Film Fanatics: August 2003
by
News and Reviews
- How does that old cliché go? "To assume makes an ass out of 'u' and me." Well it certainly proved true for a pair of unlucky German tourists in LA recently. Apparently the unfortunate couple found themselves standing behind Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger in a coffee shop and, assuming that she could not understand them, they began a conversation in German. Remarking first upon the fact that she seemed much shorter in person and was dressed extremely casually, they then began to speculate as to whether or not she was married. Imagine their shock when the actress suddenly whipped round and said, in flawless German, 'No, I'm not married! I'm 5ft 3! And I always dress this way in the morning!' Oops!
- Who's Spartacus? In Kubrick's 1960 classic film it was Kirk Douglas, but in 2004 it will be Croatian actor Goran Visnjic, best known as ER's handsome medic Dr Luka Kovac. A two part mini-series is currently being filmed in Bulgaria, starring Visnjic in the title role as a rebellious Roman slave driven to revolt by the brutality of a sadistic slave master played by none other than ex-Mitchell 'bruvver', Ross Kemp!
- Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe may be saying goodbye after the next season of Friends, but it appears that loveable dimwit Joey Tribbiani (alias actor Matt LeBlanc) might be around for quite a while longer. Following the example set by Frasier, a long-lived and hugely popular spin-off from the successful comedy Cheers, US network NBC are said to have decided to follow Joey's fortunes further in a spin-off show which will begin once the tenth and last season of the hit sitcom has come to an end.
TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (12A)
This third instalment of the Terminator franchise, appearing some twelve years after the previous one, has proved to be something of a surprise hit, exceeding most expectations and managing to stand head and shoulders above all the other follow-up films in this summer of sequels. The plot remains similar to that of Terminator 2 - Arnold Schwarzenegger's slightly outdated T-800 arrives from the future to protect future rebel-leader and saviour of mankind John Connor from a state of the art killing machine, in this case the T-X, a female terminator played by Kristanna Loken.
The Times (Culture): "Surprise, surprise, T3 is an entertaining film. Okay, it's not in the same league as T2. It hasn't the dramatic power, the grand vision or the ability to seduce you into a self contained world of convincing make-believe. But [director Jonathan] Mostow has created a well-crafted and comic chase film with its own pleasures to offer. ...When it comes to special effects, CGI fans might complain that here is nothing as startling here as when we saw Robert Patrick go from mercurial blob to a cyborg in T2. But what's great about T3 is its low-tech charm. Instead of all the post-Matrix balletic ponceyness we see in most sci-fi films these days, here we get good old-fashioned fight scenes, real buildings being blown up and whole streets demolished. Watching the two Terminators battle it out (especially in the great toilet scene) is like watching a demolition derby, a glorious celebration of crash and carnage. T3 would be a fitting way to finish the series, but, alas, he will be back."
Heat: "T3 is a tale of man vs machines that benefits hugely from its simple ambition: to be a straight-ahead, relentlessly entertaining action blockbuster. Director Jonathan Mostow (U-571) may not have the hip credentials of the current crop of even moviemakers.but he sure knows how to construct a slam-bang set-piece, such as this film's awesomely destructive chase sequence featuring the T-X in command of a speeding crane. ...Despite some novel elements, [however], this narrative boils down to a rerun of T2: the Terminator saving Connor from a technologically superior future emissary."
The Evening Standard: "Terminator 3 is certainly a poorer cousin to the first two movies, but it would be a mistake to write it off. There are many fleeting pleasures and Schwarzenegger has buffed up well not only physically but also in the delivery of the one-liners. ...The set pieces are little more than adrenaline-fuelled smash-ups, although they rarely top the excess of the first chase in which...[the T-X]...drives a huge travelling crane while trying to shake off Arnie (who is hanging from the crane's hook) by smashing him through buildings like a wrecking ball. Meanwhile, like any good B-movie, Terminator 3 is gloriously awash in references to other films: there is the destructive shape-shifting babe from Species, the prototype robots from Robocop and the nuclear Armageddon of Dr Strangelove. ...Which only goes to show that if you can't make a cult movie, at least you can acknowledge other cult films."
VERONICA GUERIN (18)
The true story of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) who was murdered in Dublin in 1996 by the gangsters whom she was investigating and attempting to expose.
The Times (Culture): "On paper, here is a story that has more guts and drama than Karen Silkwood's and Erin Brockovich's put together: on the screen, however, the result is appalling. ...Had Guerin lived to see this film, she would have blushed at its tabloid sensationalism, winced at its relentless sentimentality and wept at its disregard for facts. ...Schumacher doesn't give us a complex woman: what we get is a cardboard martyr who, at times, seems incredibly sanctimonious and a little snobbish. Then there's the film's veracity. If you're going to make a movie about a crusader after the truth, you have an obligation to stick to the facts. ...But most disappointing is Blanchett. Yes, the Irish accent is spot-on, but that's about all. It's a very surface performance - she relies on cutesy smiles and her charm instead of digging deep into the character. The whole film is a simplistic black-and-white morality tale that has nothing interesting to say, other than that selling heroin to children is bad, and it's good to be brave. ...Schumacher doesn't try to tug at your heartstrings - he tears them out, sautés them in schmaltz, smothers them in Celtic sadness, then shoves them back down your throat. Surely, the real Veronica Guerin deserved better."
