Author Archives: Madeleine Williams

Nil by Mouth - *

Posted on February 6, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

For his directoral debut, Gary Oldman chose a highly personal family drama about a violent, alcoholic husband and father, and the various lives he affects. But while the characters, places and events may have special meaning to the writer-director, the … Continue reading →

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The Replacement Killers - *

Posted on February 6, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat follows the lead set by Jackie Chan and Hong Kong directors such as John Woo, Tsui Hark and Stanley Tong in attempting to cross over to the American mainstream. With The Replacement Killers, he … Continue reading →

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Blues Brothers 2000 - * 1/2*

Posted on February 6, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

The Blues Brothers was a wonderful film, a hilarious comedy packed with good music. It cried out for a sequel, but John Belushi’s untimely death seemed to eliminate the idea. However, eighteen years have passed, and the long dormant sequel … Continue reading →

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Zero Effect - * * *

Posted on January 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Jake Kasdan, son of one of the best screenwriters around, breaks into filmmaking by writing and directing this hard-to-categorize detective story. Part mystery, part comedy, part character study and part romance, for the most part Kasdan manages to combine the … Continue reading →

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Deceiver - *

Posted on January 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Deceiver is a plot twist in search of a movie. This overly constructed film succeeds in having many surprises, and, being true to its title, being deceptive. But there is little in the film that is worthy of deceit. Braxton … Continue reading →

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Great Expectations - *

Posted on January 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

I’ll be the first to admit it. When you mention the book Great Expectations, I immediately begin experiencing flashbacks to junior high English class, where I was confronted with a torturously boring book filled with people with such nonsensical names … Continue reading →

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Desperate Measures - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

To save a loved one, how great a cost would you be willing to pay? Would you be willing to break the law? If so, which ones, and how many times? Is that one life worth the lives of others? … Continue reading →

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Deep Rising - * 1/2*

Posted on January 30, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

The formula is simple. Trap a varied group of people on an isolated location, then pop in a seemingly unstoppable monster to kill them one by one. These have been the successful ingredients for many good films (The Thing, Alien, … Continue reading →

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Swept From the Sea - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Beeban Kidron directs this romantic epic based on Joseph Conrad’s short story, Amy Foster. But while the film captures the scenery and scope necessary for an epic romance, it falls short with a stale plot and a flat romance. Vincent … Continue reading →

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The Gingerbread Man - * * *

Posted on January 23, 1998 by Madeleine Williams

Doing a John Grisham film seems to be the trendy way these days for an artistic director to make a commercial film. First Francis Ford Coppola tackled The Rainmaker, which is still the finest adaptation of any of Grisham’s works. … Continue reading →

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