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My\|own\|minority\|report\|is\|that\|it\|stinks\|.
Trying\|to\|make\|head\|or\|tail\|of\|the\|story\|in\|the\|hip-hop\|indie\|Snipes\|is\|enough\|to\|give\|you\|brain\|strain\|--\|and\|the\|pay-off\|is\|negligible\|.
The\|script\|is\|high\|on\|squaddie\|banter\|,\|low\|on\|shocks\|.
...\|if\|you\|,\|like\|me\|,\|think\|an\|action\|film\|disguised\|as\|a\|war\|tribute\|is\|disgusting\|to\|begin\|with\|,\|then\|you\|'re\|in\|for\|a\|painful\|ride\|.
While\|Solondz\|tries\|and\|tries\|hard\|,\|Storytelling\|fails\|to\|provide\|much\|more\|insight\|than\|the\|inside\|column\|of\|a\|torn\|book\|jacket\|.
With\|very\|little\|to\|add\|beyond\|the\|dark\|visions\|already\|relayed\|by\|superb\|recent\|predecessors\|like\|Swimming\|With\|Sharks\|and\|The\|Player\|,\|this\|latest\|skewering\|...\|may\|put\|off\|insiders\|and\|outsiders\|alike\|.
(\|Davis\|)\|wants\|to\|cause\|his\|audience\|an\|epiphany\|,\|yet\|he\|refuses\|to\|give\|us\|real\|situations\|and\|characters\|.
Without\|a\|fresh\|infusion\|of\|creativity\|,\|4Ever\|is\|neither\|a\|promise\|nor\|a\|threat\|so\|much\|as\|wishful\|thinking\|.
...\|unlike\|(\|Scorsese\|'s\|Mean\|Streets\|)\|,\|Ash\|Wednesday\|is\|essentially\|devoid\|of\|interesting\|characters\|or\|even\|a\|halfway\|intriguing\|plot\|.
Being\|unique\|does\|n't\|necessarily\|equate\|to\|being\|good\|,\|no\|matter\|how\|admirably\|the\|filmmakers\|have\|gone\|for\|broke\|.
A\|few\|hours\|after\|you\|'ve\|seen\|it\|,\|you\|forget\|you\|'ve\|been\|to\|the\|movies\|.
waydowntown\|may\|not\|be\|an\|important\|movie\|,\|or\|even\|a\|good\|one\|,\|but\|it\|provides\|a\|nice\|change\|of\|mindless\|pace\|in\|collision\|with\|the\|hot\|Oscar\|season\|currently\|underway\|.
Yes\|,\|I\|suppose\|it\|'s\|lovely\|that\|Cal\|works\|out\|his\|issues\|with\|his\|dad\|and\|comes\|to\|terms\|with\|his\|picture-perfect\|life\|--\|but\|World\|Traveler\|gave\|me\|no\|reason\|to\|care\|,\|so\|I\|did\|n't\|.
Shadyac\|,\|who\|belongs\|with\|the\|damned\|for\|perpetrating\|Patch\|Adams\|,\|trots\|out\|every\|ghost\|trick\|from\|The\|Sixth\|Sense\|to\|The\|Mothman\|Prophecies\|.
The\|photographer\|'s\|show-don\|`\|t-tell\|stance\|is\|admirable\|,\|but\|it\|can\|make\|him\|a\|problematic\|documentary\|subject\|.
It\|is\|not\|the\|first\|time\|that\|director\|Sara\|Sugarman\|stoops\|to\|having\|characters\|drop\|their\|pants\|for\|laughs\|and\|not\|the\|last\|time\|she\|fails\|to\|provoke\|them\|.
I\|'d\|be\|hard\|pressed\|to\|think\|of\|a\|film\|more\|cloyingly\|sappy\|than\|Evelyn\|this\|year\|.
Nothing\|more\|than\|an\|amiable\|but\|unfocused\|bagatelle\|that\|plays\|like\|a\|loosely-connected\|string\|of\|acting-workshop\|exercises\|.
meanders\|between\|its\|powerful\|moments\|.
What\|remains\|is\|a\|variant\|of\|the\|nincompoop\|Benigni\|persona\|,\|here\|a\|more\|annoying\|,\|though\|less\|angry\|version\|of\|the\|irresponsible\|Sandlerian\|manchild\|,\|undercut\|by\|the\|voice\|of\|the\|star\|of\|Road\|Trip\|.
