Two romantic tales to arrive in theater just in time for Valentine’s Day
The new motion pictures opening today at a theater near you include: – “Deliver Us From Eva”: Rapper-turned actor LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) steps into the shoes of Cary Grant in this romantic comedy about a handsome player hired for $5,000 by three desperate brothers-in-law who want him to make their constantly meddlesome sister-in-law (Gabrielle Union of “Bring It On”) fall in love with him. Then, they assume, she’ll leave them and their easily influenced wives alone. The over-the-top R-rated romantic comedy allows Cool J (who uses his real name, James Todd Smith, in the credits) to stretch his screen image and attempt to become a suave leading man. Although not completely successful, the performer takes a step in the right direction to broaden his career and expand his fan base. Gary Hardwick (“The Brothers”) directed.
– “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”: An attractive magazine writer (Kate Hudson of “Almost Famous”) agrees to pen a first-person article on how to turn off a member of the opposite sex through dating don’ts such as demanding a commitment, dominating his time, going through his personal items and keeping track of his every move. Just one problem: The ruggedly handsome, secretly manipulative guy (Matthew McConaughey of “The Wedding Planner”) that she selects to make miserable and then discard ends up being the man of her dreams. Bebe Neuwirth (TV’s “Frasier”) and Robert Klein (“The Owl and the Pussycat”) co-star in the PG-13 romantic comedy, based on the cartoon book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. Donald Petrie (“Miss Congeniality”) directed.
– “Max”: This highly uneven R-rated film has already faced controversy due to its fictional story that humanizes Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor of “Shine”) and simplistically blames the German man’s hateful anti-Semitism on his failure as an artist. Set in 1918 Munich, the story concerns a wealthy Jewish gallery owner (John Cusack of “High Fidelity”) who befriends Hitler, a struggling and embittered student/painter trying to develop an artistic sensibility. Leelee Sobieski (“Eyes Wide Shut”) co-stars, and screenwriter-turned-filmmaker Menno Meyjes made his directing debut.
– “The Quiet American”: Based on the 1955 novel by Graham Greene, this compelling R-rated drama, set in 1952 Vietnam as French colonialism comes to an end and U.S. involvement increases, concerns a murder that results from a love triangle. Those involved are an aging opium-addicted English journalist (Michael Caine of “The Cider House Rules”), a beautiful young Vietnamese woman (Do Thi Hai Yen) and an idealistic American doctor (Brendan Fraser of “The Mummy”) with possible CIA ties. The multi-layered film has been finished for many months, but after Sept. 11, 2001, executives at Miramax Films worried that the picture’s subtle criticism of U.S. imperialism might offend viewers during the patriotic fervor that followed the terrorist attack in New York. Caine, who delivers a stunning performance, personally appealed to Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein to release the film, which was in danger of remaining on the shelf. Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce (“Rabbit-Proof Fence”) directed.
– “Shanghai Knights”: In this action comedy, Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, who enjoyed success in “Shanghai Noon” (2002), team again. The PG-13 sequel has Chan’s character traveling to Victorian-era London to apprehend the British villain who murdered his father. A hand-to-hand battle between Chan and Hong Kong action favorite Donnie Yen (“Iron Monkey”) lacks intensity, but the climactic scene – featuring the two mismatched frontier friends hanging on the face of Big Ben and holding on for their lives as the minute and hour hands of the massive clock place them in increasingly precarious positions – provides some genuine fun. David Dobkin (“Clay Pigeons”) directed.
At the buck$ office
Moviegoers wanted to be thrilled and chilled last weekend as the CIA suspense tale “The Recruit” and the fright-film sequel “Final Destination 2” took the top two spots, respectively, at the box office.
The top 10 films last weekend were:
1. “The Recruit” ($16.5 million)
2. “Final Destination 2” ($16.2 million)
3. “Biker Boyz” ($10.1 million)
4. “Kangaroo Jack” ($9 million)
5. “Darkness Falls” ($7.5 million)
6. “Chicago” ($7.1 million)
7. “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” ($5 million)
8. “Just Married” ($4.9 million)
9. “Catch Me If You Can” ($4.8 million)
10. “About Schmidt” ($4.7 million)
Coming Soon!
Major titles scheduled to open Feb. 14 include: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell in “Daredevil,” based on the Marvel Comic about a visually impaired superhero, and the voices of John Goodman and Haley Joel Osment in Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book 2,” an animated musical sequel to the 1967 favorite that features the further adventures of man-cub Mowgli and his old pal Baloo.