Director Raimi Has 'The Gift'
PLUS: Video Reviews Of 'Battlefield Earth,' 'Python,' 'Coyote Ugly' And New Theatrical Releases
While it was released on a very limited basis at the end of December, it's probably a good thing that the new Sam Raimi film, "The Gift," didn't roll out nationwide at the time: People all over the country might have mistaken the title on the marquee for a holiday-themed family film -- and ended up running for the aisles in fear.
But that's not to say that "The Gift" isn't worth opening. Sure, it's not warm and fuzzy holiday fare, but moviegoers are certain to be engrossed by it. The sort of "Gift" that Raimi is giving to moviegoers comes in the form of a heart-pounding psychological thriller driven by complex characters facing horrific circumstances, complete with a chilling atmosphere of unpredictable gloom as a backdrop. It's not just a film -- it's a filmgoing experience.
But what makes "The Gift" unique is what Raimi, despite an extensive background in horror movies (defined by a wildly brilliant shooting style), didn't do with the script. The temptation to make it an exploitive horror and gore romp might have been too great for some filmmakers, but Raimi's unwavering confidence in his "A Simple Plan" star Billy Bob Thornton's (and writing partner Tom Epperson's) words prevailed.
"I really was guided by the script; I didn't want to make any stylistic statements that would call attention to myself," Raimi told me in a recent interview. "The screenplay and actors were so fine that I thought the best thing to do here was to stand back and let them tell the story. Plus, going in, I knew I had Cate Blanchett starring in the piece, so with the quality of the material and one of the finest actors out there, that it would be a unique experience."
In the film, Blanchett stars as Annie Wilson, an impoverished southern Georgia psychic scorned by average folks and high society alike for using her "gift" to make a living to support her young sons. But when she's called upon by authorities to help solve the disappearance of the daughter (Katie Holmes) of an affluent citizen (Chelcie Ross), Annie must not only use her abilities to save others, but to save herself.
What's interesting is that the story was inspired not only by a real-life person, but Thornton's mother, a psychic herself. And while it's not based on a specific account of her life, it certainly planted the seed for what blossomed into a unique script.
"I was really attracted to the project by Thornton and Epperson's screenplay -- they created rich and real characters and it seemed they had a real sense of the small town that they were writing about," Raimi said. "They've got a great ear for how people speak, think and feel. And somehow, they have the magical ability to translate that into a screenplay.
"These are real people, and if you don't know them personally, you know people like them and certainly understand them. When I read the script, it was hard to put down. I believed that all these things were possible."
Having Thornton and Epperson's firsthand perspective also allowed Raimi the freedom to concentrate more on the subtleties of his characters that have made his recent films so absorbing. And while moviegoers are sure to revel in the hyperkinetic shots reminiscent of his "Evil Dead" films in the more shocking elements of "The Gift," they'll also be "psyched" to know that Raimi was also able to dedicate a greater majority of the film to the sort of suspense associated with his dramatic thriller, "A Simple Plan."
And while his days of high-energy shooting are far from behind him (look for breathtaking visuals and a humanistic story for his upcoming "Spider-Man"), Raimi's direction is clearly in the direction of a character-driven filmmaker.
"At least in terms of 'The Gift' and 'Spider-Man,' I want the audience to be pulled into the story and really get attached to the characters," Raimi told me. "I don't want them to step back and say, 'That's a cool shot.'"
Ensemble Of Talent
In addition to Blanchett and Katie Holmes, Raimi had the benefit of a wonderfully diverse ensemble cast, including Greg Kinnear, Giovanni Ribisi and Hilary Swank, hot off her Best Actress honors for "Boys Don't Cry."
But perhaps the most notable bit of casting comes with Keanu Reeves, who puts his "good guy" image at risk with a downright frightening turn as a loathsome wife abuser.
"I think he's really growing," Raimi told me. "He's not afraid to expand his powers as an actor. He's interested in challenging himself and the audience's perception of who he is. Even though he seems like a very carefree going guy in his previous films, those are really just performances.
"He's really a very dedicated craftsman and wanted to understand his character in the film with a great intensity and bring him to the screen. He came in with a lot of fire and was relentlessly hard on himself until he got the job done right."
Raimi was not only impressed by Reeves' dedication, but that of the cast as a whole. And while history has proven that large ensemble casts don't automatically translate into a successful film, there's no question that everything gelled here. Raimi, in fact, found himself transfixed by the results on the set.
