SYNOPSIS
TUCK EVERLASTING 60
Fifteen-year-old
Winnie Foster (Alexis Bledel) is the beautiful, privileged daughter of
the richest man in town. A disagreement with her domineering parents (Amy
Irving, Victor Garber) sends Winnie outside the fence that surrounds her
pristine house and protects her from the outside world, and into the nearby
forbidden woods. Her journey becomes a far greater adventure than she ever
anticipated when she meets the Tucks, a family of immortals that live deep
in the woods. Parents Angus (William Hurt), Mae (Sissy Spacek), and their
sons Miles (Scott Bairstow) and Jesse (Jonathan Jackson), stopped aging
more than a century ago after drinking from an enchanted spring, a veritable
fountain of youth. With the Tucks, Winnie discovers the freedom lacking
in her own small world, and a romance blossoms between the mortal teenager
and the immortal Jesse. With the local police searching for the missing
Winnie and a mysterious stranger (Ben Kingsley) searching for the Tucks,
Winnie must choose between immortality and a life with her new friends,
or the life--and inevitable death--of a normal human. TUCK EVERLASTING
is directed by Jay Russell (MY DOG SKIP, END OF THE LINE), adapted from
the classic novel by Natalie Babbitt, and narrated by Elisabeth Shue.
TIDBITS
Theatrical relase: October 11, 2002
SYNOPSIS
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing 84
A man approaching middle age decides to change his life. A rising young
attorney's plans are thrown into disarray as the result of a single act.
A woman faces her husband's infidelity. An envious businessman seeks revenge
on a cheerful coworker and an optimistic young cleaning woman awaits a
miracle. Just the ebb and flow of daily New York life: chaotic, isolated,
diffuse.
Or is it? How can we know what effect we have on a passing stranger?
What if the smallest gesture can change the course of someone's life? Perhaps
fate is in fact a product of the choices we make -- how we choose to accept
seemingly random events, whether or not we opt to see the interconnectedness
of things. Perhaps, too, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel,
even if we can't see it yet.
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing weaves five contemporary stories
together into a single tale that examines the dramatic impact people have
on one another. With a carefully constructed narrative that crisscrosses
in time and doubles back on itself, the film offers an unusual glimpse
into each character's past, present and future in ways that are both playful
and poignant. The ideas it explores -- the meaning of true happiness, the
notion of karma, the eternal power of hope -- strike with particular relevance
in our increasingly frenetic, disjointed world. -- © 2002 Sony Pictures
Classics
Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Clea DuVall
Directed by Jill Sprecher
more...
TIDBITS
Theatrical Release: MAY 24, 2002
SYNOPSIS
ALL OR NOTHING 83
Following
1999's Oscar-nominated period piece TOPSY-TURVY, acclaimed filmmaker Mike
Leigh returns to the familiar terrain of modern, working-class London with
ALL OR NOTHING. Yet another bittersweet slice-of-life drama conceived in
Leigh's now legendary improvisational style, ALL OR NOTHING follows a group
of dysfunctional families living in a London housing project who seem to
have lost any glimmer of optimism and hope. Phil Bassett (Timothy Spall)
works as a cab driver, while his wife Penny (Lesley Manville) holds a job
as a clerk in a Safeway. Their two kids, Rachel (Alison Garland) and Rory
(James Corden), are overweight and friendless. Nearby, Ron (Paul Jesson)
and Carol (Marion Bailey) drink themselves into oblivion every night, while
their sex-charged daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) attempts to conquer
every boy on the block. Next door to them, Penny's coworker Maureen (Ruth
Sheen) watches over her daughter, Donna (Helen Coker), who has been impregnated
by her bitter, abusive boyfriend. In typical Leigh fashion, each character
trudges through the muck of everyday existence, until a minor revelation
sparks an understanding that brings hope to their sour lives. Featuring
impeccably realized performances by the ensemble cast--most notably Spall
and Manville--Leigh's film pays tribute to the exasperating institution
of family.
CAST & CREW
Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen
Directed by Mike Leigh
SYNOPSIS
DIAMOND MEN 82
Eddie
(Robert Forster) is an aging traveling diamond salesman from the old school
of salesmen who developed longstanding relationships with their clients
and prided themselves in their knowledge of the trade. He is faced with
a demotion when the new management of his company deems him too high a
risk for carrying their expensive cache of diamonds. His last assignment
is to train a rookie salesman, Bobby (Donnie Wahlberg), whose only job
experience is in servicing vending machines and whose cocky sales tactics
promise to alienate Eddie's hard-won clientele. Needless to say, the relationship
between the two men gets off to a less than amiable start. Eventually,
though, the two find that each has something valuable to offer the other.
DIAMOND MEN represents an impressive contribution to Daniel Cohen's
early directing efforts. The film's quirky plotline and sincere, understated
character portrayals are a winning combination. The unlikely match of Wahlberg
and Forster creates a wonderfully funny tension that eventually blossoms
into endearing friendship.
TIDBITS
CAST & CREW
Donnie Wahlberg, Robert Forster, Bess Armstrong
Directed by Daniel M. Cohen
more...