A\|backhanded\|ode\|to\|female\|camaraderie\|penned\|by\|a\|man\|who\|has\|little\|clue\|about\|either\|the\|nature\|of\|women\|or\|of\|friendship\|.
Pure\|of\|intention\|and\|passably\|diverting\|,\|His\|Secret\|Life\|is\|light\|,\|innocuous\|and\|unremarkable\|.
...\|delivers\|few\|moments\|of\|inspiration\|amid\|the\|bland\|animation\|and\|simplistic\|story\|.
Take\|away\|the\|controversy\|,\|and\|it\|'s\|not\|much\|more\|watchable\|than\|a\|Mexican\|soap\|opera\|.
It\|'s\|got\|the\|brawn\|,\|but\|not\|the\|brains\|.
Mindless\|and\|boring\|martial\|arts\|and\|gunplay\|with\|too\|little\|excitement\|and\|zero\|compelling\|storyline\|.
A\|lot\|of\|talent\|is\|wasted\|in\|this\|crass\|,\|low-wattage\|endeavor\|.
To\|show\|these\|characters\|in\|the\|act\|and\|give\|them\|no\|feelings\|of\|remorse\|--\|and\|to\|cut\|repeatedly\|to\|the\|flashback\|of\|the\|original\|rape\|--\|is\|overkill\|to\|the\|highest\|degree\|.
(\|T\|)\|oo\|many\|of\|these\|gross\|out\|scenes\|...
About\|one\|in\|three\|gags\|in\|White\|'s\|intermittently\|wise\|script\|hits\|its\|mark\|;\|the\|rest\|are\|padding\|unashamedly\|appropriated\|from\|the\|teen-exploitation\|playbook\|.
Little\|is\|done\|to\|support\|the\|premise\|other\|than\|fling\|gags\|at\|it\|to\|see\|which\|ones\|shtick\|.
Reno\|does\|what\|he\|can\|in\|a\|thankless\|situation\|,\|the\|film\|ricochets\|from\|humor\|to\|violence\|and\|back\|again\|,\|and\|Ryoko\|Hirosue\|makes\|us\|wonder\|if\|she\|is\|always\|like\|that\|.
If\|Jews\|were\|Catholics\|,\|this\|would\|be\|Catechism
One\|of\|those\|films\|that\|seems\|tailor\|made\|to\|air\|on\|pay\|cable\|to\|offer\|some\|modest\|amusements\|when\|one\|has\|nothing\|else\|to\|watch\|.
The\|big\|ending\|surprise\|almost\|saves\|the\|movie\|.
It\|'s\|too\|bad\|that\|the\|rest\|is\|n't\|more\|compelling\|.
Charming\|,\|if\|overly\|complicated\|...
Schneider\|'s\|mugging\|is\|relentless\|and\|his\|constant\|need\|to\|suddenly\|transpose\|himself\|into\|another\|character\|undermines\|the\|story\|'s\|continuity\|and\|progression\|.
All\|very\|stylish\|and\|beautifully\|photographed\|,\|but\|far\|more\|trouble\|than\|it\|'s\|worth\|,\|with\|fantasy\|mixing\|with\|reality\|and\|actors\|playing\|more\|than\|one\|role\|just\|to\|add\|to\|the\|confusion\|.
It\|'s\|probably\|not\|easy\|to\|make\|such\|a\|worthless\|film\|...
Hope\|keeps\|arising\|that\|the\|movie\|will\|live\|up\|to\|the\|apparent\|skills\|of\|its\|makers\|and\|the\|talents\|of\|its\|actors\|,\|but\|it\|does\|n't\|.
Has\|no\|reason\|to\|exist\|,\|other\|than\|to\|employ\|Hollywood\|kids\|and\|people\|who\|owe\|favors\|to\|their\|famous\|parents\|.
For\|a\|guy\|who\|has\|waited\|three\|years\|with\|breathless\|anticipation\|for\|a\|new\|Hal\|Hartley\|movie\|to\|pore\|over\|,\|No\|Such\|Thing\|is\|a\|big\|letdown\|.
Constantly\|slips\|from\|the\|grasp\|of\|its\|maker\|.
Smothered\|by\|its\|own\|solemnity\|.
`\|Christian\|Bale\|'s\|Quinn\|(\|is\|)\|a\|leather\|clad\|grunge-pirate\|with\|a\|hairdo\|like\|Gandalf\|in\|a\|wind-tunnel\|and\|a\|simply\|astounding\|cor-blimey-luv-a-duck\|cockney\|accent\|.\|'
Might\|be\|one\|of\|those\|vanity\|projects\|in\|which\|a\|renowned\|filmmaker\|attempts\|to\|show\|off\|his\|talent\|by\|surrounding\|himself\|with\|untalented\|people\|.
