maybe there 's a metaphor here , but figuring it out would n't make trouble every day any better .

one can only assume that the jury who bestowed star hoffman 's brother gordy with the waldo salt screenwriting award at 2002 's sundance festival were honoring an attempt to do something different over actually pulling it off


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


what starts off as a potentially incredibly twisting mystery becomes simply a monster chase film .


a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one .


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

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


with this masterful , flawless film , -lrb- wang -rrb- emerges in the front ranks of china 's now numerous , world-renowned filmmakers .


with an admirably dark first script by brent hanley , paxton , making his directorial feature debut , does strong , measured work .

it must be the end of the world : the best film so far this year is a franchise sequel starring wesley snipes .


even accepting this in the right frame of mind can only provide it with so much leniency .


there are so few films about the plight of american indians in modern america that skins comes as a welcome , if downbeat , missive from a forgotten front .

the film has a terrific look and salma hayek has a feel for the character at all stages of her life .


the film is so busy making reference to other films and trying to be other films that it fails to have a heart , mind or humor of its own .


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '

an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder .


one of those films that seems tailor made to air on pay cable to offer some modest amusements when one has nothing else to watch .

a droll , bitchy frolic which pokes fun at the price of popularity and small-town pretension in the lone star state .


although frailty fits into a classic genre , in its script and execution it is a remarkably original work .

i love the opening scenes of a wintry new york city in 1899 .


... too contrived to be as naturally charming as it needs to be .


the events of the film are just so weird that i honestly never knew what the hell was coming next .


-lrb- rises -rrb- above its oh-so-hollywood rejiggering and its conventional direction to give the film a soul and an unabashed sense of good old-fashioned escapism .


as comedic spotlights go , notorious c.h.o. hits all the verbal marks it should .

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


a waterlogged version of ` fatal attraction ' for the teeny-bopper set ... a sad , soggy potboiler that wastes the talents of its attractive young leads .


-lrb- rises -rrb- above its oh-so-hollywood rejiggering and its conventional direction to give the film a soul and an unabashed sense of good old-fashioned escapism .

undoubtedly the scariest movie ever made about tattoos .


does n't deserve a passing grade -lrb- even on a curve -rrb- .


` if you are in the mood for an intelligent weepy , it can easily worm its way into your heart . '


a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up 's i 'm the one that i want .


serious movie-goers embarking upon this journey will find that the road to perdition leads to a satisfying destination .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .

tully is in many ways the perfect festival film : a calm , self-assured portrait of small town regret , love , duty and friendship that appeals to the storytelling instincts of a slightly more literate filmgoing audience .


spider-man is about growing strange hairs , getting a more mature body , and finding it necessary to hide new secretions from the parental units .


angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .

a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices .


so devoid of pleasure or sensuality that it can not even be dubbed hedonistic .


with an unusual protagonist -lrb- a kilt-wearing jackson -rrb- and subject matter , the improbable `` formula 51 '' is somewhat entertaining , but it could have been much stronger .

the low-key direction is pleasingly emphatic in this properly intense , claustrophobic tale of obsessive love .


adrift , bentley and hudson stare and sniffle , respectively , as ledger attempts , in vain , to prove that movie-star intensity can overcome bad hair design .


the acting , for the most part , is terrific , although the actors must struggle with the fact that they 're playing characters who sometimes feel more like literary conceits than flesh-and-blood humans .

if you 're down for a silly hack-and-slash flick , you can do no wrong with jason x.


a moving tale of love and destruction in unexpected places , unexamined lives .

it all plays out ... like a high-end john hughes comedy , a kind of elder bueller 's time out .


nicks and steinberg match their own creations for pure venality -- that 's giving it the old college try .

the script has less spice than a rat burger and the rock 's fighting skills are more in line with steven seagal .


stevens ' vibrant creative instincts are the difference between this and countless other flicks about guys and dolls .


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

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


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


a hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture .

` film aficionados can not help but love cinema paradiso , whether the original version or new director 's cut . '


too much of storytelling moves away from solondz 's social critique , casting its audience as that of intellectual lector in contemplation of the auteur 's professional injuries .


the characters are more deeply thought through than in most ` right-thinking ' films .


problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .

little more than a well-mounted history lesson .


the acting , for the most part , is terrific , although the actors must struggle with the fact that they 're playing characters who sometimes feel more like literary conceits than flesh-and-blood humans .


the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms. bullock 's best work in some time .

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


nicks and steinberg match their own creations for pure venality -- that 's giving it the old college try .


there are so few films about the plight of american indians in modern america that skins comes as a welcome , if downbeat , missive from a forgotten front .


full frontal , which opens today nationwide , could almost be classified as a movie-industry satire , but it lacks the generous inclusiveness that is the genre 's definitive , if disingenuous , feature .


the film is so busy making reference to other films and trying to be other films that it fails to have a heart , mind or humor of its own .


with this masterful , flawless film , -lrb- wang -rrb- emerges in the front ranks of china 's now numerous , world-renowned filmmakers .


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


fortunately , elling never gets too cloying thanks to the actors ' perfect comic timing and sweet , genuine chemistry .


the adventures of pluto nash is a whole lot of nada .


it 's never dull and always looks good .


on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience .

` if you are in the mood for an intelligent weepy , it can easily worm its way into your heart . '


the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers .


a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera .

the bottom line with nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series : fans will undoubtedly enjoy it , and the uncommitted need n't waste their time on it .


an inexperienced director , mehta has much to learn .


impostor is a step down for director gary fleder .


the re-release of ron howard 's apollo 13 in the imax format proves absolutely that really , really , really good things can come in enormous packages .


a beguiling evocation of the quality that keeps dickens evergreen : the exuberant openness with which he expresses our most basic emotions .

what makes the film special is the refreshingly unhibited enthusiasm that the people , in spite of clearly evident poverty and hardship , bring to their music .


an overstylized , puréed mélange of sex , psychology , drugs and philosophy .


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

the solid filmmaking and convincing characters makes this a high water mark for this genre .


like life on the island , the movie grows boring despite the scenery .


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

the film has -lrb- its -rrb- moments , but they are few and far between .


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '


long before it 's over , you 'll be thinking of 51 ways to leave this loser .


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

even accepting this in the right frame of mind can only provide it with so much leniency .


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


a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level .


i have a new favorite musical -- and i 'm not even a fan of the genre


blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- , the movie is powerful and provocative .

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


yet another iteration of what 's become one of the movies ' creepiest conventions , in which the developmentally disabled are portrayed with almost supernatural powers to humble , teach and ultimately redeem their mentally `` superior '' friends , family ...


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


although shot with little style , skins is heartfelt and achingly real .

with an unusual protagonist -lrb- a kilt-wearing jackson -rrb- and subject matter , the improbable `` formula 51 '' is somewhat entertaining , but it could have been much stronger .


jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder .

imagine susan sontag falling in love with howard stern .


it 's a wonderful , sobering , heart-felt drama .

it celebrates the group 's playful spark of nonconformity , glancing vividly back at what hibiscus grandly called his ` angels of light . '


the events of the film are just so weird that i honestly never knew what the hell was coming next .


your children will be occupied for 72 minutes .

a buoyant romantic comedy about friendship , love , and the truth that we 're all in this together .


too much of storytelling moves away from solondz 's social critique , casting its audience as that of intellectual lector in contemplation of the auteur 's professional injuries .


the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers .

one ca n't shake the feeling that crossroads is nothing more than an hour-and-a-half-long commercial for britney 's latest album .


woody allen has really found his groove these days .


the re-release of ron howard 's apollo 13 in the imax format proves absolutely that really , really , really good things can come in enormous packages .


