Elizabeth Weitzman

Despite the hard lessons learned, King seems to have a pretty deep appreciation for Lyle and Nina’s drug of choice — and you’ll probably enjoy the movie a little more if you feel the same. Just think twice if you’re planning to sneak some homemade brownies into the theater when you see it.

This isn’t the sort of movie that defines anyone’s career, as “Sling Blade” once did. But in an industry averse to risk, passion projects — even uneven ones — are always welcome.

As vanity projects go, this one’s unusually well-made — as any portrait of an iconic stylist ought to be.

Despite the movie’s flaws, Cicin-Sain does show considerable confidence for a first-time writer and director.

The kind of middling thriller you might stop to watch if you came across it on cable, director Roger Christian’s “Alien” knockoff is presumably only in theaters because Christian Slater’s contract demanded it.

There’s little doubt that the obvious parallels between this dark coming-of-age drama and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are deliberate. But while they are undeniably overreaching, director Rufus Norris has adapted Daniel Clay’s young adult novel with a sensitivity that will appeal to teens and adults alike.

Hokey reenactments of the war years do the film no favors, but it’s worth sticking them out to witness a humanity that never could be faked.

If last year’s searing old-age tragedy, “Amour” — or 2006’s bravely blunt “Away From Her” — weren’t digestible enough for you, perhaps this mild romance will suffice.

For the most part, we sit in on the conversations as good-natured, ordinary guys — all graduates of Brooklyn College in the ’50s — reminisce.

There simply isn’t enough here to sustain an entire movie.

Better to stick with his slightly weird, ultra-focused nerds, who toil away on something strange and special, simply for the beauty of it.

You know what you’re going to get, and that is, indeed, what Sandler delivers. It’s juvenile, it’s obvious and it’s crass. But with Sandler at the helm, at least it’s as easy to like as it is to forget.

The filmmakers' motivation couldn't be clearer: They needed to capture a way of life that may soon exist only on film and in memory.

It’s still compelling entertainment, as any biopic about Paul Raymond ought to be. Though nearly unknown in the U.S., Raymond was a famous figure in his native Britain, a flashy combination of Donald Trump and Hugh Hefner.

Fans will want to replay the extensive archival footage over and over. Newcomers are more likely to pause halfway through, search out the superlative soundtrack, and immerse themselves in the music that inspired this rare, fall-and-rise story in the first place.

Just like its meaningless title, Rachid Bouchareb’s disappointing drama evokes better works without developing any distinct identity of its own.

Some of Hart’s set — including jokes about his security team and an inspired recounting of a disastrous trip to a dude ranch — is hilarious. And his profane outrage is often funny enough to sell the weaker writing.

Guaranteed to charm anyone who’s out of school and already bored.

Bell’s skepticism feels real, and Brody, still best known as “The OC’s” insecure Seth Cohen, is perfect as the sort of arrogantly self-deluded player we’ve all met.

Every foul-mouthed joke [McCarthy] cracks, every unexpected physical gag she underplays, is so funny you forget how often we’ve seen this setup. Or, when it comes to women, how rarely.

The movie is not up to the company’s highest standards, but it’s certainly better than most other kid flicks you’ll see this year.

At first, Elie Wajeman’s moody French drama looks like so many other stories to come before it.

The real star, though, is the ocean itself, which is so stunning in its furious majesty that we fully understand every risk they’re willing to take. Finally, a 3-D ticket worth paying for.

The very best — and, alas, the very worst — of human nature is captured in this heartbreaking and inspiring documentary.

It's no minor accomplishment to make one of the most indulgent projects in Hollywood history. But with This Is the End, Seth Rogen and his pals have indeed achieved this dubious goal.

Skip the movie and go buy yourself a drink instead.

Simplistic plotting, pedestrian visuals and poorly-handled melodrama do lend the project a cheap, made-for-TV feel, which is underscored by the fact that Danes and Marsden don’t seem obliged to turn in their best work.

The script unfurls too many obvious setups, but director Eric Valette is smart enough to rely on his most authentic effect — Dupontel’s natural intensity.