the animated sequences are well done and perfectly constructed to convey a sense of childhood imagination and creating adventure out of angst . 
a great companion piece to other napoleon films . 
 . . . spellbinding fun and deliciously exploitative . 
in its treatment of the dehumanizing and ego-destroying process of unemployment , time out offers an exploration that is more accurate than anything i have seen in an american film . 
it's usually a bad sign when directors abandon their scripts and go where the moment takes them , but olympia , wash . , based filmmakers anne de marcken and marilyn freeman did just that and it's what makes their project so interesting . 
this rich , bittersweet israeli documentary , about the life of song-and-dance-man pasach'ke burstein and his family , transcends ethnic lines . 
you'll get the enjoyable basic minimum . but not a whit more . 
the picture runs a mere 84 minutes , but it's no glance . it's a head-turner -- thoughtfully written , beautifully read and , finally , deeply humanizing . 
puts a refreshing and comical spin on the all-too-familiar saga of the contemporary single woman . 
disney has always been hit-or-miss when bringing beloved kids' books to the screen . . . tuck everlasting is a little of both . 
features fincher's characteristically startling visual style and an almost palpable sense of intensity . 
light years/ several warp speeds/ levels and levels of dilithium crystals better than the pitiful insurrection . which isn't to say that it's the equal of some of its predecessors . 
witty , contemplative , and sublimely beautiful . 
the talents of the actors helps " moonlight mile " rise above its heart-on-its-sleeve writing . 
 . . . an otherwise intense , twist-and-turn thriller that certainly shouldn't hurt talented young gaghan's resume . 
unlike the nauseating fictions peddled by such 'have-yourself-a-happy-little-holocaust' movies as life is beautiful and jakob the liar , the grey zone is honest enough to deny the possibility of hope in auschwitz . 
the sweetest thing , a romantic comedy with outrageous tendencies , may be a mess in a lot of ways . but it does have one saving grace . a lot of its gags and observations reflect a woman's point-of-view . 
the tone errs on the shrill side , tempered by a soft southern gentility that speaks of beauty , grace and a closet full of skeletons . 
schaeffer isn't in this film , which may be why it works as well as it does . 
executed with such gentle but insistent sincerity , with such good humor and appreciation of the daily grind that only the most hardhearted scrooge could fail to respond . 
a stylish but steady , and ultimately very satisfying , piece of character-driven storytelling . 
there's none of the happily-ever -after spangle of monsoon wedding in late marriage -- and that's part of what makes dover kosashvili's outstanding feature debut so potent . 
mr . tsai is a very original artist in his medium , and what time is it there ? should be seen at the very least for its spasms of absurdist humor . 
hollywood ending is not show-stoppingly hilarious , but scathingly witty nonetheless . 
because the genre is well established , what makes the movie fresh is smart writing , skewed characters , and the title performance by kieran culkin . 
proof once again that if the filmmakers just follow the books , they can't go wrong . better effects , better acting and a hilarious kenneth branagh . an excellent sequel . 
the film's sense of imagery gives it a terrible strength , but it's propelled by the acting . 
a masterful film from a master filmmaker , unique in its deceptive grimness , compelling in its fatalist worldview . 
in its own floundering way , it gets to you . just like igby . 
imperfect ? yes , but also intriguing and honorable , a worthwhile addition to a distinguished film legacy . 
for anyone who remembers the '60s or is interested in one man's response to stroke , ram dass : fierce grace is worth seeking out . 
a delirious celebration of the female orgasm . 
in the end , the film is less the cheap thriller you'd expect than it is a fairly revealing study of its two main characters  damaged-goods people whose orbits will inevitably and dangerously collide . 
baby-faced renner is eerily convincing as this bland blank of a man with unimaginable demons within . 
smith profiles five extraordinary american homes , and because the owners seem fully aware of the uses and abuses of fame , it's a pleasure to enjoy their eccentricities . 
call it magic realism or surrealism , but miss wonton floats beyond reality with a certain degree of wit and dignity . 
to the film's credit , the acting is fresh and unselfconscious , and munch is a marvel of reality versus sappy sentiment . 
as a good old-fashioned adventure for kids , spirit : stallion of the cimarron is a winner . 
remains a solid , if somewhat heavy-handed , account of the near-disaster . . . done up by howard with a steady , if not very imaginative , hand . 
for all the dolorous trim , secretary is a genial romance that maintains a surprisingly buoyant tone throughout , notwithstanding some of the writers' sporadic dips into pop freudianism . 
es una de esas pelculas de las que uno sale reconfortado , agradecido , genuinamente sorprendido . 
the story , once it gets rolling , is nothing short of a great one . 
the movie is full of fine performances , led by josef bierbichler as brecht and monica bleibtreu as helene weigel , his wife . 
thanks to scott's charismatic roger and eisenberg's sweet nephew , roger dodger is one of the most compelling variations on in the company of men . 
highly recommended viewing for its courage , ideas , technical proficiency and great acting . 
daringly perceptive , taut , piercing and feisty , biggie and tupac is undeniably subversive and involving in its bold presentation . 
a compelling coming-of-age drama about the arduous journey of a sensitive young girl through a series of foster homes and a fierce struggle to pull free from her dangerous and domineering mother's hold over her . 
everywhere the camera looks there is something worth seeing . 
filmmakers david weissman and bill weber benefit enormously from the cockettes' camera craziness -- not only did they film performances , but they did the same at home . 
the film is a very good viewing alternative for young women . 
it's a clear-eyed portrait of an intensely lived time , filled with nervous energy , moral ambiguity and great uncertainties . 
a lyrical metaphor for cultural and personal self-discovery and a picaresque view of a little-remembered world . 
this is the best american movie about troubled teens since 1998's whatever . 
an ambitious and moving but bleak film . 
'pocas veces es posible ver un elenco tan compenetrado con la historia , donde todos y cada uno de los actores ofrecen actuaciones verdaderamente memorables . '
a disturbing examination of what appears to be the definition of a 'bad' police shooting . 
the lady and the duke is a smart , romantic drama that dares to depict the french revolution from the aristocrats' perspective . 
the film just might turn on many people to opera , in general , an art form at once visceral and spiritual , wonderfully vulgar and sublimely lofty -- and as emotionally grand as life . 
flamboyant in some movies and artfully restrained in others , 65-year-old jack nicholson could be looking at his 12th oscar nomination by proving that he's now , more than ever , choosing his roles with the precision of the insurance actuary . 
an older cad instructs a younger lad in zen and the art of getting laid in this prickly indie comedy of manners and misanthropy . 
the film's only missteps come from the script's insistence on providing deep emotional motivation for each and every one of abagnale's antics . 
fans of behan's work and of irish movies in general will be rewarded by borstal boy . 
the dramatic crisis doesn't always succeed in its quest to be taken seriously , but huppert's volatile performance makes for a riveting movie experience . 
like its new england characters , most of whom wander about in thick clouds of denial , the movie eventually gets around to its real emotional business , striking deep chords of sadness . 
time out is as serious as a pink slip . and more than that , it's an observant , unfussily poetic meditation about identity and alienation . 
the film provides some great insight into the neurotic mindset of all comics -- even those who have reached the absolute top of the game . 
an operatic , sprawling picture that's entertainingly acted , magnificently shot and gripping enough to sustain most of its 170-minute length . 
i'll put it this way : if you're in the mood for a melodrama narrated by talking fish , this is the movie for you . 
it's secondary to american psycho but still has claws enough to get inside you and stay there for a couple of hours . 
 " the mothman prophecies " is a difficult film to shake from your conscience when night falls . 
a completely spooky piece of business that gets under your skin and , some plot blips aside , stays there for the duration . 
the film is about the relationships rather than about the outcome . and it sees those relationships , including that between the son and his wife , and the wife and the father , and between the two brothers , with incredible subtlety and acumen . 
a film that takes you inside the rhythms of its subject : you experience it as you watch . 
a thinly veiled look at different aspects of chinese life clashing with each other . 
the imax screen enhances the personal touch of manual animation . 
this story of a determined woman's courage to find her husband in a war zone offers winning performances and some effecting moments . 
good ol' urban legend stuff . 
ok arthouse . the power of this script , and the performances that come with it , is that the whole damned thing didn't get our moral hackles up . 
an intriguing look at the french film industry during the german occupation ; its most delightful moments come when various characters express their quirky inner selves . 
 . . . a fairly disposable yet still entertaining b picture . 
zhuangzhuang creates delicate balance of style , text , and subtext that's so simple and precise that anything discordant would topple the balance , but against all odds , nothing does . 
a penetrating , potent exploration of sanctimony , self-awareness , self-hatred and self-determination . 
this cinema verite speculation on the assassination of john f . kennedy may have been inspired by blair witch , but it takes its techniques into such fresh territory that the film never feels derivative . 
the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end . 
it's a smart , funny look at an arcane area of popular culture , and if it isn't entirely persuasive , it does give exposure to some talented performers . 
in the disturbingly involving family dysfunctional drama how i killed my father , french director anne fontaine delivers an inspired portrait of male-ridden angst and the emotional blockage that accompanies this human condition
a smart , sassy and exceptionally charming romantic comedy . 
not only does spider-man deliver , but i suspect it might deliver again and again . 
as simple and innocent a movie as you can imagine . this is a movie you can trust . 
it sends you away a believer again and quite cheered at just that . 
a simmering psychological drama in which the bursts of sudden violence are all the more startling for the slow buildup that has preceded them . 
the sundance film festival has become so buzz-obsessed that fans and producers descend upon utah each january to ferret out the next great thing . 'tadpole' was one of the films so declared this year , but it's really more of the next pretty good thing . 
while not as aggressively impressive as its american counterpart , " in the bedroom , " moretti's film makes its own , quieter observations
where bowling for columbine is at its most valuable is in its examination of america's culture of fear as a root cause of gun violence . 
a very pretty after-school special . it's an effort to watch this movie , but it eventually pays off and is effective if you stick with it . 
an old-fashioned scary movie , one that relies on lingering terror punctuated by sudden shocks and not constant bloodshed punctuated by flying guts . 
a teasing drama whose relentless good-deed/bad-deed reversals are just interesting enough to make a sinner like me pray for an even more interesting , less symmetrical , less obviously cross-shaped creation . 
the best revenge may just be living well because this film , unlike other dumas adaptations , is far more likened to a treasure than a lengthy jail sentence . 
a charming and funny story of clashing cultures and a clashing mother/daughter relationship . 
biggie and tupac is so single-mindedly daring , it puts far more polished documentaries to shame . 
the artwork is spectacular and unlike most animaton from japan , the characters move with grace and panache . 
i liked a lot of the smaller scenes . 
sad to say -- it accurately reflects the rage and alienation that fuels the self-destructiveness of many young people . 
a lovely film . . . elegant , witty and beneath a prim exterior unabashedly romantic . . . hugely enjoyable in its own right though not really faithful to its source's complexity . 
 . . . with " the bourne identity " we return to the more traditional action genre . 
captures the raw comic energy of one of our most flamboyant female comics . 
so refreshingly incisive is grant that for the first time he'll probably appeal more to guys than to their girlfriends who drag them to this movie for the hugh factor . 
what lee does so marvelously compelling is present brown as a catalyst for the struggle of black manhood in restrictive and chaotic america . . . sketchy but nevertheless gripping portrait of jim brown , a celebrated wonder in the spotlight
makes s&m seem very romantic , and maggie gyllenhaal is a delight . 
in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in . 
manages to be sweet and wickedly satisfying at the same time . 
enormously enjoyable , high-adrenaline documentary . 
the plot of the comeback curlers isn't very interesting actually , but what i like about men with brooms and what is kind of special is how the film knows what's unique and quirky about canadians . 
quite simply , a joy to watch and--especially--to listen to . 
like dickens with his passages , mcgrath crafts quite moving scenes throughout his resolutely dramatic variation on the novel . 
visually engrossing , seldom hammy , honorably mexican and burns its kahlories with conviction . 
from the opening strains of the average white band's " pick up the pieces " , you can feel the love . 
rubbo's humorously tendentious intervention into the who-wrote-shakespeare controversy . 
mr . deeds is , as comedy goes , very silly -- and in the best way . 
an often watchable , though goofy and lurid , blast of a costume drama set in the late 15th century . 
a small gem from belgium . 
 " brown sugar " admirably aspires to be more than another " best man " clone by weaving a theme throughout this funny film . 
a terrifically entertaining specimen of spielbergian sci-fi . 
a sly game of cat and mouse that's intense and thrilling at times , but occasionally stretches believability to its limits and relies on predictable plot contrivances . 
[the film] tackles the topic of relationships in such a straightforward , emotionally honest manner that by the end , it's impossible to ascertain whether the film is , at its core , deeply pessimistic or quietly hopeful . 
maryam is a small film , but it offers large rewards . 
samuel beckett applied to the iranian voting process . 
like all of egoyan's work , ararat is fiercely intelligent and uncommonly ambitious . 
a comedy that swings and jostles to the rhythms of life . 
this is lightweight filmmaking , to be sure , but it's pleasant enough -- and oozing with attractive men . 
it's quaid who anchors the film with his effortless performance and that trademark grin of his -- so perfect for a ballplayer . 
this is as powerful a set of evidence as you'll ever find of why art matters , and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives . 
the engagingly primitive animated special effects contribute to a mood that's sustained through the surprisingly somber conclusion . 
it is as uncompromising as it is nonjudgmental , and makes clear that a prostitute can be as lonely and needy as any of the clients . 
one of the greatest family-oriented , fantasy-adventure movies ever . 
touches smartly and wistfully on a number of themes , not least the notion that the marginal members of society . . . might benefit from a helping hand and a friendly kick in the pants . 
the film is exhilarating to watch because sandler , liberated from the constraints of formula , reveals unexpected depths as an actor . 
although very much like the first movie based on j . k . rowling's phenomenal fantasy best sellers , this second go-round possesses a quite pleasing , headlong thrust and a likably delinquent attitude . 
as unseemly as its title suggests . 
the rock is destined to be the 21st century's new " conan " and that he's going to make a splash even greater than arnold schwarzenegger , jean-claud van damme or steven segal . 
smith's point is simple and obvious -- people's homes are extensions of themselves , and particularly eccentric people have particularly eccentric living spaces -- but his subjects are charmers . 
if you're looking for something new and hoping for something entertaining , you're in luck . 
the last scenes of the film are anguished , bitter and truthful . mr . koshashvili is a director to watch . 
a twisty , moody slice of southern gothic . . . 
jaunty fun , with its celeb-strewn backdrop well used . 
a deep and meaningful film . 
lathan and diggs carry the film with their charisma , and both exhibit sharp comic timing that makes the more hackneyed elements of the film easier to digest . 
it's not just a feel-good movie , it's a feel movie . you feel good , you feel sad , you feel pissed off , but in the end , you feel alive - which is what they did . 
meyjes . . . has done his homework and soaked up some jazzy new revisionist theories about the origins of nazi politics and aesthetics . 
it is the sheer , selfish , wound-licking , bar-scrapping doggedness of leon's struggle to face and transmute his demons that makes the movie a spirited and touching occasion , despite its patchy construction . 
an interesting look behind the scenes of chicago-based rock group wilco . . . 
a moving and solidly entertaining comedy/drama that should bolster director and co-writer juan jos campanella's reputation in the united states . 
every moment crackles with tension , and by the end of the flick , you're on the edge of your seat . 
a pleasant enough movie , held together by skilled ensemble actors . 
matches neorealism's impact by showing the humanity of a war-torn land filled with people who just want to live their lives . 
pan nalin's exposition is beautiful and mysterious , and the interviews that follow , with the practitioners of this ancient indian practice , are as subtle and as enigmatic . 
the fluid motion is astounding on any number of levels -- including the physical demands made on bttner -- and it implies in its wake the intractable , irreversible flow of history . 
broomfield has a rather unique approach to documentary . he thinks the film is just as much a document about him as it is about the subject . 
quitting delivers a sucker-punch , and its impact is all the greater beause director zhang's last film , the cuddly shower , was a non-threatening multi-character piece centered around a public bath house . 
it sounds sick and twisted , but the miracle of shainberg's film is that it truly is romance
like mike isn't interested in recycling old cliches . it wants to tweak them with a taste of tangy new humor . 
your children will be occupied for 72 minutes . 
 . . . with the gifted pearce on hand to keep things on semi-stable ground dramatically , this retooled machine is ultimately effective enough at achieving the modest , crowd-pleasing goals it sets for itself . 
a conventional but heartwarming tale . 
australian actor/director john polson and award-winning english cinematographer giles nuttgens make a terrific effort at disguising the obvious with energy and innovation . 
a delicious and delicately funny look at the residents of a copenhagen neighborhood coping with the befuddling complications life tosses at them . 
finally , the french-produced " read my lips " is a movie that understands characters must come first . 
its metaphors are opaque enough to avoid didacticism , and the film succeeds as an emotionally accessible , almost mystical work . 
engagingly captures the maddening and magnetic ebb and flow of friendship . 
all in all , brown sugar is a satisfying well-made romantic comedy that's both charming and well acted . it will guarantee to have you leaving the theater with a smile on your face . 
open-ended and composed of layer upon layer , talk to her is a cinephile's feast , an invitation to countless interpretations . 
the fly-on-the-wall method used to document rural french school life is a refreshing departure from the now more prevalent technique of the docu-makers being a visible part of their work . 
a remarkably alluring film set in the constrictive eisenhower era about one suburban woman's yearning in the face of a loss that shatters her cheery and tranquil suburban life . 
an extremely funny , ultimately heartbreaking look at life in contemporary china . 
there's something poignant about an artist of 90-plus years taking the effort to share his impressions of life and loss and time and art with us . 
 . . . mesmerizing , an eye-opening tour of modern beijing culture in a journey of rebellion , retreat into oblivion and return . 
effective in all its aspects , margarita happy hour represents an auspicious feature debut for chaiken . 
duvall is strong as always . 
in auteil's less dramatic but equally incisive performance , he's a charismatic charmer likely to seduce and conquer . 
high crimes knows the mistakes that bad movies make and is determined not to make them , and maybe that is nobility of a sort . 
i have always appreciated a smartly written motion picture , and , whatever flaws igby goes down may possess , it is undeniably that . 
a psychic journey deep into the very fabric of iranian . . . life . 
it's fun , but the code-talk will fly right over everyone's head
it has that rare quality of being able to creep the living hell out of you . . . 
 . . . an interesting slice of history . 
with elements cribbed from lang's metropolis , welles' kane , and eisenstein's potemkin , the true wonder of rintar's metropolis is the number of lasting images all its own . 
sparse but oddly compelling . 
the modern remake of dumas's story is long on narrative and ( too ) short on action . 
somewhere short of tremors on the modern b-scene : neither as funny nor as clever , though an agreeably unpretentious way to spend ninety minutes . 
offers big , fat , dumb laughs that may make you hate yourself for giving in . ah , what the hell . 
for all its failed connections , divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood is nurturing , in a gauzy , dithering way . 
often shocking but ultimately worthwhile exploration of motherhood and desperate mothers . 
reign of fire is hardly the most original fantasy film ever made -- beyond road warrior , it owes enormous debts to aliens and every previous dragon drama -- but that barely makes it any less entertaining . 
moretti's compelling anatomy of grief and the difficult process of adapting to loss . 
who needs mind-bending drugs when they can see this , the final part of the 'qatsi' trilogy , directed by godfrey reggio , with music by philip glass ? 
a perfectly pleasant if slightly pokey comedy . 
a forceful drama of an alienated executive who re-invents himself . 
the values that have held the enterprise crew together through previous adventures and perils do so again-courage , self-sacrifice and patience under pressure . 
nair's attention to detail creates an impeccable sense of place , while thurman and lewis give what can easily be considered career-best performances . 
playing a role of almost bergmanesque intensity . . . bisset is both convincing and radiant . 
that jack nicholson makes this man so watchable is a tribute not only to his craft , but to his legend . 
director claude chabrol has become the master of innuendo . it is not what you see , it is what you think you see . 
' . . . the film's considered approach to its subject matter is too calm and thoughtful for agitprop , and the thinness of its characterizations makes it a failure as straight drama . '
interacting eyeball-to-eyeball and toe-to-toe , hopkins and norton are a winning combination -- but fiennes steals 'red dragon' right from under their noses . 
the script by david koepp is perfectly serviceable and because he gives the story some soul . . . he elevates the experience to a more mythic level . 
the bard as black comedy -- willie would have loved it . 
a blessed gift to film geeks and historians . if the '70's were your idea of a good time at the movies , this will make you very happy . 
yes , mibii is rote work and predictable , but with a philosophical visual coming right at the end that extravagantly redeems it . 
a live-wire film that never loses its ability to shock and amaze . 
morvern callar confirms lynne ramsay as an important , original talent in international cinema . 
we do get the distinct impression that this franchise is drawing to a close . 
provides a porthole into that noble , trembling incoherence that defines us all . 
beneath clouds is a succinct low-budget film whose compelling characters and intelligent script are exactly what was missing from rabbit-proof fence . 
makes even the claustrophobic on-board quarters seem fun . 
it's crafty , energetic and smart -- the kid is sort of like a fourteen-year old ferris bueller . 
the production values are of the highest and the performances attractive without being memorable . 
unlike most surf movies , blue crush thrillingly uses modern technology to take the viewer inside the wave . by the end you can't help but feel 'stoked . '
[gosling's] combination of explosive physical energy and convincing intelligence helps create a complex , unpredictable character . 
successfully blended satire , high camp and yet another sexual taboo into a really funny movie . 
as a revenge thriller , the movie is serviceable , but it doesn't really deliver the delicious guilty pleasure of the better film versions . 
 . . . a funny yet dark and seedy clash of cultures and generations . 
third time's the charm . . . yeah , baby ! 
worth seeing just for weaver and lapaglia . 
a visionary marvel , but it's lacking a depth in storytelling usually found in anime like this . 
'they' begins and ends with scenes so terrifying i'm still stunned . and i've decided to leave a light on every night from now on . 
an enjoyable experience . 
using a stock plot , about a boy injects just enough freshness into the proceedings to provide an enjoyable 100 minutes in a movie theater . 
moody , heartbreaking , and filmed in a natural , unforced style that makes its characters seem entirely convincing even when its script is not . 
like a south-of-the-border melrose place . 
despite a quieter middle section , involving aragorn's dreams of arwen , this is even better than the fellowship . there are scenes of cinematic perfection that steal your heart away . 
complex , affecting and uniquely almodvar , the film evokes strong emotions and pushes viewers to question their deepest notions of moral right and wrong . 
kinnear . . . gives his best screen performance with an oddly winning portrayal of one of life's ultimate losers . 
it is definitely worth seeing . 
a backstage must-see for true fans of comedy . 
dazzling in its complexity , disturbing for its extraordinary themes , the piano teacher is a film that defies categorisation . it haunts , horrifies , startles and fascinates ; it is impossible to look away . ah yes , and then there's the music . . . 
the faithful will enjoy this sometimes wry adaptation of v . s . naipaul's novel , but newcomers may find themselves stifling a yawn or two during the first hour . 
some may choose to interpret the film's end as hopeful or optimistic but i think payne is after something darker . 
[lawrence bounces] all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place . 
it could change america , not only because it is full of necessary discussion points , but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment . 
smith's approach is never to tease , except gently and in that way that makes us consider our own eccentricities and how they are expressed through our homes . 
an enjoyable above average summer diversion . 
the moral shrapnel and mental shellshock will linger long after this film has ended . 
for anyone unfamiliar with pentacostal practices in general and theatrical phenomenon of hell houses in particular , it's an eye-opener . 
what saves it . . . and makes it one of the better video-game-based flicks , is that the film acknowledges upfront that the plot makes no sense , such that the lack of linearity is the point of emotional and moral departure for protagonist alice . 
 " the dangerous lives of altar boys " has flaws , but it also has humor and heart and very talented young actors
its story about a young chinese woman , ah na , who has come to new york city to replace past tragedy with the american dream is one that any art-house moviegoer is likely to find compelling . 
this film is an act of spiritual faith -- an eloquent , deeply felt meditation on the nature of compassion . 
strange it is , but delightfully so . 
a glib but bouncy bit of sixties-style slickness in which the hero might wind up caught but the audience gets pure escapism . 
a delightful surprise because despite all the backstage drama , this is a movie that tells stories that work -- is charming , is moving , is funny and looks professional . 
stands as a document of what it felt like to be a new yorker -- or , really , to be a human being -- in the weeks after 9/11 . 
nothing's at stake , just a twisty double-cross you can smell a mile away--still , the derivative nine queens is lots of fun . 
watching war photographer , you come to believe that nachtwey hates the wars he shows and empathizes with the victims he reveals . 
the strength of the film lies in its two central performances by sven wollter as the stricken composer and viveka seldahl as his desperate violinist wife . 
an absurdist spider web . 
as green-guts monster movies go , it's a beaut . 
it's a feel-good movie about which you can actually feel good . 
ong's promising debut is a warm and well-told tale of one recent chinese immigrant's experiences in new york city . 
funny and touching . 
probes in a light-hearted way the romantic problems of individuals for whom the yearning for passion spells discontent . 
is red dragon worthy of a place alongside the other hannibal movies ? as hannibal would say , yes , 'it's like having an old friend for dinner' . 
[reynolds] takes a classic story , casts attractive and talented actors and uses a magnificent landscape to create a feature film that is wickedly fun to watch . 
despite its hawaiian setting , the science-fiction trimmings and some moments of rowdy slapstick , the basic plot of " lilo " could have been pulled from a tear-stained vintage shirley temple script . 
a genuinely funny ensemble comedy that also asks its audience -- in a heartwarming , nonjudgmental kind of way -- to consider what we value in our daily lives . 
a first-class road movie that proves you can run away from home , but your ego and all your problems go with you . 
she's as rude and profane as ever , always hilarious and , most of the time , absolutely right in her stinging social observations . 
its spirit of iconoclastic abandon -- however canned -- makes for unexpectedly giddy viewing . 
humorous , artsy , and even cute , in an off-kilter , dark , vaguely disturbing way . 
great over-the-top moviemaking if you're in a slap-happy mood . 
for a debut film , skin of man , heart of beast feels unusually assured . 
the production design , score and choreography are simply intoxicating . 
 . . . the first 2/3 of the film are incredibly captivating and insanely funny , thanks in part to interesting cinematic devices ( cool visual backmasking ) , a solid cast , and some wickedly sick and twisted humor . . . 
davis has filled out his cast with appealing fresh faces . 
classic cinema served up with heart and humor
there is no substitute for on-screen chemistry , and when friel pulls the strings that make williams sink into melancholia , the reaction in williams is as visceral as a gut punch . 
a celebration of quirkiness , eccentricity , and certain individuals' tendency to let it all hang out , and damn the consequences . 
the film exudes the urbane sweetness that woody allen seems to have bitterly forsaken . 
uneven , self-conscious but often hilarious spoof . 
a very well-meaning movie , and it will stand in future years as an eloquent memorial to the world trade center tragedy . 
star wars is back in a major way . 
chicago is sophisticated , brash , sardonic , completely joyful in its execution . 
mama africa pretty much delivers on that promise . it does give you a peek . the main problem being that it's only a peek . 
nearly surreal , dabbling in french , this is no simple movie , and you'll be taking a risk if you choose to see it . i enjoyed the ride ( bumps and all ) , creamy depth , and ultimate theme . 
a very funny look at how another culture handles the process of courting and marriage . 
funny , somber , absurd , and , finally , achingly sad , bartleby is a fine , understated piece of filmmaking . 
late marriage is an in-your-face family drama and black comedy that is filled with raw emotions conveying despair and love . 
like its title character , this nicholas nickleby finds itself in reduced circumstances -- and , also like its hero , it remains brightly optimistic , coming through in the end . 
elegant , mannered and teasing . 
[clooney's] debut can be accused of being a bit undisciplined , but it has a tremendous , offbeat sense of style and humor that suggests he was influenced by some of the filmmakers who have directed him , especially the coen brothers and steven soderbergh . 
both garcia and jagger turn in perfectly executed and wonderfully sympathetic characters , who are alternately touching and funny . 
there are a couple of things that elevate " glory " above most of its ilk , most notably the mere presence of duvall . 
 . . . always remains movingly genuine . 
you may feel compelled to watch the film twice or pick up a book on the subject . 
even when foreign directors . . . borrow stuff from hollywood , they invariably shake up the formula and make it more interesting . 
director chris wedge and screenwriters michael berg , michael j . wilson and peter ackerman create some episodes that rival vintage looney tunes for the most creative mayhem in a brief amount of time . 
what's most memorable about circuit is that it's shot on digital video , whose tiny camera enables shafer to navigate spaces both large . . . and small . . . with considerable aplomb . 
if the material is slight and admittedly manipulative , jacquot preserves tosca's intoxicating ardor through his use of the camera . 
no screen fantasy-adventure in recent memory has the showmanship of clones' last 45 minutes . 
not too far below the gloss you can still feel director denis villeneuve's beating heart and the fondness he has for his characters . 
armed with a game supporting cast , from the pitch-perfect forster to the always hilarious meara and levy , like mike shoots and scores , doing its namesake proud . 
i have a confession to make : i didn't particularly like e . t . the first time i saw it as a young boy . that is because - damn it ! - i also wanted a little alien as a friend ! 
jones has delivered a solidly entertaining and moving family drama . 
the film oozes craft . 
fred schepisi's film is paced at a speed that is slow to those of us in middle age and deathly slow to any teen . with a cast of a-list brit actors , it is worth searching out . 
crush is so warm and fuzzy you might be able to forgive its mean-spirited second half . 
all the actors are good in pauline & paulette but van der groen , described as 'belgium's national treasure , ' is especially terrific as pauline . 
e . t . works because its flabbergasting principals , 14-year-old robert macnaughton , 6-year-old drew barrymore and 10-year-old henry thomas , convince us of the existence of the wise , wizened visitor from a faraway planet . 
it is quite a vision . 
art-house to the core , read my lips is a genre-curling crime story that revives the free-wheeling noir spirit of old french cinema . 
it is refreshingly undogmatic about its characters . 
obligada para impotentes , daneses , camareras italianas , profesores de idiomas , y todo aquel que desee una lengua para expresar su amor . 
el peso de un lquido incoloro , el peso del lquido vital , del amor como elemento de vida , y de muerte . . . 
gives an intriguing twist to the french coming-of-age genre . 
a special kind of movie , this melancholic film noir reminded me a lot of memento . . . 
short-story quaint , touchingly mending a child's pain for his dead mother via communication with an old woman straight out of eudora welty . 
blithely anachronistic and slyly achronological . 
the huskies are beautiful , the border collie is funny and the overall feeling is genial and decent . 
it's the filmmakers' post-camp comprehension of what made old-time b movies good-bad that makes eight legged freaks a perfectly entertaining summer diversion . 
a small gem of a movie that defies classification and is as thought-provoking as it is funny , scary and sad . 
tadpole is a sophisticated , funny and good-natured treat , slight but a pleasure . 
well-acted , well-directed and , for all its moodiness , not too pretentious . 
be patient with the lovely hush ! and your reward will be a thoughtful , emotional movie experience . 
if you can tolerate the redneck-versus-blueblood cliches that the film trades in , sweet home alabama is diverting in the manner of jeff foxworthy's stand-up act . 
the most consistently funny of the austin powers films . 
cantet perfectly captures the hotel lobbies , two-lane highways , and roadside cafes that permeate vincent's days
leigh makes these lives count . and he allows a gawky actor like spall -- who could too easily become comic relief in any other film -- to reveal his impressively delicate range . 
it's an interesting effort ( particularly for jfk conspiracy nuts ) , and barry's cold-fish act makes the experience worthwhile . 
a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera . 
the 3d images only enhance the film's otherworldly quality , giving it a strange combo of you-are-there closeness with the disorienting unreality of the seemingly broken-down fourth wall of the movie screen . 
less an examination of neo-nazism than a probe into the nature of faith itself . 
exceptionally well acted by diane lane and richard gere . 
it's almost impossible not to be moved by the movie's depiction of sacrifice and its stirring epilogue in post-soviet russia . 
pretty darn good , despite its smarty-pants aura . 
they're just a couple of cops in copmovieland , these two , but in narc , they find new routes through a familiar neighborhood . 
oliveira seems to pursue silent film representation with every mournful composition . 
by the standards of knucklehead swill , the hot chick is pretty damned funny . 
it may not be a great piece of filmmaking , but its power comes from its soul's-eye view of how well-meaning patronizing masked a social injustice , at least as represented by this case . 
sound the trumpets : for the first time since desperately seeking susan , madonna doesn't suck as an actress . 
one of creepiest , scariest movies to come along in a long , long time , easily rivaling blair witch or the others . 
chicago pode at ser um filme divertido e cativante ( como  ) , mas acaba representando um passo que vai na direo contrria  evoluo dos musicais . 
the spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist . 
not a strike against yang's similarly themed yi yi , but i found what time ? to be more engaging on an emotional level , funnier , and on the whole less detached . 
a sun-drenched masterpiece , part parlor game , part psychological case study , part droll social satire . 
as played by ryan gosling , danny is a frighteningly fascinating contradiction . 
though an important political documentary , this does not really make the case the kissinger should be tried as a war criminal . 
sometimes , nothing satisfies like old-fashioned swashbuckling . and in this regard , on guard delivers . 
the modern-day royals have nothing on these guys when it comes to scandals . it's only in fairy tales that princesses that are married for political reason live happily ever after . 
 . . . a solid , well-formed satire . 
it provides a grim , upsetting glimpse at the lives of some of the 1 . 2 million palestinians who live in the crowded cities and refugee camps of gaza . 
 . . . ambition is in short supply in the cinema , and egoyan tackles his themes and explores his characters' crises with seriousness and compassion . 
has a certain ghoulish fascination , and generates a fair amount of b-movie excitement . 
proves mainly that south korean filmmakers can make undemanding action movies with all the alacrity of their hollywood counterparts . 
for all the wit and hoopla , festival in cannes offers rare insight into the structure of relationships . 
never [sinks] into exploitation . 
the underworld urban angst is derivative of martin scorsese's taxi driver and goodfellas , but this film speaks for itself . 
more vaudeville show than well-constructed narrative , but on those terms it's inoffensive and actually rather sweet . 
it would be disingenuous to call reno a great film , but you can say that about most of the flicks moving in and out of the multiplex . this is a movie that is what it is : a pleasant distraction , a friday night diversion , an excuse to eat popcorn . 
smart , sassy interpretation of the oscar wilde play . 
muccino , who directed from his own screenplay , is a canny crowd pleaser , and the last kiss . . . provides more than enough sentimental catharsis for a satisfying evening at the multiplex . 
sweet and memorable film . 
the date movie that franz kafka would have made . 
sex is one of those films that aims to confuse . 
never once predictable . 
what a bewilderingly brilliant and entertaining movie this is . 
forgettable horror -- more gory than psychological -- with a highly satisfying quotient of friday-night excitement and milla power . 
it's all a rather shapeless good time . . . 
this is a terrific character study , a probe into the life of a complex man . 
[jeff's] gorgeous , fluid compositions , underlined by neil finn and edmund mcwilliams's melancholy music , are charged with metaphor , but rarely easy , obvious or self-indulgent . 
what might have been a predictably heartwarming tale is suffused with complexity . 
the art direction and costumes are gorgeous and finely detailed , and kurys' direction is clever and insightful . 
i liked it because it was so endlessly , grotesquely , inventive . 
delia , greta , and paula rank as three of the most multilayered and sympathetic female characters of the year . as each of them searches for their place in the world , miller digs into their very minds to find an unblinking , flawed humanity . 
it's a cool event for the whole family . maybe not a classic , but a movie the kids will want to see over and over again . 
it just may inspire a few younger moviegoers to read stevenson's book , which is a treasure in and of itself . 
niccol the filmmaker merges his collaborators' symbolic images with his words , insinuating , for example , that in hollywood , only god speaks to the press
an ironic speculation on democracy in a culture unaccustomed to it . 
el ttulo no engaa : la pelcula narra una historia donde una mujer enfrentar cierta realidad , y donde el sexo es . . . 
rarely does such high-profile talent serve such literate material . 
an example of quiet , confident craftsmanship that tells a sweet , charming tale of intergalactic friendship . 
will you go ape over this movie ? well , it probably won't have you swinging from the trees hooting it's praises , but it's definitely worth taking a look . 
you don't have to be an especially tough grader to give a charitable b-minus to the emperor's club . 
smart science fiction for grown-ups , with only a few false steps along the way . 
the wonderfully lush morvern callar is pure punk existentialism , and ms . ramsay and her co-writer , liana dognini , have dramatized the alan warner novel , which itself felt like an answer to irvine welsh's book trainspotting . 
 ( caine ) proves once again he hasn't lost his touch , bringing off a superb performance in an admittedly middling film . 
ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid . 
an intoxicating experience . 
last orders nurtures the multi-layers of its characters , allowing us to remember that life's ultimately a gamble and last orders are to be embraced . it's affecting , amusing , sad and reflective . 
the movie does a good job of laying out some of the major issues that we encounter as we journey through life . 
at its best , which occurs often , michael moore's bowling for columbine rekindles the muckraking , soul-searching spirit of the 'are we a sick society ? ' journalism of the 1960s . 
could i have been more geeked when i heard that apollo 13 was going to be released in imax format ? in a word : no . 
far more successful , if considerably less ambitious , than last year's kubrick-meets-spielberg exercise . 
it's a much more emotional journey than what shyamalan has given us in his past two movies , and gibson , stepping in for bruce willis , is the perfect actor to take us on the trip . 
the emotion is impressively true for being so hot-blooded , and both leads are up to the task . 
poignant japanese epic about adolescent anomie and heartbreak . 
notorious c . h . o . has oodles of vulgar highlights . 
a heady , biting , be-bop ride through nighttime manhattan , a loquacious videologue of the modern male and the lengths to which he'll go to weave a protective cocoon around his own ego . 
witty , touching and well paced . 
the low-key direction is pleasingly emphatic in this properly intense , claustrophobic tale of obsessive love . 
enjoy it for what it is ; you can hate yourself later . 
the message of such reflections--intentional or not--is that while no art grows from a vacuum , many artists exist in one . 
a timely look back at civil disobedience , anti-war movements and the power of strong voices . 
it's the type of film about growing up that we don't see often enough these days : realistic , urgent , and not sugarcoated in the least . 
surprisingly powerful and universal . 
seems based on ugly ideas instead of ugly behavior , as happiness was . . . hence , storytelling is far more appealing . 
displaying about equal amounts of naivet , passion and talent , beneath clouds establishes sen as a filmmaker of considerable potential . 
these three films form a remarkably cohesive whole , both visually and thematically , through their consistently sensitive and often exciting treatment of an ignored people . 
it's a piece of handiwork that shows its indie tatters and self-conscious seams in places , but has some quietly moving moments and an intelligent subtlety . 
here's yet another cool crime movie that actually manages to bring something new into the mix . 
if you thought tom hanks was just an ordinary big-screen star , wait until you've seen him eight stories tall . 
my thoughts were focused on the characters . that is a compliment to kuras and miller . if i had been thinking about the visual medium , they would have been doing something wrong . 
deliciously slow . 
often gruelling and heartbreaking to witness , but seldahl and wollter's sterling performances raise this far above the level of the usual maudlin disease movie . 
most thrillers send audiences out talking about specific scary scenes or startling moments ; " frailty " leaves us with the terrifying message that the real horror may be waiting for us at home . 
[a] rare movie that makes us re-assess the basis for our lives and evaluate what is truly ours in a world of meaningless activity . 
the kind of movie that comes along only occasionally , one so unconventional , gutsy and perfectly executed it takes your breath away . 
a movie that will thrill you , touch you and make you laugh as well . 
gloriously straight from the vagina . 
while bollywood/hollywood will undoubtedly provide its keenest pleasures to those familiar with bombay musicals , it also has plenty for those ( like me ) who aren't . 
witless but watchable . 
has a shambling charm . . . a cheerfully inconsequential diversion . 
young hanks and fisk , who vaguely resemble their celebrity parents , bring fresh good looks and an ease in front of the camera to the work . 
a behind the scenes look at the training and dedication that goes into becoming a world-class fencer and the champion that's made a difference to nyc inner-city youth . 
like its bizarre heroine , it irrigates our souls . 
a pleasant romantic comedy . 
the story may not be new , but australian director john polson , making his american feature debut , jazzes it up adroitly . 
the movie is well done , but slow . 
meticulously uncovers a trail of outrageous force and craven concealment . 
this new movie version of the alexandre dumas classic is the stuff of high romance , brought off with considerable wit . 
whereas oliver stone's conspiracy thriller jfk was long , intricate , star-studded and visually flashy , interview with the assassin draws its considerable power from simplicity . 
it's unnerving to see recoing's bizzarre reaction to his unemployment . good film , but very glum . 
it may be about drug dealers , kidnapping , and unsavory folks , but the tone and pacing are shockingly intimate . 
could have been crisper and punchier , but it's likely to please audiences who like movies that demand four hankies . 
manages to accomplish what few sequels can -- it equals the original and in some ways even betters it . 
a study in shades of gray , offering itself up in subtle plot maneuvers . . . 
the ensemble cast turns in a collectively stellar performance , and the writing is tight and truthful , full of funny situations and honest observations . 
a straight-shooting family film which awards animals the respect they've rarely been given . 
a smart , sweet and playful romantic comedy . 
a warm , funny , engaging film . 
the pleasures of super troopers may be fleeting , but they'll register strongly with anybody who still retains a soft spot for precollegiate humor . 
highly watchable stuff . 
like mike is a harmlessly nave slice of b-ball fantasy , fit for filling in during the real nba's off-season . 
a fanciful drama about napoleon's last years and his surprising discovery of love and humility . 
