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November 20, 2009

'Blood Equity'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: The heavy toll of playing pro football.

'The Blind Side'

By Betsy Sharkey film critic >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: Sandra Bullock and newcomer Quinton Aaron have a warm and winning chemistry in director John Lee Hancock's fact-based story of a football-loving white family's adoption of a homeless black teen.

'The Messenger'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to balance duties with private lives.

Review: 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Drawn to another man-in-crisis story, director Werner Herzog delivers a darkly delicious tale in which Nicolas Cage is positively reptilian.

'La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: 'La Danse' is balletic in its portrayal of the art.

'Planet 51'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel and Justin Long can't rescue this animated tale.

'The Blind Side' info

'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' info

'The Messenger' info

November 19, 2009

Movie review: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'

By Kenneth Turan FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The novel demands that Bella and Edward be kept apart, robbing the movie of the crazy love that made 'Twilight' such a guilty pleasure. And about the director ....

The newcomer stars opposite Sandra Bullock in 'Blind Side'

By Michael Ordoña

THE PERFORMANCE: Quinton Aaron: The young man auditioned, but thought he would be lucky to land a security job on set. Instead, he scored a lead role.

Critic's Pick: 'Precious'

November 13, 2009

'Collapse,' 'Dare' and 'London River'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also: 'Love Hurts,' 'Oh My God,' 'Storm' and 'Ten9Eight'

'Pirate Radio'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: The plot might lose the rhythm sometimes, but the soundtrack and cast keep the '60s-set rock fable afloat.

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

By Kenneth Turan FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The exhilarating stop-motion animation film, with George Clooney and Meryl Streep, shows director Wes Anderson at his best.

'2012': Audiences might be better off looking, not listening

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Even good actors can't punch up the dialogue and make plot contrivances believable, but oh, those special effects.

'The Little Traitor'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: A chance encounter in 1947 Palestine changes lives forever.

Review: 'Women in Trouble'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW: Sebastian Gutierrez's movie is a soap opera-ish vehicle for hilarity and depth. A sequel is already in the works.

'The Little Traitor' info

MOVIE REVIEW

'Pirate Radio' info

November 12, 2009

'Men Who Stare at Goats'

CRITICS' PICKS

November 9, 2009

The Cold War's greatest hits

By BETSY SHARKEY

ON FILM: The fears of that era left their imprint on a treasure trove of films. Here are a few favorites.

November 7, 2009

'Turning Green'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW: An unhappy teen seeking a way out of Ireland turns to illegally importing and selling porn magazines.

November 6, 2009

'Died Young, Stayed Pretty,' about rock poster artists, loses focus

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also reviewed: 'Looking for Palladin'; 'The Wedding Song'; 'Victory Day'; 'Yes Men Save the World.'

'Precious' cuts deep

By Betsy Sharkey film critic >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The heartbreaking, hopeful tale of an abused, pregnant teen should not be missed.

Robert Zemeckis' 'Christmas Carol': Bah humbug. Too many special effects

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Jim Carrey plays multiple parts in the motion-capture animated re-imagining of the Dickens' classic.

'The Box'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Too bad Norma and Arthur didn't leave it on the porch. Richard Kelly's latest is no 'Donnie Darko.' The morality tale is fractured, foolish and slow as molasses.

'The Men Who Stare at Goats'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: This kinda true story of an experimental Army unit is a showcase for George Clooney & Co.

'Araya'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The 1959 film's style is dated, but it is visually glorious and tells a fascinating story.

'The Fourth Kind'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: They try to get 'real' about strange occurrences. Instead they get ludicrous.

'Precious' info

'The Box' info

MOVIE REVIEW

'A Christmas Carol'

MOVIE INFO

November 5, 2009

'1939 Redux': Series digs beyond the classics of 'Hollywood's Greatest Year'

By KENNETH TURAN

UCLA Film & Television Archive's tribute skips 'Gone With the Wind' and 'The Wizard of Oz' and still comes up with a list of gems.

'The September Issue'

CRITIC'S PICK

'A Town Called Panic'

CRITIC'S PICK

November 4, 2009

Movie review: 'The Men Who Stare at Goats'

By BY ANDY KLEIN

REVIEW: A super-secret unit with paranormal abilities? Sounds outlandish, yet this movie, with its fun performances by a big-name cast, is based on nonfiction.

