Of the several threads interwoven here, only one is riveting, thanks to the performance of Sandrine Kiberlain as Betty.

Despite some contrived plotting, Amari and Abbass have so much empathy for Lilia's shy self-discovery, it's a pleasure to watch her gradually give in to her newfound joy.

A bug-eyed marvel. [2 October 1998, p. 56]

Though The Lookout is eventually a genre film, with a tense, bang-up ending, it is also a thoughtful study of a young man trying to make sense of a world that he is having to learn all over again.

Amusing as it is, it never feels real.

Velvety storytelling still feels more thawed-out than heated.

Fearless nonfiction filmmaker Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side," "Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer") details a history of horrific abuse by Catholic clergy in this tough-to-watch documentary.

A film based on a true story should have three things — strong characters, fierce conflict and a fresh angle. Battle of the Sexes serves up all of them.

The only thing that's missing, in fact, is a soul. On the other hand, there's a good chance you'll get so caught up in what they're doing, you won't even notice how stiff and inhuman the actors appear.

"Dexter” fans will enjoy watching Michael C. Hall as a bumbling everyman terrified of violence. But there’s plenty more to appreciate within Jim Mickle’s gripping adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s pulp novel.

It doesn't get much more romantic than this.

Knowing that the director is Robert Altman gives you a good idea of what to expect: a demimonde of locker-room chatter, catty sniping, backstage politics, high art and low self-esteem. Altman constructs the movie with the same cross-currents of his other ensemble movies.

Every once in a while, a performance pops out of a Hollywood movie that is so brilliant and unique to the matching of actor to role that it's impossible to imagine anyone else achieving it.

Laced with flashbacks and stylistic tics, but it never loses its forward momentum, and to the last shot, it avoids predictability.

A gloriously, heart-rendingly beautiful, stirring picture of a generation in British family life.

Designed as a giant put-on, "Kiss Kiss" is so inside Hollywood, so anxious to bite the hand that fed Black, that it plays like an elaborate prank. Some of it is a lot of fun; most of it is a lot of nonsense.

One of the reasons the move is so funny is that it is only a few degrees away from real life.

In the end, it's a sweeping, important film that overturns everything you learned in school about the birth of this nation.

Works on every level. The humor and language are as crude as an R rating allows, but Carell and Apatow's script is so hip, funny and - yes - innocent that it's never offensive.

Mikkelsen's unconventional features and intense talent lend a compelling edge to this expansive period piece.

Certainly has the look and feel of a masterpiece, but it's missing the emotional core that most moviegoers need.

It's not so much good material as divinely inspired delivery.

It's reassuring to see love and sex in one's 70s depicted as fully replenishing. At the same time, it's sobering to think that it's no easier in the twilight of life to make rational decisions regarding the heart.

It irks the ink out of me to see Lane exalted as a hero for doing what any responsible editor would do, then being paid to consult on his own canonization.

Go for the extraordinary special effects, by all means, but not if you want to feel good about yourself or humanity. And heed the PG-13 rating, because this movie takes no prisoners.

What stands out, not surprisingly, is the work and passion that goes into the shows. But seeing all this from the inside creates an extraordinary level of empathy for those involved.

A wild and unexpected film.

It’s easy to roll your eyes at this slapdash film-school reject — though director Leah Meyerhoff can be forgiven a bit. She’s still in film school.

Makes hoops look like the sexiest game in town.

As the relationship between the two British schoolteachers begins (quietly), builds (deceptively) and dissolves (spectacularly), Dench and Blanchett give a master class in acting. Pick your own sports metaphor, but watching them go at each other is the match of the year.

Fujimori comes off as amiable and in full denial, recalling the positive headlines of his presidency - and there were many - while laying the scandals off on Montesinos.

Belafonte still finds ways to address injustice - and now we have over 50 years of his example to follow and his music to enjoy.

This important, moving event was, as we know, documented in real time, but in Uprising gets put into a crucial context.

Lengthy clips of leaders including Angela Davis and Stokely Carmichael bring us back to emotional moments in this country's history.

The mystery is pretty low-key and the resolution somewhat disappointing. But Amalric is mesmerizing and the film’s taut, chilly tone leaves us unnerved.

Faour and Muallen give solid performances, but there are a few too many by-the-numbers moments.

