My Ten Best of 2008

Here is my ten best list, with a couple of honorable mentions.  The first seven were the only ones I awarded five stars, and the last three and the honorable mentions come from the 14 that I gave four stars, out of the 93 films reviewed in 2008.

1.  "4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days" is a dark and gripping drama, masterfully written, directed, and acted, covering one day in the life of a woman who helps a friend in the Romania of 1987.

2.  "Milk" is a superb biographical drama deftly mixed with documentary footage about the tragically short career of the nation's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. In one of his most accessible features Gus Van Sant captures the man, the moment, and the movement at a time in the '70's when Anita Bryant was leading a national crusade to deny homosexuals protection from discrimination.

3. "Slumdog Millionaire" An outstanding film in story, composition, music, direction, editing and performances, "Slumdog Millionaire" tells the Dickensian story of a street-wise orphan of the Mumbai slums whose life has strangely prepared him to answer questions on a popular TV quiz show. 

4.  "WALL-E" Accessible to both kids and adults, there are lessons to absorb, technique to marvel at, and a great sweep of story that takes you literally out of this world. It's the best.

5.  "Tell No One" ("Ne le dis a personne") a tight, breathless suspense and murder mystery film, combines the craft of Hitchcock with the adrenaline of "The Fugitive." 

6.  "The Dark Knight" It's easily the best Batman movie ever.

7.  "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" A technical tour de force and completely satisfying movie epic.

8.  "The Visitor" may surprise in its depiction of illegal immigrants, who are notably voiceless this election year, but it does not come across as a political tract, but rather as a glimpse into some lives that we would not have otherwise known.

9.  "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"   A delightful, sexy, wryly- and sharply-written character study from Woody Allen at his best.

10.  "Rachel Getting Married" sometimes searing, often warm and touching, ultimately sobering portrait of a recovering addict and her family.

Honorable Mention

"The Fall" The denizens of a 1920's Los Angeles hospital, every-day people, become colorful heroes in the imagined world an injured actor invents for a young patient, a voluptuous, exotic visual feast of a tale - a movie within a movie.

"Priceless" ("Hors de prix") an entertaining variation on an old theme as a hotel clerk is smitten with a gold digger and must pay the price.

"Iron Man" a super-satisfying, super-action-filled, super-entertaining movie that surpasses the genre.

Doubt ****

We are accustomed to making decisions on the basis of incomplete information; it's a part of life. And if we have doubts, we can acknowledge them and move on rather than be paralyzed by fear. In a court of law, we must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt before depriving a fellow citizen of his liberty. But how much harder it must be to deal with doubt in a community of faith, where doubts can undermine the very meaning of one's life - dedication, vocation, salvation. Or do you embrace doubt and make that another bond of the believers?

Such are the questions that are raised in "Doubt," whose story deals with the suspicions, nay, "certainties" that a Catholic high-school principal (Meryl Streep) has in 1964 New York about a popular priest (Philip Syemour Hoffman) who may have an improper relationship with an altar boy. Expanded a bit for the screen from the award-winning Broadway play by the playwright himself, John Patrick Shanley also directs, with locations in the old neighborhood where he grew up. But still, "Doubt" raises more questions than it answers.

Given the revelations about pedophile priests in the last ten years, and the pattern of cover-up that perpetuated the abuse, Sister Aloysius' zeal for her charges seems prescient, and the difficulty, or impossibility she faces trying to go through (all-male) channels, is an indictment of the system. Yet what is her evidence? There are plausible explanations for everything, and no one is complaining except her. Why does she insist on pursuing her crusade against all evidence? Clearly, it seems, doubt is not in her vocabulary

These two titans, Streep and Hoffman, are joined by two worthy actors who round out the original four-character cast of the play: Amy Adams as Sister James, who does not doubt Father Flynn, and Viola Davis as the mother of the boy in question, who brings a totally unexpected perspective to the situation. This is an actor's movie, and all acquit themselves with high honors. It's a pleasure to watch, to admire, and to talk about afterwards.

Rated PG-13. 104 minutes. John Patrick Shanley - Director / Writer (screenplay) (play), Scott Rudin - Producer, Roger Deakins - Cinematographer, Howard Shore - Composer, David Gropman - Production Designer, Dylan Tichenor - Editor. Produced by Scott Rudin Productions. Distributed by Miramax Films

Principal actors: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.

Rachel Getting Married ****

Kym, who has been in and out of rehab for the last 10 years, takes leave of her current institution to attend her sister Rachel's wedding. Told in a semi-documentary, hand-held style, the personalities and histories take shape as we get to know these sisters (an absolutely collossal Anne Hathaway as Kym and a taut Rosemarie DeWitt as Rachel), their friends, and their relatives. The dialog is realistic, and sometimes funny in a natural, not a Hollywood, way.

Jonathan Demme, who has directed several outstanding documentaries, like "Neil Young: Heart of Gold," here gives us an intimate portrait of a family, following them from room to room in their suburban Connecticut house during the wedding weekend. The result is sometimes searing, often warm and touching, ultimately sobering. Hathaway will doubtless get her first Oscar nomination for her sensitive, intelligent, fearless portrait of Kym.

Rated R. 113 minutes. Jonathan Demme - Director, Jenny Lumet - Writer, Neda Armian - Producer, Marc E. Platt - Producer, Declan Quinn - Cinematographer, Donald Harrison Jr. - Composer, Zafer Tawil - Composer, Ford Wheeler - Production Designer, Tim Squyres - Editor.

Principal actors: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mather Zickel, Bill Irwin, Anna Deveare Smith, Anisa George,

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button *****

A technical tour de force and completely satisfying movie epic, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" tells the tale of a boy born old, who lives life in reverse, growing younger each year as everyone around him grows old. What's most curious, or perhaps not so curious after all, is how much alike life appears coming from either end. The same challenges are there, and one never knows what life will bring, although we are all, ultimately, alone. But there is always the caring for those you love who can't take care of themselves. And there is connecting, with sex, and love, sharing with someone special, and starting over when you need to.

Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the movie has the unhurried pace, lavish period sets (from 1918 to Hurricane Katrina), authentic dress and utterly convincing special effects and makeup that only a megabudget can provide. But none of that intrudes or calls attention to itself; the focus is always on the characters and their lives. It's been said that no great movie could be made from a great book, since so much is required to translate a collection of words into a collection of pictures, and so much interior life must be sacrificed. But here we have the opposite, a short story that spans almost a century that is fleshed out with a huge cast and the arcs of lives that span generations.

As the two main characters, Benjamin Button and the love of his life Daisy, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchette are superb, and the range of years they play is nothing short of astonishing. Tilda Swinton and Julia Ormond admirably hold their parts of the movie together. And director David Fincher brings the same sort of attention to composition, pace, and character that he dazzled us with in "Zodiac." The long run time is necessary to the story, and never feels self-indulgent. This is one to savor.

Rated PG-13. 159 minutes. David Fincher - Director, Eric Roth - Writer (screenplay) (screen story), Robin Swicord - Writer (screen story), Ceán Chaffin - Producer, Kathleen Kennedy - Producer, Frank Marshall - Producer, Claudio Miranda - Cinematographer, Alexandre Desplat - Composer, Donald Graham Burt - Production Designer, Kirk Baxter - Editor, Angus Wall - Editor. Produced by The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Principal actors: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, and Tilda Swinton.

Marley & Me ***

A sweet and funny movie about finding your way into adulthood, married life, deferred dreams, and how dealing with a rambunctious dog fits into all that, "Marley & Me" is the true story of a Ft. Lauderdale newspaper columnist, John Grogan, who often wrote about "the worst dog in the world," and whose best-selling book of the same name has made millions laugh and cry. Director David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada") elicits warm performances from Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, who have real chemistry on screen, and he does not flinch from showing the weepy ending. This, I'm sure accounts for the PG rating, so parents be warned.

"Marley & Me" gives us a for instance of what has become a pervasive American phenomenon: many pet owners consider their animal companions to be part of the family. A recent poll found that a majority of pet owners, including men, but especially women, say they can communicate with their felines and canines. As the middle child Conor writes in a note to go into Marley's grave: "Through life or death, I will always love you. Your brother, Conor Richard Grogan."

Eric Dane (McSteamy to some of you) as Grogan's colleage Sebastian, who I think is an addition to the book, and a good one, presents a dashing foil to the stay-at-home, take-it-as-it-comes writer. Alan Arkin contributes another kind of humor with his low-key portrait of the proverbial cold and irrascible editor. And as someone who lived there in south Florida at the same time, I can tell you that locations and interiors are spot-on. "Marley" is not high drama, nor is it low comedy, either. It is, however, just the thing to remind you again about what in life is really important.

Rated PG. 120 minutes. David Frankel - Director, Scott Frank - Writer (screenplay), Don Roos - Writer (screenplay), John Grogan - Writer (book), Gil Netter - Producer, Karen Rosenfelt - Producer, Florian Ballhaus - Cinematographer, Theodore Shapiro - Composer, Stuart Wurtzel - Production Designer, Mark Livolsi - Editor. Produced by Fox 2000 Pictures. Distributed by Twentieth Centtury Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Alan Arkin, Eric Dane, and Kathleen Turner.

Slumdog Millionaire *****

An outstanding film in story, composition, music, direction, editing and performances, "Slumdog Millionaire" tells the Dickensian story of a street-wise orphan of the Mumbai slums whose life has strangely prepared him to answer questions on a popular TV quiz show. Director Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later") takes us inside the squalor and teeming life of India as few movies have, showing us a child's-eye view of an informally organized world, as well as what is possible, for both good and bad, in the adult world of the survivors. Ultimately optimistic, "Slumdog" lets us rejoice with the hero while not forgetting where he came from and those who are still there.

Rated R. 120 minutes. Danny Boyle - Director, Loveleen Tandan - Director, Simon Beaufoy - Writer (screenplay), Vikas Swarup - Writer (novel "Q & A"), Christian Colson - Producer, Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematographer, A.R. Rahman - Composer, Mark Digby - Production Designer, Chris Dickens - Editor. Produced by Celador Films (London). Distributed in the U.S. by Fox Searchlight Pictures. In English and Hindi with English subtitles.

Principal actors: Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan.

Frost/Nixon ****

Excellent translation of the play to the screen and depiction of the story behind the unprecedented interviews of disgraced former president Richard Nixon by talk-show host and playboy David Frost. Uniformly well-realized, convincing, rooted in its time, with wonderful supporting performances, it is the Oscar-caliber performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen that elevate the movie to the highest levels seen this year. See it.

Rated R (for language). 122 minutes. Ron Howard - Director / Producer, Peter Morgan - Writer (screenplay) (play), Tim Bevan - Producer, Eric Fellner - Producer, Brian Grazer - Producer, Salvatore Totino - Cinematographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Michael Corenblith - Production Designer, Daniel P. Hanley - Editor, Mike Hill - Editor. Produced by Imagine Entertainment. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, and Sam Rockwell.

The Day the Earth Stood Still *

I'm sure I won't be the only one to remark that Keanu Reeves as an expressionless alien is typecasting. Despite the IMAX screen, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a lifeless concoction of unimaginative special effects and a script that eviscerates the original. Jennifer Connelly tries, but she can't save this turkey, and those who pin their hopes on Kathy Bates will be sorely disappointed with how little she's given to work with. Even darling little Jaden Smith misses. Rent the 1951 original and marvel at what Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal did with the material, which at least made some sense and presented mankind with a choice.

Rated PG-13. 103 minutes. Scott Derrickson - Director, David Scarpa - Writer (screenplay), Edmund H. North - Writer (1951 screenplay), Paul Harris Boardman - Producer, Gregory Goodman - Producer, Erwin Stoff - Producer, David Tattersall - Cinematographer, Tyler Bates - Composer, David Brisbin - Production Designer, Wayne Wahrman - Editor. Produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, James Hong, Jaden Smith, and Kathy Bates.

Four Christmases **

Less than amusing tale of a couple's holiday visits to their four divorced parents. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, who also produced, must have thought they had a sure thing here, and the parents are top drawer old school: Sissy Spacek, Robert Duval, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen. But the script is weak and the direction is weaker. Vince Vaughn fares better than Witherspoon, but he's more in his element in this would-be update of the holiday movie that forgoes the schmaltz, but doesn't really find a substitute in familial weirdness.

