Park City's Flick Chick by Jill Adler
September 2005 - Lastest Movie Reviews in a Nutshell
Exoricsm of Emily Rose
Film Rating: PG13
Was
it epilepsy or Satan? Based on a true story of one of the only
times the Roman Catholic Church ever officially recognized demonic
possession, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, dips into the age old
debate- is it live or is it Memorex? Faced with negligent homicide,
Rev. Moore (Tom Wilkinson) must prove he acted in Emily’s
best interests to get the hell out of her. The prosecution thinks
he killed her by ignoring her doctor’s prescribed epilepsy
treatments. His attorney, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), starts out
as a non-believer too but in the end even she considers the possibility.
More drama than horror, the performances (especially by Jennifer
Carpenter as Emily who does more moaning, screaming and contorting
than actual speaking) defy the odds and stay authentic in an obviously
manipulative film. I saw this one at the Redstone Theaters in
a house packed with Park City high schoolers. Loud thumps in the
night, ghoulie “visions”, cats screeching and a hit-and-run
in a PG-13 flick. They loved it.
Rize
Film Rating: PG
Though
all the bomb at Sundance ’05, David LaChapelle’s Rize-
an urban documentary about “clowning” and “krumping”
(jittery, aboriginal forms of hip hop sprung on the West Coast)-
might have a tough time selling to wider (whiter) audiences. With
obvious nods to racism and the gang mentality of inner cities,
Rize tells the story of Tommy the HipHop Clown; a black birthday
clown who organizes a team of kiddie “clowns”, gives
them a “family” and sense of purpose as they train
for the mother of all dance offs against the Krumpers in the Great
Western Forum. The gritty footage and compelling personalities
of the characters, however, can’t seem to keep this flick
from feeling more like a waltz than a rave. A heavy editing hand
might have kept me awake. Wait for the DVD and fast forward- a
lot.
Red Eye
Film Rating: R
Good
‘ol Wes Craven. Just when you think you have him pegged
as the cleverest, gore/horror director of modern times, he goes
and throws you for a twist, er, lots of them. Red Eye is not about
some slasher with bloodshot corneas hijacking a plane. It’s
a much tamer tale about a hotel manager (Rachel McAdams) who’s
held “hostage” on her red-eye flight to Miami. Her
captor/assassin Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy, aka the Scarecrow
from Batman Begins) wants the room number of one of her hotel’s
political guests so his “clients” can kill the guy.
Her creepy freckled companion shoves an Airfone in her face and
tells her if she doesn’t cooperate, some thug parked outside
her dad’s house will kill her father. Ah, the ultimate dilemma
work or family. Move over Julia Roberts, McAdams is fascinating
to watch going from fragile to feisty in less than her one-way
flight. Though a little slow to rev and often predictable, Red
Eye showcases two extremely talented actors who keep the tension
rising right up to the ass-kicking end. This one’s worth
watching.
