Ruthe Stein

Much as she did in "Little Miss Sunshine," Breslin imbues Kit with joy.

The movie is shamelessly manipulative.

It works as an intriguingly offbeat character study while offering Nicolas Cage a chance to show why he used to be considered one of the top actors of his generation.

It's reassuring to see Steven Soderbergh return to riveting down-and-dirty filmmaking with Bubble.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age saga that will make you laugh and cry, maybe at the same time.

An extremely good picture that, with a little tweaking, might have been a great one.

Richly satisfying entertainment the way movies are at their best, when they prod you to think.

Caruso, a very visual director, serves up some surprises and scares, and he's paced his movie briskly. You're out of this disturbing suburbia before you know it, shaken and even stirred.

An overwrought and ultimately silly thriller.

A quirky but surprisingly lighthearted dark comedy.

This deeply moving and disturbing film derives power from being based on the true story of a black South African who does everything possible, no matter how degrading, to get by within an immoral system, but becomes radicalized almost despite himself.

It tells the amazing, but mostly true, story of a late-18th century aristocrat who made an indelible mark on English society akin to that of her direct descendant, Lady Diana.

Has the slapped-together, cheesy look of a porno movie. While this could be distracting, the shoddiness sets the mood for a humorous spin on the European porn industry circa early 1970s.

It's a first feature film for both screenwriter Alex Rose and director Gaby Dellal, and their inexperience shows in Frank's underdeveloped relationships with family and friends and in the movie's sluggish pacing.

A Western short on dialogue and long on pomposity, is little more than an extended chase scene down a snow-filled mountaintop to a desert floor.

With a strongly visual director, Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner," "Alien", the film really shows what's involved at this level of combat training.

A little picture -- the names of the entire cast would fit on half a sheet of paper -- but it’s more heartfelt than movies with 50 times the budget.

The directors pull off this faux documentary.

Broken English doesn't break any code or offer original insights on the subject. But there's a spark whenever Posey and Poupaud are together.

The producers have stated that they're going after an American market that supports Spanish-language TV networks, radio stations and newspapers. This niche audience may well respond to not being required to read subtitles, for once, in a movie geared to them.

The material obviously had to be stretched to fill the big screen for almost two hours.

To label the parents in Wah-Wah dysfunctional doesn't adequately describe their wildly inappropriate behavior.

An enjoyable if fairly predictable film.

Haunting case study of a romantic obsession.

Two guys panting over the same babe leads to tedium, despite a near-record number of overheated sex scenes.

The way Boynton Beach residents reach out to one another is enough to make you consider relocating to one of these communities.

Charmingly offbeat in the vein of early Woody Allen.

A frothy comedy with the most adorable buddies since "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

To the extent that this difficult but ultimately rewarding film has a message, it's that you can't run away from who you are.

The very best thrillers -- a select group to which The Clearing clearly belongs -- exploit subconscious fears that bubble up at vulnerable moments.

It lives up to its title, flying by in fast motion. Even the first-wave MTV generation may find the pace exhausting, but this piece of fluff wasn't made for them.

A subtly rich performance by Dillane and a fine supporting cast make this Holocaust drama worth seeing, even if you don't think you can bear another one.

The real wonder becomes how British filmmaker Sandra Goldbacher was able to write and direct such an accomplished, touching and original movie her first time out.

Distressingly predictable and not a tad scary. But as a parody of the genre, it's a scream, like the "Scream'' franchise, only funnier. It's as if all the ingredients for a thriller coagulated into Silly Putty.

Perhaps the humor has been lost in translation.

Chock-full of holes.

A sweet, bordering on saccharine, comedy.

Harris' impressive channeling of Ludwig is diluted by the decision of screenwriters Stephen Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson to put the copyist front and center, possibly to distinguish their feature from "Immortal Beloved."

Nobody into lush melodramas dripping in sex should miss this pulsating Italian import.

Sweet and deeply moving.

A warmhearted film.

McNally adapted his Tony-award winning play for the screen, and for once a movie is an improvement on the stage version.

A feel-good movie.

Perversely fascinating.

Director Robert Mulligan exhibits the same sensitivity about young people and their foibles as he did in "To Kill a Mockingbird." In 1962. You never sense that he's making fun of Hermie or his pals. [08 Jul 2007, p.16]

As a sports drama -- a genre that's gotten entirely too much play lately -- "Dreamer" is singularly unexciting.

Family entertainment at its best.

A wildly entertaining fantasy thriller that propels Russian cinema into the 21st century.

Well intentioned, but only occasionally creepy.

A heartwarming, inspirational tale.

Boasts a collection of oddball characters, some more sharply written than others.

Dark, disturbing and audaciously original in a way only indies are given license to be anymore, the film never telegraphs where it's heading. But you don't need a pathfinder to sense the general direction is toward hell.

A marital comedy as perceptive as it is delectable.

A romantic saga that dares to ask realistic questions.

The film is a particular disappointment considering its pedigree.

A neo-noir thriller long on atmosphere and short on production values.

The filmmakers have wisely turned it into a comedy, and a wickedly entertaining one at that.

Doesn't poke fun at anyone's beliefs.

A pretty ugly movie in its own right.

Fascinating and distinctly politically incorrect.

For all its depiction of a descent into drug addiction, Candy is filled with surprisingly sweet moments and goes down more easily than seems possible given the subject matter.

Suffused with a golden glow, the movie looks and sounds like a fairy tale.

May be too convincing for its own good.

The Last Kiss ponders what you give up -- and what you gain -- from sticking with what you've got.