Lou Lumenick

This overlong drama is the first (mostly) English-language film from the talented Swedish filmmaker Moodysson (“Lilya 4-Ever”). Any semblance of subtlety was unfortunately lost in translation.

A crowd-pleaser of the first order.

Visually striking but portentous and pretentious.

Packs a dramatic wallop that makes it one of the year's best movies.

Awfully poky, even for an art film.

A witless and vulgar romantic comedy wrapped inside a mock documentary.

"The Sixth Sense" was no fluke. Unbreakable, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's dazzling reunion with Bruce Willis confirms he's one of the most brilliant filmmakers working today.

Sometimes there's a fine line between a labor of love and a vanity project, and The Lost City, Andy Garcia's heartfelt - but hackneyed and interminable - love letter to his native Cuba, repeatedly crosses it.

Despite this seemingly surefire premise and cast of veteran comedians - there's even a cameo by Liza Minnelli as a masturbation coach - The OH in Ohio just lies there, without a single laugh.

A lush, genteel romance of the Merchant-Ivory school that qualifies as a guilty pleasure -- largely because of the unexpected chemistry between its improbably matched leads, Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.

Worthwhile mainly because of "Inside Out," a 28-minute autobiographical film written, directed and starring Jason Gould, who not-so-incidentally is Barbra Streisand's son.

Best remembered as the most flamboyant of TV's original "Hollywood Squares" - which is really saying something on a panel that included Paul Lynde.

In short, Red Eye hits the bull's-eye.

The only hint of professionalism comes from Cheech Marin as Cannon's boss, who at times seems to be acting in a different movie.

After the monster is subdued, then there's a much less humorous, and more mindlessly violent second half.

While This Film Is Not Yet Rated does not suggest an alternative to the ratings board, it does expose this Tinseltown sham to some well-deserved public ridicule.

A mild cross between "The Big Chill" and "Sex and the City," this English-language German oddity is a romantic comedy passing through on its way to video.

Justin Timberlake shows that he can do more as an actor than just take his shirt off - though he does that a lot as well - in the irresponsible, uncommercial but surprisingly watchable Alpha Dog.

Her star billing notwithstanding, Jolie has perhaps the ninth-largest part in the movie (behind seven humans and a dog), playing Cage's ex-girlfriend.

Worth watching primarily for Blunt, the delicious scene-stealer from "The Devil Wears Prada."

A genially scattershot mockumentary.

Cynics need not apply, but I found Bella a real heart tugger.

An intelligent, extremely well-acted thriller about a mother's endless love for her son.

You cease to care as they fall back on a catalogue of clichéd shocks, tired camera angles and an ever-mounting gore quotient.

This year's actress to watch is Elizabeth Reaser, who delivers a tour de force as a determined German mail-order bride who comes to 1920 Minnesota in Ali Selim's captivating indie Sweet Land.

Tried to turn this into a replay of its 2000 military-rescue hitBlack Hawk Down -- though, in the end, it's almost totally lacking in the serious hardware and viscerally paced action that propelled Ridley Scott's movie to the top of the box office.

Toothless, unbelievable and not particularly funny, New Suit is no threat to "The Player," "Swimming With Sharks" or "The Big Picture," to name but three more interesting pictures in this inside-baseball genre.

Low-end schlock that will likely land with a dull thud in the video remainder bin before the frost is on the pumpkin.

A very belated and very silly follow-up to "Death Wish."

Mind-numbing, would-be comic-book franchise, which often seems as blind as its hero -- not to mention deaf and dumb.

Falters seriously is its too-leisurely pacing.

Enemy at the Gates, is no "Saving Private Ryan" - but thrilling, bravura stretches make it consistently entertaining, if less than profound, filmmaking.

Charles Busch's spoof of beach-party movies and psychological thrillers, an off-Broadway hit 13 years ago, stubbornly refuses to entertain in this unrelentingly dull film version.

Masterful acting.

If this overcooked version of James Ellroy’s novel - inspired by a famous 1947 Los Angeles murder - is less than fully satisfying or even believable storytelling and acting, it’s still possible to get a kick out of this fever dream loaded with eye candy.

A good cast can't save The Lodger, the utterly wrongheaded fourth movie version of a 1910 novel inspired by Jack the Ripper.

