All Articles

What stands out first about Bon Cop Bad Cop is the confidence with which Erik Canuel establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Bon Cop Bad Cop asks Michel Beaudry and Patrice Bélanger to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Bon Cop Bad Cop is established with useful clarity: Two Canadian detectives, one from Ontario and the other from Quebec, must work together when a murdered victim is found on the Ontario Quebec border. Th

What stands out first about Volver is the confidence with which Pedro Almodóvar establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Volver asks Penélope Cruz and Carmen Maura to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Volver is established with useful clarity: After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life. That direct approach lets Volver use its 2h 1m running time

What stands out first about How to Eat Fried Worms is the confidence with which Bob Dolman establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, How to Eat Fried Worms asks Luke Benward and Hallie Eisenberg to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of How to Eat Fried Worms is established with useful clarity: During the first day of his new school year, a new kid in town squares off against a bully and winds up accepting a dare that could ch

What stands out first about Flyboys is the confidence with which Tony Bill establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Flyboys asks James Franco and Jean Reno to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Flyboys is established with useful clarity: The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots

What stands out first about Friends with Money is the confidence with which Nicole Holofcener establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Friends with Money asks Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Friends with Money is established with useful clarity: After she quits her lucrative job, Olivia finds herself unsure about her future and her relationships with her successful and wealthy

What stands out first about One Night with the King is the confidence with which Michael O. Sajbel establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, One Night with the King asks Tiffany Dupont and Luke Goss to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of One Night with the King is established with useful clarity: In Biblical times, a girl disguises her Jewish origins when the Persian king comes looking for a new bride among his

What stands out first about The Namesake is the confidence with which Mira Nair establishes its drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Namesake asks Kal Penn and Irrfan Khan to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Namesake is established with useful clarity: American born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways. That d

What stands out first about Letters from Iwo Jima is the confidence with which Clint Eastwood establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Letters from Iwo Jima asks Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Letters from Iwo Jima is established with useful clarity: The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspect

What stands out first about Hollywoodland is the confidence with which Allen Coulter establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Hollywoodland asks Adrien Brody and Ben Affleck to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Hollywoodland is established with useful clarity: A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952). That direct approach lets Hollywoodl

What stands out first about Everyone's Hero is the confidence with which Colin Brady establishes its animated adventure identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Everyone's Hero asks Jake T. Austin and Brian Dennehy to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Everyone's Hero is established with useful clarity: A boy begins a grand journey to return Babe Ruth's baseball bat before the deciding game of the 1932 World Series comes to a close. That direct

What stands out first about Tristan + Isolde is the confidence with which Kevin Reynolds establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Tristan + Isolde asks James Franco and Sophia Myles to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Tristan + Isolde is established with useful clarity: An affair between the second in line to Britain's throne and the princess of the feuding Irish spells doom for the young lovers. That direct approa

What stands out first about See No Evil is the confidence with which Gregory Dark establishes its horror film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, See No Evil asks Glenn Jacobs and Christina Vidal to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of See No Evil is established with useful clarity: A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel. That direct approach lets See No Evil use its 1h 24m running time for character, atmosphere and con