Avatar ***

"Avatar" is a technically dazzling, seamlessly crafted sci-fi adventure tale set on a far-off planet where a paraplegic marine is able to inhabit and control the body of a specially-engineered native, who can not only survive, but thrive in the poisonous atmosphere. In his avatar body, he befriends the natives to advance the aims of the company that brought him there to extract a valuable mineral. The marine learns the ways of the natives, and comes to understand and respect the interconnectedness of life on this beautifully-imagined world. The movie is great fun and emotionally engaging, even if you do wonder if you're cheering a tribe that has disturbing parallels to the peoples and cultures that the U.S. has fought, or is fighting, here and abroad. See it for the superb special effects, battle scenes, and the best transfer of actors to animated images to date.

Rated PG-13. 162 minutes. James Cameron - Director / Writer / Producer / Editor, Jon Landau - Producer, Mauro Fiore - Cinematographer, James Horner - Composer, Rick Carter - Production Designer, Robert Stomberg - Production - Productiion Designer, John Refoua - Editor, Stephen Rivkin - Editor. Produced and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang, and Matt Gerald

Sherlock Holmes ***

This is not your father's "Sherlock Holmes." The new Sherlock, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character, with Jude Law as his friend and partner Dr. Watson, bursts on the scene not just as a neatness challenged, keenly observant, and incredibly intelligent detective, but as the muscular, brawling action hero heir to a raft of James Bond and comic book character action movies. Throw in a woman in love with Holmes (Rachel McAdams) who is not only smart, but who can steal, fight, and shoot as well as the men, and you've got a thoroughly modern Hollywood formula set in Victorian London. For me, it's a guilty pleasure two hour escape, and a lot of fun.

The plot Holmes must defeat is similarly exotic, involving black magic at the highest levels of government and ingenious gadgets in service of a scheme for world domination. I told you it wasn't your father's, or even Conan Doyle's, Sherlock Holmes. The action scenes are well done, the special effects creating circa 1870's London are superb, and the quick flash-back sequences visually explaining how Holmes reached his conclusions are economical and effective. I enjoyed the movie, and would love to see the sequel that is sure to follow.

Rated PG-13. 128 minutes. Guy Ritchie - Director, Michael Robert Johnson - Writer (screenplay) (screen story), Anthony Peckham - Writer (screenplay), Simon Kinberg - Writer (screenplay), Lionel Wigram - Writer (screen story) / Producer, Arthur Conan Doyle - Writer (characters Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson), Susan Downey - Producer, Dan Lin - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, Joel Silver - Producer, PHilippe Rousselot - Cinemmatographer, Hans Zimmer - Composer, Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer, James Herbert - Editor.

Principle actors: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan, and Kelly Reilly.

A Single Man ****

The most arresting thing about "A Single Man" is Colin Firth's incredibly contained yet emotional performance as George, an English professor in '60's L.A. coping with the loss of his partner of 16 years, Jim, played in flashbacks by Matthew Goode. The second most arresting thing about the movie is that it was directed and written (screenplay) by Tom Ford, the fashion designer. It's a very, very good first effort, and full of marvelous touches that set an effective tone and style.

We follow George for an entire day, one that George has decided will be his last, and the heightened awareness that he brings to every encounter makes him - and us - notice things as if for the first time. We see his performance as a lecturer, talking to a student, visiting his old friend and one-time lover Charley (excellently played by Julianne Moore), and remembering his life with Jim. Gradually we come to know him and his life through this one day.

This is the 60's, remember, and the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood on which the movie is based is firmly rooted in its period. One of the earliest gay liberation works, "A Single Man," depicts the life of an "invisible minority," as George says in a lecture, afraid to say its name, a minority that even the family of a life partner of 16 years would refuse to recognize. The oppressed must speak in code, and convey meaning in a glance, which Ford captures perfectly. It's not just the too long held gaze that speaks here, though, it's seeing that he's depicting, as eyes and looks form a recurrent leit motif throughout the film.

It's the 60's speaking through Charley when she says that George and Jim's 16 years were not real somehow, that it was a substitution for something else. George refuses to let her get away with it, which is good. But it's the 60's, I'm afraid, that is responsible for the ending, in a bit of melodrama that I don't think a gay author today would indulge in. Up to that point, however, it's a marvelous film, and sure to bring Firth and Ford some well-deserved attention.

