predictions.txt

uneasy mishmash of styles and genres .###0
this film 's relationship to actual tension is the same as what christmas-tree flocking in a spray can is to actual snow : a poor -- if durable -- imitation .###0
by the end of no such thing the audience , like beatrice , has a watchful affection for the monster .###1
director rob marshall went out gunning to make a great one .###1
lathan and diggs have considerable personal charm , and their screen rapport makes the old story seem new .###1
a well-made and often lovely depiction of the mysteries of friendship .###1
none of this violates the letter of behan 's book , but missing is its spirit , its ribald , full-throated humor .###0
although it bangs a very cliched drum at times , this crowd-pleaser 's fresh dialogue , energetic music , and good-natured spunk are often infectious .###1
it is not a mass-market entertainment but an uncompromising attempt by one artist to think about another .###0
this is junk food cinema at its greasiest .###0
it 's also heavy-handed and devotes too much time to bigoted views .###0
it helps that lil bow wow ... tones down his pint-sized gangsta act to play someone who resembles a real kid .###1
watching the film is like reading a times portrait of grief that keeps shifting focus to the journalist who wrote it .###1
moore 's performance impresses almost as much as her work with haynes in 1995 's safe .###1
reinforces the talents of screenwriter charlie kaufman , creator of adaptation and being john malkovich .###1
now trimmed by about 20 minutes , this lavish three-year-old production has enough grandeur and scale to satisfy as grown-up escapism .###1
a journey through memory , a celebration of living , and a sobering rumination on fatality , classism , and ignorance .###1
a remarkable 179-minute meditation on the nature of revolution .###1
waydowntown is by no means a perfect film , but its boasts a huge charm factor and smacks of originality .###1
it 's just incredibly dull .###0
some , like ballistic , arrive stillborn ... looking like the beaten , well-worn video box cover of seven years into the future .###0
a feel-good picture in the best sense of the term .###1
mark me down as a non-believer in werewolf films that are not serious and rely on stupidity as a substitute for humor .###0
good movie .###1
with spy kids 2 : the island of lost dreams writer/director/producer robert rodriguez has cobbled together a film that feels like a sugar high gone awry .###0
starts off with a bang , but then fizzles like a wet stick of dynamite at the very end .###0
the best way to hope for any chance of enjoying this film is by lowering your expectations .###1
while the mystery surrounding the nature of the boat 's malediction remains intriguing enough to sustain mild interest , the picture refuses to offer much accompanying sustenance in the way of characterization , humor or plain old popcorn fun .###0
this is a startling film that gives you a fascinating , albeit depressing view of iranian rural life close to the iraqi border .###1
here 's a british flick gleefully unconcerned with plausibility , yet just as determined to entertain you .###1
most new movies have a bright sheen .###1
so few movies explore religion that it 's disappointing to see one reduce it to an idea that fits in a sampler .###0
nothing more than a mediocre trifle .###0
a model of what films like this should be like .###1
gangs of new york is an unapologetic mess , whose only saving grace is that it ends by blowing just about everything up .###0
doug liman , the director of bourne , directs the traffic well , gets a nice wintry look from his locations , absorbs us with the movie 's spycraft and uses damon 's ability to be focused and sincere .###1
another big , dumb action movie in the vein of xxx , the transporter is riddled with plot holes big enough for its titular hero to drive his sleek black bmw through .###0
it becomes gimmicky instead of compelling .###0
falters when it takes itself too seriously and when it depends too heavily on its otherwise talented cast to clown in situations that are n't funny .###0
verbinski substitutes atmosphere for action , tedium for thrills .###0
it is a kickass , dense sci-fi action thriller hybrid that delivers and then some .###1
a bigger holiday downer than your end-of-year 401 ( k ) statement .###0
as a belated nod to some neglected all-stars , standing in the shadows of motown is cultural history of the best kind : informative , revealing and richly entertaining .###1
sensitive , insightful and beautifully rendered film .###1
no number of fantastic sets , extras , costumes and spectacular locales can disguise the emptiness at the center of the story .###0
not too far below the gloss you can still feel director denis villeneuve 's beating heart and the fondness he has for his characters .###1
for benigni it was n't shakespeare whom he wanted to define his career with but pinocchio .###0
how did it ever get made ?###0
it would n't be my preferred way of spending 100 minutes or $ 7.00 .###0
the furious coherence that ( deniro ) brings to this part only underscores the fuzzy sentimentality of the movie itself , which feels , as it plods toward the end , less like a movie than like the filmed reading of a script in need of polishing .###0
barely goes beyond comic book status .###0
elling , portrayed with quiet fastidiousness by per christian ellefsen , is a truly singular character , one whose frailties are only slightly magnified versions of the ones that vex nearly everyone .###1
for all its highfalutin title and corkscrew narrative , the movie turns out to be not much more than a shaggy human tale .###0
watching trouble every day , at least if you do n't know what 's coming , is like biting into what looks like a juicy , delicious plum on a hot summer day and coming away with your mouth full of rotten pulp and living worms .###1
a clever blend of fact and fiction .###1
it delivers some chills and sustained unease , but flounders in its quest for deeper meaning .###0
could the country bears really be as bad as its trailers ?###0
there are weird resonances between actor and role here , and they 're not exactly flattering .###0
not only does the movie fail to make us part of its reality , it fails the most basic relevancy test as well .###0
and if the hours wins ` best picture ' i just might .###1
it is so refreshing to see robin williams turn 180 degrees from the string of insultingly innocuous and sappy fiascoes he 's been making for the last several years .###1
i did n't laugh at the ongoing efforts of cube , and his skinny buddy mike epps , to make like laurel and hardy 'n the hood .###0
with danilo donati 's witty designs and dante spinotti 's luscious cinematography , this might have made a decent children 's movie -- if only benigni had n't insisted on casting himself in the title role .###1
thurman and lewis are hilarious throughout .###1
tender yet lacerating and darkly funny fable .###1
jacquot 's tosca is a treat .###1
interacting eyeball-to-eyeball and toe-to-toe , hopkins and norton are a winning combination -- but fiennes steals ` red dragon ' right from under their noses .###1
the film 's center will not hold .###0
aspires for the piquant but only really achieves a sort of ridiculous sourness .###0
unlike his directorial efforts , la femme nikita and the professional , the transporter lacks besson 's perspective as a storyteller .###0
` abandon all hope , ye who enter here ' ... you should definitely let dante 's gloomy words be your guide .###0
a very witty take on change , risk and romance , and the film uses humor to make its points about acceptance and growth .###1
hu and liu offer natural , matter-of-fact performances that glint with sorrow , longing and love .###1
ford deserves to be remembered at oscar time for crafting this wonderful portrait of a conflicted soldier .###1
a mawkish , implausible platonic romance that makes chaplin 's city lights seem dispassionate by comparison .###0
do we really need a 77-minute film to tell us exactly why a romantic relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman does n't work ?###0
instead , we just get messy anger , a movie as personal therapy .###0
once again , director jackson strikes a rewarding balance between emotion on the human scale and action/effects on the spectacular scale .###1
flotsam in the sea of moviemaking , not big enough for us to worry about it causing significant harm and not smelly enough to bother despising .###0
thoughtful , provocative and entertaining .###1
it 's disappointing when filmmakers throw a few big-name actors and cameos at a hokey script .###0
an absorbing , slice-of-depression life that touches nerves and rings true .###1
u.s. audiences may find ( attal and gainsbourg 's ) unfamiliar personas give the film an intimate and quaint reality that is a little closer to human nature than what hollywood typically concocts .###1
everywhere the camera looks there is something worth seeing .###1
but if it is indeed a duty of art to reflect life , than leigh has created a masterful piece of artistry right here .###1
biggie and tupac is so single-mindedly daring , it puts far more polished documentaries to shame .###1
... the last time i saw a theater full of people constantly checking their watches was during my sats .###0
will probably stay in the shadow of its two older , more accessible qatsi siblings .###1
characters wander into predictably treacherous situations even though they should know better .###0
i 'm not suggesting that you actually see it , unless you 're the kind of person who has seen every wim wenders film of the '70s .###0
gloriously goofy ( and gory ) midnight movie stuff .###1
an inspiring and heart-affecting film about the desperate attempts of vietnamese refugees living in u.s. relocation camps to keep their hopes alive in 1975 .###1
big fat liar is just futile silliness looking to tap into the kiddie sensibilities .###0
the movie is full of fine performances , led by josef bierbichler as brecht and monica bleibtreu as helene weigel , his wife .###1
barney has created a tour de force that is weird , wacky and wonderful .###1
a frisky and fresh romantic comedy exporing sexual politics and the challenges of friendships between women .###1
the comic performances are all spot on , especially lee ross 's turn as ken .###1
the film hinges on its performances , and both leads are up to the task .###1
accuracy and realism are terrific , but if your film becomes boring , and your dialogue is n't smart , then you need to use more poetic license .###0
it 's often faintly amusing , but the problems of the characters never become important to us , and the story never takes hold .###0
the thrill is ( long ) gone .###0
uncertain in tone ... a garbled exercise in sexual politics , a junior varsity short cuts by way of very bad things .###0
a hideous , confusing spectacle , one that may well put the nail in the coffin of any future rice adaptations .###0
there 's a vastness implied in metropolis that is just breathtaking .###1
a splendid entertainment , young in spirit but accomplished in all aspects with the fullness of spirit and sense of ease that comes only with experience .###1
the story ... is moldy and obvious .###0
it 's a worthwhile tutorial in quantum physics and slash-dash###1
for all its failed connections , divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood is nurturing , in a gauzy , dithering way .###0
george , hire a real director and good writers for the next installment , please .###1
what was subtle and mystifying in the novella is now broad and farcical .###0
it 's best to avoid imprisonment with the dull , nerdy folks that inhabit cherish .###0
woo 's fights have a distinct flair .###1
he has not learned that storytelling is what the movies are about .###0
if you liked the 1982 film then , you 'll still like it now .###1
despite some gulps the film is a fuzzy huggy .###0
the film is painfully authentic , and the performances of the young players are utterly convincing .###1
there are just enough twists in the tale to make it far more satisfying than almost any horror film in recent memory .###1
this is n't just the cliffsnotes version of nicholas nickleby , it 's the cliffsnotes with pages missing .###0
`` an entire film about researchers quietly reading dusty old letters . ''###0
an epic of grandeur and scale that 's been decades gone from the popcorn pushing sound stages of hollywood .###1
there 's a disreputable air about the whole thing , and that 's what makes it irresistible .###1
it virtually defines a comedy that 's strongly mediocre , with funny bits surfacing every once in a while .###0
although very much like the first movie based on j.k. rowling 's phenomenal fantasy best sellers , this second go-round possesses a quite pleasing , headlong thrust and a likably delinquent attitude .###1
theology aside , why put someone who ultimately does n't learn at the center of a kids ' story ?###0
a savvy exploration of paranoia and insecurity in america 's culture of fear .###1
benefits from a strong performance from zhao , but it 's dong jie 's face you remember at the end .###1
elling really is about a couple of crazy guys , and it 's therapeutic to laugh along with them .###1
much-anticipated and ultimately lackluster movie .###0
plays as hollow catharsis , with lots of tears but very little in the way of insights .###0
a film that takes you inside the rhythms of its subject : you experience it as you watch .###1
... mesmerizing , an eye-opening tour of modern beijing culture in a journey of rebellion , retreat into oblivion and return .###1
strong setup and ambitious goals fade as the film descends into unsophisticated scare tactics and b-film thuggery .###0
on the surface , it 's a lovers-on-the-run crime flick , but it has a lot in common with piesiewicz 's and kieslowski 's earlier work , films like the double life of veronique .###1
the visuals alone make metropolis worth seeing .###1
flounders due to the general sense that no two people working on the production had exactly the same thing in mind .###0
you could nap for an hour and not miss a thing .###1
worth the effort to watch .###1
one of the best of the year .###1
i loved it !###1
occasionally funny , always very colorful and enjoyably overblown in the traditional almodóvar style .###1
an intelligent , earnest , intimate film that drops the ball only when it pauses for blunt exposition to make sure you 're getting its metaphysical point .###1
an amusing , breezily apolitical documentary about life on the campaign trail .###1
however , it lacks grandeur and that epic quality often associated with stevenson 's tale as well as with earlier disney efforts .###0
often hilarious , well-shot and , importantly , entertaining , hell house is a fascinating document of an event that has to be seen to be believed .###1
witty , touching and well paced .###1
men in black ii has sequel-itis something fierce .###1
sometimes , nothing satisfies like old-fashioned swashbuckling .###0
it settles for being merely grim .###0
good for a few unintentional laughs , `` extreme ops '' was obviously made for the `` xxx '' crowd , people who enjoy mindless action without the benefit of decent acting , writing , and direction .###0
places a slightly believable love triangle in a difficult-to-swallow setting , and then disappointingly moves the story into the realm of an improbable thriller .###1
a mostly intelligent , engrossing and psychologically resonant suspenser .###1
at first , the sight of a blind man directing a film is hilarious , but as the film goes on , the joke wears thin .###0
as an actor , the rock is aptly named .###1
plays less like a coming-of-age romance than an infomercial .###0
with its hints of a greater intelligence lurking somewhere , the ring makes its stupidity more than obvious .###0
this insightful , oscar-nominated documentary , in which children on both sides of the ever-escalating conflict have their say away from watchful parental eyes , gives peace yet another chance .###1
all but the most persnickety preteens should enjoy this nonthreatening but thrilling adventure .###1
i admired this work a lot .###1
this concoction , so bizarre to the adult mind , is actually a charming triumph where its intended under-12 audience is concerned .###1
( a ) rare , beautiful film .###1
the pianist is a fine valedictory work for polanski , made richer by his own experiences , making his other movies somehow richer in the bargain .###1
if you 're like me , a sucker for a good old fashion romance and someone who shamelessly loves to eat , then mostly martha offers all the perfect ingredients to more than satisfy your appetite .###1
the screenplay sabotages the movie 's strengths at almost every juncture .###0
not even the hanson brothers can save it###0
then lower them a bit more .###0
the truth is that the truth about charlie gets increasingly tiresome .###0
there are a few laughs and clever sight gags scattered about , but not enough to make this anything more than another big-budget bust .###0
a deviant topical comedy which is funny from start to finish .###1
an elegant , exquisitely modulated psychological thriller .###1
brilliant ! '###1
working from elliott 's memoir , rohmer fashions the sort of delicate , articulate character - and - relationship study he 's favored for decades .###1
a picture that extols the virtues of comradeship and community in a spunky , spirited fashion .###1
if you think that jennifer lopez has shown poor judgment in planning to marry ben affleck , wait till you see maid in manhattan .###0
has little on its mind aside from scoring points with drag gags .###0
apallingly absurd ... the chemistry or lack thereof between newton and wahlberg could turn an imax theater into a 9 '' black and white portable tv .###0
maybe it 's the star power of the cast or the redundant messages , but something aboul `` full frontal '' seems , well , contrived .###0
a budget affair that exposes the generally sad existence of the bedouins while providing a precious twinkle of insight into their lives .###1
it does n't help that the director and cinematographer stephen kazmierski shoot on grungy video , giving the whole thing a dirty , tasteless feel .###0
this cheery , down-to-earth film is warm with the cozy feeling of relaxing around old friends .###1
it 's an example of sophisticated , challenging filmmaking that stands , despite its noticeable lack of emotional heft , in welcome contrast to the indulgent dead-end experimentation of the director 's previous full frontal .###1
merchant effectively translates naipaul 's lively mix of characters from the page to screen .###1
the angst-ridden , affluent slacker characters are more grating than engaging .###0
it 's the cinematic equivalent of a good page-turner , and even if it 's nonsense , its claws dig surprisingly deep .###1
... a cute and sometimes side-splittingly funny blend of legally blonde and drop dead gorgeous , starring piper perabo in what could be her breakthrough role .###1
made by jackasses for jackasses .###0
emerges as something rare , an issue movie that 's so honest and keenly observed that it does n't feel like one .###1
a recent favorite at sundance , this white-trash satire will inspire the affection of even those unlucky people who never owned a cassette of def leppard 's pyromania .###1
an involving true story of a chinese actor who takes up drugs and winds up in an institution -- acted mostly by the actual people involved .###1
the movie bounces all over the map .###0
it has the courage to wonder about big questions with sincerity and devotion .###1
watching scarlet diva , one is poised for titillation , raw insight or both .###0
apparently kissing leads to suicide attempts and tragic deaths .###0
only an epic documentary could get it all down , and spike lee 's jim brown : all american at long last gives its subject a movie worthy of his talents .###1
do n't let your festive spirit go this far .###1
if melville is creatively a great whale , this film is canned tuna .###0
the whole damn thing is ripe for the jerry springer crowd .###0
occasionally melodramatic , it 's also extremely effective .###1
director kapur is a filmmaker with a real flair for epic landscapes and adventure , and this is a better film than his earlier english-language movie , the overpraised elizabeth .###1
when it 's all wet , blue crush is highly enjoyable .###1
... ( like ) channel surfing between the discovery channel and a late-night made-for-cable action movie .###0
the problem with concept films is that if the concept is a poor one , there 's no saving the movie .###0
new best friend should n't have gone straight to video ; it should have gone straight to a mystery science theater 3000 video .###0
even the unwatchable soapdish is more original .###0
an overblown clunker full of bad jokes , howling cliches and by-the-numbers action sequences .###0
smart science fiction for grown-ups , with only a few false steps along the way .###1
the use of cgi and digital ink-and-paint make the thing look really slick .###0
a historical epic with the courage of its convictions about both scope and detail .###1
a resonant tale of racism , revenge and retribution .###1
( sen 's ) soap opera-ish approach undermines his good intentions .###0
( director ) byler may yet have a great movie in him , but charlotte sometimes is only half of one .###0
the movie has lots of dancing and fabulous music .###1
a highly intriguing thriller , coupled with some ingenious plot devices and some lavishly built settings . .###1
well worth the time .###1
overall , the film misses the brilliance of jelinek 's novel by some way .###0
( davis ) has a bright , chipper style that keeps things moving , while never quite managing to connect her wish-fulfilling characters to the human race .###1
the movie is one of the best examples of artful large format filmmaking you are likely to see anytime soon .###1
hayek is stunning as frida and ... a star-making project .###1
a painfully leaden film destined for pre-dawn cable television slots .###0
everything that has to do with yvan and charlotte , and everything that has to do with yvan 's rambunctious , jewish sister and her non-jew husband , feels funny and true .###1
when the first few villians are introduced as `` spider '' and `` snake '' you know you 're in for a real winner , creativity at its peak .###1
not every animated film from disney will become a classic , but forgive me if i 've come to expect more from this studio than some 79-minute after-school `` cartoon '' .###0
while this film is not in the least surprising , it is still ultimately very satisfying .###1
a hip ride into hyper-time , clockstoppers is a lively and enjoyable adventure for all ages at any time .###1
john leguizamo may be a dramatic actor -- just not in this movie .###0
like mike does n't win any points for originality .###0
some movies are like a tasty hors-d'oeuvre ; this one is a feast .###1
one of those movies where you walk out of the theater not feeling cheated exactly , but feeling pandered to , which , in the end , might be all the more infuriating .###0
fuller would surely have called this gutsy and at times exhilarating movie a great yarn .###1
it 's a brave attempt to tap into the heartbeat of the world , a salute to the universal language of rhythm and a zippy sampling of sounds .###1
an incredibly low-rent danish film , it brings a group of people together in a sweet and charming way , if a little convenient###1
it 's push-the-limits teen comedy , the type written by people who ca n't come up with legitimate funny , and it 's used so extensively that good bits are hopelessly overshadowed .###0
in a normal screen process , these bromides would be barely enough to sustain an interstitial program on the discovery channel .###0
its underlying mythology is a hodgepodge of inconsistencies that pose the question : since when did dumb entertainment have to be this dumb ?###0
their film falters , however , in its adherence to the disney philosophy of required poignancy , a salute that i 'd hoped the movie would avoid .###0
an awkward and indigestible movie .###0
friday after next has the same problem that next friday did -- it 's called where 's chris tucker when you need him ?###0
another rent installment for the ian fleming estate .###0