 . . . less a story than an inexplicable nightmare , right down to the population's shrugging acceptance to each new horror . 
charlotte sometimes is a gem . it's always enthralling . 
both damning and damned compelling . 
candid camera on methamphetamines . 
the film is a masterpiece of nuance and characterization , marred only by an inexplicable , utterly distracting blunder at the very end . 
from the dull , surreal ache of mortal awareness emerges a radiant character portrait . 
the directing and story are disjointed , flaws that have to be laid squarely on taylor's doorstep . but the actors make this worth a peek . 
a thoughtful look at a painful incident that made headlines in 1995 . 
directed with purpose and finesse by england's roger mitchell , who handily makes the move from pleasing , relatively lightweight commercial fare such as notting hill to commercial fare with real thematic heft . 
the strength of the film comes not from any cinematic razzle-dazzle but from its recovery of an historical episode that , in the simple telling , proves simultaneously harrowing and uplifting . 
resourceful and ingenious entertainment . 
chouraqui brings documentary-like credibility to the horrors of the killing field and the barbarism of 'ethnic cleansing . '
at the end of the movie , my 6-year-old nephew said , " i guess i come from a broken family , and my uncles are all aliens , too . " congrats disney on a job well done , i enjoyed it just as much ! 
what bubbles up out of john c . walsh's pipe dream is the distinct and very welcome sense of watching intelligent people making a movie they might actually want to watch . 
at a time when half the so-called real movies are little more than live-action cartoons , it's refreshing to see a cartoon that knows what it is , and knows the form's history . 
nettelbeck . . . has a pleasing way with a metaphor . 
a truly wonderful tale combined with stunning animation . 
at its best , this is grand-scale moviemaking for a larger-than-life figure , an artist who has been awarded mythic status in contemporary culture . 
it will grip even viewers who aren't interested in rap , as it cuts to the heart of american society in an unnerving way . 
it's the chemistry between the women and the droll scene-stealing wit and wolfish pessimism of anna chancellor that makes this " two weddings and a funeral " fun . 
what i saw , i enjoyed . 
there are some wonderfully fresh moments that smooth the moral stiffness with human kindness and hopefulness . 
an unexpectedly sweet story of sisterhood . 
if villainous vampires are your cup of blood , blade 2 is definitely a cut above the rest . 
eerily accurate depiction of depression . 
the result is somewhat satisfying -- it still comes from spielberg , who has never made anything that wasn't at least watchable . but it's also disappointing to a certain degree . 
it turns out to be smarter and more diabolical than you could have guessed at the beginning . 
may not have generated many sparks , but with his affection for astoria and its people he has given his tale a warm glow . 
for the first two-thirds of this sparklingly inventive and artful , always fast and furious tale , kids will go happily along for the ride . 
as an introduction to the man's theories and influence , derrida is all but useless ; as a portrait of the artist as an endlessly inquisitive old man , however , it's invaluable . 
the pianist is the film roman polanski may have been born to make . 
the film is predictable in the reassuring manner of a beautifully sung holiday carol . 
jae-eun jeong's take care of my cat brings a beguiling freshness to a coming-of-age story with such a buoyant , expressive flow of images that it emerges as another key contribution to the flowering of the south korean cinema . 
its director's most substantial feature for some time . 
brash , intelligent and erotically perplexing , haneke's portrait of an upper class austrian society and the suppression of its tucked away demons is uniquely felt with a sardonic jolt . 
an admirable , sometimes exceptional film
uplifting as only a document of the worst possibilities of mankind can be , and among the best films of the year . 
eric schweig and graham greene both exude an air of dignity that's perfect for the proud warrior that still lingers in the souls of these characters . 
jones . . . does offer a brutal form of charisma . 
the movie has lots of dancing and fabulous music . there are slow and repetitive parts , but it has just enough spice to keep it interesting . 
the fourth " pokemon " is a diverting--if predictable--adventure suitable for a matinee , with a message that cautions children about disturbing the world's delicate ecological balance . 
a delectable and intriguing thriller filled with surprises , read my lips is an original . this is a story of two misfits who don't stand a chance alone , but together they are magnificent . 
as janice , eileen walsh , an engaging , wide-eyed actress whose teeth are a little too big for her mouth , infuses the movie with much of its slender , glinting charm . 
a vivid , spicy footnote to history , and a movie that grips and holds you in rapt attention from start to finish . 
a riveting story well told . 
as banal as the telling may be -- and at times , all my loved ones more than flirts with kitsch -- the tale commands attention . 
it's as close as we'll ever come to looking through a photographer's viewfinder as he works . 
in the pianist , polanski is saying what he has long wanted to say , confronting the roots of his own preoccupations and obsessions , and he allows nothing to get in the way . 
highlighted by a gritty style and an excellent cast , it's better than one might expect when you look at the list of movies starring ice-t in a major role . 
while scorsese's bold images and generally smart casting ensure that " gangs " is never lethargic , the movie is hindered by a central plot that's peppered with false starts and populated by characters who are nearly impossible to care about . 
unlike lots of hollywood fluff , this has layered , well-developed characters and some surprises . 
may seriously impair your ability to ever again maintain a straight face while speaking to a highway patrolman . 
the movie should be credited with remembering his victims . 
a film of ideas and wry comic mayhem . 
simple , poignant and leavened with humor , it's a film that affirms the nourishing aspects of love and companionship . 
ultimately , " mib ii " succeeds due to its rapid-fire delivery and enough inspired levity that it can't be dismissed as mindless . 
the next generation of mob movie . part low rent godfather . part three stooges . 
there's absolutely no reason why blue crush , a late-summer surfer girl entry , should be as entertaining as it is
 " simone " is a fun and funky look into an artificial creation in a world that thrives on artificiality . 
we root for [clara and paul] , even like them , though perhaps it's an emotion closer to pity . 
a wild ride with eight boarders from venice beach that was a deserved co-winner of the audience award for documentaries at the sundance film festival . 
escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie . 
kinnear gives a tremendous performance . 
the piece plays as well as it does thanks in large measure to anspaugh's three lead actresses . 
so beautifully acted and directed , it's clear that washington most certainly has a new career ahead of him if he so chooses . 
not too fancy , not too filling , not too fluffy , but definitely tasty and sweet . 
happily , some things are immune to the folly of changing taste and attitude . for proof of that on the cinematic front , look no further than this 20th anniversary edition of the film that spielberg calls , retrospectively , his most personal work yet . 
you'd think by now america would have had enough of plucky british eccentrics with hearts of gold . yet the act is still charming here . 
this is wild surreal stuff , but brilliant and the camera just kind of sits there and lets you look at this and its like you're going from one room to the next and none of them have any relation to the other . 
it is most remarkable not because of its epic scope , but because of the startling intimacy it achieves despite that breadth . 
the rare movie that's as crisp and to the point as the novel on which it's based . 
not for the prurient or squeamish , it's a daring if overlong examination of an idolized culture , self-loathing and sexual politics . 
it's a hoot and a half , and a great way for the american people to see what a candidate is like when he's not giving the same 15-cent stump speech . 
awesome creatures , breathtaking scenery , and epic battle scenes add up to another 'spectacular spectacle . '
having had the good sense to cast actors who are , generally speaking , adored by the movie-going public , khouri then gets terrific performances from them all . 
by turns gripping , amusing , tender and heart-wrenching , laissez-passer has all the earmarks of french cinema at its best . 
while surprisingly sincere , this average little story is adorned with some awesome action photography and surfing . 
the movie has an avalanche of eye-popping visual effects . 
the primitive force of this film seems to bubble up from the vast collective memory of the combatants . it's like watching a nightmare made flesh . 
delivers the sexy razzle-dazzle that everyone , especially movie musical fans , has been hoping for . 
if you're in the right b-movie frame of mind , it may just scare the pants off you . 
now trimmed by about 20 minutes , this lavish three-year-old production has enough grandeur and scale to satisfy as grown-up escapism . 
the lady and the duke is eric rohmer's economical antidote to the bloated costume drama
apart from its own considerable achievement , metropolis confirms tezuka's status as both the primary visual influence on the anim tradition and its defining philosophical conscience . 
a film that will enthrall the whole family . 
beautifully reclaiming the story of carmen and recreating it an in an african idiom . 
as a randy film about sexy people in gorgeous places being pushed and pulled ( literally and figuratively ) by desire . . . [sex and luca] makes for an arousing good time . 
a wonderfully warm human drama that remains vividly in memory long after viewing
i'd watch these two together again in a new york minute . 
[a] superbly controlled , passionate adaptation of graham greene's 1955 novel . 
smart and alert , thirteen conversations about one thing is a small gem . 
a psychological thriller with a genuinely spooky premise and an above-average cast , actor bill paxton's directing debut is a creepy slice of gothic rural americana . 
if you're looking for a smart , nuanced look at de sade and what might have happened at picpus , sade is your film . 
'de niro . . . is a veritable source of sincere passion that this hollywood contrivance orbits around . '
an intimate contemplation of two marvelously messy lives . 
the mesmerizing performances of the leads keep the film grounded and keep the audience riveted . 
for most of its footage , the new thriller proves that director m . night shyamalan can weave an eerie spell and that mel gibson can gasp , shudder and even tremble without losing his machismo . 
[haynes'] homage to such films as " all that heaven allows " and " imitation of life " transcends them . simply put , " far from heaven " is a masterpiece . 
reign of fire just might go down as one of the all-time great apocalypse movies . 
it helps that the central performers are experienced actors , and that they know their roles so well . 
there's . . . an underlying old world sexism to monday morning that undercuts its charm . 
sits uneasily as a horror picture . . . but finds surprising depth in its look at the binds of a small family . 
a fine documentary can be distinguished from a mediocre one by the better film's ability to make its subject interesting to those who aren't part of its supposed target audience . judging by those standards , 'scratch' is a pretty decent little documentary . 
 . . . one of the more influential works of the 'korean new wave' . 
with rabbit-proof fence , noyce has tailored an epic tale into a lean , economical movie . 
austin powers for the most part is extremely funny , the first part making up for any flaws that come later . 
this is popcorn movie fun with equal doses of action , cheese , ham and cheek ( as well as a serious debt to the road warrior ) , but it feels like unrealized potential
a budget affair that exposes the generally sad existence of the bedouins while providing a precious twinkle of insight into their lives . 
the film belongs to the marvelous verdu , a sexy slip of an earth mother who mourns her tragedies in private and embraces life in public
it seems impossible that an epic four-hour indian musical about a cricket game could be this good , but it is . 
as a science fiction movie , " minority report " astounds . 
an elegant and sly deadpan comedy . 
broomfield reminds us that beneath the hype , the celebrity , the high life , the conspiracies and the mystery there were once a couple of bright young men -- promising , talented , charismatic and tragically doomed . 
instead of hitting the audience over the head with a moral , schrader relies on subtle ironies and visual devices to convey point of view . 
a gorgeous , witty , seductive movie . 
a bonanza of wacky sight gags , outlandish color schemes , and corny visual puns that can be appreciated equally as an abstract frank tashlin comedy and as a playful recapitulation of the artist's career . 
ultimately , it ponders the reasons we need stories so much . 
wedding feels a bit anachronistic . still , not every low-budget movie must be quirky or bleak , and a happy ending is no cinematic sin . 
awesome work : ineffable , elusive , yet inexplicably powerful
compelling revenge thriller , though somewhat weakened by a miscast leading lady . 
for 95 often hilarious minutes , [cho] riffs on the diciness of colonics , on straight versus gay personal ads , on how men would act if they had periods , and on the perils of a certain outr sexual practice . 
while [roman coppola] scores points for style , he staggers in terms of story . 
presents an astute appraisal of middle american musical torpor and the desperate struggle to escape it . 
a treat for its depiction on not giving up on dreams when you're a struggling nobody . 
uses high comedy to evoke surprising poignance . 
a great cast and a wonderful but sometimes confusing flashback movie about growing up in a dysfunctional family . 
stay clear of reminding yourself that it's a " true story " and you're likely to have one helluva time at the movies . 
 . . . a spoof comedy that carries its share of laughs  sometimes a chuckle , sometimes a guffaw and , to my great pleasure , the occasional belly laugh . 
cockettes has the glorious , gaudy benefit of much stock footage of those days , featuring all manner of drag queen , bearded lady and lactating hippie . 
morton deserves an oscar nomination . 
the quirky drama touches the heart and the funnybone thanks to the energetic and always surprising performance by rachel griffiths . 
maintains your sympathy for this otherwise challenging soul by letting you share her one-room world for a while . 
 . . . a magnificent drama well worth tracking down . 
the power of shanghai ghetto , a documentary by dana janklowicz-mann and amir mann , rests in the voices of men and women , now in their 70s , who lived there in the 1940s . 
this quiet , introspective and entertaining independent is worth seeking . 
a remarkably insightful look at the backstage angst of the stand-up comic . 
with exquisite craftsmanship . . . olivier assayas has fashioned an absorbing look at provincial bourgeois french society . 
with this masterful , flawless film , [wang] emerges in the front ranks of china's now numerous , world-renowned filmmakers . 
miller has crafted an intriguing story of maternal instincts and misguided acts of affection . 
not a cozy or ingratiating work , but it's challenging , sometimes clever , and always interesting , and those are reasons enough to see it . 
it's definitely an improvement on the first blade , since it doesn't take itself so deadly seriously . 
there's . . . tremendous energy from the cast , a sense of playfulness and excitement that seems appropriate . 
a must for fans of british cinema , if only because so many titans of the industry are along for the ride . 
the smartest bonehead comedy of the summer . 
[t]his beguiling belgian fable , very much its own droll and delicate little film , has some touching things to say about what is important in life and why . 
prancing his way through the tailor-made part of a male hooker approaching the end of his vitality , jagger obviously relishes every self-mocking moment . 
clever , brutal and strangely soulful movie . 
when it's not wallowing in hormonal melodrama , " real women have curves " is a sweet , honest , and enjoyable comedy-drama about a young woman who wants many things in life , but fears she'll become her mother before she gets to fulfill her dreams . 
the leanest and meanest of solondz's misanthropic comedies . 
it's the cinematic equivalent of a good page-turner , and even if it's nonsense , its claws dig surprisingly deep . 
while not all that bad of a movie , it's nowhere near as good as the original . 
a gem of a romantic crime comedy that turns out to be clever , amusing and unpredictable . 
runs on the pure adrenalin of pacino's performance . 
i have two words to say about reign of fire . great dragons ! 
the band's courage in the face of official repression is inspiring , especially for aging hippies ( this one included ) . 
 . . . quite endearing . 
waydowntown manages to nail the spirit-crushing ennui of denuded urban living without giving in to it . 
sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero . 
an unorthodox little film noir organized crime story that includes one of the strangest love stories you will ever see . 
 . . . as the story congeals you feel the pieces of the star wars saga falling into place in a way that makes your spine tingle with revelation and excitement . 
the two leads , nearly perfect in their roles , bring a heart and reality that buoy the film , and at times , elevate it to a superior crime movie . 
even with all its botches , enigma offers all the pleasure of a handsome and well-made entertainment . 
the formula is familiar but enjoyable . 
a . . . cynical and serious look at teenage boys doing what they do best - being teenagers . 
parris' performance is credible and remarkably mature . 
oh , james ! your 20th outing shows off a lot of stamina and vitality , and get this , madonna's cameo doesn't suck ! 
a frustrating yet deeply watchable melodrama that makes you think it's a tougher picture than it is . 
it's one of the saddest films i have ever seen that still manages to be uplifting but not overly sentimental . 
this flick is about as cool and crowd-pleasing as a documentary can get . 
a touching drama about old age and grief with a tour de force performance by michel piccoli . 
andy garcia enjoys one of his richest roles in years and mick jagger gives his best movie performance since , well , performance . 
morton is a great actress portraying a complex character , but morvern callar grows less compelling the farther it meanders from its shocking start . 
move over bond ; this girl deserves a sequel . 
the movie's captivating details are all in the performances , from foreman's barking-mad taylor to thewlis's smoothly sinister freddie and bettany/mcdowell's hard-eyed gangster . 
it will break your heart many times over . 
it's a treat  a delightful , witty , improbable romantic comedy with a zippy jazzy score grant and bullock make it look as though they are having so much fun . 
with its jerky hand-held camera and documentary feel , bloody sunday is a sobering recount of a very bleak day in derry . 
i just saw this movie . . . well , it's probably not accurate to call it a movie . 
birthday girl lucks out with chaplin and kidman , who are capable of anteing up some movie star charisma when they need it to sell us on this twisted love story , but who can also negotiate the movie's darker turns . 
this isn't a narrative film -- i don't know if it's possible to make a narrative film about september 11th , though i'm sure some will try -- but it's as close as anyone has dared to come . 
it's like an old warner bros . costumer jived with sex -- this could be the movie errol flynn always wanted to make , though bette davis , cast as joan , would have killed him . 
a refreshingly honest and ultimately touching tale of the sort of people usually ignored in contemporary american film . search it out . 
despite its floating narrative , this is a remarkably accessible and haunting film . 
good-naturedly cornball sequel . 
ultimately feels empty and unsatisfying , like swallowing a communion wafer without the wine . 
the film has the uncanny ability to right itself precisely when you think it's in danger of going wrong . 
filmmaker tian zhuangzhuang triumphantly returns to narrative filmmaking with a visually masterful work of quiet power . 
those with a modicum of patience will find in these characters' foibles a timeless and unique perspective . 
an emotionally strong and politically potent piece of cinema . 
a summer entertainment adults can see without feeling embarrassed , but it could have been more . 
unfolds with such a wallop of you-are-there immediacy that when the bullets start to fly , your first instinct is to duck . 
the most amazing super-sized dosage of goofball stunts any " jackass " fan could want . 
frequent flurries of creative belly laughs and genuinely enthusiastic performances . . . keep the movie slaloming through its hackneyed elements with enjoyable ease . 
there's something about a marching band that gets me where i live . 
this remake gets all there is to get out of a peculiar premise with promise : al pacino loathing robin williams . 
an impeccable study in perversity . 
nice piece of work . 
an original and highly cerebral examination of the psychopathic mind
the movie has a soft , percolating magic , a deadpan suspense . 
holofcener rejects patent solutions to dramatize life's messiness from inside out , in all its strange quirks . 
romanek's themes are every bit as distinctive as his visuals . beyond the cleverness , the weirdness and the pristine camerawork , one hour photo is a sobering meditation on why we take pictures . 
a smart little indie . 
strange , funny , twisted , brilliant and macabre . 
see it now , before the inevitable hollywood remake flattens out all its odd , intriguing wrinkles . 
this is a very ambitious project for a fairly inexperienced filmmaker , but good actors , good poetry and good music help sustain it . 
an affectionately goofy satire that's unafraid to throw elbows when necessary . . . 
frida isn't that much different from many a hollywood romance . what sets it apart is the vision that taymor , the avant garde director of broadway's the lion king and the film titus , brings . 
this is christmas future for a lot of baby boomers . 
an enthralling , entertaining feature . 
although commentary on nachtwey is provided . . . it's the image that really tells the tale . 
griffiths proves she's that rare luminary who continually raises the standard of her profession . 
there's no denying that burns is a filmmaker with a bright future ahead of him . 
here polanski looks back on those places he saw at childhood , and captures them by freeing them from artefact , and by showing them heartbreakingly drably . 
visually fascinating . . . an often intense character study about fathers and sons , loyalty and duty . 
the film does give a pretty good overall picture of the situation in laramie following the murder of matthew shepard . 
canadian filmmaker gary burns' inventive and mordantly humorous take on the soullessness of work in the city . 
for once , a movie does not proclaim the truth about two love-struck somebodies , but permits them time and space to convince us of that all on their own . 
sure , it's contrived and predictable , but its performances are so well tuned that the film comes off winningly , even though it's never as solid as you want it to be . 
 . . . very funny , very enjoyable . . . 
a well-made thriller with a certain level of intelligence and non-reactionary morality . 
laugh-out-loud lines , adorably ditsy but heartfelt performances , and sparkling , bittersweet dialogue that cuts to the chase of the modern girl's dilemma . 
the film's intimate camera work and searing performances pull us deep into the girls' confusion and pain as they struggle tragically to comprehend the chasm of knowledge that's opened between them . 
a compassionate , moving portrait of an american ( and an america ) always reaching for something just outside his grasp . 
the film reminds me of a vastly improved germanic version of my big fat greek wedding -- with better characters , some genuine quirkiness and at least a measure of style . the difference is that i truly enjoyed most of mostly martha while i ne
a venturesome , beautifully realized psychological mood piece that reveals its first-time feature director's understanding of the expressive power of the camera . 
in addition to scoring high for originality of plot -- putting together familiar themes of family , forgiveness and love in a new way -- lilo & stitch has a number of other assets to commend it to movie audiences both innocent and jaded . 
it's enough to watch huppert scheming , with her small , intelligent eyes as steady as any noir villain , and to enjoy the perfectly pitched web of tension that chabrol spins . 
at its best . . . festival in cannes bubbles with the excitement of the festival in cannes . 
admirers of director abel ferrara may be relieved that his latest feature , r xmas , marks a modest if encouraging return to form . 
if steven soderbergh's 'solaris' is a failure it is a glorious failure . 
this one is not nearly as dreadful as expected . in fact , it's quite fun in places . 
the year 2002 has conjured up more coming-of-age stories than seem possible , but take care of my cat emerges as the very best of them . 
notwithstanding my problem with the movie's final half hour , i'm going to recommend secretary , based on the wonderful acting clinic put on by spader and gyllenhaal , and also the unique way shainberg goes about telling what at heart is a sweet little girl-
this time , the hype is quieter , and while the movie is slightly less successful than the first , it's still a rollicking good time for the most part . 
arguably the best script that besson has written in years . 
vividly conveys the shadow side of the 30-year friendship between two english women . 
interesting both as a historical study and as a tragic love story . 
a dazzling dream of a documentary . 
although it doesn't always hang together -- violence and whimsy don't combine easily -- " cherish " certainly isn't dull . 
scooby doo is surely everything its fans are hoping it will be , and in that sense is a movie that deserves recommendation . 
here's a british flick gleefully unconcerned with plausibility , yet just as determined to entertain you . 
watching these eccentrics is both inspiring and pure joy . 
a subtle , poignant picture of goodness that is flawed , compromised and sad . 
by surrounding us with hyper-artificiality , haynes makes us see familiar issues , like racism and homophobia , in a fresh way . 
meant to reduce blake's philosophy into a tragic coming-of-age saga punctuated by bursts of animator todd mcfarlane's superhero dystopia . 
one of the year's best films , featuring an oscar-worthy performance by julianne moore . 
the story feels more like a serious read , filled with heavy doses of always enticing sayles dialogue . 
an enchanting spectacular for potter fans anxious to ride the hogwarts express toward a new year of magic and mischief . 
there's very little sense to what's going on here , but the makers serve up the cliches with considerable dash . 
until ( the ) superfluous . . . epilogue that leaks suspension of disbelief like a sieve , die another day is as stimulating & heart-rate-raising as any james bond thriller . 
theirs is a simple and heart-warming story , full of mirth that should charm all but the most cynical . 
hashiguchi vividly captures the way young japanese live now , chafing against their culture's manic mix of millennial brusqueness and undying , traditional politesse . 
the tone is balanced , reflective and reasonable . 
it leaves little doubt that kidman has become one of our best actors . 
a film centering on a traditional indian wedding in contemporary new delhi may not sound like specialized fare , but mira nair's film is an absolute delight for all audiences . 
definitely funny stuff , but it's more of the 'laughing at' variety than the 'laughing with . '
an impressive hybrid . 
there's a wickedly subversive bent to the best parts of birthday girl . 
westfeldt and juergensen exude a chemistry and comfort level that's both saucy and endearing . 
a pretty funny movie , with most of the humor coming , as before , from the incongruous but chemically perfect teaming of crystal and de niro . 
mr . caine and mr . fraser are the whole show here , with their memorable and resourceful performances . 
this is more fascinating -- being real -- than anything seen on jerry springer . 
the kind of nervous film that will either give you a mild headache or exhilarate you . 
adaptation's success in engaging the audience in the travails of creating a screenplay is extraordinary . 
the result is more depressing than liberating , but it's never boring . 
those who would follow haneke on his creepy explorations . . . are rewarded by brutal , committed performances from huppert and magimel . 
'if you are in the mood for an intelligent weepy , it can easily worm its way into your heart . '
both a successful adaptation and an enjoyable film in its own right . 
that 'alabama' manages to be pleasant in spite of its predictability and occasional slowness is due primarily to the perkiness of witherspoon ( who is always a joy to watch , even when her material is not first-rate ) . . . 
an eloquent , reflective and beautifully acted meditation on both the profoundly devastating events of one year ago and the slow , painful healing process that has followed in their wake . 
a thunderous ride at first , quiet cadences of pure finesse are few and far between ; their shortage dilutes the potency of otherwise respectable action . still , this flick is fun , and host to some truly excellent sequences . 
works because reno doesn't become smug or sanctimonious towards the audience . 
'stock up on silver bullets for director neil marshall's intense freight train of a film . '
a full world has been presented onscreen , not some series of carefully structured plot points building to a pat resolution . 
ice age won't drop your jaw , but it will warm your heart , and i'm giving it a strong thumbs up . 
halloween : resurrection isn't exactly quality cinema , but it isn't nearly as terrible as it cold have been . 
heartwarming here relies less on forced air than on petter nss' delicate , clever direction . . . and a wonderful , imaginative script by axel hellstenius . 
the cast comes through even when the movie doesn't . 
a coming-of-age film that avoids the cartoonish clichs and sneering humor of the genre as it provides a fresh view of an old type -- the uncertain girl on the brink of womanhood . 
the fact that the rookie is a nearly impeccable cinematic experience -- and a wonderful all-ages triumph besides -- is a miracle akin to the story the film portrays . 
a marvel of production design . 
a deliciously mordant , bitter black comedy . 
belongs to daniel day-lewis as much as it belongs to martin scorsese ; it's a memorable performance in a big , brassy , disturbing , unusual and highly successful film . 
painful , horrifying and oppressively tragic , this film should not be missed . 
a captivating new film . 
that the real antwone fisher was able to overcome his personal obstacles and become a good man is a wonderful thing ; that he has been able to share his story so compellingly with us is a minor miracle . 
predictable storyline and by-the-book scripting is all but washed away by sumptuous ocean visuals and the cinematic stylings of director john stockwell . 
a funny and well-contructed black comedy where the old adage " be careful what you wish for " is given a full workout . 
he's the scariest guy you'll see all summer . 
a pleasant , if forgettable , romp of a film . 
if there's one big point to promises , it's that nothing can change while physical and psychological barriers keep the sides from speaking even one word to each other . 
like all great films about a life you never knew existed , it offers much to absorb and even more to think about after the final frame . 
 " 13 conversations about one thing " is an intelligent flick that examines many different ideas from happiness to guilt in an intriguing bit of storytelling . 
it uses an old-time formula , it's not terribly original and it's rather messy -- but you just have to love the big , dumb , happy movie my big fat greek wedding . 
if you love reading and/or poetry , then by all means check it out . you'll probably love it . 
so young , so smart , such talent , such a wise * * * . 
there's plenty to enjoy -- in no small part thanks to lau . 
smart , funny and just honest enough to provide the pleasures of a slightly naughty , just-above-average off- broadway play . 
 . . . takes the beauty of baseball and melds it with a story that could touch anyone regardless of their familiarity with the sport
will amuse and provoke adventurous adults in specialty venues . 
one of the best silly horror movies of recent memory , with some real shocks in store for unwary viewers . 
baran is shockingly devoid of your typical majid majidi shoe-loving , crippled children . 
bill morrison's decasia is uncompromising , difficult and unbearably beautiful . 
delightfully rendered
an entertaining mix of period drama and flat-out farce that should please history fans . 
maguire is a surprisingly effective peter/spider-man . 
if [jaglom's] latest effort is not the director at his most sparkling , some of its repartee is still worth hearing . 
told just proficiently enough to trounce its overly comfortable trappings . 
what could have become just another cautionary fable is allowed to play out as a clever , charming tale  as pleasantly in its own way as its self-dramatizing characters . 
it's the kind of pigeonhole-resisting romp that hollywood too rarely provides . 
the film's best trick is the way that it treats conspiracy as a kind of political blair witch , a monstrous murk that haunts us precisely because it can never be seen . 
just offbeat enough to keep you interested without coming close to bowling you over . 
the most compelling wiseman epic of recent years . 
ms . fulford-wierzbicki is almost spooky in her sulky , calculating lolita turn . 
kinnear and dafoe give what may be the performances of their careers . 
a clever blend of fact and fiction . 
there are a few stabs at absurdist comedy . . . but mostly the humor is of the sweet , gentle and occasionally cloying kind that has become an iranian specialty . 
hu and liu offer natural , matter-of-fact performances that glint with sorrow , longing and love . 
a thoroughly entertaining comedy that uses grant's own twist of acidity to prevent itself from succumbing to its own bathos . 
a brutally honest documentary about a much anticipated family reunion that goes wrong thanks to culture shock and a refusal to empathize with others . 
a film of delicate interpersonal dances . caine makes us watch as his character awakens to the notion that to be human is eventually to have to choose . it's a sight to behold . 
it's a demented kitsch mess ( although the smeary digital video does match the muddled narrative ) , but it's savvy about celebrity and has more guts and energy than much of what will open this year . 
has a plot full of twists upon knots . . . and a nonstop parade of mock-tarantino scuzbag types that starts out clever but veers into overkill . 
a bright , inventive , thoroughly winning flight of revisionist fancy . 
a stylish cast and some clever scripting solutions help chicago make the transition from stage to screen with considerable appeal intact . 
in its understanding , often funny way , it tells a story whose restatement is validated by the changing composition of the nation . 
combines sharp comedy , old-fashioned monster movie atmospherics , and genuine heart to create a film that's not merely about kicking undead * * * , but also about dealing with regret and , ultimately , finding redemption . 
diggs and lathan are among the chief reasons brown sugar is such a sweet and sexy film . 
director charles stone iii applies more detail to the film's music than to the story line ; what's best about drumline is its energy . 
a brilliant gag at the expense of those who paid for it and those who pay to see it . 
this is pure , exciting moviemaking . you won't exactly know what's happening but you'll be blissfully exhausted . 
occasionally funny , always very colorful and enjoyably overblown in the traditional almodvar style . 
twohy knows how to inflate the mundane into the scarifying , and gets full mileage out of the rolling of a stray barrel or the unexpected blast of a phonograph record . 
director roger kumble offers just enough sweet and traditional romantic comedy to counter the crudity . and there's the inimitable diaz , holding it all together . 
jaglom . . . put[s] the audience in the privileged position of eavesdropping on his characters
light , silly , photographed with colour and depth , and rather a good time . 
narc is a no-bull throwback to 1970s action films . it zips along with b-movie verve while adding the rich details and go-for-broke acting that heralds something special . 
the unique niche of self-critical , behind-the-scenes navel-gazing kaufman has carved from orleans' story and his own infinite insecurity is a work of outstanding originality . 
'charly' will divide its audience in two separate groups , those reaching for more tissues and those begging for mercy . . . 
this ready-made midnight movie probably won't stand the cold light of day , but under the right conditions , it's goofy ( if not entirely wholesome ) fun . 
while general audiences might not come away with a greater knowledge of the facts of cuban music , they'll be treated to an impressive and highly entertaining celebration of its sounds . 
an exceptionally acted , quietly affecting cop drama . 
the simplicity of the way home has few equals this side of aesop
this is a fascinating film because there is no clear-cut hero and no all-out villain . 
a sensitive and astute first feature by anne-sophie birot . 
another in a long line of ultra-violent war movies , this one is not quite what it could have been as a film , but the story and theme make up for it . 
the aaa of action , xxx is a blast of adrenalin , rated eee for excitement . and vin diesel is the man . 
while the ideas about techno-saturation are far from novel , they're presented with a wry dark humor . 
while the humor is recognizably plympton , he has actually bothered to construct a real story this time . 
kwan is a master of shadow , quietude , and room noise , and lan yu is a disarmingly lived-in movie . 
k-19 : the widowmaker is derivative , overlong , and bombastic -- yet surprisingly entertaining . 
the film's strength isn't in its details , but in the larger picture it paints - of a culture in conflict with itself , with the thin veneer of nationalism that covers our deepest , media-soaked fears . 
sparkles in its deft portrait of tinseltown's seasoned veterans of gossip , wealth , paranoia , and celebrityhood . 
this slight premise . . . works because of the ideal casting of the masterful british actor ian holm as the aged napoleon . 
passions , obsessions , and loneliest dark spots are pushed to their most virtuous limits , lending the narrative an unusually surreal tone . 
the heightened symmetry of this new/old cinema paradiso makes the film a fuller experience , like an old friend haunted by the exigencies of time . 
it excels because , unlike so many other hollywood movies of its ilk , it offers hope . 
often messy and frustrating , but very pleasing at its best moments , it's very much like life itself . 
this film puts wang at the forefront of china's sixth generation of film makers . 
may be more genial than ingenious , but it gets the job done . 
a photographic marvel of sorts , and it's certainly an invaluable record of that special fishy community . 
maelstrom is strange and compelling , engrossing and different , a moral tale with a twisted sense of humor . 
it's funny , as the old saying goes , because it's true . 
asia authors herself as anna battista , an italian superstar and aspiring directress who just happens to be her own worst enemy . 
you've already seen city by the sea under a variety of titles , but it's worth yet another visit . 
a first-class , thoroughly involving b movie that effectively combines two surefire , beloved genres -- the prison flick and the fight film . 
oddly , the film isn't nearly as downbeat as it sounds , but strikes a tone that's alternately melancholic , hopeful and strangely funny . 
more than simply a portrait of early extreme sports , this peek into the 1970s skateboard revolution is a skateboard film as social anthropology . . . 
it's fascinating to see how bettany and mcdowell play off each other . 
it irritates and saddens me that martin lawrence's latest vehicle can explode obnoxiously into 2 , 500 screens while something of bubba ho-tep's clearly evident quality may end up languishing on a shelf somewhere . 
disturbing and brilliant documentary . 
an unflinching look at the world's dispossessed . 
whether you're moved and love it , or bored or frustrated by the film , you'll still feel something . 
what makes how i killed my father compelling , besides its terrific performances , is fontaine's willingness to wander into the dark areas of parent-child relationships without flinching . 
terry is a sort of geriatric dirty harry , which will please eastwood's loyal fans -- and suits the story , wherein our hero must ride roughshod over incompetent cops to get his man . 
don't expect any surprises in this checklist of teamwork cliches . . . 
may not be a breakthrough in filmmaking , but it is unwavering and arresting . 
from the big giant titles of the opening credits to elmer bernstein's perfectly melodic score , haynes gets just about everything right . 
a movie that sends you out of the theater feeling like you've actually spent time living in another community . 
blade ii is as estrogen-free as movies get , so you might want to leave your date behind for this one , or she's gonna make you feel like you owe her big-time . 
psychologically revealing . 
has a lot of the virtues of eastwood at his best . 
we learn a lot about dying coral and see a lot of life on the reef . 
a cautionary tale about the grandiosity of a college student who sees himself as impervious to a fall . 
reinforces the often forgotten fact of the world's remarkably varying human population and mindset , and its capacity to heal using creative , natural and ancient antidotes . 
a brutal and funny work . nicole holofcenter , the insightful writer/director responsible for this illuminating comedy doesn't wrap the proceedings up neatly but the ideas tie together beautifully . 
the sort of film that makes me miss hitchcock , but also feel optimistic that there's hope for popular cinema yet . 
ali's graduation from little screen to big is far less painful than his opening scene encounter with an over-amorous terrier . 
although the subject matter may still be too close to recent national events , the film works - mostly due to its superior cast of characters . 
pretty good little movie . 
spielberg's realization of a near-future america is masterful . this makes minority report necessary viewing for sci-fi fans , as the film has some of the best special effects ever . 
what makes barbershop so likable , with all its flaws , is that it has none of the pushiness and decibel volume of most contemporary comedies . 
my big fat greek wedding is not only the best date movie of the year , it's also a -- dare i say it twice -- delightfully charming -- and totally american , i might add -- slice of comedic bliss . 
you just know something terrible is going to happen . but when it does , you're entirely unprepared . 
a funny film . 
imagine o . henry's <b>the gift of the magi</b> relocated to the scuzzy underbelly of nyc's drug scene . merry friggin' christmas ! 
[a] strong piece of work . 
vampire epic succeeds as spooky action-packed trash of the highest order . 
it ultimately stands forth as an important chronicle of the abuses of one of latin america's most oppressive regimes . 
malcolm mcdowell is cool . paul bettany is cool . paul bettany playing malcolm mcdowell ? cool . 
fun , flip and terribly hip bit of cinematic entertainment . 
the way home is an ode to unconditional love and compassion garnered from years of seeing it all , a condition only the old are privy to , and . . . often misconstrued as weakness . 
in xxx , diesel is that rare creature -- an action hero with table manners , and one who proves that elegance is more than tattoo deep . 
although laced with humor and a few fanciful touches , the film is a refreshingly serious look at young women . 
it's an offbeat treat that pokes fun at the democratic exercise while also examining its significance for those who take part . 
a tightly directed , highly professional film that's old-fashioned in all the best possible ways . 
like the original , this version is raised a few notches above kiddie fantasy pablum by allen's astringent wit . 
the performances are amiable and committed , and the comedy more often than not hits the bullseye . 
chicago is , in many ways , an admirable achievement . 
a delightful , if minor , pastry of a movie . 
lacks the inspiration of the original and has a bloated plot that stretches the running time about 10 minutes past a child's interest and an adult's patience . but it also has many of the things that made the first one charming . 
not a film for the faint of heart or conservative of spirit , but for the rest of us -- especially san francisco lovers -- it's a spirited film and a must-see . 
an exciting and involving rock music doc , a smart and satisfying look inside that tumultuous world . 
hartley adds enough quirky and satirical touches in the screenplay to keep the film entertaining . 
i'm not a fan of the phrase 'life affirming' because it usually means 'schmaltzy , ' but real women have curves truly is life affirming . 
 . . . one of the most entertaining monster movies in ages . . . 
this is not a retread of " dead poets' society . " 
visually breathtaking , viscerally exciting , and dramatically moving , it's the very definition of epic adventure . 
disney's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam , but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem . 
a remarkable film by bernard rose . 
if the film has a problem , its shortness disappoints : you want the story to go on and on . 
lends itself to the narcotizing bland ( sinister , though not nearly so sinister as the biennial disney girl movie ) machinations of the biennial disney boy movie . 
like its two predecessors , 1983's koyaanisqatsi and 1988's powaqqatsi , the cinematic collage naqoyqatsi could be the most navel-gazing film ever . 
the bodily function jokes are about what you'd expect , but there are rich veins of funny stuff in this movie . 
ourside the theatre roger might be intolerable company , but inside it he's well worth spending some time with . 
the film's gamble to occasionally break up the live-action scenes with animated sequences pays off , as does its sensitive handling of some delicate subject matter . 
denis and co-writer michele petin's impeccable screenplay penetrates with a rawness that that is both unflinching and tantalizing . lead provocatuers testud and parmentier give superlative performances
you don't need to know your ice-t's from your cool-j's to realize that as far as these shootings are concerned , something is rotten in the state of california . 
it's a lovely film with lovely performances by buy and accorsi . 
in his latest effort , storytelling , solondz has finally made a movie that isn't just offensive -- it also happens to be good . 
the people in jessica are so recognizable and true that , as in real life , we're never sure how things will work out . 
forget about one oscar nomination for julianne moore this year - she should get all five . 
it's no lie -- big fat liar is a real charmer . 
meeting , even exceeding expectations , it's the best sequel since the empire strikes back . . . a majestic achievement , an epic of astonishing grandeur and surprising emotional depth . 
many went to see the attraction for the sole reason that it was hot outside and there was air conditioning inside , and i don't think that a . c . will help this movie one bit . 
the film brilliantly shines on all the characters , as the direction is intelligently accomplished . 
more good than great but freeman and judd make it work . 
a thought-provoking and often-funny drama about isolation . 
take care of my cat offers a refreshingly different slice of asian cinema . 
while obviously aimed at kids , the country bears . . . should keep parents amused with its low groan-to-guffaw ratio . 
compellingly watchable . 
a psychological thriller with a smart script and an obsessive-compulsive's attention to detail . 
two hours of melodramatic musical married to two hours of underdog sports intrigue , if the picture also shares the weaknesses of both genres , more's the pity . 
novak manages to capture a cruelly hilarious vein of black comedy in the situation with his cast of non-actors and a gritty , no-budget approach . 
reign of fire may be little more than another platter of reheated aliens , but it's still pretty tasty . 
a literary detective story is still a detective story and aficionados of the whodunit won't be disappointed . 
those moviegoers who would automatically bypass a hip-hop documentary should give " scratch " a second look . 
lejos del paraso es al mismo tiempo una fiesta para los ojos y odos y un movilizador cuadro de personajes enfrentados a sus propios deseos , miedos y prejuicios . 
a real movie , about real people , that gives us a rare glimpse into a culture most of us don't know . 
schrader examines crane's decline with unblinking candor . 
what distinguishes time of favor from countless other thrillers is its underlying concern with the consequences of words and with the complicated emotions fueling terrorist acts . 
murderous maids may well be the most comprehensive of these films and also strike closest to the truth . 
the most audacious , outrageous , sexually explicit , psychologically probing , pure libido film of the year has arrived from portugal . 
a giddy and provocative sexual romp that has something to say . 
it's the brilliant surfing photography bringing you right inside the massive waves that lifts blue crush into one of the summer's most pleasurable movies . 
audrey tatou has a knack for picking roles that magnify her outrageous charm , and in this literate french comedy , she's as morning-glory exuberant as she was in amlie . 
eight crazy nights is a showcase for sandler's many talents . 
a lovely and beautifully photographed romance . 
a quasi-documentary by french filmmaker karim dridi that celebrates the hardy spirit of cuban music . 
