a hidden-agenda drama that shouts classic french nuance .


unwieldy contraption .


by and large this is mr. kilmer 's movie , and it 's his strongest performance since the doors .


a sub-formulaic slap in the face to seasonal cheer .


feral and uncomfortable .


one of those joyous films that leaps over national boundaries and celebrates universal human nature .


-lrb- a -rrb- crushing disappointment .


i like my christmas movies with more elves and snow and less pimps and ho 's .


the beautiful , unusual music is this film 's chief draw , but its dreaminess may lull you to sleep .


seems like someone going through the motions .


despite terrific special effects and funnier gags , harry potter and the chamber of secrets finds a way to make j.k. rowling 's marvelous series into a deadly bore .


fans of plympton 's shorts may marginally enjoy the film , but it is doubtful this listless feature will win him any new viewers .


... a thoughtful what-if for the heart as well as the mind .


the attraction between these two marginal characters is complex from the start -- and , refreshingly , stays that way .


the production has been made with an enormous amount of affection , so we believe these characters love each other .


ramsay succeeds primarily with her typical blend of unsettling atmospherics , delivering a series of abrasive , stylized sequences that burn themselves upon the viewer 's memory .


` this movie sucks . '


an ideal love story for those intolerant of the more common saccharine genre .


... a bland , pretentious mess .


the smash 'em - up , crash 'em - up , shoot 'em - up ending comes out of nowhere substituting mayhem for suspense .


the film never rises above a conventional , two dimension tale


alternately frustrating and rewarding .


... if it had been only half-an-hour long or a tv special , the humor would have been fast and furious -- at ninety minutes , it drags .


a superfluous sequel ... plagued by that old familiar feeling of ` let 's get this thing over with ' : everyone has shown up at the appointed time and place , but visible enthusiasm is mighty hard to find .


sets animation back 30 years , musicals back 40 years and judaism back at least 50 .


a listless and desultory affair .


a wannabe comedy of manners about a brainy prep-school kid with a mrs. robinson complex founders on its own preciousness -- and squanders its beautiful women .


nothing about them is attractive .


manages to be both hugely entertaining and uplifting .


vera has created a provocative , absorbing drama that reveals the curse of a self-hatred instilled by rigid social mores .


the performances are an absolute joy .


this seductive tease of a thriller gets the job done .


like all great films about a life you never knew existed , it offers much to absorb and even more to think about after the final frame .


it is a strength of a documentary to disregard available bias , especially as temptingly easy as it would have been with this premise .


it 's funny and human and really pretty damned wonderful , all at once .


this is a picture that maik , the firebrand turned savvy ad man , would be envious of : it hijacks the heat of revolution and turns it into a sales tool .


-lrb- swimfan -rrb- falls victim to sloppy plotting , an insultingly unbelievable final act and a villainess who is too crazy to be interesting .


it ca n't escape its past , and it does n't want to .


the umpteenth summer skinny dip in jerry bruckheimer 's putrid pond of retread action twaddle .


so verbally flatfooted and so emotionally predictable or bland that it plays like the standard made-for-tv movie .


loosely speaking , we 're in all of me territory again , and , strictly speaking , schneider is no steve martin .


predictably melodramatic .


silly , loud and goofy .


russian ark is a new treasure of the hermitage .


highly engaging .


by the time it ends in a rush of sequins , flashbulbs , blaring brass and back-stabbing babes , it has said plenty about how show business has infiltrated every corner of society -- and not always for the better .


antwone fisher certainly does the trick of making us care about its protagonist and celebrate his victories but , with few exceptions , it rarely stoops to cheap manipulation or corny conventions to do it .


the whole talking-animal thing is grisly .


the entire movie is so formulaic and forgettable that it 's hardly over before it begins to fade from memory .


more a gunfest than a rock concert .


it is a challenging film , if not always a narratively cohesive one .


if you can swallow its absurdities and crudities lagaan really is enormously good fun .


tsai may be ploughing the same furrow once too often .


has its moments -- and almost as many subplots .


a derivative collection of horror and sci-fi cliches .


except for paymer as the boss who ultimately expresses empathy for bartleby 's pain , the performances are so stylized as to be drained of human emotion .


what 's next ?


nelson 's intentions are good , but the end result does no justice to the story itself .


buy popcorn .


twohy 's a good yarn-spinner , and ultimately the story compels .


an enthralling aesthetic experience , one that 's steeped in mystery and a ravishing , baroque beauty .


sparkles in its deft portrait of tinseltown 's seasoned veterans of gossip , wealth , paranoia , and celebrityhood .


aggressive self-glorification and a manipulative whitewash .


fails to convince the audience that these brats will ever be anything more than losers .


a creaky staircase gothic .


hatosy ... portrays young brendan with his usual intelligence and subtlety , not to mention a convincing brogue .


washington overcomes the script 's flaws and envelops the audience in his character 's anguish , anger and frustration .


mariah carey gives us another peek at some of the magic we saw in glitter here in wisegirls .


very stupid and annoying .


don michael paul uses quick-cuts , -lrb- very -rrb- large shadows and wide-angle shots taken from a distance to hide the liberal use of a body double -lrb- for seagal -rrb- .


an empty exercise , a florid but ultimately vapid crime melodrama with lots of surface flash but little emotional resonance .


the script is a tired one , with few moments of joy rising above the stale material .


call this the full monty on ice , the underdog sports team formula redux .


slackers ' jokey approach to college education is disappointingly simplistic -- the film 's biggest problem -- and there are no unforgettably stupid stunts or uproariously rude lines of dialogue to remember it by .


ensemble movies , like soap operas , depend on empathy .


it 's a day at the beach -- with air conditioning and popcorn .


make like the title and dodge this one .


often shocking but ultimately worthwhile exploration of motherhood and desperate mothers .


the lousy john q all but spits out denzel washington 's fine performance in the title role .


but it 's surprisingly harmless .


officially , it is twice as bestial but half as funny .


broomfield reveals an ironic manifestation of institutionalized slavery that ties a black-owned record label with a white-empowered police force .


a film that suffers because of its many excesses .


a quietly moving look back at what it was to be iranian-american in 1979 .


the leads we are given here are simply too bland to be interesting .


staggers between flaccid satire and what is supposed to be madcap farce .


a distinctly minor effort that will be seen to better advantage on cable , especially considering its barely feature-length running time of one hour .


a competent , unpretentious entertainment destined to fill the after-school slot at shopping mall theaters across the country .


functions as both a revealing look at the collaborative process and a timely , tongue-in-cheek profile of the corporate circus that is the recording industry in the current climate of mergers and downsizing .


spider-man is in the same category as x-men - occasionally brilliant but mostly average , showing signs of potential for the sequels , but not giving us much this time around .


reign of fire is hardly the most original fantasy film ever made -- beyond road warrior , it owes enormous debts to aliens and every previous dragon drama -- but that barely makes it any less entertaining .


the comedy death to smoochy is a rancorous curiosity : a movie without an apparent audience .


turns a potentially interesting idea into an excruciating film school experience that plays better only for the film 's publicists or for people who take as many drugs as the film 's characters


one of those strained caper movies that 's hardly any fun to watch and begins to vaporize from your memory minutes after it ends .


to show these characters in the act and give them no feelings of remorse -- and to cut repeatedly to the flashback of the original rape -- is overkill to the highest degree .


there 's no denying that burns is a filmmaker with a bright future ahead of him .


a film that loses sight of its own story .


where tom green stages his gags as assaults on america 's knee-jerk moral sanctimony , jackass lacks aspirations of social upheaval .


these self-styled athletes have banged their brains into the ground so frequently and furiously , their capacity to explain themselves has gone the same way as their natural instinct for self-preservation .


a fascinating documentary about the long and eventful spiritual journey of the guru who helped launch the new age .


the film has the courage of its convictions and excellent performances on its side .


a loud , ugly , irritating movie without any of its satirical salvos hitting a discernible target .


there 's plenty to impress about e.t.


the pianist -lrb- is -rrb- a supremely hopeful cautionary tale of war 's madness remembered that we , today , can prevent its tragic waste of life .


topics that could make a sailor blush - but lots of laughs .


has its share of arresting images .


never decides whether it wants to be a black comedy , drama , melodrama or some combination of the three .


the movie 's heavy-handed screenplay navigates a fast fade into pomposity and pretentiousness .


it 's deep-sixed by a compulsion to catalog every bodily fluids gag in there 's something about mary and devise a parallel clone-gag .


it is there to give them a good time .


whether our action-and-popcorn obsessed culture will embrace this engaging and literate psychodrama is n't much of a mystery , unfortunately .


has the rare capability to soothe and break your heart with a single stroke .


a conventional , but well-crafted film about a historic legal battle in ireland over a man 's right to raise his own children .


those 24-and-unders looking for their own caddyshack to adopt as a generational signpost may have to keep on looking .


the action is reasonably well-done ... yet story , character and comedy bits are too ragged to ever fit smoothly together .


sadly , ` garth ' has n't progressed as nicely as ` wayne . '


some may choose to interpret the film 's end as hopeful or optimistic but i think payne is after something darker .


the story of trouble every day ... is so sketchy it amounts to little more than preliminary notes for a science-fiction horror film , and the movie 's fragmentary narrative style makes piecing the story together frustrating difficult .


-lrb- t -rrb- he ideas of revolution # 9 are more compelling than the execution


most of the information has already appeared in one forum or another and , no matter how broomfield dresses it up , it tends to speculation , conspiracy theories or , at best , circumstantial evidence .


consider the film a celluloid litmus test for the intellectual and emotional pedigree of your date and a giant step backward for a director i admire .


imagine -lrb- if possible -rrb- a pasolini film without passion or politics , or an almodovar movie without beauty or humor , and you have some idea of the glum , numb experience of watching o fantasma .


it 's hard to fairly judge a film like ringu when you 've seen the remake first .


just plain bad .


although it tries to be much more , it 's really just another major league .


when the screenwriter responsible for one of the worst movies of one year directs an equally miserable film the following year , you 'd have a hard time believing it was just coincidence .


the entire movie establishes a wonderfully creepy mood .


director elie chouraqui , who co-wrote the script , catches the chaotic horror of war , but why bother if you 're going to subjugate truth to the tear-jerking demands of soap opera ?


colorful and deceptively buoyant until it suddenly pulls the rug out from under you , burkinabe filmmaker dani kouyate 's reworking of a folk story whose roots go back to 7th-century oral traditions is also a pointed political allegory .


this is a movie so insecure about its capacity to excite that it churns up not one but two flagrantly fake thunderstorms to underscore the action .


slow , dry , poorly cast , but beautifully shot .


if i want music , i 'll buy the soundtrack .


this movie has the usual impossible stunts ... but it has just as many scenes that are lean and tough enough to fit in any modern action movie .


