October Sky - * * * 1/2*

Posted on February 6, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

October Sky

October Sky is a rare oddity in cinema: a self-proclaimed “uplifting” film that is actually uplifting! Based on the autobiographical book by Homer Hickam, Rocket Boys, October Sky tells the struggle of four boys reaching for their dream.

It’s 1957, and for the boys of Coalwood, West Virginia, there’s not much hope of a rosy future. Coalwood is a coal mining town, and, except for the few lucky ones who manage to escape on a football scholarship, most of Coalwood’s boys are destined to work in the mine. But, in October 1957, an event happens that sparks one boy to dream. The launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik sets Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) to dream a future of rocketry and space travel.

Of course, Homer’s parents (Chris Cooper and Natalie Canderday) aren’t quite sure what to make of their son’s unusual interests. Homer gets his strongest encouragement from Miss Riley (Laura Dern), a teacher in his school who also informs him about the scholarships offered to the winners of a national science fair.

And so, with stars in his eyes, and thoughts of scholarships in his head, Homer enlists the help of three other boys (William Lee Scott, Chad Lindberg and Chris Owen) and begins to build a rocket. But, do these four backwoods boys even have the slightest hope of escaping their destiny?

There is a lot that could have gone wrong with October Sky. Nearly every sequence flirts with becoming syrupy and cliched. However, miraculously, October Sky avoids nearly all of these pitfalls, making the exact right moves at the exact right times. A film emerges which manages to be powerful and moving without slipping into the gauzy haze of nostalgia or sliding down the sugarry slope of sappiness.

Jake Gyllenhaal is outstanding as the kid at the center of this film. From the outset of the film, he is immediately likable, and never seems too corny or brainy as to alienate the audience. Unfortunately, while October Sky focuses on Homer, the other three kids get the short end of the stick. They remain little more than placeholders reading “insert friend here”.

Of the adults in the film, Chris Cooper is the most fully realized character. The film never paints him as merely the villainous parent standing in the way of his child’s dreams, but, instead, shows the multihued portrait of a man who wants the best for his family and town, but is too stubborn to realize what that is.

Director Joe Johnson deserves much credit for successfully navigating the many obstacles that October Sky manages to dodge. However, there are still a few occasions when he allows things to proceed just a step too far. Scenes which were natural and inspriring start to become contrived and artificial. However, these lapses are minimal, and Johnson quickly steers the movie back on course.

The problem with many so-called “uplifting” films is that they attempt to force their mediciney goodness down your throat. October Sky never resorts to that level, and yet, manages to become a truly uplifting film purely on its own merits.

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Payback - * * 1/2*

Posted on February 5, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Mel Gibson takes on his most unsympathetic role yet in the action thriller, Payback. Based on Richard Stark’s novel, The Hunter, previously shot in 1967 as the Lee Marvin thriller Point Blank, Payback tells the tale of a bad guy out for revenge. The film doesn’t aim high, but it hits where it counts.

Porter (Mel Gibson) is dead…or so everyone thinks. He was a skilled thief, who picked the wrong partners, and was double-crossed. Shot and left for dead, he beat the odds and recovered. Now, he’s back…and looking to get even.

But, can Porter trust those who used to be closest to him? How about Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), his wife? Has she betrayed him for her true love: heroin? Porter’s other associates are just as questionable. His best friend, Val (Gregg Henry), is in cahoots with The Outfit. And then, there’s Rosie (Maria Bello), the friendly prostitute who may have been the cause of Porter’s downfall.

Following his near-death experience, Porter distills all of his emotional fury into following a strict code of honor. Those who betrayed him did it for $70,000, and Porter wants it back. He’s willing to forget everything for that 70 grand…but he’s willing to kill anyone to get what’s coming to him…

Porter is very definitely the anti-hero here. And though the film is obviously designed to have the audience root for him, it is made evidently clear that he’s not the nicest guy to be around. You just don’t want to be on his bad side. Gibson’s performance is top notch, though, proving that he can carry a film without relying on his charm. (However, does Gibson have a required torture scene written into the contract for every film he makes?)

