Happy Accidents (DVD) Full Frame and Widescreen Marisa Tomei stars as Ruby, a compulsive co-dependent in search of true love in this idiosyncratic romantic comedy by Brad Anderson (NEXT STOP WONDERLAND). When Ruby meets Sam (Vincent D`Onofrio), a quirky hos...
Marisa Tomei stars as Ruby, a compulsive co-dependent in search of true love in this idiosyncratic romantic comedy by Brad Anderson (NEXT STOP WONDERLAND). When Ruby meets Sam (Vincent D`Onofrio), a quirky hospice nurse, she thinks he`s another freaky weirdo like all the other guys she`s dated. But as she gets to know him better, his funny little mannerisms start to grow on her. So they move in together and romantic bliss ensues. Gradually, Ruby finds a couple of mysterious clues hidden in their apartment that reveal Sam might not be who he claims to be. When Ruby confronts him, he tells her he traveled back from the future to meet her because he fell in love with a photograph he found of her in a curio shop. Ruby thinks his story is some kind of kinky fantasy that he`s using to spice up their sex life, but when strange coincidences begin to make his story seem true, she wonders. If Sam is telling the truth, he may change her life forever, but if he`s lying, then what? Anthony Michael Hall makes a hilarious cameo appearance in one of the funniest scenes in the movie.
R"
Director: Brad Anderson
ACTORS: Marisa Tomei, Vincent D`Onofrio, Nadia Dajani, Holland Taylor, Tovah Feldshuh
Pootie Tang (DVD)
Taking a cue from Saturday Night Live, members of HBO`s The Chris Rock Show make their first foray into the feature film arena with POOTIE TANG. Written and directed by SNL cowriter Louis C.K. and produced by Rock, the film reintroduces the character of Pootie Tang (Lance Crouther), an inner-city role model who has a speech impediment that makes him virtually impossible to comprehend. When corporate monster Dick Lecter (Robert Vaughn) learns that Pootie Tang`s positive preaching is hurting the sales of his cigarettes, malt liquor, and fast food hamburger chains, he uses his sexy wife, Ireenie (Jennifer Coolidge), to lure Pootie Tang into signing an exclusive contract with him. This causes a Pootie Tang backlash, forcing him out of the inner-city, onto a farm, where he begins to accept his quiet new life. Luckily, his best friend, Trucky (J.B. Smoove), tracks him down in the nick of time, giving Pootie Tang the inspiration he needs to return to the city and reinstate order and optimism. More a series of loosely connected sketches than a straightforward story, POOTIE TANG nonetheless glides along smoothly, benefiting from appearances by some of America`s funniest comedians--Rock, Andy Richter, David Cross, and Laura Kightlinger.NR"
Director: Louis C. K.
ACTORS: Chris Rock, Lance Crouther, David Cross, Andy Richter, Jennifer Coolidge
Rivales (DVD) Spanish Pakaging
N/A
NR"
No Such Thing (DVD)
Hal Hartley`s NO SUCH THING takes place in a near-future dystopia where domestic terrorism is common and Lower Manhattan has become a giant movie studio. Meanwhile, far removed from civilization, an immortal monster (Robert John Burke), prone to insomnia and binge drinking, occasionally torments a remote Icelandic village out of sheer boredom and frustration. When Beatrice (Sarah Polley), a good-natured reporter from New York City travels to Iceland to investigate the disappearance of her fianci, she encounters a bizarre accident, a kind doctor (Julie Christie), and, eventually, the monster himself. When Beatrice brings the misanthropic creature back to New York, her ruthless boss (Helen Mirren) is more than eager to exploit them both.
Social satire in the guise of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Hartley`s NO SUCH THING essentially utilizes Burke`s excellent performance as the tough-talking monster to provide a mouthpiece for society`s ills, particularly the media. Polley, as the monster`s only friend, exudes a charming air of innocence, while the ever-beautiful Christie makes the most out of her relatively small role as a kindhearted physician. The movie is typical Hartley quirkiness on a larger scale, allowing for amazing creature make-up (courtesy of Mark Rappaport) and gorgeous cinematography of the Icelandic coast (by longtime Hartley collaborator Michael Spiller). Hartley`s own music, by far his best score yet, adds even more atmosphere to this unusual film.R"
Director: Hal Hartley
ACTORS: Robert John Burke, Sarah Polley, Helen Mirren, Julie Christie, Erica Gimpel
Little Otik (DVD)
Jan Svankmajer`s fourth feature is the story of a thirtysomething couple who, despite their infertility, yearn to have a baby. When Karel (Jan Hartl), the husband, digs up a stump that resembles a newborn, he varnishes it and presents it to his wife, Bozena (Veronika Zilkova), hoping to comfort her and fill the void in their lives. To his astonishment, Bozena immediately begins treating the stump like a real child, and the two dub the stump Otik. Karel`s astonishment grows when Bozena manages to nurse Otik into a mewling, living baby, a newborn with a wooden body and a voracious appetite. It isn`t long before Otik devours the family cat and the postman, forcing the couple into a quandary. However, Alzbetka, their precocious pre-adolescent neighbor, has discovered the couple`s secret by reading a Czech folk tale that parallels the strange occurrences next door, giving the young girl an idea of her own for Otik.
As in Svankmajer`s superb 1996 film CONSPIRATORS OF PLEASURE, the director uses his trademark stop-motion animation sparingly and focuses on his characters` desires, invariably making them seem perverse (food is always particularly grotesque in Svankmajer`s universe). Brilliant, funny, and frightening, LITTLE OTIK is a wonderfully entertaining and disturbing film.NR"
Director: Jan Svankmajer
ACTORS: Veronika Zilkova, Jan Hartl, Kristina Adamcova, Jaroslava Kretschmerova, Pavel Novy
