Movies In Chilly 'Transsiberian,' An Endlessly Twisty Ride July 31, 2008 In a summer of forward-looking superhero films and sci-fi flicks, Transsiberian revives the Russian crime drama. This cool thriller offers it all: seedy mobsters, stunning snowscapes and even a suitcase full of babushka dolls.
Movies In 'Swing Vote,' A Civics Lesson, Hollywood Style July 31, 2008 Just in time for the political conventions: a morally muddled attempt to pay Capra-esque tribute to America's democracy. Kevin Costner plays a 50-something buffoon with arrested development.
Movies 'Brideshead': A Shorter Visit To A Grand Old Place July 25, 2008 Purists, fear not: The new film of the Evelyn Waugh novel is visually sumptuous and largely stays true to its source. And Bob Mondello says this two-hour take on the classic tale provides new insights on character.
Movies 'X-Files' Movie A Thriller? Don't You Believe It July 24, 2008 More sentimental than spooky, the second X-Files film asks not whether you believe in alien life or vast government conspiracies, but if you believe in life after love.
Movies 'Step Brothers': A Family Affair Worth Skipping July 24, 2008 The Talladega Nights team reunites for some rudimentary plotting and an abundance of anatomical humor, courtesy of two whiny man-children: To critic Cynthia Fuchs, that all adds up to "tedious."
Movies 'Man On Wire': Defying Gravity And Time Fresh Air July 24, 2008 With a tightly woven narrative, James Marsh's superb documentary studies Philippe Petit's high-wire walk between the Twin Towers. Critic David Edelstein says the film is often awe-inducing.
Movies American Teens Hog Spotlight; 'Boy A' Shies Away July 23, 2008 Amid summer's blockbusters, two films offer a change of pace: American Teen, a documentary that plays like fiction, and Boy A, fiction that feels true to life.
Movies In Gotham, A Long Look Into The Heart Of Darkness July 18, 2008 In The Dark Knight, an explosively provocative Batman installment directed by Christopher Nolan, exhilaratingly straightforward action sequences are matched by moral complexity of a sort not usually associated with comic-book movie franchises.
Movies 'The Dark Knight': Through Shadows And Hype July 18, 2008 The Dark Knight, the new Batman film with Christian Bale in the title role, may be the most hopeless, despairing comic-book movie in memory. It creates a world where being a superhero is at best a double-edged sword and any triumph is likely to be short-lived.
Movies 'Mamma Mia!' Revisits The Greek Wedding July 17, 2008 The folks directing, scripting and producing Mamma Mia! are the same ones who did the show on Broadway. They are not movie people, and it shows at times: The performers have been encouraged to overdo, play to the back row, and belt songs into each other's faces.
Movies 'The Doorman' Bubblier Than Dance-Club Cristal July 17, 2008 The Doorman offers a genial take on the absurdities of the velvet-rope culture, in the process gently lampooning the nightclub set. Bob Mondello calls the titular gatekeeper a "hilariously preposterous movie creature."
Movies 'Dark Knight,' A Cheerless Blood-Drenched Allegory Fresh Air July 17, 2008 Batman should be dark, reviewer David Edelstein says, but Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is a sadistic film with "no wit, visual or otherwise."
Movies 'Before I Forget' A Poignant Memoir July 17, 2008 With steely nerve and mordant wit, Jacques Nolot's Before I Forget presents an unflinching portrait of a former hustler now in middle age, HIV positive, and negotiating the financial and emotional legacies of several generations of gay men.
Movies 'Mad Detective': Gritty And Grisly July 17, 2008 A twisted take on the usual Hong Kong crime film, Mad Detective is a psychologically harrowing thriller with a supernatural side. It even possesses elements of another Asian cinematic staple: the ghost story.
Movies A Portrait Of The Great 'Gonzo' Fresh Air July 16, 2008 The documentary Gonzo remembers the strange and wild life of writer Hunter S. Thompson. Critic John Powers reviews the film.