Nigel Sinclair Movies

Adversaries become wary allies in this free-wheeling action comedy. Hank Rafferty (Steve Zahn) is a Los Angeles Police Department officer who finds himself out of a job after he becomes involved in a violent altercation with police academy flunk-out Earl Montgomery (Martin Lawrence), escalating into a media event which brings the LAPD a wealth of bad publicity. Unable to find work, Hank finally takes a job as a "rent-a-cop" with a private security firm -- and discovers to his annoyance that his new partner is Earl. While neither of them are thrilled to be working together on the lowest strata of the law enforcement community, the two find themselves dealing with bigger crime than they expected when they stumble across evidence of a elite smuggling network operated by criminal mastermind Nash (Eric Roberts). Hank and Earl want to put Nash out of business, and they try without success to persuade the police of the importance of the case. But before long they discover it's not just Nash's men who are after them, but two high-ranking LAPD officials, Lt. Washington (Bill Duke) and Detective McDuff (Colm Feore). National Security was directed by Dennis Dugan, who'd previously helmed antic comedies starring Adam Sandler and Chris Farley; this film also marked Martin Lawrence's entry into the elite of Hollywood's comedy stars, with Lawrence taking home a 20-million-dollar paycheck for his work on the picture. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A cop's personal code of justice begins to change after a number of incidents lead his city to a tragic wave of violence in this police drama. Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell) is a veteran cop with the LAPD's Special Investigations unit, a man who isn't above bending the law if it means putting people behind bars who deserve the treatment. As Los Angeles waits on the verdict in the Rodney King police beating trial, Perry is presenting testimony to Assistant Chief of Police Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames), who is well aware of the corruption in the SIS unit and wants to stop it. Perry, however, twists some facts as he speaks in the defense of his new partner, Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman), who is being investigated for inappropriate use of deadly force. For lack of honest testimony, Keough is let off the hook, and soon he and Perry have a new case to investigate -- a robbery at a liquor store than turned into a quadruple homicide. Perry and Keough quickly track down two likely suspects, Orchard (Kurupt) and Sidwell (Dash Mihok), but Perry is surprised when the head of SIS, Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson), tells him to let Orchard and Sidwell go, and instead points the finger at two ex-cons who should be taken off the street, even though they're innocent of this crime. Perry follows Van Meter's orders, despite Keough's misgivings, but in the wake of the L.A. riots, Perry has a change of heart, and decides to start working with Holland against Van Meter's corrupt methods. In the midst of it all, Perry is trying to hold together his troubled marriage to Sally (Lolita Davidovich), while Keough finds himself romancing a fellow officer, Beth (Michael Michele). Dark Blue was adapted from an original screenplay by noted crime novelist James Ellroy; originally set against the backdrop of the 1965 Watts riots, the story was later updated to 1992. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Graham Greene's allegorical novel about America's role in the Vietnam conflict, and how it was perceived by the rest of the world, is brought to the screen for the second time in this adaptation directed by Phillip Noyce. Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is a British journalist who in 1952 is covering the early stages of the war in Indo-China for the London Times, not a demanding assignment since few in England are especially interested in the conflict. When not filing occasional reports, Fowler spends his time with Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a beautiful woman who shares lovemaking and opium with Fowler and is willing to accept the fact the married journalist will never make her his wife. Fowler becomes friendly with Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a cheerful and articulate if seemingly naïve American who is in Saigon as part of a medical mission. As Fowler and Pyle develop a closer friendship, Pyle is introduced to Phuong, and the American soon becomes infatuated with her. When Fowler's editors suggest he return to London, he responds by digging himself deeper in covering the war, and Pyle attempts to take Phuong away; she soon rejects him. Undaunted, Pyle continues with his work, but Fowler discovers that medical help is not what the American is bringing to Vietnam. Pyle is in fact a CIA operative who is helping to organize and finance a "Third Force" who will battle Ho Chi Min's forces as well as the French and their allies. Fowler also learns that Pyle is behind a series of bombings which are believed to have been carried out by Communist extremists, and faces the ugly fact that his American friend is in fact a terrorist killing in the name of Uncle Sam's political interests. While completed in the fall of 2001, The Quiet American went unreleased until late 2002; after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the film's producers felt the film's critical view of America's role in the Vietnam war might be considered especially offensive. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This lighthearted romantic comedy in the tradition of Runaway Bride (1999) casts Jennifer Lopez in the Julia Roberts mold. Lopez stars as Mary Fiore, an ambitious and successful San Francisco wedding planner who works only for the most wealthy and exclusive clients but who is also a perpetual single. Pressured by her father Sal (Alex Rocco) to settle down, Mary is saved from a collision with an out of control dumpster by Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey), a successful pediatrician. After sharing a romantic evening and a dance together, Mary learns that Eddie is engaged and that she's being hired by his controlling fiancée Fran (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras), an Internet tycoon, to plan their lavish wedding. The directorial debut of former choreographer Adam Shankman, The Wedding Planner costars Kevin Pollak, Judy Greer, and Kathy Najimy. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