Rated R. 99 minutes. Tom ford - Director / Writer (screenplay) / Producer, Christopher Isherwood - Writer (novel), David Scearce - Writer (screenplay), Andrew Miano - Producer, Robert Salerno - Producer, Chris Weitz - Producer, Eduard Grau - Cinematographer, Abel Korzeniowski - Composer, Dan Bishop - Production Designer, Joan sobel - Editor. Produced by Artina Films. Distributed by The Weinstein Company.

Principle actors: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Jon Kortajarena.

The Young Victoria ****

Sumptuous, stately, beautifully composed, and well-acted, "The Young Victoria" is above all a triumph for its star, Emily Blunt. A story about the tumultuous first years of Victoria's reign, the movie manages to bring life to what could have been empty tableaux and drawing room dialog. Instead we have an intimate look at life inside the palaces and stunning costumes.

Protected, controlled, and manipulated by her mother and her mother's favorite, who aspired to be regent for the young Victoria, if only her uncle would die before her majority, Victoria asserts herself and refuses to be ruled. Her early years on the throne are marked by political miscalculations but a growing maturity. Her romance with Albert, who she came to love in spite of the fact that he had been carefully coached too woo her, is carefully constructed and convincing. At the end I wanted to know more about this fascinating woman.

Rated PG. 100 minutes. Jean-Marc Valee - Director, Julian Fellowes p Writer, Sarah Ferguson - Producer, Tim Headington - Producer, Graham King - Producer, Martin Scorsese - Producer, Hagen Blgkanshki - Cinematographer, Ilan Eshkeri - Composer, Patrice Vernette - Production Designer, Jill Bilcock - Editor, Matt Garner - Editor. Produced by GK Films. Distributed in the U.S. by Apparition.

Principle actors: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, and Mark Strong.

Up in the Air *****

Ryan Bingham's life may sound empty, living out of a suitcase, spending so much time in airplanes and hotels that his apartment looks more barren than any motel, but he's not complaining. In fact he thrives on the routines, the frequent traveler perks, and the casual hookups that come with the territory. His job removes him from the messiness of everyday life even more: he's a professional downsizer, swooping in with folders of termination notices and severance outlines to deliver the bad news the employer would rather outsource.

Until one day his employer decides to upgrade to a more technologically advanced solution - remote firings done via web cam and the Internet. Bingham, played by a pitch-perfect George Clooney, sees his carefully-constructed world about to crumble, and convinces his boss to let him take the young hotshot who came up with the plan, recent college grad Natalie Keener, superbly played by Anna Kendrick, on the road to show her why life and the death of your job is more complicated than that.

Ryan Bingham and Natalie Keener both have a lot to learn. Bingham begins to open up his shell a bit with a fellow road warrior, a stunningly good Vera Farmiga, and Natalie gets some bad news delivered in a cold technology wrapper that ought to make her think. Things begin to change, but not in the easy landing kind of way you might expect. The story is grown up, post romantic, and faithful to present-day road warrior culture. It's an examination that will make you think, but won't give you the obvious answers.

Rated R. 109 minutes. Jason Reitman - Director / Writer (screenplay) /Producer, Sheldon Turner - Writer (screenplay) Walter Kirn - Writer (novel), Jeffrey Clifford, {roducer, DanDubiecki - Producer, Ivan Reitman - Producer, Eric Steelberg, - Cinematographer, Rolfe Kent - Composer, Steve Saklad - Production Designer, Dana E. Glauberman - Editor. Produced by Cold Spring Pictures. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Principle actors: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, and Chris Lowell.

Invictus ****

"Invictus" tells the little-known story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) in his first term as president of South Africa, used the national rugby team, the Springboks, in their quest for the world rugby championship of 1995, as a tool to help unite his deeply divided country. Freeman exudes the moral authority you would expect from someone who has played God (twice), and who was anointed by Mandela himself as his first choice to play him in a movie. And Matt Damon, who in another masterful character role plays the captain of the team, Francois Pienaar, gives us a totally believable and accessible study of a Afrikaner who comes to feel the support of all South Africans, not just the white ones.