Shot primarily in silvery tones, the film seems drained of color. The intent may have been to emulate the cool intensity of Porter’s determination. Or, it may have been an effort to give the film a black-and-white feel, while still adding sparks of color here and there. In either case, the look of Payback is certainly distinctive.

The plot, however, is not so distinctive. It’s a bit slow at the setup, and requires a few leaps to reach its conclusion. But, then again, Payback isn’t about a distinctive plot. It’s all about the thrills and satisfaction of watching a bad guy vigilante with a loose code of ethics beat up the even badder guys.

And on this level of simple thrills, Payback works like a charm. It’s not a movie for someone looking for the traditional hero-versus-villain structure, but anyone seeking a little action escapism will find it here.

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Message in a Bottle - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 30, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Message in a Bottle

Is it possible for someone to love too much? Is being overly romantic a severe character flaw? Those are a few questions posed by Message in a Bottle, an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ romantic novel. It is schlocky and disposable at times, but makes for a decent romantic diversion.

Theresa Osborne (Robin Wright Penn) is a research assistant for a prominent columnist at a Chicago paper. One day, while on vacation, she discovers something interesting: (you guessed it) a message in a bottle. This particular message is a hopelessly romantic love letter from a man to his dead wife.

Theresa becomes obsessed with the letter, and convinces her boss at the paper to let her track down the author. It’s not revealing too much to say that in a rather short amount of time, she does. The man is one Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a North Carolina man who restores boats for a living.

So, Theresa hops a jet and finds herself in North Carolina, looking for this man of passion, and falling hopelessly in love (even before setting eyes upon him). But Garret still pines for his dead wife, and is unsure if there is room in his heart for another love.

Nearly everything in this film seems distant and adrift. This disconectedness works alright for the beginning. But, even after Theresa and Garret meet, and romance begins to bloom, there is never a sense of immediacy to the couple or their relationship.

Kevin Costner’s laconic style is on full display here. It seems to fit a man pining for his lost love, but isn’t as suited for a man finding a new love. Robin Wright Penn is strangely subdued while playing what is, when you think about it, a stalker. There is some chemistry between the pair, but the whole thing never gets hotter than a slow burn.

The one thing that does bring a jolt of life to the film is Paul Newman, playing Garret’s catankerous father, Dodge. He’s given all the film’s best lines, and even when they’re not given to him, he takes them anyway and makes each scene in which he appears his. The fire and skill with which he crafts his character puts all the other actors in this film to shame (even though they’re not doing that shabby of a job).

The entire plot of Message in a Bottle is clearly telegraphed several scenes ahead. Even when the film takes a sharp left turn into melodrama, it doesn’t catch you completely by surprise.

On the whole, what Message in a Bottle needs is a little energy. Just as Paul Newman enlivened what could have been a stock, throwaway character with a spark of vitality, so too could the whole film used an extra burst of life.

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She’s All That - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 29, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

She's All That

The teen comedy traditionally comes in two flavors: cynical or saccharine. She’s All That is a film of the latter variety. It’s simple, straightforward and ultimately pleasing.

Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) has it made. He’s the class president, the most popular kid in school, and a shoo-in for Prom King. Yet, when his girlfriend, Taylor Vaughan (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe), dumps him for the obnoxious star of MTV’s Real World, Brock Hudson (Matthew Lillard), Zack’s entire world is turned upside down.

However, Zack is confident that he can rebound. So confident, in fact, that he accepts a bet from his best friend, Dean (Paul Walker). He claims that he could date any girl in school, no matter how unpopular, and get her crowned Prom Queen.

Enter Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook), the cold and distant artistic student who becomes the unknowing object of Zack’s bet. She doesn’t care about proms or popularity, and it shows. However, will the intensity of Zack’s attention be enough to change her mind?

Anyone familiar with Pygmalion, My Fair Lady, or even Pretty Woman, knows all the relevant plot points that She’s All That will hit. It’s a simplistic story, and She’s All That never strays far from its borders.

