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What stands out first about Dogtown and Z Boys is the confidence with which Stacy Peralta establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dogtown and Z Boys asks Sean Penn and Jay Adams to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dogtown and Z Boys is established with useful clarity: Documentary about the pioneering 1970s Zephyr skating team. That direct approach lets Dogtown and Z Boys use its 1h 31m running time for character,

What stands out first about Kandahar is the confidence with which Mohsen Makhmalbaf establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Kandahar asks Nelofer Pazira and Hassan Tantai to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Kandahar is established with useful clarity: After an Afghanistan born woman who lives in Canada receives a letter from her suicidal sister, she takes a perilous journey through Afghanistan to try to find her. That d

What stands out first about The Man from Elysian Fields is the confidence with which George Hickenlooper establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Man from Elysian Fields asks Andy Garcia and Mick Jagger to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Man from Elysian Fields is established with useful clarity: A failed novelist's inability to pay the bills strains relations with his wife and leads him to work at an escort s

What stands out first about Read My Lips is the confidence with which Jacques Audiard establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Read My Lips asks Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Devos to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Read My Lips is established with useful clarity: She is almost deaf and he lip reads. That direct approach lets Read My Lips use its 1h 55m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence. ⁠ The di

What stands out first about Donnie Darko is the confidence with which Richard Kelly establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Donnie Darko asks Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Donnie Darko is established with useful clarity: After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of c

What stands out first about Sex and Lucía is the confidence with which Julio Medem establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Sex and Lucía asks Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Sex and Lucía is established with useful clarity: Various lives converge on an isolated island, all connected by an author whose novel has become inextricably entwined with his own life. That direct approach lets Sex

What stands out first about Late Marriage is the confidence with which Dover Koshashvili establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Late Marriage asks Lior Ashkenazi and Ronit Elkabetz to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Late Marriage is established with useful clarity: Zaza is a 31 year old Israeli bachelor, handsome and intelligent, and his family wants to see him married. That direct approach lets Late Marriage use its

What stands out first about Pokemon 4Ever: Celebi Voice of the Forest is the confidence with which Kunihiko Yuyama establishes its animated adventure identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Pokemon 4Ever: Celebi Voice of the Forest asks Veronica Taylor and Rica Matsumoto to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Pokemon 4Ever: Celebi Voice of the Forest is established with useful clarity: Ash must stop a hunter who forces the mythical Pokémon Cele

What stands out first about Carman: The Champion is the confidence with which Lee Stanley establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Carman: The Champion asks Carman and Michael Nouri to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Carman: The Champion is established with useful clarity: Carman must enter the boxing ring once again. That direct approach lets Carman: The Champion use its 1h 22m running time for character, atmosph

What stands out first about NSync: Bigger Than Live is the confidence with which John Bailey establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, NSync: Bigger Than Live asks Lance Bass and JC Chasez to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of NSync: Bigger Than Live is established with useful clarity: Get a chance to see NSYNC perform on your television screen in their own concert film. That direct approach lets NSync: Bigger Than Li

What stands out first about Novocaine is the confidence with which David Atkins establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Novocaine asks Steve Martin and Helena Bonham Carter to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Novocaine is established with useful clarity: A dentist finds himself a murder suspect after a sexy patient seduces him and steals all of the drugs from his practice. That direct approach lets Novocaine use its 1h

What stands out first about Rivers and Tides is the confidence with which Thomas Riedelsheimer establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Rivers and Tides asks Andy Goldsworthy and Anna Goldsworthy to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Rivers and Tides is established with useful clarity: Portrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature. That direct approach le