The best thing I can say about Dafoe's villain is that carrying
around your own leaches for medical purposes is a real
novelty.
Not that the film is totally without merit, the computer-
generated effects are certainly state of the art, and Bullock
does a remarkable job of coming across like a feisty girl-next-
door for a millionaire
The bottom line, however, is that if movies were cuisine,
Speed 2 would be fast food.
An example of fine dining would be the deliciously
entertaining Ridicule. Tag line: "Wit is the ultimate weapon."
Oscar buffs will remember this French import made it onto the
best foreign film list earlier this year, and for good reason.
Depicting 17th France with exacting precision, we're taken to
a strange mental arena, where a person's entire standing with
the king can be riding on a single quip. If a person possesses
wit, he can court the king's favor, but if he embarrasses
himself, his reputation is damaged beyond repair! This
fascinating concept is something that "everyone who's
anyone" in the social circles take deathly seriously. A
common man whose village is being decimated by fever-
carrying mosquitoes must somehow get financial backing to
drain the village swamps. Thanks to a doctor who takes him
under his wing, he learns the ways of the upper class, and
does his best to impress the king, knowing that lives depend
on his wit.
The doctor has a beautiful daughter who's quite ahead
of her time with regard to being an independent woman
(curiously, she's perfecting the world's first diving suit!) And
things get complicated for our hero when he becomes torn
between her and a woman who has the power to get him close
to the king.
A thought provoking study in human nature, as well as
a clever little comedy, Ridicule should not be missed. Look for
it on home video courtesy of Miramax Home Entertainment.
CURRENT AIDS STATISTICS (February 1997)
The National Institutes of Health estimates 27.9 million HIV
infections worldwide. The U.S. has the highest reported rate of
AIDS in the industrialized world. (American Association for
World Health) AIDS is the leading cause of death for all
Americans ages 25 - 44. As of June, 1996, the U.S. reported
548,102 cases. [Source: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)] In the U.S. there is one AIDS-related death
every 15 minutes, and someone is infected with HIV every 13
minutes. (CDC) The number of HIV-infected teenagers in the
U.S. doubles every 14 months. (American Academy of
Pediatrics) The World Health Organization estimates half of all
infections worldwide occur between the ages of 15 and 19.
The number of AIDS cases among women doubles every one
to two years. (Kaiser Family Foundation) In New York City, 1 in
every 30 adults is infected with HIV. (Gay Men's Health Crisis)
The AIDS rate in rural U.S. areas rose 80% between 1991 and
1995, compared to increases of 47% in metropolitan areas and
64% in small metro areas. (American Medical News)
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