movie, but most of them, as Hollywood's Indie Voice pointed out, "came from the audience when Robin Williams smashes his head into concrete and from the 'dick' jokes." The film does prove that Ed Norton can play just about any part believably. Jon Stewart does not distinguish himself as the Programming Chief, although Catherine Keener is interesting as the Smoochy show's producer. Michael Rispoli, who we so liked in Two Family House, appears as a punch-drunk ex-fighter. Ebert ended his review by saying, "In all the annals of the movies, few films have been this odd, inexplicable and unpleasant." I didn't think it was quite that bad, although Gary would put it in the "D" range. We don't really recommend it.

THE DEEP END: I liked this one better than Gary did. A couple of plot holes bothered him, but they didn't keep me from enjoying this tension-filled crime movie. Tilda Swinton (ORLANDO) is Margaret Hall, an ordinary housewife and mother living with her family in Tahoe City. Her husband is in the Navy and spends much of the time away from home. During one of his absences, Margaret becomes worried about her seventeen-year-old son, Beau. He has been hanging around with an older man, Darby Reese (Josh Lucas), and frequenting a Reno nightclub. She tries to handle the situation, but she fails miserably. When Reese shows up at their house one night, he and Beau have a fight. The next morning, Margaret finds Darby's body. She assumes that Beau is responsible for his death and does what she thinks she must to protect her son. Step by step, she gets deeper and deeper into trouble. Eventually, a blackmailer, Goran Visnjic (From TV's ER), enters the picture. The contrast between the horrible events and Margaret's ordinary family chores--taking her daughter to ballet lessons, for example--make this a most unusual film noir. It is never predictable, and I like that in a movie. I was totally engaged with Margaret's desperate attempts to extricate herself from a situation she cannot control. We both thought that Swinton and Visnjic were excellent. The movie is based on a 1947 novel, The Blank Wall. The story was filmed in 1949 as The Reckless Moment with James Mason and Joan Bennett. GRADE B+/B-

DEFINITELY, MAYBE: This is a love story mystery that has likeable actors and an engaging story. Ryan Reynolds is Wil, a soon-to-be divorced father who discovers that his 11-year-old daughter Maya (Abagail Breslin) has just had her first sex education class. Not surprisingly, Maya has a lot of questions: questions about sex and questions about relationships—specifically her dad‘s relationship with her mom and with his other girlfriends. He decides to tell her the story of his three serious relationships, but changes the women’s names so that Maya won’t know which one is her mother. (That’s where the mystery comes in.) Of course, this means flashbacks. We first meet his college girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks), who he left behind in Wisconsin when he went to New York in 1992 to work on the Bill Clinton campaign. In New York, we meet the other two women in his life played by Rachel Weisz and Isla Fisher. Because the story covers a 15-year time span, some critics seemed to think it was slow-moving, but we disagree. The movie gives us time to get to know and like the characters and we appreciated the laid-back pace. Reynolds is quite charming—sort of a Tom Hanks type—and all three women are delightful. Breslin is equally appealing as the inquisitive pre-teen. She appears to be one child actor whose appeal won’t diminish as she matures. Kevin Kline is scruffy and terrific as an aging gonzo writer and journalism professor. Reviews have been somewhat mixed, perhaps because critics are often hard on romantic comedies. A.O. Scott of the NY Times liked the film and said that " it navigates the choppy waters of modern courtship with commendable, understated honesty." Our local critic also like it and called Definitely, Maybe a chick-flick that men could enjoy. Gary would agree. He liked it as much as I did. We both give it a B+. GRADE B+

DE-LOVELY: I expected the music to be de-lightful, but I had no idea that the love story would so very sad. Kevin Kline is splendid as the oh so sophisticated Cole Porter and Ashley Judd does admirably as his loving and tolerant wife. This is, as Movieviewer Peg C. said, an unusual treatment of a biography. It reminded me a bit of All That Jazz, because Porter seemed to be looking on as his life was replayed before his eyes. The treatment was interesting and creative. Another star of the film is the makeup. Both Kline and Judd aged beautifully and realistically. We thought the musical numbers were mostly good although I'm not sure why they thought they had to update the arrangements. Some of new versions worked well, others not so much. Alanis Morissette's diction is no where near crisp enough for a Cole Porter song. And I was surprised and disappointed that Sheryl Crow's rendition of Begin The Beguine varied so markedly from the original melody. That bothered both of us. But the ending was terribly sad and, I thought, terribly drawn out. It didn't bother Gary, but I thought the sorrow would never end. Consequently, I can only give the film a B. Gary says B+. It was directed by Irwin Winkler who also directed Kline in Life As A House. GRADE B+/B