Rated PG-13. 82 minutes. Seth Gordon - Director, Matt R. Allen - Writer (screenplay) (story), Caleb Wilson - Writer (screenplay) (story), Jon Lucas - Writer (screenplay), Scott Moore - Writer (screenplay), Gary Barber - Producer, Roger Birnbaum - Producer, Jonathan Glickman - Producer, Vince Vaughn - Producer, Reese Witherspoon - Producer, Jeffrey L. Kimball - Cinematographer, Alex Wurman - Composer, Shepherd Frankel - Production Designer, Mark Helfrich - Editor, Melissa Kent - Editor.

Principal actors: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Voight, and Sissy Spacek.

Milk *****

"Milk" is a superb biographical drama deftly mixed with documentary footage about the tragically short career of the nation's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. In one of his most accessible features Gus Van Sant captures the man, the moment, and the movement at a time in the '70's when Anita Bryant was leading a national crusade to deny homosexuals protection from discrimination. The cast delivers outstanding work, including Sean Penn as Milk, Emile Hirsch as campaign manager Cleve Jones, and James Franco as Milk's partner Scott Smith. In limited release now, but expanding in December with an eye on the prizes of Oscar time.

Rated R. 128 minutes. Gus Van Sant - Director, Dustin Lance Black - Writer, Bruce Cohen - Producer, Dan Jinks - Producer, Michael London - Producer, Harris Savides - Cinematographer, Danny Elfman - Composer, Bill Groom - Production Designer, Elliot Graham - Editor. Produced and distributed by Focus Features.

Principal actors: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Victor Garber, and Denis O'Hare, Stephen Spinella.

Role Models **

Mildly amusing, predictable big brother comedy that is heavy on the foul-mouthed kid shtick and homo jokes, with good performances by the leads and kids, and a wonderful double-talking turn by Jane Lynch as the founder of the charity where the boys are sentenced to serve the community.

Rated R. 99 minutes. David Wain - Director / Writer (screenplay), Paul Rudd - Writer (screenplay), Ken Marino - Writer (screenplay), Timothy Dowling - Writer (screenplay) (story), William Blake Herron - Writer (story), Luke Greenfield - Producer, Mary Parent - Producer, Matthew Seigel - Producer, Scott Stuber - Producer, Russ T. Alsobrook - Cinematographer, Craig Wedren - Composer, Stephen J. Lineweaver - Production Designer, Eric Kissack - Editor. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principle actors: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Bobb'e J.Thompson, and Elizabeth Banks.

Quantum of Solace ***

Heavy on superb action sequences, believable high tech, and pretty women, the tough and still-sexy Daniel Craig leads us hurtling through a breathless world-wide chase of something no one ever heard of. The movie benefits from great editing, suitably pulsing sound track, and interesting, exotic locations. It's a commendable sequel, and introduces a new villainous conspiracy that can serve as Bond's nemesis for years to come.

Rated PG-13. 106 minutes. Marc Forster - Director, Paul Haggis - Writer, Neal Purvis - Writer, Robert Wade - Writer, Barbara Broccoli - Producer, Michael G. Wilson - Producer, Roberto Schaefer - Cinematographer, David Arnold - Composer, Dennis Gassner - Production Designer, Matt Chesse - Editor, Richard Pearson - Editor.

Principal actors: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, Jesper Christensen, and Joaquin Cosio.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ****

A delightful sequel suitable for all, with lots of laughs, drama, wit and surprises. See it in IMAX if you can.

Rated PG. 89 minutes. Eric Darnell - Director, Tom McGrath - Director, Etan Cohen - Writer, Mireille Soria - Producer, Mark Swift - Producer, Hans Zimmer - Composer. Produced by DreamWorks Animation. Distributed by DreamWorks Distribution.

Principal actors (voices): Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, and Bernie Mac.

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist ***

Nick (Michael Cera) and Nora (Kat Dennings) meet one night clubbing in NYC and find they are soul mates, with real-sounding dialogue and a kick-ass sound track.

Rated PG-13. 90 minutes. Peter Sollett - Director, Lorene Scafaria - Writer (screenplay), Rachel Cohn - Writer (novel), David Levithan - Writer (novel), Kerry Kohansky - Producer, Andrew Miano - Producer, Chris Weitz - Producer, Paul Weitz - Producer, Tom Richmond - Cinematographer, Mark Mothersbaugh - Composer, David Doernberg - Production Designer, Myron I. Kerstein - Editor.

Principal actors: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Ari Graynor, Jay Baruchel, Rafi Gavron, and Aaron Yoo.

Religulous ****

The ever irreverent and devout doubter Bill Maher looks at the evil that men do in the name of religion. Funny and thought-provoking.

Rated R. Larry Charles - Director, Bill Maher - Writer / Producer, Jonah Smith - Producer, Palmer West - Producer, Anthony Hardwick - Cinematographer, Jeff Groth - Editor, Christian Kinnard - Editor, Jeffrey M. Werner - Editor.

Principal actors: Bill Maher, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, Steve Berg, and Andrew Newberg.

Choke ***

A strange and delightful fable about a sex-addicted theme-park actor who supports his mother's assisted living by preying on strangers who save him from choking. Off-beat, weird, and strangely involving.

Rated R. 109 minutes. Clark Gregg - Director / Writer (screenplay), Chuck Palahniuk - Writer (novel), Johnathan Dorfman - Producer, Temple Fennell - Producer, Beau Flynn - Producer, Tripp Vinson - Producer, Tim Orr - Cinematographer, Nathan Larson - Composer, Roshelle Berliner - Production Designer, Joe Klotz - Editor.

Principal actors: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Brad William Henke, and Kelly Macdonald.

Ghost Town ***

Tea Leoni makes the whole thing work, as the Egyptologist who falls for the inept dentist (a lovable Ricky Gervais) who tries to save her from a scoundrel with the help of her late husband's ghost (a suave Greg Kinnear).

Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. David Koepp - Director / Writer, John Kamps - Writer, Gavin Polone - Producer, Fred Murphy - Cinematographer, Geoff Zanelli - Composer, Howard Cummings - Production Designer, Sam Seig - Editor.

Principal actors: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Kristen Wiig, Tea Leoni, and Billy Campbell.

