Tony-Shalhoub Movie Reviews

There is a line in this film where the chess teacher (Ben Kingsley) is telling Josh, "You must have contempt for the world...like Bobby Fischer". Actually the contempt Bobby Fischer felt for the world turned into some kind of mental illness. His diatribes of pro-Hitler pro-911 Holocaust-denying hatred know no bounds (yes his mother was Jewish, but he denies it). Some attribute his Nazism to chess, which essentially is a game where your "ego must destroy your opponent's ego" (Kasparov). And Fischer also includes in his diatribes that the use of his name for this film is unauthorized.

The film itself is okay, but has some flaws (besides its title). It basically shows the adult world of competition from Josh's father (Joe Mantegna) yelling at a teacher because she doesn't consider Josh a "genius" to Josh's chess teacher ripping up a bunch of chess certificates. And Josh's opponent is this contemptible kid who's only purpose in life is to win at chess. The parents of the child prodigies descend like wild geese on the matches, so they have to be locked out. But the father tells Josh at the end, "it's just a game". Josh says, "no it's not". I think it should be drilled into every chess player that, YES, it's just a game. Please don't become like Bobby Fischer.

I've been a mediocre chess player since I was a kid, and really found the game kind of boring. I think kids would do much better to learn meditation than chess....at least it would be healthier for their view of the world.

This is one of the most touching movies ever written. It has so many special undertones and hidden messages, making for a very pleasurable movie-watching experience.

Joe Mantegna discovers his seven year-old son, Josh played by Max Pomeranc, has a gift for playing chess. He sees his son's talent, and the enter the world of chess tournaments, behind the guidance of tutor, Ben Kingsley. Before long, he becomes the number one child chess player, and is seemingly unstoppable. Conversely, Josh merely wants to be a "normal" boy and just wants to have the love and admiration of his family instead of countless trophies, so he soon loses his edge for the chess world.

The cast is astonishing. Lawrence Fishburn, one of the most underated actors of our time, plays a wonderful "street smarts" chess player. Add in cameos by Dan Hedaya, David Paymer, and William H. Macy, who I can't watch on the silver screen without saying "Ah, Gees," and you have one entertaining film.

This is a truly wonderful movies, with lots of depth. It is not so much about chess as it is about finding one's inner strength and character in the face of adversity and high-pressure challanges. The acting is superb, and the chess tournament scenes are, in fact, riveting. This film is a can't miss.

This is not a movie only about chess any more than "Field of Dreams" was only about baseball. This is about a father who wants his son to excel, and about a son who just wants his father's love and approval just to be a "normal" kid. "Chess" in this movie could have been a metaphor for any special "gift" or talent, but it is important to mention that this film is based on real-life persons and events.

This is a story about finding one's character and courage in the face of mounting pressure and high expectations. It's about a very young boy who wants to be sure his father loves him for who he is, not just for what he can do.

Written and directed by Steven Zaillian (who wrote, among other things, the screenplay for Spielberg's "Schindler's List"), SFBF is a heartwarming movie that has you rooting and cheering. And young Max Pomeranc is a real fine young actor! Multiple Oscar-nominee Joan Allen plays the boy's mother in this film, and here she continues to solidify her position as one of the most wonderful actresses working today. Will she EVER get the widespread recognition she deserves?

As a person with Tourette Syndrome (Touretter), I laughed, cried and had a knot in the middle of my stomach as I saw my childhood flash before my eyes in this film that explores differenece in various ways: Tourette Syndrome, obviously, but also isolation and lonliness, emotional withdrawl and barriers to intimacy, past bad relationships and breaking through a wall of a lifetime of hurt, anger and danger.

I would recommend this film to anyone who cares about LIFE in a larger sense. The portrayal of Miles, the young boy w/Tourette is touching and extremely compelling--very true to life. Polly Draper and Gergory Hines make a credible couple, coming together, dancing for fleeting moments and then glancing off each other like mercury before a union that makes complete sense on many levels.

Please buy this vidoe or DVD and support a widening of understanding of not only Tourette Syndrome, but of difference in all its implications.

