The Merchant of Venice - Three stars
Directed by Michael Radford
Starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes and Lynn CollinsIn an effort to win the hand of the beautiful Portia (Lynn Collins), Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes, Enemy at the Gates) convinces his benefactor, Antonio (Jeremy Irons, Lolita) to borrow money from a Jew, Shylock (Al Pacino, The Devil's Advocate). The contract entitles Shylock to a pound of Antonio's flesh should he not repay the debt. When Shylock's daughter runs off with a Christian, he turns against Antonio, seeking revenge. With the help of Portia, Bassanio returns to Antonio's side in an effort to save his benefactor's life.

Although the film is based on William Shakespeare's play, it maintains a modern relevance under the direction of Michael Radford (Il Postino). A scene in which Antonio gives Bassanio a ring resonates with today's gay marriage debates, while other scenes remind us of the anti-Semitism of the Renaissance, conveyed by Pacino's portrayal of his character's hatred for the persecuting Christians.
Regretfully, Radford chooses to cut out nearly all of the humorous moments in Shakespeare's original. The film's few comic gags are tempered by bleak backgrounds with thunderous skies.
While the film is well-acted and the production is intellectually and emotionally stimulating, the lack of comic relief in Redford's version should disappoint most Shakespeare purists.
-Rebecca Webber

The Woodsman - Four stars
Directed by Nicole Kassel
Starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def, Eve and Benjamin Bratt

It is rare for a movie tackling a sensitive issue to take the form of an in-depth character study. It is even rarer for a first-time director to do this well.

But Nicole Kassel's The Woodsman does just that. It is the story of Walter (Kevin Bacon, Mystic River), a man returning to his hometown after serving 12 years in prison. Though we do not initially know the nature of Walter's crime, his return makes his fellow townsfolk seem wary.
Bacon captures a man torn completely in half by terrible guilt and the frustration that no one will give him a second chance, not even himself. Bacon's wife, Kyra Sedgewick (Creature Comforts), delivers a moving performance as Vickie, a co-worker who sees the potential for redemption in Walter. Bacon's performance makes the viewer empathize with Walter without ever excusing his actions. His portrayal of Walter's continuing battle with his problem is convincing to the point of discomfort.
In the end, what Walter discovers is not redemption, but humanity. Through his eyes we see not only society's hypocrisy, but also the pain of someone aware of his own mistakes. "When will I be normal?" he asks repeatedly.

The Woodsman is complex, raw and powerful. Kassel and her excellent cast tackle a difficult subject and create a movie that is honest. And though that honesty makes it difficult to watch at times, the film's stunning performances make it a must-see.
-Ezra Brooks

The Assassination of Richard Nixon - Three stars
Directed by Niels Mueller
Starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle and Jack Thompson

On a clear morning, Sam Bicke (Sean Penn, Mystic River) gets out of his car, hides a pistol in his leg brace, and walks into an airport. What he is about to do-and what has led him to this forlorn act-is shown in this fascinating yet disturbing character study by first-time director Niels Mueller.

Based on the life of Sam Byck, who in 1974 attempted to hijack a plane and crash it into the White House, The Assassination of Richard Nixon depicts a man's descent into madness.

In a performance that proves why he is one of today's best actors, Penn portrays Bicke as a man with an unreasonably rigid sense of right and wrong. Speaking earnestly into tapes recorded for composer Leonard Bernstein, whose music he adores, Bicke addresses the injustices of life-how the everyday man gets lost in the American system, swallowed up by hopes of the American Dream.

Mueller's film features a backdrop laced with a deep sense of irony. To the modern viewer, Nixon's constant talk of the strength and resolve of the American people during the Vietnam War reeks of hypocrisy, raising an interesting question: Is Sam Backe right, or is he simply naave and weak, unable to cope with the pressures of the modern world? Perhaps the most effective aspect of the film is this deliberate ambiguity, which pushes the viewer to contemplate the validity of the American Dream.
-Amit Shertzer

Boogeyman - One star
Directed by Stephen T. Kay
Starring Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Lucy Lawless and Skye McCole Bartusiak

Had Boogeyman come out several years ago, it would have been amusingly bad. Of course, it still would have been poorly produced, directed, edited and not at all frightening. But at least the clichd cinematic tricks it steals from recent American and Japanese horror movies would have been interesting and fresh.
Boogeyman is of the flourishing "blurry unsteady camera" school of horror films. Its villain, a generically depicted evil demon, is always blurred and twitching on screen. The monster is supposed to look out of control and unbound by the laws of physics, making it that much more menacing.

But the effect only makes the monster appear hazy and out of focus, much like the rest of this clumsily-structured film. A scene in which protagonist Time Jenson (Barry Watson, Sorority Boys) survives a traumatic boogeyman attack is the movie's most redeeming moment, even if only for not confusing the audience. After that, the movie becomes an incoherent mess, making laughable use of the nonlinear pacing that obscures the film's focus. Watson is no help, either. His vague, noncommittal acting seems particularly amateur, and the supporting characters are the usual band of spooky children, conventional ghosts and superfluous dead bodies.

Even the presence of Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) cannot save the film. Fortunately, the movie is only 86 minutes long; it would have been more unbearable at two hours.

This Boogeyman should have stayed in the closet.
-Randolph Brickey