In tackling the almost mythical Mandela, director / producer Clint Eastwood wisely focuses on the game always as an adjunct to the heavy lifting Mandela was doing in his day job. The game proves an apt metaphor as well as actual inspiration for the nation, and Eastwood delivers his trademark simplicity of style that communicates without extra flourishes or showmanship. And don't worry about the rugby - the sports scenes are handled well enough to know what's going on without having to understand the game. Here it's the emotion that counts, not the rules.

A note on the title: "Invictus" is the name of a Victorian poem by William Ernest Henley that got Mandela through some dark days in his 27-year imprisonment. Henley, crippled by bone tuberculosis, wrote, on his hospital bed, the poem that includes the famous lines " I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, which means "unconquered" in Latin, was added as the title later by an editor.

Rated PG-13. 134 minutes. Clint Eastwood - Director / Producer, Anthony Peckham - Writer (screenplay), John Carline - Writer (book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation"), Robert Lorenz - Producer, Lori McCreary - Producer, Mace Neufeld - Producer, Tom Stern - Cinematograher, Kyle Eastwood - Composer, Michael Stevens - Composer, James J. Murakami - Production Designer, Joel Cos - Editor, Gary D. Roach - Editor.

Principle actors: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon.

Pirate Radio ***

Set on a ship in the North Sea in the 1960's, "Pirate Radio" purports to tell us the story of a wildly popular rock and roll station forced to transmit from international waters because of the restrictions of a too-prim British government. There's a large and colorful cast, including a nicely rumpled Philip Seymour Hoffman as a DJ, and Bill Nighy in a marvelous turn as the station's business manager. There are good helpings of drugs, sex, and, of course, rock and roll throughout. Writer/ Director / Producer Richard Curtis manages to keep everything afloat, as it were, in spite of the number of characters, but I was bothered by an absence of the men who kept the ship going, the captain and the crew, who rate only one passing mention. This was probably a calculation by Curtis to keep the story from getting too overloaded, and my companion said he never noticed. It's a fun movie, and a great chance to revisit some great songs. And don't leave before the credits, which feature a gallery of famous album covers.

Rated R. 116 minutes. Richard Curtis - Director / Writer / Producer, Hilary Bevan Jones - Producer, Tim Bevan - Producer, Eric Fellner - Producer, Danny Cohen - Cinematographer, Mark Tildesley - Production Designer, Emma E. Hickox - Editor.

Principle actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nigh, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Talulah Riley, and January Jones.

Fantastic Mr. Fox ***

There is much to recommend "Fantastic Mr. Fox." The wonderfully-realized stop-motion animation for one. And the inventive sets and characters. And the stellar voices reading the lines. But for some reason it left me cold. Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the uncomfortable seat, maybe it was the horrendous print with the big scratch line on the right side of the frame (that, most likely), but I have to say I wasn't engaged. I give it a so-so rating for an amusing story about how our nature will come out, no matter what our stated intentions.

Rated PG. 87 minutes. Wes Anderson - Director ? Writer (screenplay) / producer, Roald Dahl - Writer (novel) Noah Baumbach - Writer (screenplay), Allison Abbate - Producer, Jeremy Dawson - Producer, Scott Rudin - Producer, Tristan Oliver - Cinematographer, Alexandre Depslat - Composer, Nelson Lowry - Production Designer, Andrew Weisblum - Editor. Produced by Twentieth Century Fox Corp. Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Principal voices: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, and Jarvis Cocker

The Blind Side ***

Like "Precious," "The Blind Side" is about a timely intervention in someone's downward-spiraling life. Unlike "Precious," a fictional construct set in 1987 Harlem where an abused, obese, black and pregnant teen is placed in an alternative school and eventually starts to make something of her life, "The Blind Side" is set in present day Memphis where a rich white family takes in a really big homeless black teenager and helps him become an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick. "The Blind Side," clearly, is the fairy-tale version of the story. Except that it's true.

It's grounding in reality, I think, is what makes for such an emotionally satisfying movie experience. This is what we wish would happen in so many other cases: White Protestant Southern Republicans acting on their ideals and shared humanity to help someone who needs it. And the fact that it's the true story of Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens and the Tuohy family, especially Leigh Anne, a remarkable woman wonderfully played by Sandra Bullock, lets us think, for a while at least, while we're there in the dark suspending disbelief, that there is some hope for us, that religion and ideals can really make a difference. I say see it and enjoy it without guilt, but don't forget the other stories that fall in the much darker column.

