Jean Oppenheimer

Despite its two-and-a-half hour running time, the movie flies by, so absorbing are its story, songs and stars.

It's the best thing Wong has done in years--perhaps ever.

Although frustratingly confusing -- often the viewer can't be sure who is on which side or why -- the film brims with physical grandeur, exquisite costumes, and a captivating performance by Blanchett.

Far more than a mere visual feast.

Does a masterful job of combining digital imagery and voice performance to create totally believable animal characters.

The acting is remarkable across the board, undoubtedly a combination of a strong script, gifted actors and exceptional direction.

No matter how restrained the direction or unsentimental the performances -- and White Oleander scores points for both -- there is no escaping the semi-trashy but oh-so-life-affirming ring of the plot.

This intriguing jigsaw puzzle is visually arresting, narratively inventive, and psychologically enigmatic.

This brutal film borders on the brilliant. Beautifully structured and edited, with a chilling central performance by Ian McKellen and an exceptional score by John Ottman, who also edited the picture, it churns up emotions and leaves the viewer feeling stunned and depleted.

Tanovic describes it as "a very serious film with a sense of humor." It is an apt description for a very remarkable film, one of the best of the year.

A disarmingly funny, clear-eyed, and affectionate memory piece.

A charming little film, filled with eccentric characters and ingratiating performances.

Farmanara, the actor, brings a real poignancy to the role and, thus, to the story that seems, more than anything, the tale of a man coming to terms with his life.

Viewers with a low tolerance for sentiment may balk, but the emotions are so true and the characters so appealing that the film should completely win you over.

On one level it is highly intimate, yet it is also universal, a modern metaphor for the human condition and the precariousness of life itself.

Be forewarned: Scenes of the protagonist learning to swallow the drug pellets will make many viewers queasy. Rarely has the power of suggestion been so unsettling.

Nothing, however, can diminish the sense of horror we feel at what happened that day in September, while Macdonald's revelations and the candid comments he elicits more than make up for the film's less successful elements.

Sly and corrosively funny political black comedy.

A gentle, beautifully realized tale of love and intimacy...It moved me to tears.

A genuinely affecting movie that approaches its adult themes with intelligence, maturity, and rare authenticity.

Worth the price of admission if only to see the slinky Thurman decked out in a form-fitting, sequined pre-flapper era outfit. The word stunning hardly does her justice.

A spare film, with little dialogue but a lot to say.

The two lead performances are so good it contains more emotional depth than it probably has a right to.

Yes, the movie is obvious at time, banging you over the head with its message, and the use of shadows on a wall can seem overly broad. But these are small complaints when compared to the film's many strengths.

A modest, uneventful film, buoyed by fine, albeit low-key, performances and the ring of truth.

Last Days shouldn't be half as engrossing as it turns out to be.

Pure joy to watch -- and an invaluable documentary record of a bygone era.

Though we know the story's final outcome, the trial scene and its aftermath are no less shocking and affecting.