 . . . pray doesn't have a passion for the material . he nonetheless appreciates the art and reveals a music scene that transcends culture and race . 
the film starts out as competent but unremarkable . . . and gradually grows into something of considerable power . 
like a precious and finely cut diamond , magnificent to behold in its sparkling beauty yet in reality it's one tough rock . 
the hours makes you examine your own life in much the same way its characters do , and the experience is profound . the hours is what movies are supposed to be . . . 
takes you by the face , strokes your cheeks and coos beseechingly at you : slow down , shake off your tensions and take this picture at its own breezy , distracted rhythms . 
confessions isn't always coherent , but it's sharply comic and surprisingly touching , so hold the gong . 
a tasty appetizer that leaves you wanting more . 
s1m0ne's satire is not subtle , but it is effective . it's a quirky , off-beat project . . . . 
cute , funny , heartwarming digitally animated feature film with plenty of slapstick humor for the kids , lots of in-jokes for the adults and heart enough for everyone . 
brings an irresistible blend of warmth and humor and a consistent embracing humanity in the face of life's harshness . 
a triumph , relentless and beautiful in its downbeat darkness . 
bound to appeal to women looking for a howlingly trashy time . 
a delightful stimulus for the optic nerves , so much that it's forgivable that the plot feels like every other tale of a totalitarian tomorrow . 
the first shocking thing about sorority boys is that it's actually watchable . even more baffling is that it's funny . 
a high-spirited buddy movie about the reunion of berlin anarchists who face arrest 15 years after their crime . 
 . . . there is enough originality in 'life' to distance it from the pack of paint-by-number romantic comedies that so often end up on cinema screens . 
delirious fun . 
there is a beautiful , aching sadness to it all . paul cox needed to show it . it is up to you to decide if you need to see it . 
at times the guys taps into some powerful emotions , but this kind of material is more effective on stage . it's not a motion picture ; it's an utterly static picture . 
filmmakers dana janklowicz-mann and amir mann area headed east , far east , in retelling a historically significant , and personal , episode detailing how one international city welcomed tens of thousands of german jewish refugees while the world's democracie
a family film that contains some hefty thematic material on time , death , eternity , and what is needed to live a rich and full life . 
the wild thornberrys movie is a jolly surprise . 
the film doesn't sustain its initial promise with a jarring , new-agey tone creeping into the second half
the viewer takes great pleasure in watching the resourceful molly stay a step ahead of her pursuers . 
there is a welcome lack of pretension about the film , which very simply sets out to entertain and ends up delivering in good measure . 
windtalkers blows this way and that , but there's no mistaking the filmmaker in the tall grass , true to himself . 
'a fresh-faced , big-hearted and frequently funny thrill ride for the kiddies , with enough eye candy and cheeky wit to keep parents away from the concession stand . '
one of those energetic surprises , an original that pleases almost everyone who sees it . 
the limited sets and small confined and dark spaces also are homages to a classic low-budget film noir movie . 
as gory as the scenes of torture and self-mutilation may be , they are pitted against shimmering cinematography that lends the setting the ethereal beauty of an asian landscape painting . 
a few artsy flourishes aside , narc is as gritty as a movie gets these days . 
because eight legged freaks is partly an homage to them , tarantula and other low- budget b-movie thrillers of the 1950s and '60s , the movie is a silly ( but not sophomoric ) romp through horror and hellish conditions . 
though the story . . . is hackneyed , the characters have a freshness and modesty that transcends their predicament . 
in painting an unabashedly romantic picture of a nation whose songs spring directly from the lives of the people , the movie exalts the marxian dream of honest working folk , with little to show for their labor , living harmoniously , joined in song . 
only an epic documentary could get it all down , and spike lee's jim brown : all american at long last gives its subject a movie worthy of his talents . 
bielinsky is a filmmaker of impressive talent . 
hits one out of the park for the 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' department . 
 . . . a light , yet engrossing piece . lux , now in her eighties , does a great combination act as narrator , jewish grandmother and subject  taking us through a film that is part biography , part entertainment and part history . 
a candid and often fascinating documentary about a pentecostal church in dallas that assembles an elaborate haunted house each year to scare teenagers into attending services . 
muccino seems to be exploring the idea of why human beings long for what they don't have , and how this gets us in trouble . but even while his characters are acting horribly , he is always sympathetic . 
the ending does leave you unfulfilled , but these are performances to enjoy in a memorable ensemble piece . 
the film has a kind of hard , cold effect . 
on the heels of the ring comes a similarly morose and humorless horror movie that , although flawed , is to be commended for its straight-ahead approach to creepiness . 
the more you think about the movie , the more you will probably like it . 
there is a subversive element to this disney cartoon , providing unexpected fizzability . 
a refreshingly authentic coming-of-age tale . 
does what a fine documentary does best : it extends a warm invitation into an unfamiliar world , then illuminates it fully and allows the larger implications of the journey to sink in unobtrusively . 
one of the best movies of the year . 
it's not so much enjoyable to watch as it is enlightening to listen to new sides of a previous reality , and to visit with some of the people who were able to make an impact in the theater world . 
spare but quietly effective retelling . 
candid and comfortable ; a film that deftly balances action and reflection as it lets you grasp and feel the passion others have for their work . 
a tasty slice of droll whimsy . 
the movie worked for me right up to the final scene , and then it caved in . 
greg kinnear gives a mesmerizing performance as a full-fledged sex addict who is in complete denial about his obsessive behavior . 
an engrossing and grim portrait of hookers : what they think of themselves and their clients . 
to those who have not read the book , the film is a much better mother-daughter tale than last summer's 'divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood , ' but that's not saying much . 
a finely tuned mood piece , a model of menacing atmosphere . 
catch it . . . if you can ! 
a stylish thriller . 
secret ballot is a funny , puzzling movie ambiguous enough to be engaging and oddly moving . 
fudges fact and fancy with such confidence that we feel as if we're seeing something purer than the real thing . 
eight legged freaks is clever and funny , is amused by its special effects , and leaves you feeling like you've seen a movie instead of an endless trailer . 
the film is small in scope , yet perfectly formed . 
in all fairness , i must report that the children of varying ages in my audience never coughed , fidgeted or romped up and down the aisles for bathroom breaks . 
the film truly does rescue [the funk brothers] from motown's shadows . it's about time . 
the special effects and many scenes of weightlessness look as good or better than in the original , while the oscar-winning sound and james horner's rousing score make good use of the hefty audio system . 
a spellbinding african film about the modern condition of rootlessness , a state experienced by millions around the globe . 
an awfully good , achingly human picture . 
by and large this is mr . kilmer's movie , and it's his strongest performance since the doors . 
the cast . . . keeps this pretty watchable , and casting mick jagger as director of the escort service was inspired . 
despite the predictable parent vs . child coming-of-age theme , first-class , natural acting and a look at " the real americans " make this a charmer . 
a headline-fresh thriller set among orthodox jews on the west bank , joseph cedar's time of favor manages not only to find a compelling dramatic means of addressing a complex situation , it does so without compromising that complexity . 
cannon's confidence and laid-back good spirits are , with the drumming routines , among the film's saving graces . 
we know the plot's a little crazy , but it held my interest from start to finish . 
few films capture so perfectly the hopes and dreams of little boys on baseball fields as well as the grown men who sit in the stands . 
thanks to a small star with big heart , this family film sequel is plenty of fun for all . 
i encourage young and old alike to go see this unique and entertaining twist on the classic whale's tale -- you won't be sorry ! 
quitting offers piercing domestic drama with spikes of sly humor . 
an enjoyably half-wit remake of the venerable italian comedy big deal on madonna street . 
a moody horror/thriller elevated by deft staging and the director's well-known narrative gamesmanship . 
with we were soldiers , hollywood makes a valiant attempt to tell a story about the vietnam war before the pathology set in . 
peralta captures , in luminous interviews and amazingly evocative film from three decades ago , the essence of the dogtown experience . 
there are just enough twists in the tale to make it far more satisfying than almost any horror film in recent memory . 
would be an unendurable viewing experience for this ultra-provincial new yorker if 26-year-old reese witherspoon were not on hand to inject her pure fantasy character , melanie carmichael , with a massive infusion of old-fashioned hollywood magic . 
for those who pride themselves on sophisticated , discerning taste , this might not seem like the proper cup of tea , however it is almost guaranteed that even the stuffiest cinema goers will laugh their * * * off for an hour-and-a-half . 
fine acting but there is no sense of connecting the dots , just dots . 
that it'll probably be the best and most mature comedy of the 2002 summer season speaks more of the season than the picture
a miraculous movie , i'm going home is so slight , yet overflows with wisdom and emotion . 
[fiji diver rusi vulakoro and the married couple howard and michelle hall] show us the world they love and make us love it , too . 
this nickleby thing might have more homosexual undertones than an eddie murphy film . and just when you think it can't get any more gay , in pops nathan lane . 
[grant's] bumbling magic takes over the film , and it turns out to be another winning star vehicle . 
the ending feels at odds with the rest of the film . 
a droll , well-acted , character-driven comedy with unexpected deposits of feeling . 
leigh's daring here is that without once denying the hardscrabble lives of people on the economic fringes of margaret thatcher's ruinous legacy , he insists on the importance of those moments when people can connect and express their love for each other . 
one thing you have to give them credit for : the message of the movie is consistent with the messages espoused in the company's previous video work . 
becomes a fascinating study of isolation and frustration that successfully recreates both the physical setting and emotional tensions of the papin sisters . 
a captivating and intimate study about dying and loving . . . 
it's a count for our times . 
fathers and sons , and the uneasy bonds between them , rarely have received such a sophisticated and unsentimental treatment on the big screen as they do in this marvelous film . 
even if the ride's a little bumpy , with a final lap that's all too suspiciously smooth , you gotta give director roger michell , best known for the superfluous notting hill , credit for trying . 
if you're hard up for raunchy college humor , this is your ticket right here . 
the best film of the year 2002 . 
an infinitely wittier version of the home alone formula . 
real women have curves doesn't offer any easy answers . 
you could love safe conduct ( laissez passer ) for being a subtitled french movie that is 170 minutes long . you could hate it for the same reason . 
aside from being the funniest movie of the year , simone , andrew niccol's brilliant anti-hollywood satire , has a wickedly eccentric enchantment to it . 
the film has several strong performances . 
it shows us a slice of life that's very different from our own and yet instantly recognizable . 
try as you might to resist , if you've got a place in your heart for smokey robinson , this movie will worm its way there . 
a funny and touching film that is gorgeously acted by a british cast to rival gosford park's . 
the reason this picture works better than its predecessors is that myers is no longer simply spoofing the mini-mod-madness of '60s spy movies . 
miyazaki has created such a vibrant , colorful world , it's almost impossible not to be swept away by the sheer beauty of his images . 
the film feels uncomfortably real , its language and locations bearing the unmistakable stamp of authority . 
bullock does a good job here of working against her natural likability . 
you'll laugh at either the obviousness of it all or its stupidity or maybe even its inventiveness , but the point is , you'll laugh . 
using his audience as a figurative port-of-call , dong pulls his even-handed ideological ship to their dock for unloading , before he continues his longer journey still ahead . 
moore's complex and important film is also , believe it or not , immensely entertaining , a david and goliath story that's still very much playing itself out . 
open-minded kids -- kids who read , kids who dream -- will be comforted by the way it deals with big issues like death and destiny . 
an entertaining , if somewhat standardized , action movie . 
that the film opens with maggots crawling on a dead dog is not an out of place metaphor . 
not far beneath the surface , this reconfigured tale asks disturbing questions about those things we expect from military epics . 
missteps take what was otherwise a fascinating , riveting story and send it down the path of the mundane . 
the movie isn't just hilarious : it's witty and inventive , too , and in hindsight , it isn't even all that dumb . 
not the best herzog perhaps , but unmistakably herzog . 
either a fascinating study of the relationship between mothers and their children or a disturbing story about sociopaths and their marks . 
often overwrought and at times positively irritating , the film turns into an engrossing thriller almost in spite of itself . 
in the long , dishonorable history of quickie teen-pop exploitation , like mike stands out for its only partly synthetic decency . 
a comedy that is warm , inviting , and surprising . 
it grabs you in the dark and shakes you vigorously for its duration . 
vincent gallo is right at home in this french shocker playing his usual bad boy weirdo role . 
like edward norton in american history x , ryan gosling ( murder by numbers ) delivers a magnetic performance . 
not a bad journey at all . 
turturro is fabulously funny and over the top as a 'very sneaky' butler who excels in the art of impossible disappearing/reappearing acts
a refreshing korean film about five female high school friends who face an uphill battle when they try to take their relationships into deeper waters . 
the film does a solid job of slowly , steadily building up to the climactic burst of violence . 
an interesting story with a pertinent ( cinematically unique ) message , told fairly well and scored to perfection , i found myself struggling to put my finger on that elusive " missing thing . " 
scherfig's light-hearted profile of emotional desperation is achingly honest and delightfully cheeky . 
the music makes a nice album , the food is enticing and italy beckons us all . 
standing by yourself is haunting . . . [it's] what punk rock music used to be , and what the video medium could use more of : spirit , perception , conviction . 
the most brilliant and brutal uk crime film since jack carter went back to newcastle , the first half of gangster no . 1 drips with style and , at times , blood . 
if you come from a family that eats , meddles , argues , laughs , kibbitzes and fights together , then go see this delightful comedy . 
the observations of this social/economic/urban environment are canny and spiced with irony . 
lovely and poignant . puts a human face on a land most westerners are unfamiliar with . 
merchant effectively translates naipaul's lively mix of characters from the page to screen . 
huppert's superbly controlled display of murderous vulnerability ensures that malice has a very human face . 
this is a finely written , superbly acted offbeat thriller . 
a deft , delightful mix of sulky teen drama and overcoming-obstacles sports-movie triumph . 
a moody , multi-dimensional love story and sci-fi mystery , solaris is a thought-provoking , haunting film that allows the seeds of the imagination to germinate . 
it's a lovely , sad dance highlighted by kwan's unique directing style . 
though the film never veers from its comic course , its unintentional parallels might inadvertently evoke memories and emotions which are anything but humorous . 
moonlight mile doesn't quite go the distance but the cast is impressive and they all give life to these broken characters who are trying to make their way through this tragedy . 
steven spielberg brings us another masterpiece
sensitive ensemble performances and good period reconstruction add up to a moving tragedy with some buoyant human moments . 
a big-budget/all-star movie as unblinkingly pure as the hours is a distinct rarity , and an event . 
despite the film's shortcomings , the stories are quietly moving . 
birthday girl walks a tricky tightrope between being wickedly funny and just plain wicked . 
 " the quiet american " begins in saigon in 1952 . that's its first sign of trouble . 
my oh my , is this an invigorating , electric movie . 
the structure is simple , but in its own way , rabbit-proof fence is a quest story as grand as the lord of the rings . 
as improbable as this premise may seem , abbass's understated , shining performance offers us the sense that on some elemental level , lilia deeply wants to break free of her old life . 
visits spy-movie territory like a novel you can't put down , examines a footnote to history seldom brought to light on the screen , and keeps you guessing from first frame to last . 
a decided lack of spontaneity in its execution and a dearth of real poignancy in its epiphanies . 
a rich tale of our times , very well told with an appropriate minimum of means . 
nervy and sensitive , it taps into genuine artistic befuddlement , and at the same time presents a scathing indictment of what drives hollywood . 
reinforces the talents of screenwriter charlie kaufman , creator of adaptation and being john malkovich . 
 . . . manages to deliver a fair bit of vampire fun . 
[washington's] strong hand , keen eye , sweet spirit and good taste are reflected in almost every scene . 
contradicts everything we've come to expect from movies nowadays . instead of simply handling conventional material in a conventional way , secretary takes the most unexpected material and handles it in the most unexpected way . 
the recording session is the only part of the film that is enlightening -- and how appreciative you are of this depends on your level of fandom . 
it's endearing to hear madame d . refer to her husband as 'jackie' -- and he does make for excellent company , not least as a self-conscious performer . 
it's pretty linear and only makeup-deep , but bogdanovich ties it together with efficiency and an affection for the period . 
stripped almost entirely of such tools as nudity , profanity and violence , labute does manage to make a few points about modern man and his problematic quest for human connection . 
everytime you think undercover brother has run out of steam , it finds a new way to surprise and amuse . 
an original gem about an obsession with time . 
'interesante y disfrutable trabajo gracias a que prescinde del clsico elemento estadounidense patriotero y manipulador . '
the casting of von sydow . . . is itself intacto's luckiest stroke . 
mostly martha could have used a little trimming -- 10 or 15 minutes could be cut and no one would notice -- but it's a pleasurable trifle . the only pain you'll feel as the credits roll is your stomach grumbling for some tasty grub . 
the movie isn't always easy to look at . but if it is indeed a duty of art to reflect life , than leigh has created a masterful piece of artistry right here . 
victor rosa is leguizamo's best movie work so far , a subtle and richly internalized performance . 
it's a minor comedy that tries to balance sweetness with coarseness , while it paints a sad picture of the singles scene . 
like the series , the movie is funny , smart , visually inventive , and most of all , alive . 
this is a shrewd and effective film from a director who understands how to create and sustain a mood . 
evelyn's strong cast and surehanded direction make for a winning , heartwarming yarn . 
twist open the ouzo ! it's time to let your hair down  greek style . a vibrant whirlwind of love , family and all that goes with it , my big fat greek wedding is a non-stop funny feast of warmth , colour and cringe . 
the audacity to view one of shakespeare's better known tragedies as a dark comedy is , by itself , deserving of discussion . 
it's sweet . it's funny . it wears its heart on the sleeve of its gaudy hawaiian shirt . and , thanks to the presence of 'the king , ' it also rocks . 
 " auto focus " works as an unusual biopic and document of male swingers in the playboy era
an effective portrait of a life in stasis -- of the power of inertia to arrest development in a dead-end existence . 
[there's] quite a bit of heart , as you would expect from the directors of the little mermaid and aladdin . 
a fascinating , dark thriller that keeps you hooked on the delicious pulpiness of its lurid fiction . 
there are laughs aplenty , and , as a bonus , viewers don't have to worry about being subjected to farts , urine , feces , semen , or any of the other foul substances that have overrun modern-day comedies . 
the film tunes into a grief that could lead a man across centuries . 
a work of the utmost subtlety and perception , it marks the outstanding feature debut of writer-director eric byler , who understands the power of the implicit and the virtues of simplicity and economy . 
light the candles , bring out the cake and don't fret about the calories because there's precious little substance in birthday girl -- it's simply , and surprisingly , a nice , light treat . 
i loved the look of this film . 
chilling in its objective portrait of dreary , lost twenty-first century america . 
without heavy-handedness , dong provides perspective with his intelligent grasp of human foibles and contradictions . 
a marvellous journey from childhood idealism to adolescent self-absorption . 
as allen's execution date closes in , the documentary gives an especially poignant portrait of her friendship with the never flagging legal investigator david presson . 
an hour and a half of joyful solo performance . 
this insightful , oscar-nominated documentary , in which children on both sides of the ever-escalating conflict have their say away from watchful parental eyes , gives peace yet another chance . 
it's a familiar story , but one that is presented with great sympathy and intelligence . 
the movie is beautiful to behold and engages one in a sense of epic struggle -- inner and outer -- that's all too rare in hollywood's hastier productions . 
although the editing might have been tighter , hush ! sympathetically captures the often futile lifestyle of young people in modern japan . 
a raunchy and frequently hilarious follow-up to the gifted korean american stand-up's i'm the one that i want . 
gives you the steady pulse of life in a beautiful city viewed through the eyes of a character who , in spite of tragic loss and increasing decrepitude , knows in his bones that he is one of the luckiest men alive . 
an uncomfortable movie , suffocating and sometimes almost senseless , the grey zone does have a center , though a morbid one . 
it's weird , wonderful , and not necessarily for kids . 
escapes the precious trappings of most romantic comedies , infusing into the story very real , complicated emotions . 
this is a film that manages to find greatness in the hue of its drastic iconography . 
this road movie gives you emotional whiplash , and you'll be glad you went along for the ride . 
together , tok and o orchestrate a buoyant , darkly funny dance of death . in the process , they demonstrate that there's still a lot of life in hong kong cinema . 
a gripping , searing portrait of a lost soul trying to find her way through life . 
longley has constructed a remarkably coherent , horrifically vivid snapshot of those turbulent days . 
norton is magnetic as graham . 
over-the-top and a bit ostentatious , this is a movie that's got oodles of style and substance . 
'it's better to go in knowing full well what's going to happen , but willing to let the earnestness of its execution and skill of its cast take you down a familiar road with a few twists . cynics need not apply . '
insightfully written , delicately performed
 . . . a weak , manipulative , pencil-thin story that is miraculously able to entertain anyway . 
simultaneously heart-breaking and very funny , the last kiss is really all about performances . 
guaranteed to move anyone who ever shook , rattled , or rolled . 
the movie occasionally threatens to become didactic , but it's too grounded in the reality of its characters to go over the edge . a touch of humor or an unexpected plot twist always pulls it back . 
as ex-marine walter , who may or may not have shot kennedy , actor raymond j . barry is perfectly creepy and believable . 
disappointingly , the characters are too strange and dysfunctional , tom included , to ever get under the skin , but this is compensated in large part by the off-the-wall dialogue , visual playfulness and the outlandishness of the idea itself . 
probably the best case for christianity since chesterton and lewis . 
there aren't many conclusive answers in the film , but there is an interesting story of pointed personalities , courage , tragedy and the little guys vs . the big guys . 
polished , well-structured film . 
jacquot has filmed the opera exactly as the libretto directs , ideally capturing the opera's drama and lyricism . 
thoughtful , even stinging at times , and lots of fun . 
a cutesy romantic tale with a twist . 
you're not merely watching history , you're engulfed by it . 
me no lika da accents so good , but i thoroughly enjoyed the love story . scott baio is turning in some delightful work on indie projects . 
keenly observed and refreshingly natural , swimming gets the details right , from its promenade of barely clad bodies in myrtle beach , s . c . , to the adrenaline jolt of a sudden lunch rush at the diner . 
 . . . flat-out amusing , sometimes endearing and often fabulous , with a solid cast , noteworthy characters , delicious dialogue and a wide supply of effective sight gags . 
more timely than its director could ever have dreamed , this quietly lyrical tale probes the ambiguous welcome extended by iran to the afghani refugees who streamed across its borders , desperate for work and food . 
for almost the first two-thirds of martin scorsese's 168-minute gangs of new york , i was entranced . 
with lesser talents , high crimes would be entertaining , but forgettable . with freeman and judd , i'll at least remember their characters . 
an intelligent and deeply felt work about impossible , irrevocable choices and the price of making them . 
as well-acted and well-intentioned as all or nothing is , however , the film comes perilously close to being too bleak , too pessimistic and too unflinching for its own good . 
it's sobering , particularly if anyone still thinks this conflict can be resolved easily , or soon . 
the concert footage is stirring , the recording sessions are intriguing , and -- on the way to striking a blow for artistic integrity -- this quality band may pick up new admirers . 
a fairly enjoyable mixture of longest yard . . . and the 1999 guy ritchie caper lock stock and two smoking barrels . 
the film's constant mood of melancholy and its unhurried narrative are masterfully controlled . but  in trying to capture the novel's deeper intimate resonances , the film has  ironically - distanced us from the characters . 
the performances take the movie to a higher level . 
the year's happiest surprise , a movie that deals with a real subject in an always surprising way . 
a mesmerizing cinematic poem from the first frame to the last . 
wow , so who knew charles dickens could be so light-hearted ? 
parts seem like they were lifted from terry gilliam's subconscious , pressed through kafka's meat grinder and into buuel's casings
as teen movies go , " orange county " is a refreshing change
beautiful , angry and sad , with a curious sick poetry , as if the marquis de sade had gone in for pastel landscapes . 
it's so good that you can practically see the hollywood 'suits' trying to put together the cast and filmmaking team for the all-too -inevitable american remake . 
steadfastly uncinematic but powerfully dramatic . 
what redeems the film is the cast , particularly the ya-yas themselves . 
in adobo , ethnicity is not just the spice , but at the heart of more universal concerns . 
at its most basic , this cartoon adventure is that wind-in-the-hair exhilarating . 
an animation landmark as monumental as disney's 1937 breakthrough snow white and the seven dwarfs . 
if you ever wanted to be an astronaut , this is the ultimate movie experience - it's informative and breathtakingly spectacular . 
my wife is an actress has its moments in looking at the comic effects of jealousy . in the end , though , it is only mildly amusing when it could have been so much more . 
i don't think i've been as entranced and appalled by an asian film since shinya tsukamoto's iron man . 
carrying off a spot-on scottish burr , duvall ( also a producer ) peels layers from this character that may well not have existed on paper . 
the series' message about making the right choice in the face of tempting alternatives remains prominent , as do the girls' amusing personalities . 
with dirty deeds , david caesar has stepped into the mainstream of filmmaking with an assurance worthy of international acclaim and with every cinematic tool well under his control -- driven by a natural sense for what works on screen . 
insomnia loses points when it surrenders to a formulaic bang-bang , shoot-em-up scene at the conclusion . but the performances of pacino , williams , and swank keep the viewer wide-awake all the way through . 
 " frailty " has been written so well , that even a simple " goddammit ! " near the end takes on a whole other meaning . 
there are times when a rumor of angels plays like an extended episode of touched by an angel -- a little too much dancing , a few too many weeping scenes -- but i liked its heart and its spirit . 
romantic , riveting and handsomely animated . 
remarkable for its intelligence and intensity . 
an estrogen opera so intensely feminine that it serves as the antidote ( and cannier doppelganger ) to diesel's xxx flex-a-thon . 
as quiet , patient and tenacious as mr . lopez himself , who approaches his difficult , endless work with remarkable serenity and discipline . 
the film is all a little lit crit 101 , but it's extremely well played and often very funny . 
savvy director robert j . siegel and his co-writers keep the story subtle and us in suspense . 
by turns fanciful , grisly and engagingly quixotic . 
dazzles with its fully-written characters , its determined stylishness ( which always relates to characters and story ) and johnny dankworth's best soundtrack in years . 
this is art paying homage to art . 
deliriously funny , fast and loose , accessible to the uninitiated , and full of surprises
if signs is a good film , and it is , the essence of a great one is in there somewhere . 
while the frequent allusions to gurus and doshas will strike some westerners as verging on mumbo-jumbo . . . broad streaks of common sense emerge with unimpeachable clarity . 
the events of the film are just so weird that i honestly never knew what the hell was coming next . 
an intelligent , earnest , intimate film that drops the ball only when it pauses for blunt exposition to make sure you're getting its metaphysical point . 
read my lips is to be viewed and treasured for its extraordinary intelligence and originality as well as its lyrical variations on the game of love . 
one of the greatest romantic comedies of the past decade . 
dark and disturbing , but also surprisingly funny . 
with dickens' words and writer-director douglas mcgrath's even-toned direction , a ripping good yarn is told . 
the movie does its best to work us over , with second helpings of love , romance , tragedy , false dawns , real dawns , comic relief , two separate crises during marriage ceremonies , and the lush scenery of the cotswolds . 
may be far from the best of the series , but it's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation . 
 . . . begins on a high note and sustains it beautifully . 
 " its successes are also tempered with elements which prove the direct antithesis of what it gets right . " 
it's incredible the number of stories the holocaust has generated . just when you think that every possible angle has been exhausted by documentarians , another new film emerges with yet another remarkable yet shockingly little-known perspective . 
it's obviously struck a responsive chord with many south koreans , and should work its magic in other parts of the world . 
more concerned with sade's ideas than with his actions . the movie achieves as great an impact by keeping these thoughts hidden as . . . [quills] did by showing them . 
a minor film with major pleasures from portuguese master manoel de oliviera . . . 
an absorbing trip into the minds and motivations of people under stress as well as a keen , unsentimental look at variations on the theme of motherhood . 
 " catch me " feels capable of charming the masses with star power , a pop-induced score and sentimental moments that have become a spielberg trademark . 
assured , glossy and shot through with brittle desperation . 
funny and , at times , poignant , the film from director george hickenlooper all takes place in pasadena , " a city where people still read . " 
one scarcely needs the subtitles to enjoy this colorful action farce . 
a well-done film of a self-reflexive , philosophical nature . 
it understands , in a way that speaks forcefully enough about the mechanisms of poverty to transcend the rather simplistic filmmaking . 
symbolically , warm water under a red bridge is a celebration of feminine energy , a tribute to the power of women to heal . 
drug abuse , infidelity and death aren't usually comedy fare , but turpin's film allows us to chuckle through the angst . 
the film's real appeal won't be to clooney fans or adventure buffs , but to moviegoers who enjoy thinking about compelling questions with no easy answers . 
the film is saved from aren't-kids-cute sentimentality by a warmth that isn't faked and a stately sense of composition . 
below may not mark mr . twohy's emergence into the mainstream , but his promise remains undiminished . 
[chaiken's] talent lies in an evocative , accurate observation of a distinctive milieu and in the lively , convincing dialogue she creates for her characters . 
ns gosta muito de as duas torres . 
an honest , sensitive story from a vietnamese point of view . 
the unique tug-of-war with viewer expectations is undeniable , if not a pleasure in its own right . 
a sentimental but entirely irresistible portrait of three aging sisters . 
immersing us in the endlessly inventive , fiercely competitive world of hip-hop djs , the project is sensational and revelatory , even if scratching makes you itch . 
succeeds where its recent predecessor miserably fails because it demands that you suffer the dreadfulness of war from both sides . 
 " . . . something appears to have been lost in the translation this time . the importance of being earnest movie seems to be missing a great deal of the acerbic repartee of the play . " 
satisfyingly scarifying , fresh and old-fashioned at the same time . 
cineasts will revel in those visual in-jokes , as in the film's verbal pokes at everything from the likes of miramax chief harvey weinstein's bluff personal style to the stylistic rigors of denmark's dogma movement . 
overcomes its visual hideousness with a sharp script and strong performances . 
 " mr . deeds " is suitable summer entertainment that offers escapism without requiring a great deal of thought . 
an ambitious movie that , like shiner's organizing of the big fight , pulls off enough of its effects to make up for the ones that don't come off . 
giggling at the absurdities and inconsistencies is part of the fun . but the talented cast alone will keep you watching , as will the fight scenes . 
an eye-boggling blend of psychedelic devices , special effects and backgrounds , 'spy kids 2' is a visual treat for all audiences . 
walter hill's undisputed is like a 1940s warner bros . b picture , and i mean that as a compliment . 
a film that begins with the everyday lives of naval personnel in san diego and ends with scenes so true and heartbreaking that tears welled up in my eyes both times i saw the film . 
maneuvers skillfully through the plot's hot brine -- until it's undone by the sogginess of its contemporary characters , and actors . 
kosminsky . . . puts enough salt into the wounds of the tortured and self-conscious material to make it sting . 
a moving and stark reminder that the casualties of war reach much further than we imagine . 
 . . . a true delight . 
labute masterfully balances both traditional or modern stories together in a manner that one never overwhelms the other . something for everyone . 
a vivid cinematic portrait . 
a soap-opera quality twist in the last 20 minutes . . . almost puts the kibosh on what is otherwise a sumptuous work of b-movie imagination . 
a well-crafted film that is all the more remarkable because it achieves its emotional power and moments of revelation with restraint and a delicate ambiguity . 
a sweet-tempered comedy that forgoes the knee-jerk misogyny that passes for humor in so many teenage comedies . 
audiences conditioned to getting weepy over saucer-eyed , downy-cheeked moppets and their empathetic caretakers will probably feel emotionally cheated by the film's tart , sugar-free wit . 
there are problems with this film that even 3 oscar winners can't overcome , but it's a nice girl-buddy movie once it gets rock-n-rolling . 
exquisitely nuanced in mood tics and dialogue , this chamber drama is superbly acted by the deeply appealing veteran bouquet and the chilling but quite human berling . 
got a david lynch jones ? then you'd do well to check this one out because it's straight up twin peaks action . . . 
it's all entertaining enough , but don't look for any hefty anti-establishment message in what is essentially a whip-crack of a buddy movie that ends with a whimper . 
a gripping drama . 
a model of what films like this should be like . 
a movie of riveting power and sadness . 
whether writer-director anne fontaine's film is a ghost story , an account of a nervous breakdown , a trip down memory lane , all three or none of the above , it is as seductive as it is haunting . 
the story ultimately takes hold and grips hard . 
mostly honest , this somber picture reveals itself slowly , intelligently , artfully . 
an idealistic love story that brings out the latent 15-year-old romantic in everyone . 
ferrara's best film in years . 
it's easy to be cynical about documentaries in which underdogs beat the odds and the human spirit triumphs , but westbrook's foundation and dalrymple's film earn their uplift . 
more of the same from taiwanese auteur tsai ming-liang , which is good news to anyone who's fallen under the sweet , melancholy spell of this unique director's previous films . 
like any good romance , son of the bride , proves it's never too late to learn . 
a party-hearty teen flick that scalds like acid . 
many a parent and their teen ( or preteen ) kid could bond while watching a walk to remember . so could young romantics out on a date . 
it pulls the rug out from under you , just when you're ready to hate one character , or really sympathize with another character , something happens to send you off in different direction . 
the film is insightful about kissinger's background and history . 
two weeks notice has appeal beyond being a sandra bullock vehicle or a standard romantic comedy . 
pumpkin takes an admirable look at the hypocrisy of political correctness , but it does so with such an uneven tone that you never know when humor ends and tragedy begins . 
an ambitious 'what if ? ' that works . 
i don't know if frailty will turn bill paxton into an a-list director , but he can rest contentedly with the knowledge that he's made at least one damn fine horror movie . 
at the end , when the now computerized yoda finally reveals his martial artistry , the film ascends to a kinetic life so teeming that even cranky adults may rediscover the quivering kid inside . 
i like this movie a lot . i like that smith , he's not making fun of these people , he's not laughing at them . 
from spiritual rebirth to bruising defeat , vincent's odyssey resonates in a profound way , comparable to the classic films of jean renoir . 
few films this year have been as resolute in their emotional nakedness . 
by applying definition to both sides of the man , the picture realizes a fullness that does not negate the subject . 
 . . . creates a visceral sense of its characters' lives and conflicted emotions that carries it far above . . . what could have been a melodramatic , lifetime channel-style anthology . 
it's solid and affecting and exactly as thought-provoking as it should be . 
a melancholy , emotional film . 
scores a few points for doing what it does with a dedicated and good-hearted professionalism . 
droll caper-comedy remake of " big deal on madonna street " that's a sly , amusing , laugh-filled little gem in which the ultimate " bellini " begins to look like a " real kaputschnik . " 
one of the year's most weirdly engaging and unpredictable character pieces . 
alternates between deadpan comedy and heartbreaking loneliness and isn't afraid to provoke introspection in both its characters and its audience . 
even those who would like to dismiss the film outright should find much to mull and debate . 
thought-provoking and stylish , if also somewhat hermetic . 
a wonderfully speculative character study that made up for its rather slow beginning by drawing me into the picture . 
the most wondrous love story in years , it is a great film . 
a compelling french psychological drama examining the encounter of an aloof father and his chilly son after 20 years apart . 
a work of astonishing delicacy and force . 
the fun of the movie is the chance it affords to watch jackson , who also served as executive producer , take his smooth , shrewd , powerful act abroad . 
ray liotta and jason patric do some of their best work in their underwritten roles , but don't be fooled : nobody deserves any prizes here . 
harris commands the screen , using his frailty to suggest the ravages of a life of corruption and ruthlessness . 
although fairly involving as far as it goes , the film doesn't end up having much that is fresh to say about growing up catholic or , really , anything . 
the movie is ingenious fun . see it . 
dong shows how intolerance has the power to deform families , then tear them apart . 
remove spider-man the movie from its red herring surroundings and it's apparent that this is one summer film that satisfies . 
the mood , look and tone of the film fit the incredible storyline to a t . 
provides an intriguing window into the imagination and hermetic analysis of todd solondz . 
a pro-fat farce that overcomes much of its excessive moral baggage thanks to two appealing lead performances . 
it's got all the familiar bruckheimer elements , and schumacher does probably as good a job as anyone at bringing off the hopkins/rock collision of acting styles and onscreen personas . 
a respectable venture on its own terms , lacking the broader vision that has seen certain trek films . . . cross over to a more mainstream audience . 
with wit and empathy to spare , waydowntown acknowledges the silent screams of workaday inertia but stops short of indulging its characters' striving solipsism . 
unfortunately , it appears that [jackie] chan's us influence is starting to show in his hong kong films . 
the pleasure of read my lips is like seeing a series of perfect black pearls clicking together to form a string . we're drawn in by the dark luster . 
a real story about real people living their lives concerned about the future of an elderly , mentally handicapped family member . 
offers much to enjoy . . . and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends . 
a swashbuckling tale of love , betrayal , revenge and above all , faith . 
scott delivers a terrific performance in this fascinating portrait of a modern lothario . 
deliciously mean-spirited and wryly observant . 
this horror-comedy doesn't go for the usual obvious laughs at the expense of cheap-looking monsters -- unless you count elvira's hooters . 
the film sparkles with the the wisdom and humor of its subjects . 
suffers from the lack of a compelling or comprehensible narrative . still , as a visual treat , the film is almost unsurpassed . 
sweet home alabama " is what it is  a nice , harmless date film . . . 
 . . . a story , an old and scary one , about the monsters we make , and the vengeance they take . 
red dragon " never cuts corners . 
the film hinges on its performances , and both leads are up to the task . 
bleakly funny , its characters all the more touching for refusing to pity or memorialize themselves . 
a muddle splashed with bloody beauty as vivid as any scorsese has ever given us . 
shiner can certainly go the distance , but isn't world championship material
decasia is what has happened already to so many silent movies , newsreels and the like . the unexpected thing is that its dying , in this shower of black-and-white psychedelia , is quite beautiful . 
eyre is on his way to becoming the american indian spike lee . 
boasts enough funny dialogue and sharp characterizations to be mildly amusing . 
it's quite diverting nonsense . 
behind the snow games and lovable siberian huskies ( plus one sheep dog ) , the picture hosts a parka-wrapped dose of heart . 
if it's possible for a sequel to outshine the original , then sl2 does just that . 
two hours fly by -- opera's a pleasure when you don't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated . 
bennett's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any 'reality' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first . 
the french are rather good at this kind of thing , unlike the americans , who have a passion for musketeers , only to spoof them . 
no one goes unindicted here , which is probably for the best . and if you're not nearly moved to tears by a couple of scenes , you've got ice water in your veins . 
it deserves to be seen by anyone with even a passing interest in the events shaping the world beyond their own horizons . 
beautifully crafted and cooly unsettling . . . recreates the atmosphere of the crime expertly . 
a worthy entry into a very difficult genre . 
happy times maintains an appealing veneer without becoming too cute about it . 
the first tunisian film i have ever seen , and it's also probably the most good-hearted yet sensual entertainment i'm likely to see all year . 
the creative animation work may not look as fully 'rendered' as pixar's industry standard , but it uses lighting effects and innovative backgrounds to an equally impressive degree . 
a muted freak-out
an amazing and incendiary movie that dives straight into the rough waters of contradiction . 
compassionately explores the seemingly irreconcilable situation between conservative christian parents and their estranged gay and lesbian children . 
one of those unassuming films that sneaks up on you and stays with you long after you have left the theatre . 
there's a great deal of corny dialogue and preposterous moments . and yet , it still works . 
it's not the least of afghan tragedies that this noble warlord would be consigned to the dustbin of history . 
en s mismo el rey len es un espectculo digno de contemplarse en cine , dvd o en su soberbio montaje teatral ; pero el hacerlo en la pantalla imax es una experiencia colosal . 
a diverse and astonishingly articulate cast of palestinian and israeli children . 
lightweight but appealing . 
uses sharp humor and insight into human nature to examine class conflict , adolescent yearning , the roots of friendship and sexual identity . 
the film makes a strong case for the importance of the musicians in creating the motown sound . 
if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther's story is a compelling quest for truth . 
viewers of " the ring " are more likely to remember the haunting images than the plot holes . 
the history is fascinating ; the action is dazzling . they just don't work in concert . 
a fun family movie that's suitable for all ages -- a movie that will make you laugh , cry and realize , 'it's never too late to believe in your dreams . '
marshall puts a suspenseful spin on standard horror flick formula . 
this is simply the most fun you'll ever have with a documentary ! 
a taut , intelligent psychological drama . 
tsai ming-liang's ghosts are painfully aware of their not-being . 
superior genre storytelling , which gets under our skin simply by crossing the nuclear line . 
one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead . 
those outside show business will enjoy a close look at people they don't really want to know . 
trapped won't score points for political correctness , but it may cause parents a few sleepless hours -- a sign of its effectiveness . 
rock solid family fun out of the gates , extremely imaginative through out , but wanes in the middle
 . . . " bowling for columbine " remains a disquieting and thought-provoking film . . . 
a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one . 
this is dicaprio's best performance in anything ever , and easily the most watchable film of the year . 
over the years , hollywood has crafted a solid formula for successful animated movies , and ice age only improves on it , with terrific computer graphics , inventive action sequences and a droll sense of humor . 
generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes . 