However, at least both of the leads are appealing. Freddie Prinze, Jr. seems to fit the “class president” role well, but Rachael Leigh Cook (though enjoyable onscreen) isn’t quite the “unpopular” type. Even with severe glasses and a dour disposition, she seems more amiable than the average teen. But, you can’t ask for too much realism in a fantasy like this one.

The supporting cast deliver mixed pleasures. Matthew Lillard is appropriately self-absorbed as the obnoxious MTV celebrity. Laney’s brother Simon (Kieran Culkin), and Zack’s sister Mackenzie (Anna Paquin) are, at times, more interesting than their respective siblings. However, the film’s foils (O’Keefe and Walker) are painfully flat.

Older viewers, tired of this familiar formula, won’t find She’s All That to be all that…but, for its target audience, high school teens, She’s All That hits the right notes.

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Gloria - * *

Posted on January 22, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Gloria

Gloria is a remake of the 1980 John Cassavettes drama about a streetwise woman who ends up protecting a child from the mob. A good lead performance keeps this otherwise sluggish film from becoming a disaster, but it’s a mild redemption at most.

Gloria (Sharon Stone) has spent the last three years in a Miami jail, covering for her sleazy gangster boyfriend, Kevin (Jeremy Northam). Upon being paroled, what is the first thing she does? Breaks parole by hopping a jet back to New York. She seeks out Kevin, hoping to find a changed (and grateful) man.

Kevin, of course, could care less about his trashy girlfriend. He’s a mid-level gangster in the Irish mob, and he has other things on his mind. Most notably, an accountant in his employ has made a copy of all the bribes and payoffs. Kevin’s lackey Sean (Mike Starr) goes overboard, and kills the accountant, and his entire family…all except the young Nicky (Jean-Luke Figueroa), who, as luck would have it, has the disk with the incriminating data.

Wouldn’t you know that Gloria and Nicky would get together. The tough-talking Gloria’s long-dormant maternal instincts kick into high gear as she does her best to protect the little kid from the wrath of the mob. But is this a challenge that even Gloria can’t face?

This movie belongs to Sharon Stone. Her plucky, streetwise Gloria is the best thing about the film. She tackles the role with plenty of brass and personality. Though her character begins to get a bit grating as the film winds to a close, she’s still head and shoulders above the rest of the cast.

However, though Sharon does her part, the rest of the movie doesn’t keep pace. The bad guys are as generic as the “find the floppy disk” plot. The film’s few action scenes are sluggish and dull. Even the developing mother-son bond between the spunky kid and the spunkier Gloria is rather trite and contrived.

A few good actors in some small roles here and there don’t make a lasting impression. George C. Scott stumbles as mob boss Ruby. Bonnie Bedelia is downright irritating as Gloria’s better-off sister, Brenda. Only Cathy Moriarty is able to add some zest to the proceedings, as the woman Gloria might have become.

Gloria is not quite good enough to recommend purely on the basis of Sharon Stone’s performance. But that performance is good enough to avoid an all-out pan.

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Virus - 1/2*

Posted on January 15, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Virus

You always have to be careful with the initial releases of any calendar year. January is a traditional dumping ground in which the studios release films that they don’t believe are good enough to even merit a shot at getting awards, nor entertaining enough to benefit from the high-traffic holiday box office. Such a film this year is Virus, a high tech zombie movie that resembles, in more ways than one, last year’s January-release: Deep Rising. Both are sci-fi thrillers set aboard a boat. And both deserve to be sunk as quickly as possible.

In Virus, Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Kelly Foster, the navigator of the Sea Star, a tugboat under the command of Captain Everton (Donald Sutherland), who (at some point before the movie starts) has gone completely mad. It’s up to Foster and the ship’s engineer Steve Baker (William Baldwin) to keep the tug in one piece. Everton has led the ship into the middle of a typhoon, where they encounter something mysterious: an abandoned Russian scientific vessel.

Upon exploring the derelict ship, the crew of the Sea Star discover plenty of unusual phenomena. The entire Russian crew is missing (except for plenty of bloodstains here and there), there is evidence of gunfire throughout the ship, and many systems have been smashed or otherwise destroyed.