The Women **

What a waste of talent in this flat remake of the 1939 George Cukor classic. Only Jada Pinkett Smith has any fire.

Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. Diane English - Director / Writer (screenplay) / Producer, Clare Boothe Luce - Writer (play), Anita Loos - Writer (1939 screenplay), Jane Murfin - Writer (1939 screenplay), Mick Jagger - Producer, Bill Johnson - Producer, Victoria Pearman - Producer, Anastas Michos - Cinematographer, Mark Isham - Composer, Jane Musky - Production Designer, Tia Nolan - Editor.

Principal actors: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Mendes, Cloris Leachman, Candice Bergen, and Bette Midler.

Burn After Reading ***

A lighthearted spy vs. spy vs. rank amatuer story in a departure for the Coen brothers, this star-studded bit of fluff is diverting and as filling as a tub full of popcorn without the butter. Watch it for a terrific turn from Brad Pitt as a gym dandy sucking on his water bottle.

Rated R. 96 minutes. Ethan Coen - Director / Writer / Producer, Joel Coen - Director / Writer / Producer, Tim Bevan - Producer, Eric Fellner - Producer, Emmanuel Lubezki - Cinematographer, Carter Burwell - Composer, Jess Gonchor - Production Designer, Roderick Jaynes - Editor, Roderick Jaynes - Editor.

Principal actors: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and J.K. Simmons.

The House Bunny ***

A romp from the writing team that brought us "Legally Blonde" (2001), "She's The Man" (2006), and "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999), this predictable airhead-Bunny-saves-loser-sorority tale has life lessons for the ladies and enough skin to keep their boyfriends amused. Anna Faris carries the picture with her Goldie Hawn-like combo of knockout looks and spot-on comic timing.

Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. Fred Wolf - Director, Karen McCullah Lutz - Writer, Kirsten Smith - Writer, Allen Covert - Producer, Jack Giarraputo - Producer, Heather Parry - Producer, Adam Sandler - Producer, Shelly Johnson - Cinematographer, Waddy Wachtel - Composer, Missy Stewart - Production Designer, Debra Chiate - Editor.

Principal actors: Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Dana Goodman, Katharine McPhee, Rumer Willis, Christopher McDonald, and Beverly D'Angelo.er Willis, Christopher McDonald, and Beverly D'Angelo

Brideshead Revisited ***

Finely acted, beautifully photographed, sumptuously appointed, and well-condensed from the novel, "Brideshead Revisited" is one of those dramas that the English do so well. This story about the many shapes of love plays out against a background of class division, religion and irreligion, youth and age in 'thirties England.

Matthew Goode as protagonist Charles Ryder is particularly good at portraying a character who sometimes seems as formless as one of his blank canvases, but whose infatuations and choices deeply affect those closest to him. Emma Thompson brings a steely reserve to her Lady Marchmain. Hayley Atwell is a seductive Julia. But it's Ben Whishaw's charming and ultimately dissolute Sebastian who commands the screen.

A feast for the eyes and the mind, "Brideshead Revisited" charms and intrigues, and leaves interesting questions to discuss afterwards.

Rated PG-13. 113 minutes. Julian Jarrold - Director, Andrew Davies - Writer, Jeremy Brock - Writer, Evelyn Waugh - Writer (novel), Kevin Loader - Producer, Douglas Rae - Producer, Jess Hall - Cinematographer, Adrian Johnston - Composer, Alice Normington - Production Designer, Chris Gill - Editor. Distributed in the U.S. by Miramax Films.

Principal actors: Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw, Hayley Atwell, Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon.

Tropic Thunder ***

A big-budget sendup of big-budget action movies, "Tropic Thunder" takes some chances spending so much money to ridicule big movies, narcissistic actors, studio bosses (wait till you see what they did to Tom Cruise), and pea-brained agents. Thank goodness they, or rather, Ben Stiller, who has directing, writing and producing credits, succeed.

The cast is top drawer. In the group of actors that finds themselves in a real war, besides Stiller, there's Robert Downey Jr. as an Australian actor of some renown who has had his skin darkened so he can play a black soldier, Jack Black as an actor with some controlled-substance issues, rising comic star Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as Alpa Chino, the real man of color in the squad. Through in Nick Nolte as a demented author, Steve Coogan as the hapless director, and the aforementioned Cruise as a studio exec, and there's every reason to expect good things.

By its very subject matter, this is a narcissistic movie about movies and the movie industry, but in a day of E! channels and box office numbers reported like sports scores, American audiences, at least, can keep up. And there's plenty of explosions for the teenboy fans. It's a good romp, and a satisfying summer popcorn flick.

Rated R. 107 minutes. Ben Stiller - Director / Writer (screenplay) (story) / Producer, Justin Theroux - Writer (screenplay) (story), Etan Cohen - Writer (screenplay), Stuart Cornfeld - Producer, Eric McLeod - Producer, John Toll - Cinematographer, Theodore Shapiro - Composer, Jeff Mann - Production Designer, Greg Hayden - Editor. Distributed by Dreamworks Distribution.

Principal actors: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte, Steve Coogan, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Jay Baruchel, Matt Levin, Andrea De Oliveira, Reggie Lee, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise.

Bottle Shock ***

In 1976, a Paris-based English expert in wines decided to arrange a blind tasting of top California wines and a selection of fine French wines in honor of the American bicentennial.  Th e outcome of that blind tasting by French wine experts shocked the wine world and put Napa Valley on the map worldwide.

This movie, whose title puns on the term for damaging wine in transit by jostling, is the story of that tasting, how it was conceived, put together, and published 'round the world.  And it's not just "inspired by" the true story, but really does tell the story - at least in the historical particulars - of the people and wineries that were involved, complete with a update on what they're doing now. Judging by the credits, the film was a labor of love for Randall Miller, who directed, and also shares credits for writing, producing, and editing. 

His story focuses on one winery, its ex-lawyer owner (Bill Pullman), and his sometimes rebellious, sometimes lazy son (Chris Pine), who is definitely a representative of '70's youth.  The Englishman, Steven Spurrier, is tartly played by Alan Rickman, best known for his oily embodiment of Snape in the Harry Potter series.  Rachael Taylor rounds out the cast as winery intern Sam.  All perform creditably and without reservation. 