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


eddie murphy and owen wilson have a cute partnership in i spy , but the movie around them is so often nearly nothing that their charm does n't do a load of good .

the adventures of pluto nash is a whole lot of nada .


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


the beautiful images and solemn words can not disguise the slack complacency of -lrb- godard 's -rrb- vision , any more than the gorgeous piano and strings on the soundtrack can drown out the tinny self-righteousness of his voice .


a harrowing account of a psychological breakdown .

with an admirably dark first script by brent hanley , paxton , making his directorial feature debut , does strong , measured work .


though it pretends to expose the life of male hustlers , it 's exploitive without being insightful .


there are now two signs that m. night shyamalan 's debut feature sucked up all he has to give to the mystic genres of cinema : unbreakable and signs .


exudes the fizz of a busby berkeley musical and the visceral excitement of a sports extravaganza .


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


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


the film does n't sustain its initial promise with a jarring , new-agey tone creeping into the second half

even accepting this in the right frame of mind can only provide it with so much leniency .


as a film director , labute continues to improve .


an energizing , intoxicating documentary charting the rise of hip-hop culture in general and the art of scratching -lrb- or turntablism -rrb- in particular .

if you 're down for a silly hack-and-slash flick , you can do no wrong with jason x.


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


if there was ever a movie where the upbeat ending feels like a copout , this is the one .

while some of the camera work is interesting , the film 's mid-to-low budget is betrayed by the surprisingly shoddy makeup work .


the film has a terrific look and salma hayek has a feel for the character at all stages of her life .


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

but there 's plenty to offend everyone ...


does n't deserve a passing grade -lrb- even on a curve -rrb- .

a lightweight , uneven action comedy that freely mingles french , japanese and hollywood cultures .


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


a sloppy slapstick throwback to long gone bottom-of-the-bill fare like the ghost and mr. chicken .

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


what makes the film special is the refreshingly unhibited enthusiasm that the people , in spite of clearly evident poverty and hardship , bring to their music .


what makes the film special is the refreshingly unhibited enthusiasm that the people , in spite of clearly evident poverty and hardship , bring to their music .

an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


depicts the sorriest and most sordid of human behavior on the screen , then laughs at how clever it 's being .


hawn and sarandon form an acting bond that makes the banger sisters a fascinating character study with laughs to spare .

imamura has said that warm water under a red bridge is a poem to the enduring strengths of women .


the film starts promisingly , but the ending is all too predictable and far too cliched to really work .


how this one escaped the lifetime network i 'll never know .

problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


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

it establishes its ominous mood and tension swiftly , and if the suspense never rises to a higher level , it is nevertheless maintained throughout .


this low-rent -- and even lower-wit -- rip-off of the farrelly brothers ' oeuvre gets way too mushy -- and in a relatively short amount of time .


i have a new favorite musical -- and i 'm not even a fan of the genre

waiting for godard can be fruitful : ` in praise of love ' is the director 's epitaph for himself .


first , for a movie that tries to be smart , it 's kinda dumb .

cinematic pyrotechnics aside , the only thing avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude .


even with all its botches , enigma offers all the pleasure of a handsome and well-made entertainment .

a hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture .


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


the low-key direction is pleasingly emphatic in this properly intense , claustrophobic tale of obsessive love .

a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


an overstylized , puréed mélange of sex , psychology , drugs and philosophy .


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

it 's difficult to conceive of anyone who has reached puberty actually finding the characters in slackers or their antics amusing , let alone funny .


with so many bad romances out there , this is the kind of movie that deserves a chance to shine .


the film starts promisingly , but the ending is all too predictable and far too cliched to really work .

an inexperienced director , mehta has much to learn .


full frontal , which opens today nationwide , could almost be classified as a movie-industry satire , but it lacks the generous inclusiveness that is the genre 's definitive , if disingenuous , feature .

if ever such a dependable concept was botched in execution , this is it .


` film aficionados can not help but love cinema paradiso , whether the original version or new director 's cut . '


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

as a feature-length film , it wears out its welcome as tryingly as the title character .


though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .


the characters are based on stock clichés , and the attempt to complicate the story only defies credibility .

cherry orchard is badly edited , often awkwardly directed and suffers from the addition of a wholly unnecessary pre-credit sequence designed to give some of the characters a ` back story . '


i love the opening scenes of a wintry new york city in 1899 .


this is an insultingly inept and artificial examination of grief and its impacts upon the relationships of the survivors .

the film has -lrb- its -rrb- moments , but they are few and far between .


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


it celebrates the group 's playful spark of nonconformity , glancing vividly back at what hibiscus grandly called his ` angels of light . '


it ai n't art , by a long shot , but unlike last year 's lame musketeer , this dumas adaptation entertains .

the solid filmmaking and convincing characters makes this a high water mark for this genre .


full frontal , which opens today nationwide , could almost be classified as a movie-industry satire , but it lacks the generous inclusiveness that is the genre 's definitive , if disingenuous , feature .


one of those films that seems tailor made to air on pay cable to offer some modest amusements when one has nothing else to watch .


a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices .


a soul-stirring documentary about the israeli\/palestinian conflict as revealed through the eyes of some children who remain curious about each other against all odds .

a poignant and gently humorous parable that loves its characters and communicates something rather beautiful about human nature .


maybe there 's a metaphor here , but figuring it out would n't make trouble every day any better .


it 's good , hard-edged stuff , violent and a bit exploitative but also nicely done , morally alert and street-smart .

if you 're down for a silly hack-and-slash flick , you can do no wrong with jason x.


hollywood ending is the most disappointing woody allen movie ever .

the problem with the bread , my sweet is that it 's far too sentimental .


a rambling ensemble piece with loosely connected characters and plots that never quite gel .


the problem with the bread , my sweet is that it 's far too sentimental .

never inspires more than an interested detachment .


fortunately , elling never gets too cloying thanks to the actors ' perfect comic timing and sweet , genuine chemistry .


and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .

dogtown & z-boys evokes the blithe rebel fantasy with the kind of insouciance embedded in the sexy demise of james dean .


though it pretends to expose the life of male hustlers , it 's exploitive without being insightful .


make like the title and dodge this one .

jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder .


the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms. bullock 's best work in some time .


waiting for godard can be fruitful : ` in praise of love ' is the director 's epitaph for himself .

these people are really going to love the piano teacher .


a sloppy slapstick throwback to long gone bottom-of-the-bill fare like the ghost and mr. chicken .


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


it 's never dull and always looks good .


although frailty fits into a classic genre , in its script and execution it is a remarkably original work .


a loud , brash and mainly unfunny high school comedy .


imagine kevin smith , the blasphemous bad boy of suburban jersey , if he were stripped of most of his budget and all of his sense of humor .


offers a clear-eyed chronicle of a female friendship that is more complex and honest than anything represented in a hollywood film .


everything about girls ca n't swim , even its passages of sensitive observation , feels secondhand , familiar -- and not in a good way .


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '


the bottom line with nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series : fans will undoubtedly enjoy it , and the uncommitted need n't waste their time on it .

it ai n't art , by a long shot , but unlike last year 's lame musketeer , this dumas adaptation entertains .


a droll , bitchy frolic which pokes fun at the price of popularity and small-town pretension in the lone star state .

like the hanks character , he 's a slow study : the action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed .


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


what 's really sad is to see two academy award winning actresses -lrb- and one academy award winning actor -rrb- succumb to appearing in this junk that 's tv sitcom material at best .


hawn and sarandon form an acting bond that makes the banger sisters a fascinating character study with laughs to spare .


ourside the theatre roger might be intolerable company , but inside it he 's well worth spending some time with .

though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .


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

it collapses when mr. taylor tries to shift the tone to a thriller 's rush .


an energizing , intoxicating documentary charting the rise of hip-hop culture in general and the art of scratching -lrb- or turntablism -rrb- in particular .


