while the mystery surrounding the nature of the boat 's malediction remains intriguing enough to sustain mild interest , the picture refuses to offer much accompanying sustenance in the way of characterization , humor or plain old popcorn fun .


theirs is a simple and heart-warming story , full of mirth that should charm all but the most cynical .


the problem is that rather than dramatizing this premise , mr. desplechin is content to state it .


the element of surprise might be the only thing femme fatale has going for it .


great story , bad idea for a movie .


cho 's fans are sure to be entertained ; it 's only fair in the interest of full disclosure to say that -- on the basis of this film alone -- i 'm not one of them .


while it would be easy to give crush the new title of two weddings and a funeral , it 's a far more thoughtful film than any slice of hugh grant whimsy .


while benigni -lrb- who stars and co-wrote -rrb- seems to be having a wonderful time , he might be alone in that .


smith 's point is simple and obvious -- people 's homes are extensions of themselves , and particularly eccentric people have particularly eccentric living spaces -- but his subjects are charmers .


divertingly ridiculous , headbangingly noisy .


extremely boring .


an impossible romance , but we root for the patronized iranian lad .


i doubt anyone will remember the picture by the time christmas really rolls around , but maybe it 'll be on video by then .


eight crazy nights is a showcase for sandler 's many talents .


too lazy to take advantage of its semi-humorous premise .


if there 's a way to effectively teach kids about the dangers of drugs , i think it 's in projects like the -lrb- unfortunately r-rated -rrb- paid .


you 'll be more entertained getting hit by a bus .


an enjoyable film for the family , amusing and cute for both adults and kids .


it 's a glorious groove that leaves you wanting more .


there are touching moments in etoiles , but for the most part this is a dull , dour documentary on what ought to be a joyful or at least fascinating subject .


more honest about alzheimer 's disease , i think , than iris .


hey , at least the title of this film lets you know exactly where it 's heading .


what 's at stake in this film is nothing more than an obsolete , if irritating , notion of class .


offensive in the way it exploits the hot-button issue of domestic abuse for cheap thrills and disgusting in the manner it repeatedly puts a small child in jeopardy , treating her as little more than a prop to be cruelly tormented .


some movies are like a tasty hors-d'oeuvre ; this one is a feast .


it would n't be my preferred way of spending 100 minutes or $ 7.00 .


you might not want to hang out with samantha , but you 'll probably see a bit of yourself in her unfinished story .


a monster combat thriller as impersonal in its relentlessness as the videogame series that inspired it .


effectively feeds our senses with the chilling sights and sounds from within the camp to create a completely numbing experience .


life is a crock -- or something like it .


a richly imagined and admirably mature work from a gifted director who definitely has something on his mind .


from spiritual rebirth to bruising defeat , vincent 's odyssey resonates in a profound way , comparable to the classic films of jean renoir .


is n't quite the equal of woo 's best earlier work , but it 's easily his finest american film ... comes close to recapturing the brilliance of his hong kong films .


secret ballot is too contemplative to be really funny .


the weight of water uses water as a metaphor for subconscious desire , but this leaky script barely stays afloat .


automatically pegs itself for the straight-to-video sci-fi rental shelf .


it 's often infuriatingly glib and posturing , and yet it has been made with great evident care and manages to deliver up the man in a way to arouse further curiosity in even the most unknowing viewer .


one minute , you think you 're watching a serious actioner ; the next , it 's as though clips from the pink panther strikes again and\/or sailor moon have been spliced in .


director benoit jacquot , making his first opera-to-film translation with tosca , conveys the heaving passion of puccini 's famous love-jealousy - murder-suicide fandango with great cinematic innovation .


this film , starring anthony hopkins and chris rock , is your typical ` fish out of water ' story .


a boring , wincingly cute and nauseatingly politically correct cartoon guaranteed to drive anyone much over age 4 screaming from the theater .


never quite transcends jokester status ... and the punchline does n't live up to barry 's dead-eyed , perfectly chilled delivery .


choppy editing and too many repetitive scenes spoil what could have been an important documentary about stand-up comedy .


makes an aborbing if arguable case for the man 's greatness .


an unsatisfying hybrid of blair witch and typical stalk-and-slash fare , where the most conservative protagonist is always the last one living .


the diversity of the artists represented , both in terms of style and ethnicity , prevents the proceedings from feeling repetitious , as does the appropriately brief 40-minute running time .


unfortunately , they 're sandwiched in between the most impossibly dry account of kahlo 's life imaginable .


this extremely unfunny film clocks in at 80 minutes , but feels twice as long .


it 's like a poem .


... lacks the punch and verve needed to make this genre soar .


a strong first quarter , slightly less so second quarter , and average second half .


earnest but earthbound ... a slow , soggy , soporific , visually dank crime melodrama\/character study that would be more at home on the small screen but for its stellar cast .


it 's as flat as an open can of pop left sitting in the sun .


a movie far more cynical and lazy than anything a fictitious charlie kaufman might object to .


here , thankfully , they are .


a sour , nasty offering .


everyone connected to this movie seems to be part of an insider clique , which tends to breed formulaic films rather than fresh ones .


this time kaufman 's imagination has failed him .


... breathes surprising new life into the familiar by amalgamating genres and adding true human complexity to its not-so-stock characters . '


suggests puns about ingredients and soup and somebody being off their noodle , but let 's just say the ingredients do n't quite add up to a meal .


the movie has an avalanche of eye-popping visual effects .


has all the poignancy of a hallmark card and all the comedy of a gallagher stand-up act .


this is junk food cinema at its greasiest .


clever , brutal and strangely soulful movie .


-lrb- director -rrb- byler may yet have a great movie in him , but charlotte sometimes is only half of one .


if you liked the 1982 film then , you 'll still like it now .


a miniscule little bleep on the film radar , but one that many more people should check out


shamelessly sappy and , worse , runs away from its own provocative theme .


frailty is n't as gory or explicit .


choose your reaction : a. -rrb- that sure is funny !


it 's got its heart in the right place , but it also wilts after awhile .


it 's the kind of movie that ends up festooning u.s. art house screens for no reason other than the fact that it 's in french -lrb- well , mostly -rrb- with english subtitles and is magically ` significant ' because of that .


droll caper-comedy remake of `` big deal on madonna street '' that 's a sly , amusing , laugh-filled little gem in which the ultimate `` bellini '' begins to look like a `` real kaputschnik . ''


call me a wimp , but i cried , not once , but three times in this animated sweet film .


search it out .


it would be interesting to hear from the other side , but in talk to her , the women are down for the count .


japan 's premier stylist of sex and blood hits audiences with what may be his most demented film to date .


easier to respect than enthuse over , andersson 's rigorous personal vision is not only distanced but distancing .


and if the hours wins ` best picture ' i just might .


another rent installment for the ian fleming estate .


instead of kicking off the intrigue and suspense and mystery of the whole thing , hart 's war , like the st. louis rams in the super bowl , waits until after halftime to get started .


murderous maids may well be the most comprehensive of these films and also strike closest to the truth .


some of seagal 's action pictures are guilty pleasures , but this one is so formulaic that it seems to be on auto-pilot .


one of the greatest family-oriented , fantasy-adventure movies ever .


for caine lovers only .


it may be a prize winner , but teacher is a bomb .


elicits more groans from the audience than jar jar binks , scrappy doo and scooby dumb , all wrapped up into one .


a trashy , exploitative , thoroughly unpleasant experience .


opens at a funeral , ends on the protagonist 's death bed and does n't get much livelier in the three hours in between .


... surprisingly inert for a movie in which the main character travels back and forth between epochs .


thrilling , provocative and darkly funny , this timely sci-fi mystery works on so many different levels that it not only invites , it demands repeated viewings .


farrell ... thankfully manages to outshine the role and successfully plays the foil to willis 's world-weary colonel .


that zhang would make such a strainingly cute film -- with a blind orphan at its center , no less -- indicates where his ambitions have wandered .


it 's fun , but a psychological mess , with austin powers bumping his head on the way out of the closet .


those who would follow haneke on his creepy explorations ... are rewarded by brutal , committed performances from huppert and magimel .


it 's too long , too repetitive , and takes way too many years to resolve to be a total winner .


but it pays a price for its intricate intellectual gamesmanship .


a fascinating and fun film .


the use of cgi and digital ink-and-paint make the thing look really slick .


a sad , superior human comedy played out on the back roads of life .


the lack of opposing viewpoints soon grows tiresome -- the film feels more like a series of toasts at a testimonial dinner than a documentary .


wait for video -- and then do n't rent it .


an extraordinary swedish film about the soul adventure of marriage -- the kind of intimate and character-driven film that bille august does best .


remember when bond had more glamour than clamor ?