A lovely example of indie film-making, this refreshing story, with a zesty feel for life and flavor, goes down smoothly, satisfies, and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. 

Rated PG-13.  110 minutes. Randall Miller - Director / Writer (screenplay) (story) / Producer / Editor, Jody Savin / Writer (screenplay) (story) / Producer, Ross schwartz - Writer (screenplay) (story), Lanette Pabon - Writer (story), J Todd Harris - Producer, Brenda Lhormer - Producer, Marc Lhormer - Producer, Marc Toberoff - Producer, Mike Ozier - Cinematographer, Mark Adler - Composer, Craig Stearns - Production Designer, Dan O'Brien - Editor.  Distributed by Freestyle Releasing.

Principal actors: Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Dennis Farina, Eliza Dushku, Bradley Whitford.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona ****

(Above: Director Woody Allen, right, with Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson)

A delightful, sexy, wryly- and sharply-written character study, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" shows us the summer of two friends visiting Barcelona. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is reserved, intellectual, engaged to be married, while Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is impetuous, sensual, searching for she doesn't know what. They meet a charmingly direct and seductive Spanish painter (Javier Bardem) with a fiery ex-wife (Penélope Cruz) and things begin to happen.

As in Allen's best work, the dialog is keenly observed, and the action flows directly from the characters. While not quite up to the gold standard of "Match Point" (2005), it supasses both "Scoop" (2006) and "Cassandra's Dream" (2007). Like the best of Vicky and Cristina themselves, it combines both refreshingly intellectual and deeply sensual pleasures.

Rated PG-13. 96 minutes. Woody Allen - Director / Writer, Letty Aronson - Producer, Stephen Tenenbaum - Producer, Gareth Wiley - Producer, Javier Aguirresarobe - Cinematographer, Alain Bainée - Production Designer, Alisa Lepselter - Editor.  Distributed by MGM.

Principal actors: Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Chris Messina, Patricia Clarkson, and Kevin Dunn.

Pineapple Express ***

The latest offering from the Judd Apatow hit machine is a stoner action comedy starring the still-not- grown-up Seth Rogen and, casting against type, James Franco as his dealer. The setup for this laugh out loud feature has Rogen witnessing a murder by a dirty cop, whereupon he ditches the roach of "Pineapple Express" he was smoking, which can be traced by the bad guys back to his dealer.

As usual with Apatow movies, the humor arises naturally from the situations and the characters in the story. The dialog has a fresh and spontaneous quality, and the locations look like today's real life.

Director David Gordon Green, who wrote and directed the very different "Snow Angels" (2007) here makes the transition to comedy well. I can't say the same for the action sequences, which look a bit clumsy and forced and over the top. Of course all action sequences are over the top, but here there is a real disconnect with the realism of the rest of the movie.

Nevertheless, "Pineapple Express" is well worth the time, and will leave you smiling, even if you're not in an altered state.

Rated R. 111 minutes. David Gordon Green - Director, Seth Rogen - Writer (screenplay) (story), Evan Goldberg - Writer (screenplay) (story), Judd Apatow - Writer (story) / Producer, Shauna Robertson - Producer, Tim Orr - Cinematographer, Graeme Revell - Composer, Chris Spellman - Production Designer, Craig Alpert - Editor.  Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez, Danny R. McBride, Amber Heard, and James Remar.

Up the Yangtze ****

As the waters rise near the Three Gorges Dam, life upriver in China is changing. This arresting and beautifully photographed documentary examines the lives of some young people who go to work on a tourist cruise boat, mainly focusing on "Cindy," the daughter of a poor squatter whose hut and fields will soon be inundated.

The film is shot and narrated by Yung Chang, a Canadian whose grandfather immigrated from China, and who told his grandson many stories and songs from his homeland. Chang does not tell, he shows, in an unobtrusive way that must mean he was there for so long that his crew became part of the furniture. The family scenes in the hut, shot in available light, often just candlelight, depict a family struggling to adapt to the new China.

Because her family cannot afford the expense of high school for her, Cindy goes to work on the tourist boat, filled mostly with Americans. We see English lessons, the hierarchy of jobs on the boat, and the personalities of her co-workers. By the end of the movie it's clear that life on a small plot of land, growing vegetables for the table, will soon disappear, and that life now will be urban, commercial, and highly westernized.

A trainer on the boat relates a telling joke. It seems the presidents of the U.S. and of China were in a car. They come to a crossroads marked "Socialism" to the left and "Capitalism" to the right.

"Let's go to the right," says the U.S. president.

"OK," agrees the Chinese president, "but let's use the left-turn indicator."

Not rated. 93 minutes. Yung Chang - Director / Writer (writer), Mila Aung-Thwin - Producer, John Christou - Producer, Germaine Wong - Producer, Shi Qing Wang - Cinematographer, Olivier Alary - Composer, Hannele Halm - Editor.  Distributed in the U.S. by Zeitgeist Films.

Credited cast, as themselves: Jerry Bo Yu Chen, Campbell Ping He, Cindy Shui Yu.

Chris & Don. A Love Story ****

Don was still a teenager when he first met Chris, who was thirty years his senior, on the "queer beach" at Santa Monica in the early 'fifties. "Chris & Don. A Love Story" is an intimate and frank documentary of the 30-year relationship between writer Christopher Isherwood and the much younger Don Bachardy, told largely with interviews with Don and narration by Michael York over clips from home movies (often with Hollywood personalities and writers like Tennessee Williams), photographs, and excerpts from Isherwood's diaries.

The movie gives us a revealing look at Isherwood's development as a writer in the preceding years, growing up in a well to do English family, intentionally flunking out of Cambridge, and landing in Berlin in the 'thirties at the urging of poet W.H Auden. Isherwood's "Berlin Stories" from the period put him on the map, and later was the basis for the incarnations of "Cabaret." With war coming, Isherwood moved to the U.S., and settled in Hollywood working as a screen writer.

Chris' access to Hollywood stars dazzled the star-struck Don, and Chris was able to arrange for some of the biggest stars to sit for the Don, who, with Chris' encouragement and art lessons, became a portrait painter. Chris was the main influence on Don, and molded his speech, his sense of fashion, and outlook on life. As Don says, "It was just what the boy wanted, and the boy flourished." The scope and range of the documentary is arresting, and Don, now 74, and still a working artist, leaves out nothing as he relates their story, up until the day Isherwood died in 1986 at the age of 81.

