The sensation is dizzying, and you may feel relieved -- certainly the filmmakers do -- when Chavez re-enters the picture. There's a feeling of order restored, but the depiction of political free fall has been unnerving.

Neither hilarious nor a credible spoof.

An impressively compelling film.

Falls victim to a fatal lack of narrative drive, suspense and drama. Kidman and Hopkins are wrong for their roles, and that, combined with a pervading inevitability, cuts the film off from any sustained vitality. The result is something admirable but lifeless.

Admiring The Singing Detective is easy, and so is appreciating the originality of the story's conceit, the artistry of the actors and the directorial intelligence of Keith Gordon. But loving it would take an act of will.

Radio is almost as bad as it gets. That it isn't is thanks to Ed Harris, who brings depth and focus to his performance.

It is bearable, in every sense of the word, and that's worth something for parents looking for G-rated entertainment.

A haunting elegy on the unpredictability of life. Never knowing what the next minute might bring is the elephant in all our lives.

After the first few minutes, viewers will get the feeling they just emerged from a 14-month coma. Even the non-movie jokes focus on last year's news.

A film with its heart in the right place. Unfortunately, its head is stuck so far in the clouds that it dissolves into preachy do- gooder mush.

If In the Cut falls short of the masterpiece Campion intended, it's unquestionably the most ambitious and important film to come along in months.

It is a well-researched smorgasbord of newsreel and documentary footage spliced with current interviews with those on the front lines.

It's a coy, cautious film about a frank, fearless writer.

An arresting portrait of a fascinating and somewhat mysterious personality.

A courtroom drama with a compelling story and something peculiar about it, too: For most of its running time, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of a rooting interest. The audience isn't quite sure who it's for or against.

The remaining twisted population that likes this kind of movie will enjoy a horror film that is surprisingly stylish.

Less a new Japanese movie than a series of scenes from old American ones, most notably "The Terminator" and "ET."

Both heartfelt and tough-minded.

If garbage could think, it would look down on 9 Dead Gay Guys as garbage.

It's a grueling 70-minute march toward the end credits.

That rare thing, an American romantic film that's not a comedy and that's more about love than sex.

You've heard this one before, and in an edgier way -- yet you still admire the old-fashioned storytelling.

A promising idea turns into nothing, and we're left with a painfully dull kids' picture.

Too slick but amusing marital farce.

Dead-on hilarious.

It boggles the mind that after six years of silence, all Tarantino has to offer is this garbage.

The film takes us behind bars to hear horror stories from prisoners. They're illuminated by a black light to hide their identity. The effect is like looking at an X-ray. Moments like this attest to Padilha's artistry as a filmmaker.

Chilling, superbly acted.