Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
A teenage popularity-contest-type film, leaning heavily on the Clueless mould as well as United States TV series Popular. In other words, no prizes for guessing the conclusion of this one. A small-town Miss Popularity (Lindsay Lohan) moves to the more densely populated suburbs and a new school, where she is no longer top of the pile — and now has serious competition in the form of the local Miss Popularity (Megan Fox). From here, director Sara Sugarman steers the film to its predictable conclusion via a teen catfight-cum-popularity contest, a crush on rock stars and some weird and wonderful outfits. Opens May 4.
The Cooler
This gambling drama revolves around one man: down on his luck Bernie Loots (William H Macy), the unluckiest man in Las Vegas. Bernie’s legendary ability to infect a gambling floor with bad luck is employed by his casino-owner pal, Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), to end a high roller’s run of good luck. Instead, Bernie falls for the beautiful cocktail waitress Natalie (Maria Bellow). This independent love story, Wayne Kramer’s directing debut, is described by Rolling Stone as ”a potent directorial debut” and the film as ”an incredibly funny and heartfelt love story”. Opens May 14.
The Day After Tomorrow
An environmentally focused sci-fi action drama directed by Godzilla and Independence Day director Roland Emmerich. A climatologist (Dennis Quaid) needs to figure out how to save the Earth from abrupt weather changes while also trying to rescue his son (Jake Gyllenhaal) from the first of the resultant disasters in New York. With plenty of special effects and dubious scientific premises, it is another classically heroic story from Emmerich. The film hopes to show the horrors of the greenhouse effects and global warming, while telling us how the Americans will, once again, save us from global destruction — despite not signing the Kyoto accord and causing all this in the first place. Opens May 28.
Duplex
A big star comedy, directed by Danny DeVito, Duplex tells the story of a yuppie couple moving to their dream duplex in the city. Problem is, they have an upstairs tenant they’d like to get rid of: a fiery, little old lady. What ensures is a pretty dark comedic battle between the couple (Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore) and the old woman (English actress Eileen Essel), perhaps in the mould of DeVito’s hilarious divorce drama The War of the Roses. Stiller recreates, yet again, the nervous guy we know so well from nearly all his films, with Barrymore as the self-assured, spoilt partner. Promises to be a richly comic affair, though the Chicago Tribune wondered if it was ”dark enough”. Opens May 21.
Highwaymen
Revenge-thriller starring Jim Caviezel as a grief-stricken husband who sets out on a murderous rampage to find the killer of his wife. The killer, James Fargo (Colm Feore), is an ensemble of body parts and prosthetic limbs who has customised his own vehicle into a complex killing machine. Think Duel plus Joyride plus any revenge drama you care to name — something like a spaghetti western on wheels, maybe? Opens May 7.
Intermission
A dark, Irish-made comedy, Intermission has more plot lines and ideas than most government think-tanks and a large and varied cast. First-time director John Crowley assembles Colin Farrel, Colm Meaney, Kelly McDonald and Shirley Henderson to navigate the story through a complex series of occurrences that arise from a couple’s trial separation. The movie won the 2003 Audience Award at the Galway Film Fleadh. Opens May 7.
In This World
Director Michael Winterbottom is renowned for his diverse range of films, from 1997’s Welcome to Sarajevo to 2002’s 24 Hour Party People. With In This World he investigates the sombre world of war and human suffering with the tale of two Afgan refugees escaping to Britain. The actors are non-professionals and the film is a tough look at the issue of asylum seekers. The film follows their journey, largely without script or dialogue, as they face an endless sequence of trials and hurdles. The Guardian described it as ”a daring and ambitious work”. Rewarded with a Golden Bear at last year’s Berlin Film Festival, this is one to look out for. Opens May 7.
The Mother
From the pen of Hanief Kareshi (Intimacy) and director Roger Michell comes a frank look at relationships. A widowed woman in her 70s (Anne Reid), struggling with her recalcitrant family (Steven Mackintosh, Cathryn Bradshaw), befriends the handyman (Daniel Craig) working on her son’s house. Their resultant steamy relationship inevitably causes havoc. Praised for its excellent performances, this is likely to be a thought-provoking and touching film. Opens May 28.
