Like a Fishbone show or an LA weather forecast, the dark curtain rises, and there's a promise of more sunshine.

Although the story is mournful, the movie is buoyed by a heaven-scented surrealism.

Perhaps best appreciated as a character study -- about a character some moviegoers might prefer to avoid. Still, it's a smart, funny film that flirts with the edge.

Placed under the microscope, The Birth of a Nation lacks some originality of thought, but it nonetheless offers the opportunity for necessary discussion as we continue to wrestle with the racist history of this nation and its continuing effects.

Europeans have a taste for both the mechanics of trickery and the machinations of power, and the politically astute Spanish film "Even the Rain" belongs in the same conversation with Francois Truffaut's "Day for Night" and Pedro Almodovar's "Bad Education."

Far from being exploitative, Patriots Day honors the Bostonians who responded to terrorism with strength.

This movie is so tone-deaf it would only make sense in Vincent van Gogh’s missing ear.

This showcase for Wiig is sufficiently absurd to make real-world parallels laughable.

He's not in Mark Wahlberg's league, and 21 Jump Street isn't quite as funny as "The Other Guys," but by lampooning himself here, Tatum has bought himself a grace period to grow in.

For a nation at war with its own values, Fair Game is a compelling, pertinent and scrupulously true political thriller in the honorable tradition of "All the President's Men."

FALLING FROM GRACE, the acting and directing debut of rock singer John Mellencamp, may not quite be solid gold - but it is a solid first effort. [21 May 1992, p.3E]

The edginess here isn't merely facile. Goldthwait's movies, including the under-appreciated "Shakes the Clown," are about reclaiming dignity from the dung heap. And he's found a fitting collaborator.

Tamra Davis, directing her first feature, is so caught up in the sex-and-violence aspects, and bolstering the body count, that she forgets to keep her story at all credible, and lets gunshots take the place of conversation. [19 Feb 1993, p.3G]

While director Michael Roskam lays the groundwork for a heist thriller, The Drop is fueled by character, not plot.

As a drama about coping with hard times, The Company Men doesn't come close to being as sharp or entertaining as "Up in the Air" - which starred Wells' "ER" associate George Clooney.

There's a running joke that this epic of also-ran heroism is set in eternally modest Toronto; but its real locale is an alternate universe without parents or the unhip.

Is briefly entertaining but shows mainly that sports films featuring women are no better than those featuring men. Much of the problem belongs to director Penny Marshall, who reaches for the cliche, and for the easy way out, each time the movie seems to be about to make a serious statement about women or about baseball. [3 July 1992, p.3G]

Zobel's unsparing approach is justified. This film should be hard to watch - and it is. But it's also hard to forget.

A Dry White Season is a powerful movie. It is sometimes horrifying and hard to take, although there also is considerable ironic humor in the Clarence Darrow-like trial tactics of the lawyer. The cast, clearly dedicated to the project, is uniformly excellent, and there is no sense in the skillfully built, suspenseful flow of the story that this is Palcy's first major feature. [06 Oct 1989, p.3E]

Pine brings a measured but engaging heroism to Kirk. Quinto is perfect as the logical but charismatic Spock. Urban lends the proceedings a much appreciated dose of humor. And even with his famously expressive face obscured by makeup, Elba elevates Krall to something more than a cardboard villain.

A beautifully realized drama that gets to the essence of what it's like to be young, confused and in love.

The Hunger Games is dressed as a dark satire of soulless entertainment, but like Katniss' adversaries in the PG-13 hunting scenes, it doesn't have a distinctive identity or go-for-the-throat.

Unexpectedly poignant.

Skarsgard, who is perhaps best known for "Good Will Hunting" and "Breaking the Waves," makes the most of his rich role, imbuing Ulrik with a knockabout charm.

Its main pluses are that it's imaginative and, at times, very funny. Its main drawbacks are too many humans and an overall tone that is much too dark and edgy for very young audiences. [27 Nov 1998, p.B3]

While it's satisfying to see fat cats tamed by science and an enraged public, the movie misses the opportunity to sustain the pressure.

Directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were weaned on earthy comedies like "Bad Santa," and every moment of mature insight in Crazy, Stupid, Love is answered by a scene of formulaic farce.

This is very much an ensemble film, with Wahlberg, Hudson and Russell turning in performances that get the job done without begging for attention.

Highly unconventional in structure and tone, the story is engrossing and exquisitely acted. [17 Jun 1999, p.14]

As a tale of a boy, his dog and their battles with bad guys, it's a treasure.

