Movies Tale Of 'Defiance' Among The Third Reich's Targets December 31, 2008 • Two brothers kept 1,200 Jews alive in the forests of Belarus during World War II. Edward Zwick's drama retells their story — and the film is best when it's honest about their tense relationship.
Movies Third Reich Returns: 'Valkyrie,' 'Defiance' and 'Good' December 25, 2008 • Despite all the chest-thumping warriors in the new Nazi-themed releases, there isn't much inner conflict in Valkyrie or Defiance. If you want WWII drama, Bob Mondello recommends the new film adaptation of C.P. Taylor's play Good.
Movies On 'Revolutionary Road,' A Dream Gone Off Course December 25, 2008 • A decade ago, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio played a couple falling in love on the Titanic. They've reunited to play starry-eyed lovers whose marriage goes titanically wrong.
Movies In 'Benjamin Button,' A Curiously Chilly Passion December 25, 2008 • David Fincher's romance — based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald — ages Brad Pitt backward until he's the right age to love Cate Blanchett. Kenneth Turan says the peculiar tale is an odd fit for the director's talents.
Movies Adam Sandler's 'Bedtime Stories': One Big Snooze December 24, 2008 • A sad-sack handyman gets a new life thanks to the magical plot twists his niece and nephew add to his impromptu tales. But the unlikeliest thing about this bland comedy is watching Sandler play nice for a PG rating.
Movies 'Waltz With Bashir': A Delicate Dance With Memory December 24, 2008 • Ari Folman's animated memoir explores the legacy — for a soldier and for his comrades — of Israel's 1982 incursion into Lebanon, which eventually led to the massacre of refugees at the Sabra and Shatila camps.
Movies 'The Spirit' Is Weak (Which Is Bad In A Superhero) December 24, 2008 • The noir-crime movie revisits a comic-serial world that's more sophisticated than most — but Frank Miller's take on the Central City story is a by-the-numbers superhero story, haphazardly told.
Movies 'Seven Pounds': Life, Death and Other Heavy Things December 18, 2008 • It opens with a warning of a suicide, so it's instantly clear that Seven Pounds will address mortally important matters — though its whydunit structure means we can't tell you much more.
Movies 'Despereaux': The Tale Of A Mighty Mouse Indeed December 18, 2008 • Languid plotting makes this mouse adventure a little slow for the very youngest of younglings — though the messages it imparts are certainly ones you'll want them to hear. Bob Mondello reviews.
Movies In 'The Class,' A Struggle Toward Knowledge December 18, 2008 • French cinema is known for characters who play, whether at love, crime or thought. Filmmaker Laurent Cantet, however, is more interested in work — here, the work of knowledge and of knowing. (Recommended)
Movies 'Yes Man': Right Answer For Carrey Fans? Possibly... December 18, 2008 • With a title like Yes Man, Jim Carrey's latest caper is angling for a two-thumbs-up notice. But this account of the power of positive responding turns out to be more of a maybe.
Movies In 'The Wrestler,' Rourke's Gory, Tragic Comeback Fresh Air December 18, 2008 • The Wrestler is predictable, corny and heavy-handed, says critic David Edelstein, but with Mickey Rourke acting his heart out, the sheer adrenaline-pumping violence of the film gets into your bloodstream.
Movies 'The Wrestler': Low Blows, But No Punches Pulled December 17, 2008 • As year-end approaches, the Oscar chatter gets louder, and no actor has had more buzz than Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Critic Kenneth Turan says the hype is justified — sort of.
Movies 'The Day The Earth Stood Still': Interstellar Inertia December 11, 2008 • It's time, not the planet, that seems to halt for a big chunk of Scott Derrickson's expensively produced but utterly boneheaded remake. Sure, the effects are special — but you can see those free on the Web.
Movies In 'Doubt': Adapting A Parable Proves Problematic December 11, 2008 • On its journey from stage to screen, John Patrick Shanley's drama of a priest and a nun at odds over their flock lost its sense of universality — and the metaphorical weight that helped win it a Pulitzer Prize.