Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Produced and distributed by Warner Brothers Directed by Jonathan Mostow Screenplay by John Brancato, Michael Ferris, and Tedi Sarafian The Hulk Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures Directed by Ang Lee Screenplay by John Turman, Michael France, and James Schamus Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black...
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Waugh on Film
The High Green Wall (1954) Adapted for The General Electric Theater Columbia Broadcasting System Directed by Nicholas Ray Teleplay by Charles Jackson In 1929, Evelyn Waugh wrote that film was “the one vital art of the century,” an accolade he would later qualify. While he came to believe that cinema had “taught [novelists] a new...
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God’s in His Heaven
The Matrix Reloaded Produced and distributed by Warner Brothers Written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski Bruce Almighty Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures Directed by Tom Shadyac Screenplay by Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe The Matrix Reloaded, the second film of a projected trilogy, could hardly be more disappointing. Four years ago, The...
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A Good Hitman Is Not So Hard to Find
Assassination Tango Produced by American Zoetrope and Butchers’ Run Films Written and directed by Robert Duvall Distributed by MGM and United Artists Phone Booth Produced by Fox 2000 Pictures Directed by Joel Schumacher Screenplay by Larry Cohen Distributed by 20th Century Fox Are good hitmen really hard to find? Not if you go to the...
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Justice Blinded
Dark Blue Produced by Alphaville Films and Cosmic Pictures Directed by Ron Shelton Screenplay by David Ayer and James Ellroy Distributed by United Artists Daredevil Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson Ron Shelton’s Dark Blue opens with the infamous video of Rodney King taking a beating at...
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Night Thoughts for the Middle-Aged
About Schmidt Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema Directed by Alexander Payne Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor from Louis Begley’s novel The Quiet American Produced by William Harberg and Stefen Ahrenberg Directed by Phillip Noyce and Robert Schenkkan Screenplay by Christopher Hampton from Graham Greene’s novel Distributed by Miramax Films Bulletin: Hollywood...
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Be Afraid of Virginia Woolf
The Hours Produced by Scott Rudin and Miramax Films Directed by Stephen Daldry Screenplay by David Hare from Michael Cunningham’s novel Distributed by Paramount Pictures Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Produced by Andrew Lazar and Miramax Films Directed by George Clooney Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman from the book by Chuck Barris Distributed by Artisan Entertainment...
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The Sorrows of Solipsism
Solaris Produced by James Cameron and 20th Century Fox Directed by Steven Soderbergh Screenplay by Steven Soderbergh from Stanislaw Lem’s novel Distributed by 20th Century Fox Adaptation Produced by Propaganda Films Directed by Spike Jonze Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman from The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean Distributed by Columbia Pictures Steven Soderbergh’s...
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Plymouth Rocked
Far From Heaven Produced by Clear Blue Sky Productions Written and Directed by Todd Haynes Distributed by Focus Features and USA Films Auto Focus Produced by Propaganda Films Directed by Paul Schrader Screenplay by Michael Gerbosi from Robert Graysmith’s book Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven and Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus...
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Cinematic Imagination Under Siege
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Produced and Distributed by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation and Walter Wanger Productions Directed by Don Siegel Screenplay by Jack Finney and Daniel Mainwaring I recently proposed Don Siegel’s 1956 science-fiction film Invasion of the Body Snatchers as required viewing for directors who have lost their way. I was thinking...
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Unutterable Visions, Perishable Breath
S1m0ne Produced and Distributed by New Line Cinema Written and directed by Andrew Niccol One Hour Photo Produced by Catch 23 Entertainment, Laughlin Park Pictures, and Madjak Films Written and directed by Mark Romanek Distributed by 20th Century Fox Why do we expect perfection, especially when it comes to romance, that most mercurial department of...
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Signs and Wonders
Signs Produced by Blinding Edge and Touchstone Pictures Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures In his third commercial feature, Signs, M. Night Shyamalan seems to be delivering a belated riposte to those who lorded over his Indian ancestors. His movie concerns an invasion by extraterrestrials who have imperial designs...
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Fateful Choices
Minority Report Produced by 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks and Cruise-Wagner Productions Directed by Steven Spielberg Screenplay by Scott Frank from a short story by Philip K. Dick Distributed by DreamWorks Men in Black II Produced by Amblin Entertainment and Columbia Pictures Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld Screenplay by Robert Gordon VII from Lowell Cunningham’s comic-book series...
