Unfaithful

As we all know, Diane Lane is a freak--she's actually getting better looking as she gets older. That's not merely a lascivious observation; it's integral to making this movie work. You would hardly believe the story if Lane, despite her (and her character's) age, was not the hottie she is. As for the acting, the real props go to Richard Gere, who plays so skillfully against type, laying on the nebbishness, that you can actually get past his own handsomeness. Plus there's some handsome and artful direction from Adrian Lyne. Put it all together and...well, it's OK, not great. It's probably better than I'm willing to say, but it still felt unsatisfying to me. I'm all over the place on this flick; you may just have to judge it for yourself.

Chicago

Best Picture, eh? If you say so. For me, it's an entertaining though by no means great movie. Nice work by the cast--all doing their own singing and dancing, apparently--and the story has its clever moments. But the film also illustrates why the classic movie musical is a mostly dead form: it's hard to get beyond the clear artificiality of the (in this case, literally) staged musical numbers. Such a presentation requires a level of audience acceptance that just doesn't exist these days. Don't place any sucker bets on the "revival" of the movie musical just yet.

The Mothman Prophecies

It tries a little too hard to engage the viewer. The movie's a bit creepy, but nothing you can't handle. See it if you have the time. Posted .