David Ehrenstein

Beautifully made and performed, this is a film of considerable insight into both the life of the impoverished and the mystery of human personality.

Has all the crowd-pleasing elements moviegoers respond to: appealing hero, absorbing story, a solid group of supporting players and a big fat happy ending.

Out of prison, Milani is still not allowed to leave Iran. Whether she will ever get the chance to make another film there is doubtful, all the more reason not to miss this one.

It's the hallmark of a classic that must be seen to be disbelieved.

A film whose surface charm never gets in the way of its profound seriousness about living life to the fullest -- especially when one knows it isn't going to be a terribly long one.

Brilliant new documentary.

In the end, The Fluffer is a film for the chastened romantic in us all -- gay, straight or "for pay."

Full of fresh and unexpected observations about the cross-culturally complex lives of second-generation Indians living in the U.S.

It's odd for a film to be both dramatically conventional yet emotionally bizarre at the same time, as this one is.

A subtle mood piece in which a man's collapse is examined so rigorously that one almost hopes for a murder to come along and break the tension.

A thoughtful, well-acted and well-observed (though bleak) look at what some people have to put up with to get through life.

Beautifully made, deeply upsetting drama.

Shot on High Definition video, this exceptionally well-made but exceedingly bleak peek at tinseltown would be unbearable were it not for the sympathetic performance of Danny Huston.

The film belongs to Jordan Brower, whose every appearance breaks one's heart, and makes some otherwise familiar material come alive.

If this all sounds masochistic, it most certainly is. But the filmmakers have rendered it with such grace and subtlety that the spectacle of three very intelligent people ruining each other's lives becomes irresistibly romantic.

Charged by Rideau's amazingly sexy performance as the most forthright gay character put on screen to date, this is a fine piece of filmmaking.

For those partial to sublimely happy endings there won't be a peep of complaint. Only us recalcitrant souls will be left wishing Punks had just a tad more spunk.

There's an eerie coolness to this film that's quite unsettling and un-Oshima-like. Rather lengthy, it requires patience. But adventurous moviegoers aren't likely to mind.

The cast is uniformly excellent; all involved seem keyed into the subtextual subtleties of a story that, while simple on the surface, is exceedingly rich underneath.

This isn't entertainment for the faint of heart.

Not to be missed. And pay close attention to the finale. It's a genuine surprise.

Filmed by director Lorene Machado on direct video, it's a visually primitive affair. But you're not likely to care, given the chance to witness Cho's often incisive, but never hectoring, take on life as she's lived and observed it.

One of the most genuinely shocking films you'll ever see.

Think "Basic Instinct" with brains, and you've got it.

Offers an enormous amount of pure silly fun for the entire non-nuclear family, no matter what gender they may be.