At 74 tough and tragic minutes, though, Kimjongilia is not destined for monetary glory. The waiting arms of public television are the more likely destination.

It’s a marvelous document of a still vital musician whose unbending indifference to pop fashion has proven him more creatively durable than any other figure from the golden ’60s moment that gave birth to his career.

Far from a perfect movie, but there are moments when it comes about as close to catching the visceral kick of the pre-iPod rock experience as any film I've ever seen.

Forty-four years after his exciting debut feature "Fists in the Pocket," Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio continues his late-career renaissance with the passionate, beautifully crafted, period melodrama Vincere.

This NYC-stamped film may claim street cred because it set-up shop along No Man’s Land, Brooklyn, late at night, but its drowsy work and parlor tricks suck the life out of what’s supposed to be a sleepless city.

It may be difficult for the youth-obsessed American culture to appreciate the quiet joys rendered in this Italian charmer. But, given the increasing dominion of the Baby-Boomer Generation--hungry for life-affirming images of old age--Mid-August Lunch could prove a sleeper-in-the-making.

Bong's stylistic embellishment of the simple tale of a mother who will do anything to protect her son is breathtaking.

Green Zone is an exercise in commercial cowardice masquerading as a thriller about political bravery.

Further exploration of this psychological question might have made for a more substantial, less enervating artfilm. One less liable to be experienced as an approximation of cinematic waterboarding.

Sometimes hilarious, occasionally outrageous and terribly uneven.

It’d all be pretty ho-hum weren’t it for some decent chemistry between the leads and the effortless presence of Regina King and Forest Whitaker.

For those looking for the rare romantic youth drama without vampyric overtones or other gimmicks, Remember Me should satisfy and it works as a much-needed change of pace for the talented Pattinson who remains one of the most watchable of our young stars.

Severe Clear provides a view of the early days of the war and reminds you of all the promotion and idealism that conflict came with.

Tim Burton, plus Alice, plus 3D equals an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind movie experience. It will clean up.

In a brief supporting role Meg Ryan is also fine along with Brian F. O’Byrne and Will Patton. Shannon Kane is memorable as the prostitute Gere hooks up with.

The exquisite art and fairytale ambience will win over animation fans and children alike.

An ultra-thin spliff, Cop Out never sparks, although knowing that in advance won’t deter moviegoers who believe pairing Morgan & Willis with Smith equals hilarity.

An entertaining fright movie that’s crazy fun and full of genuine scares.

Whether audiences have the stomach for 150 minutes behind bars remains debatable, but there is no denying the persuasive power of a film that takes no prisoners and pulls no punches.

The film can be dry and a little repetitive. For all of that, it still manages to generate a surprising measure of suspense and it produces outrage in abundance.

That tension between silly comedy and poignant drama could have been dicey, but Stebbings and Harrelson maintain just the right balance between the two.

While it is captivating stylistically, and the primer on the China/Taiwan relationship is great fodder for political geeks, even in its deepest moments of intrigue and pathos this is a cable TV movie at best.

The unexpected directions in their family dynamics and unflinching scenes of the volatile Marc keep Prodigal Sons absorbing.

Moving and more ambitious than a CW serial drama or the long-ago ABC After School Specials because its honesty outweighs its occasionally trite dialogue and sometimes false scenes.

The romantic drama earns solid marks for atmosphere, moving shots of post-Katrina New Orleans and acting.

Shutter Island is a bear hug to cinema while it’s also an occasionally tart valentine to genre.

Ultimately, however, the movie is about the fact that there was a civil rights movement at all, and incidents like the murder of Dickie Marrow necessitated that movement--deep into the 1970s and beyond.

If it is possible to watch this work as a movie rather than using it as a referendum on its maker’s guilt or innocence, the audience that craves mature, sophisticated and grown-up entertainment will find much to admire here.