The Cruise

How much you'll enjoy The Cruise, Bennett Miller's black-and-white video documentary, largely depends upon how taken you are by its subject, guide-cum-philosopher Timothy "Speed" Levitch. Levitch works on one of the many tour buses that traverse the length of Manhattan, pointing out sights of interest to tourists; where most guides recite a standard litany of bland remarks, however, Levitch takes advantage of his captive audience to rant and rail about The State of the World Today--it's like spending an afternoon roaming the city with one of the writers for the Village Voice. Many viewers, it must be said, find him a laff riot; I also feel obligated to note that no more than six or seven minutes had passed before I was yearning to punch the adenoidally garrulous poseur square in the teeth. "What do you think he was arrested for?" asked a friend, alluding to a quick but unexplained mug shot of Levitch. "Aggravated pretentiousness," I spat. Not recommended. (M. D'Angelo)