ANTWONE FISHER "But what I really want to do is direct" is an age-old adage that has fallen from the lips of nearly every Hollywood employee from screenwriter to key grip, but because of their clout, it's the members of the acting profession who get to realize this fantasy the most. The latest example is Denzel Washington; he doesn't do a damn thing fancy in his first at-bat behind the camera, and that turns out to be his strong suit. The screenplay's the story here, and Washington gets out of its way, letting his actors (including himself) relate it simply and honestly without feeling the need to gum it up with show-off stylistics. Antwone Fisher wrote the script, based on his own life story, and he and Washington luck out by having an engaging newcomer named Derek Luke handle the heavy lifting. This talented young actor gives his all in this drama about a troubled sailor whose anti-social behavior brings him into contact with a Navy psychiatrist (Washington) who eventually helps him get to the root of his emotional problems. Luke enjoys an easy rapport with his co-stars (his romantic interludes opposite the bright Joy Bryant are especially pleasing), and the film's Psychology Lite is effective enough that we buy into the satisfying resolution. 
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Steven Spielberg had already fulfilled his quota of quality entertainment for 2002 when he released Minority Report last summer, but as an added treat he's now offering this pleasing little picture that finds the director in a downright playful mood. From its snazzy opening credits -- the type normally found in frothy romantic comedies of the early 60s -- to John Williams' bouncy, infectious score, Catch Me feels like nothing so much as pure old-fashioned escapism -- it's the retro-movie that the fall flop The Truth About Charlie desperately wanted to be. Inspired by a true story, this stars Leonardo DiCaprio (in a smooth, charismatic performance) as Frank Abagnale, who, while still a teenager, manages to successfully impersonate a pilot, a doctor, a lawyer and a teacher, all the while cashing false checks to the tune of more than $2 million. Frank stays ahead of the law for years, but never too far ahead, as his every move is dogged by a persistent FBI agent (Tom Hanks, very good). Because this is a Spielberg project, you can bet some poignant subtext involving splintered family units will come into play (Christopher Walken does a nice job as Frank's perpetually weary dad), but for the most part, this is engaging, stress-free entertainment -- just kick back and enjoy.
FAR FROM HEAVEN While many films sacrifice emotional investment for the sake of stylistic innovation and vice versa, this one tackles both facets and emerges a winner on both fronts. In crafting what turns out to be one of the best films of the year, writer-director Todd Haynes (Safe) has made a glorious-looking picture that's almost fetishistic in its desire to replicate cult director Douglas Sirk's Technicolor-soaked melodramas from the 50s. Haynes pulls off this verisimilitude, yet he also nails the oversized emotions and barely repressed attitudes, resulting in one of the most affecting "weepies" of recent times. Julianne Moore, in what may endure as the performance of 2002, stars as a content housewife in 1957 Connecticut whose life starts to unravel once she discovers that her husband (Dennis Quaid) is a closeted homosexual and that she's feeling an attraction for her gentle black gardener (Dennis Haysbert). Foregoing any semblance of irony or camp or even dreamy nostalgia (traits that invariably affect any 50s-set flick made today), Haynes has instead come up with a straight-faced triumph that works as both a poignant love story and a piercing social commentary.
GANGS OF NEW YORK There's no hemming and hawing on projects like Gangs of New York, those epic undertakings that result in inflated budgets, overlong shoots, studio bickering, and reams of newspaper copy predicting failure (see Apocalypse Now and Titanic). A quick answer is all but required by curious moviegoers: yes or no? In the case of Martin Scorsese's 170-minute achievement -- hell, yeah. The bad news for Miramax is that it's unlikely such a grim picture will make back its $100 million cost. Instead, the studio will have to console itself with the fact that it's produced one of the year's most notable films, a historical drama that presents a compelling revenge yarn set against the backdrop of New York in the mid-19th century, with an explosive climax that brings the draft riots of 1863 to chilling life. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon, a strong-willed kid who seeks to avenge the death of his father (Liam Neeson), the leader of a borough's immigrant crop, at the hands of "Bill the Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis), the brutal yet clever ruler of the "natives." It'd be a mistake to dismiss this as a period Death Wish -- there's genuine tension in Amsterdam's mission, and Scorsese and his crackerjack team spare no expense in immersing us in what amounts to a grungy hell on earth. DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz are both solid, yet it's Day-Lewis' riveting work in an unexpectedly complex role that puts New York over the top. 1/2
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS Last year's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring proved to be one of those rare films that actually improves with each viewing; that may turn out to be the case with The Two Towers as well. After an initial watch, however, this second chapter doesn't quite match the majesty of its predecessor, though that's hardly meant as a knock -- a rousing, far-reaching spectacle of unlimited ambition, TTT scores on enough fronts to ensure that it will ice the rest of the holiday competition. But whereas Fellowship did a nice job of balancing quieter moments with the bombast, this installment is largely all action all the time, with the few expository scenes practically presented as asides (too many good actors -- Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto -- are given short shrift in this outing); what's more, the movie doesn't deepen or expand the tale's themes as masterfully as The Empire Strikes Back added to Star Wars's mystique. But as a stirring story of unsullied heroism, it's a winner, and as an action epic, it features some of the best battle sequences ever created on film. And while the planned campaign to win a Supporting Actor Oscar for the CGI-created Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis) seems far-reaching, he turns out to be the best special effect in a movie crammed with them.