But that is only the beginning, as the crew of the Sea Star are about to find out. An energy-based life form from outer space has inhabited the ship’s computers. It controls all the ship’s systems, and is building cyborg robots to further its control. The alien considers human life to be a noxious virus that must be eliminated (though in a way that will provide plenty of spare parts for the next cyborg…).

It is in this way that, you can be certain, everyone who dies will be back as a bad guy later in the film. The film never explains why the alien life form even bothers creating these cyborgs. It is not as if they are more powerful than the purely robotic creations. Nor do they seem more efficient or more intelligent. Perhaps they were created out of boredom (there’s certainly enough of that in this movie).

Virus falls into the same trap as many sci-fi horror films. It’s full of seemingly smart characters who do extremely stupid things. (Hmmm… an abandoned ship in the middle of a typhoon, filled with blood and signs of violence? Let’s split up and wander aimlessly through the dark corridors…)

The actors in Virus aren’t given much to work with, and they don’t give a lot in return. Donald Sutherland’s campy performance (with a mumble-mouthed on-again, off-again accent) may qualify as the worst in the film…but at least he was trying something different. Jamie Lee Curtis and William Baldwin simply stroll through the film with nary an ounce of effort.

The robot designs in Virus are halfway interesting, and the high point of the film. But, they’re hardly worth wading through the rest of the film just to see. Very few things would be…

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In Dreams - * 1/2*

Posted on January 15, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Director Neil Jordan takes a gamble and fails with his latest movie, In Dreams. He assembles a talented cast, and combines it with some superb camera work. But then he applies these paints to a fragmented and nonsensical story. Can a movie exist with style, but no substance? In Dreams is a convincing argument in the negative.

Claire Cooper (Annette Bening) has had psychic visions all her life, though she never knew what they meant. However, lately they’ve been getting much more disturbing, as she becomes certain that at least part of what she’s seeing involves a missing young girl.

The increasingly nightmarish visions are beginning to upset her husband, Paul (Aidan Quinn), as well. He begins to suspect his wife may slowly be going crazy. A psychiatrist, Dr. Silverman (Stephen Rea) suggests that she be hospitalized.

Claire, however, begins to suspect that someone is feeding her dreams. She fears that her psychic pen-pal may be a serial killer (Robert Downey Jr.), and that her visions are anticipating his actions.

In Dreams is wonderfully shot by cinematographer Darius Khondji. Haunting and evocative, the imagery of the film is easily the film’s strongest suit. The only flaw here is that the film is a little overreliant on a few questionable motifs (you won’t leave the theater craving any apples, that’s for sure).

However, there is not much behind this pretty facade. What starts out as a mildly interesting premise quickly becomes ludicrous as the film descends along its mindless path. Disjointed and confusing at times, In Dreams is like a bad dream itself. Full of none sequiturs and loose ends, just when you think the movie can’t make any less sense, it somehow surprises you.

There’s some good talent here, though, that gives the material a fair shot. Annette Bening makes the strongest impression with her descent into madness. Aidan Quinn is also notable as her beleaguered husband, yet the film doesn’t quite know what to do with his role. It tosses him a minor subplot early on, only to forget about it a few scenes later. Robert Downey Jr. is appropriately creepy as the film’s mysterious bad guy. However, his familiar character seems to be patched together from the assorted parts of serial killers of films past.

Despite the efforts of the cast, nothing can quite disguise the hollowness at the film’s center. In fact, it’s almost tragic that such good actors and imagery have been wasted on such a worthless movie.

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At First Sight - * * 1/2*

Posted on January 9, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

At First Sight

Oliver Sacks’ story To See and Not See, a true account regarding restoring sight to the blind must have seemed like the perfect idea for a movie. Not only does an actor get to stretch his chops as a blind man, but the “miracle cure” would be, by definition, an uplifting moment. Both of these are true of At First Sight, but the film isn’t happy to leave good enough alone. Instead, the film is saddled with a romantic subplot that proves unmoving and distracting.