After\|you\|laugh\|once\|(\|maybe\|twice\|)\|,\|you\|will\|have\|completely\|forgotten\|the\|movie\|by\|the\|time\|you\|get\|back\|to\|your\|car\|in\|the\|parking\|lot\|.
Not\|one\|moment\|in\|the\|enterprise\|did\|n't\|make\|me\|want\|to\|lie\|down\|in\|a\|dark\|room\|with\|something\|cool\|to\|my\|brow\|.
In\|the\|era\|of\|The\|Sopranos\|,\|it\|feels\|painfully\|redundant\|and\|inauthentic\|.
The\|overall\|vibe\|is\|druggy\|and\|self-indulgent\|,\|like\|a\|spring-break\|orgy\|for\|pretentious\|arts\|majors\|.
Breen\|'s\|script\|is\|sketchy\|with\|actorish\|notations\|on\|the\|margin\|of\|acting\|.
There\|'s\|no\|question\|that\|Epps\|scores\|once\|or\|twice\|,\|but\|it\|'s\|telling\|that\|his\|funniest\|moment\|comes\|when\|he\|falls\|about\|ten\|feet\|onto\|his\|head\|.
If\|only\|Merchant\|paid\|more\|attention\|the\|story\|.
At\|the\|one-hour\|mark\|,\|Herzog\|simply\|runs\|out\|of\|ideas\|and\|the\|pace\|turns\|positively\|leaden\|as\|the\|movie\|sputters\|to\|its\|inevitable\|tragic\|conclusion\|.
...\|too\|contrived\|to\|be\|as\|naturally\|charming\|as\|it\|needs\|to\|be\|.
A\|simpler\|,\|leaner\|treatment\|would\|have\|been\|preferable\|;\|after\|all\|,\|being\|about\|nothing\|is\|sometimes\|funnier\|than\|being\|about\|something\|.
The\|characters\|are\|based\|on\|stock\|clichés\|,\|and\|the\|attempt\|to\|complicate\|the\|story\|only\|defies\|credibility\|.
Everything\|about\|it\|from\|the\|bland\|songs\|to\|the\|colorful\|but\|flat\|drawings\|is\|completely\|serviceable\|and\|quickly\|forgettable\|.
Not\|the\|Great\|American\|Comedy\|,\|but\|if\|you\|liked\|the\|previous\|movies\|in\|the\|series\|,\|you\|'ll\|have\|a\|good\|time\|with\|this\|one\|too\|.
A\|domestic\|melodrama\|with\|weak\|dialogue\|and\|biopic\|cliches\|.
Mr.\|Goyer\|'s\|loose\|,\|unaccountable\|direction\|is\|technically\|sophisticated\|in\|the\|worst\|way\|.
The\|movie\|is\|so\|thoughtlessly\|assembled\|.
Benigni\|presents\|himself\|as\|the\|boy\|puppet\|Pinocchio\|,\|complete\|with\|receding\|hairline\|,\|weathered\|countenance\|and\|American\|Breckin\|Meyer\|'s\|ridiculously\|inappropriate\|Valley\|Boy\|voice\|.
plays\|like\|some\|corny\|television\|production\|from\|a\|bygone\|era
The\|end\|result\|is\|like\|cold\|porridge\|with\|only\|the\|odd\|enjoyably\|chewy\|lump\|.
For\|all\|the\|charm\|of\|Kevin\|Kline\|and\|a\|story\|that\|puts\|old-fashioned\|values\|under\|the\|microscope\|,\|there\|'s\|something\|creepy\|about\|this\|movie\|.
I\|was\|feeling\|this\|movie\|until\|it\|veered\|off\|too\|far\|into\|the\|Exxon\|zone\|,\|and\|left\|me\|behind\|at\|the\|station\|looking\|for\|a\|return\|ticket\|to\|realism\|.
Producer\|John\|Penotti\|surveyed\|high\|school\|students\|...\|and\|came\|back\|with\|the\|astonishing\|revelation\|that\|``\|they\|wanted\|to\|see\|something\|that\|did\|n't\|talk\|down\|to\|them\|.\|''
Ignoring\|that\|,\|he\|made\|Swimfan\|anyway
Naipaul\|fans\|may\|be\|disappointed\|.
Those\|who\|are\|not\|acquainted\|with\|the\|author\|'s\|work\|,\|on\|the\|other\|hand\|,\|may\|fall\|fast\|asleep\|.
