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The Men Who Stare at Goats arrives as a comedy directed by Grant Heslov, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Ewan McGregor and George Clooney give The Men Who Stare at Goats a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Men Who Stare at Goats comes into focus without a long explanation: A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member o

The Last House on the Left arrives as a horror film directed by Dennis Iliadis, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Garret Dillahunt and Monica Potter give The Last House on the Left a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Last House on the Left comes into focus without a long explanation: After kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belongin

The Informant! arrives as a comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Matt Damon and Tony Hale give The Informant! a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Informant! comes into focus without a long explanation: The U.S. government decides to go after an agro business giant with a price fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president

Halloween II arrives as a horror film directed by Rob Zombie, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Scout Taylor Compton and Tyler Mane give Halloween II a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Halloween II comes into focus without a long explanation: Laurie Strode struggles to come to terms with her brother Michael's deadly return to Haddonfield, Illinois; meanwhile, Michael prepares for another reunion with h

All About Steve arrives as a comedy directed by Phil Traill, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper give All About Steve a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in All About Steve comes into focus without a long explanation: Convinced that a CCN cameraman is her true love, an eccentric crossword puzzler trails him as he travels all over the country, hoping to convince him that they

The Pink Panther 2 arrives as a comedy directed by Harald Zwart, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Steve Martin and Jean Reno give The Pink Panther 2 a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Pink Panther 2 comes into focus without a long explanation: Insp. Across its 1h 32m running time, Harald Zwart keeps The Pink Panther 2 uncertain about tone and dramatic emphasis. ⁠ The Pink Panther 2 gains much of i

Notorious arrives as a crime drama directed by George Tillman Jr., and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jamal Woolard and Anthony Mackie give Notorious a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Notorious comes into focus without a long explanation: The life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Across its 2h 2m running time, George Tillman Jr. keeps Notorious clear enough to keep the emotional line vis

State of Play arrives as a thriller directed by Kevin Macdonald, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams give State of Play a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in State of Play comes into focus without a long explanation: When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington, D.C. journalist starts investigating the case involving the Representative, his old college friend. Across it

Invictus arrives as a biographical drama directed by Clint Eastwood, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon give Invictus a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Invictus comes into focus without a long explanation: Nelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission

Ninja Assassin arrives as an action film directed by James McTeigue, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Rain and Rick Yune give Ninja Assassin a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Ninja Assassin comes into focus without a long explanation: A young ninja turns his back on the orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan. Across its 1h 39m running time, James McTei

Surrogates arrives as an action film directed by Jonathan Mostow, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell give Surrogates a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Surrogates comes into focus without a long explanation: Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order

Crazy Heart arrives as a romance directed by Scott Cooper, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal give Crazy Heart a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Crazy Heart comes into focus without a long explanation: A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. Across its 1h 52m running time, Scott Cooper