aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better .

escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie .


but taken as a stylish and energetic one-shot , the queen of the damned can not be said to suck .

a full world has been presented onscreen , not some series of carefully structured plot points building to a pat resolution .


verbinski implements every hack-artist trick to give us the ooky-spookies .


a taut psychological thriller that does n't waste a moment of its two-hour running time .

may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .


adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized .


although german cooking does not come readily to mind when considering the world 's best cuisine , mostly martha could make deutchland a popular destination for hungry tourists .

yakusho and shimizu ... create engaging characterizations in imamura 's lively and enjoyable cultural mix .


it 's hard to like a film about a guy who is utterly unlikeable , and shiner , starring michael caine as an aging british boxing promoter desperate for a taste of fame and fortune , is certainly that .


holm ... embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma .

a poignant , artfully crafted meditation on mortality .


it takes a strange kind of laziness to waste the talents of robert forster , anne meara , eugene levy , and reginald veljohnson all in the same movie .


scooby dooby doo \/ and shaggy too \/ you both look and sound great .

if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as ` worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that .


atom egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues


it feels like an after-school special gussied up with some fancy special effects , and watching its rote plot points connect is about as exciting as gazing at an egg timer for 93 minutes .

instead of hiding pinocchio from critics , miramax should have hidden it from everyone .


the film 's welcome breeziness and some unbelievably hilarious moments -- most portraying the idiocy of the film industry -- make it mostly worth the trip .


it 's dumb , but more importantly , it 's just not scary .

by getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters , i found myself confused when it came time to get to the heart of the movie .


it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .


it 's another stale , kill-by-numbers flick , complete with blade-thin characters and terrible , pun-laden dialogue .


even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting .

of course , by more objective measurements it 's still quite bad .


has a lot of the virtues of eastwood at his best .

the film is beautifully mounted , but , more to the point , the issues are subtly presented , managing to walk a fine line with regard to the question of joan 's madness .


ultimately feels empty and unsatisfying , like swallowing a communion wafer without the wine .

sticky sweet sentimentality , clumsy plotting and a rosily myopic view of life in the wwii-era mississippi delta undermine this adaptation .


for the most part , director anne-sophie birot 's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama .


his last movie was poetically romantic and full of indelible images , but his latest has nothing going for it .

the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .


based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters


if steven soderbergh 's ` solaris ' is a failure it is a glorious failure .


despite all evidence to the contrary , this clunker has somehow managed to pose as an actual feature movie , the kind that charges full admission and gets hyped on tv and purports to amuse small children and ostensible adults .


unlike the speedy wham-bam effect of most hollywood offerings , character development -- and more importantly , character empathy -- is at the heart of italian for beginners .

the structure the film takes may find matt damon and ben affleck once again looking for residuals as this officially completes a good will hunting trilogy that was never planned .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .


bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .

escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .


although huppert 's intensity and focus has a raw exhilaration about it , the piano teacher is anything but fun .

nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .


... a magnificent drama well worth tracking down .


a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .


detox is ultimately a pointless endeavor .


aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better .


... is an arthritic attempt at directing by callie khouri .


the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .

i thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as i slogged my way through clockstoppers .


ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid .


all that 's missing is the spontaneity , originality and delight .


a poignant , artfully crafted meditation on mortality .


mr. tsai is a very original artist in his medium , and what time is it there ?

i just loved every minute of this film .


it 's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here 's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role .


it 's clear the filmmakers were n't sure where they wanted their story to go , and even more clear that they lack the skills to get us to this undetermined destination .


blanchett 's performance confirms her power once again .


i do n't think i laughed out loud once .

not only unfunny , but downright repellent .


even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .


it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .

drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .


the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .


a celebration of quirkiness , eccentricity , and certain individuals ' tendency to let it all hang out , and damn the consequences .

not since tom cruise in risky business has an actor made such a strong impression in his underwear .


even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting .


it 's hard to like a film about a guy who is utterly unlikeable , and shiner , starring michael caine as an aging british boxing promoter desperate for a taste of fame and fortune , is certainly that .

this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .


first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film .

we know the plot 's a little crazy , but it held my interest from start to finish .


wince-inducing dialogue , thrift-shop costumes , prosthetic makeup by silly putty and kmart blue-light-special effects all conspire to test trekkie loyalty .


the heavy-handed film is almost laughable as a consequence .

the film 's few ideas are stretched to the point of evaporation ; the whole central section is one big chase that seems to have no goal and no urgency .


first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .

slapstick buffoonery can tickle many a preschooler 's fancy , but when it costs a family of four about $ 40 to see a film in theaters , why spend money on a dog like this when you can rent a pedigree instead ?


sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


shaky close-ups of turkey-on-rolls , stubbly chins , liver spots , red noses and the filmmakers new bobbed do draw easy chuckles but lead nowhere .

while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these .


it haunts you , you ca n't forget it , you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it .


american chai encourages rueful laughter at stereotypes only an indian-american would recognize .

the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip .


one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year .


nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .

however it may please those who love movies that blare with pop songs , young science fiction fans will stomp away in disgust .


it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .

shaky close-ups of turkey-on-rolls , stubbly chins , liver spots , red noses and the filmmakers new bobbed do draw easy chuckles but lead nowhere .


based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters


not only is undercover brother as funny , if not more so , than both austin powers films , but it 's also one of the smarter , savvier spoofs to come along in some time .

a pleasant enough romance with intellectual underpinnings , the kind of movie that entertains even as it turns maddeningly predictable .


villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .


mattei is tiresomely grave and long-winded , as if circularity itself indicated profundity .


an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .


i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy .

in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i 'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey .


generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes .

a strangely compelling and brilliantly acted psychological drama .


at its worst , it implodes in a series of very bad special effects .


adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized .


ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid .


the piquant story needs more dramatic meat on its bones .

the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .


two hours fly by -- opera 's a pleasure when you do n't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated .


this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work .

while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these .


trademark american triteness and simplicity are tossed out the window with the intelligent french drama that deftly explores the difficult relationship between a father and son .


in the end , the movie collapses on its shaky foundation despite the best efforts of director joe carnahan .

the cold turkey would 've been a far better title .


so , too , is this comedy about mild culture clashing in today 's new delhi .

even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .


it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as ` worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that .


detox is ultimately a pointless endeavor .

a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...


martin and barbara are complex characters -- sometimes tender , sometimes angry -- and the delicate performances by sven wollter and viveka seldahl make their hopes and frustrations vivid .


broomfield turns his distinctive ` blundering ' style into something that could really help clear up the case .

the structure the film takes may find matt damon and ben affleck once again looking for residuals as this officially completes a good will hunting trilogy that was never planned .


of course , by more objective measurements it 's still quite bad .


for all its impressive craftsmanship , and despite an overbearing series of third-act crescendos , lily chou-chou never really builds up a head of emotional steam .

pumpkin takes an admirable look at the hypocrisy of political correctness , but it does so with such an uneven tone that you never know when humor ends and tragedy begins .


reign of fire looks as if it was made without much thought -- and is best watched that way .


verbinski implements every hack-artist trick to give us the ooky-spookies .

it showcases carvey 's talent for voices , but not nearly enough and not without taxing every drop of one 's patience to get to the good stuff .


offers much to enjoy ... and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends .


however it may please those who love movies that blare with pop songs , young science fiction fans will stomp away in disgust .

not an objectionable or dull film ; it merely lacks everything except good intentions .


it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study .


jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .

broomfield turns his distinctive ` blundering ' style into something that could really help clear up the case .


however it may please those who love movies that blare with pop songs , young science fiction fans will stomp away in disgust .


