High-profile names star in this week's movies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Pacino is ready to chew up Jakarta's screens in
\nanother Oscar-nominated film opening this week, while heartthrob
\nLeo begins to generate some heat through his new movie. The
\nfollowing reviews and grades are by Oren Murphy (OM), Rayya
\nMakarim (RM) and Tam Notosusanto (TN).<\/p>\n
American Beauty. Dark comedy, 120 minutes; starring Kevin
\nSpacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Chris Cooper, Mena Suvari,
\nWes Bentley and Peter Gallagher. Directed by Sam Mendes.<\/p>\n
Forty-two-year-old Lester Burnham is having a mid-life crisis.
\nHe hates his job, his wife cannot stand him and his teenage
\ndaughter Janey thinks he is a loser. Feeling comatose for years,
\nLester undergoes a radical life change when he meets Janey's
\ncheerleader friend, Angela. This story about dysfunctional
\nfamilies in demented suburbia is a perfect blend of powerful
\ndrama and black comedy. The characters are expertly developed,
\nand the acting is superb. If it does not receive an Oscar for
\nBest Actor or Best Actress, it will definitely receive one for
\nBest Picture. Graded A (RM)<\/p>\n
The Beach. Drama, 119 minutes; starring Leonardo DiCaprio,
\nVirginie Ledoyen, Tilda Swinton and Robert Carlyle. Directed by
\nDanny Boyle.<\/p>\n
A young American backpacker, Richard (DiCaprio), heads to
\nThailand and hears of a mysterious beach undiscovered by the
\nparasitic hoards of other tourists. He finds the beach and
\ndiscovers the cost of the pursuit of unadulterated pleasure.
\nBoyle frequently diverges from Alex Garland's original story, but
\nremains true to many of its themes. The film lacks the book's wit
\nand freshness, but is worth a watch anyway. Graded B (OM)<\/p>\n
The Green Mile. Supernatural fable\/Prison drama, 185 minutes;
\nstarring Tom Hanks, David Morse, James Cromwell, Michael Clarke
\nDuncan and Bonnie Hunt. Written and directed by Frank Darabont.<\/p>\n
Darabont's Oscar-nominated second attempt at adapting a
\nStephen King prison story has Hanks leading a group of
\nDepression-era death row prison guards, whose new inmate is a
\nmentally slow, towering black man (Duncan). It turns out this
\ngentle giant has miraculous healing powers, which benefits some
\nof the guards. But nobody can seem to help him avoid the electric
\nchair. Aside from some ghastly execution scenes, this is a
\npoignant story which is bolstered by a first-rate cast that
\nincludes a lovable, scene-stealing mouse. Graded B (TN)<\/p>\n
The Hurricane. Biopic, 150 minutes; starring Denzel
\nWashington, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, David Paymer and
\nRod Steiger. Directed by Norman Jewison.<\/p>\n
This true account of boxer Rubin \"Hurricane\" Carter's life not
\nonly details his twenty years in prison for a crime he did not
\ncommit, but also his relationship with a wide-eyed teenager and
\nhis social worker guardians, who mount a high-profile legal
\ndefense that eventually leads to his freedom. Veteran cineast
\nJewison again demonstrates what classic moviemaking is all about,
\nwhile Washington offers a look into Carter's unbeatable soul
\nthrough an impressive, blazing performance. Graded B+ (TN).<\/p>\n
The Insider. Drama, 160 minutes; starring Al Pacino, Russell
\nCrowe, Diane Venora and Christopher Plummer. Directed by Michael
\nMann.<\/p>\n
Tobacco company whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) teams up
\nwith CBS newsman Lowell Bergman (Pacino) to reveal the dishonesty
\nof the tobacco industry. Not only do they face off against the
\nbig, bad tobacco conglomerates, but also the producers of the
\nnews show 60 Minutes, who refuse to air Wigand's interview.
\nMiami Vice veteran Mann presents a riveting retelling of this
\ntrue story, while Wigand's descent into near-madness as his life
\nunravels is beautifully evoked by Crowe's subtle, Oscar-nominated
\nperformance. Graded B+ (TN)<\/p>\n
Puisi Tak Terkuburkan. Drama, 90 minutes; starring Ibrahim
\nKadir, Berliana Febrianti, El Manik and Pitrajaya Burnama.
\nDirected by Garin Nugroho.<\/p>\n
Garin tackles the 1965 attempted coup and the imprisonment of
\nAcehnese poet Ibrahim Kadir, but does not come up with much.
\nNice cinematography is not enough to sustain a feather-weight
\nscript, limp plot and monotonous pace. Graded C (OM)<\/p>\n
Stuart Little. Animated\/live-action family fare; 85 minutes;
\nstarring Geena Davis and the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan
\nLane and Jennifer Tilly. Directed by Rob Minkoff.<\/p>\n
When was the last time you fell in love with a digitized
\nimage? The wonders of technology have made the adorable mouse
\nauthor E.B. White created decades ago a real-looking, living,
\nbreathing furry thing in this family friendly movie. And Fox's
\nvoice talents give the mouse a Jiminy Cricket soul that will
\nsteal your heart. Graded B (TN)<\/p>\n
Turbulence II: Fear of Flying. Disaster movie, 98 minutes;
\nstarring Craig Sheffer, Jennifer Beals, Tom Berenger and Jeffrey
\nNordling. Directed by David Mackay.<\/p>\n
Yet another film you will never find among any airline's in-
\nflight movies. This Airport-meets-The Cassandra Crossing flick
\npits innocent passengers against sadistic hijackers, who carry a
\nload of lethal virus on board. The passengers belong to a
\nfear-of-flying group who are taking the flight as part of their
\ntherapy. The way this derivative, formulaic movie goes, you will
\nnot care about their plight after the first 30 minutes. Graded C-
\n(TN)<\/p>\n
The Wings of the Dove. Period drama, 101 minutes; starring
\nHelena Bonham Carter, Linus Roache, Alison Elliott and Charlotte
\nRampling. Directed by Iain Softley.<\/p>\n
Adapted from a Henry James novel, this Oscar-nominated film
\ntells the story of a woman (Bonham Carter) whose love for her
\nworking-class boyfriend (Roache) is forbidden by her family. When
\na terminally ill, rich American girl (Elliott) becomes enamored
\nwith her boyfriend, the woman comes up with a plan that is both
\nvengeful and all too human. As this exquisite film progresses, we
\nfind that things are not simplistically black-and-white. Graded
\nA- (TN)<\/p>",
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