 . . . a roller-coaster ride of a movie
dark and unrepentant , this excursion into the epicenter of percolating mental instability is not easily dismissed or forgotten . 
like the full monty , this is sure to raise audience's spirits and leave them singing long after the credits roll . 
a different and emotionally reserved type of survival story -- a film less about refracting all of world war ii through the specific conditions of one man , and more about that man lost in its midst . 
it's a solid movie about people whose lives are anything but . 
the vistas are sweeping and the acting is far from painful . 
what's so fun about this silly , outrageous , ingenious thriller is the director's talent . watching a brian depalma movie is like watching an alfred hitchcock movie after drinking twelve beers . 
the results , if not memorable , are at least interesting . 
renner ? s face is chillingly unemotive , yet he communicates a great deal in his performance . see it for his performance if nothing else . 
 . . . the kind of entertainment that parents love to have their kids see . 
far from perfect , but its heart is in the right place . . . innocent and well-meaning . 
clever and unflinching in its comic barbs , slap her is a small but rewarding comedy that takes aim at contemporary southern adolescence and never lets up . 
i'm sure mainstream audiences will be baffled , but , for those with at least a minimal appreciation of woolf and clarissa dalloway , the hours represents two of those well spent . 
a highly spirited , imaginative kid's movie that broaches neo-augustinian theology : is god stuck in heaven because he's afraid of his best-known creation ? 
is it a total success ? no . is it something any true film addict will want to check out ? you bet . 
[a] real pleasure in its laid-back way . 
thanks to confident filmmaking and a pair of fascinating performances , the way to that destination is a really special walk in the woods . 
 . . . an enjoyably frothy 'date movie' . . . 
the old-world- meets-new mesh is incarnated in the movie's soundtrack , a joyful effusion of disco bollywood that , by the end of monsoon wedding , sent my spirit soaring out of the theater . 
this 90-minute postmodern voyage was more diverting and thought-provoking than i'd expected it to be . 
benefits from a strong performance from zhao , but it's dong jie's face you remember at the end . 
solid , lump-in-the-throat family entertainment that derives its power by sticking to the facts . 
i enjoyed time of favor while i was watching it , but i was surprised at how quickly it faded from my memory . 
[howard] so good as leon barlow . . . that he hardly seems to be acting . 
the kind of sweet-and-sour insider movie that film buffs will eat up like so much gelati . 
this in-depth study of important developments of the computer industry should make it required viewing in university computer science departments for years to come . 
to call this one an eventual cult classic would be an understatement , and woe is the horror fan who opts to overlook this goofily endearing and well-lensed gorefest . 
the story loses its bite in a last-minute happy ending that's even less plausible than the rest of the picture . much of the way , though , this is a refreshingly novel ride . 
anyone who's ever suffered under a martinet music instructor has no doubt fantasized about what an unhappy , repressed and twisted personal life their tormentor deserved . these people are really going to love the piano teacher . 
turns potentially forgettable formula into something strangely diverting . 
a bit of a downer and a little over-dramatic at times , but this is a beautiful film for people who like their romances to have that french realism . 
the graphic carnage and re-creation of war-torn croatia is uncomfortably timely , relevant , and sickeningly real . 
a lighthearted , feel-good film that embraces the time-honored truth that the most powerful thing in life is love . 
this orange has some juice , but it's far from fresh-squeezed . 
if you've ever wondered what an ending without the input of studio executives or test audiences would look like , here it is . 
neil burger here succeeded in . . . making the mystery of four decades back the springboard for a more immediate mystery in the present . 
this movie got me grinning . there's a part of us that cannot help be entertained by the sight of someone getting away with something . 
a sensitive , modest comic tragedy that works as both character study and symbolic examination of the huge economic changes sweeping modern china . 
after an uncertain start , murder hits and generally sustains a higher plateau with bullock's memorable first interrogation of gosling . 
 . . . bright , intelligent , and humanly funny film . 
leigh succeeds in delivering a dramatic slap in the face that's simultaneously painful and refreshing . 
davis' candid , archly funny and deeply authentic take on intimate relationships comes to fruition in her sophomore effort . 
thoughtful , provocative and entertaining . 
funny but perilously slight . 
intelligent and moving . 
an intelligent fiction about learning through cultural clash . 
in his debut as a film director , denzel washington delivers a lean and engaging work . 
its gentle , touching story creeps into your heart . 
the tasteful little revision works wonders , enhancing the cultural and economic subtext , bringing richer meaning to the story's morals . 
offers a persuasive look at a defeated but defiant nation in flux . 
this amiable picture talks tough , but it's all bluster -- in the end it's as sweet as greenfingers . . . 
well cast and well directed - a powerful drama with enough sardonic wit to keep it from being maudlin . 
[leigh] has a true talent for drawing wrenching performances from his actors ( improvised over many months ) and for conveying the way tiny acts of kindness make ordinary life survivable . 
it's a ripper of a yarn and i for one enjoyed the thrill of the chill . naomi watts is terrific as rachel ; her petite frame and vulnerable persona emphasising her plight and isolation . 
what it lacks in substance it makes up for in heart . 
alternately hilarious and sad , aggravating and soulful , scathing and joyous . it's a masterpeice . 
it may . . . work as a jaunt down memory lane for teens and young adults who grew up on televised scooby-doo shows or reruns . 
massoud's story is an epic , but also a tragedy , the record of a tenacious , humane fighter who was also the prisoner ( and ultimately the victim ) of history . 
a no-holds-barred cinematic treat . 
doug liman , the director of bourne , directs the traffic well , gets a nice wintry look from his locations , absorbs us with the movie's spycraft and uses damon's ability to be focused and sincere . 
the pitch must have read like a discarded house beautiful spread . 
elvira fans could hardly ask for more . 
like a skillful fisher , the director uses the last act to reel in the audience since its poignancy hooks us completely . 
a hallmark film in an increasingly important film industry and worth the look . 
has the rare capability to soothe and break your heart with a single stroke . 
though the controversial korean filmmaker's latest effort is not for all tastes , it offers gorgeous imagery , effective performances , and an increasingly unsettling sense of foreboding . 
a thoughtful , reverent portrait of what is essentially a subculture , with its own rules regarding love and family , governance and hierarchy . 
a classy item by a legend who may have nothing left to prove but still has the chops and drive to show how its done . 
a solidly entertaining little film . 
the movie's eventual success should be credited to dennis quaid , in fighting trim shape as an athlete as well as an actor
a film that is a portrait of grace in an imperfect world . 
you won't have any trouble getting kids to eat up these veggies . 
russian ark is a new treasure of the hermitage . 
a brain twister , less a movie-movie than a funny and weird meditation on hollywood , success , artistic integrity and intellectual bankruptcy . 
kinnear doesn't aim for our sympathy , but rather delivers a performance of striking skill and depth . 
parker cannot sustain the buoyant energy level of the film's city beginnings into its country conclusion
chaiken ably balances real-time rhythms with propulsive incident . 
the movie should jolt you out of your seat a couple of times , give you a few laughs , and leave you feeling like it was worth your seven bucks , even though it does turn out to be a bit of a cheat in the end . 
'what's the russian word for wow ! ? '
one of the film's most effective aspects is its tchaikovsky soundtrack of neurasthenic regret . 
it's funny and human and really pretty damned wonderful , all at once . 
the four feathers has rewards , from the exoticism of its seas of sand to the fierce grandeur of its sweeping battle scenes . 
with an expressive face reminiscent of gong li and a vivid personality like zhang ziyi's , dong stakes out the emotional heart of happy . 
a virtual roller-coaster ride of glamour and sleaze . 
i walked away from this new version of e . t . just as i hoped i would -- with moist eyes . 
if the film fails to fulfill its own ambitious goals , it nonetheless sustains interest during the long build-up of expository material . 
[sports] admirable energy , full-bodied characterizations and narrative urgency . 
time changer may not be the most memorable cinema session but its profound self-evaluation message about our fragile existence and the absence of spiritual guidance should at least invade an abundance of mindsets
for the most part , the film does hold up pretty well . 
melds derivative elements into something that is often quite rich and exciting , and always a beauty to behold . 
birot creates a drama with such a well-defined sense of place and age -- as in , 15 years old -- that the torments and angst become almost as operatic to us as they are to her characters . 
you don't have to know about music to appreciate the film's easygoing blend of comedy and romance . 
though the violence is far less sadistic than usual , the film is typical miike : fast , furious and full of off-the-cuff imaginative flourishes . 
the casting of raymond j . barry as the 'assassin' greatly enhances the quality of neil burger's impressive fake documentary . 
this english-language version . . . does full honor to miyazaki's teeming and often unsettling landscape , and to the conflicted complexity of his characters . 
grown-up quibbles are beside the point here . the little girls understand , and mccracken knows that's all that matters . 
with an obvious rapport with her actors and a striking style behind the camera , hlne angel is definitely a director to watch . 
ms sarcstica , divertida y demencial que su predecesora , es un buen ejemplo de lo que es el cine de entretenimiento puro y sin complejos . 
captivates and shows how a skillful filmmaker can impart a message without bludgeoning the audience over the head . 
full of profound , real-life moments that anyone can relate to , it deserves a wide audience . 
 . . . if you're in a mind set for goofy comedy , the troopers will entertain with their gross outs , bawdy comedy and head games . 
though it's become almost redundant to say so , major kudos go to leigh for actually casting people who look working-class . 
a charming but slight comedy . 
it arrives with an impeccable pedigree , mongrel pep , and almost indecipherable plot complications . 
vividly conveys the passion , creativity , and fearlessness of one of mexico's most colorful and controversial artists -- a captivating drama that will speak to the nonconformist in us all . 
a deliberative account of a lifestyle characterized by its surface-obsession  one that typifies the delirium of post , pre , and extant stardom . 
a movie of technical skill and rare depth of intellect and feeling . 
there's a lot to recommend read my lips . 
does point the way for adventurous indian filmmakers toward a crossover into nonethnic markets . 
at once subtle and visceral , the film never succumbs to the trap of the maudlin or tearful , offering instead with its unflinching gaze a measure of faith in the future . 
jeffs has created a breathtakingly assured and stylish work of spare dialogue and acute expressiveness . 
occasionally , in the course of reviewing art-house obscurities and slam-bam action flicks , a jaded critic smacks into something truly new . 
leaping from one arresting image to another , songs from the second floor has all the enjoyable randomness of a very lively dream and so manages to be compelling , amusing and unsettling at the same time . 
confounding because it solemnly advances a daringly preposterous thesis . acting cannot be acted . 
this bold and lyrical first feature from raja amari expands the pat notion that middle-aged women just wanna have fun into a rousing treatise of sensual empowerment . 
there are as many misses as hits , but ultimately , it finds humor in the foibles of human behavior , and it's a welcome return to the roots of a genre that should depend on surprises . 
if you can swallow its absurdities and crudities lagaan really is enormously good fun . 
the film occasionally tries the viewer's patience with slow pacing and a main character who sometimes defies sympathy , but it ultimately satisfies with its moving story . 
 . . . blade ii is more enjoyable than the original . 
the fascination comes in the power of the huston performance , which seems so larger than life and yet so fragile , and in the way the ivan character accepts the news of his illness so quickly but still finds himself unable to react . 
director juan jose campanella could have turned this into an argentine retread of " iris " or " american beauty , " but instead pulls a little from each film and creates something more beautiful than either of those films . 
if you grew up on scooby -- you'll love this movie . matthew lillard is born to play shaggy ! 
crackerjack entertainment -- nonstop romance , music , suspense and action . 
if the man from elysian fields is doomed by its smallness , it is also elevated by it--the kind of movie that you enjoy more because you're one of the lucky few who sought it out . 
there's back-stabbing , inter-racial desire and , most importantly , singing and dancing . 
everything you loved about it in 1982 is still there , for everybody who wants to be a kid again , or show it to their own kids . 
terrific performances , great to look at , and funny . a little uneven to be the cat's meow , but it's good enough to be the purr . 
[schweiger is] talented and terribly charismatic , qualities essential to both movie stars and social anarchists . 
more concerned with overall feelings , broader ideas , and open-ended questions than concrete story and definitive answers , soderbergh's solaris is a gorgeous and deceptively minimalist cinematic tone poem . 
based on dave barry's popular book of the same name , the movie benefits from having a real writer plot out all of the characters' moves and overlapping story . 
it's a smart , solid , kinetically-charged spy flick worthy of a couple hours of summertime and a bucket of popcorn . nothing overly original , mind you , but solidly entertaining . 
it's hard to fairly judge a film like ringu when you've seen the remake first . many of the effective horror elements are dampened through familiarity , [yet] are worthwhile . 
this enthralling documentary . . . is at once playful and haunting , an in-depth portrait of an iconoclastic artist who was fundamentally unknowable even to his closest friends . 
the story gives ample opportunity for large-scale action and suspense , which director shekhar kapur supplies with tremendous skill . 
if you liked such movies as notting hill , four weddings and a funeral , bridget jones' diary or high fidelity , then you won't want to miss about a boy . 
holm . . . embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma . 
if this movie were a book , it would be a page-turner , you can't wait to see what happens next . 
all in all , an interesting look at the life of the campaign-trail press , especially ones that don't really care for the candidate they're forced to follow . 
the film has a terrific look and salma hayek has a feel for the character at all stages of her life . 
a film with almost as many delights for adults as there are for children and dog lovers . 
here , adrian lyne comes as close to profundity as he is likely to get . 
 a buoyant romantic comedy about friendship , love , and the truth that we're all in this together . 
you may be captivated , as i was , by its moods , and by its subtly transformed star , and still wonder why paul thomas anderson ever had the inclination to make the most sincere and artful movie in which adam sandler will probably ever appear . 
an enthralling aesthetic experience , one that's steeped in mystery and a ravishing , baroque beauty . 
some movies are like a tasty hors-d'oeuvre ; this one is a feast . 
a byzantine melodrama that stimulates the higher brain functions as well as the libido . 
represents a worthy departure from the culture clash comedies that have marked an emerging indian american cinema . 
a moving , if uneven , success . 
although melodramatic and predictable , this romantic comedy explores the friendship between five filipino-americans and their frantic efforts to find love . 
to the degree that ivans xtc . works , it's thanks to huston's revelatory performance . 
long after you leave justine , you'll be wondering what will happen to her and wishing her the best -- whatever that might mean . 
insomnia does not become one of those rare remakes to eclipse the original , but it doesn't disgrace it , either . 
jir hubac's script is a gem . his characters are engaging , intimate and the dialogue is realistic and greatly moving . the scope of the silberstein family is large and we grow attached to their lives , full of strength , warmth and vitality . . 
a manically generous christmas vaudeville . 
[drumline] is entertaining for what it does , and admirable for what it doesn't do . 
a surprisingly sweet and gentle comedy . 
watching this gentle , mesmerizing portrait of a man coming to terms with time , you barely realize your mind is being blown . 
we've seen it all before in one form or another , but director hoffman , with great help from kevin kline , makes us care about this latest reincarnation of the world's greatest teacher . 
at 78 minutes it just zings along with vibrance and warmth . 
there is something that is so meditative and lyrical about babak payami's boldly quirky iranian drama secret ballot . . . a charming and evoking little ditty that manages to show the gentle and humane side of middle eastern world politics
a penetrating glimpse into the tissue-thin ego of the stand-up comic . 
the disarming cornball atmosphere has a way of infecting the entire crowd as the film rolls on . 
the film serves as a valuable time capsule to remind us of the devastating horror suffered by an entire people . 
personal velocity has a no-frills docu-dogma plainness , yet miller lingers on invisible , nearly psychic nuances , leaping into digressions of memory and desire . she boxes these women's souls right open for us . 
it's technically sumptuous but also almost wildly alive . 
the film boasts dry humor and jarring shocks , plus moments of breathtaking mystery . 
imamura has said that warm water under a red bridge is a poem to the enduring strengths of women . it may also be the best sex comedy about environmental pollution ever made . 
poignant and delicately complex . 
seeks to transcend its genre with a curiously stylized , quasi-shakespearean portrait of pure misogynist evil . 
must be seen to be believed . 
the film is filled with humorous observations about the general absurdity of modern life as seen through the eyes outsiders , but deftly manages to avoid many of the condescending stereotypes that so often plague films dealing with the mentally ill . 
it challenges , this nervy oddity , like modern art should . 
intriguing and stylish . 
the actors are simply too good , and the story too intriguing , for technical flaws to get in the way . 
an unsettling , memorable cinematic experience that does its predecessors proud . 
not quite as miraculous as its dreamworks makers would have you believe , but it more than adequately fills the eyes and stirs the emotions . 
a smart , arch and rather cold-blooded comedy . 
just how these families interact may surprise you . 
the scorpion king is more fun than conan the barbarian . 
a sexy , peculiar and always entertaining costume drama set in renaissance spain , and the fact that it's based on true events somehow makes it all the more compelling . 
there is a strong directorial stamp on every frame of this stylish film that is able to visualize schizophrenia but is still confident enough to step back and look at the sick character with a sane eye . 
the actresses find their own rhythm and protect each other from the script's bad ideas and awkwardness . 
an ebullient tunisian film about the startling transformation of a tradition-bound widow who is drawn into the exotic world of belly dancing . 
the grey zone gives voice to a story that needs to be heard in the sea of holocaust movies . . . but the film suffers from its own difficulties . 
drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why . 
a gorgeously strange movie , heaven is deeply concerned with morality , but it refuses to spell things out for viewers . 
a compelling film . 
makes one thing abundantly clear . american musical comedy as we know it wouldn't exist without the precedent of yiddish theater , whose jolly , fun-for-fun's-sake communal spirit goes to the essence of broadway . 
an entertaining british hybrid of comedy , caper thrills and quirky romance . 
more romantic , more emotional and ultimately more satisfying than the teary-eyed original . 
although tender and touching , the movie would have benefited from a little more dramatic tension and some more editing . 
does a good job of establishing a time and place , and of telling a fascinating character's story . 
an old-fashioned but emotionally stirring adventure tale of the kind they rarely make anymore . 
a jewish ww ii doc that isn't trying simply to out-shock , out-outrage or out-depress its potential audience ! who knew . . . 
a strangely compelling and brilliantly acted psychological drama . 
grant gets to display his cadness to perfection , but also to show acting range that may surprise some who thought light-hearted comedy was his forte . 
with not a lot of help from the screenplay ( proficient , but singularly cursory ) , [testud] acts with the feral intensity of the young bette davis . 
you can feel the heat that ignites this gripping tale , and the humor and humanity that root it in feeling . 
 . . . hits every cliche we've come to expect , including the assumption that " crazy " people are innocent , childlike and inherently funny . 
while the story's undeniably hard to follow , iwai's gorgeous visuals seduce . 
the film's highlight is definitely its screenplay , both for the rhapsodic dialogue that jumps off the page , and for the memorable character creations . 
featherweight romantic comedy has a few nice twists in a standard plot and the charisma of hugh grant and sandra bullock . 
does an impressive job of relating the complicated history of the war and of filling in the background . 
leave it to john sayles to take on developers , the chamber of commerce , tourism , historical pageants , and commercialism all in the same movie . . . without neglecting character development for even one minute . 
an original little film about one young woman's education . 
what time is it there ? is not easy . it haunts you , you can't forget it , you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it . 
weighty and ponderous but every bit as filling as the treat of the title . 
a pointed , often tender , examination of the pros and cons of unconditional love and familial duties . 
angela gheorghiu as famous prima donna floria tosca , roberto alagna as her lover mario cavaradossi , and ruggero as the villainous , lecherous police chief scarpia , all sing beautifully and act adequately . 
84 minutes of rolling musical back beat and supercharged cartoon warfare . it's also , clearly , great fun . 
a savage john waters-like humor that dances on the edge of tastelessness without ever quite falling over . 
the comedy makes social commentary more palatable . 
if you can keep your eyes open amid all the blood and gore , you'll see del toro has brought unexpected gravity to blade ii . 
a superlative b movie -- funny , sexy , and rousing . 
it offers a glimpse of the solomonic decision facing jewish parents in those turbulent times : to save their children and yet to lose them . 
a movie that will wear you out and make you misty even when you don't want to be . 
my big fat greek wedding is that rare animal known as 'a perfect family film , ' because it's about family . 
canada's arctic light shines bright on this frozen tundra soap opera that breathes extraordinary life into the private existence of the inuit people . 
the strong subject matter continues to shock throughout the film . not everyone will play the dark , challenging tune taught by the piano teacher . 
from a deceptively simple premise , this deeply moving french drama develops a startling story that works both as a detailed personal portrait and as a rather frightening examination of modern times . 
made for teens and reviewed as such , this is recommended only for those under 20 years of age . . . and then only as a very mild rental . 
jagger , stoppard and director michael apted . . . deliver a riveting and surprisingly romantic ride . 
another one of those estrogen overdose movies like " divine secrets of the ya ya sisterhood , " except that the writing , acting and character development are a lot better . 
i've yet to find an actual vietnam war combat movie actually produced by either the north or south vietnamese , but at least now we've got something pretty damn close . 
a weird and wonderful comedy . 
it does give a taste of the burning man ethos , an appealing blend of counter-cultural idealism and hedonistic creativity . 
a quiet , disquieting triumph . 
devos and cassel have tremendous chemistry -- their sexual and romantic tension , while never really vocalized , is palpable . 
while puerile men dominate the story , the women shine . 
in a movie full of surprises , the biggest is that secret ballot is a comedy , both gentle and biting . 
road to perdition does display greatness , and it's worth seeing . but it also comes with the laziness and arrogance of a thing that already knows it's won . 
peppered with witty dialogue and inventive moments . 
for a good chunk of its running time , trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller . 
like the rugrats movies , the wild thornberrys movie doesn't offer much more than the series , but its emphasis on caring for animals and respecting other cultures is particularly welcome . 
cage makes an unusual but pleasantly haunting debut behind the camera . 
secretary " is owned by its costars , spader and gyllenhaal . maggie g . makes an amazing breakthrough in her first starring role and eats up the screen . 
grant is certainly amusing , but the very hollowness of the character he plays keeps him at arms length
clooney directs this film always keeping the balance between the fantastic and the believable . . . 
will assuredly rank as one of the cleverest , most deceptively amusing comedies of the year . 
adam sandler ! in an art film ! 
this may not have the dramatic gut-wrenching impact of other holocaust films , but it's a compelling story , mainly because of the way it's told by the people who were there . 
filled with honest performances and exceptional detail , baran is a gentle film with dramatic punch , a haunting ode to humanity . 
even bigger and more ambitious than the first installment , spy kids 2 looks as if it were made by a highly gifted 12-year-old instead of a grown man . 
filmmakers who can deftly change moods are treasures and even marvels . so , too , is this comedy about mild culture clashing in today's new delhi . 
solondz is so intent on hammering home his message that he forgets to make it entertaining . 
the auteur's ear for the way fears and slights are telegraphed in the most blithe exchanges gives the film its lingering tug . 
graham greene's novel of colonialism and empire is elevated by michael caine's performance as a weary journalist in a changing world . 
what really makes it special is that it pulls us into its world , gives us a hero whose suffering and triumphs we can share , surrounds him with interesting characters and sends us out of the theater feeling we've shared a great adventure . 
the script is smart and dark - hallelujah for small favors . 
sparkling , often hilarious romantic jealousy comedy . . . attal looks so much like a young robert deniro that it seems the film should instead be called 'my husband is travis bickle' . 
ahhhh . . . revenge is sweet ! 
diverting french comedy in which a husband has to cope with the pesky moods of jealousy . 
offers a clear-eyed chronicle of a female friendship that is more complex and honest than anything represented in a hollywood film . 
ryosuke has created a wry , winning , if languidly paced , meditation on the meaning and value of family . 
a chronicle not only of one man's quest to be president , but of how that man single-handedly turned a plane full of hard-bitten , cynical journalists into what was essentially , by campaign's end , an extended publicity department . 
director andrew niccol . . . demonstrates a wry understanding of the quirks of fame . his healthy sense of satire is light and fun . . . . 
one of recent memory's most thoughtful films about art , ethics , and the cost of moral compromise . 
one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year . 
its cast full of caffeinated comedy performances more than make up for its logical loopholes , which fly by so fast there's no time to think about them anyway . 
purely propaganda , a work of unabashed hero worship , it is nonetheless -- and likely inadvertently -- a timely and invaluable implicit reminder of the role that u . s . foreign policy has played in the rise of castro . 
it's immensely ambitious , different than anything that's been done before and amazingly successful in terms of what it's trying to do . 
a spiffy animated feature about an unruly adolescent boy who is yearning for adventure and a chance to prove his worth . 
a solid , spooky entertainment worthy of the price of a ticket . 
kids will love its fantasy and adventure , and grownups should appreciate its whimsical humor . 
some movies blend together as they become distant memories . mention " solaris " five years from now and i'm sure those who saw it will have an opinion to share . 
it's the sweet cinderella story that " pretty woman " wanted to be . 
sweet home alabama isn't going to win any academy awards , but this date-night diversion will definitely win some hearts . 
fontaine masterfully creates a portrait of two strong men in conflict , inextricably entwined through family history , each seeing himself in the other , neither liking what he sees . 
examines its explosive subject matter as nonjudgmentally as wiseman's previous studies of inner-city high schools , hospitals , courts and welfare centers . 
unlike most teen flicks , swimming takes its time to tell its story , casts mostly little-known performers in key roles , and introduces some intriguing ambiguity . 
 . . . [the film] works , due mostly to the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the screenplay . 
rodriguez has the chops of a smart-aleck film school brat and the imagination of a big kid . . . 
it says a lot about a filmmaker when he can be wacky without clobbering the audience over the head and still maintain a sense of urgency and suspense . 
a tour de force of modern cinema . 
this engrossing , characteristically complex tom clancy thriller is shifty in the manner in which it addresses current terrorism anxieties and sidesteps them at the same time . 
so purely enjoyable that you might not even notice it's a fairly straightforward remake of hollywood comedies such as father of the bride . 
as an entertainment , the movie keeps you diverted and best of all , it lightens your wallet without leaving a sting . 
in the new release of cinema paradiso , the tale has turned from sweet to bittersweet , and when the tears come during that final , beautiful scene , they finally feel absolutely earned . 
a little better than sorcerer's stone . 
the screenplay never lets us forget that bourne was once an amoral assassin just like the ones who are pursuing him . . . there is never really a true " us " versus " them " . 
as shaky as the plot is , kaufman's script is still memorable for some great one-liners . 
the filmmakers try to balance pointed , often incisive satire and unabashed sweetness , with results that are sometimes bracing , sometimes baffling and quite often , and in unexpected ways , touching . 
this filmed tosca -- not the first , by the way -- is a pretty good job , if it's filmed tosca that you want . i'll stay with the stage versions , however , which bite cleaner , and deeper . 
norton holds the film together . 
a modest pleasure that accomplishes its goals with ease and confidence . 
despite its lavish formalism and intellectual austerity , the film manages to keep you at the edge of your seat with its shape-shifting perils , political intrigue and brushes with calamity . 
it's clear that mehta simply wanted to update her beloved genre for the thousands of indians who fancy themselves too sophisticated for the cheese-laced spectacles that pack 'em in on the subcontinent . 
ya-yas everywhere will forgive the flaws and love the film . 
 " frailty " offers chills much like those that you get when sitting around a campfire around midnight , telling creepy stories to give each other the willies . and , there's no way you won't be talking about the film once you exit the theater . 
rehearsals are frequently more fascinating than the results . last dance , whatever its flaws , fulfills one facet of its mission in making me want to find out whether , in this case , that's true . 
it's a fairy tale that comes from a renowned indian film culture that allows americans to finally revel in its splendor . 
 . . . works on some levels and is certainly worth seeing at least once . 
is not so much a work of entertainment as it is a unique , well-crafted psychological study of grief . 
the trials of henry kissinger is a remarkable piece of filmmaking  because you get it . 
a comic gem with some serious sparkles . 
now as a former gong show addict , i'll admit it , my only complaint is that we didn't get more re-creations of all those famous moments from the show . 
director of photography benoit delhomme shot the movie in delicious colors , and the costumes and sets are grand . 
you can watch , giggle and get an adrenaline boost without feeling like you've completely lowered your entertainment standards . 
beautifully directed and convincingly acted . 
the first bond movie in ages that isn't fake fun . 
it's an ambitious film , and as with all ambitious films , it has some problems . but on the whole , you're gonna like this movie . 
like a tarantino movie with heart , alias betty is richly detailed , deftly executed and utterly absorbing . 
this is a film brimming with detail and nuance and one that speaks volumes about the ability of the human spirit to find solace in events that could easily crush it forever . 
a different kind of love story - one that is dark , disturbing , painful to watch , yet compelling . 
although shot with little style , skins is heartfelt and achingly real . 
adams , with four scriptwriters , takes care with the characters , who are so believable that you feel what they feel . 
it's more enjoyable than i expected , though , and that's because the laughs come from fairly basic comedic constructs . cinematic pratfalls given a working over . the cast is spot on and the mood is laid back . 
it's a terrific american sports movie and dennis quaid is its athletic heart . 
watching e . t now , in an era dominated by cold , loud special-effects-laden extravaganzas , one is struck less by its lavish grandeur than by its intimacy and precision . 
the rich performances by friel -- and especially williams , an american actress who becomes fully english -- round out the square edges . 
occasionally melodramatic , it's also extremely effective . 
the performances are uniformly good . 
branagh , in his most forceful non-shakespeare screen performance , grounds even the softest moments in the angry revolt of his wit . 
you might want to take a reality check before you pay the full ticket price to see " simone , " and consider a dvd rental instead . 
without [de niro] , city by the sea would slip under the waves . he drags it back , single-handed . 
[a] wonderfully loopy tale of love , longing , and voting . 
a pleasant enough romance with intellectual underpinnings , the kind of movie that entertains even as it turns maddeningly predictable . 
amid the new populist comedies that underscore the importance of family tradition and familial community , one would be hard-pressed to find a movie with a bigger , fatter heart than barbershop . 
writer and director otar iosseliani's pleasant tale about a factory worker who escapes for a holiday in venice reveals how we all need a playful respite from the grind to refresh our souls . 
fontaine's direction , especially her agreeably startling use of close-ups and her grace with a moving camera , creates sheerly cinematic appeal . 
the film fits into a genre that has been overexposed , redolent of a thousand cliches , and yet remains uniquely itself , vibrant with originality . 
harks back to a time when movies had more to do with imagination than market research . 
for the most part , director anne-sophie birot's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama . 
all-in-all , the film is an enjoyable and frankly told tale of a people who live among us , but not necessarily with us . 
uno de los policiales ms interesantes de los ltimos tiempos . 
in his debut as a director , washington has a sure hand . his work with actors is particularly impressive . 
a french film with a more down-home flavor . 
an impressive if flawed effort that indicates real talent . 
sharp , lively , funny and ultimately sobering film . 
a colorful , joyous celebration of life ; a tapestry woven of romance , dancing , singing , and unforgettable characters . 
 . . . in no way original , or even all that memorable , but as downtown saturday matinee brain candy , it doesn't disappoint . 
the entire movie establishes a wonderfully creepy mood . 
whether or not you buy mr . broomfield's findings , the film acquires an undeniable entertainment value as the slight , pale mr . broomfield continues to force himself on people and into situations that would make lesser men run for cover . 
noyce's film is contemplative and mournfully reflective . 
 . . . only bond can save us from the latest eccentric , super-wealthy megalomaniac bent on world domination and destruction . 
a confident , richly acted , emotionally devastating piece of work and 2002's first great film
begins like a docu-drama but builds its multi-character story with a flourish . 
there's not much more to this adaptation of the nick hornby novel than charm -- effortless , pleasurable , featherweight charm . 
vera has created a provocative , absorbing drama that reveals the curse of a self-hatred instilled by rigid social mores . 
[a] thoughtful , visually graceful work . 
a simple tale of an unlikely friendship , but thanks to the gorgeous locales and exceptional lead performances , it has considerable charm . 
a rollicking ride , with jaw-dropping action sequences , striking villains , a gorgeous color palette , astounding technology , stirring music and a boffo last hour that leads up to a strangely sinister happy ending . 
hugely accomplished slice of hitchcockian suspense . 
a movie that at its best doesn't just make the most out of its characters' flaws but insists on the virtue of imperfection . 
the weakest of the four harry potter books has been transformed into the stronger of the two films by the thinnest of margins . 
this sci-fi techno-sex thriller starts out bizarre and just keeps getting weirder . 
by the end of the movie , you're definitely convinced that these women are spectacular . 
it thankfully goes easy on the reel/real world dichotomy that [jaglom] pursued with such enervating determination in venice/venice . 
fubar is very funny , but not always in a laugh-out-loud way . 
 . . . is funny in the way that makes you ache with sadness ( the way chekhov is funny ) , profound without ever being self-important , warm without ever succumbing to sentimentality . 
the lively appeal of the last kiss lies in the ease with which it integrates thoughtfulness and pasta-fagioli comedy . 
rarely has skin looked as beautiful , desirable , even delectable , as it does in trouble every day . 
a return to pure disney magic and is enjoyable family fare . 
deserves a place of honor next to nanook as a landmark in film history . 
daring , mesmerizing and exceedingly hard to forget . 
performances all around are tops , with the two leads delivering oscar-caliber performances . 
all in all , it's a pretty good execution of a story that's a lot richer than the ones hollywood action screenwriters usually come up with on their own . 
as comedic spotlights go , notorious c . h . o . hits all the verbal marks it should . 
[kline's] utterly convincing -- and deeply appealing -- as a noble teacher who embraces a strict moral code , and as a flawed human being who can't quite live up to it . 
god bless crudup and his aversion to taking the easy hollywood road and cashing in on his movie-star gorgeousness . 
one of those rare films that come by once in a while with flawless amounts of acting , direction , story and pace . 
a colorful , vibrant introduction to a universal human impulse , lushly photographed and beautifully recorded . 
 uma pena que , mais tarde , o prprio filme abandone o tom de pardia e passe a utilizar os mesmos clichs que havia satirizado . 
it's that rare family movie -- genuine and sweet without relying on animation or dumb humor . 
the story is virtually impossible to follow here , but there's a certain style and wit to the dialogue . 
about schmidt is undoubtedly one of the finest films of the year . if you're not deeply touched by this movie , check your pulse . 
nicole kidman evolved from star to superstar some time over the past year , which means that birthday girl is the kind of quirkily appealing minor movie she might not make for a while . 
the lightest , most breezy movie steven spielberg has made in more than a decade . and the positive change in tone here seems to have recharged him . 
this is a nicely handled affair , a film about human darkness but etched with a light ( yet unsentimental ) touch . 
it's an exhilarating place to visit , this laboratory of laughter . 
a pure participatory event that malnourished intellectuals will gulp down in a frenzy . 
the picture's fascinating byways are littered with trenchant satirical jabs at the peculiar egocentricities of the acting breed . 
unfolds in a series of achronological vignettes whose cumulative effect is chilling . 
an engaging criminal romp that will have viewers guessing just who's being conned right up to the finale . 
this is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent , who cares if the story's a little weak . 
a beautiful , timeless and universal tale of heated passions -- jealousy , betrayal , forgiveness and murder . 
its scenes and sensibility are all more than familiar , but it exudes a kind of nostalgic spy-movie charm and , at the same time , is so fresh and free of the usual thriller nonsense that it all seems to be happening for the first time . 
a pleasant enough comedy that should have found a summer place . 
 . . . does such a fine job of engulfing you in its world and allying you with its characters' choices , good and ill , that its shortcomings are remembered only as an afterthought . 
veterans of the dating wars will smirk uneasily at the film's nightmare versions of everyday sex-in-the-city misadventures . 
an utterly compelling 'who wrote it' in which the reputation of the most famous author who ever lived comes into question . 
as satisfyingly odd and intriguing a tale as it was a century and a half ago . . . has a delightfully dour , deadpan tone and stylistic consistency . 
the story itself it mostly told through on-camera interviews with several survivors , whose riveting memories are rendered with such clarity that it's as if it all happened only yesterday . 
an interesting psychological game of cat-and-mouse , three-dimensional characters and believable performances all add up to a satisfying crime drama . 
you might not want to hang out with samantha , but you'll probably see a bit of yourself in her unfinished story . 
that old adage about women being unknowable gets an exhilarating new interpretation in morvern callar . 
it's absolutely spooky how lillard channels the shagster right down to the original casey kasem-furnished voice . 
 " white oleander , " the movie , is akin to a reader's digest condensed version of the source material . 
this delicately observed story , deeply felt and masterfully stylized , is a triumph for its maverick director . 
this is carion's debut feature but his script and direction hums with a confidence that many spend entire careers trying to reach . 
a simple , but gritty and well-acted ensemble drama that encompasses a potent metaphor for a country still dealing with its fascist past . 
dense and thoughtful and brimming with ideas that are too complex to be rapidly absorbed . 
at its worst , the movie is pretty diverting ; the pity is that it rarely achieves its best . 
filmmaker stacy peralta has a flashy editing style that doesn't always jell with sean penn's monotone narration , but he respects the material without sentimentalizing it . 
my goodness , queen latifah has a lot to offer and she seemed to have no problem flaunting her natural gifts . she must have a very strong back . 
an immensely entertaining look at some of the unsung heroes of 20th century pop music . 
beautifully observed , miraculously unsentimental comedy-drama . 
'almodvar logra un filme entraable , lleno de compasin , comprensin , amor , amistad , esperanza y humanidad que es sencillamente inolvidable . '
enough may pander to our basest desires for payback , but unlike many revenge fantasies , it ultimately delivers . 
a heroic tale of persistence that is sure to win viewers' hearts . 
bright seems alternately amused and disgusted with this material , and he can't help throwing in a few of his own touches . 
it'll keep you wide awake and . . . very tense . 
offers the flash of rock videos fused with solid performances and eerie atmosphere . 
the son's room is a triumph of gentility that earns its moments of pathos . 
star/producer salma hayek and director julie taymor have infused frida with a visual style unique and inherent to the titular character's paintings and in the process created a masterful work of art of their own . 
look , this is a terrific flick replete with dazzling camera-work , dancing and music . 
graphic sex may be what's attracting audiences to unfaithful , but gripping performances by lane and gere are what will keep them awake . 
the gags that fly at such a furiously funny pace that the only rip off that we were aware of was the one we felt when the movie ended so damned soon . 
while this film is not in the least surprising , it is still ultimately very satisfying . think of it as a sort of comfort food for the mind . 
