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(PG-13) In 1999, the surreal Siamese twin drama "Twin Falls Idaho" announced the arrival of the fraternal filmmaking duo of Michael and Mark Polish and their 2001 follow-up, the karaoke-themed "Jackpot", while not quite the equal to their debut, showed that they were more than one-hit wonders. With their latest film, the strange and beautiful "Northfork," they demonstrate once and for all that they are among the most fascinating young American filmmakers working today by creating a work as wonderfully off-beat and moving as anything you are likely to see in a movie theater this year.

Set in 1955 in a small Montana town, "Northfork" follows three seemingly dissimilar stories as they eventually begin to intertwine. In one, the town is about to be flooded to make way for a hydroelectric plant and a group of enforcers (including James Woods) tries to entice the few remaining stragglers (including one who has built and stocked a full-size ark, complete with two wives) into leaving their homes. Another focuses on the town's priest (Nick Nolte) as he cares for a deathly ill orphan (Duel Farnes) and tries to find parents willing to adopt him, no questions asked. Finally, we also follow a group of genuine angels (whose ranks include Anthony Edwards and Daryl Hannah) as they search for an unknown member of their group.

Gorgeously shot in black-and-white in a style that is reminiscent of both "Wings of Desire" and "Days of Heaven", "Northfork" is one of those movies that is so utterly different from anything that you have previously seen that even if you don't like it, you have to admire the sheer nerve of the Polish Brothers for even attempting such a thing. Even the most jaded moviegoer will be unable to anticipate the twists and turns that develop-like "Magnolia", it manages to balance moments of harrowing drama with bits of offbeat comedy while always maintaining a consistent tone. To be sure, "Northfork" will probably annoy as many viewers as it entrances but those thirsting for unique cinematic visions will doubtlessly find this film to be one of the treasures of the year.

CREDITS: Starring Mark Polish, James Woods, Nick Nolte, Anthony Edwards, Daryl Hannah and Michele Hicks. Directed by Michael Polish. Written and produced by Mark Polish and Michael Polish. A Paramount Classics release. Drama. Not yet rated. Running time: 94 min.

THE STONE READER

(unrated) The most compelling films always tend to come from people who are attempting to work through and understand their pet obsessions and it is just this kind of drive that fuels "The Stone Reader," one of the best American documentaries to come along in recent years. The filmmaker is Mark Moskowitz, a commercial director who specializes in political ads and the focus of his obsession is "The Stones of Summer", a 1972 coming-of-age novel that he finally read and became enraptured with in 1997. Fascinated with the story, he decided to look up other works by its author, Dow Mossman, and discovered that after that one novel, he seemingly disappeared and, despite a rave from the New York Times, never published again. Shocked by this, Moskowitz vowed to not only track down as many copies of the out-of-print book as he could find but to also discover what happened to his newfound idol and learn why he stopped creating.

Whether or not Moskowitz uncovers the answers to his questions, I will leave for you to discover. What I can talk about is how Moskowitz takes this true story and tells it in a compulsively watchable manner that even the best mystery writers would envy. Most importantly, his enthusiasm for his subject is contagious-by the end of his film, there will not be a single audience member who won't be craving their own copy of "The Stones of Summer" as well.

CREDITS: Cast: Mark Moskowitz, Robert Gottlieb, Leslie Fiedler, Frank Conroy Writer/Director: Mark Moskowitz Producers: Mark Moskowitz, Robert Goodman Editor: Mark Moskowitz, Kathleen Soulliere Cinematographer: Joseph Vandergast, Jeffrey Confer Music: Michæl Mandrell

1/2 (R) Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Williams are two smart and talented actresses so it is impossible to understand what they saw in the ridiculous screenplay for “The Heart of Me” that caused them to sign on to the project. The film tells the story of a romantic triangle involving two sisters, one (Williams) a cold fish who is only concerned with appearances and the other (Carter) a rebellious free spirit, and the man (Paul Bettany) who marries the former and begins a destined-to-end-tragically affair with the latter. The fact that the plot is so utterly familiar is bad enough but director Thaddeus O’ Sullivan has chosen to tell it in a strangely disjointed matter that jerks unsteadily from past to present without rhyme or reason; in theory, such an approach could be interesting (hey, it worked for “Godfather II”) but here, it comes off as a needless affectation. This is a dull, unremarkable film and not even a surprisingly strong cast can rescue it from utter disposability punctuated only by a lot of bad laughs. Helena Bonham Carter, for example, has played the helplessly romantic waif so many times before that she could do her part here in her sleep; considering the material, this might actually be the only possible approach to take.

CREDITS: Starring Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Williams, Paul Bettany and Eleanor Bron. Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan. Written by Lucinda Coxon. Produced by Martin Pope. A Thinkfilm release. Drama. Not yet rated. Running time: 94 min.

Copyright © 2003 Peter Sobczynski
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While the views expressed by Peter Sobczynski do not necessarily reflect the views of Criticdoctor.com, the Critic Doctor will occasionally examine Mr. Sobczynski's film reviews to bring forth an honest examination of those views expressed.