New On Video: 'Adaptation,' 'Star Trek: Nemesis'
Also New: 'The 25th Hour,' 'Dark Angel' Season 1
POSTED: 4:37 p.m. EDT May 30, 2003
'Adaptation' (R): Director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman rewrite the book on comedy once again with "Adaptation," an equally brilliant follow-up to their scathingly funny mind-bender "Being John Malkovich.
Like "Malkovich," "Adaptation" has ties to the real-life movie business. But instead the of the ultra-intense actor Malkovich being the centerpiece of the film, this time around its scribe Kaufman (Nicholas Cage -- who wonderfully adapted a pot belly and a thinning, bad hairdo for the film), who finds himself in the middle of a serious case of writer's block while trying to adapt a novel into a screenplay.
To give Charlie credit, the subject of his screen adaptation isn't the easiest assignment in the world, as the narrative of the book defies all Hollywood story convention. It's called "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), which is based upon the life of John Laroche (Chris Cooper), a stringy-haired, toothless plant dealer who mines a rare breed of orchids for a mysterious purpose.
So, with the help of his twin brother Donald (Cage), a by-the-book screenwriter, Charlie sets out to eliminate his writer's block by delving into the life of Orlean herself. And as we soon discover, Orlean's life is a drama within itself, which brings about some complicated dilemmas that the Kaufman brothers must face if the screenplay is to be finished.
While that dreadful phenomenon called writer's block is what drives "Adaptation," I have no trouble saying the film was among the best of 2002. Not only is the screenplay ingenious, Jonze's direction is, like "Being John Malkovich," fresh and engrossing. The acting is nothing short of brilliant, starting with Cage, who absorbs himself into the decidedly different Kaufman brothers (don't let the screenplay credits fool you -- Donald, by the way, doesn't exist in real life).
As for Cooper, he earns his Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Laroche, who is undoubtedly one of the most original characters to hit the screen over the past year. Just as deserving of all the praise but amazingly overlooked for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar is Streep (Kaufman got ripped off for an Oscar, too), who's again breathtakingly convincing as the "Adaptation's" conflicted book author. I think few would argue that Streep is simply one of the best actors on the planet.
Not to be overlooked in the film, though, are other great turns in smaller roles by Cara Seymour as Charlie's potential love interest, and Brian Cox, who's a complete scream as a gruff screenwriting seminar guru that Donald swears is the real deal to success.
Also turning up in the film are several cameos by stars like John Cusack and Catherine Keener from "Being John Malkovich." And while "Adaptation" isn't a sequel to "Malkovich," it probably would be helpful to rent it if you haven't seen it to get some of "Adaptation's" in-jokes. Together, they provide a solid night of guaranteed, albeit quirky, entertainment. I can't wait to see what Kaufman and Jonze come up with next.
DVD Features: Apart from a "superbit" digital presentation, other premium features are surprisingly absent from the "Adaptation" DVD. The only features included are the standard ones, including cast and filmmaker filmographies and the film's theatrical trailer. (Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment)
'Star Trek: Nemesis' (PG-13): With continually engaging storylines and a solid ensemble cast you know is going to deliver, it's hard to say why audiences largely ignored "Star Trek Nemesis," the 10th and presumably final installment of the "Star Trek" movie series involving the "Next Generation" crew.
Like the three previous "Star Trek" films, the action of "Nemesis" completely surrounds the "Next Generation" crew (Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Levar Burton, Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn), who find new foes in the alien race the Remans while on a peace mission with old foes the Romulans. Further complicating matters is the fact that the Remans leader, Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy), has a genetic link to Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart) -- and he has some deadly intentions in store.
Being familiar with the television series should provide you with enough background to get you through "Nemesis," which is for the most part a stand-alone sequel in the "Star Trek" movie series.
In particular, there aren't any real solid connections to the previous "Star Trek" film, "Insurrection," with the exception of a big development in Commander Riker (Frakes) and Counselor Troi's (Sirtis) relationship. The film begins with their marriage, which, as it turns out, is about the only upbeat scene in the whole movie.
The rest of "Star Trek: Nemesis" is pretty serious business -- and a far cry from the youthful, feel-good narrative of "Insurrection." Most surprising is a plot turn at the end of the film, which is sure to put die-hard "Star Trek" fans into a serious funk dive.