-lrb- a -rrb- n utterly charming and hilarious film that reminded me of the best of the disney comedies from the 60s .


comes ... uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief .


it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment .

dull , lifeless , and amateurishly assembled .


the best revenge may just be living well because this film , unlike other dumas adaptations , is far more likened to a treasure than a lengthy jail sentence .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


while -lrb- hill -rrb- has learned new tricks , the tricks alone are not enough to salvage this lifeless boxing film .


if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .


the overall effect is less like a children 's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts .


made with no discernible craft and monstrously sanctimonious in dealing with childhood loss .

by getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters , i found myself confused when it came time to get to the heart of the movie .


jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .


sam mendes has become valedictorian at the school for soft landings and easy ways out .

a broad , melodramatic estrogen opera that 's pretty toxic in its own right .


it 's great escapist fun that recreates a place and time that will never happen again .


... the movie is just a plain old monster .

every time you look , sweet home alabama is taking another bummer of a wrong turn .


bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .


a strangely compelling and brilliantly acted psychological drama .

having had the good sense to cast actors who are , generally speaking , adored by the movie-going public , khouri then gets terrific performances from them all .


while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these .


ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid .

a pleasant enough romance with intellectual underpinnings , the kind of movie that entertains even as it turns maddeningly predictable .


one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year .

it 's a demented kitsch mess -lrb- although the smeary digital video does match the muddled narrative -rrb- , but it 's savvy about celebrity and has more guts and energy than much of what will open this year .


hit and miss as far as the comedy goes and a big ole ' miss in the way of story .


offers much to enjoy ... and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends .


hit and miss as far as the comedy goes and a big ole ' miss in the way of story .

just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame .


sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


far more imaginative and ambitious than the trivial , cash-in features nickelodeon has made from its other animated tv series .

a difficult , absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear .


the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .


does little more than play an innocuous game of fill-in - the-blanks with a tragic past .


but taken as a stylish and energetic one-shot , the queen of the damned can not be said to suck .


beautifully observed , miraculously unsentimental comedy-drama .

may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


it 's another stale , kill-by-numbers flick , complete with blade-thin characters and terrible , pun-laden dialogue .

a tv style murder mystery with a few big screen moments -lrb- including one that seems to be made for a different film altogether -rrb- .


drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .


it made me want to wrench my eyes out of my head and toss them at the screen .

and when you 're talking about a slapstick comedy , that 's a pretty big problem .


puts a human face on a land most westerners are unfamiliar with .


one of those energetic surprises , an original that pleases almost everyone who sees it .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


a by-the-numbers patient\/doctor pic that covers all the usual ground


a dumb movie with dumb characters doing dumb things and you have to be really dumb not to see where this is going .

it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment .


it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study .


the film 's welcome breeziness and some unbelievably hilarious moments -- most portraying the idiocy of the film industry -- make it mostly worth the trip .

rare birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable .


comes ... uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief .


rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment .

although huppert 's intensity and focus has a raw exhilaration about it , the piano teacher is anything but fun .


the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end .


falls neatly into the category of good stupid fun .

` easily my choice for one of the year 's best films . '


rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment .


what the director ca n't do is make either of val kilmer 's two personas interesting or worth caring about .


one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year .


the moviegoing equivalent of going to a dinner party and being forced to watch the host and hostess 's home video of their baby 's birth .

american chai encourages rueful laughter at stereotypes only an indian-american would recognize .


may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .


it 's as if you 're watching a movie that was made in 1978 but not released then because it was so weak , and it has been unearthed and released now , when it has become even weaker .

... is an arthritic attempt at directing by callie khouri .


a must-see for the david mamet enthusiast and for anyone who appreciates intelligent , stylish moviemaking .


escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie .


it 's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that 's often written off as indie film naturalism .


yakusho and shimizu ... create engaging characterizations in imamura 's lively and enjoyable cultural mix .

bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .


for starters , the story is just too slim .


the lion king was a roaring success when it was released eight years ago , but on imax it seems better , not just bigger .

for the most part , director anne-sophie birot 's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama .


it inspires a continuing and deeply satisfying awareness of the best movies as monumental ` picture shows . '

the film is beautifully mounted , but , more to the point , the issues are subtly presented , managing to walk a fine line with regard to the question of joan 's madness .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .


a pleasant enough romance with intellectual underpinnings , the kind of movie that entertains even as it turns maddeningly predictable .

the terrific and bewilderingly underrated campbell scott gives a star performance that is nothing short of mesmerizing .


whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


of course , by more objective measurements it 's still quite bad .

a valueless kiddie paean to pro basketball underwritten by the nba .


sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


dull , lifeless , and amateurishly assembled .


the subtle strength of `` elling '' is that it never loses touch with the reality of the grim situation .

jones ... does offer a brutal form of charisma .


the cold turkey would 've been a far better title .


the overall effect is less like a children 's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts .

the script kicks in , and mr. hartley 's distended pace and foot-dragging rhythms follow .


in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i 'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey .

villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .


if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .


escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie .

this is human comedy at its most amusing , interesting and confirming .


not only unfunny , but downright repellent .


challenging , intermittently engrossing and unflaggingly creative .

if steven soderbergh 's ` solaris ' is a failure it is a glorious failure .


all that 's missing is the spontaneity , originality and delight .


sticky sweet sentimentality , clumsy plotting and a rosily myopic view of life in the wwii-era mississippi delta undermine this adaptation .

no way i can believe this load of junk .


blanchett 's performance confirms her power once again .


the wild thornberrys movie is a jolly surprise .

the format gets used best ... to capture the dizzying heights achieved by motocross and bmx riders , whose balletic hotdogging occasionally ends in bone-crushing screwups .


a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...


based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters

even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .


the iditarod lasts for days - this just felt like it did .


a synthesis of cliches and absurdities that seems positively decadent in its cinematic flash and emptiness .


it 's a stunning lyrical work of considerable force and truth .


the performances take the movie to a higher level .


with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge .


it ca n't decide if it wants to be a mystery\/thriller , a romance or a comedy .

impostor has a handful of thrilling moments and a couple of good performances , but the movie does n't quite fly .


not only is undercover brother as funny , if not more so , than both austin powers films , but it 's also one of the smarter , savvier spoofs to come along in some time .


if you 've ever entertained the notion of doing what the title of this film implies , what sex with strangers actually shows may put you off the idea forever .


it deserves to be seen by anyone with even a passing interest in the events shaping the world beyond their own horizons .


feels haphazard , as if the writers mistakenly thought they could achieve an air of frantic spontaneity by simply tossing in lots of characters doing silly stuff and stirring the pot .


fresnadillo 's dark and jolting images have a way of plying into your subconscious like the nightmare you had a week ago that wo n't go away .


true tale of courage -- and complicity -- at auschwitz is a harrowing drama that tries to tell of the unspeakable .

the piece plays as well as it does thanks in large measure to anspaugh 's three lead actresses .


