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A
Neigborhood Island
Humor
from the heart.
BY
LOIS WADSWORTH
BARBERSHOP:
Directed by Tim Story. Written by Mark Brown, Don D. Scott, Marshall
Todd, based on a story by Mark Brown. Produced by Robert Teitel, George
Tillman Jr., Mark Brown. Executive producers, Matt Alvarez, Larry
Kennar. Cinematography, Tom Priestley. Production design, Roger Fortune.
Editor, John Carter. Costumes, Devon P.F. Patterson. Music, Terence
Blanchard. Starring Ice Cube, with Cedric the Entertainer, Sean Patrick
Thomas, Michael Ealy, Leonard Earl Howze, Troy Garity, Eve, Jazsmin
Lewis, Keith David, Anthony Anderson and Lahmard Tate. MGM, 2002.
PG-13. 102 minutes.
 |
|
OUTSIDE
THE BARBERSHOP, EDDIE (CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER) TELLS CALVIN
(ICE CUBE) HOW HE FEELS.
|
Shot in Chicago's south side around 79th Street, Barbershop's
production designer, Roger Fortune, patterned the interior of Calvin's
Barbershop on two pretty famous neighborhood shops: Terell's Afro
Barber Shop on Chicago's Northside and Victory Barber Shop in Harlem.
Authentic details such as historical photos adorn the walls, while
each barber's station contains personal mementos such as the actor's
real high school photo to make it look like home to the city's African
Americans.
These details are not insignificant, because in many
ways the shop is the most important character in the story. As unique
a neighborhood forum as a town square, it's a space where people come
and talk about what's going on in the community. More than just a
place to pass time and jaw, the shop also adds stability to the changing
neighborhood and helps individuals when they need it. It's a storehouse
of traditional neighborhood values.
Calvin (Ice Cube) doesn't know any of that in the
beginning. He inherited the place when his dad died, and he's worked
there a few years. But his heart isn't in it. Calvin has some wild
schemes to get rich quick. He wants more for his now pregnant wife,
Jennifer (Jazsmin Lewis), but she loves the old place. In momentary
weakness, Calvin sells the business to a low-life loan shark his father
rejected. He tells no one.
Holding court every day in the shop is Eddie (Cedric
the Entertainer), the wit, heart and conscience of the place. He never
has a customer, preferring instead to nap or eat fried chicken in
his circa-1950's barber chair. One of the movie's best scenes has
Eddie teaching the other barbers how to give a real shave using his
pearl-handled straight razor. One of the funniest has Eddie taking
every African American icon imaginable down a peg or two. He really
gets a rise out of everybody during this scene.
Eve plays Terri Jones, the only woman who works in
the shop. She has just broken up with a sorry specimen of a boyfriend,
and she's not in the mood to put up with whoever drank her special
bottle of apple juice. Terri has to be tough to earn and keep the
other barbers' respect, but she can't stop their bawdy talk.
There's sweet, big Dinka (Leonard Earl Howze), a new
immigrant from the islands who's in love with Terri, and Jimmy (Sean
Patrick Thomas), who thinks he's a big shot because he's going to
college. The other barbers can't stand him. Jimmy baits Isaac (Troy
Garity), the only white guy at the shop, putting him down as a wannabe
black. Ricky (Michael Ealy) has a record and he can't afford to do
anything risky, because he already has two strikes against him. Ricky's
cousin, J.D. (Anthony Anderson) and his equally dull-witted sidekick,
Billy (Lahmard Tate), steal an ATM machine early in the movie and
spend the next 90 minutes moving the dang thing around and trying
to get it opened. This plot line could have been cut.
Barbershop is a good-hearted little movie,
funnier than but reminiscent in its finest moments of Shower,
Zhang Yang's elegant 2000 movie set in an old-fashioned Chinese bathhouse
in the heart of a rundown neighborhood in Beijing. Human culture needs
such places, these movies say, where a way of life less hurried, more
compassionate and more central to the surrounding community exists.
Where, for a moment, we are all family — raucous, contentious
but also caring — and accepted for who we are.
Barbershop is now playing at Cinemark. Low-key
and enjoyable, it will make you feel good. Recommended.
Nature
on a Leash
Multicultural
politics in Sayles' latest.
BY
LOIS WADSWORTH
SUNSHINE
STATE:
Written, directed and edited by John Sayles. Produced by Maggie Renzi.
Cinematography, Patrick Cady. Production design, Mark Ricker. Music,
Mason Daring. Costumes, Mayes Rubeo. Starring Edie Falco, Jane Alexander,
Ralph Waite, Angela Bassett, James McDaniel, Mary Alice, Bill Cobbs,
Gordon Clapp, Mary Steenburgen, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wright, Alex Lewis.
