neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Levity
	Ed Solomon Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, Kirsten Dunst 2003		There isn't much that's frivolous or lighthearted about "Levity," a lethargic little drama with a good, big-name cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter and Kirsten Dunst. Thornton is up to his usual tricks, projecting quiet pain laced with potential menace, as Manuel Jordan, a convict who was just released from jail after serving 22 years for killing a convenience-store clerk. Manuel would like to atone for his sins, and he figures that the best way to do so would be to befriend his victim's older sister Adele (Hunter). In the process of stalking Adele, Manuel falls into a job assisting an unconventional pastor (Freeman) who runs an inner-city community center and storefront ministry next door to an after-hours nightclub. The club is frequented by Sofia (Dunst), a cute, self-destructive party girl from an upscale neighborhood. In no time, Manuel is trying to rescue Sofia from her excesses and save Adele's son from a life of crime. Writer/director Ed Solomon co-authored the jaunty "Men in Black" and the silly "Bill & Ted" comedies. His "Levity" is a graver issue, but, if Solomon was aiming for a major, emotional payoff, he wrapped it up a little too neatly.