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Artless Imitations
The Importance of Being Earnest Produced and distributed by Miramax Films Directed by Oliver Parker Screenplay by Oliver Parker from Oscar Wilde’s play The Sum of All Fears Produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures Directed by Phil Alden Robinson Screenplay by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne from Tom Clancy’s novel Oscar Wilde believed one’s first...
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Bitten and Smitten
Spider-Man Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures Directed by Sam Raimi Screenplay by David Koepp Y Tu Mamá También Produced by Besame Mucho Productions Directed by Alfonso Cuarón Screenplay by Alfonso and Carlos Cuarón Released by Twentieth Century Fox Where would we be without eros? Would Antony have thrown away an empire? Would Dante have written The...
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Beat the Clock
The Rookie Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and 98 MPH Productions Directed by John Lee Hancock Screenplay by Mike Rich Released by Buena Vista and Walt Disney Pictures Clockstoppers Produced by Nickelodeon Movies Directed by Jonathan Frakes Screenplay by Rob Hedden and Andy Hedden Released by Paramount Pictures I have no idea whether Oscar Wilde...
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Belief Suspended
The Time Machine Produced and distributed by DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Directed by Simon Wells Screenplay by John Logan from a novel by H.G. Wells Monster’s Ball Produced by Lee Daniels and Mark Urman Directed by Marc Forster Screenplay by Milo Addica and Will Rokos Released by Lions Gate Films I first read H.G. Wells’...
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Love, War, and Other Misunderstandings
In the Bedroom Produced by Good Machine and GreeneStreet Films Inc. Directed by Todd Field Screenplay by Robert Festinger from a story by Andre Dubus Released by Good Machine and Miramax Films Blackhawk Down Produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation and Jerry Bruckheimer Films Directed by Ridley Scott Screenplay by Ken Nolan and Mark Bowden Released...
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Moral Impressionism
Vanilla Sky Produced by Cruise-Wagner Productions Directed by Cameron Crowe Screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on Abre Los Ojos Released by Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures In Vanilla Sky, director Cameron Crowe and producer/actor Tom Cruise have created an American version of Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar’s 1997 feature, Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). I have...
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Transcendence, Anyone?
The Man Who Wasn’t There Produced by Working Title Films Directed by Joel Coen Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen Released by USA Films 2001: A Space Odyssey Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Directed by Stanley Kubrick Screenplay by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick Distributed as a re-release by Warner Bros. Of the many films I’ve...
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False Redeemers
The Last Castle Produced and distributed by DreamWorks Directed by Rod Lurie Screenplay by David Scarpa Training Day Produced by Outlaw Productions Directed by Antoine Fuqua Screenplay by David Ayer Released by Warner Bros. American film would be poorer without Robert Redford. As an actor and as a director, he has given us some vastly...
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Something Both Brighter and Darker
Doing Hearts in Atlantis Produced by Castle Rock Entertainment Directed by Scott Hicks Screenplay by William Goldman from Stephen King’s novel Released by Warner Brothers I went to see director Scott Hicks’ Hearts in Atlantis not having read the Stephen King novel on which it is based. The little I knew of King’s other fiction...
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A Voice in the Darkness
Apocalypse Now Redux Produced by Producer Zoetrope Studios Directed by Francis Ford Coppola Screenplay by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola Re-released by Miramax Films and United Artists I was finishing the original draft of this column early on the morning of September 11 when I received the news. My wife called me from the...
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The School of Savagery
Planet of the Apes Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox Directed by Tim Burton Screenplay by William Broyles, Jr., from Pierre Boulle’s novel Ghost World Produced by Capitol Films, United Artists, and John Malkovich Directed by Terry Zwigoff Screenplay by Daniel Clowes with Terry Zwigoff Released by MGM-UA The 1968 film Planet of the...
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So What’s a Metaphor?
A.I. Artificial Intelligence Produced by DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Directed by Steven Spielberg Screenplay by Ian Watson, based on a story by Brian Aldiss Released by Warner Bros. Sexy Beast Produced by Channel Four Films and Recorded Pictures Company Directed by Jonathan Glazer Screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures...
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History Lite
Pearl Harbor Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Touchstone Pictures Directed by Michael Bay Screenplay by Randall Wallace Released by Buena Vista Pictures A Knight’s Tale Produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation and Escape Artists Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland Released by Columbia and Sony Pictures Most films have a signature moment, a scene that...