When the tiny burgh of Keighley lands the rights to host the annual British hairdressing championships, practically every city in the United Kingdom is represented in the competition -- except Keighley itself. It seems the event is team-oriented, and the only suitable local contestants had a huge falling out a decade ago. For Brian (Josh Hartnett), the son of two hairdressers, that falling out had personal consequences: His mother Shelley (Natasha Richardson) left his father Phil (Alan Rickman) to take up with Phil's hair model Sandra (Rachel Griffiths). Since then, former styling champ Phil has settled for training Brian to help run his lowly barber shop, while Shelley and Sandra have opened a salon of their own. But when Shelley learns that she has terminal cancer, she reaches out to her family in hopes that a reunion for the hairdressing contest might help them all find some sense of closure. To complicate matters, Phil's old arch-nemesis, Ray (Bill Nighy), is now a two-time champ looking for a three-peat, and he's brought along his beautiful American daughter Christina (Rachael Leigh Cook) to work on his team. Blow Dry also marks the screen debut of supermodel Heidi Klum. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

An ailing criminal and his excitement-starved nurse decide to knock over a bank for fun and profit in this comic suspense story. Legendary bank robber Henry Manning (Paul Newman) pushes his luck too far and ends up in prison, where he suffers a massive stroke. He is transferred to a nursing home, in the care of Carol Ann McKay (Linda Fiorentino), a high school prom queen who married her boyfriend Wayne (Dermot Mulroney), the star of her school's football team, and whose glamour days are well behind her. After a few of her personal effects mysteriously disappear, Carol Ann starts to suspect that Henry isn't as sick as he seems, and she and Wayne are soon working with Henry to plan his last and greatest score. The title comes from the remark attributed to the outlaw Willie Sutton, who when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "Because that's where the money is." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Set during the swinging disco era in decidedly unswinging Sheffield, England, this oddball comedy is both a coming-of-age story about getting funky and a supernatural mystery. Vince (Michael Legge) is a Travolta-obsessed teenager who lives with his aspiring magician brother; his randy mom, who has a taste for young men; and his laid-back father Harold (Tom Courtenay). Vince longs for the young, vivacious Joanna Robinson (Laura Fraser), as Harold wows his family with his unnervingly accurate mind reading tricks. Later, when he makes headlines for inadvertently stopping the pacemakers of a couple of oldsters, Harold learns that he actually does have a telekinetic brain. That doesn't stop him from getting arrested, however, and soon Vince and Joanna's snotty boss (David Thewlis) is representing him in court. Meanwhile, Vince has been unable to summon the courage to ask out Joanna. While walking home one day, he is taken by a sexy young punkette who turns out to be none other than Joanna. Vince promptly dumps his disco stuff and buys a Sex Pistols album. Pete Hewitt, whose previous efforts include Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, directed this film. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Sophomore writer/director Willard Carroll weaves together an all-star cast in interlocking stories about finding love in Los Angeles. The film's theme is spoken by young club-hopper Joan (Angelina Jolie). Taken by the mysterious Keenan (Ryan Phillippe), she tells him that "talking about love" is like "dancing about architecture" (the original title until the studio thought it would be confused with Dancing at Lughnasa), meaning speech is not the medium to adequately express the details of love. They all try, anyway. Others up for the dance include a TV cooking-show hostess (Gena Rowlands) and her husband (Sean Connery) who still fight over his one brief infidelity 25 years earlier; two lovers (Madeline Stowe, Anthony Edwards) who discuss their unhappy marriages; and a theater director (Gillian Anderson) and her architect, Mr. Right (Jon Stewart). Also searching are Dennis Quaid, Nastassja Kinski and Patricia Clarkson. For a familial sort of love, there's Ellen Burstyn as the estranged mother to her son (Jay Mohr) dying of AIDS. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi

British actor Peter Howitt wrote and directed this British romantic comedy-drama with a "road not taken" premise recalling the 1921 play If by Lord Dunsany (1878-1957), Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and O.Henry's short story Roads of Destiny (1909). Howitt's storyline branches in two directions: Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) loses her job at a classy London PR firm, has a run-in with a purse-snatcher, and just misses catching her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) in bed with his former girlfriend Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). But what if it were one of those days when everything goes right? As the sliding doors close while she stands on a subway platform in the London underground, Helen ponders the events in her alternate reality. The plot of Lord Dunsany's If also hinges on a future determined by catching or missing a train. Sliding Doors was shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This screen version of Del Shores' play follows a dysfunctional Southern family as they squabble among themselves over the family fortune. As the title would suggest, Daddy (Bert Remsen), the patriarch of a large family in the deep South, is reaching the end of life's journey as his health and energy slip away and he watches midget wrestling on a television that isn't even turned on. Daddy's children have all returned to the family home, ostensibly to show their support in their father's final hours, but mainly because they're eager to know how Daddy's estate will be divided. Sara Lee (Tess Harper) has arrived with her new fiancé, Clarence (Keith Carradine). Evalita (Beverly D'Angelo), the high-spirited "black sheep" of the family, also has her new beau in tow, a pot-addled musician and health-food salesman named Harmony (Judge Reinhold). Orville (Beau Bridges) has brought along his wife, the patient and long-suffering Marlene (Patrika Darbo). And Lurlene (Amy Wright) is a born-again Christian who isn't shy about expressing her views on sin and salvation. As the siblings and their companions bicker, Daddy announces that he can't remember where he put his will, leading to a frantic search. The film was directed by Jack Fisk, who made his name in film as an art director and production designer (he's also the husband of actress Sissy Spacek). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This film focuses on the trials and tribulations of Ira (Todd Solondz), who is an unsuccessful playwright trying to find himself in New York City. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

In 1977, while Jeff Stein was compiling The Kids Are Alright, his excellent documentary on legendary British rockers the Who, the filmmaker felt he lacked strong film footage of several classic Who tunes and wanted performances that would bring the picture up to date. With this in mind, Stein arranged for the Who to play a show to be filmed for the movie, and six 35mm film cameras were on hand when the band took the stage at the State Kilburn Theatre on December 15, 1977. However, Pete Townshend was openly disappointed with the Who's show that day (even saying on camera "This wasn't f--king worth filming, Stein -- might as well send the cameramen home" midway through their set), and they shot another concert several months later that was used in the movie. However, more than three decades later the Kilburn State Theatre set has finally been made available on the DVD release The Who at Kilburn 1977. Compared to the Who's best work on film, The Who at Kilburn 1977 does capture the band on a relative off night -- Keith Moon is clearly out of shape and has trouble keeping up with the band, while John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey appear to be a bit out of practice -- but Townshend is on fire throughout the show, and this footage confirms that the Who were a powerfully exciting act even when they weren't delivering one hundred percent. The Who at Kilburn 1977 has been given a widescreen transfer to disc, letterboxed at the 1.78:1 aspect ratio on conventional televisions and enhanced for anamorphic play on 16x9 monitors. The original film elements are practically spotless and the depth and clarity of the 35mm film image is truly impressive, as is the vivid but realistic color balance. The audio (which was recorded using a 16-track mobile truck) has been mastered in three formats, Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and DTS 5.1 Surround. The stereo mix sounds tighter and more powerful than the 5.1 version, but either way the results are impressive and capture the force of the Who on stage with admirable accuracy. The performances are in English, with no subtitles or multiple language options. As a bonus, this package comes with a second disc featuring another show from the Who's archives -- a December 1969 performance at the London Coliseum Theater in which the band performed the recently-released rock opera Tommy in full along with a set of their bet known tunes. The 1969 show was filmed in 16mm by a small crew who didn't use any additional lighting; consequently, the image is often dark and grainy and at times the band is all but invisible, while the print is in rough shape and there are bits where the editors have to make do with "stylized" substitute footage when both cameramen ran out of film. But the Who are in excellent form in this bonus gig, and while the audio is sometimes boomy and distorted, it inarguably captures a more interesting concert than the one on disc one. (It's also presented in widescreen, with both stereo and surround options.) The Who at Kilburn 1977 delivers two flawed but fascinating shows from one of the greatest bands in rock history, and serious Who fans will certainly want this in their collection. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi