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What stands out first about Casanova is the confidence with which Lasse Hallström establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Casanova asks Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Casanova is established with useful clarity: The fabled romantic Giacomo Casanova, after failing to win the affection of the Venetian woman Francesca Bruni, strives to discover the real meaning of love. That direct appr

What stands out first about Dave Chappelle's Block Party is the confidence with which Michel Gondry establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Dave Chappelle's Block Party asks Dave Chappelle and Yasiin Bey to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Dave Chappelle's Block Party is established with useful clarity: A mix of Dave Chappelle's sketch comedy and musical interludes, inspired in part by the 1973 documentary Wattsta

What stands out first about End of the Spear is the confidence with which Jim Hanon establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, End of the Spear asks Louie Leonardo and Chad Allen to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of End of the Spear is established with useful clarity: Two people come to the end of a spear in order to realize that the divisions between them are not real. That direct approach lets End of the Spea

What stands out first about The Protector is the confidence with which Prachya Pinkaew establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Protector asks Tony Jaa and Nathan Jones to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Protector is established with useful clarity: A young fighter named Kham must go to Australia to retrieve his stolen elephant. That direct approach lets The Protector use its 1h 51m running time for charac

What stands out first about The Weather Man is the confidence with which Gore Verbinski establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Weather Man asks Nicolas Cage and Hope Davis to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Weather Man is established with useful clarity: A Chicago weatherman separated from his wife and children debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive. That direct approach lets

What stands out first about The Matador is the confidence with which Richard Shepard establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Matador asks Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Matador is established with useful clarity: A globetrotting hitman and a crestfallen businessman meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City in an encounter that draws them together in a way neither expected. That dir

What stands out first about The New World is the confidence with which Terrence Malick establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The New World asks Colin Farrell and Q'orianka Kilcher to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The New World is established with useful clarity: The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas. That direct approach lets The New World use its 2h 1

What stands out first about The Honeymooners is the confidence with which John Schultz establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Honeymooners asks Cedric The Entertainer and Mike Epps to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Honeymooners is established with useful clarity: Working class New York bus driver Ralph Kramden is always coming up with get rich quick schemes for him and his best friend, Ed Norton, who's alway

What stands out first about Broken Flowers is the confidence with which Jim Jarmusch establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Broken Flowers asks Bill Murray and Jessica Lange to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Broken Flowers is established with useful clarity: As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who m

What stands out first about The Cave is the confidence with which Bruce Hunt establishes its horror film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Cave asks Piper Perabo and Morris Chestnut to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Cave is established with useful clarity: Blood thirsty creatures await a pack of divers who become trapped in an underwater cave network. That direct approach lets The Cave use its 1h 37m running time for characte

What stands out first about The Greatest Game Ever Played is the confidence with which Bill Paxton establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Greatest Game Ever Played asks Shia LaBeouf and Stephen Dillane to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Greatest Game Ever Played is established with useful clarity: In the 1913 U.S. Open, twenty year old Francis Ouimet played golf against his idol, 1900 U.S. Open ch

What stands out first about The Gospel is the confidence with which Rob Hardy establishes its fantasy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Gospel asks Boris Kodjoe and Nona Gaye to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Gospel is established with useful clarity: This is a story about a successful young R&B singer that has an unlikely homecoming when his father, the bishop, becomes ill. That direct approach lets The Gospel use its 1h 45m