Critical smash, zany comedy to line video store shelves this month
Editor’s note: Near the beginning of each month, Video View looks at the tapes and DVDs to be released in the next four weeks.A critical smash (“Adaptation”), an emotional melodrama (“Antwone Fisher”), a Holocaust drama (“The Pianist”), a factual tale (“Catch Me If You Can”), a tense thriller (“The Recruit”), an acclaimed import (“Talk to Her”) and a zany comedy (“The Hot Chick”) will provide some cinematic entertainment during May. The following capsule reviews, listed alphabetically, will give you an idea of the caliber of films coming soon to a video store near you. The films are graded as follows: Excellent, (A+); Very Good, (A); Good, (B); Fair, (C); Poor, (D); Turkey (F). Those with (NP) have not been previewed.
ADAPTATION (Columbia TriStar; $99.99, tape; $26.99, DVD; May 20; A-): A Los Angeles writer (Nicolas Cage of “Windtalkers’) endures a psychological meltdown. He fights feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration and self-hate during a struggle to overcome writer’s block and adapt a book, “The Orchid Thief,’ by a brilliant and attractive author (Meryl Streep of “One True Thing’), into a screenplay. Chris Cooper (“Sunshine State’), who won an Oscar as best supporting actor, co-stars in this incredibly inventive tale, written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze, who previously teamed on the equally inspired “Being John Malkovich.’ Nudity, brief violence, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
ANALYZE THAT (Warner Bros.; $22.99, tape; $27.99, DVD; May 13; C+): In this highly uneven sequel to 1999’s “Analyze This,’ the therapist portrayed by Billy Crystal agrees to allow his Tony Soprano-like patient (Robert De Niro) to be his houseguest. The former mob boss suffers new psychological problems brought on by the stress of being behind bars and returning to the outside world to become an upstanding member of society. Harold Ramis, who directed the original, lacks a suitable script, which results in a follow-up with far fewer killer laughs than the first one. Harsh four-letter profanity, violence, sexual elements, drug use. (R)
ANTWONE FISHER (Fox; $99.99, tape; $27.99, DVD; May 20; A): After winning an Oscar as best actor for “Training Day,’ Denzel Washington was ready for a new challenge. That led to the decision to make his directing debut with this intense, fact-based drama. The emotionally driven picture concerns a troubled young sailor (the outstanding Derek Luke of “Biker Boyz”) who was physically and sexually abused as a child and saved from a life of depression and failure by a loving girlfriend (Joy Bryant of “Showtime’) and a caring psychiatrist (Washington). Strong adult themes, sexual elements, harsh four-letter profanity. (PG-13)
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (DreamWorks; $99.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 6; B+): In this breezy fact-based crime tale, Leonardo DiCaprio (“Titanic’) plays Frank Abagnale Jr., a teen-age forger and master of deception who passes himself off as a doctor, lawyer and co-pilot. While doing that, the boyishly handsome con artist writes bogus checks for millions of dollars. Tom Hanks (“Road to Perdition’) co-stars as Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who vows to apprehend Abagnale, and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), who received an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor, steals every scene as the young man’s loving but misguided con-artist father. Steven Spielberg (“Saving Private Ryan’) directed this often heartfelt tale about a young man who’s emotionally devastated by his parents’ divorce and mistakenly believes the con-artist tricks he uses will provide the cash to get the two out of bankruptcy and bring them back together. Sexual elements, harsh four-letter profanity. (PG-13)
THE EMPEROR’S CLUB (Universal; $99.99, tape; $26.99, DVD; May 6; B-) During this “Dead Poets Society’-like melodrama, which becomes too preachy, a dedicated classics professor (Kevin Kline of “Dave’) at a prestigious private school attempts to convey to his students the importance of values, character and fair play. The teacher’s resolve is tested by a troubled 17-year-old student (Emile Hirsch of “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys’) who has learned from his powerful father that winning by any means necessary is the only thing that counts in life. Embeth Davidtz (“Schindler’s List’), Patrick Dempsey (“Sweet Home Alabama’), Rob Morrow (TV’s “Northern Exposure’) and Steven Culp (“Thirteen Days’) co-star in the uplifting work, which is based on Ethan Canin’s short story, “The Palace Thief,’ and has a small-scale look that makes it perfect for viewing at home. Brief nudity, sexual content. (PG-13)
EXTREME OPS (Paramount; $99.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 6; D+): Some of the world’s top daredevil extreme skaters and snowboarders travel deep into the mountains to shoot a commercial and then accidentally discover the hiding place of a murderous war criminal. He orders his henchmen to search for and destroy all of them during this flat action tale, starring Devon Sawa (“Final Destination’), Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (“Billy Madison’) and Rufus Sewell (“Dark City’). Christian Duguay (“The Art of War’) directed. Violence, nudity, harsh four-letter profanity. (PG-13)
