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Blackmail
Payoff
Barbershop
noir from the Coens.
By Lois
Wadsworth
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE:
Directed by Joel Coen. Written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Produced
by Ethan Coen. Executive producers, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Co-producer,
John Cameron. Cinematography, Roger Deakins. Production design, Dennis
Gassner. Costumes, Mary Ziphres. Original score, Carter Burwell. Editors,
Roderick Jaynes, Tricia Cooke. Starring Billy Bob Thornton and Frances
McDormand, with Michael Badalucco, Jon Polito, James Gandolfini and
Scarlett Johansson. Also Adam Alexi-Malle, Katherine Borowitz, Richard
Jenkins and Tony Shalhoub. USA Films, 2001. R. 116 minutes.
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Maria (Rosario Dawson) and Tommy
(Edward Burns)..
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At first I wasn't sure what to think about
The Man Who Wasn't There. I felt as if I had been transported
back in movie time. America was slower in 1949, when this story takes
place, and the film mimics this pace. The moderne clothing, hairstyles,
decor and automobiles reflect the fashion of the era, while the interior
of the barbershop is replicated with detailed precision. Roger Deakins
shot the film for Joel and Ethan Coen on color negative but printed
in black-and-white, so the picture has the modulated tones of old photographs
-- creamy whites, lustrous blacks and a range of grays rather than
sharp contrasts.
Almost as subtle as the film's monochromatic display
is its existential subtext, with Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) as
a non-ideological, post-WWII American man wrestling with the meaning
of his life. While sophisticated intellectual writers such as Jean-Paul
Sartre and Albert Camus expressed this alienation in books, the Coens
have image, sound, movement and Billy Bob Thornton's intensity on
their side. Ed doesn't know diddly about existentialism, but he notes
sardonically that he and his wife, Doris (Frances McDormand), go to
church every week -- on Bingo night. And he knows that he's invisible
to other people: "It seemed like I knew a secret. Like I'd made it
to the outside and they were still struggling below."
We get a pretty good picture of the Crane's marriage
one night when Doris, who cooks the books for Nirdlinger's Department
Store, invites her boss and his wife to dinner. Big Dave (James Gandolfini)
and Ann (Katherine Borowitz) make quite a pair -- he never shuts
up, and she never takes her hat off. Dave's a WWII hero who enjoys
telling stories of his exploits at the dinner table, and Doris guffaws
along with him. Later when Ed's alone on the front porch, he puts
it together that Doris is sleeping with Dave.
Ed works in a barbershop owned by his talkative brother-in-law,
Frank (Michael Badalucco), but the first thing Ed tells us about himself
is that he never considers himself a barber. Ed's daily life is excruciatingly
banal, and he's eager to change it but doesn't know how. So when an
opportunity to better himself comes along, Ed boldly takes it, even
though investing in a dry cleaning business with a traveling salesman,
Creighton Tolliver (Jon Polito), may not seem too smart. But Ed gets
the idea for blackmailing Big Dave from Creighton, and he sets about
to make that scam work.
Detachment and raw ambition bring tragedy. Like Camus'
character in The Stranger who is condemned because he doesn't
cry at his mother's funeral, Ed's punished for something he didn't
do. One hopeless situation is replaced by another, until the chain
of effects finally peters out, and the story reaches its end. But
like playing a big fish on the line, the film is paced slowly and
carefully. Even if you notice that you are the fish being played,
the Coens give you time to repent at leisure. Now playing at the Bijou,
this film is highly recommended to those willing to look beneath the
surface.
Back to top
Frontier
Justice
Legalized
vigilantism .
By
Lois Wadsworth
TEXAS RANGERS: Directed
by Steve Miner. Written by Scott Busby and Martin Copeland. Produced
by Alan Greisman and Frank Price. Cinematography, Daryn Okada. Music,
Trevor Rabin. Production design, Herbert Pinter. Starring James Van
Der Beek, Dylan McDermott, Usher Raymond, Aston Kutcher, Rachael Leigh
Cook, Tom Skerritt and Alfred Molina. Dimension Films release, 2001.
PG-13. 110 minutes.
