“Enough” — Popcorn fodder for Lifetime Network addicts, Jennifer Lopez stars as a battered wife who flees her husband and then decides to gets even. Lopez plays Slim, a waitress swept off her feet by rich, handsome Mitch (Billy Campbell). Things seem perfect at first, but Mitch eventually reveals himself to be an unfaithful control freak. Slim escapes to a series of towns with their little girl (Tessa Allen), but Mitch stalks her. So she goes to a self-defense coach — training in spandex, natch! — and in a glitzed-up climax, confronts Mitch. A slick, overproduced riff on the “Rocky” theme, Lopez definitely has screen presence. But it’s not enough to overcome the movie’s abundance of melodrama and paucity of insight.
“Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” — The animation may leave lots to be desired by any adults or traditionalists, but kids between 8 and 12 will find something they can relate to in this tale of a Wild West horse whose spirit cannot be broken. Unlike in most animated kids’ movies, the animals don’t talk o-screen; instead, Spirit narrates his life story (voiceover by Matt Damon), starting with his frolicsome upbringing and including his friendship with a sympathetic Lakota brave named Little Creek (Daniel Studi). But his biggest test of courage and self-will comes when he’s lassoed by U.S. soldiers who are determined to “break” him.
“Insomnia” is a thrilling heir to Nolan’s impressive feature debut “Memento.” In that outstanding first work, Nolan made us witness to a character’s confusion about his ability to survive and solve a murderous puzzle. With “Insomnia,” Nolan once again puts us inside that unnerving confusion, but with a twist. Nolan and Pacino keep us off-balance, and we’re never quite sure if we’re watching a good cop go bad or a bad cop making good on paying for his sins. As Dormer teeters on the edge, so do we, and that’s what makes this murder mystery so much more than a sleepy little summer thriller.
“Y Tu Mama Tambien” — Wonderfully vibrant, sexy and funny, this contemporary coming-of-age road movie is set in director Alfonso Cuaron’s native Mexico. It’s also the perfect antidote to the recent spate of American teen gross-out movies. Cuaron’s unlikely heroes are two 17-year-olds who talk fast, swear, smoke and obsess over sex. While debating what to do when their girlfriends leave for the summer, the two are smitten by a married woman they encounter at a family gathering. Like an angel — holding promises of naughtiness — she floats by them in a white dress. In short order, the two adolescents are doing their best to impress her and end up inviting her to join them on a trip to the coast. But when alone, the boys discover they’re not the only ones pursuing a fantasy. This is a charming, intelligent teen movie aimed at adults.