-lrb- i -rrb- f you 've been to more than one indie flick in your life , chances are you 've already seen this kind of thing .


excellent acting and direction .


a tender and touching drama , based on the true story of a troubled african-american 's quest to come to terms with his origins , reveals the yearning we all have in our hearts for acceptance within the family circle .


a very funny movie .


both awful and appealing .


wallace seems less like he 's been burning to tell a war story than he 's been itching to somehow tack one together


ranks among willams ' best screen work .


you can feel the heat that ignites this gripping tale , and the humor and humanity that root it in feeling .


this may not have the dramatic gut-wrenching impact of other holocaust films , but it 's a compelling story , mainly because of the way it 's told by the people who were there .


these spiders can outrun a motorcycle and wrap a person in a sticky cocoon in seconds , but they fall short of being interesting or entertaining .


it 's a terrific american sports movie and dennis quaid is its athletic heart .


had the film boasted a clearer , more memorable , the creepiness would have gotten under the skin .


scotland , pa. blurs the line between black comedy and black hole .


there are weird resonances between actor and role here , and they 're not exactly flattering .


the fight scenes are fun , but it grows tedious .


considering the harsh locations and demanding stunts , this must have been a difficult shoot , but the movie proves rough going for the audience as well .


the seaside splendor and shallow , beautiful people are nice to look at while you wait for the story to get going .


an idealistic love story that brings out the latent 15-year-old romantic in everyone .


what kids will discover is a new collectible .


could the whole plan here have been to produce something that makes fatal attraction look like a classic by comparison ?


even die-hard fans of japanese animation ... will find this one a challenge .


it 's a brave attempt to tap into the heartbeat of the world , a salute to the universal language of rhythm and a zippy sampling of sounds .


this is an hour and a half of daydreaming .


ford deserves to be remembered at oscar time for crafting this wonderful portrait of a conflicted soldier .


that rara avis : the intelligent romantic comedy with actual ideas on its mind .


could the country bears really be as bad as its trailers ?


while mcfarlane 's animation lifts the film firmly above the level of other coming-of-age films ... it 's also so jarring that it 's hard to get back into the boys ' story .


when -lrb- de palma 's -rrb- bad , he 's really bad , and femme fatale ranks with the worst he has done .


behind the snow games and lovable siberian huskies -lrb- plus one sheep dog -rrb- , the picture hosts a parka-wrapped dose of heart .


a captivating cross-cultural comedy of manners .


hawke draws out the best from his large cast in beautifully articulated portrayals that are subtle and so expressive they can sustain the poetic flights in burdette 's dialogue .


a deceivingly simple film , one that grows in power in retrospect .


dolgin and franco fashion a fascinating portrait of a vietnamese-born youngster who eagerly and easily assimilated as an all-american girl with a brand new name in southern tennessee .


look , this is a terrific flick replete with dazzling camera-work , dancing and music .


presents an astute appraisal of middle american musical torpor and the desperate struggle to escape it .


the film apparently takes place in a fantasy world where people in hotel hallways recite poetry in voice-over instead of speaking to each other .


but director danny devito and screenwriter adam resnick -lrb- remember cabin boy ? -rrb-


besides , real movie producers are n't this nice .


mocking them now is an exercise in pointlessness .


this is how you use special effects .


haneke keeps us at arm 's length .


like its two predecessors , 1983 's koyaanisqatsi and 1988 's powaqqatsi , the cinematic collage naqoyqatsi could be the most navel-gazing film ever .


what 's most striking about this largely celebratory film ... is the sense of isolation that permeates these bastions of individuality in an ikea world .


he 's super spy !


though the book runs only about 300 pages , it is so densely packed ... that even an ambitious adaptation and elaborate production like mr. schepisi 's seems skimpy and unclear .


i do n't know precisely what to make of steven soderbergh 's full frontal , though that did n't stop me from enjoying much of it .


has the feel of an unedited personal journal .


the film takes too long getting to the good stuff , then takes too long figuring out what to do next .


skip work to see it at the first opportunity .


ecks this one off your must-see list .


gosling provides an amazing performance that dwarfs everything else in the film .


drives for the same kind of bittersweet , conciliatory tone that three seasons achieved but loses its way in rhetorical excess and blatant sentimentality .


human nature initially succeeds by allowing itself to go crazy , but ultimately fails by spinning out of control .


the movie has very little to offer besides unintentional laughs .


ostensibly celebrates middle-aged girl power , even as it presents friendship between women as pathetic , dysfunctional and destructive .


the movie will reach far beyond its core demographic .


so many documentaries like this presuppose religious bigotry or zealous nuttiness of its antagonists , but family fundamentals displays a rare gift for unflinching impartiality .


smart science fiction for grown-ups , with only a few false steps along the way .


the movie is one of the best examples of artful large format filmmaking you are likely to see anytime soon .


merely as a technical , logistical feat , russian ark marks a cinematic milestone .


but if it is indeed a duty of art to reflect life , than leigh has created a masterful piece of artistry right here .


not a movie but a live-action agitprop cartoon so shameless and coarse , it 's almost funny .


murder and mayhem of this sort quickly becomes monotonous .


even with all those rough edges safely sanded down , the american insomnia is still pretty darned good .


the reason we keep seeing the same movie with roughly the same people every year is because so many of us keep going and then , out of embarrassment or stupidity , not warning anyone .


there is not an ounce of honesty in the entire production .


but in 2002 , such revelations wilt .


it 's getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that hollywood is n't laughing with us , folks .


gee , a second assassin shot kennedy ?


engrossing and affecting , if ultimately not quite satisfying .


birot 's directorial debut -lrb- she co-wrote the script with christophe honoré -rrb- is n't so much bad as it is bland .


as bundy , michael reilly burke -lrb- octopus 2 : river of fear -rrb- has just the right amount of charisma and menace .


it feels like a community theater production of a great broadway play : even at its best , it will never hold a candle to the original .


scarlet diva has a voyeuristic tug , but all in all it 's a lot less sensational than it wants to be .


b. -rrb- that sure is pathetic !


this pep-talk for faith , hope and charity does little to offend , but if saccharine earnestness were a crime , the film 's producers would be in the clink for life .


all 's well that ends well , and rest assured , the consciousness-raising lessons are cloaked in gross-out gags .


the director , steven shainberg , has succeeded by focusing intently on his characters , making them quirky individuals rather than figures of fun .


it wo n't bust your gut -- and it 's not intended to -- it 's merely a blandly cinematic surgical examination of what makes a joke a joke .


it 's a decent glimpse into a time period , and an outcast , that is no longer accessible , but it does n't necessarily shed more light on its subject than the popular predecessor .


several degrees shy of the gross-out contests one expects from current teen fare .


-lrb- u -rrb- nrelentingly stupid .


or a profit .


the film makes a tragic error by going on for too long , trying to mirror every subsequent event in chinese history : war , revolution , communism , etc. .


compelling as it is exotic , fast runner has a plot that rivals shakespeare for intrigue , treachery and murder .


faultlessly professional but finally slight .


renner 's performance as dahmer is unforgettable , deeply absorbing .


big fat liar is just futile silliness looking to tap into the kiddie sensibilities .


afraid to pitch into farce , yet only half-hearted in its spy mechanics , all the queen 's men is finally just one long drag .


bright seems alternately amused and disgusted with this material , and he ca n't help throwing in a few of his own touches .


a painfully leaden film destined for pre-dawn cable television slots .


it would be hard to think of a recent movie that has worked this hard to achieve this little fun .


a recipe for cinematic disaster ... part quentin tarantino , part guy ritchie , and part 1960s spy spoof , it 's all bad .


hands down the year 's most thought-provoking film .


the furious coherence that -lrb- deniro -rrb- brings to this part only underscores the fuzzy sentimentality of the movie itself , which feels , as it plods toward the end , less like a movie than like the filmed reading of a script in need of polishing .


there was time on that second round to see the subtleties of ramsay 's portrait of grief .


perfectly enjoyable , instantly forgettable , nothing to write home about .


you might not buy the ideas .


looks like a high school film project completed the day before it was due .


as shaky as the plot is , kaufman 's script is still memorable for some great one-liners .


not for everyone , but for those with whom it will connect , it 's a nice departure from standard moviegoing fare .


this road movie gives you emotional whiplash , and you 'll be glad you went along for the ride .


too stupid to be satire , too obviously hateful to be classified otherwise , frank novak 's irritating slice of lumpen life is as reliably soul-killing as its title is nearly meaningless .


at times , however , dogtown and z-boys lapses into an insider 's lingo and mindset that the uninitiated may find hard to follow , or care about .


a compelling journey ... and `` his best friend remembers '' is up there with the finest of specials .


a real movie , about real people , that gives us a rare glimpse into a culture most of us do n't know .


after seeing swept away , i feel sorry for madonna .


but buying into sham truths and routine `` indie '' filmmaking , freundlich has made just another safe movie .


a clutchy , indulgent and pretentious travelogue and diatribe against ... well , just stuff .


the vampire thriller blade ii starts off as a wild hoot and then sucks the blood out of its fun -- toward the end , you can feel your veins cringing from the workout .


this horror-comedy does n't go for the usual obvious laughs at the expense of cheap-looking monsters -- unless you count elvira 's hooters .


yes , you are , ben kingsley .


what makes the movie a comedy is the way it avoids the more serious emotions involved .


it 's not horrible , just horribly mediocre .


the title 's lameness should clue you in on how bad the movie is .


a gimmick in search of a movie : how to get carvey into as many silly costumes and deliver as many silly voices as possible , plot mechanics be damned .


nothing about it fits .


the makers have forsaken the entertaining elements of the original and , instead , rehash old jokes and leave any life at the doorstep .


ordinary melodrama that is heavy on religious symbols but wafer-thin on dramatic substance


it 's a good film -- not a classic , but odd , entertaining and authentic .


a bold and subversive film that cuts across the grain of what is popular and powerful in this high-tech age , speaking its truths with spellbinding imagery and the entrancing music of philip glass .


it 's rather like a lifetime special -- pleasant , sweet and forgettable .


must-see viewing for anyone involved in the high-tech industry .


does what a fine documentary does best : it extends a warm invitation into an unfamiliar world , then illuminates it fully and allows the larger implications of the journey to sink in unobtrusively .


when the first few villians are introduced as `` spider '' and `` snake '' you know you 're in for a real winner , creativity at its peak .


this is n't a `` friday '' worth waiting for .


maybe i found the proceedings a little bit too conventional .


even the unwatchable soapdish is more original .


a wildly funny prison caper .


it 's not exactly a gourmet meal but the fare is fair , even coming from the drive-thru .


obvious politics and rudimentary animation reduce the chances that the appeal of hey arnold !


nair stuffs the film with dancing , henna , ornamentation , and group song , but her narrative clichés and telegraphed episodes smell of old soap opera .


unfortunately , the picture failed to capture me .


its save-the-planet message clashes with its crass marketing .


when a film is created solely because it 's a marketable product , soulless and ugly movies like this are the result .


often hilarious , well-shot and , importantly , entertaining , hell house is a fascinating document of an event that has to be seen to be believed .


when perry fists a bull at the moore farm , it 's only a matter of time before he gets the upper hand in matters of the heart .


there 's enough science to make it count as educational , and enough beauty to make it unforgettable .


it 's also heavy-handed and devotes too much time to bigoted views .


although very much like the first movie based on j.k. rowling 's phenomenal fantasy best sellers , this second go-round possesses a quite pleasing , headlong thrust and a likably delinquent attitude .


though it draws several decent laughs , it 's low-cal woody at best .


merchant effectively translates naipaul 's lively mix of characters from the page to screen .


others may find it migraine-inducing , despite moore 's attempts at whimsy and spoon feeding .


you 've seen them a million times .


the comic performances are all spot on , especially lee ross 's turn as ken .


nothing plot-wise is worth e-mailing home about .


message movie or an action-packed submarine spectacular ?


disney 's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam , but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem .


first good , then bothersome .


to portray modern women the way director davis has done is just unthinkable .


adam sandler is to gary cooper what a gnat is to a racehorse .


manages to be original , even though it rips off many of its ideas .


even by dumb action-movie standards , ballistic : ecks vs. sever is a dumb action movie .


if no one singles out any of these performances as award-worthy , it 's only because we would expect nothing less from this bunch .