November 1, 2009

New films are on the serious side

By BETSY SHARKEY

ON FILM: This season's movies, including 'Precious,' 'The Road,' '2012,' 'Avatar' and 'Up in the Air,' may seem hard to digest in troubled times, but their cast, directors and stories make them worthwhile.

October 28, 2009

'Michael Jackson's This Is It'

By Ann Powers POP MUSIC CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The concert film beautifully shows what might have been.

'The House of the Devil'

By BY ANDY KLEIN

MOVIE REVIEW

October 24, 2009

'Saw VI' takes a stab at healthcare reform

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: By pandering to populist anger, the latest in the franchise sinks lower than ever.

October 23, 2009

'As Seen Through These Eyes'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also: 'The Canyon,' 'Hannah Free,' 'Motherhood,' 'Stan Helsing'

Review: 'Amelia'

By Betsy Sharkey FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The aviatrix loses her personality in this superficial film.

'Antichrist'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: This journey into the 'dark world' of Lars von Trier's imagination reveals a tangled mess of sex, evil and death.

'The Maid'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The topic is banal, but the film serves in so many ways. From a young Chilean filmmaker, it leaves you off balance, in the best possible way.

'Ong Bak 2: The Beginning'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Tony Jaa's graceful moves are the big attraction. The story, which begins in 1431, not so much.

'Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW

'(Untitled)'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: A clever skewering of the New York art and music scenes is bolstered by a strong cast, led by Marley Shelton and Adam Goldberg.

'Astroboy'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW

'Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant'

FILM REVIEW

MOVIE REVIEW

October 22, 2009

'Network' / 'The Hospital'

October 17, 2009

'The Stepfather'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW: In this remake, Dylan Walsh takes over the title role from Terry O'Quinn and makes an equally chilling family man.

October 16, 2009

'Adventures of Power' gets an enthusiastic drums up

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also reviewed: 'Black Dynamite,' 'Bronson,' 'Creating Karma, 'Eating Out' and more.

Review: 'New York, I Love You'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: In 'New York, I Love You,' short stories seem to end just as they're beginning. For transcendence, look closely.

'Where the Wild Things Are'

By Kenneth Turan FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book expands on the boorish Max -- to its detriment.

'Trucker'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW

'Law Abiding Citizen'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: Justice is just a word -- an oft-repeated one -- in this revenge retread.

'Opa!' is as flat as its Greek island setting is beautiful

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Matthew Modine stars in a lackluster archaeological dig/romantic comedy.

Review: 'Visual Acoustics'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: A documentary looks at life's floor plan for architectural photographer Julius Shulman, but, following his lead, it's mostly about the houses.

'Trucker'

'Opa!'

MOVIE INFO

October 15, 2009

Lone Scherfig's 'An Education' has much going for it

CRITICS' PICKS

"The Damned United"

CRITIC'S PICK

October 11, 2009

'Footsteps and Fog: British Film Noir'

By KENNETH TURAN

CLASSIC CINEMA: A new UCLA film series explores the dark side of England, class issues, tough lorry drivers and all.

October 3, 2009

'Paranormal Activity': Somewhere Hitchcock is smiling

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Writer-director Oren Peli delivers a simple but gut-churning ghost story that'll make you keep your lights on.

'Paranormal Activity'

October 2, 2009

'A Beautiful Life' it isn't

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: The cheesy melodrama reads like the play -- now transplanted to L.A. -- it was adapted from.

'A Serious Man'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Joel and Ethan Coen make their most personal, most intensely Jewish film, which turns out to be one of their most universal as well.

'More Than a Game'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Destined to be known as 'the LeBron James movie,' this knockout sports documentary is a whole lot more.

'Whip It'

By Betsy Sharkey FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: The Drew Barrymore-directed, Ellen Page-starring story of a high school student who finds her groove in the roller derby world is a fun romp and an athletic drama with a heart.

'The Invention of Lying'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: The truth is that Ricky Gervais' new comedy is too thin in character and plot to carry a feature-length film, not that it doesn't have its moments. There just aren't enough of them.

'Zombieland'

By Michael Ordoña

REVIEW: Woody Harrelson is the undead's worst nightmare in first-time director Ruben Fleischer's fresh and funny take on the horror genre.

'The Providence Effect'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The documentary about a Chicago school in a troubled neighborhood shows how one leader can change students' lives.

'The Invention of Lying' info

'Whip It' info

October 1, 2009

'The Korean Wedding Chest': Ulrike Ottinger in top artistic form

September 26, 2009

'Pandorum'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: The tedious, disorienting sci-fi/horror film follows two spacemen as they try to figure out what has happened aboard their ship while they've been asleep for a long time.

