Valeria Bertucelli and Ingrid Rubio as Elena and Natalia barely register for the camera, either in their adult incarnations or as the mod teens of 1975 Argentina.

While I did enjoy the ride I took with the film, after the lights came up I was just thrilled Lynch was allowed to create such a journey for us to go on. Imagine what the cinema world would be like if more great directors threw caution to the wind and followed their artistic vision. It's a world I'd like to see and I hope Lynch continues to pave the way.

For an origin story about one of the most compelling and important characters in history, The Nativity Story is pretty damn boring.

An uber-modern romance story that's powered with raw honesty and coated with wild imagination.

von Donnersmarck creates a milieu so realistic that the attention-worthy setting becomes just a backdrop, while an intricate tale, as suspenseful as it is humanistic, takes over.

Turistas fails in almost every way a movie like this can.

A great effort from first time feature filmmaker Jason Matzer.

The ultimate rarity: a sequel that is miles ahead of its predecessor in every imaginable department.

Like all of his previous films, it's visually arresting - if any recent film embodies the concept of cinema as poetry, this it it - but unlike "Pi" or "Requiem for a Dream," these aren't characters we're ever invested in.

In the end, Jack, Kyle and director Liam Lynch ("Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic") have created more than just a low-brow comedy, they've created a comedic saga, a film more rock show than movie.

Casino Royale is quite possibly the best action movie of the year.

Overall, however, for a children's film, it hits all the major notes. Keep it musical, keep it lively, keep it cute and, you know, if you can, slip in a moral.

Through it all, Fast Food Nation never really preaches to viewers, it just lays ideas out there. In that respect, it's every bit a talky, philosophical Richard Linklater movie.

By the end of the 99 minute running time, there is a terrible sense of been-there/done-that. And for artists of the Quays' caliber, that is a huge mistake.

While an enjoyable twist on the noir genre, a little more character development would have been nice.

The thing is, these chatty, pedantic, annoying characters are simply not interesting enough to follow for five minutes, let alone over two hours.

Give Harsh Times an "E" for effort, but not much else.

An oddly sweet little tale, and easily Ferrell’s most enjoyable movie in recent memory. And even though his onscreen chemistry with Gyllenhaal fills me with murderous rage, this film goes a long way towards erasing the memory of his more obnoxious roles.

Offers the Iraqis a rare chance to share their anger and their lives with the outside world. The resulting production is a raw and powerful film that demands to be seen.

The end result is stale, clumsy, and about as compelling as an average episode of "As the World Turns."

Provides a highly provocative and humorous overview of a word that, love it or hate it, undoubtedly holds more power than its measly four letters might suggest. All in all, I'd have to say that this film was entertaining as f*ck.

While the film suffers from a forced absurdity meant to invoke comedy and laughs along with a sluggish pacing, Rejtman captures the grim monotony of life well.

Borat isn't just one of the funniest movies of the year, it might be one of the funniest movies of all time.

Speaking as a reviled straight male, I would say that the only true saving grace about this film is Penelope Cruz's performance.

Modern-day poetry about being older.

Works best as a beautifully executed and inspirational work of self-sacrifice.

As much as you'd like the characters to become better people and beat Jigsaw's game, there is also a strong desire simply to watch violent spectacle. And somehow, there just isn't enough of the latter.

The film is technically superior, and its look and the strength of its performances (Blanchett, Barraza, and Kikuchi especially) carry it above similar fare.

The film is professionally made but a thorough bore at every imaginable level.

Traveling faster than a fat line of blow snorted from mirror to nose, Cocaine Cowboys is all rush and no crash.

Reports of boos at the film's debut at Cannes are more understandable now, not because Marie Antoinette is an inaccurate or indifferent look at French history (it is), but because it's self-indulgent shit. Booing - and beheading - are too good for it.

Murphy doesn't have much of a handle on juggling laughs with pathos, and this makes some of the more touching scenes unintentionally amusing. The film, like Augusten's life, is uneven but not without its charms.

What Flags of Our Fathers is not, however, is moving, evocative, or very unique.

When all is said and done and you get the full explanation of what meant what and who did what to whom, it's not fulfilling at all. It's a magic trick that's all showmanship and craft, but lacking true whimsy, ultimately failing the audience.