This is an excellent movie about a twelve year old boy, Miles, an incredibly talented jazz pianist, who has Tourette Syndrome, and the adult male, Tyrone, a sax player, who befriends the boy. It turns out that he, too, has the same affliction, though his manifestations are more controlled. This is also the story of Miles' mother, who tries to grapple with the issue, while the boy's father, from whom she is divorced, is in complete denial. This is basically a story about life, and the way Tourette Syndrome touches upon it.

Here, the young boy is played by the very talented Christopher George Marquette, who does an incredible job of conveying the agony of one who suffers from Tourette Syndrome. His performance is so terrific and rings so true that, at times, I wondered if he, in fact, had the illness. The role of Tyrone is well played by Gregory Hines, who is wonderful in the role of the musician who has Tourette Syndrome but does not want to speak of it. Polly Draper, as the boy's mother, is excellent, as she struggles to cope with her son's illness and its effect on his psyche. She also has a budding romance with Tyrone, until he allows the issue of his affliction to get in the way.

Ms. Draper also did an excellent job of scripting this movie, as it is never maudlin but, rather, a wonderful treatment of a little known illness. The jazz that Miles and Tyrone both love to play is well integrated with the issue of Tourette Syndrome. The threads of the story are woven together seamlessly. All in all, it is an excellent drama. Look for cameo roles by Camryn Manheim and Carol Kane.

While searching for a video today, I found The Tick Code. I knew nothing about this movie, but I knew I enjoyed Gregory Hines and was passionate about Jazz...What more could I want? I was pleasantly surprised when there was a third element to this movie - Tourettes Syndrome.

Miles (played by Christopher Goerge Marquette) is a 12yr old boy living in NY and the brunt of his school mates jokes, and an embarassment to his father. Miles lives with his single mother (played by Polly Draper) and is an incredibly gifted pianist, whose choice of music is Jazz. Miles meets jazz saxophonist Tyrone (played by Gregory Hines) and becomes enchanted with the person/musician. (who also has Tourettes)

Tourettes as a subject is difficult to deal with at best, but this movie does a splendid job of educating the viewer about what it is like to live with this disease.

Christopher George Marquette is superb in his role of Miles. Gregory Hines will not disappoint anyone in his performance and Polly Draper as the mother (and writer of the movie) shows us how heartbreaking it is and how strong one must be to mother a child with Tourettes. The music is wonderful and the sound track will be a must to those who love fine jazz.

As a person with Tourette Syndrome (Touretter), I laughed, cried and had a knot in the middle of my stomach as I saw my childhood flash before my eyes in this film that explores differenece in various ways: Tourette Syndrome, obviously, but also isolation and lonliness, emotional withdrawl and barriers to intimacy, past bad relationships and breaking through a wall of a lifetime of hurt, anger and danger.

I would recommend this film to anyone who cares about LIFE in a larger sense. The portrayal of Miles, the young boy w/Tourette is touching and extremely compelling--very true to life. Polly Draper and Gergory Hines make a credible couple, coming together, dancing for fleeting moments and then glancing off each other like mercury before a union that makes complete sense on many levels.

Please buy this vidoe or DVD and support a widening of understanding of not only Tourette Syndrome, but of difference in all its implications.

This is an excellent movie about a twelve year old boy, Miles, an incredibly talented jazz pianist, who has Tourette Syndrome, and the adult male, Tyrone, a sax player, who befriends the boy. It turns out that he, too, has the same affliction, though his manifestations are more controlled. This is also the story of Miles' mother, who tries to grapple with the issue, while the boy's father, from whom she is divorced, is in complete denial. This is basically a story about life, and the way Tourette Syndrome touches upon it.

Here, the young boy is played by the very talented Christopher George Marquette, who does an incredible job of conveying the agony of one who suffers from Tourette Syndrome. His performance is so terrific and rings so true that, at times, I wondered if he, in fact, had the illness. The role of Tyrone is well played by Gregory Hines, who is wonderful in the role of the musician who has Tourette Syndrome but does not want to speak of it. Polly Draper, as the boy's mother, is excellent, as she struggles to cope with her son's illness and its effect on his psyche. She also has a budding romance with Tyrone, until he allows the issue of his affliction to get in the way.

Ms. Draper also did an excellent job of scripting this movie, as it is never maudlin but, rather, a wonderful treatment of a little known illness. The jazz that Miles and Tyrone both love to play is well integrated with the issue of Tourette Syndrome. The threads of the story are woven together seamlessly. All in all, it is an excellent drama. Look for cameo roles by Camryn Manheim and Carol Kane.

