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. Tears of the Sun
    The result is hardly a subtle film, but it has a stronger sense of combat's real costs and consequences than more sensationalistic pictures like "Black Hawk Down" and "We Were Soldiers" provide.
  2. Nowhere in Africa
    If lush landscapes and exotic wildlife are what you're after, this isn't the safari for you. But many moviegoers will respond to its mixture of family drama and Holocaust-era history.
  3. Laurel Canyon
    The story of Laurel Canyon doesn't ultimately live up to the technical polish Cholodenko brings to it, but it's worth a visit if you want to check out the latest emotional vibes emanating from the Hollywood Hills.
  4. Bringing Down the House
    The movie's real spectacle is the sight of so many talented people slogging through such idiotic material.
  5. Irreversible
    Noe's despairing view of human nature is as thoughtful as it is grim, limning the most appalling aspects of earthly experience in terms recalling Dante and Bosh, among other apocalyptic artists.
  6. Ten
    Iran's greatest filmmaker is fond of stripping personalities bare through conversations they have while riding in cars. Here he pushes his favorite dramatic device to its limit.
  7. Horns and Halos
    The movie should fascinate anyone interested in politics, publishing, and the uneasy marriage between big money and mass communication.
  8. Lawless Heart
    Solid acting and engaging characters round out the neatly assembled tale.
  9. Tales of Erotica
    Three brief comedies filmed in English for a German television series. The most thoughtful is Seidelman's contribution, The Dutch Master."
  10. Dark Blue
    It gains a major charge of dramatic energy from Kurt Russell's ferocious acting, almost certainly the best of his career.
  11. Till Human Voices Wake Us
    Petroni's directorial debut is too bittersweet and atmospheric for its own good, wrapping a potentially strong story in too many layers of misty emotion.
  12. The Life of David Gale
    More concerned with quickening our pulses than broadening our minds.
  13. Gods and Generals
    At 225 minutes long, it feels like a trilogy in itself. That wouldn't be a problem if it had energy and imagination, but those qualities are missing, as is any sense of historical or philosophical context.
  14. From the Other Side
    Akerman is among the most imaginative filmmakers in her native Belgium or anywhere else, but here she doesn't get very far beneath the surface of her subject.
  15. Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony
    There are lots of lively tunes in an excellent cause, but in the end you wish you'd either probed more deeply into historical events or heard more uninterrupted minutes of inspired performing.
  16. Ordinary Sinner
    This low-budget drama tries very hard to convey messages of tolerance and compassion, but it's too weakly acted and directed to have much impact.
  17. All the Real Girls
    The main characters are unremarkable, and most of the acting is dull.
  18. Gerry
    Take a chance on Gerry. It's only a movie, and you'll get out alive no matter what happens on the screen. You might even find you've had a rare adventure.
  19. Painted Fire
    While this isn't a masterpiece on the level of his great "Chunhyang," it packs a sophisticated cinematic punch.
  20. He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not
    Movie-style romance may never look quite the same. Neither will flower petals.
  21. Stone Reader
    The film is a disappointment, and at more than two hours' running time, a very long disappointment.
  22. Kedma
    The drama makes up in intellectual weight what it sometimes lacks in psychological interest and cinematic realism.
  23. Zus & zo
    The characters of this Dutch comedy aren't very interesting or original, but it has a stylish look and spirited performances.
  24. The Guru
    The kind of comedy that aims at "edginess" and "sassiness" without managing to be edgy or sassy for a second.
  25. Lost in La Mancha
    This is a sad and funny true-life tale that speaks volumes about the difficulties of independent filmmaking.
  26. The Recruit
    The first half packs some clever surprises, but eventually you'll wish you'd signed up with another movie.
  27. Chaos
    The drama's elegant structure, which takes you through a series of surprises so smoothly and logically that it might be over before you realize you've seen one of the new year's most intriguing, intelligent movies.
  28. In the Mirror of Maya Deren
    In the Mirror of Maya Deren, creatively written and directed by Martina Kudlacek, is an eloquent memorial to her unique accomplishments -- and an excellent introduction for those who have yet to discover them.
  29. Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary
    Junge's testimony is a salutary reminder that Hitler was like other people in ways, and that the evil he manifested could visit us again if more civilized humans don't remain watchful.
  30. Amen.
    It's regrettable that director Costa-Gavras puts more of his storytelling energy into simplistic psychology and suspense-movie action than historical depth and philosophical insight. This prevents Amen. from becoming a Holocaust drama for the ages.
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