Reviews

DiRECTED BY Mel Gibson STARRING James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci Opened March 26, Cert 18, 126 mins If you enjoyed the finale of Braveheart, where Mel Gibson was hanged, drawn and quartered in lascivious close-up, then this is the movie for you. This time it's worse and lasts for two hours, as we're dragged through Christ's final hours of torture and crucifixion. Gibson apparently wanted to "just tell the truth" about the death of Christ, but Mel's the last guy you'd go to for authenticity (Braveheart? The Patriot? Hello?).

Kooky low-budget Brit-flick gets a moribund Scandinavian once-over as Danish Dogme disciple Lone Scherfig (Italian For Beginners) directs this contrived tale of two contrasting Glaswegian brothers—one is dying, one wants to die; one is sexy, one is square, etc—caught in a love triangle with mousy hospital worker Shirley Henderson. Annoying.

Gob-smackingly ill-suited to the small screen, Gus Van Sant's infuriating and addictive road movie is a tale of two Gerrys (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) lost in the desert. It's also a sumptuous Utah travelogue. And a pompous Beckettian comedy. And a sly parable on human frailty. But by then you'll have switched off the TV.

Following the success of Jean De Florette and Manon Des Sources, interest was sufficiently stirred in author Marcel Pagnol to fuel two features based on his childhood memoirs in a sun-drenched Provence. Picture-postcard landscapes figure prominently in Yves Robert's polished recreation of the summer of 1900, although the human drama goes no deeper than minor family arguments and slender rites-of-passage rituals. This was hugely successful, but adds up to little more than an oppressively tasteful tourist-board panorama.

Third album from Scottish indie four-piece has roughly accurate title

Bruised, beautiful no-wave angst from NY underground

Smog/Palace mucker meets (and matches) his mentors

Stirring story-so-far set from inspired indieniks

Timely portrait of a Haitian human rights activist

Cynical lapsed communist Daniel Auteuil gets lost driving through a dark forest, and encounters haughty bilingual seductress Kristin Scott Thomas. An episodic shaggy dog story ensues, sprayed with romance and bleak jokes. Pascal Bonitzer writes/directs a unique, odd mystery which is splendidly acted by all. Let's face it, if you're casting a haughty bilingual seductress, Kristin's your woman.