While searching for a video today, I found The Tick Code. I knew nothing about this movie, but I knew I enjoyed Gregory Hines and was passionate about Jazz...What more could I want? I was pleasantly surprised when there was a third element to this movie - Tourettes Syndrome.

Miles (played by Christopher Goerge Marquette) is a 12yr old boy living in NY and the brunt of his school mates jokes, and an embarassment to his father. Miles lives with his single mother (played by Polly Draper) and is an incredibly gifted pianist, whose choice of music is Jazz. Miles meets jazz saxophonist Tyrone (played by Gregory Hines) and becomes enchanted with the person/musician. (who also has Tourettes)

Tourettes as a subject is difficult to deal with at best, but this movie does a splendid job of educating the viewer about what it is like to live with this disease.

Christopher George Marquette is superb in his role of Miles. Gregory Hines will not disappoint anyone in his performance and Polly Draper as the mother (and writer of the movie) shows us how heartbreaking it is and how strong one must be to mother a child with Tourettes. The music is wonderful and the sound track will be a must to those who love fine jazz.

As a person with Tourette Syndrome (Touretter), I laughed, cried and had a knot in the middle of my stomach as I saw my childhood flash before my eyes in this film that explores differenece in various ways: Tourette Syndrome, obviously, but also isolation and lonliness, emotional withdrawl and barriers to intimacy, past bad relationships and breaking through a wall of a lifetime of hurt, anger and danger.

I would recommend this film to anyone who cares about LIFE in a larger sense. The portrayal of Miles, the young boy w/Tourette is touching and extremely compelling--very true to life. Polly Draper and Gergory Hines make a credible couple, coming together, dancing for fleeting moments and then glancing off each other like mercury before a union that makes complete sense on many levels.

Please buy this vidoe or DVD and support a widening of understanding of not only Tourette Syndrome, but of difference in all its implications.

This is an excellent movie about a twelve year old boy, Miles, an incredibly talented jazz pianist, who has Tourette Syndrome, and the adult male, Tyrone, a sax player, who befriends the boy. It turns out that he, too, has the same affliction, though his manifestations are more controlled. This is also the story of Miles' mother, who tries to grapple with the issue, while the boy's father, from whom she is divorced, is in complete denial. This is basically a story about life, and the way Tourette Syndrome touches upon it.

Here, the young boy is played by the very talented Christopher George Marquette, who does an incredible job of conveying the agony of one who suffers from Tourette Syndrome. His performance is so terrific and rings so true that, at times, I wondered if he, in fact, had the illness. The role of Tyrone is well played by Gregory Hines, who is wonderful in the role of the musician who has Tourette Syndrome but does not want to speak of it. Polly Draper, as the boy's mother, is excellent, as she struggles to cope with her son's illness and its effect on his psyche. She also has a budding romance with Tyrone, until he allows the issue of his affliction to get in the way.

Ms. Draper also did an excellent job of scripting this movie, as it is never maudlin but, rather, a wonderful treatment of a little known illness. The jazz that Miles and Tyrone both love to play is well integrated with the issue of Tourette Syndrome. The threads of the story are woven together seamlessly. All in all, it is an excellent drama. Look for cameo roles by Camryn Manheim and Carol Kane.

While searching for a video today, I found The Tick Code. I knew nothing about this movie, but I knew I enjoyed Gregory Hines and was passionate about Jazz...What more could I want? I was pleasantly surprised when there was a third element to this movie - Tourettes Syndrome.

Miles (played by Christopher Goerge Marquette) is a 12yr old boy living in NY and the brunt of his school mates jokes, and an embarassment to his father. Miles lives with his single mother (played by Polly Draper) and is an incredibly gifted pianist, whose choice of music is Jazz. Miles meets jazz saxophonist Tyrone (played by Gregory Hines) and becomes enchanted with the person/musician. (who also has Tourettes)

Tourettes as a subject is difficult to deal with at best, but this movie does a splendid job of educating the viewer about what it is like to live with this disease.

