Paul Walker

Wednesday April 5, 2000      Having written "Bugsy" (1991) and "The Gambler" (1975) and having directed what some feel was among the great debuts in American film--"Fingers" (1977)--James Toback carries around a credibility that's belied by almost...

Friday May 5, 2000      "Luminarias" takes us into a world all too rarely seen on the big screen: that of upwardly mobile Los Angeles Latinas.      Instead of barrio poverty, gangs and drugs, we're introduced to four women, longtime friends, whose...

Friday May 12, 2000      From "The Red Shoes" to "The Turning Point," dramatic films about the ballet world have begged the question: How is it that such a serious and disciplined performing art attracts such silly and chaotic people?      The callow...

Friday October 15, 1999      Cedric Kahn's relentless "L'Ennui" is such a rigorous exploration of sexual obsession that it proves to be a most demanding film. Virtually devoid of eroticism and sensuality, it depicts with the utmost realism a 17-year-...

Friday April 14, 2000      "Where the Money Is" takes its title from a famous reply legendary thief Willie Sutton gave when he was asked why he robbed banks. However, crooks would be ill-advised to stick up the box offices at theaters where this tepid...

Friday April 7, 2000      "Soft Fruit" asks us to spend 101 minutes with people most of us wouldtake pains to avoid in real life.      The difference between this film, a first feature for writer-director Christina Andreef, and works by her executive...

Friday April 28, 2000      For Kevin Spacey, "The Big Kahuna" is far from an ideal commercial follow-up to "American Beauty" in reaffirming his new star status. It's a small picture, its stage roots all too evident, and the role Spacey plays is...

Wednesday April 19, 2000      Salvador Carrasco's "The Other Conquest," or "La Otra Conquista," is a boldly imaginative and enthralling evocation of the bloody aftermath of the 1521 Spanish conquest of Mexico that has become the highest-grossing drama...

Friday June 22, 2001      Rob Cohen's "The Fast and the Furious" hurtles us into the ultra-high-speed world of L.A. street racing. It's a world of midnight runs on empty city streets, where imported muscle cars can reach speeds as high as 160 mph in...

The sequels and franchise flicks scored big last summer, so what do we get? More of the same this year. Check out the titles, and you might conclude that this is the year of the colon. But don't be fooled by the amount of noise generated by the highest-...

1 star (out of 4) The Christmas movie "Noel" should come with an advisory label, "Do not see this movie if depressed. Do not operate heavy machinery while viewing." Like most holiday movies, "Noel" ends with a message of redemption and hope. We expect...

Told as a children's fable, "Muhammad: The Last Prophet" is the story of Islam's divinely inspired teacher and serves as a primer, presenting the religion's basic principles in a straightforward manner. Director Richard Rich, whose numerous mainstream...