i can only imagine one thing worse than kevin spacey trying on an irish accent , and that 's sultry linda fiorentino doing the same thing .###0
afraid to pitch into farce , yet only half-hearted in its spy mechanics , all the queen 's men is finally just one long drag .###0
who knows what exactly godard is on about in this film , but his words and images do n't have to add up to mesmerize you .###0
herzog is obviously looking for a moral to his fable , but the notion that a strong , unified showing among germany and eastern european jews might have changed 20th-century history is undermined by ahola 's inadequate performance .###0
the story and characters are nowhere near gripping enough .###0
( a ) superbly controlled , passionate adaptation of graham greene 's 1955 novel .###1
though the violence is far less sadistic than usual , the film is typical miike : fast , furious and full of off-the-cuff imaginative flourishes .###1
its scenes and sensibility are all more than familiar , but it exudes a kind of nostalgic spy-movie charm and , at the same time , is so fresh and free of the usual thriller nonsense that it all seems to be happening for the first time .###1
like so many other allegedly scary movies , it gets so tangled up in the twist that it chokes the energy right out of the very audience it seeks to frighten .###0
a bravura exercise in emptiness .###0
has a plot full of twists upon knots ... and a nonstop parade of mock-tarantino scuzbag types that starts out clever but veers into overkill .###0
too clunky and too busy ribbing itself to be truly entertaining .###0
a marvellous journey from childhood idealism to adolescent self-absorption .###1
how on earth , or anywhere else , did director ron underwood manage to blow $ 100 million on this ?###0
a baffling misfire , and possibly the weakest movie ( woody allen ) has made in the last twenty years .###0
hawke draws out the best from his large cast in beautifully articulated portrayals that are subtle and so expressive they can sustain the poetic flights in burdette 's dialogue .###1
the cartoon that is n't really good enough to be on afternoon tv is now a movie that is n't really good enough to be in theaters .###0
a distant , even sterile , yet compulsively watchable look at the sordid life of hogan 's heroes star bob crane .###1
you 've seen them a million times .###1
the best you can say about it is it 's so uninspired , it barely gives one pause when considering some of the other dreck out there right now .###0
arguably the year 's silliest and most incoherent movie .###0
offensive in the way it exploits the hot-button issue of domestic abuse for cheap thrills and disgusting in the manner it repeatedly puts a small child in jeopardy , treating her as little more than a prop to be cruelly tormented .###0
one minute , you think you 're watching a serious actioner ; the next , it 's as though clips from the pink panther strikes again and/or sailor moon have been spliced in .###0
scene-by-scene , things happen , but you 'd be hard-pressed to say what or why .###0
a lousy movie that 's not merely unwatchable , but also unlistenable .###0
an ultra-low-budget indie debut that smacks more of good intentions than talent .###0
if you pitch your expectations at an all time low , you could do worse than this oddly cheerful -- but not particularly funny -- body-switching farce .###0
will grab your children by the imagination and amaze them and amuse them .###1
the film starts out as competent but unremarkable ... and gradually grows into something of considerable power .###1
it would be hard to think of a recent movie that has worked this hard to achieve this little fun .###1
something the true film buff will enjoy .###1
without resorting to hyperbole , i can state that kissing jessica stein may be the best same-sex romance i have seen .###1
the cast is so low-wattage that none of the characters comes off as big ... and the setting remains indistinct .###0
this is a throwaway , junk-food movie whose rap soundtrack was better tended to than the film itself .###0
a teasing drama whose relentless good-deed/bad-deed reversals are just interesting enough to make a sinner like me pray for an even more interesting , less symmetrical , less obviously cross-shaped creation .###0
the movie exists for its soccer action and its fine acting .###1
tim allen is great in his role but never hogs the scenes from his fellow cast , as there are plenty of laughs and good lines for everyone in this comedy .###1
a bowel-curdling , heart-stopping recipe for terror .###1
nicely serves as an examination of a society in transition .###1
if you 're looking for comedy to be served up , better look elsewhere .###0
after that , it just gets stupid and maudlin .###0
the humor is hinged on the belief that knees in the crotch , elbows in the face and spit in the eye are inherently funny .###0
engagingly captures the maddening and magnetic ebb and flow of friendship .###1
sam jones became a very lucky filmmaker the day wilco got dropped from their record label , proving that one man 's ruin may be another 's fortune .###1
the film benefits greatly from a less manic tone than its predecessor , as cho appears to have settled comfortably into her skin .###1
the charms of willful eccentricity , at least as evidenced by this latest cinematic essay , are beginning to wear a bit thin .###0
it feels like a community theater production of a great broadway play : even at its best , it will never hold a candle to the original .###0
a tough go , but leigh 's depth and rigor , and his skill at inspiring accomplished portrayals that are all the more impressive for their lack of showiness , offsets to a notable degree the film 's often-mined and despairing milieu .###1
an irresistible combination of a rousing good story set on a truly grand scale .###1
frida 's artistic brilliance is undeniable -- it 's among the most breathtakingly designed films i 've ever seen .###1
the movie stays afloat thanks to its hallucinatory production design .###1
provide ( s ) nail-biting suspense and credible characters without relying on technology-of-the-moment technique or pretentious dialogue .###1
smith 's approach is never to tease , except gently and in that way that makes us consider our own eccentricities and how they are expressed through our homes .###1
a modest and messy metaphysical thriller offering more questions than answers .###1
a refreshing korean film about five female high school friends who face an uphill battle when they try to take their relationships into deeper waters .###1
now it 's a bad , embarrassing movie .###0
celebrated at sundance , this slight comedy of manners has winning performances and a glossy , glib charm that 's hard to beat .###1
... the sum of the parts equals largely a confused mediocrity .###0
it 's solid and affecting and exactly as thought-provoking as it should be .###1
enough trivializes an important crisis , reduces it to an almost comic embarrassment .###0
between bedroom scenes , viewers may find themselves wishing they could roll over and take a nap .###0
genuinely touching because it 's realistic about all kinds of love .###1
a lighthearted , feel-good film that embraces the time-honored truth that the most powerful thing in life is love .###1
( two ) fairly dull -- contrasting and interlocking stories about miserable scandinavian settlers in 18th-century canada , and yuppie sailboaters in the here and now .###0
a quietly reflective and melancholy new zealand film about an eventful summer in a 13-year-old girl 's life .###1
reign of fire may be little more than another platter of reheated aliens , but it 's still pretty tasty .###1
provides an intriguing window into the imagination and hermetic analysis of todd solondz .###1
dull , if not devoid of wit , this shaggy dog longs to frisk through the back alleys of history , but scarcely manages more than a modest , snoozy charm .###0
the movie 's ripe , enrapturing beauty will tempt those willing to probe its inscrutable mysteries .###1
a predictable and stereotypical little b-movie .###0
it 's astonishing .###1
this is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent , who cares if the story 's a little weak .###1
claude miller airs out a tight plot with an easy pace and a focus on character drama over crime-film complications .###1
myers never knows when to let a gag die ; thus , we 're subjected to one mind-numbingly lengthy riff on poo and pee jokes after another .###0
if you can get past the fantastical aspects and harsh realities of `` the isle '' you 'll get a sock-you-in-the-eye flick that is a visual tour-de-force and a story that is unlike any you will likely see anywhere else .###1
enormously likable , partly because it is aware of its own grasp of the absurd .###1
i cry for i spy -- or i would if this latest and laziest imaginable of all vintage-tv spinoffs were capable of engendering an emotional response of any kind .###0
a mostly tired retread of several other mob tales .###0
but it pays a price for its intricate intellectual gamesmanship .###1
the stunning , dreamlike visuals will impress even those viewers who have little patience for euro-film pretension .###1
a movie that will touch the hearts of both children and adults , as well as bring audiences to the edge of their seats .###1
a film that is a portrait of grace in an imperfect world .###1
i do n't have an i am sam clue .###0
the piano teacher is the sort of movie that discourages american audiences from ever wanting to see another foreign film .###0
the film equivalent of a toy chest whose contents get scattered over the course of 80 minutes .###0
suggests puns about ingredients and soup and somebody being off their noodle , but let 's just say the ingredients do n't quite add up to a meal .###0
the film is really not so much bad as bland .###0
cho 's fearless in picking apart human foibles , not afraid to lay her life bare in front of an audience .###1
noyce 's film is contemplative and mournfully reflective .###1
i doubt anyone will remember the picture by the time christmas really rolls around , but maybe it 'll be on video by then .###0
merely as a technical , logistical feat , russian ark marks a cinematic milestone .###1
more than makes up for its mawkish posing by offering rousing spates of genuine feeling .###1
a real story about real people living their lives concerned about the future of an elderly , mentally handicapped family member .###1
painful to watch , but viewers willing to take a chance will be rewarded with two of the year 's most accomplished and riveting film performances .###1
the laser-projected paintings provide a spell-casting beauty , while russell and dreyfus are a romantic pairing of hearts , preciously exposed as history corners them .###1
`` men in black ii , '' has all the earmarks of a sequel .###1
any film featuring young children threatened by a terrorist bomb can no longer pass as mere entertainment .###0
let 's cut to the consumer-advice bottom line : stay home .###0
the long-range appeal of `` minority report '' should transcend any awards it bags .###1
... perhaps the heaviest , most joyless movie ever made about giant dragons taking over the world .###0
workmanlike , maybe , but still a film with all the elements that made the other three great , scary times at the movies .###1
there are moments in this account of the life of artist frida kahlo that are among cinema 's finest this year .###1
does n't amount to much of anything .###0
while the isle is both preposterous and thoroughly misogynistic , its vistas are incredibly beautiful to look at .###1
an instant candidate for worst movie of the year .###0
so what is the point ?###0
longley has constructed a remarkably coherent , horrifically vivid snapshot of those turbulent days .###1
the only element of suspense is whether the movie will change titles or distributors again before the closing credits roll .###0
it may be an easy swipe to take , but this barbershop just does n't make the cut .###0
yeah , these flicks are just that damn good .###1
but what spectacular sizzle it is !###1
an enjoyably half-wit remake of the venerable italian comedy big deal on madonna street .###1
ritchie 's treatment of the class reversal is majorly ham-fisted , from the repetitive manifestos that keep getting thrown in people 's faces to the fact amber is such a joke .###0
earns its laughs from stock redneck ` types ' and from the many , many moments when we recognize even without the elizabethan prose , the play behind the thing .###1
if myers decides to make another austin powers movie , maybe he should just stick with austin and dr evil .###0
it takes this never-ending confusion and hatred , puts a human face on it , evokes shame among all who are party to it and even promotes understanding .###1
a monster combat thriller as impersonal in its relentlessness as the videogame series that inspired it .###0
a sensitive and expertly acted crowd-pleaser that is n't above a little broad comedy and a few unabashedly sentimental tears .###1
kinnear gives a tremendous performance .###1
if you love motown music , you 'll love this documentary .###1
as blunt as it is in depicting child abuse , el bola is a movie steeped in an ambiguity that lends its conflicts a symbolic resonance .###1
the writers , director wally wolodarsky , and all the actors should start their own coeducational fraternity : kappa rho alpha phi .###1
has the feel of an unedited personal journal .###0
the voices are fine as well .###1
this is carion 's debut feature but his script and direction hums with a confidence that many spend entire careers trying to reach .###1
has it ever been possible to say that williams has truly inhabited a character ?###0
what you get with empire is a movie you 've seen many times before , repackaged as new material because there is a latino in the lead .###0
greengrass has delivered an undoubted stylistic tour-de-force , and has managed elements such as sound and cinematography with skill###1
but as a movie , it 's a humorless , disjointed mess .###0
there are times when a rumor of angels plays like an extended episode of touched by an angel -- a little too much dancing , a few too many weeping scenes -- but i liked its heart and its spirit .###1
usually when i get this much syrup , i like pancakes to go with it .###1
if you sometimes like to go to the movies to have fun , wasabi is a good place to start .###1
philip k. dick must be turning in his grave , along with my stomach .###0
demands too much of most viewers .###0
a benign but forgettable sci-fi diversion .###0
showtime is closer to slowtime .###0
a charming yet poignant tale of the irrevocable ties that bind .###1
a boring , formulaic mix of serial killers and stalk 'n' slash .###0
any movie this boring should be required to have ushers in the theater that hand you a cup of coffee every few minutes .###0
at times funny and at other times candidly revealing , it 's an intriguing look at two performers who put themselves out there because they love what they do .###1
ostensibly celebrates middle-aged girl power , even as it presents friendship between women as pathetic , dysfunctional and destructive .###1
preposterous and tedious , sonny is spiked with unintentional laughter that , unfortunately , occurs too infrequently to make the film even a guilty pleasure .###0
the inherent strength of the material as well as the integrity of the filmmakers gives this coming-of-age story restraint as well as warmth .###1
i just did n't care as much for the story .###0
it 's an awfully derivative story .###0
the film makes a tragic error by going on for too long , trying to mirror every subsequent event in chinese history : war , revolution , communism , etc. .###0
4 friends , 2 couples , 2000 miles , and all the pabst blue ribbon beer they can drink - it 's the ultimate redneck road-trip .###1
nervy and sensitive , it taps into genuine artistic befuddlement , and at the same time presents a scathing indictment of what drives hollywood .###1
the low-budget full frontal was one of the year 's murkiest , intentionally obscure and self-indulgent pictures , and solaris is its big-budget brother .###0
novak manages to capture a cruelly hilarious vein of black comedy in the situation with his cast of non-actors and a gritty , no-budget approach .###1
chaotic , self-indulgent and remarkably ugly to look at , it 's ... like a series of pretentiously awful student films strung together into one feature-length horror .###0
those outside show business will enjoy a close look at people they do n't really want to know .###1
it 's the kind of movie you ca n't quite recommend because it is all windup and not much of a pitch , yet you ca n't bring yourself to dislike it .###0
whether you 're moved and love it , or bored or frustrated by the film , you 'll still feel something .###0
but he somehow pulls it off .###1
an incredibly clever and superbly paced caper filled with scams within scams within scams .###1
the spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist .###1
... one of the most ingenious and entertaining thrillers i 've seen in quite a long time .###1
too silly to be frightening , too stolid to be funny , it projects the same lazy affability as its nominal star , david arquette .###0
all that ( powerpuff girls ) charm is present in the movie , but it 's spread too thin .###0
culkin exudes none of the charm or charisma that might keep a more general audience even vaguely interested in his bratty character .###0
sunshine state lacks the kind of dynamic that limbo offers , and in some ways is a rather indulgent piece .###0
a sermonizing and lifeless paean to teenage dullards .###0
it 's hard not to be seduced by ( witherspoon 's ) charisma , even in this run-of-the-mill vehicle , because this girl knows how to drive it to the max .###1
nair does capture the complexity of a big family and its trials and tribulations ...###1
the drama is played out with such aching beauty and truth that it brings tears to your eyes .###1
an engaging overview of johnson 's eccentric career .###1
will only satisfy those who ca n't tell the difference between the good , the bad and the ugly .###0
on the right track to something that 's creepy and effective ... it 's just going to take more than a man in a bullwinkle costume to get there .###1
a richly imagined and admirably mature work from a gifted director who definitely has something on his mind .###1
the smartest bonehead comedy of the summer .###1
the premise for this kegger comedy probably sounded brilliant four six-packs and a pitcher of margaritas in , but the film must have been written ... in the thrall of a vicious hangover .###0
writhing under dialogue like ` you 're from two different worlds ' and ` tonight the maid is a lie and this , this is who you are , ' this schlock-filled fairy tale hits new depths of unoriginality and predictability .###0
matthew mcconaughey tries , and fails , to control the screen with swaggering machismo and over-the-top lunacy .###0
borrows from so many literary and cinematic sources that this future world feels absolutely deja vu .###0
if this is the danish idea of a good time , prospective tourists might want to consider a different destination -- some jolly country embroiled in a bloody civil war , perhaps .###0
a taut , intelligent psychological drama .###1
godawful boring slug of a movie .###0
mckay deflates his piece of puffery with a sour cliche and heavy doses of mean-spiritedness###0
digital-video documentary about stand-up comedians is a great glimpse into a very different world .###1
grant gets to display his cadness to perfection , but also to show acting range that may surprise some who thought light-hearted comedy was his forte .###1
the level of maturity displayed by this 33-year-old first-time feature director is astonishing , considering her inexperience and her subject matter .###1
thoughtful , even stinging at times , and lots of fun .###1
alas , it 's neither .###0
this is n't a narrative film -- i do n't know if it 's possible to make a narrative film about september 11th , though i 'm sure some will try -- but it 's as close as anyone has dared to come .###0
greene delivers a typically solid performance in a role that is a bit of a departure from the noble characters he has played in the past , and he is matched by schweig , who carries the film on his broad , handsome shoulders .###1
the kids often appear to be reading the lines and are incapable of conveying any emotion .###0
disturbingly superficial in its approach to the material .###0
we miss the quirky amazement that used to come along for an integral part of the ride .###0
a refreshingly honest and ultimately touching tale of the sort of people usually ignored in contemporary american film .###1
george clooney proves he 's quite a talented director and sam rockwell shows us he 's a world-class actor with confessions of a dangerous mind .###1
solid , lump-in-the-throat family entertainment that derives its power by sticking to the facts .###1
do n't plan on the perfect ending , but sweet home alabama hits the mark with critics who escaped from a small town life .###1
with generic sets and b-grade special effects , jason is about as convincing on the sci-fi front as tv 's defunct cleopatra 2525 .###0
i enjoyed the ride ( bumps and all ) , creamy depth , and ultimate theme .###1
somewhere short of tremors on the modern b-scene : neither as funny nor as clever , though an agreeably unpretentious way to spend ninety minutes .###0
undone by its overly complicated and derivative screenplay , the glacier-paced direction and the stereotypical characters .###0
though the film 's scenario is certainly not earthshaking , this depiction of fluctuating female sexuality has two winning lead performances and charm to spare .###1
pretentious editing ruins a potentially terrific flick .###0
so clichéd that , at one point , they literally upset an apple cart .###0
like a south-of-the-border melrose place .###0
what could have been a neat little story about believing in yourself is swamped by heavy-handed melodrama .###0
oedekerk wrote patch adams , for which he should not be forgiven .###1
after making several adaptations of other writers ' work , armenian-canadian director atom egoyan broached an original treatment of a deeply personal subject .###1
it is intensely personal and yet -- unlike quills -- deftly shows us the temper of the times .###1
a pleasant enough comedy that should have found a summer place .###1
this is how you use special effects .###1
tadpole is a sophisticated , funny and good-natured treat , slight but a pleasure .###1
to imagine the life of harry potter as a martial arts adventure told by a lobotomized woody allen is to have some idea of the fate that lies in store for moviegoers lured to the mediocrity that is kung pow : enter the fist .###0
you would be better off investing in the worthy emi recording that serves as the soundtrack , or the home video of the 1992 malfitano-domingo production .###0
but even a hero can stumble sometimes .###0
writer-director burger imaginatively fans the embers of a dormant national grief and curiosity that has calcified into chronic cynicism and fear .###1
makes an aborbing if arguable case for the man 's greatness .###0
nicolas philibert observes life inside a one-room schoolhouse in northern france in his documentary to be and to have , easily one of the best films of the year .###1
ecks this one off your must-see list .###0
very solid , very watchable first feature for director peter sheridan###1
lame , haphazard teen comedy .###0
full of profound , real-life moments that anyone can relate to , it deserves a wide audience .###1
consists of a plot and jokes done too often by people far more talented than ali g###0
ms. fulford-wierzbicki is almost spooky in her sulky , calculating lolita turn .###1
egoyan 's movie is too complicated to sustain involvement , and , if you 'll excuse a little critical heresy , too intellectually ambitious .###0
in the process , they demonstrate that there 's still a lot of life in hong kong cinema .###1
de niro may enjoy the same free ride from critics afforded to clint eastwood in the lazy bloodwork .###0
too much of this well-acted but dangerously slow thriller feels like a preamble to a bigger , more complicated story , one that never materializes .###0
director ferzan ozpetek creates an interesting dynamic with the members of this group , who live in the same apartment building .###1
