Life Sentences

I haven't seen a movie this ridiculous since Sally Potter's The Man Who Cried—but lacking the austere brilliance of Potter's mise-en-scène, Ladies & Gents has little to offer beyond muzzy kismet and generalized amnesia, a bit of National Geographic and a lot of cocktail jazz (not forgetting a snatch of the dwabadda-da-da-da-da-da theme from Lelouch's A Man and a Woman). A pleasant vacation for the cast, no doubt—but not the audience.

The Secret Lives Of Dentists was directed by Alan Rudolph; written by Craig Lucas, from the novella TheAge Of Grief by Jane Smiley; produced by George Vanbuskirk, Nathaniel Kramer, Michael Kates and David Newman; and stars Campbell Scott, Robin Tunney, Denis Leary and Hope Davis. Now playing at Edwards University, Irvine.

And Now Ladies & Gentlemen was directed by Claude Lelouch; written by Lelouch and Pierre Leroux; produced by Lelouch, Paul Hichcock and Rick Senat; and Stars Jeremy Irons, Patricia Kaas and Thierry Lhermitte. Now playing at Edwards South Coast Village, Santa Ana.