Mendes -- wants to have it both ways, to get close to mob life, but be no part of it. And he keeps us at a dime-novel distance, too. He has made a dreamy, poetic impression of a world that exists only on film and in comic strips, and that has no resonance for most of us.

Without excusing Stevie's behavior, the film makes a compelling case for how a child molester can grow from the bitter seeds of neglect and abuse.

Sven Wollter and Viveka Seldahl give superb performances as the couple, a once-vigorous conductor and his orchestra's concertmistress. But soon ... well, you know the drill.

The strength of McKay's film is not in identifying a cultural period, but in giving voice to so many great theater people. Their passion is infectious, their stories are priceless and their humor is boundless.

Like Ceylan's earlier films, Climates is as gorgeous as it is self-consciously composed, but an hour and 40 minutes is a long time to spend with Isa, forget three seasons.

The film's standout performance belongs to Ed Harris, who plays a Boston detective with decades of experience and an equal amount of built-up resentment toward people who would harm children.

Though Bowser uses old footage when possible, the absence of his subject -- who died tragically in 1976 -- is keenly felt.

For starters, it's a pleasure to see Matthew McConaughey - a gifted actor who can't hide his boredom in trivial work - finally settle into the role for which he was born.

No movie could capture all the alarming incidents and contradictions that make up the complete N.W.A. story. But in order to stress the group’s most righteous side, the movie downplays their youthful excesses as well as their flagrant sexism.

Gorgeously photographed, and as loosey-goosey as its hero, Captain Fantastic takes some unexpected turns. Is Ben eccentric or irresponsible? Is he raising free-thinking iconoclasts — or training a new generation of Unabombers?

The film paints an affectionate portrait of a wry, somewhat addled man whose hard-partying past was in stark contrast with his later life - a fluffy cat nestles in his guitar case while he explains his nickname.

Scott and Plummer may deserve a standing ovation for taking a powerful stand amid the #metoo movement. If only the rest of All the Money the World was as powerful.

If last year’s searing old-age tragedy, “Amour” — or 2006’s bravely blunt “Away From Her” — weren’t digestible enough for you, perhaps this mild romance will suffice.

Haroun is achingly conscious of day-to-day decisions that seem small when they're made but can suddenly loom large.

Pieced together, these behind-the-scenes moments are a thrill for history buffs. From the moon landing to the resignations, this is raw Nixon.

Not all of the twists work, but most are self-knowing enough to keep you guessing until its (literally) groundbreaking conclusion.

The eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) can't feel pleasure, even though he's surrounded by it, so it's weirdly appropriate that the movie isn't "fun," even if it's amazing to look at.

A natural crowd-pleaser, this year's big Sundance award winner is both overly familiar and surprisingly fresh.

A long sit for those unfamiliar with Proust's literary quest and output, but the view is sensational.

Moore brilliantly unmasks the inanity of the arguments used in the debate over gun control in America. He then undermines himself by leaping into the blame game without supporting his central thesis, that the media is what makes teens like the ones at Columbine turn around and shoot up their schools.

The Trials of Henry Kissinger serves as both a prosecution brief on the above charges and an unauthorized biography.

The result of Moskowitz's sleuthing is Stone Reader, a combination mystery, book celebration and -- sorry to say -- intrusively annoying self-portrait of the filmmaker.

No picnic to watch -- Leigh's camera is unsentimental and unsparing.

Does an uncommonly good job of summoning all that goes into a masterpiece - erotic tension, financial considerations, even the sensual, elaborate grinding and mixing of paint colors as per 17th-century requirements.

Geraghty relies too heavily on facial expressions and mannerisms, but those who appreciate visible effort may be seduced. There's no denying he works hard to keep us on the line.

This story doesn't go well with popcorn, and you won't be able to shake it off like so many blockbusters. That said, it's likely to be the most unforgettable film you see all summer.

The father is the only one who can leave the house to go to his factory job, and that seems like a paradise for viewers trapped watching this clinically shot claptrap.

Watching politics and the people in it can be disheartening and depressing. Here’s an antidote: This energizing, uplifting, sharp documentary from director Kevin Gordon.

Neither Claude nor Ozon comes up with a satisfying finish to this intriguing setup. But because they’re both so committed to seducing their audience, it’s a lot of fun watching them try.

Its straightforward approach is notably lacking the divine inspiration of its subject. But Don McGlynn's gospel documentary delivers so many moments of artistic ecstasy, we can forgive the plain wrapping.

