If only Fallen were as tightly and shrewdly constructed as its ad
By Andy Klein,
January 15, 1998
After Santa's overstuffed sack of Oscar qualifiers is disgorged onto New York and Los Angeles screens in December, the studios have little left... More>>
Three years ago, the Museum of Fine Arts put together "First Look," a showcase of films made by Houstonians. Back by popular demand, the series... More>>
Martin Scorsese's Kundun is a deeply ceremonial experience. It's like watching a serene pageant of colors, rituals, costumes. It's about the... More>>
FlameoutBy Meredith L. Patterson,
January 15, 1998
It's always depressing when an action movie presents a plot idea that, though reminiscent of earlier ventures, at least comes off as a new spin... More>>
As The Boxer, Daniel Day-Lewis K.O.'s a weak script
By Peter Rainer,
January 08, 1998
Where would Irish filmmakers these days be without The Troubles? In just the past couple of years we've seen The Crying Game, In the Name of the... More>>
When was the last time the audience applauded a trailer and the movie lived up to it? Independence Day enticed millions with its preview shot of... More>>
The ad line proclaims As Good As It Gets "a comedy from the heart that goes for the throat." Isn't this simply another way of saying, "You'll... More>>
The Iranian film Gabbeh weaves an old-fashioned tale
By Meredith L. Patterson,
January 01, 1998
There seems to be an unwritten rule in American cinema that adults don't go for original fairy tales. Fantasy, sci-fi, sure -- but it's a rare... More>>
Jackie Brown shows Tarantino looking for direction
By Peter Rainer,
December 25, 1997
If Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown didn't arrive weighted with post-Pulp Fiction expectations, it might be easier to see it for what it is: an... More>>
Atom Egoyan asks who's to blame for a tragedy. But he offers no answers.
By Andy Klein,
December 25, 1997
With 1994's Exotica, Egyptian-born Atom Egoyan clinched his claim to being Canada's leading director. His new film, The Sweet Hereafter, should... More>>
In a new book, film critic David Thomson shows himself at his best -- and worst
By Scott Timberg,
December 18, 1997
It's an old joke, told by people who don't write criticism, that those who do are failed practitioners of the art they critique. With London-born... More>>
Don't come looking for subtlety, but Titanic is a great big, romantic cornball success
By Peter Rainer,
December 18, 1997
If one is in a Biblical frame of mind, the sinking of the White Star Line's R.M.S. Titanic about 400 miles off the southern coast of Newfoundland... More>>
Scream 2 is as good a follow-up as one can imagine, given the difficulties of sequels
By Andy Klein,
December 11, 1997
Wes Craven's Scream, which opened almost exactly a year ago, was the surprise hit of an overcrowded Christmas season. In part, the success was a... More>>
Steven Spielberg's Amistad aims high, but oversimplifies
By Peter Rainer,
December 11, 1997
Steven Spielberg's Amistad is being given the big picture treatment -- Schindler's List big, not Jurassic Park big. Last week's Newsweek featured... More>>
This antiquated vehicle becomes a showcase for digital effects
By Andy Klein,
December 04, 1997
First, The Heiress was unofficially remade as Washington Square, then Ace in the Hole as Mad City, and The Day of the Jackal as The Jackal. But... More>>
Everything old is New Wave again in Godard's Contempt
By Andy Klein,
December 04, 1997
It's hard for anyone under, say, 35 to understand the impact that the so-called French New Wave directors in general -- and Jean-Luc Godard, in... More>>