now , if it only had a brain .###0
i watched the brainless insanity of no such thing with mounting disbelief .###0
it 's the best film of the year so far , the benchmark against which all other best picture contenders should be measured .###1
the essential problem in orange county is that , having created an unusually vivid set of characters worthy of its strong cast , the film flounders when it comes to giving them something to do .###1
some studio pizazz might have helped .###0
the film 's greatest asset is how much it 's not just another connect-the-dots , spy-on-the-run picture .###1
opens as promising as any war/adventure film you 'll ever see and dissolves into a routine courtroom drama , better suited for a movie titled `` glory : a soldier 's story . ''###1
the movie is well shot and very tragic , and one to ponder after the credits roll .###1
on its own cinematic terms , it successfully showcases the passions of both the director and novelist byatt .###1
as conceived by mr. schaeffer , christopher and grace are little more than collections of quirky traits lifted from a screenwriter 's outline and thrown at actors charged with the impossible task of making them jell .###0
wait for video -- and then do n't rent it .###0
but watching huppert , a great actress tearing into a landmark role , is riveting .###1
never ( sinks ) into exploitation .###1
the streets , shot by cinematographer michael ballhaus , may be as authentic as they are mean , but it is nearly impossible to care about what happens on them .###0
a gob of drivel so sickly sweet , even the eager consumers of moore 's pasteurized ditties will retch it up like rancid crème brûlée .###1
a startling and fresh examination of how the bike still remains an ambiguous icon in chinese society .###1
an unsatisfying hybrid of blair witch and typical stalk-and-slash fare , where the most conservative protagonist is always the last one living .###0
a thoughtful look at a painful incident that made headlines in 1995 .###1
a real movie , about real people , that gives us a rare glimpse into a culture most of us do n't know .###1
when your leading ladies are a couple of screen-eating dominatrixes like goldie hawn and susan sarandon at their raunchy best , even hokum goes down easily .###0
the situations and jokes are as predictable and as lowbrow as the endless pratfalls the boys take in their high heels .###0
a harmless and mildly amusing family comedy .###1
fine acting but there is no sense of connecting the dots , just dots .###0
rambles on in a disjointed , substandard fashion from one poorly executed action sequence to the next .###0
no , it 's the repetition of said behavior , and so children of the century is more mindless love than mad , more grating and boring than anything else .###0
if kaufman kept cameron diaz a prisoner in a cage with her ape , in his latest , he 'd have them mate .###1
( fessenden ) is much more into ambiguity and creating mood than he is for on screen thrills###1
dark , resonant , inventively detailed and packed with fleet turns of plot and a feast of visual amazement .###1
lovingly choreographed bloodshed taking place in a pristine movie neverland , basically .###1
a very funny movie .###1
suffocated at conception by its munchausen-by-proxy mum .###0
a vivid cinematic portrait .###1
but it offers plenty to ponder and chew on as its unusual relationship slowly unfolds .###1
a provocative movie about loss , anger , greed , jealousy , sickness and love .###1
by the end , i was looking for something hard with which to bludgeon myself unconscious .###0
majidi 's poetic love story is a ravishing consciousness-raiser , if a bit draggy at times .###1
this is the best american movie about troubled teens since 1998 's whatever .###1
if shayamalan wanted to tell a story about a man who loses his faith , why did n't he just do it , instead of using bad sci-fi as window dressing ?###0
others may find it migraine-inducing , despite moore 's attempts at whimsy and spoon feeding .###0
the creaking , rusty ship makes a fine backdrop , but the ghosts ' haunting is routine .###0
first good , then bothersome .###1
fails to bring as much to the table .###0
without heavy-handedness , dong provides perspective with his intelligent grasp of human foibles and contradictions .###1
a clutchy , indulgent and pretentious travelogue and diatribe against ... well , just stuff .###0
even with all those rough edges safely sanded down , the american insomnia is still pretty darned good .###1
a charming , quirky and leisurely paced scottish comedy -- except with an outrageous central gimmick that could have been a reject from monty python 's meaning of life .###1
bow 's best moments are when he 's getting busy on the basketball court because that 's when he really scores .###0
the enormous comic potential of an oafish idiot impersonating an aristocrat remains sadly unrealized .###0
at nearly three hours , the whole of safe conduct is less than the sum of its parts .###0
just another fish-out-of-water story that barely stays afloat .###0
an afterschool special without the courage of its convictions .###0
without september 11 , collateral damage would have been just another bad movie .###0
like a marathon runner trying to finish a race , you need a constant influx of liquid just to get through it .###0
zhang yimou delivers warm , genuine characters who lie not through dishonesty , but because they genuinely believe it 's the only way to bring happiness to their loved ones .###1
well-written , nicely acted and beautifully shot and scored , the film works on several levels , openly questioning social mores while ensnaring the audience with its emotional pull .###1
for the first two-thirds of this sparklingly inventive and artful , always fast and furious tale , kids will go happily along for the ride .###1
a classy item by a legend who may have nothing left to prove but still has the chops and drive to show how its done .###1
if this holiday movie is supposed to be a gift , somebody unwrapped it early , took out all the good stuff , and left behind the crap ( literally ) .###0
feels less like it 's about teenagers , than it was written by teenagers .###0
a well-made thriller with a certain level of intelligence and non-reactionary morality .###1
no movement , no yuks , not much of anything .###0
most of the action setups are incoherent .###0
somehow we 're meant to buy that this doting mother would shun her kids , travel to one of the most dangerous parts of the world , don fatigues and become g.i. jane .###0
good ol' urban legend stuff .###1
the thriller side of this movie is falling flat , as the stalker does n't do much stalking , and no cop or lawyer grasps the concept of actually investigating the case .###0
an amazing and incendiary movie that dives straight into the rough waters of contradiction .###1
a great ending does n't make up for a weak movie , and crazy as hell does n't even have a great ending .###0
the episodic film makes valid points about the depersonalization of modern life .###1
a gimmick in search of a movie : how to get carvey into as many silly costumes and deliver as many silly voices as possible , plot mechanics be damned .###0
i regret to report that these ops are just not extreme enough .###0
so stupid , so ill-conceived , so badly drawn , it created whole new levels of ugly .###0
at about 95 minutes , treasure planet maintains a brisk pace as it races through the familiar story .###1
intriguing and beautiful film , but those of you who read the book are likely to be disappointed .###1
the film is often filled with a sense of pure wonderment and excitement not often seen in today 's cinema du sarcasm###1
this is what imax was made for : strap on a pair of 3-d goggles , shut out the real world , and take a vicarious voyage to the last frontier -- space .###1
effectively feeds our senses with the chilling sights and sounds from within the camp to create a completely numbing experience .###1
these people would n't know subtle characterization if it put on a giant furry monster costume and then gave them a lapdance .###0
while mcfarlane 's animation lifts the film firmly above the level of other coming-of-age films ... it 's also so jarring that it 's hard to get back into the boys ' story .###1
a candid and often fascinating documentary about a pentecostal church in dallas that assembles an elaborate haunted house each year to scare teenagers into attending services .###1
warmed-over tarantino by way of wannabe elmore leonard .###0
the film is an enjoyable family film -- pretty much aimed at any youngster who loves horses .###1
the hours makes you examine your own life in much the same way its characters do , and the experience is profound .###1
but that 's just the problem with it - the director has n't added enough of his own ingredients .###0
home alone goes hollywood , a funny premise until the kids start pulling off stunts not even steven spielberg would know how to do .###1
based on a david leavitt story , the film shares that writer 's usual blend of observant cleverness , too-facile coincidence and slightly noxious preciousness .###0
automatically pegs itself for the straight-to-video sci-fi rental shelf .###0
sits uneasily as a horror picture ... but finds surprising depth in its look at the binds of a small family .###1
the issue of faith is not explored very deeply###0
the sequel has turned completely and irrevocably bizarre to the point of utter nonsense .###0
lacks heart , depth and , most of all , purpose .###0
moot point .###0
the film makes a strong case for the importance of the musicians in creating the motown sound .###1
the film runs on equal parts of innocence and wisdom -- wisdom that comes with experience .###1
the passions aroused by the discord between old and new cultures are set against the strange , stark beauty of the mideast desert , so lovingly and perceptively filmed that you can almost taste the desiccated air .###1
pryor lite , with half the demons , half the daring , much less talent , many fewer laughs .###0
if you liked such movies as notting hill , four weddings and a funeral , bridget jones ' diary or high fidelity , then you wo n't want to miss about a boy .###1
even legends like alfred hitchcock and john huston occasionally directed trifles ... so it 's no surprise to see a world-class filmmaker like zhang yimou behind the camera for a yarn that 's ultimately rather inconsequential .###0
it will come as no surprise that the movie is n't scary .###0
often gruelling and heartbreaking to witness , but seldahl and wollter 's sterling performances raise this far above the level of the usual maudlin disease movie .###1
even by dumb action-movie standards , ballistic : ecks vs. sever is a dumb action movie .###0
one hour photo is an intriguing snapshot of one man and his delusions ; it 's just too bad it does n't have more flashes of insight .###1
john mctiernan 's botched remake may be subtler than norman jewison 's 1975 ultraviolent futuristic corporate-sports saga .###0
if there 's a way to effectively teach kids about the dangers of drugs , i think it 's in projects like the ( unfortunately r-rated ) paid .###0
the only thing worse than your substandard , run-of-the-mill hollywood picture is an angst-ridden attempt to be profound .###0
proof that a thriller can be sleekly shot , expertly cast , paced with crisp professionalism ... and still be a letdown if its twists and turns hold no more surprise than yesterday 's weather report .###0
a tender and touching drama , based on the true story of a troubled african-american 's quest to come to terms with his origins , reveals the yearning we all have in our hearts for acceptance within the family circle .###1
the tug of war that ensues is as much a snapshot of modern china in microcosm as it is a crash course in movie mythology .###1
a comprehensive and provocative film -- one that pushes the boundaries of biography , and challenges its audience .###1
few films this year have been as resolute in their emotional nakedness .###0
this extremely unfunny film clocks in at 80 minutes , but feels twice as long .###0
you can feel the heat that ignites this gripping tale , and the humor and humanity that root it in feeling .###1
theirs is a simple and heart-warming story , full of mirth that should charm all but the most cynical .###1
if this is an example of the type of project that robert redford 's lab is willing to lend its imprimatur to , then perhaps it 's time to rethink independent films .###0
though the book runs only about 300 pages , it is so densely packed ... that even an ambitious adaptation and elaborate production like mr. schepisi 's seems skimpy and unclear .###0
like dickens with his passages , mcgrath crafts quite moving scenes throughout his resolutely dramatic variation on the novel .###1
not so much funny as aggressively sitcom-cute , it 's full of throwaway one-liners , not-quite jokes , and a determined tv amiability that allen personifies .###0
ultimately the project comes across as clinical , detached , uninvolving , possibly prompting audience members to wonder , ` what 's the point ? '###0
i weep for the future when a good portion of the respected critical community in this country consider blue crush to be an intelligent film about young women .###1
a soggy , shapeless mess ... just a dumb excuse for a waterlogged equivalent of a haunted-house movie .###0
achieves a sort of filmic epiphany that revels in the true potential of the medium .###1
there 's no denying the physically spectacular qualities of the film ... or the emotional integrity of the performances .###1
it 's difficult to say whether the tuxedo is more boring or embarrassing -- i 'm prepared to call it a draw .###0
an endearingly offbeat romantic comedy with a great meet-cute gimmick .###1
a work of the utmost subtlety and perception , it marks the outstanding feature debut of writer-director eric byler , who understands the power of the implicit and the virtues of simplicity and economy .###1
too loud , too long and too frantic by half , die another day suggests that the bond franchise has run into a creative wall that 007 can not fly over , tunnel under or barrel through .###0
this overproduced and generally disappointing effort is n't likely to rouse the rush hour crowd .###0
the film 's sharp , often mischievous sense of humor will catch some off guard ...###1
a cockamamie tone poem pitched precipitously between swoony lyricism and violent catastrophe ... the most aggressively nerve-wracking and screamingly neurotic romantic comedy in cinema history .###1
not a movie but a live-action agitprop cartoon so shameless and coarse , it 's almost funny .###0
this delicately observed story , deeply felt and masterfully stylized , is a triumph for its maverick director .###1
oft-described as the antidote to american pie-type sex comedies , it actually has a bundle in common with them , as the film diffuses every opportunity for a breakthrough###1
the irwins emerge unscathed , but the fictional footage is unconvincing and criminally badly acted .###0
winds up feeling like lots of other quirky movies that try to score hipness points with young adults .###0
vile and tacky are the two best adjectives to describe ghost ship .###1
though mama takes a bit too long to find its rhythm and a third-act plot development is somewhat melodramatic , its ribald humor and touching nostalgia are sure to please anyone in search of a jules and jim for the new millennium .###1
a depressing confirmation of everything those of us who do n't object to the description `` unelected '' have suspected all along : george w. bush is an incurious , uncharismatic , overgrown frat boy with a mean streak a mile wide .###0
it is far from the worst , thanks to the topical issues it raises , the performances of stewart and hardy , and that essential feature -- a decent full-on space battle .###1
a free-for-all of half-baked thoughts , clumsily used visual tricks and self-indulgent actor moments .###0
propelled not by characters but by caricatures .###0
never again swings between false sentiment and unfunny madcap comedy and , along the way , expects the audience to invest in the central relationship as some kind of marriage of true minds .###0
a well acted and well intentioned snoozer .###1
goyer 's screenplay and direction are thankfully understated , and he has drawn excellent performances from his cast .###1
aside from being the funniest movie of the year , simone , andrew niccol 's brilliant anti-hollywood satire , has a wickedly eccentric enchantment to it .###1
eventually , it wins you over .###1
a boring , wincingly cute and nauseatingly politically correct cartoon guaranteed to drive anyone much over age 4 screaming from the theater .###0
( t ) hose same extremes prevent us from taking its message seriously , and the stepford wives mentality does n't work in a modern context .###0
there are moments it can be heart-rending in an honest and unaffected ( and gentle ) way .###1
bubba ho-tep is a wonderful film with a bravura lead performance by bruce campbell that does n't deserve to leave the building until everyone is aware of it .###1
what 's most striking about this largely celebratory film ... is the sense of isolation that permeates these bastions of individuality in an ikea world .###1
the two leads are almost good enough to camouflage the dopey plot , but so much naturalistic small talk , delivered in almost muffled exchanges , eventually has a lulling effect .###0
but fans should have fun meeting a brand-new pokemon called celebi .###1
this is art paying homage to art .###1
a pleasurably jacked-up piece of action moviemaking .###1
like most bond outings in recent years , some of the stunts are so outlandish that they border on being cartoonlike .###0
god help the poor woman if attal is this insecure in real life : his fictional yvan 's neuroses are aggravating enough to exhaust the patience of even the most understanding spouse .###0
wasabi is slight fare indeed , with the entire project having the feel of something tossed off quickly ( like one of hubert 's punches ) , but it should go down smoothly enough with popcorn .###1
the film 's 45-minute running time stops shy of overkill , though viewers may be more exhausted than the athletes onscreen .###0
a loving little film of considerable appeal .###1
demme 's loose approach kills the suspense .###0
`` antwone fisher '' is an earnest , by-the-numbers effort by washington .###1
he simply presents his point of view that ayurveda works .###1
you 're better off staying home and watching the x-files .###0
with youthful high spirits , tautou remains captivating throughout michele 's religious and romantic quests , and she is backed by a likable cast .###1
but this costly dud is a far cry from either the book or the beloved film .###0
majidi gets uniformly engaging performances from his largely amateur cast .###1
stephen earnhart 's homespun documentary mule skinner blues has nothing but love for its posse of trailer park denizens .###1
haneke challenges us to confront the reality of sexual aberration .###1
an offbeat , sometimes gross and surprisingly appealing animated film about the true meaning of the holidays .###1
the plot is so predictable and sentimental that viewers are likely to lose interest before sandrine and her goats walk off into the sunset .###0
( it 's ) difficult to get beyond the overall blandness of american chai , despite its likable performances and refreshingly naive point of view .###0
once the audience figure out what 's being said , the filmmaker 's relative passivity will make it tough for them to really care .###0
watstein handily directs and edits around his screenplay 's sappier elements ... and sustains off the hook 's buildup with remarkable assuredness for a first-timer .###1
this is n't my favorite in the series , still i enjoyed it enough to recommend .###1
the movie is as far as you can get from racy , to the point where it almost stops the blood flow to your brain ; it has a dull , costumey feel .###0
as with too many studio pics , plot mechanics get in the way of what should be the lighter-than-air adventure .###0
has a shambling charm ... a cheerfully inconsequential diversion .###1
look , this is a terrific flick replete with dazzling camera-work , dancing and music .###1
... both hokey and super-cool , and definitely not in a hurry , so sit back , relax and have a few laughs while the little ones get a fuzzy treat . '###1
what will , most likely , turn out to be the most repellent movie of 2002 .###0
this is one for the ages .###1
eastwood is an icon of moviemaking , one of the best actors , directors and producers around , responsible for some excellent work .###1
from spiritual rebirth to bruising defeat , vincent 's odyssey resonates in a profound way , comparable to the classic films of jean renoir .###1
the central story lacks punch .###0
... fifty minutes of tedious adolescent melodramatics followed by thirty-five minutes of inflated nonsense .###0
though of particular interest to students and enthusiast of international dance and world music , the film is designed to make viewers of all ages , cultural backgrounds and rhythmic ability want to get up and dance .###1
why come up with something even quasi-original , when you can pillage from shirley jackson , richard matheson ... and puke up something like rose red ?###0
parker holds true to wilde 's own vision of a pure comedy with absolutely no meaning , and no desire to be anything but a polished , sophisticated entertainment that is in love with its own cleverness .###1
jason x has cheesy effects and a hoary plot , but its macabre , self-deprecating sense of humor makes up for a lot .###1
flashy , pretentious and as impenetrable as morvern 's thick , working-class scottish accent .###0
the backyard battles you staged with your green plastic army men were more exciting and almost certainly made more sense .###1
invincible is a wonderful movie .###1
this pep-talk for faith , hope and charity does little to offend , but if saccharine earnestness were a crime , the film 's producers would be in the clink for life .###0
japan 's premier stylist of sex and blood hits audiences with what may be his most demented film to date .###1
it is interesting and fun to see goodall and her chimpanzees on the bigger-than-life screen .###1
finally , a genre movie that delivers -- in a couple of genres , no less .###1
a broadly played , lowbrow comedy in which the cast delivers mildly amusing performances and no farm animals were injured by any of the gags .###1
you 'll be more entertained getting hit by a bus .###0
if it tried to do anything more , it would fail and perhaps explode , but at this level of manic whimsy , it is just about right .###0
a sad , superior human comedy played out on the back roads of life .###1
a shambles of a movie -- visually unattractive , unbearably loud and utterly silly ... its hilarity is completely unintentional .###0
the makers have forsaken the entertaining elements of the original and , instead , rehash old jokes and leave any life at the doorstep .###0
for anyone who grew up on disney 's 1950 treasure island , or remembers the 1934 victor fleming classic , this one feels like an impostor .###0
` enigma ' is a good name for a movie this delibrately obtuse and unapproachable .###1
star wars is back in a major way .###1
bullock 's complete lack of focus and ability quickly derails the film###0
it 's endearing to hear madame d. refer to her husband as ` jackie ' -- and he does make for excellent company , not least as a self-conscious performer .###1
though a bit of a patchwork in script and production , a glossy , rich green , environment almost makes the picture work .###1
this is a particularly toxic little bonbon , palatable to only a chosen and very jaundiced few .###0
the movie feels like it 's going to be great , and it carries on feeling that way for a long time , but takeoff just never happens .###0
a pro-fat farce that overcomes much of its excessive moral baggage thanks to two appealing lead performances .###1
an impressive if flawed effort that indicates real talent .###1
do n't waste your money .###1
it 's a bittersweet and lyrical mix of elements .###1
the movie 's quiet affirmation of neighborhood values gives it an honest , lived-in glow .###1