Sony Pictures Classics. PG-13, 141 minutes.
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DESIREE
(ANGELA BASSETT) SITS ON THE BEACH WITH DR. LLOYD (BILL COBBS).
|
John Sayles' 13th feature film takes place in fictional
Delrona Beach, a stand-in for Amelia Island on Florida's West Coast
south of Jacksonville, "home to a traditionally white enclave and
a traditionally black enclave, called American Beach," as the press
notes put it. Back in the mid-1930s when this beach front was purchased,
Florida was segregated, and American Beach was the only beach where
black people could go to swim, walk and sunbathe. They bought property
there and built businesses.
Sayles was inspired to write Sunshine State
by what he found on the island today: "'Mom and Pop' businesses and
corporate chains, gated communities, history as myth and tourist attraction,
real estate as the hotly contested central issue in politics and parallel
racial enclaves, all crammed into a relatively small area."
As is true of all of Sayles' films, his major interest
is people's stories. Here he takes two women — one who needs
to leave the island and one who needs to come back — and tracks
their complicated love/hate relationship to the community, their families
and their own futures. He also works in as many politically savvy,
anti-development angles as possible, including the film's first and
last scenes of a group of golf players out on the course, talking
about land development and the island's future. Stay at the end to
catch the sight gag.
As in Lone Star, a dozen ensemble actors play
multigenerational characters from both the black and white communities,
with the most attention focused on Marly Temple (Edie Falco) and Desiree
(Angela Bassett). But Sayles' supporting characters' roles are well
written and particularized.
Marly runs the Sea-Vue Motel for her retired, feisty
father, Furman (Ralph Waite), who founded the motel and can't quite
let things go. Marly's mother, Delia (Jane Alexander), is an environmentalist
and active in community theater. Marly is divorced. When Jack Meadows
(Timothy Hutton) shows an interest in her, she stumbles into a relationship
with him even though he works for The Plantation, the big chain that's
trying to buy the motel.
Desiree hasn't been home for 25 years. Now she and
her doctor husband, Reggie (James McDaniel), have come to visit her
mother, Eunice (Mary Alice). Eunice is as outspoken as ever, and seeing
each other brings up all the old wounds between Desiree and her mother.
Eunice now takes care of Terrell (Alex Lewis), a disturbed 13-year
old relative, who takes a liking to Reggie.
Drawing these families and others together is the
issue of real-estate, personified in Dr. Lloyd (Bill Cobbs), who persuades
members of the African American community to attend city council meetings
and speak out against the shark-like developers. On the other side,
an old flame from Desiree's past and a well-known pro football player,
Flash Phillips (Tom Wright), tries to get the older people to sell
their property to him.
Sayles is not as masterful as Robert Altman at working
with such a large cast and so many storylines — think Altman's
Gosford Park — but Sayles always works from his heart,
while Altman's humor can be mean-spirited and misogynist, as in Dr.
T and the Women, his 2000 disaster. Sayles' Lone Star is
a more fully integrated tale from many perspectives than Sunshine
State, which rambles with the plotline involving Gordon Clapp
and Mary Steenburgen.
Falco ("The Sopranos" Carmela Soprano) and Bassett
(Malcolm X Betty Shabazz) give wonderful, layered performances
as the film's central characters. But James McDaniel (Sgt. Fancy on
"NYPD Blue"), and Mary Alice and Bill Cobb (who made "I'll Fly Away"
the best Civil Rights-era television series of all time) also give
life to memorable characters. Altogether a film worth savoring, Sunshine
State opens at the Bijou on Sept. 20.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of
EW publication unless otherwise noted. See archived reviews
at www.eugeneweekly.com.
Adventures of Pluto Nash: Eddie Murphy, Rosario
Dawson, Randy Quaid, Joe Pantoliano and Jay Mohr in a futuristic comedy
set in 2087; directed by Ron Underwood. PG-13. Movies 12.
Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever: Rival government
spies Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu have instructions to kill each
other, but then they find out who the real enemy is. Thai director
Kaos directs this thriller. R. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Banger Sisters, The: Susan Sarandon and Goldie
Hawn play 1960s-era rock star groupies who get reacquainted in Bob
Dolman's comedy. With Geoffrey Rush and Eva Amurri. R. Cinema World.
Cinemark.
Four Feathers, The: Surely the only reason
to remake this old racist chestnut about the imperialistic Brits in
the Sudan, 1898, is to give Hollywood hunk Heath Ledger something
to do. Kate Hudson may help, as well as casting Wes Bentley and Djimon
Hounsou. Directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth). PG-13. Cinemark.
