reviewsSPRINGCLEANING

Intermission
  Director: John Crowley
From Ireland comes this interesting but overlong comedy that throws a dozen or so characters
together in the hopes that something sticks. Most of the performances are strong (Shirley
Henderson, Kelly Macdonald) but a few are so outsized for this particular type of film (Colm Meany,
Colin Farrell) that you're left with a slighly bad aftertaste even though the meal was enjoyable.
   My grade: B
   Screened: January 14

Miracle
  Director: Gavin O'Connor
Some may call "Miracle" schmaltzy or contrived; I found it to be heartfelt and moving. True, it
follows some of the standard sports movie cliches, but, hey folks, it really happened that way. Kurt
Russell is the best he's been in a long time, and Patricia Clarkson -- stuck with the most needless
role in the film -- still turns out a great performance that brims with compassion and heart.
   My grade: B+
   Screened: January 15

The Dreamers
  Director: Bernardo Berolucci
A great movie really wants to come out of "The Dreamers." You can see it peaking its head around
the corner in the sublime reenactments of classic French New Wave films. It sneaks out temporaily
in the gorgeous cinematography and period film score. But the plot is often so pretentious and
contrived (sibling incest?) that it masks the romantic swells we should be feeling during such a
momentous political and sexual revolution.
   My grade: B-
   Screened: January 22

Taking Lives
  Director: D.J. Caruso
Awful, awful, awful. One of the most inane serial killer movies I've ever seen. That the filmmakers
try to pass off such a labored concept as entertainment -- that for the past 20 years a murderer has
been assuming the identities of his casualties -- is laughable. We first meet "ace FBI agent" Angelina
Jolie (scared yet?) lying in the grave of the most recent victim trying to "get a feel" for the killer's
methods. Is she psychic? Skilled? Tired? Ready to be buried? The movie sure is.
   My grade: D
   Screened: March 20


By Anthony Kusich		Spring Cleaning	Main Page


		Short Reviews as of March 20th, 2004



		*Young Adam* Director: David Mackenzie There's a lot of fuss over the sexual content in "Young Adam," and it recently received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. (Up with censorship!) Oddly, I saw it completely uncut on a Virgin Atlantic flight way before Boobgate introduced us to the female breast. There is a lot of sex in "Young Adam," but it doesn't add up to much. It's sort of a murder mystery with characters too unlikeable to care what happens to them. My grade: C Screened: January 13



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