... salaciously simplistic .


sometimes makes less sense than the bruckheimeresque american action flicks it emulates .


as a film director , labute continues to improve .


a dark comedy that goes for sick and demented humor simply to do so .


the movie is a little tired ; maybe the original inspiration has run its course .


lazily directed by charles stone iii ... from a leaden script by matthew cirulnick and novelist thulani davis .


the dialogue is cumbersome , the simpering soundtrack and editing more so .


this is a film living far too much in its own head .


pascale bailly 's rom-com provides amélie 's audrey tautou with another fabuleux destin -- i.e. , a banal spiritual quest .


flawed , but worth seeing for ambrose 's performance .


p.t. anderson understands the grandness of romance and how love is the great equalizer that can calm us of our daily ills and bring out joys in our lives that we never knew were possible .


imagine o. henry 's the gift of the magi relocated to the scuzzy underbelly of nyc 's drug scene .


if mr. zhang 's subject matter is , to some degree at least , quintessentially american , his approach to storytelling might be called iranian .


the best way to describe it is as a cross between paul thomas anderson 's magnolia and david lynch 's mulholland dr.


i do n't know if frailty will turn bill paxton into an a-list director , but he can rest contentedly with the knowledge that he 's made at least one damn fine horror movie .


large budget notwithstanding , the movie is such a blip on the year 's radar screen that it 's tempting just to go with it for the ride .


`` frailty '' offers chills much like those that you get when sitting around a campfire around midnight , telling creepy stories to give each other the willies .


despite modest aspirations its occasional charms are not to be dismissed .


a pint-sized ` goodfellas ' designed to appeal to the younger set , it 's not a very good movie in any objective sense , but it does mostly hold one 's interest .


no matter how firmly director john stainton has his tongue in his cheek , the fact remains that a wacky concept does not a movie make .


any reasonably creative eighth-grader could have written a more credible script , though with the same number of continuity errors .


go , girls , right down the reality drain .


staggeringly dreadful romance .


a smart , compelling drama .


thoughtless , random , superficial humour and a lot of very bad scouse accents


... there 's enough cool fun here to warm the hearts of animation enthusiasts of all ages .


you want to call domino 's .


deliciously slow .


might best be enjoyed as a daytime soaper .


the problem , amazingly enough , is the screenplay .


the most remarkable -lrb- and frustrating -rrb- thing about world traveler , which opens today in manhattan , is that its protagonist , after being an object of intense scrutiny for 104 minutes , remains a complete blank .


offers an interesting look at the rapidly changing face of beijing .


... certainly an entertaining ride , despite many talky , slow scenes .


an escapist confection that 's pure entertainment .


an amused indictment of jaglom 's own profession .


there is more than one joke about putting the toilet seat down .


so aggressively cheery that pollyana would reach for a barf bag .


a worthy idea , but the uninspired scripts , acting and direction never rise above the level of an after-school tv special .


beautifully shot , delicately scored and powered by a set of heartfelt performances , it 's a lyrical endeavour .


pompous and garbled .


there 's a whole heap of nothing at the core of this slight coming-of-age\/coming-out tale .


for all its problems ... the lady and the duke surprisingly manages never to grow boring ... which proves that rohmer still has a sense of his audience .


the salton sea has moments of inspired humour , though every scrap is of the darkest variety .


a touching , sophisticated film that almost seems like a documentary in the way it captures an italian immigrant family on the brink of major changes .


it is supremely unfunny and unentertaining to watch middle-age and older men drink to excess , piss on trees , b.s. one another and put on a show in drag .


... myers has turned his franchise into the movie version of an adolescent dirty-joke book done up in post-tarantino pop-culture riffs ...


a sleep-inducing thriller with a single twist that everyone except the characters in it can see coming a mile away .


cuba gooding jr. valiantly mugs his way through snow dogs , but even his boisterous energy fails to spark this leaden comedy .


a sharp , amusing study of the cult of celebrity .


a culture-clash comedy that , in addition to being very funny , captures some of the discomfort and embarrassment of being a bumbling american in europe .


constantly slips from the grasp of its maker .


the leaping story line , shaped by director peter kosminsky into sharp slivers and cutting impressions , shows all the signs of rich detail condensed into a few evocative images and striking character traits .


an emotionally strong and politically potent piece of cinema .


that the real antwone fisher was able to overcome his personal obstacles and become a good man is a wonderful thing ; that he has been able to share his story so compellingly with us is a minor miracle .


what a dumb , fun , curiously adolescent movie this is .


simplistic , silly and tedious .


we just do n't really care too much about this love story .


writer\/director burr steers emphasizes the q in quirky , with mixed results .


it 's usually a bad sign when directors abandon their scripts and go where the moment takes them , but olympia , wash. , based filmmakers anne de marcken and marilyn freeman did just that and it 's what makes their project so interesting .


now here 's a sadistic bike flick that would have made vittorio de sica proud .


offers laughs and insight into one of the toughest ages a kid can go through .


an extraordinarily silly thriller .


the faithful will enjoy this sometimes wry adaptation of v.s. naipaul 's novel , but newcomers may find themselves stifling a yawn or two during the first hour .


disappointingly , the characters are too strange and dysfunctional , tom included , to ever get under the skin , but this is compensated in large part by the off-the-wall dialogue , visual playfulness and the outlandishness of the idea itself .


for a film about explosions and death and spies , `` ballistic : ecks vs. sever '' seems as safe as a children 's film .


what can one say about a balding 50-year-old actor playing an innocent boy carved from a log ?


it 's up to -lrb- watts -rrb- to lend credibility to this strange scenario , and her presence succeeds in making us believe .


what makes this film special is serry 's ability to take what is essentially a contained family conflict and put it into a much larger historical context .


well , in some of those , the mother deer even dies .


... a solid , well-formed satire .


a pleasant , if forgettable , romp of a film .


though the opera itself takes place mostly indoors , jacquot seems unsure of how to evoke any sort of naturalism on the set .


the film is small in scope , yet perfectly formed .


less than fresh .


labute was more fun when his characters were torturing each other psychologically and talking about their genitals in public .


those moviegoers who would automatically bypass a hip-hop documentary should give `` scratch '' a second look .


a 75-minute sample of puerile rubbish that is listless , witless , and devoid of anything resembling humor .


it 's mired in a shabby script that piles layer upon layer of action man cliché atop wooden dialogue and a shifting tone that falls far short of the peculiarly moral amorality of -lrb- woo 's -rrb- best work .


using a stock plot , about a boy injects just enough freshness into the proceedings to provide an enjoyable 100 minutes in a movie theater .


old-fashioned but thoroughly satisfying entertainment .


britney 's performance can not be faulted .


they just have problems , which are neither original nor are presented in convincing way .


`` what john does is heroic , but we do n't condone it , '' one of the film 's stars recently said , a tortuous comment that perfectly illustrates the picture 's moral schizophrenia .


mindless and boring martial arts and gunplay with too little excitement and zero compelling storyline .


an ingenious and often harrowing look at damaged people and how families can offer either despair or consolation .


below may not mark mr. twohy 's emergence into the mainstream , but his promise remains undiminished .


i think it was plato who said , ' i think , therefore i know better than to rush to the theatre for this one . '


the soul-searching deliberateness of the film , although leavened nicely with dry absurdist wit , eventually becomes too heavy for the plot .


is n't it a bit early in his career for director barry sonnenfeld to do a homage to himself ?


but something seems to be missing .


this stuck pig of a movie flails limply between bizarre comedy and pallid horror .


chouraqui brings documentary-like credibility to the horrors of the killing field and the barbarism of ` ethnic cleansing . '


it 's endlessly inventive , consistently intelligent and sickeningly savage .


red dragon makes one appreciate silence of the lambs .


yet another weepy southern bore-athon .


white has n't developed characters so much as caricatures , one-dimensional buffoons that get him a few laughs but nothing else .


world traveler might not go anywhere new , or arrive anyplace special , but it 's certainly an honest attempt to get at something .


it is life affirming and heartbreaking , sweet without the decay factor , funny and sad .


witty dialog between realistic characters showing honest emotions .


it 's mindless junk like this that makes you appreciate original romantic comedies like punch-drunk love .


a very pretty after-school special .


hawke 's film , a boring , pretentious waste of nearly two hours , does n't tell you anything except that the chelsea hotel today is populated by whiny , pathetic , starving and untalented artistes .


gets bogged down by an overly sillified plot and stop-and-start pacing .


the lively appeal of the last kiss lies in the ease with which it integrates thoughtfulness and pasta-fagioli comedy .


using an endearing cast , writer\/director dover kosashvili takes a slightly dark look at relationships , both sexual and kindred .


some body often looks like an episode of the tv show blind date , only less technically proficient and without the pop-up comments .


