THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 16, 1995 TAG: 9505160053
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: VIDEOMATIC
SOURCE: Craig Shapiro
LENGTH: Long : 160 lines
THANK GOODNESS Woody Allen is such a neurotic. If he wasn't, going to the video store wouldn't be nearly as rewarding.
``Bullets Over Broadway,'' the Oscar-winning comedy being released today, is Allen at his best. On one hand, the movie is a tribute to, well, movies. On the other, it re-examines two of his favorite themes: true love and artistic integrity.
Figure in the common denominator - to some extent, every Woody Allen film, from his wildest comedy to his starkest drama, is about Woody Allen - and the equation is complete.
A familiar M.O. for sure, but the measure of his genius is he can do it, as he has so often, while making us laugh. It's a delicate balancing act, one that involves more than a little courage.
``Bullets,'' with one exception, is no different. It would be too great a stretch for him to play a struggling young playwright, though he was at one time, so John Cusack has the Allen role. Otherwise, the movie's comedic highs are tempered by genuine pathos and candid self-recognition. The analysis never ends.
That's what is so odd about the flak Allen's caught for avoiding the press, for staying in New York to play his clarinet on Monday nights when he could be attending the Oscars. It's all there; just look at his movies.
Here's a week's worth of Woody to get you started.
``Play It Again, Sam'' (1972). Herbert Ross directed Allen's adaptation of his own play. He's a nebbish in love with his friend's wife, a character he explores more fully later. Using Bogie's ghost as romantic counsel is classic.
``Sleeper'' (1973). Pure fun. Allen wakes up 200 years in the future in a fast-moving comedy that is ripe with slapstick, satire and sight gags.
``Annie Hall'' (1977). The big Oscar winner that made Allen a major player. The film candidly documents his real-life romance with Diane Keaton. It's also a blistering satire of the Hollywood system.
``Manhattan'' (1979). No Soon-Yi Previn jokes. One of the great romances as Allen realizes true love knows no age bounds. Gordon Willis' black-and-white cinematography is glorious; so is the Gershwin soundtrack.
``Stardust Memories'' (1980). This abrupt change-of-pace also is a tribute to Fellini. Allen plays a comic filmmaker plagued by self-doubt, creative droughts and fanatical fans.
``The Purple Rose of Cairo'' (1985). A Depression-era waitress finds love with a handsome star who literally steps out of the screen. Allen stayed behind the camera for what is, in part, an homage to old movies.
``Hannah and Her Sisters'' (1986). Another big Oscar winner. Allen focuses on a show biz family, its three sisters and their myriad relationships. Witty and sensitive, it examines life and love, death and desire.
Flashback
When a cleaner - an assassin - is starting out, Leon tells his protege in ``The Professional,'' he distances himself from his target with a rifle and scope. But at the top of his game, he's so efficiently lethal, he uses a knife.
``The Day of the Jackal'' (1973) doesn't have the new video's pyrotechnics, but for sheer tension, it can hardly be rivaled. Based on the Frederick Forsyth novel and directed by Fred Zinneman, it stars Edward Fox as a ruthless assassin hired to kill Charles de Gaulle.
Viewers are privy to the Jackal's plan from the start. When the intelligence network gets wind of it, a tightwire game of cat-and-mouse ensues as he eludes the authorities and, in an ingenious disguise, closes in on his target. Because it's so plausible, this classy thriller still maintains a firm grip.
TOP TAPES (in Billboard):
Sales: ``Forrest Gump,'' ``The Lion King,'' ``The Pagemaster,'' ``Angels in the Outfield,'' ``The Mask''
Rentals: ``Forrest Gump,'' ``The Shawshank Redemption,'' ``Quiz Show,'' ``The Specialist,'' ``Stargate''
The Couch Report
``Bullets Over Broadway'' (Miramax, 1994). Woody Allen is in top form with this comedy about a struggling playwright who, to get produced, lets a crime boss bankroll his play and gives the hood's girl a role. The laughs are out-loud funny, and bittersweet when Allen turns to love and integrity. John Cusack is fine in the lead; he gets strong support from Dianne Wiest, who won an Oscar as a stage diva, and Chazz Palminteri, a nominee as the bodyguard with true artistic vision. The soundtrack - Cole Porter, the Gershwins - is vintage; so is the period detail. Videomatic rating: A-
(CAST: John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri, Jennifer Tilly. RATED: R for violence, language; 106 mins.)