"I wanted every kind of love that was available,

but I could never find them in the same person,

or the same sex." . . . Cole Porter

THE DEPARTED: Martin Scorcese knows the mean streets, and in this film, he returns to the genre he does best. The film is violent and profane and quite wonderful. You never anticipate the plot turns and the fast pacing assures that you are constantly caught up in the tension. Plus, the casting of Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, a ruthless mob boss, was inspired. He makes the degenerate Costello interesting and, sometimes, even humorous. (Although I was occasionally aware of Jack doing his "Jack" thing.) One critic called The Departed "Goodfellows with cell phones. It’s an accurate description. One of the best scenes involves two cell phones and no dialogue. Matt Damon is a criminal pretending to be a cop and Leonardo Di Caprio is a cop pretending to be a criminal. Both actors are excellent. I wasn’t surprised that Damon could reproduce a South Boston accent, since he did it in Good Will Hunting, and he is a "southie," but DiCaprio also sounded like he was born and bred in South Boston. Mark Wahlberg and Alex Baldwin are officers in the organized crime unit and they come on strong in every scene. Both Damon and DiCaprio are involved with the same woman, a police shrink played nicely by Vera Farmiga. Everyone in the film is outstanding, but I was especially impressed with DiCaprio. His intensity combined with vulnerability make for an unforgettable character. GRADE A

DERAILED: Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owens are both excellent actors playing against type in this exciting thriller. Critics often go far out of their way to criticize this genre of film. They demand exacting logic and magnify the smallest flaw. As you can tell, Barbara and I were rather taken by this film. Owens plays a successful ad executive and family man who meets an alluring and sexy woman. If you think the film will be predictable from this start, you would be wrong. It is anything but predictable. With a strong supporting cast and scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat, we believe the film will engage you if you are willing to let it. Try not to be too critical until you have seen the whole film. We especially enjoyed the powerful portrayal of the villan by Vincent Cassele, one of France's most arresting and exciting new actors. Gary GRADE B+/Barbara GRADE B

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: Just about the only reason to see this movie is Meryl Streep. Streep and, maybe, the clothes. It’s a trite plot with mostly stereotyped characters, but Streep is so much fun to watch that you don’t mind. She plays Miranda Priestly, the tyrannical managing editor of a trend-setting fashion magazine. Streep is marvelous in the role. You can’t help but like her even when she’s at her bitchiest best. Anne Hathaway is Andy, the would-be journalist who settles for a job as Miranda’s second assistant. Miranda never remembers Andy’s name and refers to her as "the fat girl," because she’s a size six. Nigel (Stanley Tucci), Miranda’s loyal lieutenant, becomes Andy’s friend and protector. He informs her that size zero is the new 2, six is the new 8, and 8 is the new 14. Adrian Grenier (TV’s Entourage) is Hathaway’s boyfriend, and the charming Australian, Simon Baker (Something New) is the "other man." I want to call attention to Emily Blunt who is excellent as Miranda’s first assistant. The film is based on a best-selling novel by Lauren Weisberger, who knows whereof she speaks: She worked for Anna Wintour at Vogue Magazine, although she insists that Wintour is not the model for Miranda. I saw this movie with some friends in Chicago and we all agreed that the movie itself wasn’t worth more than a C+, But, because Streep is so sensational , I have to give this one a B. GRADE B.

DIE ANOTHER DAY: For pure escapist entertainment filled with creative fights and spectacular explosions give me Bond, James Bond every time. However, I can only take so much of that kind of entertainment. If this movie had been only 90 minutes long, I might have given it a B, but it goes on and on and on--over two hours long. That's a few too many fights and explosions. Pierce Brosnan is, without doubt, the second best Bond ever, and the addition of Halle Berry as Jinx, the American Super Spy, is inspired. The double entendres come with regularity and they make me laugh. The opening sequence is very exciting and the visuals under the credits are the best thing in the movie. But, the my-car-has-more-gadgets-than-your-car chase scene got ridiculous, and, after Iceland, everything seemed repetitive. Gary even dozed off during one special effects sequence! We liked John Cleese as Q and Judi Dench as M, and the North Korean with diamonds imbedded in his face was interesting. The film has been directed by Lee Tamahori, whose credits include Once Were Warriors and Mulholland Falls. As Roger Ebert said in his review, Tamahori has tilted the movie away from humor and toward pure action. I would have appreciated more humor. GRADE C+

DIRTY, PRETTY THINGS: This is a well-crafted movie that puts interesting characters in a compelling situation. Stephen Frears, who directed the film, obviously enjoys looking at the lives of people who exist under the radar of conventional society. Two of his American films are The Grifters (1990) and High Fidelity (2000)--movies that we particularly liked. He also directed My Beautiful Launderette (1985) about Pakistani immigrants in London. In Dirty Pretty Things we meet a cab driver from Nigeria and a young woman from Turkey, both trying to get along in a London that doesn't make it easy for illegal immigrants to survive. Okwe works two jobs: driving a cab by day, working as a night clerk in a hotel at night, and dodging immigration authorities all the time. He is sharing a room with Senay (Audrey Tautou, Amelie)--she sleeps there at night and he sleeps there when she is at work as a hotel maid. A grisly discovery one night in a hotel room plunges Okwe into the midst of a mystery. It is a pleasure to see a film in which all the characters are interesting and the mystery is tightly plotted. It is never predictable, always intriguing. We give it a B+. GRADE B+

THE DISH: (A 2000 film) Why can't Hollywood make films that are as funny, moving and heartwarming as this Australian movie? The Dish earned nine nominations from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and placed second for the People's Choice Awards at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. The story is set in Parkes, New South Wales, a small town that is the site of the largest radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. When the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, the television pictures were relayed to us from Parkes. This movie introduces us to the men who manned the radio telescope: Cliff (Sam Neill), the manager, Mitch (Kevin Harrington) the engineer, Glenn (Tom Long), the shy computer engineer, and Al (Patrick Warburton--Puddy from TV's SEINFELD) a NASA scientist assigned to assist the Australians. We worry with these men when it looks like the transmission will fail. We also meet some of the proud townspeople--the mayor and his children, the visiting American Ambassador, a bumbling security guard and other assorted characters. The humor is gentle, and the emphasis is on personal relationships. But, there is also the thrill of Apollo 11 and the teamwork that made it possible. I guarantee that if you see this movie you will remember the pride and exultation of that "giant leap for mankind."
GRADE: BARBARA B+, GARY B

DISTURBIA: In spite of a rather preposterous climax, this is a pretty good thriller. Many critics have compared it to Hitchcock’s Rear Window, albeit inferior to that classic film. Ever since we saw the young actor, Shia LaBoeuf, in Holes, we have watched his career with interest. Here he is Kale, a high school student who is troubled because of his father’s death in a car accident. Because Kale was driving when the accident occurred, he blames himself. Depressed and sullen, an off-hand remark in Spanish class causes him to attack his Spanish teacher. Charged with assault, an understanding judge sentences him to three months house arrest, complete with an ankle bracelet that restricts him to his house and yard. Bored out of his mind, he starts watching his neighbors. A sexy new neighbor named Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and a strange and possibly sinister man named Turner (David Morse) attract most of his attention. Soon, Ashley, and Kale’s goofy friend Ronnie join in the surveillance. The three adolescent detectives begin to suspect that Turner may be a serial killer. The suspense builds and there are some truly frightening moments before the over-the-top ending. But the real reason the film works is because LaBoeuf is an incredibly appealing young man who is developing into a terrific actor. One critic recently referred to him as "the new Tom Hanks." (That probably doesn’t thrill Mr. Hanks. I know it makes me feel very old.) Of course, David Morse is a marvelous villain, so soft-spoken and at the same time, so malevolent. Carrie-Anne Moss is Kale’s mother. We think you might enjoy this one. GRADE B

THE DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD: Barbara asked me to write the review on this one because it sounds like a woman's film and perhaps needs a male viewpoint. Roger Ebert hated the film and gave it only half a star. Both Barbara and I loved it, giving it a solid "A." Either Roger is off or we are, and I am willing to say that Ebert had an off day. To our way of thinking, this heart-warming film is blessed with excellent acting and outstanding writing. In the opening scene, four little girls bond for life in a campfire ritual set in rural Louisiana. The all-star cast includes Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Maggie Smith, Shirley Knight, Ashley Judd, and James Garner. Also notable are Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan and Scottish actor Angus MacGadyen. The film marks the directorial debut of Callie Khoari, who wrote the screenplay for Thelma & Louise. The richly textured story (or muddled story, depending on your viewpoint) covers a period from 1939 through the mid 1990s. We laughed, we cried, and we thoroughly enjoyed this one. Let us know your view.