MAID IN MANHATTAN Maid In Manhattan obviously wants to be Jennifer Lopez's own monogrammed version of Pretty Woman, but the end product is more like Pretty Woeful. As far as actor-singers go, Lopez isn't rancid like, say, Madonna -- she hits her marks and conveys the proper emotions -- but as a vibrant on-screen personality, there's simply no there there, resulting in characters about as flavorful as tepid tap water. In Maid, she plays a hotel employee who, in one of those "mistaken identity" crises that were pulled off with more elan by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers back in the day, finds herself wooed by a compassionate Republican (or is that an oxymoron?) who erroneously believes she's another hotel guest. Ralph Fiennes plays this politician, and it's nice to see the tormented star of The English Patient and Red Dragon in a more relaxed mode; otherwise, this unimaginative effort moves with martinet precision through the usual cringe-worthy circumstances, including the expected moment where Lopez and her sisters-in-service shimmy to the Golden Oldie Flavor of the Month. In this case, it's Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out," though reaction to the movie itself brings to mind an earlier Ross tune: "Run, Run, Run." 1/2
STAR TREK: NEMESIS Devotees of Gene Roddenberry's baby will want to apply their own four-star rating to Star Trek: Nemesis, even more so since it's the first ST motion picture in four years and might be the final Enterprise outing to be produced for the big screen. More casual fans, on the other hand, will likely find this 10th chapter in the sci-fi saga to be a diverting amusement that doesn't quite rank with the best in the series. If this is indeed the final flick, it goes out with neither a bang nor a whimper but somewhere in between: Draggy in some spots, exciting in others (the final half-hour especially delivers the goods), the plot concerns itself with the battle of wills between Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart, commanding as always) and Shinzon (Tom Hardy), an enigmatic figure who turns out to be Picard's corrupt clone. In addition to returning as Data, Brent Spiner co-wrote the script with ST mainstay Rick Berman and Gladiator scribe John Logan, and the trio made sure to include several surprises for the Trekkie contingent, including a few cameos, a wedding between two principals, and an unexpected send-off for one major character. It's enough to keep the loyalists satisfied until somebody comes up with the next major Trek enterprise. 1/2
TWO WEEKS NOTICE The best thing that can be said about Two Weeks Notice is that at least it isn't Maid In Manhattan. Still, during a holiday season that could have benefited from a choice romantic comedy, it's depressing to note that Hollywood has gone 0-for-2 this Christmas -- even a soggy Nora Ephron-Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan confection would have been preferable to this dismal duo. Sandra Bullock, a former breath of fresh air who seems to have transformed into the screen equivalent of halitosis over time, again plays a rumpled, neurotic lonelyheart, while Hugh Grant serves up his umpteenth variation on his patented role as a superficial, self-centered bachelor. Between them, they manage to wring out a couple of nice moments, but not nearly enough to matter. Bullock plays an environmental attorney who boasts that she's like a "bobcat" and a "pretzel" in the sack (this is in direct opposition to the movie itself, which is more like a defanged kitten and a soggy cracker); Grant co-stars as the cad millionaire for whom she works, and with whom she eventually becomes infatuated (in a none-too-convincing manner). This is the third time writer-director Marc Lawrence has teamed with Bullock, having also written her previous mediocrities Miss Congeniality and Forces of Nature. For God's sake, someone stop them before they shoot again.
THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE With ambitious animated works like Monsters, Inc. and Chicken Run being created specifically for the big screen, it's becoming harder to justify plunking down hard-earned cash to sit through yet another big-screen adaptation of a currently popular cartoon television series. This time, it's The Wild Thornberrys Movie, a takeoff on the show about a 12-year-old girl who, like Dr. Dolittle, has the ability to talk to the animals. Young Eliza Thornberry travels across the plains of Africa with her family and her monkey sidekick Darwin, and in this installment, we find her squaring off against poachers. The theatrical release (and PG rating) allows the filmmakers to indulge their infantilism by including scenes focusing on baboon butts and equine flatulence, but otherwise, this is just a glorified TV episode -- not painful, but awfully hard to get excited about. Eliza's cynical older sister Debbie, a shallow city girl at odds with her majestic surroundings, offers some chuckles, and the voice talents include the likes of Tim Curry, Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei and Alfre Woodard. But watching manic wild child Donnie prance and dance around the screen gets tiresome, though it does lead to a sobering thought: Is it possible this toon kid is Roberto Benigni's role model?
