Reel Critics

A ROOTING GOOD TIME IN ‘AFFAIR’

Thomas Crown is a unique gentleman. A captain of industry, the epitome of

style, the essence of sophistication -- and he is a thief. His penchant

for original impressionist art leads him to acquire a specific painting,

worth millions, from New York’s most prestigious gallery, for his own

personal enjoyment.

Necessarily, when such a valuable object of art is stolen, the insurers

hurry to investigate the loss and hopefully get the painting back. Basic

plot here. Pierce Brosnan, as the cosmopolitan Mr. Crown and Rene Russo

as the intrepid investigator are a fine duo for “The Thomas Crown

Affair.” The supporting cast, with many familiar faces, fits together

seamlessly. Fortunately, the dialogue is crisp, direct and full of

intelligent humor. Bill Conti has put together a well-developed and

creative musical score that flows with the action and greatly enhances

the mood of the story. The sex scenes are there, just ignore them, this

movie stands far above the ordinary. You find yourself rooting for

everybody.

ELAINE ENGLAND, 65, lives in Newport Beach and owns a gift-basket

business she operates out of her home.

MURPHY, MARTIN A PERFECT PAIR IN ‘BOWFINGER’

Writer/Costar Steve Martin stars in a comedy directed by Frank Oz (who

did “In & Out” and “Little Shop of Horrors”) about a down-and-out

producer who wants to make a big action release without the star -- who

would never make a deal with him -- knowing he’s in it. Martin’s

Bowfinger character believes that the film -- written by his Iranian

accountant and named “Chubby Rain” because it’s about aliens residing in

raindrops -- is his ticket to the top. To accomplish his feat, Bowfinger

simply instructs his crew to act around the star whose moves around town

they track, telling them he “never talks to fellow actors” and “doesn’t

like seeing the camera.”

Martin’s star is Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), a big-name action-film hero

just unstable enough to believe in strange occurrences. Ramsey is a

member of Mind Head, a cult that recruits insecure Hollywood-types, gives

them little paper pyramid hats to wear on their heads and pumps them full

of New Age gibberish.

Problems arise when Ramsey becomes so paranoid with all of the white cast

members approaching him and reciting the “Chubby Rain” dialogue that he

disappears. Bowfinger solves the problem by recruiting a look-alike, Jiff

(also Murphy), to be Kit’s body double. Jiff’s only Hollywood experience

is “extensive video rentals from Blockbuster.”

Martin has filled his wonderful script with great characters who

desperately want to believe not only in him, but also have the ability to

succeed in the film business. The film captures the way people

desperately yearn to be in the movies and how once you achieve that fame,

it can make you fairly peculiar.

The exceptional cast includes Heather Graham as a Ohio farmgirl who is

prepared to sleep her way to the top; Christine Baranski as his

long-suffering leading actress; Robert Downey Jr. as a Hollywood

executive and Bowfinger’s gofer Jaime Kennedy. But the movie belongs to

Murph’s Jiff.

In Jiff, Murphy probably gives his best comedic performance. As he did

with his other brilliant performance in “The Nutty Professor,” Murphy

creates a naive character who is also convincingly funny and ultimately

endearing.

Like Martin’s other endeavors, “L.A. Story” and “Roxanne,” “Bowfinger” is

a comedy where the comedic premise develops into more profound insights.

Unlike earlier Hollywood satires, such as “The Player” or “The Big

Picture,’, Martin’s writing is neither scathing nor absurd. It simply

relies on the humor in mundane aspects of his character’s existence to

make us laugh. And make us laugh he does.

DELIGHT AMID THE DELUSION OF ‘DICK’

First of all, this is not Alan J. Pakula’s “All the President’s Men.” But

Andrew Fleming’s “Dick” does find inspiration in the events that

transpired more than 25 years ago.

“Dick” follows the hapless adventures of two Washington teenagers, Betsy

(Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene (Michelle Williams) as they help start the

events that lead to Nixon’s downfall. As with most of their

misadventures, they inadvertently stumble across a major piece of the

Watergate saga, beginning with their taping a door lock open on one of

their late evening excursions. The taped lock catches the eye of a

Watergate guard who calls the police, who then catch the “plumbers.”

The plot really begins rolling when the girls are on a White House tour

and they run into G. Gordon Liddy (Harry Shearer) and identify him as a

“plumber.” This chance meeting escalates matters as the Nixon White House

attempts to silence the girls by making them the official dog-walkers,

and later, secret youth advisors. With their position in the White House

secure, the girls unwittingly affect every major Watergate episode, all

of the scenes being inspired comedic writing.

The film, while lampooning the Watergate crisis, does a good job of

keeping the historical context of the times. The girls make it clear that

while they are naive to the happenings around them, they are not dumb.

They are vaguely aware that the Vietnam War is immoral but are charmed by

Nixon (Dan Hedaya). We hear echoes of Nixon’s mental state as he talks of

having “a way with the young people” in trying to discourage the girls

from their further chance encounters. Dave Foley’s H.R. Haldeman is

probably the nicest portrayal Nixon’s henchman will ever receive,

although he still comes off as, well, a henchman. The only downside is

Will Ferrel (“Saturday Night Live”) and Bruce McCulloch (Kids in the

Hall) hamming-up Woodward & Bernstein’s investigative ambition.

Credit screenwriter Fleming and his partner Sheryl Longin for recreating

a difficult and painful time in our history but infusing it with a true

coming-of-age story. At the heart of the film, we had two young girls who

were seduced by the power of the presidency and become disillusioned with

not only Nixon but the “establishment” as well. Some things never change.

ROB OROZCO, 30, is an attorney. He lives in Newport Beach with his wife

and two cats.