Some animation and dramatic re-enactments enliven what is so often a dull form. I particularly liked the animated sequences of the horse and the pussycat (Chris and Don's pet names for each other) that give a sense of their relationship, and which allowed them to say things to each other that might have been too difficult to say directly.

Writer/producer/editor Tina Mascara and Guido Santi have done a superb job putting this project together. Their understanding of the currents of social class, sexual orientation, popular culture, friendship, and love make an arresting work. It is definitely worth seeing.

Not rated. 90 minutes. Tina Mascara - Director / Producer / Editor, Guido Santi - Director / Producer / Editor, Julia Alexander - Producer, James White - Producer, Ralph Q. Smith - Cinematographer, Miriam Cutler - Composer, Francisco Stohr - Production Designer.  Distributed in the U.S. by Zeitgeist Films.

Principal cast, as themselves: Don Bachardy, John Boorman, Leslie Caron, Christopher Isherwood (archival footage), Liza Minnelli, Gloria Stuart, and Michael York (narrator).

Swing Vote ***

Through a twist of fate (OK, several twists) and the well-meaning interference of his precocious daughter, a recently-fired drunk in Texico, New Mexico, has the opportunity to cast the deciding vote in the election of the next president of the United States.

The drunk, Bud, exuberantly and fearlessly played by Kevin Costner, seems to stand for what Edward Bulwer-Lytton called "the Great Unwashed," the great Unthinking, Uninterested, and Unexamined Underclass that is more interested in the next beer than in the next president. His daughter, Molly, expertly embodied by Madeline Carroll (watch out Abigail Breslin!), portrays idealistic youth, most interested in the plight of the working poor and the unfulfilled promise of the American Dream.

When Bud's identity becomes known, the incumbent Republican president (Kelsey Grammer) and his Democratic challenger (Dennis Hopper) both decamp to Texico to court Bud. Bud, who has no idea what the code words "pro-life" or "pro-choice" mean, for example, makes remarks that cause both campaigns to make shameless flip-flops on basic platform planks just to please Bud. The political satire is broad and there are some good laughs.

What I liked about this movie was Costner's and Carroll's performances, and the ultimate seriousness of the message. The heart of the film is the father-daughter relationship, and the father's belated recognition, in the face of far-greater failings of his ex-wife, of his own. But don't expect big box office. The public, suffering from four dollar a gallon gas, a slumping economy, and a war that still seems without end, is in no mood for anything that makes them confront an uncomfortable reality. Just like Bud.

Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. Joshua Michael Stern - Director / Writer, Jason Richman - Writer, Kevin Costner - Producer, Jim Wilson - Producer, Shane Hurlbut - Cinematographer, John Debney - Composer, Steve Saklad - Production Designer, Jeff McEvoy - Editor. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Principal actors: Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Judge Reinhold, Willie Nelson, Mare Winningham, and Richard Petty.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor **

Impressive and inventive special effects, which often inform and advance the story, interrupt a silly narrative, tedium and bad acting in this third edition of the Mummy franchise. After many years, with an adventurous son digging in tombs just like his famous dad, you might think you've stumbled into another franchise. But this, alas, is no Indiana Jones adventure.

This time, shortly after World War II, the miraculously preserved O'Connells (the affable Brendan Fraser and a truly awful Maria Bello) are bored with English country life and ready to go to China to deliver a precious artifact to the Shanghai Museum. What they don't know is that their son, a quite bland Luke Ford, has unearthed the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) and brought him to Shanghai.

We know from a backstory narration the story of this Emperor. As a wise man truly said, when a screen writer dies, he becomes a narrator. For an enlightening object lesson, see the first 20 minutes of WALL-E, where, with no narration and virtually no dialog, you get a clear idea of what is going on and what must have happened. Here, any dialog is a segue to a fight scene, a perilous escape, or a magnificent special-effects battle.

For special effects and fight fans, which I know are legion, this movie will satisfy. Also fans of really loud, bombastic music. Others may lament the wasted effort and talent, and the prominent lack of directing skill that make this movie explode like a box of fireworks and then vanish, like its warring armies, in a cloud of dust, like it was never there.

Rated PG-13. 112 minutes. Rob Cohen - Director, Alfred Gough - Writer, Miles Millar - Writer, Sean Daniel - Producer, Bob Ducsay - Producer, James Jacks - Producer, Stephen Sommers - Producer, Simon Duggan - Cinematographer, Randy Edelman - Composer, Nigel Phelps - Production Designer, Kelly Matsumoto - Editor, Joel Negron - Editor. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Anthony Wong, Luke Ford, and Isabella Leong.

Tell No One (Ne le dis à personne) ****

"Tell No One" ("Ne le dis à personne"), a tight, breathless suspense and murder mystery film, combines the craft of Hitchcock with the adrenaline of "The Fugitive." Nominated last year for nine César awards (the French Oscars), and winner of four, including best director and best actor, this movie delivers on multiple levels.

Eight years after the brutal murder of his wife, a crime the police suspected him of, the still-grieving pediatrician Dr. Alexandre "Alex" Beck (François Cluzet), gets a disturbing email pointing him to a public Internet video camera image that seems to be of his beloved Margot (Marina Hands). She says, "Tell no one." But soon recently-unearthed clues, and another murder, make Alex the object of a mysterious surveillance and the suspicion of the police. Things get complicated on multiple fronts very quickly.

The movie is wonderfully heavy on detail. The interiors in Paris and the countryside, on many different social levels, are fully realised. The streetscapes and chase scenes are utterly convincing. And the idyllic scenes of Alex and Anne at the lake before the tragedy are beautiful.

The plot is complex, and there are some red herrings, but the unfolding of the story as Alex - the man on the run - investigates is fascinating. Kristin Scott-Thomas does a particularly fine job as Alex's high-powered attorney. The movie does not skimp on emotion, and Cluzet is quite effective conveying the many feelings rattling Alex. Editing is spare and sharp, making the movie a sit up in your chair affair, despite its length of a little more than two hours. Paying full attention will be fully rewarded.