... watching this film nearly provoked me to take my own life .


human resources was a good , straightforward tale , but time out is better .


a subtle variation on i spit on your grave in which our purported heroine pathologically avenges a hatred for men .


but this time there 's some mold on the gold .


a model of what films like this should be like .


a soggy , cliche-bound epic-horror yarn that ends up being even dumber than its title .


light , cute and forgettable .


-lrb- t -rrb- hose same extremes prevent us from taking its message seriously , and the stepford wives mentality does n't work in a modern context .


a restrained ribisi convinces as an italian , though if ever a movie needed one of the actor 's whiny jags to pump it up , this has to be among the rare ones .


immediately .


melanie eventually slugs the yankee .


a movie for 11-year-old boys with sports dreams of their own and the preteen girls who worship lil ' bow wow .


aside from being the funniest movie of the year , simone , andrew niccol 's brilliant anti-hollywood satire , has a wickedly eccentric enchantment to it .


a fast-moving and remarkable film that appears destined to become a landmark in japanese animation .


if the ' 70 's were your idea of a good time at the movies , this will make you very happy .


a truly moving experience , and a perfect example of how art -- when done right -- can help heal , clarify , and comfort .


the hours is what movies are supposed to be ...


just another fish-out-of-water story that barely stays afloat .


when it really counts ... bloody sunday connects on a visceral level that transcends language .


for all of the contemporary post-colonialist consciousness that kapur tries to bring to the four feathers , the oddest thing about the movie is how it winds up affirming the same damn moldy values the material has always held dear .


... with the candy-like taste of it fading faster than 25-cent bubble gum , i realized this is a throwaway movie that wo n't stand the test of time .


a remarkable 179-minute meditation on the nature of revolution .


nothing more than a mediocre trifle .


full of profound , real-life moments that anyone can relate to , it deserves a wide audience .


this is a good movie in spurts , but when it does n't work , it 's at important times .


you would be better off investing in the worthy emi recording that serves as the soundtrack , or the home video of the 1992 malfitano-domingo production .


equal parts bodice-ripper and plodding costume drama .


johnson has , in his first film , set himself a task he is not nearly up to .


not as distinctive or even as humorous as its needs to be to stand out , but it has clearly been made with affection and care .


audiences can be expected to suspend their disbelief only so far -- and that does not include the 5 o'clock shadow on the tall wooden kid as he skips off to school .


a perverse little truffle , dainty psychological terror on the outside with a creamy filling of familial jealousy and unrepentant domestic psychopathy .


a whimsical if predictable time-travel fable marred by a willful single-mindedness .


as a randy film about sexy people in gorgeous places being pushed and pulled -lrb- literally and figuratively -rrb- by desire ... -lrb- sex and lucía -rrb- makes for an arousing good time .


a work of intricate elegance , literary lyricism and profound common sense .


solid , lump-in-the-throat family entertainment that derives its power by sticking to the facts .


remains a solid , if somewhat heavy-handed , account of the near-disaster ... done up by howard with a steady , if not very imaginative , hand .


for all its serious sense of purpose ... -lrb- it -rrb- finds a way to lay bare the tragedies of its setting with a good deal of warmth and humor .


far from perfect , but its heart is in the right place ... innocent and well-meaning .


despite its flaws , secretary stays in your head and makes you question your own firmly held positions .


the film hinges on its performances , and both leads are up to the task .


the irwins emerge unscathed , but the fictional footage is unconvincing and criminally badly acted .


it helps that the central performers are experienced actors , and that they know their roles so well .


one of -lrb- herzog 's -rrb- least inspired works .


the title trapped turns out to be a pretty fair description of how you feel while you 're watching this ultra-manipulative thriller .


the thriller side of this movie is falling flat , as the stalker does n't do much stalking , and no cop or lawyer grasps the concept of actually investigating the case .


as with too many studio pics , plot mechanics get in the way of what should be the lighter-than-air adventure .


it 's an awfully derivative story .


now it 's a bad , embarrassing movie .


fails to bring as much to the table .


sturdy , entertaining period drama ... both caine and fraser have their moments .


focuses on joan 's raging hormones and sledgehammers the audience with spanish inquisitions about her `` madness '' so much that i became mad that i wasted 123 minutes and $ 9.50 on this 21st century torture device .


there are moments in this account of the life of artist frida kahlo that are among cinema 's finest this year .


dark , resonant , inventively detailed and packed with fleet turns of plot and a feast of visual amazement .


narc may not get an ` a ' for originality , but it wears its b-movie heritage like a badge of honor .


the story may not be new , but australian director john polson , making his american feature debut , jazzes it up adroitly .


i admired it , particularly that unexpected downer of an ending .


a tv episode inflated past its natural length .


zany , exuberantly irreverent animated space adventure .


the creaking , rusty ship makes a fine backdrop , but the ghosts ' haunting is routine .


it 's not so much enjoyable to watch as it is enlightening to listen to new sides of a previous reality , and to visit with some of the people who were able to make an impact in the theater world .


celebrated at sundance , this slight comedy of manners has winning performances and a glossy , glib charm that 's hard to beat .


-lrb- davis -rrb- has a bright , chipper style that keeps things moving , while never quite managing to connect her wish-fulfilling characters to the human race .


enough trivializes an important crisis , reduces it to an almost comic embarrassment .


by taking entertainment tonight subject matter and giving it humor and poignancy , auto focus becomes both gut-bustingly funny and crushingly depressing .


the film is an enjoyable family film -- pretty much aimed at any youngster who loves horses .


watching trouble every day , at least if you do n't know what 's coming , is like biting into what looks like a juicy , delicious plum on a hot summer day and coming away with your mouth full of rotten pulp and living worms .


a journey that 's too random and inconclusive to be compelling , but which hoffman 's brilliance almost makes worth taking .


rarely do films come along that are as intelligent , exuberant , and moving as monsoon wedding .


the laser-projected paintings provide a spell-casting beauty , while russell and dreyfus are a romantic pairing of hearts , preciously exposed as history corners them .


what happens to john q ?


there are a few laughs and clever sight gags scattered about , but not enough to make this anything more than another big-budget bust .


a thoughtful look at a painful incident that made headlines in 1995 .


an intermittently pleasing but mostly routine effort .


the film has a few cute ideas and several modest chuckles but it is n't exactly kiddie-friendly ... alas , santa is more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho and the snowman -lrb- who never gets to play that flute -rrb- has all the charm of a meltdown .


marisa tomei is good , but just a kiss is just a mess .


as teen movies go , `` orange county '' is a refreshing change


there 's not much going on in this movie unless you simply decide to buy into the notion that something inexplicably strange once happened in point pleasant .


attal mixes comedy with a serious exploration of ego and jealousy within a seemingly serene marriage .


with a story inspired by the tumultuous surroundings of los angeles , where feelings of marginalization loom for every dreamer with a burst bubble , the dogwalker has a few characters and ideas , but it never manages to put them on the same path .


a mostly tired retread of several other mob tales .


flaunts its quirky excesses like a new year 's eve drunk sporting a paper party hat .


lame , haphazard teen comedy .


somewhat blurred , but kinnear 's performance is razor sharp .


... fifty minutes of tedious adolescent melodramatics followed by thirty-five minutes of inflated nonsense .


no number of fantastic sets , extras , costumes and spectacular locales can disguise the emptiness at the center of the story .


the cumulative effect of the relentless horror on parade numbs the movie 's power as a work of drama .


just pound away .


a slick , skillful little horror film .


there are as many misses as hits , but ultimately , it finds humor in the foibles of human behavior , and it 's a welcome return to the roots of a genre that should depend on surprises .


more a load of enjoyable , conan-esque claptrap than the punishing , special-effects soul assaults the mummy pictures represent .


... does such a fine job of engulfing you in its world and allying you with its characters ' choices , good and ill , that its shortcomings are remembered only as an afterthought .


on the surface , it 's a lovers-on-the-run crime flick , but it has a lot in common with piesiewicz 's and kieslowski 's earlier work , films like the double life of veronique .


in the end , punch-drunk love is one of those films that i wanted to like much more than i actually did .


it helps that lil bow wow ... tones down his pint-sized gangsta act to play someone who resembles a real kid .


finds a way to tell a simple story , perhaps the simplest story of all , in a way that seems compelling and even original .


most of the supporting characters in eastwood films are weak , as are most of the subplots .


began life as a computer game , then morphed into a movie -- a bad one , of course .


it 's a beautifully accomplished lyrical meditation on a bunch of despondent and vulnerable characters living in the renown chelsea hotel ...


parker probably thinks he 's shaking up a classic the way kenneth branagh and baz luhrmann have , but this half-hearted messing-about just makes us miss wilde 's still-contemporary play .


much of what is meant to be ` inspirational ' and ` uplifting ' is simply distasteful to audiences not already sharing -lrb- the movie 's -rrb- mindset .


but based on cq , i 'll certainly be keeping an eye out for his next project .


disturbing and brilliant documentary .


chaotic , self-indulgent and remarkably ugly to look at , it 's ... like a series of pretentiously awful student films strung together into one feature-length horror .


windtalkers celebrates the human spirit and packs an emotional wallop .


what it lacks in originality it makes up for in intelligence and b-grade stylishness .


to say analyze that is de niro 's best film since meet the parents sums up the sad state of his recent career .


an exciting and involving rock music doc , a smart and satisfying look inside that tumultuous world .


the worst kind of independent ; the one where actors play dress down hicks and ponderously mope around trying to strike lightning as captured by their 1970s predecessors


the lack of pace kills it , although , in a movie about cancer , this might be apt .


this film is full of rabbits .


alas , it 's neither .