`` sorority boys '' was funnier , and that movie was pretty bad .


toes the fine line between cheese and earnestness remarkably well ; everything is delivered with such conviction that it 's hard not to be carried away .


the movie is n't horrible , but you can see mediocre cresting on the next wave .


silly stuff , all mixed up together like a term paper from a kid who ca n't quite distinguish one sci-fi work from another .


it 's the filmmakers ' post-camp comprehension of what made old-time b movies good-bad that makes eight legged freaks a perfectly entertaining summer diversion .


and , there 's no way you wo n't be talking about the film once you exit the theater .


the rules of attraction gets us too drunk on the party favors to sober us up with the transparent attempts at moralizing .


his work with actors is particularly impressive .


is `` ballistic '' worth the price of admission ?


a. . .


unfolds in a series of achronological vignettes whose cumulative effect is chilling .


after all the big build-up , the payoff for the audience , as well as the characters , is messy , murky , unsatisfying .


worthless , from its pseudo-rock-video opening to the idiocy of its last frames .


one of those films that started with a great premise and then just fell apart .


when you find yourself rooting for the monsters in a horror movie , you know the picture is in trouble .


a compelling , gut-clutching piece of advocacy cinema that carries you along in a torrent of emotion as it explores the awful complications of one terrifying day .


wishy-washy .


no one can doubt the filmmakers ' motives , but the guys still feels counterproductive .


it just goes to show , an intelligent person is n't necessarily an admirable storyteller .


the next big thing 's not-so-big -lrb- and not-so-hot -rrb- directorial debut .


reno does what he can in a thankless situation , the film ricochets from humor to violence and back again , and ryoko hirosue makes us wonder if she is always like that .


moves in such odd plot directions and descends into such message-mongering moralism that its good qualities are obscured .


for those who like quirky , slightly strange french films , this is a must !


too often , son of the bride becomes an exercise in trying to predict when a preordained `` big moment '' will occur and not `` if . ''


denis forges out of the theories of class - based rage and sisterly obsession a razor-sided tuning fork that rings with cultural , sexual and social discord .


the mood , look and tone of the film fit the incredible storyline to a t.


it is up to you to decide if you need to see it .


the story is so light and sugary that were it a macy 's thanksgiving day parade balloon , extra heavy-duty ropes would be needed to keep it from floating away .


a muddled limp biscuit of a movie , a vampire soap opera that does n't make much sense even on its own terms .


it 's sweet ... but just a little bit too precious at the start and a little too familiar at the end .


a certain sexiness underlines even the dullest tangents .


why `` they '' were here and what `` they '' wanted and quite honestly , i did n't care .


shallow .


a work of extraordinary journalism , but it is also a work of deft and subtle poetry .


but toback 's deranged immediacy makes it seem fresh again .


all three women deliver remarkable performances .


koury frighteningly and honestly exposes one teenager 's uncomfortable class resentment and , in turn , his self-inflicted retaliation .


off the hook is overlong and not well-acted , but credit writer-producer-director adam watstein with finishing it at all .


there is a subversive element to this disney cartoon , providing unexpected fizzability .


in an era where big stars and high production values are standard procedure , narc strikes a defiantly retro chord , and outpaces its contemporaries with daring and verve .


`` freaky friday , '' it 's not .


instead , he focuses on the anguish that can develop when one mulls leaving the familiar to traverse uncharted ground .


if there 's one big point to promises , it 's that nothing can change while physical and psychological barriers keep the sides from speaking even one word to each other .


an essentially awkward version of the lightweight female empowerment picture we 've been watching for decades


bolstered by an astonishing voice cast -lrb- excepting love hewitt -rrb- , an interesting racial tension , and a storyline that i have n't encountered since at least pete 's dragon .


while the now 72-year-old robert evans been slowed down by a stroke , he has at least one more story to tell : his own .


this is one baaaaaaaaad movie .


maggie smith as the ya-ya member with the o2-tank will absolutely crack you up with her crass , then gasp for gas , verbal deportment .


granddad of le nouvelle vague , jean-luc godard continues to baffle the faithful with his games of hide-and-seek .


brims with passion : for words , for its eccentric , accident-prone characters , and for the crazy things that keep people going in this crazy life .


borrows from other movies like it in the most ordinary and obvious fashion .


appropriately cynical social commentary aside , # 9 never quite ignites .


self-congratulatory , misguided , and ill-informed , if nonetheless compulsively watchable .


the story alone could force you to scratch a hole in your head .


this u-boat does n't have a captain .


there are a few chuckles , but not a single gag sequence that really scores , and the stars seem to be in two different movies .


photographed with melancholy richness and eloquently performed yet also decidedly uncinematic .


spectacular in every sense of the word , even if you don ' t know an orc from a uruk-hai .


a different and emotionally reserved type of survival story -- a film less about refracting all of world war ii through the specific conditions of one man , and more about that man lost in its midst .


you will likely prefer to keep on watching .


a film that 's flawed and brilliant in equal measure .


it 's leaden and predictable , and laughs are lacking .


if i have to choose between gorgeous animation and a lame story -lrb- like , say , treasure planet -rrb- or so-so animation and an exciting , clever story with a batch of appealing characters , i 'll take the latter every time .


the importance of being earnest movie seems to be missing a great deal of the acerbic repartee of the play . ''


it 's a lovely , eerie film that casts an odd , rapt spell .


one fantastic -lrb- and educational -rrb- documentary .


the word that comes to mind , while watching eric rohmer 's tribute to a courageous scottish lady , is painterly .


one of those staggeringly well-produced , joylessly extravagant pictures that keep whooshing you from one visual marvel to the next , hastily , emptily .


a funny and touching film that is gorgeously acted by a british cast to rival gosford park 's .


he allows his cast members to make creative contributions to the story and dialogue .


an incoherent jumble of a film that 's rarely as entertaining as it could have been .


cho continues her exploration of the outer limits of raunch with considerable brio .


instead of panoramic sweep , kapur gives us episodic choppiness , undermining the story 's emotional thrust .


i love the robust middle of this picture .


for those of us who respond more strongly to storytelling than computer-generated effects , the new star wars installment has n't escaped the rut dug by the last one .


it 's a diverting enough hour-and-a-half for the family audience .


children of the century , though well dressed and well made , ultimately falls prey to the contradiction that afflicts so many movies about writers .


there is so much plodding sensitivity .


intriguing and downright intoxicating .


a sharp satire of desperation and cinematic deception .


i still like moonlight mile , better judgment be damned .


a showcase for both the scenic splendor of the mountains and for legendary actor michel serrault , the film is less successful on other levels .


so brisk is wang 's pacing that none of the excellent cast are given air to breathe .


with an expressive face reminiscent of gong li and a vivid personality like zhang ziyi 's , dong stakes out the emotional heart of happy .


steve oedekerk is , alas , no woody allen .


george lucas returns as a visionary with a tale full of nuance and character dimension .


putting the primitive murderer inside a high-tech space station unleashes a pandora 's box of special effects that run the gamut from cheesy to cheesier to cheesiest .


with the cheesiest monsters this side of a horror spoof , which they is n't , it is more likely to induce sleep than fright .


though tom shadyac 's film kicks off spookily enough , around the halfway mark it takes an abrupt turn into glucose sentimentality and laughable contrivance .


`` auto focus '' works as an unusual biopic and document of male swingers in the playboy era


with jump cuts , fast editing and lots of pyrotechnics , yu clearly hopes to camouflage how bad his movie is .


one of the most depressing movie-going experiences i can think of is to sit through about 90 minutes of a so-called ` comedy ' and not laugh once .


except it 's much , much better .


good fun , good action , good acting , good dialogue , good pace , good cinematography .


they exist for hushed lines like `` they 're back ! ''


it 's a sharp movie about otherwise dull subjects .


is that it 's a crime movie made by someone who obviously knows nothing about crime .


jason patric and ray liotta make for one splendidly cast pair .


there 's no clear picture of who killed bob crane .


if you adored the full monty so resoundingly that you 're dying to see the same old thing in a tired old setting , then this should keep you reasonably entertained .


its compelling mix of trial movie , escape movie and unexpected fable ensures the film never feels draggy .


not a bad premise , but the execution is lackluster at best .


insightfully written , delicately performed


shyamalan should stop trying to please his mom .


kung pow is oedekerk 's realization of his childhood dream to be in a martial-arts flick , and proves that sometimes the dreams of youth should remain just that .


wimps out by going for that pg-13 rating , so the more graphic violence is mostly off-screen and the sexuality is muted .


in my opinion , analyze that is not as funny or entertaining as analyze this , but it is a respectable sequel .


the directing and story are disjointed , flaws that have to be laid squarely on taylor 's doorstep .


the movie 's thesis -- elegant technology for the masses -- is surprisingly refreshing .


it 's no lie -- big fat liar is a real charmer .


a gorgeously strange movie , heaven is deeply concerned with morality , but it refuses to spell things out for viewers .


you 'll cry for your money back .


the package in which this fascinating -- and timely -- content comes wrapped is disappointingly generic .


a subtle , humorous , illuminating study of politics , power and social mobility .


i loved the look of this film .


this little film is so slovenly done , so primitive in technique , that it ca n't really be called animation .


another boorish movie from the i-heard-a-joke - at-a-frat-party school of screenwriting .


it has its faults , but it is a kind , unapologetic , sweetheart of a movie , and mandy moore leaves a positive impression .


a baffling mixed platter of gritty realism and magic realism with a hard-to-swallow premise .


the code talkers deserved better than a hollow tribute .


for proof of that on the cinematic front , look no further than this 20th anniversary edition of the film that spielberg calls , retrospectively , his most personal work yet .


clayburgh and tambor are charming performers ; neither of them deserves eric schaeffer .


the pitch must have read like a discarded house beautiful spread .


a slam-bang extravaganza that is all about a wild-and-woolly , wall-to-wall good time .


life on the rez is no picnic : this picture shows you why .


what you expect is just what you get ... assuming the bar of expectations has n't been raised above sixth-grade height .


the campy results make mel brooks ' borscht belt schtick look sophisticated .


an entertainment so in love with its overinflated mythology that it no longer recognizes the needs of moviegoers for real characters and compelling plots .


two badly interlocked stories drowned by all too clever complexity .


when the violence actually shocked ?


aloof and lacks any real raw emotion , which is fatal for a film that relies on personal relationships .


an ambitious , serious film that manages to do virtually everything wrong ; sitting through it is something akin to an act of cinematic penance .


while parker and co-writer catherine di napoli are faithful to melville 's plotline , they and a fully engaged supporting cast ... have made the old boy 's characters more quick-witted than any english lit major would have thought possible .


