Film capsules -- 1997-2001

Can't Hardly Wait (PG-13) 96 min. Garner's rating: 4 Review · Clips
This teen comedy is the umpteenth version of "American Graffiti," another "House Party" for another "Dazed and Confused" generation. Only adolescents who desire a high school movie they can call their own need apply. Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt star for co-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan. Columbia TriStar. Rated PG-13, with profanity and sexual references.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin (R) 127 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review · Clips
A mildly flawed but affecting period romance about a occupation soldier (Nicolas Cage) who woos a lovely Greek island girl (Penelope Cruz). Christian Bale, Irene Papas and especially John Hurt offer strong support for director John Madden. Universal. Rated R, with violence, profanity, nudity and sex.

Career Girls (R) 88 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review
An insubstantial but often fascinating character study from highly inventive British director Mike Leigh. Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman co-star in this profile of two young women who recall their relationship in flashbacks. It's lesser Leigh, but lesser Leigh is better than most. October Films. Rated R, with strong profanity.

Cast Away (PG-13) 143 min. Garner's rating: 10 Review · Clips
A masterful drama about a FedEx executive, marooned for four years on an isolated Pacific island. Tom Hanks delivers another virtuoso performance for his Forrest Gump director, Robert Zemeckis. Helen Hunt co-stars. Twentieth Century Fox. Rated PG-13, with profanity and strong air-crash violence.

The Castle (R) 85 min. Our rating: 8 Review · Clips
A heart-warming comedy about a family of simpletons trying to keep their home from being taken over by the Australian government and a large company. Stars Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry and Sophie Lee. Directed by Rob Sitch. Miramax. Rated R, for language.

Cats & Dogs (PG) 87 min. Garner's rating: 4 Review · Clips
The fur flies in this latest talking-animals enterprise, a fast-paced but charmless saga about how much canines and felines hate each other. Jeff Goldblum heads the human cast, Tobey Maguire and Alec Baldwin are the chief pet voices. Lawrence Guterman directs, without much imagination. Warner Bros. Rated PG, with action violence.

Cats Don't Dance (G) 96 min. Garner's rating 7 Review · Clips
An amiable new cartoon feature about two cats who are determined to become stars in the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s. Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy and George Kennedy contribute voices, while the late Gene Kelly was a consultant for the cartoon choreography. Mark Dindal directs. Accompanied by a new Chuck Jones animated short, starring Foghorn Leghorn. Warners. Rated G.

Caught Up (R) 95 min.
Screenwriter Darin Scott's directorial debut is a suspense thriller and stars Bokeem Woodbine, Cynda Williams, and rappers LL Cool J and Snoop Doggy Dog.

The Caveman's Valentine (R) 100 min. Our rating: 5 Review · Clips
A mentally ill homeless man is the detective in a murder case involving a famous artist, in this unconvincing, overly obvious film in which the usually reliable Samuel L. Jackson gives a mannered, overstated performance. Starring Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Kasi Lemmons. Universal Focus. Rated R, with graphic violence, profanity and nudity.

Cecil B. Demented (R) 88 min. Garner's rating: 6 Review · Clips
A would-be filmmaker, fed up with Hollywood phoniness, kidnaps a star and puts her in an underground movie he is making in his native Baltimore. Wild, profane and satirical. Starring Melanie Griffith and Stephen Dorff. Directed by John Waters. Artisan. Rated R, with graphic violence, partial nudity, profanity and adult themes.

The Celebration (R) 105 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review · Clips
A family reunion for the patriarch's 60th birthday becomes anything but happy after too much truth is revealed. In Danish with English subtitles. Rated R, with profanity, nudity, and strong sexual content.

Celebrity (R) 113 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
Woody Allen's biting comic satire that explores the silly reasons people become famous today -- and the even sillier ways they behave. Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis play the central characters who are our guides through Allen's saga, which has been equally influenced by Fellini's La Dolce Vita and a year's subscription to People magazine. Leonardo Di Caprio contributes a great supporting performance. Miramax. Rated R, with profanity, sexual references.

Celestial Clockwork (Unrated) 85 min.
A madcap Cinderella tale about a young Venezuelan woman. October Films. Adult situations; in French and Spanish with subtitles.

The Cell (R) 110 min. Garner's rating: 4 Review · Clips
Jennifer Lopez stars as a psychologist who takes a dark journey into the mind of a serial killer in this surreal but insubstantial -- and very gory -- gothic thriller. Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio co-star for irst-time director Tarsem Singh, who follows in the murky wake of Silence of the Lambs and Seven, with this tale of a demented sadist who drowns beautiful young women and turns them into dolls for his amusement. New Line. Rated R, with very gory violence and nudity.