Theatrical Release: SEPTEMBER 7, 2001 (D.C.)
SEPTEMBER 28, 2001 (NY)
SYNOPSIS
MOSTLY MARTHA 91% **
German
director Sandra Nettelbeck whips up a tasty entry in the burgeoning "love
and food" romance genre with MOSTLY MARTHA, the tragicomic tale of an uptight
professional chef who finds her world turned upside down when she becomes
the caretaker for her newly orphaned niece Lina (Maxime Foerste). Martina
Gedeck stars as Martha, whose obsession with precision gourmet cooking
extends to discussing recipes with her bewildered therapist (August Zirner)
and verbally attacking anyone at the restaurant who attempts to send her
food back. When she's forced to expand her life to include Lina, her hermetic
world begins to crumble. Sullen, despondent, and--worst of all--refusing
to eat, Lina proves herself more than a match for Martha's iron will. Enter
a boisterous, life-embracing Italian chef (Sergio Castellitto) who's been
hired at the restaurant without Martha's consent, and the table is set.
Sparks fly, personalities clash, and simmering, repressed emotions come
bubbling to the frothy surface. Though perhaps not the most original recipe,
the acting here is as impeccable as the cooking, and the cinematography,
by longtime Nettlebeck-collaborator Michael Bertl, infuses the food and
locales with glistening, sumptuous warmth.
TIDBITS
Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto, Maxime Foerste
Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck
more...
Theatrical Release: AUGUST 16, 2002 (NY)
SYNOPSIS
SUNSHINE STATE 82 **
Welcome
to Delorna Beach and the 2nd Annual Buccaneer Days! Take a trip! Take a
drive! See Florida Today!
Oceanfront motels. T-shirt shops. Golf courses. Palm trees. Sandy beaches.
Condominiums. Man-eating alligators. Indians, pirates, Spanish gold, sea
Island plantations. "People don't realize how hard it is to invent a tradition."
- Francince Pinckney
Change is coming to Delrona Beach, Florida, assaults on every front.
Here's Marly (Edie Falco) running her father's motel and hating every minute
of it. Lester and Greg (Miguel Ferrer and Perry Lang) will stop at nothing
to buy the motel, and Dad (Ralph Waite) will never sell. Mom (Jane Alexander)
is living in her own dream world down at the community theater and off
at the Audubon meetings, saving what's left of the natural habitat.
Marly's wasting away in Margaritaville, dodging her ex-husband (Richard
Edson), losing her golf pro (Marc Blucas) and tempted by the new guy in
town (Timothy Hutton) even though he is definitely working for the other
side.
Here's Desiree (Angela Bassett) back for her first real visit home since
she left under a cloud 25 years ago. She doesn't trust her mother Eunice
(Mary Alice) and won't be drawn into staying in the black enclave of Lincoln
Beach, even though family friend Dr Lloyd (Bill Cobbs) works her pretty
hard.
Dr. Lloyd is up against it, fighting off the Plantation in the person
of promoter Northrup (Sam McMurray) whose battles with the black community
go way back. Trophy husband Dr. Reginald Perry (James McDaniel) does his
best to fit in, but he's worried about the old boyfriend Flash Phillips
(Tom Wright), and nobody's comfortable with the boy Eunice has taken in,
young arsonist Terrell (Alex Lewis)
Chamber of Commerce stalwart Francine Pinckney (Mary Steenburgen) keeps
a smile on her face and pom poms high, championing Buccaneer Days through
its course. She's too busy to see much of banker husband Earl (Gordon Clapp)
whose gambling debts are giving him problems of his own.
Real people. Real places. Welcome to Florida. -- © Sony Pictures
Classics
CAST & CREW
Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander
Directed by John Sayles
TIDBITS
Theatrical Release: JUNE 21, 2002 (NY/LA)
SYNOPSIS
TADPOLE 77 **
Fifteen-year-old
Chauncey Prep student Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) feels that girls his
own age haven't lived enough, which is why he's coming home to Manhattan's
Upper East Side for Thanksgiving to profess his love to his stepmother,
Eve (Sigourney Weaver)--whose marriage to his professor father (John Ritter)
has become routine and uninspiring. Unable to find the right moment to
express himself, Oscar slips out to a bar after dinner and finds himself
drunk and missing his wallet. Walking home, he bumps into Eve's best friend,
Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), a sexy chiropractor who offers to take him home
to detox. A backrub leads to a kiss, which results in Oscar and Diane spending
the night together. Oscar, feeling he has betrayed his true love, must
now prevent Diane--who laughs at the whole situation--from telling Eve
what has happened between them.
TADPOLE's sophisticated script by Heather McGowan and Niels Mueller
plays like Woody Allen minus the neuroticism, taking a potentially exploitative
situation and handling it with with intelligence and great wit. Stanford
(who was 23 at the time of filming) gives a restrained comic performance
as the Voltaire-quoting youth, holding his own with veterans Weaver, Ritter,
and Neuwirth--who practically holds the film together with her timing and
sexuality. This scant (77 minutes), but charming production, shot on digital
video, was a surprise hit at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.