Basically a feature-length rock video from Germany with appealing performers, decently written characters, a killer score, and an interesting premise.

Vividly re- creates TV news icon Edward R. Murrow's historic face-off with Sen. Joseph McCarthy in devastatingly low-key detail -- is the right movie at the right time.

The profanity-laced but witty and literate dialogue by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven") is delivered by a brilliantly chosen cast, almost all of whom are operating at the very top of their game.

An unqualified triumph.

Frequently hilarious, occasionally sweet and often graphically violent, Pineapple Express may not be the greatest stoner movie ever made, but it will do perfectly well until we get another hit of Harold and Kumar.

Nearly two hours of New Age hooey.

It's a far more effective leftist argument than the bombastic "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Look at Me is on the talky side, but like Jaoui's directing debut, "The Taste of Others," it offers uniformly excellent performances and smart observations on social and family interactions.

It's a long, brutal and honest look at a shattering event some Americans would apparently prefer not to see depicted - but also a respectful, inspiring one that's in no way exploitative or emotionally manipulative.

This is the sort of low-grade dreck that usually goes straight to video -- with a lousy script, inept direction, pathetic acting, poorly dubbed dialogue and murky cinematography, complete with visible boom mikes.

Darkly hilarious.

A slick, shallow and thoroughly generic caper flick.

Garfield is a downright cat-astrophe.

Repo Men is a rare film where Toronto plays itself. It's also the first I've ever seen where a typewriter is used as a lethal weapon.

Rates an "E" for effort -- and a "B" for boring.

Ultimately, Birthday Girl disintegrates into a fairly routine -- and brutal -- caper movie.

Much less a satisfying movie than an intermittently funny 90-minute acting audition.

An intermittently interesting drama.

What is Inland Empire - which Lynch is understandably distributing himself - about? What is it trying to say? If you figure that out, let me know.

A breakthrough animated film -- a trippy cross between "Yellow Submarine" and "My Dinner With Andre" that will leave some audience members struggling to stay awake and others reaching for a toke.

More fun than you'd expect from an adaptation of a '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon that was in turn derived from a comic book.

Despite some plot holes, Delirious, hits the bull's-eye with razor-sharp performances and dialogue.

Classic shipboard romantic dramedy involving a condemned prisoner (William Powell) who hooks up with a dying woman (Kay Francis). Excellent support by Frank McHugh and Aline MacMahon as a pair of con artists. [31 Jan 2010, p.6]

Some gut-busting moments, but for the most part the thrill is gone.

Mostly a second-rate action picture that's content to use apartheid as a colorful background.

The performances are more than serviceable and The Fluffer is well-paced and engaging until the flaccid climax.

The ideal date movie for the Passover-Easter season and beyond, guaranteed to keep audiences rolling in the pews.

Obviously a labor of love for all involved, including GOP mayoral candidate Michael Bloomberg, who bankrolled the production and receives full producer credit. He deserves it.

Beyond the Ocean, which at its best is reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger in Paradise," doesn't integrate its two story lines in a particularly satisfying manner and the ending is somewhat abrupt.

I adore Frances McDor mand, but she's seriously miscast in a title role Emma Thompson could play in her sleep.

Dazzles the eye, numbs the mind and may cause deafness in some cases. Did I mention to bring along some Excedrin?

Never reaches the heights of "Short Cuts" or "Magnolia" -- two multi-story films that clearly provided inspiration -- but it's a thoughtful road trip well worth taking.

Writer-director Julian Henriquez does a great job staging the lively musical numbers.

The stars look bored out of their minds when the fourth episode of the franchise stalls between racing sequences.

Little more than an infomercial for the candidate.

Overlong, poorly paced and woodenly acted film.

Calling Boys and Girls the year's worst movie makes it sound more entertaining than it actually is.

A delightful "That's Entertainment" for the theater.

A cheesy, often unintentionally funny, direct-to-video-caliber knockoff of "Aliens" that couldn't be more shallow.

There are also food scenes that will whet your appetite. But somehow a satisfying climax never makes it out of the oven.

It's not a total shipwreck, but abandon hope all ye seeking a coherent, much less satisfying, narrative. Expect instead a reported $300 million worth of eye candy, delivered with enormous technical skill.