Provides lethal evidence of what becomes of those who deposit their sincerity into the command of a religious lunatic.

It's pretty basic here. You have a Bill Plympton movie. You know what to expect – complete rampant insanity from the mind of a mad genius.

The same problems that plagued the original are on display here. Most notably, the lack of any coherent plot. Lots of creepy kids jump out at us, but these scenes are never satisfactorily meshed into the story itself.

What’s a muscular guy like John Cena doing in a flabby movie like this? This connect-the-dots action-adventure may appeal to undemanding ten-year-old boys but will bore everyone else.

Any thinking person – no matter what political stripe or moral belief – needs to see this important film then try to apply its valuable lessons to today's, still, unstable planet.

Offers an unflinching look at the effects of a terminal diagnosis, not just on the victim, but on everyone around him.

While the screenplay for Little Chilldren is basically perfect, it's the acting that really drives the film home.

This isn't to say The Departed is a bad movie, far from it, but knowing who's directing it and the amount of talent he had to work with, it's hard not to be disappointed that Scorsese didn't knock us on our asses. Is it his best movie since "Goodfellas?" Sure, but it falls shy of that film's excellence.

It tries to toe the line between romantic comedy and vulgar pseudo-satire and fails at both.

"The Beginning" is a better movie than the 2003 remake, even if the plot is understandably similar. There are only so many ways hapless teens can get brutally slaughtered, after all, but Liebesman and company keep things appropriately creepy, right down to aping the look of the 1974 original.

The film's effectiveness is bolstered by juxtaposed scenes of fat and happy Americans and Europeans slurping up frozen chai lattes and clucking about how big Starbuck's is getting with scenes of children going into "therapeutic feeding centers" in the region where Starbuck's gets its coffee because they can't afford to by corn.

Full of interesting visuals and illustrations, Tales of the Rat Fink would have made a really great introduction to a film that I never got to see.

Cegavske's film is a meld of surreal imagery, and a morbid somewhat horrific story that art lovers will enjoy. Horror fans need apply.

Davis and company need to be taken to task for giving us a movie that makes rescue divers, arguably among the most death-defying of professionals, boring.

Downey Jr. and LaBeouf as Dito as well as Chazz Palminteri as Monty are outstanding. Channing Tatum (who I've never heard of) is also amazing as the tortured soul Antonio.

The Pixies are back together, the music is as unbelievable as ever and what more could you ask for?

In addition to a very engaging script, Forrest Whitaker and James McAvoy amazingly express the tension and the camaraderie shared by Amin and Garrigan.

Comes up short in many ways, but none more so than its failure to fulfill Penn's and Zaillian's desire to provide the catalyst for political sea change.

Comedy, like most everything else, is subjective, and this may be the greatest example out there of "getting it" or not. If you thought the first movie, the original TV show, the Three Stooges, or "Football in the Groin," was funny, chances are “ackass: Number Two is right up your alley.

The theme behind Fearless is utterly simplistic, but universal: violence begets violence. It's a never ending cycle that becomes more and more vicious, until someone decides to stop it. It's a worthy final installment.

This is a superior horror film. It hits hard and fast, letting up only to inject some black humor and amp up the tension again before coming back for more. Feast is nasty, brutish, and short, just like Hobbes said all horror flicks should be.

Jesus Camp works nicely as a time-capsule document confirming the impact -- and popularity -- of American evangelism.

Not only documents a fascinating part of American history, but also leaves us wondering how (and if) this era's youth will manage to find a voice of their own.

Director Marc Rosenbush gets the absolute most he can out of his no-budget-friendly, minimalist location and a solid, if unremarkable cast.

The Science of Sleep truly has to be seen to be believed.

Seeing stories about politicians like this that are so strongly passionate and enduring uplifts our feelings of dread towards politics. If only more politicians followed her example, perhaps we wouldn’t be in the current state we are in today.

A superb exercise in economical filmmaking. Not only from a financial standpoint, as the film was shot in HD and on-location in gorgeous Portland, Oregon…but the story here is so subtle and well drawn, if you blink you might miss it.

It looks stylish, sure, but the script is laughable and the acting is ridiculous.

Far from being a mere polemic, The Ground Truth is bolstered immeasurably by Foulkrod’s almost exclusive use of interviews with actual veterans.

