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Tired,
But Wired
In
the land of the Midnight Sun.
By
Lois Wadsworth
INSOMINIA: Directed by
Christopher Nolan. Written by Hillary Seitz. Based on the film Insomnia,
directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg; written by Nikolaj Frobenius, Erik
Skjoldbjaerg. Produced by Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell, Broderick
Johnson. Andrew A. Kosove. Executive producers George Clooney, Steven
Soderbergh, Tony Thomas, Kim Roth and Charles J.D. Schlissel. Cinematography,
Wally Pfister. Production design, Nathan Crowley. Editor, Dody Dorn.
Music, David Julyan. Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary
Swank, with Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan, Jonathan Jackson, Nicky
Katt and Paul Dooley. Warner Bros., 2002. R. 118 minutes.
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Will
Dormer (Al Pacino), at the site where it all went wrong.
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Even the opening credits grab you, posing the question: What
am seeing here? One recurring set of images is taken from just above
the tops of jagged, glaciated mountains, while the second shows microscopic
fibers soaking up a reddish brown liquid. These images are intercut
to suggest they're connected, a riddling that posits the vast impersonal
range of nature with an individual's life fluid. Think of them as
abstract shots that establish that we're here in a remote, terrifying
place, far from culture and human populations, and someone has just
died a bloody, involuntary death.
Director Christopher Nolan (Memento) has chosen
another off-beat mystery for this picture, and it's easy to see that
he's no one-trick pony. He's smart, great with actors and deftly able
to build and keep the suspense and action at a fast pace throughout.
His special gift is mood. He gets right that weird, otherworldly view
of the ordinary that happens to the seriously sleep-deprived. He doesn't
use smoke and mirrors, simply music, fast cuts to horrific images
and the increasingly weary movements of detective Will Dormer (Al
Pacino) as he becomes desperate for sleep. And Nolan ably directs
a chase scene across a log-jammed, fast-running, frigid river.
Police detective Dormer and his associate Hap Eckhart
(Martin Donovan) fly into Nightmute, Alaska, in a puddle jumper that
skims in to the bay on pontoons. They've been sent up from L.A. to
help a former buddy, Chief Nyback (Paul Dooley), with a murder investigation.
The town's detective, Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank) meets them at the
dock and takes them to the morgue to view the body of the victim,
a young woman in her teens.
This sequence illustrates Dormer's abilities, as he
discloses that the killer washed the victim's hair and clipped her
nails after he beat her to death. Burr is enthralled with Dormer's
analysis and takes the opportunity of working with him to learn about
her craft from one of the best in the business. This bond will have
repercussions for both of them before the case is solved.
Eckhart isn't exactly in awe of his partner; in fact
he tells Dormer that he is going to make a deal with the internal
affairs investigators who are looking at LAPD detectives to find dirty
cops. Dormer knows that Eckhart won't change his mind. Dormer can't
sleep, because he knows exactly what corners he has cut over the years
and how that will sound if his partner talks. His inner demons and
the demands of the case conspire to make Dormer vulnerable, even to
the killer himself.
Rachel (Maura Tierney) plays the hotel clerk and waitress;
Walter Finch (Robin Williams), is a local mystery writer who knew
the dead girl; Jonathan Jackson plays the dead girl's smartass boyfriend;
and Nicky Katt ("Boston Public") plays one of the officers in the
Nightmute police department.
But it's Pacino's picture. His restrained performance
is one of his best. And Swank (Boys Don't Cry) makes good in
a second banana role. Williams holds back on the corn that comes too
easily for him. I wouldn't say he was good, just that I didn't think
once of "Mork and Mindy" when he opened his mouth. That's good.
Now playing at Cinemark and Cinema World. Very highly
recommended thriller.
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Pop
Culture Heros
Style
is everything.
By Lois
Wadsworth
DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS:
Documentary. Directed by Stacy Peralta. Written by Stacy Peralta,
Craig Stecyk. Narrated by Sean Penn. Produced by Agi Orsi. Executive
producer, Jay Wilson. Editor, Paul Crowder. Cinematography, Peter
Pilafian. Production design, Craig Stecyk. Original music, Terry Wilson,
Paul Crowder. Starring Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Bob Biniak, Paul Constantineau,
Shogo Kubo, Jim Muir, Peggy Oki, Stacy Peralta, Nathan Pratt, Wentzle
Ruml and Allen Sarlo. With Skip Englbom, Glen E. Friedman, Jeff Ho,
Henry Rollins, Craig Stecyk. Sony Pictures Classics Release, 2002.
PG-13. 90 minutes.
I hate to tell you how much I like this indecently
late homage to a scruffy, scrappy band of California street kids who
took their surfing chops to the sidewalks, asphalt and empty swimming
pools of Santa Monica and Venice in the drought years of the 1970s.
Under the tutelage of Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk, who
owned a surf shop patronized by the famous and infamous outlaw surfers
of the era, the Z-boys found their way. Engblom and Ho trained them,
while Stecyk took pictures. And oh, boy, what great pictures they
are.
 |
 |
| Jay
Adams (top) and Tony Alva (bottom). |
Dogtown was the name residents gave to the rundown
urban beach neighborhood where they lived. The shop was their clubhouse,
where they watched surfer films. They were particularly enamored of
Hawaiian surfing superstar Larry Bertelman's style. The kids tried
it out first in the water and then on land. The Z-Boys, as the skateboarding
team was called, adopted a low-slung style that was totally different
from the tentative upright form popular in the 1960s. These kids were
cool. They knew that looking good while you're skating is what separates
dedicated, gifted skateboarders from the merely technically proficient.
Photojournalists Stecyk and Glen E. Friedman took
miles of footage of these skaters' early careers, which is still thrilling
today. Of equal importance, Stecyk wrote about the Z-Boys of Dogtown
and published pictures of them in SkateBoarder Magazine, which
lit a fire for thousands of eager young skaters across the country,
who'd never seen anything like this.
Neither had the kids who were inventing it. Streets
and sidewalks had potholes and cracks that made boards with clay wheels
vulnerable to the least bump. But when acrylic wheels came in that
hugged the surface, the possibilities of where to surf opened up.
Lots of private swimming pools were drained during Southern California's
drought years, and these guys drove down alleys in the posher parts
of Santa Monica looking for them. A pool might be available only for
a few hours before the cops came.
The curved lines of the pool made interesting maneuvers
possible, and the boys who later became superstars such as Jay Adams,
Tony Alva and the film's director, Stacy Peralta, pushed the envelope.
The competition between the skaters was intense but friendly, and
every day someone discovered a new move, which they all copied. And
by the time the Z-Boys (and Peggy Oki, the only girl member) participated
in the Del Mar National skateboarding competition in 1975, they blew
out the competition and made skating history.
This film deserves the attention it's getting. Some
of the kids here started skating at age 5, like Jay Adams, who had
a supportive stepfather. Adams' performance at Del Mar will still
knock your socks off. He is graceful, daring, totally at ease, yet
trying new moves even in competition. It's a bittersweet privilege
to see Adam's work, because he is the most obvious casualty of early
fame among them.
Tony Alva turned his fame into creating a trend-setting
skateboard company. Bob Biniak became a golfer in college and also
started a company. Jim Muir learned to make boards for the team and
still runs the company. Peggy Oki is an established painter and operates
her own greeting card business.
You don't have to love skateboarding to love this
sweet little film. It's just a joy to watch these daredevil kids and
remember the long summers of your own youth when trying some new athletic
feat brought you the greatest pleasure. Opens at the Bijou Friday,
May 31. Highest recommendations.
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OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW
publication unless otherwise noted.
All About the Benjamins: Miami bounty hunter
Ice Cube and bail jumper Mike Epps team up to take advantage of some
hot diamonds in Kevin Bray's comic action drama. R. Movies 12.
Dogtown and Z-Boys: Stacy Peralta's great documentary
on the scrappy street kids who invented vertical skateboarding as
we know it. Includes early shots of the antics of skating superstars
Jay Adams, Tony Alva and others who learned the tricks of great surfers
and adapted them to the sport. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Bijou.
See review this issue.
Ice Age: Chris Wedge directs the voices of
Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, and Goran Vizjnic in this
digitally animated story of prehistoric creatures trying to save a
human child. G. Movies 12.
Psycho (1960): Classic Hitchcock stars Anthony
Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin. On the lawn in front
of the Knight Library at dusk (or in case of rain, 180 PLC) 6/7. Free.
Reds (1981): Warren Beatty's acclaimed revisioning
of the life and times of John Reed and Louise Bryant is set during
the time of the Russian Revolution and includes interviews with aged
members of the American Communist Party. Stars Beatty, Diane Keaton,
Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton and many others. Great picture!
PG. At 7 pm on 6/6 in 180 PLC.
Sum of All Fears: Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman
are Central Intelligence agents trying to prevent terrorists from
getting weapons of mass destruction. Also stars James Crowmell, Liev
Schreiber, Alan Bates and Philip Baker Hall. Based on Tom Clancy's
bestseller. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Undercover Brother: Action comedy directed
by Malcolm D. Lee and written by John Ridley stars Eddie Griffin,
who adopts the garb of blaxploitation era private detectives to go
undercover. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
CONTINUING
About a Boy: Nick Hornby's popular British novel
about a rich London rake (Hugh Grant) who invents an imaginary son
to meet women who are single parents. But instead he finds a troubled
boy (Nicholas Hoult), who teaches him to grow up. Directed by Chris
and Paul Weltz, it also stars Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz. Highest
recommendations. PG-13. Cinemark. Online
archives.
Beautiful Mind, A: Inspired by the true story
of a mathematical genius who battles mental illness, Ron Howard's
film stars Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. Academy
Awards for supporting actress, directing, best picture, and writing.
Highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Big Fat Liar: Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the
Middle") tries to prove sleazy Hollywood producer (Paul Giamatti)
turned his class paper into a hit movie. Directed by Shawn Levy. PG.
Movies 12.