The only prize this shamelessly derivative schlock is likely to be in the running for is the year's dullest thriller.

A clever and big- hearted gay screwball comedy.

Truth be told, Firth's transcendent performance in A Single Man renders that stylistic gimmick utterly unnecessary -- Firth provides all the emotional color this movie needs, and then some.

Macht is the best thing in A Love Song for Bobby Long, but his intelligent performance doesn't justify a tough, and very long, sit.

This low-caliber Gun Shy has singularly ugly cinematography by Tom Richmond that at one point shows off Bullock's facial hair.

Starts out a lot like an expensive-looking episode of "CSI" before morphing into a solidly entertaining time-traveling romance.

Ron Shelton effectively ratchets up the tension without resorting to the stylistic flourishes of a more recent flick about dirty cops, "Narc."

So awful it qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.

A witless homage to "Shampoo" and "American Gigolo" that's brain-dead on arrival.

A clever and stylish Dutch twist on the old good-twin/bad-twin plot.

The latest vanity production by writer-director-star Eric Schaeffer, who still seems to think he's another Woody Allen -- despite a growing body of work that proves otherwise.

Somewhere along the way, Borstal Boy became fatally compromised.

Strictly for the 8-and-under crowd.

One of the year's best.

One big hunk of cinematic moussaka with lots of appetizing shots of food.

It's not exactly a surprise the makers of Reign Over Me feel compelled to manufacture a happy ending for a story that really has none. Pity.

Rarely does a movie go so thoroughly wrong in so many ways.

Refreshingly flirts with a very un-Disney political incorrectness.

Without any believable characters or situations, Reindeer Games is about as appealing as leftover Christmas fruitcake.

It's an intriguing setup, filled with colorful characters, lots of humor and well-developed scenes.

Borrowing liberally from the "Exorcist" and "Omen" movies, and with little regard for credibility, The Ring Two has a familiar ring to it.

Rip Torn gives his best performance in years.

Ignore the furiously overplotted, headache-inducing story -- derived from a series of comic books -- and focus on the exquisitely drawn Japanese animation.

Dark, morbidly funny and quite violent movie, which plays with audience members' heads in ways many people will find quite disturbing.

Long-winded and often over-the-top Italian soap opera about a neurotic, middle-class Roman family.

Though Cho occasionally connects with her targets, more often than not she seems as intolerant and hate-filled as she accuses them of being - and that's not funny.

Light It Up would be a strong candidate for the year's most irresponsible movie - if it were remotely believable.

It's loaded with -- scenery-chewing melodrama, cornball pidgin dialogue and syrupy music.

There is probably an amusing movie to be made about camps that try to "rehabilitate" homosexuals - but this thuddingly stupid satire isn't it.

A toothless, dated Seventh Avenue satire with shaky script, direction and acting - is the movie equivalent of something you'd find on the deep-markdown rack at Daffy's.

You Again could be taught at film schools as an example of how not to make a movie. And how not to humiliate veteran actors.

Those who can hang on through the mumblecore-ish narrative languor of the nicely photographed The Exploding Girl will savor a very talented actress' sensitive portrait of youthful awkwardness.

Doesn't have nearly enough Hugh Grant and is a little short on laughs, but it gets by on Renée Zellweger's charms.

Probably would have yielded a more interesting documentary than this sugary feature.

The performances are so solid - and newcomer Jon Dichter's direction (he also wrote the script) is so utterly assured - that the rather contrived ending barely seems to detract from the film's entertainment value.

A schmaltzy filmed record of a Nashville concert given by the legendary former rocker, who has morphed into the new Kenny Rogers.

Excruciatingly acted and ineptly directed by Bob Odenkirk, The Brothers Solomon is faux Farrelly brothers that should have gone straight to video.

It's pretty hard to make a dull movie about Henry VIII and his complicated love life, but The Other Boleyn Girl, a failed Oscar contender, manages to do just that, with yawns to spare.

Trimming half an hour from this bloated, 143-minute blockbuster would have highlighted the film's treasures, not the least of which is Johnny Depp's endearingly eccentric performance as Captain Jack Sparrow.

An exquisite work of cinematic art that also happens to be the funniest, most touching, most exciting and most entertaining movie released so far this year.

