Our Flick of the Week is “Conspiracy Theory” in which Mel Gibson plays a paranoid New York cabbie who is sort of a Travis Bickle Lite. He, too, wants to clean up the world, and loneliness also has followed him all the days of his life. But instead of aiming at pimps, Gibson’s irate hack wants to shoot down government-related conspiracies. That he may be right about one, of course, fuels the story.
His reluctant ally is a Justice Department attorney played Julia Roberts, who can be convincing as a somewhat tough character, or as what passes for one in a Hollywood New York fantasy. What I appreciated in this script is that the romantic angle between the two is held to an acceptable minimum.
Director Richard Donner (“Superman,” “Lethal Weapon”) also manages to create some genuine tension at regular intervals as Gibson and Roberts are chased by genuine “men in black.” Gibson is very good as the film opens, delivering a classic, motormouth monologue of conspiracies that is a hoot. Rated R. (star) (star) (star)
– BOX OF MOONLIGHT. John Tuturro stars as a harried electrical engineer who gets an unexpected and unrequested lesson on how to kick back and bay at the moon in this charming, funky comedy. Sam Rockwell co-stars as a dude who lives in a trailer home, a rural slum in a back-road clearing festooned with lights and junkyard decor. Together the two men make a memorable couple. R. (star) (star) (star)
– FREE WILLY 3: THE RESCUE. OK, so it is the best of the series. I still can’t give it a flat-out recommendation. This time Willy, who seemingly has been beleaguered 20,000 times beneath the sea, is caught up in that old poacher plot. His human friend Jason, now 17, helps guide him away from the evil hunter and toward the poacher’s nice 10-year-old kid. You know the rest of the story. PG. (star) (star) 1/2
– LOVE SERENADE. A smart Australian comedy about two sisters who are intrigued by their new neighbor, an older disc jockey who has a touch of show biz about him. This small-town comic romance gets all the quirky details right that are never even included in a typical American comedy. R. (star) (star) (star)
More Top Picks Covers Patios
– STAR MAPS. A hit-and-miss drama that might have worked better as a comedy. The premise is provocative enough: What if some of those people who hawk maps to stars’ homes on street corners in L.A. were actually part of a prostitution ring? This film gives us a father who turns out his own son for that line of work and is also physically abusive to his daughter. Gross? Yes, and nothing in the screenplay warrants such a venture into depravity. The comedy angle could have been exploited by developing a subplot involving the son and a beautiful TV star who employs his services, sometimes in her dressing room. R. (star) (star)
– KISS ME, GUIDO. An occasionally amusing comedy about a straight young actor who responds to a “roommate wanted” ad not knowing that GWM stands for “`Gay, White Male.” We’re supposed to believe he thinks it’s a request for a “Guy With Money.” The actors have more charm than the story. R. (star) (star) 1/2
– = New this week