the aaa of action , xxx is a blast of adrenalin , rated eee for excitement .


it 's all surface psychodramatics .


less-than-compelling documentary of a yiddish theater clan .


comedian , like its subjects , delivers the goods and audiences will have a fun , no-frills ride .


it was only a matter of time before some savvy producer saw the potential success inherent in the mixture of bullock bubble and hugh goo .


it 's a documentary that says that the alternate sexuality meant to set you free may require so much relationship maintenance that celibacy can start looking good .


it 's virtually impossible to like any of these despicable characters .


it 's a sweet , laugh-a-minute crowd pleaser that lifts your spirits as well as the corners of your mouth .


scott delivers a terrific performance in this fascinating portrait of a modern lothario .


replacing john carpenter 's stylish tracking shots is degraded , handheld blair witch video-cam footage .


the film delivers what it promises : a look at the `` wild ride '' that ensues when brash young men set out to conquer the online world with laptops , cell phones and sketchy business plans .


it thankfully goes easy on the reel\/real world dichotomy that -lrb- jaglom -rrb- pursued with such enervating determination in venice\/venice .


a fake street drama that keeps telling you things instead of showing them .


like showgirls and glitter , the most entertaining moments here are unintentional .


possession is in the end an honorable , interesting failure .


the story is predictable , the jokes are typical sandler fare , and the romance with ryder is puzzling .


mark pellington 's latest pop thriller is as kooky and overeager as it is spooky and subtly in love with myth .


no amount of burning , blasting , stabbing , and shooting can hide a weak script .


has the marks of a septuagenarian ; it 's a crusty treatment of a clever gimmick .


hollywood 's answer to an air ball .


prepare to marvel again .


family togetherness takes a back seat to inter-family rivalry and workplace ambition ... whole subplots have no explanation or even plot relevance .


stiff and schmaltzy and clumsily directed .


troubling and powerful .


the film virtually chokes on its own self-consciousness .


cassavetes thinks he 's making dog day afternoon with a cause , but all he 's done is to reduce everything he touches to a shrill , didactic cartoon .


` dragonfly ' dwells on crossing-over mumbo jumbo , manipulative sentimentality , and sappy dialogue .


the characters are interesting and the relationship between yosuke and saeko is worth watching as it develops , but there 's not enough to the story to fill two hours .


a genuinely moving and wisely unsentimental drama .


the farcical elements seemed too pat and familiar to hold my interest , yet its diverting grim message is a good one .


parents , on the other hand , will be ahead of the plot at all times , and there is n't enough clever innuendo to fil


amy and matthew have a bit of a phony relationship , but the film works in spite of it .


maybe it is formula filmmaking , but there 's nothing wrong with that if the film is well-crafted and this one is .


nohe 's documentary about the event is sympathetic without being gullible : he is n't blind to the silliness , but also captures moments of spontaneous creativity and authentic co-operative interaction .


rock 's stand-up magic wanes .


a delightful , if minor , pastry of a movie .


a sexy , surprising romance ... idemoto and kim make a gorgeous pair ... their scenes brim with sexual possibility and emotional danger .


barely .


there are n't too many films that can be as simultaneously funny , offbeat and heartwarming -lrb- without a thick shmear of the goo , at least -rrb- , but `` elling '' manages to do all three quite well , making it one of the year 's most enjoyable releases .


plays like some corny television production from a bygone era


as a girl-meets-girl romantic comedy , kissing jessica steinis quirky , charming and often hilarious .


it 's like a drive-by .


most of the film feels conceived and shot on the fly -- like between lunch breaks for shearer 's radio show and his simpson voice-overs .


it 's sweet .


one of the worst movies of the year .


the best drug addition movies are usually depressing but rewarding .


like brosnan 's performance , evelyn comes from the heart .


though the film is well-intentioned , one could rent the original and get the same love story and parable .


-lrb- woo 's -rrb- most resonant film since the killer .


it 's rare that a movie can be as intelligent as this one is in every regard except its storyline ; everything that 's good is ultimately scuttled by a plot that 's just too boring and obvious .


this mistaken-identity picture is so film-culture referential that the final product is a ghost .


strange and beautiful film .


a fast-paced , glitzy but extremely silly piece .


the histrionic muse still eludes madonna and , playing a charmless witch , she is merely a charmless witch .


the result , however well-intentioned , is ironically just the sort of disposable , kitchen-sink homage that illustrates why the whole is so often less than the sum of its parts in today 's hollywood .


the catch is that they 're stuck with a script that prevents them from firing on all cylinders .


one of those so-so films that could have been much better .


proves mainly that south korean filmmakers can make undemanding action movies with all the alacrity of their hollywood counterparts .


how about starting with a more original story instead of just slapping extreme humor and gross-out gags on top of the same old crap ?


a very familiar tale , one that 's been told by countless filmmakers about italian - , chinese - , irish - , latin - , indian - , russian - and other hyphenate american young men struggling to balance conflicting cultural messages .


has all the complexity and realistic human behavior of an episode of general hospital .


as original and insightful as last week 's episode of behind the music .


marvelously entertaining and deliriously joyous documentary .


... this story gets sillier , not scarier , as it goes along ...


... most viewers will wish there had been more of the `` queen '' and less of the `` damned . ''


reveals how important our special talents can be when put in service of of others .


as a vehicle to savour binoche 's skill , the film is well worthwhile .


what saves this deeply affecting film from being merely a collection of wrenching cases is corcuera 's attention to detail .


steers , in his feature film debut , has created a brilliant motion picture .


it has a way of seeping into your consciousness , with lingering questions about what the film is really getting at .


the charms of the lead performances allow us to forget most of the film 's problems .


the pleasure of read my lips is like seeing a series of perfect black pearls clicking together to form a string .


insomnia loses points when it surrenders to a formulaic bang-bang , shoot-em-up scene at the conclusion .


this would-be ` james bond for the extreme generation ' pic is one big , dumb action movie .


when it comes to the battle of hollywood vs. woo , it looks like woo 's a p.o.w.


initial strangeness inexorably gives way to rote sentimentality and mystical tenderness becomes narrative expedience .


evelyn may be based on a true and historically significant story , but the filmmakers have made every effort to disguise it as an unimaginative screenwriter 's invention .


characterisation has been sacrificed for the sake of spectacle .


a farce of a parody of a comedy of a premise , it is n't a comparison to reality so much as it is a commentary about our knowledge of films .


it turns out to be smarter and more diabolical than you could have guessed at the beginning .


is significantly less charming than listening to a four-year-old with a taste for exaggeration recount his halloween trip to the haunted house .


an example of quiet , confident craftsmanship that tells a sweet , charming tale of intergalactic friendship .


` would n't it be nice if all guys got a taste of what it 's like on the other side of the bra ? '


the origin story is well told , and the characters will not disappoint anyone who values the original comic books .


cheap , vulgar dialogue and a plot that crawls along at a snail 's pace .


been there done that .


something has been lost in the translation ... another routine hollywood frightfest in which the slack execution italicizes the absurdity of the premise .


tense , terrific , sweaty-palmed fun .


despite some charm and heart , this quirky soccer import is forgettable


cuaron repeatedly , perversely undercuts the joie de vivre even as he creates it , giving the movie a mournful undercurrent that places the good-time shenanigans in welcome perspective .


for all its brooding quality , ash wednesday is suspenseful and ultimately unpredictable , with a sterling ensemble cast .


delivers the sexy razzle-dazzle that everyone , especially movie musical fans , has been hoping for .


the thing looks like a made-for-home-video quickie .


-- that the ` true story ' by which all the queen 's men is allegedly `` inspired '' was a lot funnier and more deftly enacted than what 's been cobbled together onscreen .


you could hate it for the same reason .


a story about intelligent high school students that deals with first love sweetly but also seriously .


waydowntown may not be an important movie , or even a good one , but it provides a nice change of mindless pace in collision with the hot oscar season currently underway .


reeboir varies between a sweet smile and an angry bark , while said attempts to wear down possible pupils through repetition .


`` frailty '' starts out like a typical bible killer story , but it turns out to be significantly different -lrb- and better -rrb- than most films with this theme .


thanks to the château 's balance of whimsicality , narrative discipline and serious improvisation , almost every relationship and personality in the film yields surprises .


gaghan captures the half-lit , sometimes creepy intimacy of college dorm rooms , a subtlety that makes the silly , over-the-top coda especially disappointing .


julie davis is the kathie lee gifford of film directors , sadly proving once again ego does n't always go hand in hand with talent .


in the affable maid in manhattan , jennifer lopez 's most aggressive and most sincere attempt to take movies by storm , the diva shrewdly surrounds herself with a company of strictly a-list players .


a movie that at its best does n't just make the most out of its characters ' flaws but insists on the virtue of imperfection .


elegantly produced and expressively performed , the six musical numbers crystallize key plot moments into minutely detailed wonders of dreamlike ecstasy .


dark and unrepentant , this excursion into the epicenter of percolating mental instability is not easily dismissed or forgotten .


you really have to salute writer-director haneke -lrb- he adapted elfriede jelinek 's novel -rrb- for making a film that is n't nearly as graphic but much more powerful , brutally shocking and difficult to watch .


a tedious parable about honesty and good sportsmanship .


it is an indelible epic american story about two families , one black and one white , facing change in both their inner and outer lives .


solondz may be convinced that he has something significant to say , but he is n't talking a talk that appeals to me .


a beautifully shot but dull and ankle-deep ` epic . '


stale , futile scenario .


a film in a class with spike lee 's masterful do the right thing .


not kids , who do n't need the lesson in repugnance .


in addition to sporting one of the worst titles in recent cinematic history , ballistic : ecks vs. sever also features terrible , banal dialogue ; convenient , hole-ridden plotting ; superficial characters and a rather dull , unimaginative car chase .


if this silly little cartoon can inspire a few kids not to grow up to be greedy bastards , more power to it .


full of the kind of obnoxious chitchat that only self-aware neurotics engage in .


a simpler , leaner treatment would have been preferable ; after all , being about nothing is sometimes funnier than being about something .


a delightful stimulus for the optic nerves , so much that it 's forgivable that the plot feels like every other tale of a totalitarian tomorrow .


nothing but an episode of smackdown !


for all the charm of kevin kline and a story that puts old-fashioned values under the microscope , there 's something creepy about this movie .


it 's been made with an innocent yet fervid conviction that our hollywood has all but lost .


the actresses may have worked up a back story for the women they portray so convincingly , but viewers do n't get enough of that background for the characters to be involving as individuals rather than types .


made me feel uneasy , even queasy , because -lrb- solondz 's -rrb- cool compassion is on the border of bemused contempt .


kirshner and monroe seem to be in a contest to see who can out-bad-act the other .


the only reason you should see this movie is if you have a case of masochism and an hour and a half to blow .


it 's pretentious in a way that verges on the amateurish .


a plodding teen remake that 's so mechanical you can smell the grease on the plot twists .


it 's drab .