too stupid to be satire , too obviously hateful to be classified otherwise , frank novak 's irritating slice of lumpen life is as reliably soul-killing as its title is nearly meaningless .###0
marvelous , merry and , yes , melancholy film .###1
i tried to read the time on my watch .###0
but based on cq , i 'll certainly be keeping an eye out for his next project .###1
i spy is an embarrassment , a monotonous , disjointed jumble of borrowed plot points and situations .###0
occasionally , in the course of reviewing art-house obscurities and slam-bam action flicks , a jaded critic smacks into something truly new .###1
her delivery and timing are flawless .###1
but buying into sham truths and routine `` indie '' filmmaking , freundlich has made just another safe movie .###0
gee , a second assassin shot kennedy ?###0
a charming romantic comedy that is by far the lightest dogme film and among the most enjoyable .###1
every bit as bogus as most disney live action family movies are -- no real plot , no real conflict , no real point .###0
a whole lot foul , freaky and funny .###0
could the whole plan here have been to produce something that makes fatal attraction look like a classic by comparison ?###0
the cast is uniformly excellent and relaxed .###1
the film is just a big , gorgeous , mind-blowing , breath-taking mess .###1
reggio 's trippy , ambitious downer can also sometimes come across like nothing more than a glorified nike ad .###0
the more kevin costner rests on his pretty-boy laurels , the public is , regrettably , going to have tepid films like dragonfly tossed at them .###0
director benoit jacquot , making his first opera-to-film translation with tosca , conveys the heaving passion of puccini 's famous love-jealousy - murder-suicide fandango with great cinematic innovation .###1
it 's a film that hinges on its casting , and glover really does n't fit the part .###0
the film often achieves a mesmerizing poetry .###1
i love the way that it took chances and really asks you to take these great leaps of faith and pays off .###1
imagine the james woods character from videodrome making a home movie of audrey rose and showing it to the kid from the sixth sense and you 've imagined the ring .###0
if we do n't demand a standard of quality for the art that we choose , we deserve the trash that we get .###0
a generation x artifact , capturing a brief era of insanity in the sports arena that surely can not last .###1
bad company leaves a bad taste , not only because of its bad-luck timing , but also the staleness of its script .###0
when a set of pre-shooting guidelines a director came up with for his actors turns out to be cleverer , better written and of considerable more interest than the finished film , that 's a bad sign .###0
as green-guts monster movies go , it 's a beaut .###1
still , i thought it could have been more .###0
it 's a nicely detailed world of pawns , bishops and kings , of wagers in dingy backrooms or pristine forests .###1
good actress .###1
evokes a little of the fear that parents have for the possible futures of their children -- and the sometimes bad choices mothers and fathers make in the interests of doing them good .###1
still , this thing feels flimsy and ephemeral .###0
renner 's performance as dahmer is unforgettable , deeply absorbing .###1
marisa tomei is good , but just a kiss is just a mess .###0
complex , affecting and uniquely almodóvar , the film evokes strong emotions and pushes viewers to question their deepest notions of moral right and wrong .###1
it 's almost impossible not to be moved by the movie 's depiction of sacrifice and its stirring epilogue in post-soviet russia .###0
a compendium of solondz 's own worst instincts in under 90 minutes .###0
presents an astute appraisal of middle american musical torpor and the desperate struggle to escape it .###1
about as satisfying and predictable as the fare at your local drive through .###0
dreary , highly annoying ... ` some body ' will appeal to no one .###0
sharp , lively , funny and ultimately sobering film .###1
the premise is overshadowed by the uberviolence of the clericks as this becomes just another kung-fu sci-fi movie with silly action sequences .###0
one of those rare , exhilarating cinematic delights that gets even better in hindsight , as you mull over its every nuance in your mind .###1
i like frank the pug , though .###1
instead of kicking off the intrigue and suspense and mystery of the whole thing , hart 's war , like the st. louis rams in the super bowl , waits until after halftime to get started .###0
if it 's possible for a sequel to outshine the original , then sl2 does just that .###0
divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood may not be exactly divine , but it 's definitely -- defiantly -- ya ya , what with all of those terrific songs and spirited performances .###1
tsai ming-liang has taken his trademark style and refined it to a crystalline point .###1
those who would follow haneke on his creepy explorations ... are rewarded by brutal , committed performances from huppert and magimel .###1
what could have become just another cautionary fable is allowed to play out as a clever , charming tale -- as pleasantly in its own way as its self-dramatizing characters .###1
( schweiger is ) talented and terribly charismatic , qualities essential to both movie stars and social anarchists .###1
dialogue-heavy and too cerebral for its own good -- or , at any rate , too cerebral for its racy subject matter .###0
for all its surface frenzy , high crimes should be charged with loitering -- so much on view , so little to offer .###0
credibility sinks into a mire of sentiment .###0
a frantic search for laughs , with a hit-to-miss ratio that does n't exactly favor the audience .###0
in its ragged , cheap and unassuming way , the movie works .###0
this is a great subject for a movie , but hollywood has squandered the opportunity , using it as a prop for warmed-over melodrama and the kind of choreographed mayhem that director john woo has built his career on .###0
a compelling journey ... and `` his best friend remembers '' is up there with the finest of specials .###1
this film was made to get laughs from the slowest person in the audience -- just pure slapstick with lots of inane , inoffensive screaming and exaggerated facial expressions .###0
meandering , sub-aquatic mess : it 's so bad it 's good , but only if you slide in on a freebie .###0
an often-deadly boring , strange reading of a classic whose witty dialogue is treated with a baffling casual approach###0
watching haneke 's film is , aptly enough , a challenge and a punishment .###1
an ungainly , comedy-deficient , b-movie rush job ...###0
considering the harsh locations and demanding stunts , this must have been a difficult shoot , but the movie proves rough going for the audience as well .###0
there is a kind of attentive concern that hoffman brings to his characters , as if he has been giving them private lessons , and now it is time for their first public recital .###1
this cuddly sequel to the 1999 hit is a little more visually polished , a little funnier , and a little more madcap .###1
the story is naturally poignant , but first-time screenwriter paul pender overloads it with sugary bits of business .###0
the tenderness of the piece is still intact .###1
a simmering psychological drama in which the bursts of sudden violence are all the more startling for the slow buildup that has preceded them .###1
it has fun being grown up .###1
( newton ) wanders through charlie completely unaware she needs to show some presence and star quality .###0
an exceedingly clever piece of cinema .###1
a psychological thriller with a smart script and an obsessive-compulsive 's attention to detail .###1
a great comedy filmmaker knows great comedy need n't always make us laugh .###1
i do n't think i 've been as entranced and appalled by an asian film since shinya tsukamoto 's iron man .###0
too close to phantom menace for comfort .###0
this film looks like it was produced in 1954 , shelved for 48 years , and repackaged for a 2002 audience .###0
he 's super spy !###1
the lack of opposing viewpoints soon grows tiresome -- the film feels more like a series of toasts at a testimonial dinner than a documentary .###0
choose your reaction : a. ) that sure is funny !###1
not ` terrible filmmaking ' bad , but more like , ' i once had a nightmare like this , and it 's now coming true ' bad .###0
we never really feel involved with the story , as all of its ideas remain just that : abstract ideas .###0
a byzantine melodrama that stimulates the higher brain functions as well as the libido .###1
the film overcomes the regular minefield of coming-of-age cliches with potent doses of honesty and sensitivity .###1
its mysteries are transparently obvious , and it 's too slowly paced to be a thriller .###0
like its two predecessors , 1983 's koyaanisqatsi and 1988 's powaqqatsi , the cinematic collage naqoyqatsi could be the most navel-gazing film ever .###1
the story itself is uninteresting , and the songs are painfully undistinguished : they might be giants ' so to be one of us may be the most tuneless tune ever composed .###0
a masterful film from a master filmmaker , unique in its deceptive grimness , compelling in its fatalist worldview .###1
a truly moving experience , and a perfect example of how art -- when done right -- can help heal , clarify , and comfort .###1
it 's all very cute , though not terribly funny if you 're more than six years old .###1
just a bloody mess .###0
schmaltzy and unfunny , adam sandler 's cartoon about hanukkah is numbingly bad , little nicky bad , 10 worst list bad .###0
offers a breath of the fresh air of true sophistication .###1
fans of behan 's work and of irish movies in general will be rewarded by borstal boy .###1
... a poignant and powerful narrative that reveals that reading writing and arithmetic are not the only subjects to learn in life .###1
i found it slow , drab , and bordering on melodramatic .###0
the film 's real appeal wo n't be to clooney fans or adventure buffs , but to moviegoers who enjoy thinking about compelling questions with no easy answers .###1
( wendigo is ) why we go to the cinema : to be fed through the eye , the heart , the mind .###1
it is risky , intelligent , romantic and rapturous from start to finish .###1
the whole cast looks to be having so much fun with the slapstick antics and silly street patois , tossing around obscure expressions like bellini and mullinski , that the compact 86 minutes breezes by .###1
she must have a very strong back .###1
compelling as it is exotic , fast runner has a plot that rivals shakespeare for intrigue , treachery and murder .###1
better at putting you to sleep than a sound machine .###0
this is a raw and disturbing tale that took five years to make , and the trio 's absorbing narrative is a heart-wrenching showcase indeed .###1
jirí hubac 's script is a gem .###1
this is n't a `` friday '' worth waiting for .###0
de niro looks bored , murphy recycles murphy , and you mentally add showtime to the pile of hollywood dreck that represents nothing more than the art of the deal .###0
the movie quickly drags on becoming boring and predictable .###0
still pretentious and filled with subtext , but entertaining enough at ` face value ' to recommend to anyone looking for something different .###1
almost everything else is wan .###0
just because it really happened to you , honey , does n't mean that it 's interesting to anyone else .###0
there has been much puzzlement among critics about what the election symbolizes .###0
an enchanting film that presents an audacious tour of the past and takes within its warm embrace the bounties of cultural artifacts inside st. petersburg 's hermitage museum .###1
choppy editing and too many repetitive scenes spoil what could have been an important documentary about stand-up comedy .###0
it 's the kind of pigeonhole-resisting romp that hollywood too rarely provides .###0
much of the way , though , this is a refreshingly novel ride .###1
the acting by the over-25s lacks spark , with csokas particularly unconnected .###0
nair stuffs the film with dancing , henna , ornamentation , and group song , but her narrative clichés and telegraphed episodes smell of old soap opera .###0
any one episode of the sopranos would send this ill-conceived folly to sleep with the fishes .###0
needless to say , the dramatics that follow are utter hooey .###0
de oliveira creates an emotionally rich , poetically plump and visually fulsome , but never showy , film whose bittersweet themes are reinforced and brilliantly personified by michel piccoli .###1
if this movie were a book , it would be a page-turner , you ca n't wait to see what happens next .###1
watching it is rather like viewing a long soap opera in which only the first episode was any good .###0
most of crush is a clever and captivating romantic comedy with a welcome pinch of tartness .###1
there 's nothing provocative about this film save for the ways in which it studiously avoids provoking thought .###0
what full frontal lacks in thematic coherence it largely makes up for as loosey-goosey , experimental entertainment .###1
so routine , familiar and predictable , it raises the possibility that it wrote itself as a newly automated final draft computer program .###0
denis and co-writer michele petin 's impeccable screenplay penetrates with a rawness that that is both unflinching and tantalizing .###1
a deceivingly simple film , one that grows in power in retrospect .###1
as it abruptly crosscuts among the five friends , it fails to lend the characters ' individual stories enough dramatic resonance to make us care about them .###0
if no one singles out any of these performances as award-worthy , it 's only because we would expect nothing less from this bunch .###0
i hated every minute of it .###0
even if you ca n't pronounce `` gyro '' correctly , you 'll appreciate much of vardalos ' humor , which transcends ethnic boundaries .###1
... always remains movingly genuine .###1
creepy but ultimately unsatisfying thriller .###0
there is not an ounce of honesty in the entire production .###0
( broomfield ) uncovers a story powerful enough to leave the screen sizzling with intrigue .###1
at times , however , dogtown and z-boys lapses into an insider 's lingo and mindset that the uninitiated may find hard to follow , or care about .###0
what happened with pluto nash ?###0
there is n't a weak or careless performance amongst them .###1
edited and shot with a syncopated style mimicking the work of his subjects , pray turns the idea of the documentary on its head , making it rousing , invigorating fun lacking any mtv puffery .###1
( howard ) so good as leon barlow ... that he hardly seems to be acting .###1
another great ` what you do n't see ' is much more terrifying than what you do see thriller , coupled with some arresting effects , incandescent tones and stupendous performances###1
a modest pleasure that accomplishes its goals with ease and confidence .###1
lanie 's professional success means she must be a failure at life , because she 's driven by ambition and does n't know how to have fun .###0
it 's frustrating to see these guys -- who are obviously pretty clever -- waste their talent on parodies of things they probably thought were funniest when they were high .###0
this miserable excuse of a movie runs on empty , believing flatbush machismo will get it through .###0
you might not want to hang out with samantha , but you 'll probably see a bit of yourself in her unfinished story .###1
hilarious , touching and wonderfully dyspeptic .###1
rather , you 'll have to wrestle disbelief to the ground and then apply the chloroform-soaked handkerchief .###0
this examination of aquatic life off the shores of the baja california peninsula of mexico offers an engrossing way to demonstrate the virtues of the imax format .###1
the noble tradition of men in drag hits an all-time low in sorority boys , whose makers apparently believe that women 's clothing can cover up any deficiency in acting , writing or direction .###0
when it comes to entertainment , children deserve better than pokemon 4ever .###0
the sad thing about knockaround guys is its lame aspiration for grasping the coolness vibes when in fact the film is n't as flippant or slick as it thinks it is .###0
the stories here suffer from the chosen format .###0
a graceless , witless attempt at mating some like it hot with the wwii espionage thriller .###0
without a strong script and energetic acting , dogma films can produce the same sleep-inducing effects as watching your neighbor 's home videos .###0
its lack of quality earns it a place alongside those other two recent dumas botch-jobs , the man in the iron mask and the musketeer .###0
stars matthew perry and elizabeth hurley illicit more than a chuckle , and more jokes land than crash , but ultimately serving sara does n't distinguish itself from the herd .###0
ridiculous .###0
the vampire thriller blade ii starts off as a wild hoot and then sucks the blood out of its fun -- toward the end , you can feel your veins cringing from the workout .###1
most impressive , though , is the film 's open-ended finale that refuses to entirely close its characters ' emotional wounds .###1
succumbs to the same kind of maudlin , sentimental mysticism that mars the touched by an angel school of non-god spiritual-uplift movies .###0
this goofy gangster yarn never really elevates itself from being yet another earnestly generic crime-busting comic vehicle -- a well-intentioned remake that shows some spunk and promise but fails to register as anything distinctive or daring###0
call me a wimp , but i cried , not once , but three times in this animated sweet film .###1
eight crazy nights is a showcase for sandler 's many talents .###1
both deeply weird and charmingly dear .###1
tom green just gives them a bad odor .###0
despite apparent motives to the contrary , it ends up being , like ( seinfeld 's ) revered tv show , about pretty much nothing .###0
the year 's happiest surprise , a movie that deals with a real subject in an always surprising way .###1
as if to prove a female director can make a movie with no soft edges , kathryn bigelow offers no sugar-coating or interludes of lightness .###0
if i spy were funny ( enough ) or exciting ( enough ) then it would be fairly simple to forgive the financial extortion it 's trying to reap from the moviegoing public .###0
nothing debases a concept comedy quite like the grinding of bad ideas , and showtime is crammed full of them .###0
this is simply the most fun you 'll ever have with a documentary !###1
it 's rather like a lifetime special -- pleasant , sweet and forgettable .###1
i like the new footage and still love the old stuff .###1
collateral damage is , despite its alleged provocation post-9 / 11 , an antique , in the end .###0
it sounds sick and twisted , but the miracle of shainberg 's film is that it truly is romance###1
while not as aggressively impressive as its american counterpart , `` in the bedroom , '' moretti 's film makes its own , quieter observations###0
gosling provides an amazing performance that dwarfs everything else in the film .###1
a great idea becomes a not-great movie .###0
you 'll be left with the sensation of having just witnessed a great performance and , perhaps , give in to the urge to get on your feet and shake it .###1
farrell ... thankfully manages to outshine the role and successfully plays the foil to willis 's world-weary colonel .###1
the film would work much better as a video installation in a museum , where viewers would be free to leave .###0
the invincible werner herzog is alive and well and living in la###1
this time kaufman 's imagination has failed him .###0
... this movie has a glossy coat of action movie excess while remaining heartless at its core .###0
arnold 's jump from little screen to big will leave frowns on more than a few faces .###0
the film is all a little lit crit 101 , but it 's extremely well played and often very funny .###1
... a haunting vision , with images that seem more like disturbing hallucinations .###1
even when foreign directors ... borrow stuff from hollywood , they invariably shake up the formula and make it more interesting .###1
though the controversial korean filmmaker 's latest effort is not for all tastes , it offers gorgeous imagery , effective performances , and an increasingly unsettling sense of foreboding .###1
even die-hard fans of japanese animation ... will find this one a challenge .###1
the story loses its bite in a last-minute happy ending that 's even less plausible than the rest of the picture .###0
the reason this picture works better than its predecessors is that myers is no longer simply spoofing the mini-mod-madness of '60s spy movies .###1
this may not have the dramatic gut-wrenching impact of other holocaust films , but it 's a compelling story , mainly because of the way it 's told by the people who were there .###1
i would have preferred a transfer down the hall to mr. holland 's class for the music , or to robin williams 's lecture so i could listen to a teacher with humor , passion , and verve .###1
fairly successful at faking some pretty cool stunts but a complete failure at trying to create some pretty cool characters .###0
the result is something quite fresh and delightful .###1
birot is a competent enough filmmaker , but her story has nothing fresh or very exciting about it .###0
it might be tempting to regard mr. andrew and his collaborators as oddballs , but mr. earnhart 's quizzical , charming movie allows us to see them , finally , as artists .###1
although it 's a bit smug and repetitive , this documentary engages your brain in a way few current films do .###1
might have been better off as a documentary , with less of mr. eyre 's uninspired dramatics and more of his sense of observation and outrage .###0
focuses on joan 's raging hormones and sledgehammers the audience with spanish inquisitions about her `` madness '' so much that i became mad that i wasted 123 minutes and $ 9.50 on this 21st century torture device .###0
although trying to balance self-referential humor and a normal ol' slasher plot seemed like a decent endeavor , the result does n't fully satisfy either the die-hard jason fans or those who can take a good joke .###0
as elegantly crafted as it often is , anderson 's movie is essentially a one-trick pony that , hampered by an undeveloped script , ultimately pulls up lame .###0
the story 's so preposterous that i did n't believe it for a second , despite the best efforts of everyone involved .###0
it 's absolutely spooky how lillard channels the shagster right down to the original casey kasem-furnished voice .###1
it almost plays like solaris , but with guns and jokes .###1
an intermittently pleasing but mostly routine effort .###1
the story is familiar from its many predecessors ; like them , it eventually culminates in the not-exactly - stunning insight that crime does n't pay .###0
no reason for anyone to invest their hard-earned bucks into a movie which obviously did n't invest much into itself either .###0
all ends well , sort of , but the frenzied comic moments never click .###0
leave it to rohmer , now 82 , to find a way to bend current technique to the service of a vision of the past that is faithful to both architectural glories and commanding open spaces of the city as it was more than two centuries ago .###1
calling this movie brainless would be paying it a compliment : it 's more like entertainment for trolls .###0
it 's a movie -- and an album -- you wo n't want to miss .###1
fisher has bared his soul and confronted his own shortcomings here in a way ... that feels very human and very true to life .###1
never engaging , utterly predictable and completely void of anything remotely interesting or suspenseful .###0
to the film 's credit , the acting is fresh and unselfconscious , and munch is a marvel of reality versus sappy sentiment .###1
a compelling portrait of moral emptiness###1
beyond a handful of mildly amusing lines ... there just is n't much to laugh at .###0
the unceasing sadism is so graphically excessive , the director just ends up exposing his own obsession .###0
a thinly veiled excuse for wilson to play his self-deprecating act against murphy 's well-honed prima donna shtick .###0
lee jeong-hyang tells it so lovingly and films it so beautifully that i could n't help being captivated by it .###1
a frustrating combination of strained humor and heavy-handed sentimentality .###0
do n't expect any surprises in this checklist of teamwork cliches ...###0
ranks among willams ' best screen work .###1
despite the authenticity of the trappings , the film is overblown in its plotting , hackneyed in its dialogue and anachronistic in its style .###0
it 's both a necessary political work and a fascinating documentary ...###1
well-intentioned though it may be , its soap-opera morality tales have the antiseptic , preprogrammed feel of an after-school special .###0
for caine lovers only .###1
maybe i found the proceedings a little bit too conventional .###0
as lo-fi as the special effects are , the folks who cobbled nemesis together indulge the force of humanity over hardware in a way that george lucas has long forgotten .###0
frenetic but not really funny .###0
as your relatives swap one mundane story after another , you begin to wonder if they are ever going to depart .###0
a psychologically rich and suspenseful moral thriller with a stellar performance by al pacino .###1
at its best early on as it plays the culture clashes between the brothers .###1
sturdy , entertaining period drama ... both caine and fraser have their moments .###1
rain is a small treasure , enveloping the viewer in a literal and spiritual torpor that is anything but cathartic .###1
... hudlin is stuck trying to light a fire with soggy leaves .###0
an idealistic love story that brings out the latent 15-year-old romantic in everyone .###1
... in this incarnation its fizz is infectious .###1
a hysterical yet humorless disquisition on the thin line between sucking face and literally sucking face .###0
watching beanie and his gang put together his slasher video from spare parts and borrowed materials is as much fun as it must have been for them to make it .###1
smith 's point is simple and obvious -- people 's homes are extensions of themselves , and particularly eccentric people have particularly eccentric living spaces -- but his subjects are charmers .###1
a refreshingly authentic coming-of-age tale .###1
whether seen on a 10-inch television screen or at your local multiplex , the edge-of-your-seat , educational antics of steve irwin are priceless entertainment .###1
there are touching moments in etoiles , but for the most part this is a dull , dour documentary on what ought to be a joyful or at least fascinating subject .###0
too lazy to take advantage of its semi-humorous premise .###0
a wildly funny prison caper .###1
the story feels more like a serious read , filled with heavy doses of always enticing sayles dialogue .###0
a cop story that understands the medium amazingly well .###1
andy garcia enjoys one of his richest roles in years and mick jagger gives his best movie performance since , well , performance .###1
abandons all pretense of creating historical context and waltzes off into a hectic soap about the ups and downs of the heavy breathing between the two artists .###0
bad beyond belief and ridiculous beyond description .###0
the overall effect is so completely inane that one would have to be mighty bored to even think of staying with this for more than , say , ten ... make that three minutes .###0
this is a film brimming with detail and nuance and one that speaks volumes about the ability of the human spirit to find solace in events that could easily crush it forever .###1
the premise is in extremely bad taste , and the film 's supposed insights are so poorly thought-out and substance-free that even a high school senior taking his or her first psychology class could dismiss them .###0
where last time jokes flowed out of cho 's life story , which provided an engrossing dramatic through line , here the comedian hides behind obviously constructed routines .###0
it uses an old-time formula , it 's not terribly original and it 's rather messy -- but you just have to love the big , dumb , happy movie my big fat greek wedding .###1
as ( the characters ) get more depressed , the story gets more tiresome , especially as it continues to mount a conspicuous effort to be profound .###0
it 's laughing at us .###1
intended to be a comedy about relationships , this wretched work falls flat in just about every conceivable area .###0
in his debut as a film director , denzel washington delivers a lean and engaging work .###1
mr. wedge and mr. saldanha handle the mix of verbal jokes and slapstick well .###1
an intriguing and entertaining introduction to johnson .###1
i did n't believe for a moment in these villains or their plot .###0
what makes the movie a comedy is the way it avoids the more serious emotions involved .###1
... ambition is in short supply in the cinema , and egoyan tackles his themes and explores his characters ' crises with seriousness and compassion .###1
my response to the film is best described as lukewarm .###0
not for everyone , but for those with whom it will connect , it 's a nice departure from standard moviegoing fare .###1
denzel washington 's efforts are sunk by all the sanctimony .###0
i wish i could say `` thank god it 's friday '' , but the truth of the matter is i was glad when it was over .###1
the pleasures of super troopers may be fleeting , but they 'll register strongly with anybody who still retains a soft spot for precollegiate humor .###1
what jackson has accomplished here is amazing on a technical level .###1
everything you loved about it in 1982 is still there , for everybody who wants to be a kid again , or show it to their own kids .###1
it 's getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that hollywood is n't laughing with us , folks .###0
ethan hawke has always fancied himself the bastard child of the beatnik generation and it 's all over his chelsea walls .###0
the film is like a series of beginnings and middles that never take off .###0
a very average science fiction film .###1
if you 're not into the pokemon franchise , this fourth animated movie in four years wo n't convert you -- or even keep your eyes open .###0
... watching this film nearly provoked me to take my own life .###0
foster nails the role , giving a tight , focused performance illuminated by shards of feeling .###1
they felt like the same movie to me .###0
it 's just a silly black genre spoof .###0
kaufman creates an eerie sense of not only being there at the time of these events but the very night matthew was killed .###1
with the film 's striking ending , one realizes that we have a long way to go before we fully understand all the sexual permutations involved .###1
still , i 'm not quite sure what the point is ...###0
it tries too hard , and overreaches the logic of its own world .###0
we need ( moore 's ) noisy , cocky energy , his passion and class consciousness ; we need his shticks , we need his stones .###0
for anyone who remembers the '60s or is interested in one man 's response to stroke , ram dass : fierce grace is worth seeking out .###1
neither funny nor suspenseful nor particularly well-drawn .###0
ranging from funny to shattering and featuring some of the year 's best acting , personal velocity gathers plenty of dramatic momentum .###1
a dreary rip-off of goodfellas that serves as a muddled and offensive cautionary tale for hispanic americans .###0
a 93-minute condensation of a 26-episode tv series , with all of the pitfalls of such you 'd expect .###0
the movie takes itself too seriously and , as a result , it makes for only intermittent fun .###0
it 's painful .###0
flavorful and romantic , you could call this how martha got her groove back -- assuming , that is , she ever had one to begin with .###1
for a good chunk of its running time , trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller .###1
it 's not horrible , just horribly mediocre .###0
the kooky yet shadowy vision clooney sustains throughout is daring , inventive and impressive .###1
this is a happy throwback to the time when cartoons were cinema 's most idiosyncratic form instead of one of its most predictable .###1
it suggests the wide-ranging effects of media manipulation , from the kind of reporting that is done by the supposedly liberal media ... to the intimate and ultimately tragic heartache of maverick individuals like hatfield and hicks .###1
but this time there 's some mold on the gold .###0
this ecologically minded , wildlife friendly film teaches good ethics while entertaining with its unconventionally wacky but loving family###1
fans of nijinsky will savor every minute of cox 's work .###1
the powers team has fashioned a comedy with more laughs than many , no question .###1
clever , brutal and strangely soulful movie .###1
if you collected all the moments of coherent dialogue , they still would n't add up to the time required to boil a four - minute egg .###0
somewhat blurred , but kinnear 's performance is razor sharp .###1
what 's next ?###1
attal mixes comedy with a serious exploration of ego and jealousy within a seemingly serene marriage .###1
all these developments and challenges facing santa weigh down the plot so heavily that they drain all the film of its energy and needlessly strain credibility .###0
the movie will reach far beyond its core demographic .###0
... too gory to be a comedy and too silly to be an effective horror film .###0
this is the type of movie best enjoyed by frat boys and college kids while sucking on the bong and downing one alcoholic beverage after another .###1
it 's an old story , but a lively script , sharp acting and partially animated interludes make just a kiss seem minty fresh .###1
for the first time in several years , mr. allen has surpassed himself with the magic he 's spun with the hollywood empress of ms. leoni 's ellie .###1
fans of the animated wildlife adventure show will be in warthog heaven ; others need not necessarily apply .###0
what it lacks in originality it makes up for in intelligence and b-grade stylishness .###1
the acting alone is worth the price of admission .###1
it 's one of the saddest films i have ever seen that still manages to be uplifting but not overly sentimental .###1
the only thing that could possibly make them less interesting than they already are is for them to get full montied into a scrappy , jovial team .###0
... a big , baggy , sprawling carnival of a movie , stretching out before us with little rhyme or reason .###0
there are as many misses as hits , but ultimately , it finds humor in the foibles of human behavior , and it 's a welcome return to the roots of a genre that should depend on surprises .###1
a grim , flat and boring werewolf movie that refuses to develop an energy level .###0
it could change america , not only because it is full of necessary discussion points , but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment .###1
a sour , nasty offering .###0
it never fails to engage us .###1
for all its alleged youthful fire , xxx is no less subservient to bond 's tired formula of guns , girls and gadgets while brandishing a new action hero .###0
the filmmakers skillfully evoke the sense of menace that nature holds for many urban dwellers .###1
mr. parker has brilliantly updated his source and grasped its essence , composing a sorrowful and hilarious tone poem about alienated labor , or an absurdist workplace sitcom .###1
an intelligent , moving and invigorating film .###1
( but it 's ) worth recommending because of two marvelous performances by michael caine and brendan fraser .###1
a turgid little history lesson , humourless and dull .###0
a cumbersome and cliche-ridden movie greased with every emotional device known to man .###0
succeeds in providing a disquiet world the long-dreaded completion of the police academy series .###1
as bundy , michael reilly burke ( octopus 2 : river of fear ) has just the right amount of charisma and menace .###1
adam sandler is to gary cooper what a gnat is to a racehorse .###0
a tale of horror and revenge that is nearly perfect in its relentless descent to the depths of one man 's tortured soul .###1
looks awfully like one long tourist spot for a mississippi that may never have existed outside of a scriptwriter 's imagination .###0
an unabashedly schmaltzy and thoroughly enjoyable true story .###1
this limp gender-bender-baller from a first-time director and rookie screenwriter steals wholesale from that 1982 's tootsie , forgetting only to retain a single laugh .###0
this is a terrific character study , a probe into the life of a complex man .###1
... ( a ) strained comedy that jettisons all opportunities for rock to make his mark by serving up the usual chaotic nonsense .###0
the picture , scored by a perversely cheerful marcus miller accordion/harmonica/banjo abomination , is a monument to bad in all its florid variety .###0
( gai ) comes closer to any actress i can remember to personifying independence in its purest and , yes , most intimidating form .###1
daring , mesmerizing and exceedingly hard to forget .###1
a solidly seaworthy chiller .###1
a somewhat crudely constructed but gripping , questing look at a person so racked with self-loathing , he becomes an enemy to his own race .###1
rich in detail , gorgeously shot and beautifully acted , les destinees is , in its quiet , epic way , daring , inventive and refreshingly unusual .###1
with a story as bizarre and mysterious as this , you do n't want to be worrying about whether the ineffectual broomfield is going to have the courage to knock on that door .###1
reinforces the often forgotten fact of the world 's remarkably varying human population and mindset , and its capacity to heal using creative , natural and ancient antidotes .###1
i hate this movie###0
you might not buy the ideas .###0
it 's not exactly a gourmet meal but the fare is fair , even coming from the drive-thru .###1
but the characters tend to be cliches whose lives are never fully explored .###0
cantet perfectly captures the hotel lobbies , two-lane highways , and roadside cafes that permeate vincent 's days###1
kwan makes the mix-and - match metaphors intriguing , while lulling us into torpor with his cultivated allergy to action .###1
... surprisingly inert for a movie in which the main character travels back and forth between epochs .###0
it 's a decent glimpse into a time period , and an outcast , that is no longer accessible , but it does n't necessarily shed more light on its subject than the popular predecessor .###0
the overall feel of the film is pretty cheesy , but there 's still a real sense that the star trek tradition has been honored as best it can , given the embarrassing script and weak direction .###1
despite a story predictable enough to make the sound of music play like a nail-biting thriller , its heart is so much in the right place it is difficult to get really peeved at it .###1
one of the most haunting , viciously honest coming-of-age films in recent memory .###1
finds a way to tell a simple story , perhaps the simplest story of all , in a way that seems compelling and even original .###1
a moody horror/thriller elevated by deft staging and the director 's well-known narrative gamesmanship .###1
a map of the inner rhythms of love and jealousy and sacrifice drawn with a master 's steady stroke .###1
the plot is very clever , but boyd weighs it down with too many characters and events , all intertwined and far too complicated to keep track of .###0
i do n't know precisely what to make of steven soderbergh 's full frontal , though that did n't stop me from enjoying much of it .###0
city by the sea is the cinematic equivalent of defensive driving : it 's careful , conscientious and makes no major mistakes .###1
it 's ( ricci 's ) best work yet , this girl-woman who sincerely believes she can thwart the world 's misery with blind good will .###1
you 'll have more fun setting fire to yourself in the parking lot .###1
a very stylish but ultimately extremely silly tale ... a slick piece of nonsense but nothing more .###0
escapism in its purest form .###1
gets under the skin of a man who has just lost his wife .###0
an endlessly fascinating , landmark movie that is as bold as anything the cinema has seen in years .###1
cliches are as thick as the cigarette smoke .###0
an uneven but intriguing drama that is part homage and part remake of the italian masterpiece .###1
it 's like a poem .###1
bartleby is a one-joke movie , and a bad joke at that .###0
as a witness to several greek-american weddings -- but , happily , a victim of none -- i can testify to the comparative accuracy of ms. vardalos ' memories and insights .###1
shadyac shoots his film like an m. night shyamalan movie , and he frequently maintains the same snail 's pace ; he just forgot to add any genuine tension .###0
there 's more scatological action in 8 crazy nights than a proctologist is apt to encounter in an entire career .###0
schindler 's list it ai n't .###0
like a tone-deaf singer at a benefit concert , john q. is a bad movie appearing on behalf of a good cause .###0
serry does a fine job of capturing the climate of the times and , perhaps unwittingly , relating it to what is happening in america in 2002 .###1
a carefully structured scream of consciousness that is tortured and unsettling -- but unquestionably alive .###1
de niro and mcdormand give solid performances , but their screen time is sabotaged by the story 's inability to create interest .###0
a breezy , diverting , conventional , well-acted tale of two men locked in an ongoing game of cat-and-cat .###1
the movie gets muted and routine .###0
desperately unfunny when it tries to makes us laugh and desperately unsuspenseful when it tries to make us jump out of our seats .###0
for its seriousness , high literary aspirations and stunning acting , the film can only be applauded .###1
one of the greatest romantic comedies of the past decade .###1
obvious politics and rudimentary animation reduce the chances that the appeal of hey arnold !###0
lead provocatuers testud and parmentier give superlative performances###1
watching it is rather like an overlong visit from a large group of your relatives .###0
murderous maids may well be the most comprehensive of these films and also strike closest to the truth .###1
... the film falls back on the same old formula of teen sex , outrageous pranks and scenes designed to push the envelope of bad taste for laughs .###0
it further declares its director , zhang yang of shower , as a boldly experimental , contemporary stylist with a bright future .###1
there 's enough science to make it count as educational , and enough beauty to make it unforgettable .###1
the talents of the actors helps `` moonlight mile '' rise above its heart-on-its-sleeve writing .###1
murder by numbers is like a couple of mediocre tv-movie - of-the-week films clumsily stuck together .###0
glib , satirical documentary that fudges facts , makes facile points and engages in the cinematic equivalent of tabloid journalism .###0
as an entertainment , the movie keeps you diverted and best of all , it lightens your wallet without leaving a sting .###1
for a film about two mismatched buddies , crystal and de niro share little screen time and even less chemistry .###0
a woozy , roisterous , exhausting mess , and the off-beat casting of its two leads turns out to be as ill-starred as you might expect .###0
is n't quite the equal of woo 's best earlier work , but it 's easily his finest american film ... comes close to recapturing the brilliance of his hong kong films .###1
pumpkin sits in a patch somewhere between mirthless todd solondzian satire and callow student film .###0
westfeldt and juergensen exude a chemistry and comfort level that 's both saucy and endearing .###1
windtalkers is shapelessly gratifying , the kind of movie that invites you to pick apart its faults even as you have to admit that somehow it hit you where you live .###1
there is not a character in the movie with a shred of plausibility , not an event that is believable , not a confrontation that is not staged , not a moment that is not false .###0
marries the amateurishness of the blair witch project with the illogic of series 7 : the contenders to create a completely crass and forgettable movie .###0
if somebody was bored and ... decided to make a dull , pretentious version of jesus ' son , they 'd come up with something like bart freundlich 's world traveler .###0
( villeneuve ) seems to realize intuitively that even morality is reduced to an option by the ultimate mysteries of life and death .###1
madonna still ca n't act a lick .###0
little more than a frothy vanity project .###0
as written by michael berg and michael j. wilson from a story by wilson , this relentless , all-wise-guys-all-the-time approach tries way too hard and gets tiring in no time at all .###0
involving at times , but lapses quite casually into the absurd .###0
a long-winded and stagy session of romantic contrivances that never really gels like the shrewd feminist fairy tale it could have been .###0
an eccentric little comic/thriller deeply in love with its own quirky personality .###1
the title 's lameness should clue you in on how bad the movie is .###0
hugh grant and sandra bullock are two such likeable actors .###1
( drumline ) is entertaining for what it does , and admirable for what it does n't do .###1
it 's still worth a look .###1
an utterly compelling ` who wrote it ' in which the reputation of the most famous author who ever lived comes into question .###1
a thoughtful , provocative , insistently humanizing film .###1
ana is a vivid , vibrant individual and the movie 's focus upon her makes it successful and accessible .###1
credit must be given to harland williams , michael rosenbaum and barry watson , who inject far more good-natured spirit and talent into this project than it deserves###1
if this is satire , it 's the smug and self-congratulatory kind that lets the audience completely off the hook .###0
the stupidest , most insulting movie of 2002 's first quarter .###0
like most sequels , it takes what worked last time , repeats it and adds more characters , more stunts , more stuff in attempt to camouflage its sameness .###0
the timing in nearly every scene seems a half beat off .###0
high crimes miscasts nearly every leading character .###0
must be seen to be believed .###1
a recipe for cinematic disaster ... part quentin tarantino , part guy ritchie , and part 1960s spy spoof , it 's all bad .###0
zany , exuberantly irreverent animated space adventure .###1
though it is by no means his best work , laissez-passer is a distinguished and distinctive effort by a bona-fide master , a fascinating film replete with rewards to be had by all willing to make the effort to reap them .###1
a love for films shines through each frame and the era is recreated with obvious affection , scored to perfection with some tasty boogaloo beats .###1
the director 's twitchy sketchbook style and adroit perspective shifts grow wearisome amid leaden pacing and indifferent craftsmanship ( most notably wretched sound design ) .###0
and forget about any attempt at a plot !###0
showtime is one of the hapless victims of the arrogant `` if we put together a wry white man and a chatty black man and give them guns , the movie will be funny '' syndrome .###0
sandra nettelbeck beautifully orchestrates the transformation of the chilly , neurotic , and self-absorbed martha as her heart begins to open .###1
spousal abuse is a major problem in contemporary society , but the film reduces this domestic tragedy to florid melodrama .###0
while it would be easy to give crush the new title of two weddings and a funeral , it 's a far more thoughtful film than any slice of hugh grant whimsy .###1
despite a blue-chip cast and a provocative title , writer-director peter mattei 's first feature microwaves dull leftover romantic motifs basted in faux-contemporary gravy .###0
it 's as close as we 'll ever come to looking through a photographer 's viewfinder as he works .###0
while surprisingly sincere , this average little story is adorned with some awesome action photography and surfing .###1
a sophomoric exploration of ` life problems ' most people solved long ago -- or at least got tired of hearing people kvetch about .###0
but i was n't .###0
throwing caution to the wind with an invitation to the hedonist in us all , nair has constructed this motion picture in such a way that even the most cynical curmudgeon with find himself or herself smiling at one time or another .###1
a pleasant enough movie , held together by skilled ensemble actors .###1
