Horror, romance and sci-fi flicks grace local screens
Here is the alphabetical lineup of movies currently playing at the local cinema houses, with reviews and grades by Rayya Makarim and Tam Notosusanto.
Deep Blue Sea: Shark movie starring Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Michael Rapaport, Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Renny Harlin.
After a couple of flops, Harlin, the director of box-office hits Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger returns with this Jaws-meets-The Poseidon Adventure spectacle. Intelligent sharks (don't ask) at an off-shore underwater research lab go berserk and start chomping on scientists as these unfortunate humans make their way quickly to the surface. LL Cool J as the lovable, Bible-spouting cook lightens the movie a bit, but the graphic dismemberment scenes and the sight of those still-wiggling body parts will guarantee you nightmares. Graded B- by TN.
The Faculty: Teen sci-fi horror flick starring Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Famke Janssen, Robert Patrick, Salma Hayek and Piper Laurie. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Students at a suburban high school suspect their teachers are actually aliens. Hmm, isn't that what most kids think of their teachers? After spoofing horror movies, screenwriter Kevin Williamson (Scream) now takes a stab at the sci-fi genre with this fresh film where the evil aliens have healthy habits (they drink more than eight glasses of water everyday) and heroin is the substance that saves the human race. However, our Censor Board's apparent aversion to nudity makes the climactic showdown between man and alien rather confusing. Graded B- by TN.
The Haunting: Horror film starring Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson. Directed by Jan De Bont.
Under the premise of curing insomnia, Professor Marrow (Neeson) recruits three people for a psychological experiment in the mechanics of fear. The misguided volunteers gather at a Gothic mansion called Hill House, where the caretaker and housekeeper never stay after dark, and the next town is nine miles away.
This film deserves much credit for the amazing location, sets and art direction. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a plot. So don't expect to be scared, but be awed by this film's overall splendor of visuals. Graded C by RM.
The Pallbearer: Romantic comedy starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Rapaport and Barbara Hershey. Directed by Matt Reeves.
A mysterious Mrs. Abernathy asks Tom (Schwimmer), a jobless college grad, to be pallbearer at her son's funeral. Moved by the woman's tears, though having no recollection of the boy, he accepts. Through a string of unexpected events, Tom ends up in a love triangle involving the older woman and an old high school crush, Julie (Paltrow). This is supposed to be a 1990s version of The Graduate though one could have easily thought otherwise. Skip it and see The Graduate again instead. Graded C by RM.
The Thomas Crown Affair: Caper movie starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary and Faye Dunaway. Directed by John McTiernan.
Thomas Crown (Brosnan) is a wealthy businessman who masterminds the removal of a $100 million Monet from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catherine Banning (Russo) is an insurance agent who is determined to retrieve the painting through any means.
A battle of wits between the two slowly develops into a more complex emotional tie. McTiernan directs action films (Die Hard, Predator), not romance. Thus, besides the opening and closing caper scenes, the middle-section of the film drags into sentimental mush. Graded B- by RM.
Virtual Sexuality: Comedy starring Laura Fraser, Rupert Penry- Jones, Luke De Lacey and Marcelle Duprey. Directed by Nick Hurran.
From Britain comes this Pygmalionesque gender-bender comedy about a girl's desperate effort to find "Mr. Right Bloke." In her frustration, she walks into an image makeover machine at a techno exhibition and designs her ideal man.
Trouble ensues when she finds herself trapped in the body of a tall, blond guy she just created, resulting in a comedy of errors. Sounds silly? Far from it, it's a highly-entertaining and thoughtful flick about teenage angst in present-day London. Graded B by TN.