This bomb, which premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival, belongs in the same remainder bin as Spacey's "Pay It Forward," "K-Pax" and "The Life of David Gale."

Had me watching through misty eyes, at least for the first half.

Posey is a delight throughout, and Zoe Cassavetes is clearly a filmmaker to watch.

With such smarts and outstanding special effects, I eagerly await a second Iron Man movie, which of course is virtually promised in the final scene.

Basically a mega-budget war movie that makes fun of mega-budget war movies.

A good cast and disciplined direction add some distinction to Ric Roman Waugh's Felon, which is basically the old tale about an innocent man corrupted by a stay in prison.

Haunting is the best word for Waltz With Bashir, a striking animated documentary - not an oxy moron, despite how it sounds - from Israel.

The movie is a visual feast, with Oscar-caliber sets and costumes that for many will justify the trip to the Paris Theatre.

An Italian romantic comedy that's irresistibly set in Mole Antonelliana, the cavernous Museum of Cinema in Turin.

The best drag movie since "Vegas in Space." That's hardly a huge recommendation.

Risks trivializing history and pandering to feminist fantasies, but it may be the year's most fearless movie.

Has a doozy of a surprise ending that doesn't really stand up under close scrutiny - but you'll have so much fun getting there, it's easy to go along with Lee and company for the ride.

A devastatingly straightforward chamber piece that goes straight to the heart of what this city was feeling in the days right after Sept. 11.

When you awake, it may all seem like a bad dream - but why is your wallet missing $11? Scary.

This multi-pronged labor of love doesn't always work, but it often does, sometimes in ways that take your breath away.

On several levels, this film is a real-life horror story that puts most Hollywood movies to shame.

The filmmakers follow this compassionate and articulate man as he returns to Rwanda a decade later to revisit his demons.

Ryan, the bodacious Seven of Nine on "Star Trek Voyager," is the only excuse to suffer through writer-director Harry Ralston's feeble comedy.

Annoying.

Find Me Guilty belongs to the odd couple of Dinklage and Diesel, whose volatile performance finally proves he is much more than an action star.

A smart, dark road comedy.

Repackage clichés and stereotypes with attractive young performers in a simple-minded script that panders to the teen audience.

This is the sort of movie that requires you not only to suspend disbelief, but to check your sanity at the ticket counter.

Wears out its welcome fast because of its artistic pretensions and self-absorbed characters. You'd be better off renting "Manhattan" instead.

Much sillier - and the movie's nearly two-hour running time seems to last nearly as long as a vampire's afterlife.

Curious George skews very young, but parents should be warned that it arrives not only with the worst ad slogan in recent memory ("Show me the monkey"), but a full line of plush toys and related tie-in merchandise.

Expertly directed, acted and written crowd-pleaser.

Relentlessly dopey and vulgar.

Well-meant but rambling little indie melodrama.

That Eulogy has any laughs is largely a testament to the understated Romano -- he and Deschanel are the only ones in the cast who aren't straining to be funny.

Unusual and utterly disarming documentary.

The biggest load of New Agey hogwash to grace the big screen since Spacey's "Pay it Forward."

Except when Norton is playing retarded, he and De Niro basically compete to see who can under-act the other. It's positively mesmerizing.

This lavish coffee-table-book of a movie gradually reveals itself as an uninvolving, crashing bore.

Vastly more explicit (be warned) and intelligent (than "Angel Eyes"). It also leads to much darker - and more interesting - places.

This time out, Broomfield comes up with maybe enough halfway decent material for a 10-minute segment on a second-rate tabloid TV show.

Most of this movie is beyond lame. It almost makes "A Cinderella Story" -- the ever-mugging Duff's surprise hit of last summer -- look like a real movie by comparison.

Hrebejik directs with a sure hand, deftly balancing comedy and drama in a most involving and satisfying manner.

One of the year's best films and so tapped into the zeitgeist that it's positively scary.

An impeccably acted and directed - but quite icy - portrait of deception and betrayal.

A pretentious, unsatisfying and ultra-slow-moving thriller.

Watchable in a train-wreck kind of way, but you'll probably want to take a shower afterwards.

A sitcom with enough big laughs and emotional truth to get audiences past awkward pacing and some slow spots.

