Starship Troopers (1997)

Starship Troopers (1997)

[8]

Director Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Basic Instinct) continues his knack for combining violence, gore, dark humor and social commentary in this loose adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s serialized novel about humankind’s future war against a race of insect-like aliens. I can almost enjoy the movie for the action alone. It escalates beautifully, with plenty of exciting sequences and spectacular visual effects. But it’s the satirical edge that helps distinguish Starship Troopers. The whole movie is designed as a recruitment film for a fascist society. When our ‘heroes’ win in the end, the movie has its tongue firmly in cheek, dressing them as full-blown Nazis while Leni Riefenstahl-like propaganda leads us into the closing credits.

Permanent Midnight (1998)

Permanent Midnight (1998)

[6] Ben Stiller gives a career-best performance in Permanent Midnight, based on Jerry Stahl's autobiographical book of the same name. As Jerry, Stiller plays a Hollywood writer whose heroin habit almost destroys him. Elizabeth Hurley and Maria Bello play romantic interests, while…
Tea with Mussolini (1999)

Tea with Mussolini (1999)

[8]

In pre-World War II Florence, a group of elitist British dames and a garish American art collector take in a small boy and raise him. When Britain and America enter the war several years later, the young man returns the favor by looking after the women when they’re interned by the Italian police — and helping to smuggle one of them out of the country when her nefarious husband plans to hand her over to the Gestapo. Tea with Mussolini is a semi-autobiographical tale from director Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew). The script could have gained a stronger perspective by sticking more to the young man’s point of view, but the sentiment comes across beautifully and I find it impossible to resist the cast of characters.

Boxing Helena (1993)

Boxing Helena (1993)

[4] Julian Sands and Sherilyn Fenn star in this odd-ball drama about a surgeon who chops off the limbs of his feisty lady love so he can have her all to himself. I appreciate a lot of what writer/director Jennifer Lynch (daughter…
American Beauty (1999)

American Beauty (1999)

[5]

SPOILER REVIEW

I really liked American Beauty when it was first released. Maybe I was wooed by its quirky introspection and aesthetic achievments. Or maybe it was screenwriter Alan Ball’s fresh new way of blending the real with the surreal. Or even the meditative lilt of Thomas Newman’s trend-setting score. But whatever the reason(s), watching the film ten years later, I realize — American Beauty ain’t all that. It’s kinda whack.

The Frighteners (1996)

The Frighteners (1996)

[6]

In this horror comedy from director Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Michael J. Fox stars as a charlatan ghostbuster who can communicate with the undead. After many of the local ghost community start disappearing, Fox gets roped into solving the mystery, which involves a 20-year old mass-murder at a nearby mental institution. If it sounds convoluted, it is. The narrative is over-complicated, involving too many characters and flashbacks, but there are enough elements here that you’re likely to find at least some of them interesting.

An Ideal Husband (1999)

An Ideal Husband (1999)

[9] Who said period pieces have to be stuffy? Director Oliver Parker equips a talented and charming ensemble cast with the eviscerating words of Oscar Wilde. Rupert Everett owns the role Arthur Goring, a self-centered playboy who runs from responsibility and commitment,…
Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club (1999)

[10] A profound, yes profound, pitch black satire that has become an anthem for a "generation of men raised by women". From a gender studies perspective, Fight Club speaks to the fragility of masculine identity and the disturbing lengths to which misguided…
Titus (1999)

Titus (1999)

[10]

The story of Titus Andronicus is a fascinating dissertation on human violence, and in the hands of visionary director Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe), it becomes an orgasm of cinematic delight.

It opens in the aftermath of war, as Titus (Anthony Hopkins) returns victorious to Rome, having just defeated the Goths and captured their queen, Tamora (Jessica Lange), and her sons.  Fulfilling his religious duties, Titus disembowels Tamora’s eldest son and burns his entrails before her. This begins a downward spiral of revenge and madness that ultimately destroys both families and rattles the foundation of Roman government. In grand Shakespearean fashion, the story ends in a dinner finale in which nearly everyone is killed (and some are baked into pies!)

Magnolia (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

[9] Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson follows Boogie Nights with another sprawling emotional epic full of spectacular acting and rich directorial style. The screenplay is an exercise in whimsical allegory, connecting the lives of nine different characters in a sometimes obtuse retelling of…