Merle Bertrand

Just a plain old fun movie.

A heartwarming, cleansing film that's simply good for the soul.

While Intoxicating is far from a perfect film, it is nonetheless a highly effective -- and affecting -- clash of two fiercely independent talents, Kirk Harris and Mark David.

War is chaos and confusion even under the best of circumstances, of which this current fiasco clearly ain’t. The Prisoner… underscores this fact, as well as muddying up the waters on such commonly accepted platitudes as "Support the Troops."

Gleaming like a well-polished magic lamp on a vibrant Persian rug, The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam showcases Arabian/Muslim culture at its best and brightest.

If you liked "Magnolia," you'll also like Mind the Gap.

This well made, slightly cornball and riotously comical romantic comedy not only extols the old fashioned American dream, but charmingly celebrates the virtues of the great American melting pot as well.

When done well, they are scintillating cinematic brain teasers, and Timecrimes is one of the best time travel films to come along in, er, quite some time.

A powerful no-frills drama. It's a film that never flinches from its colorful, if sometimes cruel namesake neighborhood and the people who populate it.

A touching and almost ridiculously inspirational story for all of us.

Haunting and chilling, yet biting black tragi-comedy.

Not only does this film have the coolest title ever, but this bittersweet, multi-layered comparison of life's realities versus life's potential is as compelling as it is deeply resonant.

Brilliantly scripted and full of a virtual Who's Who of familiar faces, The Big Lebowski is yet another golden hunk of totally unique celluloid from the versatile Brothers Cohen.

Both Democrats and Republicans take it on the chin here, although the left-leaning bias is obvious.

This soothing, elegantly-crafted film is such a marvelous piece of work.

A gripping example of "You Are There," on the spot journalism, even if it is a little slim when it comes to motives and back stories.

ZigZag rests heavily on Jones III's sensational turn as the lead character. Capable of drawing empathy without pity from an audience, his ZigZag is the unlikely constant in a world swirling with change and intrigue.

Would that we could extract the essence of this utterly enjoyable film and distill its creativity, intelligence and originality into a serum which we could then inject into all the tapped-out Hollywood screenwriters and directors out there.

Romantic comedies have become something of a tired staple in indie filmmaking, these days. Yet, odd as it may seem, it's the unlikely interracial geriatric chops on display in The Annihilation of Fish that breathe new life into the genre.

The film reveals a man whose wiry build, relentless passion, fearless guile, and bravery made him a beloved human rights activist in his strife-ridden country.

The greatest accomplishment of Occupation: Dreamland is showing those of us on the home front that it really is possible, Republican howling to the contrary aside, to support our troops without supporting the war itself.

There's just something maddeningly upbeat about this film's shameless hokiness. Combine that with the film's colorful art and wardrobe designs, spiffy choreography, the joy of seeing some veteran faces on screen for the first time in a while, and a soundtrack that'll make even the dead tap their toes, and Swing simply makes for some serious jump-jivin' fun.

The appeal of The Burial Society lays in its unusual and obscure take on an otherwise mundane tale of greed, treachery and double-cross.

An unusual angle on the age-old coming of age story. Filled with solid performances by veteran actors Ivey and Raymond, as well as a captivating performance by newcomer Grace.

By turns chilling, depressing, yet guardedly optimistic documentary.

Highly entertaining film.

One of those films where, even though you're pretty sure you know where it's going, it's still fun to get there.

Has the intangible and distinctive feel of a movie from a different era. Which just adds to this fine film's mystique, providing yet another reason why The Cooler hits the jackpot.