Christopher George Marquette is superb in his role of Miles. Gregory Hines will not disappoint anyone in his performance and Polly Draper as the mother (and writer of the movie) shows us how heartbreaking it is and how strong one must be to mother a child with Tourettes. The music is wonderful and the sound track will be a must to those who love fine jazz.

I think this movie is slightly overrated. The acting is not bad, camerawork not bad, but it's not excellent either. The dialogs are not really realistic -too many functional dialogs- and most characters are quite 'flat'. Don't understand me wrong, it's not a bad movie, but it's moralistic undertone probably caused it to become slightly overrated (just like movies like American History X).

Many science fiction films have a major flaw - their total lack of appeal to a broad range of people - yet 'Gattaca' succeeds on many levels. In we're introduced to Vincent (Ethan Hawke), a man of natural birth (or an 'in-valid') whose life expectancy is 30. Vincent longs for deep space travel but knows that he'll never amount to anything but a cleaner with his genes. So he grabs the opportunity to pass himself off as 'valid' Jerome (Jude Law) who has been crippled. However, things start to go wrong when a murder investigation and pretty co-worker Irene (Uma Thurman) get closer to figuring out the truth.

This is an immensely intriguing idea that is carried off well with both a realistic and disquieting view of the future. Never truly alone and programmed to be able to do only one specific thing means that dreams and aspirations are thrown out of the window. Among other things it also functions as an efficient thriller and love story. For these reasons it's unusual that this movie didn't do better at the box office.

As a romantic story it works a lot better than, say, 'Blade Runner' (Hawke and Thurman are married in real life) but the film is quite happy to cater to all tastes and it's difficult to pigeon-hole this as merely science-fiction. It has echoes of books such as 'Brave New World' and the incredibly realised future is at once elegant, absorbing and terrifying. Yet it never loses sight of the human spirit, with Jude Law's performance being especially mesmerising as the perfect person that has to live with his incapacity and watch a stranger live his life for him.

However, maybe the best praise for 'Gattaca' is that I loved it, and I'm not a science-fiction fan.

This superb near-future science fiction piece offers the perfect antidote to the tired, "cyberpunk", post-apocalyptic view usually taken by writers when predicting future society. Set in "the not-too-distant future" - a technologically advanced yet stylistically fifties world - the film portrays the social consequences of today's genetic research carried forward to extremes. Society has become divided; a new underclass created not according to race, sex, or financial means but "bad" genetic material - those born "on faith" rather than being genetically engineered to their parents' specifications. Gattaca tells the story of Vincent, one of the so-called "In-valids" who has the willpower to succeed in life but is oppressed because he is genetically inferior. To achieve his goal of joining the Gattaca space corporation and travelling into space he assumes the identity of a "Valid" - Eugene - by fooling the all-pervading genetic testing machines with samples of his blood, urine, skin and hair. Eugene - who seems to have every advantage in life - is bitter because he lacks the drive to use his gifts to the full, and is now crippled after a failed attempt at suicide. The film's overriding feature is the palpable tension created as Vincent must hide every trace of his being from those investigating a crime committed in his workplace - the attention to detail is superb. Overall, a thoughtful - if a little extreme - treatment of genetic research and the importance of the intangible aspects of the being as opposed to quantifiable features.

Primo (Tony Shaloub) is a traditionalist, a perfectionist, an artist; he is a chef without compromise. His younger brother, Secondo (Stanley Tucci), will compromise, bend, wheel and deal; he is a desperate businessman who cares about food, but is realistic. Unfortunately, their little restaurant is way, way ahead of its time. When their 1950s customers go out for Italian food, they want red-checked tablecloths and lotsa spaghetti and meatballs, not risotto and delicate wine. How can their restaurant stay in business? It can't, but they try to save it with an all-out feast for a famous Italian jazzman. If you're the least bit hungry when you watch this film, you've got trouble, because food has never looked this good. It's a quiet, slow movie, but you get to know Primo and Secondo completely, and you find yourself wishing their restaurant was in your neighborhood so you could go there and give them all your money.

As most of the other reviewers have noted, this is delightful gem of a movie about the conflict between two Italian immigrant brothers who are trying to operate a restaurant. The older brother, Primo (Tony Shalhoub), is a culinary purist, the younger brother, Secundo (Stanley Tucci), is more pragmatic. The cast is rounded out with Ian Holm, Minnie Driver, and Isabella Rossellini.

