Christian Science Monitor's Scores

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For 4,492 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 55% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 43% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.1 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 'Round Midnight
Lowest review score: 0 Couples Retreat
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,780 out of 4492
  2. Mixed: 1,361 out of 4492
  3. Negative: 351 out of 4492
4492 movie reviews
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  1. Dogville
    Von Trier sets the action on a theatrical stage, spotlighting the existential isolation that weighs on people who don't seek larger visions of life, individuality, and community. Challenging, dramatic, provocative.
  2. Never Die Alone
    This throwback to the outmoded blaxploitation genre is skillfully filmed by Dickerson, but has little else to offer besides cheap, violent thrills.
  3. Mayor of the Sunset Strip
    Like its star, it's quietly sincere and compulsively watchable.
  4. Ned Kelly
    The cast works hard, but Jordan's directing is too ponderous and slow to build dramatic energy.
  5. Raja
    Subtle filmmaking and true-as-life acting make this an acute psychological drama with an engrossing sociological subtext. It stands with Doillon's best work.
  6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    A complicated story that demands your full attention; Mr. Gondry unfolds it at a mind-bending pace. This alone makes it a hugely refreshing respite from ordinary multiplex fare.
  7. Taking Lives
    No amount of technical skill can substitute for genuine shivers, and in the fright department this picture rarely lives up to its hype.
  8. Dawn of the Dead
    Horror buffs will find plenty of split-second suspense and in-your-face carnage, while others will scramble for the exit as quickly as the characters race away from their apocalyptic foes.
  9. Intermission
    It's surprising that so much material, so many moods, and such an interesting cast end up making such a small, unmemorable splash.
  10. Divan
    The picture makes up in energy and high spirits what it lacks in structure and style.
  11. Noi the Albino
    Quirky, heartfelt acting makes this a superior entry in the perennial teenage-misfit genre.
  12. Distant
    Mood, atmosphere, and character are more important than story twists in this unassuming, acutely observant drama.
  13. Secret Window
    Depp gives a smart, subtle performance, and Turturro is terrific as a foe who's both exactly what he seems and exactly the opposite. Koepp's makes his (literally) corny tricks seemfresh and surprising.
  14. Spartan
    When he's good, Mr. Mamet is very good indeed, and Spartan stands with the best work he's done. It's fast-moving, unpredictable, and as tautly, tightly wound as thrillers get.
  15. Knafayim Shvurot
    Heartfelt acting and a sometimes tragic but ultimately life-affirming story make this an unusually touching Israeli production.
  16. Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
    Directed and cowritten by a veteran of Denmark's no-frills "Dogma 95" movement, this is a quiet, no-frills drama with simple human values at its core.
  17. This Ain't No Heartland
    What emerges most strongly, though, is a staggering degree of ignorance among everyday Americans about the basic meanings of democracy, liberty, and national security. [20 Aug 2004, p.15]
    • Christian Science Monitor
  18. Starsky & Hutch
    The title characters are wittily crafted by Messrs. Stiller and Wilson, and Snoop Dogg is a riot as Huggy Bear.
  19. Hidalgo
    You might expect "Seabiscuit" meets "Lawrence of Arabia," but overall, it's a big, beautiful bore.
  20. James' Journey to Jerusalem
    Isn't glossy, but it has a thought-provoking mix of skepticism, hopefulness, and respect for all but its most scurrilous characters. Hollywood could learn from its canny blending of psychological and multicultural insights.
  21. The Reckoning
    The story never gathers much dramatic momentum despite an impressive cast and a lot of dank Middle Ages atmosphere.
  22. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
    This belated "reimagining" is as beguiling as a dried-out palm tree.
  23. Twisted
    Surely it couldn't be meant as dramatic realism! But it is. And amazingly, the movie gets worse as it goes along.
  24. Risk/Reward
    To its credit, the movie has as little patience for nonessential nonsense as the women it portrays.
  25. The Passion of the Christ
    Expertly made, thanks largely to Jim Caviezel's fervent portrayal of Jesus and Caleb Deschanel's skillful camera work. But the film contains little to learn from, unless one is unfamiliar with basic Christian history.
  26. Kitchen Stories
    Acted and directed with a savvy understatement that perfectly matches the eccentric story.
  27. Against the Ropes
    Like the recent "Mona Lisa Smile," this tale could have been an effective feminist fable if it weren't so calculated.
  28. Welcome to Mooseport
    Romano tries hard, but it takes real big-screen talent to draw laughs and emotions from material as flimsy and formulaic as the script.
  29. Big Animal
    The drama is a gentle, witty parable of the mixed feelings some people show toward free choice when it confronts them not in theory but in everyday life.
  30. Clifford's Really Big Movie
    Tamer than tame in every respect, which makes it great for little kids, if not for the grownups who bring them.
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