... this movie has a glossy coat of action movie excess while remaining heartless at its core .


men in black ii has sequel-itis something fierce .


not too far below the gloss you can still feel director denis villeneuve 's beating heart and the fondness he has for his characters .


it 's astonishing .


a film that takes you inside the rhythms of its subject : you experience it as you watch .


a resonant tale of racism , revenge and retribution .


a mostly intelligent , engrossing and psychologically resonant suspenser .


between bedroom scenes , viewers may find themselves wishing they could roll over and take a nap .


the central story lacks punch .


not every animated film from disney will become a classic , but forgive me if i 've come to expect more from this studio than some 79-minute after-school `` cartoon '' .


hmm .


a didactic and dull documentary glorifying software anarchy .


a well-made thriller with a certain level of intelligence and non-reactionary morality .


if you 're like me , a sucker for a good old fashion romance and someone who shamelessly loves to eat , then mostly martha offers all the perfect ingredients to more than satisfy your appetite .


all in all , there 's only one thing to root for : expulsion for everyone .


it 's never a good sign when a film 's star spends the entirety of the film in a coma .


we need -lrb- moore 's -rrb- noisy , cocky energy , his passion and class consciousness ; we need his shticks , we need his stones .


roman coppola may never become the filmmaker his dad was , but heck -- few filmmakers will .


gets under the skin of a man who has just lost his wife .


national lampoon 's van wilder could be the worst thing to come out of national lampoon since class reunion


the acting by the over-25s lacks spark , with csokas particularly unconnected .


i wonder what the reaction of israelis will be to this supposedly evenhanded presentation .


over-the-top and a bit ostentatious , this is a movie that 's got oodles of style and substance .


it has a subtle way of getting under your skin and sticking with you long after it 's over .


possession is elizabeth barrett browning meets nancy drew , and it 's directed by ... neil labute .


-lrb- broomfield -rrb- uncovers a story powerful enough to leave the screen sizzling with intrigue .


it 's the kind of pigeonhole-resisting romp that hollywood too rarely provides .


has a plot full of twists upon knots ... and a nonstop parade of mock-tarantino scuzbag types that starts out clever but veers into overkill .


there 's nothing provocative about this film save for the ways in which it studiously avoids provoking thought .


this boisterous comedy serves up a cruel reminder of the fate of hundreds of thousands of chinese , one which can only qualify as a terrible tragedy .


a gentle blend of present day testimonials , surviving footage of burstein and his family performing , historical archives , and telling stills .


-lrb- it 's -rrb- a prison soccer movie starring charismatic tough guy vinnie jones , but it had too much spitting for me to enjoy .


there are slow and repetitive parts , but it has just enough spice to keep it interesting .


rambles on in a disjointed , substandard fashion from one poorly executed action sequence to the next .


if this is satire , it 's the smug and self-congratulatory kind that lets the audience completely off the hook .


here , adrian lyne comes as close to profundity as he is likely to get .


jagger the actor is someone you want to see again .


the level of maturity displayed by this 33-year-old first-time feature director is astonishing , considering her inexperience and her subject matter .


murder by numbers is like a couple of mediocre tv-movie - of-the-week films clumsily stuck together .


but in imax 3-d , the clichés disappear into the vertiginous perspectives opened up by the photography .


there 's more scatological action in 8 crazy nights than a proctologist is apt to encounter in an entire career .


the two leads chomp considerably more scenery with their acting than fire-breathing monsters barbecue with their breath ...


... a roller-coaster ride of a movie


just like hearst 's enormous yacht , it 's slow and unwieldy and takes a long time to reach its destination .


tsai ming-liang has taken his trademark style and refined it to a crystalline point .


god help the poor woman if attal is this insecure in real life : his fictional yvan 's neuroses are aggravating enough to exhaust the patience of even the most understanding spouse .


the film is surprisingly well-directed by brett ratner , who keeps things moving well -- at least until the problematic third act .


the story feels more like a serious read , filled with heavy doses of always enticing sayles dialogue .


the rest of the plot is impossible to explain without blowing whatever tension there is , although it 's more comedy than suspense de palma creates .


the hours makes you examine your own life in much the same way its characters do , and the experience is profound .


hugh grant and sandra bullock are two such likeable actors .


in its ragged , cheap and unassuming way , the movie works .


when not obscured by the booming bass-heavy soundtrack , the conversation presents the kind of linguistic fumbling not heard since macy gray 's game of chinese whispers with mr bean .


not always too whimsical for its own good -lrb- but enough to do harm -rrb- , this strange hybrid of crime thriller , quirky character study , third-rate romance and female empowerment fantasy never really finds the tonal or thematic glue it needs .


well before it 's over , beijing bicycle begins spinning its wheels .


while the film misfires at every level , the biggest downside is the paucity of laughter in what 's supposed to be a comedy .


i love the way that it took chances and really asks you to take these great leaps of faith and pays off .


lacks heart , depth and , most of all , purpose .


oedekerk wrote patch adams , for which he should not be forgiven .


with a story as bizarre and mysterious as this , you do n't want to be worrying about whether the ineffectual broomfield is going to have the courage to knock on that door .


marries the amateurishness of the blair witch project with the illogic of series 7 : the contenders to create a completely crass and forgettable movie .


the film 's implicit premise is that the faith of the tonga people is in every way inferior to that of john .


the movie 's eventual success should be credited to dennis quaid , in fighting trim shape as an athlete as well as an actor


the actors do n't inhabit their roles -- they 're trapped by them , forced to change behavior in bizarre unjustified fashion and spout dialog that consists mostly of platitudes .


strong setup and ambitious goals fade as the film descends into unsophisticated scare tactics and b-film thuggery .


vile and tacky are the two best adjectives to describe ghost ship .


bow 's best moments are when he 's getting busy on the basketball court because that 's when he really scores .


a movie that tries to fuse the two ` woods ' but winds up a bolly-holly masala mess .


but that 's just the problem with it - the director has n't added enough of his own ingredients .


who knows what exactly godard is on about in this film , but his words and images do n't have to add up to mesmerize you .


it becomes gimmicky instead of compelling .


sets up a nice concept for its fiftysomething leading ladies , but fails loudly in execution .


undone by its overly complicated and derivative screenplay , the glacier-paced direction and the stereotypical characters .


some , like ballistic , arrive stillborn ... looking like the beaten , well-worn video box cover of seven years into the future .


the sort of movie that gives tastelessness a bad rap .


this time out , -lrb- sade -rrb- is an unsettlingly familiar figure -- in turns loyal and deceitful , responsible and reckless , idealistically selfless and coldly self-interested .


a pleasant romantic comedy .


the director 's twitchy sketchbook style and adroit perspective shifts grow wearisome amid leaden pacing and indifferent craftsmanship -lrb- most notably wretched sound design -rrb- .


must be seen to be believed .


... a poignant and powerful narrative that reveals that reading writing and arithmetic are not the only subjects to learn in life .


this is a film brimming with detail and nuance and one that speaks volumes about the ability of the human spirit to find solace in events that could easily crush it forever .


birot is a competent enough filmmaker , but her story has nothing fresh or very exciting about it .


it 's a flashy , star-splashed reduction .


it 's a minor comedy that tries to balance sweetness with coarseness , while it paints a sad picture of the singles scene .


it delivers some chills and sustained unease , but flounders in its quest for deeper meaning .


shot perhaps ` artistically ' with handheld cameras and apparently no movie lights by joaquin baca-asay , the low-budget production swings annoyingly between vertigo and opacity .


it 's painful .


chalk it up to my adoration for both de niro and murphy , but i had a pretty good time with this movie - despite its myriad flaws .


the story is less vibrant , the jokes are a little lukewarm , but will anyone really care ?


is office work really as alienating as ` bartleby ' so effectively makes it ?


a simple , sometimes maddeningly slow film that has just enough charm and good acting to make it interesting , but is ultimately pulled under by the pacing and lack of creativity within .


as blunt as it is in depicting child abuse , el bola is a movie steeped in an ambiguity that lends its conflicts a symbolic resonance .


morton is , as usual , brilliant .


the picture is a primer on what happens when lack of know-how mixes with lack of give-a-damn .


... a weak , manipulative , pencil-thin story that is miraculously able to entertain anyway .


what could have become just another cautionary fable is allowed to play out as a clever , charming tale -- as pleasantly in its own way as its self-dramatizing characters .


culkin , who 's in virtually every scene , shines as a young man who uses sarcastic lies like a shield .


for anyone who remembers the '60s or is interested in one man 's response to stroke , ram dass : fierce grace is worth seeking out .


falters when it takes itself too seriously and when it depends too heavily on its otherwise talented cast to clown in situations that are n't funny .


it wo n't be long before you 'll spy i spy at a video store near you .


oh , it 's extreme , all right .


an engaging overview of johnson 's eccentric career .


proof that a thriller can be sleekly shot , expertly cast , paced with crisp professionalism ... and still be a letdown if its twists and turns hold no more surprise than yesterday 's weather report .


that is essentially what 's missing from blackboards -- the sense of something bigger , some ultimate point .


the movie stays afloat thanks to its hallucinatory production design .


this goofy gangster yarn never really elevates itself from being yet another earnestly generic crime-busting comic vehicle -- a well-intentioned remake that shows some spunk and promise but fails to register as anything distinctive or daring


sorry , charlie


it 's a hoot and a half , and a great way for the american people to see what a candidate is like when he 's not giving the same 15-cent stump speech .


in scope , ambition and accomplishment , children of the century ... takes kurys ' career to a whole new level .


the sad thing about knockaround guys is its lame aspiration for grasping the coolness vibes when in fact the film is n't as flippant or slick as it thinks it is .


the more kevin costner rests on his pretty-boy laurels , the public is , regrettably , going to have tepid films like dragonfly tossed at them .


