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SUMMER 2001 MOVIE REVIEWS

I'm having a hard time finding movies that I want to see this summer.  Nothing advertised has much compelled me.

Dean's rating scale:  ****Exceptionally good, ***Quite good indeed, ** I  liked some things about it, but found it to be something closer to average,* Not recommended.

The Circle	1/2
The Closet	***
The Deep End	**1/2
Everybody's Famous	**1/2
Shrek	****

The Circle -- (Iranian, with subtitles) -- In the past, I've been quite pleased with the films I've seen from Iran.  Although most were not particularly memorable stories, I felt that each film captured something that impressed me about the skills of the filmmaker while providing fascinating insight into a culture far removed from my own.  Last year's The Color of Paradise got the recognition it well deserved both inside and outside of Iran.  The Circle, by comparison, is getting attention in the West mainly due to its touchy subject matter and to the fact that it was banned in Iran.  Can a film be both devastating to watch and mind-numbingly boring at the same time.  Until now, I had thought not.  The Circle follows a circle of acquaintances, female prisoners who've somehow escaped from their cell and who are recaptured over the course of a 24 hour period.  I've long been irritated about the repression of women in the world, particularly as occurs in some Islamic states, but in this film, the social commentary about the repression of women gets lost in the film's dullness.  We do learn things from the movie, but even a rabid feminist who is happy to cheer the movie's theme, is likely to be tempted to walk out of this film rather than having to sleep sitting up.  (All ages -- dull) 1/2

The Closet -- (French, with subtitles) -- A man who is considered dull and not well liked by his colleagues has been fired from his job at a condom factory.  He decides to pretend to be homosexual in order to get his job back from a management worried about the company's image among the gay community.  Meanwhile, people at the company, especially a macho guy who's worried about losing his job due to his homophobic remarks (Gerrard Depardieu), bend over backwards to be nice and extra sensitive to the man who has been rehired.  Even as a very amusing and farcical comedy, this film from French writer/director Frances Veber is more believable than most dramatic American films you'll see these days.    Although the topic is contemporary, the styling of this and other French comedies I've seen remains pleasantly innocent and mostly good natured, in a mode similar to what American comedies were prior to the 1970s.  The film is well worth your time if you are in need of a pleasant distraction.  (Kids -- probably not; teens -- yes; adults -- absolutely) ***

The Deep End -- Following a rather odd and mostly unpredictable course, this film traces the attempts of a concerned mother to protect her son from some potentially harmful influences, and in so doing, becomes enmeshed in a murder and an extortion plot.   Occasional surprises cause the audience to stay alert for more, but some of the twists are a bit hard to buy, and nothing really happens to make one think that this wouldn't have served just as well as a made-for-television movie.   The title the Deep End unfortunately does not mean that there is a lot of depth to speak of here.  Nevertheless, in the otherwise wasteland of summer films for adolescents, this film at least stands out as somewhat more thoughtful adult entertainment.  Relative newcomer Tilda Swinton is captivating as the mother, and is probably the best reason to see the film.  She may end up as a Best Actress candidate.  (Children -- probably not;  Teens -- generally okay, but with some violence and adult subject matter;  Adults -- yes)  **1/2

Everybody's Famous -- (Dutch and Flemish, with subtitles) -- Nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language film (and not to be confused with last year's Oscar-winning film Almost Famous), this is a fun and occasionally touching movie with a typical Hollywood theme about unknowns desiring fame, but which develops in rather unexpected ways.  Although it engages in the kind of implausibility we've come to expect from Hollywood, the film has a Dutch/Flemish sentiment and simplicity that I found refreshing and at times uncomfortably amusing.  Having long fancied myself  to be a songwriter, I could easily relate to the lead character's unrequited aspirations, but be forwarned:  At the end, you are likely to leave with the movie's silly themesong irritatingly repeating through your brain.  It's a small price to pay for what makes for an otherwise enjoyable movie-going experience that's bound to make you forget about your cares for awhile.  Two and a half stars may not sound as if I enjoyed the movie very much, but from me, that's a definite buy signal.  (Children -- no;  teenagers -- yes, but only for those who are more into characters and gentle comedy than into action -- There's some sexuality but virtually no violence).  **1/2

Shrek -- A comic fairy tale with medieval characters, themes and motifs that pokes fun at popular culture and political correctness, Shrek is the most worthwhile and popular film of the season.  The jokes work more often for adults than for children, but there is plenty to keep both sufficiently amused and distracted.  The requisite moral of the story, though we've seen it before, is nevertheless likely to touch a deep chord in all ages as well.  They even get the touching and soupy sentimental stuff right, because it's balanced with a healthy dose of irreverance.  In this era, when a sufficient degree of irreverance is prerequisite for a film to avoid being panned by critics, Shrek meets and exceeds both the critics and the public's requirements.  People have always looked to art when they couldn't get their minimum daily requirements of sinfulness out of real life.  These days, when we are not seeking out our daily dose of sin in the usual forms depicted in movies -- sex, violence, drugs, etc. -- we mainly demand to see political incorrectness, since we are increasingly constrained from engaging in such behavior ourselves.  Aside from the humor of the movie, the animation is thoroughly capitivating.  I think that soon they will have to establish award categories for cartoon actors, since animators these days seem to do a better job of getting human facial expressions and body language right than do real life actors and actresses.  At times, you can almost picture the faces of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diez, and John Lithgow in the expressions of the cartoon characters.  Although the movie clocks in at less than 80 minutes, the pace makes the film seem full length and is likely to leave no one disappointed.  (Suitable for all ages, but with violent and perhaps frightening scenes for the very young. Innocuous sexual innuendo.) ****

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