Author Archives: Madeleine Williams

Life is Beautiful - * * * *

Posted on October 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Life is Beautiful is a rare treat: a lighthearted comedy that tackles a very serious subject without committing the sins of being disrespectful, or, even worse, humorless. It combines a charming romance with a dash of farce, stirs in a … Continue reading →

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Soldier - [No Tickets]

Posted on October 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

What’s that smell? Why, it’s Soldier, an insipid science fiction action yarn that makes you long for the realism of Pigs in Space. Right now, under our very noses, if you believe the timeline the film gives us, an elite … Continue reading →

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Pleasantville - * * 1/2*

Posted on October 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Pleasantville is, of all things, a pleasant little film. It asks the question, what would the world be like if everything was perfect? And then it uses that, not only as a launchpad for social commentary on contemporary values, but … Continue reading →

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Apt Pupil - * * * 1/2*

Posted on October 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Apt Pupil is a very disturbing movie. This cerebral thriller is very much a monster movie. But, rather than the monsters being some outlandishly implausible creature from the fringes of science fiction, they are taken from the pages of history, … Continue reading →

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Happiness - * *

Posted on October 16, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Don’t be fooled by the title. There is happiness in Todd Solondz’ latest film, but it’s not exactly what you would expect. The film explores several unhappy (and, in some cases, extremely dysfunctional) people in their quest to find “happiness”, … Continue reading →

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Practical Magic - * * 1/2*

Posted on October 16, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Based on Alice Hoffman’s novel, Practical Magic is a partially enchanting film about the lives and loves of a family of witches. The film is never as magical as it needs to be, and it is harmed by some overly … Continue reading →

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Bride of Chucky - * 1/2*

Posted on October 16, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

After a seven-year absence, Chucky, the killer doll, has returned. Yes, Chucky has been shot, stabbed, incinerated, melted, and chopped into teeny-tiny bits, but each time he comes back. The world probably doesn’t need another Child’s Play sequel…but, if it … Continue reading →

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Beloved - * * * 1/2*

Posted on October 16, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

The movie Beloved is rather like it’s title character: unusual, disorienting and not quite what you’d expect. However, that’s not to say that the film isn’t good (which it is), but rather that it’s a difficult beast to classify. It’s … Continue reading →

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One Tough Cop - *

Posted on October 9, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

If you couldn’t tell by the title, One Tough Cop is about, well, one tough cop. It’s a by-the-numbers cop drama filled to the gills with generic characters, generic situations and generic dialogue. Stephen Baldwin stars as NYPD detective Bo … Continue reading →

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The Mighty - * * * 1/2*

Posted on October 9, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

The Mighty is a very good film, saddled with a very perplexing advertising campaign. Based upon Rodman Philbrick’s novel Freak the Mighty, someone somewhere apparently objected to the word ‘Freak’, which has been inexplicably jettisoned. To follow that up, the … Continue reading →

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