Center Stage (PG-13) 114 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review · Clips
Nicholas Hytner revamps the backstage dance musical with modest success, telling an adolescent-oriented tale of life among young ballet hopefuls. Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana and Peter Gallagher co-star. Columbia. Rated PG-13, with profanity and sexual innuendo.

The Center of the World (R) 86 min. Not reviewed. Clips
After meeting at a gentlemen's club, a wealthy computer guru and a stripper agree to a sex-for-money arrangement. Things get complicated when emotions get involved. Rated R, with extensive nudity, adult situations and raw language.

Central Station (R) 110 min. Garner's rating: 9 Review · Clips
An Oscar-nominated portrait of a cynical, 67-year-old Brazilian woman has her faith in humanity restored, thanks to an unexpected relationship with a 9-year-old boy. Fernanda Montenegro stars for director Walter Salles. Sony Classics. Rated R, with profanity and brief violence. In Portuguese, with English subtitles.

Character (R) 114 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
A Dutch film set in the Rotterdam of the 1920s, Character has the moody, melodramatic feel of classic German expressionism films of that period. Though it's shot in color, the dominance of shadows and dingy dark shades of brown adds to the doom-laden atmosphere. Rated R, with violence.

Charlie's Angels (R) 92 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review · Clips
With a flippant attitude and high-energy action -- and with their tongues planted in just the right spot in their cheeks -- Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Lu and novice director McG have come up with a winner. Yes, the new "Charlie's Angels" is silly, brain-dead and immensely implausible. But this hip-chick Bond flick is also the most fun I've had at the movies this season. Rated PG-13, with lots of bloodless violence and sexy attitude and innuendo

Charlotte Gray (PG-13) 115 min. Our rating: 8 Review · Clips
Cate Blanchett's evocative portrayal offers a unique perspective _ World War II through a woman's eyes. Also starring Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon and Rupert Penry Jones. Directed by Gillian Armstrong. Warner Bros. Rated PG-13, with war-related violence, sensuality and brief strong language

Chasing Amy (R) 105 min. Garner's rating: 6 Review · Clips
A Generation-X romantic comedy about a heterosexual comic book artist who falls in love with a lesbian. Raunchy and implausible, it is still frequently funny and crudely imaginative. Writer-director Kevin Smith has made a film that's much better than Mallrats, but not nearly as clever as Clerks. Miramax. Rated R, with much frank sex talk and profanity.

A Chef In Love (PG-13) 100 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review
An Oscar-nominated drama about a French chef of the 1920s who follows his love to her home in the Republic of Georgia and opens a gourmet restaurant, only to come under the oppressive thumb of the advancing Red Army. Pierre Richard and Nino Kirtadze co-star for director Nana Djordjadze. Sony Classics. Rated PG-13, with sexual content. Subtitled.

Chicken Run (G) 85 min. Garner's rating: 9 Review · Clips
A funny, entertaining chicken-farm version of The Great Escape, with endearing clay-animation characters and clever writing. The witty direction is by Peter Lord and Nick Park (of the famous Wallace and Gromit shorts). Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha contribute voices. Rated G, with a first dark suggestions of poultry processing.

Children of Heaven (PG) 90 min. Unreviewed. Clips
Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film about a poor Tehran boy trying to get his little sister a pair of shoes. Directed by Majid. In Farsi, with English subtitles. Rated PG.

Children of the Revolution (R) 101 min. Garner's rating: 6 Review · Clips
Judy Davis and recent Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush star in this brave but bumpy Australian black comedy about communism, from writer-director Peter Duncan. F. Murray Abraham and Sam Neill co-star. Miramax. Rated R, with profanity and sexual references.

Chill Factor (R) 95 min. Garner's rating: 5 Review · Clips
The summer action season winds down with this formula buddy movie about a devastating chemical bomb that must be kept on ice. The electric Cuba Gooding Jr. and the moody Skeet Ulrich co-star for first-time director Hugh Johnson. Warner Bros. Rated R, with profanity and violence.

Chinese Box (R) 99 min. Garner's rating: 5 Review
Wayne Wang's portrait of three characters caught up in the recent political change in Hong Kong offers too many symbols and not enough plot. Jeremy Irons, Gong Li and Maggie Cheung co-star. Trimark. Rated R, with profanity, brief violence.

Chocolat (PG-13) 121 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
An appealing fable about the effect of a new chocolates shop in a conservative French village of the 1950s. Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench head the eclectic cast for director Lasse Hallstrom. Miramax. Rated PG-13, with brief spousal abuse.

