Rick's Flicks Picks on AWN

What a powerful film this is. The story is gritty, painful, honest and unflinching. The characters feel like they came from a novel. The performances from Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry are great — Berry's Oscar is well deserved.

The story follows the tragic events in the lives of Hank Grotowski (Thornton) and Leticia Musgrove (Berry), which lead up to them forming a relationship that transcends their pasts because all they really need is someone to comfort them. I simply love the way the film builds their relationship. Nothing is forced, even though their coming together means they must cross huge huddles. Hank is a cop who works death row. Leticia is the wife of Lawrence Musgrove (rapper P Diddy), a man on Death Row where Hank works with his son Sonny (Heath Ledger, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU). A lesser film would be centered on the fact that Hank keeps his connection with Leticia's husband from her, but this film is more real about it.

If you didn't catch this TV mini-series when it was on TV, you need to catch this on video. Written by Stephen King, this mini-series is one of the better King horror adaptations in quite some time. The longer format allows enough time to build real tension and develop a great myth surrounding the central haunted house.

The story follows a group of psychics who are brought together by psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Reardon, CHAPLIN) to awaken a long dormant haunted house called Rose Red. Steven Rimbauer (Matt Keeslar, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN) is a telepath who is the owner of the house, a descendent of Ellen Rimbauer (Julia Campbell, 2000's BOUNCE), the original cursed owner of the house where she lived with her abusive oil tycoon husband John (John Procaccino) and African maid Sukeena (Tsidii Leloka), who may all still be haunting the large estate.

I've recommended this film to many people before, but this review is more of a reaction to someone I know saying the film was pointless. I beg to differ. The key element that makes this film wonderful is that it can't be locked down into a one-sentence description. You couldn't even say what it's about in one sentence really. It works as a character piece and a meditation on the complexity of life. Director Paul Thomas Anderson was asked what the message of the film was and he said, "To be good to your kids." The film tackles loss, regret and forgiveness. What each character, and there are lots of them, is going through is paralleled by another character.

John C. Reilly (PERFECT STORM, WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE?) plays a hopelessly good-hearted cop named Jim Kurring, who desperately tries to help (and get a date) with self-destructive drug addict Claudia Wilson Gator (Melora Walters, BOOGIE NIGHTS). Claudia struggles with the pain of her abusive father Jimmy Gator, (Philip Baker Hall, BOOGIE NIGHTS), who works as a host of a TV game show. The producer of the game show, Big Earl (Jason Robards), struggles with his guilt over mental abusing his son Frank (Tom Cruise), who has become a misogynistic dating guru. Julianne Moore plays Robards second-wife Linda, who struggles with her infidelity, which parallels her husband cheating on Frank's mother. Philip Seymour Hoffman (FLAWLESS, PATCH ADAMS) plays a good-hearted nurse named Phil who tries to reunite Big Earl with his son. William H. Macy plays former TV show whiz kid, Donnie Smith, who can barely pay his rent. Jeremy Blackman plays inquisitive young quiz kid Stanley on Jimmy's program, who father Rick (Michael Bowen, JACKIE BROWN) is a tyrant who drives his son deeper and deeper into his own shell.

This film quickly moved into third place on my top ten list after watching what I feel is David Lynch's best "dream state" movie yet. Personally ELEPHANT MAN will always be my favorite from him, but this is a very close second. For creative people, this is one of those films that really gets the creative juices flowing, because it's working outside convention at every step and inspires with its creativity.

Rita (Laura Elena Harring, THE FORBIDDEN DANCE) escapes her own murder by driving her car off the windy roads on Mulholland Dr. The crash leaves her with no memories. She finds her way to an abandoned apartment where she meets Betty (Naomi Watts, DANGEROUS BEAUTY), a fledgling actress literally straight off the bus. They travel around L.A. trying to discover Rita's identity. The twisted tale involves a famous director, mobsters, a cowboy and an actress named Camilla Rhodes (Melissa George, DARK CITY).

I must admit I have not read the book, so I can't comment on its adherence to the novel. But as a straight fantasy adventure film it's wonderful. The epic scope of the visuals is amazing, breathtaking. George Lucas was so right when he said we are in a time of filmmaking where any image or idea is possible.

The tale begins in the land of the hobbits, a small race that live simple lives. Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm, THE SWEET HEREAFTER) has held onto for years a magical ring that holds great power. He hands over the responsibility to his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood, THE ICE STORM), who has always been curious about his uncle's adventures. Once, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen, X-MEN) discovers the hobbits possess the One Ring, he travels to see Saruman (Christopher Lee, ATTACK OF THE CLONES), the leader of his order, to find out what should be done next. Now an agent of the evil Sauron, Saruman imprisons Gandalf and sends ringwraiths to kill Frodo and take the ring so Sauron can rule the world.

One of the most important things about making a great fantasy/sci-fi film is the creation of the world. That's why HARRY POTTER is so great. The world is rich and borrows a lot from various Greek myths and wizard and witch tales, but finds a way to make it feel refreshingly original.