... the movie is just a plain old monster .


whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


a celebration of quirkiness , eccentricity , and certain individuals ' tendency to let it all hang out , and damn the consequences .


it haunts you , you ca n't forget it , you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it .

a big , gorgeous , sprawling swashbuckler that delivers its diversions in grand , uncomplicated fashion .


this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


... a hollow joke told by a cinematic gymnast having too much fun embellishing the misanthropic tale to actually engage it .

a synthesis of cliches and absurdities that seems positively decadent in its cinematic flash and emptiness .


slapstick buffoonery can tickle many a preschooler 's fancy , but when it costs a family of four about $ 40 to see a film in theaters , why spend money on a dog like this when you can rent a pedigree instead ?

i can take infantile humor ... but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer 's diapers .


the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end .


it 's great escapist fun that recreates a place and time that will never happen again .

aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better .


rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment .


` easily my choice for one of the year 's best films . '

worth watching for dong jie 's performance -- and for the way it documents a culture in the throes of rapid change .


determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .


suffocated by its fussy script and uptight characters , this musty adaptation is all the more annoying since it 's been packaged and sold back to us by hollywood .

but it 's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle .


a good piece of work more often than not .


perceptive in its vision of nascent industrialized world politics as a new art form , but far too clunky , didactic and saddled with scenes that seem simply an ill fit for this movie .

... designed to provide a mix of smiles and tears , `` crossroads '' instead provokes a handful of unintentional howlers and numerous yawns .


i 'll bet the video game is a lot more fun than the film .


even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .


i just loved every minute of this film .

this surreal gilliam-esque film is also a troubling interpretation of ecclesiastes .


it 's a cookie-cutter movie , a cut-and-paste job .

the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .


a tender , witty , captivating film about friendship , love , memory , trust and loyalty .


an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .

broomfield turns his distinctive ` blundering ' style into something that could really help clear up the case .


even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting .


... is an arthritic attempt at directing by callie khouri .

the humor is forced and heavy-handed , and occasionally simply unpleasant .


dull , lifeless , and amateurishly assembled .

very special effects , brilliantly bold colors and heightened reality ca n't hide the giant achilles ' heel in `` stuart little 2 `` : there 's just no story , folks .


-lrb- lawrence bounces -rrb- all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place .

the wild thornberrys movie is a jolly surprise .


this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


we know the plot 's a little crazy , but it held my interest from start to finish .

-lrb- lawrence bounces -rrb- all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place .


because of an unnecessary and clumsy last scene , ` swimfan ' left me with a very bad feeling .


it all drags on so interminably it 's like watching a miserable relationship unfold in real time .

with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge .


an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart .


impostor has a handful of thrilling moments and a couple of good performances , but the movie does n't quite fly .

suffocated by its fussy script and uptight characters , this musty adaptation is all the more annoying since it 's been packaged and sold back to us by hollywood .


though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions .

sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as ` worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that .


sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .


the format gets used best ... to capture the dizzying heights achieved by motocross and bmx riders , whose balletic hotdogging occasionally ends in bone-crushing screwups .

a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .


it 's hampered by a lifetime-channel kind of plot and a lead actress who is out of her depth .

every time you look , sweet home alabama is taking another bummer of a wrong turn .


bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .


for starters , the story is just too slim .

moretti 's compelling anatomy of grief and the difficult process of adapting to loss .


the film is quiet , threatening and unforgettable .


manages to be both repulsively sadistic and mundane .


martin and barbara are complex characters -- sometimes tender , sometimes angry -- and the delicate performances by sven wollter and viveka seldahl make their hopes and frustrations vivid .

in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in .


it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment .


affleck and jackson are good sparring partners .

if steven soderbergh 's ` solaris ' is a failure it is a glorious failure .


the words , ` frankly , my dear , i do n't give a damn , ' have never been more appropriate .


you do n't have to know about music to appreciate the film 's easygoing blend of comedy and romance .

blanchett 's performance confirms her power once again .


reign of fire looks as if it was made without much thought -- and is best watched that way .

despite the 2-d animation , the wild thornberrys movie makes for a surprisingly cinematic experience .


it feels like an after-school special gussied up with some fancy special effects , and watching its rote plot points connect is about as exciting as gazing at an egg timer for 93 minutes .


a dumb movie with dumb characters doing dumb things and you have to be really dumb not to see where this is going .


a giggle-inducing comedy with snappy dialogue and winning performances by an unlikely team of oscar-winners : susan sarandon and goldie hawn .


the script kicks in , and mr. hartley 's distended pace and foot-dragging rhythms follow .

the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy .


it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .


good old-fashioned slash-and-hack is back !

may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .


every nanosecond of the the new guy reminds you that you could be doing something else far more pleasurable .


moretti 's compelling anatomy of grief and the difficult process of adapting to loss .

the overall effect is less like a children 's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts .


yakusho and shimizu ... create engaging characterizations in imamura 's lively and enjoyable cultural mix .


indifferently implausible popcorn programmer of a movie .

wince-inducing dialogue , thrift-shop costumes , prosthetic makeup by silly putty and kmart blue-light-special effects all conspire to test trekkie loyalty .


uses high comedy to evoke surprising poignance .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


a quiet treasure -- a film to be savored .


the film is beautifully mounted , but , more to the point , the issues are subtly presented , managing to walk a fine line with regard to the question of joan 's madness .

-lrb- a -rrb- n utterly charming and hilarious film that reminded me of the best of the disney comedies from the 60s .


made with no discernible craft and monstrously sanctimonious in dealing with childhood loss .


on this tricky topic , tadpole is very much a step in the right direction , with its blend of frankness , civility and compassion .

