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What stands out first about Elephant is the confidence with which Gus Van Sant establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Elephant asks Elias McConnell and Alex Frost to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Elephant is established with useful clarity: Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. That direct approach lets Elephant use its 1h 21m run

What stands out first about Osama is the confidence with which Siddiq Barmak establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Osama asks Marina Golbahari and Zubaida Sahar to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Osama is established with useful clarity: After the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the restriction of women in public life, a pre teen girl is forced to masquerade as a boy in order to find work to support her mother

What stands out first about Saints and Soldiers is the confidence with which Ryan Little establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Saints and Soldiers asks Corbin Allred and Alexander Polinsky to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Saints and Soldiers is established with useful clarity: Four American soldiers and one Brit fighting in Europe during World War II struggle to return to Allied territory after being separate

What stands out first about Sylvia is the confidence with which Christine Jeffs establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Sylvia asks Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Sylvia is established with useful clarity: Story of the relationship between poets Edward James "Ted" Hughes and Sylvia Plath. That direct approach lets Sylvia use its 1h 40m running time for character, atmosphere and co

What stands out first about Off the Map is the confidence with which Campbell Scott establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Off the Map asks Valentina de Angelis and Joan Allen to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Off the Map is established with useful clarity: An eleven year old girl watches her father come down with a crippling depression. That direct approach lets Off the Map use its 1h 45m running time for character,

What stands out first about Northfork is the confidence with which Michael Polish establishes its fantasy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Northfork asks Duel Farnes and Nick Nolte to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Northfork is established with useful clarity: Set in 1955, the residents of a small Montana community are forced to move their homes to make way for a new dam. That direct approach lets Northfork use its 1h 43m running ti

What stands out first about Dogville is the confidence with which Lars von Trier establishes its crime drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dogville asks Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dogville is established with useful clarity: A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town she finds out that their su

What stands out first about Veronica Guerin is the confidence with which Joel Schumacher establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Veronica Guerin asks Cate Blanchett and Colin Farrell to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Veronica Guerin is established with useful clarity: An Irish journalist writes a series of stories about drug dealers. That direct approach lets Veronica Guerin use its 1h 38m running time for characte

What stands out first about I'm Not Scared is the confidence with which Gabriele Salvatores establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, I'm Not Scared asks Aitana Sánchez Gijón and Dino Abbrescia to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of I'm Not Scared is established with useful clarity: A young boy accidentally discovers a deep hole in the ground, where another boy is kept prisoner. That direct approach lets I'm Not Scared us

What stands out first about Camp is the confidence with which Todd Graff establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Camp asks Don Dixon and Daniel Letterle to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Camp is established with useful clarity: After a series of Broadway flops, songwriter Bert Hanley (Dixon) goes to work at a musical camp for young performers. That direct approach lets Camp use its 1h 54m running time for character,

What stands out first about Marci X is the confidence with which Richard Benjamin establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Marci X asks Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Marci X is established with useful clarity: A Jewish American Princess is forced to take control of a hard core hip hop record label and tries to rein the one of the label's most controversial rappers. That direct approach

What stands out first about The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey is the confidence with which Gary Rogers establishes its feature film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey asks Noah Dalton Danby and Jacque Gray to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Book of Mormon Movie, Volume 1: The Journey is established with useful clarity: The story of Lehi and his wife Sariah and their four