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The Quiet American is equal parts romantic thriller and moving meditation on the human toll of geopolitical idealism; in Almodóvar's latest, it's the men who fall for the strong, silent types.

This time around, Harry Potter has more to worry about than the Dark Arts -- though parts of The Chamber of Secrets are spellbinding, he seems to be suffering from a bit of sequelitis.

In Far From Heaven, Todd Haynes dissects the frozen moral climate of postwar Middle America; in 8 Mile, Eminem's performance is impressive and, believe it or not, sensitive.

In The Truth About Charlie, Jonathan Demme inexplicably tries to improve on the Audrey Hepburn classic Charade; the result is another charmless Hollywood thriller.

In Roger Dodger, Campbell Scott plays a caddish bachelor who sets out to educate his nephew in the ways of the opposite sex but ends up getting schooled himself.

Bob Crane was many things -- small-screen star, sex junkie, autoerotic auteur, murder victim -- but in Auto Focus, he serves mainly to advance director Paul Schrader's moral lesson.

Punch-Drunk Love brings a new, slightly more sinister Adam Sandler to screen, but the result, while unique, is two-dimensional and ultimately disappointing.

The anime blockbuster Spirited Away brings a young girl's through-the-looking-glass adventures masterfully to life. Bloody Sunday revisits Northern Ireland's grim "troubles."

Moonlight Mile may be a sentimental, feel-good look at a family in mourning, but Jake Gyllenhaal rises above the clichéd script with a brilliantly creative performance.

In The Banger Sisters, two former rock groupies meet again in middle age, and life-affirming epiphanies ensue. S&M romance Secretary moves so slow it hurts.