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Pulp
Passion
Lynchês latest is overheated,
maybe over-rated.
By Lois
Wadsworth
MULHOLLAND DRIVE: Written and directed
by David Lynch. Produced by Mary Sweeney, Alain Sarde, Neal Edelstein, Michael Polaire
and Tony Krantz. Executive producer, Pierre Edelman. Cinematographer, Peter Demming.
Production design, Jack Fisk. Editor, Mary Sweeney. Composer, Angelo Badalementi.
Starring Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, with Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Robert Forster,
Michael J. Anderson and Dan Hedaya. Universal Pictures, 2001. R. 145 minutes.
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Betty (Naomi Watts)
and Rita (Laura Elena Harring).
. |
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A neo-noir, post-Pulp Fiction, self-referential, tortured thriller,
Mulholland Drive is the best work by David Lynch since Blue Velvet.
No one else is quite as good as Lynch at creating menace through peculiar camera
placements enhanced by the quirkier movements in Angelo Badalementi's excellent score.
Lynch has mastered the simplicity of spooky shadows and deeply creepy weirdos. The
character who dies of fright early on looks straight at evil and gets it over with.
For the rest of us, an uneasiness lingers that casts its spell over even innocuous
scenes.
Nevertheless, Lynch has accomplished a real break with his past,
because at the heart of the first two-thirds of the film is a complicated yet naturalistic
love story between two women. This may be the first time any top director has fashioned
a film around the attraction of two women for one another. Mulholland Drive's
love story celebrates Lynch's maturation of a style that has been imitated but not
surpassed.
But it is first of all a fantasy about Hollywood set in a nebulous
time frame that fluctuates between the noirish late 1940s, early '50s and a more
recent time that's not the present. Paranoid, as are many of Lynch's fundamental
motifs, Mulholland Drive shows the infiltration of the motion picture industry
by organized crime figures who corrupt the creative side of the industry as well
as film production. On a personal level, it shows how Los Angeles scoops up the pretty
girls who come seeking stardom and then spits them out. When thugs call the shots
on the industry's star system, it affects pretty, blonde Betty (Naomi Watts); sultry,
dark Rita (Laura Harring); and movie director Adam (Justin Theroux).
Over the opening credits, jitterbug couples dance -- not to '40s
swing like "Take the A Train" but to '50s bebop, which gives the sequence
a strangely dissonant feel. The film opens with Rita, dressed to kill, in a limo's
back seat being driven up Mulholland Drive above the city. A terrible accident suddenly
happens. The dazed woman walks away from the wreck, totters down the rugged mountainside
in her high heels and short skirt and into Los Angeles, where she passes out in a
hedge in front of an upscale apartment house.
Now it's morning. The film cuts between a fresh-faced Betty arriving
at the train station to an older woman putting baggage in a taxi to Rita, who wakes
up and slips into the older woman's flat. Meanwhile Betty meets the landlady (Ann
Miller) and moves her own bags into her aunt's apartment. When Betty runs into Rita
taking a shower and asks her name, Rita realizes for the first time that her past
is a blank. She takes her name from a bogus poster for Gilda, starring Rita
Hayworth. (Like the opening music, the poster is a Lynchian construct. The evening
dress Hayworth wears should be black satin, with elbow length black gloves.)
Lynch lays out the intricately wound-up plot, which will not be
summarized here. He manages to work in a sinister dwarf (Michael J. Anderson) --
did you doubt it? -- and other oddballs who might have wandered in from "Twin
Peaks." A surrealistic role-switching dominates the last third of the movie,
irrational convolutions that twist like ribbons in the wind. Lynch tries to make
it all mean something, and you know you'll have to see it a second time to unravel
the puzzles. Highly recommended, it opens at the Bijou Friday.
The
Mentor
Charming predator meets
shocked newcomer.
By Lois
Wadsworth
TRAINING DAY: Directed by Antoine
Fuqua. Written by David Ayer. Produced by Jeffrey Silver and Bobby Newmyer. Executive
producers, Davis Guggenheim and Bruce Berman. Cinematography, Mauro Fiore. Editor,
Conrad Buff. Music, Mark Mancina. Production design, Naomi Shohan. Starring Denzel
Washington and Ethan Hawke. With Scott Glenn, Macy Gray, Tom Berenger, Dr. Dre, Snoop
Dogg and Cliff Curtis. Warner Bros., 2001. R. 120 minutes.
