Armed only with his mysterious mental connection to the feral minds of studio executives, the Movie Guru reveals just how good or bad this week's new releases will be:

And Now Ladies and Gentlemen (PG-13)
Jeremy Irons is a jewel thief who sets sail in his yacht to escape his past. In Morocco he meets a heartbroken French jazz singer (Patricia Kaas). Their chemistry is intense, and together they travel to what the trailer calls a "mysterious enchanted village" to find salvation. Directed by Claude LeLouch (A Man and a Woman).
Prediction: Irons is charming, and the scenery fabulous, but critics are saying that the tone is uneven and the romance tedious.

Jeepers Creepers 2 (R)
On a return trip from winning a basketball championship, Bannon County high schoolers are stalked by an ancient, flesh-eating creature with giant wings. Is there a method in the Creeper's madness that means some will die while others live? A sequel to Victor Salva's 2001 original.
Prediction: Jeepers 2 will play like a movie-length X-Files episode with lots of tense build-up to sudden shocks. Cornfields haven't been this scary since Children of The Corn.

The Legend of Suriyothai (R)
The biggest Thai film ever made—a cast of thousands, elaborate sets and costumes, and live elephants—tells the story of Queen Suriyothai, a fabled character in the country's folklore, who died fighting in a 1548 battle against Burmese invaders.
Prediction: Americans do love large scale historical dramas like Braveheart, but the Thai version might be lost on all but the biggest history buffs.

The Secret Lives of Dentists (R)
Two of film's most underrated actors pair up to create a striking, subtle drama. Campbell Scott and Hope Davis are husband and wife dentists with a calm but chilly relationship. He suspects she's having an affair and decides to simmer instead of confront her. His inner rage is fueled by a weird patient (Denis Leary).
Prediction: Based on a novella by Jane Smiley and adapted for the screen by playwright Craig Lucas (Prelude to a Kiss), the film promises to be well-constructed and honestly moving.

Love, French-style

Before Audrey Tautou made her English-speaking film debut in the new Dirty Pretty Things, she established her reputation as the quirky, adorable heroine of several French films. Best known as the titular character of Amelie, the 2001 worldwide smash, Tautou isn't as versatile as she is flawlessly charming and fascinating to watch. Directors use her natural expressions and movements to their best advantage. Her wide eyes, Clara Bow lips and slightly imperfect teeth make her too adorable to be a supermodel, which makes it easier for young women of average looks to identify with her. She seems real, like someone you know, only French. Amelie is an only child who grew up in her own company, developing a rich fantasy world that, in her adulthood, reveals itself in her shy nature, quirky and stylish apartment and funky clothes. After discovering a tin box of a boy's souvenirs hidden behind her bathroom wall, Amelie decides to find the owner and surprise him with his childhood treasure. "If he was touched," goes the narration, "she would become a regular do-gooder." So begins Amelie's adventure in connecting with people and finding love.

The film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (The City of Lost Children, Delicatessen) is a vibrantly colorful fairy tale that portrays the Montmartre section of Paris as a wonderland. The characters in Amelie's life—her hermit father, cafe coworkers, apartment building neighbors, the curious young man she encounters in the subway—contribute their own idiosyncrasies to the whimsical romantic fantasy. Amelie is what every good love story should be: timeless, brilliant, and a bit far-fetched.

The romance portrayed in He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2002) is less ideal. Tautou plays Angelique, a young art student having an affair with a married doctor. At least this is what her friends—and viewers—are led to believe in the first half of the film. Tautou is her usual cute self—sweet smile, hopeful eyes. But the film slowly reveals her wide-eyed expressions to stem from madness, not innocence.

He Loves Me is a well-told story with interesting editing techniques and moments of surprise that keep you guessing. Angelique's fantasy world is much different and more dangerous than Amelie's. If you've never heard of erotomania, after watching He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, you'll hope to never experience it, in yourself or someone else. As for Tautou, crazy or not, you'll definitely want to see her again.

—Paige M. Travis

August 28, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 35
© 2000 Metro Pulse