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Capsules Movie ReviewsBy Catholic News Service **"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (Disney)Cockeyed pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) batten down the hatches for another round of high-sea hijinks -- involving a villainous British bureaucrat (Tom Hollander), sea monsters, comical cannibals, a ghost ship and a quest to find the locker of fabled Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) -- in this highly entertaining, if slightly darker, sequel to the 2003 sleeper hit based on the Disney theme-park ride. Director Gore Verbinski delivers more of the same rip-roaring fun as in the original, the film's skeletal plot kept afloat by the deftly executed swashbuckling slapstick, imaginative visuals and Depp's show-stealing performance. Recurring action-adventure violence and peril, including a nongraphic throat cutting and off-screen executions, a fleeting gruesome image, some intense sequences and frightening supernatural effects, voodoo hokum, lightly suggestive humor and innuendo, and a mildly rude expression. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"A Scanner Darkly" (Warner Independent)Bleak, cautionary tale of futuristic investigator (Keanu Reeves) who goes undercover to investigate drug users (Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane), only to discover that he's also spying on himself. Performances are a plus in writer-director Richard Linklater's faithful version of Philip K. Dick's hallucinatory 1977 science-fiction novel, but the results are surprisingly talky and dull. The milieu is almost unremittingly sordid and unpleasant -- some humorous dialogue notwithstanding -- and the use of animated rotoscoping over the live action only adds to the already confusing narrative. Pervasive substance abuse, much profanity, rough and crude language, partial nudity, premarital sexual encounters, disturbing imagery, and a suicide attempt. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Devil Wears Prada" (Fox)Entertaining comedy-drama about an aspiring writer (Anne Hathaway) who takes a job as junior assistant to an imperious editor (a delicious Meryl Streep) at a high-powered fashion magazine, while her friends, including her boyfriend (Adrian Grenier), chide her for losing sight of her real values as she gets caught up in the competitive environment. Director David Frankel's handsomely photographed adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 best-seller is a fast-moving morality tale with a simple but commendable message about staying true to your ideals and not selling out, with good performances all around, including those of Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Admirably light on objectionable content. A couple of implied premarital situations (but no sex scenes), some crass expressions, brief profanity and innuendo, and a couple of uses of the s-word, making this inappropriate for younger adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Strangers With Candy" (THINKFilm)Vulgar farce based on the Comedy Central television series about a 47-year-old misfit (Amy Sedaris) recently released from prison who tries to reform her life by going back to high school, where she competes in a science fair with some nerdy students against a team of popular kids. With wit at a premium amid the coarseness, the pressing question is how director Paul Dinello's puerile school satire attracted a cast that includes Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Janney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ian Holm. Pervasive crude and sexual humor and sight gags, including inappropriate sexual situations involving an adult and teens, brief partial female nudity, an obscene drawing, drug content involving minors, a running homosexual gag, recurring crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Superman Returns" (Warner Bros.)The world's greatest superhero flies triumphantly back onto movie screens in "Superman Returns" (Warner Bros.) which has the Man of Steel (Brandon Routh) returning to earth after a five-year absence to find that while some things haven't changed -- arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is still plotting mass destruction -- Metropolis has moved on without him; this includes reporter Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) who is now engaged and raising a young son. More than a special-effects extravaganza, director Bryan Singer's visually elegant film heavily lays on Christian symbolism, while balancing comic-book spectacle with emotional drama and tender romance. Some stylized action violence, including intense scenes of peril, a vicious beating, an implied past premarital encounter, and a few mildly crude expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Waist Deep" (Rogue)Gritty but empty urban drama about an ex-con (Tyrese Gibson) pulled back into the world of street violence when his young son is taken during a carjacking and, unable to turn to the law, he must race against time to track down the vicious thugs responsible with the help of his cousin (Larenz Tate) and a street-savvy prostitute (Meagan Good), robbing banks with the latter to get money to secure the boy's safe return. Buried somewhere in director Vondie Curtis-Hall's film is a story about a father and son, but be warned anything positive it has to say is drowned out by bullets and brutality. Strong violence, including shootings and a grisly dismemberment, larceny, an implied sexual encounter and some suggestive images, and pervasive rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Water" (Fox Searchlight)Poignant drama set in 1938 India about the lives of women who, in accordance with Hindu tradition, are required -- following their husbands' deaths -- to live out their days as outcasts in a squalid widows' ashram; they include an 8-year-old child bride (Sarala); a young beauty (Lisa Ray) forced into prostitution by the camp's matriarch (Manorma) who falls for a progressive-minded law student (John Abraham); and a devout older woman (Seema Biswas), torn between conscience and her faith. Visually poetic with soulful performances, director Deepa Mehta's film is simple yet deeply moving, balancing heartbreak and hope as it explores the lives of the widows in whose humanity is reflected the dignity of all women. Implied prostitution, a suicide, brief drug usage, a transvestite character, some sexual references and a few mildly crude expressions. Subtitles. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(7/14/06) **"The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (Universal)In this loud and ludicrous third installment of the adrenaline-charged series, a drag-racing rebel (Lucas Black) is sent to live with his estranged father in Japan, where he befriends a fellow American (rap artist Bow Wow) who introduces him to Tokyo's underground racing scene, running afoul of its mob-connected champ (Brian Tee) when he falls for the gangster's girlfriend (Nathalie Kelley). Director Justin Lin delivers more of the same requisite high-octane race sequences, but, as before, there's little plot under the film's flashy hood, and its glamorization of reckless driving is troubling. Much hazardous and illegal behavior involving teens, some violence, objectification of women, several implied sexual situations including same-sex kissing, suggestive wardrobe and dancing, and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" (20th Century Fox)Trivial, if innocuously entertaining, sequel to the 2004 comedy based on the Jim Davis comic strip, in which the wisecracking, lazy orange housecat (once again computer animated and lethargically voiced by Bill Murray) travels to England, where he inadvertently switches places with a pampered blueblood feline (voiced by Tim Curry) who has just inherited a castle, finding himself in the cross hairs of the estate's kitty-hating, next-in-line human heir (Billy Connolly) while enjoying the royal treatment from the manor's barnyard staff of talking animals (voiced by the likes of Bob Hoskins, Vinnie Jones and Rhys Ifans). Directed by Tim Hill, the follow-up improves on the first, but the bland script once again relies heavily on the kind of screwball sight gags and slapstick that the kiddies may find amusing, but -- even at a mere 75 minutes -- may induce accompanying adults to take a catnap. Some mildly crude humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"The Heart of the Game" (Miramax)Inspiring documentary about the relationship between a dedicated, if unconventional, Seattle high school girls' basketball coach and his players, particularly a talented and tough inner-city prodigy whose off-court circumstances threaten to derail her dreams of attending college. Filmed over a seven-year period, director Ward Serrill's "Hoop Dreams"-esque movie balances human and athletic drama in exploring race and responsibility while imparting a message about teamwork and second chances that even nonfans can appreciate. Some crude expressions and an instance of rough language, as well as mature themes, including teen pregnancy and sexual abuse, limiting its appropriateness to older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The Lake House" (Warner Bros.)Intriguing if slow-moving time-warp romance, as a doctor (Sandra Bullock) commences correspondence with an architect (Keanu Reeves) who lived in the same Illinois lakeside house she herself once occupied, but they come to realize they are existing two years apart from each other. Alejandro Agresti's fantasy is intelligently adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn from a South Korean film, "Il Mare." Though the leads are appealing, and the story of two unhappy people trying to make a connection touching if sometimes perplexing, somehow the movie never really grips. Just a couple of instances of mild profanity and a crude word, and a brief but violent traffic accident, though otherwise refreshingly free of objectionable content. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Loverboy" (THINKFilm)Well-acted if bleak story of a psychotic woman (Kyra Sedgwick) -- emotionally scarred in childhood -- who sets out to get herself pregnant and who later becomes an overly protective mother to her young son (8-year-old Dominic Scott Kay). Actor Kevin Bacon's big-screen directorial debut shows skill, and performances are fine all around (including those of Matt Dillon, Campbell Scott, Sandra Bullock and Bacon himself), but those elements are outweighed by a basically unlikable protagonist (Sedgwick's empathetic portrayal notwithstanding), deliberate pacing and a fairly predictable plot. Promiscuity, some brief sexual encounters, artificial insemination, partial rear and upper female nudity, breastfeeding, some crude language, an act of animal cruelty, suicide, and murder attempt. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Nacho Libre" (Paramount)Infantile and dull comedy about a Mexican friar (Jack Black), working as a cook in a boys' orphanage, who secretly takes up "lucha libre" wrestling against the rules of his order, while hoping to earn the admiration of a pretty young nun (Ana de la Reguera). Director and co-writer Jared Hess's unfunny follow-up to "Napoleon Dynamite" is utterly lacking in charm, wit or taste and, apart from the pervasive crude humor, the inappropriate puppy-love relationship of its protagonists, both in religious orders -- whether or not they've taken "final vows" -- precludes recommendation. Pervasive irreverence, slapstick violence in and out of the ring, including an impaling, innuendo, crude humor including flatulence, vulgar costuming, partial nudity and heedless thievery. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.(6/23/06) **"The Break-Up" (Universal)Tepid but fitfully affable romantic comedy charting the deterioration of the relationship of an art gallery assistant (Jennifer Aniston) and a loutish Chicago tour bus operator (Vince Vaughn) who ultimately learns to be a more considerate person. Director Peyton Reed draws good work from the stars, especially the effortlessly appealing Aniston and a scene-stealing Judy Davis, though the protagonists from the start seem distinctly incompatible. Underneath the not-very-funny funny business, there are some universal truths about relationships, but the setup never quite rings true, and the script should be way sharper. Considerable profanity and crude language and an instance of rough language, some crass sexual banter, partial nudity and a permissive view of premarital relationship. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Cars" (Disney)Delightful computer-animated movie set in a world of anthropomorphic autos about a cocky racecar (voiced by Owen Wilson) which, while en route cross-country to compete in a prestigious championship, is unexpectedly detained in a neglected desert town, where his growing friendship with the town's four-wheeled residents (voiced by Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy, among others) effects a change of heart regarding fame in the fast lane. Co-directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft, the film has a full tank of humor and emotions -- not to mention bar-raising visuals -- while its solid storytelling imparts a charming message about taking the time to appreciate what really matters in life. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.**"Land of the Blind" (Bauer Martinez)Disappointing and sadly misguided political satire about jailed playwright turned terrorist (Donald Sutherland), who upon release from prison assassinates the petty tyrant (Tom Hollander) of the unnamed country, and then imposes a repressive regime of his own, turning on even the idealistic military man (Ralph Fiennes) who helped pull off the coup. Writer-director Robert Edwards attempts to leaven the grim tale with some sardonic humor, and Fiennes delivers his accustomed superlative performance, but the cautionary points about the corrupting of power, with no doubt several contemporary parallels in mind, are fairly standard beneath some cinematic flash, while the nonstop expletives and occasional sexual elements seem gratuitous. Pervasive rough language and crude expressions, some profanity and irreligiosity, sexual situations and partial nudity, violence and brutality, and gratuitous scatological elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Omen" (20th Century Fox)Effective remake of the 1976 supernatural thriller about an American diplomat (Liev Schreiber) and his wife (Julia Stiles) whose adopted son (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) turns out to be the Antichrist. Slickly crafted and well acted with a fair amount of suspense, director John Moore's virtual scene-by-scene update is a hodgepodge of Christian symbolism, biblical prophecies, nonscriptural inventions and occult mumbo jumbo, resulting in the sort of silly pop-religious junk food that should not be taken too seriously. Some disturbing scenes of violence, including an impaling, a decapitation, a dog mauling, a hanging suicide and a person getting hit by an automobile; a misrepresentation of Catholic doctrine; an instance of rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"A Prairie Home Companion" (Picturehouse)Leisurely paced, virtually plotless fictional riff on radio raconteur Garrison Keillor's long-running series as Keillor (playing himself) presents his "final" show, with top-liners including singing sisters (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin) and cowboy (Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly) acts, while 1940s sleuth Guy Noir (Kevin Kline), a mysterious femme fatale (Virginia Madsen) and a shadowy figure (Tommy Lee Jones) weave throughout the action. Fans of Altman will appreciate the trademark multicharacter canvas, and naturalistic setups (with lots of overlapping dialogue), used to mourn the passing of a gentler age. The country-styled tunes are a highlight. Some brief crude humor, mild irreligiosity, some innuendo and risque song lyrics, and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(6/09/06) **"See No Evil" (Lionsgate)Grim and grisly horror film about eight coed juvenile delinquents (including Christine Vidal and Michael J. Pagan) who, while renovating a creepy abandoned hotel as part of their community service, find themselves stalked by a hulking homicidal squatter (professional wrestler Kane) lurking in the hotel's labyrinthine halls. Director Gregory Dark serves up one gratuitously violent scene after another, stringing them together with a virtually nonexistent plot. Excessive intense gory violence, including scenes of dismemberment, vulgar images and humor, sexual situations, suggested masturbation, rear shower nudity, drug content, and pervasive rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"X-Men: The Last Stand" (20th Century Fox)In this third film based on the popular Marvel comic-book series, the U.S. government develops a "cure" for the mutants' condition, sparking a revolution as the misanthropic Magneto (Ian McKellen) declares war on mankind, amassing an army of maddened mutants, while others like Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry) and a furry blue new ally (Kelsey Grammer) side with Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) who advocates peaceful coexistence. Fans of the series won't be disappointed as director Brett Ratner, taking over the reins from Bryan Singer, injects a fair amount of human emotion into what is essentially one big special-effects X-travaganza, resulting in entertaining escapist fare. Much stylized action violence, a sexually suggestive encounter, brief suggested nudity, and a few instances of crude language, limiting its appropriateness to older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(6/02/06) **"The Da Vinci Code" (Columbia)Dan Brown's record-breaking best-seller comes to the screen with most of its spurious historical, artistic and theological misstatements intact. The film follows the book's plot of a Harvard "symbologist" (Tom Hanks) on the run from French police after the murder of a curator from the Louvre museum, with the latter's granddaughter (Audrey Tautou) in tow, as they piece together the motives for the killing, implicating the Catholic Church in a centuries-old conspiracy to suppress an explosive secret. As expected, director Ron Howard has made a glossy, competent thriller, though perhaps a little confusing for those unfamiliar with the book. The performances, including that of Sir Ian McKellen as another scholar and Paul Bettany as the albino monk-assassin, are colorful; the underlying assertions -- particularly as they question Jesus' divinity -- and the obvious falsehoods about Opus Dei are deeply abhorrent. Partly subtitled. Violence including brutal murders, crude language, irreverent underpinning, rear male nudity, scenes of corporal mortification, fleeting hint of prostitution, and glimpse of ritualistic sex. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Over the Hedge" (DreamWorks)Computer-animated comedy about a rascally raccoon (voiced by Bruce Willis) who offers to "help" a group of woodland creatures (humorously voiced by Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, Garry Shandling, William Shatner and Eugene Levy, among others) stockpile food for the coming winter by raiding the suburban housing development that has sprung up on their forest doorstep, but not telling them that he intends to use the purloined provisions to save his own fur. Based on a comic strip, directors Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick's good-naturedly entertaining and visually cheery fable relies on nutty sight gags over story, but imparts a commendable message about family and acting unselfishly, while offering some funny commentary on our consumer society. Some mildly crude humor, a few rude expressions and innuendo, and recurring comic action violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"The Proposition" (First Look)Artful but unsparing 1880s-era Australian outback Western in which a British law enforcement officer (Ray Winstone) gives a gang member (Guy Pearce) the chance to save his jailed kid brother's life, provided he finds and kills his vicious older brother (Danny Huston). Director John Hillcoat's uneven film from a Nick Cave script is well acted, including performances by Emily Watson as the officer's delicate wife and John Hurt as a drunken bounty hunter, and is not without moral complexity, but the violence and bloodshed are exceedingly hard to take. Pervasive brutality and violence, beatings, murder, rough language, and a nongraphic but disturbing rape. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(5/26/06) **"Goal! The Dream Begins" (Touchstone)Familiar but satisfying sports drama about an undocumented Mexican migrant (Kuno Becker) who is given an opportunity to escape his father's (Tony Plana) hardscrabble fate and fulfill his dream of playing professional soccer when a former British scout (Stephen Dillane) visiting Los Angeles offers him a tryout with a top-tier English soccer team. Directed by Danny Cannon, the film's feel-good underdog theme coupled with Becker's appealing performance scores, despite a formulaic script, underdeveloped characters and an overlong length. A few crude expressions, suggested drunkenness and carousing, implied sexual situations and some sports roughness, limiting its appropriateness to older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Just My Luck" (20th Century Fox)Lightweight if likable romantic comedy set in New York about a girl (Lindsay Lohan) with uncanny luck and a guy (Chris Pine) with none, who magically swap fortunes through a chance encounter at a masquerade ball, winding up on polar ends of the luck spectrum and falling for each other, though neither realizes the other is the cause for the karmic reversal. Directed by Donald Petrie, the fairy tale's cute conceit has the bad luck of being wrapped in a limp and predictable script, though its sweet-natured message about valuing love over success is commendable. Some crude language and innuendo, a couple of crass sight gags, a sexual gesture and a situation involving a male "escort." The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Poseidon" (Warner Bros.)Reasonably effective but inferior remake of 1972's luxury-liner disaster film, as a tidal wave capsizes the vessel, and a sparring father (Kurt Russell) and daughter (Emmy Rossum), her boyfriend (Mike Vogel), a professional gambler (Josh Lucas), a single mother (Jacinda Barrett) and child, and a Latina stowaway (Mia Maestro) attempt to flee through the bottom of the boat. The character setup is dispatched within minutes, and once disaster strikes director Wolfgang Petersen keeps the action going, with above-average special effects and decent performances. A few instances of profanity and crass expressions, intense but not gruesome disaster violence, brief veiled sexual exchange, gambling and a suicide attempt. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Saving Shiloh" (New Dog)Gentle boy-and-his-dog tale completing the trilogy based on Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Newbery Award winning children's books. Here the titular beagle's young owner (Jason Dolley) reaches out to befriend the pooch's ornery previous owner (Scott Wilson), whose attempts to amend his mean-spirited ways are met with suspicion by the rest of the townspeople, who suspect him of involvement in a murder mystery. Despite modest production values, director Sandy Tung's disarming film wins you over with a touching performance by Wilson and an earnest, redemptive message about opening your heart to others. Some mild menace and peril involving children and a homicide subplot. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.(5/19/06) **"An American Haunting" (After Dark)Spookily atmospheric, well-acted thriller based on the "true story" of the "Bell Witch" case, the only documented case in the U.S. of a spirit causing the death of a person, as the Bells, an 1818 Tennessee couple (Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek) battle ghostly horrors in their home and the possession of their daughter (Rachel Hurd-Ward), after a woman thought to be a witch curses the family. Writer-director Courtney Solomon builds up an atmosphere of heady suspense that never lets up, and although there's lots of generalized demonic violence, there's little bloodshed. Some intensely violent episodes including a hair-raising wolf attack, an attempted suicide, questioning of God's existence and omnipotence, and subtle sexual revelations of an adult nature. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Down in the Valley" (THINKFilm)Offbeat but quite interesting story of easygoing South Dakota ranch hand (an impressive Edward Norton) who romances the much-younger, rebellious teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) of a San Fernando Valley police officer (David Morse), and befriends her painfully shy younger brother (Rory Culkin), against the father's wishes. Writer-director David Jacobson's initial "young lovers" romance shifts tone dramatically midway with a shocking twist, and becomes a suspenseful drama that pays homage to elements from the classic Westerns of John Ford and Howard Hawks. Considerable profanity, rough language and crude expressions, a couple of shootings, gun use by a minor, intense domestic discord, premarital sex and nongraphic sexual encounters, and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Hoot" (New Line)Amiable family-friendly drama about an eighth-grader (Logan Lerman) who moves with his parents to small-town Florida, where he is caught up in the crusade of an enigmatic boy (Cody Linley) and his stepsister (Brie Larson) to save a colony of burrowing owls whose habitat is threatened by a real-estate developer hoping to bulldoze the endangered birds' nesting zone to make way for a pancake franchise. Directed by Wil Shriner and based on Carl Hiaasen's award-winning children's book, the film's warm message about friendship, respect for nature and taking a stand for what's right is handicapped somewhat by a weak script and a slow-starting plot, and the saucer-eyed critters get very little screen time. Some schoolyard bullying and a few mildly crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"The Lost City" (Magnolia)Wistful and deeply personal drama set in 1950s' Cuba on the eve of Castro's communist revolution about three brothers (Andy Garcia, who also directs, Enrique Murciano and Nestor Carbonell) caught in the political unrest that ultimately tears them and their island home apart. While the sprawling story needs tightening, Garcia's well-acted love letter to the country he left as a child is full of passion and gorgeously captures the beauty and energy of the island, its culture and especially its music, in exploring themes of longing and loss. Some violence, including several graphic executions, a suicide, a brief voodoo reference, and a few rough and crude expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Mission: Impossible III" (Paramount)Third installment in the franchise which finds secret-agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of spies (Ving Rhames, Maggie Q and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) battling a ruthless arms dealer (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who kidnaps Ethan's fiance to get back the doomsday device they snatched from him. As popcorn entertainment, director J.J. Abrams' thrill ride doesn't disappoint, piling on the action fireworks and pulse-pounding excitement, but, like the previous two films, is otherwise an empty exercise in adrenaline-charged excess. Pervasive action violence, including an intense execution scene, a few disturbing images, a suggested sexual encounter, and some crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The Promise" (Warner Independent)Fantasy romance set in China's mythic past about a beautiful princess (Cecilia Cheung) whose childhood pact with a goddess to forsake true love for worldly comfort reaps fateful consequences for her and the three rivals vying for her affections: a renowned general (Hiroyuki Sanada), his loyal, supernaturally swift slave (Jang Dong-Gun) and a villainous duke (Nicholas Tse). Director Chen Kaige's epic tale of desire and destiny explores universal themes of honor, self-sacrifice and free will, but sacrifices character development and narrative clarity in favor of sumptuous visuals and effects-heavy martial arts sequences. Much stylized action violence, images of battlefield carnage, a massacre scene, a flaming body and a sexual encounter, as well as suggested bathing nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(5/12/06) **"Akeelah and the Bee" (Lionsgate)Irresistible story about a South Los Angeles 11-year-old loner (Keke Palmer) who reluctantly agrees to compete in a national spelling bee -- under the tutelage of an emotionally fragile English professor (Laurence Fishburne) against the initial wishes of her hard-working mother (Angela Bassett), who worries the endeavor will interfere with the girl's flagging grades in other subjects. Writer-director Doug Atchison handles Akeelah's journey of self-discovery and growing empowerment deftly and builds suspense on the way to a satisfying if unabashedly formulaic conclusion, helped by his first-rate leads, and inspiring messages about conquering fears, winning by honest means, the strength of community, and, above all, the beauty and potency of words. A few crass expressions and a single use of a four-letter word can't detract from an overall warm endorsement for all audiences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"RV" (Columbia)Intermittently funny road comedy about an overworked executive (Robin Williams) who, for job-related reasons, cancels a long-planned family holiday in Hawaii and instead loads his wife (Cheryl Hines) and kids (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Josh Hutcherson) into a malfunctioning motor home and drives from Los Angeles to Colorado, with much comic mayhem along the way. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and with a subdued Williams in top jester form, this knockoff of "National Lampoon's Vacation" is full of silly slapstick and broad, if harmless, humor and imparts a warm message about family bonding. Some mildly crude humor, including a gross-out scatological sight gag, sexual innuendo, and scattered crass language and light profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Silent Hill" (TriStar)Bleak and surreal supernatural thriller about a mother (Radha Mitchell) whose desperate search for her missing daughter (Jodelle Ferland) leads her to a haunted ghost town -- ravaged by fire 30 years earlier -- where she faces demonic forces and the town's evil past to get her child back. Suffused with religious motifs, director Christophe Gans' journey through hell abounds with nightmarish visions worthy of Dante, but in exploring themes of faith, fanaticism and motherhood the film, which starts out eerily intriguing, eventually descends into confusion and the gore of its videogame roots, ending on a perplexing note that will leave you, like the haunted hamlet, in a fog. Intensely disturbing and bloody horror images, including a graphic scene of a woman burnt alive, some violence, including a savage off-screen beating, fleeting partial nudity, and recurring rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Stick It" (Touchstone)High-energy but formulaic teen sports movie about a 17-year-old former world-class gymnast (Missy Peregrym) who, after a run-in with the law, is sent by the court, as an alternative to juvenile detention, to a hard-core gymnastics academy, where a tough-love coach (Jeff Bridges) helps her get a second chance at the sport from which she had walked away. Stylishly directed by Jessica Bendinger, the film's cliched plot is thinner than the sport's balance beam and capped with an implausible ending, but Peregrym radiates perky charm and its girl-power message of second chances, fellowship and self-validation offsets its contrarian strains of thumbing your nose at the rules. Some crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"United 93" (Universal)Tense, well-acted documentary-style drama about the hijacking of an aircraft on Sept. 11, 2001, when passengers fought back, downing the plane in the ensuing melee and preventing destruction of a probable Washington target, while air traffic controllers on the ground struggled to make sense of what was happening. Director Paul Greengrass has avoided exploitation with his dispassionate approach and the use of a no-name cast, but many will obviously find this extremely distressing. Yet as a testament to heroism and a vivid cautionary tale, the film was, on balance, a worthwhile endeavor. Harrowing suspense, violence and bloodshed (though discreetly shot with quick editing), other disturbing Sept. 11 imagery, a smattering of profanity and four-letter words uttered under extreme distress. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(5/05/06) **"American Dreamz" (Universal)Fairly amusing satire of fame and politics as a would-be terrorist (Sam Golzari) enamored of American show tunes winds up on an "American Idol"-like talent show, where his Afghan superiors expect him to kill the U.S. president (Dennis Quaid) who is appearing as a celebrity judge to boost his image, while the show's host (Hugh Grant) falls for a "white trash" contestant from Ohio (Mandy Moore). The performances, including those of Marcia Gay Harden and Willem Dafoe, are good, and director-writer Paul Weitz carefully avoids most of the pitfalls of such a premise with a surprisingly sweet-natured story with no real villains, though the salvos about the today's vapid pop culture, the public's misplaced priorities, the need for understanding of our "enemies," and the obscenity of war could sometimes be more sharply focused. Scattered instances of four-letter words, profanity, and sexual and crass expressions, an implied premarital coupling and a suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The Sentinel" (20th Century Fox)Fast-paced political thriller about a veteran Secret Service agent (Michael Douglas) who, framed in a plot to assassinate the president, must clear his name while on the run, with his former protege (Kiefer Sutherland) and a rookie agent (Eva Longoria) in pursuit. Despite holes in the script, director Clark Johnson's engaging conspiracy yarn strikes a nice balance between being a smart mystery and a conventional action film, anchored by solid performances by Douglas and Sutherland. Recurring action violence, including several shootings, an implied adulterous affair and scattered crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(4/28/06) **"The Benchwarmers" (Columbia)Lame comedy about three grown nerds (Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder) who are recruited by a former geek turned billionaire (Jon Lovitz) into playing against various Little League teams of bullying jocks in a tournament he's sponsoring. By beating them, the trio will win respect for every picked-on kid. Despite a commendable underdog message and some occasional funny moments, director Dennis Dugan's film strikes out, its "Bad News Bears" script straining under forced laughs and sophomoric slapstick. Recurring crass humor and sight gags, some sex jokes including running gay innuendo and a crude gesture, as well as a smattering of crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Hard Candy" (Lionsgate)Twisted thriller about a crafty 14-year-old (Ellen Page) who turns the tables on a fashion photographer (Patrick Wilson) she met on the Internet and who, she is convinced, is a pedophile killer, baiting him into a psychological contest of wills while planning to exact sadistic vigilante justice. Director David Slade's two-character film starts out as an intriguing cautionary tale, but despite riveting performances quickly descends into exploitative territory rather than saying anything of substance about its serious subject matter, while its blurred delineation between "victim" and "predator" further muddies its murky morality. Disturbing scenes of brutality and torture, including an intense castration sequence, a suicide, sexual situations involving a minor, underage drinking, pedophilia theme, and much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Kinky Boots" (Miramax)Slickly made, well-acted tale set in central England of a stodgy young man (Joel Edgerton) who, to save his inherited shoe factory from ruin and keep its workers employed, cultivates a more profitable niche market by hiring a transvestite (the versatile Chiwetel Ejiofor) to design boots sturdy enough to be worn by drag performers, despite opposition from his practical-minded girlfriend (Jemima Rooper). Director Julian Jarrold's offbeat film -- inspired by a true story -- is fun but uneven, and fits the mold of British films about ordinary folk whose unsatisfactory lives take unexpected new directions, thereby giving them purpose and transforming them into better people. Admirable lessons of tolerance aside, the cross-dressing element will not be to every taste. A few instances of profane, rough and crude language, sympathetic portrayal of a transvestite character, some vulgar gestures, sensual onstage movements, men almost kissing backstage, and an implied premarital relationship. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Lucky Number Slevin" (MGM/Weinstein)Stylish but grim thriller about a remarkably easygoing young man named Slevin (Josh Hartnett) caught between two rival crime kingpins -- the Boss (Morgan Freeman) and the Rabbi (Ben Kingsley) -- each of whom claims Slevin owes thousands of dollars. Despite some suspenseful sequences, a few surprising twists, and good performances by all (including Bruce Willis as the Boss's hired assassin, Lucy Liu as Slevin's girlfriend, and Stanley Tucci as a detective on his trail), director Paul McGuigan's film is ultimately murky and formulaic, and the pervasive revenge motif -- the Boss wants Slevin to kill the Rabbi's gay son -- precludes recommendation. Considerable violence with bloodshed (though shown with quick edits), profanity and rough language, a graphic sexual encounter with a prostitute with upper female and rear male nudity, innuendo, a premarital sexual encounter, a gratuitous and highly irreligious remark, and illegal betting activities. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Notorious Bettie Page" (Picturehouse)Biographical drama about the 1950s' fetish pinup icon (Gretchen Mol) who, raised in a strict Christian home in rural Tennessee, escaped abuse by her father and then her first husband to pursue an acting career in New York, where, after failing at that, she began modeling -- sometimes nude -- for men's magazines. Eventually she made her name posing in bondage-themed photos before abandoning modeling for religion. Mol is a dead ringer for Page, but director Mary Harron's movie -- shot mostly in black and white -- lacks form and depth, not offering more than a superficial treatment of Page's religious convictions and conflicted attitude toward pornography, and its subject matter will obviously limit its appeal. Full-frontal and rear female nudity, recurring sexually aberrant poses, the suggested sexual abuse of a minor, an implied gang rape, an instance of rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Phat Girlz" (Fox Searchlight)Romantic comedy about an aspiring plus-size fashion designer (Mo'Nique) riddled with insecurities, who wins a trip to Palm Springs, Calif., where she -- accompanied by her skinny cousin (Joyful Drake) and plump best friend (Kendra C. Johnson) -- is wooed by an attractive Nigerian doctor (Jimmy Jean-Louis), who explains that in his homeland ladies of her size are the ideal of beauty. Written and directed by Nnegest Likke and with a vivacious performance by Mo'Nique, the sporadically entertaining film encourages self-esteem and self-acceptance, but this positive message is somewhat sullied by its freewheeling attitude toward premarital sex and its bawdy tone. Recurring sexual banter and lewd humor, including an erotic dream sequence, several sexual encounters, suggestive costumes, pervasive crass language and a few instances of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Scary Movie 4" (Weinstein)Crude comedy is once again the name of the game in this consistently unfunny sendup of recent horror and sci-fi films -- including "Saw," "War of the Worlds" and "The Grudge" -- and, like the three earlier installments, consists of little more than lame spoofs strung together by a vacant plot, here involving a home health care worker (Anna Faris) who battles Japanese ghost children and alien invaders while finding romance with the guy next door (Craig Bierko). Director David Zucker serves up the mindless slapstick and gross-out jokes, somewhat tamer this time around, but still vulgar. Pervasive crude humor, scatological and sexual sight gags including a gay-themed parody, comic violence, brief rear nudity, an irreverent joke, same-sex kissing, recurring crude language and profanity and an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The Wild" (Disney)Visually vibrant computer-animated movie about a New York City zoo lion cub (voiced by Greg Cipes) who finds himself on a ship bound for "the wild," forcing his father (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) and several zoo buddies (voiced by Jim Belushi, Janeane Garofalo, Richard Kind and Eddie Izzard) to break out of captivity and mount a rescue. In exploring its tender father-son theme, director Steve Williams' comedy-adventure balances enough humor and emotion to tame most hearts, despite a lackluster script and a deja-vu premise almost identical to that of "Madagascar." Some moments that may be scary for very young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.(4/21/06) **"ATL" (Warner Bros.)Familiar but satisfying coming-of-age-in-the-'hood drama set in Atlanta about a 17-year-old aspiring graphic artist (Tip Harris) forced to shoulder the load of raising himself and his wayward kid brother (Evan Ross) after their parents' death, a burden complicated by the younger boy's involvement with a local drug dealer and his own budding, star-crossed romance. His only release is roller skating with his friends (including Jackie Long). Despite a cliched script, director Chris Robinson's film is visually vibrant and wins over your emotions with its appealing performances and positive themes about the bonds of family and friendship, owning up to responsibilities, holding on to dreams and taking pride in your roots. Some violence and sexual situations, including an implied encounter between minors, suggestive roller-skating choreography, drug content, an instance of rough language and some crude language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Brick" (Focus)Gritty low-budget murder mystery set in Southern California about a high school loner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) whose obsessive search for his missing ex-girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin) leads to danger and deception, with a list of suspects that includes her junkie boyfriend (Noah Segan), a manipulative socialite (Nora Zehetner), a drug dealer (Lukas Haas) and a volatile thug (Noah Fleiss). Inspired by the crime novels of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, director Rian Johnson cleverly gives the high school movie a noir twist, combining the teen and classic detective genres, resulting in a hard-boiled hybrid that proves intriguing despite its modest trappings, though its slangy dialogue may take some getting used to. Some violence, including several rough beatings and a shooting, recurring drug content, unflattering portrayal of authority figures, underage drinking and smoking, and sporadic crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Friends With Money" (Sony Classics)Perceptive comedy-drama set in Los Angeles about three couples (Catherine Keener and Jason Isaacs, Frances McDormand and Simon McBurney, Joan Cusack and Greg Germann) and their single underachieving friend (a particularly fine Jennifer Aniston) who serves as a catalyst for the women to rethink their own relationships and priorities. Director-writer Nicole Holofcener skillfully balances the various plotlines, painting an accurate view of contemporary society as she explores the themes of marriage, career, relationships, self-esteem, mortality, facing life's realities and yes, money. Pervasive conversational rough and crude language and expressions, some profanity, a permissive view of premarital sex, implied off-color sexual activity, a running gag about a character's presumed homosexual orientation and a marital breakup. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School" (Samuel Goldwyn)The wish of a dying man (John Goodman) leads an emotionally scarred widower (Robert Carlyle) to a dance class where he -- and later his fellow bereavement group mates (Sean Astin, Ernie Hudson, David Paymer and Adam Arkin) -- finds fulfillment, and, in his case, love. Director and co-writer Randall Miller's compassionate film has touching moments and several redemptive situations, and is well acted by its impressive cast (Mary Steenburgen, Donnie Wahlberg, Camryn Manheim and Sonia Braga), but its jagged pace, often-stilted dialogue and washed-out color palette make the film ultimately more dreary than uplifting. A few rough and crude words and expressions, a nongraphic premarital sexual encounter, fleeting sexual banter, a car wreck and a bloody victim, a suicide theme and the dispersal of cremated remains. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"On a Clear Day" (Focus)Poignant story of middle-aged Glasgow shipbuilder (Peter Mullan), laid off from his job, who finds solace in swimming, decides to cross the English Channel and, with the help of his mates (Billy Boyd, Ron Cook, Benedict Wong and Sean McGinley), trains for the 20-miles-plus stint, unbeknown to his wife (Brenda Blethyn), who's secretly hoping to be a bus driver, and grown son (Jamie Sives), who mistakenly believes his father blames him for the death of his sibling when they were children. Director Gaby Dellal's film is finely acted, wonderfully photographed by David Johnson who favors revealing close-ups, and conveys positive messages about forgiveness, taking chances, conquering fears, following your heart, and standing up for your beliefs. A few instances of conversational profanity, rough and crude language, and partial locker-room nudity preclude viewing by the youngest adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Take the Lead" (New Line)Uplifting movie inspired by real-life dance instructor Pierre Dulaine (a very believable Antonio Banderas), who gets permission from the principal of an inner-city high school (Alfre Woodard) to teach ballroom dancing to troubled kids, eventually leading them to participate in a major ballroom competition. Music video director Liz Friedlander makes an assured feature film debut despite the formulaic plot, and has elicited good performances, while imparting admirable messages about trust, dignity and respect. Some crude language and expressions, implied prostitution, an amorous advance to a minor, a vulgar gesture, violent car vandalism and gunplay preclude viewing by younger adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(4/14/06) **"American Gun" (IFC)Disjointed, intermittently forceful drama that examines America's gun culture through the lens of three unrelated, but thematically linked, stories: an Oregon single mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and her teenage son (Christopher Marquette) struggling to cope with festering emotions three years after her older boy went on a Columbine-style shooting rampage and committed suicide; a Chicago principal (Forest Whitaker) trying to keep weapons out of his high school, while ignoring troubles at home; and a soft-spoken Virginian gunsmith (Donald Sutherland) at a loss over his granddaughter's (Linda Cardellini) remoteness. Director Aric Avelino follows the multiple narrative template of films like "Traffic" and "Crash," but despite earnestly showing how gun violence can have a domino effect in communities and wreak devastation beyond the immediate victims, the stories never coalesce into a cohesive whole, despite solid performances across the board. Several instances of violence, including a graphic shooting and a suggested attempted gang rape, a brief glimpse of a dead body and a few other disturbing images, a vulgar gesture, as well as much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Basic Instinct 2" (Columbia)Sequel to the 1992 erotic thriller which finds that film's manipulative vamp character (Sharon Stone) relocated to London, where, implicated in the murder of a soccer star, she matches wits with a criminal psychiatrist (David Morrissey), leading him down a path of seduction, deception and murder. With its femme-fatale protagonist and murky style, director Michael Caton-Jones' potboiler aspires to film noir, but its shadowy sordidness can't hide a cartoonish lead performance and an insipid, tangled script which distracts with salaciousness to make up for its lack of suspense and intelligence. The film contains several graphic sexual encounters with partial frontal and rear nudity, a flash of full-frontal nudity, a shadowy orgy scene, violence, several lurid images, rough and sexually explicit language and several drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Ice Age: The Meltdown" (20th Century Fox)Inferior, but still highly entertaining, sequel to the 2002 computer-animated hit which finds the prehistoric trio -- cranky mammoth Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), sarcastic saber-toothed tiger Diego (voiced by Denis Leary) and wise-cracking sloth Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo) -- joined by a confused she-mammoth (voiced by Queen Latifah) and a tag team of prankster possums (voiced by Seann William Scott and Josh Peck) as they race to escape an impending cataclysmic flood triggered by the warming climate. Directed by Carlos Saldanha, the story and characters have thinned along with the ice, but in the thawing process the laughs and zany charm remain intact along with a gentle message about family and friendship. Some scenes of menace that may be too intense for very young children, a few crass expressions, some innuendo and a mildly crude sight-gag. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" (Lions Gate)Witless and virtually unwatchable comedy about a redneck health inspector ("Blue Collar" comedian Larry the Cable Guy) who must crack a string of mysterious food poisonings at upscale eateries in the days leading up to a big culinary competition, zeroing in on the town's sleazy mayor (Joe Pantoliano) and a duplicitous restaurateur (Joanna Cassidy). Director Trent Cooper serves up an insufferably juvenile stream of gross jokes that are unfunny no matter what color your collar, making the film's PG-13 rating misleading. Pervasive crass and sexual humor, recurring scatological sight gags, innuendo, fleeting partial rear nudity, and much crude and bawdy language, as well as profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Slither" (Universal)Campy but repulsive horror film about a small town besieged by world-conquering space slugs that turn its residents -- starting with Michael Rooker -- into flesh-eating zombies, leaving it up to the local police chief (Nathan Fillion) and a handful of survivors (including Elizabeth Banks and Tania Saulnier) to save the day. Directed by James Gunn, tongue firmly planted in cheek, the film's affectionate nods to B-horror movies like "Dawn of the Dead," wry flashes of twisted humor and clever social commentary are eclipsed by its pervasive vulgar, nauseating and grisly elements. Strong and exploitative horror violence and gore, many gross-out images, some sexual situations, blurred shower nudity and unrelated brief rear nudity, adultery, pervasive rough and sexually crude language, as well as profanity and some irreverence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Stay Alive" (Buena Vista)Forgettable thriller set in New Orleans about a group of gamers (Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, Sophia Bush and Jimmi Simpson) who race to unravel the mystery of a sinister video game -- possessed by a vengeful spirit -- after they start winding up dead, killed in the exact manner that they met their demise in the game. Director William Brent Bell cribs off Japanese horror films about haunted technology ("The Ring," "The Pulse," "One Missed Call"), padding his rickety, derivative script with cybergore, resulting in a mostly suspense-free film that few beyond its targeted adolescent audience will find engaging. Recurring violence, including a graphic hanging and other disturbing images, bloody video-game images, a brief kinky sexual encounter with shadowy suggested nudity, fleeting drug content, an instance of rough language, as well as crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(4/07/06) **"The Big Question" (THINKfilm)Curious documentary in which filmmakers Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari pose several direct questions to fellow cast and crew members on the set of "The Passion of the Christ" -- Mel Gibson among them -- about their personal religious beliefs, eliciting responses both poignant and pretentious from a diversity of creeds as well as from agnostics and atheists. Cleverly shot using the ancient Southern Italian town where Gibson's movie was shot as a backdrop, and with many of the respondents in full biblical costume, the film works for the most part, despite consisting of little more than people candidly discussing their ideas of the divine, interspersed with artsy images of a dog wandering the landscape. Subtitles. A brief drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Inside Man" (Universal)Crime drama about a New York City police detective (Denzel Washington) who matches wits with a cunning armed robber (Clive Owen) holding hostages captive in a Wall Street bank, while a politically connected power broker (Jodie Foster) hired by the bank's owner (Christopher Plummer) muddies negotiations in trying to keep an incriminating secret buried in the bank's vault. Smartly written with nods to "Dog Day Afternoon" and just the right amount of humor, director Spike Lee's film puts an interesting spin on the heist genre while exploring themes of race and corruption, resulting in an intelligent caper that can be enjoyed on several levels, despite a morally ambiguous ending. Some discreet violence, violent video game images, pervasive rough and crude language, and a disturbing execution image, as well as some sexual humor, innuendo and racial epithets. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Lonesome Jim" (IFC)Depressed young man (Casey Affleck) goes back to his Indiana home to live with his overly doting mother (Mary Kay Place), distant father (Seymour Cassel) and confused brother (Kevin Corrigan), falls for a single mother (Liv Tyler) with a small son (Jack Rovello), and ultimately comes to a better understanding of himself and those around him. Director Steve Buscemi's film is sometimes slow and meandering, and its true-to-life candor won't appeal to all tastes, but the central protagonist develops as a person, and the overall message of accepting life for what it is, not what you want it to be, is a good one. Scattered instances of profanity, rough and crude language and expressions, some crass humor, rear and partial nudity, premarital relationship, sexual banter and lewd images, prostitute character, suicide theme and drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Don't Come Knocking" (Sony Classics)Unsatisfying story of hard-living actor (Sam Shepard) who, post-meltdown, goes AWOL and abandons his location Western movie set, returns home to his mother (Eva Marie Saint) in Nevada, and learns he has a grown son (Gabriel Mann) by a waitress (Jessica Lange) with whom he was involved years ago, while a private eye (Tim Roth) hired by the film studio attempts to find him. Director Wim Wenders, working again from a Shepard script after their "Paris, Texas" teaming, adds his artful cinematic vision to Shepard's familiar themes of the myth versus reality of the American West, the pitfalls of fame, the human capacity for violence, broken families, loneliness and loss, but there's a stilted quality to the story and the performances never quite ring true. Profanity, rough and crude language, some domestic violence, adult thematic material, brief drug references, a crass gesture, dispersal of cremated remains, brief nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"She's the Man" (DreamWorks)Breezy if uneven modernizing of Shakespeare's comedy of mistaken identities, "Twelfth Night," about a teenage tomboy (Amanda Bynes) who poses as her twin brother (James Kirk), enrolls in his coed boarding prep school to play soccer, and winds up falling in love with his/her jock roommate (Channing Tatum), who has a crush on a pretty student (Laura Ramsey), who, in turn, is smitten with the new "guy," leading to predictable romantic complications. Director Andy Fickman cleverly updates Shakespeare's plot devices -- mixed-up lovers, triangular attractions, and gender-bending deception -- to mostly good effect, and the film overcomes forced humor in large measure due to Bynes' effervescence, though its occasionally crude comedy makes it best suited for older teens and up. Some sexual humor and innuendo, a bathroom brawl between three girls, brief implied nudity, sports roughness, a few crass expressions, as well as an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Thank You for Smoking" (Fox Searchlight)Trenchant black comedy about tobacco industry lobbyist (a perfectly cast Aaron Eckhart) who, under the approving eye of his boss (Robert Duvall), will stop at nothing to promote cigarette smoking, as he manipulates talk show hosts (Joan Lunden and Dennis Miller), an anti-smoking Vermont senator (William H. Macy), a Hollywood agent (Rob Lowe), and an investigative reporter (Katie Holmes), while wondering about the effect of his questionable tactics on his young son. Writer-director Jason Reitman's highly amusing and well-acted adaptation of Christopher Buckley's novel sustains its satiric stance without losing sight of the grave issues at hand. Much rough and crude language and expressions, a couple of sexual encounters with no nudity and sexual banter, an irreligious remark. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"V for Vendetta" (Warner Bros.)Provocative futuristic thriller based in London about a masked antihero (Hugo Weaving) who enlists the aid of a young office worker (Natalie Portman) to undermine a totalitarian government headed by an Orwellian dictator (John Hurt) and his cowering advisers (Stephen Rea, Rupert Graves, Tim Pigott-Smith). Director James McTeigue, working from a Wachowski Brothers adaptation of Alan Moore (uncredited by choice) and illustrator David Lloyd's graphic novel, has crafted a reasonably intelligent political allegory, with emphasis on character development, ideas and even a bit of romance, rather than simple mindless violence, the performances are first rate, and the film's theme of the individual's responsibility in standing up to tyranny -- while questioning the moral limits of opposition -- is worthy, and stops short of imparting a universal anti-authoritarian message. Some discreetly handled violence with bloodshed, a hanging, scattered profanity, rough and crude language and expressions, minor lesbian-themed flashback and implied gay male character, corrupt Anglican clergyman, attempted rape, sexual innuendo, drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(3/31/06) **"Aquamarine" (20th Century Fox)Sweetly told modern-day fairy tale about two 13-year-old best friends -- Claire (Emma Roberts) and Hailey (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) -- who help a mermaid (Sara Paxton), washed ashore during a storm, experience true love in the hopes that the magic wish rewarded them will undo Hailey's impending move to Australia. With a delightful mix of fantasy, comedy and romance, director Elizabeth Allen's wholesome and warmly sentimental, if admittedly lightweight, effort scores points for admirably showing that authentic love can express itself in varied ways. Some mild sensuality and suggestiveness, a few crass expressions and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Failure to Launch" (Paramount)Uneven but oddly likable comedy about professional "intervention" consultant (Sarah Jessica Parker) hired by the parents (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) of a 35-year-old, still-living-at-home jock (Matthew McConaughey) in the hopes of making him independent enough to move out, with predictable romantic complications. Director Tom Dey maintains a spirited pace, there are some pleasing performances, the sylvan and aquatic settings are easy on the eyes, and the ending is morally sound, outweighing too many conversational expletives and a permissive view of premarital sex. Profanity, rough and crude language and expressions, implied sexual situations and banter, and a comic instance of rear male nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Game 6" (Serenade)A dreary day in the life of a philandering Broadway playwright (Michael Keaton) as his latest play is set to open shows him juggling his apprehensions about the play's reception by a notorious drama critic (Robert Downey Jr.) and hopes that his favorite team, the Red Sox, might finally win the World Series in 1986. Director Michael Hoffman's adaptation of a screenplay by novelist Don DeLillo has a decent cast (including Griffin Dunne, Catherine O'Hara, Bebe Neuwirth, Roger Rees, Lillias White and Harris Yulin), but feels hollow from start to finish, the New York theater milieu ringing particularly false, and the redemptive ending fails to balance the preceding 83 minutes of tedium. A few instances of profanity, rough and crude language, two nongraphic sexual encounters, one with rear and upper female nudity, premarital sexual encounters, sexual discussions, and a violent brawl. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Hills Have Eyes" (Fox Searchlight)Grisly remake of Wes Craven's 1977 horror film about a family (headed by Ted Levine and Kathleen Quinlan) whose cross-country road trip derails into nightmare territory when they break down in the New Mexico desert and are terrorized by a clan of cannibalistic mutant miners. Director Alexandre Aja proves adept at building suspense and an unnerving sense of isolation early on, before plunging into stomach-churning brutality that escalates as it steams toward its ludicrous climax. Excessive and gratuitously graphic violence, including bloody killings and dismemberment, numerous ax attacks and shootings, a gruesome suicide, a rape, a person set on fire, cannibalism, a dog mauling, many disturbing images, much rough and crude language, as well some profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Shaggy Dog" (Disney)Lame reworking of the 1959 Disney comedy, incorporating elements of its 1976 follow-up, about a workaholic Los Angeles deputy district attorney (Tim Allen) who, while trying a case involving a sinister scientist (Robert Downey Jr.), is bitten by a mutt and soon finds himself turning into one, leading to nutty canine complications with his neglected wife (Kristin Davis) and two teenage children. Directed by Brian Robbins; even Allen's comic dexterity can't make this dog of a film hunt, resulting in slapstick silliness that is strictly for the pups. Some mildly crude humor and comic violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Ultraviolet" (Screen Gems)Excessively violent futuristic action adventure about a one-woman killing machine (Milla Jovovich) who must protect a young boy (Cameron Bright) who may hold the key to a cure for the plague that has given rise to a medical police state headed by a germaphobic dictator (Nick Chinlund) who is hot on their trail. Though slickly executed with admitted comic book visual flair by director Kurt Wimmer, the mindless parade of glamorized carnage plays like one long, tedious video game, which though light on actual gore, is far too intense for its PG-13 rating. Pervasive stylized action violence, including over-the-top gunfights, swordplay and a burning body, shadowy rear nudity and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(3/17/06) **"Doogal" (Weinstein)Unobjectionable but bland computer animated story of dog and his unlikely friends -- a rabbit, a snail, a cow and a train -- who set out on an adventurous journey to find three diamonds that will release the pooch's best friend from an icy imprisonment and prevent a villainous wizard from freezing the sun. Co-directors Jean Duval, Frank Passingham, and Dave Borthwick's originally British film has been re-voiced with a big-name American cast (including Whoopi Goldberg, Chevy Chase and William H. Macy), and there's a commendable message about "friendship being the best weapon," but toddlers -- and even their indulgent parents -- may find this a tired retread of many other superior films. Some mild scenes of peril. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.**"Joyeux Noel" ("Merry Christmas") (Sony Classics)Intensely moving World War I tale of soldiers -- Scottish, French and German -- who spontaneously agree to a cease-fire on the Western front on Christmas Eve as they hear carols wafting from the enemy's trenches, intermingle and bond on a humanistic level, to the eventual disdain of their superiors. Writer-director Christian Carion's film, inspired by true events, is sensitively acted (by an international cast including Guillaume Canet, Daniel Bruhl and Benno Furmann) and conveys a powerful message about the senselessness of war, while there is an admirable religious underpinning in the character of a dedicated Anglican priest (Gary Lewis) who brings everyone together for a liturgy on that special night. Partially in English, partially subtitled. Battlefield violence with death, some profanity and crude language, discreet husband-wife bedroom scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.**"Night Watch" ("Nochnoi Dozor") (Fox Searchlight)Visually splashy but violent adaptation of book one of Russian author Sergei Lukyanenko's best-selling fantasy trilogy set in modern Moscow, about a young man (Konstantin Khabensky) drawn into a battle between the forces of light and darkness, whose uneasy millennial truce is threatened by a prophesied child (Dima Martynov) who, in choosing sides, will tip the balance of power forever and usher in the apocalypse. Director Timur Bekmambetov's supernatural smorgasbord incorporates familiar themes of good versus evil, but the surprising pro-life sentiment implicit in several scenes is undercut by the overall gory mayhem and convoluted plot. Much strong but stylized bloody violence, a bathing scene involving brief top female nudity, sorcery and assorted supernatural elements, as well as scattered rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"16 Blocks" (Warner Bros.)Far-fetched but surprisingly diverting New York story about world-weary alcoholic cop (a greatly transformed Bruce Willis) assigned to drive a jailed trial witness (a brilliant turn by Mos Def) to the courtroom 16 blocks away, only to find that corrupt cops are out to kill the witness before he exposes them, prompting an unlikely alliance between detective and criminal. Willis and Def are so believable, one readily overlooks the loopholes in director Richard Donner's formulaic thriller, while the corny but inspiring themes of breaking with the past, embracing new beginnings and sacrificing for others resonate. Violence and language quotients are refreshingly low for this sort of film, and allow recommendation for older adolescents and up. Scattered rough and crude words, mild action violence, a couple of murders, shooting, alcoholic character and brief crime scene gore. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Sorry, Haters" (InDigEnt)Murky tale of a Muslim taxi driver (Abdellatif Kechiche) who picks up a distraught television executive (Robin Wright Penn) who takes an interest in his personal life, and offers to help him extricate his unjustly jailed brother, leading to bizarre complications he could not have imagined. Writer-director Jeff Stanzler has created a twisty film that aims to capture post-Sept. 11 anxieties, but fails to illuminate or fully satisfy dramatically. Penn gives a well-shaded and complex performance, and there's good work by Kechiche (his sometimes unintelligible accent notwithstanding) and Sandra Oh as Penn's business colleague, though the unpleasantness of the story will turn off many viewers. Rough and crude language, alcohol use, ethnic slurs, violence and sexual situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.**"Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion" (Lions Gate)Wacky but warm follow-up to the 2005 dramedy "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which finds outrageous southern matriarch Madea (played in drag by Tyler Perry) helping one niece (Rochelle Aytes) escape her abusive live-in fiance (Blair Underwood); another niece (Lisa Arrindell Anderson) find love with a gentlemanly bus driver (Boris Kodjoe); and a wayward youth (Keke Palmer) turn her life around, all the while planning a family gathering. Once again written and directed by Perry, the sequel follows the original's lead, combining off-the-wall humor and serious story lines with strongly religious overtones, resulting in an heartfelt and agreeable affirmation of faith, family and forgiveness -- highlighted by emotional speeches by Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou about black dignity -- that's easy to applaud, despite its message-heavy sentiment and intermittent vulgarities. Domestic abuse violence, brief drug references, scattered crude sexual and scatological humor, and some crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(3/10/06) **"Date Movie" (20th Century Fox)Crudely sophomoric sendup of recent popular romantic comedies barely held together by a perfunctory plot involving the upcoming wedding of a formerly obese waitress (Alyson Hannigan) to the man of her dreams (Adam Campbell), a wedding that the latter's seductive ex-flame (Sophie Monk) threatens to sabotage. Following in the genre-skewering footprints of "Scary Movie," directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer spoof such films as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Hitch" and "My Best Friend's Wedding," among others, in a nonstop barrage of vulgar and unfunny juvenile sight gags that test the limits of its PG-13 rating. Pervasive raunchy and gross-out humor, some comic violence, recurring crude language and a few instances of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Dirty" (Silver Nitrate)Unremittingly ugly police drama set in Los Angeles about a former gang member-turned-cop (Clifton Collins Jr.) torn between conscience and loyalty to his out-of-control partner (Cuba Gooding Jr.) in deciding to come clean about their unit's illegal activities, while reluctantly agreeing to one last score for his crooked bosses on the force (Keith David and Cole Hauser). Written and directed by Chris Fisher, this gritty "Training Day" clone offers little illumination into corruption and violence, despite pretensions of social commentary, resulting less in a modern morality tale than an unpleasant stock urban action film. Much strong and bloody violence, including several graphic shootings and a tense game of Russian roulette resulting in death, some sexual situations, including suggestive groping of a teenage girl and brief, shadowy strip club partial nudity, recurring drug content, pervasive rough and sexually crude language, as well as some profanity and racial epithets. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Running Scared" (New Line)Excessively brutal crime drama about a low-level member of New Jersey Mafia crew (Paul Walker) whose ill-fated decision not to dispose of an incriminating gun has disastrous consequences when his son's best friend (Cameron Bright) steals it, touching off a frantic search for the weapon and setting in motion a cycle of escalating violence involving Italian mobsters, Russian gangsters, a corrupt cop (Chazz Palminteri) and pedophile predators. Beyond its visual slickness, writer-director Wayne Kramer's after-hours tour of Jersey's sleazy underbelly is an obscenity-soaked, one-note symphony of bloody mayhem that assaults viewers unrelentingly from its gratuitously grisly opening gunfight to its equally over-the-top climax. Pervasive strong and graphic violence, including gory shootings and beatings, scenes of child and spousal abuse, suggested pedophilia, a vulgar simulation of oral sex involving shadowy, partial, frontal female nudity and brief rear male nudity, full-frontal female strip-club nudity, drug content and nonstop rough and crude language, as well as profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" (Zeitgeist)Gripping true-life drama chronicling the final six days in the life of Sophie Scholl (Julia Jentsch), a 21-year-old German college student executed by the Nazis in 1943 after being arrested for distributing anti-war leaflets at her university, detailing her ordeal from her three-day cross-examination by a Gestapo interrogator (Alexander Held), to her mock trail and execution. Unvarnished by oversentimentality, director Marc Rothemund's film is a quietly powerful testament to bravery in the face of evil that examines themes of freedom of conscience and peaceful resistance to tyranny while imparting a strong anti-war message. Subtitles. Mature thematic elements, including suggested death by guillotine. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.**"Tsotsi" (Miramax)Powerful, beautifully acted film about vicious South African hoodlum (Presley Chweneyagae) who shoots a woman and steals her car, not realizing her baby is in the back seat, and how his life is transformed by the experience. Though the squalid underworld milieu, and the periodic acts of violence will not be to every taste, writer-director Gavin Hood's adaptation of an Athol Fugard novel ultimately becomes into an incredibly moving experience with a truly redemptive ending sure to bring a lump to the throat of the patient viewer. Subtitles. Pervasive rough and occasional crude language, some profanity, two violent killings, a shooting, brief breastfeeding images, gambling. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.**"Eight Below" (Disney)Winning family-friendly adventure inspired by real events about a team of sled dogs left behind during a forced evacuation of a remote Antarctic research station who struggle against the odds to survive in the inhospitable environment while their devoted handler (Paul Walker) races against time and indifference to mount a rescue mission. Set against spectacular South Pole vistas, director Frank Marshall's film balances action and heart-tugging emotion in telling its captivating tale of friendship and canine courage. Some human and animal peril, predatory violence, and a few sad scenes that may upset the youngest children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Freedomland" (Columbia)Overheated and grim melodrama about an emotionally fragile woman (Julianne Moore) who says she was carjacked near a predominantly black housing project, with her assailant taking off in the car with her son in the back seat, and the police detective (Samuel L. Jackson) who attempts to uncover the truth while keeping racial tensions at bay. Joe Roth's film, based on Richard Price's bestseller, is finely acted by its two leads and by Edie Falco as the head of a missing-children advocacy group, but despite a worthy premise, a redemptive ending, and a central character imbued with a strong faith the movie is undermined by plot contrivances. Much profanity and rough language, racial epithets, riot violence, some blood, drug references, an intense emotional breakdown, an unwed mother, adultery, domestic and child abuse, a fall from a window. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story" (Picturehouse)Fitfully amusing saga of a movie crew attempting to film British pastor Laurence Sterne's 1767 novel, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," considered unfilmable because of its wildly nonlinear structure. Director Michael Winterbottom offers a good chunk of the 18th-century story, but devotes equal time to the off-camera travails of lead actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, both "playing" themselves, while a bevy of solid actors (Jeremy Northam, Kelly MacDonald, Stephen Fry, Gillian Anderson) lend appeal to an unevenly satiric film that won't appeal to every taste. Overall bawdy tone, rough language and some profanity, crude expressions, sexual situations and much innuendo, unrelated partial and rear nudity, brief full frontal child nudity including diaper changing and a crude sight gag, graphic childbirth scene, permissive view of premarital affair and parenting, adultery, a visual joke involving a womb. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(2/24/06) **"Curious George" (Universal)Delightful and disarming animated adventure based on the beloved children's books by A.H. and Margaret Rey, about an inquisitive chimp -- George -- who befriends a museum curator (voiced by Will Ferrell) searching for a legendary idol for his failing museum, and who eventually stows away, leaving his jungle home for New York, where much monkey mischief ensues. Directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, the simply told but visually vibrant film stays faithful to the gentle tone of the books, imparting a warmhearted message about friendship, which though geared toward youngsters adults will find charming. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.**"Final Destination 3" (New Line)Mindless third installment in the horror franchise, this time involving a group of high school students (including Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman) who escape death by getting off a roller coaster moments before it derails killing everyone else on board, only to find out you can't cheat the Grim Reaper as each survivor subsequently meets a gory demise. Little more than a tedious series of gratuitously grisly fatalities, director James Wong's film tries to out-gross its predecessors with increasingly intricate ways to kill its young cast, using them as mere props for sadistic sight gags. Excessive graphic and bloody violence, including impalings and dismemberments, partial frontal nudity, much rough and sexually crude language, some profanity and recurring crass humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Firewall" (Warner Bros.)Tense noirish thriller of upstanding bank security executive (Harrison Ford), his architect wife (Virginia Madsen), and two young children (Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett) held hostage by master criminal (Paul Bettany) and his gang who force the banker to break into the bank's computer system, which the executive designed, and extract millions. Director Richard Loncraine maintains a white-knuckle pace throughout, the performances are good (including Mary Lynn Rajskub as a loyal secretary), and though the movie may be too protracted for many the violence is handled with relative discretion, making this a plausible "Desperate Hours" for the cyberspace age. Some profanity, rough and crude language, violence, intense suspense and murder. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"London" (Destination)Mostly repugnant story from first-time writer-director Hunter Richards involving a dissolute twentysomething New Yorker (Chris Evans) who crashes his ex-girlfriend's (Jessica Biel) bon voyage party, but takes refuge in the bathroom to avoid facing her, all the while snorting cocaine and engaging in mostly foul-mouthed discussions with an Englishman (Jason Statham) and other guests who drift in and out. Though ostensibly a cautionary look at the excesses of today's affluent youth, with some serious talk about the meaning of life and even a marginally redemptive ending, the sordid milieu, nonstop expletives, sexuality, and drugs result in a thoroughly distasteful and surprisingly dull melange. Pervasive rough and crude language, drug use, strong sexual content and perversity, partial and rear nudity, violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Pink Panther" (MGM-Columbia)Amusing update of the Blake Edwards comedy series with Steve Martin successfully assuming Peter Sellers' mantle as the impossibly inept Inspector Clouseau who, this time, must solve the murder of a soccer coach, with the assistance of a resourceful secretary (Emily Mortimer) and an unflappable aide (Jean Reno), hired by the duplicitous police chief (Kevin Kline) who hopes to solve the case himself and win the Medal of Honor. Shawn Levy directs with a sure comic touch (a few comic misfires notwithstanding), and despite some off-color humor and knockabout slapstick, the film is relatively devoid of objectionable elements. Some sexual humor and innuendo, some suggestive costuming, crass expressions and humor, and slapstick violence, making this most suitable for older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (Sony Classics)Ruminative Western drama set in rural Texas about a grizzled ranch foreman (Tommy Lee Jones) who makes good on his promise to bury an undocumented migrant (Julio Cedillo) -- with whom he had developed a deep friendship -- back in his native Mexico, forcing the dead man's murderer (Barry Pepper) to help in transporting the body over treacherous terrain and across the border. Set against a rugged Southwestern backdrop, the film's textured performances, contemplative, unhurried rhythm and confident direction by Jones result in an affecting, if at times macabre, study of loneliness and the human need for connection that ends on a quietly moral note. Some violence, including a pistol-whipping and gunshot gore, the surgical lancing of a venom-swollen foot, a crass but fully clothed sexual encounter between husband and wife, adultery, brief pornographic images, suggested masturbation, images of a corpse in various stages of decay, pervasive rough and crude language, and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"When a Stranger Calls" (Screen Gems)Mediocre remake of the marginal 1978 psychological thriller about a high-school student (Camilla Belle) who, while baby-sitting at a secluded lakefront home, is terrorized by the phone threats of an unseen homicidal stalker, only to discover that the calls are coming from inside the house. Director Simon West forgoes plot and plausibility in favor of easy jolts, but does manage to create an unnerving atmosphere of isolation and suspense through suggestion, while keeping the violence relatively tame. Some violence, including a hand skewered by a fire poker, scenes of menace and child peril, implied murders, brief images of dead bodies and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(2/17/06) **"A Good Woman" (Lions Gate)Reasonably faithful and effective -- but rather dank -- updating of Oscar Wilde's Victorian-era melodrama "Lady Windermere's Fan" now set in 1930s Italy, concerning a notorious woman (a miscast Helen Hunt) who disrupts the lives of wealthy young newlyweds when the starry-eyed young wife (Scarlett Johansson) suspects the lady is having an affair with her husband. Director Mike Barker has cast his female protagonists with Americans, but it's several of the English supporting players (Tom Wilkinson, Roger Hammond and John Standing) who come off best, and while Howard Himelstein's script purloins several of Wilde's choice epigrams, the overall rewrite is below par. Implied adultery, attempted seduction, a character with implied past promiscuity, some mild husband-wife bedroom intimacy. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Paradise Now" (Warner Independent)Compelling drama about two Palestinian childhood friends (Kais Nashef and Ali Suliman) recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, Israel, following them through the tense final hours leading up to the mission, during which their conflicted consciences cause them to waffle in their resolve to carry out their plans. Soberly directed by Hany Abu-Assad, the quietly terrifying film strives to understand the characters' actions without justifying them, while articulating the futility of violence. Subtitles. Mature thematic elements and brief rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Something New" (Focus)Lackluster interracial romance about a career-minded African-American executive (Sanaa Lathan) who falls for her white gardener (Simon Baker) prompting predictable reactions from her friends and family. Directed by Sanaa Hamri, the film reverses racial stereotypes in exploring society's unspoken prejudices, but its sentimental "love is colorblind" message is weedy with cliches and preachy dialogue. Several implied sexual encounters, a scene of passionate groping, a tacit approval of premarital sex and a suggestive dance performance, as well as some crude sexual language and humor and crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The World's Fastest Indian" (Magnolia)Feel-good film about real-life New Zealand race car driver Burt Munro, an elderly man with his 1920s Indian Twin Scout motorbike, who against all odds packed up and went to the United States to break the land speed record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Roger Donaldson has directed Anthony Hopkins to give one of his very best screen performances, so natural it hardly looks as if he's acting, and the inspiring themes of perseverance, defying the odds, and Burt's nonjudgmental embrace of humanity balance the sometimes lumbering pace of a longish length (more than two hours), and his character's atheistic worldview. Scattered profanity, permissive view of premarital sex, a transvestite character, brief solicitation by a prostitute, drug use, some innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(2/10/06) **"Annapolis" (Touchstone)Diverting but derivative drama about a scrappy shipyard worker (an appealing James Franco), who, after being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy, must prove his mettle while training for the school's boxing tournament against his no-nonsense drill instructor (Tyrese Gibson). Though director Justin Lin's adrenalized climax achieves its desired rousing effect, this retread of "An Officer and a Gentleman" is hollow and formulaic. Brutal boxing sequences, an attempted suicide, some sexually crude language and humor, as well as profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Big Momma's House 2" (20th Century Fox)Stale sequel to the 2000 comedy in which FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence), while posing as a plus-size nanny to investigate a software designer tagged with compromising national security, winds up bringing the suspected man's family closer together. Directed by John Whitesell, this only fitfully funny and unnecessarily crude second helping rehashes much of the original's forced slapstick humor, with the perfunctory plot an afterthought to Lawrence' sassy shtick. Comic violence, some gun waving and an implied shooting, some crude and sexual humor and innuendo, a brief drug reference, age-inappropriate suggestive dance moves involving young children, scattered crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"End of the Spear" (Every Tribe Entertainment)Inspiring true story about a group of American missionaries in the Amazon and the native tribe with whom they are trying to make contact, whose lives are changed by tragedy when tribal warriors kill five of the foreigners in 1956, told through the eyes of the son of one of the martyred men (Chad Allen) and a volatile tribesman (Louie Leonardo) who took part in the massacre. Despite its tepid telling, director Jim Hanon's visually lovely and earnest film is a stirring testament to the power of faith and forgiveness to reconcile and heal. Some scenes of violence, including several spearings, limiting its suitability to older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Nanny McPhee" (Universal)Enjoyable tale of magical nanny (Emma Thompson) who comes to the aid of (seven) out-of-control children and their befuddled widower father (Colin Firth), a mortician, and the servant (Kelly MacDonald) who loves him from afar. Director Kirk Jones, working from a screenplay by Thompson based on the "Nurse Matilda" books, has derivative overtones of "Mary Poppins" and other children's fare, but the sweet story is touching, well acted by a solid British cast, including Angela Lansbury, Derek Jacobi and Imelda Staunton, and the almost fairy-tale ambience successfully sustained, with solid moral messages about the primacy of family and the inherent goodness of people. Some innuendo, mild bad language, rude humor, innocuous shots of cadavers and macabre childish pranks perhaps preclude viewing by the very youngest children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II - adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Tristan & Isolde" (20th Century Fox)Occasionally stirring but mostly somber retelling of the classic star-crossed love story set in the 6th century, about an English knight (James Franco) and his Irish lover (Sophia Myles) -- promised in marriage to his liege (Rufus Sewell) -- who must choose between passion and duty with the peace of their warring peoples hanging in the balance. Despite nice photography, attractive leads and the enduring themes of love, loss and honor, director Kevin Reynolds' tale of tragic romance is weighed down by Franco's brooding and humorless performance. Intense battle violence, including severed limbs, a hanging, several sexual situations with suggested nudity, and themes of adultery. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Underworld: Evolution" (Screen Gems)Loud and nonsensical sequel to the 2003 horror action film continuing the chronicles of the escalating war between vampire and werewolf clans, here finding the latex-clad bloodsucker Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and her newly fanged hybrid lover (Scott Speedman) teaming up to stop a supervampire (Tony Curran) from destroying both sides in a quest for world domination. Slickly directed again by Len Wiseman, the follow-up fails to evolve past the original's excess, forgoing plot altogether in favor of even more mind-numbing video-game violence. Nonstop graphic stylized carnage and bloody gore including impalings and dismemberment, strong sexual situations, including a threesome, partial nudity, scattered rough and crude language, as well as profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(2/03/06) **"Glory Road" (Disney)Crowd pleaser based on the true story of an unproven, small-town basketball coach (Josh Lucas), who -- hired to turn around a Texas college's losing program -- bucks the color barrier by recruiting African-American athletes (including Derek Luke), molding his interracial underdogs into a unified team and leading them to an improbable and racially heated shot at the 1966 national title, where he starts five black players -- a first in college hoops -- against a top-seeded, all-white Kentucky squad. Directed by James Gartner, the feel-good, if formulaic, film rips a familiar page from the playbook of past inspirational sports movies, but has heart and a winning message about teamwork and racial equality that transcends sports. An instance of violence, some racial slurs and minimal crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Hoodwinked" (Weinstein)Intermittently amusing computer-animated comedy directed by Cory Edwards that sets out to reveal the "real story" behind the well-known nursery tale of Little Red Riding Hood, as each character -- including the scarlet-clad heroine (voiced by Anne Hathaway), her extreme sports-loving granny (voiced by Glenn Close), the wolf (voiced by Patrick Warburton) and a brawny woodsman (voiced by Jim Belushi) -- are grilled by police responding to a domestic disturbance call. Despite sporadic bursts of wit and a clever "Rashomon"-style structure, the wacky proceedings are handicapped by a laugh-lean script and unimpressive animation. Cartoon action violence and mildly crude humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.**"Hostel" (Lions Gate)Nauseatingly vile horror film about a trio of lustful backpackers (Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson and Eythor Gudjonsson) traveling through Europe, lured off the beaten path by promises of carnal pleasures to a hostel in Slovakia, where they fall easy prey to a pair of temptresses and wind up in a chamber of horrors where wealthy sadists pay top dollar for the most depraved thrills. Packaging dehumanizing brutality as entertainment, director Eli Roth serves up a steady stream of soft-core sex and shock-value gore, as pornographically gratuitous as it is mindless. Excessive grisly violence, including bloody scenes of torture and dismemberment, strong sexual situations with nudity, lurid and erotic images, drug content, a suicide, debasement of women, pervasive rough and crude language, as well as lewd humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" (Warner Independent)Amiable but low-key comedy about comedian Albert Brooks sent to India on a government peace mission to determine what makes Muslims laugh, causing a contretemps with Pakistan in the process. Brooks' brand of laid-back and understated humor and the exoticism of the Delhi, India, settings make for pleasant viewing, along with his gently satiric spin on the present-day politics and conflict often arising over inconsequential misunderstandings. A few instances of profane, rough and crude words make this best for older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Transamerica" (Weinstein)Road drama about a preoperative transsexual man (Felicity Huffman), whose much anticipated sex-switching surgery is put on hold when he finds out he had unknowingly fathered a son (Kevin Zegers), a troubled youth arrested on drug charges, with whom he bonds -- without revealing his paternal identity -- while driving cross-country. Despite fine performances and themes of tolerance, responsible parenting, family bonds, interpersonal connection and human dignity, director Duncan Tucker's underlying thesis that gender identity is malleable is incompatible with church teachings on human sexuality. A sympathetic portrayal of transsexuality, a homosexual encounter and other gay plot elements, rear and frontal nudity, drug content, a crass scene of urination, as well as recurring rough and sexually crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(1/27/06) **"Grandma's Boy" (20th Century Fox)Unspeakably bad comedy about a video-game tester (Allen Covert) who moves in with his grandmother (Doris Roberts) and her geriatric roommates (Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight) after he's evicted for nonpayment of rent, his growing attraction to the efficiency expert at the office (Linda Cardellini), and his interaction with a coterie of goofy friends (including Nick Swardson). Nonstop gross-out humor and rough and crude language, sexual situations and innuendo, upper female and rear male nudity, heavy drug use, hedonistic worldview. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Last Holiday" (Paramount)Touching if improbable tale of dowdy spinster (Queen Latifah), who upon learning she has only a few weeks to live takes her life savings and goes to Europe where she gets a makeover and learns to live life more fully, changing the lives of a corrupt businessman (Timothy Hutton) and less-than-altruistic politicians. Wayne Wang's remake of a 1950 Alec Guinness movie which had a script by august English writer J.B. Priestley is marred by some silly slapstick, but mostly, though predictable and contrived, it's a feel-good film with the marvelously empathetic Latifah and a positive message about recognizing life's possibilities and having the courage to follow through on them. A few instances of crude language, some frank sexual talk and innuendo, and an adulterous situation in an otherwise admirably wholesome film. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.(1/20/06) **"Cache" ("Hidden") (Sony Classics)Superior allegorical French thriller -- with political underpinnings -- about a television talk show host (Daniel Auteuil) and his wife (Juliette Binoche) who works in publishing who receive ominous drawings and videotapes indicating that they are under surveillance, but by whom is a mystery. Director-writer Michael Haneke eschews melodramatics for understated suspense and psychological tension that builds unnervingly, though the denouement leaves provocatively unanswered questions. Subtitles. Scattered rough and crude language; an instance of profanity; two violent, if dramatically valid, episodes including the beheading of a rooster with blood; a suicide with blood; brief shadowy nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"The Libertine" (Weinstein)Dank and dark 17th-century tale of provocative real-life poet John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp), who has a love-hate relationship with King Charles II (John Malkovich), falling in and out of his favor, and whose womanizing ways are finally tempered by his admiration for an ambitious actress (Samantha Morton) whom he grooms for stardom. Director Laurence Dunmore's adaptation of Stephen Jeffreys' play is reasonably well acted, but slow-moving and distasteful, wallowing excessively in its protagonist's unbridled lusts and the general bawdiness of the age, despite its ostensibly redemptive ending. Much rough and crude language, vulgar sexual expressions and imagery, sexual situations, adultery, partial and rear nudity, crass scene of urination, some anticlerical remarks and violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.**"Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" (Cineville)A terrific performance by Joan Plowright is reason enough to catch this low-key British charmer about an elderly matron who moves into a shabbily genteel London hotel, and just when she's abandoned by her uncaring daughter and grandson and appears to be facing a dead-end existence, she is befriended by a handsome young writer (Rupert Friend) whom she passes off as her grandson to the inquisitive residents. For this bittersweet film, director Dan Ireland has assembled a top cast of British pros to play the hotel's loners (Anna Massey, Robert Lang, Marcia Warren, Georgina Hale and Millicent Martin) and, though improbable, the story imparts a worthy message about aging and human connection. Mild profanity and innuendo, brief instances of crude language, a brief sexual encounter with no nudity, premarital sex. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.**"Munich" (Universal)Riveting but morally fuzzy political thriller inspired by real events about a team of Israeli assassins (led by Eric Bana) assigned to hunt down and assassinate 11 Palestinians who supposedly had a hand in the slaughter of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. With its problematic revenge theme, director Steven Spielberg's well-acted film walks a thin line between condemning violence and exploiting it for titillating effect by wrapping it in the pulse-pounding excitement of an espionage-action movie that belies its stated serious intent. Extremely graphic violence, including shooting and bomb-related gore, full-frontal nudity, two sexual encounters between husband and wife with partial nudity, as well as recurring rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(1/13/06) **"Match Point" (DreamWorks)Hypnotic London-based morality tale of lower-class tennis instructor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who marries a young woman (Emily Mortimer) from an affluent family and commences an affair with his brother-in-law's ex-fiancee (Scarlett Johansson). Writer-director Woody Allen is at the top of his serious, as opposed to humorous, form in a superbly acted psychological drama that makes its cautionary point even though, like its protagonist, the film delineates a universe governed not by God, but by pure luck. Several discreetly filmed sexual encounters but no overt nudity, some innuendo, adultery theme, scattered profanity and crass words, a couple of violent episodes discreetly filmed, abortion discussion and nihilistic worldview. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.**"The New World" (New Line)Visually exquisite, but listless and long-winded telling of the semi-legendary love affair between English explorer Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) and his Native American paramour, Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher), who saves his life in 1607 Virginia, with their star-crossed romance playing out against mounting tensions between their two peoples. Directed by Terrence Malick, the textured film is basically a series of tableaux -- meticulous in their attention to period detail -- held together by the largely embellished love story, which is saddled with pretentious voiceover narration and underdeveloped characters. Intense battle violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"Casanova" (Touchstone)Handsome but leisurely paced period piece about history's most famous lover (Heath Ledger), focusing on a fictitious "secret" episode in his life: his incognito love affair with an 18th-century Venetian beauty (Sienna Miller) who writes feminist tracts under a male nom de plume. On the plus side, Lasse Hallstrom's film is well acted, farcical without overdoing the slapstick, remarkably restrained in sexual matters, and even has a reasonably moral ending, but there's a surfeit of troublesome Inquisition-era jibes at the Catholic Church (including a comically villainous bishop played by Jeremy Irons), and an episode involving seduction of a novice. Brief sexual episodes without nudity, innuendo, some crude expressions, pervasive anti-clerical view and a mild torture scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.**"Cheaper By the Dozen 2" (20th Century Fox)Agreeably entertaining sequel to the 2003 comedy which finds the Baker brood -- mom (Bonnie Hunt), dad (Steve Martin) and their 12 children -- vacationing at a lakefront cabin where their summer holiday unravels into a battle for bragging rights against a rival clan headed by a hypercompetitive blowhard (Eugene Levy). Director Adam Shankman serves up a similar helping of mildly amusing slapstick and heart-tugging sentiment, slightly more satisfying this time around, while again affirming a strong family-values message. Much comic mayhem, and some mildly crude humor, language and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.**"Fun With Dick and Jane" (Columbia)Middling remake of the 1977 George Segal-Jane Fonda comedy about an affluent suburban couple who fall on hard times when they lose their jobs, and after failing to land something else turn to robbery in desperation. Director Dean Parisot's version starts out promisingly, but turns sour and unfunny, despite the skill of its two accomplished stars, while the basic premise, a satire on the American dream and corporate greed, is unconvincing from a dramatic, as much as a moral, standpoint. Some rough and crude language and profanity, brief bedroom encounters between husband and wife, some crude humor and innuendo, mild irreverence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.**"The Matador" (Weinstein)</ |