Opening Films

by Inlander Staff & r & An Unfinished Life -- About a Wyoming ranch owner, his crippled ranch hand, his estranged daughter-in-law, his granddaughter and all their baggage, this film seems tailor-made for director Lasse Hallstr & ouml;m. It's just the kind of plot-free character drama he has done so well in the past (What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Chocolat), but not even he, helped along by a couple good performances, can raise the film above its made-for-TV source material. (LB) Rated PG-13





The Exorcism of Emily Rose -- It's the first courtroom horror movie since that scene at the beginning of Ghost Busters 2. We think it's been far too long, frankly. The Catholic Church publicly acknowledges a case of demon possession and sends their crack exorcist in to take care of the afflicted young woman. She dies, and the rest of the film is told from the subsequent trial of the priest. The best part, say the film's creators, is that it's based on a true story. Yes, and so was The Amityville Horror. (LB) Rated PG-13





The Man -- Samuel Jackson plays -- what else? -- a hard-talking, streetwise black fellow (in this case, also, a policeman). Eugene Levy plays -- what else? -- a nerdy, buttoned-down Jewish fellow (in this case, also, a dental supply salesman). Apparently Levy is mistaken for a drug dealer -- which is absurd, you know, 'cause it's Eugene Levy -- which means hilarity is supposed to ensue, but probably doesn't. The Man promises to signal a perfectly terrible end to a summer of bad, race-driven, fish-out-of-water comedies. Thank God it's almost over. (LB) Rated PG-13 (of course)





Ladies in Lavender -- This one's for the fellas. Psych! Featuring no less than two dames of the British Empire (Judi Dench and Maggie Smith), the film is about sisters idling their golden years away in Cornwall on the eve of World War II. The hullabaloo on the continent doesn't ruffle their feathers much, but when a mysterious stranger washes up on the beach, the two sisters get all a-twitter. (LB) Rated PG-13