Chopper (Not rated) 94 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
An ultra-violent profile of a charismatic, often-psychotic, true-life Australian killer who becomes a media celebrity. Newcomer Eric Bana is electrifying in the title role. Andrew Dominik writes and directs. First Look Pictures. Not rated, but with profanity, full frontal nudity and extremely strong violence.

Chuck & Buck (R) 95 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
A disturbing but intriguing saga of arrested development, sexual experimentation and renewed, then rocky, friendships. Mike White and Chris and Paul Weitz co-star for director Miguel Arteta. Artisan. Rated R, with profanity and sexual innuendo.

Chunhyang (R) 122 min. Our rating: 7 Review · Clips
In this classic Korean love story, a young woman who is secretly married becomes the love interest of the province governor. When she refuses his offer of marriage, he sentences her to death. Rated R, with violence, nudity, rough language and sex.

The Cider House Rules (PG-13) 131 min. Garner's rating: 10 Review · Clips
Lasse Hallstrom's adaptation of the John Irving novel about a Maine doctor who cares for orphans and performs illegal abortions in the 1940s -- and the young man he hopes will follow in his footsteps. Michael Caine and Tobey Maguire co-star. Rated PG-13 with adult issues and brief nudity.

The Circle (U) 95 min. Not reviewed.
Jafar Panahi looks at the repressive world of Iranian women. Here, four struggling women are hindered by laws that limit travel, dress and other activities -- even smoking. Rated R, with some violence.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (G) 38 min. Garner's rating: 9 Review · Clips
Imax 3-D technology is a perfect match for Cirque du Soleil's astonishing tableaus of gymnastics, bungee jumping, tumbling and juggling. The French-Canadian circus has long specialized in the most poetic forms of their art, and placing them in exotic outdoor settings only enhances their accomplishments. Imax. Rated G.

Citizen Ruth (R) 110 min. Our rating: 7 Clips
Laura Dern stars as an unsympathetic pregnant addict in this pointed social staire that lampoons pro-lifers and pro-choicers neatly as a toothpick skewers a Martini olive. An unusually confident rookie effort by director and co-writer Alexander Payne. Miramax. Rated R, with substance abuse, sex and adult language.

City of Angels (PG-13) 117 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
Nicolas Cage is beginning to realize the drawbacks to being an angel for eternity, instead of a human for a lifetime. Like humans, angels have been given God's greatest gift -- free will. He can choose to no longer be an angel. But it's a choice that involves great sacrifice. Seth couldn't have imagined doing it -- until he met Maggie.

A Civil Action (PG-13) 118 min. Garner's rating: Review · Clips
Though the real-life saga of Steven Zaillian is played out in courtrooms and law offices, the film is more successful as a character study than a judicial thriller. John Travolta and Robert Duvall co-star in this often-compelling study of the lifestyles, motives and ethics of lawyers involved in a complex civil suit, and of the nature of civil jurisprudence. Touchstone. Rated PG-13, with moderate profanity.

The Claim (R) 120 min. Not reviewed. Clips
Director Michael Winterbottom adapts Thomas Hardy's novel The Mayor of Casterbridge to California's high sierra in the years after the Civil War. The community of Kingdom Come is under the thumb of Daniel Dillon (Peter Mullan), but the arrival of a stranger threatens Dillon's world. Rated R, with violence, sexual situations and rough language.

Clay Pigeons (R) 108 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review
Joaquin Phoenix stars in this dark comedy about a gas station attendant whose life takes a bizarre twist after he befriends a serial killer. Co-stArring Janeane Garafalo and Vince Vaughn. Gramercy Pictures. Rated R, with violence, drug use, profanity and nudity.

The Closer You Get (PG-13) 90 min. Unreviewed. In this foreign comedy, the unmarried male citizens of a small Irish town place an ad in an American newspaper, searching for women -- and stirring up the female inhabitants of the town. Starring Ian Hart, Ruth McCabe and Sean McGinley. Rated PG-13, with rough language and sexual issues.

The Closet (R) 94 min. Garner's rating: 7 Review
A bright and breezy satire of homophobia in the workplace, created by Francis Veber. Daniel Auteuil stars as Francois Pignon, a milquetoast accountant whose dull, unimaginative approach to life changes when he pretends he's gay to save his job. Gerard Depardieu co-stars. Miramax Zoe, 94 mins. Rated R, sexual themes, profanity.

The Color of Paradise (PG) 85 min. Unreviewed. Clips
During his summer vacation from a school for the blind, a gentle boy returns to the home of his strict father. The father sees the child's disability as a burden and sends him to work for a blind carpenter, who becomes his spiritual mentor. Rated PG.