Not rated. 125 minutes. Guillaume Canet - Director / Writer (writer), Harlan Coben - Writer (novel), Philippe Lefebvre - Writer (writer), Alain Attal - Producer, Christophe Offenstein - Cinematographer, M - Composer, Philippe Chiffre - Production Designer, Hervé de Luze - Editor. Distributed in the U.S. by Music Box Films.

Principal actors: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze, André Dussollier, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Jean Rochefort, and Marina Hands.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe *

Dark in tone and composition, and murky and confused in plotting, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" plays like a longish TV show rather than a first-run movie, and suffers from the same over-abundance of unexplained phenomena and weirdness in the woods that made the TV series, in the end, such a bore.

Former FBI agents Fox Muldar (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are called in out of retirement to work on a case that that has some of the same characteristics of the files they used to investigate. This one involves an abducted FBI agent and a defrocked pedophile priest (Billy Connolly) having visions that may lead to her whereabouts. Scully, now working as a doctor in a Catholic hospital, brings her usual skepticism to bear, while Muldar, whose retirement life seems to consist of cutting out newspaper stories, makes the usual far-out connections that all the others seem to miss.

It's a rather flat exercise, although writer/director Chris Carter does add some atmosphere, accidents and mysteries by shooting much of the movie in the snow in West Virginia. There is an interesting update on the relationship of Muldar and Scully, which was always an intriguing subtext to the series. But there are too many howlers, like stem cell treatments in a Catholic hospital, ultimate transplants, and at least an extra limb in the snow, to take this one seriously.

Rated PG-13. 105 minutes. Chris Carter - Director / Writer (television series "The X-Files") / Producer, Frank Spotnitz - Writer / Producer, Bill Roe - Cinematographer, Mark Freeborn - Production Designer, Richard Harris - Editor. Distributed by Twentieth-Century Fox Corporation.

Principal actors: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Xzibit, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Callum Keith Rennie, and Adam Godley.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army ****

Surprisingly funny, wildly imaginative, and pleasingly violent in a fantastical way, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" packs a lot of fireworks into its two hours of glorious escapism. Writer/director Guillermo del Toro delivers a mythical world that is more fully realized than in "Hellboy" (2004) and more inventive than in his Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006).

Which is not to say that "Hellboy II" is better than "Pan's Labyrinth." The fairy world of "Pan's" served as a counterweight to and escape from the hellish world that the young heroine found herself living in. Here the parallel mythical world is fleshed out and populated with trading trolls, vicious "tooth fairies," avenging beasts, stone giants, ambitious princes, and a merciless mechanical army. It's a comic book come to life, not a dark and surreal drama of real people suffering and fighting for their lives and their freedom.

Arrayed against the threat from the other world are the unlikely heroes of the top-secret Paranormal Research Institute: Hellboy (Ron Perlman), his flaming (literally) girlfriend Liz (Selma Blair), a walking fish lizard with the soul of a poet, Abe (Doug Jones), and the ectoplasmic Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane). Gamely trying to keep everything under control and out of the press is the hopelessly out-gunned Tom Manning (played by dead-pan king Jeffrey Tambor).

If there is a theme behind all of the action, it is love; love in several forms and across the most unlikely lines. Love triumphs, along with irony, and even a saccharin love song by Barry Manilow can have its place.

Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. Guillermo del Toro - Director / Writer (screenplay) (story), Mike Mignola - Writer (story) (comic book), Lawrence Gordon - Producer, Lloyd Levin - Producer, Mike Richardson - Producer, Joe Roth - Producer, Guillermo Navarro - Cinematographer, Danny Elfman - Composer, Stephen Scott - Production Designer, Bernat Vilaplana - Editor. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Seth MacFarlane, Anna Walton, Brian Steele, and John Hurt.

The Dark Knight *****

It's easily the best Batman movie ever. "The Dark Knight" takes up where the earlier "Batman Begins" (2005) left off, but with a darker tone and vicious villains, led this time by a maniacal Joker, indellibly played by the late Heath Ledger. The darker tone signals a new attitude toward Batman, not fun and campy, certainly, but also less of a hero, and more a conflicted crusader.

In this sequel Batman (Christian Bale), although officially a wanted vigilante, teams up with Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to clean up the mobsters still active in Gotham. But things fail to go as planned when the criminals turn to The Joker to take out Batman. On a personal level, Bruce Wayne is still carrying a torch for Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, a welcome change from Katie Holmes), but she won't leave her new boyfriend, Harvey Dent, until Wayne hangs up his Batsuit.

The story moves along well, interspersed with dramatic and effective action sequences, most shot the old-fashioned way, which is very effective, but here using IMAX cameras. See this movie on an IMAX screen if you can. This is a great movie and there is no way you can match the impact of a screen more than 50 feet high on a standard theater screen, much less at home. And the music and sound editing, which are excellent, are heard to their best effect in an IMAX theater.

At only 37 years old, director/writer Christopher Nolan here maintains his high standing as a talent of the first order. The great promise he showed in "Memento" (2000) has been fulfilled in a steady progression of larger projects: "Insomnia" (2002), "Batman Begins," and "The Prestige" (2006). It's interesting that he has cast Christian Bale and Michael Caine in his last three movies. And they always deliver.

Rated PG-13. 152 minutes. Christopher Nolan - Director / Writer (screenplay) (story) / Producer, Jonathan Nolan - Writer (screenplay), David S. Goyer - Writer (story), Bob Kane - Writer (characters), Charles Roven - Producer, Emma Thomas - Producer, Wally Pfister - Cinematographer, James Newton Howard - Composer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Nathan Crowley - Production Designer, Lee Smith - Editor. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D ***

Like a good theme park ride, "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" takes you there with a minimum of fuss, a dose of humor, twists, turns, and thrilling scenes and creatures. But do see it in 3D if you can. Shot in RealD throughout, director Eric Brevig, a long-time visual effects supervisor ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Men in Black"), uses 3D to punch up a rather modest script with invention and visual jokes.

The light touch works well with this cast. Brendan Fraser, ever affable, focused, and a bit ironic, turns in a workmanlike performance. Talented young star Josh Hutcherson ("Firehouse Dog," "Bridge to Terabithia") steps easily into a major role. And the beautiful Anita Briem, in her first major film role, has just the no-nonsense and competent demeanor you would expect from a mountain guide.