... a delightfully unpredictable , hilarious comedy with wonderful performances that tug at your heart in ways that utterly transcend gender labels .


what 's so striking about jolie 's performance is that she never lets her character become a caricature -- not even with that radioactive hair .


director roger michell does so many of the little things right that it 's difficult not to cuss him out severely for bungling the big stuff .


in my own very humble opinion , in praise of love lacks even the most fragmented charms i have found in almost all of his previous works .


i 've never bought from telemarketers , but i bought this movie .


woven together handsomely , recalling sixties ' rockumentary milestones from lonely boy to do n't look back .


melodrama with a message .


horrid little propaganda film with fascinating connections not only to the serbs themselves but also to a network of american right-wing extremists .


a sun-drenched masterpiece , part parlor game , part psychological case study , part droll social satire .


a thriller without thrills and a mystery devoid of urgent questions .


10 minutes into the film you 'll be white-knuckled and unable to look away .


an enjoyable above average summer diversion .


watching this film , what we feel is n't mainly suspense or excitement .


a lot of its gags and observations reflect a woman 's point-of-view .


it 's not going to be everyone 's bag of popcorn , but it definitely gives you something to chew on .


violent , vulgar and forgettably entertaining .


like many such biographical melodramas , it suffers from the awkwardness that results from adhering to the messiness of true stories .


as a story of dramatic enlightenment , the screenplay by billy ray and terry george leaves something to be desired .


sometimes charming , sometimes infuriating , this argentinean ` dramedy ' succeeds mainly on the shoulders of its actors .


`` 13 conversations about one thing '' is an intelligent flick that examines many different ideas from happiness to guilt in an intriguing bit of storytelling .


a no-holds-barred cinematic treat .


your appreciation of it will depend on what experiences you bring to it and what associations you choose to make .


plotless collection of moronic stunts is by far the worst movie of the year .


all in all , road to perdition is more in love with strangeness than excellence .


with all the sympathy , empathy and pity fogging up the screen ... his secret life enters the land of unintentional melodrama and tiresome love triangles .


like a fish that 's lived too long , austin powers in goldmember has some unnecessary parts and is kinda wrong in places .


adaptation 's success in engaging the audience in the travails of creating a screenplay is extraordinary .


canadian filmmaker gary burns ' inventive and mordantly humorous take on the soullessness of work in the city .


ultimately , `` mib ii '' succeeds due to its rapid-fire delivery and enough inspired levity that it ca n't be dismissed as mindless .


like the original , this version is raised a few notches above kiddie fantasy pablum by allen 's astringent wit .


go for la salle 's performance , and make do as best you can with a stuttering script .


was i scared ?


fast , frantic and fun , but also soon forgotten


tries so hard to be quirky and funny that the strain is all too evident .


the self-serious equilibrium makes its point too well ; a movie , like life , is n't much fun without the highs and lows .


a family film that contains some hefty thematic material on time , death , eternity , and what is needed to live a rich and full life .


a riveting profile of law enforcement , and a visceral , nasty journey into an urban hades .


by no means a great movie , but it is a refreshingly forthright one .


rewarding .


often hilarious .


a perfectly competent and often imaginative film that lacks what little lilo & stitch had in spades -- charisma .


shot largely in small rooms , the film has a gentle , unforced intimacy that never becomes claustrophobic .


just watch bettany strut his stuff .


it provides a grim , upsetting glimpse at the lives of some of the 1.2 million palestinians who live in the crowded cities and refugee camps of gaza .


i like all four of the lead actors a lot and they manage to squeeze a few laughs out of the material , but they 're treading water at best in this forgettable effort .


jaunty fun , with its celeb-strewn backdrop well used .


the adventure does n't contain half the excitement of balto , or quarter the fun of toy story 2 .


a very charming and funny movie .


if you 're looking for a tale of brits behaving badly , watch snatch again .


you get the idea , though , that kapur intended the film to be more than that .


nair 's attention to detail creates an impeccable sense of place , while thurman and lewis give what can easily be considered career-best performances .


... the maudlin way its story unfolds suggests a director fighting against the urge to sensationalize his material .


beware the quirky brit-com .


a sense of real magic , perhaps .


in theory , a middle-aged romance pairing clayburgh and tambor sounds promising , but in practice it 's something else altogether -- clownish and offensive and nothing at all like real life .


a tour de force of modern cinema .


able to provide insight into a fascinating part of theater history .


it still feels like a prison stretch .


a lifetime movie about men .


near the end takes on a whole other meaning .


adams , with four scriptwriters , takes care with the characters , who are so believable that you feel what they feel .


he makes you realize that deep inside righteousness can be found a tough beauty .


this is historical filmmaking without the balm of right-thinking ideology , either liberal or conservative .


the direction , by george hickenlooper , has no snap to it , no wiseacre crackle or hard-bitten cynicism .


-lrb- a -rrb- smarter and much funnier version of the old police academy flicks .


her fans walked out muttering words like `` horrible '' and `` terrible , '' but had so much fun dissing the film that they did n't mind the ticket cost .


a supernatural mystery that does n't know whether it wants to be a suspenseful horror movie or a weepy melodrama .


snipes relies too much on a scorchingly plotted dramatic scenario for its own good .


an impeccable study in perversity .


then nadia 's birthday might not have been such a bad day after all .


what sets it apart is the vision that taymor , the avant garde director of broadway 's the lion king and the film titus , brings .


twenty years later , reggio still knows how to make a point with poetic imagery , but his ability to startle has been stifled by the very prevalence of the fast-forward technology that he so stringently takes to task .


offers the flash of rock videos fused with solid performances and eerie atmosphere .


but the film itself is ultimately quite unengaging .


a sleep-inducingly slow-paced crime drama with clumsy dialogue , heavy-handed phoney-feeling sentiment , and an overly-familiar set of plot devices .


decasia is what has happened already to so many silent movies , newsreels and the like .


an awful movie that will only satisfy the most emotionally malleable of filmgoers .


i guess it just goes to show that if you give a filmmaker an unlimited amount of phony blood , nothing good can happen .


time of favor could have given audiences the time of day by concentrating on the elements of a revealing alienation among a culture of people who sadly are at hostile odds with one another through recklessness and retaliation .


a waste of fearless purity in the acting craft .


twenty years after its first release , e.t. remains the most wondrous of all hollywood fantasies -- and the apex of steven spielberg 's misunderstood career .


more of a career curio than a major work .


suffers from unlikable characters and a self-conscious sense of its own quirky hipness .


talky , artificial and opaque ... an interesting technical exercise , but a tedious picture .


filled with low-brow humor , gratuitous violence and a disturbing disregard for life .


the great pity is that those responsible did n't cut their losses -- and ours -- and retitle it the adventures of direct-to-video nash , and send it to its proper home .


beneath the uncanny , inevitable and seemingly shrewd facade of movie-biz farce ... lies a plot cobbled together from largely flat and uncreative moments .


more tiring than anything .


laconic and very stilted in its dialogue , this indie flick never found its audience , probably because it 's extremely hard to relate to any of the characters .


uzumaki 's interesting social parallel and defiant aesthetic seems a prostituted muse ...


a perceptive , good-natured movie .


the spalding gray equivalent of a teen gross-out comedy .


maelstrom is strange and compelling , engrossing and different , a moral tale with a twisted sense of humor .


humorous , artsy , and even cute , in an off-kilter , dark , vaguely disturbing way .


if you 're looking for a story , do n't bother .


reign of fire never comes close to recovering from its demented premise , but it does sustain an enjoyable level of ridiculousness .


if you ever wondered what it would be like to be smack in the middle of a war zone armed with nothing but a camera , this oscar-nominated documentary takes you there .


other than a mildly engaging central romance , hospital is sickly entertainment at best and mind-destroying cinematic pollution at worst .


the movie is like scorsese 's mean streets redone by someone who ignored it in favor of old ` juvenile delinquent ' paperbacks with titles like leather warriors and switchblade sexpot .


like the chilled breath of oral storytelling frozen onto film .


captivates as it shows excess in business and pleasure , allowing us to find the small , human moments , and leaving off with a grand whimper .


this is mostly well-constructed fluff , which is all it seems intended to be .


gay or straight , kissing jessica stein is one of the greatest date movies in years .


when the heroes were actually under 40 ?


he drags it back , single-handed .


translating complex characters from novels to the big screen is an impossible task but they are true to the essence of what it is to be ya-ya .


if horses could fly , this is surely what they 'd look like .


the only upside to all of this unpleasantness is , given its labor day weekend upload , feardotcom should log a minimal number of hits .


there is nothing funny in this every-joke-has - been-told-a - thousand-times - before movie .


a thoughtful and surprisingly affecting portrait of a screwed-up man who dared to mess with some powerful people , seen through the eyes of the idealistic kid who chooses to champion his ultimately losing cause .


reggio and glass put on an intoxicating show .


a rare and lightly entertaining look behind the curtain that separates comics from the people laughing in the crowd .


be prepared to cling to the edge of your seat , tense with suspense .


the mantra behind the project seems to have been ` it 's just a kids ' flick . '


serviceable at best , slightly less than serviceable at worst .