TIDBITS
Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Stanford, Bebe Neuwirth
Directed by Gary Winick
Theatrical release: July 19, 2002
SYNOPSIS
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES 77 **
THE
EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES recasts history in 19th Century France. Based on
the novel by Simon Leys, THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON, the film supposes that
Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile in St. Helena and returned to Paris
in 1821, whereas the history books say he died that year. With imaginative
photography, beautiful costumes, an upbeat orchestral score, and solid
acting, the film is a fanciful, witty, comedic delight. Starting out in
St. Helena, Napoleon (Ian Holm) enjoys a pampered existence, even as a
prisoner, and is treated with great respect by those who serve him. Therefore,
when he devises a scheme to trade places with a servant on a ship so that
he may escape, the deckhand he chooses (also Holm) thinks he's the luckiest
man alive, waited on hand and foot in St. Helena. Napoleon returns to Paris
under the guise of this ship servant. When he arrives, he expects to be
recognized, received with joy by his people, and made emperor once again.
Instead, he is ignored. Days later, the deckhand in St. Helena dies, literally
erasing Napoleon's existence. From there, Napoleon must adjust to daily
life in the free world as nothing more than a simple Everyman. Fortunately,
he finds a loving wife, Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle), to help him with the transition.
TIDBITS
CONSENSUS
The premise of The Emperor's New Clothes is intriguing, and Holm gives
a delightful performance.
CAST & CREW
Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny
Directed by Alan Taylor
Theatrical Release: JUNE 14, 2002 (NY/LA)
SYNOPSIS
THE MYSTIC MASSEUR 51% [Seen]
THE
MYSTIC MASSEUR is a delightfully warm, funny drama about Ganesh (Assif
Mandvi), an ethnic Indian living in Trinidad. While working as a teacher
in Port of Spain, Ganesh learns of his father's death. After returning
home to his country village for the funeral, he decides to stay and write
books. His chronically hiccupping auntie (Zohra Segal) encourages him.
Ramlogan (the great Om Puri), an old family friend, pushes the bookish
Ganesh to pursue his beautiful young daughter, Leela (Ayesha Dharker of
Santosh Sivan’s THE TERRORIST). Ramlogan is delighted when Ganesh and Leela
get married but later Leela grows frustrated with Ganesh’s total immersion
in his writing work. When his first book fails to sell, Ganesh returns
to healing, and soon becomes a local legend, THE MYSTIC MASSEUR. Ismail
Merchant (producer of the Merchant-Ivory films) directed the film, and
effortlessly captures the simple beauty of his locations. The veteran cast
is superb, bringing the perfect light touch to the material. Mandvi is
particularly good in portraying Ganesh’s believable transformation from
bookworm to celebrity. THE MYSTIC MASSEUR is an adaptation of Sir V. S.
Naipaul’s first novel. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.
TIDBITS
CONSENSUS
Though pretty to look at, The Mystic Masseur is too slow-paced and
lacks narrative tension.
[I include this because I saw and liked
it - even thought it contains a mixture of Jamaican and Indian dialects,
and has no cloesed caption option. It's listed as a drama, but it
is really a sweet comedy.]
Theatrical Release: MAY 3, 2002 (NATIONAL)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 95
(no, I haven't seen it. Never read the book. guess I'll
have to.)
SYNOPSIS
The Lord of the Rings, the book of the 20th Century is about to become
the motion picture event of the 21st Century – A groundbreaking epic of
good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous creatures and dark armies
of terror. Generations of more than 50 million people around the globe,
in 25 different languages have grown up with this epic history. The legend
has inspired an entire genre of movies, fiction, and has influenced some
of the greatest artists of our time. It has made dreamers out of children
and adults, and has recently been named the number one most popular book
of the century. But it has never been told in its entirety on the screen.
Using the power of contemporary cinema technology, New Line Cinema is
proud to transform J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings into a history-making
motion picture event. Beginning in the year 2001, New Line will present
a grand trilogy of live-action feature films -- The Fellowship of the Ring,
The Two Towers and The Return of the King -- that will take audiences inside
Tolkien’s living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins,
who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the
grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks on a desperate
journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron’s greatest strength, the
One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary
adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how
the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at
bay.
By shooting all three films consecutively during one massive production
and post-production schedule, New Line Cinema is making history. Never
before has such a monumental undertaking been contemplated or executed.
The commitment of time, resources and manpower are unheard of as all three
films and more than 1,000 effects shots are being produced concurrently
with the same director and core cast. Helmer Peter Jackson, whose visionary
style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades for his Heavenly
Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material
to the project.
The film features a strong international cast that includes (in alphabetical
order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd,
Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan,
Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davis, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood.
But the real star of the film is the story itself - a classic hero’s quest
in which the smallest of beings changes the course of the future with the
vastness of his courage. -- © 2001 New Line Cinema
TIDBITS
Theatrical Release Date: December 19, 2001
Other elves include Arwen (Liv Tyler), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), and
Eldrond (Hugo Weaving), but they are not part of the core band of nine
who set out to destroy the ring at Mount Doom.
