Screen Scene

  Touchstone Pictures Corky Romano (Chris
Kattan) follows agent Kate Russo (Vinessa
Shaw).

“Corky Romano”
Touchstone Picture
Directed by Rob Pritts
Starring Chris Kattan, Chris Penn

A new movie opening this Friday has repeatedly asked the
question “Who is Corky Romano?” on billboards and
posters across the United States. Most Americans will know the
answer as soon as they see a blown-up Chris Kattan smiling goofily
below the question. Corky Romano is Kattan of Saturday Night Live
acting obnoxiously juvenile for about an hour and a half. Which,
needless to say, can be hilarious. And often times, it is. Corky
gets himself into some wildly funny situations as he tries
desperately to pass off as an FBI agent, a job that is definitely
not meant for the warm-hearted veterinarian. Corky gets the job in
order to destroy the evidence against his father and two brothers,
who make up a small-scale Italian family gang. Suddenly, Corky
finds himself immersed in a family he was never truly a part of
before. The other characters in the family are also able to elicit
some laughs. When one of Corky’s brothers admits to being
gay, the father demonstrates acceptance as nobly as any mob boss
ever has. “I love ya, ya gay bastard!” exclaims his
father. The other, tougher, calmer characters in the movie work
well to complement the gentle jubilance of Corky and give what
could have been an overly-hyper movie a sedative. But is there more
depth to Corky Romano? Can this bumbling veterinarian be something
more than just a hyperactive loon? Of course not. Chris Kattan is
loony. And at times that creates problems for the movie. And these
problems are annoying, repetitive and generally take away from the
movie’s entertainment value. Some parts definitely drag and
many of the jokes fall flat. But go into “Corky Romano”
without high expectations, and you will walk out happily
surprised.

Suneal Kolluri

“The Debut”
5 Card Productions
Directed by Gene Cajayon
Starring Danté Basco, Bernadette Balagtas and Joy
Bisco

Rice rockets, pagers and hip-hop music help explain the Pilipino
American experience in “The Debut.” But Ben Mercado
(Danté Basco), from the film, knows nothing of these. Ben, a
Pilipino American teenager, snubs his family and his heritage, only
to finally be forced to realize the value of his culture and
discover coolness and even love within an Asian American crowd
proud of its background. “The Debut” does a careful and
precise job of revealing all of the possible insecurities an Asian
American can have. Ben despises the pressure from his father, he
only hangs out with a non-Asian crowd, and he’s too
embarrassed of his “Asian” house to bring his friends
over. Although the film presents these conflicts in an accurate and
informative way, the plot of an Asian American questioning his
identity is not impressive in its originality, and the dialogue is
not creative as well. In addition, the cinematography is limited
because of the lack of funding for the film. However, some scenes,
like the traditional Pilipino dancing scene, are still able to
capture the beauty of the Pilipino culture. The film seems to be
geared toward a teenage and college audience, but older generations
may also appreciate to learn what their children have experienced.
“The Debut” is a touching film with humor that will
inform and entertain rather than impress.

Sophia Whang