both heartbreaking and heartwarming ... just a simple fable done in an artless sytle , but it 's tremendously moving .


the series ' message about making the right choice in the face of tempting alternatives remains prominent , as do the girls ' amusing personalities .


the santa clause 2 's plot may sound like it was co-written by mattel executives and lobbyists for the tinsel industry .


it 's surprisingly decent , particularly for a tenth installment in a series .


the party scenes deliver some tawdry kicks .


true to its animatronic roots : ... as stiff , ponderous and charmless as a mechanical apparatus ... ` the country bears ' should never have been brought out of hibernation .


the piano teacher is not an easy film .


degenerates into hogwash .


absurdities and clichés accumulate like lint in a fat man 's navel .


those who are not acquainted with the author 's work , on the other hand , may fall fast asleep .


sex with strangers is fascinating ...


unlike trey parker , sandler does n't understand that the idea of exploiting molestation for laughs is funny , not actually exploiting it yourself .


byler is too savvy a filmmaker to let this morph into a typical romantic triangle .


smug , artificial , ill-constructed and fatally overlong ... it never finds a consistent tone and lacks bite , degenerating into a pious , preachy soap opera .


green ruins every single scene he 's in , and the film , while it 's not completely wreaked , is seriously compromised by that .


a minor film with major pleasures from portuguese master manoel de oliviera ...


not everything in the film works , including its somewhat convenient ending .


stealing harvard ca n't even do that much .


leguizamo and jones are both excellent and the rest of the cast is uniformly superb .


if the predictability of bland comfort food appeals to you , then the film is a pleasant enough dish .


the story suffers a severe case of oversimplification , superficiality and silliness .


a technical triumph and an extraordinary bore .


the characters ... are paper-thin , and their personalities undergo radical changes when it suits the script .


neither quite a comedy nor a romance , more of an impish divertissement of themes that interest attal and gainsbourg -- they live together -- the film has a lot of charm .


likely to have decades of life as a classic movie franchise ?


what they see in each other also is difficult to fathom .


this is a fascinating film because there is no clear-cut hero and no all-out villain .


another trumpet blast that there may be a new mexican cinema a-bornin ' . '


it 's clear that mehta simply wanted to update her beloved genre for the thousands of indians who fancy themselves too sophisticated for the cheese-laced spectacles that pack 'em in on the subcontinent .


what might have been readily dismissed as the tiresome rant of an aging filmmaker still thumbing his nose at convention takes a surprising , subtle turn at the midway point .


expands the limits of what a film can be , taking us into the lives of women to whom we might not give a second look if we passed them on the street .


does not go far enough in its humor or stock ideas to stand out as particularly memorable or even all that funny .


it 's obvious -lrb- je-gyu is -rrb- trying for poetry ; what he gets instead has all the lyricism of a limerick scrawled in a public restroom .


despite the film 's shortcomings , the stories are quietly moving .


from blushing to gushing -- imamura squirts the screen in ` warm water under a red bridge '


delight your senses and crash this wedding !


the best thing i can say about this film is that i ca n't wait to see what the director does next .


... wallace is smart to vary the pitch of his movie , balancing deafening battle scenes with quieter domestic scenes of women back home receiving war department telegrams .


the screenplay comes across , rather unintentionally , as hip-hop scooby-doo .


a true-blue delight .


about as enjoyable , i would imagine , as searching for a quarter in a giant pile of elephant feces ... positively dreadful .


it leaves little doubt that kidman has become one of our best actors .


what ensues are much blood-splattering , mass drug-induced bowel evacuations , and none-too-funny commentary on the cultural distinctions between americans and brits .


an enjoyable experience .


and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .


very much a home video , and so devoid of artifice and purpose that it appears not to have been edited at all .


no , even that 's too committed .


the entire movie is in need of a scented bath .


i spied with my little eye ... a mediocre collection of cookie-cutter action scenes and occasionally inspired dialogue bits


it shares the first two films ' loose-jointed structure , but laugh-out-loud bits are few and far between .


director david jacobson gives dahmer a consideration that the murderer never game his victims .


the hours , a delicately crafted film , is an impressive achievement in spite of a river of sadness that pours into every frame .


it 's all a rather shapeless good time ...


a direct-to-void release , heading nowhere .


are we dealing with dreams , visions or being told what actually happened as if it were the third ending of clue ?


soderbergh seems capable only of delivering artfully lighted , earnest inquiries that lack the kind of genuine depth that would make them redeemable .


this movie is so bad , that it 's almost worth seeing because it 's so bad .


no better or worse than ` truth or consequences , n.m. ' or any other interchangeable actioner with imbecilic mafia toolbags botching a routine assignment in a western backwater .


well , this movie proves you wrong on both counts .


much of it is funny , but there are also some startling , surrealistic moments ...


those who are only mildly curious , i fear , will be put to sleep or bewildered by the artsy and often pointless visuals .


its engaging simplicity is driven by appealing leads .


theological matters aside , the movie is so clumsily sentimental and ineptly directed it may leave you speaking in tongues .


this 90-minute postmodern voyage was more diverting and thought-provoking than i 'd expected it to be .


ignoring that , he made swimfan anyway


but , no , we get another scene , and then another .


we never truly come to care about the main characters and whether or not they 'll wind up together , and michele 's spiritual quest is neither amusing nor dramatic enough to sustain interest .


as a hybrid teen thriller and murder mystery , murder by numbers fits the profile too closely .


like schindler 's list , the grey zone attempts to be grandiloquent , but ends up merely pretentious -- in a grisly sort of way .


a touching drama about old age and grief with a tour de force performance by michel piccoli .


video games are more involving than this mess .


if there ai n't none , you have a problem .


an obvious copy of one of the best films ever made , how could it not be ?


it gets bogged down by hit-and-miss topical humour before getting to the truly good stuff .


the plan to make enough into ` an inspiring tale of survival wrapped in the heart-pounding suspense of a stylish psychological thriller ' has flopped as surely as a soufflé gone wrong .


dog soldiers does n't transcend genre -- it embraces it , energizes it and takes big bloody chomps out of it .


wow , a jump cut !


third time 's the charm ... yeah , baby !


weighty and ponderous but every bit as filling as the treat of the title .


i found myself more appreciative of what the director was trying to do than of what he had actually done .


would you laugh if a tuba-playing dwarf rolled down a hill in a trash can ?


makes the case for a strong education and good teachers being more valuable in the way they help increase an average student 's self-esteem , and not strictly in the knowledge imparted .


a giddy and provocative sexual romp that has something to say .


what 's not to like about a movie with a ` children 's ' song that includes the line ` my stepdad 's not mean , he 's just adjusting ' ?


equilibrium the movie , as opposed to the manifesto , is really , really stupid .


suffers from over-familiarity since hit-hungry british filmmakers have strip-mined the monty formula mercilessly since 1997 .


eventually arrives at its heart , as simple self-reflection meditation .


in a summer overrun with movies dominated by cgi aliens and super heroes , it revigorates the mind to see a feature that concentrates on people , a project in which the script and characters hold sway .


schneider 's mugging is relentless and his constant need to suddenly transpose himself into another character undermines the story 's continuity and progression .


for most movies , 84 minutes is short , but this one feels like a life sentence .


what begins as a conventional thriller evolves into a gorgeously atmospheric meditation on life-changing chance encounters .


explosions , jokes , and sexual innuendoes abound .


it was filled with shootings , beatings , and more cussing than you could shake a stick at .


it 's rare for any movie to be as subtle and touching as the son 's room .


not as well-written as sexy beast , not as gloriously flippant as lock , stock and two smoking barrels , but stylish and moody and exceptionally well-acted .


spielberg 's realization of a near-future america is masterful .


amidst the action , the script carries arnold -lrb- and the viewers -rrb- into the forbidden zone of sympathizing with terrorist motivations by presenting the `` other side of the story . ''


as gory as the scenes of torture and self-mutilation may be , they are pitted against shimmering cinematography that lends the setting the ethereal beauty of an asian landscape painting .


maelstrom is a deliberately unsteady mixture of stylistic elements .


jones has delivered a solidly entertaining and moving family drama .


-lrb- h -rrb- ad i suffered and bled on the hard ground of ia drang , i 'd want something a bit more complex than we were soldiers to be remembered by .


it 's sort of in-between , and it works .


he 's the scariest guy you 'll see all summer .


unfunny comedy with a lot of static set ups , not much camera movement , and most of the scenes take place indoors in formal settings with motionless characters .


a movie in which two not very absorbing characters are engaged in a romance you ca n't wait to see end .


a cultural wildcard experience : wacky , different , unusual , even nutty .


mediocre fable from burkina faso .


a hallmark film in an increasingly important film industry and worth the look .


the worst film of the year .


a funny , triumphant , and moving documentary .


for the most part , the film does hold up pretty well .


it 's about issues most adults have to face in marriage and i think that 's what i liked about it -- the real issues tucked between the silly and crude storyline .


there 's a spontaneity to the chateau , a sense of light-heartedness , that makes it attractive throughout .


in fact , it 's quite fun in places .


it 's a barely tolerable slog over well-trod ground .


manipulative claptrap , a period-piece movie-of-the-week , plain old blarney ... take your pick .


not that any of us should be complaining when a film clocks in around 90 minutes these days , but the plotting here leaves a lot to be desired .


it 's crap on a leash -- far too polite to scale the lunatic heights of joe dante 's similarly styled gremlins .


hollywood ending is not show-stoppingly hilarious , but scathingly witty nonetheless .


the climactic events are so well realized that you may forget all about the original conflict , just like the movie does


it 's an exhilarating place to visit , this laboratory of laughter .


as crimes go , writer-director michael kalesniko 's how to kill your neighbor 's dog is slight but unendurable .


genuinely unnerving .


enriched by a strong and unforced supporting cast .


without any redeeming value whatsoever .


an intoxicating experience .


rock solid family fun out of the gates , extremely imaginative through out , but wanes in the middle


they cheapen the overall effect .


