V.A. Musetto

Has a few things going for it -- a winning performance by Luchini and a small role by Pedro Almodóvar favorite Carmen Maura. But these talented folks can't compensate for a plot that strains credulity and lacks badly needed social bite. Wait for the DVD.

A protegé of Gus Van Sant, Archer -- who also makes short films and music videos -- has a wild imagination he has trouble harnessing. He doesn't know the meaning of "too much." But Barkin, in short, blond hair, is superb, as usual, and Aaron Platt's cinematography is stunning. Here's hoping Archer gets his s - - t together in feature No. 3.

Weekend is a gay riff on "Before Sunrise" (1995), in which a man (Ethan Hawke) and woman (Julie Delpy) meet and fall in love in one night, before going their separate ways in the morning for what could be forever.

Tykwer exhibits a fondness for split screens and other eye candy but no interest in formalities like character and plot development. By the time we reach the kitchy final scene, we've had our fill of visual tricks.

Depardieu's days as a leading man might be over, but he has a bright future in quirky roles like Germain.

No description can do justice to The Mill and the Cross, which must be seen to be fully appreciated.

Love in Space is just what movie fans have been waiting for: a romantic comedy from Communist China.

This new movie features stylishly filmed and choreographed battles. But in between the set pieces is a lot of sentimental blather that slows down the film. More action, less talk should be the order of the day, but it isn't.

Brings to mind "Working Girl" and "The Devil Wears Prada" -- but it has delightful differences only the French could conjure up, plus a musical soundtrack from jazz saxophone great Pharoah Sanders.

The narrative easily goes back and forth in time; despite its Oedipal subtext, it avoids exploitation. Stellar performances by Rottiers and Cattani help keep the movie on track.

All this is loads of fun, but after a while sensory overload sets in, dulling the mind. Even in a kung-fu flick, more isn't always better.

While an iconic figure in France, Gainsbourg isn't a household name here in the States. But that shouldn't stop audiences from enjoying Sfar's good-looking, fanciful film.

The collection is a mixed bag, although there are no clunkers.

There are superb performances by Iranian-Canadian Nikohl Boosheri as Atafeh, the more rebellious of the two women, and French-born Sarah Kazemy as the less-privileged Shireen.

Mozart's Sister had a much smaller budget than "Amadeus," but Féret makes good use of his resources, even getting to film in the splendid halls of Versailles. The cast is excellent, be they relatives of the director or not. And the music, though not by a Mozart, is beautiful.

The Last Circus features garish costumes, grotesque ultraviolence and plenty of other assorted weirdness. Although not everybody's glass of sangria, it has the making of a cult hit.

A daunting work that will please movie lovers willing to invest their time and intellect. Now I look forward to Fiennes' next project, a feature about Grace Jones.

Little more than a rehash of old news.

Brace yourself for an explosively brutal finale.

Working from a 1982 novel set in Quebec City, director-writer Jacob Tierney provides enough thrills and surprises, even a little satire, to keep viewers' attention.

It's a clever concept that should play well on TV and the Internet. But as a big-screen movie, Life in a Day -- which lists brothers Tony and Ridley Scott as producers -- elicits a shrug and a question: Who cares?

You might be reminded of Jean-Jacques Beineix's 1981 thriller "Diva," which also involves crooked cops and Metro chases. But you need never have seen "Diva" to be captivated by the exhilarating Point Blank.

The film is most effective when Geier, accompanied by a granddaughter, goes to Ukraine to speak at a school.

Trouble is, the movie is only sporadically funny, and the concept soon grows tiresome. In fact, you could say that there's too much downtime in Autoerotic.

A downer that too often resorts to melodrama.

Hugh Jackman appears briefly as Sophia's Aussie boyfriend, and gets to perform a lively song-and-dance number. But for some strange reason, his name isn't in the credits.

Be warned: The Tree is slow-moving, but if given a chance, it will (pardon the pun) grow on you.

A must for hip-hop heads. Others will either be won over or left wondering what all the fuss is about.

This film is no fairy tale for children. Not only does it contain nudity and sex, both straight and lesbian, but it also presents childhood as a time of terror.

Yvan Attal and Anne Consigny give understated but powerful performances as Graff and his wife, Françoise. Although a bit too long, Rapt makes for compelling viewing.

The opening credits of Gangster's Paradise note that it was "inspired by real events." It would be more accurate to say that the film was inspired by Brian De Palma's "Scarface" and similar fare.

Has its share of clichés and contrivances. Fortunately, compensation is provided by strong performances by veteran actor Vincent Lindon as the coach and newcomer Firat Ayverdi as the refugee.

Potash's film tells an important and disturbing story, but his presentation is uninspired and non-cinematic. It's best left to TV.

On paper, these people may seem like boring statistics. But Andresevic, in her first feature-length film after years of producing commercials for the likes of Nike and Cadillac, turns them into humans viewers will take to heart.

Ultimately breaks down under the weight of too many characters and unbelievable twists.

Levy's innovative movie should appeal to mumblecore fans while perplexing mainstream audiences.

Strained and mildly amusing. The real reason to see the movie is the delightful performance by Sara Forestier, who rightly won the French version of the Oscar for her portrayal of the carefree Baya.

The music is vibrant and the presentation is appealing.

Don't get the wrong idea -- to Rowe's credit, this isn't just a movie about sex. It's a compassionate study of human loneliness. Whatever you do, don't confuse this with the Hollywood rom-com of the same name.

What is missing is any sort of psychological insight. Just what made Renato run? You won't find out here.

If you were among the many who thought highly of "A Prophet," the French prison drama that played here last year, you'll want to see the brutally realistic Danish thriller R.