` de niro ... is a veritable source of sincere passion that this hollywood contrivance orbits around . '


vera 's technical prowess ends up selling his film short ; he smoothes over hard truths even as he uncovers them .


a giggle-inducing comedy with snappy dialogue and winning performances by an unlikely team of oscar-winners : susan sarandon and goldie hawn .

unlike the speedy wham-bam effect of most hollywood offerings , character development -- and more importantly , character empathy -- is at the heart of italian for beginners .


manages to show life in all of its banality when the intention is quite the opposite .


audrey tatou has a knack for picking roles that magnify her outrageous charm , and in this literate french comedy , she 's as morning-glory exuberant as she was in amélie .

jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .


just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame .


it 's a demented kitsch mess -lrb- although the smeary digital video does match the muddled narrative -rrb- , but it 's savvy about celebrity and has more guts and energy than much of what will open this year .

if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


the iditarod lasts for days - this just felt like it did .


an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart .

the vivid lead performances sustain interest and empathy , but the journey is far more interesting than the final destination .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .


suffocated by its fussy script and uptight characters , this musty adaptation is all the more annoying since it 's been packaged and sold back to us by hollywood .


the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end .


adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized .


atom egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues


a tv style murder mystery with a few big screen moments -lrb- including one that seems to be made for a different film altogether -rrb- .


a valueless kiddie paean to pro basketball underwritten by the nba .


wince-inducing dialogue , thrift-shop costumes , prosthetic makeup by silly putty and kmart blue-light-special effects all conspire to test trekkie loyalty .


though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions .


the structure the film takes may find matt damon and ben affleck once again looking for residuals as this officially completes a good will hunting trilogy that was never planned .

-lrb- lawrence bounces -rrb- all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place .


whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


the film flat lines when it should peak and is more missed opportunity and trifle than dark , decadent truffle .

determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .


will amuse and provoke adventurous adults in specialty venues .


candid and comfortable ; a film that deftly balances action and reflection as it lets you grasp and feel the passion others have for their work .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in .

and that 's a big part of why we go to the movies .


if looking for a thrilling sci-fi cinematic ride , do n't settle for this imposter .


this is wild surreal stuff , but brilliant and the camera just kind of sits there and lets you look at this and its like you 're going from one room to the next and none of them have any relation to the other .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


made with no discernible craft and monstrously sanctimonious in dealing with childhood loss .


candid and comfortable ; a film that deftly balances action and reflection as it lets you grasp and feel the passion others have for their work .

a must-see for the david mamet enthusiast and for anyone who appreciates intelligent , stylish moviemaking .


vera 's technical prowess ends up selling his film short ; he smoothes over hard truths even as he uncovers them .


and that 's a big part of why we go to the movies .

it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study .


it ca n't decide if it wants to be a mystery\/thriller , a romance or a comedy .


offers much to enjoy ... and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends .

a taut psychological thriller that does n't waste a moment of its two-hour running time .


nonsensical , dull `` cyber-horror '' flick is a grim , hollow exercise in flat scares and bad acting .


` de niro ... is a veritable source of sincere passion that this hollywood contrivance orbits around . '

the film is beautifully mounted , but , more to the point , the issues are subtly presented , managing to walk a fine line with regard to the question of joan 's madness .


villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .


drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .

based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters


it takes a strange kind of laziness to waste the talents of robert forster , anne meara , eugene levy , and reginald veljohnson all in the same movie .


nonsensical , dull `` cyber-horror '' flick is a grim , hollow exercise in flat scares and bad acting .

the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .


generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes .


dense with characters and contains some thrilling moments .

the piece plays as well as it does thanks in large measure to anspaugh 's three lead actresses .


this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge .


if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .


highbrow self-appointed guardians of culture need not apply , but those who loved cool as ice have at last found a worthy follow-up .

reggio 's continual visual barrage is absorbing as well as thought-provoking .


a broad , melodramatic estrogen opera that 's pretty toxic in its own right .


sit through this one , and you wo n't need a magic watch to stop time ; your dvd player will do it for you .

it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as ` worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that .


aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better .


the cold turkey would 've been a far better title .

the script kicks in , and mr. hartley 's distended pace and foot-dragging rhythms follow .


an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart .


rare birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable .

writer\/director joe carnahan 's grimy crime drama is a manual of precinct cliches , but it moves fast enough to cover its clunky dialogue and lapses in logic .


for starters , the story is just too slim .


it showcases carvey 's talent for voices , but not nearly enough and not without taxing every drop of one 's patience to get to the good stuff .

a tv style murder mystery with a few big screen moments -lrb- including one that seems to be made for a different film altogether -rrb- .


awesome creatures , breathtaking scenery , and epic battle scenes add up to another ` spectacular spectacle . '


a by-the-numbers patient\/doctor pic that covers all the usual ground

villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .


it is great summer fun to watch arnold and his buddy gerald bounce off a quirky cast of characters .


having had the good sense to cast actors who are , generally speaking , adored by the movie-going public , khouri then gets terrific performances from them all .

true tale of courage -- and complicity -- at auschwitz is a harrowing drama that tries to tell of the unspeakable .


an unclassifiably awful study in self - and audience-abuse .


it 's refreshing to see a girl-power movie that does n't feel it has to prove anything .

the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end .


at its worst , it implodes in a series of very bad special effects .


jones ... does offer a brutal form of charisma .

audrey tatou has a knack for picking roles that magnify her outrageous charm , and in this literate french comedy , she 's as morning-glory exuberant as she was in amélie .


the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip .


for the first time in years , de niro digs deep emotionally , perhaps because he 's been stirred by the powerful work of his co-stars .

affleck and jackson are good sparring partners .


there is n't nearly enough fun here , despite the presence of some appealing ingredients .


the performances take the movie to a higher level .


wince-inducing dialogue , thrift-shop costumes , prosthetic makeup by silly putty and kmart blue-light-special effects all conspire to test trekkie loyalty .


a quiet treasure -- a film to be savored .

it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


it has charm to spare , and unlike many romantic comedies , it does not alienate either gender in the audience .

michael gerbosi 's script is economically packed with telling scenes .


slapstick buffoonery can tickle many a preschooler 's fancy , but when it costs a family of four about $ 40 to see a film in theaters , why spend money on a dog like this when you can rent a pedigree instead ?


even the finest chef ca n't make a hotdog into anything more than a hotdog , and robert de niro ca n't make this movie anything more than a trashy cop buddy comedy .

with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge .


what better message than ` love thyself ' could young women of any size receive ?

not only is undercover brother as funny , if not more so , than both austin powers films , but it 's also one of the smarter , savvier spoofs to come along in some time .


a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...


this is n't even madonna 's swept away .

not only unfunny , but downright repellent .


scooby dooby doo \/ and shaggy too \/ you both look and sound great .


because of an unnecessary and clumsy last scene , ` swimfan ' left me with a very bad feeling .

instead of hiding pinocchio from critics , miramax should have hidden it from everyone .


the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end .

fresnadillo 's dark and jolting images have a way of plying into your subconscious like the nightmare you had a week ago that wo n't go away .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .


a swashbuckling tale of love , betrayal , revenge and above all , faith .

majidi is an unconventional storyteller , capable of finding beauty in the most depressing places .


the humor is forced and heavy-handed , and occasionally simply unpleasant .


majidi is an unconventional storyteller , capable of finding beauty in the most depressing places .