With its forked tongue planted loosely in cheek, this haunted-house flick is enjoyably retro in both style and substance.

Much like its main character, The Meddler exudes an irresistible charm.

$9.99 may not be entirely successful from a dramatic perspective, and it certainly offers little enlightenment about the meaning of life. But the film is so intriguing in other ways that it's definitely worth a look.

Refusing to hold our hands, director Lynne Ramsay ("Morvern Callar") pushes far beyond the boundaries of topical drama into the realm of the surreal.

If you think foreign films can’t compete with Hollywood when it comes to delivering popcorn entertainment, prepare to be carried away by The Wave.

Working from a self-penned screenplay, Tarantino has come up with one of the wordiest Westerns on record, and even some of his most diehard fans may grimace at the film’s occasionally slow pace. But The Hateful Eight more than compensates through its intriguing characters, ominous atmosphere and palpable suspense.

A scene involving wolves upset by Seal’s singing is worth the price of admission all by itself.

As memorable as it is insightful, Take This Waltz is one of the best films of the year.

Land Ho! is a tepid little movie that goes almost nowhere, and if I had to sit in that rental car for one more boob joke, I’d rather jump into a volcano.

Teller turns in one of his best performances as the contemplative Adam, who’s haunted by the choices he made on the battlefield. And Koale brings a poignant vulnerability to Solo.

A comic-book flick that’s as thrilling and enthralling as it is pretentious and preposterous. The story is just an excuse for the action sequences, and the Marvel strategy remains intact: When in doubt, blow stuff up.

An entertaining tour of Tinseltown served with poisoned popcorn.

Sorry, Keanu, but you stole my time and you murdered my brain cells. By the sacred oath of WHOA, there will be blood, and this time it’s personal.

Aiming for a middle path between drama and comedy, The Way Way Back is so overloaded with jokes that it could sink in the water hazard, but on the final scorecard, sure enough, it’s in the hole.

Best of all is Favreau. Instead of mass-producing another superhero epic, he has given the overfed public a dish of right-sized comfort food.

It's faint praise to say that this is the best of the "Planet of the Apes" movies, because the evolution of special effects and makeup was predictable. But the unexpected strength of the film is its heart.

My Cousin Vinny would have been a moderately funny movie in any case. But with Joe Pesci in the leading role, the movie escalates several notches to a rough-and-tumble, exciting comedy and proves that Pesci is one of the most versatile actors in the business. [19 Mar 1992, p.6E]

The acting is first-rate. Gosling masterfully fills in Luke’s motivational blanks, and Cooper nicely handles Avery’s evolution from idealist to manipulator.

Given the turbulent water of world affairs and sea changes in the media, a follow-up a year from now might be titled "Gray Lady Down" if the Times does not chart a new course.

The Rescuers Down Under is further evidence that the Disney organization has regained its magic touch with animated features. [16 Nov 1990, p.3F]

Deftly balances subtle humor with sharp observations about class, wealth and power.

This is a kaleidoscopic valentine to a great city from a director who knows and loves his subject.

Sometimes macabre and sometimes manipulative, but the way it speaks to the spirit is miraculous.

It’s a party where we want to stay, until we’re dragged out kicking and screaming.

If we want a bigger picture, we’ll have to wait for God to green-light “Noah: The Next Generation.”

What Barrymore brings is good-natured, girl-powered subversion, a sense of when to flaunt clichés and when to flip them over the rails.

Warren Beatty's new tour de force about the ax-jawed detective is generally fun to watch. Visually, it's brilliant. Dramatically, it's OK. [15 Jun 1990, p.3F]

Im Sang-soo has crafted an erotic thriller whose cool beauty speaks for itself.

Although this stylish and ominously paced vehicle starts with a full itinerary, it never makes a vital connection.

As a performer, Lister-Jones acquits herself well on both the comedic and melodramatic fronts. And the scruffily charming Pally comes across as a hybrid of Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd. But Armisen’s weirdo shtick is way past its sell-by date.

This well-executed sequel is sneaky. While it distracts us with Chinese backdrops and buffoonish humor, it sucker punches us with a message about belonging.

Ultimately a movie that could have been a little jewel is unpolished.

Manny and Lo is a significant achievement for Krueger, who has shown herself on this first outing to be a smart, sure and strong director. [23 Aug 1996, p.6E]

Nocturnal Animals is far less imaginative than even your most banal nightmare.

The Well-Digger's Daughter is perhaps a bit too sentimental. But the performances are so heartfelt that its occasional excesses are easily forgiven. In a movie summer too often obsessed with things that go boom, this film is all about romance.