as a randy film about sexy people in gorgeous places being pushed and pulled ( literally and figuratively ) by desire ... ( sex and lucía ) makes for an arousing good time .###1
the movie has a soft , percolating magic , a deadpan suspense .###1
an enthralling , playful film that constantly frustrates our desire to know the ` truth ' about this man , while deconstructing the very format of the biography in a manner that derrida would doubtless give his blessing to .###1
quick : who wants to see a comedy about shoddy airport security ?###0
maguire is a surprisingly effective peter/spider-man .###1
what might have been a predictably heartwarming tale is suffused with complexity .###1
this road movie gives you emotional whiplash , and you 'll be glad you went along for the ride .###1
scores a few points for doing what it does with a dedicated and good-hearted professionalism .###1
makes s&m seem very romantic , and maggie gyllenhaal is a delight .###1
sets up a nice concept for its fiftysomething leading ladies , but fails loudly in execution .###0
the film is a travesty of the genre and even as spoof takes itself too seriously .###0
a bit of an unwieldy mess .###0
mixes likeable personalities , inventive photography and cutting , and wall-to-wall toe-tapping music to paint a picture of a subculture that is at once exhilarating , silly , perverse , hopeful and always fun .###1
extremely confusing .###0
it 's neither as romantic nor as thrilling as it should be .###0
hilarious , acidic brit comedy .###1
a worthwhile way to spend two hours .###1
culkin , who 's in virtually every scene , shines as a young man who uses sarcastic lies like a shield .###1
tuck everlasting achieves a delicate balance of romantic innocence and philosophical depth .###1
a droll , well-acted , character-driven comedy with unexpected deposits of feeling .###1
shot perhaps ` artistically ' with handheld cameras and apparently no movie lights by joaquin baca-asay , the low-budget production swings annoyingly between vertigo and opacity .###0
( director peter ) jackson and his crew have so steeped themselves in the majesty of tolkien 's writing that every frame produces new joys , whether you 're a fan of the books or not .###1
one scarcely needs the subtitles to enjoy this colorful action farce .###1
does what a fine documentary does best : it extends a warm invitation into an unfamiliar world , then illuminates it fully and allows the larger implications of the journey to sink in unobtrusively .###1
offers enough playful fun to entertain the preschool set while embracing a wholesome attitude .###1
the hours is what movies are supposed to be ...###1
it 's a good film -- not a classic , but odd , entertaining and authentic .###1
an impossible romance , but we root for the patronized iranian lad .###0
as expected , sayles ' smart wordplay and clever plot contrivances are as sharp as ever , though they may be overshadowed by some strong performances .###1
dark and disturbing , but also surprisingly funny .###1
happily for mr. chin -- though unhappily for his subjects -- the invisible hand of the marketplace wrote a script that no human screenwriter could have hoped to match .###1
if it seems like a minor miracle that its septuagenarian star is young enough to be the nonagenarian filmmaker 's son , more incredible still are the clear-eyed boldness and quiet irony with which actor and director take on life 's urgent questions .###1
the picture is a primer on what happens when lack of know-how mixes with lack of give-a-damn .###1
chicago is sophisticated , brash , sardonic , completely joyful in its execution .###1
a fascinating and fun film .###1
some actors have so much charisma that you 'd be happy to listen to them reading the phone book .###1
if high crimes were any more generic it would have a universal product code instead of a title .###0
a chaotic panorama that 's too busy flying a lot of metaphoric flags .###0
a mix of velocity and idiocy , this ruinous remake lacks the brawn -- and the brains -- of the 1970s original .###0
the film is surprisingly well-directed by brett ratner , who keeps things moving well -- at least until the problematic third act .###1
ice cube holds the film together with an engaging and warm performance ...###1
a pleasant ramble through the sort of idoosyncratic terrain that errol morris has often dealt with ... it does possess a loose , lackadaisical charm .###1
so many documentaries like this presuppose religious bigotry or zealous nuttiness of its antagonists , but family fundamentals displays a rare gift for unflinching impartiality .###1
bears is bad .###0
consider the title 's clunk-on-the-head that suggests the overtime someone put in to come up with an irritatingly unimaginative retread concept .###0
cedar takes a very open-minded approach to this sensitive material , showing impressive control , both visually and in the writing .###1
a very funny look at how another culture handles the process of courting and marriage .###1
romanek keeps the film constantly taut ... reflecting the character 's instability with a metaphorical visual style and an unnerving , heartbeat-like score .###1
let your silly childhood nostalgia slumber unmolested .###0
as tweedy talks about canning his stockbroker and repairing his pool , you yearn for a few airborne tv sets or nude groupies on the nod to liven things up .###1
well-shot but badly written tale set in a future ravaged by dragons .###0
murder and mayhem of this sort quickly becomes monotonous .###0
this is one of polanski 's best films .###1
like those to rome , all roads in the banger sisters inevitably lead to a joke about hawn 's breasts , which constantly threaten to upstage the woman sporting them .###0
the director , steven shainberg , has succeeded by focusing intently on his characters , making them quirky individuals rather than figures of fun .###1
... an unimaginative , nasty , glibly cynical piece of work .###0
the movie succumbs to being nothing more than a formulaic chase in the dark .###0
this formulaic chiller will do little to boost stallone 's career .###0
its over-reliance on genre conventions , character types and formulaic conflict resolutions crushes all the goodwill it otherwise develops .###0
some decent actors inflict big damage upon their reputations .###0
it 's a movie forged in the fires of chick flick hell .###1
droll caper-comedy remake of `` big deal on madonna street '' that 's a sly , amusing , laugh-filled little gem in which the ultimate `` bellini '' begins to look like a `` real kaputschnik . ''###1
he 'd create a movie better than this .###1
it smacks of purely commercial motivation , with no great love for the original .###0
notorious c.h.o. has oodles of vulgar highlights .###0
`` collateral damage '' goes by the numbers and reps decent action entertainment -- until the silly showdown ending that forces the viewer to totally suspend disbelief###0
even the imaginative gore ca n't hide the musty scent of todd farmer 's screenplay , which is a simple retread of the 1979 alien , with a plucky heroine battling a monster loose in a spaceship .###0
rather quickly , the film falls into a soothing formula of brotherly conflict and reconciliation .###0
i was perplexed to watch it unfold with an astonishing lack of passion or uniqueness .###0
... just a big mess of a movie , full of images and events , but no tension or surprise .###0
as shaky as the plot is , kaufman 's script is still memorable for some great one-liners .###0
at its best , the good girl is a refreshingly adult take on adultery ...###1
this is cool , slick stuff , ready to quench the thirst of an audience that misses the summer blockbusters .###1
there 's not much more to this adaptation of the nick hornby novel than charm -- effortless , pleasurable , featherweight charm .###1
highlights are the terrific performances by christopher plummer , as the prime villain , and nathan lane as vincent crummles , the eccentric theater company manager .###1
it 's badly acted , blandly directed , and could have been scripted by someone who just graduated from elementary school .###0
no , it 's not nearly as good as any of its influences .###0
scarlet diva has a voyeuristic tug , but all in all it 's a lot less sensational than it wants to be .###0
just when the movie seems confident enough to handle subtlety , it dives into soapy bathos .###0
sushi for the connoisseurs of the macabre .###0
the problem with this film is that it 's forced to make its characters idiots in order to advance the plot .###0
director nalin pan does n't do much to weigh any arguments one way or the other .###0
a work of intricate elegance , literary lyricism and profound common sense .###1
all the characters are stereotypes , and their interaction is numbingly predictable .###0
the subject of swinging still seems ripe for a documentary -- just not this one .###0
occasionally funny and consistently odd , and it works reasonably well as a star vehicle for zhao .###1
the best thing the film does is to show us not only what that mind looks like , but how the creative process itself operates .###1
the ending is a cop-out .###0
one groan-inducing familiarity begets another .###0
it 's a sly wink to the others without becoming a postmodern joke , made creepy by its `` men in a sardine can '' warped logic .###1
being author wells ' great-grandson , you 'd think filmmaker simon wells would have more reverence for the material .###0
the values that have held the enterprise crew together through previous adventures and perils do so again-courage , self-sacrifice and patience under pressure .###1
it is a comedy that 's not very funny and an action movie that is not very thrilling ( and an uneasy alliance , at that ) .###0
a gentle blend of present day testimonials , surviving footage of burstein and his family performing , historical archives , and telling stills .###1
... a weak , manipulative , pencil-thin story that is miraculously able to entertain anyway .###0
while undercover brother is definitely one for the masses , it 's also full of sharp , smart satire .###1
this self-infatuated goofball is far from the only thing wrong with the clumsy comedy stealing harvard , but he 's the most obvious one .###0
leaves you with a knot in your stomach , its power is undercut by its own head-banging obviousness .###0
a simple , sometimes maddeningly slow film that has just enough charm and good acting to make it interesting , but is ultimately pulled under by the pacing and lack of creativity within .###0
not so much a movie as a picture book for the big screen .###0
a long slog for anyone but the most committed pokemon fan .###1
earnest falls short of its ideal predecessor largely due to parker 's ill-advised meddling with the timeless source material .###0
an excellent romp that boasts both a heart and a mind .###1
after seeing swept away , i feel sorry for madonna .###0
there 's something fundamental missing from this story : something or someone to care about .###0
a compelling , moving film that respects its audience and its source material .###1
... if you 're in a mind set for goofy comedy , the troopers will entertain with their gross outs , bawdy comedy and head games .###1
it 's predictable , but it jumps through the expected hoops with style and even some depth .###1
the character is too forced and overwritten to be funny or believable much of the time , and clayburgh does n't always improve the over-the-top mix .###0
while not all transitions to adulthood are so fraught , there 's much truth and no small amount of poetry in girls ca n't swim .###1
nothing denis has made before , like beau travil and nenette et boni , could prepare us for this gory , perverted , sex-soaked riff on the cannibal genre .###0
credibility levels are low and character development a non-starter .###0
it 's so full of wrong choices that all you can do is shake your head in disbelief -- and worry about what classic oliver parker intends to mangle next time .###0
the result is mesmerizing -- filled with menace and squalor .###1
i kept wishing i was watching a documentary about the wartime navajos and what they accomplished instead of all this specious hollywood hoo-ha .###0
still , it gets the job done -- a sleepy afternoon rental .###1
shainberg weaves a carefully balanced scenario that is controlled by neither character , is weirdly sympathetic to both and manages to be tender and darkly comic .###1
it should be mentioned that the set design and interiors of the haunted vessel are more than effectively creepy and moodily lit .###1
flaunts its quirky excesses like a new year 's eve drunk sporting a paper party hat .###0
there 's an audience for it , but it could have been funnier and more innocent .###0
there is a refreshing absence of cynicism in stuart little 2 -- quite a rarity , even in the family film market .###1
sluggishly directed by episodic tv veteran joe zwick , it 's a sitcom without the snap-crackle .###0
it 's so underwritten that you ca n't figure out just where the other characters , including ana 's father and grandfather , come down on the issue of ana 's future .###0
it 's fairly self-aware in its dumbness .###0
remarkably accessible and affecting .###1
a smart , sweet and playful romantic comedy .###1
as adapted by kevin molony from simon leys ' novel `` the death of napoleon '' and directed by alan taylor , napoleon 's journey is interesting but his parisian rebirth is stillborn###0
though avary has done his best to make something out of ellis ' nothing novel , in the end , his rules is barely worth following .###0
topkapi this is not .###0
no . .###0
the second chapter of the harry potter series is even more magical than the first and simply the best family film of the year .###1
it wo n't be long before you 'll spy i spy at a video store near you .###0
it 's a terrific american sports movie and dennis quaid is its athletic heart .###1
a potent allegorical love story .###1
if you 're not a prepubescent girl , you 'll be laughing at britney spears ' movie-starring debut whenever it does n't have you impatiently squinting at your watch .###0
not sweet enough to liven up its predictable story and will leave even fans of hip-hop sorely disappointed .###0
blessed with immense physical prowess he may well be , but ahola is simply not an actor .###0
it 's the kind of movie that ends up festooning u.s. art house screens for no reason other than the fact that it 's in french ( well , mostly ) with english subtitles and is magically ` significant ' because of that .###1
tailored to entertain !###1
at the bottom rung of the series ' entries .###0
as a singular character study , it 's perfect .###1
gollum 's ` performance ' is incredible !###1
tim story 's not there yet - but ` barbershop ' shows he 's on his way .###1
my goodness , queen latifah has a lot to offer and she seemed to have no problem flaunting her natural gifts .###1
all in all , there 's only one thing to root for : expulsion for everyone .###0
but hard-to-believe plot twists force the movie off track in its final half hour .###0
but he loses his focus when he concentrates on any single person .###0
as teen movies go , `` orange county '' is a refreshing change###1
shocking only in that it reveals the filmmaker 's bottomless pit of self-absorption .###0
its gross-out gags and colorful set pieces ... are of course stultifyingly contrived and too stylized by half .###0
the sum of all fears is almost impossible to follow -- and there 's something cringe-inducing about seeing an american football stadium nuked as pop entertainment .###0
the master of disaster - it 's a piece of dreck disguised as comedy .###0
nothing about it fits .###0
it 's a beautifully accomplished lyrical meditation on a bunch of despondent and vulnerable characters living in the renown chelsea hotel ...###1
it does n't do the original any particular dishonor , but neither does it exude any charm or personality .###0
acting , particularly by tambor , almost makes `` never again '' worthwhile , but ( writer/director ) schaeffer should follow his titular advice###1
daughter from danang is a film that should be seen by all , especially those who are n't aware of , or have forgotten about the unmentioned victims of war .###1
a deliciously mordant , bitter black comedy .###1
more a load of enjoyable , conan-esque claptrap than the punishing , special-effects soul assaults the mummy pictures represent .###1
the only way this supernatural snore-fest could give anyone a case of the frights is if they were put to sleep by the movie and had a nightmare .###0
the period -- swinging london in the time of the mods and the rockers -- gets the once-over once again in gangster no. 1 , but falls apart long before the end .###0
it 's a pleasure to see seinfeld griping about the biz with buddies chris rock , garry shandling and colin quinn .###1
sound the trumpets : for the first time since desperately seeking susan , madonna does n't suck as an actress .###1
the film has a few cute ideas and several modest chuckles but it is n't exactly kiddie-friendly ... alas , santa is more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho and the snowman ( who never gets to play that flute ) has all the charm of a meltdown .###1
although based on a real-life person , john , in the movie , is a rather dull person to be stuck with for two hours .###0
superior genre storytelling , which gets under our skin simply by crossing the nuclear line .###1
a romantic comedy that operates by the rules of its own self-contained universe .###1
it 's one of the most honest films ever made about hollywood .###1
diane lane shines in unfaithful .###1
a perverse little truffle , dainty psychological terror on the outside with a creamy filling of familial jealousy and unrepentant domestic psychopathy .###0
narc may not get an ` a ' for originality , but it wears its b-movie heritage like a badge of honor .###1
scotland , pa. is a strangely drab romp .###0
the film is exhilarating to watch because sandler , liberated from the constraints of formula , reveals unexpected depths as an actor .###1
when the painted backdrops in a movie are more alive than its characters , you know you 're in trouble .###0
the tone is balanced , reflective and reasonable .###1
in scope , ambition and accomplishment , children of the century ... takes kurys ' career to a whole new level .###1
the story bogs down in a mess of purposeless violence .###0
feels like one of those contrived , only-in - hollywood productions where name actors deliver big performances created for the sole purpose of generating oscar talk .###0
( an ) hilarious romantic comedy .###1
its direction , its script , and weaver 's performance as a vaguely discontented woman of substance make for a mildly entertaining 77 minutes , if that 's what you 're in the mood for .###0
a trashy , exploitative , thoroughly unpleasant experience .###0
an incendiary , deeply thought-provoking look at one of the most peculiar ( and peculiarly venomous ) bigotries in our increasingly frightening theocracy###1
the principals in this cast are all fine , but bishop and stevenson are standouts .###1
unfortunately , the picture failed to capture me .###0
if this is the resurrection of the halloween franchise , it would have been better off dead .###0
a mixed bag of a comedy that ca n't really be described as out of this world .###0
given that both movies expect us to root for convicted violent felons over those assigned to protect us from same , we need every bit of sympathy the cons can muster ; this time , there is n't much .###0
as the story moves inexorably through its seven day timeframe , the picture becomes increasingly mesmerizing .###1
even as lame horror flicks go , this is lame .###0
the two leads chomp considerably more scenery with their acting than fire-breathing monsters barbecue with their breath ...###0
screenwriters scott abbott and michael petroni have turned rice 's complex akasha into a cartoon monster .###0
all the necessary exposition prevents the picture from rising above your generic sand 'n' sandal adventure .###0
funny and , at times , poignant , the film from director george hickenlooper all takes place in pasadena , `` a city where people still read . ''###1
though everything might be literate and smart , it never took off and always seemed static .###1
( plays ) in broad outline as pandering middle-age buddy-comedy .###0
francophiles will snicker knowingly and you 'll want to slap them .###0
resourceful and ingenious entertainment .###1
... blade ii is more enjoyable than the original .###1
but what saves lives on the freeway does not necessarily make for persuasive viewing .###0
a wonderful character-based comedy .###1
or some damn thing .###0
a thoughtful , moving piece that faces difficult issues with honesty and beauty .###1
unfortunately , heartbreak hospital wants to convey the same kind of haughtiness in its own sketchy material but this territory has already been explored previously with better aplomb and sardonic wit .###0
works because , for the most part , it avoids the stupid cliches and formulaic potholes that befall its brethren .###1
flat , but with a revelatory performance by michelle williams .###0
the movie 's biggest offense is its complete and utter lack of tension .###0
when a film is created solely because it 's a marketable product , soulless and ugly movies like this are the result .###0
while the film misfires at every level , the biggest downside is the paucity of laughter in what 's supposed to be a comedy .###0
the film takes too long getting to the good stuff , then takes too long figuring out what to do next .###0
this romantic thriller is steeped in the atmosphere of wartime england , and ably captures the speech patterns , moral codes and ideals of the 1940s .###1
earnest but earthbound ... a slow , soggy , soporific , visually dank crime melodrama/character study that would be more at home on the small screen but for its stellar cast .###0
the tone shifts abruptly from tense to celebratory to soppy .###0
can see where this dumbed-down concoction is going .###0
b. ) that sure is pathetic !###0
impresses you with its open-endedness and surprises .###1
a film so tedious that it is impossible to care whether that boast is true or not .###0
it is inspirational in characterizing how people from such diverse cultures share the same human and spiritual needs .###1
despite what anyone believes about the goal of its makers , the show ... represents a spectacular piece of theater , and there 's no denying the talent of the creative forces behind it .###1
helmer devito ... attempts to do too many things in this story about ethics , payola , vice , murder , kids ' tv and revenge .###0
a dreadful live-action movie .###0
day is not a great bond movie , but it is a good bond movie , which still makes it much better than your typical bond knock-offs .###1
even those of a single digit age will be able to recognize that this story is too goofy ... even for disney .###0
... too dull to enjoy .###0
a waste of good performances .###0
rates an ` e ' for effort -- and a ` b ' for boring .###0
the fight scenes are fun , but it grows tedious .###0
what could and should have been biting and droll is instead a tepid waste of time and talent .###0
disturbing and brilliant documentary .###1
it 's a great deal of sizzle and very little steak .###1
there is no entry portal in the rules of attraction , and i spent most of the movie feeling depressed by the shallow , selfish , greedy characters .###0
dawdles and drags when it should pop ; it does n't even have the virtue of enough mindless violence to break up the tedium of all its generational bonding .###0
... an inviting piece of film .###1
it 's a humble effort , but spiced with wry humor and genuine pathos , especially between morgan and redgrave .###1
it turns out to be a cut above the norm , thanks to some clever writing and sprightly acting .###1
exquisitely acted and masterfully if preciously interwoven ... ( the film ) addresses in a fascinating , intelligent manner the intermingling of race , politics and local commerce .###1
harsh , effective documentary on life in the israeli-occupied palestinian territories .###1
it 's hard not to feel you 've just watched a feature-length video game with some really heavy back story .###0
a long-winded , predictable scenario .###0