Virgil Adamson (Val Kilmer) lost his sight between the ages of 1 and 3 due to congenital cataracts. Since then, under the protective wing of his elder sister Jennie (Kelly McGillis), he has made a life for himself as a massage therapist at a local resort.

However, everything is about to change when Amy Benic (Mira Sorvino) enters his life. She’s an architect from New York who comes to the resort for a weekend getaway. She goes in for a massage, and winds up falling in love.

Back in New York, Amy discovers Dr. Charles Aaron (Bruce Davison), a surgeon with some radical ideas which just might be able to restore Virgil’s sight. But, after living all his life without vision, will Virgil be able to relearn everything he knows about the world in order to see?

The medical drama of At First Sight, based on a true story, is easily the film’s most compelling element. Though the premise at first feels a bit gimmicky, it is handled competently and with a good deal of thoughtfulness.

But At First Sight is hesitant to rely on the medical drama alone. Rather, it supplements the story with a romantic angle, and here is where it falters. The chemistry-free relationship between Mira Sorvino and Val Kilmer feels very artificial and lifeless.

Mira Sorvino is the prime culprit here. Her bland character is simply unappealing. Val Kilmer has the heftier role, and can always fall back on his character’s visual dilemma for drama. Sorvino only has the romance to work with, and that’s not a solid structure here at all.

In a delightful supporting turn, Nathan Lane briefly appears as a visual therapist. His few scenes in the film are such a welcome relief that it leaves you wondering how much better the film would have been without the overstressed romantic angle.

In the end, At First Sight is still worth watching…but there are plenty of better things to see.

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Varsity Blues - * *

Posted on January 8, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Varsity Blues

The high pressure world of high school football is the subject of Varsity Blues, a comedy with the ambition to be a drama, but without the necessary substance.

The story takes place in the small town of West Canaan, Texas, where high school football is the local religion. No one in town is more revered than Coach Kilmer (Jon Voight), who has brought home 22 Division Championships, and 2 State Championships. This season, he’ll stop at nothing to get his hands on yet another one.

His star this year is Quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker), who just might collect that championship title singlehandedly. In Lance’s shadow is the academic-minded second-string QB, Jonathan “Mox” Moxon (James Van Der Beek). Though equally as talented as Lance, Mox is perfectly willing to let his friend take all the glory (after all, he’s dating Lance’s sister (Amy Smart)).

Mox loves the game, but senses that something just isn’t right. The parents of the players are more interested in the games than their children’s lives. Players are encouraged (and even expected) to play hurt. Even the dangerous exploits of players are laughed off by the townsfolk and local authorities. Mox realizes that everyone’s priorities are out of whack, but he’s willing to simply coast along and enjoy the ride.

The tone of Varsity Blues is severely disjointed. There are several moments throughout the film that feel realistic, as if we are being treated to an expose of the dark side of high school athletics. These scenes are clumsily mixed with the wildly implausible antics of the players and townsfolk of West Canaan.

Simultaneously condemning yet celebrating the culture of high school football, Varsity Blues tries to have it both ways. In the end, any statement the film may have been trying to make is lost in its overall phoniness of the movie. It is also difficult to merely enjoy the movie as a comedy, since the film’s constant references to the dramatic elements is like a thorn in the side.

Jon Voight delivers yet another hammy over-the-top villain in the rabid Coach Kilmer. He might have been a more interesting antagonist if he wasn’t so one-dimensional. James Van Der Beek is sympathetic as the kid who’s not only physically talented, but smart and wise to boot. Most of the other characters (such as Ron Lester’s Billy Bob, or Scott Caan’s Tweeder) are played purely for laughs.

Still, though it is flawed, Varsity Blues makes a strong case that a very good movie could be made about high school football. Varsity Blues is just not that movie.

