"Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine"
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One of the intriguing things about Philip Roth’s 2000 novel "The Human Stain" (2 STARS Rated R) was that readers had to conjure up the image of its lead character-a light-skinned black man who has chosen to go through life passing as a white Jewish man-in their own minds. By adapting the book to the screen and fixing the character of Coleman Silk, whose life is turned upside down when his career is destroyed by false accusations of racism, with the visage of Anthony Hopkins, that element disappears and so does a lot of the book’s power. All that remains is the story, in which Silk’s current-day troubles-including a tempestuous affair with a janitor with an abusive past (Nicole Kidman) on the run from her violent ex (Ed Harris in full blowhard mode)-are juxtaposed with the past events (where the younger Silk is played by Wentworth Miller) that caused him to reject his true background in the first place. And while the performances are competent enough (though Kidman tries to go dowdy, she still looks too glamorous for the part) and director Robert Benton keeps things moving along, it simply isn’t enough in the end. The book, whether you loved or hated it, forced you to confront your own personal notions towards race, identity and political correctness. Stripped of its ambiguity, all the movie leaves you with are the ideas that a.) racism is bad, b.) judging a man-even yourself-by the color of his skin is bad and c.) having a wild affair with a sexy janitor who looks like Nicole Kidman is good and liberating-not exactly the most radical notions ever espoused in a motion picture and hardly worth spending the $9 to hear.

1/2 In recent years, the Disney animation unit has been floundering as their traditional 2-D animation films (such as "Atlantis" and "Treasure Planet") have been flopping while 3-D computer-animation films (such as "Shrek", "Ice Age" and the Pixar films like "Monster’s Inc." and "Finding Nemo") have been minting money. As a result, the scuttlebutt in Hollywood is that their latest traditionally animated film, "Brother Bear" (2 1/2 STARS) will serve as a referendum on the whole issue; if it tanks, they will shut down the old unit and focus solely on CGI.

The central flaw in this argument is the fact that the reason that the Pixar movies have been so popular has not been because of the animation process but because they were smart, funny and touching stories that all audiences could respond to. The problem with "Brother Bear" is not that it is 2-D animation (in fact, the visual design-inspired by painters such as Albert Bierstadt-is one of the most striking things about it), but because the story-in which a young hunter (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix) learns to co-exist with nature when he is magically transformed into a bear himself-is another exercise in dull pabulum. Most of the problems that have cropped up in recent Disney films-cutesy supporting characters, uninspired songs (from Phil Collins) and a storyline that bends over backwards to avoid offending any specific culture (the human characters are a vague blend of Inuits, aborigines and native Americans)-are here in full force and there isn’t much genuine inspiration to make up for it. However, I will admit to being pleased to hear Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as a couple of addled moose-for those still in mourning over the loss of "Strange Brew 2", this may be the closest thing you will ever get to a new Bob & Doug McKenzie movie.

One of the creepiest and most nightmarish horror movies ever made, the 1959 French shocker "Eyes Without a Face" is making its way around the country as a Halloween treat for fright fans. Masterfully directed by Georges Franju (from a script by Pierre Boileau & Thomas Narcejac, whose work also inspired "Vertigo" and "Diabolique"), it tells the story of a mad plastic surgeon (Pierre Brasseur) who is determined to restore the face of his beloved daughter (Edith Scob), which was horribly disfigured in a car accident. His plan-he kidnaps women and surgically removes their faces in order to graft them on to his daughter’s head. Tense, atmospheric and filled with images that will haunt you for a long time (such as the image of the daughter walking around the house wearing a featureless mask to hide her face), "Eyes Without a Face" is a perfect response to such junk as "Jeepers Creepers 2" and the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake by showing that an idiot plot and off-putting gore are not required to make a great horror film.

"Suspended Animation" ( 3 STARS) is not a very good horror movie but it does have one thing going for it-like the 70’s-era films it tries to emulate (things like the original "Chainsaw", "Last House on the Left" and "The Hills Have Eyes"), it is so authentically strange and bizarre that even the most jaded viewer will have no idea where it is heading at any given moment. It starts of as a weird blend of "Misery" and "Motel Hell" as an animator (Alex MacArthur) is waylaid while snowmobiling and taken captive by a pair of cannibalistic sisters. He escapes that fate but finds himself increasingly obsessed with his ordeal and it leads him to misadventures best left for the viewer to discover. (All I will say is that one of the characters is a possibly homicidal, pimple-popping teen sociopath straight out of a John Waters film and even he has competition for the title of Top Weirdo.) Returning to horror for the first time since 1971’s "Let’s Scare Jessica to Death", director John Hancock (better known in recent years for films like "Prancer") is clearly having a blast getting back to his lurid roots and if "Suspended Animation" is far from perfect (it goes on at least 30 minutes too long for starters), it has a freaky vibe to it that is somehow oddly appealing.<

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.