``The Professional'' (Columbia TriStar, 1994). American directors could learn from Luc Besson. The Frenchman's U.S. debut is that rarity, a stylish, original action film that doesn't forfeit its soul. The bond between Leon, a hit man, and Mathilda, who is orphaned when corrupt DEA agents wipe out her family, is the heart of the story. A memorable performance by young Natalie Portman and a haunting soundtrack cap one of 1994's best movies. Videomatic rating: A
(CAST: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman. RATED: R for violence, language; 109 mins.)
``Clerks'' (Miramax, 1994). Kevin Smith's first film, a hit at Sundance and Cannes film festivals, is a panic, a free-wheeling Gen-X riff. Nothing much happens; clerks in nowhere jobs spend the day musing about love and sex and death and hockey. Smith's ear for dialogue is terrific, and Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are in tune: They play Dante and Randal as id and ego. Made for only $27,000 and shot in grainy black and white, it's a gem. Videomatic rating: A
(CAST: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson. RATED: R for language; 91 mins.)
``Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle'' (New Line, 1994). Jennifer Jason Leigh is stunning as Dorothy Parker, one of the New York literati who held court at the Hotel Algonquin. It's a note-perfect, under-the-skin performance but hardly a pretty picture. Parker emerges as a tragic figure, an acerbic wit defined and imprisoned by the roundtable. Alan Rudolph's direction is stylish. Parker's own poetry makes Leigh's brave portrayal all the more haunting. Videomatic rating: A
(CAST: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Campbell Scott, Matthew Broderick. RATED: R for language, brief nudity; 124 mins.)
``Speechless'' (MGM/UA, 1994). Another ``Sleepless in Seattle'' wanna-be misses the brass ring. Michael Keaton and Geena Davis are speech writers for rival Senate candidates. No need for a crystal ball. A thin subplot involving corrupt politicians and half-hearted statements about idealism and selling out don't prop up the story. Keaton has done this role a hundred times, and Davis acts like she has other things on her mind. Videomatic rating: C-
(CAST: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Christopher Reeve, Bonnie Bedelia. RATED: PG-13 for language, situations; 99 mins.)
``Rudyard Kipling's the Jungle Book'' (Walt Disney, 1994). Disney, which rewrote the book in 1967, does it again. The result is a solid story of good vs. evil with something for everyone: action, romance, a colorful setting and cool animals. Jason Scott Lee is a natural as Mowgli; he gives him a Tarzan-like appeal that sets the tone for the movie. Nothing wrong with that. Parents, watch it with the kids. Things get pretty tense at times. Videomatic rating: B
(CAST: Jason Scott Lee, Sam Neill, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey, John Cleese. RATED: PG for mild violence; 111 mins.)
``Pontiac Moon'' (Paramount, 1994.) ``Eccentric'' is beyond Ted Danson's reach, but at least he's game. Besides, Peter Medak's (``Romeo Is Bleeding'') quirky comedy-drama has a lot going for it. An accident has scarred the Bellamys. Dad's in denial, mom's a shut-in, their son is stuck in the middle. As Apollo XI makes history, father and son head to Spires of the Moon monument in Idaho. Before it's over, everyone takes a giant emotional leap. Videomatic rating: C
(CAST: Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Ryan Todd, Cathy Moriarty. RATED: PG-13 for language, mild violence; 108 mins.)
Also: Christopher Lambert in ``Highlander - The Final Dimension'' (R); Patrick Kilpatrick in ``Scanners: The Showdown'' (unrated); ``My Antonia,'' a love story with Neal Patrick Harris (PG); Julianne Phillips in the mystery ``A Vow to Kill'' (PG-13); ``Boca,'' an erotic thriller with Rae Dawn Chong (R); ``The Girl With the Hungry Eyes,'' with Kristina Fulton as a vampire; Martin Sheen in the Civil War tale ``Ghost Brigade'' (R); Vincent Spano in the World War II tale ``The Ascent'' (PG); and ``The Return of the Native,'' a Hallmark Hall of Fame deal based on the Thomas Hardy novel (PG)
NEXT TUESDAY: ``Heavenly Creatures,'' ``A Low Down Dirty Shame,'' ``Richie Rich,'' ``Fatherland,'' ``Walker Texas Ranger: Deadly Reunion'' ILLUSTRATION: Allen's Oscar-winning comedy is out today.
COLUMBIA PICTURES
Jean Reno stars as a killer for hire and Natalie Portman as a young
orphan he protects in ``The Professional.''
ON THE SHELF
[For a list of this week's videos, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB