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Kitty Critics' Corner

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Dogma (October 1999, R) is an irreverent satire poking fun at many of American society's "sacred cows; the most obvious of which is organized religion. George Carlin plays Cardinal Glick, a self-made PR director who wants to improve the church's "numbers" through his Catholicism WOW campaign (which includes replacing the old "depressing" symbol of the curcifix with a peppy new "Buddy Jesus" as well as reintroducing the medieval practice of plenary indulgences. The next most obvious "sacred cow" is literaly a golden calf, Mooby (read, "movie??"), a cartoon character turned trade-mark to a megolitich corporate empire which sets up this false idol for profit (including marketing tie-ins such as restaurants, toys, feature films, magazines, etc.) It is likely no coincidence that these criticisms appear in a film that Disney-owned Mirimax dropped after being pressured by the Catholic League and other religious organizations.
The film tells the story of two fallen angels -- played by Matt Damon and Ben Aflek -- who want so badly to return to paradise that they are willing to risk all of creation to do so. Enter Linda Fiorentino as a disenchanted Catholic who is tapped by the voice of God (Alan Rickman) to stop them. She is aided by the 13th apostle (Chris Rock), a muse turned stripper (Selma Hayek) and two libidinous prophets, Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Keven Smith) who are familiar from all of Smith's films.
Thought provoking and intelligent, this film like others by writer, directer Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy) tends to get weighed down in a muck of its own great ideas and often puerile humor. The film is incredibly uneven in style, weight, acting.....but it is selfdeprecating enough, clever, and well, fun enough to be forgiven. Make sure to be there for the opening disclaimer (perhaps the funniest moment in the film) and the credits. (movie reviewed 11/20/99)

Bringing Out the Dead
(1999;R) This powerful film directed by Martin Scorsese stars Nicolas Cage as Frank Pierce, a paramedic working New York's Hell's
Kitchen. John Gooman, Ving Rhames and Tom Sizemore play Pierce's co-workers, each finding his own way to survive the psychological trauma of working this stressful job. Pierce's strategy has been alcohol, but recently that hasn't been enough since he's begun to be haunted by a trauma victim he was unable to save. Cage is supported by his wife, Patricia Arquette, who plays the daughter of an attempted suicide whom Frank has to try to help. Salsa sensation Marc Anthony gives a powerful performance as a homeless psychotic whose path repeatedly crosses Frank's. Based on the novel by Joe Connelly, Bringing Out The Dead gives us an uncomfortable insight into the lives of the people who deal day to day with the crises of the underbelley of society. The film is simultaneously drama, comedy and horror. (added 11/1/99)

Stir of Echoes (9/99; R) David Koepp directs this horror/thriller that suffered from following the superficially similar box-office hit The Sixth Sense. Although Stir of Echoes suffers in this comparison, it is nonetheless an intense and sometimes scary (if not too imaginative) thriller starring Kevin Bacon as a man whose consciousness is "opened up" following hypnosis. He begins seeing otherworldly visions, learns that his son has had this gift for a long time and nearly goes crazy trying to figure out what he can do to make the ghost stop talking to him. Unfortunately everyone in the audience is able to solve the mystery light years before Bacon's character does and there are no surprise twists or turns in the end.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999; R) John McTiernan directs this remake of the 1967 classic which starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway) stars Pierce Brosnan as Thomas Crown, a self-made bilionaire who has run out of challenges. Enter Rene Russo as Catherine Banning who suspects Crown of a brilliantly executed art theft. This film suffered from comparisons to the original and from following a similarly themed Entrapment. It's too bad really. I haven't seen the original, but I'd take Brosnan and Russo over McQueen and Dunaway any day. This is a sexy film and the heist scenes are much more clever and interesting than those in Entrapment. Of course we know how it's going to end, but getting there is the fun part. (added 11/1/99)

The Thirteenth Warrior (September 1999; R)
I was surprised at how many critics just didn't get this film. Perhaps they, and the film promoters, didn't do their homework. The film certainly isn't trying to be a Conan film nor Eric the Viking. It's an adventure/thriller that's closer to Braveheart via Beowulf or shall we say an homage to the literary traditions of the viking age. This John McTiernan film is based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel Eaters of the Dead, which in turn was inspired by historical and legendary accounts from the viking age. The opening of the film is based on the historical account of an exiled Arab ambasador's eyewitness of a funeral for a Norse chieftain. Ahmahd ibn Fahdalan's (played masterfully Antonio Banderas) account is that of a "civilized" man who is disgusted by the barbaric practices of these "Northmen". (Read excerpts from Fahdalan/Fadlan's account and scholarly critique of Crichton's work) Crichton's fiction is positing what might have happened had this civilized outsider been drawn into the group of "barbarians" -- and it is credibly done, couched as it is in the traditions of Norse histories and legends, especially that of the "Bearson folktale" type (remember Beowulf). Don't expect flowery dialogue nor great displays of emotion. In the Northern traditions we must read between the lines and read people by their actions -- and action there is in plenty! For more info on the viking age, check out these viking resources.

The Sixth Sense -- This is the chilling psychological thriller that The Haunting could have learned a few lessons from! Start with a great young actor like Haley Joel Osment (why couldn't he have played Anakin Skywalker?!!) and build and interesting character for him to play. Then, get this, take time to develop the characters. Imagine that! Supporting young Osment who plays 8 year old Cole Sear who sees dead people all around him, is Bruce Willis as child psychologist Malcolm Crowe who hopes to quiet his own personal demons by helping this child and Toni Collette (Muriel's Wedding) as Cole's ever supportive mom. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan this is a fascinatingly chilling psychological thriller of the best sort.

Mystery Men (8/99; PG-13) Based on the Dark Horse comic, the film stars Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria and William H. Macy as three superhero wannabes who are faced with the task of rescuing real superhero (and successful product endorser) Captain Amazing from the diabolical grasp of supervillain Casanova Frankenstein (portrayed by Geoffrey Rush). What are they to do? They decide to recruit other hapless superheroes to aid them in their quest. This fanciful farce is fun if you don't take it too seriously. It would have been much better if Janeane Garofalo's character had entered the film sooner.(review added 8/31/99)

The Perfect Husband (PG-13, July 1999)
This is perhaps the first movie this year, besides The Matrix, that hasn't been a disappointment. Oliver Parker adapts and directs the original Oscar Wilde play into a lively and entertaining film. Jeremy Northam and Cate Blanchett play the perfect couple whose happiness may be shattered by the appearance of Julianne Moore with a damaging piece of evidence from the perfect gentleman's past. Enter his shallow sister played by Minnie Driver and best friend and waistral played by Rupert Everett and there's the perfect mix of erudition, clever banter and brilliant acting. It's a delightful comedy of Victorian society.

Hamsun we saw this Jan Troell film recently at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. Max von Sydow brilliantly rich portrayal of the Novel Prize-winning Norwegian novelist Knut Hamsun is what makes this film so noteworthy. The film explores the final seventeen years of Hamsun's life, beginning in 1935 when his naive nationalistic fervor first leads him to sympathize with the National Socialists, dreaming of hightened glory for his homeland. After the war, disillusioned Norwegians did not know what to do with their fallen hero. Instead of jailing him for treason, Hamsun is sent to a mental hospital for psychological testing in the hopes that he will quietly die or fall from public notice. The film does not neglect Hamsun's private life and also tells the story of his wife, played by Ghita Norby (who played Sydow's wife in The Best Intentions), and their complicated marriage and family life. If it wasn't easy for Hamsun to be a National Hero, it definitely was not easy to be the wife or child of one either. This film had a very limited American release. Make sure to catch it if you get the chance.

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