R

RABBIT-PROOF FENCE: Official policy between 1910 and 1970 in Australia allowed half-caste Aborigine children to be forcibly removed from their families and incarcerated "for their own good." Those with skin light enough were sent to "regular" schools. Those with darker skin were trained and educated to become servants for white families. The story told in this movie is of three young girls who were stolen from their mothers and sent to the Moore River Native Settlement, located 1200 miles from their home. Once there, they were not allowed to use their own language--something our country is guilty of in our past treatment of Native Americans. Rabbit-Proof Fence is a true story, adapted from a book by Doris Pilkington, relating the experiences of her mother, Molly, her aunt Daisy and their cousin Gracie. Everlyn Sampi, a young girl who never acted before, is amazing in the role of Molly. The three girls ran away from Moore River and walked all the way home. It took them more than three months and they were pursued all the way by local police and by a tracker used by the government to hunt down runaways. Molly used Australia's rabbit-proof fence to guide their way and cleverly hid their tracks to avoid capture. Kenneth Branagh plays A.O. Neville who was the chief protector of the Aborigines in 1931. He administered the relocation policies and believed that in order to assimilate half-caste children into mainstream society it was necessary to "breed the Aborigine out of them." The only thing that distinguishes him from Hitler is that he didn't send them to gas chambers. Some people believe that this relocation policy qualifies as genocide, but the government of Prime Minister John Howard refuses to give an official apology. The incredible journey of these three young girls is exciting, touching, and beautifully photographed. We think it deserves a GRADE B+.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED: It is hard for me to believe, but I walked out of the theater liking a wedding film a little better than Barbara did. Actress Anne Hathaway is brilliant in her portrayal of a recovering drug addict returning home from a treatment facility to attend her sister Rachel’s wedding. This film will certainly help Hathaway break away from her "goody-two-shoes" image in The Princess Diaries (2001) and Ella Enchanted (2004). Shaky handheld cameras* give us a close-up view of two multicultural families coming together in marriage. There are moments of pure joy, but there are also gut wrenching moments exposing raw nerves left over from an unthinkable family tragedy. Well directed by Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), the film has a quality that reminded me of Robert Altman’s early films (Mash (1970) and Nashville (1975). A talented supporting cast that included Debra Winger, Bill Irwin, Rosemarie DeWitt and a whole host of diverse actors playing very natural uninhibited eccentrics at an unorthodox wedding. At one point near the end of the film I was leaning toward an A-, but a far too long scene at a wild party following the wedding ceremony, lowered it to a B+. That scene and one or two others bothered Barb enough that she says B. GRADE B+/B

RADIO: This is a "heart warming, feel-good" movie. The problem is that many critics loathe "heart warming, feel-good" films.even if they are exceptionally well done as I think this film is. Barbara passed the job of reviewing this one to me because I liked it a little better than she. The movie was inspired by a true story about James Robert Kennedy (nicknamed Radio), an illiterate mentally retarded young African-American. The role is beautifully played by Cuba Gooding Jr. Radio is taken under the wing of the high-school football coach played by Ed Harris. The story follows the predictable growth of Radio under the tutelage of the coach. If you have a tendency to cry in movies, bring a box of tissues for this one. The screen play was written by Mike Rich who also wrote the screenplays for Finding Forrester and The Rookie. The film was inspired by real events reported in Gary Smith's 1996 Sports Illustrated article "Someone to Lean On." Barbara gives Radio a B, but I say B+. I will close with a quote from Roger Ebert who says, Radio is a treasure. Others may find it too slow or sunny or innocent. You know who you are. (Barb's note: I enjoyed seeing Debra Winger as the coach's wife. It wasn't much of a role, but she brings something nice to it. Hope to see more of her.) GRADE B+/B

RAISING HELEN: Kate Hudson is adorable and she has the world's greatest smile. Too bad the script for Raising Helen doesn't match her charm. The movie, directed by Garry Marshall, was written by a committee (four diferent writers) and it plays like it. Some of the scenes work, some don't. Some of the scenes present honest emotions, some are completely contrived. The plot is a familiar one: Successful career woman (Husdon) assumes mother responsibilities for her sister's three children when their mother and father are killed in an auto accident. The difference in this film is that Helen isn't the only sister. Jenny (Joan Cusack) is the responsible sister. She's Supermom. We don't really learn of the real sister dynamics until near the end of the film, but I thought it was one of the better plot elements. . Cusak does have one terrific scene, and John Corbett, who is Pastor Dan, has some nice scenes with Hudson. We did enjoy seeing Helen Mirren as Helen's boss. The three kids are typical sitcom stuff: cute little girl who can't tie her shoes, young boy who won't talk about his parents, and the nubile teenager teetering on the brink of womanhood. The kids acquit themselves admirably, but there's nothing new here. Hudon's charm makes it a pleasant enough way to pass the time if you don't have anything better to do. GRADE C+

