Having to write off a month in the world of movies is a sad thing, but in the case of February, it was completely necessary. With this in mind, this Trailer Park looks toward a surprisingly bright March, which goes against the norm in 2007 by actually containing films that might be enjoyable and, dare I say, good. At least two quality films fall around the Ides of March and the rest of the month is filled with films that might not be top-notch, but should prove interesting in the end.
"Black Book"
Sony Picture Classics
March 9 (limited release)
Paul Verhoeven has had an interesting career as a director, moving from "Basic Instinct" to "Total Recall" to "Showgirls." Now it looks as though he's tackling the World War II era, with a film that, from all appearances, has a chance to be fantastic. The plot follows Rachel, a Jewish singer in Holland who joins the resistance after almost falling prey to the Nazi movement in that country. Changing her name, she starts to play a dangerous game in which she works for both sides of the war. Verhoeven has shown great skill behind the camera in the past, something that he will hopefully be able to demonstrate again with "Black Book." Although the release will be limited, be sure to check this one on your Netflix list as one to rent once it releases on DVD.
"Reign Over Me"
Columbia Pictures
March 9
"Reign Over Me" tracks the friendship of former college roommates who run into one another after many years apart. It looks at how people deal with grief and pain, since one of the characters is basically dysfunctional in the wake of his family's death on 9/11. The main characters are played by an interesting pairing of Don Cheadle (who is in my pantheon of movie gods) and Adam Sandler (who appears to be channeling Bob Dylan to some extent here). As much as I miss the sophomoric genius behind "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison," this more grown-up version of Adam Sandler has an appeal that I can't quite put my finger on. While the subject matter is one that might be seen by some as premature, from what I understand the attacks in the film are not overplayed or thrown in simply for emotional effect.
"Sunshine"
Fox Searchlight Pictures
March 16
Director Danny Boyle switches genres again with "Sunshine," a film about a group of astronauts who must fly toward the sun in an attempt to reignite it, thus preventing the destruction of Earth ? la Krypton. The trailer does not give much away aside from the basic premise of the film and shots of the all-star cast in danger. Narrated by Cillian Murphy (Creepy? Attractive? Creepily attractive?) and backed by the driving music of Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet, the film is set up to be a moody action thriller. Although it is unclear whether the crew is meant to perish in its attempt, you can guarantee this will certainly ratchet up the tension throughout the film. I'm willing to give this a tentative yes, but with the disclaimer that this could turn into a movie as terrible as "The Core" or "Deep Impact," unless Boyle's hand is sure in its direction.
"Shooter"
Paramount Pictures
March 16
"Shooter" has a very familiar setup. When Danny Glover's character pulls Marky Mark (whom we now should probably call Mark Wahlberg since he got an Oscar nomination) out of a Rambo-esque retirement in the deep woods, he thinks he's going to save the life of the president. However, things change, and he is framed for the assassination instead. It doesn't seem too terribly original - last year's "The Sentinel" dealt with a very similar plot. However, with Antoine Fuqua, director of "Training Day," at the helm, "Shooter" should pan out to be a better-than-average revenge romp.
"The Lookout"
Miramax Films
March 23
"The Lookout" appears to take parts equally from "Memento" and "Heist." The main character, a janitor at a bank, was in an accident that had some odd effect on him, which isn't fully explained in the trailer. Apparently, he can now only get through the day by writing everything down in a notebook he carries with him at all times. To make a long story short, he gets involved with a bank heist, which goes haywire, and he has to follow those things written in his notebook to get out of it all alive. While the film looks to have the gritty noir style down, I'm not so sure about the plot and the amount that it seems to steal from other films. This one is 50-50.