a one-trick pony whose few t&a bits still ca n't save itself from being unoriginal , unfunny and unrecommendable .###0
from the big giant titles of the opening credits to elmer bernstein 's perfectly melodic score , haynes gets just about everything right .###1
taken individually or collectively , the stories never add up to as much as they promise .###0
huppert gives erika a persona that is so intriguing that you find yourself staring hypnotically at her , trying to understand her and wondering if she 'll crack .###1
this one 's weaker than most .###0
most of the supporting characters in eastwood films are weak , as are most of the subplots .###0
everyone connected to this movie seems to be part of an insider clique , which tends to breed formulaic films rather than fresh ones .###0
enough similarities to gymkata and howie long 's firestorm that my fingernails instinctively crawled towards my long-suffering eyeballs .###0
compelling revenge thriller , though somewhat weakened by a miscast leading lady .###1
a very bad sign .###0
in adobo , ethnicity is not just the spice , but at the heart of more universal concerns .###1
the reason we keep seeing the same movie with roughly the same people every year is because so many of us keep going and then , out of embarrassment or stupidity , not warning anyone .###0
the sort of movie that gives tastelessness a bad rap .###0
punish the vehicle to adore the star .###0
instead of accurately accounting a terrible true story , the film 's more determined to become the next texas chainsaw massacre .###0
steve irwin 's method is ernest hemmingway at accelerated speed and volume .###1
far from perfect , but its heart is in the right place ... innocent and well-meaning .###1
much of what is meant to be ` inspirational ' and ` uplifting ' is simply distasteful to audiences not already sharing ( the movie 's ) mindset .###0
as weber and weissman demonstrate with such insight and celebratory verve , the cockettes were n't as much about gender , sexual preference or political agitprop as they were simply a triumph of the indomitable human will to rebel , connect and create .###1
there are a few stabs at absurdist comedy ... but mostly the humor is of the sweet , gentle and occasionally cloying kind that has become an iranian specialty .###1
so young , so smart , such talent , such a wise *** .###1
soul is what 's lacking in every character in this movie and , subsequently , the movie itself .###0
it helps that the central performers are experienced actors , and that they know their roles so well .###1
energetic and boldly provocative .###1
trivial where it should be profound , and hyper-cliched where it should be sincere .###0
had anyone here done anything remotely intelligent , we all could have stopped watching long ago .###0
having never been a huge fan of dickens ' 800-page novel , it surprised me how much pleasure i had watching mcgrath 's version .###1
go see it and enjoy .###1
the film has just enough of everything -- re-enactments , archival footage , talking-head interviews -- and the music is simply sublime .###1
a didactic and dull documentary glorifying software anarchy .###0
... too slow , too boring , and occasionally annoying .###0
message movie or an action-packed submarine spectacular ?###1
together , tok and o orchestrate a buoyant , darkly funny dance of death .###1
is this progress ?###1
pretty darn good , despite its smarty-pants aura .###1
this is a film well worth seeing , talking and singing heads and all .###1
dolgin and franco fashion a fascinating portrait of a vietnamese-born youngster who eagerly and easily assimilated as an all-american girl with a brand new name in southern tennessee .###1
it 's a glorious groove that leaves you wanting more .###1
an enchanting spectacular for potter fans anxious to ride the hogwarts express toward a new year of magic and mischief .###1
the film seems a dead weight .###0
( i ) f you 've been to more than one indie flick in your life , chances are you 've already seen this kind of thing .###0
an overstuffed compendium of teen-catholic-movie dogma .###0
the movie makes absolutely no sense .###0
when it 's on dry land , though , this surfer-girl melodrama starts gasping like a beached grouper .###0
her film is unrelentingly claustrophobic and unpleasant .###0
the scope of the silberstein family is large and we grow attached to their lives , full of strength , warmth and vitality . .###1
guaranteed to move anyone who ever shook , rattled , or rolled .###1
those who managed to avoid the deconstructionist theorizing of french philosopher jacques derrida in college can now take an 85-minute brush-up course with the documentary derrida .###1
whatever eyre 's failings as a dramatist , he deserves credit for bringing audiences into this hard and bitter place .###1
stay clear of reminding yourself that it 's a `` true story '' and you 're likely to have one helluva time at the movies .###1
he just wants them to be part of the action , the wallpaper of his chosen reality .###1
jolie 's performance vanishes somewhere between her hair and her lips .###0
a strong first quarter , slightly less so second quarter , and average second half .###1
once you get into its rhythm ... the movie becomes a heady experience .###0
but in imax 3-d , the clichés disappear into the vertiginous perspectives opened up by the photography .###0
a sweet-natured reconsideration of one of san francisco 's most vital , if least widely recognized , creative fountainheads .###1
a little too pat for its own good .###0
even if britney spears is really cute , her movie is really bad .###0
while benigni ( who stars and co-wrote ) seems to be having a wonderful time , he might be alone in that .###1
the new guy does have a heart .###1
led by griffin 's smartly nuanced performance and enthusiasm , the cast has a lot of fun with the material .###1
this is as powerful a set of evidence as you 'll ever find of why art matters , and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives .###1
guided more by intellect than heart , his story flattens instead of sharpens .###0
about as cutting-edge as pet rock : the movie .###0
this idea has lost its originality ... and neither star appears very excited at rehashing what was basically a one-joke picture .###0
a miniscule little bleep on the film radar , but one that many more people should check out###1
the wwii drama is well plotted , visually striking and filled with enjoyably complex characters who are never what they first appear .###1
it is a film that will have people walking out halfway through , will encourage others to stand up and applaud , and will , undoubtedly , leave both camps engaged in a ferocious debate for years to come .###1
cho 's fans are sure to be entertained ; it 's only fair in the interest of full disclosure to say that -- on the basis of this film alone -- i 'm not one of them .###0
here 's a self-congratulatory 3d imax rah-rah .###1
this is pretty dicey material .###0
it will delight newcomers to the story and those who know it from bygone days .###1
a blessed gift to film geeks and historians .###1
that rara avis : the intelligent romantic comedy with actual ideas on its mind .###1
never quite transcends jokester status ... and the punchline does n't live up to barry 's dead-eyed , perfectly chilled delivery .###0
remember when bond had more glamour than clamor ?###0
an uneven film dealing with too many problems to be taken seriously .###0
leave these flowers unpicked -- they 're dead on the vine .###0
my oh my , is this an invigorating , electric movie .###1
audiences conditioned to getting weepy over saucer-eyed , downy-cheeked moppets and their empathetic caretakers will probably feel emotionally cheated by the film 's tart , sugar-free wit .###0
almost every scene in this film is a gem that could stand alone , a perfectly realized observation of mood , behavior and intent .###1
the story may not be new , but australian director john polson , making his american feature debut , jazzes it up adroitly .###1
k-19 may not hold a lot of water as a submarine epic , but it holds even less when it turns into an elegiacally soggy saving private ryanovich .###0
the whole thing plays out with the drowsy heaviness of synchronized swimmer wearing a wool wetsuit .###0
so lazy and slipshod it confuses the mere flashing of kinky soft-core imagery with naughty fun .###0
unlike the nauseating fictions peddled by such ` have-yourself-a-happy-little-holocaust ' movies as life is beautiful and jakob the liar , the grey zone is honest enough to deny the possibility of hope in auschwitz .###1
drags along in a dazed and enervated , drenched-in-the - past numbness .###0
britney has been delivered to the big screen safe and sound , the way we like our 20-year-old superstar girls to travel on the fame freeway .###1
this may be the dumbest , sketchiest movie on record about an aspiring writer 's coming-of-age .###0
steers turns in a snappy screenplay that curls at the edges ; it 's so clever you want to hate it .###1
it extends the writings of jean genet and john rechy , the films of fassbinder , perhaps even the nocturnal works of goya .###1
julia is played with exasperating blandness by laura regan .###0
extremely dumb .###0
the production values are up there .###1
perhaps no picture ever made has more literally showed that the road to hell is paved with good intentions .###1
i complain all the time about seeing the same ideas repeated in films over and over again , but the bourne identity proves that a fresh take is always possible .###1
a movie that , rather than skip along the seine , more or less slogs its way through soggy paris , tongue uncomfortably in cheek .###1
an absorbing trip into the minds and motivations of people under stress as well as a keen , unsentimental look at variations on the theme of motherhood .###1
it 's also the year 's sweetest movie .###1
jagger the actor is someone you want to see again .###1
the ill-conceived modern-day ending falls flat where it should deliver a moral punch .###0
when the plot kicks in , the film loses credibility .###0
ray liotta and jason patric do some of their best work in their underwritten roles , but do n't be fooled : nobody deserves any prizes here .###0
for a shoot - 'em - up , ballistic is oddly lifeless .###0
all i can say is fuhgeddaboutit .###0
the film might have been more satisfying if it had , in fact , been fleshed out a little more instead of going for easy smiles .###0
a bold and subversive film that cuts across the grain of what is popular and powerful in this high-tech age , speaking its truths with spellbinding imagery and the entrancing music of philip glass .###1
although life or something like it is very much in the mold of feel-good movies , the cast and director stephen herek 's polished direction pour delightfully piquant wine from aged bottles .###1
( anderson ) uses a hit-or-miss aesthetic that hits often enough to keep the film entertaining even if none of it makes a lick of sense .###1
anyone who can count to five ( the film 's target market ? )###0
an impressive debut for first-time writer-director mark romanek , especially considering his background is in music video .###1
sadly , hewitt 's forte is leaning forward while wearing low-cut gowns , not making snappy comebacks .###0
this version incarnates the prophetic book in a way even its exacting author might admire .###1
the tug-of-war at the core of beijing bicycle becomes weighed down with agonizing contrivances , overheated pathos and long , wistful gazes .###0
but in its child-centered , claustrophobic context , it can be just as frightening and disturbing -- even punishing .###0
some of seagal 's action pictures are guilty pleasures , but this one is so formulaic that it seems to be on auto-pilot .###0
time changer may not be the most memorable cinema session but its profound self-evaluation message about our fragile existence and the absence of spiritual guidance should at least invade an abundance of mindsets###1
a triumph of art direction over narrative , but what art direction !###1
the movie has an avalanche of eye-popping visual effects .###1
not everything works , but the average is higher than in mary and most other recent comedies .###1
though ganesh is successful in a midlevel sort of way , there 's nothing so striking or fascinating or metaphorically significant about his career as to rate two hours of our attention .###0
a sports movie with action that 's exciting on the field and a story you care about off it .###1
the result is solemn and horrifying , yet strangely detached .###0
not a cozy or ingratiating work , but it 's challenging , sometimes clever , and always interesting , and those are reasons enough to see it .###1
for me , this opera is n't a favorite , so it 's a long time before the fat lady sings .###0
chicago is , in many ways , an admirable achievement .###1
this is such a dazzlingly self-assured directorial debut that it 's hard to know what to praise first .###1
excellent acting and direction .###1
say this for the soundtrack , it drowns out the lousy dialogue .###0
we get some truly unique character studies and a cross-section of americana that hollywood could n't possibly fictionalize and be believed .###1
if your senses have n't been dulled by slasher films and gorefests , if you 're a connoisseur of psychological horror , this is your ticket .###1
( a ) hollywood sheen bedevils the film from the very beginning ... ( but ) lohman 's moist , deeply emotional eyes shine through this bogus veneer ...###1
a sensual performance from abbass buoys the flimsy story , but her inner journey is largely unexplored and we 're left wondering about this exotic-looking woman whose emotional depths are only hinted at .###1
when ( de palma 's ) bad , he 's really bad , and femme fatale ranks with the worst he has done .###0
as are its star , its attitude and its obliviousness .###0
it is also , at times , curiously moving .###1
an exciting and involving rock music doc , a smart and satisfying look inside that tumultuous world .###1
is n't it great ?###0
think of it as a sort of comfort food for the mind .###1
a worthy entry into a very difficult genre .###1
subversive , meditative , clinical and poetic , the piano teacher is a daring work of genius .###1
flaccid drama and exasperatingly slow journey .###0
and in truth , cruel as it may sound , he makes arnold schwarzenegger look like spencer tracy .###0
i 'd give real money to see the perpetrators of chicago torn apart by dingoes .###0
a stunning piece of visual poetry that will , hopefully , be remembered as one of the most important stories to be told in australia 's film history .###1
truth to tell , if you 've seen more than half-a-dozen horror films , there 's nothing here you have n't seen before .###0
branagh , in his most forceful non-shakespeare screen performance , grounds even the softest moments in the angry revolt of his wit .###1
all this turns out to be neither funny nor provocative - only dull .###0
splashes its drama all over the screen , subjecting its audience and characters to action that feels not only manufactured , but also so false you can see the filmmakers ' puppet strings .###0
an intelligent fiction about learning through cultural clash .###1
may be spoofing an easy target -- those old ' 50 's giant creature features -- but ... it acknowledges and celebrates their cheesiness as the reason why people get a kick out of watching them today .###1
this is the kind of movie that used to be right at home at the saturday matinee , and it still is .###1
this series should have died long ago , but they keep bringing it back another day as punishment for paying money to see the last james bond movie .###0
an original gem about an obsession with time .###1
obstacles are too easily overcome and there is n't much in the way of character development in the script .###0
suffers from rambling , repetitive dialogue and the visual drabness endemic to digital video .###0
we are left with a superficial snapshot that , however engaging , is insufficiently enlightening and inviting .###0
katz uses archival footage , horrifying documents of lynchings , still photographs and charming old reel-to-reel recordings of meeropol entertaining his children to create his song history , but most powerful of all is the song itself###1
much monkeyfun for all .###0
there 's suspension of disbelief and then there 's bad screenwriting ... this film packs a wallop of the latter .###0
all the well-meaningness in the world ca n't erase the fact that the believer feels like a 12-step program for the jewish nazi .###1
in fessenden 's horror trilogy , this theme has proved important to him and is especially so in the finale .###1
if you 're not the target demographic ... this movie is one long chick-flick slog .###0
this is a very fine movie -- go see it .###1
half of it is composed of snappy patter and pseudo-sophisticated cultural observations , while the remainder ... would be more at home on a daytime television serial .###0
filmmakers have to dig deep to sink this low .###0
like the film 's almost anthropologically detailed realization of early - '80s suburbia , it 's significant without being overstated .###1
i loved looking at this movie .###1
the cold and dreary weather is a perfect metaphor for the movie itself , which contains few laughs and not much drama .###0
as hugh grant says repeatedly throughout the movie , ` lovely !###1
a spunky , original take on a theme that will resonate with singles of many ages .###1
the plot is straight off the shelf , the performances are television - caliber and the message of providing solace through deception is a little creepy .###0
this bold and lyrical first feature from raja amari expands the pat notion that middle-aged women just wan na have fun into a rousing treatise of sensual empowerment .###1
fear dot com is so rambling and disconnected it never builds any suspense .###0
it 's a hoot and a half , and a great way for the american people to see what a candidate is like when he 's not giving the same 15-cent stump speech .###1
this film is so slick , superficial and trend-hoppy , that it 's easy to imagine that a new software program spit out the screenplay .###0
nothing plot-wise is worth e-mailing home about .###0
the problem is n't that the movie hits so close to home so much as that it hits close to home while engaging in such silliness as that snake-down-the-throat business and the inevitable shot of schwarzenegger outrunning a fireball .###0
it 's all pretty cynical and condescending , too .###0
writer/director john mckay ignites some charming chemistry between kate and jed but , when he veers into sodden melodrama , punctuated by violins , it 's disastrous and kate 's jealous female friends become downright despicable .###0
the people in dogtown and z-boys are so funny , aggressive and alive , you have to watch them because you ca n't wait to see what they do next .###1
newton draws our attention like a magnet , and acts circles around her better known co-star , mark wahlberg .###1
i whole-heartedly recommend that everyone see this movie -- for its historical significance alone .###1
but like most rabbits , it seems to lack substance .###0
birot 's directorial debut ( she co-wrote the script with christophe honoré ) is n't so much bad as it is bland .###1
this warm and gentle romantic comedy has enough interesting characters to fill several movies , and its ample charms should win over the most hard-hearted cynics .###1
in the end , punch-drunk love is one of those films that i wanted to like much more than i actually did .###1
despite the premise of a good story ... it wastes all its star power on cliched or meaningless roles .###0
boring we did n't .###0
children may not understand everything that happens -- i 'm not sure even miyazaki himself does -- but they will almost certainly be fascinated , and undoubtedly delighted .###1
a captivating cross-cultural comedy of manners .###1
director brian levant , who never strays far from his sitcom roots , skates blithely from one implausible situation to another , pausing only to tie up loose ends with more bows than you 'll find on a french poodle .###0
the movie has very little to offer besides unintentional laughs .###0
the smug , oily demeanor that donovan adopts throughout the stupidly named pipe dream is just repulsive .###0
absorbing and disturbing -- perhaps more disturbing than originally intended -- but a little clarity would have gone a long way .###1
sorry , charlie###0
the lack of pace kills it , although , in a movie about cancer , this might be apt .###0
while super troopers is above academy standards , its quintet of writers could still use some more schooling .###0
cute , funny , heartwarming digitally animated feature film with plenty of slapstick humor for the kids , lots of in-jokes for the adults and heart enough for everyone .###1
with a cast that includes some of the top actors working in independent film , lovely & amazing involves us because it is so incisive , so bleakly amusing about how we go about our lives .###1
a film of precious increments artfully camouflaged as everyday activities .###1
feel bad for king , who 's honestly trying , and schwartzman , who 's shot himself in the foot .###0
this clever caper movie has twists worthy of david mamet and is enormous fun for thinking audiences .###1
a dream cast of solid female talent who build a seamless ensemble .###1
quite funny for the type of movie it is ...###1
despite its flaws , secretary stays in your head and makes you question your own firmly held positions .###1
before long , the film starts playing like general hospital crossed with a saturday night live spoof of dog day afternoon .###0
münch 's genuine insight makes the film 's occasional overindulgence forgivable .###1
this is one of the most visually stunning and thematically moving epics in recent memory , and in spite of numerous minor flaws , scorsese 's best in more than a decade .###1
undercover brother does n't go far enough .###0
maudlin and melodramatic we expected .###0
everytime you think undercover brother has run out of steam , it finds a new way to surprise and amuse .###1
lacking gravitas , macdowell is a placeholder for grief , and ergo this sloppy drama is an empty vessel .###0
this time out , ( sade ) is an unsettlingly familiar figure -- in turns loyal and deceitful , responsible and reckless , idealistically selfless and coldly self-interested .###1
too timid to bring a sense of closure to an ugly chapter of the twentieth century .###0
a triumph , relentless and beautiful in its downbeat darkness .###1
the experience of watching blobby old-school cgi animation in this superlarge format is just surreal enough to be diverting .###0
the impact of the armenian genocide is diluted by too much stage business in the modern day .###0
the film delivers not just the full assault of reno 's immense wit and insight , but a time travel back to what it felt like during those unforgettably uncertain days .###1
do not , under any circumstances , consider taking a child younger than middle school age to this wallow in crude humor .###0
human nature talks the talk , but it fails to walk the silly walk that distinguishes the merely quirky from the surreal .###0
you have to pay attention to follow all the stories , but they 're each interesting .###1
what 's at stake in this film is nothing more than an obsolete , if irritating , notion of class .###0
anchored by a terrific performance by abbass , satin rouge shows that the idea of women 's self-actualization knows few continental divides .###1
awkward but sincere and , ultimately , it wins you over .###1
though howard demonstrates a great eye as a director , this southern gothic drama is sadly a tough sit , with an undeveloped narrative and enough flashbacks and heavy-handed metaphors to choke a horse -- or at least slow him down to a canter .###0
a worthy tribute to a great humanitarian and her vibrant ` co-stars . '###1
a minor picture with a major identity crisis -- it 's sort of true and it 's sort of bogus and it 's ho-hum all the way through .###0
just like hearst 's enormous yacht , it 's slow and unwieldy and takes a long time to reach its destination .###0
lauren ambrose comes alive under the attention from two strangers in town - with honest performances and realistic interaction between the characters , this is a coming-of-age story with a twist .###1