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George
Durham (Ashton Kutcher), Randolph Douglas Scipio (Usher Raymond)
and Lincoln Rogers Dunnison (James Van Der Beek)..
. |
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A troubled film, Texas Rangers limped into
theaters last week like an outlaw with a nail in his shoe. With little
advance publicity, a gung-ho Western about legalized revenge killings
in 1875 has little chance to attract an audience. The film has been
in limbo since last spring when at least two uncredited writers --
John Milius and Ehren Kruger -- worked on an earlier version
of the screenplay. The writing is one of the film's weakest features.
The ragged script and Steve Miner's cautious direction
is made worse by Dylan McDermott's terrible performance as self-righteous
ranger leader Leander McNelly. McDermott doesn't have a wide range
of facial expressions, as anyone who's watched "The Practice" knows.
With a perpetual long face, the tubercular ex-preacher McNelly is
hellbent on vengeance, a mood that settles on McDermott's stoic demeanor
and hooded eyes like a mask. McNelly's ranger badge inspires his men
to kill with impunity the bandits raiding ranches and frontier towns
along the Texas border with Mexico.
But this practice disturbs a young lawyer named Lincoln
Rogers Dunnison (James Van Der Beek of "Dawson's Creek"), whose family
was murdered by these armed killers led by John King Fisher (Alfred
Molina). After Dunnison escapes the slaughter, he hooks up with George
Durham (Ashton Kutcher of "That 70's Show") in the desert, and together
they join the rangers. McNelly makes Dunnison his private secretary,
and their closeness emboldens Dunnison to express his doubts about
some of the rangers' practices.
American military men fighting in Afghanistan are
inescapably caught in a dilemma not unlike Dunnison's -- vengeance
for the mass murders of September or reasoned justice. Dunnison's
leader advocates frontier justice -- a swift hanging accompanied
by enough words spoken to make the mockery of the judicial system
"legal." Likewise, when our supreme commander says he wants the perpetrators
of the September attacks brought in "dead or alive," we are back to
the justice system of an Old West enshrined in a thousand movies like
this one. I wonder how many of us heard the president's words and
saw the Wanted poster image from every cheesy Western ever shot flash
before our eyes?
This is a bad movie, and there's no reason to expect
people to flock to it. But if you find yourself curious, transpose
the arid desert settlements of Afghanistan for those of the Texas
border. It's an interesting and insightful exercise that may help
you get through the movie, now playing at Cinemark.
Back to top
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW
publication unless otherwise noted.
Ghost World: Terry Zwigoff's highly acclaimed
film, loosely adapted by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes from Clowes' comic
book, stars Thora Birch (American Beauty) and Scarlett Johannson
as disaffected teens, Steve Buscemi as the bitter adult who befriends
them. With Brad Renfro, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban and Illeana Douglas.
Many critics love it, but teen angst bores me. R. Late night Bijou.
Haiku Tunnel: Josh Kornbluth ("The Critic")
co-directs and stars in this low-budget satire about comedy about
a twitchy worker in a corporate office, with Helen Shumaker. Where
is Terry Tate, Office Linebacker when you need him? R. Bijou.
Jin-Roh: Japanese animé with soul, this
police thriller is about a counter-terrorist cadre called the Wolf
Brigade. Critics say virgin director Hiroyuki Okiura does beautiful
work creating character. Unrated. Bijou.
Ocean's Eleven: Steven Soderbergh's remake
of the old Rat Pack's '60s heist movie stars George Clooney, Matt
Damon, Julia Roberts. Brad Pitt and Andy Garcia. This gang plans to
hit several Las Vegas casinos on the same night, while everyone's
distracted by a high-profile boxing match. Soderbergh never disappoints,
and he's assembled great players. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
On the Line: The Village Voice says:
"Head for the hills" as two-fifths of 'N Sync --Lance Bass and
Joey Fatone -- make their acting debut in Eric Bross' "romantic
comedy." PG. Movies 12.
Training Day: Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this
cop show features a rookie nark (Ethan Hawke) who spends his first
day -- a trial by fire -- with a rogue senior officer (Denzel
Washington). With Scott Glenn, Eva Mendes. Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and
Macy Gray make cameos. R. Movies 12. See
review.
Zoolander: In his first directorial foray 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 as the ultimate Eurotrash supermodel, Christine Taylor
as a bimbo and Milla Jovovich in leather. Moments of mad genius. PG-13.
Movies 12. See review.
CONTINUING
American Pie 2: Same cast -- Chris Klein,
Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas --
now directed by J. B. Rogers. R. 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: Bank robbers Billy Bob Thornton and
Bruce Willis visit bank officers, stay overnight, and get them to
open the safe the next morning. They both fall for kidnap victim,
housewife Cate Blanchett. Barry Levinson directed. PG-13. Movies 12.
Behind Enemy Lines: John Moore directs this
military drama, which has Gene Hackman as a naval officer and Owen
Wilson as the hot dog pilot who sees where the bodies are buried in
a war-ravaged country. He's shot down, and some soldiers are after
him. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Black Knight: Martin Lawrence stars in Gil
Junger's comedy about a theme park called Medieval World with a portal
that opens into England of the 1300s. You know who crawls through
and has to live by his wits. PG-13. 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. Movies 12.
From Hell: The Hughes brothers' tale of Jack
the Ripper's grisly Whitechapel murders are not the only distressing
moments in this dark portrait of London's underbelly, circa 1888.
Johnny Depp is a compromised investigator who "chases the dragon"
and has visions. Robby Coltrane's the assistant who hauls him out
of opium dens. Also stars Ian Holm, Katrin Cartlidge and Heather Graham.
Fascinating but not cheery. R. Movies 12.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Early
reviews say it is utterly faithful to J.K. Rowling's book, which can
either be a good thing or not. Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson,
John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane and more. Directed by Chris Columbus.
PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. See
review.
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. Movies 12.
Heist: David Mamet's too-clever caper film
stars Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Ricky
Jay and Sam Rockwell. Hackman, Lindo and Jay are top-notch; plot is
pedestrian. R. Cinemark. See
review.
Iron Monkey: Vintage '93 Hong Kong action picture
directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, who choreographed The Matrix and
Crouching Tiger, is a comedy action film well worth your time.
Stars four good kung fu fighters: Yu Rong-Guang as a doctor who's
also the Iron Monkey; Donnie Yen as a fellow herbalist; Jean Wang
as the assistant; and Tang-Sze-Man as the herbalist's son. Highly
recommended entertainment. PG-13. Movies 12. See
review.
K-PAX: Ian Softley (Wings of the Dove)
directs Jeff Bridges, who plays a psychiatrist, and Kevin Spacey's
the patient who says he's from another planet. The good doctor notices
changes for the better in the other mental ward patients. PG-13. Cinemark.
Life as a House: Irwin Winkler's tearjerker
about an architect (Kevin Kline) who learns he's dying. He asks his
rebellious teenage son (Hayden Christensen) and his estranged wife
(Kristin Scott Thomas) to help him build a new house. R. Cinemark.
Cinema World.
Man Who Wasn't There, The: Ethan and Joel Coen's
latest film is a black-and-white beauty. Stars Billy Bob Thornton
as a small town barber in an existential crisis who makes all the
wrong decisions trying to change his life. Frances McDormand, James
Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco, Scarlett Johansson and Tony Shalhoub
are also excellent. A slow-paced crime story that's a cut above other
pulp wanes, Thornton's mesmerizing performance resonates. Bijou. See
review.
Monsters Inc.: From Pixar, the creators of
Toy Story, comes a new computer-animated feature about a scare
factory, Monsters Inc., and its top monster, Sulley (voice of John
Goodman). Also voices of Billy Crystal, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly,
Steve Buscemi and Mary Gibbs. G. Cinema World. Cinemark. See
review.
Out Cold: Guys on snowboards. Comedy adventure
flick stars Jason London and a lot of other people you won't know.
Snowboard champions perform daring stunts. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Princess Diaries, The: Directed by Garry Marshall,
this comedy about a S.F. teen who finds out she's a princess stars
Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Julie Andrews, Robert Schwartzman
and Heather Matarazzo. G. Movies 12.