Rated PG-13. 128 minutes. John Lee Hancock - Director/Writer, Michael Lewis - Writer (book "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game"), Broderick Johnson - Producer, Andrew A. Kosove - Producer, Gil Netter - Producer, Alar Kivilo - Cinematographer, Carter Burwell - Composer, Michael Corenblith, Production Designer, Mark Livoli - Editor. Produced by Alcorn Entertainment. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principle actors: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Quinton Aaron, Lily Collins, and Jae Head.

New Moon *

In the interest of full disclosure I will say that I have not read the Twilight books, did not see the first movie, and am not a 13 year-old girl, all of which may explain why I thought the movie was a monumentally boring waste of time. For those in touch with their inner female teen, I'm told it's enthralling.

Rated PG-13. 130 minutes. Chris Weitz - Director, Melissa Rosenberg - Writer (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer, Writer (novel "New Moon"), Wyck Godfrey - Producer, Javier Aguirresarobe - Cinematographer, Alexandre Desplay - Composer, David Brisbin - Production Designer, Peter Lambert - Editor. Produced by Imprint Entertainment. Distributed by Summit Entertainment.

Principle actors: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Rachelle Lefevre, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, and Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning.

A Christmas Carol ***

Fabulous in 3D, wonderfully animated, with much-improved motion capture and facial expressions over Zemeckis' previous "Polar Express" and "Beowulf," this "Christmas Carol" is a scary delight. With much more emphasis on the horrors to come if he does not mend his ways than many renderings of this oft-told tale, this Scrooge is as nasty as his impending fate. I loved the characterizations, Jim Carrey's amazing work (he plays eight characters), and the tour de force animation, reveling in flights and swoops that would be impossible for a mere camera. It's literally great fun for the whole fam damly.

Rated PG. 96 minutes. Robert Zemeckis - Director / Writer (screenplay) / Producer, Charles Dickens - Writer (novel), Jack Rapke - Producer, Steve Starkey - Producer, Robert Presley -Cinematographer, Alan Silvestri - Composer, Doug Chiang - Production Designer, Jeremiah O'Driscoll - Editor. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Principal actors: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, and Cary Elwes.

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" ****

In 1989 in Harlem, an obese, abused, pregnant and functionally illiterate teen named Precious gets some help from a special education unit, an alternative school. The journey she makes, the depths of her abuse, the humanity of her teachers are all shown in wrenching and emotional detail. As Precious emerges as her own soul, you begin to see some way out for her, and appreciate her as a person beyond the stereotype. You may not be so quick to classify someone on the street ever again. Performances, all seem to agree, are Oscar-caliber, especially from Gabourney Sibide as Precious, Mo'Nique as her monstrous mother Mary, and a decidedly unglamorous Mariah Carey as the social worker Mrs. Weiss.

Rated R. 110 minutes. Lee Daniels - Director / Producer, Geoffrey Fletcher - Writer (screenplay), Sapphire - Writer (novel "Push), Gary Magness - Producer, Sarah Siegel-Magness - Producer, Andrew Dunn - Cinematographer, Darren Lew - Cinematographer, Mario Grigorov - Composer, Roshelle Berliner - Production Designer, Joe Klotz - Editor . Produced by Lee Daniels Entertainment. Distributed by Lionsgate.

Principal actors: Gabourney Sibide, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz.

2012 *

An apocalypse now kind of disaster flick, "2012" employs hokum Mayan prophecies and hokier science to precipitate the end of the world, accompanied by hair's breadth escapes by our unlikely bookish protagonist. The special effects are spectacular and are, of course, the real stars of the movie. The story pulls together high and low elements to give the disaster a political and a human face, but there's literally nothing memorable except the lavish inventiveness of the disasters. Clocking in at more than two and a half hours, you might want to check out RunPee.com to plan your bio-break.

Rated PG-13. 158 minutes. Roland Emmerich - Director / Writer / Producer, Harold Kloser - Writer / Producer / Composer, Larry J. Franco - Producer, Dean Semler - Cinematographer, Thomas Wander -Composer, Barry Chusid - Production Designer, David Brenner - Editor, Peter S. Elliot - Editor. Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Tom McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover.