This is a slickly entertaining package, beautifully photographed on well-chosen locations with an unerring sense of pace by Gregory Hoblit.

The Good Night is at heart a mediocre Sundance variation on the Dudley Moore-Bo Derek alleged classic "10."

The "Prinze" of terrible movies is back - in what might charitably be called "Rear Window" for morons.

May be the most purely entertaining foreign-language crossover since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Cliched, amateurish and feeble.

It's the oldest bittersweet story in the book, of course, but music-video director Marc Webb approaches his feature debut with great confidence, flair and a minimum of schmaltz.

Might as well be called "Around the World in 80 Yawns."

The lamest in the recent run of comedies about uptight white people getting jiggy with it, would also be the most offensive -- if it weren't also the dullest.

A surprisingly edgy comedy.

Eric Schaeffer's rip-off -- er, homage -- to "Magnolia," is a marginally better movie than his previous self-absorbed atrocities like "My Life's in Turnaround" and "Wirey Spindell."

It's like your appendix - you'll never even miss it.

It's a sly, low-key comedy in which he casts himself as a neurotic, self-absorbed curmudgeon.

Rambles on for nearly two hours with subplots that go nowhere -- and half-baked leftist political commentary -- before focusing in for a quietly devastating climax.

How the feds inadvertently resurrected the performing career of stoner comic Tommy Chong by busting him is the ironic subtext of Josh Gilbert's one-sided documentary a/k/a Tommy Chong.

Basically the Mike Tyson saga reduced to its B-movie essence.

Delightfully unpredictable, hilarious comedy with wonderful performances that tug at your heart in ways that utterly transcend gender labels.

So exploitative and misogynistic that its last-minute dramatic turns and pleas for tolerance and understanding come off as manipulative as its heroine.

Deserved an end-of-the-year prestige release, is a true work of art in a marketplace filled with velvet paintings. It's positively magical, the reason we loved movies in the first place.

There are touching interviews with a couple of former inmates...The most riveting part of The Decomposition of the Soul is their return to the prison, which was closed in 1989 and turned into a memorial to its victims.

Not especially scary or funny, this lame comedy-thriller wastes a decent cast in a plodding tale.

If you stay awake, you'll certainly feel more than a little ground down after watching perhaps 15 minutes of skateboard footage padded out with nearly 90 minutes of strenuously unfunny toilet humor - all cheaply filmed on a budget that looks as if it would scarcely cover the catering bill for "Gigli."

Excruciatingly lame and laughless romantic comedy.

May be boomer-baiting formula, but this ingratiating, big-hearted holiday treat is as British as plum pudding - and the closest thing on the market to the famous Ealing comedies.

After 23 years and three attempts, Predators finally delivers a solid sequel to the Arnold Schwarzenegger B-movie classic.

A glossy, shallow thriller where not a single scene rings true.

The kind of movie that is beyond criticism.

Something most have gotten lost in the translation.

Leconte turns up the erotic heat in the most gorgeously photographed black-and-white film since Wim Wenders' sublime "Wings of Desire."

There have been many documentaries about the Holocaust in recent years, but this one really stands out.

Gripping and stylish thriller.

A lively and poignant comedy with lots of laughs and juicy roles for a roster of seasoned performers who should be seen more often.

Lynch's first G-rated feature, turns out to be one of the year's best films...a wonderful surprise.

To say that Vulgar is not for all tastes might be the understatement of the year. For starters, this black comedy has a male rape scene that makes the one in "Deliverance" seem mild by comparison.

Pointless and mind-numbing.

Directed with sledgehammer subtlety by Dennis Dugan ("I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry").

A majestic conclusion to a nine-plus-hours epic that stirs the heart, mind and soul as few films ever have.

A rare dud in the Shooting Gallery series.

Unlike "Dirty Harry," this film doesn't particularly have an overt political ax to grind. But it thankfully strips away the veneer of glamour that Guy Ritchie and his imitators have applied to British crime films over the last decade or so.

A mildly funny, stereotype-stuffed comedy.

Deschanel manages to make Winter Passing almost matter. That's real talent.

Noyce paces this amazing story well, and even if his young actors don't seem to have physically suffered as much as they would during such a long journey, he makes extremely good use of the bleak Outback scenery.