this engrossing , characteristically complex tom clancy thriller is shifty in the manner in which it addresses current terrorism anxieties and sidesteps them at the same time .


it 's exactly what you 'd expect .


what results is the best performance from either in years .


a feature-length , r-rated , road-trip version of mama 's family .


s1m0ne 's satire is not subtle , but it is effective .


has its charming quirks and its dull spots .


an already thin story boils down to surviving invaders seeking an existent anti-virus .


a confluence of kiddie entertainment , sophisticated wit and symbolic graphic design .


a period story about a catholic boy who tries to help a jewish friend get into heaven by sending the audience straight to hell .


a film that should be relegated to a dark video store corner is somehow making its way instead to theaters .


deliberately and skillfully uses ambiguity to suggest possibilities which imbue the theme with added depth and resonance .


and more than that , it 's an observant , unfussily poetic meditation about identity and alienation .


exploits -lrb- headbanger -rrb- stereotypes in good fun , while adding a bit of heart and unsettling subject matter .


resurrection has the dubious distinction of being a really bad imitation of the really bad blair witch project .


the film did n't move me one way or the other , but it was an honest effort and if you want to see a flick about telemarketers this one will due .


fluffy and disposible .


in its treatment of the dehumanizing and ego-destroying process of unemployment , time out offers an exploration that is more accurate than anything i have seen in an american film .


odd and weird .


the beauty of alexander payne 's ode to the everyman is in the details .


wait for it to hit cable .


no matter how much he runs around and acts like a doofus , accepting a 50-year-old in the role is creepy in a michael jackson sort of way .


he gets his secretary to fax it . ''


meyjes ' provocative film might be called an example of the haphazardness of evil .


can i admit xxx is as deep as a petri dish and as well-characterized as a telephone book but still say it was a guilty pleasure ?


a hugely rewarding experience that 's every bit as enlightening , insightful and entertaining as grant 's two best films -- four weddings and a funeral and bridget jones 's diary .


jam-packed with literally bruising jokes .


interview with the assassin is structured less as a documentary and more as a found relic , and as such the film has a difficult time shaking its blair witch project real-time roots .


it 's mildly interesting to ponder the peculiar american style of justice that plays out here , but it 's so muddled and derivative that few will bother thinking it all through .


it 's actually pretty funny , but in all the wrong places .


the narrative is so consistently unimaginative that probably the only way to have saved the film is with the aid of those wisecracking mystery science theater 3000 guys .


film ca n't quite maintain its initial momentum , but remains sporadically funny throughout .


it appears to have been modeled on the worst revenge-of-the-nerds clichés the filmmakers could dredge up .


reign of fire has the disadvantage of also looking cheap .


to call this one an eventual cult classic would be an understatement , and woe is the horror fan who opts to overlook this goofily endearing and well-lensed gorefest .


a distinguished and thoughtful film , marked by acute writing and a host of splendid performances .


grant is n't cary and bullock is n't katherine .


a terrible adaptation of a play that only ever walked the delicate tightrope between farcical and loathsome .


not just unlikable .


a fresh-faced , big-hearted and frequently funny thrill ride for the kiddies , with enough eye candy and cheeky wit to keep parents away from the concession stand . '


priggish , lethargically paced parable of renewal .


disgusting .


excruciatingly unfunny and pitifully unromantic .


films about loss , grief and recovery are pretty valuable these days .


-lrb- it 's -rrb- a clever thriller with enough unexpected twists to keep our interest .


as if drop dead gorgeous was n't enough , this equally derisive clunker is fixated on the spectacle of small-town competition .


but believe it or not , it 's one of the most beautiful , evocative works i 've seen .


real women have curves wears its empowerment on its sleeve but even its worst harangues are easy to swallow thanks to remarkable performances by ferrera and ontiveros .


the film 's plot may be shallow , but you 've never seen the deep like you see it in these harrowing surf shots .


the two leads , nearly perfect in their roles , bring a heart and reality that buoy the film , and at times , elevate it to a superior crime movie .


a little objectivity could have gone a long way .


mastering its formidable arithmetic of cameras and souls , group articulates a flood of emotion .


... a great , participatory spectator sport . '


... really horrible drek .


wang xiaoshuai directs this intricately structured and well-realized drama that presents a fascinating glimpse of urban life and the class warfare that embroils two young men .


the problem is that the movie has no idea of it is serious or not .


a must for fans of british cinema , if only because so many titans of the industry are along for the ride .


but it 's hard to imagine a more generic effort in the genre .


what makes it worth watching is quaid 's performance .


snoots will no doubt rally to its cause , trotting out threadbare standbys like ` masterpiece ' and ` triumph ' and all that malarkey , but rarely does an established filmmaker so ardently waste viewers ' time with a gobbler like this .


... stale and uninspired .


hey , happy !


perfectly pitched between comedy and tragedy , hope and despair , about schmidt instead comes far closer than many movies to expressing the way many of us live -- someplace between consuming self-absorption and insistently demanding otherness .


it reaffirms life as it looks in the face of death .


it 's the humanizing stuff that will probably sink the film for anyone who does n't think about percentages all day long .


if the full monty was a freshman fluke , lucky break is -lrb- cattaneo -rrb- sophomore slump .


rarely does a film so graceless and devoid of merit as this one come along .


this comic gem is as delightful as it is derivative .


for all its brilliant touches , dragon loses its fire midway , nearly flickering out by its perfunctory conclusion .


no , i love it ... hell , i dunno .


dull , a road-trip movie that 's surprisingly short of both adventure and song .


baran is shockingly devoid of your typical majid majidi shoe-loving , crippled children .


khouri manages , with terrific flair , to keep the extremes of screwball farce and blood-curdling family intensity on one continuum .


as the movie dragged on , i thought i heard a mysterious voice , and felt myself powerfully drawn toward the light -- the light of the exit sign .


that 's its first sign of trouble .


the movie is ingenious fun .


ah , yes , that would be me : fighting off the urge to doze .


a visually flashy but narratively opaque and emotionally vapid exercise in style and mystification .


until it goes off the rails in its final 10 or 15 minutes , wendigo , larry fessenden 's spooky new thriller , is a refreshingly smart and newfangled variation on several themes derived from far less sophisticated and knowing horror films .


you walk out of the good girl with mixed emotions -- disapproval of justine combined with a tinge of understanding for her actions .


quitting delivers a sucker-punch , and its impact is all the greater beause director zhang 's last film , the cuddly shower , was a non-threatening multi-character piece centered around a public bath house .


hard-core slasher aficionados will find things to like ... but overall the halloween series has lost its edge .


a well-made but emotionally scattered film whose hero gives his heart only to the dog .


it 's the perfect star vehicle for grant , allowing him to finally move away from his usual bumbling , tongue-tied screen persona .


it grabs you in the dark and shakes you vigorously for its duration .


makes the same mistake as the music industry it criticizes , becoming so slick and watered-down it almost loses what made you love it in the first place .


tedious norwegian offering which somehow snagged an oscar nomination .


the plot twists give i am trying to break your heart an attraction it desperately needed .


breen 's script is sketchy with actorish notations on the margin of acting .


like an episode of mtv 's undressed , with 20 times the creativity but without any more substance ... indulgently entertaining but could have and should have been deeper .


the film can depress you about life itself .


the slam-bang superheroics are kinetic enough to engross even the most antsy youngsters .


the film was n't preachy , but it was feminism by the book .


like being invited to a classy dinner soiree and not knowing anyone .


then you get another phone call warning you that if the video is n't back at blockbuster before midnight , you 're going to face frightening late fees .


until -lrb- the -rrb- superfluous ... epilogue that leaks suspension of disbelief like a sieve , die another day is as stimulating & heart-rate-raising as any james bond thriller .


samuel beckett applied to the iranian voting process .


its cast full of caffeinated comedy performances more than make up for its logical loopholes , which fly by so fast there 's no time to think about them anyway .


the dark and bittersweet twist feels strange as things turn nasty and tragic during the final third of the film .


something for everyone .


the story is -- forgive me -- a little thin , and the filmmaking clumsy and rushed .


graphic sex may be what 's attracting audiences to unfaithful , but gripping performances by lane and gere are what will keep them awake .


feels shrill , simple and soapy .


bloody sunday has the grace to call for prevention rather than to place blame , making it one of the best war movies ever made .


-lrb- screenwriter -rrb- pimental took the farrelly brothers comedy and feminized it , but it is a rather poor imitation .


it sucked .


will give many ministers and bible-study groups hours of material to discuss .


a light , engaging comedy that fumbles away almost all of its accumulated enjoyment with a crucial third act miscalculation .


a so-so , made-for-tv something posing as a real movie .


whatever heartwarming scene the impressively discreet filmmakers may have expected to record with their mini dv , they show a remarkable ability to document both sides of this emotional car-wreck .


there is one surefire way to get a nomination for a best-foreign-film oscar : make a movie about whimsical folk who learn a nonchallenging , life-affirming lesson while walking around a foreign city with stunning architecture .


some motion pictures portray ultimate passion ; others create ultimate thrills .


skins has a desolate air , but eyre , a native american raised by white parents , manages to infuse the rocky path to sibling reconciliation with flashes of warmth and gentle humor .


an unencouraging threefold expansion on the former mtv series , accompanying the stunt-hungry dimwits in a random series of collected gags , pranks , pratfalls , dares , injuries , etc. .


a jumbled fantasy comedy that did not figure out a coherent game plan at scripting , shooting or post-production stages .


the film brilliantly shines on all the characters , as the direction is intelligently accomplished .


this thing is virtually unwatchable .


there is a beautiful , aching sadness to it all .


this is the kind of movie where people who have never picked a lock do so easily after a few tries and become expert fighters after a few weeks .


s face is chillingly unemotive , yet he communicates a great deal in his performance .


handsome and sophisticated approach to the workplace romantic comedy .


schaefer 's ... determination to inject farcical raunch ... drowns out the promise of the romantic angle .


huppert 's show to steal and she makes a meal of it , channeling kathy baker 's creepy turn as the repressed mother on boston public just as much as 8 women 's augustine .


