This week
CURSED
THE INTERPRETER
MISS CONGENIALITY 2
CURSED
Director: Wes Craven
This movie suffers from a severe case of identity crisis. "Cursed" simply cannot decide what it wants to be: a homage to the werewolf genre, a spoof of the genre, a teenage comedy, or a scary horror-flick. What the movie turns out to be is a mishmash of something that is neither funny nor scary. "Cursed" never really takes off, and when the movie ends, you are still waiting for it to begin. Christina Ricci screams like a natural-born horror-movie victim, but her acting is gruesome. "Cursed" has its moments, but regardless of how you look at it, the movie fails to build up tension, guarantee frights and tell a compelling story. This is somewhat of a misstep for Wes Craven. Go for "An American Werewolf in London" instead.
1/2 (Julie Vinten)
Director Wes Craven is best known for creating "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (featuring that nasty Freddy Krueger character), the "Scream" trilogy and other shock thrillers. This time he tackles the werewolf theme with tongue firmly in cheek. In a promising beginning, Ellie (Christina Ricci) and her brother Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) are in a gruesome car wreck. While trying to save a young woman in an overturned car, they are injured by something resembling a wolf. Oh-oh, this is where things start rolling downhill faster than you can transform yourself into a lycanthrope. You'll feel downright psychic always being 10 steps ahead of this predictable tale. Delivering more laughs than frights, perhaps King of Horror Craven is trying to become the new King of Comedy instead.
3/4 (Laimons Juris G)
THE INTERPRETER
Director: Sydney Pollack
You have a star-spangled cast, a seemingly daring script and a (fairly) skilled director. So why is this thriller such a nuisance? First of all, the high level of sentimentality is difficult to cope with, and the climatic scene is awkwardly melodramatic. On top of this, the characters aren't believable 's perhaps because Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman both seem to be running on autopilot. If you know the Hollywood narrative formula, you will find the movie disappointingly predictable, even if it struggles to keep you from guessing the ending (no luck there). Disguised as a politically controversial drama and a profound character study, "The Interpreter" is yet another preachy and formulaic Hollywood production, out to pester our lives with fake emotions, skin-deep moral truths and a large portion of self-importance.
(Julie Vinten)
Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack ("Tootsie," "Out of Africa," "The Firm") enters his fifth decade of filmmaking with the release of his 20th motion picture. Oddly enough, "The Interpreter" is the first film ever to be shot inside the United Nations building in New York City. After considerable research, this turned out to be an amazing, but true, trivia fact. This reviewer assumes that all thanks should go to Mr. Pollack for this quick historic peek. The movie runs on a genuinely plausible, though ludicrously convoluted, tensely-involved plot. Two phenomenal actors, Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, manage to ooze enough charm and talent to cover any possible loose ends that may crop up before the movie's final moment. But, hey 's it's a good watch at least one time around.
(Laimons Juris G)
MISS CONGENIALITY 2
Director: John Pasquin
Naturally, "Miss Congeniality" was bound to get a sequel. Failing to bring back Michael Caine or Benjamin Bratt, but relying on the amazing star-quality of Sandra Bullock and William Shatner, this sequel certainly gives you your money's worth - if you enjoy imbecile-tailored pleasantry and have a thing for Sandra Bullock. "Miss Congeniality 2" hinges on a dull kidnap-investigation plot that doesn't work, and corny jokes that work even less. Bullock is at a point in her career (or lack thereof) where she desperately needs a hit. And in this film, her desperation shows. The actress is, admittedly, not entirely uncongenial, and she does give it everything she's got. Perhaps she truly doesn't notice that the material is useless garbage. Hopefully, this sequel will be the last time we see the queen of nice.
1/2 (Julie Vinten)
Despite, maybe, its simplistic charm, "Miss Congeniality 2" proves no more than another unnecessary Hollywood sequel to sit through. It would have been a much wiser move for Sandra Bullock to make "Murder by Numbers 2" than this frivolous and empty bit of bowdlerized super fluff. Not even the sensational Regina King can elevate matters in this unabashed hotbed of mediocrity. The movie's perverse cuteness completely smothers anything genuinely funny that unexpectedly happens to pop up now and then. And in the long run, cameo appearances by Treat Williams, Dolly Parton and William Shatner don't seem to help either. The soundtrack's a lot better than the script's dialogue. So instead of heading to local theaters, divert yourself to a CD store instead.
(Laimons Juris G)