A thing of beauty and imagination.

Unremittingly explosive, Head-On is not an easy film to watch. It is, however, a memorable one.

Airplane loses its buoyancy. Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, who share both writing and directorial credits, become so desperate for laughs that the jokes descend to a much cruder level. And Airplane does an abrupt nosedive, turning a hopelessly flat movie, sparked only by the occasional appearances of Lloyd Bridges as an easily rattled air traffic controller whose nerves are such he depends on booze and pills to keep himself going on the job.

Fuqua's passion for the music comes through in the clear, unobtrusive style of the film, which mixes generous footage of the event's performances with interviews and archival footage, all adding up to a luscious historical snapshot of one America's original art forms.

Delicious, intelligent thriller.

A charming little valentine to the mysteries of attraction.

A journey that goes from prosaic to existential. Director Hans Petter Moland's raw drama of father-daughter reconciliation features an excellent cast.

Miserable individuals do tend to make for interesting subject matter, and this would be far more of a dry biography without its willfully eccentric lead. Plus, if the crankiness gets to you, tune it out and focus on the music. That's what Clapton did.

The film's real strength is its cast, from an Oscar-bound Mo'Nique to a notably deglammed Mariah Carey.

Bujalski celebrates the awkwardness of twentysomething life, allowing Dollenmayer to create a beautifully authentic portrait.

The way she (Blanchette) anchors this superb dramedy is a thing of beauty.

The perfect answer to cries of "I'm bored," Marshall Curry's outstanding documentary won't just entertain your family for a little while. It'll also inspire everyone to get back outside, and find a new passion.

You're also likely to be left wondering to what the "It" in the title actually refers.

The endlessly inventive del Toro creates visual fantasies unlike any other, and the creatures on display here are truly extraordinary. But amid all the costumes, all the action, and all the special effects, it's the humanity that makes his work so memorable. Yes, the monsters are amazing. But the moment when a heartsick Hellboy discovers Barry Manilow? Priceless.

It's guilt that gives life, shape and depth to this uncommonly perceptive film.

The acting is superb, with emotions roiling beneath rigid exteriors.

Gives a white-knuckled, you-are-there account of a politician's dilemma, one whose repercussions are still felt in Africa.

Once again, the director's eye is faultless as he captures both the essence and beauty of the art of Jang Seung-up, Korea's legendary 19th-century painter. But he doesn't capture the artist's soul.

Touching and saddening.

This beautifully observed drama creates an intimate feel and gently observed moments of connection and angst. Then things move forward with almost too heavy of a heart.

Although the truth behind what happened that night in Perugia may never be revealed, the film does not need a resolution to strike a powerful cord with viewers.

If you're going to make a movie about men talking, shouldn't they have something important to say?

Its simple, straightforward storytelling makes mincemeat of the idea that, gee, if these people just worked a little harder and got motivated, they, too, could get a piece of the American Dream.

A fascinating exploration of the mysteries of the artist's life.

Frears story's grotesque subject offers an opportunity for a sick audience payoff that is more "Death Wish" than social commentary, and he takes it. It works -- you'll laugh! you'll gulp! -- but it's cheap.

The film itself is a bit on the talking-head side, evoking none of the passion and anguish that are the music's trademarks.

Whether Adam Sandler can actually act is not actually answered in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love. But he's great in it.

Experimental in form, it's also open and appealing in its vision of romantic redemption, an avant-garde romp that's also a great date movie. [8 Mar 1996, p.40]