... a magnificent drama well worth tracking down .


villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .


tries to add some spice to its quirky sentiments but the taste is all too familiar .

in the end , the movie collapses on its shaky foundation despite the best efforts of director joe carnahan .


two hours fly by -- opera 's a pleasure when you do n't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated .


pacino is brilliant as the sleep-deprived dormer , his increasing weariness as much existential as it is physical .

it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study .


while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these .


taylor appears to have blown his entire budget on soundtrack rights and had nothing left over for jokes .

whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


if steven soderbergh 's ` solaris ' is a failure it is a glorious failure .


when leguizamo finally plugged an irritating character late in the movie .

this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work .


a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .


the story and structure are well-honed .

this is wild surreal stuff , but brilliant and the camera just kind of sits there and lets you look at this and its like you 're going from one room to the next and none of them have any relation to the other .


a working class `` us vs. them '' opera that leaves no heartstring untugged and no liberal cause unplundered .

has a lot of the virtues of eastwood at his best .


tries to add some spice to its quirky sentiments but the taste is all too familiar .


blanchett 's performance confirms her power once again .

based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters


here 's yet another studio horror franchise mucking up its storyline with glitches casual fans could correct in their sleep .


feels haphazard , as if the writers mistakenly thought they could achieve an air of frantic spontaneity by simply tossing in lots of characters doing silly stuff and stirring the pot .

this is not the undisputed worst boxing movie ever , but it 's certainly not a champion - the big loser is the audience .


visually imaginative , thematically instructive and thoroughly delightful , it takes us on a roller-coaster ride from innocence to experience without even a hint of that typical kiddie-flick sentimentality .


the movie does a good job of laying out some of the major issues that we encounter as we journey through life .

writer\/director joe carnahan 's grimy crime drama is a manual of precinct cliches , but it moves fast enough to cover its clunky dialogue and lapses in logic .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .


villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi 's generic angst -lrb- there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows -rrb- .

the overall effect is less like a children 's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts .


the structure the film takes may find matt damon and ben affleck once again looking for residuals as this officially completes a good will hunting trilogy that was never planned .


comes ... uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief .


what better message than ` love thyself ' could young women of any size receive ?


the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip .

... the movie is just a plain old monster .


in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in .


it appears that something has been lost in the translation to the screen .


an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .


... designed to provide a mix of smiles and tears , `` crossroads '' instead provokes a handful of unintentional howlers and numerous yawns .


-lrb- a -rrb- n utterly charming and hilarious film that reminded me of the best of the disney comedies from the 60s .


not an objectionable or dull film ; it merely lacks everything except good intentions .

instead of hiding pinocchio from critics , miramax should have hidden it from everyone .


pacino is brilliant as the sleep-deprived dormer , his increasing weariness as much existential as it is physical .


sam mendes has become valedictorian at the school for soft landings and easy ways out .


pumpkin means to be an outrageous dark satire on fraternity life , but its ambitions far exceed the abilities of writer adam larson broder and his co-director , tony r. abrams , in their feature debut .

it 's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that 's often written off as indie film naturalism .


though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions .


not only unfunny , but downright repellent .

a valueless kiddie paean to pro basketball underwritten by the nba .


` de niro ... is a veritable source of sincere passion that this hollywood contrivance orbits around . '


another in-your-face wallow in the lower depths made by people who have never sung those blues .

and when you 're talking about a slapstick comedy , that 's a pretty big problem .


it 's a stunning lyrical work of considerable force and truth .


a full world has been presented onscreen , not some series of carefully structured plot points building to a pat resolution .

audrey tatou has a knack for picking roles that magnify her outrageous charm , and in this literate french comedy , she 's as morning-glory exuberant as she was in amélie .


it 's a cookie-cutter movie , a cut-and-paste job .


despite all evidence to the contrary , this clunker has somehow managed to pose as an actual feature movie , the kind that charges full admission and gets hyped on tv and purports to amuse small children and ostensible adults .

but it 's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle .


if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


its well of thorn and vinegar -lrb- and simple humanity -rrb- has long been plundered by similar works featuring the insight and punch this picture so conspicuously lacks .

this is a shameless sham , calculated to cash in on the popularity of its stars .


a giggle-inducing comedy with snappy dialogue and winning performances by an unlikely team of oscar-winners : susan sarandon and goldie hawn .


if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .

more romantic , more emotional and ultimately more satisfying than the teary-eyed original .


it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment .


michael gerbosi 's script is economically packed with telling scenes .

even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .


a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...


-lrb- t -rrb- here 's only so much anyone can do with a florid , overplotted , anne rice rock 'n' roll vampire novel before the built-in silliness of the whole affair defeats them .

it made me want to wrench my eyes out of my head and toss them at the screen .


on this tricky topic , tadpole is very much a step in the right direction , with its blend of frankness , civility and compassion .


i can take infantile humor ... but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer 's diapers .


worth watching for dong jie 's performance -- and for the way it documents a culture in the throes of rapid change .

drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .


once the 50 year old benigni appears as the title character , we find ourselves longing for the block of wood to come back .


i thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as i slogged my way through clockstoppers .

this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


atom egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues


just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame .

the heavy-handed film is almost laughable as a consequence .


offers much to enjoy ... and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends .


the vivid lead performances sustain interest and empathy , but the journey is far more interesting than the final destination .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


at its worst , it implodes in a series of very bad special effects .


more romantic , more emotional and ultimately more satisfying than the teary-eyed original .

an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .


... a hollow joke told by a cinematic gymnast having too much fun embellishing the misanthropic tale to actually engage it .


vera 's three actors -- mollà , gil and bardem -- excel in insightful , empathetic performances .

intriguing documentary which is emotionally diluted by focusing on the story 's least interesting subject .


it ca n't decide if it wants to be a mystery\/thriller , a romance or a comedy .


very special effects , brilliantly bold colors and heightened reality ca n't hide the giant achilles ' heel in `` stuart little 2 `` : there 's just no story , folks .

nonsensical , dull `` cyber-horror '' flick is a grim , hollow exercise in flat scares and bad acting .


a giggle-inducing comedy with snappy dialogue and winning performances by an unlikely team of oscar-winners : susan sarandon and goldie hawn .


will amuse and provoke adventurous adults in specialty venues .

this surreal gilliam-esque film is also a troubling interpretation of ecclesiastes .


a synthesis of cliches and absurdities that seems positively decadent in its cinematic flash and emptiness .


awesome creatures , breathtaking scenery , and epic battle scenes add up to another ` spectacular spectacle . '


this is not the undisputed worst boxing movie ever , but it 's certainly not a champion - the big loser is the audience .


trademark american triteness and simplicity are tossed out the window with the intelligent french drama that deftly explores the difficult relationship between a father and son .

vera 's three actors -- mollà , gil and bardem -- excel in insightful , empathetic performances .


determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .


and when you 're talking about a slapstick comedy , that 's a pretty big problem .

it 's hard to like a film about a guy who is utterly unlikeable , and shiner , starring michael caine as an aging british boxing promoter desperate for a taste of fame and fortune , is certainly that .


dense with characters and contains some thrilling moments .


