Monday, December 9, 2002

MOVIE - EMPIRE - $$$$$ $$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - JOHN LEGUIZAMO (Victor Rosa),PETER SARSGAARD (Jack Wimmer), DENISE RICHARDS, TREACH, FAT JOE, VINCENT LARESCA, NESTOR SERRANO, DELILAH COTTO, SONIA BRAGA & ISABELLA ROSSELLINI. DIRECTOR/WRITER - Franc Reyes (Debut) A young latino drug dealer aspires to go legit. The good news is that Empire is good enough to appeal to all audiences. The bad news is that it covers ground that has been covered repeatedly before. Empire's saving grace is a well paced story, good acting and relevance to contemporary events. Leguizamo does an excellent job of portraying the macho gangster. Sarsgaard also gives an uncanny performance as the sleazy investment broker. Overall, Empire is a thoughtful and entertaining gangster flick, that comes up a bit short. If you haven't had your fill of the Sopranos check it out. FULL REVIEW & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Google It! 11:40:15 PM      MOVIE - SOLARIS - $$$$$ $$$ (OUT OF 10) STARRING - George Clooney (Chris Kelvin), Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies, Viola Davis & Ulrich Tukur. DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER - Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Sex Lies and Videotape, Out of Sight, The Limey, Ocean's 11 and Full Frontal) A remake of the 1972 film, by the same name, directed by Russian Andrei Tarkovsky. A stylish examination of the underpinnings of existence in the tradition of A Space Odyssey. Solaris, in telling its story, violates most accepted movie conventions. The pace, which is deliberately moderate, reflects the rate at which Clooney's character is able to absorb and process the circumstances he finds himself in. As the story unfolds the intensity builds but without the expected payoff. Solaris relishes its self-imposed obfuscation. Its only intention is to provoke thought not resolve age old debates. It is this ambiguity that will repel some and enthrall others. Indeed, several audience members walked out halfway through the screening I watched. If you expect the loose ends to be tied up neatly, or the earth to be saved in a blaze of glory, Solaris is not for you. Solaris refuses to tell you what to think but asks that you do. Solaris is a wondrous journey I recommend you consider taking. FULL REVIEW & LINKS TO ALTERNATIVE REVIEWS Google It! 12:46:29 AM

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