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


the film has -lrb- its -rrb- moments , but they are few and far between .


adam sandler 's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt

an inexperienced director , mehta has much to learn .


a weird little movie that 's amusing enough while you watch it , offering fine acting moments and pungent insights into modern l.a. 's show-biz and media subcultures .


the film has -lrb- its -rrb- moments , but they are few and far between .

to the filmmakers , ivan is a prince of a fellow , but he comes across as shallow and glib though not mean-spirited , and there 's no indication that he 's been responsible for putting together any movies of particular value or merit .


the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


woody allen has really found his groove these days .


like life on the island , the movie grows boring despite the scenery .


contrived , maudlin and cliche-ridden ... if this sappy script was the best the contest received , those rejected must have been astronomically bad .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


i 'm sorry to say that this should seal the deal - arnold is not , nor will he be , back .

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


an edifying glimpse into the wit and revolutionary spirit of these performers and their era .


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

no amount of arty theorizing -- the special effects are ` german-expressionist , ' according to the press notes -- can render it anything but laughable .


nothing happens , and it happens to flat characters .

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


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '


the film has a terrific look and salma hayek has a feel for the character at all stages of her life .


the country bears wastes an exceptionally good idea .


while easier to sit through than most of jaglom 's self-conscious and gratingly irritating films , it 's still tainted by cliches , painful improbability and murky points .

a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level .


one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead .


a film of delicate interpersonal dances .

a harrowing account of a psychological breakdown .


one ca n't shake the feeling that crossroads is nothing more than an hour-and-a-half-long commercial for britney 's latest album .


like the hanks character , he 's a slow study : the action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed .

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


with this masterful , flawless film , -lrb- wang -rrb- emerges in the front ranks of china 's now numerous , world-renowned filmmakers .

your children will be occupied for 72 minutes .


if divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood suffers from a ploddingly melodramatic structure , it comes to life in the performances .


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


lovingly photographed in the manner of a golden book sprung to life , stuart little 2 manages sweetness largely without stickiness .


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

the film was produced by jerry bruckheimer and directed by joel schumacher , and reflects the worst of their shallow styles : wildly overproduced , inadequately motivated every step of the way and demographically targeted to please every one -lrb- and no one -rrb- .


angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .


a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up 's i 'm the one that i want .


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

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


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


if you 're as happy listening to movies as you are watching them , and the slow parade of human frailty fascinates you , then you 're at the right film .

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


a sloppy slapstick throwback to long gone bottom-of-the-bill fare like the ghost and mr. chicken .


the movie is so resolutely cobbled together out of older movies that it even uses a totally unnecessary prologue , just because it seems obligatory .

as a feature-length film , it wears out its welcome as tryingly as the title character .


the bottom line with nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series : fans will undoubtedly enjoy it , and the uncommitted need n't waste their time on it .


tully is in many ways the perfect festival film : a calm , self-assured portrait of small town regret , love , duty and friendship that appeals to the storytelling instincts of a slightly more literate filmgoing audience .

blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- , the movie is powerful and provocative .


the script was reportedly rewritten a dozen times -- either 11 times too many or else too few .

cinematic pyrotechnics aside , the only thing avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude .


i have a new favorite musical -- and i 'm not even a fan of the genre


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


ourside the theatre roger might be intolerable company , but inside it he 's well worth spending some time with .


a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one .

the emotion is impressively true for being so hot-blooded , and both leads are up to the task .


a lightweight , uneven action comedy that freely mingles french , japanese and hollywood cultures .


imamura has said that warm water under a red bridge is a poem to the enduring strengths of women .


what they 're doing is a matter of plumbing arrangements and mind games , of no erotic or sensuous charge .


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

the solid filmmaking and convincing characters makes this a high water mark for this genre .


when your subject is illusion versus reality , should n't the reality seem at least passably real ?


there 's nothing to gain from watching they .

to the filmmakers , ivan is a prince of a fellow , but he comes across as shallow and glib though not mean-spirited , and there 's no indication that he 's been responsible for putting together any movies of particular value or merit .


at times , the movie looks genuinely pretty .


imagine susan sontag falling in love with howard stern .


tully is in many ways the perfect festival film : a calm , self-assured portrait of small town regret , love , duty and friendship that appeals to the storytelling instincts of a slightly more literate filmgoing audience .


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


adam sandler 's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt


too much of storytelling moves away from solondz 's social critique , casting its audience as that of intellectual lector in contemplation of the auteur 's professional injuries .


a film of delicate interpersonal dances .


richard pryor mined his personal horrors and came up with a treasure chest of material , but lawrence gives us mostly fool 's gold .

cherry orchard is badly edited , often awkwardly directed and suffers from the addition of a wholly unnecessary pre-credit sequence designed to give some of the characters a ` back story . '


your 20th outing shows off a lot of stamina and vitality , and get this , madonna 's cameo does n't suck !


a sham construct based on theory , sleight-of-hand , and ill-wrought hypothesis .

it 's difficult to conceive of anyone who has reached puberty actually finding the characters in slackers or their antics amusing , let alone funny .


a soul-stirring documentary about the israeli\/palestinian conflict as revealed through the eyes of some children who remain curious about each other against all odds .


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

imagine susan sontag falling in love with howard stern .


visually breathtaking , viscerally exciting , and dramatically moving , it 's the very definition of epic adventure .


there 's got to be a more graceful way of portraying the devastation of this disease .


and thanks to kline 's superbly nuanced performance , that pondering is highly pleasurable .

an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '


nothing happens , and it happens to flat characters .


this gorgeous epic is guaranteed to lift the spirits of the whole family .

happily stays close to the ground in a spare and simple manner and does n't pummel us with phony imagery or music .


spider-man is about growing strange hairs , getting a more mature body , and finding it necessary to hide new secretions from the parental units .


like life on the island , the movie grows boring despite the scenery .


a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up 's i 'm the one that i want .


cherry orchard is badly edited , often awkwardly directed and suffers from the addition of a wholly unnecessary pre-credit sequence designed to give some of the characters a ` back story . '

first-time director joão pedro rodrigues ' unwillingness to define his hero 's background or motivations becomes more and more frustrating as the film goes on .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


i 'd be hard pressed to think of a film more cloyingly sappy than evelyn this year .

... the whole thing succeeded only in making me groggy .


the re-release of ron howard 's apollo 13 in the imax format proves absolutely that really , really , really good things can come in enormous packages .


first , for a movie that tries to be smart , it 's kinda dumb .


but it also has many of the things that made the first one charming .


an edifying glimpse into the wit and revolutionary spirit of these performers and their era .


although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .


depicts the sorriest and most sordid of human behavior on the screen , then laughs at how clever it 's being .

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


a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices .

whether or not you 're enlightened by any of derrida 's lectures on `` the other '' and `` the self , '' derrida is an undeniably fascinating and playful fellow .


... too contrived to be as naturally charming as it needs to be .


the film , despite the gratuitous cinematic distractions impressed upon it , is still good fun .

turturro is fabulously funny and over the top as a ` very sneaky ' butler who excels in the art of impossible disappearing\/reappearing acts


little more than a well-mounted history lesson .


happily stays close to the ground in a spare and simple manner and does n't pummel us with phony imagery or music .

while insomnia is in many ways a conventional , even predictable remake , nolan 's penetrating undercurrent of cerebral and cinemantic flair lends -lrb- it -rrb- stimulating depth .


