Insane collision of thriller and farce, with a kidnapping plot played at volume 11 and cast by a person on amyl. Kevin Bacon and Courtney Love are the bad couple, Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend the goodies. Charlize attacks Kev with a scalpel hidden down her knickers, but is still less raving bonkers than Courtney. Gloriously dreadful.
Patchy, visually flashy remake by Neil Jordan of his favourite film, Melville's classic Bob Le Flambeur. Its art-robbery-scam story's all over the place, in truth, but Nick Nolte proves to be a wildly compelling force of nature as he kicks heroin, woos a young girl and beats casinos at their own game, all the while looking like he hasn't slept for a very taxing fortnight.
Chaplin's work is a strange blend of clinical perfectionism and cloying sentimentality, and though there's no denying that his timing is impeccable and his constant quest for innovation is impressive, whether you find him funny or not is another matter. This box contains all 10 of his feature films, plus a lengthy new documentary.
Amiable shoot-the-shit comedy from hangdog actor/producer Ice Cube, Barbershop reveals a hint of drama (sinister gangster Keith David has designs on the shop), but is really a sitcommy chatabout between neighbourhood eccentrics. Topics range from slavery reparations to "the difference between a woman with a big ass and a big-assed woman!"
OPENS OCTOBER 24, CERT PG, 141 MINS
Seabiscuit was the little horse that could—a pop culture phenomenon in Depression-era America who won the 1937 Santa Anita Handicap against all odds and beguiled an ailing nation.
Written off in his early years as a grumpy, awkward loser, Seabiscuit was trained for victory by three broken men: too-tall jockey Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire), tragic millionaire Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) and washed-up cowboy Tom Smith (Chris Cooper).
OPENS OCTOBER 24, CERT U, 67 MINS
Scooby Doo, you've gone all blue. And trippy, Daft Punk, the French techno-pop duo who've consistently worked with cutting-edge directors (Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Roman Coppola), have collaborated with their lifelong Manga animation heroes Leiji Matsumoto and Kazuhisa Takenouchi to produce this 'musical', loosely accompanying their 2001 album Discovery. It's fun, and sweet rather than radical. If you're a Manga buff you'll enjoy the quaint sci-fi plotline and imagery, and stare at the female bassist's lovingly-drawn arse.
