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What stands out first about Moonlight Mile is the confidence with which Brad Silberling establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Moonlight Mile asks Jake Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffman to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Moonlight Mile is established with useful clarity: As he copes with the death of his fiancée, a young man befriends her parents and must figure out what he wants out of life. That direct approach lets Mo

What stands out first about Trapped is the confidence with which Luis Mandoki establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Trapped asks Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Trapped is established with useful clarity: The Jennings' fight for their daughters life after she is kidnapped by an experienced gang of thieves. That direct approach lets Trapped use its 1h 46m running time for chara

What stands out first about Big Trouble is the confidence with which Barry Sonnenfeld establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Big Trouble asks Tim Allen and Rene Russo to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Big Trouble is established with useful clarity: The lives of several Miami denizens, from ad agents to gunrunners to street thugs to law enforcement to school children, intersect with humorous and dangerous results. Th

What stands out first about City of God is the confidence with which Fernando Meirelles establishes its crime drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, City of God asks Alexandre Rodrigues and Leandro Firmino to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of City of God is established with useful clarity: In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin. That direct approach lets City of Go

What stands out first about Dirty Pretty Things is the confidence with which Stephen Frears establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dirty Pretty Things asks Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dirty Pretty Things is established with useful clarity: Irregular migrants Okwe and Senay work at a posh London hotel and live in constant fear of deportation. That direct approach lets Dirty

What stands out first about Death to Smoochy is the confidence with which Danny DeVito establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Death to Smoochy asks Robin Williams and Edward Norton to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Death to Smoochy is established with useful clarity: A kids' show host, Rainbow Randolph, is fired in disgrace while his replacement, Sheldon Mopes, A.K.A. Smoochy the Rhino, finds himself a rising star.

What stands out first about The Importance of Being Earnest is the confidence with which Oliver Parker establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Importance of Being Earnest asks Rupert Everett and Colin Firth to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Importance of Being Earnest is established with useful clarity: In 1890s London, two friends use the same pseudonym ("Ernest") for their on the sly activities. That direct

What stands out first about Boat Trip is the confidence with which Mort Nathan establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Boat Trip asks Cuba Gooding Jr. and Horatio Sanz to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Boat Trip is established with useful clarity: Two straight men mistakenly end up on a "gays only" cruise. That direct approach lets Boat Trip use its 1h 34m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence. ⁠ The

What stands out first about Dark Blue is the confidence with which Ron Shelton establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dark Blue asks Kurt Russell and Ving Rhames to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dark Blue is established with useful clarity: A robbery homicide investigation triggers a series of events that will cause a corrupt LAPD officer to question his tactics. That direct approach lets Dark Blue use its 1h 58m

What stands out first about Talk to Her is the confidence with which Pedro Almodóvar establishes its mystery identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Talk to Her asks Rosario Flores and Javier Cámara to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Talk to Her is established with useful clarity: Two men share an odd friendship while they care for two women who are both in deep comas. That direct approach lets Talk to Her use its 1h 52m running time for ch

What stands out first about S1m0ne is the confidence with which Andrew Niccol establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, S1m0ne asks Al Pacino and Catherine Keener to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of S1m0ne is established with useful clarity: A producer's film is endangered when his star walks off, so he decides to digitally create an actress to substitute for the star, becoming an overnight sensation that everyone thinks

What stands out first about Possession is the confidence with which Neil LaBute establishes its mystery identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Possession asks Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Possession is established with useful clarity: A pair of literary sleuths unearth the amorous secret of two Victorian poets only to find themselves falling under a passionate spell. That direct approach lets Possess