September 25, 2009

'The Blue Tooth Virgin'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also: 'Evangelion 1.0,' 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,' 'Mary and Max' and 'The Vanished Empire'

'Fame'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: The heart and soul that made the 1980 original so compelling has been shredded in this version.

'The Boys Are Back'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Clive Owen stars as the reckless dad who learns to parent after his wife dies suddenly. The film has moments of fun, terror and real emotion.

'Coco Before Chanel'

MOVIE REVIEW: Director Anne Fontaine illuminates the fashion icon by focusing on her formative years.

'We Live in Public'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: The documentary follows Web visionary Joshua Harris and gets as lost as he does.

'Surrogates'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: The idea -- an action movie set in a world where humans leave living to Sims-like robots -- is promising, but sense gets shoved aside in the pointless rush-rush.

'Disgrace'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: Director Steve Jacobs' adaptation of J.M. Coetzee's Booker Prize-winning novel adheres too slavishly to the text to really come to life on screen, yet its adult-drama themes do resonate.

'The Boys Are Back' info

'We Live in Public' info

September 24, 2009

Betsy Sharkey's pick: 'Bright Star'

Kenneth Turan: 'La Boheme'

CRITICS' PICKS

September 23, 2009

'Capitalism: A Love Story'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Michael Moore tackles a big subject with a scattershot approach. But some of the individual parts prove classic.

'The Third Wave'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: Alison Thompson and Oscar Gubernati went to Sri Lanka to help people after a devastating tsunami. Their film about the experience fails to let us fully get to know the villagers or the volunteers.

'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW

September 18, 2009

'American Casino' looks at economic implosion

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also reviewed: 'Jennifer's Body,' 'Laila's Birthday,' 'Paris' and 'You, the Living.'

With 'Bright Star,' director Jane Campion makes us feel unfulfilled longing

By Kenneth Turan FILM CRITIC >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: Poet John Keats fell in love with the girl next door, but it all ended too soon, and badly.

'Crude'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: In exploring a class action suit by 30,000 citizens of Ecuador against Chevron, the documentary provides a fascinating case study of real-world political action.

'The Informant!'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Steven Soderbergh makes another exasperating film largely for himself.

'Love Happens'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: A hopelessly clichéd love story starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart plays it too safe every calculated step of the way.

'The Burning Plain' a skillful mesh of stories

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: Guillermo Arriaga's directorial debut brings together damaged yet disparate characters into a startlingly unified whole.

'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: When food falls from the sky, fun ensues.

September 17, 2009

'The Wizard of Oz'

September 12, 2009

'Sorority Row'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW: Don't rush to see this jumble of gore and gags.

Review: 'Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: Perry's latest mixed message of vengeance and piety glides more easily from broad laughs to teary anguish, helped in no small measure by stirring R & B and gospel performances.

September 11, 2009

Reasonable doubts about 'Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also: 'Ink,' 'Loren Cass,' 'White on Rice'

'Big Fan'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Patton Oswalt is ideally cast in the character study about a die-hard football fan.

'Art & Copy'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: In the documentary, admen and women discuss how such classic ad campaigns as 'Got Milk?' and Nike's 'Just Do It' came to be.

'No Impact Man'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Relatable 'No Impact Man' shows the effects on a family of adhering to a strict eco-friendly lifestyle.

'September Issue'

By Sheri Linden

MOVIE REVIEW: Documentary goes behind the scenes at Anna Wintour's empire at one of the world's top fashion mags.

'The Other Man'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: The cast is good -- Liam Neeson and Laura Linney -- and there's passable tension in the twists and turns of infidelity, but it all makes better sense in retrospect.

'Whiteout'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: Kate Beckinsale dons a parka to solve murders in Antarctica.

'The Other Man'

MOVIE REVIEW

September 10, 2009

'My One and Only'

CRITIC'S PICK

September 9, 2009

'Walt & El Grupo'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The affectionate documentary chronicles a youthful and searching Walt Disney.

'Why Us? Left Behind and Dying'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: The documentary follows 20 inner-city teens from Pittsburgh as they explore the history and large numbers of HIV/AIDS cases in their community and culture.

September 7, 2009

'At the Movies'

By ROBERT LLOYD

TELEVISION REVIEW: New hosts A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips bring a balance of fun and smarts, just as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert provided.

