Cat-and-mouse with a tantalizing twist
A man bursts through the door of a remote highway diner on a dark and rainy
night and plops down before a customer, a salesman reading a newspaper. Clearly
unhinged, the intruder taunts the salesman and tosses some photographs (their
significance is made apparent later) onto the table. The salesman flees but
doesn’t get far.
The gruesome murder becomes the first new assignment for disgraced FBI Agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart), who has just been transferred to Albuquerque, N.M., after messing up a high-profile case. Agent Fran Kulok (Carrie-Anne Moss) is sent to aid in the investigation. A clichéd reference to a past relationship is the film’s only real misstep, but it is quickly forgotten as the film progresses.
Clues in the case point Mackelway in the direction of Benjamin O’Ryan (Ben Kingsley), a man who once theorized how simple it would be for someone to murder hundreds at random and escape detection. Mackelway’s pursuit of O’Ryan takes a twist as the killer develops a personal interest in the agent.
At one time it would have been difficult to imagine the actor who portrayed Gandhi playing a villain. The role of the Mahatma seemed to place a permanent halo over Kingsley, but he shattered it a few years back when he played a sadistic gangster in Sexy Beast. Here he takes that darker image several steps further, creating the most indelible psychopath since Hannibal Lecter. Suspect Zero is the third feature from E. Elias Merhige, a unique director who is adept at creating hallucinatory worlds filled with dread and foreboding. His almost indescribable debut, Begotten, opens with an image of a character listed in the credits as “God Killing Himself.” His first Hollywood feature, Shadow of the Vampire, is a wonderfully loopy homage to F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, in which the actor playing the vampire really is a vampire.
Suspect Zero is an extraordinary film that probably won’t get the attention it deserves. Merhige’s creepy existential landscapes should be seen on the big screen.
What other critics are saying. . .
Alien vs. Predator [PG-13] This pairing of 20th Century-Fox alien-creature
franchises has been threatened for years, but there is no direct link to either
series. Lance Henriksen stars as an industrialist who uncovers both races during
an archaeological dig in Antarctica. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East, Route 66
Drive In
Anaconda: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid [PG-13] This is a sequel to
the 1997 hit Anaconda, about a monster snake, but none of the principals
returned for the follow-up. An expedition searches the jungles of Borneo for
a rare orchid and uncovers a race of snakes that use the flower to gain super
strength. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East
Benji: Off the Leash! [PG] The humans are dysfunctional and the animals
are abused.ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Bourne Supremacy [PG-13] The second of the planned trilogy based
on Robert Ludlum’s novels about a CIA agent (Matt Damon) with a secret identity.
ShowPlace West
Exorcist: The Beginning [R] The original movie hinted at a backstory,
and this prequel details the first encounter of Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård)
with the demon Pazuzu in Africa after World War II. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace
East
Garden State [R] Zach Braff, star of the TV sitcom Scrubs, makes
his directorial debut and stars in this romantic comedy about a young man who
returns home for his mother’s funeral and experiences many life changes. Natalie
Portman co-stars. Parkway Pointe
Hero [PG-13] Zhang Yimou’s award-winning and Oscar-nominated period
epic stars Jet Li as an assassin who seeks revenge against the emperor who murdered
his family. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
I, Robot [PG-13] Set in the year 2035, Chicago police detective Del
Spooner (Will Smith) investigates a murder that may have been committed by a
robot. Route 66 Drive In
The Manchurian Candidate [R] Director Jonathan Demme remakes and updates
the classic 1960s political thriller about a soldier (Denzel Washington) who
was captured by the enemy in the Korean War (this time it’s the Gulf War) and
brainwashed to be used later as a pawn. Parkway Pointe
Napoleon Dynamite [PG] The title character is an odd Idaho teenager
whose great loves are dancing and the ways of the ninja. Parkway Pointe
The Notebook [PG-13]Two young lovers from different backgrounds
are separated when the U.S. enters World War II. Seven years later, she is engaged
to a soldier when she discovers the whereabouts of her first true love. Parkway
Pointe
Open Water [R] Two scuba divers are stranded in shark-infested waters by their tour boat.ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement [G] Princess Mia (Anne Hathaway)
is primed for an arranged marriage to a English suitor. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace
East, Route 66 Drive In
Shrek 2 [PG] Princess Fiona’s parents invite her and Shrek to dinner
to celebrate her marriage, not realizing that the newlyweds are green ogres.
ShowPlace West, Route 66 Drive In
Spider-Man 2 [PG-13] Peter Parker still has personal problems, while
Spider-Man is forced to confront Doctor Octopus. ShowPlace West
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 [PG] Infant brainiacs work against the clock to prevent an evil media mogul from deploying a satellite system to control people’s minds. ShowPlace West
The Village [PG-13] M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable),
the director who brought intelligence and thought to the horror and science-fiction
genres, is back with a period tale about a tiny village in 1897 Pennsylvania
that is surrounded by a forest hiding a group of mythical beasts. ShowPlace
West
Without a Paddle [PG-13] Three friends go canoeing in Washington state,
hoping to find the money stolen by D.B. Cooper, who parachuted over the area
in 1971. Burt Reynolds, in what must be the casting gimmick of the year, appears
in a supporting role as a crazy mountain man. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
This article appears in Aug 26 – Sep 1, 2004.
