David Sterritt

Spacey is endearing, bringing his shy character to life despite glaring psychological gaps in the screenplay.

Dash deserves great credit for reaching toward a new kind of cinematic structure that blends compassionate character exploration with a deep interest in the world of nature, and a bold willingness to let storytelling take care of itself at its own unhurried pace. One hopes, however, that in future works she will lean more decisively in a single clear direction - toward painterly visualization or toward psychological narrative. [30 Jan 1992, p.12]

In sum, this is hardly an "Iliad" adaptation for the ages. But if you're hankering for sand, sandals, and swordplay, this could be the movie for you.

The blend of live action and animation is competently done, but the subtly mean-spirited screenplay has more sour meows than hearty laughs.

This is a funny, sad, stunningly smart movie about the end of movies, made in Tsai's inimitable, unblinking style. No movie lover should miss it.

There are lots of plot twists and romantic angles. What's lacking is laughs.

The tale is simply told but stunningly photographed and superbly acted in the best tradition of modern Iranian cinema.

Tom Hanks makes his directorial debut with this likable comedy, which shows that while pop culture is a business like any other, enthusiasm and high spirits can lead to satisfaction even if major success proves elusive.

The story is surprising, the screenplay is witty, and the animation is wonderfully creative. A super sequel.

The movie's somber message is worth heeding, and the acting is mostly excellent.

Dumont's methods are radical, but there's a fascinating method to his seeming cinematic madness.

Imaginatively acted, endlessly atmospheric.

The characters are engaging, but the story is hackneyed and the filmmaking is dull. So is much of the acting, except by Jessica Tandy, who carries her own energy wherever she goes.

This great masterpiece of German film is evocative and inventive from its first shot to its last.

Lots of brilliant filmmaking and high-spirited acting, at least until the story turns repetitious and formulaic in the last 30 minutes.

The film has enough wild driving to satisfy any "French Connection" fan or "Bullitt" buff, but there's precious little for anyone else to enjoy. 2 foolish + 2 flashy = 4 get it!

This is a great companion piece to Hou's masterly "Flowers of Shanghai" and fresh evidence of his status as Taiwan's greatest filmmaker.

Amiable, though much too long.

The stars of The Bear are compulsively watchable. Just the way they move their bodies is endlessly fascinating. Ditto for the magnificent Canadian scenery. [08 Nov 1989, p.11]

Would have more heft if the filmmakers had been supplied with talented stars, original ideas, and a barely adequate budget.

Used Cars is full of used characters, used ideas, and used jokes, many of which are in astonishingly bad taste.

Colorful and cute. It would be better if it weren't quite so sitcommy and if it didn't outlast its ideas.

It's an engrossing and inventive drama despite its flaws.

This is Hollywood's most mature treatment of the '50s-nostalgia theme so far, and the most accurate.

Hoffman's acting is poignant and compassionate, etching a profoundly sad character with no trace of compromise, and Bates gives one of her most controlled performances ever.

The story is amusing and the animation is first-rate, but there's less sparkling originality than in "Toy Story."

It's insulting when such savvy filmmakers expect us to laugh automatically at four-letter words, bathroom humor, and caricatures as crude as they are unoriginal. At its best, The Ladykillers soars above its own worst instincts, especially when Hanks and Hall take over the action.

Its discussions don't go very deep, and moviegoers with strong religious values may wonder why it comes down for humanism over spirituality.

Almost entirely devoted to combat violence and sentimental interludes.

Steven Spielberg's blockbuster whips up superficial sorts of excitement, and unlike the original "Jurassic Park," the picture looks tacky around the edges.

The acting and crooning are sadly uneven, making this a shaky comeback vehicle for the screen musical.

Penn's excellent acting doesn't raise his character above the level of familiar clichés about woman-chasing jazzmen.

Howard spins the story with enough gusto and gumption to make it reasonably entertaining.

Debrauwer brings crisp conviction to what might have been an overly sentimental tale, filming it with a straightforward style and good-natured sincerity that ring consistently true.

In short, this movie is exactly the kind of starry-eyed escapist fantasy that Dr. Powell suspects Prot of having. It's harmless enough, since we can be cured just by leaving the theater.

Utterly predictable, but pleasant enough for its young target audience.

I doubt if the results would have satisfied Kahlo, whose originality in matters of life, art, and ideas was vastly more far-reaching.

Details of the 1963 period are weakly handled, though, and the ending is as false as it is sentimental. [21 Aug 1987]

Intelligent, revealing, and sometimes hilarious.

The parallel stories don't always dovetail with each other smoothly, but the acting is strong and the atmosphere is powerful.

Watts is wonderful, and the story's forsaken-child theme still has plenty of horrific power.

At heart this is a cuteness exploitation flick.

The story isn't nearly as funny or suspenseful as it would like to be, although the solid cast gives it occasional dashes of pizazz.

The performances of this quiet Iranian drama are utterly genuine, and the story is a delicate blend of slice-of-life realism and soft-spoken social commentary.

The best things about Never Been Kissed are its colorful camera work and funny dialogue.

The topic is thought-provoking, the flashback-based structure is interesting, and there are surprising twists near the end. But there's also an overdose of sentimentality that badly dilutes the picture's impact.

It's all very sweet and occasionally touching. More lasting shots of more beautiful butterflies would have added a lot, though.

Harrowing, informative, conscientiously balanced documentary. [14 Jan 2005, p.14]

Like its subject, the movie is a tad overzealous, but often fascinating and revealing.

Directed by Ang Lee, whose exposure of middle-class hypocrisy would be more effective if it weren't rigged to provide evidence for the story's take on contemporary values.

Smart and engrossing, if too heavy on the symbolism at times.

Suspenseful and psychologically rich.

The movie's underlying theme is the complex relationship between objects and memories, worked out through a taut, compelling story and superbly understated acting. Ryuichi Sakamoto composed the atmospheric score.

It captures their magic with a freewheeling spontaneity that became a model for later pop-music movies.

Stands with the greatest science-fiction movies ever made.

Sol doesn't knit the complicated story into a coherent flow, but there are many visually striking moments along the way.

Aniston and Reilly give the best of many excellent performances. A few plotty scenes aside, this quietly directed drama paints a sensitive, sympathetic portrait of modern malaise, and has a smart sense of humor as a bonus.

Rarely has a film poured so much energy into generating fiery emotions, yet remained so icy cold in its effect...Revolution has been dazzlingly shot by cinematographer Bernard Lutic in a process called System 35, but so much visual grandeur seems more embarrassing than engaging when the dramatic element is such a mess.

Berri lets the story develop in a leisurely and organic way, capping it with a last scene that's subtle and satisfying. Jean-Pierre Bacri is just right as the man and Emilie Dequenne is perfect as the maid.

I find it the most adventurous and imaginative American film I've seen this year - and also the weirdest.

Nicolas Cage, Ving Rhames, and Steve Buscemi are among the few performers who emerge with a shred of dignity at the end.

Hearing her speak her finely honed mind in unscripted, un-"handled" terms is worth the price of admission in itself.