David Sterritt

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.