Buck is best left to TV, where it will land soon. It's "The Horse Whisperer" that should be seen on the big screen.

A beautiful nature film, with gorgeous, multicolored shots of bees and flowers. It also is a well-made documentary about the troubles of the honeybee.

You'll want to catch this clever movie before Hollywood ruins everything with a dumb remake.

While I have no argument with Leeson's political views, her presentation -- mostly a succession of talking heads -- is dry and uninspired. These women deserve better.

You would be hard-pressed to use the word "accessible" to describe Film Socialisme, and that's exactly the way the master wants it.

You don't have to be stoned to watch Mr. Nice, but it might help to be in the same state of mind as its real-life anti-hero, drug kingpin Howard Marks.

A chaotic mess.

If the plot of the Argentine soaper Puzzle seems familiar, that's because it's nearly identical to the story in the French movie "Queen To Play."

A raw mix of documentary and fiction, directed by Koji Wakamatsu, a veteran of soft-core porn ("Go, Go Second Time Virgin") whose anti-war stunner "Caterpillar" just played here.

They breathe originality into an oft-told story.

Call it the rape of Carnegie Hall.

The poetry has more in common with rap lyrics than Baudelaire, but that just increases the fun.

Not a definitive portrait of the designer, nor does it pretend to be. But it should be of interest to viewers even if there's not a single YSL label in their wardrobes.

If action's your thing, then the Chinese-Hong Kong martial-arts epic True Legend is your movie.

Too bad the script is predictable at every turn.

Octubre has the feel of something Jim Jarmusch might have made in his early years -- lots of dark humor that you'll think of in the middle of the night, and laugh about.

The preachy movie is hardly worth the hassle and money required to see it in a theater. Better to download it or wait for it to pop up on TV.

The Japanese anti-war drama Caterpillar is difficult to watch. But it's directed, acted and photographed well, and it's worth seeing even if it makes you uncomfortable.

Japan's Takashi Miike has the formula down pat, but Eisener has no idea how to give violence a touch of class.

Earthwork is best left to TV.

Heisenberg's thriller ends with a chase across highways and through woods that will give viewers adrenaline highs of their own.

A must-see for Miike's passionate legion of fans. But even action buffs who've never seen any of his films before will be drawn in by this masterful exercise in cinematic butchery.

Too bad it lacks a substantial story to go along with the kick-ass combat scenes.

With Japan facing a new nuclear crisis, this beautifully composed and acted heart-wrencher -- couldn't be more timely.

If there's a fresh idea in When Harry Tries To Marry, I couldn't find it.

Unpretentious, TV-style documentary.

Relying heavily on old network newscasts, Corben introduces a collection of colorful characters who just want to get stoned.

There's little new in Armadillo.

Peros probably intends Footprints to be an homage to Hollywood's Golden Age. But the script's so incoherent and the acting so amateurish that it makes the worst old-time Hollywood B-flick seem like "Citizen Kane."

Overall, however, it's sappy and predictable -- fun to watch, perhaps, but instantly forgettable.

Viewers unfamiliar with the politics of the era might feel lost as the plot unfolds, and the 139-minute running time might be a bit much. But why quibble?

The praise for this static, overlong, stagebound work is a mystery to me.

As my cat, Audrey, will confirm, I love animals. But I draw the line at having lions, tigers, gigantic snakes, bears and other predators as pets. Other people have different opinions.

Does a first-rate job of remembering.

A Western, but any similarities between it and, say, a Gene Autry or Hopalong Cassidy shoot-em-up are nonexistent.

Circo is more like "The Smallest Show on Earth" than "The Greatest Show on Earth," the 1952 Oscar winner, but it does provide a look at a unique family and a disappearing way of life.

A thoughtful and intelligent film, and should appeal to adventurous souls.

Anne Coesens, wife of the film's director, Olivier Masset-Depasse, gives a strong performance as Tania.

It's just that the script, which Ozon adapted from a play, is lightweight and better-suited to stage than screen.

Suffers from a lack of focus and a sitcom script.

The noise level reminds me of Canal Street in Chinatown on a Sunday afternoon.

Scott's feature debut is beautifully filmed and offers an unexpectedly shocking ending.

Beautifully filmed and well-acted, "The Gift to Stalin," directed by Rustem Abdrashev, has its schmaltzy, cliched moments, including an unnecessary finale in Jerusalem.

Sadly, with the Soviet Union gone, the art faces a new enemy: Islamic extremists.

Literate and engrossing, with excellent performances.

An enjoyable mix of tragedy and comedy.

You won't soon forget it -- if you have the guts to see it.

Perplexing but pleasing.

It's an interesting story, but the presentation is more like a home movie than something you'd pay to see in a theater.

It's also sugary and has a silly tear-jerker ending. But I found myself laughing at the film's gentle humor, anyway.

An example of style over substance. There's lots of slo-mo and jittery hand-held camera work, and references to the French New Wave (especially François Truffaut), but little depth.

If there's an awkward moment, it's the scene in which the monks take part in a sort of Last Supper, drinking wine while Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" plays in the background. You keep waiting for Natalie Portman to twirl into the room.

The dialogue is banal and the acting, especially Wortham's, is unconvincing. Even the sex and nudity, of which there is a lot, grows tiresome after a while.

Morbidly funny art-house horror tale.

Beautifully composed documentary.

A technical and performance success. The chemistry between Sosa and Lujan heats up the screen as their lives spiral out of control.

Poetry, which rightfully won the best-screenplay prize at Cannes, never resorts to exploitation. Under Lee's guidence, it is a mature film for mature audiences.