Paid in Full
Directed by the relatively unknown Charles Stone III, Paid in Full is based on the lives of a couple of 1980s drug lords, starring Wood Harris and Mekhi Phifer. Ambitious, said The Chicago Sun-Times, though it’s a well-known story. The lead performances may well manage to carry the day and deliver an at least above-average gangster movie. Opens May 7.
The Perfect Score
Directed by Brian Robbins, who brought you the movie Varsity Blues and the TV series Birds of Prey and Popular, The Perfect Score traces the story of six college students as they conspire to steal the answers to their upcoming SAT tests. Ã la The Breakfast Club, the six friends cross the range of character types, with Erika Christensen as the prim Anna, Scarlet Johannsen as the rebellious Francessca, complete with sports star mates and slacker hanger on-ers. Boring, said The Village Voice, though partially saved by some moments of great comic timing. Opens May 28.
Radio
You might be forgiven for thinking you’ve walked into a remake of Forest Gump on this one. A high school football coach (Ed Harris) takes a young, intellectually challenged man (Cuba Gooding Jnr) under his wing and nurtures him. The Chicago Sun-Times reckons it’s ”a treasure”. The more cynical Village Voice, on the other hand, sees the story as ”treacle”. Opens May 21.
Swimming Pool
This new offering from maverick French director François Ozon, who’s done comedy, drama and musical, goes in a thrillerish direction. Charlotte Rampling, in a notable return to the big screen, is a crime novelist beset with writer’s block who is sent off to a country villa for some rest and recuperation. Here she is confronted by an unwelcome housemate, in the form of her agent’s sexually aggressive French daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier). The tension between the two women triggers a series of unsettling events and sexually charged situations. Opens May 21. See Page 4.
Tale of a Naughty Girl
An excellent example of Indian cinema, outside of the Bollywood all-singing, all-dancing stereotype. Tale of a Naughty Girl relates the story of a young girl with aspirations to education and a better life — though her apparent destiny is to be sold into prostitution by her mother. Meanwhile, in a violent contrast of worlds, the Americans are sending the first man to the moon. Director Buddhadeb Dasgupta is also a poet, and his film is a poetic complex of rich, lyrical imagery, with some comedy thrown in. Opens May 7.
Troy
From director Wolfgang Petersen of The Perfect Storm fame, Troy is being touted as the next big epic action movie. Traipsing along in the footsteps of such historical epics as Gladiator, this filmic version of Homer’s Iliad features a stellar cast and a mega-budget. As per the legend, Paris, Prince of Troy (Orlando Bloom) steals Helen (Diane Kruger), wife of King Menelaus, and all hell breaks loose. Brad Pitt takes a turn as Achilles, and Peter O’ Toole as King Priam. It promises to be a visual feast of blood, guts and technical wizardry that will keep you glued to your seat no matter how long it is. Opens May 21.
Van Helsing
Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsdale, and directed by Steven Sommers (who had huge hits with The Mummy and The Mummy Returns), this Gothic action movie follows the activities of vampire-hunter Dr van Helsing. It is an action romp as Van Helsing sets off to rid the world of evil by slaying Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s monster. While Beckinsdale must surely be in danger of becoming typecast as the Gothic horror temptress after her turn in Underworld and now this, the tight leather outfits probably make it worthwhile. Shot all over the US, as well as in Prague, Italy and France, this is a big-budget horror-action thriller, so expect no quarter given in the special effects and gore department. Opens May 7. See quiz on Page 8.
Welcome to Mooseport
Romantic comedy expert Donald Petrie (Miss Congeniality; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) returns to direct this small town political comedy. And as you might guess, the love story seems to get in the way of the rest of the politics and comedy. Starring Gene Hackman, Ray Romano and Marcia Gay Harden. Salon.com says Welcome to Mooseport is ”like a biscuit soaked in water: ready to be gummed instead of chewed”. Opens May 7.
Wonderland
A gritty, violent look at the latter life of porn star John Holmes (Val Kilmer) — after he achieved fame as the most well-hung straight star of his day (the 1970s), as depicted in Boogie Nights. Director James Cox focuses on Holmes’s involvement in a gruesome multiple murder at a drug-dealer’s home in Los Angeles. It’s all rather sordid, no doubt, but Kilmer at least has a role he can get his teeth into. Opens May 7.
Compiled by Dave Chislett