 " red dragon " is entertaining . an obvious copy of one of the best films ever made , how could it not be ? but it is entertaining on an inferior level . it is a popcorn film , not a must-own , or even a must-see . 
by turns very dark and very funny . 
it's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman . 
it's all about anakin . . . and the lustrous polished visuals rich in color and creativity and , of course , special effect . 
what a great way to spend 4 units of your day . 
this is a raw and disturbing tale that took five years to make , and the trio's absorbing narrative is a heart-wrenching showcase indeed . 
the santa clause 2 proves itself a more streamlined and thought out encounter than the original could ever have hoped to be . 
the film is quiet , threatening and unforgettable . 
just as moving , uplifting and funny as ever . 
whatever heartwarming scene the impressively discreet filmmakers may have expected to record with their mini dv , they show a remarkable ability to document both sides of this emotional car-wreck . 
the film runs on equal parts of innocence and wisdom -- wisdom that comes with experience . it has fun being grown up . 
what's infuriating about full frontal is that it's too close to real life to make sense . what's invigorating about it is that it doesn't give a damn . 
with a cast that includes some of the top actors working in independent film , lovely & amazing involves us because it is so incisive , so bleakly amusing about how we go about our lives . 
helps to remind the first world that hiv/aids is far from being yesterday's news . 
winds up being both revelatory and narcissistic , achieving some honest insight into relationships that most high-concept films candy-coat with pat storylines , precious circumstances and beautiful stars . 
ms . hutchins is talented enough and charismatic enough to make us care about zelda's ultimate fate . 
puts to rest any thought that the german film industry cannot make a delightful comedy centering on food . 
there is a general air of exuberance in all about the benjamins that's hard to resist . 
there are no special effects , and no hollywood endings . 
recalls quiet freak-outs like l'avventura and repulsion . 
although the film boils down to a lightweight story about matchmaking , the characters make italian for beginners worth the journey
not always too whimsical for its own good ( but enough to do harm ) , this strange hybrid of crime thriller , quirky character study , third-rate romance and female empowerment fantasy never really finds the tonal or thematic glue it needs . 
waydowntown may not be an important movie , or even a good one , but it provides a nice change of mindless pace in collision with the hot oscar season currently underway . 
lacks dramatic punch and depth . 
sunshine state surveys the landscape and assesses the issues with a clear passion for sociology . but the cinematography is cloudy , the picture making becalmed . 
soulless and -- even more damning -- virtually joyless , xxx achieves near virtuosity in its crapulence . 
the problem with antwone fisher is that it has a screenplay written by antwone fisher based on the book by antwone fisher . 
incoherence reigns . 
it plays like a big-budget , after-school special with a generous cast , who at times lift the material from its well-meaning clunkiness . 
judd's characters ought to pick up the durable best seller smart women , foolish choices for advice . 
the story bogs down in a mess of purposeless violence . 
van wilder has a built-in audience , but only among those who are drying out from spring break and are still unconcerned about what they ingest . 
a piece of mildly entertaining , inoffensive fluff that drifts aimlessly for 90 minutes before lodging in the cracks of that ever-growing category : unembarrassing but unmemorable . 
enough is not a bad movie , just mediocre . the performances are so overstated , the effect comes off as self-parody . 
apart from dazzling cinematography , we've seen just about everything in blue crush in one form or the other . 
who is this movie for ? not kids , who don't need the lesson in repugnance . it's also not smart or barbed enough for older viewers -- not everyone thinks poo-poo jokes are 'edgy . '
smug , artificial , ill-constructed and fatally overlong . . . it never finds a consistent tone and lacks bite , degenerating into a pious , preachy soap opera . 
instead of contriving a climactic hero's death for the beloved-major- character-who-shall- remain-nameless , why not invite some genuine spontaneity into the film by having the evil aliens' laser guns actually hit something for once ? 
just how extreme are these ops ? i regret to report that these ops are just not extreme enough . 
each scene wreaks of routine ; the film never manages to generate a single threat of suspense . 
hart's war seems to want to be a character study , but apparently can't quite decide which character . 
it's not helpful to listen to extremist name-calling , regardless of whether you think kissinger was a calculating fiend or just a slippery self-promoter . 
with jump cuts , fast editing and lots of pyrotechnics , yu clearly hopes to camouflage how bad his movie is . he fails . 
the french director has turned out nearly 21/2 hours of unfocused , excruciatingly tedious cinema that , half an hour in , starts making water torture seem appealing . 
cinematic poo . 
 " sorority boys " was funnier , and that movie was pretty bad . 
to my taste , the film's comic characters come perilously close to being amoses and andys for a new generation . 
for all its surface frenzy , high crimes should be charged with loitering -- so much on view , so little to offer . 
broder's screenplay is shallow , offensive and redundant , with pitifully few real laughs . 
they takes a long time to get to its gasp-inducing ending . 
criminal conspiracies and true romances move so easily across racial and cultural lines in the film that it makes my big fat greek wedding look like an apartheid drama . 
one of the worst films of 2002 . 
none of birthday girl's calculated events take us by surprise . . . 
zaidan's script has barely enough plot to string the stunts together and not quite enough characterization to keep the faces straight . 
it's often faintly amusing , but the problems of the characters never become important to us , and the story never takes hold . 
the only thing i laughed at were the people who paid to see it . 
the 50-something lovebirds are too immature and unappealing to care about . 
anthony hopkins ? big deal ! we've already seen the prequel to the silence of the lambs and hannibal -- and it was better the first time . 
in the telling of a story largely untold , bui chooses to produce something that is ultimately suspiciously familiar . 
this is not the undisputed worst boxing movie ever , but it's certainly not a champion - the big loser is the audience . 
one of the most incoherent features in recent memory . 
the hanukkah spirit seems fried in pork . 
plays like some corny television production from a bygone era
despite its raucous intent , xxx is as conventional as a nike ad and as rebellious as spring break . 
the movie is like scorsese's mean streets redone by someone who ignored it in favor of old 'juvenile delinquent' paperbacks with titles like leather warriors and switchblade sexpot . 
attal pushes too hard to make this a comedy or serious drama . he seems to want both , but succeeds in making neither . 
there's too much forced drama in this wildly uneven movie , about a young man's battle with his inescapable past and uncertain future in a very shapable but largely unfulfilling present . 
instead of kicking off the intrigue and suspense and mystery of the whole thing , hart's war , like the st . louis rams in the super bowl , waits until after halftime to get started . 
this off-putting french romantic comedy is sure to test severely the indulgence of fans of amlie . 
directed in a paint-by-numbers manner . 
hip-hop rarely comes alive as its own fire-breathing entity in this picture . 
the movie is obviously a labour of love so howard appears to have had free rein to be as pretentious as he wanted . 
the film virtually chokes on its own self-consciousness . 
a hit- and-miss affair , consistently amusing but not as outrageous or funny as cho may have intended or as imaginative as one might have hoped . 
any enjoyment will be hinge from a personal threshold of watching sad but endearing characters do extremely unconventional things . 
with tiny little jokes and nary an original idea , this sappy ethnic sleeper proves that not only blockbusters pollute the summer movie pool . 
one sloughs one's way through the mire of this alleged psychological thriller in search of purpose or even a plot . 
mediocre fable from burkina faso . 
ensemble movies , like soap operas , depend on empathy . if there ain't none , you have a problem . 
it looks good , but it is essentially empty . 
for a film that celebrates radical , nonconformist values , what to do in case of fire ? lazily and glumly settles into a most traditional , reserved kind of filmmaking . 
even when crush departs from the 4w formula . . . it feels like a glossy rehash . 
earnest but heavy-handed . 
the movie doesn't think much of its characters , its protagonist , or of us . 
amazingly dopey . 
formula 51 promises a new kind of high but delivers the same old bad trip . 
the movie itself appears to be running on hypertime in reverse as the truly funny bits get further and further apart . 
the jokes are sophomoric , stereotypes are sprinkled everywhere and the acting ranges from bad to bodacious . 
the idea of 49-year-old roberto benigni playing the wooden boy pinocchio is scary enough . the reality of the new live-action pinocchio he directed , cowrote and starred in borders on the grotesque . 
it's mired in a shabby script that piles layer upon layer of action man clich atop wooden dialogue and a shifting tone that falls far short of the peculiarly moral amorality of [woo's] best work . 
a bit too eager to please . 
aside from showing us in explicit detail how difficult it is to win over the two-drink-minimum crowd , there's little to be learned from watching 'comedian'
birot is a competent enough filmmaker , but her story has nothing fresh or very exciting about it . 
this strenuously unfunny showtime deserves the hook . 
it never quite makes it to the boiling point , but manages to sustain a good simmer for most of its running time . 
mckay seems embarrassed by his own invention and tries to rush through the intermediary passages , apparently hoping that the audience will not notice the glaring triteness of the plot device he has put in service . 
presents nothing special and , until the final act , nothing overtly disagreeable . 
in the name of an allegedly inspiring and easily marketable flick , the emperor's club turns a blind eye to the very history it pretends to teach . 
it's not as awful as some of the recent hollywood trip tripe . . . but it's far from a groundbreaking endeavor . 
it's drained of life in an attempt to be sober and educational , and yet it's so devoid of realism that its lack of whistles and bells just makes it obnoxious and stiff . 
this is so bad . 
nothing about it fits . 
a harmless and mildly amusing family comedy . 
the title not only describes its main characters , but the lazy people behind the camera as well . 
reggio and glass so rhapsodize cynicism , with repetition and languorous slo-mo sequences , that glass's dirgelike score becomes a fang-baring lullaby . 
the movie weighs no more than a glass of flat champagne . 
if deuces wild had been tweaked up a notch it would have become a camp adventure , one of those movies that's so bad it starts to become good . but it wasn't . 
involves two mysteries -- one it gives away and the other featuring such badly drawn characters that its outcome hardly matters . 
if the last man were the last movie left on earth , there would be a toss-up between presiding over the end of cinema as we know it and another night of delightful hand shadows . 
 " roger michell ( " notting hill " ) directs a morality thriller . " 
wins my vote for 'the 2002 enemy of cinema' award . 
a superfluous sequel . . . plagued by that old familiar feeling of 'let's get this thing over with' : everyone has shown up at the appointed time and place , but visible enthusiasm is mighty hard to find . 
can't kick about the assembled talent and the russos show genuine promise as comic filmmakers . still , this thing feels flimsy and ephemeral . 
chabrol has taken promising material for a black comedy and turned it instead into a somber chamber drama . 
there are plenty of scenes in frida that do work , but rarely do they involve the title character herself . 
an ugly , revolting movie . 
everything about it from the bland songs to the colorful but flat drawings is completely serviceable and quickly forgettable . 
cattaneo should have followed the runaway success of his first film , the full monty , with something different . 
it's not that waiting for happiness is a bad film , because it isn't . it's just incredibly dull . 
an empty , ugly exercise in druggy trance-noir and trumped-up street credibility . 
wait for it to hit cable . 
it's exactly what you'd expect . 
a 'girls gone wild' video for the boho art-house crowd , the burning sensation isn't a definitive counter-cultural document -- its makers aren't removed and inquisitive enough for that . 
empire can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a gangster flick or an art film . it doesn't work as either . 
what was subtle and mystifying in the novella is now broad and farcical . 
 . . . may work as an addictive guilty pleasure but the material never overcomes its questionable satirical ambivalence . this scarlet's letter is a . . . as in aimless , arduous , and arbitrary . 
two hours of sepia-tinted heavy metal images and surround sound effects of people moaning . 
it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is a mormon family movie , and a sappy , preachy one at that . 
millions of dollars heaped upon a project of such vast proportions need to reap more rewards than spiffy bluescreen technique and stylish weaponry . 
impeccably filmed , sexually charged , but ultimately lacking in substance , not to mention dragged down by a leaden closing act . 
a bland animated sequel that hardly seems worth the effort . 
it looks much more like a cartoon in the end than the simpsons ever has . 
the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy . 
this one is a few bits funnier than malle's dud , if only because the cast is so engagingly messing around like slob city reductions of damon runyon crooks . 
a mixed bag of a comedy that can't really be described as out of this world . 
the script boasts some tart tv-insider humor , but the film has not a trace of humanity or empathy . 
it all starts to smack of a hallmark hall of fame , with a few four letter words thrown in that are generally not heard on television . 
it's tough to be startled when you're almost dozing . 
the plot is very clever , but boyd weighs it down with too many characters and events , all intertwined and far too complicated to keep track of . 
enough trivializes an important crisis , reduces it to an almost comic embarrassment . 
cherish would've worked a lot better had it been a short film . 
however it may please those who love movies that blare with pop songs , young science fiction fans will stomp away in disgust . 
a pathetic exploitation film that tries to seem sincere , and just seems worse for the effort . 
the great pity is that those responsible didn't cut their losses  and ours  and retitle it the adventures of direct-to-video nash , and send it to its proper home . 
this is a picture that maik , the firebrand turned savvy ad man , would be envious of : it hijacks the heat of revolution and turns it into a sales tool . 
some of seagal's action pictures are guilty pleasures , but this one is so formulaic that it seems to be on auto-pilot . 
movies like this are selling the old european candor , the old wink of 'bold' revelation . but in 2002 , such revelations wilt . 
it takes a strange kind of laziness to waste the talents of robert forster , anne meara , eugene levy , and reginald veljohnson all in the same movie . 
 . . . you can be forgiven for realizing that you've spent the past 20 minutes looking at your watch and waiting for frida to just die already . 
authentic , and at times endearing , humorous , spooky , educational , but at other times as bland as a block of snow . 
the setting turns out to be more interesting than any of the character dramas , which never reach satisfying conclusions . 
there's no denying the elaborateness of the artist's conceptions , nor his ability to depict them with outrageous elan , but really the whole series is so much pretentious nonsense , lavishly praised by those who equate obscurity with profundity . 
national lampoon's van wilder may aim to be the next animal house , but it more closely resembles this year's version of tomcats . 
an unsuccessful attempt at a movie of ideas . 
the feature-length stretch . . . strains the show's concept . 
swinging , the film makes it seem , is not a hobby that attracts the young and fit . or intelligent . 
bland but harmless . 
a surprisingly flat retread , hobbled by half-baked setups and sluggish pacing . 
overall , the film misses the brilliance of jelinek's novel by some way . it settles for being merely grim . 
the problem with the bread , my sweet is that it's far too sentimental . 
based on a david leavitt story , the film shares that writer's usual blend of observant cleverness , too-facile coincidence and slightly noxious preciousness . 
dull , a road-trip movie that's surprisingly short of both adventure and song . 
so unremittingly awful that labeling it a dog probably constitutes cruelty to canines . 
ultimately , jane learns her place as a girl , softens up and loses some of the intensity that made her an interesting character to begin with . 
aside from the fact that the film idiotically uses the website feardotcom . com or the improperly hammy performance from poor stephen rea , the film gets added disdain for the fact that it is nearly impossible to look at or understand . 
formula 51 is so trite that even yu's high-energy action stylings can't break through the stupor . 
while the performances are often engaging , this loose collection of largely improvised numbers would probably have worked better as a one-hour tv documentary . 
'ejemplo de una cinta en que no importa el talento de su reparto o lo interesante que pudo haber resultado su premisa , pues el resultado es francamente aburrido y , por momentos , deplorable . '
as an entertainment destination for the general public , kung pow sets a new benchmark for lameness . 
 ( it ) highlights not so much the crime lord's messianic bent , but spacey's . 
none of the characters or plot-lines are fleshed-out enough to build any interest . 
tambor and clayburgh make an appealing couple  he's understated and sardonic , she's appealingly manic and energetic . both deserve better . 
most of the dialogue made me want to pack raw dough in my ears . 
instead of making his own style , director marcus adams just copies from various sources  good sources , bad mixture
it's too interested in jerking off in all its byzantine incarnations to bother pleasuring its audience . 
national lampoon's van wilder could be the worst thing to come out of national lampoon since class reunion
it has plenty of laughs . it just doesn't have much else . . . especially in a moral sense . 
although there are several truly jolting scares , there's also an abundance of hackneyed dialogue and more silly satanic business than you can shake a severed limb at . 
a sometimes incisive and sensitive portrait that is undercut by its awkward structure and a final veering toward melodrama . 
doesn't amount to much of anything . 
a working class " us vs . them " opera that leaves no heartstring untugged and no liberal cause unplundered . 
malone does have a gift for generating nightmarish images that will be hard to burn out of your brain . but the movie's narrative hook is way too muddled to be an effectively chilling guilty pleasure . 
tv skit-com material fervently deposited on the big screen . 
this directorial debut from music video show-off higuchinsky is all flash . 
harris is supposed to be the star of the story , but comes across as pretty dull and wooden . 
one of those so-so films that could have been much better . 
it just goes to show , an intelligent person isn't necessarily an admirable storyteller . 
for a film about two mismatched buddies , crystal and de niro share little screen time and even less chemistry . 
[stevens is] so stoked to make an important film about human infidelity and happenstance that he tosses a kitchen sink onto a story already overladen with plot conceits . 
new best friend shouldn't have gone straight to video ; it should have gone straight to a mystery science theater 3000 video . 
bogdanich is unashamedly pro-serbian and makes little attempt to give voice to the other side . 
too bad maggio couldn't come up with a better script . 
a film without surprise geared toward maximum comfort and familiarity . 
was i scared ? only at the prospect of beck's next project . let's see , a haunted house , a haunted ship , what's next . . . ghost blimp ? 
care deftly captures the wonder and menace of growing up , but he never really embraces the joy of fuhrman's destructive escapism or the grace-in-rebellion found by his characters . 
it's neither as sappy as big daddy nor as anarchic as happy gilmore or the waterboy , but it has its moments . 
it all drags on so interminably it's like watching a miserable relationship unfold in real time . 
staggers between flaccid satire and what is supposed to be madcap farce . 
 . . . the efforts of its star , kline , to lend some dignity to a dumb story are for naught . 
the film is strictly routine . 
sushi for the connoisseurs of the macabre . 
a semi-autobiographical film that's so sloppily written and cast that you cannot believe anyone more central to the creation of bugsy than the caterer had anything to do with it . 
even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller's hand often feels unsure . 
the kind of spectacularly misconceived enterprise that only a sophisticated cinephile could have perpetrated . 
upper west sidey exercise in narcissism and self-congratulation disguised as a tribute . 
guillen rarely gets beneath the surface of things . she lists ingredients , but never mixes and stirs . 
'pocas ideas interesantes , un final pseudo mstico que no corresponde al tono general del filme y que deja una sensacin de inconformidad que hace pensar ms de una vez si vale la pena ir a la taquilla y reclamar el precio del boleto . '
never engaging , utterly predictable and completely void of anything remotely interesting or suspenseful . 
god help the poor woman if attal is this insecure in real life : his fictional yvan's neuroses are aggravating enough to exhaust the patience of even the most understanding spouse . 
the plot meanders from gripping to plodding and back . 
an uninspired preachy and clichd war film . 
obviously , a lot of people wasted a lot of their time ( including mine ) on something very inconsequential . 
'es en verdad una pena que mandoki est realizando cintas tan malas desde hace algn tiempo , pues talento tiene , pero quin sabe dnde lo tiene escondido . '
all in all , there's only one thing to root for : expulsion for everyone . 
no surprises . 
rates an 'e' for effort -- and a 'b' for boring . 
herzog is obviously looking for a moral to his fable , but the notion that a strong , unified showing among germany and eastern european jews might have changed 20th-century history is undermined by ahola's inadequate performance . 
i found myself more appreciative of what the director was trying to do than of what he had actually done . 
a shambles of a movie--visually unattractive , unbearably loud and utterly silly . . . its hilarity is completely unintentional . 
a painfully leaden film destined for pre-dawn cable television slots . 
a wordy wisp of a comedy . 
the thrill is ( long ) gone . 
though there's a clarity of purpose and even-handedness to the film's direction , the drama feels rigged and sluggish . 
manages to be somewhat well-acted , not badly art-directed and utterly unengaging no matter how hard it tries to be thrilling , touching or , yikes , uproarious . 
a perfectly acceptable , perfectly bland , competently acted but by no means scary horror movie . 
no one involved , save dash , shows the slightest aptitude for acting , and the script , credited to director abdul malik abbott and ernest 'tron' anderson , seems entirely improvised . 
intended to be a comedy about relationships , this wretched work falls flat in just about every conceivable area . 
the story itself is actually quite vapid . 
deadly dull , pointless meditation on losers in a gone-to-seed hotel . 
completely creatively stillborn and executed in a manner that i'm not sure could be a single iota worse . . . a soulless hunk of exploitative garbage . 
most fish stories are a little peculiar , but this is one that should be thrown back in the river . 
 . . . comes alive only when it switches gears to the sentimental . 
a sentimental mess that never rings true . 
it's splash without the jokes . 
as an actress , madonna is one helluva singer . as the mediterranean sparkles , 'swept away' sinks . 
muddled , trashy and incompetent
here's a self-congratulatory 3d imax rah-rah . 
never having seen the first two films in the series , i can't compare friday after next to them , but nothing would change the fact that what we have here is a load of clams left in the broiling sun for a good three days . 
unfortunately , kapur modernizes a . e . w . mason's story to suit the sensibilities of a young american , a decision that plucks " the four feathers " bare . 
 in the end , white oleander isn't an adaptation of a novel . it's a flashy , star-splashed reduction . 
so riddled with unanswered questions that it requires gargantuan leaps of faith just to watch it plod along . 
the film's essentially over by the meet-cute . 
dialogue-heavy and too cerebral for its own good -- or , at any rate , too cerebral for its racy subject matter . 
they ought to be a whole lot scarier than they are in this tepid genre offering . 
the locale . . . remains far more interesting than the story at hand . 
an uplifting drama . . . what antwone fisher isn't , however , is original . 
shadyac , who belongs with the damned for perpetrating patch adams , trots out every ghost trick from the sixth sense to the mothman prophecies . 
replacing john carpenter's stylish tracking shots is degraded , handheld blair witch video-cam footage . of all the halloween's , this is the most visually unappealing . 
 . . . just a big mess of a movie , full of images and events , but no tension or surprise . 
while the mystery surrounding the nature of the boat's malediction remains intriguing enough to sustain mild interest , the picture refuses to offer much accompanying sustenance in the way of characterization , humor or plain old popcorn fun . 
i've heard that the fans of the first men in black have come away hating the second one . i wonder why . they felt like the same movie to me . 
 . . . a fascinating curiosity piece -- fascinating , that is , for about ten minutes . after that it becomes long and tedious like a classroom play in a college history course . 
a muddled limp biscuit of a movie , a vampire soap opera that doesn't make much sense even on its own terms . 
there's no emotional pulse to solaris . with an emotional sterility to match its outer space setting , soderbergh's spectacular swing for the fence yields only a spectacular whiff . 
skillful as he is , mr . shyamalan is undone by his pretensions . 
the story has little wit and no surprises . 
i'm just too bored to care . 
has the feel of an unedited personal journal . 
all's well that ends well , and rest assured , the consciousness-raising lessons are cloaked in gross-out gags . 
a good-looking but ultimately pointless political thriller with plenty of action and almost no substance . 
what starts off as a possible argentine american beauty reeks like a room stacked with pungent flowers . 
considering the harsh locations and demanding stunts , this must have been a difficult shoot , but the movie proves rough going for the audience as well . 
a dumb movie with dumb characters doing dumb things and you have to be really dumb not to see where this is going . 
rarely does a film so graceless and devoid of merit as this one come along . 
it's a deeply serious movie that cares passionately about its subject , but too often becomes ponderous in its teaching of history , or lost in the intricate connections and multiple timelines of its story . 
[a] soulless , stupid sequel . . . 
morrissette's script and direction show a fair amount of intelligence and wit -- but it doesn't signify a whole lot either . 
no amount of arty theorizing -- the special effects are 'german-expressionist , ' according to the press notes -- can render it anything but laughable . 
as a kind of colorful , dramatized pbs program , frida gets the job done . but , for that , why not watch a documentary ? 
tennessee williams by way of oprah's book club . 
made me feel uneasy , even queasy , because [solondz's] cool compassion is on the border of bemused contempt . 
a huge disappointment coming , as it does , from filmmakers and performers of this calibre
the intent is almost exactly the same [as the full monty] . all that's missing is the spontaneity , originality and delight . 
blessed with a searing lead performance by ryan gosling ( murder by numbers ) , the movie is powerful and provocative . it's also built on a faulty premise , one it follows into melodrama and silliness . 
a puzzling experience . 
 . . . hypnotically dull . 
this is a movie filled with unlikable , spiteful idiots ; whether or not their friendship is salvaged makes no difference in the least . 
 " analyze that " is one of those crass , contrived sequels that not only fails on its own , but makes you second-guess your affection for the original . 
i'm guessing the director is a magician . after all , he took three minutes of dialogue , 30 seconds of plot and turned them into a 90-minute movie that feels five hours long . 
might be one of those vanity projects in which a renowned filmmaker attempts to show off his talent by surrounding himself with untalented people . 
despite its dry wit and compassion , the film suffers from a philosophical emptiness and maddeningly sedate pacing . 
the worst film of the year . 
soderbergh seems capable only of delivering artfully lighted , earnest inquiries that lack the kind of genuine depth that would make them redeemable . 
releasing a film with the word 'dog' in its title in january lends itself to easy jokes and insults , and snow dogs deserves every single one of them . 
if you pitch your expectations at an all time low , you could do worse than this oddly cheerful -- but not particularly funny -- body-switching farce . 
a movie that tries to fuse the two 'woods' but winds up a bolly-holly masala mess . 
utter mush . . . conceited pap . 
despite auteuil's performance , it's a rather listless amble down the middle of the road , where the thematic ironies are too obvious and the sexual politics too smug . 
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 reasonably efficient mechanism , but it offers few surprises and finds its stars slumming in territory they should have avoided . 
director shekhar kapur and screenwriters michael schiffer and hossein amini have tried hard to modernize and reconceptualize things , but the barriers finally prove to be too great . 
there are enough throwaway references to faith and rainbows to plant smile-button faces on that segment of the populace that made a walk to remember a niche hit . 
egoyan's work often elegantly considers various levels of reality and uses shifting points of view , but here he has constructed a film so labyrinthine that it defeats his larger purpose . 
this is nothing but familiar territory . 
a mediocre exercise in target demographics , unaware that it's the butt of its own joke . 
though avary has done his best to make something out of ellis' nothing novel , in the end , his rules is barely worth following . 
a loud , brash and mainly unfunny high school comedy . 
director carl franklin , so crisp and economical in one false move , bogs down in genre cliches here . 
a dim-witted and lazy spin-off of the animal planet documentary series , crocodile hunter is entertainment opportunism at its most glaring . 
it appears as if even the filmmakers didn't know what kind of movie they were making . 
a sour , nasty offering . 
though harris is affecting at times , he cannot overcome the sense that pumpkin is a mere plot pawn for two directors with far less endearing disabilities . 
got some good , organic character work , lots of obvious political insights and little room for engaging , imaginative filmmaking in its nearly 2 1/2-hour , dissipated length . 
plays like a checklist of everything rob reiner and his cast were sending up . 
an afterschool special without the courage of its convictions . 
the problem , amazingly enough , is the screenplay . 
the film makes strong arguments regarding the social status of america's indigenous people , but really only exists to try to eke out an emotional tug of the heart , one which it fails to get . 
all the queen's men is a throwback war movie that fails on so many levels , it should pay reparations to viewers . 
watching austin powers in goldmember is like binging on cotton candy . it's sweet and fluffy at the time , but it may leave you feeling a little sticky and unsatisfied . 
i never thought i'd say this , but i'd much rather watch teens poking their genitals into fruit pies ! 
unless you're a fanatic , the best advice is : 'scooby' don't . 
if all of eight legged freaks was as entertaining as the final hour , i would have no problem giving it an unqualified recommendation . 
weaves a spell over you , with its disturbingly close-up look at damaged psyches and its subtle undercurrents of danger . but its awkward structure keeps breaking the spell . 
there's a persistent theatrical sentiment and a woozy quality to the manner of the storytelling , which undercuts the devastatingly telling impact of utter loss personified in the film's simple title . 
what with all the blanket statements and dime-store ruminations on vanity , the worries of the rich and sudden wisdom , the film becomes a sermon for most of its running time . 
charly comes off as emotionally manipulative and sadly imitative of innumerable past love story derisions . 
it's got the brawn , but not the brains . 
stealing harvard is evidence that the farrelly bros . -- peter and bobby -- and their brand of screen comedy are wheezing to an end , along with green's half-hearted movie career . 
an average b-movie with no aspirations to be anything more . 
a sentimental hybrid that could benefit from the spice of specificity . 
characterisation has been sacrificed for the sake of spectacle . 
too clever by about nine-tenths . 
prurient playthings aside , there's little to love about this english trifle . 
a frustrating 'tweener' -- too slick , contrived and exploitative for the art houses and too cynical , small and decadent for the malls . 
one of those films where the characters inhabit that special annex of hell where adults behave like kids , children behave like adults and everyone screams at the top of their lungs no matter what the situation . 
throughout all the tumult , a question comes to mind : so why is this so boring ? 
michele is a such a brainless flibbertigibbet that it's hard to take her spiritual quest at all seriously . 
an occasionally interesting but mostly repetitive look at a slice of counterculture that might be best forgotten . 
everything its title implies , a standard-issue crime drama spat out from the tinseltown assembly line . 
undercover brother doesn't go far enough . it's just a silly black genre spoof . 
a limp eddie murphy vehicle that even he seems embarrassed to be part of . 
it's a boring movie about a boring man , made watchable by a bravura performance from a consummate actor incapable of being boring . 
gee , a second assassin shot kennedy ? moot point . 
if the tuxedo actually were a suit , it would fit chan like a $99 bargain-basement special . 
marries the amateurishness of the blair witch project with the illogic of series 7 : the contenders to create a completely crass and forgettable movie . 
all i can say is fuhgeddaboutit . 
villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi's generic angst ( there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows ) . 
the only element of suspense is whether the movie will change titles or distributors again before the closing credits roll . 
it has more in common with a fireworks display than a movie , which normally is expected to have characters and a storyline . 
hypnotically dull , relentlessly downbeat , laughably predictable wail pitched to the cadence of a depressed fifteen-year-old's suicidal poetry . 
full of flatulence jokes and mild sexual references , kung pow ! is the kind of movie that's critic-proof , simply because it aims so low . 
schneider's mugging is relentless and his constant need to suddenly transpose himself into another character undermines the story's continuity and progression . 
a sensual performance from abbass buoys the flimsy story , but her inner journey is largely unexplored and we're left wondering about this exotic-looking woman whose emotional depths are only hinted at . 
the central character isn't complex enough to hold our interest . 
what would jesus do if he was a film director ? he'd create a movie better than this . 
though it draws several decent laughs , it's low-cal woody at best . 
you've already seen heartbreak if you've watched the far superior nurse betty or sunset boulevard . even the unwatchable soapdish is more original . 
credit must be given to harland williams , michael rosenbaum and barry watson , who inject far more good-natured spirit and talent into this project than it deserves
an awful lot like one of [spears'] music videos in content -- except that it goes on for at least 90 more minutes and , worse , that you have to pay if you want to see it . 
something has been lost in the translation . . . another routine hollywood frightfest in which the slack execution italicizes the absurdity of the premise . 
what the four feathers lacks is genuine sweep or feeling or even a character worth caring about . 
the movie's messages are quite admirable , but the story is just too clichd and too often strains credulity . 
you could nap for an hour and not miss a thing . 
some writer dude , i think his name was , uh , michael zaidan , was supposed to have like written the screenplay or something , but , dude , the only thing that i ever saw that was written down were the zeroes on my paycheck . 
 . . . fifty minutes of tedious adolescent melodramatics followed by thirty-five minutes of inflated nonsense . 
brisk hack job . 
at 90 minutes this movie is short , but it feels much longer . 
taken as a whole , the tuxedo doesn't add up to a whole lot . 
the actors don't inhabit their roles -- they're trapped by them , forced to change behavior in bizarre unjustified fashion and spout dialog that consists mostly of platitudes . 
evelyn may be based on a true and historically significant story , but the filmmakers have made every effort to disguise it as an unimaginative screenwriter's invention . 
an unfortunate title for a film that has nothing endearing about it . 
pumpkin sits in a patch somewhere between mirthless todd solondzian satire and callow student film . 
if this holiday movie is supposed to be a gift , somebody unwrapped it early , took out all the good stuff , and left behind the crap ( literally ) . 
as crimes go , writer-director michael kalesniko's how to kill your neighbor's dog is slight but unendurable . 
not once does it come close to being exciting . 
though moonlight mile is replete with acclaimed actors and actresses and tackles a subject that's potentially moving , the movie is too predictable and too self-conscious to reach a level of high drama . 
the movie takes itself too seriously and , as a result , it makes for only intermittent fun . 
there's something not entirely convincing about the quiet american . and that holds true for both the movie and the title character played by brendan fraser . 
watching trouble every day , at least if you don't know what's coming , is like biting into what looks like a juicy , delicious plum on a hot summer day and coming away with your mouth full of rotten pulp and living worms . 
sinks so low in a poorly played game of absurd plot twists , idiotic court maneuvers and stupid characters that even freeman can't save it . 
it's not too fast and not too slow . it's not too racy and it's not too offensive . it's not too much of anything . 
great story , bad idea for a movie . 
there's no palpable chemistry between lopez and male lead ralph fiennes , plus the script by working girl scribe kevin wade is workmanlike in the extreme . 
how this one escaped the lifetime network i'll never know . 
the corpse count ultimately overrides what little we learn along the way about vicarious redemption . 
it's all gratuitous before long , as if schwentke were fulfilling a gross-out quota for an anticipated audience demographic instead of shaping the material to fit the story . 
instead of building to a laugh riot we are left with a handful of disparate funny moments of no real consequence . 
walter hill's pulpy , stylized boxing melodrama undisputed nearly overcomes its questionable in-the-ring match-up with solid fight choreography and gritty prison authenticity . 
seagal ran out of movies years ago , and this is just the proof . 
just dreadful . i don't blame eddie murphy but shouldn't owen wilson know a movie must have a story and a script ? 
 . . . a rather bland affair . 
focuses on joan's raging hormones and sledgehammers the audience with spanish inquisitions about her " madness " so much that i became mad that i wasted 123 minutes and $9 . 50 on this 21st century torture device . 
go for la salle's performance , and make do as best you can with a stuttering script . 
too much power , not enough puff . 
there are moments of real pleasure to be found in sara sugarman's whimsical comedy very annie-mary but not enough to sustain the film . 
though perry and hurley make inspiring efforts to breathe life into the disjointed , haphazard script by jay scherick and david ronn , neither the actors nor director reginald hudlin can make it more than fitfully entertaining . 
ultimately , the film amounts to being lectured to by tech-geeks , if you're up for that sort of thing . 
the most repugnant adaptation of a classic text since roland joff and demi moore's the scarlet letter . 
any one episode of the sopranos would send this ill-conceived folly to sleep with the fishes . 
human nature initially succeeds by allowing itself to go crazy , but ultimately fails by spinning out of control . 
may reawaken discussion of the kennedy assassination but this fictional film looks made for cable rather than for the big screen . 
as a feature-length film , it wears out its welcome as tryingly as the title character . 
the film didn't convince me that calvin jr . 's barbershop represents some sort of beacon of hope in the middle of chicago's south side . 
one big blustery movie where nothing really happens . when it comes out on video , then it's the perfect cure for insomnia . 
just as the lousy tarantino imitations have subsided , here comes the first lousy guy ritchie imitation . 
 " collateral damage " goes by the numbers and reps decent action entertainment  until the silly showdown ending that forces the viewer to totally suspend disbelief
contrived , maudlin and cliche-ridden . . . if this sappy script was the best the contest received , those rejected must have been astronomically bad . 
thoughtless , random , superficial humour and a lot of very bad scouse accents
hilarious musical comedy though stymied by accents thick as mud . 
starts out mediocre , spirals downward , and thuds to the bottom of the pool with an utterly incompetent conclusion . 
a poorly scripted , preachy fable that forgets about unfolding a coherent , believable story in its zeal to spread propaganda . 
the result is so tame that even slightly wised-up kids would quickly change the channel . 
hardly a nuanced portrait of a young woman's breakdown , the film nevertheless works up a few scares . 
should have gone straight to video . it looks like an action movie , but it's so poorly made , on all levels , that it doesn't even qualify as a spoof of such . 
o timo esforo do diretor acaba sendo frustrado pelo roteiro , que , depois de levar um bom tempo para colocar a trama em andamento , perde-se de vez a partir do instante em que os estranhos acontecimentos so explicados . 
it's difficult to imagine that a more confused , less interesting and more sloppily made film could possibly come down the road in 2002 . 
while it is interesting to witness the conflict from the palestinian side , longley's film lacks balance . . . and fails to put the struggle into meaningful historical context . 
handled correctly , wilde's play is a masterpiece of elegant wit and artifice . here , alas , it collapses like an overcooked souffl . 
makes for a pretty unpleasant viewing experience . 
guy gets girl , guy loses girl , audience falls asleep . 
the movie tries to be ethereal , but ends up seeming goofy . 
it's a drag how nettelbeck sees working women -- or at least this working woman -- for whom she shows little understanding . 
the action is reasonably well-done . . . yet story , character and comedy bits are too ragged to ever fit smoothly together . 
paul bettany is good at being the ultra-violent gangster wannabe , but the movie is certainly not number 1 . 
a terrible adaptation of a play that only ever walked the delicate tightrope between farcical and loathsome . in the wrong hands , i . e . peploe's , it's simply unbearable
both stars manage to be funny , but , like the recent i spy , the star chemistry begs the question of whether random gags add up to a movie . 
this angst-ridden territory was covered earlier and much better in ordinary people . 
sounding like arnold schwarzenegger , with a physique to match , [ahola] has a wooden delivery and encounters a substantial arc of change that doesn't produce any real transformation . 
comes across as a relic from a bygone era , and its convolutions . . . feel silly rather than plausible . 
writer-director randall wallace has bitten off more than he or anyone else could chew , and his movie veers like a drunken driver through heavy traffic . 
it's really yet another anemic and formulaic lethal weapon-derived buddy-cop movie , trying to pass off its lack of imagination as hip knowingness . 
it shows that some studios firmly believe that people have lost the ability to think and will forgive any shoddy product as long as there's a little girl-on-girl action . 
normally , rohmer's talky films fascinate me , but when he moves his setting to the past , and relies on a historical text , he loses the richness of characterization that makes his films so memorable . 
sunshine state lacks the kind of dynamic that limbo offers , and in some ways is a rather indulgent piece . 
 . . . its stupidities wind up sticking in one's mind a lot more than the cool bits . 
they're going through the motions , but the zip is gone . 
too bad writer-director adam rifkin situates it all in a plot as musty as one of the golden eagle's carpets . 
a disappointment for those who love alternate versions of the bard , particularly ones that involve deep fryers and hamburgers . 
rumor , a muddled drama about coming to terms with death , feels impersonal , almost generic . 
without shakespeare's eloquent language , the update is dreary and sluggish . 
fancy a real downer ? [leigh] lays it on so thick this time that it feels like a suicide race . 
eastwood is an icon of moviemaking , one of the best actors , directors and producers around , responsible for some excellent work . but even a hero can stumble sometimes . 
suffers from a lack of clarity and audacity that a subject as monstrous and pathetic as dahmer demands . 
a better title , for all concerned , might be swept under the rug . 
this toothless dog , already on cable , loses all bite on the big screen . 
[toback's] fondness for fancy split-screen , stuttering editing and pompous references to wittgenstein and kirkegaard . . . blends uneasily with the titillating material . 
aspires for the piquant but only really achieves a sort of ridiculous sourness . 
never again swings between false sentiment and unfunny madcap comedy and , along the way , expects the audience to invest in the central relationship as some kind of marriage of true minds . 
opera on film is never satisfactory . the art demands live viewing . the innate theatrics that provide its thrills and extreme emotions lose their luster when flattened onscreen . 
davis . . . is so enamored of her own creation that she can't see how insufferable the character is . 
the movie is about as humorous as watching your favorite pet get buried alive . 
enthusiastically taking up the current teen movie concern with bodily functions , walt becker's film pushes all the demographically appropriate comic buttons . 
the best thing about the movie is its personable , amusing cast . 
the only young people who possibly will enjoy it are infants . . . who might be distracted by the movie's quick movements and sounds . 
no , i don't know why steven seagal is considered a star , nor why he keeps being cast in action films when none of them are ever any good or make any money . 
alternative medicine obviously has its merits . . . but ayurveda does the field no favors . 
a major waste . . . generic . 
if you're a crocodile hunter fan , you'll enjoy at least the " real " portions of the film . if you're looking for a story , don't bother . 
sayles . . . once again strands his superb performers in the same old story . 
they kept much of the plot but jettisoned the stuff that would make this a moving experience for people who haven't read the book . 
this franchise has not spawned a single good film . the crap continues . 
parker updates the setting in an attempt to make the film relevant today , without fully understanding what it was that made the story relevant in the first place . 