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


while insomnia is in many ways a conventional , even predictable remake , nolan 's penetrating undercurrent of cerebral and cinemantic flair lends -lrb- it -rrb- stimulating depth .

it ai n't art , by a long shot , but unlike last year 's lame musketeer , this dumas adaptation entertains .


one can only assume that the jury who bestowed star hoffman 's brother gordy with the waldo salt screenwriting award at 2002 's sundance festival were honoring an attempt to do something different over actually pulling it off


the characters are more deeply thought through than in most ` right-thinking ' films .


there 's nothing to gain from watching they .


i love the opening scenes of a wintry new york city in 1899 .

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


while some of the camera work is interesting , the film 's mid-to-low budget is betrayed by the surprisingly shoddy makeup work .


while most films these days are about nothing , this film seems to be about everything that 's plaguing the human spirit in a relentlessly globalizing world .

a poignant and gently humorous parable that loves its characters and communicates something rather beautiful about human nature .


impostor is a step down for director gary fleder .


no amount of arty theorizing -- the special effects are ` german-expressionist , ' according to the press notes -- can render it anything but laughable .

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


a weird little movie that 's amusing enough while you watch it , offering fine acting moments and pungent insights into modern l.a. 's show-biz and media subcultures .


a lightweight , uneven action comedy that freely mingles french , japanese and hollywood cultures .

the film never finds its tone and several scenes run too long .


offers a clear-eyed chronicle of a female friendship that is more complex and honest than anything represented in a hollywood film .

it is scott 's convincing portrayal of roger the sad cad that really gives the film its oomph .


its initial excitement settles into a warmed over pastiche .


if you 're the kind of parent who enjoys intentionally introducing your kids to films which will cause loads of irreparable damage that years and years of costly analysis could never fix , i have just one word for you - -- decasia


this gorgeous epic is guaranteed to lift the spirits of the whole family .


an overstylized , puréed mélange of sex , psychology , drugs and philosophy .

problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one .


but it also has many of the things that made the first one charming .


a loud , brash and mainly unfunny high school comedy .


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


a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera .


while easier to sit through than most of jaglom 's self-conscious and gratingly irritating films , it 's still tainted by cliches , painful improbability and murky points .


if you 're down for a silly hack-and-slash flick , you can do no wrong with jason x.

the acting , for the most part , is terrific , although the actors must struggle with the fact that they 're playing characters who sometimes feel more like literary conceits than flesh-and-blood humans .


comes off as a long , laborious whine , the bellyaching of a paranoid and unlikable man .


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

boasts a handful of virtuosic set pieces and offers a fair amount of trashy , kinky fun .


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

the emotion is impressively true for being so hot-blooded , and both leads are up to the task .


a sham construct based on theory , sleight-of-hand , and ill-wrought hypothesis .


spielberg 's picture is smarter and subtler than -lrb- total recall and blade runner -rrb- , although its plot may prove too convoluted for fun-seeking summer audiences .

an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


... unlike -lrb- scorsese 's mean streets -rrb- , ash wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot .


though it pretends to expose the life of male hustlers , it 's exploitive without being insightful .

so devoid of pleasure or sensuality that it can not even be dubbed hedonistic .


one of those rare films that come by once in a while with flawless amounts of acting , direction , story and pace .


but seriously , folks , it does n't work .


if you 're as happy listening to movies as you are watching them , and the slow parade of human frailty fascinates you , then you 're at the right film .


fortunately , elling never gets too cloying thanks to the actors ' perfect comic timing and sweet , genuine chemistry .

the wonder of mostly martha is the performance of gedeck , who makes martha enormously endearing .


too much of storytelling moves away from solondz 's social critique , casting its audience as that of intellectual lector in contemplation of the auteur 's professional injuries .


your 20th outing shows off a lot of stamina and vitality , and get this , madonna 's cameo does n't suck !


adults , other than the parents ... will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild .


an inexperienced director , mehta has much to learn .

cherry orchard is badly edited , often awkwardly directed and suffers from the addition of a wholly unnecessary pre-credit sequence designed to give some of the characters a ` back story . '


the adventures of pluto nash is a whole lot of nada .

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


it is scott 's convincing portrayal of roger the sad cad that really gives the film its oomph .


the beautiful images and solemn words can not disguise the slack complacency of -lrb- godard 's -rrb- vision , any more than the gorgeous piano and strings on the soundtrack can drown out the tinny self-righteousness of his voice .


while insomnia is in many ways a conventional , even predictable remake , nolan 's penetrating undercurrent of cerebral and cinemantic flair lends -lrb- it -rrb- stimulating depth .


at times , the movie looks genuinely pretty .

` film aficionados can not help but love cinema paradiso , whether the original version or new director 's cut . '


enough is not a bad movie , just mediocre .

never inspires more than an interested detachment .


almodovar is an imaginative teacher of emotional intelligence in this engaging film about two men who discover what william james once called ` the gift of tears . '

as comedic spotlights go , notorious c.h.o. hits all the verbal marks it should .


a portrait of hell so shattering it 's impossible to shake .

a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera .


it collapses when mr. taylor tries to shift the tone to a thriller 's rush .


an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .

at times , the movie looks genuinely pretty .


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


the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .

it celebrates the group 's playful spark of nonconformity , glancing vividly back at what hibiscus grandly called his ` angels of light . '


what starts off as a potentially incredibly twisting mystery becomes simply a monster chase film .


sensual , funny and , in the end , very touching .

and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .


full frontal , which opens today nationwide , could almost be classified as a movie-industry satire , but it lacks the generous inclusiveness that is the genre 's definitive , if disingenuous , feature .


even accepting this in the right frame of mind can only provide it with so much leniency .

a loud , brash and mainly unfunny high school comedy .


... the whole thing succeeded only in making me groggy .


a harrowing account of a psychological breakdown .


the re-release of ron howard 's apollo 13 in the imax format proves absolutely that really , really , really good things can come in enormous packages .


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


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

when your subject is illusion versus reality , should n't the reality seem at least passably real ?


the film , despite the gratuitous cinematic distractions impressed upon it , is still good fun .


it must be the end of the world : the best film so far this year is a franchise sequel starring wesley snipes .


while some of the camera work is interesting , the film 's mid-to-low budget is betrayed by the surprisingly shoddy makeup work .


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

lovingly photographed in the manner of a golden book sprung to life , stuart little 2 manages sweetness largely without stickiness .


this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


it 's fairly solid -- not to mention well edited so that it certainly does n't feel like a film that strays past the two and a half mark .

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


adults , other than the parents ... will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild .


but the movie 's narrative hook is way too muddled to be an effectively chilling guilty pleasure .

the whole film has this sneaky feel to it -- as if the director is trying to dupe the viewer into taking it all as very important simply because the movie is ugly to look at and not a hollywood product .


and we do n't avert our eyes for a moment .


the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers .


an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


if you 're willing to have fun with it , you wo n't feel cheated by the high infidelity of unfaithful .

on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience .


the script was reportedly rewritten a dozen times -- either 11 times too many or else too few .


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

this low-rent -- and even lower-wit -- rip-off of the farrelly brothers ' oeuvre gets way too mushy -- and in a relatively short amount of time .


and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .


the story 's scope and pageantry are mesmerizing , and mr. day-lewis roars with leonine power .

the wonder of mostly martha is the performance of gedeck , who makes martha enormously endearing .


this is an insultingly inept and artificial examination of grief and its impacts upon the relationships of the survivors .


a bittersweet contemporary comedy about benevolent deception , which , while it may not rival the filmmaker 's period pieces , is still very much worth seeing .


the script has less spice than a rat burger and the rock 's fighting skills are more in line with steven seagal .


stevens ' vibrant creative instincts are the difference between this and countless other flicks about guys and dolls .

a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices .


the lady and the duke is a smart , romantic drama that dares to depict the french revolution from the aristocrats ' perspective .


yet another iteration of what 's become one of the movies ' creepiest conventions , in which the developmentally disabled are portrayed with almost supernatural powers to humble , teach and ultimately redeem their mentally `` superior '' friends , family ...