It's hard to say what exact direction the "Star Trek" movie franchise will take from here. Unlike "Star Trek: Generations," where the Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and select members of the classic show's crew passed the torch onto the "Next Generation" crew, there is no changing of the guard here. Apart from a brief cameo by "Star Trek Voyager's" Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), there is no clear indication that she is taking the helm from here.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by director Stuart Baird; deleted scenes; four production documentaries; photo gallery and more. (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment)
'The 25th Hour' (R): Filmmaker Spike Lee delivers a sobering message about redemption that comes too little, too late in "The 25th Hour," a drama about a Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), a convicted drug-dealer who re-examines his life in his last day of freedom before he goes off to prison for a seven-year stretch.
While some scenes are drawn out too far, Lee manages to tug your emotions both ways with the film, making you loathe Monty for what he's done (his best friend, played by Barry Pepper, continually reminds him that he's made his living at the expense of other people's misery), yet empathize with him because he's clearly reformed himself, yet is bound for a brutally rough stretch of confinement.
Of course, making that possible is a convincing performance by Norton. Possessing a magnetic screen presence, he's is immediately likeable as Monty, and that's what creates the quandary with "The 25th Hour." Sure, he's likable, but should that even matter given the fact that he's ruined other people's lives?
Also look for heartbreaking performances by Brian Cox as his father makes you shudder at the thought of losing your child to prison, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Pepper as his confused best friends, and Rosario Dawson as his soon-to-be lost love.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by Lee and writer-author David Benioff; deleted scenes; "The Evolution of an American Filmmaker" featurette; and a featurette commemorating the film's New York setting, "Ground Zero: A Tribute." (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD
'Dark Angel' (NR): Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron's first voyage after the monolithic success of "Titanic" wasn't the magnificent 3D IMAX movie "Ghosts of the Abyss," but instead "Dark Angel," a television series that developed a big enough following from its two seasons on the air (2000-2002) to merit the release of at least the first season episodes on DVD.
The series somewhat employs the "Terminator" and "Aliens" filmmaker's futuristic stylings, this time coming in the form of Max Guevera/X5-452 (Jessica Alba), a genetically enhanced 18-year-old escapee from a lab project in a post-apocalyptic Seattle. The six-disc set includes cast and crew commentary, audition tapes, a gag reel and bloopers, and a trailer for Cameron's "Dark Angel" video game. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
Like "Malkovich," "Adaptation" has ties to the real-life movie business. But instead the of the ultra-intense actor Malkovich being the centerpiece of the film, this time around its scribe Kaufman (Nicholas Cage -- who wonderfully adapted a pot belly and a thinning, bad hairdo for the film), who finds himself in the middle of a serious case of writer's block while trying to adapt a novel into a screenplay.
To give Charlie credit, the subject of his screen adaptation isn't the easiest assignment in the world, as the narrative of the book defies all Hollywood story convention. It's called "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), which is based upon the life of John Laroche (Chris Cooper), a stringy-haired, toothless plant dealer who mines a rare breed of orchids for a mysterious purpose.
So, with the help of his twin brother Donald (Cage), a by-the-book screenwriter, Charlie sets out to eliminate his writer's block by delving into the life of Orlean herself. And as we soon discover, Orlean's life is a drama within itself, which brings about some complicated dilemmas that the Kaufman brothers must face if the screenplay is to be finished.
While that dreadful phenomenon called writer's block is what drives "Adaptation," I have no trouble saying the film was among the best of 2002. Not only is the screenplay ingenious, Jonze's direction is, like "Being John Malkovich," fresh and engrossing. The acting is nothing short of brilliant, starting with Cage, who absorbs himself into the decidedly different Kaufman brothers (don't let the screenplay credits fool you -- Donald, by the way, doesn't exist in real life).
As for Cooper, he earns his Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Laroche, who is undoubtedly one of the most original characters to hit the screen over the past year. Just as deserving of all the praise but amazingly overlooked for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar is Streep (Kaufman got ripped off for an Oscar, too), who's again breathtakingly convincing as the "Adaptation's" conflicted book author. I think few would argue that Streep is simply one of the best actors on the planet.
Not to be overlooked in the film, though, are other great turns in smaller roles by Cara Seymour as Charlie's potential love interest, and Brian Cox, who's a complete scream as a gruff screenwriting seminar guru that Donald swears is the real deal to success.