An exciting and extremely well acted film. Even a nearly unrecognizable Blake Lively impresses in the key role of Jem's sister and Doug's sometime girlfriend.

A very elegant and fit-looking Omar Sharif appears as the on-screen narrator and Kate Maberly ("The Secret Garden") plays his granddaughter in a framing story.

Worth seeing for McTeer's touching, funny and richly detailed performance, which should put her on the map in Hollywood.

One of the season's most delightful surprises.

Features less than 10 minutes of music in its mercifully brief 83-minute running time.

It may take a scorecard to keep track of the complicated relationships in this sorry clan.

Bryan Singer's super, soulful and very expensive new resurrection of the venerable big-screen franchise, ups the ante with must-see results.

A physically impressive, well-acted, sometimes emotionally powerful - and mostly apolitical - re-creation of that awful day that has some conservative pundits praising Stone as some sort of born-again patriot.

The dazzling 14-minute chase includes cars, motorcycles, a couple of 18-wheelers - and nonstop martial-arts battles and leaps inside and on top of the vehicles. That scene alone will justify the price of admission for many.

While Amen works as a history lesson, it's less effective as a thriller, since the outcome is sadly all too well-known.

Based on the many delightful samples on the soundtrack, it's an exemplary goal.

Surely, if Fey herself had written Baby Mama, this mild cross between "Baby Boom" and "The Odd Couple" would not be so crushingly predictable.

Though quite watchable thanks to its cast, the overly ambitious Don McKay ends up as confused as its main female character.

Unfortunately, director Marc Foster (who co-wrote the screenplay) never allows anyone except Mitchell to play more than a one-dimensional character.

At best, mildly entertaining.

There are a few good jolts - and a moderate amount of spurting blood - but things pretty much proceed exactly as you think they will.

This is a serious movie overflowing with memorable acting, unforgettable images, searing tragedy, unexpected humor and an eloquent plea for international understanding. And while it's by no stretch of imagination light entertainment, it's fundamentally a more optimistic work than either "Amores Perros" or "21 Grams."

Moving at a leisurely pace, Cavalacade is primarily of historical interest for everyone except Coward completists and hard-core Anglophiles.

Solid family entertainment, a handsomely crafted and well-acted new film version of Natalie Babbitt's classic 1975 children's book.

Its portrait of adolescence seems so authentic that it puts most Hollywood products to shame.

Though it boasts excellent performances by Anna Friel and Michelle Williams as bosom buddies whose lives meander over three decades, it plods on with a wearying predictability and some truly terrible dialogue.

Extremely well-made (and evenhanded) film.

While he takes an evenhanded approach, the filmmaker appears on camera far too often and goes off point as frequently as Moore.

An expertly crafted, deeply moving film.

Dreamcatcher is a lark probably best enjoyed by 12-year-olds -- or anyone still able to get in touch with their inner 12-year-old.

The ruefully funny Jack Goes Boating, which, refreshingly, takes a generous view of its flawed characters, is a must for us many Hoffman fans.

Vol. 2 isn't anywhere near as self-indulgent as its predecessor, but it still plays like the work of a man too in love with his creations to decide which of his darlings to kill - so he ended up with merely a very good movie.

Sophisticated entertainment of the less-is-more school.

Should have gone straight to video. It'll be there soon enough.

There isn't anything terribly exciting or original on offer in the somewhat poky directing debut of screenwriter Zach Helm.

A slow-moving, ridiculous police thriller that would have been shipped straight to the remainder bin at Blockbuster if it starred anyone else.

Chomet's wacky tale is so crammed full of eye-popping images, it's impossible to forget afterward.

You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Divan, an absolutely charming first-person documentary about a young ex-Hasidic woman determined to re-connect with her roots on her own terms.

Eloquent testimony about the moral ambiguity of war from veterans, human rights officials and Iraqi refugees, several of whom worked as extras on "Three Kings."

A civics lesson about integration very artfully - and entertainingly - disguised as an upbeat family sports movie.

Writer-director Will Gluck has written a stiletto-sharp, zinger-filled script that recalls "Mean Girls" as well as the films of John Hughes, which are sampled to amusing effect in a clever clip montage.