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


hawn and sarandon form an acting bond that makes the banger sisters a fascinating character study with laughs to spare .


a lightweight , uneven action comedy that freely mingles french , japanese and hollywood cultures .


pretend like your sat scores are below 120 and you might not notice the flaws .


though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .


what starts off as a potentially incredibly twisting mystery becomes simply a monster chase film .

this is a fragmented film , once a good idea that was followed by the bad idea to turn it into a movie .


a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one .


cherry orchard is badly edited , often awkwardly directed and suffers from the addition of a wholly unnecessary pre-credit sequence designed to give some of the characters a ` back story . '


little more than a well-mounted history lesson .

what 's hard to understand is why anybody picked it up .


what they 're doing is a matter of plumbing arrangements and mind games , of no erotic or sensuous charge .


it establishes its ominous mood and tension swiftly , and if the suspense never rises to a higher level , it is nevertheless maintained throughout .


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


mostly , shafer and co-writer gregory hinton lack a strong-minded viewpoint , or a sense of humor .


a rambling ensemble piece with loosely connected characters and plots that never quite gel .

this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


dogtown & z-boys evokes the blithe rebel fantasy with the kind of insouciance embedded in the sexy demise of james dean .

one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead .


for all its shoot-outs , fistfights , and car chases , this movie is a phlegmatic bore , so tedious it makes the silly spy vs. spy film the sum of all fears , starring ben affleck , seem downright hitchcockian .


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

stevens ' vibrant creative instincts are the difference between this and countless other flicks about guys and dolls .


the problem with the bread , my sweet is that it 's far too sentimental .


it collapses when mr. taylor tries to shift the tone to a thriller 's rush .


-lrb- rises -rrb- above its oh-so-hollywood rejiggering and its conventional direction to give the film a soul and an unabashed sense of good old-fashioned escapism .


the cinematic equivalent of patronizing a bar favored by pretentious , untalented artistes who enjoy moaning about their cruel fate .

although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .


one of those rare films that come by once in a while with flawless amounts of acting , direction , story and pace .


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


one ca n't shake the feeling that crossroads is nothing more than an hour-and-a-half-long commercial for britney 's latest album .

there are now two signs that m. night shyamalan 's debut feature sucked up all he has to give to the mystic genres of cinema : unbreakable and signs .


spider-man is about growing strange hairs , getting a more mature body , and finding it necessary to hide new secretions from the parental units .

adam sandler 's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt


as a film director , labute continues to improve .

hawn and sarandon form an acting bond that makes the banger sisters a fascinating character study with laughs to spare .


its initial excitement settles into a warmed over pastiche .

the script was reportedly rewritten a dozen times -- either 11 times too many or else too few .


with so many bad romances out there , this is the kind of movie that deserves a chance to shine .


it 's difficult to conceive of anyone who has reached puberty actually finding the characters in slackers or their antics amusing , let alone funny .


the wild thornberrys movie is pleasant enough and the message of our close ties with animals can certainly not be emphasized enough .

lovingly photographed in the manner of a golden book sprung to life , stuart little 2 manages sweetness largely without stickiness .


the emotion is impressively true for being so hot-blooded , and both leads are up to the task .

your children will be occupied for 72 minutes .


if ever such a dependable concept was botched in execution , this is it .


when your subject is illusion versus reality , should n't the reality seem at least passably real ?

nothing happens , and it happens to flat characters .


a pretty decent kid-pleasing , tolerable-to-adults lark of a movie .


though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .

with an unusual protagonist -lrb- a kilt-wearing jackson -rrb- and subject matter , the improbable `` formula 51 '' is somewhat entertaining , but it could have been much stronger .


what 's hard to understand is why anybody picked it up .


it 's just that it 's so not-at-all-good .

problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


it 's far from a frothy piece , and the characters are complex , laden with plenty of baggage and tinged with tragic undertones .


after you laugh once -lrb- maybe twice -rrb- , you will have completely forgotten the movie by the time you get back to your car in the parking lot .

what 's really sad is to see two academy award winning actresses -lrb- and one academy award winning actor -rrb- succumb to appearing in this junk that 's tv sitcom material at best .


what makes the film special is the refreshingly unhibited enthusiasm that the people , in spite of clearly evident poverty and hardship , bring to their music .


it establishes its ominous mood and tension swiftly , and if the suspense never rises to a higher level , it is nevertheless maintained throughout .

fortunately , elling never gets too cloying thanks to the actors ' perfect comic timing and sweet , genuine chemistry .


while some of the camera work is interesting , the film 's mid-to-low budget is betrayed by the surprisingly shoddy makeup work .


although frailty fits into a classic genre , in its script and execution it is a remarkably original work .


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


it 's a funny little movie with clever dialogue and likeable characters .

the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms. bullock 's best work in some time .


the film has -lrb- its -rrb- moments , but they are few and far between .


the re-release of ron howard 's apollo 13 in the imax format proves absolutely that really , really , really good things can come in enormous packages .


the cinematic equivalent of patronizing a bar favored by pretentious , untalented artistes who enjoy moaning about their cruel fate .


... unlike -lrb- scorsese 's mean streets -rrb- , ash wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot .

this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


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


an improvement on the feeble examples of big-screen poke-mania that have preceded it .

angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .


to the filmmakers , ivan is a prince of a fellow , but he comes across as shallow and glib though not mean-spirited , and there 's no indication that he 's been responsible for putting together any movies of particular value or merit .


i suspect that you 'll be as bored watching morvern callar as the characters are in it .


it 's fairly solid -- not to mention well edited so that it certainly does n't feel like a film that strays past the two and a half mark .


this comic gem is as delightful as it is derivative .

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


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


it should be doing a lot of things , but does n't .

the film never finds its tone and several scenes run too long .


it establishes its ominous mood and tension swiftly , and if the suspense never rises to a higher level , it is nevertheless maintained throughout .


undoubtedly the scariest movie ever made about tattoos .

a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


i 'd be hard pressed to think of a film more cloyingly sappy than evelyn this year .


a pretty decent kid-pleasing , tolerable-to-adults lark of a movie .

the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


too much of storytelling moves away from solondz 's social critique , casting its audience as that of intellectual lector in contemplation of the auteur 's professional injuries .


a waterlogged version of ` fatal attraction ' for the teeny-bopper set ... a sad , soggy potboiler that wastes the talents of its attractive young leads .

though it pretends to expose the life of male hustlers , it 's exploitive without being insightful .


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


but the movie 's narrative hook is way too muddled to be an effectively chilling guilty pleasure .


the film was produced by jerry bruckheimer and directed by joel schumacher , and reflects the worst of their shallow styles : wildly overproduced , inadequately motivated every step of the way and demographically targeted to please every one -lrb- and no one -rrb- .

spider-man is about growing strange hairs , getting a more mature body , and finding it necessary to hide new secretions from the parental units .


offers a clear-eyed chronicle of a female friendship that is more complex and honest than anything represented in a hollywood film .


the whole film has this sneaky feel to it -- as if the director is trying to dupe the viewer into taking it all as very important simply because the movie is ugly to look at and not a hollywood product .

although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .


the banter between calvin and his fellow barbers feels like a streetwise mclaughlin group ... and never fails to entertain .


exudes the fizz of a busby berkeley musical and the visceral excitement of a sports extravaganza .


as a feature-length film , it wears out its welcome as tryingly as the title character .


for all its shoot-outs , fistfights , and car chases , this movie is a phlegmatic bore , so tedious it makes the silly spy vs. spy film the sum of all fears , starring ben affleck , seem downright hitchcockian .

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


almodovar is an imaginative teacher of emotional intelligence in this engaging film about two men who discover what william james once called ` the gift of tears . '


comes off as a long , laborious whine , the bellyaching of a paranoid and unlikable man .

the script was reportedly rewritten a dozen times -- either 11 times too many or else too few .


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


lovingly photographed in the manner of a golden book sprung to life , stuart little 2 manages sweetness largely without stickiness .

angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .


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


but there 's plenty to offend everyone ...

it should be doing a lot of things , but does n't .


happily stays close to the ground in a spare and simple manner and does n't pummel us with phony imagery or music .


whether or not you 're enlightened by any of derrida 's lectures on `` the other '' and `` the self , '' derrida is an undeniably fascinating and playful fellow .

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


the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers .


if ever such a dependable concept was botched in execution , this is it .


whether or not you 're enlightened by any of derrida 's lectures on `` the other '' and `` the self , '' derrida is an undeniably fascinating and playful fellow .


while some of the camera work is interesting , the film 's mid-to-low budget is betrayed by the surprisingly shoddy makeup work .

a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level .


if divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood suffers from a ploddingly melodramatic structure , it comes to life in the performances .


a hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture .


all leather pants & augmented boobs , hawn is hilarious as she tries to resuscitate the fun-loving libertine lost somewhere inside the conservative , handbag-clutching sarandon .


the wild thornberrys movie is pleasant enough and the message of our close ties with animals can certainly not be emphasized enough .


... too contrived to be as naturally charming as it needs to be .

yet another iteration of what 's become one of the movies ' creepiest conventions , in which the developmentally disabled are portrayed with almost supernatural powers to humble , teach and ultimately redeem their mentally `` superior '' friends , family ...


the bottom line with nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series : fans will undoubtedly enjoy it , and the uncommitted need n't waste their time on it .


the banter between calvin and his fellow barbers feels like a streetwise mclaughlin group ... and never fails to entertain .

it celebrates the group 's playful spark of nonconformity , glancing vividly back at what hibiscus grandly called his ` angels of light . '


although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .


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

adults , other than the parents ... will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild .


it must be the end of the world : the best film so far this year is a franchise sequel starring wesley snipes .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


visually breathtaking , viscerally exciting , and dramatically moving , it 's the very definition of epic adventure .


there 's nothing to gain from watching they .


-lrb- a -rrb- rather thinly-conceived movie .


it all plays out ... like a high-end john hughes comedy , a kind of elder bueller 's time out .


it is scott 's convincing portrayal of roger the sad cad that really gives the film its oomph .

the film , despite the gratuitous cinematic distractions impressed upon it , is still good fun .


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


these people are really going to love the piano teacher .

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


the beautiful images and solemn words can not disguise the slack complacency of -lrb- godard 's -rrb- vision , any more than the gorgeous piano and strings on the soundtrack can drown out the tinny self-righteousness of his voice .


cinematic pyrotechnics aside , the only thing avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude .

there 's got to be a more graceful way of portraying the devastation of this disease .


it 's a funny little movie with clever dialogue and likeable characters .


it 's difficult to conceive of anyone who has reached puberty actually finding the characters in slackers or their antics amusing , let alone funny .

for all its shoot-outs , fistfights , and car chases , this movie is a phlegmatic bore , so tedious it makes the silly spy vs. spy film the sum of all fears , starring ben affleck , seem downright hitchcockian .


it establishes its ominous mood and tension swiftly , and if the suspense never rises to a higher level , it is nevertheless maintained throughout .


a weird little movie that 's amusing enough while you watch it , offering fine acting moments and pungent insights into modern l.a. 's show-biz and media subcultures .


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


if ever such a dependable concept was botched in execution , this is it .

maybe there 's a metaphor here , but figuring it out would n't make trouble every day any better .


a portrait of hell so shattering it 's impossible to shake .


mostly , shafer and co-writer gregory hinton lack a strong-minded viewpoint , or a sense of humor .

after you laugh once -lrb- maybe twice -rrb- , you will have completely forgotten the movie by the time you get back to your car in the parking lot .


though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .


a buoyant romantic comedy about friendship , love , and the truth that we 're all in this together .

a harrowing account of a psychological breakdown .


it should be doing a lot of things , but does n't .


after one gets the feeling that the typical hollywood disregard for historical truth and realism is at work here , it 's a matter of finding entertainment in the experiences of zishe and the fiery presence of hanussen .

ourside the theatre roger might be intolerable company , but inside it he 's well worth spending some time with .


a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level .

problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


to the filmmakers , ivan is a prince of a fellow , but he comes across as shallow and glib though not mean-spirited , and there 's no indication that he 's been responsible for putting together any movies of particular value or merit .


chan 's stunts are limited and so embellished by editing that there 's really not much of a sense of action or even action-comedy .

what they 're doing is a matter of plumbing arrangements and mind games , of no erotic or sensuous charge .


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


as a feature-length film , it wears out its welcome as tryingly as the title character .

the whole film has this sneaky feel to it -- as if the director is trying to dupe the viewer into taking it all as very important simply because the movie is ugly to look at and not a hollywood product .


the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


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


one can only assume that the jury who bestowed star hoffman 's brother gordy with the waldo salt screenwriting award at 2002 's sundance festival were honoring an attempt to do something different over actually pulling it off


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


the solid filmmaking and convincing characters makes this a high water mark for this genre .

the banter between calvin and his fellow barbers feels like a streetwise mclaughlin group ... and never fails to entertain .


adrift , bentley and hudson stare and sniffle , respectively , as ledger attempts , in vain , to prove that movie-star intensity can overcome bad hair design .


the film never finds its tone and several scenes run too long .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


its initial excitement settles into a warmed over pastiche .


tully is in many ways the perfect festival film : a calm , self-assured portrait of small town regret , love , duty and friendship that appeals to the storytelling instincts of a slightly more literate filmgoing audience .


i suspect that you 'll be as bored watching morvern callar as the characters are in it .

a sloppy slapstick throwback to long gone bottom-of-the-bill fare like the ghost and mr. chicken .


even with all its botches , enigma offers all the pleasure of a handsome and well-made entertainment .


there 's got to be a more graceful way of portraying the devastation of this disease .


with an admirably dark first script by brent hanley , paxton , making his directorial feature debut , does strong , measured work .


this is a fragmented film , once a good idea that was followed by the bad idea to turn it into a movie .

contrived , maudlin and cliche-ridden ... if this sappy script was the best the contest received , those rejected must have been astronomically bad .


it 's never dull and always looks good .


this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


a weird little movie that 's amusing enough while you watch it , offering fine acting moments and pungent insights into modern l.a. 's show-biz and media subcultures .

and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .


it 's far from a frothy piece , and the characters are complex , laden with plenty of baggage and tinged with tragic undertones .

` film aficionados can not help but love cinema paradiso , whether the original version or new director 's cut . '


first-time director joão pedro rodrigues ' unwillingness to define his hero 's background or motivations becomes more and more frustrating as the film goes on .

the film was produced by jerry bruckheimer and directed by joel schumacher , and reflects the worst of their shallow styles : wildly overproduced , inadequately motivated every step of the way and demographically targeted to please every one -lrb- and no one -rrb- .


a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up 's i 'm the one that i want .


the country bears wastes an exceptionally good idea .

this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


a bittersweet contemporary comedy about benevolent deception , which , while it may not rival the filmmaker 's period pieces , is still very much worth seeing .


yet another iteration of what 's become one of the movies ' creepiest conventions , in which the developmentally disabled are portrayed with almost supernatural powers to humble , teach and ultimately redeem their mentally `` superior '' friends , family ...

never inspires more than an interested detachment .


it should be doing a lot of things , but does n't .


as comedic spotlights go , notorious c.h.o. hits all the verbal marks it should .


the script has less spice than a rat burger and the rock 's fighting skills are more in line with steven seagal .

the characters are based on stock clichés , and the attempt to complicate the story only defies credibility .