Also turning up in the film are several cameos by stars like John Cusack and Catherine Keener from "Being John Malkovich." And while "Adaptation" isn't a sequel to "Malkovich," it probably would be helpful to rent it if you haven't seen it to get some of "Adaptation's" in-jokes. Together, they provide a solid night of guaranteed, albeit quirky, entertainment. I can't wait to see what Kaufman and Jonze come up with next.
DVD Features: Apart from a "superbit" digital presentation, other premium features are surprisingly absent from the "Adaptation" DVD. The only features included are the standard ones, including cast and filmmaker filmographies and the film's theatrical trailer. (Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment)
'Star Trek: Nemesis' (PG-13): With continually engaging storylines and a solid ensemble cast you know is going to deliver, it's hard to say why audiences largely ignored "Star Trek Nemesis," the 10th and presumably final installment of the "Star Trek" movie series involving the "Next Generation" crew.
Like the three previous "Star Trek" films, the action of "Nemesis" completely surrounds the "Next Generation" crew (Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Levar Burton, Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn), who find new foes in the alien race the Remans while on a peace mission with old foes the Romulans. Further complicating matters is the fact that the Remans leader, Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy), has a genetic link to Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart) -- and he has some deadly intentions in store.
Being familiar with the television series should provide you with enough background to get you through "Nemesis," which is for the most part a stand-alone sequel in the "Star Trek" movie series.
In particular, there aren't any real solid connections to the previous "Star Trek" film, "Insurrection," with the exception of a big development in Commander Riker (Frakes) and Counselor Troi's (Sirtis) relationship. The film begins with their marriage, which, as it turns out, is about the only upbeat scene in the whole movie.
The rest of "Star Trek: Nemesis" is pretty serious business -- and a far cry from the youthful, feel-good narrative of "Insurrection." Most surprising is a plot turn at the end of the film, which is sure to put die-hard "Star Trek" fans into a serious funk dive.
It's hard to say what exact direction the "Star Trek" movie franchise will take from here. Unlike "Star Trek: Generations," where the Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and select members of the classic show's crew passed the torch onto the "Next Generation" crew, there is no changing of the guard here. Apart from a brief cameo by "Star Trek Voyager's" Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), there is no clear indication that she is taking the helm from here.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by director Stuart Baird; deleted scenes; four production documentaries; photo gallery and more. (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment)
'The 25th Hour' (R): Filmmaker Spike Lee delivers a sobering message about redemption that comes too little, too late in "The 25th Hour," a drama about a Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), a convicted drug-dealer who re-examines his life in his last day of freedom before he goes off to prison for a seven-year stretch.
While some scenes are drawn out too far, Lee manages to tug your emotions both ways with the film, making you loathe Monty for what he's done (his best friend, played by Barry Pepper, continually reminds him that he's made his living at the expense of other people's misery), yet empathize with him because he's clearly reformed himself, yet is bound for a brutally rough stretch of confinement.
Of course, making that possible is a convincing performance by Norton. Possessing a magnetic screen presence, he's is immediately likeable as Monty, and that's what creates the quandary with "The 25th Hour." Sure, he's likable, but should that even matter given the fact that he's ruined other people's lives?
Also look for heartbreaking performances by Brian Cox as his father makes you shudder at the thought of losing your child to prison, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Pepper as his confused best friends, and Rosario Dawson as his soon-to-be lost love.
DVD Features: Audio commentary by Lee and writer-author David Benioff; deleted scenes; "The Evolution of an American Filmmaker" featurette; and a featurette commemorating the film's New York setting, "Ground Zero: A Tribute." (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
TV On DVD
'Dark Angel' (NR): Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron's first voyage after the monolithic success of "Titanic" wasn't the magnificent 3D IMAX movie "Ghosts of the Abyss," but instead "Dark Angel," a television series that developed a big enough following from its two seasons on the air (2000-2002) to merit the release of at least the first season episodes on DVD.
The series somewhat employs the "Terminator" and "Aliens" filmmaker's futuristic stylings, this time coming in the form of Max Guevera/X5-452 (Jessica Alba), a genetically enhanced 18-year-old escapee from a lab project in a post-apocalyptic Seattle. The six-disc set includes cast and crew commentary, audition tapes, a gag reel and bloopers, and a trailer for Cameron's "Dark Angel" video game. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)Copyright 2003 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