Blade 2: Directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also
directed Devil's Backbone. But there the resemblance ends. Wesley
Snipes stars in this vampire horror flick. R. Movies 12.
Changing Lanes: Starring Ben Affleck and Samuel
L. Jackson as, two men who meet in a minor car accident and set out
to destroy each other's lives. Directed by Roger Mitchell and produced
by Scott Rudin. R. Cinema World.
Enough: Jennifer Lopez tries to get away from
her abusive husband, played by Billy Campbell ("Once and Again"),
in Michael Apted's drama, written by Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of
Fortune). Also, Juliette Lewis, Noah Wyle. PG-13. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Forty Days and 40 Nights: Josh Hartnett plays
a high school heartthrob who gives up all sex for 40 days and nights.
Then the girl of his dreams, played by Shannyn Sossaman, walks into
his life. R. Movies 12.
High Crimes: Ashley Judd plays a woman who
finds out her husband is not who he claimed to be. She and Morgan
Freedman must defend him from being framed by the military. PG 13.
Movies 12.
I Am Sam: Sean Penn plays a mentally-challenged
single parent raising his daughter. Michelle Pfeiffer plays an attorney
who takes his case when the girl is put in foster care by social services.
Extraordinary performance by Penn, who received an Academy nod. PG-13.
Movies 12. Online
archives.
Insomnia: Christopher Nolan (Memento)
explores sleep deprivation in this remake of a 1998 thriller from
Norway. Set in Alaska, it stars Al Pacino and Robin Williams, Hilary
Swank, Martin Donovan, Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt and Paul Dooley.
Highly recommended thriller. R. Cinemark. Cinema World. See
review this issue.
Italian for Beginners: A Dogma '95 film, this
light, romantic comedy written and directed by Lone Scherfig interweaves
the stories of six insecure Copenhagen singles. R. Bijou.
Lord of the Rings, The: The Fellowship of the Ring:
The first book in J. R. R. Tolkien's literary trilogy, directed by
Peter Jackson stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Liv
Tyler, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee. Academy Award winner for cinematography,
makeup, and visual effects. Highest recommendations. PG-13. Movies
12. Online archives.
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. Movies. 12.
New Guy, The: DJ Qualls plays high school senior
who has a chance to wipe the slate clean and reinvent himself. Comedy
directed by Ed Decter also stars Eliza Dushku, Zooey Deschanel, Lyle
Lovett and Eddie Griffin. PG-13. Cinemark.
Resident Evil: Milla Jovovich and Michelle
Rodriguez play commando leaders trying to save the world in this action
thriller based on the video game. R. Movies 12.
Spider Man: Tobey Maguire stars in Sam Raimi's
film about one of the most popular comic book superheroes to come
to the screen. Also stars Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin, Kirsten
Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris and J.K. Simmons.
PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online
archives.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron: Animated
Western adventure with the voices of Matt Damon, James Cromwell and
Daniel Studi is an action picture, not a comedy. Co-directed by Kelly
Asbury and Lorna Cook. G. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: George Lucas'
second of three Star Wars' prequels comes to the screen with
Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid
and Samuel Jackson doing all the heavy lifting. PG. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Unfaithful: From director Adrian Lyne (Fatal
Attraction) comes a film that plays on the fears of married people.
Diane Lane plays a married woman who has an affair (Oliver Martinez)
that leads her husband (Richard Gere) to become suspicious. Violence
lurks. R. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Van Wilder: In the classic tradition of National Lampoon
movies, Walt Becker directs this comedy about graduation. Staring
Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid. R. Movies 12.
We Were Soldiers: Mel Gibson stars as Lt. Col
Hal Moore who led his men in the brutal battle for La Drang Valley
in the Viet Nam war. Based on Moore's memoir. Directed by Randall
Wallace, also stars Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliot, Chris
Klein, Keri Russell and Barry Pepper. The first half is a WWII movie,
while the last half is surprising and moving. R. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Y Tu Mamá También: Two teens and
an unhappily married woman in a sexy Mexican road movie that also
has a political subtext. Director Alfonso Cuarón, writer Carlos
Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki create a fabulous
movie for stars Maribel Verdu, Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Highest recommendations. NR Bijou. Online
archives.
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:
Blue Velvet Special Edition:
David Lynch's 1986 film starring Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan,
Laura Dern, Dennis Hopper, Hope Lange and Dean Stockwell becomes available
on DVD special, complete with interviews and more. R.
Hustler Special Edition: DVD release of Robert
Rossen's 1961 classic starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper
Laurie and George C. Scott includes commentary by film editor Dede
Allen, film critic Richard Schickel and more.
Mothman Prophecies: Richard Gere, Debra Messing,
Laura Linney, Will Patton and Alan Bates star in this tale of the
supernatural based on events chronicled in John A. Keel's book. PG-13.
Shallow Hal and Shallow Hal: Jack Black plays
a neurotic womanizer who gets hypnotized into seeing right through
Gwyneth Paltrow's fat suit. Word is the Farrellys are uncharacteristically
good humored. Hmmm. PG-13.
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