... -lrb- a -rrb- strained comedy that jettisons all opportunities for rock to make his mark by serving up the usual chaotic nonsense .


blessed with immense physical prowess he may well be , but ahola is simply not an actor .


another big , dumb action movie in the vein of xxx , the transporter is riddled with plot holes big enough for its titular hero to drive his sleek black bmw through .


nothing denis has made before , like beau travil and nenette et boni , could prepare us for this gory , perverted , sex-soaked riff on the cannibal genre .


led by griffin 's smartly nuanced performance and enthusiasm , the cast has a lot of fun with the material .


it 's frustrating to see these guys -- who are obviously pretty clever -- waste their talent on parodies of things they probably thought were funniest when they were high .


i watched the brainless insanity of no such thing with mounting disbelief .


with recent tensions rekindled by the kathleen soliah trial and the upcoming trial of sla members emily and william harris , not to mention sept. 11 , its difficult these days to appreciate fire 's bright side .


the angst-ridden , affluent slacker characters are more grating than engaging .


the film goes from being an unusual sci-fi character study to a chase flick that detracts from its ending .


girls gone wild and gone civil again


but what about the countless other people who 'd merely like to watch a solid tale about a universally interesting soul ?


he just wants them to be part of the action , the wallpaper of his chosen reality .


the movie 's ripe , enrapturing beauty will tempt those willing to probe its inscrutable mysteries .


like so many other allegedly scary movies , it gets so tangled up in the twist that it chokes the energy right out of the very audience it seeks to frighten .


is n't it great ?


enormously likable , partly because it is aware of its own grasp of the absurd .


this is as powerful a set of evidence as you 'll ever find of why art matters , and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives .


guillen rarely gets beneath the surface of things .


the film is exhilarating to watch because sandler , liberated from the constraints of formula , reveals unexpected depths as an actor .


ranging from funny to shattering and featuring some of the year 's best acting , personal velocity gathers plenty of dramatic momentum .


the film is faithful to what one presumes are the book 's twin premises -- that we become who we are on the backs of our parents , but we have no idea who they were at our age ; and that time is a fleeting and precious commodity no matter how old you are .


some decent actors inflict big damage upon their reputations .


part comedy , part drama , the movie winds up accomplishing neither in full , and leaves us feeling touched and amused by several moments and ideas , but nevertheless dissatisfied with the movie as a whole .


human nature talks the talk , but it fails to walk the silly walk that distinguishes the merely quirky from the surreal .


does n't amount to much of anything .


huppert gives erika a persona that is so intriguing that you find yourself staring hypnotically at her , trying to understand her and wondering if she 'll crack .


an exceedingly clever piece of cinema .


lead provocatuers testud and parmentier give superlative performances


apallingly absurd ... the chemistry or lack thereof between newton and wahlberg could turn an imax theater into a 9 '' black and white portable tv .


between the drama of cube ?


while the glass slipper does n't quite fit , pumpkin is definitely a unique modern fairytale .


meandering , sub-aquatic mess : it 's so bad it 's good , but only if you slide in on a freebie .


rather quickly , the film falls into a soothing formula of brotherly conflict and reconciliation .


when the painted backdrops in a movie are more alive than its characters , you know you 're in trouble .


this overproduced and generally disappointing effort is n't likely to rouse the rush hour crowd .


having never been a huge fan of dickens ' 800-page novel , it surprised me how much pleasure i had watching mcgrath 's version .


it 's fun , but the code-talk will fly right over everyone 's head


the noble tradition of men in drag hits an all-time low in sorority boys , whose makers apparently believe that women 's clothing can cover up any deficiency in acting , writing or direction .


if you collected all the moments of coherent dialogue , they still would n't add up to the time required to boil a four - minute egg .


i 've heard that the fans of the first men in black have come away hating the second one .


the problem with this film is that it 's forced to make its characters idiots in order to advance the plot .


it 's disappointing when filmmakers throw a few big-name actors and cameos at a hokey script .


the story is naturally poignant , but first-time screenwriter paul pender overloads it with sugary bits of business .


so lazy and slipshod it confuses the mere flashing of kinky soft-core imagery with naughty fun .


this dramatically shaky contest of wills only reiterates the old hollywood saw : evil is interesting and good is boring .


a love for films shines through each frame and the era is recreated with obvious affection , scored to perfection with some tasty boogaloo beats .


i tried to read the time on my watch .


writer\/director john mckay ignites some charming chemistry between kate and jed but , when he veers into sodden melodrama , punctuated by violins , it 's disastrous and kate 's jealous female friends become downright despicable .


cry havoc and let slip the dogs of cheese , indeed .


the movie takes itself too seriously and , as a result , it makes for only intermittent fun .


i like frank the pug , though .


an overstuffed compendium of teen-catholic-movie dogma .


largely a for-fans artifact .


an involving true story of a chinese actor who takes up drugs and winds up in an institution -- acted mostly by the actual people involved .


nearly surreal , dabbling in french , this is no simple movie , and you 'll be taking a risk if you choose to see it .


would seem to have a lock on the title of ugliest movie of the year .


... a well-observed and disturbing little movie


an incendiary , deeply thought-provoking look at one of the most peculiar -lrb- and peculiarly venomous -rrb- bigotries in our increasingly frightening theocracy


movies like this are selling the old european candor , the old wink of ` bold ' revelation .


lee jeong-hyang tells it so lovingly and films it so beautifully that i could n't help being captivated by it .


the episodic film makes valid points about the depersonalization of modern life .


it 's almost impossible not to be moved by the movie 's depiction of sacrifice and its stirring epilogue in post-soviet russia .


though the film 's scenario is certainly not earthshaking , this depiction of fluctuating female sexuality has two winning lead performances and charm to spare .


kinnear gives a tremendous performance .


perhaps no picture ever made has more literally showed that the road to hell is paved with good intentions .


dull , if not devoid of wit , this shaggy dog longs to frisk through the back alleys of history , but scarcely manages more than a modest , snoozy charm .


... both hokey and super-cool , and definitely not in a hurry , so sit back , relax and have a few laughs while the little ones get a fuzzy treat . '


windtalkers blows this way and that , but there 's no mistaking the filmmaker in the tall grass , true to himself .


an intriguing and entertaining introduction to johnson .


ray liotta and jason patric do some of their best work in their underwritten roles , but do n't be fooled : nobody deserves any prizes here .


the new faces are interesting , but the old story is n't , especially when it starts to seem more improvised than scripted .


sushi for the connoisseurs of the macabre .


it further declares its director , zhang yang of shower , as a boldly experimental , contemporary stylist with a bright future .


the only way this supernatural snore-fest could give anyone a case of the frights is if they were put to sleep by the movie and had a nightmare .


although it bangs a very cliched drum at times , this crowd-pleaser 's fresh dialogue , energetic music , and good-natured spunk are often infectious .


claude miller airs out a tight plot with an easy pace and a focus on character drama over crime-film complications .


to imagine the life of harry potter as a martial arts adventure told by a lobotomized woody allen is to have some idea of the fate that lies in store for moviegoers lured to the mediocrity that is kung pow : enter the fist .


the film is just a big , gorgeous , mind-blowing , breath-taking mess .


daughter from danang is a film that should be seen by all , especially those who are n't aware of , or have forgotten about the unmentioned victims of war .


it 's also the year 's sweetest movie .


this is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent , who cares if the story 's a little weak .


a whole lot foul , freaky and funny .


there are a few stabs at absurdist comedy ... but mostly the humor is of the sweet , gentle and occasionally cloying kind that has become an iranian specialty .


for me , this opera is n't a favorite , so it 's a long time before the fat lady sings .


a 93-minute condensation of a 26-episode tv series , with all of the pitfalls of such you 'd expect .


and in truth , cruel as it may sound , he makes arnold schwarzenegger look like spencer tracy .


lawrence preaches strictly to the converted .


given that both movies expect us to root for convicted violent felons over those assigned to protect us from same , we need every bit of sympathy the cons can muster ; this time , there is n't much .


`` antwone fisher '' is an earnest , by-the-numbers effort by washington .


succeeds in providing a disquiet world the long-dreaded completion of the police academy series .


you do n't have to be an especially tough grader to give a charitable b-minus to the emperor 's club .


the film 's bathos often overwhelms what could have been a more multifaceted look at this interesting time and place .


if you 're not the target demographic ... this movie is one long chick-flick slog .


the actors are forced to grapple with hazy motivations that never come into focus .


the best you can say about it is it 's so uninspired , it barely gives one pause when considering some of the other dreck out there right now .


by presenting an impossible romance in an impossible world , pumpkin dares us to say why either is impossible -- which forces us to confront what 's possible and what we might do to make it so .


after making several adaptations of other writers ' work , armenian-canadian director atom egoyan broached an original treatment of a deeply personal subject .


all the necessary exposition prevents the picture from rising above your generic sand 'n' sandal adventure .


audiences will find no mention of political prisoners or persecutions that might paint the castro regime in less than saintly tones .


a sly game of cat and mouse that 's intense and thrilling at times , but occasionally stretches believability to its limits and relies on predictable plot contrivances .