The Maid ****

Well observed, well written, and well acted, "The Maid" presents a rather claustrophobic look at the life of an almost family member in a well-off family in Chile. Having done much to raise the four children, Raquel is experiencing conflicts in the household, and literal headaches, and must confront a new maid brought in to help her and smooth relations. She dispatches one new maid after the other until a spirited girl from the country helps her look outside the garden walls. It's a gem, and sure to bring recognition to all involved, especially Catalina Saavedra as the maid, and to writer/director Sebastian Silva.

Not rated. 95 minutes. Sebastian Silva - Director / Writer (story) (writer), Pedro Peirano - Writer (writer), Gregorio Gonzalez - Producer, Sergio Armstrong - Cinematographer, Danielle Fillios - Editor. Produced by Forestero. Distributed in the U.S. by Elephant Eye Films. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Principal actors: Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celedon, Alejandro Goic, Andrea Garcia-Guidobro, Mariana Loyola, Augustin Silva.

The Men Who Stare at Goats **

With a great cast in search of better material, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" provides a sometimes intriguing, sometimes humorous look back at the Army's First Earth Battalion, a unit formed to harness paranormal powers to defeat the enemy. Looking back from present-day Iraq, a correspondent (Ewan McGregor) stumbles upon the star performer of the First Earth, Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who relates the story and colorful characters, leading to a surprising desert reunion. The movie is uneven, but has engaging moments. It's a free-wheeling lark, but I wanted to know more about what was "truer than you might imagine" and what was poetic license.

Rated R. 94 minutes. Grant Heslov - Director / Producer, Peter Straughan - Writer (screenplay), Jon ronson - Writer (book), George Clooney - Producer, Paul Lister - Producer, Robert Elswit -Cinematographer, Rolfe Kent - Composer, Sharon Weymour - Production Designer, Tatiana S. Riegel - Editor. Produced by Smoke House. Distributed by Overture Films.

Principal actors: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey.

Coco Before Chanel ***

How did orphan dance hall singer Coco become Chanel? Through talent, independence, and the connections of her upper-class lover, who introduced her to women who liked her hats. Well acted and sumptuously costumed, this interesting period piece is as much about the society and mores of the twenties in France as it is about Chanel. I found it involving and entertaining.

Rated PG-13. 105 minutes. Anne Fontaine - Director / Writer (writer), Edmonde Charles-Roux - Writer (book), Camile Fontaine - Writer (writer), Caroline Benjo - Producer, Philippe Carcassonne - Producer, Carole Scotta - Producer, Christophe Beaucarne - Cinematographer, Alexandre Desplat - Composer. Produced by Haur et Cour. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. In French with English subtitles.

Principal actors: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, and Emmanuelle Devos.

Where the Wild Things Are ****

A movie as much for adults who remember being a kid, or who are raising kids, as it is for kids, this screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak's slim book creates a rough, scary natural world inhabited by fearsome creatures who also have the same issues of acceptance, hierarcy, and trouble controlling their destructive impulses that Max, the boy hero, has. Some say very young children will be frightened, but the youngsters at the showing I attended seemed to handle it just fine. It was the adults who seemed a bit emotional. Spike Jonze has done a fantastic job creating this world, which was done with Sendak's cooperation. Don't be afraid, see it.

Rated PG. 101 minutes. Spike Jonze - Director / Writer (screenplay), Dave Eggers - Writer (screenplay), Maurice Sendak - Writer (book) / Producer, John B. Carls - Producer, Gary Goetzman - Producer, Tom Hanks - Producer, Vincent landay - Producer, Lance Acord - Cinematographer, Carter Burwell - Composer, Karen O.- Composer, K.K. Barrett - Production Designer, James Haygood -Editor, Eric Zumbrunnen - Editor. Produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors and voices: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker.

The September Issue ***

"September Issue" chronicles preparations leading up to the September 2007 issue of U.S. "Vogue," reportedly one of the largest issues of a magazine ever published. Looking back over the calamity of the past two years, it does have some interest as a cultural artifact. Would the business of high fashion ever seem so alluring again?

The camera is just sort of there, hanging around with no apparent opinion about the goings on as it follows editor in chief Anna Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington over eight months of planning, writing, and photographing. Both former models themselves (for the U.K. "Vogue"), these powerful women are studies in discipline.

