AltWeeklies Wire
Soap and Daggers in Ninth Century Chinanew
The swooning visuals, the expert choreography, the teasing love story, and the puzzle-piece plot all combine to give this martial arts movie the spirit of a star-cross'd swashbuckler.
Austin Chronicle |
Kimberley Jones |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Hope Amid the Madnessnew
Don Cheadle, in the finest performance of his career, headlines this true-life story about the "Oskar Schindler of Kigali, Rwanda" during the massacres of 1994.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Terry George, Hotel Rwanda
No Pass, No Playnew
Come to this movie for the prominent hip-hop soundtrack and glossy sports action; leave with a message about teamwork, decency, and self-respect scorched into your brain.
Austin Chronicle |
Marrit Ingman |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Coach Carter, Thomas Carter
Write What You Knownew
Every young writer goes through a Charles Bukowski phase, but only the skid row author himself was "born into it." So say the many peoople who knew him in this comprehensive documentary.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Tsunami Kills Tourists, Wakes Up Europenew
Tourist deaths from the tsunami has woken Europe up to banal reality. All these Asian nations have suddenly, in the wake of this absolute disaster, been contextualized.
New York Press |
Joshua Cohen |
01-13-2005 |
Commentary
Recordings Show Twosome at Most Sublimenew
The intuitive communication between guitar and bass is evident on two sets from the Sweetwater club. Here the sound is stripped to its folk-blues essence as Jack Casady's nimble but thunderous bass supports and prods Jorma Kaukonen's agile picking.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Hal Horowitz |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Something Happenednew
The hero of John Haskell's debut novel "was in the middle of living happily ever after when something happened." His wife and car disappeared from a roadside gas station, setting him off on a wild-goose chase.
The Village Voice |
Joy Press |
01-13-2005 |
Fiction
Newest Release Serves Stunning Assortment of Tidbitsnew
The newest release, Lonely Runs Both Ways, serves up another stunning assortment of musical tidbits, each as savory as the one before. It's almost as if Krauss and Co. have found the perfect recipe and don't need to experiment anymore.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
James Kelly |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Deflower Power: Mining the Depths of Reality TVnew
Erik Barmack nails the intricacies of reality dating show conventions in his debut novel. It's about a TV series called The Virgin, in which contestants have a chance to deflower an enigmatic woman named Madison.
The Village Voice |
Joy Press |
01-13-2005 |
Fiction
What Should Be Edgy Flick Never Deliversnew
The opening promises an edgy action flick that the rest of the film never delivers. Consider it an Assault on Carpenter's originality and your own spare time.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Cinematic Swoon Over Operatic Action Flicknew
In addition to its essential love story, House of Flying Daggers is a class tale of characters who are pawns in larger political forces and whose endless battles have a sad futility. The characters fight for their masters, squandering lives that should be spent in love.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Felicia Feaster |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
The Big, Bad Michael Chertoffnew
Michael Chertoff, President Bush's new pick for Homeland Security chief, makes the outgoing Tom Ridge look like a cream puff. He gives no quarter. There is no mercy. The Constitution? Forget it.
The Village Voice |
James Ridgeway and Nicole Duarte |
01-13-2005 |
Politics
Tsunami Brings Sea Change in Sri Lankanew
In the small island nation of Sri Lanka, the tsunami claimed nearly half the number who have lost their lives in 20 years of civil war.
The Village Voice |
Jyoti Thottam |
01-13-2005 |
International
Hotshot Go-Getter Meets Family Mannew
Weitz's film is a soulful plea for a return to warm and fuzzy values like raising decent children and treating people with compassion in a world that has become hardwired for mercenary tactics born out of economic fear.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Felicia Feaster |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Paul Weitz, In Good Company
A Pedophile Hunts for Redemptionnew
By placing a pedophile at the center of the story, director Nicole Kassell enters uncomfortable territory. Fortunately, Kevin Bacon's controlled, empathetic performance makes The Woodsman into an honest bid to respect the sinner while hating the sin.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-13-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Nicole Kassell, The Woodsman
