THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY FEATURES October 24, 2000 PAGE 21 people together and make them fall in Pay It Plays love," and Trevor finds out that helping people is not as easy as he had hoped. Pay It Forward does have some very Too Close to good attributes. The film's setting of Las Vegas - the sin capital of America - is the perfect place for such an uplifting tale, Heartstrings and director of photography Leslie Dilley What do you get when you combine (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars) cap­ two Academy Award-winners, one tures its different dimensions with its Academy Award-nominee, a great idea to working-class suburbs, casinos and the Movie Review change the world and beautiful landscapes of mountains and an extremely cliched desert. The intricate screenplay, great look by Susan Harris ending? Pay It and amazing performances are just about Forward (**1/z out of four). Although it's enough to cover for the film's preachiness, crammed with superb performances by its lack of direction and awfully cliched end headlining stars, Pay It Forward tugs at the in g. heartstrings a bit too hard for some of us to The score, composed by Thomas believe. Newman, is too similar to- if not exactly The underlying idea is simple: Think of the same as - Newman's eerily beautiful one way to change the world and put it into music from American Beauty. This may be action. This is the same assignment teacher because of Kevin Spacey's involvement, Eugene Simonet, wonderfully played by but it seems awfully inappropriate to com­ two-time Oscar-recipient Kevin Spacey, pare the films through the music. Mimi Warner Bros. Leder's direction is quite a change from gives to his seventh grade class every year. Family Ties: Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment play a mother and son who find her action experience in Deep Impact and But when Trevor (Haley Joel Osment, that their lives changed by Kevin Spacey's teacher in Pay It Forward. really amazing kid who creeped out view­ The Peacemaker, and maybe she should ers in The Sixth Sense) takes the assign­ favor back, they have to "pay it forward" role is excellent, it is not a role she is unac­ have stuck to what she was used to. ment a tad too seriously, he spawns a chain for three others. From there, Chandler customed to playing. The single-mom sce­ Seeing this film would definitely not be of good deeds that travel to reporter Chris searches to find its . origin. As the film nario here is quite similar to her Oscar­ a waste of time or money. It is sure to be a Chandler (Jay Mohr of Go). unravels, we are moved backwards and winning role in As Good As It Gets, and she crowd-pleaser that touches the heart ·of In the frrst scene of the film, Chandler is forward through time and in and out of two may want to be careful not to be so typecast many a viewer, yet there are many given a brand new Jaguar from a total different stories. This may sound confus­ to that character. moments that try to shake your emotions stranger after his own car gets totaled. He ing, but screenwriter Leslie Dixon (the When Trevor brings a homeless heroin so hard that the film becomes overly senti­ is told simply to "pay it forward," and that Thomas Crown Affair remake) works them addict (The Thin Red Line's Jim Caviezel) mental. The end so forcefully tries to bring his strange benefactor will be in touch. together so that they meet at agood point into their home and tries to help him put his a tear to your eye that some might leave Chandler, confused by this incredible act of in the film. life together, Arlene goes to Mr. Simonet to unsatisfied, but at least the point is clear: charity, goads the man into telling him Trevor's mother Arlene (Helen Hunt) is try to find oufwhat is going on. Eugene is Sometimes even one simple good deed can more information about this "movement." working two jobs to support her son - and · instantly attracted to Arlene, and Trevor's be enough to change the world into a bet­ The plan is to do something really good for unsuccessfully trying to kick her alco­ next good deed is to fix-up his mother and ter place. And thaCs enough to give pass­ three people, and instead of paying the holism. Though Hunt's performance in this teacher. However, "you can't just put two ing marks to Pay It Forward. Dancer a Moving, Musical Masterwork This year's Palm D'Or at the Cannes Performance Award at Film Festival is one of the most innovative Cannes. She moves and unique motion pictures to come out in from abstracted smiles Movie Review years. A cross between and heart-filled musi­ an American musical cal numbers to total by Susan Harris and a European desperation at her tragedy, Dancer in the Dark (****)is a darkest moment with a film that will leave you with a powerful wide range of acting scar from it's brutally emotional content abilities. European and intriguing story of what one woman actress Catherine will sacrifice for her child. Deneuve plays Selm~'s Icelandic pop singer Bjork stars as friend and co-worker Selma, a Czech immigrant who is rapidly Kathy, another immi­ going blind from a genetic disorder but grant who looks out for cannot stop daydreaming about being in Selma and helps _ her the wonderful Hollywood musicals. She Fine Line Features conceal her secret. works tirelessly in a factory to save enough Best Friends: Bjork, with the help of Catherine Deneuve, Deneuve is no stranger money for her son to get an eye operation struggles to make a living in Dancer in the Dark. to challenging roles. before his 13th birthday so he does not suf- . She has worked with fer the same fate as her. However, her land­ observing the characters' lives. such revered directors as Francois Truffaut, lord and supposed friend Bill (David Trier directs the cast in a manner that Louis Bunuel and Roman Polanski, and Morse) steals her savings because he can­ exhibits them as actual people in real situ­ easily manages her character with complete not bear to tell his wife he is broke. This ations, not as traditional Hollywood-style . loyalty to her friend. Peter Stormare, whom leads Selma into a downward spiral of acting. The only times when these tech­ you might recognize as a favorite of the events, which test her devotion and love for niques are not used are during the delight­ Coen brothers (appearing in The Big her child and ability to accept her reality ful daydreams of Selma's musical fantasy Lebowski and Fargo) changes from his and fate. world. The soundtrack, composed and per­ usual twisted criminal to a sensitive and Director Lars von Trier (Breaking the formed by Bjork, includes some of the caring man who hopes one day Selma will Waves) portrays the trials of working class most unique and crea · e contemporary love him as he loves her. women during the early 1960s with sympa­ music yet to be displayed in a motion pic­ Dancer in the Dark proves that there are thy and reali-sm. Trier and director of pho­ ture. Entire compositions made of still original ideas for movies. If a motion tography Robby Muller mainly use hand­ machines clanking, pencils tapping, and picture can successfully be both a modem held cameras, which emphasize the reality sneakers squeaking inspire Selma's lapses tragedy and upbeat musical, perhaps more of the film's characters. There are no dra­ into fantasy dance numbers. Although the filmmakers will begin to realize that there matic lighting effects, emotional back­ musical scenes could have been choreo­ are no limits to telling a story. Just as the ground score or high-energy camera tricks graphed and photographed a little better, film combines two totally different genres, whatsoever. Although some might feel that these scenes add cheer to an otherwise the story will leave you emotionally the shaky photography is too uncomfort­ extremely serious film. drained, yet content. Although not recom­ able to sit through for two-and-a-half Bjork's portrayal of the seemingly mended as a great date movie, Dancer in hours, it is intended to make the viewer feel mildly retarded Selma was amazing the Dark will stay with you long after you as .if he or she is actually there listening and enough to win her the Best Female leave the theater. + .