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY: This film has gotten rave reviews mostly, I suspect, because it’s a true story of exceptional heroism. When Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby was 43 he suffered a massive stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except for his left eye. The doctors called it "locked-in syndrome," meaning he was alive and conscious but unable to communicate. A dedicated speech therapist devised a way for him to communicate by blinking his eye. Later, an assistant, with great patience and caring, helped him write the book about his experience upon which the film is based. We see through Bauby's one good eye as he lies motionless in his hospital bed, but we can hear his thoughts. Since the only other two things—besides his left eye—that still worked were his mind and his imagination, he used them to create an amazing world. The film is in French with subtitles and the only familiar face is that of Max Von Sydow who plays Bauby’s father. Gary said he felt curiously unmoved by the film, mostly because he kept thinking of improvements that could have been made to the Communication system they used. While we greatly admire the man and his accomplishment, we can’t go higher than a B for the film. GRADE B

DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY: Based on glowing reviews by both Ebert and Roeper and our admiration for the talents of both Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, we decided to take a chance on this comedy. After fifteen minutes, we feared we had made a tragic error. But the film picked up from there and even had some "laugh out loud scenes." Barbara and I think it was supposed to be a wickedly funny satire about sports movies, but it fell a little short. Gary Cole and Jason Bateman as a sport commentator and the color guy on ESPN 8 are rarely mentioned in reviews of this film, but we thought they were quite funny. If you are desperate to see a film in a summer drought of films and you are looking for a couple hours of absurd humor, take a chance. Even though it works at times, we couldn’t rate the film higher than a C. Watch for a cameo from a famous sports figure near the end of the film. GRADE C

DOGVILLE: (2003 Release) This is an allegorical tale told by Lars von Trier, a filmmaker who is nothing if not provocative. The film looks like a play with the tiny town of Dogville laid out in chalk lines on a black soundstage floor. The inhabitants move in and out of their houses opening and closing invisible doors. It looks a bit like a set for Our Town, and even has an unseen narrator (John Hurt) who talks much like the stage manager in Wilder's play. The film is divided into a Prologue and nine chapters, each one with a descriptive title, a lá Charles Dickens. The narrator introduces us to the townspeople in the Prologue: they are unremarkable, hard-working and poor. Tom Edison (Paul Bettany) seems to be the moral leader of the town, although he is a would-be writer not a preacher. He calls town meetings and lectures the residents. Grace (Nicole Kidman) arrives in town one night. She seems to be running away from someone or something. Tom persuades the people of Dogville to give Grace two weeks to make a place for herself in the community by helping each family. The townspeople do befriend her, but as it becomes more and more apparent that there is some danger in protecting her, their attitudes begin to change. The acting is uniformly excellent and the cast features Patricia Clarkson, Chloe Sevigny, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Stellen Skarsgard, Lauren Bacall and Blair Brown. Kidman and Bettany are outstanding.

This film has been critized as an Anti-American polemic and a denunciation of our Midwest. That seems to be a rather narrow view, in our opinion. We saw it as a cynical view of all human nature--not just American human nature. Over the closing credits are a series of photographs from the depression, the civil rights struggle, and of the homeless. That does seem to put it our laps. The people of Dogville give voice to moral values, but don't always act in a moral way. That reminded me of a line from a recent Daily Show--the "fake" news show on Comedy Central. In a segment about the prisoner abuse in Iraq, a "correspondent" said, "Others shouldn't judge us by our actions, but by our principles. Just because we abused prisoners in Iraq doesn't mean we would do it.

