The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 189

tm 1 infwnfln SATURDAY MARCH 22 1997 UP THE MIAMI HERALD INTERNATIONAL EDITION AT THE MOVIES H3 Carrey have had to try so hard in Liar Liar US IMMIGRATION AND BUSINESS LAW By HOWARD COHEN Herald Staff Writer 1 5 GLADYS GONZALEZ BOYER Attorney at Law (J When you are handed the script of your career thus far why work so hard to muck it up? what you want to ask Jim Carrey as you witness his unnecessarily hyper and yes trademark performance in the funny sharply written and surprisingly sweet Liar Liar This is best movie and one almost certain to return him to box office glory after his unsavory turn in last The Cable Guy While that should please the bean counters manic shtick here convert nonfans and even more irritating when you see where screenwriters Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur were heading with his character Carrey had the opportunity to broaden his palette with a role that called for a deft blend of comedy and poignancy and instead he plays it dumb and dumber Liar Liar's premise a lawyer who tell a lie for one day and the comedic chaos that ensues is so strong sure to earn laughs Carrey who is at his face-stretching pratfalling peak have to work so hard to make the material work Carrey plays Fletcher a divorced dad and a trial lawyer unctuous driven and utterly unencumbered by the dictates of proper courtroom behavior especially that little rule about tell- Let our office be your key to the American Dream We Specialize In Immigration: Business Visas Permanent Residency E-2 Visa Family-Based Immigration H-1 Visa And other available visas MOVIE REVIEW LIAR LIAR 12 Sssw Ik Cast Jim Carrey Maura Tierney Justin Cooper Jennifer Tilly Swoosie Kurtz Cary Elwes Amanda Donohoe Director TomShadyac Producer Brian Grazer Writers Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur A Universal release Running time 86 minutes Vulgar language adult themes Hr US Business Investment Opportunities: Corporate Commercial Residential All US Real Estate transactions Business Opportunities PANTS ON FIRE: Jim performance in Liar Liar is typically manic ing whole truth and nothing His 5-year-old son Max (Justin Cooper) whom he adores misses his workaholic dad ment a packed courtroom: a little upset about a bad sexual experience last The reactions of those around him are funnier to watch than any of visual gimmicks As he overdoes the silliness Carrey only sporadically reveals the nuance written into his character You imagine how close to classic this movie could have been had Dustin Hoffman stepped into the divorced dad bit once again a la 1 Kramer vs Kramer to play the lead role When Fletcher swears be at his birthday party but misses it because of pressing matters at work bedding his scheming superior Miranda (Amanda Donohoe) in hopes improve his chances at becoming a partner in the firm Max makes a wish: that Dad will not tell a lie for one day (You have to really suspend your disbelief to allow Liar Liar to work and for the most part you do so willingly as the movie darts amid plot holes the size of Texas) Kendall International Building 10621 North Kendall Drive 208 Miami FI 33176 (305) 595-5553 FAX (305) 595-8313 At least Carrey is aware always on One self-referential gag drew the largest laugh at a recent screening- When his son asks if his will freeze like while scrunching up his mug Carrey tells his tyke way but some people make a good living like Truth of course may not be the best policy in case For starters he immediately criticizes his performance in the sack and to make matters worse he also blurts out his assess- 'en I a FT 20 TO 50 OFF Regular Retail Prices On The World's Finest Designer Menswear IL 4 i We Are Not Outlet Stores At Lansons Superstores jr Find The Latest Styles With Renown Labels ATTENTION HOLDER: Jennifer Lopez mimics Tejano stage persona with uncanny precision in Selena The Same Quality Lansons Was Known For In Major Shopping MallsBut At Significant Savings Up To 50 OFF Regular Retail Prices 4 4 Joyful Jennifer Lopez makes Selena sing mr EZ523 By RENE RODRIGUEZ Herald Movie Critic HiOVIE REVIEW Lansons Famous Professional Sales Staff And Expert Tailoring Is At Your Service Just As It Has Been For Over 40 Years In South Florida SELENA (PG) sister and brother who accompanied her on every step of her career first playing for sparse crowds at state fairs and restaurants later in front of 61000 people at the Houston Astrodome and her romance with her lead guitarist (Jon Seda) a relationship her father strongly disapproved of xi- nir ViiwWh-A 4'fy A Cast: Jennifer Lopez Edward James Olmos Jon Seda Writer-director: Gregory Nava Producers: Moctesuma Esparza Robert Katz A Warner Bros release Running time 120 minutes Adult themes When You Visit Lansons Superstores You Have To Fight Mall Traffic Park Right In Front Of The Store And Walk Into A Relaxed Atmosphere Where You Can Watch Our Big Screen TV Have A Complimentary ll 'Ut A JA Cold Drink And Browse To Your Content that she did was enough to solidify her icon status among Mexican Americans Too much normality Unfortunately that very normality that keeps Selena grounded in middle-of-the-road biopic territory Except for her success there was nothing about her life remarkable enough to make for compelling drama It is essentially a story of some very nice people with a heartbreak-mgly sad ending: Take away that ending and you got a movie (And though murder may be what people are most curious about the film slues away from devoting too much time to it The rags-to-riches story of Tejano singer Selena Quintaml-la-Perez is a fairy tale about following your desire and fulfilling your nascent potential At heart it is your basic Amencan success story set in the world of song But if life had not been cut tragically short she was shot and killed at 23 by the president of her fan club in March 1995 Selena the movie would not exist today In show business an untimely death often results instant canonization witness James Dean or Kurt Cobain or Jams Joplin and while music was pleasant catchy stuff there was nothing about her life or her art that would seem to warrant the deification the singer received after her murder Wisely the movie never tries to convince you otherwise Instead it suggests that the reason Selena was so beloved is that she was able to live the American immigrant dream: The Texas native became a success by celebrating her own Mexican heritage while embracing the American pop culture she loved so much impossible to predict whether Selena would have broken through to the US market so successfully if she were still alive also irrelevant: The fact A rosy view that reverence that the movie understatedly plays to Director Gregory Nava (My Family) wrote the screenplay for Selena under the supervision of her father Abraham Quintanilla who also served as the executive producer The movie takes an unfailingly rosy view of its subject: It is unmistakably a celebratory tribute by a father to his late beloved daughter But Nava try to force heroic dimensions on the singer Instead the movie focuses on personal life: Her relationship with her artistically frustrated father (played by Edward James Olmos) who drove his children to fulfill his own failed dreams of becoming a musician her tight bond with her musician Sap eyr Stores far fit en JA NORTH MIAMI BEACH 13702 Biscayne Boulevard USl) (305) 940-9100 OPPOSITE THE FALLS 13609 South DixieHighway (USl) (305) 232-5800 Open: Mon Sat 10am- 7pm Sun Noon Major Credit Cards honored Fortunately Selena also has actress Jennifer Lopez who is good enough to hold your attention when the movie is not Lopez breathes life and personality into the somewhat stale film: She has a magnetic endearing presence and surprisingly good in the musical numbers lip-syncing to vocals and mimicking her stage persona with uncanny precision i i ui i i iLQ 3i amt i i si i i oiiiiiiuu jin fri Jfr i imfaun ftwiu.