the ring just left me cold and wet like i was out in the seattle drizzle without rainwear .###0
sucking all the ` classic ' out of robert louis stevenson 's treasure island and filling the void with sci-fi video game graphics and disney-fied adolescent angst ...###1
an experience so engrossing it is like being buried in a new environment .###1
it 's never a good sign when a film 's star spends the entirety of the film in a coma .###0
an imaginative comedy/thriller .###1
audiences can be expected to suspend their disbelief only so far -- and that does not include the 5 o'clock shadow on the tall wooden kid as he skips off to school .###0
this version 's no classic like its predecessor , but its pleasures are still plentiful .###0
outrageousness is all plympton seemed to be going for this time .###1
bullock does a good job here of working against her natural likability .###1
it 's as flat as an open can of pop left sitting in the sun .###0
in the second half of the film , frei 's control loosens in direct proportion to the amount of screen time he gives nachtwey for self-analysis .###0
s personal revelations regarding what the shop means in the big picture , iconic characters gambol fluidly through the story , with charming results .###1
the bourne identity is what summer screen escapism used to be in the decades when it was geared more to grownups .###1
thirty years ago , it would have been groundbreaking .###0
run , do n't walk , to see this barbed and bracing comedy on the big screen .###1
it 's really yet another anemic and formulaic lethal weapon-derived buddy-cop movie , trying to pass off its lack of imagination as hip knowingness .###0
opens at a funeral , ends on the protagonist 's death bed and does n't get much livelier in the three hours in between .###0
nolan bravely treads where few american films dare to delve -- into the world of ambivalence and ambiguity ...###1
no more .###1
one of the greatest family-oriented , fantasy-adventure movies ever .###1
the acting is stiff , the story lacks all trace of wit , the sets look like they were borrowed from gilligan 's island -- and the cgi scooby might well be the worst special-effects creation of the year .###0
the filmmakers juggle and juxtapose three story lines but fail to come up with one cogent point , unless it 's that life stinks , especially for sensitive married women who really love other women .###0
it 's a minor comedy that tries to balance sweetness with coarseness , while it paints a sad picture of the singles scene .###1
the makers of divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood should offer a free ticket ( second prize , of course , two free tickets ) to anyone who can locate a genuinely honest moment in their movie .###1
moderately involving despite bargain-basement photography and hackneyed romance .###0
static , repetitive , muddy and blurry , hey arnold !###0
it 's a refreshing change from the self-interest and paranoia that shape most american representations of castro .###1
what parents will suspect is that they 're watching a 76-minute commercial .###0
an enjoyable film for the family , amusing and cute for both adults and kids .###1
a film made with as little wit , interest , and professionalism as artistically possible for a slummy hollywood caper flick .###0
moore 's complex and important film is also , believe it or not , immensely entertaining , a david and goliath story that 's still very much playing itself out .###1
she lists ingredients , but never mixes and stirs .###0
what really surprises about wisegirls is its low-key quality and genuine tenderness .###1
too bad the former murphy brown does n't pop reese back .###0
you can practically smell the patchouli oil .###0
shamelessly sappy and , worse , runs away from its own provocative theme .###0
it dares to be a little different , and that shading is what makes it worthwhile .###1
a slick , skillful little horror film .###1
would seem to have a lock on the title of ugliest movie of the year .###0
about nowhere kids who appropriated turfs as they found them and become self-made celebrity athletes -- a low-down version of the american dream .###0
hey , who else needs a shower ?###0
never mind whether you buy the stuff about barris being a cia hit man .###1
expect to be reminded of other , better films , especially seven , which director william malone slavishly copies .###0
nearly surreal , dabbling in french , this is no simple movie , and you 'll be taking a risk if you choose to see it .###0
the fact that the rookie is a nearly impeccable cinematic experience -- and a wonderful all-ages triumph besides -- is a miracle akin to the story the film portrays .###1
what you would end up with if you took orwell , bradbury , kafka , george lucas and the wachowski brothers and threw them into a blender .###0
windtalkers celebrates the human spirit and packs an emotional wallop .###1
smith profiles five extraordinary american homes , and because the owners seem fully aware of the uses and abuses of fame , it 's a pleasure to enjoy their eccentricities .###1
proves that a movie about goodness is not the same thing as a good movie .###0
imagine a really bad community theater production of west side story without the songs .###0
guillen rarely gets beneath the surface of things .###0
despite the long running time , the pace never feels slack -- there 's no scene that screams `` bathroom break ! ''###0
pray 's film works well and will appeal even to those who are n't too familiar with turntablism .###1
the best movie of its kind since ` brazil . '###1
roger michell , who did an appealing job directing persuasion and notting hill in england , gets too artsy in his american debut .###0
makmalbaf follows a resolutely realistic path in this uncompromising insight into the harsh existence of the kurdish refugees of iran 's borderlands .###1
... a roller-coaster ride of a movie###0
the film is faithful to what one presumes are the book 's twin premises -- that we become who we are on the backs of our parents , but we have no idea who they were at our age ; and that time is a fleeting and precious commodity no matter how old you are .###1
began life as a computer game , then morphed into a movie -- a bad one , of course .###0
disney 's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam , but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem .###1
audiences will find no mention of political prisoners or persecutions that might paint the castro regime in less than saintly tones .###0
looks like a high school film project completed the day before it was due .###0
it 's obviously struck a responsive chord with many south koreans , and should work its magic in other parts of the world .###1
rainy days and movies about the disintegration of families always get me down .###0
... breathes surprising new life into the familiar by amalgamating genres and adding true human complexity to its not-so-stock characters . '###1
it is ridiculous , of course ... but it is also refreshing , disarming , and just outright enjoyable despite its ridiculousness .###1
for the most part , i spy was an amusing lark that will probably rank as one of murphy 's better performances in one of his lesser-praised movies .###1
it 's not so much enjoyable to watch as it is enlightening to listen to new sides of a previous reality , and to visit with some of the people who were able to make an impact in the theater world .###0
a yarn that respects the marvel version without becoming ensnared by it .###1
an atonal estrogen opera that demonizes feminism while gifting the most sympathetic male of the piece with a nice vomit bath at his wedding .###1
the actors do n't inhabit their roles -- they 're trapped by them , forced to change behavior in bizarre unjustified fashion and spout dialog that consists mostly of platitudes .###0
these spiders can outrun a motorcycle and wrap a person in a sticky cocoon in seconds , but they fall short of being interesting or entertaining .###0
extremely boring .###0
but an unwillingness to explore beyond the surfaces of her characters prevents nettelbeck 's film from coming together .###0
a masterpiece four years in the making .###1
visits spy-movie territory like a novel you ca n't put down , examines a footnote to history seldom brought to light on the screen , and keeps you guessing from first frame to last .###1
a silly , self-indulgent film about a silly , self-indulgent filmmaker .###0
rarely do films come along that are as intelligent , exuberant , and moving as monsoon wedding .###1
its save-the-planet message clashes with its crass marketing .###0
it 's traditional moviemaking all the way , but it 's done with a lot of careful period attention as well as some very welcome wit .###1
for all its serious sense of purpose ... ( it ) finds a way to lay bare the tragedies of its setting with a good deal of warmth and humor .###1
the only thing in pauline and paulette that you have n't seen before is a scene featuring a football field-sized oriental rug crafted out of millions of vibrant flowers .###1
divertingly ridiculous , headbangingly noisy .###0
the title trapped turns out to be a pretty fair description of how you feel while you 're watching this ultra-manipulative thriller .###1
as a revenge thriller , the movie is serviceable , but it does n't really deliver the delicious guilty pleasure of the better film versions .###0
frustratingly , dridi tells us nothing about el gallo other than what emerges through his music .###0
the plot grinds on with yawn-provoking dullness .###0
the animated subplot keenly depicts the inner struggles of our adolescent heroes - insecure , uncontrolled , and intense .###1
the editing is chaotic , the photography grainy and badly focused , the writing unintentionally hilarious , the direction unfocused , the performances as wooden .###0
i admired it , particularly that unexpected downer of an ending .###1
the performances are so leaden , michael rymer 's direction is so bloodless and the dialogue is so corny that the audience laughs out loud .###0
a comic gem with some serious sparkles .###1
not a bad journey at all .###1
unfortunately , they 're sandwiched in between the most impossibly dry account of kahlo 's life imaginable .###0
extreme oops - oops , ops , no matter how you spell it , it 's still a mistake to go see it .###0
unfortunately , as a writer , mr. montias is n't nearly as good to his crew as he is as a director or actor .###0
must-see viewing for anyone involved in the high-tech industry .###1
like old myths and wonder tales spun afresh .###1
a beautiful and haunting examination of the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the mundane horrors of the world .###1
life is a crock -- or something like it .###0
imagine if you will a tony hawk skating video interspliced with footage from behind enemy lines and set to jersey shore techno .###0
it 's rare to find a film that dazzles the eye , challenges the brain , and satisfies our lust for fast-paced action , but minority report delivers all that and a whole lot more .###1
it 's drained of life in an attempt to be sober and educational , and yet it 's so devoid of realism that its lack of whistles and bells just makes it obnoxious and stiff .###0
... there are enough moments of heartbreaking honesty to keep one glued to the screen .###1
it 's hard to tell with all the crashing and banging where the salesmanship ends and the movie begins .###0
now it 's just tired .###0
( u ) nrelentingly stupid .###0
a work of astonishing delicacy and force .###1
... as the story congeals you feel the pieces of the star wars saga falling into place in a way that makes your spine tingle with revelation and excitement .###1
a fast-moving and remarkable film that appears destined to become a landmark in japanese animation .###1
the film is itself a sort of cinematic high crime , one that brings military courtroom dramas down very , very low .###1
the film meant well in its horse tale about freedom , but was n't able to reach the heart because it was too overbearing .###0
offers that rare combination of entertainment and education .###1
one of the best examples of how to treat a subject , you 're not fully aware is being examined , much like a photo of yourself you did n't know was being taken .###1
an unbelievably fun film just a leading man away from perfection .###1
if nothing else , this movie introduces a promising , unusual kind of psychological horror .###1
it does succeed by following a feel-good formula with a winning style , and by offering its target audience of urban kids some welcome role models and optimism .###1
going to the website may be just as fun ( and scary ) as going to the film .###1
if this dud had been made in the '70s , it would have been called the hills have antlers and played for about three weeks in drive-ins .###0
morton is , as usual , brilliant .###1
an earnest , heartrending look at the divide between religious fundamentalists and their gay relatives .###1
christians sensitive to a reductionist view of their lord as a luv-spreading dr. feelgood or omnipotent slacker will feel vastly more affronted than secularists , who might even praise god for delivering such an instant camp classic .###1
but like bruce springsteen 's gone-to-pot asbury park , new jersey , this sad-sack waste of a movie is a city of ruins .###0
with a story inspired by the tumultuous surroundings of los angeles , where feelings of marginalization loom for every dreamer with a burst bubble , the dogwalker has a few characters and ideas , but it never manages to put them on the same path .###1
more honest about alzheimer 's disease , i think , than iris .###1
maybe it 's asking too much , but if a movie is truly going to inspire me , i want a little more than this .###1
none of these characters resembles anyone you 've ever met in real life , unless you happen to know annoyingly self-involved people who speak in glib sentences that could have only come from the pen of a screenwriter .###0
just one more collection of penis , breast and flatulence gags in search of a story .###0
but some unexpected zigs and zags help .###1
by presenting an impossible romance in an impossible world , pumpkin dares us to say why either is impossible -- which forces us to confront what 's possible and what we might do to make it so .###1
but it 's emotionally engrossing , too , thanks to strong , credible performances from the whole cast .###1
a movie for 11-year-old boys with sports dreams of their own and the preteen girls who worship lil ' bow wow .###1
skip work to see it at the first opportunity .###0
there are slow and repetitive parts , but it has just enough spice to keep it interesting .###1
safe conduct , however ambitious and well-intentioned , fails to hit the entertainment bull 's - eye .###0
the way coppola professes his love for movies -- both colorful pop junk and the classics that unequivocally qualify as art -- is giddily entertaining .###1
the latest installment in the pokemon canon , pokemon 4ever is surprising less moldy and trite than the last two , likely because much of the japanese anime is set in a scenic forest where pokemon graze in peace .###1
a movie far more cynical and lazy than anything a fictitious charlie kaufman might object to .###0
these are names to remember , in order to avoid them in the future .###0
... with the candy-like taste of it fading faster than 25-cent bubble gum , i realized this is a throwaway movie that wo n't stand the test of time .###0
it might as well have been problem child iv .###0
all the performances are top notch and , once you get through the accents , all or nothing becomes an emotional , though still positive , wrench of a sit .###1
his characters are engaging , intimate and the dialogue is realistic and greatly moving .###1
national lampoon 's van wilder could be the worst thing to come out of national lampoon since class reunion###0
( it 's ) a prison soccer movie starring charismatic tough guy vinnie jones , but it had too much spitting for me to enjoy .###0
an intimate , good-humored ethnic comedy like numerous others but cuts deeper than expected .###1
mocking them now is an exercise in pointlessness .###0
liman , of swingers and go , makes his big-budget action film debut something of a clunker as he delivers a long , low-heat chase , interrupted by a middling car chase .###0
two generations within one family test boundaries in this intelligent and restrained coming-of-age drama .###1
hands down the year 's most thought-provoking film .###1
and in this regard , on guard delivers .###1
thrilling , provocative and darkly funny , this timely sci-fi mystery works on so many different levels that it not only invites , it demands repeated viewings .###1
these are lives worth watching , paths worth following .###1
the 3d images only enhance the film 's otherworldly quality , giving it a strange combo of you-are-there closeness with the disorienting unreality of the seemingly broken-down fourth wall of the movie screen .###0
a slick , well-oiled machine , exquisitely polished and upholstered .###1
a fairly by-the-books blend of action and romance with sprinklings of intentional and unintentional comedy .###1
but here 's the real damn : it is n't funny , either .###0
its characters are thinner than cardboard -- or even comic-book paper .###0
... has virtually no script at all ...###0
behind the snow games and lovable siberian huskies ( plus one sheep dog ) , the picture hosts a parka-wrapped dose of heart .###1
roman coppola may never become the filmmaker his dad was , but heck -- few filmmakers will .###1
the movie 's eventual success should be credited to dennis quaid , in fighting trim shape as an athlete as well as an actor###1
the story drifts so inexorably into cliches about tortured ( and torturing ) artists and consuming but impossible love that you ca n't help but become more disappointed as each overwrought new sequence plods on .###0
a gentle , compassionate drama about grief and healing .###1
here , adrian lyne comes as close to profundity as he is likely to get .###0
a tv episode inflated past its natural length .###0
why he was given free reign over this project -- he wrote , directed , starred and produced -- is beyond me .###0
begins as a promising meditation on one of america 's most durable obsessions but winds up as a slender cinematic stunt .###0
it took 19 predecessors to get this ?###0
binoche and magimel are perfect in these roles .###1
the diversity of the artists represented , both in terms of style and ethnicity , prevents the proceedings from feeling repetitious , as does the appropriately brief 40-minute running time .###1
a romantic comedy , yes , but one with characters who think and talk about their goals , and are working on hard decisions .###1
at heart the movie is a deftly wrought suspense yarn whose richer shadings work as coloring rather than substance .###1
feels like six different movies fighting each other for attention .###0
director dirk shafer and co-writer greg hinton ride the dubious divide where gay porn reaches for serious drama .###1
a movie that tries to fuse the two ` woods ' but winds up a bolly-holly masala mess .###0
too bad , but thanks to some lovely comedic moments and several fine performances , it 's not a total loss .###1
ordinary melodrama that is heavy on religious symbols but wafer-thin on dramatic substance###0
fortunately for all involved , this movie is likely to disappear as quickly as an ice cube thrown into a pot of boiling water .###0
the movie is a blast of educational energy , as bouncy animation and catchy songs escort you through the entire 85 minutes .###1
rare is the ` urban comedy ' that even attempts the insight and honesty of this disarming indie .###1
it 's also stupider .###0
that zhang would make such a strainingly cute film -- with a blind orphan at its center , no less -- indicates where his ambitions have wandered .###0
reggio falls victim to relying on the very digital technology that he fervently scorns , creating a meandering , inarticulate and ultimately disappointing film .###0
we can see the wheels turning , and we might resent it sometimes , but this is still a nice little picture , made by bright and friendly souls with a lot of good cheer .###1
the weight of water uses water as a metaphor for subconscious desire , but this leaky script barely stays afloat .###0
a pleasant romantic comedy .###1
the perfect film for those who like sick comedies that can be snide .###1
a dreary , incoherent , self-indulgent mess of a movie in which a bunch of pompous windbags drone on inanely for two hours ... a cacophony of pretentious , meaningless prattle .###0
full frontal is the antidote for soderbergh fans who think he 's gone too commercial since his two oscar nominated films in 2000###1
son of the bride may be a good half-hour too long but comes replete with a flattering sense of mystery and quietness .###0
technically , the film is about as interesting as an insurance commercial .###0
well , it does go on forever .###1
a graceful , contemplative film that gradually and artfully draws us into a world where the personal and the political get fatally intertwined .###1
there 's no denying the elaborateness of the artist 's conceptions , nor his ability to depict them with outrageous elan , but really the whole series is so much pretentious nonsense , lavishly praised by those who equate obscurity with profundity .###1
` dragonfly ' is a movie about a bus wreck that turns into a film wreck .###0
there are films that try the patience of even the most cinema-besotted critic -- and this was one of them .###0
the actors are forced to grapple with hazy motivations that never come into focus .###0
when she speaks , her creepy egyptian demigod voice is as computer processed and overproduced as it was in her music .###0
a soggy , cliche-bound epic-horror yarn that ends up being even dumber than its title .###0
i saw knockaround guys yesterday , and already the details have faded like photographs from the spanish-american war ... it 's so unmemorable that it turned my ballpoint notes to invisible ink .###0
there 's plenty of style in guillermo del toro 's sequel to the 1998 hit but why do we need 117 minutes to tell a tale that simply ca n't sustain more than 90 minutes .###0
the unique tug-of-war with viewer expectations is undeniable , if not a pleasure in its own right .###1
vividly conveys both the pitfalls and the pleasures of over-the-top love .###1
ihops do n't pile on this much syrup .###0
what kids will discover is a new collectible .###1
when it really counts ... bloody sunday connects on a visceral level that transcends language .###1
windtalkers blows this way and that , but there 's no mistaking the filmmaker in the tall grass , true to himself .###1
... a polished and relatively sincere piece of escapism .###1
the saturation bombing of reggio 's images and glass ' evocative music ... ultimately leaves viewers with the task of divining meaning .###0
there 's not enough to sustain the comedy .###0
formula 51 is so trite that even yu 's high-energy action stylings ca n't break through the stupor .###0
despite a powerful portrayal by binoche , it 's a period romance that suffers from an overly deliberate pace and uneven narrative momentum .###0
unless you are in dire need of a diesel fix , there is no real reason to see it .###0
i kept thinking over and over again , ' i should be enjoying this . '###1
the transporter is as lively and as fun as it is unapologetically dumb###1
a real clunker .###0
the pivotal narrative point is so ripe the film ca n't help but go soft and stinky .###0
it 's amazingly perceptive in its subtle , supportive but unsentimental look at the marks family .###1
legendary irish writer brendan behan 's memoir , borstal boy , has been given a loving screen transferral .###1
the problem , it is with most of these things , is the script .###0
it risks seeming slow and pretentious , because it thinks the gamble is worth the promise .###0
take care of my cat offers a refreshingly different slice of asian cinema .###1
davis has filled out his cast with appealing fresh faces .###1
it represents better-than-average movie-making that does n't demand a dumb , distracted audience .###1
dazzling and sugar-sweet , a blast of shallow magnificence that only sex , scandal , and a chorus line of dangerous damsels can deliver .###1