Sunshine State: John Sayles' film about the
unsightly over development of Florida and the effect it has on a community
historically both black and white. Great cast headed by Angela Bassett
and Edie Falco. Recommended. PG-13. Bijou. See review this issue.
Trapped: Luis Mandoki (Angel Eyes) directs
this by-the-numbers thriller. Charlize Theron is the mother of a kidnapped
child, Stuart Townsend is the diabetic girl's father, and Courtney
Love and Kevin Bacon are the criminals. R. Cinemark. Cinema World.
CONTINUING:
Austin Powers in Goldmember: Third
time is charmed as Mike Myers comes back in multiple roles as Austin
Powers. Michael Caine plays his secret-agent dad and Beyoncé
Knowles is Foxxy Cleopatra. Directed by Jay Roach. Mini-Me takes the
cake! PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives.
Barbershop: Sweet-natured comedy about a day
in the life of a south side Chicago barbershop stars Ice Cube, Cedric
the Entertainer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity, Eve. This movie
makes you feel good. Recommended. PG-13. Cinemark. See review this
issue.
Blue Crush: Directed by John Stockwell, this
romantic surfer adventure stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez
(Girlfight) and Matthew Davis. PG-13. Cinemark.
Bourne Identity, The: Matt Damon, Franka Potente,
Chris Cooper, Clive Owen and Brian Cox star in Doug Liman's character-based
spy thriller based on Robert Ludlum's best seller. A man with amnesia
tries to discover who he is and why everyone wants to kill him. A
subtle skewing of the genre, it's highly recommended. PG-13. Movies
12. Online archives.
City By the Sea: Robert De Niro plays a detective
looking for his estranged son (James Franco). Also stars Frances McDormand.
Tag: "When you're searching for a killer the last suspect you want
to see is your son." Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, based on a true
story from Esquire by Michael McAlary. R. Cinemark. Cinema
World.
Country Bears, The: An 11-year old bear decides
to reunite his favorite bear rock ban for a benefit concert. Musical
performances or appearances by Don Henley, John Hiatt, Elton John,
Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson,. Bonnie Raitt and Brian Setzer. G. Movies
12.
Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood: Sandra
Bullock plays a NY playwright who'd like to keep some distance from
her eccentric mother, played by Ellen Burstyn. Also Fionnula Flanagan,
Shirley Knight, Maggie Smith and Ashley Judd. Made for women and girls
to enjoy. Leave the men at home. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives.
Eight Legged Freaks: Stars David Arquette,
Scarlett Johansson and others in this campy sci-fi movie about really
big, poisonous, mutating spiders. "Let the squashing begin!" PG-13.
Movies 12.
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. Movies 12. Online archives.
K-19: The Widowmaker: Based on a true story
about a Cold War Russian nuclear submarine that has a near-meltdown,
courageous sailors and their officers stave off what would have been
an international nuclear disaster. Stars Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson
and Peter Sarsgaard. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives.
Lovely and Amazing: Catherine Keener, Brenda
Blethyn, Emily Mortimer and Raven Goodwin star in Nicole Holofcener's
comedy about a family of women (and one girl) who're dissatisfied
with their looks. Also stars Dermot Mulroney, Jake Gyllenhaal and
James Legros as the men who do or don't put up with them. Highly recommended.
R. Bijou. Online archives.
Men in Black 2: Jay (Will Smith) drags a reluctant
Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) back into the agency with the mission of "Protecting
the earth from the scum of the universe." Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld,
it also stars Lara Flynn Boyle as Serleena, an alien masquerading
as a Victoria's Secret model. With Rosario Dawson, Johnny Knoxville,
Tony Shalhoub and Rip Torn. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives.
Minority Report: Steven Spielberg directs Tom
Cruise in this sci-fi where killers are arrested and convicted before
they commit murder. In 2054, Cruise heads the Pre-Crime unit until
he's accused of the murder of a man he hasn't yet met. Based on a
short story by the genre's master, Philip K. Dick. One of Spielberg
and Cruise's best. 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. Online archives.
Mr. Deeds: Adam Sandler plays an ordinary guy
who inherits $40 billion in this remake of Frank Capra's 1936 comedy,
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Also stars Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher,
Steve Buscemi, Jared Harris and John Turturro. PG-13. Movies 12.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Based on Nia Vardalos's
one-woman stage show, it's about the 30-year old, unmarried daughter
(Vardalos) in an engaging, passionate but demanding Greek family in
New York. She meets the man she wants to marry (John Corbett), and
he isn't Greek. Yikes! Another humorous reminder that weddings are
also a family and community affair, this sweet romantic comedy entertains.