Commandments (R) 100 min. Unreviewed.
Convinced that the Almighty is out to get him, a once-happy New York City resident (Aidan Quinn) sets out to break all Ten Commandments. Co-starring Courtney Cox and Anthony LaPaglia. Written and directed by Daniel Taplitz. Gramercy. Rated R, for language and sexuality.

Con Air (R) 115 min. Garner's rating: 6 Review · Clips
An uneven but energetic action film from Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of The Rock and Crimson Tide. Notorious convicts take charge of a government transport plane and aim it, quite literally, at Las Vegas' crowded neon strip. Nicolas Cage elevates the film with his ironic humor and sly wink. John Malkovich and Ving Rhames co-star for director Simon West. Touchstone. Rated R, with frequent, strong violence and profanity.

Conspiracy Theory (R) 135 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts star in Richard Donner's stylish, complex saga about paranoid theories that entangle the stars in suspenseful intrigue. Patrick Stewart co-stars, along with the stunning visual images from designer Paul Sylbert and cinematographer John Schwartzman. Warners. Rated R, with strong violence, and profanity.

Contact (PG) 140 min. Our rating: 10 Review · Clips
Contact folds mystery, adventure, romance, humor and a strong strain of social criticism into its story of one woman's spellbinding journey. It takes her to the distant planet Vega and puts her in contact with intelligent life on that planet. It also takes her home and, belatedly but surely, puts her in contact with the urging of her own heart. Starring Jodie Foster. Warner Bros. Rated PG.

The Contender (R) 126 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
A taut, intelligent political thriller about the confirmation hearings of a vice presidential designate (Joan Allen) after disturbing moral issues arise. Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman co-star for writer-director Rod Lurie. DreamWorks. Rated R, with strong profanity and sexual innuendo.

Cookie's Fortune (PG-13) 118 min. Garner's rating: 9 Review · Clips
Robert Altman's warm-spirited comedy about an eccentric Mississippi Delta family and what happens when the eccentric matriarch puts a gun to her head. Patricia Neal, Glenn Close, Charles S. Dutton and Liv Tyler lead a first-rate ensemble. October Films. Rated PG-13, with profanity and sexual innuendo.

Cop Land (R) 105 min. Garner's rating: 9 Review · Clips
James Mangold's rich character study about cops and corruption, and the unexpected heroics of a small-town sheriff. Sylvester Stallone contributes one of the most moving performances of his career, and is given fine support from Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and others. Miramax. Rated R, with strong profanity, violence.

Corky Romano (PG-13) 86 min. Our rating: 5 Review · Clips
Saturday Night Live star Chris Kattan plays the dorky son of a mob boss sent to spy on the FBI. The only thing saving the film is Kattan's gift for artful clumsiness. Also stars Peter Falk, Peter Berg and Chris Penn. Directed by Rob Pritts. Touchstone Pictures. Rated PG-13, with profanity, drug use and sex-related humor.

The Corruptor (R) 111 min. Garner's rating: 6 Review · Clips
Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg star as cops, working the volatile streets of Manhattan's Chinatown, in James Foley's imperfect but intriguing police thriller. Ric Young and Brian Cox co-star. New Line. Rated R, with strong violence, sex, nudity and profanity.

Cosmic Voyage (U) 35 min. Not reviewed.
A special-effects spectacular about the birth of the solar system. Unrated.

The Count of Monte Cristo (PG-13) 124 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
An elegant, entertaining retelling of the classic tale of betrayal, revenge and romance, set in post-Napoleonic France. Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce and Richard Harris co-star for director Kevin Reynolds. Touchstone. Rated PG-13, with swordplay and implied sex.

Cousin Bette (R) 108 min. Our rating: 4 Clips
A plain spinster wreaks havoc with her family members by manipulating their love lives. Starring Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Aden Young and Bob Hoskins. Directed by Des McAnuff. Screenplay by Lynn Siefert and Susan Tarr; based on the novel by Honore de Balzac. Fox Searchlight. Rated R, with nudity, sexual activity and rough language.

Coyote Ugly (PG-13) 105 min. Our rating: 4 Review · Clips
A hokey show-biz fairy tale, about a Jersey girl who moves to Manhattan to become a songwriter and winds up as a performing bartender at an improbably raucous bar. No brain cells were employed in the writing of this script. Starring Parker Perabo and John Goodman. Directed by David McNally. Touchstone Pictures. Rated PG-13, with profanity, violence and partial nudity.

Cradle Will Rock (R) 130 min. Our rating: 7 Review · Clips
Tim Robbins' tale about the art and theater world of 1930s New York City is based on the story behind an early stage triumph for the then-22-year-old Orson Welles. The ensemble cast includes Hank Azaria, Rueben Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack and Cary Elwes. Rated R, with profanity and sexual issues.