The real-life model for Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada," Wintour is even colder, more distant, and opinionated than Meryl Streep's character. And it's the opinions of Wintour that have made "Vogue" such a success. Coddington, it's clear, is the creative engine in this team, ultimately producing most of the spreads in the issue, but she does it without fireworks, and with the calculations that come from a long association with her boss.

The mechanics of the shoots, the edits, the disagreements that go into the magazine are laid out clearly, but don't expect much at all in the way of drama or personal stories. The camera seems as controlled as these two women, seldom venturing into private lives or delving deeper into a story. It's like a factory tour, with no real heat or emotion.

We detect a hint of disappointment when we see Wintour's daughter plunging into a legal career, not at all interested in following her mother down the runway. And there's a touch of rue when Wintour talks about her high-powered siblings' attitude toward her chosen profession. But mostly the documentary sticks to what it takes to make the sausage. It has its fascination, but if you want life and emotion, see "Coco Before Chanel" or rent "The Devil Wears Prada."

Rated PG-13. 90 minutes. R.J. Cutler - Director / Producer, Eliza Hindmarch - Producer, Sadia Shepard - Producer, Robert Richman - Cinematographer, Craig Richey - Composer, Azin Samari - Editor.

Principal subjects: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Andre Leon Talley, Patrick Demarchelier, and Oscar De La Renta.

The Invention of Lying ***

Like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind, in a world where everyone tells the truth all the time, a prevaricator can be, if not king, at least a prince. That is what happens to Mark Bellison, who in a moment of extreme duress, finds the ability to lie, a talent that takes him far in a world that is truth-telling to a fault. It's a world where lying is so unknown, there's no word for it, and anything he says is believed.

It's a brilliant premise, and star/writer/director/producer Ricky Gervais ("Ghost Town" and co-creator of the original "Office" in Britain) runs with it, and creates many truly funny moments. He explores what it means to court a beautiful woman (a credulous Jennifer Garner) with this awesome power. And he takes a broad swipe at the unthinking acceptance of the most preposterous claims that characterize religion in our poor believing world.

But the whole thing is a bit underdone development-wise, and has a bit of a slapdash look about it. "The Invention of Lying" is an interesting exercise, and has a subversive message I can only applaud, but falls short of brilliant film making. Nevertheless, it does have the distinction of having an idea behind it (and when did you last hear that?), and may spark a spirited discussion.

Rated PG-13. 100 minutes. Ricky Gervais - Director / Writer / Producer, Matthew Robinson - Director / Writer, Dan Lin - Producer, Lynda Obst - Producer, Oly Obst - Producer, Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, Tim Atack - Composer, Alec Hammond - Production Designer, Chris Gill - Editor. Produced by Lin Pictures. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor, Fionnula Flanagan, Rob Lowe, and Tina Fey (plus several uncredited appearances by well-known actors and comedians).

Capitalism: A Love Story ***

Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story," takes a look at a recurrent theme in his work: the devastating effects that U.S. corporations have on the lives of everyday Americans. At times unfocused and at times a bit too reminiscent of his earlier work, there is nevertheless much important material here, and an often searing indictment of how wrong things have gone as more and more wealth has concentrated in the top 1% of Americans, who now control more than the bottom 95% combined.

In such a world it is the titans of industry, and especially Wall Street, who push the levers of power, who go enriched and unpunished as they grind ordinary people into debt and homelessness with their unregulated schemes. And when they miscalculate and suffer huge losses, who gets the bailout, them or the ordinary people who were led into their traps? I think you know.

"Capitalism" is a strong indictment of the "plutonomy" that serves the very rich, and tries to keep the rest of us in line with the hope of one day joining their ranks. In the end, though, what would it be worth to sit on top of such a fetid pile?

Rated R. 127 minutes. Michael Moore - Director / Writer / Producer, Anne Moore - Producer, Daniel Marracino - Cinematographer, Jayme Roy - Cinematographer, Jeff Gibbs - Composer, Jessica Brunetto - Editor, Alex Meillier - Editor, Tanya Ager Meillier - Editor, Conor O'Neill - Editor, Pablo Proenza - Editor, Todd Woody Richman - Editor, John W. Walter - Editor.