Heat:"A powerful, compelling story buoyed by some superb performances. Blanchett is exceptional as Guerin, who, as a wife and mother as well as a journalist, is a complex character struggling to do the right thing, whatever the cost. It's certainly been given the Hollywood treatment, but considering this film is brought to you by the producer of Armageddon (Jerry Bruckheimer) and the director of Batman And Robin (Joel Schumacher)...[it is] surprisingly understated."
Times (T2): "Joel Schumacher's movie about the murdered Irish journalist achieves something remarkable: it is both tiresomely worthy and alarmingly exploitative at the same time. ...The fact that Guerin risked not just her own life but those of her long-suffering husband and her young son is fascinating, but remains unexplored. A few casual references to her competitive spirit are insufficient to develop a credible character background. Consequently, Blanchett is forced to fall back on stylistic tricks to convey Guerin's crusading nature. She plays football with boyish enthusiasm; she drives recklessly fast; she flirts shamelessly to wheedle information out of cops and criminals alike. It is very much a teeth and smiles, frown and scowl performance."
LEGALLY BLONDE 2 (PG)
Perky, pink-loving blonde, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), not content with conquering Harvard Law School in the first film, now takes her unique brand of girl power to Washington in attempt to change the laws on animal testing. Why? To ensure that the mother of her pet Chihuahua Bruiser, presently languishing in a laboratory, will be freed in time to attend Elle's wedding to lawyer Emmett (Luke Wilson), of course!
The Times (Culture): "Reese Witherspoon's credibility takes a serious hit with this poor sequel to her likeable 2001 comedy. That she agreed to do Charles Herman-Wurmfeld's film (on which she has a credit as executive producer) suggests either that she has no eye for a good script, or that she was only thinking of the money. ...As in the first film, the idea is that Elle's native ingenuity makes her a match for any Ivy League clever clogs. This time, though, it's far too obvious that all her political achievements owe a great deal to luck. The film can thus be faulted for slack plotting as well as for its most significant failing: a complete lack of funny jokes."
Heat: "There are a few good comedy moments and Reese is still fabulously watchable as shiny, happy Elle. [Unfortunately] the plot is pushing it a bit. And teaming up a quirky doggie storyline with one about politics doesn't make the latter any less yawnsome. There's...a distinct whiff of seen-it-all-before."
The Evening Standard: "An anodyne rewrite of Mr Smith Goes To Washington, [this film] delivers far fewer laughs than the first Legally Blonde, thanks to a weak script and a resolute refusal to render the mechanics and the practitioners of Congress in any remotely realistic manner."
The Daily Mail: "Although the film-makers draw hopeful parallels between this movie and the Capra classic Mr Smith Goes To Washington, the newer film falls down badly by comparison. However, Reese Witherspoon again puts in a performance that's relentlessly cheerful and likeable. This gentle crowd-pleaser is squarely aimed at teenage girls, and is not up to the quality of the original, which had wider appeal. But at a time when Hollywood film-makers seem determined to turn every heroine into a laddish, kick-boxing sadist, there's something sweetly appealing about Reese's exaggerated, unsquashable girliness."
Film Quiz
Just how much of a film fanatic are you? Answer these questions, add up your scores and find out!
Easy (one point for each correct answer):
- Jim Carrey, most recently seen in Bruce Almighty, is still fondly remembered by many for his role as which eccentric pet detective?
- Frankie Muniz, currently bringing junior CIA agent Cody Banks to life on British cinema screens, found stardom playing one of four mischievous brothers in which US sitcom?
Less Easy (two points for each correct answer):
- Brad Pitt, the voice of Sinbad, has recently concluded filming which epic, playing classical hero Achilles alongside Orlando Bloom's Paris, Eric Bana's Hector and Sean Bean's Odysseus?
- Before becoming one of Charlie's Angels, Lucy Liu was best known for her portrayal of which irascible lawyer in hit US show Ally McBeal?
Difficult (three points for each correct answer):
- Anna Paquin, presently starring in Buffalo Soldiers, alongside Joaquin Phoenix, won an Oscar at the age of eleven for her role in which film?
- US actress and Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, who appears opposite Eric Bana in The Hulk, is married to which British actor?
(Answers at bottom of page.)
Film Chart
Since the figures are not always available until after the event, the Box Office chart may occasionally be a couple of weeks behind. Sorry!
UK BOX OFFICE (Week ending 3 August 2003)
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
- Legally Blonde 2
- Spy Kids 3D: Game Over
- Bruce Almighty
- The Hulk
- Piglet's Big Movie
- Veronica Guerin
- Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
- Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
- Daddy Day Care
Quiz Answers:
- Ace Ventura
- Malcolm in the Middle
- Troy
- Ling Wu
- The Piano
- Paul Bettany
How did you do?
0-4 points: Who needs film when you can listen to the radio, eh?
5-8 points: You're a fan all right, but you're not a fanatic yet.
9-12 points: Move over Spielberg, there's a new man in town!
Post to del.icio.us
