Bovie Movie

As the writer of Taxi Driver and writer/director of American Gigolo, Paul Schrader has always been drawn to the dark side of sexuality — mostly in order to chart its corrosive effects on character — and this is his most sustained and successful treatment of the subject so far. Based on the experiences of actor Bob Crane (star of 1960s US sitcom Hogan’s Heroes), it charts his descent into a libidinous hell as he becomes addicted to casual sex, videotaping an endless succession of meaningless encounters (aided by Willem Dafoe’s noxious video technician). Greg Kinnear is excellent as the vacuous hedonist who can’t see his repellent behaviour as anything but “healthy”, and there’s also a standout performance from Ron Leibman as the tender-hearted agent who watches with horror as his client’s life implodes. The subject matter may be too raw for some — Schrader doesn’t spare us the numerous, often depressing sex acts — but in the end Auto Focus is an intensely moral and often unexpectedly funny tour de force. 

A plodding and sententious account of the postwar Sicilian rebel Salvatore Giuliano, whose mania for independence from Italy inspired him to a career of murder and pillage. Christopher Lambert stars as a remarkably uncharismatic Giuliano, who nonetheless charms his way into the hearts of the Sicilian people and even the Mafia (in the person of the sinister Joss Ackland). Director Michael Cimino, who will for ever be remembered for the magnificent failure of Heaven’s Gate, lets the action swing between huge messy gunfights and tedious moralising from Lambert. It’s not a total disaster: there’s a good supporting cast (including Terence Stamp and John Turturro) and moments of real excitement, hinting at what The Sicilian might have been. But botched editing (Cimino later sued the production company) and leaden acting win the day. 

Scott McGinnis and Jeff Osterhage try valiantly to drum up some knockabout bonhomie here as Wild West outlaws enrolled in a British fighter squadron during the First World War, but everything from the stereotypical characters to the risible banter is against them. Bearing in mind the technical expertise of director Zoran Perisic (who worked on the special effects for Superman) and experienced cinematographer David Watkin, this adventure should at least have looked good. However, the aerial action is so inept that it only emphasises the shortcomings of a buddy movie that compounds its crimes by wasting such a promising premise. 

At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon’s forces controlled much of Europe. In Russia, one of the few countries still unconquered, the army prepares to face Napoleon’s troops in Austria. Among the soldiers are Nicholas Rostov (Jeremy Brett) and Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (Mel Ferrer). Pierre Bezukhov (Henry Fonda), a friend of Andrei’s and self-styled intellectual who “knows what’s right but still does wrong,” is not interested in fighting. Pierre’s life changes when his father dies, leaving him a vast inheritance. He is attracted to Natasha Rostov (Audrey Hepburn), Nicholas’s sister, but gives in to baser desires and marries the shallow, materialistic Princess Helene (Anita Ekberg). The marriage quickly ends when Pierre discovers his wife’s true nature. Andrei is captured and later released by the French, and returns home only to watch his wife die in childbirth. During a visit to the country months later, Pierre and Andrei meet again. Andrei sees Natasha and falls in love, but his father will only permit the marriage if they postpone it for one year. While Andrei is away in Poland on a military mission, Natasha is drawn to Anatole Kuragin (Vittorio Gassmann), a scoundrel and libertine. Pierre tells Natasha of Anatole’s past before she can elope with him. Napoleon (Herbert Lom) invades Russia. Pierre visits Andrei on the eve of the battle, and observes the battle that follows. Traumatized by the carnage, he vows to kill Napoleon himself.

Director Lasse Hallström and screenwriter William Wheeler’s smart and playful account of one of the greatest literary scams of all time benefits from a brace of great performances in the shape of Richard Gere and Alfred Molina. In 1971, failing author Clifford Irving persuaded publishers McGraw-Hill that he was working on an authorised biography of eccentric recluse Howard Hughes, and thus banked a gargantuan advance. Gere is well cast as the charismatic Irving, conveying the slightly seedy charm he employed in Amerian Gigolo, and the always watchable Molina plays his nervy best friend and collaborator, Dick Suskind. The fabrications soon mount up, and what results is a desperate race to fake the necessary evidence, with Irving betting that Hughes won’t come out of hiding to reveal the truth. The film is pacey, funny and often enjoyably tense. The real Irving was less impressed, though — cheekily objecting to the movie playing fast and loose with the facts. He described it as “a hoax about a hoax”. 

Mel Gibson’s well-publicized production The Passion of the Christ concerns the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The dialogue is spoken in the ancient Aramaic language, along with Latin and Hebrew. In the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives, Jesus (James Caviezel) is betrayed by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello). Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy and brought before Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov), the Roman governor of Judea, for sentencing. The roaring crowd demand his death, so Pilate orders his crucifixion. Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha, the hill outside Jerusalem, where he is nailed to the cross. Romanian theatrical actress Maia Morgenstern plays Mary, Mother of God, and Italian superstar Monica Bellucci plays Mary Magdalene. Amid much controversy involving Gibson and various religious organizations, The Passion of the Christ received an international theatrical release in February of 2004. In March 2005, Gibson released an unrated version of the film, dubbed The Passion Recut, that eliminated five to six minutes of the more graphic scenes of flogging and crucifixion.

Kim Basinger stars as a reformed thief who is forced back into crime in director Russell Mulcahy’s fair comic thriller. To make matters worse, Basinger is also saddled with a klutzy partner played by Val Kilmer. Mulcahy’s cinematic eye for detail is on vivid show once more — the Highlander director really is one of cinema’s most underrated visual stylists — but the handsome stars have little to do except pose in front of his eye-popping electric backdrops. And, frankly, there doesn’t seem to be much chemistry between the two leads, either. As for villain Terence Stamp’s daft southern accent, what was everyone thinking? 

Director Sue Heel’s debut movie comes across as a sort of distaff version of The Full Monty, as a beautiful Italian woman fetches up in Newcastle upon Tyne and, through her own brand of sex education, tries to help some local ladies put the heat back in their cooling relationships. In her first starring role, former TV presenter Kelly Brook is certainly alluring enough to play a voluptuous bombshell, although her ability to sustain an air of mystery recedes pretty rapidly. On the other hand, supporting players Emily Woof, Dervla Kirwan and, especially, Margi Clarke are exceptionally good as the women who learn how to live through Brook’s sensual instruction. Unsurprisingly, Brook’s plans go a bit pear-shaped, but at least Heel manages to move matters along to a cosy if sentimental conclusion. 

This biopic television miniseries features Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the King of Rock-n-roll, the story traces all his life from the very boyhood in 1950’s Memphis to the pinnacles of his worldwide glory and the depths of isolation and drug addiction of his life’s end.

In this animated adventure, Burt Reynolds provides the voice for Charlie B Parkin, a dog in late-1930s Louisiana who is killed by his business partner. Given the choice of remaining in heaven or leaving without being able to return, he decides to go back to Earth to seek revenge. Co-producer/director Don Bluth (whose The Pebble and the Penguin was equally popular with young audiences) began his career at Disney so, as you would expect, the animation is excellent, but the story is rather clumsily told and very young children may find some of the darker sequences a bit upsetting.