THE HOT CHICK (Touchstone; $99.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 13; B- for Rob Schneider fans; D for anyone else): A beautiful but selfish young woman (Rachel McAdams of “My Name Is Tanino’) falls victim to a curse, one that causes her to awaken in the body of a gross 30-year-old thief (Rob Schneider of “The Animal’). Anna Faris (“Scary Movie’) co-stars in the changing-places comedy, which is filled with cheap laughs and gross gags. Adam Sandler, who also produced the picture, makes a cameo appearance without generating many smiles. Crude and sexual humor, harsh four-letter profanity, drug use. (PG-13)
MAX (Lions Gate; $99.99, tape; $24.99, DVD; May 20; C+): This highly uneven 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 “Identity’) who befriends Hitler, a struggling and embittered student/painter trying to develop an artistic sensibility. Harsh four-letter profanity, adult themes. (R)
NATIONAL SECURITY (Columbia TriStar; $99.99, tape; $27.99, DVD; May 27; C): Two mismatched guys (Martin Lawrence of “Black Knight’ and Steve Zahn of “Joy Ride’) wind up as partners in a lowly security job and then find themselves chasing criminals involved in a dangerous smuggling operation. The comedy co-stars Bill Duke (“Red Dragon’), Robinne Lee (“Hav Plenty’), Colm Feore (“Chicago’) and Eric Roberts (“Heaven’s Prisoner’s’). Quality rating courtesy of AP. Violence, sexual elements. (PG-13)
THE PIANIST (Universal; $99.99, tape; $26.99, DVD; May 27; A): With this emotionally unsettling work, which won the award for best picture at the 2002 Cannes International Film Festival, controversial director Roman Polanski (“Chinatown”) offers a fact-based story about Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody of “The Thin Red Line”). He survived Poland’s wartime ghetto, eluded deportation to Nazi death camps and remained in devastated Warsaw. For more than four decades, Polanski, who escaped from a Cracow ghetto at age 7, had searched for a project that reflected his Holocaust experience. The 69-year-old director found the right material with “The Pianist,” which he created for $18 million in Poland with the help of production designer Allen Starski, whose credits include “Schindler’s List.” Polanski and Brody received Oscars for their work. Extremely strong violence, adult themes, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
THE RECRUIT (Buena Vista; $24.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 27; B): An extremely intelligent and resourceful young man (Colin Farrell of “Minority Report’) is recruited into the CIA by a veteran agent (Al Pacino of “Insomnia’). The newcomer is soon given the life-and-death assignment of identifying a mole who could compromise the lives of government operatives on dangerous missions. Bridget Moynahan (“The Sum of All Fears’) co-stars in the involving thriller, directed by Australian filmmaker Roger Donaldson (“Thirteen Days’). Violence, sexual elements, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
STAR TREK: NEMESIS (Paramount; $99.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 20; B): The crew from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ led by Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Data (Brent Spiner), embark on a peace mission to save the galaxy and encounter some evil clones obsessed with destroying humans. The enjoyable space adventure was directed by Stuart Baird (“Executive Decision’). Violence, brief sexual elements. (PG-13)
TALK TO HER: (Columbia TriStar; $99.99, tape; $26.99, DVD; May 13; A): During this unusual drama, a friendship develops between two men (Dario Grandinetti and Javier Camara) caring for comatose loved ones. With this touching and uplifting work, acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar (“All About My Mother’) directed and won an Oscar for best original screenplay. Nudity, sexual content, profanity. (R)
25TH HOUR (Touchstone; $99.99, tape; $29.99, DVD; May 20; B): A low-level drug dealer (Edward Norton of “Red Dragon’) goes through the last 24 hours of his life before beginning a seven-year prison sentence. The character contacts his alcoholic father (Brian Cox of “Adaptation.’), devoted girlfriend (Rosario Dawson of “Men in Black II’) and two best friends (Philip Seymour Hoffman of “Punch-Drunk Love’ and Barry Pepper of “Saving Private Ryan’) before going behind bars. This unsettling melodrama unfolds in post-Sept. 11, 2001 New York City, a time frame that gives the material added depth and urgency. Director Spike Lee (“He Got Game’) uses a theme about the sadness that surrounds the devastation caused by the terrorist attacks to comment on the situation of the ill-fated main character, who believes he will be abused and killed while in prison (referred to as “hell’). Neither Norton nor Lee attempts to make the lead character a sympathetic figure, though both want viewers to feel his pain and succeed in doing so. Harsh four-letter profanity, strong adult themes, violence. (R)