ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 11, 1996 TAG: 9605130007
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B10 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: It Came from the Video Store
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
Home video has become the medium of choice for the odd and offbeat, those features that you are not likely to find at the suburban multiplex theater. Note these four new releases.
"Outrage" would have been a radically different movie (and not nearly as good) if it had been made a few years later. Then, the star system being what it is, the story would have been weighted toward the male lead, not the female. As it is, this 1993 Spanish import is a tightly constructed revenge picture about a circus performer (Francesca Neri) and her reporter boyfriend (Antonio Banderas). The focus is on her, not him, and the structure is unusual. Where most American versions of the plot would end, this one is only half over and it's getting better.
Writer-director Carlos Saura keeps the pace deliberate and gives the film an inexorable, almost predetermined quality. He's a serious storyteller, and he treats his subject as drama, not exploitation.
"Wing Chun" is a wild martial-arts feminist fantasy. The plot is as convoluted as a Shakespearian comedy with women disguised as men and general confusion as to who is in love with whom and how various marriages should be arranged. But those matters are less important than the action sequences - elaborately choreographed fights staged with dance-like grace and soaring acrobatics.
In medieval China, Wing Chun (Michelle Yeoh) sells great bean curd and defends her village against marauding bandits. She dresses as a man, leading to great confusion when a childhood sweetie drops by. At the same time, Wing Chun and her bossy Auntie have taken in a pretty widow.
The film's violence is so stylized, exaggerated and cartoonish that conventional "realism" isn't a consideration. And Wing Chun is careful never to kill her opponents; she even smacks them with the flat side of her sword, when she uses one.
A little silly sexual banter will probably generate embarrassed giggles among younger audiences, but this is still a good choice for older kids who are looking for something more advanced than Power Rangers or Turtles.
"Galaxies Are Colliding" is a curious little drama that's enjoyable and off-putting in about equal amounts. On the eve of his wedding, Adam (Dwier Brown) is having serious doubts, not just about his future, but about everything. World hunger, God, the afterlife, salvation - all the biggies. Why then is he wandering, stupefied, through the Mojave desert? And why are his friends at his funeral?
For much of the picture, Adam is a blank slate that the other characters bounce monologues and ideas off of. Kelsey Grammer provides the voice of sweet-tempered atheistic reason, and Karen Medak steals the second half as a down-on-her-luck actress.
At his worst moments, writer-director John Ryman comes across as a would-be Woody Allen who uses talk in place of action. In the end, though, the film's humor and unpredictability earn it a recommendation for those in the market for something unusual.
A good ensemble is cast adrift in "Across the Moon." It's a fitful comedy-drama about two young women (Elizabeth Pena and Christina Applegate) who follow their jailbird boyfriends (Tony Field and Peter Berg) out to the Mojave desert following said boyfriends' arrest, conviction and incarceration in a remote prison.
Stephen Schenck's script meanders aimlessly, introducing eccentric characters (played by the likes of Michael McKean, Burgess Meredith and James Remar) and then doing nothing with them. The whole film is ridiculously overacted, and the actors look far too prettified for their allegedly down-and-out characters. Overall, this one's reminiscent of but not nearly as enjoyable as the sleeper "Little Vegas."
Next week: Bond ... James Bond
Got a question about home video or film? Contact your favorite video columnist at P.O. Box 2491; Roanoke, VA 24010, or by e-mail at 75331.2603@compuserve.com.
New releases this week:
Jumanji **1/2
Starring Robin Williams. Directed by Joe Johnston. Columbia TriStar. 100 min. Rated PG for violence.
Although this smash hit looks like a children's fantasy along the lines of "Gremlins," it's really a darker film. The imaginative action and special effects - including giant spiders and crocodiles - are enough to give smaller kids nightmares. (Uncertain parents should preview it.) For older viewers, though, it's a fast-paced story with a fair number of surprises and another good performance from Robin Williams. - MIKE MAYO
Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain *1/2
Starring Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky. Directed by Kevin James Dobson. MCA/Universal. 95 min. Rated PG for mild violence, subject matter.
There is nothing really wrong with this by-the-numbers kids' adventure aimed at young girls, but there's not much right, either. It's poorly written, clumsily directed and stiffly acted by the young stars. - M.M.
Powder *1/2
Starring Sean Patrick Flannery, Mary Steenburgen, Lance Henriksen, Jeff Goldblum. Directed by Victor Salva. Buena Vista (Hollywood) 111 min. Rated PG-13 for strong language, subject matter, brief nudity, violence.
Fragments of a potentially excellent science-fiction film can be found within this one, but they're hard to spot. The pretentious orchestral score doesn't suit the simple story about a boy with psychic powers, and the busy plot is filled with half-baked conflicts. The stars do their best, but TV's "X Files" treats similar material more effectively. - M.M.
The American President ***
Starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. Directed by Rob Reiner. Columbia TriStar. 114 min. Rated PG-13.
If it reminds you of a Frank Capra movie, well, you're onto something. This is old-fashioned Hollywood filmmaking with a political spin - and it's mostly quite successful. Douglas stars as the widowed commander in chief who falls in love with a dynamic, attractive lobbyist for an environmental PAC, played by Bening. It's a tough romance to pull off, with the whole world watching and the president's entire staff tallying up the impact on the prez's approval rating. The staff - especially Michael J. Fox, David Paymer and Samantha Mathis - give the movie some credibility and lots of snappy repartee. - KATHERINE REED THE ESSENTIALS:
Outrage *** A-Pix. 108 min. Rated R for violence, rape, sexual content, nudity, strong language. (Available in both dubbed and subtitled versions.)
Wing Chun *** Tai Seng Video. 93 min. Unrated, contains some sexual humor and lots of balletic violence. (Available in dubbed or subtitled versions.)
Galaxies Are Colliding **1/2. Paramount. 97 min. Rated R for language, some violence, sexual content.
Across the Moon * Hemdale. 90 min. Rated R for profanity, violence, brief nudity, sexual content.
LENGTH: Long : 127 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. & 2. Antonio Banderas (left) stars in "Outrage."by CNBChristina Ricci (above, left) and Anna Chlumsky are the "Gold
Diggers."