neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Masked And Anonymous
	Larry Charles Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Penélope Cruz, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Christian Slater, Angela Bassett, Mickey Rourke, Giovanni Ribisi, Cheech Marin, Chris Penn, Bruce Dern, Fred Ward, Steven Bauer 2003		The promise of working in a film with pop music legend Bob Dylan must have been quite a lure for actors Jeff Bridges, Penélope Cruz, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Christian Slater and many others. But the flick in question, "Masked and Anonymous," could be the worst movie and the worst work that any of them has ever done. They all strain so hard with this tedious, humorless attempt at social satire that it's excruciating to watch. It's the sort of film that goes beyond being an embarrassment to the cast. It has you checking your watch and hoping for the end credits after 15 minutes have elapsed. Dylan is cast as a washed-up rock star who's sprung from prison to play a benefit concert in the Third World country where his dad is dictator. How bad is Dylan as an actor? He makes singer-turned-incompetent-thespian Madonna look like Meryl Streep. Saying that Bob's performance is wooden insults an entire phylum of expressive trees. There are some Dylan songs in the film. They're heard to better effect elsewhere. Adding to the puzzling waste of talent, this bomb was directed by TV sitcom vet Larry Charles ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"). Ain't no ha-ha here.