reuben-8

This fine film documenting some of the events at Nagano, Japan during the 1998 Winter Olympics is essentially as celebratory as the Olympic Games themselves. It takes full advantage of the large-format medium of IMAX to capture things such as what the ski jump looks like from above, and the astonishing movements possible for a skilled snowboarder.

But the movie's real strength is that it doesn't just document Olympic success stories. It shows quite a few tumbles in the snow and falls on the ice. The best story may be that of the first Kenyan to participate in the Winter Olympics, a marathon runner who learned cross-country skiing from the Norwegian team only shortly before competing in the Olympics. He finished last, but he didn't quit. (Five other competitors did.) And he said he would go home as they all would: a champion.

Thus, the most powerful thing captured in this movie is something you never see at all: the glory of the human spirit.

What a boring movie. The timing was extremely slow, sometimes dwelling on un-funny moments that made me feel sorry for the movie in the same way one pities a bad comedian. Some of these involved a cult worshipping (why?) the retro-family, some involved Silverstone's gay friend, some involved Fraser's parents. Nothing in the movie made me laugh. The only really captivating scene in the movie involves Fraser dancing at a club like he's been trained by a pro. (He says he's taken a dancing lesson every day of his life. He has, from his mother. Where did SHE learn to dance like that?)

Don't waste your time with this one unless you just think Fraser and Silverstone are too good-looking to miss. They do make a handsome couple, but not enough to liven up this ho-hum movie.