'Gamer'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: A prisoner's avatar competes in a series of brutally violent video games to gain his freedom.

September 4, 2009

'Extract'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Mike Judge's latest is a part-timer that never quite goes full.

'Amreeka'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Nisreen Faour leads an excellent ensemble in this pointed immigration drama that deftly avoids stridency and sentimentality.

After a death in the family, small moments that define our lives

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Still Walking' deals with a brief moment in the lives of grieving family members.

'All About Steve'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: Sandra Bullock plays a romantically obsessed crossword puzzle creator, and her decision to produce and star in this unfunny comedy is puzzling indeed.

'Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-Itchy Footed Mutha'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW

Review: 'The Headless Woman'

By Kevin Thomas

MOVIE REVIEW: A seemingly everyday person can be plenty scary, as Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel suggests.

'Extract'

September 3, 2009

Thomas Haden Church, 'All About Steve'

By Michael Ordoña

THE PERFORMANCE: He had reservations, but costar and producer Sandra Bullock wanted him in the movie.

'Los Angeles Plays Itself' screens at the Aero

CRITIC'S PICK: Thom Andersen's exceptional documentary details the City of Angels' long role in motion pictures. The director himself will be on hand Sunday.

August 31, 2009

'Halloween II'

By Robert Abele

MOVIE REVIEW: Writer-director Rob Zombie piles on the sadism to little effect.

Review: 'The Final Destination'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: Once again, attractive young people try to cheat death. Silly them. The filmmakers waste little plot or character development on dispatching them with 3-D gore.

Even Jeff Bridges can't make 'The Open Road' worth the trip

By Michael Ordoña

MOVIE REVIEW: He's the highlight of this passable but slow-moving and clichéd film about a struggling ballplayer and his estranged parents. Justin Timberlake and Mary Steenburgen also star.

'The Open Road'

MOVIE REVIEW

August 30, 2009

Betsy Sharkey's best films of 2009 so far

By BETSY SHARKEY

As summer ebbs, a critic takes stock of the year's movies -- and finds standouts in surprising genres.

August 28, 2009

'The Baader Meinhof Complex'

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The film takes an exploitation approach to a socially conscious subject.

'Cloud 9'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also: 'Orgies & the Meaning of Life,' 'Play the Game,' 'This Beautiful City'

'Five Minutes in Heaven'

By Gary Goldstein

MOVIE REVIEW: A real murder in Northern Ireland and a fictionalized aftermath are well-performed.

'World's Greatest Dad'

By Glenn Whipp

MOVIE REVIEW: Robin Williams stars as a dad with a repellent son in a moving but cringe-worthy film written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.

'Cloud 9'

MOVIE REVIEW

August 27, 2009

Critic's Pick: 'Inglourious Basterds'

Critic's Choice: 'The Bear' live

August 26, 2009

Review: 'Taking Woodstock'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Ang Lee is fascinated by every detail of the 1969 rock festival -- a mixed blessing. His meticulous movie meanders.

August 21, 2009

'Casi Divas'

CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEWS: Also reviewed: 'House of Numbers,' 'Sikandar,' 'Post Grad' and 'X Games 3D: The Movie'

'Inglourious Basterds'

By Kenneth Turan film critic >>>

MOVIE REVIEW: Quentin Tarantino's World War II movie has blood, but its heart doesn't beat.

'My One and Only'

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Renee Zellweger

'Earth Days' looks a the fathers and mothers of environmentalism

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: The thoughtful documentary features a mix of archival footage with interviews with people who spearheaded the ecology movement.

'Shorts' comes up short on creativity

By BETSY SHARKEY

MOVIE REVIEW: Robert Rodriguez seems uninspired with his latest kid flick, which stars adults William H. Macy, James Spader and Jon Cryer.

In 'Gotta Dance,' seniors bust a move

By KENNETH TURAN

MOVIE REVIEW: Endearing documentary follows a group of senior citizens as they learn hip-hop dance moves.

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Reader Reviews

-	The New Twenty
-	Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
-	Shoot on Sight
-	Forever Strong
-	Hounddog
-	Garden Party

Times Reviews

-	'Blood Equity'
-	'The Blind Side'
-	'The Messenger'
-	Review: 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'
-	'La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet'
-	'Planet 51'
-	'The Blind Side' info
-	'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' info
-	'The Messenger' info
-	Movie review: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'
-	The newcomer stars opposite Sandra Bullock in 'Blind Side'
-	Critic's Pick: 'Precious'

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