... just a big mess of a movie , full of images and events , but no tension or surprise .


what the four feathers lacks is genuine sweep or feeling or even a character worth caring about .


i kept wishing i was watching a documentary about the wartime navajos and what they accomplished instead of all this specious hollywood hoo-ha .


unlike most teen flicks , swimming takes its time to tell its story , casts mostly little-known performers in key roles , and introduces some intriguing ambiguity .


the film delivers not just the full assault of reno 's immense wit and insight , but a time travel back to what it felt like during those unforgettably uncertain days .


one groan-inducing familiarity begets another .


john mctiernan 's botched remake may be subtler than norman jewison 's 1975 ultraviolent futuristic corporate-sports saga .


an earnest , heartrending look at the divide between religious fundamentalists and their gay relatives .


a pleasurably jacked-up piece of action moviemaking .


but an unwillingness to explore beyond the surfaces of her characters prevents nettelbeck 's film from coming together .


too clunky and too busy ribbing itself to be truly entertaining .


the enormous comic potential of an oafish idiot impersonating an aristocrat remains sadly unrealized .


everywhere the camera looks there is something worth seeing .


the best thing the film does is to show us not only what that mind looks like , but how the creative process itself operates .


a modest pleasure that accomplishes its goals with ease and confidence .


we may get the full visceral impact of a ruthless army on the warpath but no sense of the devilish complexity of the balkans conflict .


one of the best examples of how to treat a subject , you 're not fully aware is being examined , much like a photo of yourself you did n't know was being taken .


i believe the message is in the messenger : the agent is a woman .


mixes likeable personalities , inventive photography and cutting , and wall-to-wall toe-tapping music to paint a picture of a subculture that is at once exhilarating , silly , perverse , hopeful and always fun .


but i was n't .


though of particular interest to students and enthusiast of international dance and world music , the film is designed to make viewers of all ages , cultural backgrounds and rhythmic ability want to get up and dance .


a silly , self-indulgent film about a silly , self-indulgent filmmaker .


most impressive , though , is the film 's open-ended finale that refuses to entirely close its characters ' emotional wounds .


it 's a movie forged in the fires of chick flick hell .


a combination of standard , stiff tv-style animation and snazzy-looking digital effects that do little to disguise the fact that the characters barely move .


it 's fairly self-aware in its dumbness .


credit must be given to harland williams , michael rosenbaum and barry watson , who inject far more good-natured spirit and talent into this project than it deserves


the piano teacher is the sort of movie that discourages american audiences from ever wanting to see another foreign film .


watching it is rather like viewing a long soap opera in which only the first episode was any good .


a simmering psychological drama in which the bursts of sudden violence are all the more startling for the slow buildup that has preceded them .


that 's the only sane rationale i can think of for swimfan 's existence .


there 's a disreputable air about the whole thing , and that 's what makes it irresistible .


a pleasant ramble through the sort of idoosyncratic terrain that errol morris has often dealt with ... it does possess a loose , lackadaisical charm .


this is one of the most visually stunning and thematically moving epics in recent memory , and in spite of numerous minor flaws , scorsese 's best in more than a decade .


for a good chunk of its running time , trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller .


full frontal is the antidote for soderbergh fans who think he 's gone too commercial since his two oscar nominated films in 2000


even the imaginative gore ca n't hide the musty scent of todd farmer 's screenplay , which is a simple retread of the 1979 alien , with a plucky heroine battling a monster loose in a spaceship .


as if to prove a female director can make a movie with no soft edges , kathryn bigelow offers no sugar-coating or interludes of lightness .


the filmmakers juggle and juxtapose three story lines but fail to come up with one cogent point , unless it 's that life stinks , especially for sensitive married women who really love other women .


but if you expect light romantic comedy , good gosh , will you be shocked .


made by jackasses for jackasses .


if melville is creatively a great whale , this film is canned tuna .


pretentious editing ruins a potentially terrific flick .


topkapi this is not .


but he somehow pulls it off .


the film seems all but destined to pop up on a television screen in the background of a scene in a future quentin tarantino picture


bartleby is a one-joke movie , and a bad joke at that .


an earnest racial-issues picture that might have gotten respectful critical praise in a different era -- say , the '60s .


it is risky , intelligent , romantic and rapturous from start to finish .


a worthwhile way to spend two hours .


illuminating if overly talky documentary .


never again swings between false sentiment and unfunny madcap comedy and , along the way , expects the audience to invest in the central relationship as some kind of marriage of true minds .


two generations within one family test boundaries in this intelligent and restrained coming-of-age drama .


-lrb- gai -rrb- comes closer to any actress i can remember to personifying independence in its purest and , yes , most intimidating form .


a broadly played , lowbrow comedy in which the cast delivers mildly amusing performances and no farm animals were injured by any of the gags .


it does n't quite deserve the gong , but there are more fascinating acts than `` confessions of a dangerous mind . ''


filmmakers have to dig deep to sink this low .


then lower them a bit more .


i cry for i spy -- or i would if this latest and laziest imaginable of all vintage-tv spinoffs were capable of engendering an emotional response of any kind .


a very bad sign .


the cartoon is about as true to the spirit of the festival of lights as mr. deeds was to that of frank capra .


sometimes , that 's enough .


well , it does go on forever .


there is an almost poignant dimension to the way that every major stunt seagal 's character ... performs is shot from behind , as if it could fool us into thinking that we 're not watching a double .


this is n't just the cliffsnotes version of nicholas nickleby , it 's the cliffsnotes with pages missing .


it 's all very cute , though not terribly funny if you 're more than six years old .


fortunately for all involved , this movie is likely to disappear as quickly as an ice cube thrown into a pot of boiling water .


guided more by intellect than heart , his story flattens instead of sharpens .


it 's an old story , but a lively script , sharp acting and partially animated interludes make just a kiss seem minty fresh .


there 's something deeply creepy about never again , a new arrow in schaeffer 's quiver of ineptitudes .


it 's the kind of movie you ca n't quite recommend because it is all windup and not much of a pitch , yet you ca n't bring yourself to dislike it .


`` its successes are also tempered with elements which prove the direct antithesis of what it gets right . ''


an excellent romp that boasts both a heart and a mind .


it 's not that waiting for happiness is a bad film , because it is n't .


john leguizamo may be a dramatic actor -- just not in this movie .


tender yet lacerating and darkly funny fable .


this delicately observed story , deeply felt and masterfully stylized , is a triumph for its maverick director .


a generation x artifact , capturing a brief era of insanity in the sports arena that surely can not last .


the film 's center will not hold .


it is far from the worst , thanks to the topical issues it raises , the performances of stewart and hardy , and that essential feature -- a decent full-on space battle .


literally nothing in the pool is new , but if you grew up on the stalker flicks of the 1980 's this one should appease you for 90 minutes .


it 's also stupider .


none of these characters resembles anyone you 've ever met in real life , unless you happen to know annoyingly self-involved people who speak in glib sentences that could have only come from the pen of a screenwriter .


sensitive , insightful and beautifully rendered film .


a bowel-curdling , heart-stopping recipe for terror .


although based on a real-life person , john , in the movie , is a rather dull person to be stuck with for two hours .


` abandon all hope , ye who enter here ' ... you should definitely let dante 's gloomy words be your guide .


he can scale a building like a super hero , he can out-stealth any agent , he 'll get the girl .


so i just did .


an ultra-low-budget indie debut that smacks more of good intentions than talent .


there 's not enough to sustain the comedy .


fairly successful at faking some pretty cool stunts but a complete failure at trying to create some pretty cool characters .


the film is really not so much bad as bland .


schmaltzy and unfunny , adam sandler 's cartoon about hanukkah is numbingly bad , little nicky bad , 10 worst list bad .


a vivid cinematic portrait .


it 's a refreshing change from the self-interest and paranoia that shape most american representations of castro .


the bourne identity is what summer screen escapism used to be in the decades when it was geared more to grownups .


alex nohe 's documentary plays like a travelogue for what mostly resembles a real-life , big-budget nc-17 version of tank girl .


it is , by conventional standards , a fairly terrible movie ... but it is also weirdly fascinating , a ready-made eurotrash cult object .


... tunney is allowed to build an uncommonly human character , an almost real-live girl complete with trouble and hope .


it could change america , not only because it is full of necessary discussion points , but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment .


frenetic but not really funny .


sandra nettelbeck beautifully orchestrates the transformation of the chilly , neurotic , and self-absorbed martha as her heart begins to open .


it 's a film that hinges on its casting , and glover really does n't fit the part .


ritchie 's treatment of the class reversal is majorly ham-fisted , from the repetitive manifestos that keep getting thrown in people 's faces to the fact amber is such a joke .


this is such a dazzlingly self-assured directorial debut that it 's hard to know what to praise first .


apparently kissing leads to suicide attempts and tragic deaths .


andy garcia enjoys one of his richest roles in years and mick jagger gives his best movie performance since , well , performance .


-lrb- anderson -rrb- uses a hit-or-miss aesthetic that hits often enough to keep the film entertaining even if none of it makes a lick of sense .


this is a startling film that gives you a fascinating , albeit depressing view of iranian rural life close to the iraqi border .


this film looks like it was produced in 1954 , shelved for 48 years , and repackaged for a 2002 audience .


dazzling and sugar-sweet , a blast of shallow magnificence that only sex , scandal , and a chorus line of dangerous damsels can deliver .


from the big giant titles of the opening credits to elmer bernstein 's perfectly melodic score , haynes gets just about everything right .


watching it is rather like an overlong visit from a large group of your relatives .


as the story moves inexorably through its seven day timeframe , the picture becomes increasingly mesmerizing .


working from elliott 's memoir , rohmer fashions the sort of delicate , articulate character - and - relationship study he 's favored for decades .


watching scarlet diva , one is poised for titillation , raw insight or both .


intended to be a comedy about relationships , this wretched work falls flat in just about every conceivable area .


-lrb- a -rrb- rare , beautiful film .


... the film falls back on the same old formula of teen sex , outrageous pranks and scenes designed to push the envelope of bad taste for laughs .


suffocated at conception by its munchausen-by-proxy mum .


while not all transitions to adulthood are so fraught , there 's much truth and no small amount of poetry in girls ca n't swim .


opens as promising as any war\/adventure film you 'll ever see and dissolves into a routine courtroom drama , better suited for a movie titled `` glory : a soldier 's story . ''


... an agreeable time-wasting device -- but george pal 's low-tech 1960 version still rules the epochs .


it 's -lrb- ricci 's -rrb- best work yet , this girl-woman who sincerely believes she can thwart the world 's misery with blind good will .


is there enough material to merit a documentary on the making of wilco 's last album ?


this may be the dumbest , sketchiest movie on record about an aspiring writer 's coming-of-age .


it tells more than it shows .


evokes a little of the fear that parents have for the possible futures of their children -- and the sometimes bad choices mothers and fathers make in the interests of doing them good .


director clare kilner 's debut is never as daft as it should have been .


as expected , sayles ' smart wordplay and clever plot contrivances are as sharp as ever , though they may be overshadowed by some strong performances .