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Resurrecting the Third Man
The Third Man Produced by Alexander Korda and David O. Selznick Directed by Carol Reed Screenplay by Graham Greene Released by London Films Re-released by Rialto Pictures Forget the Dark Side. Darth Sidious? No more convincing than Bela Lugosi flitting about an Abbott and Costello travesty. For the real thing, you’ll have to visit your...
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Becoming George Orwell
“The best guesser is the best prophet.” —Greek Proverb George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in Motihari, India, where his father worked for the Indian Civil Service as a sub-deputy opium agent in charge of manufacturing the narcotic for transport to China. His mother, the daughter of a...
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Fearful Symmetry
The Tailor of Panama Produced by John le Carré, John Boorman, and Kevan Barker with Columbia Pictures Directed by John Boorman Screenplay by John le Carré, John Boorman, and Andrew Davies Released by Columbia Pictures One of my favorite films is Carol Reed’s 1960 adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana, which tells...
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Dinner Is Served
Hannibal Produced and Distributed by Dino De Laurentiis and MGM Studios Directed by Ridley Scott Screenplay by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian from the novel by Thomas Harris Last Resort Produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation Directed by Paul Pavlikovsky Screenplay by Rowan Joffe and Paul Pavlikovsky Released by The Shooting Gallery The original newspaper...
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Moments, Redeeming and Otherwise
Snatch Produced by Columbia Pictures Directed and Written by Guy Ritchie Released by Sony Pictures Shadow of the Vampire Produced by Saturn Films Directed by E. Elias Merhige Screenplay by Steven Katz Released by Lion Gate Films Thirteen Days Produced by Kevin Costner and Beacon Communications Directed by Roger Donaldson Screenplay by Ernest R. May...
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Odysseys
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Produced by Buena Vista Pictures and Touchstone Pictures Directed by Joel Coen Screenplay by Ethan Coen with help from Homer Released by Buena Vista Pictures All the Pretty Horses Produced by Columbia Pictures and Miramax Films Directed by Billy Bob Thornton Screenplay by Ted Tally from a novel by Cormac...
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Accidental Heroes, Ordinary Tragedies
Unbreakable Produced by Touchstone and Blinding Edge Pictures Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan Released by Buena Vista Pictures You Can Count on Me Produced by Cappa Production and The Shooting Gallery Written and Directed by Ken Lonergan Released by Paramount Classics Last year, M. Night Shyamalan performed a minor miracle: flouting Hollywood’s policy...
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Details, Details
Dancer in the Dark Produced by AV-Fund Norway, Arte France Cinéma, and the Danish Film Institute Directed and written by Lars von Frier Distributed by Fine Line Features The Contender Produced by Battleground Productions Directed and written by Rod Lurie Distributed by DreamWorks Distribution Best in Show Produced by Castle Rock Entertainment Directed by Christopher...
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Sentiment and Sentimentality
Nurse Betty Produced by Gramercy Pictures and Propaganda Films Directed by Neil LaBute Screenplay by John C. Richards and James Flamberg Distributed by USA Films Almost Famous Produced by DreamWorks and Vinyl Films Directed and written by Cameron Crowe Distributed by Dreamworks There’s a crucial difference between sentiment and sentimentality. The first is a direct,...
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Frankenstein’s Children
“Monstrum horrendum, informe ingens.” —Vergil, Aeneid In 1974, I first encountered one of the creatures E. Michael Jones writes about in Monsters From the Id. It appeared in the guise of one of my graduate-school classmates. She was a bright, pretty woman who seemed unusually self-possessed and accomplished for a 22-year-old. My impression changed, however,...
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Making Choices, Taking Chances
The Girl on the Bridge (La Fille sur le pont) Produced by Films Christian Fechner and France 2 Cinéma Directed by Patrice Leconte Screenplay by Serge Frydman Released by Paramount Pictures Saving Grace Produced by Homerun Productions and Portman Entertainment Group Distributed by Fine Line Features Directed by Nigel Cole Screenplay by Mark Crowdy and...
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The Best Reality Money Can Buy?
The Perfect Storm Produced by Baltimore Spring Creek and Warner Bros. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen Screenplay by William D. Wittliff, based on Sebastian Junger’s book Released by Warner Bros. The Patriot Produced by Centropolis Entertainment and Mutual Film Company Directed by Roland Emmerich Screenplay by Robert Rodat Released by Columbia Pictures With few exceptions, there...
