Film – Chuck Koplinski

The Big Bounce [PG-13] Surfer-drifter-con man Jack Ryan (Owen Wilson) goes to Hawaii and lands a job caring for an Walter Crewes (Morgan Freeman), a judge on the island. “A movie that more than once confuses the line between laid-back and lethargic, it wanders around slack-jawed and weirdly inert.” (Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly) ShowPlace West, […]

Make a Date with four charmers in a tale of love and values Is love more likely to survive in the spotlight of fame or with wholesome values and anonymity? That’s the question three young adults in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton must answer as fate and ashrewd business manager (Nathan Lane) throw their […]

Peter Jackson is clearly the director of the new millennium thanks to the blockbuster success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what are his origins as a filmmaker? Very few Americans have seen his previous films. The bizarre nature of Jackson’s pre-Rings films prevented them from connecting with mainstream audiences, but cult status […]

Along Came Polly [PG-13] Ben Stiller plays a man who’s afraid of risk. But he makes his living analyzing risk, gets involved in a risky romance, and cheats on his wife.“A movie that sets its comedy bar too low for the talents involved.” (Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East Big Fish [PG-13] Son […]

Liberty is derivative of classic romances, but lacks style and grace Andy Cadiff’s Chasing Liberty has more than a few similarities to the Audrey Hepburn romances Roman Holiday and Two for the Road — so much so, I wouldn’t be surprised if first-time screenwriters Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman didn’t have copies in their VCRs […]

Bad Santa [R] Two cons, dressed as Santa and his elf, work the holidays at malls. They’re not doing it to spread holiday cheer. “The foulest holiday movie I’ve ever seen — and the funniest.” (Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune) Calendar Girls [PG-13] The women of the Rylstone Women’s Institute in North Yorkshire drop everything for […]

Jack Nicholson has had the greatest career in Hollywood history. His status as a star is now in its 34th year, which is nearly as long as John Wayne’s run. Even an icon can have some overlooked films, and here are some of Nicholson’s lost gems: • The King Of Marvin Gardens (1972). Nicholson is […]

Love is hope Ñ and on Cold Mountain, it’s worth the sacrifice Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain initially labors under the weight of the high expectations that have dogged this production since its inception. But much like the heroine at its center, shy Southern Belle Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman), who finds her […]

Roberts delivers low-key, mature performance in Smile Art history instructor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) seems unprepared to handle the overachieving and conformist women of Wellesley College. Her students, ’50s-era debutantes, think they know all there is to know about art from their textbooks. But they’re unable and unwilling to form their own opinions. Forced to […]

King is a feast for the eyes, with a compelling story at its heart When last we left the hobbits Frodo and Sam, they were heading to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile, brothers-in-arms Aragorn, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, the wizard Gandalf and hobbits Pippin and […]

Dancing with wolves, Japanese-style A disillusioned Civil War veteran sets out to a foreign land where he encounters an ancient culture. Its values of honor, loyalty and courage prove a revelation. Though sheltered by the tribe’s leader, he meets with resistance from others. He eventually joins this culture and marries a young widow. Though it […]