CONSTANTINE A visually spectacular yet emotionally barren, at times gratingly inconsistent comic book adaptation. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE Some might be put off by the film’s anachronistic unreality and manifest righteousness, while others will no doubt revel in the quixotic Bushiness of it all. Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels IMAGINARY HEROES What starts out as a kind of poor man’s “Ordinary People” quickly deteriorates into an unintentional comedy of errors filled with virtually every staple of the after-school special genre. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch HITCH Smith and James make a good team and hit all the right comedic notes working with very funny material. Starring: Will Smith, Kevin James, Eva Mendez BRIDE & PREJUDICE American audiences will be captivated by Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood’s most popular female star. Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson INSIDE DEEP THROAT A provocative, highly entertaining look inside the “Deep Throat” phenomenon and the indelible impression it made on the cultural landscape.
THE WEDDING DATE Why do fools fall in love? Maybe for the same reason they make half-baked chick flicks … cuz some people never learn. Starring: Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney RORY O’SHEA WAS HERE Dramatically charged, funny, and most of all uplifting, This is the first best movie of 2005. Starring: Steven Robertson, James McAvoy HIDE AND SEEK What is, for a solid 80 minutes or so, a pretty hair-raising and suspenseful thriller, falls apart more quickly and embarrassingly than a drunken “Real World” cast member. Starring: Robert DeNiro, Dakota Fanning ALONE IN THE DARK A deliriously edited special-effects cannonade featuring a once-semirespectable movie star slogging through a morass of detritus left over from seemingly every bad sci-fi flick ever committed to celluloid. Starring: Christian Slater ARE WE THERE YET? Ten minutes into this hapless family comedy, you’ll be wishing you were anywhere but there. Starring: Ice Cube, Nia Long COACH CARTER Succeeds thanks to an inspirational story, some highly realistic and exciting basketball action, and a winning performance from Samuel L. Jackson. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Ashanti THE AVIATOR The second-best biopic Scorsese has helmed, behind the exalted “Raging Bull.” DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes stands out as the finest work of his career. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS Inspired adaptation of the wildly popular kids’ book series that ‘tis a hell of a lot more naughty than nice. Starring: Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep SPANGLISH James Brooks is one of the best in the business at harvesting fresh perspectives on the human condition. Starring: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni MILLION DOLLAR BABY At its core, this is a heart-wrenching story about overcoming impossible odds and realizing dreams. Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 4, 2005. Read the original PDF.