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LAPD Detective
Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) and the new guy on the undercover narcotics
beat, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke).
. |
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A beat cop who aspires to undercover work, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke),
plunges eagerly into his first day on the streets with a 13-year narcotics veteran,
LAPD Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). As in the estimable Donnie
Brasco, Mike Newell's 1996 movie about an undercover FBI agent (Johnny Depp)
and a Mafia henchman (Al Pacino), the unique relationship that develops between the
new guy and the old-timer ramps up the intensity on several levels. It's not only
that Alonzo dominates every scene with rookie Jake but also that Washington's scene-stealing
models for Hawke how to play an unsympathetic character while charming the audience
into rooting for him. Even after we've observed Alonzo's criminal greed, ruthless
insensitivity and narcissistic self-absorption in countless situations, we still
hope he'll tell us he's just testing Jake 4 and his reprehensible behavior isn't
for real.
Director Antoine Fuqua is most successful in the film's violent
sequences, of which there are many, and screenwriter David Ayer's dialogue hits many
right notes. But the basic premise of the movie is flawed. It's highly unlikely that
any rookie would actually deliver his comeuppance to a thoroughly entrenched, corrupt
cop like Alonzo. Think L.A. Confidential to see how it might be accomplished
over a longer period. But in day-one on the job? Not likely.
Despite its unrealistic ambitions, the film is riveting, primarily
because of Washington's performance. As a leading man, Washington has played the
Black Hero or simply The Good Man quite effectively and amazingly often -- from 1984's
A Soldier's Story, then Glory, through 1992's Malcolm X, followed
by Philadelphia, Courage Under Fire, to 1998's The Siege and
1999's Hurricane. Like Sidney Poitier, whose popularity as a leading man in
the 1960s similarly typecast him, Washington's career has limited his exposure as
sexy man, except in Devil In the Blue Dress (1995) and Mississippi Masala
(1991).
Playing against type here, Washington paints a chilling portrait
of a man who corrupts the law and gets away with it. Alonzo blusters and bullies
his way into the hardest, crack-infested neighborhoods in the city. He kills casually
and takes what he wants from anyone who gets in his way. He says his way is the only
way and claims his goal is to bust the big dealers. He's very persuasive.
Alonzo's got an answer to why he breaks every convention of crime-fighting
that Jake believes in. They are locked into a collision of principles, and it looks
like the fight is fixed. But when Jake takes a stand, he is immovable. Shattered,
beaten to a pulp and almost killed, Jake loses his innocence but gains his maturity.
And on that other level, Hawke's steely disgust proves a match for Washington's charisma.
Two can play this game.
Entertaining but flawed, Training Day is now playing at
Cinemark and Cinema World.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW publication unless
otherwise noted.
America's Sweethearts: Directed by Joe Roth stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and
John Cusack as famous Hollywood couple breaking up. Also stars Julia Roberts. Movies
12. PG-13
American Movie: Chris Smith and Sarah Price's documentary follows Wisconsin
filmmaker Mark Borchardt, who's not formally trained but is persistent and devoted
to making a back-yard horror-flick. Inspired lunacy. One of the best films of 2000.
At 8 pm 10/19 in 180 PLC. $2 students/$3 general. R.
American Pie 2: Same cast -- Chris Klein, Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Seann
William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas 4 now directed by J. B. Rogers. R. Movies 12.
Conversation, The: Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 film is about an electronic
snoop played by Gene Hackman, who thinks he might have unwittingly taped a conversation
about murder Highest recommendations. At 7 pm 10/24 in 180 PLC. Free. PG.
From Hell: Jack the Ripper's murders recreated by the Hughes brothers from
Alan Moore's novel about the Whitechapel murders. Johnny Depp is the compromised,
psychic investigator. Also stars Ian Holm, Katrin Cartlidge and Heather Graham. R.
Cinemark. Cinema World.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: John Cameron Mitchell plays the glam rock character
he created for his hit off-Broadway show. Hedwig's a lad from East Germany who falls
for an American soldier and has a sex-change operation that's less than successful.
Mitchell's star turn in this rave musical that went over big at Sundance 2001. R.
Bijou.
Last Castle, The: Rod Lurie directs Robert Redford as a defrocked general
in a maximum security military prison and James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos")
as its corrupt warden. R Cinema World. Cinemark..
Mulholland Drive: David Lynch's neo-noir fantasy about Hollywood set in
a nebulous time-frame stars Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux. The first
two-thirds is a love story between women, while the last third contains more typical
Lynchian plot convolutions and role-switches. Highly recommended. R. Bijou See
review.
Red Sorghum: Zhang Yimou's brutal reconstruction of the 1920's invasion
of Manchuria by the Japanese military stars the ever lovely Gong Li. Zhang Yimou's
1987 directorial debut is a stunningly beautiful, semi-comic tale, with some horrific
war-related scenes. Not rated. At 7 pm 10/23 in 122 Pacific. Free.
Riding in Cars with Boys: Drew Barrymore stars in Penny Marshall's film
about a woman who wants to be a writer but ends up with a baby at 15 and a junkie
husband. Based on a true story. With Steve Zahn and Brittany Murphy. PG-13. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
Summer Catch: Romantic comedy directed by Mike Tollin stars Freddie Prinze
Jr. and Jessica Biel. PG-13. Movies 12.
Thousand Clowns, A: Herb Gardner adapted his Broadway hit into the screenplay
for Fred Coe's 1065 award -winning movie starring Jason Robards Jr. and Martin Balsam.
Not rated. At 6:30 on 10/20 in the Lorane Grange Hall. $8 donation. Presented by
Lorane Film Society ((541) 767-0046.
CONTINUING
American Outlaws: Les Mayfield (Flubber) directs Colin Farrell,
Scott Caan, Ali Larter in a youth Western about the James Gang. Tag line: Bad is
Good Again. No, but crap is still crap. PG-13. Movies 12.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Disney animated tale directed by Kirk Wise and
Gary Trousdale. Voices include Michael J. Fox, James Garner and Leonard Nimoy. PG.
Movies 12.
Bandits: In the words of the Village Voice: "One girl, two
guys, two toupees." Bank robbers Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis visit bank
officers, spend the night, and take them in to open the safe the next morning. Real
trouble comes when they fall in love with their kidnap victim, housewife Cate Blanchett.
Barry Levinson directed. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Bridget Jones' Diary: Renée Zellwegger plays the neurotic but witty
Londoner on the prowl for a man. Hugh Grant's her boss, and Colin Firth is an old
friend. All three give excellent performances, especially Zellwegger. Sharon Maguire's
directorial debut. Script by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis. Funnier
on second viewing, this smart, good-hearted romp is highly recommended. R. Movies
12. See review.
Cats and Dogs: An inside look at pet wars at home while grown up people
are at work. Kitty (Sean Hayes, voice) has grandiose plans other critters want to
stop. Live-action comedy directed by Larry Guterman also features animatronic, computer-generated
action. PG. Movies 12.
Corky Romano: Corky (Chris Kattan) is a kindly veterinarian who gets drawn
into becoming an F.B.I. agent to help out his long-lost Mafia boss father (Peter
Falk), who's being investigated. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Don't Say a Word: Based on Andrew Klaven's novel, film is about a child
psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) who tries to save his daughter from a kidnapper by
getting critical information from a disturbed patient. Gary Fleder directs. R. Cinemark.
Hearts in Atlantis: Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis star in Scott Hicks'
late-1950s adventure drama. Written by William Goldman, based on Stephen King's novel.
PG-13. Cinemark.
Iron Monkey: Miramax re-releases this vintage '93 Hong Kong action picture
directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who choreographed The Matrix and Crouching Tiger.
Rongguang Yu stars as a village doctor who has a secret life as a Robin Hood-like
figure. PG-13. Cinemark.
Joy Ride: Scary road trip about a practical joke turned lethal stars Paul
Walker and Steve Zahn, who play brothers, and Leelee Sobiesky. John Dahl directs.
