Carla Meyer

The time spent establishing Jane’s and Corinne’s bond pays off by always keeping their scenes on the heartfelt side of maudlin.

Pretty standard stuff, mixing a few truly clever moments with facile drug humor and throwaway female characters.

Byrne makes Amanda compelling from the first moments of “Tow,” a moving if also obviously low-budget and occasionally corny underdog story.

Although this story line’s turns are easy to anticipate, the seriousness with which Fellowes approaches it is refreshing in an otherwise lightweight film.

A witty, energetic adaptation.

Is it possible to enjoy a movie musical while actively disliking its songs? It is with “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which proves the durability of a good story — and story within a story — no matter how many generic John Kander and Fred Ebb songs, weakly performed by Jennifer Lopez, come with it.

Loses momentum midway into the boys' journey.

Intimate, quietly illuminating documentary.

Much credit for this delightfully morose children's film must go to director Brad Silberling's careful orchestration. Please note, in the vocabulary-building spirit of the Snicket books, that the word "orchestration'' here means "coaxing good performances out of child actors and keeping Jim Carrey in check.''

The achievement of Saved!, a very funny teen comedy set in a Christian high school, lies in its careful avoidance of obvious traps.

It's really just old- fashioned melodrama, dressed up with lustrous cinematography and a few nods to history.

Were “Vita” better developed and edited, one might find joy in its rejection of the patriarchy. But the female-friendly dialogue relies too heavily on exposition. Nobody asks if anyone wants a cup of tea.

The problems lie not with the actors but with a glib approach that exposes the flaws of the original story.

Highly entertaining, in a schadenfreude sense, but incomplete.

In White Chicks, the gross-out humor is minimal, no character comes off too badly and lessons are learned. Oh Wayanses, where are thy teeth?

A warmhearted and surprisingly ambitious sequel.

The Little Mermaid origin story lacks room for this more feminist take. It simply is not deep enough.

There's no hiding a hokey love story that undercuts the picture's compelling tennis scenes.

The film’s best moments show the characters bonding as teens, “Breakfast Club”-style, within their new bodies.

There’s real artistry to Ferdinand.

Despite some missteps, this version of “Mean Girls,” especially in its reframing of Janis, promotes feminism and inclusion almost as fervently as “Barbie” — although its characters still only wear pink on Wednesdays.

It’s such a pure delight to see Erivo and Grande just standing around when they finally duet on “For Good” that we will take that scene over a hundred where their characters dance, preen or ride a broom on their own.

The always fierce Bassett is a little too fierce here, reacting with unwarranted emotion to each romantic twist and turn.

Updates a classic premise -- the struggle for personal freedom -- by pairing it with ethical and moral quandaries.

Negotiating the role of a forward-thinking woman constrained by family demands and era, Elliott elevates a picture that's lovely to look at but lacking in dramatic impact.

Features bursts of humor and electrifying energy offset by speechifying and a dud of a subplot.

Fascinating context but awkwardly told.

Judging by her funny, warm, drawn-from-life feature directing debut Wine Country, Amy Poehler is a gracious friend. She and screenwriters Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski ensure that the many former “Saturday Night Live” performers and writers assembled for this Napa Valley-set Netflix comedy get moments to shine.