"I felt myself lose myself on the set to the point where I was just watching them. I was so caught up in what was going on, so much so that I forgot to call 'Cut' once or twice," Raimi said.
Staying Behind The Camera
While Raimi's been able to work magic with his actors (that shouldn't come as a big surprise -- he was a magician as a child), he's also been known to chew up the scenery himself a few times. He's had several cameos in projects of his fellow filmmakers, but most notably, he was a scream as summer-camp flunkie in the grossly underappreciated 1993 dramedy, "Indian Summer."
In the film, Raimi played his slapstick capabilities (he's a lifelong devotee to the Three Stooges) to painful brilliance as Stick Coder, a dimwitted assistant to the camp's owner and counselor, Alan Arkin. It's the sort of performance that leaves you scratching your head afterward, asking, "When are we going to see more?"
"My wife had forbidden me to act after seeing that performance," Raimi said, laughing. Oddly enough, it's not because she's afraid he'll hurt himself: "She's afraid I'll hurt others with that acting."
Seriously, while Raimi will listen to acting offers, he truly feels at home behind the camera. And his main objective? Well, as self-absorbed as the film world seems at times, it's refreshing to know that Raimi (who's without question one of the most humble, genuine and nicest people you could ever interview) is always looking through the camera with one person in mind: He's looking at you.
"I've always looked at myself as a storyteller and an entertainer, " Raimi explained to me. "My job is to make people enjoy themselves and to tell them a story. If it's a horror movie, I try to make them jump, and if it's a lighter movie, make them laugh if possible. I just work on the stories and the moments of the actors and try to make it as clear, and dramatic or as real as possible."
More Details: Read more about Sam Raimi and "The Evil Dead" trilogy in Tim Lammers' @ The Movies interview with actor Bruce Campbell.
To relieve that burning sense of curiosity right away, Hubbard loyalist Travolta didn't take this film as an opportunity to promote the late author's Church of Scientology. At least on the face, it's purely a science fiction film: Travolta stars as Terl, a ruthless security officer of an alien race called the "Psychlos" who's looking to exploit for personal gain what remains of the human race in the year 3000. That is, unless a rebel (Barry Pepper) can rally his fellow "man animals," as Terl calls them, to "take back the planet" (the plot screams "Planet of the Apes"). And while I'm always open-minded enough to suspend my disbelief for a movie, the scenario that a bunch of "man-animals" used to fighting with sticks and stones learns to fly sophisticated Harrier Jump-Jets in seven days to do battle with the enemy is utterly ridiculous, even for a science fiction film.
But that's merely a contribution to the conclusion of an already confused plot: Before that, there are plenty of circumstances that put filmgoers' patience to the test, namely unrealistic portrayals (the "man animals" are in great health for living like savages), semi-realistic special effects and a chalkboard grating turn from Travolta as Terl. Let's face it -- "Pulp Fiction" aside, Travolta (whom I consider a good actor) just isn't convincing as the bad guy. At least in this instance, he's way too "theatrical" -- and all the world isn't a stage, particularly for a film about an "Earth" that's melting at its core. --Tim Lammers
'Python' (R)
Sure, it's predictable, and furthermore, "Python" doesn't have the polish associated with most science fiction films these days in terms of special effects -- but it at least does the job in entertaining its intended audience. Essentially, "Python" is a low-budget romp with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, and it doesn't try to pretend to be anything more than that. But that's not to say that the movie doesn't have any bite: There are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat moments punctuated by blood, gore and acidy venom, and on the flip side, there's an entertaining cast (including Wil Wheaton and Casper Van Dien) to absorb it. Most memorable is a cameo by Jenny McCarthy, in a head-spinning turn sure to satisfy both fans and detractors. --Tim Lammers
'Coyote Ugly' (PG-13)
Although the plot isn't very original, the flick isn't bad: A young up-and-comer (Piper Perabo) travels from small-town Jersey to the depths of Manhattan to try and make it as a songwriter, and finds work as a bartender at Coyote Ugly, where serving drinks and dancing on top of the bar are synonymous. But the script actually makes you like the characters (Maria Bello and Tyra Banks are among the crew) -- root for them and cheer for them, even when they're on top of the bar doing their thing. The characters use their sexuality to bring in the customers and keep them there by doing barely there, clothed strip shows (hence the PG-13 rating), dousing patrons with tequila and themselves with pitchers of cold water -- reminiscent of Jerry Bruckheimer's (who also produced "Ugly") '80s movie "Flashdance."
