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Intrigue
in Indochina THE QUIET AMERICAN: Directed by Phillip Noyce. Written by Robert Schenkkan and Christopher Hampton, adapted from the 1956 novel by Graham Greene. Produced by William Horberg, Staffan Ahrenberg. Executive producers Sydney Pollack, Anthony Minghella, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Moritz Borman, Chris Sievernich. Cinematography, Christopher Doyle. Production design, Roger Ford. Editor, John Scott. Costumes, Norma Moriceau. Music, Craig Armstrong. Starring Michael Caine, with Brendan Fraser and Do Thi Hi Yen. With Rade Sherbedgia, Tzi Ma and Pham Thi Mai Hoa. Miramax Films, 2002. R.
This adaptation of Graham Greene's prescient novel is set in 1952 Saigon, when the country now known as Vietnam was part of French Indochina, along with Laos and Cambodia. It begins with the discovery of the body of a young American murdered and tossed in the river. The French police chief, Inspector Vigot (Rade Sherbedgia) knows that someone knows who killed him and why, but he doesn't get much help from Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), who was his friend. A war for independence from France is building in the north, even as Fowler, an expatriate reporter for the London Times, is recalled by his London office. French soldiers are not only fighting against the native Communists but also a third force led by a Vietnamese warlord, who fights both. And the Americans are involved, somehow. Why else would the quiet American have died? Fowler has become complacent with his life in the southern city. He doesn't want to return to Britain, where the wife he doesn't love won't give him a divorce on religious grounds. In Saigon his life is centered around his Vietnamese mistress, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a petite beauty who dotes on him. And his work. Well, actually Fowler hardly works at all, although he is observant. He's aware of subtle changes in the moods of the city, but most of his hard information about what's going on comes through his assistant, Hinh (Tzi Ma). When a recently arrived, naive American aid worker, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), enthusiastically questions him about the country, the cynical Fowler is flattered and drawn to the man. So when he receives the telegraph from the Times, Fowler scrambles for a story to buy time. Pursuing rumors of a brutal massacre of northern villagers takes Fowler deep into dangerous, no-man's-land in the north. Pyle suddenly appears. He joins Fowler under French protection, only to confess that he has fallen in love with Phuong. The world political drama and his personal melodrama twine themselves around Fowler, binding him to complications that place both his work and domestic life in jeopardy. The 1958 black-and-white film from writer, director Joseph Mankiewicz that starred Michael Redgrave as Fowler was seen widely at the time but has largely disappeared from cinematic memory. Here cinematographer Christopher Doyle captures the tropical languor and subdued elegance of Southeast Asia with understated beauty. And Noyce gets a nuanced portrait of an intelligent, conflicted European man in Caine's restrained performance, one of the best of his lengthy career. However, the Vietnamese characters are stereotypical rather than fully rounded — inscrutable men who can turn and kill in a moment and silent, mysterious women one can never really know. True to its source, there are no white-knight heroes in this story. Everyone is guilty — and no one. The entire history of French, British and American interest in Vietnam is steeped in this ambiguity. All these years later, maybe particularly today, it hurts to see even fictional Americans act as terrorists in Vietnam "for the good of the people." European skepticism and American naiveté are equally inept at understanding the motives and emotions of the people most affected, but no one is untouched by the conflagration. Now playing at the Bijou, The Quiet American is highly recommended. Agent Cody Banks: Teen action adventure stars Frankie Muniz as an undercover CIA operative, Angie Harmon as his boss, and Hilary Duff as girlfriend. PG. Cinemark. Cinema World. Crime of Father Amaro, The (El Crimen del Padre Amaro, Mexico, 2002): Directed by Carlos Carrera, this sensational soap-opera dishes out the melodrama, with Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien) as a young priest not immune to the charms of a devout teen, played by Ana Claudia Talancón. Created a huge stir in Mexico for its unflinching portrait of the church and its clergy as corrupt. Now Mexico's nominee for best foreign language film at the 2002 Academy Awards. R. Bijou. Donnie Darko: Richard Kelly wrote and directed this tale of a schizophrenic teen, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). Alternately comic and grim, the film also stars Mary McDonnell) as his mother, Jena Malone as the girl he likes. Elvis Mitchell (NYTimes) writes: "Mr. Gyllenhaal's commitment is particularly spooky; he is probably a couple of great roles away from being a star." R. LateNite Bijou. Hunted, The: Tommy Lee Jones plays a retired special-ops trainer and Benicio Del Toro is his former student, now an ace assassin gone bonkers. Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist). R. Cinemark. Cinema World. Punch Drunk Love: Paul Thomas Anderson's comedy about an LA businessman (Adam Sandler) who blindly follows a woman he loves (Emily Watson) to Hawaii has received great advance kudos. Also stars Luis Guzman and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Highly recommended for excellent performances. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Two Weeks Notice: Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock star as a very, very rich man and his lawyer. When she quits, and he replaces her with Alicia Witt, she reconsiders. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence (The Out-of-Towners). PG-13. Movies 12. Wild Thornberrys, The: Animated film about a girl who talks to and understands animals. She goes to Africa with her parents, nature filmmakers, and her best friend, a chimp. Voices include Lacy Chabert, Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei, Tim Curry, Brenda Blethyn, Lynn Redgrave and Obba Babatunde. Directed by Jeff McGrath and Cathy Malkasian. 2002 Academy Award nomination for original song. PG. Movies 12. Willard: The only friends of social misfit Willard (Crispin Glover) are the rats he raises at home, Ben and Socrates. When one is killed, Willard runs amok. Remake of 1971 classic horror film. PG-13. Cinemark.
