Donnie Brasco (1997)

Lefty (Pacino) is a longtime earner in the New York mafia who notices, vets, and vouches for Donnie Brasco (Depp), who is actually undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone. Lefty is a true mentor to Donnie. He's almost always going out of his way to explain how things work -- both to ensure that Donnie doesn't embarrass him, but also because he seems to really care about the younger man.

Instead of enriching the story, the peeks into Joe's "real" life, consisting of a wife and three young daughters in suburbia, felt inconsequential. I didn't care about them in the same way that I cared about Lefty -- which seemed to mirror Pistone's own evolving feelings. Obviously those scenes were supposed to show us how brutal undercover work is on the family and the agent, but a flashback to Pistone in happier times might've helped us feel that.

This really hangs on Pacino's performance, and he delivers. We see him as a man whose every hope has been dashed, who would love to just escape but knows it's not a possibility. Brasco breathes new life into him -- Lefty dares to dream again -- but those dreams are short-lived. His final scene is a heart-breaker.

B+

Gattaca (1997)

In the not-too-distant future, parents no longer have to risk that their kids will be born with defects, the possibility of genetic disease, or even chubbiness. A child is still a product of the parents, but their fertilized embryos are screened for potential problems before being implanted. However, some children are still conceived naturally and aren't quite so flawless. With all that perfection at the ready, an employment caste system evolves. I mean, it just makes sense: why hire someone with a heart condition or the possibility of a nervous breakdown for a prestigious position? Our hero Vincent is one of the natural guys, but he has aspirations far beyond his genetics... and that's where a recently paralyzed but otherwise genetically superior Jerome comes in.

The world is believable: e.g. instead of Googling a love interest, you can just run a DNA profile. It also looks great and is beautifully acted -- especially Jude Law as a bitter Jerome. But I do think that Vincent's voice-over is just a little too mannered. The future seems like a pretty joyless place and I get that a blasé attitude is necessary for his ruse to work, but why would it carry over into the narration? At least in that aspect of the film, Vincent should've been able to convey the enthusiasm he was being forced to hide. The sterility of the film becomes overwhelming without any break from the control.

B

The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

A small town that has recently suffered the devastating loss of several of its children receives a visit from a lawyer eager to involve the families in a class action suit.

This is probably the third time I've seen this film and, I must say, it's still amazingly powerful. The cast does a flawless job of portraying their bereavement without making it seem false. The flashbacks to "before the accident" are heartbreaking in their everyday contentedness. What I saw this time around was different than what I remembered from the first viewings. The possibility of beauty and poetry and sadness exists in almost every scene and I think it's just too much to extract in one sitting.

An original, emotionally draining movie.

A+

Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

I think that this is trying hard to be reminiscent of the melodramas from the '50s (think Peyton Place or Raintree County) -- small towns full of secrets and angst, the sins of the parents being visited on their poor miserable children.

Well, I didn't like the old ones and this update isn't any better. As a matter of fact it's worse because at least the secrets in the aforementioned films were juicy. The secret in this one is quite the letdown and makes all the posturing that came before the reveal feel childish rather than tragic...and that renders the entire exercise a waste of time.

D+

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Third viewing.

A knock-out of a movie with so much going on. It had been nearly ten years since I'd viewed it, but the film has staying power. No matter that I knew how the knots would untangle, I was still completely under its spell. The one exception is that I'm still not enamored with Kim Basinger's performance -- but I also remember how tremblingly grateful she seemed when she collected her Oscar, so I can't be too hard on her.

Loved seeing such a young-looking Simon Baker and being amazed anew at Crowe's versatility.

A-

The Game (1997)

Every so often the whole family gets in the mood to watch a movie together (I've got about 400 or so on VHS), but we can't decide which. Tonight we decided to have random.org choose for us -- and I have to admit it did a better job picking a film for all of us than we usually do on our own.