Generally, this film is lively and entertaining. The dialogue among the four principals trips along at a brisk pace, never becoming overly dense or plodding.

A welcome return to the raunchy hey-day of comedy, a true guy's film.

Features an excellent cast all of whom shine. Affleck as Reeves has never seemed more charming and Brody’s Louis Simo is pretty much a scumbag who still manages to gain our empathy.

Sadly, the greatness of Jaa's movements are drowned by an ocean of bad editing, terrible dubbing, disorienting action sequences, and repetitive fight sequences that feel as if they were copied straight from a side-scrolling videogame like "Streets of Rage."

The film as a whole is vaguely entertaining but due to the unsympathetic nature of the lead character, it's hard to emotionally invest in the film beyond that feeling of watching yet another Jerry Springer-friendly family adventure. It’s simply unexceptional.

A gem of a film that explores race relations, genetic fate and the allure of family, Neo Ned is a quality feat of filmmaking.

A film about a family billed as "bizarrely dysfunctional" – is a pleasant enough experience. However, it probably could have used a little more of the bizarre or dysfunctional to spice things up.

It is not only the year's best documentary, but it is also among the finest films ever made about religion.

The Wicker Man isn't all that bad a movie; it's visually striking and ambitious in some ways. It just fails to bring enough to the table to fully distance itself from the original.

Authentic and hilarious. This film sparks with a natural comic rhythm.

Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou has created so many memorable films (most recently the wuxia double-play "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers") that one can easily excuse his new clinker Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles.

It's vital that everyone who cares about film see this documentary.

It elicits so many laughs, in fact, that you have to wonder just what Judge did to piss off the suits at Fox so much that they would willingly torpedo one of the only genuinely hilarious movies to come out this year.

Granted, you'e going to enjoy it a lot more if you spent a healthy chunk of your late teens/early 20s playing Bullshit and doing keg stands, but it's far from the worst comedy of the year.

The direction is lackluster, the child actors – with the exception of Eisenberg – are pretty dismal, and the whole thing is about 15 minutes too long.

A touching, stirring story even if it has been given the Hollywood treatment.

The Quiet is best for cheap laughs by jaded moviegoers with absolutely nothing better to do with their time.

For non-actors, everyone in this film really pulls their character off extremely well.

Princesas isn't the cliché "Pretty Woman" type romantic-comedy you'd expect – it's actually quite surprising.

All hyperbole aside, “When the Levees Broke” is one of the most important film documents ever made. It’s an honest, fair and unflinching look at one of the greatest, and saddest, natural disasters to hit our shores.

1. It has the potential to supplant "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" as the greatest audience participation movie of all time. 2. It is, simultaneously, one of the worst and best movies I’ve ever seen.

How much you join in will depend on how big a fan you are of the collegiate comedy formula, how many times you've seen "Animal House" and "Caddyshack," and how much you hate Long in those smarmy Mac commercials.

While it might have made a good short, as a feature film The Illusionist comes across like a magician whose tricks are transparent.

Bukowski had a bunch of none too kind things to say about “Barfly" upon its release in the 80s, but, with Factotum, he'd do plenty of bitching and moaning as well, but deep down, Hank would approve.

Laughter erupts during scenes and certain close-ups that were designed to induce screams.

Step Up doesn't want to be new, original, innovative, or fresh, and it makes a point of practicing that guideline at every chance.

"X-Men" sans the intellect and atmosphere.

Fleck manages to mix the storylines which include drug abuse, political commentary and making good choices about your life's path flawlessly.

Full of looming symbolism, House of Sand is a brilliant tale following a family that brings a group of settlers into the middle of the desert to start a new life.

In the end, Who Needs Sleep is a great sleeping aid, but a horribly dull and uninspiring documentary.

Almost unforgivably sentimental.

All in all, this is an accessible art house horror film whose trailer and premise do not do justice to the end result.

Barnyard isn't a complete waste of time, it's just too familiar.

By the time the credits rolled I was bored rather than stunned by the revelations within the movie and I just want these type of reversal/twist movies to get better, or go away.

Monotonous. For while it offers a few precious laughs, Talladega Nights simply apes the look and feel of most recent Ferrell movies.