BeatBoxBetty's Movie Reviews

Elizabeth, End of Days, The End of the Affair, Enemy of the State, Entrapment, Erin Brockovich, Eye of the Beholder, Eyes Wide Shut

	ELIZABETH Perhaps the most visually stunning films of the year, Elizabeth almost satisfies. It centers around the reign of Queen Elizabeth during a period of history ripe with drama and intrigue. Only problem is, we don’t get to see much of either. Despite the absence of a powerful script, Cate Blanchett can still expect an Oscar nod for her stellar performance, but Geoffrey Rush isn’t so lucky. Although standing out as her loyal advisor, he never really gets a moment to "shine." Rating: 2.5 Martinis.
	END OF DAYS First off, let's just say this is a total Ah-nold "guns-a-toting" Schwarzenegger film. That said, End Of Days has plenty of plot holes and corny one-liners to choke an Austrian body builder. How this beat down ex-NYPD cop, Jericho Cane, finds the soon-to-be bearer of the Anti-Christ is indeed a stretch; "Christ in York" carved into a poor priest leads him to search for a girl named Christine York (played by Robin Tunney). But despite the silly set-up I was entertained for most of the movie. Call me a sucker for big budget blow-ups but I bought into it. Fun, scary at times, and totally unbelievable, End of Days wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! 3.0 Martinis
	END OF THE AFFAIR, THE I'm sure Ralph Fiennes is a fine actor. And I just adored Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights (in fact I thought she'd win an Oscar for it). But after sitting through this sad story (set in 1946) about a love affair doomed from the very start with all that dry British dialogue, I didn't give a rat's ass what happened to the funky couple. Now, writer/director Neil Jordan really impressed me with The Crying Game, but both The Butcher Boy and this flick left me wanting so much more...like a reason to root these people on! It may look pretty, but this Affair just doesn't hold much substance. 3.0 Martinis
	ENEMY OF THE STATE First off, if half of the "big brother" scenario this movie depicts is plausible, then we’re in deep shit. That said, Enemy of the State is a riveting, non-stop thrill ride that will scare the crap out of you. Will Smith is at the wrong place at the wrong time and has to hide from the omnipotent National Security Agency. Not an easy task mind you, especially since they’ve got everything but his BVD’s tapped. In addition to Smith’s on camera ease, Gene Hackman is just plain brilliant as the ex-NSA agent who helps our Mr. Smith kick the Feds’ butts. Rating: 3.5 Martinis
	ENTRAPMENT Three words describe this film; yum, yum, yum. And I ain’t talking about Sean Connery. Nope it’s all about Catherine Zeta-Jones and her contortionistic scenes as an undercover insurance agent posing as an art thief. Although you might cringe a bit when CZJ has to smooch Connery, the tag-team duo still scores on several levels. Rating: 4.0 Martinis
	ERIN BROCKOVICH Hey now. This is what fans of Julia Roberts have been waiting for since Pretty Woman. Grant it, she plays well...another pretty woman, but this time Richard Gere isn't coming to save the day. The $20 Million Woman plays real-life do-gooder Erin Brockovich - a curvy single mother of three who's broke and jobless until her attorney (and soon-to-be boss) falls for her shoot-from-the-hip charms and befriends her. Simply splendid Albert Finney plays her boss/pal who funds Erin's investigation into the poisoning of the small town of Hinkley in California. Although the film's length is a tad long, Julia keeps you busy with marvelous moments as the feisty, determined Erin, who's on the verge of a $300 million lawsuit and finding herself. 4.5 Martinis
	EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Yes, Ashley Judd looks good in a blonde wig. And a black wig. And a red wig for that matter. Face it - she looks good in anything. But all the wigs in the world can't help this meandering suspense-less thriller about an intelligence agent's (Ewan McGregor) obsession with a beautiful serial killer (Judd). To sum it up, he's a daddy who's lost his daughter, and she's a psycho babe who's lost her daddy. As the production notes say, "As he follows her from murder to murder, the more he finds that he needs to watch her. Not capture her. Not speak to her. But watch her." Oy vay. And may I say, I can forgive Ashley for Double Jeopardy and even this flop, but one more strike sister...you're out. 1.0 Martini
	EYES WIDE SHUT Other critics may be slobbering all over this movie, but Betty found it painfully weak. A rich doctor and his gorgeous wife find out they dig other good looking rich cats. It took 3 years to make this? Although Nicole Kidman is easy on the eyes, her and "hubby" Tom have zero chemistry. Nubile bodies may abound, but grass grows faster than this plot. Rating: 2.0 Martinis.