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L.A. Times Archives

May 10, 2001 12 AM PT

The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack (2000). A warm and feisty documentary, as much inquiry as tribute, to the legendary folk singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, who transformed himself from a Brooklyn boy to a cowboy icon but in the process became the most an elusive dad on record. The filmmaker ought to know: she’s his daughter, Aiyana Elliott. Winstar: $19.98; DVD: $24.98; (CC); Unrated.

Boesman and Lena (2000). Danny Glover and Angela Bassett soar in this new film version of the Athol Fugard play about a South African couple, driven from their latest shantytown hovel, who reach a dead end in their relationship in the mud flats of a river in the countryside near Cape Town. The enduring strength of the drama, brought to the screen with simplicity and directness by the late John Berry, is that it moves beyond an indictment of apartheid to deal with the death of love and its potential for renewal. With Willie Jonah. Kino: no list price; DVD: $29.95; (CC); Unrated. Mature themes.

Duets (2000). Directed by TV producer Bruce Paltrow and co-starring his daughter, Gwyneth, along with Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Paul Giamatti, Huey Lewis and Scott Speedman, “Duets” is six characters in search of a movie. A tedious road picture, a joyless comedy and a toothless social satire, the only aspect that is successful is its singing, which not only sounds good but keeps all that other nonsense off the screen. Buena Vista: no list price; DVD: $32.99; (CC); R, for language and some sexuality.

Quills (2000). Not content to simply explore the life and philosophy of the celebrated Marquis de Sade, the film soon becomes a sadistic experience in its own right. Experiencing this pretentious wallow--overwritten, under-thought and overdone--is a very sophisticated form of torture directed by Philip Kaufman. Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine star. Fox: no list price; DVD: $29.98; (CC); R, for strong sexual content, including dialogue, violence and language.

Sunshine (2000). The turbulent and tragic history of Hungary in the 20th century is seen through several generations of a wealthy Jewish family, whose last surviving member discovers the futility of denying one’s roots. More melodramatic than tragic, this handsome, traditional-style historical epic is ultimately wearying by the time it reaches the end of its three-hour running time and falls short of its director Istvan Szabo’s finest work. Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC); R for strong sexuality, and for violence, language and nudity.

What Women Want (2000). A vaguely amusing formulaic comedy with a premise--chauvinist male gets the ability to hear what women are thinking--that is more discomforting than endearing. Because star Mel Gibson plays a heel for most of the film, you have to be a Mel-aholic to fully enjoy the proceedings. Helen Hunt co-stars. Directed by Nancy Meyers. Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC); PG-13 for sexual content and language.

Yi Yi (A One and a Two) (2000). A wise and gentle comedy of manners, a dance to the music of time by Taiwanese director Edward Yang that investigates the entire melody of life. A wonderfully humanistic film, graced with the ability to see life whole, that focuses on an extended family and its problems, especially those involving the wonder and perplexity of romantic attraction. National Society of Film Critics’ best picture. Winstar; DVD: $24.98; (CC); Unrated.

What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals:

1. Finding Forrester (2000). “Good Will Hunting” in the Bronx. A well-oiled piece of Hollywood machinery, but tolerably entertaining until it piles on the contrivances at the close. Sean Connery is the film’s star, but his I’m-crankier-than-you-are performance feels like a reprise of greatest hits. More affecting is the debut work done by a 16-year-old actor named Rob Brown. PG-13, for brief strong language and some sexual references.

2. Little Nicky (2000). The kindest thing that can be said about this vanity project from Adam Sandler is that it’s unapologetically juvenile. A deeply unfunny comedy about a family feud between the devil’s three sons, it’s not a dangerous movie, just a stupid one. PG-13 for crude sexual humor, some drug content, language and thematic material.

3. Men of Honor (2000). The life of Carl Brashear, the first African American Navy diver, has been turned into socially critical pop mythology at its most potent. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Brashear is pitted against Robert De Niro, a fictionalized composite of all the racists Brashear endured. R, for language.

4. Space Cowboys (2000). A quartet of “Leisure World aviators” want to prove they won’t be old and in the way in outer space, this is a mostly genial film that gets as much mileage as it can out of the undeniable charisma of its stars: Clint Eastwood (who also directed), Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner. PG-13, for some language.

5. Meet the Parents (2000). Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro star as prospective in-laws in one of the most fun mainstream comedies in years, a film that gets its laughs from shrewd casting, well-timed line readings and gags that are worked out to a remarkable degree. PG-13, for sexual content, drug references and language.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:

1. Men of Honor

2. Space Cowboys

3. Finding Forrester

4. Little Nicky

5. Charlie’s Angels (2000). This reworking of the 1970s TV series is a potato chip of a movie. Tasty and lightweight, it’s fine for a cinematic snack, but making it an entire meal really isn’t advisable. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Bill Murray star. Directed by McG. PG-13, for action violence, innuendoes and some sensuality.

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers:

1. 102 Dalmatians (2000). Die-hard fans of “101 Dalmatians” may be pleased by this sequel, with Glenn Close’s ferocious Cruella De Vil up to her old tricks.There are some scenes of violence that strain its G rating. G.

2. Rugrats in Paris--The Movie (2000). This sequel to the 1998 hit feels like a half-hour TV show inflated into a feature film. About half the running time is spent setting up why the Rugrats and their families are in Paris, how they got there and who the new characters are. G.

3. Gladiator (2000). Director Ridley Scott’s Oscar winner is a supremely atmospheric film that shrewdly mixes traditional Roman movie elements with the latest computer-generated wonders. R, for intense graphic combat.

4. Remember the Titans (2000). An earnest look, based on a true story, at how two football coaches--one black, one white--brought racial harmony to a divided community. PG, for thematic elements and some language.

5. Big Momma’s House (2000). If you think Martin Lawrence dressed up as a hefty grandmother is funny, off to the video story with you. PG-13, for crude humor, including sexual innuendo, and for language and some violence.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers:

1. The Mummy Ultimate Collection (1999).PG-13 for pervasive adventure violence and some partial nudity.

2. Little Nicky

3. Finding Forrester

4. Space Cowboys

5. Men of Honor

What’s Coming

Tuesday: “AntiTrust,” “Best in Show,” “Pay It Forward.”

May 22: “Before Night Falls,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Vertical Limit.”

May 29: “The House of Mirth,” “Shadow of the Vampire,” “Traffic,” “Two Family House.”

June 6: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

June 12: “Cast Away,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”