‘50 First Dates’ neither a gas nor ghastly

ANDREW NGUYEN

An Adam Sandler comedy is usually really funny or terribly stupid --

there’s usually no in-between. With “50 First Dates,” however, I

didn’t find myself in love or in loathe with the movie. Instead, I

was just fairly amused and entertained.

Sandler plays Henry Roth in this film, a veterinarian with a heart

of gold toward his marine subjects. Between his time at the aquarium

and out on the seas, Roth is busy breaking hearts because he’s

commitment-phobic. But one day, he meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore), a

girl so special that her waffles are never plain (no pun intended).

Before you know it, Roth is ready to embark on a monogamous

relationship.

Of course, the obligatory Hollywood catch is that Lucy’s

short-term memory is damaged, so she can never remember Roth the next

day. As you guessed it, Roth goes on many (or as the title suggests,

50) first dates with Lucy, all because he’s in love with her

(although cynics may argue that he’s simply a masochist).

Marketed for Valentine’s Day, “50 First Dates” does succeed in

being mildly charming. In terms of chemistry, Sandler and Barrymore

are fittingly Generation Y’s version of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. They

seem remarkably similar in acting style and personality, so you never

have to question their attraction and romance.

Although the film presses for cheap laughs (think Farrelly

brothers), I found myself chuckling often. Surprisingly, neither

Sandler nor Barrymore are as hysterical as Rob Schneider and Sean

Astin in this movie; both supporting actors manage to steal

practically every scene they’re in.

All good things said, there are some ways that directors implement

lowbrow humor in a classy and creative fashion; this movie does not

even try to accomplish that. This proves to be a problem when you

realize that the film is short on romance and heavy on childlike

gags.

Another drawback is the film’s unusual and weak ending. I won’t

reveal anything, except to say that a group of sixth-graders could

have devised a better closing to this film.

Still, if you don’t hold your expectations too high, you might be

pleased with this comedy. It’s not as funny as “Happy Gilmore,” but

at least it’s far from being similar to the wretched “Mr. Deeds” --

Thank God for that!

* ANDREW NGUYEN is a freelance writer and Costa Mesa resident.

‘In America’ worth discount ticket price

Nominated for three Academy Awards for best actress (Samantha

Morton), best supporting actor (Djimon Hounsou) and best original

screenplay (Jim Sheridan with daughters Naomi and Kirsten), “In

America” is a semiautobiographical story of Irish

writer/director/producer Jim Sheridan and his family’s relocation to

Manhattan in the early 1980s.

Only able to afford lodging in a seedy apartment complex housing

drug addicts, drag queens and other colorful characters, the story

involves the family’s experience of learning to live in their new

country while coming to grips with the somewhat recent death of their

youngest child.

Actor/father Johnny (Paddy Considine) auditions for parts and

drives a taxicab. Mother Sarah (Morton), a schoolteacher back in

Ireland, waits tables in an ice cream store. Their two young

daughters, Ariel (Emma Bolger) and Christy (Sarah Bolger), attend

Catholic school and experience the strange new world they are now a

part of.

Ariel is cute as a button and, with her endearing personality,

quickly gets to know the entire neighborhood. The elder sister,

Christy, is a bit reserved, but nonetheless strong-willed and

fearless, which she demonstrates on Halloween while taking her sister

trick-or-treating. This is when they meet their mysterious neighbor

Matteo (Hounsou), otherwise known as “the screaming man,” a large and

imposing black man who lives below the family and can sometimes be

heard screaming in anguish through the walls of the tenement

building.

The bond formed between Matteo and the family brings hope,

friendship and a little bit of magic into all of their lives, helping

them to cope with their situation and their new life in America.

Regardless of whether you like the movie, it’s virtually

impossible to not be won over by the performances of the two

real-life sisters. Obviously, the rest of the cast and the screenplay

is good or there wouldn’t be three Oscar nods.

But for me, the film still lacked something. It failed to pull me

in completely and tell me a story that I didn’t want to end. So, on

my scale of “Pay Full Price,” “Bargain Matinee,” “Movie Rental,”

“Wait for Cable” or “TV Movie of the Week,” I give “In America” a

rating of “Bargain Matinee.”

* RICHARD BRUNETTE is a Costa Mesa resident.

A pearl of a movie

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” is a small treasure, beautifully

packaged and delicately delivered with style and substance.

Director Peter Webber brings a masterful touch to a story that is

very subtle and highly refined. Centered on the famous painting of

the same title by Vermeer, the film gives us a captivating glimpse of

everyday life in the Netherlands of 1665. The cinematographer creates

many stunning scenes, each worthy of being a Dutch Masters’ canvas.

Scarlett Johansson is astonishing as Griet, the mysterious young

woman who is the subject of Vermeer’s artistry. She speaks very few

words throughout the film, yet is able to convey a startling range

of emotion and depth with a simple movement of her eyes or a change

in body language. Nominated for best actress at the Golden Globes,

Johansson gives an outstanding performance on every level, made even

more remarkable by her tender years.

Colin Firth is perfectly cast as Vermeer, bringing a quiet

strength to a complex role. Griet begins her involvement in his life

as the new live-in maid in the Vermeer household. She’s hired and

supervised by his iron-willed mother-in-law, played with stern

austerity by Maria Thins. Griet must also navigate her way around

Vermeer’s insecure and jealous wife who feels the attraction and

respect developing between her husband and the new maid.

These tensions in the family produce several results, but none of

them are easily predictable. The intricate relationship between

Vermeer and his maid joyfully avoids all the usual Hollywood cliches.

This movie has intelligence and sophistication that lingers in the

mind and has the power to satisfy a mature and educated audience.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.