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Indie Flicks: Filmmaking off the beaten path
By STEVE PERSALL
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2001
IMAX MOVIES at Channelside -- Tampa's second IMAX venue opens this weekend at Regal Channelside 9 with a pair of films showcasing the format's educational and entertaining possibilities. Going to a museum to watch a movie doesn't appeal to some viewers. Perhaps the familiar multiplex surroundings will open more eyes and ears -- wide -- to the IMAX experience.
The grand opening treat is a long-awaited local engagement for Disney's Fantasia 2000, a terrific sequel to the 1940 animated classical music tribute. The film got as close as Orlando before venturing to home video. Make no mistake: This film should be seen as large and loud as possible.
Seven new musical sequences were created for the sequel. The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Mickey Mouse, is the only segment repeated from the original. Each piece is introduced by such humorous hosts as Steve Martin, Bette Midler and Penn and Teller. The playlist includes works by Beethoven, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Gershwin, among others. Fantasia 2000 is a delight for all ages. A
Also playing in the venue's rotating schedule is Into the Deep, a superbly photographed underwater documentary filmed around the world. The IMAX process, including a 7,000 square-foot screen and mutilchannel digital audio, practically makes a viewer want to come up for air. Into the Deep was a popular presentation at MOSI's IMAX Dome Theater two years ago, but this time, it's in 3-D. B+
* * *
RIFIFI (Not rated, probably PG) (115 min.) -- The influence of Jules Dassin's 1955 jewel-heist caper has been obvious as recently as Entrapment and Mission Impossible; the silent stealth of intruder thieves in a guarded place, where even a drop of sweat can be a tip-off. Dassin did it best, leading the French New Wave to U.S. shores.
Four criminals plan the perfect crime, a dazzling sequence that, for its day, was daring for its soundless execution. Movie audio had progressed so far that the idea seemed revolutionary. The crooks' best-laid plans go awry due to jealousy and greed, but not before audiences witness a seminal leap in cinematic storytelling. This movie still mesmerizes.
French with English subtitles. Tampa Theatre only. A
* * *
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (PG) (98 min.) -- Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar-Wei makes a drastic shift in tone from his previous, hyperactive Chungking Express with this somber love rectangle. We never see two sides of the romance, married neighbors having an affair. Kar-Wei focuses instead on the spouses they're cheating upon, and the lust and trust they develop together.
Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung play the deceived couple quietly, internally, allowing their suspicions, awareness and resolution to the affair to emerge slowly. This is a sad film in all respects, from Kar-Wei's economical dialogue to his lushly melodramatic trappings. We sense the couple's hurt and hopefulness, lifted by their potential and moved by the film's melancholy.
Cantonese and French with English subtitles. Beach Theater only. B+
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PANIC (Not rated, probably R) (88 min.) -- William H. Macy plays a depressed professional killer, with good reason. His emotionally bloodless father (Donald Sutherland) is forcing him to stay in the family business, his wife (Tracey Ullman) is unsatisfying, his psychologist (John Ritter) is helpless and another patient (Neve Campbell) is tempting.
Panic is a solidly constructed neo-noir with fine performances all around, especially Sutherland's crocodile-smile turn as a despicable dad. Director Henry Brommel (TV's Homicide) briskly juggles dark satire and chilling twists until things get conventional in the final reel. Panic has been bouncing around the art-house circuit for nearly a year and was shown on Cinemax, if it sounds familiar.
Channelside 9 in Tampa only. B
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BOYS LIFE 3 (Not rated, probably R) (79 min.) -- Another quintet of short films dealing with gay and lesbian youth. The second Boys Life collection featured the Oscar-winning short, Trevor. Longest film in this collection is Inside Out, written, directed by and starring Jason Gould, featuring his actor-father, Elliott Gould. Sara Gilbert appears in a segment titled $30.
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