The atmosphere, the buddy stuff and the flashy setting don't make up for the fact that the main story is too distanced throughout much of the movie. Further diluting the film's intensity is the scene structuring; far too often lame expository scenes serve to advance the plot or explain the backstory.

The only thing might have added variety and richness to the film would be the inclusion of more dialogues or interactions with more than one person.

While several of the dance sequences admittedly pack a visual pop, the added dimension does the hokey scripting and some of the acting no favors by amplifying their already noticeable shortcomings.

Utterly disposable but diverting, MacGruber manages to spin feature-length product out of an idea that few would try expanding beyond a "Saturday Night Live" skit.

Jennifer Lopez carries this thin concept about as far and as well as she can, with Alex O'Loughlin in his first leading-man outing managing not to get lost in the shuffle.

Unfortunately demonstrates the same fractured attention span that makes those Oscar-night montages so entertaining.

Episodic in its storytelling, the film never really achieves any true narrative momentum. But individual scenes do register strongly.

Hernandez's desire to utilize all the armaments of the filmmaker hits the viewer with a visceral force. What could have been a mess turns out to be a success.

A good-natured Indian-American romantic comedy in the style of "Bend It Like Beckham."

Gives these canines the sensual elegance of the Calvin Klein models Weber has so famously photographed. Would that the substance of the film have come close to having the impact of its visuals.

While the film occasionally stretches credibility and is also rather schematic in its characterizations, it tells its tale with skill and economy, and its observations about consumerist Israeli society are critically insightful without being overdone.

Best appreciated for the winning performances of its trio of stars, who convey their characters' desperation with humor and poignancy.

Wastes its promising premise with a wavering tone that veers uneasily between camp humor and, pardon the expression, straightness.

Offers proof that the Korean animation industry is poised for the big leagues.

A diverting blend of "Rear Window"-style suspense and autumnal romance. While the film is ultimately unable to fully succeed on either front, it offers many pleasures along the way.

Fails to overcome its recycled elements but displays a winning spirit that's hard to dislike.

A visually arresting cinematic essay that, unfortunately, makes its points long before its conclusion.

Meredith has woven together a half-dozen portraits of contemporary lives-on-the-edge in this quietly searing drama.

The film reveals the influence of director/co-writer Werthman's profession because it adopts a highly clinical and thoughtful rather than exploitative turn. Although at times one wishes for a little more heat, of both the dramatic and erotic variety, there is an admirable intelligence and restraint on display.

Both in terms of the activities and characters depicted, Rank doesn't truly manage to sustain interest for the course of its feature-length running time.

Cantet keeps a lid on a story that he could have easily exploited, but he makes his points about beauty, fulfillment, self-indulgence and delusion with a measured hand.

One terrific love story sandwiched between two mundane ones in this three-part look at love.

An adulatory documentary that could well have been titled "Ode to Kushner." As good-looking and well-crafted as it is -- cinematographers Eddie Marritz and Don Lenzer, who were on board for Mock's "Maya Lin," as well as Bestor Cram provide the rich visuals -- the film suffers from a crucial lack of perspective.

Offers a litany of images and sound bites that are all too disturbing. Although Ever Again lacks the dramatic focus that would make it truly distinctive, it offers a timely wake-up call that should be well heeded.

Scott's film chronicling the rise of one of the world's fastest-growing sport is best geared to fans, presenting those of us with merely a casual interest with far too much information and repetitive footage of snowboarders in action.

An accomplished and stylistically audacious effort that all too accurately conveys the confusion and mental disarray of its subject's illness, ultimately to its detriment.

While not as balanced or fully satisfying as it should be, Matthew Barney: No Restraint will fit naturally as a pairing for future theatrical and DVD exposures of Barney's controversial works.

Well meaning but less than riveting in its execution, this documentary is far better suited for public television exposure than theatrical release.