yet why it fails is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma .


may cause you to bite your tongue to keep from laughing at the ridiculous dialog or the oh-so convenient plot twists .


terry is a sort of geriatric dirty harry , which will please eastwood 's loyal fans -- and suits the story , wherein our hero must ride roughshod over incompetent cops to get his man .


costner 's warm-milk persona is just as ill-fitting as shadyac 's perfunctory directing chops , and some of the more overtly silly dialogue would sink laurence olivier .


the movie is brilliant , really .


an oddity , to be sure , but one that you might wind up remembering with a degree of affection rather than revulsion .


the picture seems uncertain whether it wants to be an acidic all-male all about eve or a lush , swooning melodrama in the intermezzo strain .


there is truth here


kids who are into this thornberry stuff will probably be in wedgie heaven .


it 's easy to love robin tunney -- she 's pretty and she can act -- but it gets harder and harder to understand her choices .


it 's just not very smart .


meandering and confusing .


there are just too many characters saying too many clever things and getting into too many pointless situations .


the film feels uncomfortably real , its language and locations bearing the unmistakable stamp of authority .


i 'm sure the filmmaker would disagree , but , honestly , i do n't see the point .


without -lrb- de niro -rrb- , city by the sea would slip under the waves .


and that holds true for both the movie and the title character played by brendan fraser .


great over-the-top moviemaking if you 're in a slap-happy mood .


mr. soderbergh 's direction and visual style struck me as unusually and unimpressively fussy and pretentious .


if we sometimes need comforting fantasies about mental illness , we also need movies like tim mccann 's revolution no. 9 .


it 's something of the ultimate scorsese film , with all the stomach-turning violence , colorful new york gang lore and other hallmarks of his personal cinema painted on their largest-ever historical canvas .


too slow for a younger crowd , too shallow for an older one .


instead of building to a laugh riot we are left with a handful of disparate funny moments of no real consequence .


just another generic drama that has nothing going for it other than its exploitive array of obligatory cheap thrills .


williams creates a stunning , taxi driver-esque portrayal of a man teetering on the edge of sanity .


demme gets a lot of flavor and spice into his charade remake , but he ca n't disguise that he 's spiffing up leftovers that are n't so substantial or fresh .


but unless you 're an absolute raving star wars junkie , it is n't much fun .


ah , the travails of metropolitan life !


the pianist lacks the quick emotional connections of steven spielberg 's schindler 's list .


promises is one film that 's truly deserving of its oscar nomination .


this one is strictly a lightweight escapist film .


impossible as it may sound , this film 's heart is even more embracing than monty , if only because it accepts nasty behavior and severe flaws as part of the human condition .


it 's the brilliant surfing photography bringing you right inside the massive waves that lifts blue crush into one of the summer 's most pleasurable movies .


a powerful , inflammatory film about religion that dares to question an ancient faith , and about hatred that offers no easy , comfortable resolution .


fessenden has nurtured his metaphors at the expense of his narrative , but he does display an original talent .


to honestly address the flaws inherent in how medical aid is made available to american workers , a more balanced or fair portrayal of both sides will be needed .


halfway through , however , having sucked dry the undead action flick formula , blade ii mutates into a gross-out monster movie with effects that are more silly than scary .


the otherwise good-naturedness of mr. deeds , with its embrace of sheer goofiness and cameos of less - than-likely new york celebrities ... certainly raises the film above anything sandler 's been attached to before .


it arrives with an impeccable pedigree , mongrel pep , and almost indecipherable plot complications .


all the pieces fall together without much surprise , but little moments give it a boost .


to get at the root psychology of this film would require many sessions on the couch of dr. freud .


a remarkable film by bernard rose .


pumpkin struts about with `` courage '' pinned to its huckster lapel while a yellow streak a mile wide decorates its back .


overly long and worshipful bio-doc .


it 's the sweet cinderella story that `` pretty woman '' wanted to be .


a delicious , quirky movie with a terrific screenplay and fanciful direction by michael gondry .


it appears to have been made by people to whom the idea of narrative logic or cohesion is an entirely foreign concept .


a tone of rueful compassion ... reverberates throughout this film , whose meaning and impact is sadly heightened by current world events .


a mechanical action-comedy whose seeming purpose is to market the charismatic jackie chan to even younger audiences .


it desperately wants to be a wacky , screwball comedy , but the most screwy thing here is how so many talented people were convinced to waste their time .


both grant and hoult carry the movie because they are believable as people -- flawed , assured of the wrong things , and scared to admit how much they may really need the company of others .


i liked the movie , but i know i would have liked it more if it had just gone that one step further .


wonder of wonders -- a teen movie with a humanistic message .


the threat implied in the title pokémon 4ever is terrifying -- like locusts in a horde these things will keep coming .


flashy gadgets and whirling fight sequences may look cool , but they ca n't distract from the flawed support structure holding equilibrium up .


mr. wollter and ms. seldhal give strong and convincing performances , but neither reaches into the deepest recesses of the character to unearth the quaking essence of passion , grief and fear .


a moving story of determination and the human spirit .


mostly martha could have used a little trimming -- 10 or 15 minutes could be cut and no one would notice -- but it 's a pleasurable trifle .


to the degree that ivans xtc .


there is greatness here .


lovely and amazing is holofcener 's deep , uncompromising curtsy to women she knows , and very likely is .


i liked this film a lot ...


demonstrates the unusual power of thoughtful , subjective filmmaking .


although the sequel has all the outward elements of the original , the first film 's lovely flakiness is gone , replaced by the forced funniness found in the dullest kiddie flicks .


but they lack their idol 's energy and passion for detail .


a screenplay more ingeniously constructed than `` memento ''


those with a modicum of patience will find in these characters ' foibles a timeless and unique perspective .


on that score , the film certainly does n't disappoint .


what it lacks in originality it makes up for in effective if cheap moments of fright and dread .


the movie 's vision of a white american zealously spreading a puritanical brand of christianity to south seas islanders is one only a true believer could relish .


it asks nothing of the audience other than to sit back and enjoy a couple of great actors hamming it up .


you can almost see mendes and company getting together before a single frame had been shot and collectively vowing , ` this is going to be something really good . '


a negligible british comedy .


great fun both for sports aficionados and for ordinary louts whose idea of exercise is climbing the steps of a stadium-seat megaplex .


beautifully crafted and cooly unsettling ... recreates the atmosphere of the crime expertly .


, is a temporal inquiry that shoulders its philosophical burden lightly .


there has been a string of ensemble cast romances recently ... but peter mattei 's love in the time of money sets itself apart by forming a chain of relationships that come full circle to end on a positive -lrb- if tragic -rrb- note .


children and adults enamored of all things pokemon wo n't be disappointed .


you 'll find yourself wishing that you and they were in another movie .


the execution is so pedestrian that the most positive comment we can make is that rob schneider actually turns in a pretty convincing performance as a prissy teenage girl .


how much you are moved by the emotional tumult of -lrb- françois and michèle 's -rrb- relationship depends a lot on how interesting and likable you find them .


it bites hard .


little more than a stylish exercise in revisionism whose point ... is no doubt true , but serves as a rather thin moral to such a knowing fable .


like edward norton in american history x , ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- delivers a magnetic performance .


despite bearing the paramount imprint , it 's a bargain-basement european pickup .


by the time you reach the finale , you 're likely wondering why you 've been watching all this strutting and posturing .


a predictable , manipulative stinker .


... post-september 11 , `` the sum of all fears '' seems more tacky and reprehensible , manipulating our collective fear without bestowing the subject with the intelligence or sincerity it unequivocally deserves .


a solid , psychological action film from hong kong .


a retread of material already thoroughly plumbed by martin scorsese .


it 's a perfect show of respect to just one of those underrated professionals who deserve but rarely receive it .


a bad movie that happened to good actors .


plays like john le carré with a couple of burnt-out cylinders .


... a rather bland affair .


spielberg has managed to marry science fiction with film noir and action flicks with philosophical inquiry .


by the standards of knucklehead swill , the hot chick is pretty damned funny .


a thought-provoking look at how western foreign policy - however well intentioned - can wreak havoc in other cultures .


despite engaging offbeat touches , knockaround guys rarely seems interested in kicking around a raison d'etre that 's as fresh-faced as its young-guns cast .


as action-adventure , this space-based homage to robert louis stevenson 's treasure island fires on all plasma conduits .


it 's funny .


what an embarrassment .


i hate the feeling of having been slimed in the name of high art .


what makes esther kahn so demanding is that it progresses in such a low-key manner that it risks monotony .


that old adage about women being unknowable gets an exhilarating new interpretation in morvern callar .


without resorting to camp or parody , haynes -lrb- like sirk , but differently -rrb- has transformed the rhetoric of hollywood melodrama into something provocative , rich , and strange .


a thoroughly enjoyable , heartfelt coming-of-age comedy .


this is a film tailor-made for those who when they were in high school would choose the cliff-notes over reading a full-length classic .


jacobi , the most fluent of actors , is given relatively dry material from nijinsky 's writings to perform , and the visuals , even erotically frank ones , become dullingly repetitive .


it just did n't mean much to me and played too skewed to ever get a hold on -lrb- or be entertained by -rrb- .


although largely a heavy-handed indictment of parental failings and the indifference of spanish social workers and legal system towards child abuse , the film retains ambiguities that make it well worth watching .


sweet home alabama certainly wo n't be remembered as one of -lrb- witherspoon 's -rrb- better films .


the film is all over the place , really .


has all the values of a straight-to-video movie , but because it has a bigger-name cast , it gets a full theatrical release .


... this is n't even a movie we can enjoy as mild escapism ; it is one in which fear and frustration are provoked to intolerable levels .


do n't even bother to rent this on video .


if only merchant paid more attention the story .


it 's a glorious spectacle like those d.w. griffith made in the early days of silent film .


the colorful masseur wastes its time on mood rather than riding with the inherent absurdity of ganesh 's rise up the social ladder .


it is not what you see , it is what you think you see .


-lrb- a -rrb- painfully flat gross-out comedy ...