Ruthe Stein

You can be 100 percent in favor of rescuing adorable orphans from war-torn zones and still find The Children of Huang Shi a tough haul.

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

Frothy and exuberantly entertaining - in part because of the sexual innuendoes - it's the best romantic comedy so far this year.

Deeply affecting, "Blade'' portrays an oddly elegant way of life that will soon be like the era in that other movie, "Gone With the Wind."

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.

Often amusing but lacks the necessary bite.

A needlessly complicated and confusing thriller.

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

A spellbinding Australian Western.

For all the filmmaker's good intentions, Fast Food Nation isn't a particularly good movie. It doesn't hold together or grip you the way a documentary might have.

As moving as some parts are, it's muddled by a script that tries to pack in too much. There's sufficient material for a couple of films and a sitcom.

An intriguing exploration of New York theater at the height of its glory.

Powerful and moving.

A peculiar little film -- grim and disturbing yet perversely riveting.

There's an edge to this exemplary family movie, just as there is in the story.

Leaves you feeling buoyed, but you must endure a level of overacting more suitable for the soaps.

Sad yet offering glimpses of hope.

A slow seduction.

Poor casting is compounded by a ludicrous script.

Exhilarating and enchanting family picture. It's the best I've seen this year and highly recommended for girls and for boys, too.

A pile of junk.

Often is on the verge of spilling over into melodrama, but that doesn't bother me because life is the same way.

Offers a brew of wondrous chimera combined with the wonders of human nature.

The thrills in Spike Lee's singularly savvy thriller are in small unexpected moments.

A supernatural thriller that keeps your attention while failing to hold you in its grip.

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.

Mehta has created the perfect guide to this strange female world.

Unlike Sean Penn's demagogue in "All the King's Men," you're able to forget that Whitaker is acting. He embodies the role. When clips of the real Amin are shown at the end, it's almost shocking to realize the extent to which Whitaker has become him.