Cast: Many politicians, businessmen, and workers, many well-known, some seen for the first time.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ***

For adults, it's funny with a chance of guffaws. For kids, it's a Technicolor food land with a good chance of 3D delights. For all, it's a fine animated feature based on the well-known children's book, with a story that says it's OK to be a nerd, and that Dads can love, even if they might be less articulate than a monkey.

The story, such as it is, revolves around a long-time nerd and irrepressible inventor, Flint Lockwood (voiced by SNL's Bill Hader), whose latest, and this time successful, invention is a machine that makes food on demand out of water. When it gets stuck in the clouds over his Atlantic island home, everyone sees deliverance from the economic ruin that has befallen them since sardines lost their popularity. A secretly nerdy weather girl from the states, Sam, ("The House Bunny's" Anna Faris) is sent to investigate, and the soup, er, plot, thickens.

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is thoroughly enjoyable, visually expressive, and blessed with a cast of voices that hold it all together. This movie respects its audience, no matter of what age, and speaks honestly to a number of relationship issues.

Rated PG. 90 minutes. Phil Lord - Director / Writer (screenplay), Chris Miller - Director / Writer (screenplay), Judi Barrett - Writer (book), Ron Barrett - Writer (book), Pam Marsden - Producer, Mark Mothersbaugh - Composer, Justin Thompson - Production Designer. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal voices: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, and Tracy Morgan.

The Informant! ****

A dark comedy about corporate and personal greed and the unstable highest-ranking whistle-blower in U.S. corporate history, "The Informant!" presents the true story of Mark Whitacre, vice president of Archer Daniels Midlands corporation (Matt Damon), and FBI Special Agent Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula), who handled him for three years. The video and audio tapes that Whitacre provided was the basis for a raid on ADM, but the story is not so simple as it might appear at first. Just what Whitacre was doing, and for how long, slowly comes to light, as his own delusions and deceptions run his life off the rails.

Director/Cinematographer Steven Soderberg tells this 90's story in a 50's style, with saturated colors and earnest delivery. It's a story told from an ironical distance, and if we start to take anything at face value, the almost mocking, cliche-ridden score by Marvin Hamlisch reminds us that appearances are not to be trusted. It's a well-told tale, expertly edited by Stephen Mirrione.

Matt Damon, who gained considerable weight to resemble the doughy Whitacre, gives an arresting and hilarious portrayal of the conscience-free Whitacre, constantly adapting his story and aggrandizing himself. Melanie Lynskey, in a memorable turn as Whitacre's wife Ginger, keeps us guessing. Is she his conscience? His accomplice? His dupe? But the cleanest, most emotional yet contained performance comes from Scott Bakula.

I liked "The Informant!" for its wit, its style, its humor, its performances, and the sure hand of director Soderberg. See it.

Rated R (for language). 108 minutes. Steven Soderbergh - Director, Scott Z. Burns - Writer (screenplay), Kurt Eichenwald - Writer (book) / Producer, Howard Braunstein - Producer, Jennifer Fox - Producer, Gregory Jacobs - Producer, Michael Jaffe - Producer, Peter Andrews (Soderberg's alias) - Cinematographer, Marvin Hamlisch - Composer, Doug J. Meerdink - Production Designer, Stephen Mirrione - Editor. Produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Principal actors: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Melanie Lynskey, and Joel McHale.

Extract ***

A sort of factory-set bookend to his cubicle-land "Office Space," "Extract" is Mike Judge's latest workplace comedy. While not, I think, destined to be a cult classic like its predecessor, it is nevertheless a well-observed, funny, and engaging look at management vs. labor America.

The owner of the flavorings factory, Joel (a solid, sane Jason Bateman), is faced with a lifeless marriage (played by the always interesting Kristin Wiig), a mutinous work force, and a confidante bartender/friend (Ben Affleck), who has a drug for every crisis. Judge captures both the aridity of contemporary gated-community life and the uninformed myopia of the working class, as well as the larceny that can hide in the hearts of drop-dead gorgeous young women (the, as they say, smoking Mila Kunis).

I especially enjoyed Affleck's turn as Dean the pill-popper, Bateman's long-suffering mister manager everyman, and J.K. Simmons as the plant manager who can't remember the names of his workers. It's a diverting movie that captures a slice of contemporary life not often seen, and for that it's worth your time.

