 88
Minutes
By Zachary Woodruff
The film "88
Minutes" seems to be the shortened title for "88 Minutes
of Your Life You'll Never Get Back," or possibly "88
Minutes That Could Be Better Spent Giving Yourself a
Series of Paper Cuts."
A real-time thriller
in the spirit of "High Noon," "24" or an eventful trip
to the dentist, the film stars Al Pacino as Dr. Jack
Gramm, a famous serial-killer expert who receives a
phone call announcing his imminent death. "Ticktock,"
says the baddie, with voice disguised. "You have 88
minutes to live."
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Smart People
By Peter Rowe
"Smart People" is
"My Fair Lady" without the classic songs and with a key
role reversal: Here, the pompous professor needs the
makeover.
Creaky and too, too
long, "Lady" could use an update. But the 1964 Audrey
Hepburn vehicle played for high stakes. Prof. Higgins
taught elocution and waged class warfare, turning his
Cockney pupil against her linguistic roots and culture.
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'Horton' is a wholly Seussessful
adaptation
In the charming, vibrant
cartoon version of Dr. Seuss' 'Horton Hears a Who,' a 'person's a
person, no matter how small.'
By Peter Rainer | Film critic of
The Christian Science Monitor
For some
bizarre reason, I was not brought up on the Dr. Seuss books even
though, by age and temperament, I should have been. My loss.
[more]
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Football turns
screwball in 'Leatherheads'
George Clooney's period-set sports
film aims to capture the romantic zing of Howard Hawks's farces.
George Clooney plays an over-the-hill football
stalwart from the 1920s in "Leatherheads," but there's nothing over
the hill about his screen presence. Even in a middling comedy such
as this one, which he also directed, he's alarmingly ardent. Clooney
is relying on the tremendous audience rapport he's built up over the
years, and he's right to do so. [more]
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