Crash (NC-17) 100 min. Garner's rating: 1 Review · Clips
David Cronenberg's numbing, sick exploitation flick about people who are sexually aroused around or in automobile crashes. James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Deborarh Kara Unger and Rosanna Arquette co-star. Fine Line. Rated NC-17, with rampant sick sex and car-crash violence.

Crazy/Beautiful (PG-13) 95 min. Garner's rating: 5 Review · Clips
A poor Latino boy falls for a rich and troubled white girl in this formulaic look at teen romance better suited to the format of an ABC After School Special. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. Directed by John Stockwell. Touchstone Pictures. Rated PG-13, with sex and profanity.

Crazy in Alabama (PG-13) 111 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
Two wildly diverse stories dovetail into an entertaining whole in Crazy in Alabama, a '60s-era saga that marks the impressive directorial debut of actor Antonio Banderas. Melanie Griffith stars as flamboyant woman at the center of one of the stories. Lucas Black and David Morse co-star. Columbia. Rated PG-13, with profanity and racist violence.

The Crew (PG-13) 88 min. Our rating: 5 Review · Clips
When an influx of rich yuppies threaten to leave them homeless, a quartet of retired mobsters plot to drive down the value of the property by faking a mob hit with funny consequences. Richard Dreyfuss, Burt Reynolds, Dan Hedaya and Seymour Cassel star for director Michael Dinner. Touchstone Pictures. Rated PG-13, with sex, rough language and violence.

Critical Care (R) 120 min. Unreviewed.
James Spader plays a doctor in this film about patients stranded in a limbo between life and death because of the miracles of medical technology. Rated R, with adlut themes and profanity.

Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (PG) 95 min. Garner's rating: 4 Review · Clips
The amiable Down Under adventurer returns in another uninspired fish-out-of-water tale. Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski star for director Simon Wincer. Paramount, 95 mins. Rated PG, with mild violence.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (PG-13) 119 min. Garner's rating: 10 Review · Clips
A fabulous Chinese adventure fable, with sword-fighting warriors who defy gravity; directed with grace and skill by Ang Lee. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh co-star. Sony Classics. Rated PG-13, with frequent but bloodless action. In Mandarin, with English subtitles.

Croupier Not rated. 90 min. Unreviewed. Clips
A British thriller about an aspiring writer who takes a job in a casino. Over time, he finds himself compromising his ethics and struggling with the temptations of money. Starring Clive Owen and Alex Kingston.

The Crow: City of Angels (R) 95 min. Clips
In this sequel, Vincent Perez takes the Brandon Lee role as the avenging angel. Miramax Films. Violence and profanity.

Cruel Intentions (R) 97 min. Garner's rating: 5 Review · Clips
A modern, adolescent version of Dangerous Liaisons with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as prep school brats who wield their sexuality as a weapon of revenge and betrayal. Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair co-star for writer-director Roger Kumble. Columbia. Rated R, with strong sexual content and profanity.

The Cruise (PG-13) 85 min. Unreviewed. Clips
Documentary about an eccentric tour-bus driver in New York City. Rated PG-13.

The Cup (G) 91 min. Our rating: 9 Review · Clips
Young monks-to-be at a Tibetan monastery, infatuated with soccer, sneak out nightly to a tavern-TV rental shop to watch the World Cup championships. The liveliest student urges them to rent a TV set and satellite dish to watch the final match between France and Brazil. Will the boys lose their gentle manner and humble natures? Stars Orgyen Tobgyal, Neten Chokling and Jamyang Lodro. Directed by Khyentse Norbu. Subtitled in English. Fine Line Features. Rated G.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (PG-13) 103 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
Woody Allen pays an amusing tribute to the screwball comedies of the 1940s, fooling around with a light-hearted mystery plot worthy of a Charlie Chan movie matinee. Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron and Dan Aykroyd co-star. DreamWorks. Rated PG-13, with profanity and innuendo.

Cutthroat Island (PG-13) 123 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
A female pirate adventure, with Geena Davis as the swashbuckler. Matthew Modine co-stars for director Renny Harlin. Violence, profanity and sex. Rousing pirate adventure, but too violent and sexy for most preteens.

Cyberworld (Unrated) 48 min. Garner's rating: 8 Review · Clips
The latest -- and most entertaining -- 3D Imax film, a collection of sequences, including several 2D animated scenes re-configured in 3D with startling results. Homer Simpson and the ants from Antz are among the stars. Jenna Elfman voices the show's saucy tour guide. Intel and Imax Films. Not rated.