 . . . feels as if ( there's ) a choke leash around your neck so director nick cassavetes can give it a good , hard yank whenever he wants you to feel something . 
your appreciation of it will depend on what experiences you bring to it and what associations you choose to make . 
ultimately feels like just one more in the long line of films this year about the business of making movies . 
if looking for a thrilling sci-fi cinematic ride , don't settle for this imposter . 
try as i may , i can't think of a single good reason to see this movie , even though everyone in my group extemporaneously shouted , 'thank you ! ' when leguizamo finally plugged an irritating character late in the movie . 
one of those pictures whose promising , if rather precious , premise is undercut by amateurish execution . 
the film is old-fashioned , occasionally charming and as subtle as boldface . 
it gets bogged down by hit-and-miss topical humour before getting to the truly good stuff . 
at three hours and with very little story or character development , there is plenty of room for editing , and a much shorter cut surely would have resulted in a smoother , more focused narrative without sacrificing any of the cultural intrigue . 
the basic premise is intriguing but quickly becomes distasteful and downright creepy . 
this ill-fitting tuxedo is strictly off-the-rack . 
tale will be all too familiar for anyone who's seen george roy hill's 1973 film , " the sting . " 
if you're over 25 , have an iq over 90 , and have a driver's license , you should be able to find better entertainment . 
other than a mildly engaging central romance , hospital is sickly entertainment at best and mind-destroying cinematic pollution at worst . 
storytelling feels slight . 
director tom dey demonstrated a knack for mixing action and idiosyncratic humor in his charming 2000 debut shanghai noon , but showtime's uninspired send-up of tv cop show cliches mostly leaves him shooting blanks . 
it's a movie forged in the fires of chick flick hell . 
with zoe clarke-williams's lackluster thriller " new best friend " , who needs enemies ? just another generic drama that has nothing going for it other than its exploitive array of obligatory cheap thrills . 
very well made , but doesn't generate a lot of tension . 
if we don't demand a standard of quality for the art that we choose , we deserve the trash that we get . 
has all the values of a straight-to-video movie , but because it has a bigger-name cast , it gets a full theatrical release . 
the story , touching though it is , does not quite have enough emotional resonance or variety of incident to sustain a feature , and even at 85 minutes it feels a bit long . 
once again , director chris columbus takes a hat-in-hand approach to rowling that stifles creativity and allows the film to drag on for nearly three hours . 
i found it slow , predictable and not very amusing . 
no matter how much he runs around and acts like a doofus , accepting a 50-year-old in the role is creepy in a michael jackson sort of way . 
pumpkin struts about with " courage " pinned to its huckster lapel while a yellow streak a mile wide decorates its back . 
if a few good men told us that we " can't handle the truth " than high crimes poetically states at one point in this movie that we " don't care about the truth . " 
 . . . the picture's cleverness is ironically muted by the very people who are intended to make it shine . 
the film might have been more satisfying if it had , in fact , been fleshed out a little more instead of going for easy smiles . 
with this new rollerball , sense and sensibility have been overrun by what can only be characterized as robotic sentiment . 
as happily glib and vicious as its characters . 
large budget notwithstanding , the movie is such a blip on the year's radar screen that it's tempting just to go with it for the ride . but this time , the old mib label stands for milder isn't better . 
it's supposed to be post-feminist breezy but ends up as tedious as the chatter of parrots raised on oprah . 
after you laugh once ( maybe twice ) , you will have completely forgotten the movie by the time you get back to your car in the parking lot . 
 . . . familiar and predictable , and 4/5ths of it might as well have come from a xerox machine rather than ( writer-director ) franc . reyes' word processor . 
a timid , soggy near miss . 
the problem isn't that the movie hits so close to home so much as that it hits close to home while engaging in such silliness as that snake-down-the-throat business and the inevitable shot of schwarzenegger outrunning a fireball . 
opens at a funeral , ends on the protagonist's death bed and doesn't get much livelier in the three hours in between . 
if somebody was bored and . . . decided to make a dull , pretentious version of jesus' son , they'd come up with something like bart freundlich's world traveler . 
this mistaken-identity picture is so film-culture referential that the final product is a ghost . 
a sad and rote exercise in milking a played-out idea -- a straight guy has to dress up in drag -- that shockingly manages to be even worse than its title would imply . 
although disney follows its standard formula in this animated adventure , it feels more forced than usual . 
thriller directorial debut for traffic scribe gaghan has all the right parts , but the pieces don't quite fit together . 
initial strangeness inexorably gives way to rote sentimentality and mystical tenderness becomes narrative expedience . 
a science-fiction pastiche so lacking in originality that if you stripped away its inspirations there would be precious little left . 
this is a remake by the numbers , linking a halfwit plot to a series of standup routines in which wilson and murphy show how funny they could have been in a more ambitious movie . 
[the film's] taste for " shock humor " will wear thin on all but those weaned on the comedy of tom green and the farrelly brothers . 
woody allen can write and deliver a one liner as well as anybody . but i had a lot of problems with this movie . 
when the casting call for this movie went out , it must have read 'seeking anyone with acting ambition but no sense of pride or shame . '
mr . goyer's loose , unaccountable direction is technically sophisticated in the worst way . 
not a cheap slasher flick , as the subject matter would suggest , but is a little like a nature film , showing a patient predator and his foolish prey . 
it may be a prize winner , but teacher is a bomb . 
a by-the-numbers patient/doctor pic that covers all the usual ground
it's a bad action movie because there's no rooting interest and the spectacle is grotesque and boring . 
outrageousness is all plympton seemed to be going for this time . we miss the quirky amazement that used to come along for an integral part of the ride . 
there's a thin line between likably old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy , and the count of monte cristo . . . never quite settles on either side . 
first-time writer-director dylan kidd also has a good ear for dialogue , and the characters sound like real people . 
the merchant-ivory team continues to systematically destroy everything we hold dear about cinema , only now it's begun to split up so that it can do even more damage . 
this film looks like it was produced in 1954 , shelved for 48 years , and repackaged for a 2002 audience . 
writer-director walter hill and co-writer david giler try to create characters out of the obvious cliches , but wind up using them as punching bags . 
just one bad idea after another . 
beers , who , when she's given the right lines , can charm the paint off the wall . . . [but] the script goes wrong at several key junctures . 
in this film , aussie david caesar channels the not-quite-dead career of guy ritchie . 
the town has kind of an authentic feel , but each one of these people stand out and everybody else is in the background and it just seems manufactured to me and artificial . 
for casual moviegoers who stumble into rules expecting a slice of american pie hijinks starring the kid from dawson's creek , they'll probably run out screaming . 
director hoffman , his writer and kline's agent should serve detention
maybe leblanc thought , " hey , the movie about the baseball-playing monkey was worse . " 
wallace gets a bit heavy handed with his message at times , and has a visual flair that waxes poetic far too much for our taste . 
 . . . the whole thing succeeded only in making me groggy . 
the script covers huge , heavy topics in a bland , surfacey way that doesn't offer any insight into why , for instance , good things happen to bad people . 
one thing's for sureif george romero had directed this movie , it wouldn't have taken the protagonists a full hour to determine that in order to kill a zombie you must shoot it in the head . 
does paint some memorable images . . . , but makhmalbaf keeps her distance from the characters
the action switches between past and present , but the material link is too tenuous to anchor the emotional connections that purport to span a 125-year divide . 
harland williams is so funny in drag he should consider permanent sex-reassignment . 
a lightweight , uneven action comedy that freely mingles french , japanese and hollywood cultures . 
what could have been a neat little story about believing in yourself is swamped by heavy-handed melodrama . 
if kaufman kept cameron diaz a prisoner in a cage with her ape , in his latest , he'd have them mate . 
brainy , artistic and muted , almost to the point of suffocation . 
in the real world , an actor this uncharismatically beautiful would have a rsum loaded with credits like " girl in bar #3 . " 
did no one on the set have a sense of humor , or did they not have the nerve to speak up ? 
a momentary escape from the summer heat and the sedentary doldrums that set in at this time of year . 
the film is really closer to porn than a serious critique of what's wrong with this increasingly pervasive aspect of gay culture . 
the premise is in extremely bad taste , and the film's supposed insights are so poorly thought-out and substance-free that even a high school senior taking his or her first psychology class could dismiss them . 
it has the requisite faux-urban vibe and hotter-two-years-ago rap and r&b names and references . 
 . . . hudlin is stuck trying to light a fire with soggy leaves . 
carrying this wafer-thin movie on his nimble shoulders , chan wades through putrid writing , direction and timing with a smile that says , 'if i stay positive , maybe i can channel one of my greatest pictures , drunken master . '
a broadly played , lowbrow comedy in which the cast delivers mildly amusing performances and no farm animals were injured by any of the gags . 
despite the authenticity of the trappings , the film is overblown in its plotting , hackneyed in its dialogue and anachronistic in its style . 
only for young children , if them . their parents would do well to cram earplugs in their ears and put pillowcases over their heads for 87 minutes . 
with a " spy kids " sequel opening next week , why bother with a contemptible imitator starring a " snl " has-been acting like an 8-year-old channeling roberto benigni ? 
an entertainment so in love with its overinflated mythology that it no longer recognizes the needs of moviegoers for real characters and compelling plots . 
lacking substance and soul , crossroads comes up shorter than britney's cutoffs . 
a supernatural mystery that doesn't know whether it wants to be a suspenseful horror movie or a weepy melodrama . it ends up being neither , and fails at both endeavors . 
consists of a plot and jokes done too often by people far more talented than ali g
an intriguing near-miss . 
i can't say this enough : this movie is about an adult male dressed in pink jammies . 
couldn't someone take rob schneider and have him switch bodies with a funny person ? 
it's fun , but a psychological mess , with austin powers bumping his head on the way out of the closet . 
the script is a disaster , with cloying messages and irksome characters . 
as immaculate as stuart little 2 is , it could be a lot better if it were , well , more adventurous . 
with flashbulb editing as cover for the absence of narrative continuity , undisputed is nearly incoherent , an excuse to get to the closing bout . . . by which time it's impossible to care who wins . 
circuit queens won't learn a thing , they'll be too busy cursing the film's strategically placed white sheets . 
seemingly a vehicle to showcase the canadian's inane ramblings , stealing harvard is a smorgasbord of soliloquies about nothing delivered by the former mr . drew barrymore . 
it's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role . 
the performances are so leaden , michael rymer's direction is so bloodless and the dialogue is so corny that the audience laughs out loud . 
 it feels like an after-school special gussied up with some fancy special effects , and watching its rote plot points connect is about as exciting as gazing at an egg timer for 93 minutes . 
too infuriatingly quirky and taken with its own style . 
a pale xerox of other , better crime movies . 
throwing in everything except someone pulling the pin from a grenade with his teeth , windtalkers seems to have ransacked every old world war ii movie for overly familiar material . 
granddad of le nouvelle vague , jean-luc godard continues to baffle the faithful with his games of hide-and-seek . 
woody allen has really found his groove these days . the problem is that it is one that allows him to churn out one mediocre movie after another . 
it concentrates far too much on the awkward interplay and utter lack of chemistry between chan and hewitt . 
culkin turns his character into what is basically an anti-harry potter -- right down to the gryffindor scarf . 
it is so earnest , so overwrought and so wildly implausible that it begs to be parodied . 
a non-mystery mystery . 
muddled , simplistic and more than a little pretentious . 
just about everyone involved here seems to be coasting . there are a few modest laughs , but certainly no thrills . 
there aren't many laughs in this interesting study of the cultural mores of georgian jews in tel aviv . 
a movie version of a paint-by-numbers picture . we can tell what it is supposed to be , but can't really call it a work of art . 
surprisingly , considering that baird is a former film editor , the movie is rather choppy . 
too campy to work as straight drama and too violent and sordid to function as comedy , vulgar is , truly and thankfully , a one-of-a-kind work . 
the whole movie is simply a lazy exercise in bad filmmaking that asks you to not only suspend your disbelief but your intelligence as well . 
though it was made with careful attention to detail and is well-acted by james spader and maggie gyllenhaal , i felt disrespected . 
a chaotic panorama that's too busy flying a lot of metaphoric flags . 
much of the digitally altered footage appears jagged , as if filmed directly from a television monitor , while the extensive use of stock footage quickly becomes a tiresome clich . 
demme gets a lot of flavor and spice into his charade remake , but he can't disguise that he's spiffing up leftovers that aren't so substantial or fresh . 
you leave feeling like you've endured a long workout without your pulse ever racing . 
it's mildly sentimental , unabashedly consumerist . . . studiously inoffensive and completely disposable . 
viewers of barney's crushingly self-indulgent spectacle will see nothing in it to match the ordeal of sitting through it . 
 . . . bibbidy-bobbidi-bland . 
the only question . . . is to determine how well the schmaltz is manufactured -- to assess the quality of the manipulative engineering . average , at best , i'm afraid . 
a mostly tired retread of several other mob tales . 
there's not a single jump-in-your-seat moment and believe it or not , jason actually takes a backseat in his own film to special effects . 
an odd , haphazard , and inconsequential romantic comedy . 
places a slightly believable love triangle in a difficult-to-swallow setting , and then disappointingly moves the story into the realm of an improbable thriller . 
ice age posits a heretofore unfathomable question : is it possible for computer-generated characters to go through the motions ? 
what kids will discover is a new collectible . what parents will suspect is that they're watching a 76-minute commercial . 
without september 11 , collateral damage would have been just another bad movie . now it's a bad , embarrassing movie . 
the film takes the materials of human tragedy and dresses them in lovely costumes , southern california locations and star power . 
self-congratulatory , misguided , and ill-informed , if nonetheless compulsively watchable . 
earnest falls short of its ideal predecessor largely due to parker's ill-advised meddling with the timeless source material . 
'yes , that's right : it's forrest gump , angel of death . '
it's hard not to feel you've just watched a feature-length video game with some really heavy back story . 
unlike his directorial efforts , la femme nikita and the professional , the transporter lacks besson's perspective as a storyteller . 
such a bad movie that its luckiest viewers will be seated next to one of those ignorant pinheads who talk throughout the show . 
feels like the work of someone who may indeed have finally aged past his prime . . . and , perhaps more than he realizes , just wants to be liked by the people who can still give him work . 
simplistic fluff-ball of whimsy . 
a word of advice to the makers of the singles ward : celebrity cameos do not automatically equal laughs . and neither do cliches , no matter how 'inside' they are . 
if i spy were funny ( enough ) or exciting ( enough ) then it would be fairly simple to forgive the financial extortion it's trying to reap from the moviegoing public . 
'unfaithful' cheats on itself and retreats to comfortable territory . too bad . 
an inexperienced director , mehta has much to learn . 
serviceable at best , slightly less than serviceable at worst . 
is it a comedy ? a drama ? a romance ? a cartoon ? 
it's mildly amusing , but i certainly can't recommend it . 
a glossy knock-off of a b-movie revenge flick . 
the film can depress you about life itself . 
pumpkin means to be an outrageous dark satire on fraternity life , but its ambitions far exceed the abilities of writer adam larson broder and his co-director , tony r . abrams , in their feature debut . 
aggressive self-glorification and a manipulative whitewash . stay for the credits and see a devastating comic impersonation by dustin hoffman that is revelatory . 
snow dogs finds its humour in a black man getting humiliated by a pack of dogs who are smarter than him
muddled , melodramatic paranormal romance is an all-time low for kevin costner . 
the man from elysian fields is a cold , bliss-less work that groans along thinking itself some important comment on how life throws us some beguiling curves . 
a baffling subplot involving smuggling drugs inside danish cows falls flat , and if you're going to alter the bard's ending , you'd better have a good alternative . 
another in-your-face wallow in the lower depths made by people who have never sung those blues . 
a woozy , roisterous , exhausting mess , and the off-beat casting of its two leads turns out to be as ill-starred as you might expect . 
murder by numbers is like a couple of mediocre tv-movie -of-the-week films clumsily stuck together . 
in the new guy , even the bull gets recycled . 
a moving picture that does not move . 
heavy with flabby rolls of typical toback machinations . 
everything that's worthwhile about collision course can already be seen on television . 
mr . soderbergh's direction and visual style struck me as unusually and unimpressively fussy and pretentious . 
i was hoping that it would be sleazy and fun , but it was neither . 
shafer's feature doesn't offer much in terms of plot or acting . 
if high crimes were any more generic it would have a universal product code instead of a title . 
eight legged freaks won't join the pantheon of great monster/science fiction flicks that we have come to love . . . 
the sum of all fears is almost impossible to follow -- and there's something cringe-inducing about seeing an american football stadium nuked as pop entertainment . 
the camera whirls ! the camera twirls ! oh , look at that clever angle ! wow , a jump cut ! 
does little more than play an innocuous game of fill-in- the-blanks with a tragic past . 
too much of this well-acted but dangerously slow thriller feels like a preamble to a bigger , more complicated story , one that never materializes . 
most new movies have a bright sheen . some , like ballistic , arrive stillborn . . . looking like the beaten , well-worn video box cover of seven years into the future . 
downbeat , period-perfect biopic hammers home a heavy-handed moralistic message . 
after the first 10 minutes , which is worth seeing , the movie sinks into an abyss of clichs , depression and bad alternative music . 
this is rote drivel aimed at mom and dad's wallet . 
the direction , by george hickenlooper , has no snap to it , no wiseacre crackle or hard-bitten cynicism . 
it's just plain boring . 
the movie isn't painfully bad , something to be 'fully experienced' ; it's just tediously bad , something to be fully forgotten . 
displays the potential for a better movie than what bailly manages to deliver
there is very little dread or apprehension , and though i like the creepy ideas , they are not executed with anything more than perfunctory skill . 
charming , if overly complicated . . . 
the balkans provide the obstacle course for the love of a good woman . 
good-looking but relentlessly lowbrow outing plays like clueless does south fork . 
pretty much sucks , but has a funny moment or two . 
writer-director ritchie reduces wertmuller's social mores and politics to tiresome jargon . 
mocking kung fu pictures when they were a staple of exploitation theater programming was witty . mocking them now is an exercise in pointlessness . 
befuddled in its characterizations as it begins to seem as long as the two year affair which is its subject
ritchie may not have a novel thought in his head , but he knows how to pose madonna . 
77 minutes of pokemon may not last 4ever , it just seems like it does . my only wish is that celebi could take me back to a time before i saw this movie and i could just skip it . 
certain to be distasteful to children and adults alike , eight crazy nights is a total misfire . 
 . . . lacks the punch and verve needed to make this genre soar . 
not sweet enough to liven up its predictable story and will leave even fans of hip-hop sorely disappointed . 
there's no point of view , no contemporary interpretation of joan's prefeminist plight , so we're left thinking the only reason to make the movie is because present standards allow for plenty of nudity . 
unfortunately , the experience of actually watching the movie is less compelling than the circumstances of its making . 
skins has a right to yawp , and we have a right to our grains of salt . 
[a] painfully flat gross-out comedy . . . 
there's a lot of good material here , but there's also a lot of redundancy and unsuccessful crudeness accompanying it . 
spreads itself too thin , leaving these actors , as well as the members of the commune , short of profound characterizations
the nonstop artifice ultimately proves tiresome , with the surface histrionics failing to compensate for the paper-thin characterizations and facile situations . 
in the end , ted bundy's only justification is the director's common but unexplored fascination with the frustrated maniac ; there's no larger point , and little social context . 
bigelow handles the nuclear crisis sequences evenly but milks drama when she should be building suspense , and drags out too many scenes toward the end that should move quickly . 
nothing more or less than an outright bodice-ripper -- it should have ditched the artsy pretensions and revelled in the entertaining shallows . 
femme fatale offers nothing more than a bait-and-switch that is beyond playing fair with the audience . are we dealing with dreams , visions or being told what actually happened as if it were the third ending of clue ? 
the picture is a primer on what happens when lack of know-how mixes with lack of give-a-damn . 
i don't think i laughed out loud once . and when you're talking about a slapstick comedy , that's a pretty big problem . 
without a fresh infusion of creativity , 4ever is neither a promise nor a threat so much as wishful thinking . 
[t]he film is never sure to make a clear point  even if it seeks to rely on an ambiguous presentation . 
just consider what new best friend does not have , beginning with the minor omission of a screenplay . 
most of the film feels conceived and shot on the fly -- like between lunch breaks for shearer's radio show and his simpson voice-overs . 
like its title character , esther kahn is unusual but unfortunately also irritating . 
the director mostly plays it straight , turning leys' fable into a listless climb down the social ladder . 
all the characters are clinically depressed and have abandoned their slim hopes and dreams . 
howard conjures the past via surrealist flourishes so overwrought you'd swear he just stepped out of a buuel retrospective . 
bad company has one of the most moronic screenplays of the year , full of holes that will be obvious even to those who aren't looking for them . 
as plain and pedestrian as catsup--
in the end , there isn't much to it . 
lillard and cardellini earn their scooby snacks , but not anyone else . 
has lost some of the dramatic conviction that underlies the best of comedies . . . 
when not wallowing in its characters' frustrations , the movie is busy contriving false , sitcom-worthy solutions to their problems . 
a listless and desultory affair . 
the movie gets muted and routine . 
ever see one of those comedies that just seem like a bad idea from frame one ? 
because of an unnecessary and clumsy last scene , 'swimfan' left me with a very bad feeling . 
 . . . blade ii is still top-heavy with blazing guns , cheatfully filmed martial arts , disintegrating bloodsucker computer effects and jagged camera moves that serve no other purpose than to call attention to themselves . 
makes the same mistake as the music industry it criticizes , becoming so slick and watered-down it almost loses what made you love it in the first place . 
the movie is gorgeously made , but it is also somewhat shallow and art-conscious . 
what should have been a cutting hollywood satire is instead about as fresh as last week's issue of variety . 
the beautiful , unusual music is this film's chief draw , but its dreaminess may lull you to sleep . 
the character of zigzag is not sufficiently developed to support a film constructed around him . 
neither a rousing success nor a blinding embarrassment . still , it just sits there like a side dish no one ordered . 
before long , the film starts playing like general hospital crossed with a saturday night live spoof of dog day afternoon . 
there are many things that solid acting can do for a movie , but crafting something promising from a mediocre screenplay is not one of them . 
i didn't laugh at the ongoing efforts of cube , and his skinny buddy mike epps , to make like laurel and hardy 'n the hood . 
un thriller manqu qui tombe sur les nerfs presque ds la premire image . 
a little weak -- and it isn't that funny . 
a big fat pain . 
 . . . would be a total loss if not for two supporting performances taking place at the movie's edges . 
taylor appears to have blown his entire budget on soundtrack rights and had nothing left over for jokes . 
the film is undone by anachronistic quick edits and occasional jarring glimpses of a modern theater audience watching the events unfold . 
this is an exercise not in biography but in hero worship . 
an extremely unpleasant film . 
without non-stop techno or the existential overtones of a kieslowski morality tale , maelstrm is just another winter sleepers . 
isn't as sharp as the original . . . despite some visual virtues , 'blade ii' just doesn't cut it . 
a hysterical yet humorless disquisition on the thin line between sucking face and literally sucking face . 
long before it's over , you'll be thinking of 51 ways to leave this loser . 
the overall effect is so completely inane that one would have to be mighty bored to even think of staying with this for more than , say , ten . . . make that three minutes . 
rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment . 
[e]ventually , every idea in this film is flushed down the latrine of heroism . 
when a movie asks you to feel sorry for mick jagger's sex life , it already has one strike against it . 
 . . . turns so unforgivably trite in its last 10 minutes that anyone without a fortified sweet tooth will likely go into sugar shock . 
a laughable -- or rather , unlaughable -- excuse for a film . 
this film was made by and for those folks who collect the serial killer cards and are fascinated by the mere suggestion of serial killers . for the rest of us , sitting through dahmer's two hours amounts to little more than punishment . 
a listless sci-fi comedy in which eddie murphy deploys two guises and elaborate futuristic sets to no particularly memorable effect . 
the problem is that for the most part , the film is deadly dull . 
not only are the film's sopranos gags incredibly dated and unfunny , they also demonstrate how desperate the makers of this 'we're -doing-it-for -the-cash' sequel were . 
tykwer's surface flash isn't just a poor fit with kieslowski's lyrical pessimism ; it completely contradicts everything kieslowski's work aspired to , including the condition of art . 
formula 51 has dulled your senses faster and deeper than any recreational drug on the market . 
two hours of junk . 
fails in making this character understandable , in getting under her skin , in exploring motivation . . . well before the end , the film grows as dull as its characters , about whose fate it is hard to care . 
at times , it actually hurts to watch . 
laggard drama wending its way to an uninspired philosophical epiphany . 
friday after next is the kind of film that could only be made by african-americans because of its broad racial insensitivity towards african-americans . 
to be oblivious to the existence of this film would be very sweet indeed . 
some of it is clever , but it is never melodic/
purposefully shocking in its eroticized gore , if unintentionally dull in its lack of poetic frissons . 
the plot plummets into a comedy graveyard before janice comes racing to the rescue in the final reel . 
the issues are presented in such a lousy way , complete with some of the year's ( unintentionally ) funniest moments , that it's impossible to care . 
the fight scenes are fun , but it grows tedious . 
don't waste your money . 
one key problem with these ardently christian storylines is that there is never any question of how things will turn out . 
a painfully slow cliche-ridden film filled with more holes than clyde barrow's car . 
lacks heart , depth and , most of all , purpose . 
i'm sure if you're a hartley fan , you might enjoy yourself . . . me , i didn't care for it . 
if the title is a jeopardy question , then the answer might be " how does steven seagal come across these days ? " or maybe " how will you feel after an 88-minute rip-off of the rock with action confined to slo-mo gun firing and random glass-shattering ? 
it's a very tasteful rock and roll movie . you could put it on a coffee table anywhere . 
hardman is a grating , mannered onscreen presence , which is especially unfortunate in light of the fine work done by most of the rest of her cast . 
silly , loud and goofy . 
it should be mentioned that the set design and interiors of the haunted vessel are more than effectively creepy and moodily lit . so i just did . 
elmo touts his drug as being 51 times stronger than coke . if you're looking for a tale of brits behaving badly , watch snatch again . it's 51 times better than this . 
new yorkers always seem to find the oddest places to dwell . . . 
its premise is smart , but the execution is pretty weary . 
while solondz tries and tries hard , storytelling fails to provide much more insight than the inside column of a torn book jacket . 
for all its violence , the movie is remarkably dull with only caine making much of an impression . 
sometimes seems less like storytelling than something the otherwise compelling director needed to get off his chest . 
while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these . 
there's a reason the studio didn't offer an advance screening . " the adventures of pluto nash " is a big time stinker . 
the cameo-packed , m : i-2-spoofing title sequence is the funniest 5 minutes to date in this spy comedy franchise . . . then mike myers shows up and ruins everything . 
the trouble is , its filmmakers run out of clever ideas and visual gags about halfway through . 
those who managed to avoid the deconstructionist theorizing of french philosopher jacques derrida in college can now take an 85-minute brush-up course with the documentary derrida . or , you can do something fun tonight . 
a movie that feels like the pilot episode of a new teen-targeted action tv series . 
shows holmes has the screen presence to become a major-league leading lady , ( but ) the movie itself is an underachiever , a psychological mystery that takes its sweet time building to a climax that's scarcely a surprise by the time it arrives . 
ponderous , plodding soap opera disguised as a feature film . 
hollywood ending is the most disappointing woody allen movie ever . he has a great cast and a great idea . but the execution is a flop with the exception of about six gags that really work . 
the makers of divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood should offer a free ticket ( second prize , of course , two free tickets ) to anyone who can locate a genuinely honest moment in their movie . 
little more than a frothy vanity project . 
collapses under its own meager weight . 
once ice-t sticks his mug in the window of the couple's bmw and begins haranguing the wife in bad stage dialogue , all credibility flies out the window . 
its solemn pretension prevents us from sharing the awe in which it holds itself . 
it all seemed wasted like deniro's once promising career and the once grand long beach boardwalk . 
bond-inspired ? certainly . likely to have decades of life as a classic movie franchise ? let's hope not . 
given too much time to consider the looseness of the piece , the picture begins to resemble the shapeless , grasping actors' workshop that it is . 
i haven't seen such self-amused trash since freddy got fingered . 
how anyone over the age of 2 can stomach the touchy-feely message this preachy produce promotes is beyond us . 
it is , by conventional standards , a fairly terrible movie . . . but it is also weirdly fascinating , a ready-made eurotrash cult object . it is also , at times , curiously moving . 
there's more scatological action in 8 crazy nights than a proctologist is apt to encounter in an entire career . 
this is more a case of 'sacre bleu ! ' than 'magnifique' . 
humorless , self-conscious art drivel , made without a glimmer of intelligence or invention . 
the irwins' scenes are fascinating ; the movie as a whole is cheap junk and an insult to their death-defying efforts . 
godard's ode to tackling life's wonderment is a rambling and incoherent manifesto about the vagueness of topical excess . . . in praise of love remains a ponderous and pretentious endeavor that's unfocused and tediously exasperating . 
it sounds like another clever if pointless excursion into the abyss , and that's more or less how it plays out . 
had the film boasted a clearer , more memorable , the creepiness would have gotten under the skin . 
while it's genuinely cool to hear characters talk about early rap records ( sugar hill gang , etc . ) , the constant referencing of hip-hop arcana can alienate even the savviest audiences . 
what could have been a pointed little chiller about the frightening seductiveness of new technology loses faith in its own viability and succumbs to joyless special-effects excess . 
`hey arnold ! ' has some visual wit . . . but little imagination elsewhere . 
the soupy end result has the odd distinction of being playful without being fun , too . 
while kids will probably eat the whole thing up , most adults will be way ahead of the plot . 
nicholas nickleby celebrates the human spirit with such unrelenting dickensian decency that it turned me ( horrors ! ) into scrooge . 
somehow both wildly implausible and strangely conventional . 
no matter how you slice it , mark wahlberg and thandie newton are not hepburn and grant , two cinematic icons with chemistry galore . 
this dreadfully earnest inversion of the concubine love triangle eschews the previous film's historical panorama and roiling pathos for bug-eyed mugging and gay-niche condescension . 
where last time jokes flowed out of cho's life story , which provided an engrossing dramatic through line , here the comedian hides behind obviously constructed routines . 
falsehoods pile up , undermining the movie's reality and stifling its creator's comic voice . 
arty gay film . 
a simple , sometimes maddeningly slow film that has just enough charm and good acting to make it interesting , but is ultimately pulled under by the pacing and lack of creativity within . 
more likely to have you scratching your head than hiding under your seat . 
breen's script is sketchy with actorish notations on the margin of acting . 
feeble comedy . 
the holes in this film remain agape -- holes punched through by an inconsistent , meandering , and sometimes dry plot . 
when one hears harry shearer is going to make his debut as a film director , one would hope for the best
if you're not the target demographic . . . this movie is one long chick-flick slog . 
this director's cut -- which adds 51 minutes -- takes a great film and turns it into a mundane soap opera . 
mildly amusing . 
what might have been acceptable on the printed page of iles' book does not translate well to the screen . 
a clash between the artificial structure of the story and the more contemporary , naturalistic tone of the film . . . 
insufferably naive . 
 . . . a preachy parable stylized with a touch of john woo bullet ballet . 
the spalding gray equivalent of a teen gross-out comedy . 
what starts off as a satisfying kids flck becomes increasingly implausible as it races through contrived plot points . 
the two leads are almost good enough to camouflage the dopey plot , but so much naturalistic small talk , delivered in almost muffled exchanges , eventually has a lulling effect . 
the sinister inspiration that fuelled devito's early work is confused in death to smoochy into something both ugly and mindless . 
although purportedly a study in modern alienation , it's really little more than a particularly slanted , gay s/m fantasy , enervating and deadeningly drawn-out . 
with recent tensions rekindled by the kathleen soliah trial and the upcoming trial of sla members emily and william harris , not to mention sept . 11 , its difficult these days to appreciate fire's bright side . 
a visually flashy but narratively opaque and emotionally vapid exercise in style and mystification . 
 . . . if it had been only half-an-hour long or a tv special , the humor would have been fast and furious-- at ninety minutes , it drags . 
this feature is about as necessary as a hole in the head
a movie that's held captive by mediocrity . not bad , but not all that good . bacon keeps things interesting , but don't go out of your way to pay full price . 
a turgid little history lesson , humourless and dull . 
succeeds in providing a disquiet world the long-dreaded completion of the police academy series . 
perhaps even the slc high command found writer-director mitch davis's wall of kitsch hard going . 
the backyard battles you staged with your green plastic army men were more exciting and almost certainly made more sense . 
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 . 
a small fortune in salaries and stunt cars might have been saved if the director , tom dey , had spliced together bits and pieces of midnight run and 48 hours ( and , for that matter , shrek ) . 
nothing more than a run-of-the-mill action flick . 
suffers from rambling , repetitive dialogue and the visual drabness endemic to digital video . 
the overall effect is less like a children's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts . 
no such thing breaks no new ground and treads old turf like a hippopotamus ballerina . 
 . . . surprisingly inert for a movie in which the main character travels back and forth between epochs . 
control-alt-delete simone as quickly as possible
this overproduced piece of dreck is shockingly bad and absolutely unnecessary . hmmmmight i suggest that the wayward wooden one end it all by stuffing himself into an electric pencil sharpener ? 
the metaphors are provocative , but too often , the viewer is left puzzled by the mechanics of the delivery . 
starts as a tart little lemon drop of a movie and ends up as a bitter pill . 
a lame comedy . 
the techno tux is good for a few laughs , as are chan and hewitt , but when such a good design turns out to be a cheap knockoff , we can't recommend anything but a rental for the tuxedo . 
it all unfolds predictably , and the adventures that happen along the way seem repetitive and designed to fill time , providing no real sense of suspense . 
the film seems a dead weight . the lack of pace kills it , although , in a movie about cancer , this might be apt . 
this is a poster movie , a mediocre tribute to films like them ! 
the idea is more interesting than the screenplay , which lags badly in the middle and lurches between not-very-funny comedy , unconvincing dramatics and some last-minute action strongly reminiscent of run lola run . 
flounders due to the general sense that no two people working on the production had exactly the same thing in mind . 
i can take infantile humor . . . but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer's diapers . 
message movie or an action-packed submarine spectacular ? alas , it's neither . 
it wouldn't matter so much that this arrogant richard pryor wannabe's routine is offensive , puerile and unimaginatively foul-mouthed if it was at least funny . 
a dreadful live-action movie . 
jolie's performance vanishes somewhere between her hair and her lips . 
its salient points are simultaneously buried , drowned and smothered in the excesses of writer-director roger avary . 
one long string of cliches . 
sheridan is painfully bad , a fourth-rate jim carrey who doesn't understand the difference between dumb fun and just plain dumb . 
a beautifully shot but dull and ankle-deep 'epic . '
appropriately cynical social commentary aside , #9 never quite ignites . 
such master screenwriting comes courtesy of john pogue , the yale grad who previously gave us " the skulls " and last year's " rollerball . " enough said , except : film overboard ! 
an often-deadly boring , strange reading of a classic whose witty dialogue is treated with a baffling casual approach
as we have come to learn -- as many times as we have fingers to count on -- jason is a killer who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit . ' the filmmakers might want to look it up . 
diane lane's sophisticated performance can't rescue adrian lyne's unfaithful from its sleazy moralizing . 
even if you're an elvis person , you won't find anything to get excited about on this dvd . 
this film is so slick , superficial and trend-hoppy , that it's easy to imagine that a new software program spit out the screenplay . 
a depressingly retrograde , 'post-feminist' romantic comedy that takes an astonishingly condescending attitude toward women . 
 " bad " is the operative word for " bad company , " and i don't mean that in a good way . 
wallace seems less like he's been burning to tell a war story than he's been itching to somehow tack one together
disreputable doings and exquisite trappings are dampened by a lackluster script and substandard performances . 
been there done that . 
forgettable , if good-hearted , movie . 
it seems to me the film is about the art of ripping people off without ever letting them consciously know you have done so
cassavetes thinks he's making dog day afternoon with a cause , but all he's done is to reduce everything he touches to a shrill , didactic cartoon . 
a battle between bug-eye theatre and dead-eye matinee . 
bella is the picture of health with boundless energy until a few days before she dies . this is absolutely and completely ridiculous and an insult to every family whose mother has suffered through the horrible pains of a death by cancer . 
the movie slides downhill as soon as macho action conventions assert themselves . 
crudup's screen presence is the one thing that holds interest in the midst of a mushy , existential exploration of why men leave their families . 
no one can doubt the filmmakers' motives , but the guys still feels counterproductive . 
at least it's a fairly impressive debut from the director , charles stone iii . 
suffers from unlikable characters and a self-conscious sense of its own quirky hipness . 
a movie you observe , rather than one you enter into . 
admirable , certainly , but not much fun to watch . for caine lovers only . 
a combination of standard , stiff tv-style animation and snazzy-looking digital effects that do little to disguise the fact that the characters barely move . 
cry havoc and let slip the dogs of cheese , indeed . 
a guilty pleasure at best , and not worth seeing unless you want to laugh at it . 
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 longer the movie goes , the worse it gets , but it's actually pretty good in the first few minutes . 
girlfriends are bad , wives are worse and babies are the kiss of death in this bitter italian comedy . 
a boring , wincingly cute and nauseatingly politically correct cartoon guaranteed to drive anyone much over age 4 screaming from the theater . 
tries too hard to be funny in a way that's too loud , too goofy and too short of an attention span . 
guys say mean things and shoot a lot of bullets . some of the characters die and others don't , and the film pretends that those living have learned some sort of lesson , and , really , nobody in the viewing audience cares . 
the images are usually abbreviated in favor of mushy obviousness and telegraphed pathos , particularly where whitaker's misfit artist is concerned . 
anemic chronicle of money grubbing new yorkers and their serial loveless hook ups . 
every note rings false . 
the cumulative effect of the relentless horror on parade numbs the movie's power as a work of drama . 
for anyone who grew up on disney's 1950 treasure island , or remembers the 1934 victor fleming classic , this one feels like an impostor . 
 " one look at a girl in tight pants and big tits and you turn stupid ? " um . . isn't that the basis for the entire plot ? 
overly long and worshipful bio-doc . 
shouldn't have been allowed to use the word " new " in its title , because there's not an original character , siuation or joke in the entire movie . 
ringu is a disaster of a story , full of holes and completely lacking in chills . ignore the reputation , and ignore the film . 
has the marks of a septuagenarian ; it's a crusty treatment of a clever gimmick . 
some of the computer animation is handsome , and various amusing sidekicks add much-needed levity to the otherwise bleak tale , but overall the film never rises above mediocrity . 
i liked the original short story but this movie , even at an hour and twenty-some minutes , it's too long and it goes nowhere . 
drowning's too good for this sucker . 
there are cheesy backdrops , ridiculous action sequences , and many tired jokes about men in heels . 
a wishy-washy melodramatic movie that shows us plenty of sturm und drung , but explains its characters' decisions only unsatisfactorily . 
you might say tykwer has done all that heaven allows , if you wanted to make as anti-kieslowski a pun as possible . suffice to say its total promise is left slightly unfulfilled . 
sheridan's take on the author's schoolboy memoir . . . is a rather toothless take on a hard young life . 
if only the story about a multi-million dollar con bothered to include the con . 
the execution is so pedestrian that the most positive comment we can make is that rob schneider actually turns in a pretty convincing performance as a prissy teenage girl . 
the action scenes have all the suspense of a 20-car pileup , while the plot holes are big enough for a train car to drive through -- if kaos hadn't blown them all up . 
starts promisingly but disintegrates into a dreary , humorless soap opera . 
since lee is a sentimentalist , the film is more worshipful than your random e ! true hollywood story . 
i could just feel the screenwriter at every moment 'tap , tap , tap , tap , tapping away' on this screenplay . 
wobbly senegalese updating of " carmen " which is best for the stunning star turn by djeinaba diop gai
rashomon-for-dipsticks tale . 
there's just no currency in deriding james bond for being a clichd , doddering , misogynistic boy's club . 
movie fans , get ready to take off . . . the other direction . 
brown's saga , like many before his , makes for snappy prose but a stumblebum of a movie . 
time literally stops on a dime in the tries-so-hard-to-be-cool " clockstoppers , " but that doesn't mean it still won't feel like the longest 90 minutes of your movie-going life . 
such an incomprehensible mess that it feels less like bad cinema than like being stuck in a dark pit having a nightmare about bad cinema . 
halfway through , however , having sucked dry the undead action flick formula , blade ii mutates into a gross-out monster movie with effects that are more silly than scary . 
this is mild-mannered , been-there material given a pedestrian spin by a director who needed a touch of the flamboyant , the outrageous . 
oh , it's extreme , all right . extremely dumb . extremely confusing . extremely boring . 
it's a fanboy 'what if ? ' brought to life on the big screen . 
klein , charming in comedies like american pie and dead-on in election , delivers one of the saddest action hero performances ever witnessed . 
almost as offensive as " freddy got fingered . " 
this is the kind of movie that you only need to watch for about thirty seconds before you say to yourself , 'ah , yes , here we have a bad , bad , bad movie . '
because the intelligence level of the characters must be low , very low , very very low , for the masquerade to work , the movie contains no wit , only labored gags . 
while super troopers is above academy standards , its quintet of writers could still use some more schooling . 
the premise of " abandon " holds promise , . . . but its delivery is a complete mess . 
often silly  and gross  but it's rarely as moronic as some campus gross-out films . 
apparently writer-director attal thought he need only cast himself and his movie-star wife sitting around in their drawers to justify a film . 
an incredibly irritating comedy about thoroughly vacuous people . . . manages to embody the worst excesses of nouvelle vague without any of its sense of fun or energy . 
the cast is so low-wattage that none of the characters comes off as big . . . and the setting remains indistinct . 
despite an impressive roster of stars and direction from kathryn bigelow , the weight of water is oppressively heavy . 
this heist flick about young brooklyn hoods is off the shelf after two years to capitalize on the popularity of vin diesel , seth green and barry pepper . it should have stayed there . 
meyjes's movie , like max rothman's future , does not work . 
the lousy lead performances . . . keep the movie from ever reaching the comic heights it obviously desired . 
there's plenty of style in guillermo del toro's sequel to the 1998 hit but why do we need 117 minutes to tell a tale that simply can't sustain more than 90 minutes . 
while the script starts promisingly , it loses steam towards the middle and never really develops beyond attacking obvious target . 