I deducted a star because the DVD is cheaply made. There is no director's commentary, and no alternative sound set up. My copy contains an insert that states that there are two English sound tracks, a Dolby surround sound and a 5.1 dolby digital. Surround sound is the default, but to play back the 5.1, "simply access the main menu, select Languages/audio setup, then select English 5.1 (dolby digital)." Simple enough. The only problem is that the main menu does not contain a "select languages/audio setup" option. It simply doesn't exist. Which makes the insert kind of funny.

Bottom line, this is cool movie with a great sound track, but they need to take another shot a making a DVD.

This is a little movie on steroids, but it's still a little movie - and it's delightful. It's about the struggles, survival, and triumphs of the little immigrant guys to make it big in the hugely competitive world of restaurants. Two Italian brothers open a bistro in NJ that serves 'real' Italian food, food for the soul, food from the old country. The chef hatches a plan to boost business that will either succeed or bankrupt him. The Big Night joins the host of other wonderful foodie genre films, such as Tortilla Soup, Dinner Rush, etc.
Terrific.

Galaxy Quest

Score: 75/100

Galaxy Quest is a crowd-pleasing comedy which did surprisingly well with the critics and movie-goer's alike. It boasts a flashy cast and awesome set decoration, and is an original and watchable comedy that deserves the good-word it's got, and will continue to get.

Eighteen years after their sci-fi adventure show "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled, actors Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), and Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) are making appearances at sci-fi conventions and store openings in costume and character. They're wallowing in despair and at each other's throats until aliens known as Thermians arrive and, having mistook the show for fact and consequently modeling their entire culture around it, take them into space to save them from the genocidal General Sarris and his armada.

Galaxy Quest is quite simply one of the funniest movies of recent memory, and although it is pretty much a forgettable movie, it remains a spot-on Star Trek spoof which gets better with every minute. The Thermian's are a laugh, and all the actors are great; especially Sigourney Weaver as Gwen, she really needed that spice, that enchantment and that suit. The make-up for Alan Rickman is stunning and the CGI effects are sometimes stunning.

Hilarious and continuously watchable, Galaxy Quest is a fun and adventurous movie which should not be missed by all audiences who just want to have a good time.

Some people think the best spoof of "Star Trek" is the original series itself. With all the over-acting, the cheesy special effects, and the occassional silly plot lines, it's easy to laugh at the old show. In Galaxy Quest, a comedy with heavy "Trek" influence, the laughs come not from ridicule, but good-natured satire.

As the cast of the old "Galaxy Quest" television series, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen, Toy Story 2) and the crew of the NSEA Protector spend their weekends making guest appearances at science fiction conventions and shopping mall openings. Even though their fans adore them, the crew is ready to explode after years of living with clashing egos.

In their world of science fiction fandom, Nesmith mistakes a group of aliens for fans. Soon, he finds himself taken on board a replica of the Protector, where he learns how they patterned their culture on the old "Galaxy Quest" shows. The aliens ask him for help in fighting a nasty space villain named Sarris (Robin Sachs).

Nesmith returns to Earth and tries to convince his former co-stars he really has been to outer space. Of course, they don't believe him. But when the aliens show up again, the cast of the old show refuse to let Nesmith cut them out of another job. They demand to be included and are transported to the ship on the other side of the galaxy.

To the delight of science fiction fans, Galaxy Quest pokes fun at everything associated with SF: the conventions, the fans, the obsessions with trivial minutia, and (of course) the show itself. The gags are sometimes such "in jokes," that anyone outside the SF community might not recognize just how funny it is. This doesn't mean the whole movie is like that, but for true fans of the genre, there are some nice touches.

The movie cast does a wonderful job of portraying the various weaknesses and strengths of the television cast. Allen trades in Buzz Lightyear's "To infinity... and beyond!" for Nesmith's "Never give up! Never surrender!" and plays the arrogant star of the show. His co-stars hate him, but despite his arrogance he has a connection with his fans that makes him loveable.

Alan Rickman (Dogma) is wonderful as Alexandar Dane, a Shakespearean-trained actor who has been reduced to an alien science officer who has repeated a catch-phrase so often he cringes at every utterance of it. Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection), who is no stranger to science fiction, casts off her usual strong female role to play Gwen DeMarco, a busty blonde who's role on the tv show was limited to repeating whatever the computer said.

