Summary
GARDEN STATE. Who'd'a thunk that goofy Zach Braff, the star of TV's Scrubs, could write, direct and star in this lovely tragic-comedy about a young man reconciling himself to his mother's suicide and his life in general? Peter Saarsgard and Natalie Portman fill out an exceptional cast in a first film that's as humane as it is smart.
STAGE BEAUTY. There's more than enough to keep you talking and thinking in Richard Eyre's adaptation of Jeffrey Hatcher's Restoration-era romp about a Shakespearian acting company in turmoil when the King decrees that women shall play women's roles on stage. But watch it just for fun, and for Billy Crudup's remarkable lead (and title) performance.Finally, this was a good year for documentaries, like Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, which had a coup in mind, and Errol Morris' The Fog of War, in which Robert McNamara gave the interview that Donald Rumsfeld owes us. We also had to suffer through Mel Gibson's Christ addiction in The Passion. (Clearly he still has all 12 steps to go.) Tim Burton's sublimely entertaining Big Fish, a 2003 film, made it to town in January; and Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education, his homage to himself and to living out loud, arrives in January '05. In the meantime, don't overdo the holidays, and don't rent crap. You've been forewarned.See the full content of this document
Extract
Prime Cinema; the Best of 2004
OK. First, I have a confession to make: I haven't seen many movies this year that I haven't been paid to see. Cinema Team CP has three soldiers, and from week to week we divvy up the product between us. I rarely ask to review Hollywood movies, and Team Leader Al ("Sir, yes, sir!") rarely asks ...
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