What ensues is a love story ringed by barbed wire and etched in blood with the jagged neck of a broken beer bottle.

Touching.

Smart, entertaining update.

Though the film would benefit from further cuts, Machuca still manages to convey the frailty of convictions and the difficulties of growing up -- be it a child or a nation.

Descended from a long and healthy line of high school-sports and academic-achievement films, a hip-hop "Hoosiers" bolstered by a generous helping of "Stand and Deliver" and "Lean On Me."

Part of the problem is that Garner, so irresistible on television and in last year's "13 Going on 30," just can't pull off the cold-hearted killer routine.

There's very little in The Chorus you haven't seen before, but the movie's depth of sentiment -- especially its profound humanism -- makes it worth experiencing again.

The visuals are really the only compelling reason to see Appleseed.

It is a grim and monotonous affair despite the overkill of bad guys -- a trio of evil spirits plus a bonus serial killer -- mixed with a few cheap shocks futilely intended to make the audience jump.

Engaging and enjoyable.

Shakespeare's rich language does not fit soundly inside every mouth.

Johansson is magnetic enough to make this batch of Southern-fried corn almost digestible.

The movie doesn't make you care.

Kenan Thompson may not look the part, but he's instantly likeable as Fat Albert.

What makes The Woodsman meaningful is Bacon's tortured suffering.

Too much of this lame comedy feels like it was written to satisfy a contract, with gags (like the business with the perpetually horny dog or the toddler who knows sign language) that are way beneath the talents of this cast.

Flamboyantly over-the-top, visually kinetic.

All we can do is hope that films such as Hotel Rwanda remind us all -- moviegoer and politician -- of the terrible cost of doing nothing.

Scorsese has crafted a luxurious entertainment that goes down like a flute of sparkling, silky champagne.

A work of wonderfully sinister fantasy. Director Brad Silberling is always mindful of his kiddie audience -- the movie is never even remotely scary.

The message in Spanglish is thoughtful and astute; it's the delivery that could use some work.

It's a shame that no one involved with Flight of the Phoenix knew what a hit phenomenon "Lost" would be, or else they might have taken greater care in developing the challenges this crew would face.

Camp classic? You bet.

Fortunately, Bardem, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Julian Schnabel's "Before Night Falls," makes up for the script's shortcomings.

Has all the makings of another "Ice Storm" -- family tension, teen experimentation, friendly neighborhood wife-swapping and a death in the family -- but falls short in its execution.

One of the many pleasures of this beautifully composed, measured movie is how it reminds you of the power of pure storytelling -- an art that's too often overlooked in contemporary films in the rush for sensation and excitement.

Even frothier and more frivolous than the first movie: It's a heist picture so laid-back and unconcerned, even the heist feels like an afterthought.

The movie still feels strangely inert; it's an adventure in which nothing ever really seems to happen.