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Season Your Admiration
Mission: Impossible 2 Produced by Cruise-Wagner Productions and Paramount Pictures Directed by John Woo Screenplay by Robert Towne Released by Paramount Pictures Hamlet Produced by Double A Films Directed by Michael Almereyda Screenplay by Michael Almereyda, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet Released by Miramax Films Small Time Crooks Produced by Sweetland Films Directed by Woody Allen Screenplay...
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We, Who Are Always About to Die
Gladiator Produced by DreamWorks Directed by Ridley Scott Screenplay by David H. Franzoni and John Logan Released by MCA/Universal Pictures Frequency Produced by New Line Cinema Directed by Gregory Hoblit Screenplay by Toby Emmerich Released by New Line Cinema Despite its flagrant historical inaccuracies and its preference for spectacle over drama, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is...
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Observing American Decencies
Joe Gould’s Secret Produced by First Cold Press and October Films Directed by Stanley Tucci Screenplay by Howard A. Rodman, from an article by Joseph Mitchell Released by October Films American Psycho Produced by Single Cell Pictures Directed by Mary Harron Screenplay by Mary Harron, from a novel by Bret Easton Ellis Released by Lions...
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A Waste of Space
Mission to Mars Produced by Walt Disney Productions Directed by Brian De Palma Screenplay by Lowell Cannon, Jim Thomas, and Graham Yost Released by Buena Vista Pictures Instead of insulting our intelligence, as so much third-rate science fiction does, director Brian De Palma’s second rate Mission to Mars is just good enough to do something...
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Presence, Real and Ersatz
The Talented Mr. Ripley Produced by Paramount Pictures and Miramax Films Directed by Anthony Minghella Screenplay by Anthony Minghella, from the novel by Patricia Highsmith Released by Paramount Pictures Anthony Minghella’s screen version of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley has beautiful photography, good acting, and real suspense. What it lacks is the element that...
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James Bond, Luddite
The World Is Not Enough Produced by MGM-UA Directed by Michael Apted Screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The World Is Not Enough (hereafter TWINE, as its promoters have dubbed the film) is the 19th official James Bond feature. As if that weren’t enough, it is also the first genuinely interesting...
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Waugh Stories
“A shriller note could now be heard rising from Sir Alastair’s rooms; any who have heard that sound will shrink at the recollection of it; it is the sound of the English county families baying for broken glass.”—Evelyn Waugh, Decline and Fall Two vignettes illustrate Evelyn Waugh’s character. One has to...
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Seeing Is Not Believing
The Limey Produced by Artisan Entertainment Directed by Steven Soderbergh Screenplay by Lem Dobbs Released by Artisan Entertainment The Insider Produced by Touchstone Pictures Directed by Michael Mann Screenplay by Eric Roth from a Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner Released by Buena Vista Pictures Pokemon: The First Movie Produced by 4 Kids Entertainment and...
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Of Guns and Roses
Three Kings Produced by Village Roadshow Productions, Atlas Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Directed by David O. Russell Screenplay by John Ridley and David O. Russell Released by Warner Bros. American Beauty Produced by DreamWorks and Jinks/Cohen Directed by Sam Mendes Screenplay by Alan Ball Released by DreamWorks Set against the aftermath of the Gulf War...
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Intimations of Mortality
Stir of Echoes Produced by Gavin Polone, Judy Hofflund, and Michelle Weisler Directed by David Koepp Screenplay by David Koepp, based on the novel by Richard Matheson Released by An Artisan Entertainment The Sixth Sense Produced by Spyglass Entertainment and Hollywood Pictures Directed by M. Night Shyamalan Screenplay by M. Night Shyamalan Released by Buena...
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In the Toyshop of the Heart
The Thomas Crown Affair Produced by Irish Dream Time and United Artists Directed by John McTiernan Screenplay by Leslie Dixon and Kurt Wimmer, original story by Alan Trustman Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Blair Witch Project Produced by Haxan Films Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez Screenplay by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez Released by...
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Oedipal Angst
American Pie Produced by Universal Pictures Directed by Paul Weitz Screenplay by Adam Herz Released by Universal Pictures Summer of Sam Produced by 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks and Touchstone Pictures Directed by Spike Lee Screenplay by Victor Colicchio and Michael Imperioli Released by Buena Vista Pictures Eyes Wide Shut Produced by Warner Bros.,...