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


` film aficionados can not help but love cinema paradiso , whether the original version or new director 's cut . '


the script was reportedly rewritten a dozen times -- either 11 times too many or else too few .


this low-rent -- and even lower-wit -- rip-off of the farrelly brothers ' oeuvre gets way too mushy -- and in a relatively short amount of time .


turturro is fabulously funny and over the top as a ` very sneaky ' butler who excels in the art of impossible disappearing\/reappearing acts


never inspires more than an interested detachment .


a poignant and gently humorous parable that loves its characters and communicates something rather beautiful about human nature .


the beautiful images and solemn words can not disguise the slack complacency of -lrb- godard 's -rrb- vision , any more than the gorgeous piano and strings on the soundtrack can drown out the tinny self-righteousness of his voice .


a moving tale of love and destruction in unexpected places , unexamined lives .


a loud , brash and mainly unfunny high school comedy .


while insomnia is in many ways a conventional , even predictable remake , nolan 's penetrating undercurrent of cerebral and cinemantic flair lends -lrb- it -rrb- stimulating depth .


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


adults , other than the parents ... will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild .

while easier to sit through than most of jaglom 's self-conscious and gratingly irritating films , it 's still tainted by cliches , painful improbability and murky points .


a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices .


it all plays out ... like a high-end john hughes comedy , a kind of elder bueller 's time out .

an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


nothing happens , and it happens to flat characters .


so devoid of pleasure or sensuality that it can not even be dubbed hedonistic .

mostly , shafer and co-writer gregory hinton lack a strong-minded viewpoint , or a sense of humor .


spielberg 's picture is smarter and subtler than -lrb- total recall and blade runner -rrb- , although its plot may prove too convoluted for fun-seeking summer audiences .


the story is bogus and its characters tissue-thin .

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


one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead .


the wonder of mostly martha is the performance of gedeck , who makes martha enormously endearing .

boasts a handful of virtuosic set pieces and offers a fair amount of trashy , kinky fun .


one can only assume that the jury who bestowed star hoffman 's brother gordy with the waldo salt screenwriting award at 2002 's sundance festival were honoring an attempt to do something different over actually pulling it off


to the filmmakers , ivan is a prince of a fellow , but he comes across as shallow and glib though not mean-spirited , and there 's no indication that he 's been responsible for putting together any movies of particular value or merit .


... by the time it 's done with us , mira nair 's new movie has its audience giddy with the delight of discovery , of having been immersed in a foreign culture only to find that human nature is pretty much the same all over .

a pretty decent kid-pleasing , tolerable-to-adults lark of a movie .


imagine susan sontag falling in love with howard stern .


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '


and we do n't avert our eyes for a moment .

while most films these days are about nothing , this film seems to be about everything that 's plaguing the human spirit in a relentlessly globalizing world .


jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder .


michele is a such a brainless flibbertigibbet that it 's hard to take her spiritual quest at all seriously .

the film was produced by jerry bruckheimer and directed by joel schumacher , and reflects the worst of their shallow styles : wildly overproduced , inadequately motivated every step of the way and demographically targeted to please every one -lrb- and no one -rrb- .


i love the opening scenes of a wintry new york city in 1899 .


anyone who suffers through this film deserves , at the very least , a big box of consolation candy .

a rambling ensemble piece with loosely connected characters and plots that never quite gel .


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


adrift , bentley and hudson stare and sniffle , respectively , as ledger attempts , in vain , to prove that movie-star intensity can overcome bad hair design .

this low-rent -- and even lower-wit -- rip-off of the farrelly brothers ' oeuvre gets way too mushy -- and in a relatively short amount of time .


on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience .


a poignant and gently humorous parable that loves its characters and communicates something rather beautiful about human nature .

if you 're as happy listening to movies as you are watching them , and the slow parade of human frailty fascinates you , then you 're at the right film .


never inspires more than an interested detachment .


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


a sham construct based on theory , sleight-of-hand , and ill-wrought hypothesis .


what 's hard to understand is why anybody picked it up .

nicks and steinberg match their own creations for pure venality -- that 's giving it the old college try .


hawn and sarandon form an acting bond that makes the banger sisters a fascinating character study with laughs to spare .


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

these people are really going to love the piano teacher .


adam sandler 's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt


a waterlogged version of ` fatal attraction ' for the teeny-bopper set ... a sad , soggy potboiler that wastes the talents of its attractive young leads .


one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead .

the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


make like the title and dodge this one .


although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .

contrived , maudlin and cliche-ridden ... if this sappy script was the best the contest received , those rejected must have been astronomically bad .


boasts a handful of virtuosic set pieces and offers a fair amount of trashy , kinky fun .

a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .


although god is great addresses interesting matters of identity and heritage , it 's hard to shake the feeling that it was intended to be a different kind of film .


it 's never dull and always looks good .


the cinematic equivalent of patronizing a bar favored by pretentious , untalented artistes who enjoy moaning about their cruel fate .


turturro is fabulously funny and over the top as a ` very sneaky ' butler who excels in the art of impossible disappearing\/reappearing acts


a rambling ensemble piece with loosely connected characters and plots that never quite gel .


gets the look and the period trappings right , but it otherwise drowns in a sea of visual and verbal clichés .

what 's really sad is to see two academy award winning actresses -lrb- and one academy award winning actor -rrb- succumb to appearing in this junk that 's tv sitcom material at best .


there are so few films about the plight of american indians in modern america that skins comes as a welcome , if downbeat , missive from a forgotten front .


maybe there 's a metaphor here , but figuring it out would n't make trouble every day any better .

i 'd be hard pressed to think of a film more cloyingly sappy than evelyn this year .


though in some ways similar to catherine breillat 's fat girl , rain is the far superior film .


i have a new favorite musical -- and i 'm not even a fan of the genre


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

the beautiful images and solemn words can not disguise the slack complacency of -lrb- godard 's -rrb- vision , any more than the gorgeous piano and strings on the soundtrack can drown out the tinny self-righteousness of his voice .


and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor .


with an admirably dark first script by brent hanley , paxton , making his directorial feature debut , does strong , measured work .

waiting for godard can be fruitful : ` in praise of love ' is the director 's epitaph for himself .


eddie murphy and owen wilson have a cute partnership in i spy , but the movie around them is so often nearly nothing that their charm does n't do a load of good .


there are so few films about the plight of american indians in modern america that skins comes as a welcome , if downbeat , missive from a forgotten front .

an enjoyable comedy of lingual and cultural differences ... the château is a film -- full of life and small delights -- that has all the wiggling energy of young kitten .


an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . '

angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .


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


one of those films that seems tailor made to air on pay cable to offer some modest amusements when one has nothing else to watch .

like life on the island , the movie grows boring despite the scenery .


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


although frailty fits into a classic genre , in its script and execution it is a remarkably original work .


the film is so busy making reference to other films and trying to be other films that it fails to have a heart , mind or humor of its own .


the events of the film are just so weird that i honestly never knew what the hell was coming next .


a bittersweet contemporary comedy about benevolent deception , which , while it may not rival the filmmaker 's period pieces , is still very much worth seeing .


as comedic spotlights go , notorious c.h.o. hits all the verbal marks it should .

a buoyant romantic comedy about friendship , love , and the truth that we 're all in this together .


the whole film has this sneaky feel to it -- as if the director is trying to dupe the viewer into taking it all as very important simply because the movie is ugly to look at and not a hollywood product .


