Although there's a skeletal story, A Cat in Paris evokes a mood instead of a moral. Like a cat nap, it gives us a brief, refreshing dream with little to remember.

Neither as magic nor as trippy as the culture quake that it documents, but it's a valuable flashback and a pleasurable contact high.

This debut film is fun, and everyone involved can proudly declare, “Honey, I shrunk the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

It's simply an opportunity to spend time with characters who may lack depth but are fun to watch.

The campus comedy Pitch Perfect harmonizes high-end performance with low-brow spoofery. It's like a National Lampoon parody where the targets write the jokes.

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.

IF you can accept the notion of a sympathetic character who is also a hit man - in other words, if you went along with the game in "Pulp Fiction" and "Bulletproof Heart" - you should enjoy 2 Days in the Valley, a fast-moving, sometimes violent, sometimes sexy, sometimes surprisingly funny story of crime and romance in the San Fernando Valley. [27 Sept 1996, p.3E]

The film’s greatest asset is Reynolds, who in Deadpool finally found the role of his dreams. Reynolds totally sells the character’s blend of reckless self-absorption and reluctant heroics.

Anchored by its leads, Coup! is a tasty morsel of social commentary about problems that continue to plague our world.

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

If all you want from a movie are generous doses of laughs and some tender moments, She's Out Of My League should be right up your alley.

Willard Carroll's poignant, witty script and graceful direction make up for some soap-opera moments. [24 Jan 1999, p.D8]

Suarez and Ugarte complement each other beautifully, lending Julieta a multidimensional gravitas. And Grandinetti is fine as a man who has no choice but to go with her flow.

The Immigrant is not unlike a Prohibition-era “Taxi Driver,” with Cotillard as the apprentice hooker, Phoenix as the sweet-talking pimp and Jeremy Renner (playing the theater’s magician, Orlando) as the would-be savior.

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.

Gleeson is great as the troubled, conscientious priest, but until an abruptly shocking finale, his fatalism turns the ticking clock into a congested hourglass.

A well-made, strong three-generation saga that deals with a number of interesting - and sometimes uncomfortable - topics. [27 Oct 1989, p.3F]

Perhaps best known for the HBO series “Sex and the City,” Nixon deftly balances wit and melancholy. And Ehle is empathy personified. This is a film of subtle beauty.

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

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

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.

The movie is not great, but it is sincere and has enough powerful segments and raw energy to keep it exciting and provocative. [13 Dec 1998, p.D8]

Sticks to the syllabus of a decidedly minor movie, but its humanities faculty is first-rate.

Even with a large cast, groovy clothes and cool pop songs, Hawkins holds our attention with a combination of modesty and moral strength.

The sharp writing and tag-team antics lift 22 Jump Street to a high level.

A minor revelation.

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.

The acting is quite good, and Marshall keeps suspense as high as possible, considering we all know the eventual conclusion. [15 Jan 1993, p.3E]