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The Best of 1998

Posted on January 8, 1999 by Madeleine Williams

Well, it’s that time again…time to reflect on the year gone by, and to celebrate the best of 1998. Here are my picks for the best movies and performances of the past year:

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Runner Up – Nigel Hawthorne – The Object of My Affection
Winner – Geoffrey Rush – Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, and Les Miserables
Nigel Hawthorne gave last year’s most overlooked supporting performance. He was the best thing in The Object of My Affection, and gave as good of a performance as any actor this year. But then, Geoffrey Rush delivered three of them. It’s hard to pick which of his three superb turns was his best, but if forced to choose, I’d say the scheming Sir Walsingham of Elizabeth.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Runner Up – Lisa Kudrow – The Opposite of Sex
Winner – Kathy Bates – Primary Colors
Lisa Kudrow??? Runner-up for Best Supporting Actress??? Am I crazy? Nope…playing against type, she more than holds her own in the wickedly funny The Opposite of Sex… she truly stands out among a talented cast. But pity anyone who must go against Kathy Bates’ riveting performance in Primary Colors. Bates actually livens up an already enjoyable movie with a tour-de-force performance that is one of her best.

BEST ACTOR
Runner-Up – Ian McKellen – Gods and Monsters Winner – Edward Norton – American History X

There are two strong choices for Best Actor this year. Ian McKellen’s tragic performance as James Whale is subtle, yet powerful. But it is Edward Norton’s turn as a young white supremacist who learns the error of his ways, which was the most powerful and moving of the year.

BEST ACTRESS
Runner Up – Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love Winner – Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth
Hmmm…both Best Actresses come from period romances set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in which they costarred with Joseph Fiennes and Geoffrey Rush. Coincidence or formula? In either case, both of these women gave stirring performances…but it is Cate Blanchett’s title role of Queen Elizabeth which steals the show.

TOP TEN FILMS (in reverse order)

10. There’s Something About Mary
When a movie has the funniest trailer of the year, it’s usually a safe bet that you’ve seen all the funniest bits during that three minute ad. Not so with There’s Something About Mary, which may have probed the boundaries of good taste, but gave audiences a hillarious time while doing it.
9. Shakespeare in Love
Thoroughly enjoyable, Shakespeare in Love has a slew of excellent performances and the year’s best screenplay to thank for making it the most memorable romantic comedy of 1998.
8. Beloved
Eerie and atmospheric, with a touch of sadness, Beloved was an unusual film…certainly not what I was expecting from the hyped “Oprah Winfrey drama”. However, when given a chance, this haunting motion picture proves to be well worth its length.
7. Primary Colors
Overshadowed by real-life political scandals, Primary Colors certainly deserves a second look. With good performances all around, and a well balanced script, Primary Colors provides plenty of humor and insight into the current state of politics.
6. The Truman Show
Jim Carrey’s The Truman Show may have been massively overhyped…but with good reason. The surrealistic exploration of our entertainment-centric culture is very well crafted. And Jim Carrey turns in a performance that, though not the year’s best, certainly shows promise for him in the future.
5. The Spanish Prisoner
David Mamet delivered this deceptively twisting thriller about a man caught up in an elaborate con game (or is he)? Well written, and with a surprisingly good dramatic turn from Steve Martin, The Spanish Prisoner will keep you guessing until the last.
4. Elizabeth
Two of the year’s best performances can be found in Elizabeth, and it’s no accident. Not your ordinary period piece, Elizabeth boasts enough intrigue and performances for two films (and two good films at that).
3. A Simple Plan
Director Sam Raimi finally makes it to the big leagues with A Simple Plan. This intricate morality tale boasts strong performances, a superbly written script, and, oh yes, plenty of atmosphere.
2. Life is Beautiful
Italian comic Roberto Benigni tackles the Holocaust…it was a movie that could have been a spectacular failure, but it was a spectacular triumph instead. Funny and poignant, Life is Beautiful successfully manages to juggle the humor with tragedy. Even those wary of subtitle-laden foreign films need to check this one out. You’ll be glad that you did.
1. Saving Private Ryan
Powerful. Epic. Moving. And that’s just the first twenty minutes alone. Steven Spielberg once again proves that he’s not just a money-making director…but a damn good one as well. Saving Private Ryan is not just the best film of 1998, but one of the best of the decade as well.
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