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DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE Yet another dum-dum thriller. John Travolta is appealing as a divorced dad who believes his son (Matt O'Leary) when the latter tells him he witnessed his new stepdad (Vince Vaughn) murder another man, and Steve Buscemi steals the film in his brief scenes as the victim. But Vaughn's character is clearly up to no good, Teri Polo's mom is too slow on the uptake to earn much sympathy, and the climax is simply ludicrous. 1/2
FROM HELL The Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society) tackle the legend of Jack the Ripper, with satisfactory results. This may not possess the macabre sense of showmanship that made Sleepy Hollow such a kinky kick (both films, incidentally, star Johnny Depp as the detective on the case), but on its own terms, it's an effective thriller that's densely plotted and well-paced.
K-PAX Offensively sanctimonious, flagrantly derivative and just plain dull, this insufferable picture casts Kevin Spacey as Prot, a mental patient who claims to be from another planet. Spacey's performance is built on nothing but putrid platitudes and affected mannerisms -- frankly, I didn't think it was possible for him to ever be this bad -- while Jeff Bridges' cardboard role (as the doctor on the case) is far beneath his capabilities.
LIFE AS A HOUSE With its conflicted characters and sense of irony, this drama about a divorced architect (Kevin Kline) trying to settle his affairs before cancer takes him initially feels like a yard sale version of American Beauty. But as the story progresses, its empathic nature and some choice performances eventually wear down all resistance to its rollicking charms.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE Billy Bob Thornton stars as a taciturn barber who discovers that his wife (Frances McDormand) is having an affair; he resorts to blackmail, a scheme that ends up leading to murder instead. Joel and Ethan Coen, no stranger to genre sendups, have turned to the smoke-choked world of film noir, and the result is an interesting misfire, a mixed bag that contains a number of wonderful moments that never quite coalesce. 1/2
MULHOLLAND DRIVE Audacious, infuriating, and the sort of divisive movie we've come to expect from one of America's most idiosyncratic filmmakers, David Lynch's latest piece of delirium works both as an exercise in bravura moviemaking and as a commentary on the very nature of cinema itself. As the perky blonde heroine, Naomi Watts delivers an unexpectedly complex performance that ranks with the year's best.
TRAINING DAY An idealistic rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) learns the law
of the streets under the corrupt eye of his superior (Denzel Washington). Rivetting
performances by Hawke and especially Washington are what keep us watching even
after the movie surrounding them falls apart. 1/2