not since tom cruise in risky business has an actor made such a strong impression in his underwear .

an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart .


a beguiling splash of pastel colors and prankish comedy from disney .

one of those energetic surprises , an original that pleases almost everyone who sees it .


the words , ` frankly , my dear , i do n't give a damn , ' have never been more appropriate .

it 's clear the filmmakers were n't sure where they wanted their story to go , and even more clear that they lack the skills to get us to this undetermined destination .


it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .


it takes a strange kind of laziness to waste the talents of robert forster , anne meara , eugene levy , and reginald veljohnson all in the same movie .

the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .


holm ... embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma .


but the power of these -lrb- subjects -rrb- is obscured by the majority of the film that shows a stationary camera on a subject that could be mistaken for giving a public oration , rather than contributing to a film 's narrative .

despite all evidence to the contrary , this clunker has somehow managed to pose as an actual feature movie , the kind that charges full admission and gets hyped on tv and purports to amuse small children and ostensible adults .


writer\/director joe carnahan 's grimy crime drama is a manual of precinct cliches , but it moves fast enough to cover its clunky dialogue and lapses in logic .


jason x is positively anti-darwinian : nine sequels and 400 years later , the teens are none the wiser and jason still kills on auto-pilot .


if looking for a thrilling sci-fi cinematic ride , do n't settle for this imposter .

manages to be both repulsively sadistic and mundane .


it is great summer fun to watch arnold and his buddy gerald bounce off a quirky cast of characters .


at its worst , it implodes in a series of very bad special effects .

it showcases carvey 's talent for voices , but not nearly enough and not without taxing every drop of one 's patience to get to the good stuff .


if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .


while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these .

in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i 'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey .


drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .


a broad , melodramatic estrogen opera that 's pretty toxic in its own right .


martin and barbara are complex characters -- sometimes tender , sometimes angry -- and the delicate performances by sven wollter and viveka seldahl make their hopes and frustrations vivid .


every nanosecond of the the new guy reminds you that you could be doing something else far more pleasurable .

suffocated by its fussy script and uptight characters , this musty adaptation is all the more annoying since it 's been packaged and sold back to us by hollywood .


majidi is an unconventional storyteller , capable of finding beauty in the most depressing places .


a difficult , absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear .

atom egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues


hit and miss as far as the comedy goes and a big ole ' miss in the way of story .


with rabbit-proof fence , noyce has tailored an epic tale into a lean , economical movie .

highbrow self-appointed guardians of culture need not apply , but those who loved cool as ice have at last found a worthy follow-up .


rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment .


no way i can believe this load of junk .

the cold turkey would 've been a far better title .


if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


the iditarod lasts for days - this just felt like it did .


two hours fly by -- opera 's a pleasure when you do n't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated .


it is great summer fun to watch arnold and his buddy gerald bounce off a quirky cast of characters .

puts a human face on a land most westerners are unfamiliar with .


every nanosecond of the the new guy reminds you that you could be doing something else far more pleasurable .


for the most part , director anne-sophie birot 's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama .

it 's a demented kitsch mess -lrb- although the smeary digital video does match the muddled narrative -rrb- , but it 's savvy about celebrity and has more guts and energy than much of what will open this year .


nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .


a good piece of work more often than not .

vera 's three actors -- mollà , gil and bardem -- excel in insightful , empathetic performances .


if you 've ever entertained the notion of doing what the title of this film implies , what sex with strangers actually shows may put you off the idea forever .


trite , banal , cliched , mostly inoffensive .


and that 's a big part of why we go to the movies .


reggio 's continual visual barrage is absorbing as well as thought-provoking .


whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .


a broad , melodramatic estrogen opera that 's pretty toxic in its own right .


one of those energetic surprises , an original that pleases almost everyone who sees it .


pumpkin takes an admirable look at the hypocrisy of political correctness , but it does so with such an uneven tone that you never know when humor ends and tragedy begins .

the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .


jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .


two hours fly by -- opera 's a pleasure when you do n't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated .

an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values .


feels haphazard , as if the writers mistakenly thought they could achieve an air of frantic spontaneity by simply tossing in lots of characters doing silly stuff and stirring the pot .


if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .


it 's a stunning lyrical work of considerable force and truth .

if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther 's story is a compelling quest for truth .


i thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as i slogged my way through clockstoppers .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .

i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy .


yakusho and shimizu ... create engaging characterizations in imamura 's lively and enjoyable cultural mix .


a tv style murder mystery with a few big screen moments -lrb- including one that seems to be made for a different film altogether -rrb- .

this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work .


slapstick buffoonery can tickle many a preschooler 's fancy , but when it costs a family of four about $ 40 to see a film in theaters , why spend money on a dog like this when you can rent a pedigree instead ?


generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes .


impostor has a handful of thrilling moments and a couple of good performances , but the movie does n't quite fly .


unlike the speedy wham-bam effect of most hollywood offerings , character development -- and more importantly , character empathy -- is at the heart of italian for beginners .


vera 's technical prowess ends up selling his film short ; he smoothes over hard truths even as he uncovers them .

shaky close-ups of turkey-on-rolls , stubbly chins , liver spots , red noses and the filmmakers new bobbed do draw easy chuckles but lead nowhere .


although german cooking does not come readily to mind when considering the world 's best cuisine , mostly martha could make deutchland a popular destination for hungry tourists .


this surreal gilliam-esque film is also a troubling interpretation of ecclesiastes .

a good piece of work more often than not .


just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame .


the piece plays as well as it does thanks in large measure to anspaugh 's three lead actresses .

pacino is brilliant as the sleep-deprived dormer , his increasing weariness as much existential as it is physical .


jason x is positively anti-darwinian : nine sequels and 400 years later , the teens are none the wiser and jason still kills on auto-pilot .


once the 50 year old benigni appears as the title character , we find ourselves longing for the block of wood to come back .

it 's another stale , kill-by-numbers flick , complete with blade-thin characters and terrible , pun-laden dialogue .


while -lrb- hill -rrb- has learned new tricks , the tricks alone are not enough to salvage this lifeless boxing film .

nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .


a full world has been presented onscreen , not some series of carefully structured plot points building to a pat resolution .


mr. tsai is a very original artist in his medium , and what time is it there ?


it appears that something has been lost in the translation to the screen .


a poignant , artfully crafted meditation on mortality .

the film 's welcome breeziness and some unbelievably hilarious moments -- most portraying the idiocy of the film industry -- make it mostly worth the trip .


the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .


a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...

hit and miss as far as the comedy goes and a big ole ' miss in the way of story .


a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .


the film 's few ideas are stretched to the point of evaporation ; the whole central section is one big chase that seems to have no goal and no urgency .