Hoffman\|waits\|too\|long\|to\|turn\|his\|movie\|in\|an\|unexpected\|direction\|,\|and\|even\|then\|his\|tone\|retains\|a\|genteel\|,\|prep-school\|quality\|that\|feels\|dusty\|and\|leatherbound\|.
If\|you\|'re\|a\|Crocodile\|Hunter\|fan\|,\|you\|'ll\|enjoy\|at\|least\|the\|``\|real\|''\|portions\|of\|the\|film\|.
If\|you\|'re\|looking\|for\|a\|story\|,\|do\|n't\|bother\|.
Full\|Frontal\|had\|no\|effect\|and\|elicited\|no\|sympathies\|for\|any\|of\|the\|characters\|.
By\|that\|measure\|,\|it\|is\|a\|failure\|.
A\|baffling\|mixed\|platter\|of\|gritty\|realism\|and\|magic\|realism\|with\|a\|hard-to-swallow\|premise\|.
An\|affable\|but\|undernourished\|romantic\|comedy\|that\|fails\|to\|match\|the\|freshness\|of\|the\|actress-producer\|and\|writer\|'s\|previous\|collaboration\|,\|Miss\|Congeniality\|.
Sometimes\|this\|modest\|little\|number\|clicks\|,\|and\|sometimes\|it\|does\|n't\|.
Like\|a\|pack\|of\|dynamite\|sticks\|,\|built\|for\|controversy\|.
The\|film\|is\|explosive\|,\|but\|a\|few\|of\|those\|sticks\|are\|wet\|.
Has\|its\|charming\|quirks\|and\|its\|dull\|spots\|.
An\|admitted\|egomaniac\|,\|Evans\|is\|no\|Hollywood\|villain\|,\|and\|yet\|this\|grating\|showcase\|almost\|makes\|you\|wish\|he\|'d\|gone\|the\|way\|of\|Don\|Simpson\|.
The\|audience\|when\|I\|saw\|this\|one\|was\|chuckling\|at\|all\|the\|wrong\|times\|,\|and\|that\|'s\|a\|bad\|sign\|when\|they\|'re\|supposed\|to\|be\|having\|a\|collective\|heart\|attack\|.
Everyone\|'s\|to\|blame\|here\|.
You\|get\|the\|impression\|that\|writer\|and\|director\|Burr\|Steers\|knows\|the\|territory\|...\|but\|his\|sense\|of\|humor\|has\|yet\|to\|lose\|the\|smug\|self-satisfaction\|usually\|associated\|with\|the\|better\|private\|schools\|.
Less\|a\|study\|in\|madness\|or\|love\|than\|a\|study\|in\|schoolgirl\|obsession\|.
Rice\|never\|clearly\|defines\|his\|characters\|or\|gives\|us\|a\|reason\|to\|care\|about\|them\|.
It\|'s\|a\|bizarre\|curiosity\|memorable\|mainly\|for\|the\|way\|it\|fritters\|away\|its\|potentially\|interesting\|subject\|matter\|via\|a\|banal\|script\|,\|unimpressive\|acting\|and\|indifferent\|direction\|.
A\|slight\|and\|obvious\|effort\|,\|even\|for\|one\|whose\|target\|demographic\|is\|likely\|still\|in\|the\|single\|digits\|,\|age-wise\|.
Sex\|With\|Strangers\|will\|shock\|many\|with\|its\|unblinking\|frankness\|.
But\|what\|is\|missing\|from\|it\|all\|is\|a\|moral\|.
What\|is\|the\|filmmakers\|'\|point\|?
Why\|did\|they\|deem\|it\|necessary\|to\|document\|all\|this\|emotional\|misery\|?
You\|see\|Robin\|Williams\|and\|psycho\|killer\|,\|and\|you\|think\|,\|hmmmmm\|.
You\|see\|the\|movie\|and\|you\|think\|,\|zzzzzzzzz\|.
Downright\|transparent\|is\|the\|script\|'s\|endless\|assault\|of\|embarrassingly\|ham-fisted\|sex\|jokes\|that\|reek\|of\|a\|script\|rewrite\|designed\|to\|garner\|the\|film\|a\|``\|cooler\|''\|PG-13\|rating\|.
The\|movie\|slides\|downhill\|as\|soon\|as\|macho\|action\|conventions\|assert\|themselves\|.
Formulaic\|to\|the\|51st\|power\|,\|more\|like\|.

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