 . . . routine , harmless diversion and little else . 
 . . . another example of how sandler is losing his touch . 
the histrionic muse still eludes madonna and , playing a charmless witch , she is merely a charmless witch . 
a plodding teen remake that's so mechanical you can smell the grease on the plot twists . 
the essential problem in orange county is that , having created an unusually vivid set of characters worthy of its strong cast , the film flounders when it comes to giving them something to do . 
i'm sorry to say that this should seal the deal - arnold is not , nor will he be , back . 
to blandly go where we went 8 movies ago . . . 
it's the type of stunt the academy loves : a powerful political message stuffed into an otherwise mediocre film . 
director barry skolnick and his screenwriters glibly tick off every point of " the longest yard " playbook like a checklist . 
rarely has leukemia looked so shimmering and benign . 
the movie's ultimate point -- that everyone should be themselves -- is trite , but the screenwriter and director michel gondry restate it to the point of ridiculousness . 
one long , numbing action sequence made up mostly of routine stuff yuen has given us before . 
the film has [its] moments , but they are few and far between . 
tends to plod . 
an authentically vague , but ultimately purposeless , study in total pandemonium . 
this cloying , voices-from-the-other-side story is hell . 
it's a feel-bad ending for a depressing story that throws a bunch of hot-button items in the viewer's face and asks to be seen as hip , winking social commentary . 
by the final whistle you're convinced that this mean machine was a decent tv outing that just doesn't have big screen magic . 
screenwriter chris ver weil's directing debut is good-natured and never dull , but its virtues are small and easily overshadowed by its predictability . 
the sum of all fears is remarkably fuddled about motives and context , which drains it of the dramatic substance that would shake us in our boots ( or cinema seats ) . 
the story's pathetic and the gags are puerile . 
it's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that's often written off as indie film naturalism . 
a collage of clichs and a dim echo of allusions to other films . 
the lead actors share no chemistry or engaging charisma . we don't even like their characters . 
the film favors the scientific over the spectacular ( visually speaking ) . 
with or without ballast tanks , k-19 sinks to a harrison ford low . 
falls short in explaining the music and its roots . 
the movie has a script ( by paul pender ) made of wood , and it's relentlessly folksy , a procession of stagy set pieces stacked with binary oppositions . 
with its hints of a greater intelligence lurking somewhere , the ring makes its stupidity more than obvious . it's painful . 
bad beyond belief and ridiculous beyond description . 
it doesn't quite work , but there's enough here to make us look forward to the russos' next offering . 
this isn't a " friday " worth waiting for . 
the story is far-flung , illogical , and plain stupid . 
though tom shadyac's film kicks off spookily enough , around the halfway mark it takes an abrupt turn into glucose sentimentality and laughable contrivance . 
an occasionally funny , but overall limp , fish-out-of-water story . 
the first fatal attraction was vile enough . do we really need the tiger beat version ? 
the mushy finale turns john q into a movie-of-the-week tearjerker . 
ecks this one off your must-see list . 
let's face it -- there aren't many reasons anyone would want to see crossroads if they're not big fans of teen pop kitten britney spears . 
it's just a little too self-satisfied . 
a cheap scam put together by some cynical creeps at revolution studios and imagine entertainment to make the suckers out there surrender $9 and 93 minutes of unrecoverable life . 
even if you feel like you've seen this movie a thousand times before , it is kind of enjoyable thanks mainly to belushi's easy-going likableness . 
rarely has a film's title served such dire warning . 
aggravating and tedious . 
anyone not into high-tech splatterfests is advised to take the warning literally , and log on to something more user-friendly . 
impostor can't think of a thing to do with these characters except have them run through dark tunnels , fight off various anonymous attackers , and evade elaborate surveillance technologies . 
fans of so-bad-they're-good cinema may find some fun in this jumbled mess . 
wraps itself in the guise of a dark and quirky comedy , but it isn't as quirky as it thinks it is and its comedy is generally mean-spirited . 
just not campy enough
ends up being mostly about ravishing costumes , eye-filling , wide-screen production design and joan's wacky decision to stand by her man , no matter how many times he demonstrates that he's a disloyal satyr . 
witless and utterly pointless . 
if you think it's a riot to see rob schneider in a young woman's clothes , then you'll enjoy the hot chick . 
so faithful to the doldrums of the not-quite-urban , not-quite-suburban milieu as to have viewers recoiling from the reality check . 
instead of using george and lucy's most obvious differences to ignite sparks , lawrence desperately looks elsewhere , seizing on george's haplessness and lucy's personality tics . 
this dubious product of a college-spawned ( colgate u . ) comedy ensemble known as broken lizard plays like a mix of cheech and chong and chips . 
less worrying about covering all the drama in frida's life and more time spent exploring her process of turning pain into art would have made this a superior movie . 
i was feeling this movie until it veered off too far into the exxon zone , and left me behind at the station looking for a return ticket to realism . 
the film boasts at least a few good ideas and features some decent performances , but the result is disappointing . 
instead of a balanced film that explains the zeitgeist that is the x games , we get a cinematic postcard that's superficial and unrealized . 
it's a barely tolerable slog over well-trod ground . 
they should have called it gutterball . 
historical dramas fused with love triangle is a well worn conceit . but this films lacks the passion required to sell the material . 
grating and tedious . 
alex nohe's documentary plays like a travelogue for what mostly resembles a real-life , big-budget nc-17 version of tank girl . 
the latest vapid actor's exercise to appropriate the structure of arthur schnitzler's reigen . 
routine and rather silly . 
just too silly and sophomoric to ensnare its target audience . 
highly uneven and inconsistent . . . margarita happy hour kinda resembles the el cheapo margaritas served within . 
unfortunately , carvey's rubber-face routine is no match for the insipid script he has crafted with harris goldberg . 
if this is an example of the type of project that robert redford's lab is willing to lend its imprimatur to , then perhaps it's time to rethink independent films . 
stirs potentially enticing ingredients into an uneasy blend of ghost and close encounters of the third kind . 
tedious norwegian offering which somehow snagged an oscar nomination . 
skip this turd and pick your nose instead because you're sure to get more out of the latter experience . 
it is very difficult to care about the character , and that is the central flaw of the film . 
moretti plays giovanni , a psychiatrist who predictably finds it difficult to sustain interest in his profession after the family tragedy . too predictably , in fact . 
the story is bogus and its characters tissue-thin . 
too simple for its own good . 
the biggest problem with roger avary's uproar against the mpaa is that , even in all its director's cut glory , he's made a film that's barely shocking , barely interesting and most of all , barely anything . 
every sequel you skip will be two hours gained . consider this review life-affirming . 
though excessively tiresome , the uncertainty principle , as verbally pretentious as the title may be , has its handful of redeeming features , as long as you discount its ability to bore . 
no dia em que aceitou dirigir esta continuao , harold ramis deve ter sado da cama com o p esquerdo . e aqueles que decidiram assistir a este filme tambm . 
these people wouldn't know subtle characterization if it put on a giant furry monster costume and then gave them a lapdance . 
if you're a wwf fan , or you related to the people who watched the robots getting butchered in a . i . , you'll probably like rollerball . 
as if drop dead gorgeous wasn't enough , this equally derisive clunker is fixated on the spectacle of small-town competition . 
 . . . a mostly boring affair with a confusing sudden finale that's likely to irk viewers . 
looks like a high school film project completed the day before it was due . 
the film tries too hard to be funny and tries too hard to be hip . the end result is a film that's neither . 
more maudlin than sharp . 
one of the most plain , unimaginative romantic comedies i've ever seen . 
the impact of the armenian genocide is diluted by too much stage business in the modern day . 
the lack of naturalness makes everything seem self-consciously poetic and forced . . . it's a pity that [nelson's] achievement doesn't match his ambition . 
bisset delivers a game performance , but she is unable to save the movie . 
the subject of swinging still seems ripe for a documentary -- just not this one . 
a passable romantic comedy , in need of another couple of passes through the word processor . 
dolman confines himself to shtick and sentimentality -- the one bald and the other sloppy . 
the maudlin way its story unfolds suggests a director fighting against the urge to sensationalize his material . 
think the lion king redone for horses , with fewer deliberate laughs , more inadvertent ones and stunningly trite songs by bryan adams , the world's most generic rock star . 
how can such a cold movie claim to express warmth and longing ? in truth , it has all the heart of a porno flick ( but none of the sheer lust ) . 
flaunts its quirky excesses like a new year's eve drunk sporting a paper party hat . 
fluffy and disposible . 
when not obscured by the booming bass-heavy soundtrack , the conversation presents the kind of linguistic fumbling not heard since macy gray's game of chinese whispers with mr bean . 
well-made but mush-hearted . 
while obviously an extremely personal work , it remains inextricably stuck in an emotionally unavailable rut . 
thoroughly awful . 
it's too long , too repetitive , and takes way too many years to resolve to be a total winner . 
quite frankly , i can't see why any actor of talent would ever work in a mcculloch production again if they looked at how this movie turned out . 
barney's ideas about creation and identity don't really seem all that profound , at least by way of what can be gleaned from this three-hour endurance test built around an hour's worth of actual material . 
ordinary melodrama that is heavy on religious symbols but wafer-thin on dramatic substance
woody , what happened ? 
this overproduced and generally disappointing effort isn't likely to rouse the rush hour crowd . 
the story drifts so inexorably into cliches about tortured ( and torturing ) artists and consuming but impossible love that you can't help but become more disappointed as each overwrought new sequence plods on . 
the vintage is pure '87 , with a halfhearted twist on its cautionary message : fatal attraction = don't have an affair with a nutjob ; unfaithful = don't if you're married to one . 
this is the sort of burly action flick where one coincidence pummels another , narrative necessity is a drunken roundhouse , and whatever passes for logic is a factor of the last plot device left standing . 
the film's thoroughly recycled plot and tiresome jokes . . . drag the movie down . 
desperately unfunny when it tries to makes us laugh and desperately unsuspenseful when it tries to make us jump out of our seats . 
what goes on for the 110 minutes of " panic room " is a battle of witlessness between a not-so-bright mother and daughter and an even less capable trio of criminals . 
a crude teen-oriented variation on a theme that the playwright craig lucas explored with infinitely more grace and eloquence in his prelude to a kiss . 
with the cheesiest monsters this side of a horror spoof , which they isn't , it is more likely to induce sleep than fright . 
a monster combat thriller as impersonal in its relentlessness as the videogame series that inspired it . 
a dreary movie . 
it was a dark and stormy night . . . 
hawke's film , a boring , pretentious waste of nearly two hours , doesn't tell you anything except that the chelsea hotel today is populated by whiny , pathetic , starving and untalented artistes . 
put it somewhere between sling blade and south of heaven , west of hell in the pantheon of billy bob's body of work . 
the director's twitchy sketchbook style and adroit perspective shifts grow wearisome amid leaden pacing and indifferent craftsmanship ( most notably wretched sound design ) . 
plodding , peevish and gimmicky . 
paid in full is so stale , in fact , that its most vibrant scene is one that uses clips from brian de palma's scarface . that's a cheat . 
has all the scenic appeal of a cesspool . 
director kevin bray excels in breaking glass and marking off the " miami vice " checklist of power boats , latin music and dog tracks . he doesn't , however , deliver nearly enough of the show's trademark style and flash . 
van wilder doesn't bring anything new to the proverbial table , but it does possess a coherence absent in recent crass-a-thons like tomcats , freddy got fingered , and slackers . 
a baffling mixed platter of gritty realism and magic realism with a hard-to-swallow premise . 
his [nelson's] screenplay needs some serious re-working to show more of the dilemma , rather than have his characters stage shouting matches about it . 
the movie's biggest offense is its complete and utter lack of tension . 
haneke keeps us at arm's length . guided more by intellect than heart , his story flattens instead of sharpens . 
the plot is romantic comedy boilerplate from start to finish . 
here the love scenes all end in someone screaming . maybe there's a metaphor here , but figuring it out wouldn't make trouble every day any better . 
a grim , flat and boring werewolf movie that refuses to develop an energy level . 
few of the increasingly far-fetched events that first-time writer-director neil burger follows up with are terribly convincing , which is a pity , considering barry's terrific performance . 
suffers from a flat script and a low budget . 
it's hard to say who might enjoy this , are there tolstoy groupies out there ? it's dark and tragic , and lets the business of the greedy talent agents get in the way of saying something meaningful about facing death
'linklater fans , or pretentious types who want to appear avant-garde will suck up to this project . . . '
there's not enough here to justify the almost two hours . 
the story . . . is moldy and obvious . 
it's coherent , well shot , and tartly acted , but it wears you down like a dinner guest showing off his doctorate . 
i believe silberling had the best intentions here , but he just doesn't have the restraint to fully realize them . 
it's as if de palma spent an hour setting a fancy table and then served up kraft macaroni and cheese . 
the project's filmmakers forgot to include anything even halfway scary as they poorly rejigger fatal attraction into a high school setting . 
'christian bale's quinn [is] a leather clad grunge-pirate with a hairdo like gandalf in a wind-tunnel and a simply astounding cor-blimey-luv-a-duck cockney accent . '
predecessors the mummy and the mummy returns stand as intellectual masterpieces next to the scorpion king . 
what begins brightly gets bogged down over 140 minutes . 
it's so mediocre , despite the dynamic duo on the marquee , that we just can't get no satisfaction . 
a man leaving the screening said the film was better than saving private ryan . he may have meant the internet short saving ryan's privates . but windtalkers doesn't beat that one , either . 
did we really need a remake of " charade ? " 
complex , sinuously plotted and , somehow , off-puttingly cold . 
 . . . liotta is put in an impossible spot because his character's deceptions ultimately undo him and the believability of the entire scenario . too bad . 
loses its sense of humor in a vat of failed jokes , twitchy acting , and general boorishness . 
what was once original has been co-opted so frequently that it now seems pedestrian . 
that is essentially what's missing from blackboards -- the sense of something bigger , some ultimate point . 
a showcase for both the scenic splendor of the mountains and for legendary actor michel serrault , the film is less successful on other levels . 
basically , it's pretty but dumb . 
it's just disappointingly superficial -- a movie that has all the elements necessary to be a fascinating , involving character study , but never does more than scratch the surface . 
apallingly absurd . . . the chemistry or lack thereof between newton and wahlberg could turn an imax theater into a 9 " black and white portable tv . 
a sleep-inducing thriller with a single twist that everyone except the characters in it can see coming a mile away . 
excessive , profane , packed with cartoonish violence and comic-strip characters . 
memorable for a peculiar malaise that renders its tension flaccid and , by extension , its surprises limp and its resolutions ritual . 
cox offers plenty of glimpses at existing photos , but there are no movies of nijinsky , so instead the director treats us to an aimless hodgepodge . 
a sudsy cautionary tale . 
this is the sort of low-grade dreck that usually goes straight to video --with a lousy script , inept direction , pathetic acting , poorly dubbed dialogue and murky cinematography , complete with visible boom mikes . 
and if you appreciate the one-sided theme to lawrence's over-indulgent tirade , then knock yourself out and enjoy the big screen postcard that is a self-glorified martin lawrence lovefest . if you are willing to do this , then you so crazy ! 
it's a terrible movie in every regard , and utterly painful to watch . 
a mechanical action-comedy whose seeming purpose is to market the charismatic jackie chan to even younger audiences . 
reggio's trippy , ambitious downer can also sometimes come across like nothing more than a glorified nike ad . 
a woefully dull , redundant concept that bears more than a whiff of exploitation , despite iwai's vaunted empathy . 
showtime is closer to slowtime . 
not really bad so much as distasteful : we need kidnapping suspense dramas right now like we need doomsday thrillers . 
not once in the rush to save the day did i become very involved in the proceedings ; to me , it was just a matter of 'eh . '
harry potter and the chamber of secrets is deja vu all over again , and while that is a cliche , nothing could be more appropriate . it's likely that whatever you thought of the first production -- pro or con -- you'll likely think of this one . 
a movie more to be prescribed than recommended -- as visually bland as a dentist's waiting room , complete with soothing muzak and a cushion of predictable narrative rhythms . 
you have once again entered the bizarre realm where director adrian lyne holds sway , where all relationships are simultaneously broadly metaphorical , oddly abstract , and excruciatingly literal . 
despite engaging offbeat touches , knockaround guys rarely seems interested in kicking around a raison d'etre that's as fresh-faced as its young-guns cast . 
the movie is too cute to take itself too seriously , but it still feels like it was made by some very stoned college students . 
it's not original , and , robbed of the element of surprise , it doesn't have any huge laughs in its story of irresponsible cops who love to play pranks . 
hugh grant's act is so consuming that sometimes it's difficult to tell who the other actors in the movie are . 
sucking all the 'classic' out of robert louis stevenson's treasure island and filling the void with sci-fi video game graphics and disney-fied adolescent angst . . . 
it gets the details of its time frame right but it completely misses its emotions . 
that zhang would make such a strainingly cute film -- with a blind orphan at its center , no less -- indicates where his ambitions have wandered . 
to imagine the life of harry potter as a martial arts adventure told by a lobotomized woody allen is to have some idea of the fate that lies in store for moviegoers lured to the mediocrity that is kung pow : enter the fist . 
both awful and appealing . 
by getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters , i found myself confused when it came time to get to the heart of the movie . 
allegiance to chekhov , which director michael cacoyannis displays with somber earnestness in the new adaptation of the cherry orchard , is a particularly vexing handicap . 
the title , alone , should scare any sane person away . 
the cumulative effect of the movie is repulsive and depressing . 
it almost plays like solaris , but with guns and jokes . 
a rip-off twice removed , modeled after [seagal's] earlier copycat under siege , sometimes referred to as die hard on a boat . 
human nature talks the talk , but it fails to walk the silly walk that distinguishes the merely quirky from the surreal . 
director roger michell does so many of the little things right that it's difficult not to cuss him out severely for bungling the big stuff . 
the characters . . . are paper-thin , and their personalities undergo radical changes when it suits the script . 
offensive in the way it exploits the hot-button issue of domestic abuse for cheap thrills and disgusting in the manner it repeatedly puts a small child in jeopardy , treating her as little more than a prop to be cruelly tormented . 
blood work is laughable in the solemnity with which it tries to pump life into overworked elements from eastwood's dirty harry period . 
a close-to-solid espionage thriller with the misfortune of being released a few decades too late . 
uneasy mishmash of styles and genres . 
its screenplay serves as auto-critique , and its clumsiness as its own most damning censure . 
it's a boom-box of a movie that might have been titled 'the loud and the ludicrous' . . . the pandering to a moviegoing audience dominated by young males is all too calculated . 
does anyone much think the central story of brendan behan is that he was a bisexual sweetheart before he took to drink ? 
 sandra bullock and hugh grant make a great team , but this predictable romantic comedy should get a pink slip . 
occasionally interesting but essentially unpersuasive , a footnote to a still evolving story . 
schaefer's . . . determination to inject farcical raunch . . . drowns out the promise of the romantic angle . 
nothing sticks , really , except a lingering creepiness one feels from being dragged through a sad , sordid universe of guns , drugs , avarice and damaged dreams . 
it's about following your dreams , no matter what your parents think . socrates motions for hemlock . 
plotless collection of moronic stunts is by far the worst movie of the year . 
stealing harvard aspires to comedic grand larceny but stands convicted of nothing more than petty theft of your time . 
it delivers some chills and sustained unease , but flounders in its quest for deeper meaning . 
the film never rises above a conventional , two dimension tale
it comes off as so silly that you wouldn't be surprised if ba , murdock and rest of the a-team were seen giving chase in a black and red van . 
the overall feel of the film is pretty cheesy , but there's still a real sense that the star trek tradition has been honored as best it can , given the embarrassing script and weak direction . 
the good is very , very good . . . the rest runs from mildly unimpressive to despairingly awful . 
as earnest as a community-college advertisement , american chai is enough to make you put away the guitar , sell the amp , and apply to medical school . 
the film doesn't have enough innovation or pizazz to attract teenagers , and it lacks the novel charm that made spy kids a surprising winner with both adults and younger audiences . 
one gets the impression the creators of don't ask don't tell laughed a hell of a lot at their own jokes . too bad none of it is funny . 
what the audience feels is exhaustion , from watching a movie that is dark ( dark green , to be exact ) , sour , bloody and mean . 
ethan hawke has always fancied himself the bastard child of the beatnik generation and it's all over his chelsea walls . 
formulaic to the 51st power , more like . 
if ever a concept came handed down from the movie gods on a silver platter , this is it . if ever such a dependable concept was botched in execution , this is it . 
[i]t's certainly laudable that the movie deals with hot-button issues in a comedic context , but barbershop isn't as funny as it should be . 
say this for the soundtrack , it drowns out the lousy dialogue . 
the satire is unfocused , while the story goes nowhere . 
intriguing documentary which is emotionally diluted by focusing on the story's least interesting subject . 
too silly to take seriously . 
i found myself growing more and more frustrated and detached as vincent became more and more abhorrent . 
a film made with as little wit , interest , and professionalism as artistically possible for a slummy hollywood caper flick . 
it's refreshing that someone understands the need for the bad boy ; diesel , with his brawny frame and cool , composed delivery , fits the bill perfectly . 
the dialogue is very choppy and monosyllabic despite the fact that it is being dubbed . 
despite a performance of sustained intelligence from stanford and another of subtle humour from bebe neuwirth , as an older woman who seduces oscar , the film founders on its lack of empathy for the social milieu - rich new york intelligentsia - and its off
the obnoxious special effects , the obligatory outbursts of flatulence and the incessant , so-five-minutes-ago pop music on the soundtrack overwhelm what is left of the scruffy , dopey old hanna-barbera charm . 
unfortunately , it's also not very good . especially compared with the television series that inspired the movie . 
viewed as a comedy , a romance , a fairy tale , or a drama , there's nothing remotely triumphant about this motion picture . 
in both the writing and cutting , it does not achieve the kind of dramatic unity that transports you . you end up simply admiring this bit or that , this performance or that . 
cherish is a dud -- a romantic comedy that's not the least bit romantic and only mildly funny . 
should have been worth cheering as a breakthrough but is devoid of wit and humor . 
in a strange way , egoyan has done too much . he's worked too hard on this movie . 
just a kiss wants desperately to come off as a fanciful film about the typical problems of average people . but it is set in a world that is very , very far from the one most of us inhabit . 
this insufferable movie is meant to make you think about existential suffering . instead , it'll only put you to sleep . 
the film's darker moments become smoothed over by an overwhelming need to tender inspirational tidings , especially in the last few cloying moments . 
some motion pictures portray ultimate passion ; others create ultimate thrills . men in black ii achieves ultimate insignificance -- it's the sci-fi comedy spectacle as whiffle-ball epic . 
scarcely worth a mention apart from reporting on the number of tumbleweeds blowing through the empty theatres graced with its company . 
hey arnold ! the movie is what happens when you blow up small potatoes to 10 times their natural size , and it ain't pretty . 
maybe you'll be lucky , and there'll be a power outage during your screening so you can get your money back . 
the work of an exhausted , desiccated talent who can't get out of his own way . 
kwan makes the mix-and- match metaphors intriguing , while lulling us into torpor with his cultivated allergy to action . 
uzumaki's interesting social parallel and defiant aesthetic seems a prostituted muse . . . 
a peculiar misfire that even tunney can't save . 
no , it's not nearly as good as any of its influences . 
leaves you with a knot in your stomach , its power is undercut by its own head-banging obviousness . 
a nearly 21/2 hours , the film is way too indulgent . 
the logic of it all will be greek to anyone not predisposed to the movie's rude and crude humor . 
more a gunfest than a rock concert . 
personal velocity ought to be exploring these women's inner lives , but it never moves beyond their surfaces . 
it would work much better as a one-hour tv documentary . 
'punch-drunk love is so convinced of its own brilliance that , if it were a person , you'd want to smash its face in . '
it's as if allen , at 66 , has stopped challenging himself . 
i liked the movie , but i know i would have liked it more if it had just gone that one step further . i'm left slightly disappointed that it didn't . 
my reaction in a word : disappointment . his last movie was poetically romantic and full of indelible images , but his latest has nothing going for it . 
the truth about charlie is that it's a brazenly misguided project . 
richard pryor mined his personal horrors and came up with a treasure chest of material , but lawrence gives us mostly fool's gold . 
dismally dull sci-fi comedy . 
starts off witty and sophisticated and you want to love it -- but filmmaker yvan attal quickly writes himself into a corner . 
yes , one enjoys seeing joan grow from awkward young woman to strong , determined monarch , but her love for the philandering philip only diminishes her stature . 
this 100-minute movie only has about 25 minutes of decent material . 
content merely to lionize its title character and exploit his anger - all for easy sanctimony , formulaic thrills and a ham-fisted sermon on the need for national health insurance . 
wes craven's presence is felt ; not the craven of 'a nightmare on elm street' or 'the hills have eyes , ' but the sad schlock merchant of 'deadly friend . '
 . . . if you , like me , think an action film disguised as a war tribute is disgusting to begin with , then you're in for a painful ride . 
feels shrill , simple and soapy . 
well-intentioned though it may be , its soap-opera morality tales have the antiseptic , preprogrammed feel of an after-school special . 
the film is a confusing melange of tones and styles , one moment a romantic trifle and the next a turgid drama . 
report card : doesn't live up to the exalted tagline - there's definite room for improvement . doesn't deserve a passing grade ( even on a curve ) . 
statham employs an accent that i think is supposed to be an attempt at hardass american but sometimes just lapses into unhidden british . 
despite all the closed-door hanky-panky , the film is essentially juiceless . 
[carvey's] characters are both overplayed and exaggerated , but then again , subtlety has never been his trademark . 
this is a truly , truly bad movie . 
how on earth , or anywhere else , did director ron underwood manage to blow $100 million on this ? 
the makers have forsaken the entertaining elements of the original and , instead , rehash old jokes and leave any life at the doorstep . i like frank the pug , though . 
its plot and animation offer daytime tv serviceability , but little more . 
so we got ten little indians meets friday the 13th by way of clean and sober , filmed on the set of carpenter's the thing and loaded with actors you're most likely to find on the next inevitable incarnation of the love boat . 
[w]hile long on amiable monkeys and worthy environmentalism , jane goodall's wild chimpanzees is short on the thrills the oversize medium demands . 
this is a great subject for a movie , but hollywood has squandered the opportunity , using it as a prop for warmed-over melodrama and the kind of choreographed mayhem that director john woo has built his career on . 
imagine susan sontag falling in love with howard stern . 
the only thing " swept away " is the one hour and thirty-three minutes spent watching this waste of time . 
too clunky and too busy ribbing itself to be truly entertaining . 
it can't decide if it wants to be a mystery/thriller , a romance or a comedy . 
these guys seem great to knock back a beer with but they're simply not funny performers . 
apparently reassembled from the cutting-room floor of any given daytime soap . 
if the movie were all comedy , it might work better . but it has an ambition to say something about its subjects , but not a willingness . 
it's exactly the kind of movie toback's detractors always accuse him of making . 
it's hard to believe these jokers are supposed to have pulled off four similar kidnappings before . 
it's a frankenstein-monster of a film that doesn't know what it wants to be . 
the noble tradition of men in drag hits an all-time low in sorority boys , whose makers apparently believe that women's clothing can cover up any deficiency in acting , writing or direction . 
flat , misguided comedy . 
the film flat lines when it should peak and is more missed opportunity and trifle than dark , decadent truffle . 
the phone rings and a voice tells you you've got seven days left to live . then you get another phone call warning you that if the video isn't back at blockbuster before midnight , you're going to face frightening late fees . o . k . , not really . 
while howard's appreciation of brown and his writing is clearly well-meaning and sincere , the movie would be impossible to sit through were it not for the supporting cast . 
it's a 100-year old mystery that is constantly being interrupted by elizabeth hurley in a bathing suit . 
many of benjamins' elements feel like they've been patched in from an episode of miami vice . 
remember when bond had more glamour than clamor ? no more . 
boll uses a lot of quick cutting and blurry step-printing to goose things up , but dopey dialogue and sometimes inadequate performances kill the effect . 
an awful snooze . 
a journey that's too random and inconclusive to be compelling , but which hoffman's brilliance almost makes worth taking . 
the result is solemn and horrifying , yet strangely detached . 
despite all evidence to the contrary , this clunker has somehow managed to pose as an actual feature movie , the kind that charges full admission and gets hyped on tv and purports to amuse small children and ostensible adults . 
the last 20 minutes are somewhat redeeming , but most of the movie is the same teenage american road-trip drek we've seen before - only this time you have to read the fart jokes
works hard to establish rounded characters , but then has nothing fresh or particularly interesting to say about them . 
human nature , in short , isn't nearly as funny as it thinks it is ; neither is it as smart . 
it aimlessly and unsuccessfully attempts to fuse at least three dull plots into one good one . 
crikey indeed . 
a characteristically engorged and sloppy coming-of-age movie . 
her fans walked out muttering words like " horrible " and " terrible , " but had so much fun dissing the film that they didn't mind the ticket cost . in this case zero . 
a standard police-oriented drama that , were it not for de niro's participation , would have likely wound up a tnt original . 
more dutiful than enchanting . . . terribly episodic and lacking the spark of imagination that might have made it an exhilarating treat . 
collateral damage is , despite its alleged provocation post-9/11 , an antique , in the end . as are its star , its attitude and its obliviousness . 
every so often a movie comes along that confirms one's worse fears about civilization as we know it . the new guy is one of them . 
exactly what it claims to be -- a simple diversion for the kids . 
terrible . 
unfunny comedy with a lot of static set ups , not much camera movement , and most of the scenes take place indoors in formal settings with motionless characters . 
i'm not suggesting that you actually see it , unless you're the kind of person who has seen every wim wenders film of the '70s . 
the transporter bombards the viewer with so many explosions and side snap kicks that it ends up being surprisingly dull . 
a little too pat for its own good . 
barney throws away the goodwill the first half of his movie generates by orchestrating a finale that is impenetrable and dull . 
there's some good material in their story about a retail clerk wanting more out of life , but the movie too often spins its wheels with familiar situations and repetitive scenes . 
just plain silly . 
robin williams departs from his fun friendly demeanor in exchange for a darker unnerving role . 
the cast is uniformly excellent . . . but the film itself is merely mildly charming . 
summer's far too fleeting to squander on offal like this . 
final verdict : you've seen it all before . 
the master of disguise falls under the category of 'should have been a sketch on saturday night live . '
it's as if a bored cage spent the duration of the film's shooting schedule waiting to scream : " got aids yet ? " 
 " the tuxedo " should have been the vehicle for chan that " the mask " was for jim carrey . alas , it's the man that makes the clothes . 
no number of fantastic sets , extras , costumes and spectacular locales can disguise the emptiness at the center of the story . 
due to some script weaknesses and the casting of the director's brother , the film trails off into inconsequentiality . 
more of the same old garbage hollywood has been trying to pass off as acceptable teen entertainment for some time now . 
feels like one of those contrived , only-in -hollywood productions where name actors deliver big performances created for the sole purpose of generating oscar talk . 
a well-acted , but one-note film . 
a faster paced family flick . upper teens may get cynical . smaller numbered kidlets will enjoy . 
the redeeming feature of chan's films has always been the action , but the stunts in the tuxedo seem tired and , what's worse , routine . 
an exhausting family drama about a porcelain empire and just as hard a flick as its subject matter . 
can't get enough of libidinous young city dwellers ? try this obscenely bad dark comedy , so crass that it makes edward burns' sidewalks of new york look like oscar wilde . 
a lame romantic comedy about an unsympathetic character and someone who would not likely be so stupid as to get involved with her . 
the photographer's show-don't-tell stance is admirable , but it can make him a problematic documentary subject . 
arguably the year's silliest and most incoherent movie . 
the country bears has no scenes that will upset or frighten young viewers . unfortunately , there is almost nothing in this flat effort that will amuse or entertain them , either . 
it bites hard . 
though her fans will assuredly have their funny bones tickled , others will find their humor-seeking dollars best spent elsewhere . 
too bland and fustily tasteful to be truly prurient . 
with its lackadaisical plotting and mindless action , all about the benjamins evokes the bottom tier of blaxploitation flicks from the 1970s . 
here's my advice , kev . start reading your scripts before signing that dotted line . 
it might not be 1970s animation , but everything else about it is straight from the saturday morning cartoons  a retread story , bad writing , and the same old silliness . 
what little grace [rifkin's] tale of precarious skid-row dignity achieves is pushed into the margins by predictable plotting and tiresome histrionics . 
the movie's accumulated force still feels like an ugly knot tightening in your stomach . but is that knot from dramatic tension or a symptom of artistic malnutrition ? 
each story on its own could have been expanded and worked into a compelling single feature , but in its current incarnation , storytelling never quite gets over its rather lopsided conception . 
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 . 
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 . 
it's just weirdness for the sake of weirdness , and where human nature should be ingratiating , it's just grating . 
none of this has the suavity or classical familiarity of bond , but much of it is good for a laugh . the problem with " xxx " is that its own action isn't very effective . 
this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work . 
'the war of the roses , ' trailer-trash style . entertaining but like shooting fish in a barrel . 
is the time really ripe for a warmed-over james bond adventure , with a village idiot as the 007 clone ? 
the filmmakers know how to please the eye , but it is not always the prettiest pictures that tell the best story . 
the pace and the visuals are so hyped up that a curious sense of menace informs everything . 
strident and inelegant in its 'message-movie' posturing . 
all these developments and challenges facing santa weigh down the plot so heavily that they drain all the film of its energy and needlessly strain credibility . 
now here's a sadistic bike flick that would have made vittorio de sica proud . 
after all the big build-up , the payoff for the audience , as well as the characters , is messy , murky , unsatisfying . 
you see robin williams and psycho killer , and you think , hmmmmm . you see the movie and you think , zzzzzzzzz . 
her film is like a beautiful food entre that isn't heated properly , so that it ends up a bit cold and relatively flavorless . 
amid the shock and curiosity factors , the film is just a corny examination of a young actress trying to find her way . 
we never truly come to care about the main characters and whether or not they'll wind up together , and michele's spiritual quest is neither amusing nor dramatic enough to sustain interest . 
there's the plot , and a maddeningly insistent and repetitive piano score that made me want to scream . 
there are some laughs in this movie , but williams' anarchy gets tiresome , the satire is weak . 
a sometimes tedious film . 
with very little to add beyond the dark visions already relayed by superb recent predecessors like swimming with sharks and the player , this latest skewering . . . may put off insiders and outsiders alike . 
these self-styled athletes have banged their brains into the ground so frequently and furiously , their capacity to explain themselves has gone the same way as their natural instinct for self-preservation . 
i can analyze this movie in three words : thumbs friggin' down . 
the picture seems uncertain whether it wants to be an acidic all-male all about eve or a lush , swooning melodrama in the intermezzo strain . 
suffers from over-familiarity since hit-hungry british filmmakers have strip-mined the monty formula mercilessly since 1997 . 
little more than a stylish exercise in revisionism whose point . . . is no doubt true , but serves as a rather thin moral to such a knowing fable . 
the messages of compassion and mercy are clearly , squarely and specifically expounded via computer animated old testament tale of jonah and the whale . determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor didn't quite engage this adult . 
at no point during k-19 : the widowmaker did this viewer feel enveloped in a story that , though meant to be universal in its themes of loyalty , courage and dedication to a common goal , never seems to leave the lot . 
the movie suffers from two fatal ailments -- a dearth of vitality and a story that's shapeless and uninflected . 
the sight of the name bruce willis brings to mind images of a violent battlefield action picture , but the film has a lot more on its mind--maybe too much . 
this is a film about the irksome , tiresome nature of complacency that remains utterly satisfied to remain the same throughout . even as the hero of the story rediscovers his passion in life , the mood remains oddly detached . 
the film goes from being an unusual sci-fi character study to a chase flick that detracts from its ending . 
[p]artnering murphy with robert de niro for the tv-cops comedy showtime would seem to be surefire casting . the catch is that they're stuck with a script that prevents them from firing on all cylinders . 
the chateau has one very funny joke and a few other decent ones , but all it amounts to is a mildly funny , sometimes tedious , ultimately insignificant film . 
a beautifully made piece of unwatchable drivel . 
a family-friendly fantasy that ends up doing very little with its imaginative premise . 
yet another genre exercise , gangster no . 1 is as generic as its title . 
costner's warm-milk persona is just as ill-fitting as shadyac's perfunctory directing chops , and some of the more overtly silly dialogue would sink laurence olivier . 
it all feels like a monty python sketch gone horribly wrong . 
 . . . unlike [scorsese's mean streets] , ash wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot . 
it is supremely unfunny and unentertaining to watch middle-age and older men drink to excess , piss on trees , b . s . one another and put on a show in drag . 
a rather average action film that benefits from several funny moments supplied by epps . 
it lacks the compassion , good-natured humor and the level of insight that made [eyre's] first film something of a sleeper success . 
one of those based-on-truth stories that persuades you , with every scene , that it could never really have happened this way . 
so devoid of any kind of intelligible story that it makes films like xxx and collateral damage seem like thoughtful treatises
by the end of it all i sort of loved the people onscreen , even though i could not stand them . perhaps the film should be seen as a conversation starter . it's not an easy one to review . 
the movie is as far as you can get from racy , to the point where it almost stops the blood flow to your brain ; it has a dull , costumey feel . 
once the expectation of laughter has been quashed by whatever obscenity is at hand , even the funniest idea isn't funny . 
yet another self-consciously overwritten story about a rag-tag bunch of would-be characters that team up for a can't-miss heist -- only to have it all go wrong . 
in its own way , joshua is as blasphemous and nonsensical as a luis buuel film without the latter's attendant intelligence , poetry , passion , and genius . 
long on twinkly-eyed close-ups and short on shame . 
don michael paul uses quick-cuts , ( very ) large shadows and wide-angle shots taken from a distance to hide the liberal use of a body double ( for seagal ) . 
scene-by-scene , things happen , but you'd be hard-pressed to say what or why . 
this action-thriller/dark comedy is one of the most repellent things to pop up in a cinematic year already littered with celluloid garbage . 
feels slight , as if it were an extended short , albeit one made by the smartest kids in class . 
in a 102-minute film , aaliyah gets at most 20 minutes of screen time . . . . most viewers will wish there had been more of the " queen " and less of the " damned . " 
to say analyze that is de niro's best film since meet the parents sums up the sad state of his recent career . 
cold , sterile and lacking any color or warmth . 
a morose little soap opera about three vapid , insensitive people who take turns hurting each other . it's a feature-length adaptation of one of those " can this marriage be saved ? " columns from ladies home journal . . . 
to say this was done better in wilder's some like it hot is like saying the sun rises in the east . 
woefully pretentious . 
it's all pretty tame . the most offensive thing about the movie is that hollywood expects people to pay to see it . 
for dance completists only . 
this slow-moving swedish film offers not even a hint of joy , preferring to focus on the humiliation of martin as he defecates in bed and urinates on the plants at his own birthday party . 
a loud , witless mess that has none of the charm and little of the intrigue from the tv series . 
ultimately this is a frustrating patchwork : an uneasy marriage of louis begley's source novel ( about schmidt ) and an old payne screenplay . 
laconic and very stilted in its dialogue , this indie flick never found its audience , probably because it's extremely hard to relate to any of the characters . 
poor editing , bad bluescreen , and ultra-cheesy dialogue highlight the radical action . 
a technically well-made suspenser . . . but its abrupt drop in iq points as it races to the finish line proves simply too discouraging to let slide . 
too loud , too long and too frantic by half , die another day suggests that the bond franchise has run into a creative wall that 007 cannot fly over , tunnel under or barrel through . 
an unsophisticated sci-fi drama that takes itself all too seriously . 
freundlich's made [crudup] a suburban architect , and a cipher . 
