Because Mike McGranaghan was on assignment covering the Maryland Film Festival, he has filed these capsule reviews in place of his usual full-length reviews. Standard length reviews will return next week.

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Matthew McConaughey takes charge in U-571

Submarine movies are, by definition, intense. The combination of confinement to a small space, the inescapable depths of the water, and (usually) the drama of war is natural for big screen excitement. Even a submarine movie as inept as U-571 () is able to generate at least a few thrills. Matthew McConaughey leads a group of WWII naval officers who pose as Germans to steal a code book from a damaged German sub. They get trapped on the sub and have to find a way back to the surface without compromising their identities (if the real Germans find out they are imposters, the code book will be reclaimed, thus jeopardizing the war). The scenario of U-571 is interesting, especially since it was based on actual events. I found the special effects to be solid, and the action well directed. Unfortunately, the human element sinks the picture (no pun intended). None of the characters is developed, so it's hard to care what happens to them. Also, the plot is structured to give predictable payoffs; when McConaughey is denied a promotion because his commanding officer doesn't think he's tough enough, you just know he will prove himself by the end. A good cast (including Harvey Keitel, Bill Paxton, and Jon Bon Jovi) is wasted in the process. In fact, sometimes characters disappear from the movie in a confusing manner; I wasn't sure if they died or were merely forgotten. U-571 is a disappointment. If you're in the mood for an exciting submarine flick, rent Crimson Tide or The Hunt for Red October again.

Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman star in Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart Is ( 1/2) typifies a genre unfairly known as the "chick flick." These are movies about women, for women. Personally, I never bought into the whole notion; after all, if a movie is good, it will entertain regardless of the viewer's gender. What really makes or breaks a movie is not the gender toward which it is aimed, but the quality of the material. In the case of Where the Heart Is, a lot of good material is foiled by a lack of focus. With a tighter screenplay, this story of several young women might have been one of the year's best, at least in this male's opinion. Natalie Portman plays Novalee, a young woman who gives birth in a Wal-Mart after being abandoned by her no-good boyfriend. She is soon adopted by a bunch of locals, including a nurse (Ashley Judd) with a penchant for bad men, and a kindly town matriarch (Stockard Channing). The movie is supposed to be about how Novalee gains an inner confidence while finding love with a librarian (James Frain). Unfortunately, the plot is all over the map, cramming in a childbirth, a couple of deaths, a tornado, a wedding, an abusive lover, and a kidnapping. It's too much ground for a two hour movie to cover. The performances are superb, and there are some wonder individual scenes. Overall, though, Where the Heart Is needed to pull itself together into a tighter story. The actresses deserve a look, but wait for the video.