The best character of the group is Fred Kwan (played by Tony Shaloub, "Stark Raving Mad"). What makes him so funny is how quickly he adapts to this new reality. While most of his co-stars are awestruck by the transport to the spaceship, he arrives with hardly any reaction. When things go from bad to weird, he never panics, causing others to question, "You're stoned, aren't you?"

Unlike earlier science fiction comedies (i.e. Mel Brooks' Spaceballs), the comedy in Galaxy Quest comes from the situation, not by satirizing any particular film. The humor comes not from putting SF down, but from understanding the genre, the culture, and the community. Most importantly, it is refreshing and inspired.

Galaxy Quest is a fun, and funny, science fiction story. Oddly enough, even though it lampoons SF, the great special effects and good storyline make it a good SF movie. It may be ignored by the Academy Awards, but I expect it will receive nominations in the SF community.

It's also one of the best comedies, ever. It started out a bit slow--it helps if you have a lot of knowledge about Star Trek, which is what the first part of the movie gently mocks ("Do you still live with your parents?" asks a girl of a Trekker trying to pick her up. If you understand that, then you'll understand the entire first part of the movie.). After that, the action picks up. What really impressed me about this movie is the growth of the characters. It's funny, and sad, and poignant. What more can you ask for in a movie? I enjoyed it thoroughly, and so will you.

Galaxy Quest

Score: 75/100

Galaxy Quest is a crowd-pleasing comedy which did surprisingly well with the critics and movie-goer's alike. It boasts a flashy cast and awesome set decoration, and is an original and watchable comedy that deserves the good-word it's got, and will continue to get.

Eighteen years after their sci-fi adventure show "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled, actors Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell), and Fred Kwan (Tony Shalhoub) are making appearances at sci-fi conventions and store openings in costume and character. They're wallowing in despair and at each other's throats until aliens known as Thermians arrive and, having mistook the show for fact and consequently modeling their entire culture around it, take them into space to save them from the genocidal General Sarris and his armada.

Galaxy Quest is quite simply one of the funniest movies of recent memory, and although it is pretty much a forgettable movie, it remains a spot-on Star Trek spoof which gets better with every minute. The Thermian's are a laugh, and all the actors are great; especially Sigourney Weaver as Gwen, she really needed that spice, that enchantment and that suit. The make-up for Alan Rickman is stunning and the CGI effects are sometimes stunning.

Hilarious and continuously watchable, Galaxy Quest is a fun and adventurous movie which should not be missed by all audiences who just want to have a good time.

Some people think the best spoof of "Star Trek" is the original series itself. With all the over-acting, the cheesy special effects, and the occassional silly plot lines, it's easy to laugh at the old show. In Galaxy Quest, a comedy with heavy "Trek" influence, the laughs come not from ridicule, but good-natured satire.

As the cast of the old "Galaxy Quest" television series, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen, Toy Story 2) and the crew of the NSEA Protector spend their weekends making guest appearances at science fiction conventions and shopping mall openings. Even though their fans adore them, the crew is ready to explode after years of living with clashing egos.

In their world of science fiction fandom, Nesmith mistakes a group of aliens for fans. Soon, he finds himself taken on board a replica of the Protector, where he learns how they patterned their culture on the old "Galaxy Quest" shows. The aliens ask him for help in fighting a nasty space villain named Sarris (Robin Sachs).

Nesmith returns to Earth and tries to convince his former co-stars he really has been to outer space. Of course, they don't believe him. But when the aliens show up again, the cast of the old show refuse to let Nesmith cut them out of another job. They demand to be included and are transported to the ship on the other side of the galaxy.

To the delight of science fiction fans, Galaxy Quest pokes fun at everything associated with SF: the conventions, the fans, the obsessions with trivial minutia, and (of course) the show itself. The gags are sometimes such "in jokes," that anyone outside the SF community might not recognize just how funny it is. This doesn't mean the whole movie is like that, but for true fans of the genre, there are some nice touches.

The movie cast does a wonderful job of portraying the various weaknesses and strengths of the television cast. Allen trades in Buzz Lightyear's "To infinity... and beyond!" for Nesmith's "Never give up! Never surrender!" and plays the arrogant star of the show. His co-stars hate him, but despite his arrogance he has a connection with his fans that makes him loveable.

