THE REl1UEVER WEEKLY FEATURES April 20, 1999 PAGE~9 : Daftd Spade Sophie M"..ecaw• A comedy about a guy who would do aDIJ'daiua ALSO IN THEATRES to set tbe girl of his dreams - aod clidl CAPSULE REVIEWS OF FILMS IN CURRENT ·RELEASE BY VICTORY MARASIGAN AND JAMIE PECK Analyze This as a Chosen One(maybe of a future world(defi­ *** out of four nitely) where reality is a computer-generated illu­ Robert De Niro's stressed-out mob boss seeks sion created by evil robots (ub, possibly). The first help from Billy Crystal's timid psychotherapist and third acts deliver die goods in a uniquely en­ Based on that one-sentence synopsis, the makings tertaining manuel', but die middle section would of a truly gut-busting comedy are in place, but be a downright snoo:re ifit weren'tweigbed down Analyze This is fairly lightweight in its laughs. The with plot holes and confusion. Don't think too 20-m.inute set-up is amazingly dry, but once De much and its possible to enjoy this. -JP Niro and Crystal- both, to be fair; absolutely marvelous- cross paths, the movie settles into a Tlu Mod Squml nicely humorous rhythm. A scene where our in­ fallible heavy breaks down over a sentimental There have been Merchant-Ivory* costume dra- banking commercial is probably worth the price ma'> with more of a pulse than The Mod SqUJJd, a of admission alone. -JP self-consciously '1lip., cinematic rendering of the old TV series still looked upon fondly by so many EDtv baby-boomers. Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi play the updated versions of Julie, Easygoing San Francisco*** video store clerk Ed Line and Pete -out to bring down corrupt cops (Matthew McConaughey) gets his 15 minutes of (gee, where have we seen that before?)- but fame when a struggling cable network decides to they're given little row de with and even Jess to make him the focus of an all-access, all-day TV do. As this horrid mess unfolds, you'll be asking show. EDtv ultimately shuns a few of the ques­ yourself questions like Aren't thrillers supposed tions it poses and provides some weak dramatic to contain lhri..lls'T' -JP moments, but this Ron Howard-directed rumina­ tion on celebrity status gets superlative mileage TM Out-of-'f'owners out of its terribly fast-paced laughs, spoofs and **lh assorted gags. Ifcomparisons to The TrurruJn Show In this remake of the 1970 eil Simon original, are inevitable, think of this as a sillier, ruder and Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn play the titular quick-to-please cousin. -JP travelers who kvetch, flail and mug their way through a seemingly simple stay in the Big Apple Forces of Nature that turns into a zany obstacle ooucse.. 1be sight **liz gags and physical shtick here are strictly a hit-<>1'­ Sandra Bullock's girl-next-door sunniness is miss affair, Martin and Hawn's llOIHlop outra­ appealing in the same way that Ben Affleck's swar­ geous fortune mines successful tenitory when it I thy-but-affable ease is appealing, so it's reason­ strays from the obvious and stiCks to realistic sil­ able to presume that a movie featuring their re­ liness. which is only half the time. But the stars spective appeals will be, urn, appealing as well. have a cute cbemisb:y and the exceptional Jobn Forces of Nature surprises by casting this duo Cleese pops up in a hilarious minoc role. -JP STARTS APRIL 23 AT ATHEATRE NEAR YOU. somewhat against type as their respective travel­ ers encounter various mishaps on an extended New Sludu!sp«<n in Lon York-to-Savannah trek. It makes for cute road movie situations, but puzzling sidetracks, an in­ To compare Shakespeare**** in Love to a summer's MARYLAND creasingly heavy tone and one strange ending may day still wouldn'tdo itjuslice. This exquisite meld­ leave a bad taste in your mouth. -JP ing of romantic draiJ1a, screwball comedy and his­ torical commentary features a high-minded, liter­ JOUr su111mer! Life Is Beautiful ate screenplay that speculates what it would have ***liz been like for the Bard (Joseph Fiennes) to be grap­ SUMMER SESSIONS 1999 Pairing a fLCSt half full of light physical com­ pling with a mean case of writer's block while SESSION 1: June 1-July 9 • SBSIO 1: J 12-August 10 edy with a follow-up hour that's packed with penning some play called Romeo and Juliet. At wrenching intensity, Life Is Beautiful sounds like the. Oscars, the film was named Best Picture, the perfect recipe for one jarring movie. And Gwyneth Paltrow Best Actress and Judi Deneb though this lovely import from Italy has its jolt­ Best Supporting Actres . -JP ing moments, it's nonetheless a joyous, heartbreak­ ing meditation of familial love and the power of 10 Things I JlateAbout You imagination. The goofy but always sincere Roberto Benigni (Best Actor Oscar-winner) is a That rare instance of*** a movie whose fresh cast delight to watch as a Italian-Jewish father who redeems a totally predictable storyline. Infec­ tirelessly tries to convince his young son that the tiously energetic newcomer Julia Stiles is Kat, the concentration camp they've been sent to is an Padua lligh ••shrew.., who is reluctantly wooed by elaborate game with a prize at the end. -JP longhaired loner Patrick (Heath Ledger). The pair's on-screen cbemisb:y is surprisingly charm­ The Matrix ing, even when she's throwing up on his shoes. •••tz Director Gil Junger and write.rs Kirsten McCullah So, what is The Matrix? After enduring a con­ and Karen Lutz take the original Elizabethan-era fusing if dazzling 136-rninute running time, you inspiration (Shakespeare s The Taming of the might be scratching your head as well. This tech­ Shrew) and made a film on par with Clueless or nically flawless sci-fi thriller casts Keanu Reeves even Fast Tunes at RidgemonL High.. -VM FILMS OPENING THIS FRIDAY John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton do battle as rival air-traffic controllers in the Mike Newell comedy Pushing Tin, which also features Cate Blanchett fresh off her Elizabeth Oscar nod; in David Cronen berg's eXistenZ, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude For more information, dip and IIIU dis form: Law play deadly futuristic games with a virtual-reality gizmo; and David Spade stars in his first leading role without Chris _________ State ____ 1~ __ Farley in Lost & Found, about a man (Spade) who kidnaps his Office of Continuing and Extended Education, University of Maryland, pretty neighbor's (Sophie Marceau) dog to get her attention. 2103 Rerkord Arm111y, College Park, MD 20742; e: (301)405·6551 or (800)711-8.627; fax: (301) 314-9572; emai c [email protected]; website: www.inform.umd.edu/summer 03 .