Recommended. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. Online archives.
One-Hour Photo: The New York Times calls
writer/director Mark Romanek's debut film "gripping but not wholly
successful psychodrama." Focused performance by Robin Williams, who's
a photo shop employee without a life of his own. When he falls in
love with the "perfect family," he really needs them to be perfect.
Chilling. Also stars Connie Nielson, Eric La Salle. R. Bijou.
Possession: Adapted from A.S. Byatt's 1990
novel, Neil LaBute's new film is a romance starring Gwyneth Paltrow
and Aaron Eckhart as scholars who discover a secret romance between
two great Victorian poets, played by Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam.
Highly recommended. PG-13. Cinema World. Online archives.
Road to Perdition: Sam Mendes (American
Beauty) directs this fathers-and-sons drama set in Chicago during
the Depression. It stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Tyler Hoechlin, with
Jude Law, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci and Liam
Aiken. Beautiful cinematography, powerful drama. R. Cinema World.
Online archives.
Scooby Doo: TV's 1969 Great Dane, Scooby, returns
as a computer-generated detective dog in this comedy starring Freddie
Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Matthew Lillard. PG. Movies
12.
Signs: Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan
and starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, this supernatural thriller
about crop circles looks like a box-office bonanza. Also stars Rory
Culkin and Abigail Breslin. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives.
Simone: Writer, director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca)
has high hopes for his new comedy, which stars Al Pacino, Catherine
Keener Jay Mohr, Jason Schwartzman and Pruitt Taylor Vince. Pacino
creates a synthetic star — Simone. She becomes successful, then
everyone wants to meet her. PG-13. Movies 12.
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams: Robert Rodriguez
says his sequel has lots of action, is fun and nobody dies. Stars
Antonio Banderas, Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega. PG. 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. Movies 12. Online
archives.
Stealing Harvard: Tom Green, Jason Lee, Leslie
Mann and Megan Mullaly star in this tale of a clean-living, hardworking
guy who dabbles in crime and gets caught. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark.
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. Movies 12. Online archives.
Swimfan: Fatal Attraction for teens
— just what they need! Romantic attachment of swimmer Jesse
Bradford and his sweetheart Shiri Appleby gets blown apart by the
new girl and obsessive fan, Erika Christensen. PG-13. Cinemark.
XXX: Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson star
in this athletic spy thriller directed by Rob Cohen. Sony is betting
big on this "Vin Diesel film" to become the next hot franchise. PG-13.
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. See archived movie reviews at www.eugeneweekly.com
Amadeus (1984): Director's cut on two-disc
DVD features commentary by director Milos Forman, 20 minutes of cut
footage and more. Stars Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge and Simon Callow
in an acclaimed, fictionalized portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Winner of eight Academy Awards. PG.
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.
Enigma (2002): Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet
and Jeremy Northam star in Michael Apted's WWII drama about cracking
the German code and saving the war for the Allied forces. Burdened
by many subplots, the film offers the viewer secrets, spies, a missing
woman and romance in addition to history. Recommended. R. Online
archives.
Hard Day's Night, A (1964): The Beatle's first
movie stars John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo
Starr. Directed by Richard Lester, with music arranged by George Martin,
Lennon and McCartney. Two-disc DVD includes commentary, original documentary,
interviews, extra footage and behind-scenes.
History of Beavis and Butt Head: Thirty-two
episodes of the MTV-animated series of the infamous heh-heh-heh
guys. Not rated.
Murder by Numbers (2002): Sandra Bullock stars
in this detective thriller which pits her against two clever teens
(Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt). Produced by Bullock herself, and
directed by Barbet Schroeder. R.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975): Two-disc
DVD of Milos Forman's film version of Ken Kesey's acclaimed novel
stars Jack Nicholson, Brad Dourif, Louise Fletcher and Will Sampson.
Won five Academy Awards, including best picture. Lots of extras, including
eight additional scenes and commentary. R.
Rocking Horse Winner: Based on a D.H. Lawrence
story, film directed by Anthony Pelissier stars John Howard Davies,
Valerie Hobson. NR.
Singin' in the Rain (1952): Fiftieth anniversary
edition of Stanley Donen's movie musical and dance spectacular stars
Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen, Debbie Reynolds, Rita Morena,
Cyd Charisse. Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden. A joy.
Next week: Brotherhood of the Wolf, the Bruce Lee
Legend Lives On, The Collector (1965), Green Dragon, The Incredible
Mr. Lipmpet (1964), The Scorpion King, Two Friends and The Wind Will
Carry Us.
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