R. Cinemark.
Jurassic Park 3: Sam Neill reprises his role as paleontologist Grant. Joe
Johnston directs. Grant takes a rich adventurer (William H. Macy) and his wife (Téa
Leoni) for a fly-by of the forbidden island. Lots of dinosaurs! PG-13. Movies 12.
Legally Blonde: Reese Witherspoon plays a LA natural blonde who goes to
Harvard Law School to persuade Warner (Matthew Davis) that she's the one for him.
Directed by Robert Luketic. Also stars Selma Blair, Victor Garber, Holland Taylor,
Jennifer Coolidge and Luke Wilson. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Max Keeble's Big Move: Seventh grader Alex D. Linz thinks he's moving in
a week so he concocts sweet revenge against classmates, only to discover that the
family's not moving after all. Oops. Directed by Tim Hill. PG. Cinemark.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Re-release of famous comedy about
the Arthurian legend directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones stars Gilliam, Jones,
John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman. Brilliantly manic and gruesome.
A cult classic. PG. Bijou.
Pearl Harbor: An over hyped WWII drama that critics have correctly drubbed
and audiences largely ignored. Director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer's
$135 million WWII epic stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. Forgettable.
PG-13. Movies 12. See
review.
Planet of the Apes: Re-imagining of the 1968 original by filmmaker Tim
Burton has great makeup and quicker-witted, stronger apes who act more like real
ones. Tim Roth walks away with the show as the menacing chimpanzee who wants to kill
all humans. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul
Giamatti and Tim Roth. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Score, The: This Frank Oz action movie stars Robert De Niro as a career
criminal who breaks his own rule to take an unknown (Edward Norton) as partner on
a heist. Also stars Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett. Great acting. R. Movies 12. See review.
Serendipity: Destiny has them meet by chance in a department story, and
fate parts them right away. Now it's 10 years later, and John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale
try to find each other again. Directed by Peter Chelsom (Town & Country).
PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Shrek: Computer-animated fairy tale (by DreamWorks' Pacific Data Images,
makers of Antz) stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow.
Entertaining and funny for kids and grown-ups. PG. Movies 12. See review.
Training Day: Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this cop show features a rookie
nark (Ethan Hawke) who spends his first day 4 a trial by fire 4 with a rogue senior
officer (Denzel Washington). With Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes. Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and
Macy Gray make cameos. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See review.
Vertical Ray of the Sun (Vietnam): Lovely, understated film set in Hanoi
centers around the lives of three beautiful sisters, played by Tran Nu Yên-Khé,
Nguyen Nhu Quynh and Lê Khanh. A domestic drama, it gently explores secrets
between sisters and between husbands and wives. Written and directed by Tran Anh
Hung, it's highly recommended. PG-13. Bijou. See
review.
Zoolander: In his first foray in directing since The Cable Guy,
Ben Stiller also writes and stars in this comedy about a male model brainwashed into
taking on a secret mission. With Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor and Milla Jovovich.
Moments of mad genius. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
MOVIE
THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.
Bijou
Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th
Regal
Cinemas
Cinema World 342-6536 | Valley River
Center
Springfield Quad 726-9073 |
Cinemark
Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway
Mall
Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days.
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
NEW RELEASES
ON VIDEO:
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following date of
EW publication, sometimes sooner:
Dr. Dolittle 2: Eddie Murphy is back as the good doctor, but the
animals have changed. They've become activists who plan to go on strike to save their
forest in Steve Carr's new film. And they're hungry for sex advice. PG.
Dumbo: Disney releases a special 60th Anniversary Edition of the 1941 classic
that includes features about the production. G.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Computer-generated human characters
live in 2065, when a meteor bearing millions of alien creatures crashes into Earth.
Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi. PG-13.
Freddy Got Fingered: Tom Green directs and stars in this comedy, with Rip
Torn and Julia Hagerty. R.
Town & Country: Peter Chelsom directs Michael Laughlin and Buck Henry's
comic script about marriage, friendship and love. Stars Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton,
Goldie Hawn and Garry Shandling. R.
Next week: The Animal and Swordfish.
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