Rated R. 92 minutes. Mike Judge - Director / Writer, John Altschuler - Producer, Michael Rotenberg - Producer, Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, George S. Clinton - Composer, Maher Ahmad - Production Designer, Julia Wong - Editor. Produced by 3 Arts Entertainment. Distributed by Miramax.

Principal actors: Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, J.K. Simmons, David Koechner, Clifton Collins Jr., and T.J. Miller.

All About Steve (no stars)

"All About Steve" is derivative drivel, not funny, and occasionally insults your intelligence. The story involves quirky motormouth repository-of-endless-knowledge crossword constructor Mary Magdalene Horowitz (Sandra Bullock) who chases cute CCN cameraman Steve (Bradley Cooper) from disaster to disaster after a blind date, convinced they are perfect for each other.

Mary is, I suppose, supposed to be quirky but lovable, but is finally just irritating. Steve is a cardboard character who, I suppose, is supposed to be an island of sanity, but is finally just an uninvolved lump of masculinity telling Mary to go away. And the really big question, I suppose, is what do you suppose Bullock was thinking when she produced this picture? That she could make us like this weird character that no one likes? In the end, she doesn't pull it off, and the audience feels the same as everyone else: she talks too much and needs to grow up.

Preening newscasters are an easy target of this film, as are the superficial fixations of the media and the public's penchant for choosing sides in what should be private decisions. All well and good, and all deserved, but the easy laughs and gross, and I do mean gross, exaggerations just fall flat. There are a few varied locations for this semi-road picture, but somehow Arizona, Texas, and Colorado all look like the foothills of California, and are somehow close enough to each other that a van can drive between them in time to catch breaking news.

Bullock and Cooper, and Thomas Hayden Church as the newscaster, are pleasant enough to watch, but there's nothing they can do to save this turkey. Don't waste your money at the theater, don't rent it, and give it a pass when it hits free TV.

Rated PG-13. 98 minutes. Phil Traill - Director, Kim Barker - Writer, Sandra Bullock - Producer, Mary McLaglen - Producer, Tim Suhrstedt - Cinematographer, Christophe Beck - Composer, Maher Ahmad - Production Designer, Rod Dean - Editor, Virginia Katz - Editor. Produced by Fortis Films. Distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

Principal actors: Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Bradley Cooper, Ken Jeong, DJ Qualls, Katy Mixon, and Howard Hesseman.

Humpday ***

"Humpday" explores male bonding, competition, the subject of art, and the limits of friendship and marriage in an intimate, hilariously funny story of what happens when two former college roommates decide to make a porn movie for a contest - starring themselves. What starts out as a joke morphs into a macho contest of wills and then into something deeper and more personal.

Ben (Mark Duplass) has settled into a marriage, a house, a job, with plans for a family, when Andrew (Joshua Leonard) the free-spirited and world-travelling artist he hasn't seen in years comes banging on his door at two in the morning. Andrew quickly draws Ben into a world of freedom and experimentation that makes Ben question the path he's taken, and makes Andrew re-examine his own accomplishments.

Written and directed by Lynn Shelton, who also has a role in the movie, "Humpday" comes out of the mumblecore movement, independent films characterized by nonprofessionals examining mundane postcollege and young adult life with an emphasis on character and dialog (often improvised), and who frequently appear in each other's works. The raw, cinema verite style of mumblecore movies, commonly shot with available light on location in real houses and apartments, is the antithesis of Hollywood slickness. Yet these micro budget films often have more truth, insight, humor and verisimilitude than twenty Tinseltown romcoms.

Shelton's style favors close shots and the unpolished dialog of real life. This effort has a very nice flow, crisply provided by editor Nat Sanders. The principal actors, including Alycia Delmore as Ben's wife Anna, also get writing credits for developing the dialog, and all give solid, totally believable performances. "Humpday" is a fine effort that won't disappoint.

Rated R. 94 minutes. Lynn Shelton - Director / Writer (writer) / Producer, Benjamin Kasulke - Cinematographer, Vince Smith - Composer, Jasminka Vukcevic - Production Designer, Nat Sanders - Editor. Distributed by Magnolia Pictures.

Principal actors: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, and Trina Willard.