One critic called it a Christian allegory, and I can see that point of view. The film does present a conflict between New Testament forgiveness and Old Testament vengence. It asks this question: Should human beings be forgiven for doing what human beings do? Or is that arrogance? I also found myself thinking of Diogenes, who walked the streets of Athens with his lantern looking for an honest man. The film is very long--177 minutes running time--but it didn't seem long to us. We were fascinated. It is challenging viewing and, we think, quite brilliant. Grades from the critics have ranged from A to F. The grade from us is A, although we suspect many who see Dogville will not enjoy it. We went to the film on the recommendation of Movieviewers Diane and Lee U. They thought it was a significant film that we should definitely see. We're glad we did. GRADE A

DON'T SAY A WORD: I have to agree with Movieviewer Denny G. (See Readers' Views) on this one: It is truly "preposterous." That it managed to keep us reasonably engaged is a tribute to the acting and the stylish filming techniques. Although I must admit I'm getting tired of films shot almost exclusively with a blue/gray palette. So far this month we've seen this film, Training Day and The Last Castle and all have that gloomy color scheme. How I long for someone in a red outfit! And some sunshine! But to get back to the movie under review, this one is a standard child-in-danger-father-must-save-her plot. Here, the criminals kidnap Douglas's daughter because they want him to discover the secret locked in the mind of a young mental patient. Brittany Murphy is the semi-catatonic patient who either cannot or will not give up the information. Murphy is very good here. She made a splash with her role as a fashion-challenged teen in Clueless, and also appeared in Girl Interrupted. I expect we will see a lot more of her. We also liked Jennifer Esposito as a detective who stumbles on a related crime, although her part is a bit of a throwaway. Oliver Platt appears as a colleague of Douglas's. In his review of the movie, Roger Ebert made an interesting observation about Douglas's acting style. He said, ""Douglas has made roles like this his own, and redeems them by skirting just barely this side of overacting--which is about where a character in this plot should be positioned. Shame that his subtler and more human work in movies like 'Wonder Boys is seen by smaller audiences than his fatal/basic/instinct/attraction/disclosure movies." GRADE C

THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR: I didn't think A Widow For One Year was one of John Irving's better books, but both of us liked this movie which is based on the first third of that novel. Jeff Bridges is one of our favorite actors and in our eyes can do no wrong. He is particularly good at investing flawed characters with humanity and humor. He does this beautifully here. Ted Cole has many unworthy traits, yet you can't help but like him. Kim Basinger has a more difficult job in this film because Ted's wife, Marian, is emotionally dead. She cannot get over the death of their two teenage sons who died in an accident. Ted and Marian have moved to a new place and have a new child--Ruth (Elle Fanning, Dakota's younger sister), but both are still in mourning for their lost sons. On the surface, Ted appears to be moving on, but Marian is overwhelmed by her grief. Ted is a well-known writer and illustrator of children's books. When he hires Eddie (Jon Foster), an aspiring writer to be his assistant, the young man walks into a difficult situation. Ted and Marian have decided on a trial separation and Eddie, who hoped to learn about writing, learns quite a bit more. Basinger must convey her feelings and emotions with her facial expressions because Marian doesn't talk much. We thought she did an excellent job. Elle Fanning looks remarkably like her older sister and may turn out to be every bit as good an actor. Foster is also good, and Mimi Rogers is interesting in a small but pivotal part. But the real reason for seeing this film is Jeff Bridges. A.O. Scott, the New York Times reviewer said, " Jeff Bridges offers perhaps the wittiest and richest piece of screen acting by an American man so far this year." We second that The film was written and directed by Tod Williams.. GRADE B+

