At the Movies

By Arnie Wishnick

DOGVILLE He directed your favorite movie of all time, ‘Breaking the Waves.’ (I’m only kidding. Is there anyone out there who liked ‘Breaking the Waves’?) Now Denmark’s Lars von Trier is back with the very controversial ‘Dogville.’ For those looking for something different, Mr. Von Trier has made a movie especially for you. Set on a bare sound stage that looks like a Monopoly board with a minimum of everything, the movie takes place in the early 1930s in a small town in the Rocky Mountains. We meet the townsfolk described in book form containing nine chapters and narrated by John Hurt. Into their drab lives comes the beautiful and mysterious Grace (Nicole Kidman) on the lam from someone called The Big Man (James Caan). Who is she? Is she a runaway from home? Is she a fugitive from justice? And what about the film’s very significant religious overtones? Tom (Paul Bettany) persuades the others to hide Grace. They agree but only in exchange for her labor. All goes well until a reward is posted for her capture. The townsfolk (among them Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara, Chloe Segivny and Patricia Clarkson) turn on Grace by beating and raping her. The length of the film, three hours, will try your patience. When Chapter Nine was flashed on the screen with the notation that the film will soon end, the audience exploded in applause. Critics have called the film anti-American. I never saw that. I only saw anti-humanism. Out of 5 Palm Trees, ‘Dogville’ gets 4 Palm Trees. THE PRINCE AND ME Paige (the always solid Julia Stiles) is a serious pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin. Coming to America with his valet is Edward, the Prince of Denmark (Luke Mably). The playboy/prince knows exactly where he wants to study after seeing a video called ‘Girls Gone Wild in Wisconsin.’ The king and queen (James Fox and Miranda Richardson) seem happy to get rid of him. You can probably tell me the rest of the plot. Yes, they meet. Yes, there’s no attraction at first; then they fall in love. Then, Edward asks her to return with him to Denmark to be his princess. Aha! This is where it gets serious. Does she stay or does she return to America? For the answer you’ll have to pay to see it. This nice movie, which all but falls apart in the end, does have a first-ever: a genuine Wisconsin lawnmower race. While Dad is seeing ‘Walking Tall’ starring The Rock in another theater at the cineplex, pre-teen girls, teenage girls and their mothers will see ‘The Prince and Me’ and love it. Out of 5 Palm Trees, ‘The Prince and Me’ gets 3-1/2 Palm Trees.