This was my second viewing and, like so many many "twist" scripts, it's not really worth taking the time to watch it again. Still a cool idea, but all the fun is in the gotcha...and it can't ever get me again.

B- (first time through...probably a C- thereafter)

Titanic (1997)

I've never been as in awe of this film as every other female who saw this in its theatrical run...I mean, I didn't swoon over the love story or go back to see it again and again.

I do like it, though. This was the third time I've seen it and it holds up in excitement value. It still boggles my mind, though, that Kate Winslet (who gives a somewhat stiff performance which lets slip her English accent every so often) and Gloria Stuart (who does merely an adequate job) got nominations while Leonardo DiCaprio and Kathy Bates, who were so naturally vibrant, were ignored.

B+

Jane Eyre (1997)

Very well-cast and true to the book, despite necessarily leaving out huge chunks of story. It works.

B+

Starship Troopers (1997)

Much better than anticipated. Denise Richards' story line is a bore (and she, as a leading lady, is wooden). But the rest of the film is fun and exciting -- maybe going on just a bit too long. Best bits are the news reports.

B-

Eye of God (1997)

Jumps back and forth in time, but that is the only "fancy" thing about this movie. So effective and haunting. I was extremely tense during the last half-hour or so.

B+

The Winter Guest (1997)

One day following four pairs - two 12ish boys skipping school, a boy & girl in their teens doing the same, two old women traveling to a funeral, and a mother & her grown daughter. It's cold and the landscape is put to beautiful use - such a frigid place. The story feels a little too slowly paced, but there are many moments of loveliness.

B+

Flash (1997)

Story about a boy and the horse he loves. Has to battle every horrible stroke of luck imaginable, including the proverbial "bad man." But, ultimately he & the horse are left standing while others cheer. Very heavy-handed family film.

D+

Shall We Dance? (Shall We Dansu?) (1997)

Near the end of the film, the aloof instructor says of our hero's dance practice, "It warmed my heart." That about sums it up. There isn't a misstep in the script or acting, though there are plenty of them during the dance lessons! It struck me, while watching, how sad it is that any culture robs its people of such innocent pleasure and renewed my appreciation that I live in a place where the pursuit of joy is applauded. The entire cast is marvelous, but Mr. Aoki (Naoto Takenaka) steals the show whenever he's onscreen.

A+

Good Burger (1997)

Let me first say that I have never been one to put kids' films in the same boat with films for more mature viewers. My grades are much more lenient when applied to movies which intend their major audience to be aged 12 and under. But, even when compared to only those movies with the same audience in mind, Good Burger just doesn't cut the mustard.

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are gifted young television actors - and Kel is also a master at physical comedy. But something went wrong in the translation from the living room to the cineplex. The major flaw may well be that they chose "Good Burger," an always lame recurring sketch on Nickelodeon's "All That" as their subject.

I don't demand that all live-action kids' films have a moral (Harriet the Spy) or that they be educational (Fly Away Home). But this film misses on so many levels - it's impossible to see past them! I was appalled at the disrespect that Dexter (Kenan) showed his teacher (Sinbad) in several scenes and I stared in disbelief at the mental institution scenes - look at the schizos! Aren't they crazy - eating cards and shuffling around with vacant looks??

Do yourself a favor. Rent "George of the Jungle." Check out "Babe" or "First Kid." Laugh at movies that understand what funny is.

D

love jones (1997)

Here we get a clear-eyed look at modern romance: the excitement, confusion, depression, and game playing. The couple at the center of the story, Nina (Nia Long) and Darius (Larenz Tate) play it frustratingly "safe", often guessing incorrectly what the other is feeling. While my reaction was that I wanted to reach in and bonk their heads together, I recognized the story as real and the acting as top-notch.

That said, the real reason to see this film is for the secondary cast. Nina and Darius are the stars, but it's the witty dialogue of Savon, Sheila, Ed, and Wood that makes me recommend this film.

C+