Cinema toast

June 28, 2006

New releases

WAIST DEEP (R)

Game, Tyrese Gibson, Paul Terrel Clayton, Meagan Good

Directed by Vondie Curtic Hall, Stan Lathan

Gritty, inner-city, child-in-danger movie which the studio describes as "a 21st Century Bonnie and Clyde," populated with characters labeled as a wily street-smart hustler; a vicious criminal leader; and an ex-con trying to go straight.

No Toast: not available for preview

CLICK (PG-13)

Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken

Directed by Frank Coaraci

Overworked architect receives the master remote control from a strange character in the back room of a Bed, Bath & Beyond, and then tries it out in overly simplistic ways only to learn a valuable lesson from the experience.

No Toast: not available for preview

THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR (PG-13)

Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz, Amy Smart, Agnes Bruckner, Paul Wesley

Directed by: Victor Salva

Olympic gymnast and fast-living womanizer who is injured in a traffic accident must find his karmic center with the help of Nick Nolte channeling the Pat Morita character from "Karate Kid."

2 1/2 pieces of Karate Grown Up toast

MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT (NR)

Joan Plowright, Anna Massey, Rupert Friend

Directed by: Dan Ireland

With a miniscule $750,000 budget, director Dan Ireland creates a delightfully nuanced tale of the unlikely friendship between a lonely but independent older woman and a young aspiring writer. A satisfying throwback to the Ealing Studios comedies populated with British eccentrics, Joan Plowright shines.

3 pieces of warmhearted toast

New video and DVD

SYRIANA (2006)

George Clooney, Christopher Plummer, Amanda Peet, Matt Damon, William Hurt, Chris Cooper, Viola Davis. Directed by Stephen Gaghan

Box office: $50,767,634

George Clooney earned a well-deserved Oscar within an ensemble of great performances as writer/director Gaghan leads us through a convoluted, complex, and sometimes confusing expose of big business, war, oil and national policy. One of those films that may be even better at home where you can rewind to watch a scene again or catch some missed dialogue.

3 and 1/2 pieces of powerful toast

NIGHT WATCH (R)

Vladimir Menshov, Konstantin Khabensky. Directed by Timbor Beckmambetov

Box office: $1,350,726

More confusing, more stylish and bloodier than "Underworld," this is the first part of a Russian trilogy about the struggle of Good vs Evil since the time before time was measured. Film buffs will recognize the influence of Serge Eisenstein, Quentin Tarantino, Alex Proyas and Frank Miller and the director's music-video roots, as good vampires and virgins pop up all over the place. Often confusing to non-Russian eyes, Fox-Searchlight's creative subtitles try to offset this as they change and evolve on-screen.

2 and 1/2 pieces of Russian toast

(Gil Mansergh's Cinema Toast mini-reviews appear in the Argus-Courier every week. E-mail comments to gilmansergh@comcast.net.)