... the gentle melding of drama and comedy makes `` what time is it there ? ''


too bad the former murphy brown does n't pop reese back .


it 's predictable , but it jumps through the expected hoops with style and even some depth .


taken purely as an exercise in style , this oppressively gloomy techno-horror clambake is impossible to ignore .


george clooney proves he 's quite a talented director and sam rockwell shows us he 's a world-class actor with confessions of a dangerous mind .


... mesmerizing , an eye-opening tour of modern beijing culture in a journey of rebellion , retreat into oblivion and return .


the film is painfully authentic , and the performances of the young players are utterly convincing .


a potent allegorical love story .


provides an intriguing window into the imagination and hermetic analysis of todd solondz .


it 's endearing to hear madame d. refer to her husband as ` jackie ' -- and he does make for excellent company , not least as a self-conscious performer .


so few movies explore religion that it 's disappointing to see one reduce it to an idea that fits in a sampler .


needless to say , the dramatics that follow are utter hooey .


calling this movie brainless would be paying it a compliment : it 's more like entertainment for trolls .


overly stylized with lots of flash black - & - white freeze frames reminiscent of a pseudo-hip luxury car commercial , -lrb- it 's -rrb- at its worst when it 's actually inside the ring .


it is a kickass , dense sci-fi action thriller hybrid that delivers and then some .


it 's a movie -- and an album -- you wo n't want to miss .


the appearance of treebeard and gollum 's expanded role will either have you loving what you 're seeing , or rolling your eyes .


now , if it only had a brain .


a budget affair that exposes the generally sad existence of the bedouins while providing a precious twinkle of insight into their lives .


like a south-of-the-border melrose place .


it 's a bittersweet and lyrical mix of elements .


this series should have died long ago , but they keep bringing it back another day as punishment for paying money to see the last james bond movie .


fans of behan 's work and of irish movies in general will be rewarded by borstal boy .


everytime you think undercover brother has run out of steam , it finds a new way to surprise and amuse .


a startling and fresh examination of how the bike still remains an ambiguous icon in chinese society .


although it 's a bit smug and repetitive , this documentary engages your brain in a way few current films do .


watching haneke 's film is , aptly enough , a challenge and a punishment .


once the audience figure out what 's being said , the filmmaker 's relative passivity will make it tough for them to really care .


but like bruce springsteen 's gone-to-pot asbury park , new jersey , this sad-sack waste of a movie is a city of ruins .


stay clear of reminding yourself that it 's a `` true story '' and you 're likely to have one helluva time at the movies .


so routine , familiar and predictable , it raises the possibility that it wrote itself as a newly automated final draft computer program .


lends itself to the narcotizing bland -lrb- sinister , though not nearly so sinister as the biennial disney girl movie -rrb- machinations of the biennial disney boy movie .


in the process , they demonstrate that there 's still a lot of life in hong kong cinema .


though mama takes a bit too long to find its rhythm and a third-act plot development is somewhat melodramatic , its ribald humor and touching nostalgia are sure to please anyone in search of a jules and jim for the new millennium .


what begins as a seemingly brainless , bubbly romantic comedy becomes a cliche-drenched melodrama by mid-film and , by film 's end , a feminist action fantasy .


it 's absolutely spooky how lillard channels the shagster right down to the original casey kasem-furnished voice .


like those to rome , all roads in the banger sisters inevitably lead to a joke about hawn 's breasts , which constantly threaten to upstage the woman sporting them .


a provocative movie about loss , anger , greed , jealousy , sickness and love .


its scenes and sensibility are all more than familiar , but it exudes a kind of nostalgic spy-movie charm and , at the same time , is so fresh and free of the usual thriller nonsense that it all seems to be happening for the first time .


a soggy , shapeless mess ... just a dumb excuse for a waterlogged equivalent of a haunted-house movie .


though this film can be clumsy , its ambitions are equally -- and admirably -- uncommercial .


only two words will tell you what you know when deciding to see it : anthony .


there 's an audience for it , but it could have been funnier and more innocent .


achieves a sort of filmic epiphany that revels in the true potential of the medium .


if you sometimes like to go to the movies to have fun , wasabi is a good place to start .


but hard-to-believe plot twists force the movie off track in its final half hour .


... always remains movingly genuine .


maybe it 's the star power of the cast or the redundant messages , but something aboul `` full frontal '' seems , well , contrived .


the situations and jokes are as predictable and as lowbrow as the endless pratfalls the boys take in their high heels .


a trite psychological thriller designed to keep the audience guessing and guessing -- which is not to be confused with suspecting -- until it comes time to wrap things up and send the viewers home .


schindler 's list it ai n't .


a compelling portrait of moral emptiness


let your silly childhood nostalgia slumber unmolested .


-lrb- a -rrb- superbly controlled , passionate adaptation of graham greene 's 1955 novel .


a refreshingly honest and ultimately touching tale of the sort of people usually ignored in contemporary american film .


no , it 's the repetition of said behavior , and so children of the century is more mindless love than mad , more grating and boring than anything else .


a comic gem with some serious sparkles .


desperately unfunny when it tries to makes us laugh and desperately unsuspenseful when it tries to make us jump out of our seats .


the movie is a blast of educational energy , as bouncy animation and catchy songs escort you through the entire 85 minutes .


a bravura exercise in emptiness .


this concoction , so bizarre to the adult mind , is actually a charming triumph where its intended under-12 audience is concerned .


this one 's weaker than most .


a lighthearted , feel-good film that embraces the time-honored truth that the most powerful thing in life is love .


the story bogs down in a mess of purposeless violence .


i spy is an embarrassment , a monotonous , disjointed jumble of borrowed plot points and situations .


a mawkish , implausible platonic romance that makes chaplin 's city lights seem dispassionate by comparison .


rich in detail , gorgeously shot and beautifully acted , les destinees is , in its quiet , epic way , daring , inventive and refreshingly unusual .


an offbeat , sometimes gross and surprisingly appealing animated film about the true meaning of the holidays .


the journey toward redemption feels more like a cinematic experiment than a full-blown movie .


another great ` what you do n't see ' is much more terrifying than what you do see thriller , coupled with some arresting effects , incandescent tones and stupendous performances


if you pitch your expectations at an all time low , you could do worse than this oddly cheerful -- but not particularly funny -- body-switching farce .


feels less like it 's about teenagers , than it was written by teenagers .


going to the website may be just as fun -lrb- and scary -rrb- as going to the film .


is this progress ?


for a shoot - 'em - up , ballistic is oddly lifeless .


one of the best of the year .


there are moments it can be heart-rending in an honest and unaffected -lrb- and gentle -rrb- way .


credibility levels are low and character development a non-starter .


looks awfully like one long tourist spot for a mississippi that may never have existed outside of a scriptwriter 's imagination .


bears resemblance to , and shares the weaknesses of , too many recent action-fantasy extravaganzas in which special effects overpower cogent story-telling and visual clarity during the big action sequences .


a solidly seaworthy chiller .


high on melodrama .


when it comes to entertainment , children deserve better than pokemon 4ever .


if this is the resurrection of the halloween franchise , it would have been better off dead .


still , i thought it could have been more .


a recent favourite at sundance , this white-trash satire will inspire the affection of even those unlucky people who never owned a cassette of def leppard 's pyromania .


though it is by no means his best work , laissez-passer is a distinguished and distinctive effort by a bona-fide master , a fascinating film replete with rewards to be had by all willing to make the effort to reap them .


like mike does n't win any points for originality .


ms. fulford-wierzbicki is almost spooky in her sulky , calculating lolita turn .


the movie has a soft , percolating magic , a deadpan suspense .


legendary irish writer brendan behan 's memoir , borstal boy , has been given a loving screen transferral .


at times funny and at other times candidly revealing , it 's an intriguing look at two performers who put themselves out there because they love what they do .


it 's often faintly amusing , but the problems of the characters never become important to us , and the story never takes hold .


it 's amazingly perceptive in its subtle , supportive but unsentimental look at the marks family .


it uses an old-time formula , it 's not terribly original and it 's rather messy -- but you just have to love the big , dumb , happy movie my big fat greek wedding .


if you liked such movies as notting hill , four weddings and a funeral , bridget jones ' diary or high fidelity , then you wo n't want to miss about a boy .


katz uses archival footage , horrifying documents of lynchings , still photographs and charming old reel-to-reel recordings of meeropol entertaining his children to create his song history , but most powerful of all is the song itself


-lrb- it 's -rrb- difficult to get beyond the overall blandness of american chai , despite its likable performances and refreshingly naive point of view .


a worthy tribute to a great humanitarian and her vibrant ` co-stars . '


but as a movie , it 's a humorless , disjointed mess .


what 's next ?


frustratingly , dridi tells us nothing about el gallo other than what emerges through his music .


showtime is closer to slowtime .


thankfully , the film , which skirts that rapidly deteriorating line between fantasy and reality ... takes a tongue-in-cheek attitude even as it pushes the croc hunter agenda .


the am-radio soundtrack and game cast -- tierney and the inimitable walken especially -- keep this unusual comedy from choking on its own conceit .


tim allen is great in his role but never hogs the scenes from his fellow cast , as there are plenty of laughs and good lines for everyone in this comedy .


britney has been delivered to the big screen safe and sound , the way we like our 20-year-old superstar girls to travel on the fame freeway .


has little on its mind aside from scoring points with drag gags .


an enchanting spectacular for potter fans anxious to ride the hogwarts express toward a new year of magic and mischief .


the story , like life , refuses to be simple , and the result is a compelling slice of awkward emotions .


it 's a nicely detailed world of pawns , bishops and kings , of wagers in dingy backrooms or pristine forests .