The film plays out pretty much exactly as you would expect - which won't bother some people one iota.

Carandiru, which ends with actual footage of the prison being demolished in 2002, marks a terrific comeback for Babenco - it's the roughest picture of life behind bars since "Midnight Express."

Disco may still be dead, but Benji: Off the Leash! resurrects another dubious artifact of the '70s - the crudely made family films starring that lovable mutt.

Basically “Lorenzo’s Oil” without the earlier film’s visual flair.

An incomprehensible Bob Dylan vanity project that is not only nearly impossible to sit through, but embarrasses a long list of stars who lined up to work for scale opposite the legendary musician.

For much of Flannel Pajamas I wondered if the couple's big problem was that Stuart was secretly gay. Nothing so interesting - he's just a narcissistic control freak and she's off-puttingly needy.

In the hands of the formerly promising director Joe Carnahan, this stylish, nihilistic, hugely derivative mash-up of Tarantino and Guy Ritchie (before wife Madonna ruined his career) is fun for roughly half an hour.

Barely enough chuckles to keep from running out of gas. Yet it's the sharpest-looking movie shot so far on digital video, outdistancing even "The Anniversary Party."

Stars Carmine Famiglietti, Joseph Summa and Gino Cafarelli apparently also wrote Chooch and directed it under a trio of aliases. They shoulda applied to the witness-protection program instead.

A spectacularly rendered tale of a family of superheroes, takes the art form to a whole new level.

Aside from an uninspired script by Frank Cotrell Boyce, is that none of the assembled actors really has enough star presence to compete with the sheer spectacle.

Director Raymond de Felitta, who directed a little-seen gem called "Two Family House" a few years ago, gives Falk plenty of room to do his thing. There's an underlying emotional truth even in scenes that seem terribly contrived.

A smug, deliberately convoluted mix tape of Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Guy Ritchie and Hitchcock with (mostly) a cast to die for, Lucky Number Slevin is great fun for, say, 20 minutes.

Looks great but moves like molasses, is more interesting than truly involving.

Described as a cross between "Mildred Pierce" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" by Almodóvar - which ought to be more than enough to entice his fans.

A low-key Field is the best thing about Two Weeks, which is set in a Wilmington, N.C., where everyone mysteriously sounds like he just got off a Los Angeles freeway.

This is an overlong film interesting chiefly for its performances.

A stylish but distressingly generic and not particularly scary American remake of a phenomenally popular Japanese supernatural thriller that spawned two sequels and a TV miniseries.

The latest, and let's hope the last, in the raft of uninspired, quickie Bush-bashing documentaries churned out by producer Robert Greenwald

There's no real payoff - artistically or emotionally - in Gregory Harrison's gimmicky and tedious psychological thriller November, shot on ugly digital video.

A soufflé that begins promisingly but never quite rises.

Painfully sincere. But it wrings almost no laughs or tears from this seemingly idiot-proof premise.

Given the complete lack of chemistry between Chan and Forlani, their rather awkward lip-lock isn't worth $10 to see. Sadly, neither is anything else here.

An overwrought, ramshackle weepie that really doesn't deserve Kline's Oscar-caliber work.

Hugely entertaining because director Lasse Hallstrom and screenwriter William Wheeler have greatly embellished the "truth" in Irving's book about the hoax.

Gandolfini, who skillfully fleshes out what's written as a one-joke character, comes close to pilfering The Mexican from the stars. Under the circumstances, that's not a huge accomplishment.

This is first and foremost a farce, not unlike Nichols' "The Birdcage."

An occasionally delightful mess of a movie.

Anderson, in her first major non-Scully film role, is lethally miscast.

Features all too much footage of the scowling Burns, who has a narrower range than almost any actor working in Hollywood these days.

There are some decent actors and great costumes in this overly solemn compendium of rock clichés.

Moves at a swift clip with pungent performances.

Captures some remarkably vivid present-day performances by the aging performers.

An exuberant if not always brilliantly crafted adaptation of the campy ABBA musical.

IF you ask me, Shane Acker's post-apocalyp tic animated film 9 is better than the live-ac tion flick "District 9." Beyond their similar titles, these sci-fi social commentaries are both expanded from shorts under the sponsorship of a world-class director.