-lrb- rises -rrb- above its oh-so-hollywood rejiggering and its conventional direction to give the film a soul and an unabashed sense of good old-fashioned escapism .

a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera .


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


` if you are in the mood for an intelligent weepy , it can easily worm its way into your heart . '


cinematic pyrotechnics aside , the only thing avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude .


a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up 's i 'm the one that i want .

but it also has many of the things that made the first one charming .


serious movie-goers embarking upon this journey will find that the road to perdition leads to a satisfying destination .

a beguiling evocation of the quality that keeps dickens evergreen : the exuberant openness with which he expresses our most basic emotions .


problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


a lot more dimensional and complex than its sunny disposition would lead you to believe .

fortunately , elling never gets too cloying thanks to the actors ' perfect comic timing and sweet , genuine chemistry .


like the hanks character , he 's a slow study : the action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed .


angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .

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


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


with an unusual protagonist -lrb- a kilt-wearing jackson -rrb- and subject matter , the improbable `` formula 51 '' is somewhat entertaining , but it could have been much stronger .

exudes the fizz of a busby berkeley musical and the visceral excitement of a sports extravaganza .


this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better .


the acting , for the most part , is terrific , although the actors must struggle with the fact that they 're playing characters who sometimes feel more like literary conceits than flesh-and-blood humans .

although shot with little style , skins is heartfelt and achingly real .


maybe there 's a metaphor here , but figuring it out would n't make trouble every day any better .


a moving tale of love and destruction in unexpected places , unexamined lives .

a pretty decent kid-pleasing , tolerable-to-adults lark of a movie .


never inspires more than an interested detachment .


nicks and steinberg match their own creations for pure venality -- that 's giving it the old college try .

imagine kevin smith , the blasphemous bad boy of suburban jersey , if he were stripped of most of his budget and all of his sense of humor .


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


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


a hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture .

the lady and the duke is a smart , romantic drama that dares to depict the french revolution from the aristocrats ' perspective .


adults , other than the parents ... will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild .


while insomnia is in many ways a conventional , even predictable remake , nolan 's penetrating undercurrent of cerebral and cinemantic flair lends -lrb- it -rrb- stimulating depth .


problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .

when your subject is illusion versus reality , should n't the reality seem at least passably real ?


the characters are more deeply thought through than in most ` right-thinking ' films .


the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms. bullock 's best work in some time .

this comic gem is as delightful as it is derivative .


what 's hard to understand is why anybody picked it up .


stevens ' vibrant creative instincts are the difference between this and countless other flicks about guys and dolls .


while easier to sit through than most of jaglom 's self-conscious and gratingly irritating films , it 's still tainted by cliches , painful improbability and murky points .


the film is so busy making reference to other films and trying to be other films that it fails to have a heart , mind or humor of its own .

richard pryor mined his personal horrors and came up with a treasure chest of material , but lawrence gives us mostly fool 's gold .


angel presents events partly from the perspective of aurelie and christelle , and infuses the film with the sensibility of a particularly nightmarish fairytale .


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

the film starts promisingly , but the ending is all too predictable and far too cliched to really work .


i have a new favorite musical -- and i 'm not even a fan of the genre


the adventures of pluto nash is a whole lot of nada .


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


on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience .

it 's a wonderful , sobering , heart-felt drama .


a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera .

` if you are in the mood for an intelligent weepy , it can easily worm its way into your heart . '


what they 're doing is a matter of plumbing arrangements and mind games , of no erotic or sensuous charge .


impostor is a step down for director gary fleder .

there 's nothing to gain from watching they .


what makes the film special is the refreshingly unhibited enthusiasm that the people , in spite of clearly evident poverty and hardship , bring to their music .


a beguiling evocation of the quality that keeps dickens evergreen : the exuberant openness with which he expresses our most basic emotions .

boasts a handful of virtuosic set pieces and offers a fair amount of trashy , kinky fun .


the problem with the bread , my sweet is that it 's far too sentimental .


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

offers a clear-eyed chronicle of a female friendship that is more complex and honest than anything represented in a hollywood film .


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


the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms. bullock 's best work in some time .


long before it 's over , you 'll be thinking of 51 ways to leave this loser .

full frontal , which opens today nationwide , could almost be classified as a movie-industry satire , but it lacks the generous inclusiveness that is the genre 's definitive , if disingenuous , feature .


blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- , the movie is powerful and provocative .


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

if divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood suffers from a ploddingly melodramatic structure , it comes to life in the performances .


as a film director , labute continues to improve .


almodovar is an imaginative teacher of emotional intelligence in this engaging film about two men who discover what william james once called ` the gift of tears . '


this low-rent -- and even lower-wit -- rip-off of the farrelly brothers ' oeuvre gets way too mushy -- and in a relatively short amount of time .


problem is , we have no idea what in creation is going on .


the lady and the duke is a smart , romantic drama that dares to depict the french revolution from the aristocrats ' perspective .


blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- , the movie is powerful and provocative .

it all plays out ... like a high-end john hughes comedy , a kind of elder bueller 's time out .


it should be doing a lot of things , but does n't .


mostly , shafer and co-writer gregory hinton lack a strong-minded viewpoint , or a sense of humor .


although shot with little style , skins is heartfelt and achingly real .

the story 's scope and pageantry are mesmerizing , and mr. day-lewis roars with leonine power .


the events of the film are just so weird that i honestly never knew what the hell was coming next .


jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder .


a beguiling evocation of the quality that keeps dickens evergreen : the exuberant openness with which he expresses our most basic emotions .


it 's a wonderful , sobering , heart-felt drama .

although shot with little style , skins is heartfelt and achingly real .


so devoid of pleasure or sensuality that it can not even be dubbed hedonistic .


your children will be occupied for 72 minutes .

the bottom line with nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series : fans will undoubtedly enjoy it , and the uncommitted need n't waste their time on it .


the film starts promisingly , but the ending is all too predictable and far too cliched to really work .


the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers .

it 's just that it 's so not-at-all-good .


a poignant and gently humorous parable that loves its characters and communicates something rather beautiful about human nature .


pretend like your sat scores are below 120 and you might not notice the flaws .


eddie murphy and owen wilson have a cute partnership in i spy , but the movie around them is so often nearly nothing that their charm does n't do a load of good .

a sloppy slapstick throwback to long gone bottom-of-the-bill fare like the ghost and mr. chicken .


on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience .


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

a pretty decent kid-pleasing , tolerable-to-adults lark of a movie .


if divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood suffers from a ploddingly melodramatic structure , it comes to life in the performances .


a harrowing account of a psychological breakdown .

although frailty fits into a classic genre , in its script and execution it is a remarkably original work .


the script has less spice than a rat burger and the rock 's fighting skills are more in line with steven seagal .


there are now two signs that m. night shyamalan 's debut feature sucked up all he has to give to the mystic genres of cinema : unbreakable and signs .

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


it must be the end of the world : the best film so far this year is a franchise sequel starring wesley snipes .


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

the performers are so spot on , it is hard to conceive anyone else in their roles .


the film does n't sustain its initial promise with a jarring , new-agey tone creeping into the second half

there 's got to be a more graceful way of portraying the devastation of this disease .


blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling -lrb- murder by numbers -rrb- , the movie is powerful and provocative .


an energizing , intoxicating documentary charting the rise of hip-hop culture in general and the art of scratching -lrb- or turntablism -rrb- in particular .

boasts a handful of virtuosic set pieces and offers a fair amount of trashy , kinky fun .


the film never finds its tone and several scenes run too long .


if there was ever a movie where the upbeat ending feels like a copout , this is the one .

long before it 's over , you 'll be thinking of 51 ways to leave this loser .


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

i suspect that you 'll be as bored watching morvern callar as the characters are in it .