This is an extremely violent movie, with one long gory scene that's particularly hard to stomach. The great majority of Triad Election is about political maneuvering, but when the conversations end, the blood flows mightily.

Plays like two films in one, and succeeds on both levels.

What audiences want when they go to a suspense thriller.

To his credit, writer-director Jonathan Kasdan is sensitive and observant...But he doesn't know what he's talking about, not really, and though he structures the film around his areas of ignorance, that only works partially.

Comes across as a cautionary tale.

An enjoyable farce, with lots of laughs and a strong cast. At 80 minutes long, it's that rare case of a short film that should have been longer.

To their credit, directors Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer, both of San Francisco, poke gentle fun at the locals without ridiculing them. The film's playful spirit is underscored by catchy steel-guitar melodies (courtesy of the Friends of Dean Martinez) that perfectly suit the bone-dry setting.

Though not flawless, this is a compelling study, in Dogme style, of a wounded young woman who spends her working life spying on others.

Difficult to recommend, without first knowing the sobriety of the viewer.

No more than a minute into this, and it becomes obvious that the next 98 are going to be trouble.

To see Perfect Stranger is to wish for a more sophisticated vehicle for a film actress this good, but actors -- and audiences -- take what they can get. This is better than most.

This movie is so horrible that it actually spends some time in "so bad it's good" territory, before getting significantly worse.

One of those quirky little movies that you marvel ever got made.

For all it does right, there's something seriously wrong.

Suffers from Resnais' inability to open it up and give it the look and pulse of a film.

Caruso, a very visual director, serves up some surprises and scares, and he's paced his movie briskly. You're out of this disturbing suburbia before you know it, shaken and even stirred.

The Rodriguez segment is terrific; the Tarantino one long-winded and juvenile.

A personal story with broad implications for the culture as a whole.

Wickedly funny.

Perhaps Patten is trying to do to us what Rinpoche does to his followers, but the film's meandering structure and intrusive narration detract from the focus on the master.

Although The Reaping' borrows elements from classics of the genre -- rips them off might be more accurate -- it fails to build the psychological tension that made them so creepily good.

Obvious, but at least it's clean.

Perhaps worst of all, the movie is painfully long.

Van Houten, a veteran of European TV, is in almost every scene, and her energetic performance keeps Black Book percolating despite an overstuffed plot that strains credibility and often tips over into melodrama.

A worthy, fascinating film..

You're under the thrall of a new peculiar couple. Both actors appear to be having fun outmaneuvering each other on the ice and onscreen.

A solidly above-average thriller.

Frenetically paced but mostly pointless computer-animated film that will satisfy children but may give parents a headache.