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Show ™DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 1, 2006 "Special" "Wristcutters: A Love Story" Directed and written by Goran Dukic Based on the novella by Etgar Keret Starring: Patrick Fugit, Shannon Sossamm, Shea Whigham and Tom Waits 91 minutes Three out offour stars • • • -tr When Zia kills himself in Goran Dukic's "Wristcutters: A Love Story," he wakes up in a world just like the one he left—only slightly more depressing. I was instantly reminded of Northeastern Europe. Four years ago, I spent a cold and dreary month in Estonia, a country smaller than the state of Utah. It shares a border with Russia—proving without a doubt that depression can be spread through osmosis. The Sundance catalog says that writer/director Dukic is from Croatia— which isn't in Northeastern Europe but has a name that sounds like it should be. The story he writes and the world he creates certainly has a very post-Soviet Republic, seek-outyour-purpose, feel. Patrick Fugit (so good in "Almost Famous") stars as Zia, a young suicide victim who serves pizza so disgusting, the Red Baron wouldn't eat it. His best friend is Eugene (Shea Whigham), a Russian rocker whose entire family has followed him into the hereafter. When Zia discovers that his girlfriend (Leslie Bibb) has also bit her own bullet, he and Eugene hit the road to find her. Along the way, they pick up a mousy hitchhiker named Mikal (Shannon Sossamon) who believes her drug overdose doesn't count as a suicide. "Wristcutters" is essentially a road movie, so it makes all the usual episodic stops at zany characters and life-altering situations. The way Dukic lets the sunshine in at the end raises questions that his script isn't tough enough to confront, but his morbid sense of humor is fun and surprisingly sweet. -A.A. "Alpha Dog" "Little Miss Sunshine" Directed by Jonathan Dayton and ValerieFaris 'v * Written by Michael Arndt Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin and Paul Dano .„..-•: 100minutes •'. • ^1 ^*Cl* ' •'C Three-and-a-half out offour stars ~ Directed and written by Jeremy Passmore and Hal Haberman Starring: Michael Rapaport, Paul Blackthorne, Robert Baker, Josh Peck, Jack Kehler, Alexandra Holden and Ian Bohen 84 minutes Two out of four stars For a second there, they really had me. "Special" is one of those movies that starts out with a fantastic premise, only to go sour and lose its interest all too quickly. Les (Michael Rapaport) is a lonely parking-enforcement officer who spends most of his free time in a comic-book store and who seems to have a learning disability of some kind. He agrees to take part in a scientific study of a new wonder drug that he is assured will cure his depression. But once he starts taking the drug, he doesn't just feel better—he begins to develop super-powers...or at least he thinks he does. He, apparently, can levitate, walk through walls and even read minds. He decides to become a superhero, gets chased by two anonymous corporate businessmen and gets embroiled in what seems like a vast "X-Files"-esque conspiracy. What makes a movie of this kind so fascinating is the ways it can distort reality so we don't know what is real and what isn't. So, for a while, "Special" is reminiscent of such films as "Unbreakable" and "Primer," a Sundance hit from three years ago. Unfortunately, writer/directors Jeremy Passmore and Hal Haberman can*t sustain that—we can too easily see exactly what's going on, and thus the intrigue is long gone by the time the plot thickens. -C.B. Along the same lines as "Wristcutters" Is "Little Miss Sunshine," another cheery road movie about a family that hugs each other around the neck...tightly and with malice. "Sunshine" beamed at Sundance last week when it scored a record-setting $io million distribution deal. Don't let that fool you—"Sunshine" isn't the "Citizen Kane" of independent films. Rather, it's a very funny and very mainstream film featuring Comedian of the Moment Steve Carell. He plays Frank, a suicidal professor who is forced to move in with his understanding sister (Toni Collette) and her merciless, self-help-spouting husband (Greg Kinnear), They have two children: Dwayne (Paul Dano), a brooding teen who has taken a vow of silence, and Olive (Abigail Breslin), a inini-Miss America wannabe. Rounding out the clan is Grandpa (Alan Arkin), who perpetuates the modern, oldperson stereotype by being bad to the bone—he's addicted to cocaine, pornography and blunt, philosophical insights from left field. All of these characters pile into a dysfunctional VW van for a cross-country trip to Olive's beauty pageant in Califor, nia, It*s a familiar setup, but the writing and the performances are so brightly hi. larious, they shine through the formula with ease. Directed and written by Nick Cassavetes Starring: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone Rated R/122 mimites Two out offour stars *• i r After groaningTat such forgettable mainstream dreck as "John Q' and "The Notebook," I was willing to give Nick Cassavetes—son of the great director John Cassavetes—one more chance. After alii with "Alpha Dog," he was writing and directing his own feature and doing so outside the Hollywood system. Well, strike three. It's official: Nick Cassavetes didn't inh&it any of his dad's talent. An ail-too-transparent attempt to be a gritty suburban thriller, "Alpha Dog" covers the same territory we've seen in much better films like "Bully," "Traffic" and "Better Luck Tomorrow." Here, we get the same themes, the same situations and the same characters—only it's completely disingenuous this time. It seems to be Cassavetes' insincere attempt to be gritty and edgy, and so instead of inspiring comparisons to his father, he ends up looking like a poor man's Larry Clark—or even worse, a Tony Scott in the making. Emile Hirsch is Johnny TVuelove, a borderline sociopathic rich kid from the suburbs and major drug supplier of southern California. Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster, doings his best to steal the Al Pacino Memorial Overacting Trophy) is a loose cannon and half-Jewish neo-Nazi who owes Johnny money...and so Johnny decides to kidnap his younger brother, Zack (Anton Yelchin, lousy child ,actor). Lots of really gritty stuff happens after that. You know, suburban warfare, a manage a trois, gun-toting teenagers, water bongs, the like—whatever. Cassavetes constantly-juxtaposes the upper-class white lifestyle with hip-hop culture, but he never really gets around to making any social points or arguments with this material: He's too concerned with being hardcore. Unfortunately, "Alpha Dog" remains completely one-note from start.to finish. On the,,plus side, however, Justin Timberlake gives a surprisingly good performance in one of the film's most meaty and three-dimensional rojtes. .i -C.B. .01- 7IM EST7VAL "Son of Man" Mary—who's in hiding after a government raid has taken the lives of dozens of children—that she will give birth to the savior. We see Mary and Joseph being turned down by the innkeeper, only to find refuge in his-nearby stable. Of course, we get the shepherds and the wise men. A crucifixion never takes place (Jesus is killed in a more modern • • • • • • • • : • • way), but the film finds anOf all the different retell- other way to utilize the icon ings of the story of Jesus, this of the cross. is certainly one of the most "Son of Man" is fascinatinteresting. ing in the way it ties the sur"Son of Man" chronicles roundings of Christ's time the life of Christ (Andile period with our own conKosi), only it takes place in temporary political environmodern-day Africa. ment and finds parallels beAll of the events of the film tween Jesus and modern-day will be recognizable to any- political dissidents. one familiar with the New The film seems to be a Testament, only this time sort of CliffsNotes version of guns, television and interna- his life, and because of that, tional politics are involved, seems too incomplete in all of which figure promi- many ways, as few characters nently into the events of the are fleshed out beyond their plot. basic biblical functions. The film conforms the maStill with a story told so terial to fit the time period many times already, it's nice as well as it can. Gabriel ap- to see a fresh approach, espears as a small child with pecially one this socially reltwo bright white feathers evant. on his chest, and informs Directed by Mark Dornford-May Written by Mark DomfordMay, Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane Staning: Andile Kosi, Pauline Malefane, Andries Mbali, Jim Ngxabaze, Sibulele Mjali and Mvuyisi Mjali 86 minutes Three out offour stars 'Thank You For Smoking" teenage smoker dying of cancer. In simple terms, Nick is great at his job but begins to question his own ethics as his young son, Joey (Cameron Bright), begins to grow up and start asking questions of his own. What makes the film work so well is the way it keeps its biting satirical edge throughout, while still maintaining a. firm grasp on reality, creat• • • ing realistic characters with moral and ethical dilemmas Ah, those darling cigarette we can actually care about. companies. They're so dia- Writer/director Jason Reitbolically evil, they make oil man doesn't make it all onecompanies look like chari- sided, either, as he also shows table non-profit organizations the way anti-tobacco politicians (in this case, a Vermont by comparison. But that's just my own per- senator played by "William H. Macy) use propaganda and sonal bias. "Thank You For Smoking" manipulate the facts to push takes the opportunity to lam- their cause, in much the same poon not only the cigarette way cigarette companies do. industry, but more specifiStill, Reitman's target is cally, the lobbyists who are clearly on Big Tobacco, and so brilliant and successful at while he may not be quite as spinning every piece of infor- good making them look bad as mation that comes their way. they do at making themselves We meet just such a spin look good, "Thank You For doctor in Nick Naylor (Aaron Smoking" is a fine effort all Eckhart), who is so good at the same—and a thoroughly his job he goes on a daily talk entertaining one, too. show one day and wins over a -C.B. Directed by Jason Reitman Screenplay by Jason Reitman, based on the novel by Christopher Buckley Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, J.K. Simmons, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy, Rob Lowe, David Koechner, Adam Brody and Robert Duvall Rated R/120 minutes Three out offour stars "DeNADIE" Directed by Tin Dirdamal fl 82minutes l Two out offour stars ^ •• r 6 Let this be a lesson to "DeNADIE" director Tin Dirdamal: Filming something*1 is not the same thing as making a movie. £ No offense to the man personally (who seems like quite a nice fellow), but his'just isn't a very well made film. It tells a story that begs to be told, chronicling the arduous and often futile attempts of poor South and Central Americans to immigrate to the United States, ii; Dirdamal follows a few Characters, all trying to cross the border for various reasons and in various ways, and the struggles theyiace. Often, it takes people years to make it to the United States—if they make rt; it at alL "DeNADIE," which translates to "no one," has some : very interesting aspects, but is constructed with all the savvy of a seventh-grade class project. The cheap film tactics and cheesy sound effects make it seem like the film was made on the very first version of c Windows Movie Maker. ' And it seems that someone who has no idea how to type was in charge of the subtitles, which are well into the triple-digits in spelling, grammatical and translation errors. There are interesting moments in the film, but they are interesting entirely because tjie characters make them interesting—not because the guy behind the cameraknows what he's doing. •-.-..• •-•.: |