The movie follows Jules Verne rather closely, with appropriate updates and explanations that work well for a PG romp. The kids will love it, and the adults, if they can loosen up a bit, will too.

Rated PG. 92 minutes. Eric Brevig - Director, Michael Weiss - Writer (screenplay), Michael Weiss - Writer (screenplay), Jennifer Flackett - Writer (screenplay), Mark Levin - Writer (screenplay), Jules Verne - Writer (novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth"), Beau Flynn - Producer, Cary Granat - Producer, Charlotte Huggins - Producer, Chuck Shuman - Cinematographer, Andrew Lockington - Composer, David Sandefur - Production Designer, Steven Rosenblum - Editor, Paul Martin Smith - Editor, Dirk Westervelt - Editor. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem.

Mamma Mia! ****

This is how enjoyable "Mamma Mia! is: I didn't want it to stop, and at the credits (which you must stay for), the audience applauded. The movie version of the world-wide and long-running Broadway hit featuring the infectious music that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus wrote for ABBA bursts with energy, color, wit, and feeling. Meryl Streep, who we found out can really sing in "Prairie Home Companion" (2006) is particularly good with the songs.

The situation: a girl (Amanda Seyfried) on a Greek island holiday villa, raised by her single mom (Meryl Streep), is getting married and wants her father at the wedding. But after she reads her mother's diary, she realizes that there are three, yes, three candidates, all of whom she invites to the wedding, sure that she'll know the one at first sight. The candidates: Pierce Brosnan, who does a fine job singing; Colin Firth, who brings some repressed levity to the picture; and Stellan Skarsgard, of the "Pirates" series appropriately enough on a sailboat, all show up.

And mom has her support group, the backup singers from her flower-child all-girl group: Julie Walters (Mrs. Beasley in the "Potter" series), and Christine Baranski (probably best known as Cybill Shepherd's best friend in the TV series "Cybill"). These ladies provide humor, balance, and contrast. All in all, it's a stellar cast, and behind the scenes it's the same three ladies who put the stage show together. Director Phyllida Lloyd, well-known for work in opera in England, brings a sure hand to putting the scenes together. You'll leave the theater smiling and singing.

PG-13. 108 minutes. Phyllida Lloyd - Director, Catherine Johnson - Writer (writer), Judy Craymer - Producer, Gary Goetzman - Producer, Haris Zambarloukos - Cinematographer, Stig Anderson - Composer, Benny Andersson - Composer, Björn Ulvaeus - Composer, Maria Djurkovic - Production Designer, Lesley Walker - Editor. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski.

Mongol ****

A contender for best foreign language film at the Oscars last February, "Mongol," from Germany, Russia, and Kazakhstan, tells the story of Temudjin (an excellent Tadanobu Asano), the son of a 12th century Mongol clan leader who grew up to become Genghis Kahn. Beginning with 10 year-old Tejudjin's trip with his father to choose a future bride, the movie slowly and carefully shows us the major events of his life. We see the clan culture of honor, revenge, horsemanship, and clan and family that shaped his life.

And what a life! Stripped of their wealth after his father was poisoned, Temudjin led a life of adversity and warring. His beloved wife Börte (the beautiful Khulan Chuluun) was stolen; he warred to get her back, won, and lost her again. Enslaved and imprisoned, he came back to war again. He treated his men fairly, and developed a simple code of law for the clans. Throughout, Temudjin's relationship with the strong and devoted Börte forms the backbone of "Mongol." I expect the sequel, "The Great Khan," currently in production, will have a similar thread.

"Mongol" uses old-fashioned live action with, as they say, a cast of thousands, to tell its story. The sense of place is striking, and there are many beautiful scenes of the steppes in all kinds of weather. Battle scenes are intimate and bloody, but not overdone or overlong. There is poetry in the camera work and the music, and breathtaking locations. And while a bit long at 126 minutes, the movie does not drag or bore. It's well worth watching.

Rated R. 126 minutes. Sergei Bodrov - Director / Writer (writer) / Producer, Arif Aliyev - Writer (writer), Anton Melnik - Producer, Sergei Selyanov - Producer, Rogier Stoffers - Cinematographer, Sergei Trofimov - Cinematographer, Tuomas Kantelinen - Composer, Dashi Namdakov - Production Designer, Valdís Óskarsdóttir - Editor, Zach Staenberg - Editor. Distributed in the U.S. by Picturehouse Entertainment. In Mongolian with English subtitles.

Principal actors: Tadanobu Asano, Khulan Chuluun, Amadu Mamadakov.

Hancock ***

Had enough of superheroes? How about one in rehab? With the surfeit of superheroes of late, somehow it's not surprising to meet one who has some issues, who means well, but is usually too drunk to actually do much good.

Meet Hancock (Will Smith), a depressed man of steel who can fly and has superhuman strength. He's depressed because he's the only one of his kind, and he doesn't know where he came from, so he lays around Los Angeles, usually with a bottle. When he does help out the police, he usually does more damage than the bad guys.

Clearly Hancock is in need of a make-over. Enter Ray Embry (Jason Bateman), an optimistic PR specialist who can't seem to convince businesses to give up their profits for a good cause. One day Hancock saves Embry from an oncoming train, and Embry sees a diamond in the rough. Despite the misgivings of his wife Mary (Charlize Theron), Ray embarks on a campaign to improve Hancock's image.

With this set-up, the movie takes off into funny, entertaining worlds, with a few original twists that make it a refreshing summer romp. The cast works well together (Bateman, Theron, and especially Smith shine), the special effects are great, and this different kind of superhero finds his place. Kudos to director Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights") for keeping the pacing brisk and going light on the mayhem. It's a fun ride.

Rated PG-13. 92 minutes. Peter Berg - Director, Vy Vincent Ngo¹ - Writer, Vince Gilligan - Writer, Akiva Goldsman - Producer, James Lassiter - Producer, Michael Mann - Producer, Will Smith - Producer, Tobias Schliessler¹ - Cinematographer, John Powell - Composer, Neil Spisak - Production Designer, Colby Parker Jr. - Editor, Paul Rubell - Editor. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, and Eddie Marsan.