Rat Race: Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr.
and other desperate folks make fools of themselves looking for a $2
million jackpot hidden somewhere in New Mexico. Directed by Jerry
Zucker of Airplane! fame. PG-13. Movies 12.
Rush Hour 2: Brett Ratner returns to direct
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as detectives who travel to Hong Kong,
LA and Vegas looking for a master criminal. Also stars Zhang Ziyi
(Crouching Tiger, The Road Home). PG-13. Movies 12.
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. PG-13. Cinemark.
Shallow Hal: In the Farrelly brothers new film,
Jack Black plays a neurotic womanizer who gets hypnotized into seeing
women's inner beauty. He sees right through Gwyneth Paltrow's fat
suit. Early reviews say the Farrellys are uncharacteristically good
humored. Hmmm. PG-13. Cinemark.
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.
Sidewalks of New York, The: Young adults changing
partners in New York dance to a roundelay only they can hear. Not
the finest moment for writer, actor, director Ed Burns. Stars Heather
Graham, Rosario Dawson (who's great), Stanley Tucci and Denis Farina
for laughs. R. Bijou. See
review.
Spy Game: Robert Redford is a CIA officer who
mentors Brad Pitt in this spy thriller directed by Tony Scott (Enemy
of the State). Also stars Catherine McCormack. R. Cinemark. Cinema
World.
Texas Rangers: Called "a genuine actual Western"
by The New York Times, this movie is set in post-Civil War
Texas when the Texas Rangers, a frontier police force, was created
to keep what laws there were. Stars include Dylan McDermott. Steve
Miner directs. Cinemark. See review.
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:
Basket, The: Rural Northwest post-WWI drama stars Peter Coyote
as a school teacher who teaches boys to play basketball and Karen
Allen as the wife of a bitter man who despises the German orphans
(Robert Karl Burke, Amber Willenborg) in the community. Spokane filmmaker
Rich Cowan produced and directed. PG.
Following: Made before Memento, director
Chris Nolan's 1998 thriller is about a man who stalks strangers in
London. R.
Four Dogs Playing Poker: After a gone-bad heist,
desperate friends draw cards and cash in each other's $1 million life
insurance. Paul Rachman directs; stars Olivia Williams, Stacy Edwards,
Balthazar Getty. R.
Druids: Director Jacques Dorfman directs this
period drama about a peaceful Gallic tribe who take up arms when the
Romans under Julius Cesar come. Stars Christopher Lambert, Klaus Maria
Brandauer, Max Von Sydow. R.
Heartwood: Jason Robards and Hilary Swank star
in Larry Cotler's drama about a logging town about to go the way of
the dinosaur and the crusty crank who tries to save it. PG-13.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch: John Cameron Mitchell
plays the glam rock character he created in this off-Broadway hit
show. Hedwig's a lad from East Germany who falls for an American soldier
and has a botched sex-change operation. Mitchell's star turn in this
rave musical is impressive. Highest recommendations. R. See
review.
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.
Lost and Delirious: Girls' boarding school
is setting for this coming-of-age, coming-out, dramatic film starring
Piper Perabo. Mischa Barton and Jessica Paré. R.
Mists of Avalon, The: Television mini-series
of Barbara Bradford Zimmer's King Arthur and Camelot fantasy stars
Angelica Huston, Julianna Marguiles and Joan Allen. NR.
Orfeu: Based on the same play that inspired
the excellent 1959 film by Marcel Camus, Black Orpheus, director
Carlos Diegues retells the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. Set in the
slums of contemporary Rio during carnival, it features samba with
rap; drug lords; corrupt cops; and lots of guns. The New York Times
says the film "finds a sprawling, vivid middle ground somewhere between
documentary and myth." Not rated.
Rush Hour 2: Brett Ratner returns to direct
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as detectives who travel to Hong Kong,
LA and Vegas looking for a master criminal. Also stars Zhang Ziyi
(Crouching Tiger, The Road Home). PG-13.
Score, The: 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. See
review.
Next week: All Over the Guy, Burnzy's Last
Call, Jackpot, Moulin Rouge, Princess Diaries, Scary Movie 2, Vertical
Rays of the Sun and Vigil.
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