Alan Rickman (Dogma) is wonderful as Alexandar Dane, a Shakespearean-trained actor who has been reduced to an alien science officer who has repeated a catch-phrase so often he cringes at every utterance of it. Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection), who is no stranger to science fiction, casts off her usual strong female role to play Gwen DeMarco, a busty blonde who's role on the tv show was limited to repeating whatever the computer said.

The best character of the group is Fred Kwan (played by Tony Shaloub, "Stark Raving Mad"). What makes him so funny is how quickly he adapts to this new reality. While most of his co-stars are awestruck by the transport to the spaceship, he arrives with hardly any reaction. When things go from bad to weird, he never panics, causing others to question, "You're stoned, aren't you?"

Unlike earlier science fiction comedies (i.e. Mel Brooks' Spaceballs), the comedy in Galaxy Quest comes from the situation, not by satirizing any particular film. The humor comes not from putting SF down, but from understanding the genre, the culture, and the community. Most importantly, it is refreshing and inspired.

Galaxy Quest is a fun, and funny, science fiction story. Oddly enough, even though it lampoons SF, the great special effects and good storyline make it a good SF movie. It may be ignored by the Academy Awards, but I expect it will receive nominations in the SF community.

It's also one of the best comedies, ever. It started out a bit slow--it helps if you have a lot of knowledge about Star Trek, which is what the first part of the movie gently mocks ("Do you still live with your parents?" asks a girl of a Trekker trying to pick her up. If you understand that, then you'll understand the entire first part of the movie.). After that, the action picks up. What really impressed me about this movie is the growth of the characters. It's funny, and sad, and poignant. What more can you ask for in a movie? I enjoyed it thoroughly, and so will you.

Welcome to the wonderfully wacky world of the Coen brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most brilliant filmmakers in America today. Every film they turn out is a cinematic gem, and "Barton Fink" is no exception.

The film centers around a slightly pompous, idealistic, left wing playwright, Barton Fink (John Turturro), who in 1941, after becoming the toast of Broadway as the pretentious voice of the common man, goes west to Hollywood at the invitation of a major studio in order to try his hand at writing screenplays.

There, he meets studio head, Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner), and his yes man and whipping boy, Lou Breeze (Jon Polito). Asked to write a screenplay for a Wallace Beery vehicle about wrestling, a subject about which the bookish Fink knows nothing about, causes Fink to go into a professional tailspin.

Ensconced in a decaying old hotel, seemingly run by its slightly creepy and unctuous bell hop, Chet (Steve Buscemi), who bizarrely appears on the scene out of a trapdoor behind the hotel's front desk, Fink begins his ordeal . The elevator is run by a cadaverous, pock marked, elderly man. The corridors of the hotel seem endless. The wallpaper in Fink's room is peeling away from the wall, leaving a viscous, damp ooze in its wake. His bed creaks and groans with a life of its own. It is also hot, oppressively hot.

No residents of the hotel are apparent, except for the appearance of shoes outside the doors in expectation of the free shoe shine the hotel offers its denizens and for the noise made by his neighbors. Finks meets one of his neighbors, the portly Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), a gregarious Everyman, possessed of an abundance of bonhomie. A self-styled insurance salesman, Charlie cajoles Fink out of his shell, befriending him in the process. Little does Fink know that beneath Charlie's congenial exterior lies a horrific secret that will spillover onto him in the not so distant future.

At a luncheon with studio under boss, Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Fink meets a famous writer that he reveres, W. P. Mayhew (John Mahoney), a southern sot so steeped in drink that his companion/secretary, Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis), has to do his writing for him. Fink falls for Audrey but finds his overtures rebuffed. Still, she is willing to try and help him overcome his profound writer's block. In a classic Coen twist, it is this single act of kindness that acts as the catalyst for the nightmare that makes Fink's life become a living hell on earth. He goes from living a life of self-imposed isolation and angst to one that appears to have been created by a Hollywood hack, filled as it is with the most incredible situations, a real studio head's dream.