A faithful and beautifully impressive transition to the screen of Robert Bolt's superb historical play.

Intermittent shots of actress Emmanuelle Seigner embodying the lyrics are surplus.

Narrated by Nicole Kidman, this poignant documentary tells only half the story of three Sudanese "lost boys" who emigrate to America. Though it doesn't delve as deep as it should, this movie will still break your heart.

A pitch-perfect gem.

This rousing story of the comeback colt comes close to a modern-day Frank Capra film without the pandering or mawkishness. Yes, it's a bit hokey, but if you fight the movie's gait you'll miss the excitement of the race.

Beautifully acted and exquisitely photographed, director Claude Miller's superb drama, from Philippe Grimbert's autobiographical novel, is awash with the ripples created by unlived lives.

There is a vengeance motif that is worked out in a way that is both emotionally satisfying and completely unbelievable.

As a virtual tour of what Earth Day is about, kids ought to be entranced. If it helps them get greener, even better.

What this rich film does go into — in a lengthy tangent that’s less punchy but important — is the impropriety Jobs trafficked in when he allowed himself and high-ranking Apple-ers to be granted backdated stock options. They got wealthy as their product was being made, amid some scandal, for a pittance in China.

The dubbing from German to Polish is off-putting, but it is Schlondorff's best film since his classic "The Tin Drum."

At first, Elie Wajeman’s moody French drama looks like so many other stories to come before it.

The film peels back the layers of a mystery. Who knew what, and when? And how could someone choose this path? The film is rich with artfully framed interviews of newly discovered family members, like Reuveny’s quarter-Jewish German cousin considering a religious conversion. Even the music and finely observed interiors are so cinematic that you often forget this is a documentary.

Zipper captures the erasing of one of New York’s most unique stamps by cartoon businesspeople with dollar signs for eyeballs.

America's favorite superhero reappears in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, and all we can say is, "Man, oh Man of Steel, it's good to have you back."

There's plenty to appreciate in Chris Rock's rollicking documentary about what goes on when African-American women hit the salon.

The 12-year-old boys who go to see ParaNorman - and who are the only ones who might enjoy it - should double up on the sugary treats to stay awake during this gorgeous-looking but zombi-fied stop-motion animated creep show. It's as slow as a corpse, and half as interesting.

It's all a little insular and very conversational, but the setting is cozy and the performances all pleasantly low-key.

Winterbottom uses effective imagery to establish the horror and absurdity of war. [26Nov1997 Pg.39]

Those who came of age during Knievel’s rise, rise and fall will enjoy the fun moments. But this family-sanctioned film comes up short in terms of objectivity.

Kessler has indeed made a film about a fame-chasing narcissist in desperate need of attention. But that has nothing to do with the guy we came to see.

Melancholy, often muddled documentary.

The pacing is slow and deliberate. Director Joseph Kosinski (“Oblivion”) knows that it takes time to build real relationships and feelings.

Though the film is as long as the escape route, Richter's brisk direction keeps us riveted through the suspenseful finish of his vivid history lesson.

Meyers leaves little editorializing in the film, though it seems unusually sympathetic to the band’s manager, Alan Sacks, who often treats the unseasoned musicians like employees instead of kids.

In the new, personal documentaries in which you pick up a camera to help get a grip on your own life, there is a queasy line between inspiration and therapy. Mark Wexler crosses back and forth over that line.

Hellboy may be a big, noisy goof of a comic-book action film, but love is in the dank, dark, subterranean air as the bulky red-hued palooka tries to win the heart of the pyrokinetic beauty Liz Sherman.

Rarely has any film, fictional or documentary, captured the hypnotic effect of voices on the airwaves like this chronicle of Bob Fass.

Star-studded and stylish, this addition to the brothers’ acclaimed canon is a looker with laughs and, alas, dull stretches. It’s fun and entertaining — no more, no less, no exclamation point.

The movie reveals plenty about the budding relationship between Matt and Tom. In the end, the film offers a portrait of fraternal commitment that’s both strange and sweet.

The movie is an actors' paradise, and absolutely no one disappoints.

Delightful proof that money and fame have nothing on ingenuity and wit, Safety Not Guaranteed is worth a million meaningless blockbusters.

The result is a stunningly nervy sequel that vaporizes any worries that Abrams’ terrific 2009 reboot was a fluke.