A one-joke movie, but it’s a joke whose recurring rimshots grow as loud as our laughter.

Denham impressively captures Peter's flintiness, rendering him sympathetic yet not quite likable, and Vicius is just right as the wary Lorna.

Die Hard 2, which is far and away the best of the big summer action pictures, is an almost perfect blend of suspense, thrills, human drama and, perhaps most important, comedy. [6 July 1990, p.3F]

Blaze is essentially a farce with moral overtones. Newman appropriately plays Long for laughs, but he also shows us a complex man with some admirable characteristics and much sadness inside. [15 Dec 1989, p.3F]

On a moral-justice level, we’d like to see this worm squirm a little more over his treatment of ex-colleagues before we let him off the hook to say that everyone else was cheating too.

It would be a disservice to describe "Perfect Blue" as a well-made cartoon. It is simply one of the richest and most suspenseful films of the year. [03 Aug 2001, p.E2]

If you want to see a great movie about a political campaign, starring the smartest heartthrob of his era, rent "The Candidate." If you want see a very good one, buy a ticket for The Ides of March.

Too modest to become a worldwide phenomenon, but sensitive teens and their older kin who pine for the '90s may want to take it for a spin on the dance floor.

Draining most of the blood, sweat and tears from a true story, this music-minded movie capably covers a song we’ve heard a hundred times before.

A minor revelation.

This stylish film reminds us that great images endure after bodies and buildings crumble.

If you don’t crave the taste of motor oil on your popcorn, Furious 7 can’t end fast enough.

Pratt is engagingly rascally as Quill, and Saldana brings a sassy charisma to the no-nonsense Gamora. But as might be expected, Baby Groot steals the film.

Richly photographed and featuring an attractive cast, Farewell, My Queen is a layer cake of royal pleasures, rote protocols and revolutionary politics. For skeptics who thought this story had grown stale, let them eat their words.

Fishburne gets the last word, however, in the midst of more flip-flops than a lake full of frogs, and while much of the movie is shoot-'em-up and fast action, the work of the actors and of Duke give it a nice cohesion. [18 Apr 1992, p.4D]

Ultimately, what saves this movie is its sense of humor, not to mention its good humor, which is not the same thing. You find yourself rooting for these characters, although at times you wouldn't mind giving them a little slap up side the head. [18 Feb 1994, p.3F]

Bernal (“Y Tu Mama Tambien”), an actor of Mexican heritage, brings to the role a charismatic resolve. It’s an impressive and impassioned performance.

If you're interested in a drama about a few days in the life of an American abroad, you may find Cairo Time engaging. But for some viewers, it all may be just too subtle.

Damsels in Distress is shockingly tone-deaf. Stillman is still capable of a few amusing quips, but his storytelling is sophomoric.

Nowhere Boy is too astutely written and directed to go to predictably melodramatic extremes.

The efforts to stay true to the spirit of Schulz are worth a happy dance for kids and adults alike.

Barney's Version has episodes instead of plot, outbursts instead of wit and alibis instead of growth.

On its own terms and against all odds, "Outrage" is adequately entertaining, with more than enough cringe-inducing violence and cruel humor to please the average American moviegoer. But true Kitano fans will find its title sadly ironic.

The film will be of particular interest to foreign-policy wonks, but it also plays well as a drama about the limited ability of any president to have a lasting impact.

A distinctly European exercise in observational nuance and tonal restraint in which Coppola stretches static images to the breaking point.

If Barbershop: The Next Cut ends on an improbably upbeat note, the franchise is to be commended for daringly stepping outside its comfort zone.

A flawed but intriguing new chapter in animation.

July is a provocative and honorably independent filmmaker, but given the meager rewards of investing our time, The Future wasn't worth the wait.

Director Philipp Stolzl worked in the same dangerous conditions as the original climbers, and we can feel the chill and peril in our bones. It's a shame, then, that the screenwriter, unlike the camera crew and the characters, was afflicted with such timidity.

Cinderella is so scrubbed of personality, it’s not even worth calling a mess.

It's a brilliant film, written tightly enough so that practically every word is important. Add a large cast that blends into a perfect ensemble, plus direction that gives every shot some meaning, and you can't ask much more. [25 Jan 1991, p.3F]

Particularly memorable are scenes in which Calvin loses his cool as Ruby holds onto her calm. It all adds up to a movie that's sparklingly entertaining.

A terrific but uncompromising film that's definitely not for everyone.