CONTINUING: About Schmidt: Jack Nicholson stars in Alexander Payne's (Election) film about a just-retired man who feels adrift. His only daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis) is about to marry unwisely, and his wife of 42 years dies suddenly. He goes on the road to find himself. 2002 Academy Award nominations to Nicholson and Kathy Bates. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Bringing Down the House: Domestic comedy starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah is directed by Adam Shankman. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Chicago: Broadway spectacular directed by Rob Marshall stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as killer dames behind bars who compete for tabloid coverage. With Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly and Richard Gere. 2002 Academy Award nominations for best picture, director, Zellweger, Reilly, Latifah, adapted screenplay, original song, cinematography, costumes, sound and editing. PG 13. Cinemark. Cinema World. Online archives. Cradle 2 the Grave: Jet Li/DMX "Born 2 the life, True 2 the code, Bad 2 the bone." R. Cinemark. Daredevil: Marvel Comic's Man Without Fear is directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Stars Ben Affleck as the masked vigilante, Jennifer Graner, Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell, Joe Pantolliano, Jon Favreau and David Keith. PG-13. Cinemark. Dark Blue: Detective yarn directed by Ron Shelton stars Kurt Russell as the veteran and Scott Speedman as the rookie, with Brendan Gleeson, Michael Michele, Lolita Davidovich and Ving Rhames. R. Movies 12. Online archives. Die Another Day: Pierce Brosnan returns as James Bond for a new mission that takes him to Iceland in this action adventure yarn directed by Lee Tamahori. Costars Halle Berry, John Cleese and Judi Dench, with Rosamund Pike. Evil enemies played by Toby Stephens and Rick Yune. PG-13. Movies 12. Final Destination 2: More teenager with near-death experiences that end in actual death experiences. A.J. Cook stars as Kimberly, a car crash survivor who is stalked by Death. R. Movies 12. Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets: Again directed by Chris Columbus, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) try to uncover a dark force terrorizing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. G. Movies 12. Online archives. Hot Chick: Verbally abusive cheerleader wakes up in the body of Rob Schneider. Yikes! Directed by Tom Brady. PG-13. Movies 12. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Magazine columnist Kate Hudson and ad agency professional Matthew McConaughey try to get the other to fall in love, but things go awry. High-energy romantic comedy. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. Jungle Book 2: Same song, second verse from Disney. Mowgli now lives in the man village, but he misses his friends and runs away to the jungle to find them. But he may be found first: by Shere Khan the tiger, his old jungle pals, or his new family. Voices include John Goodman, Haley Joel Osment and Phil Collins. G. Cinemark. Just Married: This honeymoon from hell is directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy and Christian Kane. PG-13. Movies 12. Life of David Gale, The: Suspense drama directed by Alan Parker stars Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet and Laura Linney. Death penalty opponent on death row claims he was framed to reporter. The truth will not set you free. Not recommended. R. Cinemark. Online archives. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Directed and re-imagined by Peter Jackson, part two of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy continues. New characters, a surprise return and great battles. Director Peter Jackson's second masterpiece. Very highest recommendations. 2002 Academy Award noms for best picture, art direction, sound, sound editing, visual effects, film editing. PG-13. Cinemark. Online archives. Maid in Manhattan: Ralph Fiennes is a well-off politician staying at a swank New York hotel. Jennifer Lopez is a single-mother maid working there. He sees her dressed in a guest's clothing and falls for her, like Richard Gere fell for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Not too enlightened nor original an idea. PG-13. Movies 12. Moonlight Mile: Brad Silberling directs this semi-autobiographical film about a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's adopted by the grieving parents (Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon) of his girlfriend who was killed. Then he falls in love again. With Ellen Pompeo, Dabney Coleman, Richard T. Jones and Holly Hunter. R. Movies 12. Old School: From Road Trip, Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn try to recapture the fun of their college years by starting their own off-campus frat house. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. Quiet American, The: Directed by Phillip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence), this adaptation of Graham Greene's novel is set in 1952 Saigon during the French Indochina War. Michael Caine plays an English journalist; also stars Brendan Fraser. 2002 Academy Award nomination for Caine. Highly recommended. R. Bijou. See review this issue. Rabbit-Proof Fence: Based on the true 1931 story of three young, Australian Aboriginal girls who are kidnapped but escape white control to make a 1,200 mile-trek home while pursued by authorities. Directed by Phillip Noyce, this courageous film stars Everlyn Sampi, David Gulpilil and Kenneth Branagh. A true walkabout, it has beautiful performances, empathic direction and dramatic cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Highest recommendations. PG. Bijou. Online archives. Ring, The: Gore Verbinski finds a solid cast in Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive), Chris Cooper and Brian Cox for this remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 Japanese horror film. PG-13. Movies 12. Shanghai Knights: Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are out to settle a score in Victorian London in this comedy directed by David Dobkin. PG-13. Cinemark 17. Cinema World. Sick and Twisted Animation: Really. NR. LateNite Bijou. Star Trek: Nemesis: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise face an alien race. Stars Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Ron Perlman, Tom Hardy. Dir. by Stuart Baird. PG-13. Movies 12. Online archives. Tears of the Sun: Bruce Willis is a Navy SEAL sent to rescue a US citizen who runs a mission, but she (Monica Bellucci) won't leave her charges. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. R. Cinema World. Cinemark. MOVIE
THEATERS Bijou
Art Cinemas Regal
Cinemas Cinemark
Theaters
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO Abandon: Directed by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic writer) and starring Katie Holmes as a co-ed whose boyfriend disappeared two years earlier, and Benjamin Bratt as the detective who turns up surprising new facts about her friend. PG-13. Auto Focus: Paul Schrader directs Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe in an indelible portrait of TV celebrity and sex addict Bob Crane, a man in the grip of a demonic addiction. Devastating, disturbing subject but excellent performances and directing. Largely ignored by Tinsel Town's movers and shakers, who don't appreciate industry dirty laundry onscreen. One of the better films of 2002. R. Online archives. Day for Night (1973): Francois Truffaut's ironic, generous look at movie making stars Truffaut, Valentina Cortese, Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Pierre Aumont. Best foreign film of 1973 Academy Awards as well as numerous European awards. DVD includes two documentaries on Truffaut and one vintage making-of plus loads of extras. PG. Eight Mile: Set on the gritty streets of Detroit, Curtis Hanson's film stars Eminem in his first screen role, Kim Basinger as his mom. Also, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer and Taryn Manning. Recommended. 2002 Academy Award nom for original song, "Lose Yourself." R. Online archives. Personal Velocity: Kyra Sedgwick, Parker Posey and Fairuza Balk star in the stories of three women, directed by Rebecca Miller and shot by cinematographer Ellen Kuras. Altogether they create what The New York Times' Elvis Mitchell calls "one of the finest pictures of the year because Ms. Miller's knowledge of her characters is mirrored by the secure palette of Ms. Kuras's camera work." 2002 film never played Eugene. R. Roger Dodger: Campbell Scott plays Roger, a carefree bachelor uncle who takes on teaching his nephew, played by Jesse Eisenberg, what he needs to know about girls. The problem is that Roger is a creepy, self-important, drunk. And a misogynist. Written and directed by Dylan Kidd, it also stars a bevy of smart cookies played by Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkeley, Jennifer Beals, Mina Badie. 2002 film never played Eugene. R. Time Out: Loosely based on the story of a French med school failure who persuaded his family for 18 years that he was a practicing doctor. Laurent Cantet's film stars Aurélien Recoing as a fired French manager who tells his wife (Karin Viard) that he is employed in Switzerland, while he devises marginally criminal enterprises that spiral out of control. 2001 film never played Eugene. Available now in DVD. PG-13. Welcome to Collinswood: Heist picture's all-star cast includes Sam Rockwell, Jennifer Esposito, Luis Guzman, Patricia Clarkson, Isaiah Washington, William H. Macy, Gabrielle Union, Michael Jeter and George Clooney. Jaunty and spirited affair is written and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. 2002 film never played Eugene. R. Next week: CSI First Season, Femme Fatale, Friday After Next, Jackass: The Movie, Killing Me Softly, Maid in Manhattan, Straw Dogs (1971), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). |
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