[l]ame and unnecessary . 
those 24-and-unders looking for their own caddyshack to adopt as a generational signpost may have to keep on looking . 
the last three narcissists left on earth compete for each others' affections . 
witless , pointless , tasteless and idiotic . 
death to smoochy tells a moldy-oldie , not-nearly -as-nasty -as-it- thinks-it-is joke . over and over again . 
a thriller without a lot of thrills . 
only in its final surprising shots does rabbit-proof fence find the authority it's looking for . 
talky , artificial and opaque . . . an interesting technical exercise , but a tedious picture . 
not exaggerated enough to be a parody of gross-out flicks , college flicks , or even flicks in general . it merely indulges in the worst elements of all of them . 
the screenplay by james eric , james horton and director peter o'fallon . . . is so pat it makes your teeth hurt . 
the sequel is everything the original was not : contrived , overblown and tie-in ready . 
the advantage of a postapocalyptic setting is that it can be made on the cheap . any rock pile will do for a set . reign of fire has the disadvantage of also looking cheap . 
at once half-baked and overheated . 
it may be an easy swipe to take , but this barbershop just doesn't make the cut . 
with its dogged hollywood naturalism and the inexorable passage of its characters toward sainthood , windtalkers is nothing but a sticky-sweet soap . 
it's better than the phantom menace . but unless you're an absolute raving star wars junkie , it isn't much fun . 
just a bloody mess . 
never comes together as a coherent whole . 
a culture clash comedy only half as clever as it thinks it is . 
a strong first quarter , slightly less so second quarter , and average second half . 
the weight of water uses water as a metaphor for subconscious desire , but this leaky script barely stays afloat . 
while we want macdowell's character to retrieve her husband , we have to ask whether her personal odyssey trumps the carnage that claims so many lives around her . 
i'm afraid you won't get through this frankly fantastical by-the-numbers b-flick with just a suspension of disbelief . rather , you'll have to wrestle disbelief to the ground and then apply the chloroform-soaked handkerchief . 
an extraordinarily silly thriller . 
were dylan thomas alive to witness first-time director ethan hawke's strained chelsea walls , he might have been tempted to change his landmark poem to , 'do not go gentle into that good theatre . '
innocuous enough to make even jean-claude van damme look good . 
the movie is genial but never inspired , and little about it will stay with you . 
a respectable but uninspired thriller that's intelligent and considered in its details , but ultimately weak in its impact . 
on its icy face , the new film is a subzero version of monsters , inc . , without the latter's imagination , visual charm or texture . 
nothing plot-wise is worth e-mailing home about . 
not one moment in the enterprise didn't make me want to lie down in a dark room with something cool to my brow . 
when the film ended , i felt tired and drained and wanted to lie on my own deathbed for a while . 
a hamfisted romantic comedy that makes our girl the hapless facilitator of an extended cheap shot across the mason-dixon line . 
it's as if solondz had two ideas for two movies , couldn't really figure out how to flesh either out , so he just slopped em together here . 
mckay deflates his piece of puffery with a sour cliche and heavy doses of mean-spiritedness
there is no pleasure in watching a child suffer . just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame . 
after collateral damage , you might imagine that most every aggrieved father clich has been unturned . but no . 
if jews were catholics , this would be catechism
glizty but formulaic and silly . . . cagney's 'top of the world' has been replaced by the bottom of the barrel . 
its lack of quality earns it a place alongside those other two recent dumas botch-jobs , the man in the iron mask and the musketeer . 
the mystery of enigma is how a rich historical subject , combined with so much first-rate talent . . . could have yielded such a flat , plodding picture . 
it's so downbeat and nearly humorless that it becomes a chore to sit through -- despite some first-rate performances by its lead . 
the sort of picture in which , whenever one of the characters has some serious soul searching to do , they go to a picture-perfect beach during sunset . 
true to its title , it traps audiences in a series of relentlessly nasty situations that we would pay a considerable ransom not to be looking at . 
gere gives a good performance in a film that doesn't merit it . 
it collapses when mr . taylor tries to shift the tone to a thriller's rush . 
an awful movie that will only satisfy the most emotionally malleable of filmgoers . 
distances you by throwing out so many red herrings , so many false scares , that the genuine ones barely register . 
never decides whether it wants to be a black comedy , drama , melodrama or some combination of the three . 
bread , my sweet has so many flaws it would be easy for critics to shred it . it may even fall into the category of films you love to hate . i admit it , i hate to like it . 
every joke is repeated at least four times . every joke is repeated at least four times . every joke is repeated at least--annoying , isn't it ? 
choppy editing and too many repetitive scenes spoil what could have been an important documentary about stand-up comedy . 
the film is so packed with subplots involving the various silbersteins that it feels more like the pilot episode of a tv series than a feature film . 
a clutchy , indulgent and pretentious travelogue and diatribe against . . . well , just stuff . watching scarlet diva , one is poised for titillation , raw insight or both . instead , we just get messy anger , a movie as personal therapy . 
one lousy movie . 
a retread of material already thoroughly plumbed by martin scorsese . 
both shrill and soporific , and because everything is repeated five or six times , it can seem tiresomely simpleminded . 
some like it hot on the hardwood proves once again that a man in drag is not in and of himself funny . 
 . . . a cheap , ludicrous attempt at serious horror . 
what with the incessant lounge music playing in the film's background , you may mistake love liza for an adam sandler chanukah song . 
thirty years ago , it would have been groundbreaking . now it's just tired . 
forced , familiar and thoroughly condescending . 
maid in manhattan proves that it's easier to change the sheets than to change hackneyed concepts when it comes to dreaming up romantic comedies . 
there's no mistaking the fact that this hybrid misses the impact of the disney classic , and even that of the excellent 1934 mgm version . 
nothing but one relentlessly depressing situation after another for its entire running time , something that you could easily be dealing with right now in your lives . 
this overlong infomercial , due out on video before month's end , is tepid and tedious . 
a few energetic stunt sequences briefly enliven the film , but the wheezing terrorist subplot hasn't the stamina for the 100-minute running time , and the protagonists' bohemian boorishness mars the spirit of good clean fun . 
expanded to 65 minutes for theatrical release , it still feels somewhat unfinished . 
the sum of all fears pretends to be a serious exploration of nuclear terrorism , but it's really nothing more than warmed-over cold war paranoia . 
if damon and affleck attempt another project greenlight , next time out they might try paying less attention to the miniseries and more attention to the film it is about . 
it's a hellish , numbing experience to watch , and it doesn't offer any insights that haven't been thoroughly debated in the media already , back in the dahmer heyday of the mid-'90s . 
we can't accuse kung pow for misfiring , since it is exactly what it wants to be : an atrociously , mind-numbingly , indescribably bad movie . unfortunately , we'd prefer a simple misfire . 
in the book-on-tape market , the film of " the kid stays in the picture " would be an abridged edition
the criticism never rises above easy , cynical potshots at morally bankrupt characters . . . 
the movie has generic virtues , and despite a lot of involved talent , seems done by the numbers . 
only two-fifths of a satisfying movie experience . 
overall tomfoolery like this is a matter of taste . 
the movie would seem less of a trifle if ms . sugarman followed through on her defiance of the saccharine . 
despite some charm and heart , this quirky soccer import is forgettable
the film feels formulaic , its plot and pacing typical hollywood war-movie stuff , while the performances elicit more of a sense of deja vu than awe . 
if we're to slap protagonist genevieve leplouff because she's french , do we have that same option to slap her creators because they're clueless and inept ? 
how many more times will indie filmmakers subject us to boring , self-important stories of how horrible we are to ourselves and each other ? 
as original and insightful as last week's episode of behind the music . 
oedekerk wrote patch adams , for which he should not be forgiven . why he was given free reign over this project -- he wrote , directed , starred and produced -- is beyond me . 
a relentless , bombastic and ultimately empty world war ii action flick . 
plays like the old disease-of-the-week small-screen melodramas . 
a relative letdown . 
i think it was plato who said , 'i think , therefore i know better than to rush to the theatre for this one . '
a distinctly mixed bag , the occasional bursts of sharp writing alternating with lots of sloppiness and the obligatory moments of sentimental ooze . 
as much as i laughed throughout the movie , i cannot mount a cogent defense of the film as entertainment , or even performance art , although the movie does leave you marveling at these guys' superhuman capacity to withstand pain . 
it's a long way from orwell's dark , intelligent warning cry [1984] to the empty stud knockabout of equilibrium , and what once was conviction is now affectation . 
what soured me on the santa clause 2 was that santa bumps up against 21st century reality so hard , it's icky . 
stale first act , scrooge story , blatant product placement , some very good comedic songs , strong finish , dumb fart jokes . 
a big , baggy , sprawling carnival of a movie , stretching out before us with little rhyme or reason . 
the problem with this film is that it lacks focus . i sympathize with the plight of these families , but the movie doesn't do a very good job conveying the issue at hand . 
as his circle of friends keeps getting smaller one of the characters in long time dead says 'i'm telling you , this is f * * * ed' . maybe he was reading the minds of the audience . 
a film that will be best appreciated by those willing to endure its extremely languorous rhythms , waiting for happiness is ultimately thoughtful without having much dramatic impact . 
if disney's cinderella proved that 'a dream is a wish your heart makes , ' then cinderella ii proves that a nightmare is a wish a studio's wallet makes . 
the entire movie is so formulaic and forgettable that it's hardly over before it begins to fade from memory . 
brady achieves the remarkable feat of squandering a topnotch foursome of actors . . . by shoving them into every clichd white-trash situation imaginable . 
although huppert's intensity and focus has a raw exhilaration about it , the piano teacher is anything but fun . 
pretend like your sat scores are below 120 and you might not notice the flaws . 
ken russell would love this . in one scene , we get a stab at soccer hooliganism , a double-barreled rip-off of quentin tarantino's climactic shootout  and meat loaf explodes . 
 . . . a ho-hum affair , always watchable yet hardly memorable . 
some of their jokes work , but most fail miserably and in the end , pumpkin is far more offensive than it is funny . 
in comparison to his earlier films it seems a disappointingly thin slice of lower-class london life ; despite the title . . . amounts to surprisingly little . 
is it really an advantage to invest such subtlety and warmth in an animatronic bear when the humans are acting like puppets ? 
for all its impressive craftsmanship , and despite an overbearing series of third-act crescendos , lily chou-chou never really builds up a head of emotional steam . 
involving at times , but lapses quite casually into the absurd . 
the film is ultimately about as inspiring as a hallmark card . 
the latest installment in the pokemon canon , pokemon 4ever is surprising less moldy and trite than the last two , likely because much of the japanese anime is set in a scenic forest where pokemon graze in peace . 
if you saw benigni's pinocchio at a public park , you'd grab your kids and run and then probably call the police . 
by-the-numbers yarn . 
almost gags on its own gore . 
nicks refuses to let slackers be seen as just another teen movie , which means he can be forgiven for frequently pandering to fans of the gross-out comedy . 
the film would work much better as a video installation in a museum , where viewers would be free to leave . immediately . 
ja rule and kurupt should have gotten to rap . it would have benefitted the dialogue . 
[macdowell] ventures beyond her abilities several times here and reveals how bad an actress she is . 
this is a heartfelt story . . . it just isn't a very involving one . 
it is most of the things costner movies are known for ; it's sanctimonious , self-righteous and so eager to earn our love that you want to slap it . 
if you're not fans of the adventues of steve and terri , you should avoid this like the dreaded king brown snake . personally , i'd rather watch them on the animal planet . 
maybe it's the star power of the cast or the redundant messages , but something aboul " full frontal " seems , well , contrived . 
an amateurish , quasi-improvised acting exercise shot on ugly digital video . 
director boris von sychowski instead opts for a routine slasher film that was probably more fun to make than it is to sit through . 
needed a little less bling-bling and a lot more romance . 
swimfan , like fatal attraction , eventually goes overboard with a loony melodramatic denouement in which a high school swimming pool substitutes for a bathtub . 
there's no disguising this as one of the worst films of the summer . or for the year , for that matter . 
there's suspension of disbelief and then there's bad screenwriting . . . this film packs a wallop of the latter . 
detox is ultimately a pointless endeavor . 
this is an egotistical endeavor from the daughter of horror director dario argento ( a producer here ) , but her raw performance and utter fearlessness make it strangely magnetic . 
like a comedian who starts off promisingly but then proceeds to flop , comedian runs out of steam after a half hour . 
the story's so preposterous that i didn't believe it for a second , despite the best efforts of everyone involved . 
downright transparent is the script's endless assault of embarrassingly ham-fisted sex jokes that reek of a script rewrite designed to garner the film a " cooler " pg-13 rating . 
makes for some truly odd , at times confusing , kids entertainment . . . but at least this time there's some centered storytelling to go along with all the weird stuff . 
a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level . 
i've seen some bad singer-turned actors , but lil bow wow takes the cake . 
the rules of attraction gets us too drunk on the party favors to sober us up with the transparent attempts at moralizing . 
even as lame horror flicks go , this is lame . 
kaufman's script is never especially clever and often is rather pretentious . 
benigni presents himself as the boy puppet pinocchio , complete with receding hairline , weathered countenance and american breckin meyer's ridiculously inappropriate valley boy voice . 
shadyac shoots his film like an m . night shyamalan movie , and he frequently maintains the same snail's pace ; he just forgot to add any genuine tension . 
in its chicken heart , crush goes to absurd lengths to duck the very issues it raises . 
it sticks rigidly to the paradigm , rarely permitting its characters more than two obvious dimensions and repeatedly placing them in contrived , well-worn situations . 
if this is the resurrection of the halloween franchise , it would have been better off dead . 
sunk by way too much indulgence of scene-chewing , teeth-gnashing actorliness . 
queen of the damned as you might have guessed , makes sorry use of aaliyah in her one and only starring role -- she does little here but point at things that explode into flame . 
humor in i spy is so anemic . 
this is an ungainly movie , ill-fitting , with its elbows sticking out where the knees should be . 
sets up a nice concept for its fiftysomething leading ladies , but fails loudly in execution . 
this is a fudged opportunity of gigantic proportions -- a lunar mission with no signs of life . 
an incoherent jumble of a film that's rarely as entertaining as it could have been . 
it's so underwritten that you can't figure out just where the other characters , including ana's father and grandfather , come down on the issue of ana's future . 
unsurprisingly , the way this all works out makes the women look more like stereotypical caretakers and moral teachers , instead of serious athletes . 
the more kevin costner rests on his pretty-boy laurels , the public is , regrettably , going to have tepid films like dragonfly tossed at them . 
it's an odd show , pregnant with moods , stillborn except as a harsh conceptual exercise . 
impostor is a step down for director gary fleder . 
[allen's] best works understand why snobbery is a better satiric target than middle-america diversions could ever be . 
dogtown is hollow , self-indulgent , and - worst of all - boring . 
 . . . ice age treads predictably along familiar territory , making it a passable family film that won't win many fans over the age of 12 . 
 " i blame all men for war , " [the warden's daughter] tells her father . the movie is about as deep as that sentiment . 
a period story about a catholic boy who tries to help a jewish friend get into heaven by sending the audience straight to hell . 
'how many more voyages can this limping but dearly-loved franchise survive ? '
a fan film that for the uninitiated plays better on video with the sound turned down . 
each scene drags , underscoring the obvious , and sentiment is slathered on top . 
gaghan captures the half-lit , sometimes creepy intimacy of college dorm rooms , a subtlety that makes the silly , over-the-top coda especially disappointing . 
watching it is rather like viewing a long soap opera in which only the first episode was any good . 
with a story inspired by the tumultuous surroundings of los angeles , where feelings of marginalization loom for every dreamer with a burst bubble , the dogwalker has a few characters and ideas , but it never manages to put them on the same path . 
all ms . jovovich , as the sanctified heroine , has to do is look radiant , grimly purposeful and mildly alarmed while forcing open doors , wielding wrenches and fleeing monsters . 
serving sara is little more than a mall movie designed to kill time . 
lazy filmmaking , with the director taking a hands-off approach when he should have shaped the story to show us why it's compelling . 
the most ill-conceived animated comedy since the 1991 dog rover dangerfield . 
the respective charms of sandra bullock and hugh grant have worn threadbare . 
it's the kind of movie that ends up festooning u . s . art house screens for no reason other than the fact that it's in french ( well , mostly ) with english subtitles and is magically 'significant' because of that . 
this is the kind of movie during which you want to bang your head on the seat in front of you , at its cluelessness , at its idiocy , at its utterly misplaced earnestness . 
if you are curious to see the darker side of what's going on with young tv actors ( dawson leery did what ? ! ? ) , or see some interesting storytelling devices , you might want to check it out , but there's nothing very attractive about this movie . 
far more enjoyable than its predecessor . 
the entire point of a shaggy dog story , of course , is that it goes nowhere , and this is classic nowheresville in every sense . 
partly a schmaltzy , by-the-numbers romantic comedy , partly a shallow rumination on the emptiness of success -- and entirely soulless . 
the story itself is uninteresting , and the songs are painfully undistinguished : they might be giants' so to be one of us may be the most tuneless tune ever composed . 
nothing about this movie works . 
the so-inept- it's-surreal dubbing ( featuring the voices of glenn close , regis philbin and breckin meyer ) brings back memories of cheesy old godzilla flicks . 
like being trapped inside a huge video game , where exciting , inane images keep popping past your head and the same illogical things keep happening over and over again . 
smothered by its own solemnity . 
an overstylized , pured mlange of sex , psychology , drugs and philosophy . sometimes entertaining , sometimes indulgent -- but never less than pure wankery . 
the action quickly sinks into by-the-numbers territory . 
a plodding look at the french revolution through the eyes of aristocrats . 
 . . . a hokey piece of nonsense that tries too hard to be emotional . 
even fans of ismail merchant's work , i suspect , would have a hard time sitting through this one . 
as predictable as the outcome of a globetrotters-generals game , juwanna mann is even more ludicrous than you'd expect from the guy-in-a-dress genre , and a personal low for everyone involved . 
by the time the plot grinds itself out in increasingly incoherent fashion , you might be wishing for a watch that makes time go faster rather than the other way around . 
a puzzle whose pieces do not fit . some are fascinating and others are not , and in the end , it is almost a good movie . 
there's little to recommend snow dogs , unless one considers cliched dialogue and perverse escapism a source of high hilarity . 
the re- enactments , however fascinating they may be as history , are too crude to serve the work especially well . 
in the end , all you can do is admire the ensemble players and wonder what the point of it is . 
this latest installment of the horror film franchise that is apparently as invulnerable as its trademark villain has arrived for an incongruous summer playoff , demonstrating yet again that the era of the intelligent , well-made b movie is long gone . 
the film doesn't really care about the thousands of americans who die hideously , it cares about how ryan meets his future wife and makes his start at the cia . 
for all the charm of kevin kline and a story that puts old-fashioned values under the microscope , there's something creepy about this movie . 
wimps out by going for that pg-13 rating , so the more graphic violence is mostly off-screen and the sexuality is muted . 
video games are more involving than this mess . 
a portrait of alienation so perfect , it will certainly succeed in alienating most viewers . 
dull , if not devoid of wit , this shaggy dog longs to frisk through the back alleys of history , but scarcely manages more than a modest , snoozy charm . 
for the future , one hopes mr . plympton will find room for one more member of his little band , a professional screenwriter . 
a soggy , cliche-bound epic-horror yarn that ends up being even dumber than its title . 
dreary , highly annoying . . . 'some body' will appeal to no one . 
if welles was unhappy at the prospect of the human race splitting in two , he probably wouldn't be too crazy with his great-grandson's movie splitting up in pretty much the same way . 
while much of the cast has charm -- especially allodi and nolden -- the performers are sunk by the film's primitive approach to the mechanics of comedy . 
scotland , pa . is a strangely drab romp . some studio pizazz might have helped . 
it would be great to see this turd squashed under a truck , preferably a semi . 
children and adults enamored of all things pokemon won't be disappointed . 
the premise is overshadowed by the uberviolence of the clericks as this becomes just another kung-fu sci-fi movie with silly action sequences . 
it's so full of wrong choices that all you can do is shake your head in disbelief -- and worry about what classic oliver parker intends to mangle next time . 
some body often looks like an episode of the tv show blind date , only less technically proficient and without the pop-up comments . 
it drowns in sap . 
unfortunately , one hour photo lives down to its title . thanks largely to williams , all the interesting developments are processed in 60 minutes -- the rest is just an overexposed waste of film . 
it's got its heart in the right place , but it also wilts after awhile . 
boring and meandering . 
it's leaden and predictable , and laughs are lacking . 
from the opening scenes , it's clear that all about the benjamins is a totally formulaic movie . 
despite some comic sparks , welcome to collinwood never catches fire . 
like a bad improvisation exercise , the superficially written characters ramble on tediously about their lives , loves and the art they're struggling to create . 
it's just rather leaden and dull . 
a potentially good comic premise and excellent cast are terribly wasted . 
corpus collosum -- while undeniably interesting -- wore out its welcome well before the end credits rolled about 45 minutes in . 
wanders all over the map thematically and stylistically , and borrows heavily from lynch , jeunet , and von trier while failing to find a spark of its own . 
too ordinary to restore [harmon] to prominence , despite some creepy scenes that evoke childish night terrors , and a praiseworthy attempt to generate suspense rather than gross out the audience . 
nelson's intentions are good , but the end result does no justice to the story itself . it's horribly depressing and not very well done . 
once the audience figure out what's being said , the filmmaker's relative passivity will make it tough for them to really care . 
if you think that jennifer lopez has shown poor judgment in planning to marry ben affleck , wait till you see maid in manhattan . 
i was sent a copyof this film to review on dvd . for free . i still want my money back . 
the movie has very little to offer besides unintentional laughs . 
it throws quirky characters , odd situations , and off-kilter dialogue at us , all as if to say , " look at this ! this is an interesting movie ! " but the film itself is ultimately quite unengaging . 
the inevitable double- and triple-crosses arise , but the only drama is in waiting to hear how john malkovich's reedy consigliere will pronounce his next line . 
instead of a witty expose on the banality and hypocrisy of too much kid-vid , we get an ugly , mean-spirited lashing out by an adult who's apparently been forced by his kids to watch too many barney videos . 
there must be an audience that enjoys the friday series , but i wouldn't be interested in knowing any of them personally . 
parker should be commended for taking a fresh approach to familiar material , but his determination to remain true to the original text leads him to adopt a somewhat mannered tone . . . that ultimately dulls the human tragedy at the story's core . 
less about shakespeare than the spawn of fools who saw quentin tarantino's handful of raucous gangster films and branched out into their own pseudo-witty copycat interpretations . 
i admire it and yet cannot recommend it , because it overstays its natural running time . 
sometimes smart but more often sophomoric . 
under-rehearsed and lifeless
must-see viewing for anyone involved in the high-tech industry . others may find it migraine-inducing , despite moore's attempts at whimsy and spoon feeding . 
perhaps a better celebration of these unfairly dismissed heroes would be a film that isn't this painfully forced , false and fabricated . 
despite all the talking , by the time the bloody climax arrives we still don't feel enough of an attachment to these guys to care one way or another . 
[t]oo many of these gross out scenes . . . 
 . . . in the pile of useless actioners from mtv schmucks who don't know how to tell a story for more than four minutes . 
it's a bad sign when you're rooting for the film to hurry up and get to its subjects' deaths just so the documentary will be over , but it's indicative of how uncompelling the movie is unless it happens to cover your particular area of interest . 
this will go on so long as there are moviegoers anxious to see strange young guys doing strange guy things . 
the next big thing's not-so-big ( and not-so-hot ) directorial debut . 
an improvement on the feeble examples of big-screen poke-mania that have preceded it . 
knockaround guys plays like a student film by two guys who desperately want to be quentin tarantino when they grow up . but they lack their idol's energy and passion for detail . 
the movie is loaded with good intentions , but in his zeal to squeeze the action and our emotions into the all-too-familiar dramatic arc of the holocaust escape story , minac drains his movie of all individuality . 
[director] o'fallon manages to put some lovely pictures up on the big screen , but his skill at telling a story -- he also contributed to the screenplay -- falls short . 
although barbershop boasts some of today's hottest and hippest acts from the world of television , music and stand-up comedy , this movie strangely enough has the outdated swagger of a shameless 70s blaxploitation shuck-and-jive sitcom . 
the sort of movie that gives tastelessness a bad rap . 
a light , engaging comedy that fumbles away almost all of its accumulated enjoyment with a crucial third act miscalculation . 
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 . 
what puzzles me is the lack of emphasis on music in britney spears' first movie . 
the film is based on truth and yet there is something about it that feels incomplete , as if the real story starts just around the corner . 
a backhanded ode to female camaraderie penned by a man who has little clue about either the nature of women or of friendship . 
it's a lot to ask people to sit still for two hours and change watching such a character , especially when rendered in as flat and impassive a manner as phoenix's . 
scotland , pa . blurs the line between black comedy and black hole . 
another big , dumb action movie in the vein of xxx , the transporter is riddled with plot holes big enough for its titular hero to drive his sleek black bmw through . 
aaliyah rarely dampens her diva persona enough to spark genuine chemistry with townsend . when she speaks , her creepy egyptian demigod voice is as computer processed and overproduced as it was in her music . 
it's clear why deuces wild , which was shot two years ago , has been gathering dust on mgm's shelf . 
not the great american comedy , but if you liked the previous movies in the series , you'll have a good time with this one too . 
drives for the same kind of bittersweet , conciliatory tone that three seasons achieved but loses its way in rhetorical excess and blatant sentimentality . 
the final result makes for adequate entertainment , i suppose , but anyone who has seen chicago on stage will leave the theater feeling they've watched nothing but a pale imitation of the real deal . 
laughably , irredeemably awful . 
one of those films that started with a great premise and then just fell apart . 
despite the opulent lushness of every scene , the characters never seem to match the power of their surroundings . 
mostly the film is just hectic and homiletic : two parts exhausting men in black mayhem to one part family values . 
if you're not a prepubescent girl , you'll be laughing at britney spears' movie-starring debut whenever it doesn't have you impatiently squinting at your watch . 
watching it is rather like an overlong visit from a large group of your relatives . as your relatives swap one mundane story after another , you begin to wonder if they are ever going to depart . 
like those to rome , all roads in the banger sisters inevitably lead to a joke about hawn's breasts , which constantly threaten to upstage the woman sporting them . 
earnest and heartfelt but undernourished and plodding . 
some fine acting , but ultimately a movie with no reason for being . 
dawdles and drags when it should pop ; it doesn't even have the virtue of enough mindless violence to break up the tedium of all its generational bonding . 
has its moments , but it's pretty far from a treasure . 
a generic bloodbath that often becomes laughably unbearable when it isn't merely offensive . 
any chekhov is better than no chekhov , but it would be a shame if this was your introduction to one of the greatest plays of the last 100 years . 
equal parts bodice-ripper and plodding costume drama . 
so aggressively cheery that pollyana would reach for a barf bag . 
nothing more than a stifling morality tale dressed up in peekaboo clothing . 
even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting . and that leaves a hole in the center of the salton sea . 
george , hire a real director and good writers for the next installment , please . 
what's missing in murder by numbers is any real psychological grounding for the teens' deviant behaviour . being latently gay and liking to read are hardly enough . 
a crisply made movie that is no more than mildly amusing . 
what's needed so badly but what is virtually absent here is either a saving dark humor or the feel of poetic tragedy . 
novak contemplates a heartland so overwhelmed by its lack of purpose that it seeks excitement in manufactured high drama . 
the problem is not that it's all derivative , because plenty of funny movies recycle old tropes . the problem is that van wilder does little that is actually funny with the material . 
the things this movie tries to get the audience to buy just won't fly with most intelligent viewers . 
i'll go out on a limb . it isn't quite one of the worst movies of the year . it's just merely very bad . 
it's clotted with heavy-handed symbolism , dime-store psychology and endless scenic shots that make 105 minutes seem twice as long . 
the narrator and the other characters try to convince us that acting transfigures esther , but she's never seen speaking on stage ; one feels cheated , and esther seems to remain an unchanged dullard . 
manages to show life in all of its banality when the intention is quite the opposite . 
the movie turns out to be [assayas'] homage to the gallic 'tradition of quality , ' in all its fusty squareness . 
the thriller side of this movie is falling flat , as the stalker doesn't do much stalking , and no cop or lawyer grasps the concept of actually investigating the case . 
 . . . unbearably lame . 
it reduces the complexities to bromides and slogans and it gets so preachy-keen and so tub-thumpingly loud it makes you feel like a chump just for sitting through it . 
a direct-to-void release , heading nowhere . 
starts as an intense political and psychological thriller but is sabotaged by ticking time bombs and other hollywood-action cliches . 
spain's greatest star wattage doesn't overcome the tumult of maudlin tragedy . 
director uwe boll and the actors provide scant reason to care in this crude '70s throwback . 
the ending doesn't work . . . but most of the movie works so well i'm almost recommending it , anyway -- maybe not to everybody , but certainly to people with a curiosity about how a movie can go very right , and then step wrong . 
strong setup and ambitious goals fade as the film descends into unsophisticated scare tactics and b-film thuggery . 
in the end , the film feels homogenized and a bit contrived , as if we're looking back at a tattered and ugly past with rose-tinted glasses . 
it's as sorry a mess as its director's diabolical debut , mad cows . 
the tuxedo miscalculates badly by forcing the star to play second fiddle to the dull effects that allow the suit to come to life . 
an awkwardly contrived exercise in magic realism . 
consider the film a celluloid litmus test for the intellectual and emotional pedigree of your date and a giant step backward for a director i admire . 
an unintentionally surreal kid's picture . . . in which actors in bad bear suits enact a sort of inter-species parody of a vh1 behind the music episode . 
while the production details are lavish , film has little insight into the historical period and its artists , particularly in how sand developed a notorious reputation . 
follows the original film virtually scene for scene and yet manages to bleed it almost completely dry of humor , verve and fun . 
 " juwanna mann ? " no thanks . wewannour money back , actually . 
even if it is generally amusing from time to time , i spy has all the same problems the majority of action comedies have . 
 " looking for leonard " just seems to kinda sit in neutral , hoping for a stiff wind to blow it uphill or something . 
a graceless , witless attempt at mating some like it hot with the wwii espionage thriller . 
it may play well as a double feature with mainstream foreign mush like my big fat greek wedding
i hate this movie
it would be churlish to begrudge anyone for receiving whatever consolation that can be found in dragonfly , yet it is impossible to find the film anything but appalling , shamelessly manipulative and contrived , and totally lacking in conviction . 
consider the title's clunk-on-the-head that suggests the overtime someone put in to come up with an irritatingly unimaginative retread concept . 
barely gets off the ground . 
it's not thirsty , consuming passion which drives this movie . no , it's the repetition of said behavior , and so children of the century is more mindless love than mad , more grating and boring than anything else . 
as vulgar as it is banal . 
tartakovsky's team has some freakish powers of visual charm , but the five writers slip into the modern rut of narrative banality . 
skip the film and buy the philip glass soundtrack cd . 
its well of thorn and vinegar ( and simple humanity ) has long been plundered by similar works featuring the insight and punch this picture so conspicuously lacks . 
the tuxedo wasn't just bad ; it was , as my friend david cross would call it , 'hungry-man portions of bad' . 
beyond a handful of mildly amusing lines . . . there just isn't much to laugh at . 
the story and characters are nowhere near gripping enough . 
irwin is a man with enough charisma and audacity to carry a dozen films , but this particular result is ultimately held back from being something greater . 
i enjoyed the movie in a superficial way , while never sure what its purpose was . 
it is not the first time that director sara sugarman stoops to having characters drop their pants for laughs and not the last time she fails to provoke them . 
a thoroughly awful movie--dumb , narratively chaotic , visually sloppy . . . a weird amalgam of 'the thing' and a geriatric 'scream . '
 . . . too sappy for its own good . 
has none of the crackle of " fatal attraction " , " 9  weeks " , or even " indecent proposal " , and feels more like lyne's stolid remake of " lolita " . 
exploring value choices is a worthwhile topic for a film -- but here the choices are as contrived and artificial as kerrigan's platinum-blonde hair . 
i got a headache watching this meaningless downer . 
[the kid's] just too bratty for sympathy , and as the film grows to its finale , his little changes ring hollow . 
sometimes it feels as if it might have been made in the '70s or '80s , and starred chevy chase and goldie hawn . 
as a director , eastwood is off his game -- there's no real sense of suspense , and none of the plot 'surprises' are really surprising . 
a markedly inactive film , city is conversational bordering on confessional . 
is there enough material to merit a documentary on the making of wilco's last album ? 
stitch is a bad mannered , ugly and destructive little * * * * . no cute factor here . not that i mind ugly ; the problem is he has no character , loveable or otherwise . 
almost everything about the film is unsettling , from the preposterous hairpiece worn by lai's villainous father to the endless action sequences . 
the film equivalent of a toy chest whose contents get scattered over the course of 80 minutes . 
no one but a convict guilty of some truly heinous crime should have to sit through the master of disguise . 
it's just plain lurid when it isn't downright silly . 
simplistic , silly and tedious . 
has something to say . . . but it is a statement and issue worthy of a much more thoughtfulness and insight than a melodramatic and wholly predictable thriller . 
the leads we are given here are simply too bland to be interesting . 
the concept behind kung pow : enter the fist is hilarious . it's too bad nothing else is . 
[seagal's] strenuous attempt at a change in expression could very well clinch him this year's razzie . 
it's supposed to be a humorous , all-too-human look at how hope can breed a certain kind of madness -- and strength -- but it never quite adds up . 
the characters are interesting and the relationship between yosuke and saeko is worth watching as it develops , but there's not enough to the story to fill two hours . 
buries an interesting storyline about morality and the choices we make underneath such a mountain of clichs and borrowed images that it might more accurately be titled mr . chips off the old block . 
 . . . pitiful , slapdash disaster . a doa dud from frame one . 
lazily directed by charles stone iii . . . from a leaden script by matthew cirulnick and novelist thulani davis . 
there are just too many characters saying too many clever things and getting into too many pointless situations . where's the movie here ? 
even if it ultimately disappoints , the picture does have about a matinee admission's worth of funny to keep it afloat . 
it almost feels as if the movie is more interested in entertaining itself than in amusing us . 
inconsequential road-and-buddy pic . 
the comedy death to smoochy is a rancorous curiosity : a movie without an apparent audience . 
what you get with empire is a movie you've seen many times before , repackaged as new material because there is a latino in the lead . 
though it pretends to expose the life of male hustlers , it's exploitive without being insightful . 
banal and predictable . 
mindless and boring martial arts and gunplay with too little excitement and zero compelling storyline . 
a movie in which two not very absorbing characters are engaged in a romance you can't wait to see end . 
a low-rent retread of the alien pictures . 
moderately involving despite bargain-basement photography and hackneyed romance . 
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 . 
you'll have more fun setting fire to yourself in the parking lot . you'll be more entertained getting hit by a bus . 
the mantra behind the project seems to have been 'it's just a kids' flick . ' translation : 'we don't need to try very hard . '
the story suffers a severe case of oversimplification , superficiality and silliness . 
a disappointment for a movie that should have been the ultimate imax trip . 
a lack of thesis makes maryam , in the end , play out with the intellectual and emotional impact of an after-school special . 
trapped presents a frightening and compelling 'what if ? ' scenario that will give most parents pause . . . . then , something terrible happens . 
a farce of a parody of a comedy of a premise , it isn't a comparison to reality so much as it is a commentary about our knowledge of films . 
the smug , oily demeanor that donovan adopts throughout the stupidly named pipe dream is just repulsive . 
the ill-conceived modern-day ending falls flat where it should deliver a moral punch . 
one of those staggeringly well-produced , joylessly extravagant pictures that keep whooshing you from one visual marvel to the next , hastily , emptily . 
press the delete key . 
the script is too mainstream and the psychology too textbook to intrigue . 
gets the look and the period trappings right , but it otherwise drowns in a sea of visual and verbal clichs . 
yes , ballistic is silly . unfortunately , it's not silly fun unless you enjoy really bad movies . 
thekids will probably stay amused at the kaleidoscope of big , colorful characters . mom and dad can catch some quality naptime along the way . 
doesn't come close to justifying the hype that surrounded its debut at the sundance film festival two years ago . 
feels like six different movies fighting each other for attention . 
technically , the film is about as interesting as an insurance commercial . 
the movie , while beautiful , feels labored , with a hint of the writing exercise about it . 
fessenden has nurtured his metaphors at the expense of his narrative , but he does display an original talent . 
i have to admit that i am baffled by jason x . 
a whimsical if predictable time-travel fable marred by a willful single-mindedness . 
everyone connected to this movie seems to be part of an insider clique , which tends to breed formulaic films rather than fresh ones . 
afraid to pitch into farce , yet only half-hearted in its spy mechanics , all the queen's men is finally just one long drag . 
none of this is very original , and it isn't particularly funny . 
yet another arnold vehicle that fails to make adequate use of his particular talents . 
it's just not very smart . 
i weep for the future when a good portion of the respected critical community in this country consider blue crush to be an intelligent film about young women . 
it has become apparent that the franchise's best years are long past . 
a sequel that's much too big for its britches . 
the writers , director wally wolodarsky , and all the actors should start their own coeducational fraternity : kappa rho alpha phi . 
this movie is maddening . it conveys a simple message in a visual style that is willfully overwrought . 
christians sensitive to a reductionist view of their lord as a luv-spreading dr . feelgood or omnipotent slacker will feel vastly more affronted than secularists , who might even praise god for delivering such an instant camp classic . 
for close to two hours the audience is forced to endure three terminally depressed , mostly inarticulate , hyper dysfunctional families for the price of one . 
even accepting this in the right frame of mind can only provide it with so much leniency . 
 . . . a complete shambles of a movie so sloppy , so uneven , so damn unpleasant that i can't believe any viewer , young or old , would have a good time here . 
if the idea of the white man arriving on foreign shores to show wary natives the true light is abhorrent to you , the simplistic heaven will quite likely be more like hell . 
bolstered by an astonishing voice cast ( excepting love hewitt ) , an interesting racial tension , and a storyline that i haven't encountered since at least pete's dragon . 
a sophomoric exploration of 'life problems' most people solved long ago -- or at least got tired of hearing people kvetch about . 
well-meaning but inert . 
 " what john does is heroic , but we don't condone it , " one of the film's stars recently said , a tortuous comment that perfectly illustrates the picture's moral schizophrenia . 
the movie ends with outtakes in which most of the characters forget their lines and just utter 'uhhh , ' which is better than most of the writing in the movie . 
adam sandler's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt
suffers from all the excesses of the genre . 
in my own very humble opinion , in praise of love lacks even the most fragmented charms i have found in almost all of his previous works . 
features nonsensical and laughable plotting , wooden performances , ineptly directed action sequences and some of the worst dialogue in recent memory . 
a trite psychological thriller designed to keep the audience guessing and guessing -- which is not to be confused with suspecting -- until it comes time to wrap things up and send the viewers home . 
began life as a computer game , then morphed into a movie -- a bad one , of course . 
it tells more than it shows . 
there are some fairly unsettling scenes , but they never succeed in really rattling the viewer . 
`martin lawrence live' is so self-pitying , i almost expected there to be a collection taken for the comedian at the end of the show . 
it doesn't help that the director and cinematographer stephen kazmierski shoot on grungy video , giving the whole thing a dirty , tasteless feel . 
sometimes there are very , very good reasons for certain movies to be sealed in a jar and left on a remote shelf indefinitely . 
the script is high on squaddie banter , low on shocks . 
not a bad premise , but the execution is lackluster at best . 
fails as a dystopian movie , as a retooling of fahrenheit 451 , and even as a rip-off of the matrix . 
absurdities and clichs accumulate like lint in a fat man's navel . 
it could have been something special , but two things drag it down to mediocrity -- director clare peploe's misunderstanding of marivaux's rhythms , and mira sorvino's limitations as a classical actress . 
helmer hudlin tries to make a hip comedy , but his dependence on slapstick defeats the possibility of creating a more darkly edged tome . 
it takes a really long , slow and dreary time to dope out what tuck everlasting is about . so here it is : it's about a family of sour immortals . 
once again , the intelligence of gay audiences has been grossly underestimated , and a meaty plot and well-developed characters have been sacrificed for skin and flash that barely fizzle . 
a generic family comedy unlikely to be appreciated by anyone outside the under-10 set . 
on top of a foundering performance , [madonna's] denied her own athleticism by lighting that emphasizes every line and sag . 
its generic villains lack any intrigue ( other than their funny accents ) and the action scenes are poorly delivered . 
bearable . barely . 
any intellectual arguments being made about the nature of god are framed in a drama so clumsy , there is a real danger less sophisticated audiences will mistake it for an endorsement of the very things that bean abhors . 
there's nothing to gain from watching they . it isn't scary . it hates its characters . it finds no way to entertain or inspire its viewers . 
the movie generates plot points with a degree of randomness usually achieved only by lottery drawing . 
burns never really harnesses to full effect the energetic cast . 
reeboir varies between a sweet smile and an angry bark , while said attempts to wear down possible pupils through repetition . it has no affect on the kurds , but it wore me down . 
the trashy teen-sleaze equivalent of showgirls . 
a kilted jackson is an unsettling sight , and indicative of his , if you will , out-of-kilter character , who rambles aimlessly through ill-conceived action pieces . 
it all comes down to whether you can tolerate leon barlow . i can't . 
boyd's screenplay ( co-written with guardian hack nick davies ) has a florid turn of phrase that owes more to guy ritchie than the bard of avon . 
none of this is half as moving as the filmmakers seem to think . 
[t]he script isn't up to the level of the direction , nor are the uneven performances by the cast members , who seem bound and determined to duplicate bela lugosi's now-cliched vampire accent . 
strangely comes off as a kingdom more mild than wild . 
devolves into the derivative , leaning on badly-rendered cgi effects . 
an ugly-duckling tale so hideously and clumsily told it feels accidental . 
unspeakable , of course , barely begins to describe the plot and its complications . vulgar is too optimistic a title . 
[at least] moore is a real charmer . 