a real clunker .


the film seems a dead weight .


the voices are fine as well .


it turns out to be a cut above the norm , thanks to some clever writing and sprightly acting .


an awkward and indigestible movie .


showtime is one of the hapless victims of the arrogant `` if we put together a wry white man and a chatty black man and give them guns , the movie will be funny '' syndrome .


a frisky and fresh romantic comedy exporing sexual politics and the challenges of friendships between women .


but the characters tend to be cliches whose lives are never fully explored .


yes , 4ever is harmless in the extreme and it 'll mute your kids for nearly 80 minutes , but why not just treat the little yard apes to the real deal and take them to spirited away ?


the movie addresses a hungry need for pg-rated , nonthreatening family movies , but it does n't go too much further .


as your relatives swap one mundane story after another , you begin to wonder if they are ever going to depart .


wasabi is slight fare indeed , with the entire project having the feel of something tossed off quickly -lrb- like one of hubert 's punches -rrb- , but it should go down smoothly enough with popcorn .


despite all the talking , by the time the bloody climax arrives we still do n't feel enough of an attachment to these guys to care one way or another .


the film equivalent of a toy chest whose contents get scattered over the course of 80 minutes .


even if it ultimately disappoints , the picture does have about a matinee admission 's worth of funny to keep it afloat .


go see it and enjoy .


her film is unrelentingly claustrophobic and unpleasant .


chicago is sophisticated , brash , sardonic , completely joyful in its execution .


obstacles are too easily overcome and there is n't much in the way of character development in the script .


a hysterical yet humorless disquisition on the thin line between sucking face and literally sucking face .


the cold and dreary weather is a perfect metaphor for the movie itself , which contains few laughs and not much drama .


stevenson 's performance is at once clueless and fiercely committed , a volatile combination .


on its own cinematic terms , it successfully showcases the passions of both the director and novelist byatt .


pryor lite , with half the demons , half the daring , much less talent , many fewer laughs .


this is a terrific character study , a probe into the life of a complex man .


a romantic comedy , yes , but one with characters who think and talk about their goals , and are working on hard decisions .


while the film shuns the glamour or glitz that an american movie might demand , scherfig tosses us a romantic scenario that is just as simplistic as a hollywood production .


you bet .


any film featuring young children threatened by a terrorist bomb can no longer pass as mere entertainment .


what parents will suspect is that they 're watching a 76-minute commercial .


do n't let your festive spirit go this far .


eastwood is an icon of moviemaking , one of the best actors , directors and producers around , responsible for some excellent work .


a historical epic with the courage of its convictions about both scope and detail .


-lrb- nelson 's -rrb- movie about morally compromised figures leaves viewers feeling compromised , unable to find their way out of the fog and the ashes .


spielberg is the rare director who does not want to invite viewers to gawk at or applaud his special effects .


a thinly veiled excuse for wilson to play his self-deprecating act against murphy 's well-honed prima donna shtick .


an epic of grandeur and scale that 's been decades gone from the popcorn pushing sound stages of hollywood .


occasionally amateurishly made but a winsome cast and nice dialogue keeps it going .


preposterous and tedious , sonny is spiked with unintentional laughter that , unfortunately , occurs too infrequently to make the film even a guilty pleasure .


it will delight newcomers to the story and those who know it from bygone days .


the saturation bombing of reggio 's images and glass ' evocative music ... ultimately leaves viewers with the task of divining meaning .


as a witness to several greek-american weddings -- but , happily , a victim of none -- i can testify to the comparative accuracy of ms. vardalos ' memories and insights .


a wonderful character-based comedy .


sure , it 's more of the same , but as the film proves , that 's not always a bad thing .


the average local news columnist has a bigger rant on the war between modern landscape architecture and small-town america .


k-19 may not hold a lot of water as a submarine epic , but it holds even less when it turns into an elegiacally soggy saving private ryanovich .


do n't waste your money .


dreary , highly annoying ... ` some body ' will appeal to no one .


just when the movie seems confident enough to handle subtlety , it dives into soapy bathos .


a carefully structured scream of consciousness that is tortured and unsettling -- but unquestionably alive .


punish the vehicle to adore the star .


reign of fire may be little more than another platter of reheated aliens , but it 's still pretty tasty .


thoughtful , even stinging at times , and lots of fun .


it 's a humble effort , but spiced with wry humor and genuine pathos , especially between morgan and redgrave .


the editing is chaotic , the photography grainy and badly focused , the writing unintentionally hilarious , the direction unfocused , the performances as wooden .


the movie feels like it 's going to be great , and it carries on feeling that way for a long time , but takeoff just never happens .


an uneven but intriguing drama that is part homage and part remake of the italian masterpiece .


a sweet-natured reconsideration of one of san francisco 's most vital , if least widely recognized , creative fountainheads .


with spy kids 2 : the island of lost dreams writer\/director\/producer robert rodriguez has cobbled together a film that feels like a sugar high gone awry .


i found it slow , drab , and bordering on melodramatic .


-lrb- sen 's -rrb- soap opera-ish approach undermines his good intentions .


the stories here suffer from the chosen format .


... a cute and sometimes side-splittingly funny blend of legally blonde and drop dead gorgeous , starring piper perabo in what could be her breakthrough role .


offers a breath of the fresh air of true sophistication .


a pro-fat farce that overcomes much of its excessive moral baggage thanks to two appealing lead performances .


however clever nelson has been in providing variation within the confines of her structure and staging , the question remains whether this should , indeed , have been presented as a theatrical release .


there is no entry portal in the rules of attraction , and i spent most of the movie feeling depressed by the shallow , selfish , greedy characters .


at the bottom rung of the series ' entries .


whatever eyre 's failings as a dramatist , he deserves credit for bringing audiences into this hard and bitter place .


the spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist .


despite apparent motives to the contrary , it ends up being , like -lrb- seinfeld 's -rrb- revered tv show , about pretty much nothing .


mr. parker has brilliantly updated his source and grasped its essence , composing a sorrowful and hilarious tone poem about alienated labor , or an absurdist workplace sitcom .


the transporter is as lively and as fun as it is unapologetically dumb


... too dull to enjoy .


this is cool , slick stuff , ready to quench the thirst of an audience that misses the summer blockbusters .


this ill-fitting tuxedo is strictly off-the-rack .


characters wander into predictably treacherous situations even though they should know better .


with a cast that includes some of the top actors working in independent film , lovely & amazing involves us because it is so incisive , so bleakly amusing about how we go about our lives .


... -lrb- like -rrb- channel surfing between the discovery channel and a late-night made-for-cable action movie .


i hated every minute of it .


this is a very fine movie -- go see it .


this is n't my favorite in the series , still i enjoyed it enough to recommend .


it 's tough , astringent , darkly funny and ... well , it 's also generic , untidy , condescending and mild of impact rather than stunning .


a benign but forgettable sci-fi diversion .


a bigger holiday downer than your end-of-year 401 -lrb- k -rrb- statement .


godawful boring slug of a movie .


provide -lrb- s -rrb- nail-biting suspense and credible characters without relying on technology-of-the-moment technique or pretentious dialogue .


but like most rabbits , it seems to lack substance .


once you get into its rhythm ... the movie becomes a heady experience .


it is intensely personal and yet -- unlike quills -- deftly shows us the temper of the times .


just because it really happened to you , honey , does n't mean that it 's interesting to anyone else .


hayek is stunning as frida and ... a star-making project .


about as cutting-edge as pet rock : the movie .


a quietly reflective and melancholy new zealand film about an eventful summer in a 13-year-old girl 's life .


an amazing and incendiary movie that dives straight into the rough waters of contradiction .


benefits from a strong performance from zhao , but it 's dong jie 's face you remember at the end .


too simple for its own good .


it 's a worthwhile tutorial in quantum physics and slash-dash


we 've already seen the prequel to the silence of the lambs and hannibal -- and it was better the first time .


the acting is stiff , the story lacks all trace of wit , the sets look like they were borrowed from gilligan 's island -- and the cgi scooby might well be the worst special-effects creation of the year .


star wars is back in a major way .


unlike the nauseating fictions peddled by such ` have-yourself-a-happy-little-holocaust ' movies as life is beautiful and jakob the liar , the grey zone is honest enough to deny the possibility of hope in auschwitz .


director nalin pan does n't do much to weigh any arguments one way or the other .


the pivotal narrative point is so ripe the film ca n't help but go soft and stinky .


most of the action setups are incoherent .


compelling revenge thriller , though somewhat weakened by a miscast leading lady .


despite her relentless vim and winsome facial symmetry , witherspoon is just too dialed-up to be america 's sweetheart .


if you 're not into the pokemon franchise , this fourth animated movie in four years wo n't convert you -- or even keep your eyes open .


in a normal screen process , these bromides would be barely enough to sustain an interstitial program on the discovery channel .


the only thing worse than your substandard , run-of-the-mill hollywood picture is an angst-ridden attempt to be profound .


winds up feeling like lots of other quirky movies that try to score hipness points with young adults .


an instant candidate for worst movie of the year .


anyway , for one reason or another , crush turns into a dire drama partway through .


a highly intriguing thriller , coupled with some ingenious plot devices and some lavishly built settings . .


director kapur is a filmmaker with a real flair for epic landscapes and adventure , and this is a better film than his earlier english-language movie , the overpraised elizabeth .


even those who would like to dismiss the film outright should find much to mull and debate .


good actress .


an overblown clunker full of bad jokes , howling cliches and by-the-numbers action sequences .


i can only imagine one thing worse than kevin spacey trying on an irish accent , and that 's sultry linda fiorentino doing the same thing .


has something to say ... but it is a statement and issue worthy of a much more thoughtfulness and insight than a melodramatic and wholly predictable thriller .


long after you leave justine , you 'll be wondering what will happen to her and wishing her the best -- whatever that might mean .


on the right track to something that 's creepy and effective ... it 's just going to take more than a man in a bullwinkle costume to get there .


if myers decides to make another austin powers movie , maybe he should just stick with austin and dr evil .