Movie review

White Noise
New Police Story
Maximum Headroom

White Noise

There is a little bit of "Gothika" in this movie: stupid people trying to communicate with even stupider ghosts. This is a laughable mystery thriller that simply isn't scary. The dumb plot is at the core of what makes this movie suck. Viewers sit there pulling their hair as the filmmakers become increasingly entangled in their own carefully spun web of incoherent twists and desperate attempts to hide the weak nature of the narrative. Even after one has long since guessed how everything fits together (or rather doesn't), the characters are still bewilderedly dashing about trying to make sense of the whole thing- it becomes rather annoying in fact. One can't help pitying Michael Keaton who, once a great Batman, has obviously sunk so low.
(Julie Vinten)

Jonathan (Michael Keaton) and his second spouse Anna (Chandra West) live a life of ease in a home straight out of the pages of "Architectural Digest." But one evening trophy-wife dies in an accident. Then a mysterious fatman (Ian McNeice) shows up at sad hubby's doorstep and introduces him to EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). It seems the dead can communicate via cell phones or old-fashioned answering machines and can be vaguely seen through television static. At this point it is all downhill for this absurd and ridiculous film. "White Noise" is frustrating because it had real potential to be a decent horror flick, but it's just senseless mumbo-jumbo with an illogical premise. The scariest thing about this entire production is that it got made at all. Where is Linda Blair when you need her? 
(Laimons Juris G)

New Police Story

Jackie Chan is back in Hong Kong with another action flick. But trying to be psychologically deep, this movie is seriously barking up the wrong tree. It's almost as if the 80's have come back to haunt us with this movie. It makes you half-nostalgic. "New Police Story" is a sequel of sorts to the series of "Police Story" Chan-movies from the 1980's and 1990's. There is enough high-speed over- the-top action and energetic one-on-one martial arts fights for two movies of this kind. The story and dialogue are full of delightful nonsense and there are many cheesy attempts at being profound. Cheese is the keyword: cheesy one- note psychology, a cheesy love story, cheesy clothes, cheesy hair. The movie is a really good laugh, though it isn't always deliberate.
(Julie Vinten)

Now here's Hong Kong filmmaking at its very finest. It's great to see action-hero Jackie Chan finally back in the saddle with another gripping, edge-of-your-seat adventure yarn. After a series of duds the Chinese actor made in Hollywood, it's just pure pleasure to watch him do what he does best. Though the story itself is often too schmaltzy, "New Police Story" features an attractive cast, gorgeous cinematography and lightning-fast martial arts stunts. What more can you ask for? This is the kind of humor mixed with energy that made Chan a big star way back when. It's certainly the best film he's done in quite a long time. If you have never seen the 50-year-old star do his stuff, you don't want to miss this film.
(Laimons Juris G)

Maximum Headroom

Latvian director Una Celma is a skilled filmmaker and her documentary "Egg Lady" ("Olu Kundze," 2000) was particularly intriguing. Her newest feature offers emotional drama with sharp attention to detail. The visual language is raw and dynamic, Dogma-stile. Some old friends have a get-together after many years apart. They struggle with unhappy marriages, failed careers and generally feel let down by life. The performances are forceful and believable, and the compelling interaction between the actors is impressive. The movie works well while the emotions lie grinding, hurtful, beneath the surface, ready to explode. It's when they do explode, with hysterical crying and yelling, that the movie loses some of its icy bite. All the same, this interesting, and in many ways, well-formed Latvian feature is a positive experience.
(Julie Vinten)

There are some extremely powerful moments in this latest effort by Latvian director Una Celma ("The Egg Lady"). Shot in 6 days on a shoestring budget (and apparently with no script) the film has a fuzzy amateurism skirting its edges. Whether this is deliberate or outright sabotage by the crew doesn't really matter. The most essential aspect of this entire production boils down to one key element: Rezija Kalnina. Without this incredible actress and her excellent co-actors, "Maximum Headroom" would be a big boring zero. Kalnina oozes life as true and authentic as reality itself. She is a natural born talent with a stunning command of her craft. Leonarda Kestere and Normunds Laizans also show off their erudite skills. If you can survive the experimental dabbling, you'll be nicely rewarded.
(Laimons Juris G)