Whether or not the movie will do the real bar justice remains to be seen by those who have ventured into the all-wet, all-the-time bar (it's been dubbed the "wildest bar in New York"), but the movie is sure to provide one rowdy and raucous time for both men and women. --Shelby Strudler
Thirteen Days (PG-13)
Of course we all know the outcome, but that's what makes "Thirteen Days" all the more incredible: It still manages to hold you in your seat with an awesome degree of nail-biting intensity. And if the whole idea of being on the brink of nuclear annihilation isn't enough to thrill you, the tension between Kennedy and his decision to courageously stand down while his military leaders were hedging on air strikes and invasion (and certain confrontation and total destruction) will. In no doubt a tricky part to play (here we go with the accent thing again), Greenwood is brilliant as JFK, and equally impressive is Steven Culp in the pivotal role of brother, confidant and attorney general Bobby Kennedy. And while we're seeing Kennedy through the eyes of O'Donnell, the only question mark is really how prominently he should have been featured in the film. There's no doubting his loyalty to the Kennedys, but to become a focal point in a story already populated by so many complex characters could be made possible only by the fact that a well-known actor played him and produced the film to boot. Accent notwithstanding, at least O'Donnell is given a strong portrayal, helping to effectively drive the story along.
As a reviewer born a mere 14 months after this historic event took place, I found myself fascinated and reveling in the film's informative nature. Sure, people will disagree that the events that made up the Cuban missile crisis were sure to be tainted to a degree by it being made a piece of "entertainment," and there's no question that certain dramatic liberties and film techniques were employed to heighten the tension of the filmgoing experience. However, the basic facts can't be denied. It's an important moment in American history and, despite its shortcomings, an important film. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know as much about the Cuban missile crisis as I should have before I saw the film. But "Thirteen Days" made me want to learn more. What more could you ask from a film? --Tim Lammers 'Antitrust' (PG-13) Thwarting their plan to start an Internet company is multibillionaire Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), CEO of software giant NURV (short for Never Underestimate Radical Vision). Winston, mindful of Hoffmann's substantial talents, woos him away from his pals to work on an important new communications project. Working for NURV isn't all Mercedes SUVs and oversized chessboards, as Hoffmann soon finds out. Programmers are dropping like flies, and the seemingly idealistic Winston begins to reveal a sinister side. Directed by Peter Howitt ("Sliding Doors"), "Antitrust" is as silly a cyber-thriller as Sandra Bullock's "The Net" (1995), but with even fewer suspenseful moments. It's predictable every step of the way, with bits of foreshadowing as subtle as a solar eclipse. Writer Howard Franklin dishes out dialogue doo-doo throughout: "In the real world, when you kill people, they die. And you're (expletive)," Hoffmann yells in one supposedly dramatic scene. It's hard not to chortle, though, at the decision to cast peacenik Tim Robbins in the role of a fiercely competitive, corporate Bill Gates wannabe. He seems to relish the disparity between self and character, especially when he's spewing out "inspirational" messages to his staff at meetings. "Surprise me! Defy me!" he yells with ghoulish glee. Phillippe has yet to convince me of his leading-man potential -- he's bland and lacks emotion as Hoffmann. Rachael Leigh Cook and Claire Forlani are OK in their much smaller parts. More suspense, and it would have succeeded as a thriller. Unfortunately, and you can trust me on this: "Antitrust" provides more snickers than it does scares. --Suzanne Ellis 'Save The Last Dance (PG-13)
"Save the Last Dance" is a wildly formulaic but well-executed snooty-girl-meets-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks story. Julia Stiles plays a preppy high-school ballerina who tragically loses her mother as Mom races to get to one of her daughter's recitals. She winds up living with her mother's estranged husband in a tough black urban neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. But of course, Miss Goody-Toe-Shoes proves herself up to the culture shock -- finding acceptance, companionship and a growing relationship with one of the more promising young boys in the 'hood (played by the thoroughly likeable Sean Patrick Thomas).