DOWN WITH LOVE: The naughty innuendo of those Rock Hudson & Doris Day movies of the late 50s and early 60s were as close to sex as films got in those days. I remember enjoying Pillow Talk, 'Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers then, but I'm not sure I want to spend the time watching one of them today. And I certainly wish I hadn't spent the time watching this sendup of those so-called sex comedies. The fact that I knew where the film was headed didn't bother me. What bothered me was that is was so tedious and boring getting there. There were a couple of funny bits, but only a couple. Many of the attempts at parody fell with a thud. About the only thing I enjoyed were the costumes and the sets. Midway through the film Gary turned to me and said, "I'm incredibly bored." Gary also thought that Renee Zellweger was miscast--he just doesn't think she is cute or pretty enough to play a surrogate Doris Day. And Ewan McGregor, who has demonstrated tremendous talent in other films, looks pretty good here, but he is no Rock Hudson. To quote the Washington Post: "It (the film) makes anyone with a long memory see how good an actor Rock Hudson was. I mean that quite sincerely; to get anywhere near Hudson's ebullience, confidence and sexual magnetism, poor li'l Ewan must work overtime." David Hyde Pearce does his best to fill the sidekick role with limited success, but we thought Jeri Ryan (from TV's Boston Public) did a nice turn as a stewardess. Loved the hairdo! Gary liked Sarah Paulson as Vicki Hiller, the cigarette-smoking editor who discovers Novak's work. We agree with the Washington Post reviewer who said that the film's greatest flaw was the strain of sustaining the parody over the long haul. "It's like a "Saturday Night Live" sketch on a $60 million budget." We just can't recommend this one. Grade C-, and that's being generous. GRADE C-

DREAMGIRLS Our local critic didn’t much care for this one. He thought the musical numbers were terrific, but that it should have stayed on Broadway. It’s true that this movie is a filmed version of a hit Broadway musical, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. While I can’t rank Dreamgirls as high as Chicago, I did enjoy it. It has great style and energy. I agree with our local critic that the musical numbers were outstanding, but, for me, they weren‘t worked into the story as creatively as were the songs in Chicago. Jennifer Hudson is spectacular as the original lead singer of the trio. The story, loosly based on the career of Diana Ross and The Supremes, is fairly standard show business stuff. It’s Hudson’s character, Effie, that is the heart of the musical. Replaced as lead singer and spurned romantically by the group's manager/promoter (Jamie Fox), Effie eventually leaves the group to find herself. Effie’s solos are dynamite, especially the show-stopping "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Equally good is Eddie Murphy as a James-Brown-type soul singer. He handles the performing of his over-the-top character as capably as he handles the dramatic moments. He sings well, too. Foxx is excellent playing an unsympathetic character (patterned after Motown’s Barry Gordy). Beyoncé Knowles projects star-like quality as Deena Jones, the Diana Ross of Dreamgirls. She is gorgeous. Anika Noni Rose rounds out the musical trio and she is very good, especially in her dramatic scenes with Eddie Murphy. If you enjoy big Hollywood Musicals, you won’t be disappointed in Dreamgirls. GRADE B+ (Barb) A-

DREAMER: Inspired by a true story: Kid falls in love with horse. Horse gets hurt. Horse heals. Kid enters horse in a big race. No one besides the kid thinks the horse can win. Horse wins. I’ve seen this plot many times before and I’ve loved it every time. Remember when your kids were little and they wanted the same story read over and over? They appreciated the pleasure of the familiar. I’m like that with this kind of movie. While Dreamer doesn’t quite have the drama of Seabiscuit, it does have Dakota Fanning. She is remarkable: a child actor who never tries to be cute. She never mugs or pushes. She’s just her natural adorable self. Kurt Russell, who plays Fanning’s father in the film, told the director John Gatins, "Listen, I’ve worked with them all. I’ve worked with Meryl Streep! I guarantee you, [Dakota] is the best actress I will work with in my entire career." I think he’s right. Fanning is nicely supported here by Russell as her father, Kris Kristoferson as her grandfather, and Elizabeth Shue as her mother. It was nice to see Shue in a role that fit her so well. She looks like she could be Fanning’s mother. Rounding out the excellent cast are Freddy Rodriquez (Six Feet Under), Luis Guzmán, and David Morse as the villain of the piece. The movie is based on the true story of Mariah Storm, who broke a bone and came back to race again. She was the winner of the 1995 Turfway Breeders’ cup. In Dreamer, the horse is named Soñador, which is Spanish for "dreamer." This is not an A movie, and probably is, as Gary thinks, a B movie, but I’m such a sucker for this kind of film that I have to say B+. GRADE B+/B

John Gatins changed the part in his movie from an 11-year-old boy to a girl after seeing Fanning in Man On Fire. He talks about his meeting with her. "They just left me in a room with her," says the 37-year-old director. "She could barely see over the desk. And I’m sitting on the other side feeling like I’m being interviewed.
Which guess what? I was!"

THE DREAMERS: (2003 Release) I could not recommend this Bertolucci film to any but the most ardent foreign film buffs. Bertolucci is an Italian director whose 1972 Last Tango In Paris starring Marlon Brando made a tremendous impact in the filmmaking world. I hated Last Tango, so I was more than a little curious about how I would react to The Dreamers. I liked it quite a bit better than Last Tango, but that still only elevated the grade to about a C+. The film is set in Paris in 1968 and deals with the passion and folly of youth. If you have continued reading this far, you probably consider yourself somewhat of a film buff. The main characters in this film have a ravenous passion for movies that reflects their youth as well as the unique historical moment. I recognized many of the film clips and film references, but I'm sure many passed me by. The film is sexually explicit which earns it an NC-17 rating. (Gary wrote this review because I really disliked this movie. Grade D for me.) GRADE C+/D

DRIVING LESSONS: Ben is 17 and an only child. His father is a pastor who retreats every night to his bird books. His mother is nuts. She is also controlling, manipulative, domineering and adulterous. Every day she gives Ben a driving lesson which consists of him driving her to her lover’s house and then waiting in the car for her to come out. Ben is very shy and because he writes poetry, he is considered a bit weird by his classmates. When he gets a part-time job working for a retired actress, he finds a kindred spirit and a friend. The always delightful Julie Walters (Educating Rita, Calendar Girls) is the eccentric actress and Laura Linney is Ben’s mother. In the hands of a less-skilled actress, this flawed woman could be a caricature, but Linney manages to give her depth and makes her interesting. Ben is played by Rupert Grint (the Harry Potter series) and he is excellent. This is a charming little coming-of-age film that has quite a bit to say about friendship and being true to yourself. The Brits seems to have cornered the market on this kind of sentimental comedy. GRADE B

DR. T AND THE WOMEN: Robert Altman's first movie, M*A*S*H, exploded on the movie world in 1970. His unique style of overlapping and simultaneous dialogue has influenced all subsequent filmmakers. Unfortunately the Altman technique, so fresh and creative in 1970 has now become tired and irritating. This film looks like a Saturday Night Live parody. Dr. Travis is a Dallas gynecologist. His life is overwhelmed with women: a wife, two daughters, a sister-in-law with three little girls, four nurses, and a patient list that seems to include all the upper-class women of Dallas. The opening credits are shot over a chaotic scene in Dr. T's waiting room. It is vintage Altman and it is far too long. Richard Gere comes off the best in this film. Gary thought he was as good as he's ever been. Farrah Fawcett as Dr. T's wife, is also quite good. She plays a woman who is reverting in her mind to a child-like state--a mental illness apparently brought on by having a life that is too perfect. Shelley Long is funny as the doctor's nurse and protector. Kate Hudson, Tara Reid and Laura Dern make up Dr. T's family. They are all fine actors, but, given the Altman technique, we never get to know much about their characters. Helen Hunt doesn't come off as well. She plays an LPGA golf professional. They never should have shown her swinging a club. I have seen golf professionals and this woman is no golfer! To contrast her character with the other Dallas women, she looks rather drab. She wears little makeup and her costume consists of off-white pants that stop at her ankles combined with a baggy white blouse. Not attractive! I'm sorry to say we can't recommend this Altman film even though it has one of the most realistic birth scenes ever shown in a Hollywood movie. GRADE: C-

DRUMLINE: "One Band, One Sound." That's the goal of the fictitious Atlanta A&T marching band. To achieve that goal, each musician must learn to love the sound of the band more than the sound of his or her instrument. There is no place for individual ego in a championship marching band. It takes tremendous training and discipline to become one band with one sound. If you like marching bands, you will like this movie. Yes, the story is formula and predictable, but the subject makes it unique. Devon (Nick Cannon) is the newcomer to the band. He is a cocky kid who has been given a full four-year scholarship to college because of his skill with the snare drum. He soon butts heads with Sean, (Leonard Roberts) the drumline leader and, until Devon arrived, the best drummer in the band. Orlando Jones is Dr. Lee, the Atlanta A&T bandmaster. Dr. Lee has his own problems: the college president wants him to forsake musicianship for razzle-dazzle, something he is unwilling to do. Throw in a bit of romance between Devon and Laila (the very pretty Zoe Saldana) and you have an entertaining film. The band music, especially the drumming, is exciting, and you will gain a new appreciation of the skill and athleticism present in a marching band. GRADE B