Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert review five new movies. Two thumbs up for _Beloved (1998/I)_, the mystical tale of ex-slaves adapted from 'Toni Morrison''s novel. They find the movie challenging and rewarding and note that it demands multiple viewings. Two more thumbs up for
Happiness (1998),
Todd Solondz's shocking movie about sexual relationships among lonely, dissatisfied and emotionally arrested adults. A split decision for
Practical Magic (1998). Siskel finds it to be an entertaining how-to for witchcraft that takes its subject seriously; Ebert thinks it's a dumb would-be comedy and wonders if the two of them saw the same movie. Another split decision for
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998). Ebert finds it to be a rich portrait of an artist that makes no excuses for his bad behavior. Siskel thought that because Bacon's estate did not allow the filmmakers to show his paintings, an otherwise worthwhile movie was crippled. Two thumbs up for
The Cruise (1998), a documentary about an eccentric tour guide, but Siskel's recommendation is only marginal. He was ready to bail out two-thirds of the way through.
—J. Spurlin