The story begins with young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) living under the stairs of his mean aunt and uncle's house. On a visit to the zoo, we learn that Harry has strange abilities that he does not understand. Then the owls arrive, carrying letters inviting Harry to come study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, his uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths, WITHNAIL & I) wants nothing to do with all this embarrassing witches and wizards hoopla. So the family runs to the countryside, but they can't hide from magic — arriving for Harry is the kind giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, FROM HELL), who takes Harry into a marvelous world that exists in the shadows of the human world.

Pixar hasn't made a bad film yet (TOY STORY & A BUG'S LIFE). In my opinion MONSTERS INC. isn't as good as the TOY STORYs, but isn't too far behind. Directors Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich have taken the common childhood fear of monsters in the closet and created a wonderful world around the idea.

The story follows the life of Monsteropolis, where all the things that go bump in the night live. The monsters sneak into the human world through children's closets to collect kids' screams, the source of power in their world. Sulley (John Goodman, TV's ROSEANNE) is the top scarer, but his world goes haywire when he discovers a little human girl named Boo has wandered into the monster world after him. The monsters believe that the children will contaminate their land. So along with his best friend Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal, CITY SLICKERS) they try to keep the little one from Sulley's rival Randall Boggs (Steve Buscemi, DESPERADO), who would love nothing more than to humiliate the top scarer.

I saw this when I was a kid and just re-watched it. It's just as scary as I remember. It's a slow build, but it's totally worth the wait. The moments with the dog are terrifying. The main reason the film works is that anyone can relate to the situation. Everyone has had a mean looking, giant dog bark at them in an angry way. Take that situation and turn it up a million degrees and you get this film.

Donna Trenton (Dee Wallace, E.T.) has moved to a small town in Maine with her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh Kelly, TV's RYAN'S HOPE) and young son Tad (Danny Pintauro, TV's WHO'S THE BOSS?). She dreads her new situation, fearing that her life will be painfully boring. Tad has fears of the bogeyman lurking in his closet. While Vic is away on a business trip, Donna takes her Ford Pinto to the farm of Joe Camber (Ed Lauter, SEABISCUIT) for repairs. However, Joe has already been killed by his rabid dog Cujo. Now Donna and Tad find themselves under siege over a sweltering three-day period trapped in their now inoperable car without food and water.

If romantic comedies were more like this one, I'd have to re-think my general opinion of the genre. Director Blake Edwards, working from George Axelrod's Oscar-nominated adaptation of Truman Capote's novel, is witty and nuanced. Led by an effervescent performance from Audrey Hepburn, the film is light as air and still has meat on its bones.

The story follows the eccentric New York playgirl Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn, SABRINA) as she sets her sights on marrying a millionaire. She has Brazilian Jose da Silva Pereira (Jose Luis de Villalonga, DARLING) and American Rusty Trawler (Stanley Adams, TV's THE TWILIGHT ZONE) on short leashes, while she's getting paid $100 an hour to visit Sing Sing and talk to gangster Sally Tomato (Alan Reed, TV's THE FLINTSTONES). George Peppard (A-TEAM leader Hannibal Smith) plays Holly's new next-door neighbor, Paul Varjak, a writer who's being "sponsored" by a wealthy older woman named Mrs. Failenson (Patricia Neal, THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES), who is referred to throughout the film as 2-E.

FROM HELL, based on a graphic novel (i.e. a big fancy name for a big fancy comic book), follows London investigator Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) as he tracks down Jack the Ripper. The plot is pretty much a standard thriller, but the direction and style make it something that I loved. The mood and look reminded me of Tim Burton's SLEEPY HOLLOW, which was another standard thriller that rose above its script because of its performances and design.

This flick was directed by the Hughes Brothers (MENACE II SOCIETY, DEAD PRESIDENTS) with the passion of two guys who have read every little fact and theory about Jack the Ripper. My favorite part of the film is its desire to be detailed about its era. It weaves in all the seedy and current events of 1888 England, including Buffalo Bill's Wild West Shows and John Merrick, the Elephant Man. The story also mixes "real life" characters and theories with literary influences — Abberline and Godley aren't far off from Holmes and Watson.

Considered by many as a comedy classic, I found it a bit dated. Film buffs might just want to check it out because of its place in history and others might just want to watch it for Veronica Lake. This slapstick film follows a movie director who is tired of making comedies and wants to make a social message film (which were very popular in the 1930s when this film was made). Due to his privileged life, he decides to head out into the world with 10 cents in his pocket to find trouble. However, the studio determines he's too valuable and sends a busload of people out after him to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. His adventures often lead back to Hollywood and at the moment when he decides to give up is when he really learns about hardship. It is considered the film that justifies the existence of slapstick in general; making the point that laughter is all that some people have. If you like films with witty banter and people falling down a lot then this is a film for you.

• My opinion has changed on this one, check out my new thoughts in the Upon Further Review item.