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Red Dragon (2002)
Left me vaguely disappointed
It took me a week to figure out what was wrong with this movie. It wasn't the acting or the script or the scenery; these were all great. It was Dolarhyde. For a serial killer to be compelling, there has to be an obvious link between what happened to him as a kid (as inevitably, for movie killers anyway, there was some trauma) and how he chooses and kills his victims. Silence of the Lambs: the killer thinks he wants to be a woman, can't reconcile this with this fact that he hates women, and so he makes a "woman dress". Okay, this makes sense, in a twisted, serial killer kind of way. But Dolarhyde's killing of the women, and the apparent need for an audience, which is discussed enough that it must be crucial, doesn't have anything to do with the abuse he suffered as a kid. Now, I know this is the fault of the original novel and not really of the movie, but this was never addressed by the movie and so in the end I just didn't care about Dolarhyde or why he did what he did.
American History X (1998)
flawed execution, but Norton is amazing
By now you probably know the basic plot, so I won't recount it. The problem is that the overall message of the film - racism is malignant and doesn't provide the solace it promises - is completely undermined by Norton's presentation. He gives a truly stunning performance, but his character (Danny) is so much more appealing when he's the mesmerizing racist poster boy. When he returns from prison, after having sorted out all of his prior racist ideology, he's much less interesting to watch. It was actually disturbing to me how sexy he was, shirtless in the street, after having just killed someone in one of the most violent ways I've ever encountered. It's hard to buy the idea that racism is bad when it comes in such an attractive package, especially when its opposite is presented as feminized and weak.
This movie had high ambitions, and almost reached them, but in the end misses its target by letting Norton be TOO good.
Barbershop (2002)
Ice Cube just gets better
This is a very satisfying movie. The plot may be a little tired, but the characters and the actors who play them bring a fresh and very irreverent face to it. Ice Cube sometimes doesn't bring quite enough facial expression to his characters (he too often has the blank look of the straight guy)but here his face is finally registering some of the emotion he usually lets his words convey. Cedric the Entertainer is a hoot, and I was very happily surprised by Eve, who was just good fun to watch as Terri, the girl who just isn't quite as tough as she wants to be. Yes, the movie is very funny, but it's also a nice depiction of the little lives that go on whether we see them or not. And on a slightly more strident note, this movie offered some things that you just don't see enough of, particularly in movies with all (or almost all) black casts: a married man who is excited about his wife's pregnancy, room for varied views on civil rights history, and the racism that African Americans can force on themselves in the absence of white people. And all handled with subtlety and respect.
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Doesn't feel like Disney territory
I had almost given up on Disney; the animation is lackluster, the stories are either tired reworking of old plots or feel-good messages with souring soundtracks and flowing hair. But the advertising for Lilo & Stitch caught my attention for one reason: the main characters are naughty! They are really messed up! Lilo, who you have to love from the minute she's introduced, is truly angry, and she shows it. The bit with the voodoo doll (just see it) was heartbreakingly honest. And watching Stitch try in vain to destroy San Francisco... I don't know if I've ever seen characters in a kid's movie be so destructive, even in such a misguided way. And while, yes, it seems a little simple to say that these two just want to be loved and then all their problems will be solved, there is no denying that little kids DO just want to be loved. The adult character were equally engaging, and it was nice to see some healthy legs on the big sister. Come to think of it, Lilo wasn't model thin, either, but that didn't stop her from being adorable. Unlike some recent (and wonderful) animated films, this doesn't offer as much in the way of "hidden" adult jokes. But sometimes you just gotta pretend you're a kid and go with it.