John Turturro is terrific as the introverted, tightly wound, pretentious, and neurotic Fink, who in Hollywood, away from the womb of the Great White Way, is like a lamb led to the slaughter. With his sculpted afro, horn rimmed glasses, nerdy clothes, Fink is the stereotypic Hollywood notion of the commie writer. John Turturro makes the role his with a purposeful intensity.

John Goodman is sensational as the garrulous Charlie Meadow, the epitome of the working class man about whom Fink likes to write. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems, as Charlie has a dark side to him, a very dark side. John Mahoney is excellent as the Faulknerian-like writer, and Judy Davis outdoes herself, as the self-sacrificing Audrey Taylor.

Michael Lerner will razzle-dazzle the viewer with his over the top portrayal of a fast talking studio head who is willing to pay big bucks for the cache of having a top Broadway playwright turn out screenplay swill for the masses. Jon Polito is very good as the Uriah Heepish, quintessential yes man he portrays. Tony Shalhoub is excellent in his role, underscoring the absurdity of the old Hollywood studio system.

Steve Buscemi, looking surprisingly small in his bell hop uniform, resembles an organ grinder's monkey, at times. The viewer may also expect him to bellow, "Call for Phillip Morris", as in the old cigarette campaign, though he speaks in a controlled, respectful monotone, at all times. Still, his very presence adds a slightly sinister quality to the film, though he does nothing remotely sinister, other than the way he makes his screen appearance. His entrance onto the screen in this fashion foreshadows what is to come.

This film is not for everyone, as it does not have a neatly wrapped ending. Instead, it goes beyond the standard expected ending into an absurdist foray. Still, those who love films by the Coen Brothers will not be disappointed by this satiric look at Hollywood. It is little wonder that this film became the darling of the Cannes Film Festival.

Coen Brothers? Oh, you mean the guys who made Fargo, right? Yes, the Coen Brothers. Possibly the deepest story-writing, movie-making directors in America.(In the world Bertolucci is for me still No:1)Barton Fink, an early 90's movie of ambition, Hollywood, the devil, hell and penitence. It may seem odd, that I say these of a movie that is of a writer strugglin to make a debut in hollywood with a wrestling script. Yet the Coen Brothers magnificent script, along with their handling of imagery, makes this such an experience that you will be thinking of it for a long time. You will want to watch it again and again, just to confirm some of your ideas, trust me. The superior acting of John Turturro and John Goodman only incerase the experience. Every detail could change the way you think of this movie. Yes, it is incredibly deep, I know I am repeating my words, but trust me. Watch this. It is thanks to this movie that I am a Coen Brothers fan. Do yourself- and the spirtually hollow society surrounding all of us- a favor and discover the true life of the mind.

The Coens, eh? This is one of their best. I feel that over the years since "Blood Simple", the brothers have been leaning towards a far more main stream sensability. "Fargo" is where they were going, but "Barton Fink" is most definately where they've been. It's all peaks and troughs with these guys nowadays. I really didn't care much for "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", and "Intolerable Cruelty" was just below them. When they were still young, excited and exciting, they just couldn't go wrong in my eyes, and this little number has to be one of my favourites from those bygone days.
The whole film is certainly very srange, but not so much as to encumber it's rather magnetic style. It has the same quiet self-possessed quality that all the really great films of the last century have, but it's pervaded by that inimitable, colourful Coen flare. The hotel in which Turturro's character ,Barton Fink, is staying is a big player in itself, with "Citezen Kane" style lighting, wallpaper that peels from the wall because of the intense Hollywood heat, and a wonderfully strange cameo from Steve "Mr. Pink" Buscemi. The outstanding performance for me though lies with John Goodman. Who would have thought that Roseanne's screen husband could have rocketed to such stellar heights of thespian ability from those humble shitcom beginnings? Playing the travelling insurance salesman who turns out to be the devil himself (a common theme in the early Coen ouevre), Goodman utters one of my favourite lines of all time: "Sometimes it gets so hot, I just wanna crawl outta my skin." There's just something fantastically wierd and intriguing about the way he delivers the line, and this and other little nuggets of script writing mastery peppered throughout the film, are able testament to the brothers' ability to get the best from their cast.
This movie panders to no-one. Even the end doesn't 'deliver' in the usual way, but it does look and feel exactly like the end of "La Dolce Vita", which is no small task in itself. One of my favourite Coen films, this is not one for the lazy.