... a hollow joke told by a cinematic gymnast having too much fun embellishing the misanthropic tale to actually engage it .


a big , gorgeous , sprawling swashbuckler that delivers its diversions in grand , uncomplicated fashion .


it deserves to be seen by anyone with even a passing interest in the events shaping the world beyond their own horizons .

reggio 's continual visual barrage is absorbing as well as thought-provoking .


in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i 'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey .


puts a human face on a land most westerners are unfamiliar with .

far more imaginative and ambitious than the trivial , cash-in features nickelodeon has made from its other animated tv series .


sticky sweet sentimentality , clumsy plotting and a rosily myopic view of life in the wwii-era mississippi delta undermine this adaptation .


may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .

the performances take the movie to a higher level .


the so-inept - it 's - surreal dubbing -lrb- featuring the voices of glenn close , regis philbin and breckin meyer -rrb- brings back memories of cheesy old godzilla flicks .


by getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters , i found myself confused when it came time to get to the heart of the movie .

here 's yet another studio horror franchise mucking up its storyline with glitches casual fans could correct in their sleep .


although german cooking does not come readily to mind when considering the world 's best cuisine , mostly martha could make deutchland a popular destination for hungry tourists .


intriguing documentary which is emotionally diluted by focusing on the story 's least interesting subject .

a must-see for the david mamet enthusiast and for anyone who appreciates intelligent , stylish moviemaking .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .


the film 's few ideas are stretched to the point of evaporation ; the whole central section is one big chase that seems to have no goal and no urgency .


does little more than play an innocuous game of fill-in - the-blanks with a tragic past .

it all drags on so interminably it 's like watching a miserable relationship unfold in real time .


if you dig on david mamet 's mind tricks ... rent this movie and enjoy !


a must-see for the david mamet enthusiast and for anyone who appreciates intelligent , stylish moviemaking .

a tender , witty , captivating film about friendship , love , memory , trust and loyalty .


nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .


the characters are interesting and often very creatively constructed from figure to backstory .

challenging , intermittently engrossing and unflaggingly creative .


this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work .


here 's yet another studio horror franchise mucking up its storyline with glitches casual fans could correct in their sleep .

perceptive in its vision of nascent industrialized world politics as a new art form , but far too clunky , didactic and saddled with scenes that seem simply an ill fit for this movie .


generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes .


instead of hiding pinocchio from critics , miramax should have hidden it from everyone .

the movie , directed by mick jackson , leaves no cliche unturned , from the predictable plot to the characters straight out of central casting .


majidi is an unconventional storyteller , capable of finding beauty in the most depressing places .


on this tricky topic , tadpole is very much a step in the right direction , with its blend of frankness , civility and compassion .


it 's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here 's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role .


uses high comedy to evoke surprising poignance .

a taut psychological thriller that does n't waste a moment of its two-hour running time .


it showcases carvey 's talent for voices , but not nearly enough and not without taxing every drop of one 's patience to get to the good stuff .


this is a shameless sham , calculated to cash in on the popularity of its stars .

a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance ...


a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .


it takes talent to make a lifeless movie about the most heinous man who ever lived .

there is n't nearly enough fun here , despite the presence of some appealing ingredients .


even if you do n't think -lrb- kissinger 's -rrb- any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he 'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch .

escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie .


it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study .

we know the plot 's a little crazy , but it held my interest from start to finish .


it 's as if you 're watching a movie that was made in 1978 but not released then because it was so weak , and it has been unearthed and released now , when it has become even weaker .


... a magnificent drama well worth tracking down .

reign of fire looks as if it was made without much thought -- and is best watched that way .


the piquant story needs more dramatic meat on its bones .


a tender , witty , captivating film about friendship , love , memory , trust and loyalty .


the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


it 's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here 's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role .

the iditarod lasts for days - this just felt like it did .


the terrific and bewilderingly underrated campbell scott gives a star performance that is nothing short of mesmerizing .

though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions .


tries to add some spice to its quirky sentiments but the taste is all too familiar .


there is n't nearly enough fun here , despite the presence of some appealing ingredients .

the so-inept - it 's - surreal dubbing -lrb- featuring the voices of glenn close , regis philbin and breckin meyer -rrb- brings back memories of cheesy old godzilla flicks .


the characters are interesting and often very creatively constructed from figure to backstory .


jason x is positively anti-darwinian : nine sequels and 400 years later , the teens are none the wiser and jason still kills on auto-pilot .

i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy .


a beguiling splash of pastel colors and prankish comedy from disney .


visually imaginative , thematically instructive and thoroughly delightful , it takes us on a roller-coaster ride from innocence to experience without even a hint of that typical kiddie-flick sentimentality .

far more imaginative and ambitious than the trivial , cash-in features nickelodeon has made from its other animated tv series .


it 's a cookie-cutter movie , a cut-and-paste job .


this is human comedy at its most amusing , interesting and confirming .

holm ... embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma .


it 's hampered by a lifetime-channel kind of plot and a lead actress who is out of her depth .


this is not the undisputed worst boxing movie ever , but it 's certainly not a champion - the big loser is the audience .

-lrb- t -rrb- here 's only so much anyone can do with a florid , overplotted , anne rice rock 'n' roll vampire novel before the built-in silliness of the whole affair defeats them .


sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero .


the film is quiet , threatening and unforgettable .


if looking for a thrilling sci-fi cinematic ride , do n't settle for this imposter .


every time you look , sweet home alabama is taking another bummer of a wrong turn .

the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip .


one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year .


manages to show life in all of its banality when the intention is quite the opposite .

i can take infantile humor ... but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer 's diapers .


first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film .


an unclassifiably awful study in self - and audience-abuse .


an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart .


a big , gorgeous , sprawling swashbuckler that delivers its diversions in grand , uncomplicated fashion .

drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why .


the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy .


... nothing scary here except for some awful acting and lame special effects .

i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy .


whether writer-director anne fontaine 's film is a ghost story , an account of a nervous breakdown , a trip down memory lane , all three or none of the above , it is as seductive as it is haunting .

affleck and jackson are good sparring partners .


trite , banal , cliched , mostly inoffensive .


the so-inept - it 's - surreal dubbing -lrb- featuring the voices of glenn close , regis philbin and breckin meyer -rrb- brings back memories of cheesy old godzilla flicks .

it 's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that 's often written off as indie film naturalism .


ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid .


manages to be both repulsively sadistic and mundane .

this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


but it 's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle .

the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well .


though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions .


fresnadillo 's dark and jolting images have a way of plying into your subconscious like the nightmare you had a week ago that wo n't go away .

a strangely compelling and brilliantly acted psychological drama .


and when you 're talking about a slapstick comedy , that 's a pretty big problem .


it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .

a difficult , absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear .


i thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as i slogged my way through clockstoppers .


it 's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that 's often written off as indie film naturalism .

i can take infantile humor ... but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer 's diapers .


may be far from the best of the series , but it 's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation .


some of their jokes work , but most fail miserably and in the end , pumpkin is far more offensive than it is funny .


fresnadillo 's dark and jolting images have a way of plying into your subconscious like the nightmare you had a week ago that wo n't go away .


the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you 're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships .

adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized .


it is great summer fun to watch arnold and his buddy gerald bounce off a quirky cast of characters .


the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy .


the film is quiet , threatening and unforgettable .


despite the 2-d animation , the wild thornberrys movie makes for a surprisingly cinematic experience .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


mattei is tiresomely grave and long-winded , as if circularity itself indicated profundity .


every dance becomes about seduction , where backstabbing and betrayals are celebrated , and sex is currency .

in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i 'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey .


it 's great escapist fun that recreates a place and time that will never happen again .


the movie , directed by mick jackson , leaves no cliche unturned , from the predictable plot to the characters straight out of central casting .