Oh my, this could have been awful ... The racial stereotypes on both sides are flying fast and furiously, not to mention that the black-and-white moral curve of the whole story could insult a preschooler's intelligence. And the assortment of "issues" that it tries to plumb makes it smack of a longish after-school special much of the time. But to its credit, neither the movie nor the performers try to do too much. Propelled by a funky soundtrack and buoyed by surprisingly treacle-free performances from Stiles and Thomas, the movie manages to avoid being offensive. It even has its moments of genuine involvement. Hey, we kids are just trying to have a good time, it seems to be saying. Put on some tunes and let's dance. -- Joseph Ruttle
'Finding Forrester' (PG-13) "Finding Forrester" seeks to celebrate the art of writing. And maybe it would have worked, if director Gus Van Sant had done a little "Good Quill Hunting" of his own before basically remaking that far more successful triumph-of-a-brilliant-kid tale. In the film, Forrester spies on, has a run-in with and ultimately befriends and mentors a neighborhood whiz kid, played by newcomer Rob Brown. He's a 16-year-old black kid from the Bronx who wants to be a writer, but hides his genius inside a basketball-playing, street-punk façade until ... well, you know the rest. Through some of the moments of serious acting work, there are precious few elements of real surprise as this unlikely duo of old white guy and young black kid meet over a shared passion. And this often lazily paced, elliptical film lacks the witty banter or taut purpose that leavened Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting." If you want to celebrate the glories of writing, "Finding Forrester" isn't the place to find it. I recommend that you go read a good book. -- Joseph Ruttle
Also New This Week A New York investment banker (Orlando Jones) suddenly finds himself a framed man on the run and having to switch identities with a petty thief (Eddie Griffin) in order to clear his name in the action comedy "Double Take" (PG-13). The film is being billed as a "Trading Places" for the new millennium.
Catch up with Tim on these recent @ The Movies interviews:
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New On Video
'Battlefield Earth' (PG-13) 
While John Travolta's vision of Scientologist L. Ron Hubbard's novel "Battlefield Earth" was all but dead on arrival when it hit theaters, the much-maligned sci-fi action flick still does not deserve my "worst film of 2000" dishonor (that would be the breathtakingly stupid "Snow Day"). That's because I can't believe that Travolta purposefully set out to make a bad movie; it just ended up that way. There's nothing wrong with being passionate about a project -- just passionate to a fault. And his passion for "Earth" spins aimlessly out of control here. 
"Freddy Krueger" icon Robert Englund sinks his claws into this new direct-to-video release about the killing spree of a 129 foot Python -- a laugh-out-loud horror comedy that's reminiscent of 1950s genetic mutation cinema, yet doesn't take itself that seriously. Englund stars as Dr. Anton Rudolph, a scientist who teams with the cops and an unlikely group of citizens to track a killing machine that's knocking off their fellow residents of a small town. 
Based on a real-life bar in New York City, "Coyote Ugly" was not made with intellect in mind. This movie was not made to annoy feminists. This movie was not made to win an Academy Award (I'm not even sure that it could win an MTV Movie Award). This movie was made purely as eye candy. New In Theaters
Let's face it – we know that Kevin Costner can act, but the guy has a serious problem with accents. And while his Baawston Kennedy-like accent is instantly laugh-out-loud funny in the new political thriller "Thirteen Days," it is soon reduced to a minor flaw in director Roger Donaldson's masterfully constructed piece about the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. Costner plays Kenny O'Donnell, a special adviser to President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) -- and the "thirteen days" to which the title refers is, of course, the time from when a surveillance plane shot pictures of Soviet missiles on the island of Cuba to the ultimate standoff between Kennedy and Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev. 
Trust no one in the new film "Antitrust," a dot-com thriller that is laugh-out-loud silly. Ryan Phillippe plays Milo Hoffmann, a leader of a quartet of computer geeks akin to a garage band (he's like the John Lennon of the group) hoping to change the world from their wired-to-the-teats garage. Their motto: Knowledge belongs to the world. 
I know you'll think I may have lobotomized myself with a soda straw while dancing up the aisle into my seat, but I found this silly teen dance flick a thoroughly entertaining diversion. 
Van Sant's plodding, predictable direction doesn't help matters much in this feel-good clunker. But it's the hackneyed concept behind it all, and a lame script crowded with clichés, that really make the movie feel like a fusty old paperback that we've all read a dozen times before. Sean Connery does his crusty-old-codger best as William Forrester, a brilliant novelist who goes into seclusion for decades following the crafting of his one Great American Novel. And oh yes, there will be serious talk of Oscar over his performance (Connery has never won a best actor nod). But he does little more than growl his lines here, never stepping out of the established persona that makes his fans swoon.