June 1

The Animal

Moulin Rouge

With headliner Nicole Kidman's recent separation from former hubby Tom Cruise, the most interesting buzz surrounding Moulin Rouge has had nothing to do with the production at all. Set in 1890s Paris, Kidman plays the famous burlesque house's star performer, whose charms simultaneously catch the eye of a poor, impetuous poet (Ewan McGregor) and a wealthy, bombastic impresario (Jim Broadbent). With the former promising romance and the latter offering a chance at international stardom, the "hooker with a heart of gold" is torn between the two, and inevitable chaos ensues. Grand musical numbers and sumptuous period costumes give director Baz Luhrman an excuse to work his intensely visual style; his richly textured and lavishly orchestrated compositions are bound to captivate, as they did in Romeo + Juliet. If Luhrman has learned anything since then, it's that he can't treat romance glibly, but he's still relying on pop-culture icons to underscore his narratives. How a 19th century costume drama has a soundtrack featuring Lil' Kim and Pink boggles the mind. Just looking to the opening sequence (they're usually spectacular) and the promise of Kidman doing the can-can will ensure great box office receipts. It may be, as the trailers say, "A Story About Love", but it's also about Ewan MacGregor singing. Badly.

June 8

Swordfish

Atlantis