... a hollow joke told by a cinematic gymnast having too much fun embellishing the misanthropic tale to actually engage it .


reggio 's continual visual barrage is absorbing as well as thought-provoking .


whether you like rap music or loathe it , you ca n't deny either the tragic loss of two young men in the prime of their talent or the power of this movie .


pumpkin takes an admirable look at the hypocrisy of political correctness , but it does so with such an uneven tone that you never know when humor ends and tragedy begins .


uses high comedy to evoke surprising poignance .


what the director ca n't do is make either of val kilmer 's two personas interesting or worth caring about .


the humor is forced and heavy-handed , and occasionally simply unpleasant .

dull , lifeless , and amateurishly assembled .


jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory .


rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment .


aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better .

offers much to enjoy ... and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends .


indifferently implausible popcorn programmer of a movie .


but taken as a stylish and energetic one-shot , the queen of the damned can not be said to suck .

rare birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable .


nelson 's brutally unsentimental approach ... sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle .


a taut psychological thriller that does n't waste a moment of its two-hour running time .

you do n't have to know about music to appreciate the film 's easygoing blend of comedy and romance .


it 's a cookie-cutter movie , a cut-and-paste job .


although german cooking does not come readily to mind when considering the world 's best cuisine , mostly martha could make deutchland a popular destination for hungry tourists .

first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film .


comes ... uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief .


holm ... embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma .

the terrific and bewilderingly underrated campbell scott gives a star performance that is nothing short of mesmerizing .


it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment .


scooby dooby doo \/ and shaggy too \/ you both look and sound great .


mattei is tiresomely grave and long-winded , as if circularity itself indicated profundity .


it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as ` worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that .

moretti 's compelling anatomy of grief and the difficult process of adapting to loss .


it feels like an after-school special gussied up with some fancy special effects , and watching its rote plot points connect is about as exciting as gazing at an egg timer for 93 minutes .

the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip .


falls neatly into the category of good stupid fun .


it 's dumb , but more importantly , it 's just not scary .

adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized .


blanchett 's performance confirms her power once again .


in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in .


for all its impressive craftsmanship , and despite an overbearing series of third-act crescendos , lily chou-chou never really builds up a head of emotional steam .


even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting .

it 's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here 's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role .


ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid .


has a lot of the virtues of eastwood at his best .

for the most part , director anne-sophie birot 's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama .


it 's a grab bag of genres that do n't add up to a whole lot of sense .


ultimately feels empty and unsatisfying , like swallowing a communion wafer without the wine .

the overall effect is less like a children 's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts .


a working class `` us vs. them '' opera that leaves no heartstring untugged and no liberal cause unplundered .


his last movie was poetically romantic and full of indelible images , but his latest has nothing going for it .

with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge .


a quiet treasure -- a film to be savored .


if steven soderbergh 's ` solaris ' is a failure it is a glorious failure .

i just loved every minute of this film .


this is n't even madonna 's swept away .


unlike the speedy wham-bam effect of most hollywood offerings , character development -- and more importantly , character empathy -- is at the heart of italian for beginners .


it 's another stale , kill-by-numbers flick , complete with blade-thin characters and terrible , pun-laden dialogue .


bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .

not since tom cruise in risky business has an actor made such a strong impression in his underwear .


comes ... uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief .


although huppert 's intensity and focus has a raw exhilaration about it , the piano teacher is anything but fun .

it 's dumb , but more importantly , it 's just not scary .


a rarity among recent iranian films : it 's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist 's plight .

the performances take the movie to a higher level .


what the director ca n't do is make either of val kilmer 's two personas interesting or worth caring about .


true tale of courage -- and complicity -- at auschwitz is a harrowing drama that tries to tell of the unspeakable .


but it 's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle .


the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie ... is that he obviously does n't have his heart in it .

the film 's few ideas are stretched to the point of evaporation ; the whole central section is one big chase that seems to have no goal and no urgency .


-lrb- lawrence bounces -rrb- all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place .


all that 's missing is the spontaneity , originality and delight .


it haunts you , you ca n't forget it , you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it .


mr. tsai is a very original artist in his medium , and what time is it there ?

it deserves to be seen by anyone with even a passing interest in the events shaping the world beyond their own horizons .


feels haphazard , as if the writers mistakenly thought they could achieve an air of frantic spontaneity by simply tossing in lots of characters doing silly stuff and stirring the pot .


it 's clear the filmmakers were n't sure where they wanted their story to go , and even more clear that they lack the skills to get us to this undetermined destination .

sam mendes has become valedictorian at the school for soft landings and easy ways out .


despite the 2-d animation , the wild thornberrys movie makes for a surprisingly cinematic experience .


i do n't think i laughed out loud once .

it 's clear the filmmakers were n't sure where they wanted their story to go , and even more clear that they lack the skills to get us to this undetermined destination .


with rabbit-proof fence , noyce has tailored an epic tale into a lean , economical movie .


it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i ca n't wait for the sequel .

rare birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable .


his last movie was poetically romantic and full of indelible images , but his latest has nothing going for it .


a celebration of quirkiness , eccentricity , and certain individuals ' tendency to let it all hang out , and damn the consequences .

the wild thornberrys movie is a jolly surprise .


while -lrb- hill -rrb- has learned new tricks , the tricks alone are not enough to salvage this lifeless boxing film .


it 's hard to like a film about a guy who is utterly unlikeable , and shiner , starring michael caine as an aging british boxing promoter desperate for a taste of fame and fortune , is certainly that .

a valueless kiddie paean to pro basketball underwritten by the nba .


the performances take the movie to a higher level .


first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film .

it 's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman .


the heavy-handed film is almost laughable as a consequence .

the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy .


bennett 's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any ` reality ' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .

american chai encourages rueful laughter at stereotypes only an indian-american would recognize .


the format gets used best ... to capture the dizzying heights achieved by motocross and bmx riders , whose balletic hotdogging occasionally ends in bone-crushing screwups .


shaky close-ups of turkey-on-rolls , stubbly chins , liver spots , red noses and the filmmakers new bobbed do draw easy chuckles but lead nowhere .

but it 's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle .


two hours fly by -- opera 's a pleasure when you do n't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated .


american chai encourages rueful laughter at stereotypes only an indian-american would recognize .

determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor did n't quite engage this adult .


the characters are interesting and often very creatively constructed from figure to backstory .