RAISING VICTOR VARGAS: Victor is an Hispanic teenager living in New York's East Side and he is a boy looking for a girlfriend. When he finds the girl of his dreams, she initially rebuffs his attentions, but he persists. This teenage love story is unique because it presents Hispanic young people who are not doing anything illegal--just trying to grow up. The hand held camera technique used throughout does make the story seem real, but it also gets a bit annoying. The actors are very good. Victor is played by Victor Rasuk, and his real-life brother, Silvestre, plays his younger brother in the movie. The two boys and their sister are being raised by their grandmother, played realistically by Altagracia Guzman. Judy Marte is Judy Ramirez, the object of Victor's affections. MovieViewer Bill W., Scottsdale, AZ saw the film and told us he thought it was OK. We feel the same way. Grade C+
Ebert's Note: Like so many movies dealing intelligently with teenage sexuality, "Raising Victor Vargas" has been rated R by the MPAA, which awards the PG-13 to comedies celebrating cheap vulgarity, but penalizes sincere expressions of true experience and real-life values.

RATATOUILLE: It’s hard to make rats appealing. Mice, maybe, but rats? They do a pretty good job with the lead rat, Remy, mostly because he’s colored blue and walks upright. His family and pack mates, though, are brown and when you see a hundred of them running around the kitchen, it's sort of YUCK! However, the story of a rat who can read and dream of becoming a famous chef is cute enough. Plus, I’ve read that the film’s version of a restaurant kitchen is quite accurate. The animation is outstanding, though, and the film earns points with us by having Peter O‘Toole voice Anton Ego, the supercilious critic. We thought that for a kids’ movie, the story was a bit above their heads, but the director put in a lot of chases (a lot!), and the kids in our audience seemed to enjoy them. As you know, we usually avoid animated films, but we went to this one because it’s gotten such high marks from the critics. In our opinion, this movie can’t compare with the original Shrek, or with The Lion King, but it is lively, beautifully animated and entertaining enough to warrant a B. GRADE B

RAY: Jamie Foxx gives a brilliant and nuanced performance as Ray Charles in this biopic. He is certain to get an Oscar nod. This film is a straightforward biography of the man who is called "the genius of soul." The story is told in a mostly linear fashion with some flashbacks to the young Ray Charles Robinson. The film doesn't sugarcoat the musician's addiction to heroin or his philandering ways, but those blots on his character do nothing to detract from the magic of his music. It would be worth seeing the movie just to hear those wonderful Ray Charles songs, sung by the master, himself. Although Foxx is only lip-synching the songs, he so embodies Charles' soul and his physical characteristics that you believe you are seeing the real Ray Charles. Taylor Hackford both wrote and directed this film and he manages to make the 2 and 1/2 hours running time seem far shorter. The flashback scenes help explain how Charles learned to cope with his blindness. Sharon Warren plays Aretha Robinson and she is memorable! The scenes between her and the young Ray are incredibly moving. Warren's filmography consists only of this film, but given her outstanding performance here, we should be seeing a lot more of her. Kerry Washington plays the singer's faithful wife, Della Bea Robinson. Frank Sinatra once said of Ray Charles that he was the only true genius in the music field. This film gives you a wonderful chance to see the genius and hear his music. Don't miss it. GRADE A

THE READER: Remarkable storytelling and superb acting make this a standout film for me. James Berardeinelli of Reel Views said that this was a film worth seeing for those who enjoy complexity and moral ambiguity, and I guess that describes us. We were both moved by this screen adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel. However, it is not a feel-good movie but rather a serious story told in a low key manner, and I suspect few will see it. That’s too bad because they will miss one of the best performances of the year. Kate Winslet is brilliant as Hanna Schmitz, a 35-year-old German woman, who seduces a 15-year-old boy, not merely for the sex, but also because she wants him to read out loud to her. David Kross is equally impressive as Michael, the lustful young boy. When Hanna suddenly and inexplicably vanishes from his life, Michael is devastated. Nine years later, as a law student, David discovers that Hanna had worked as a guard at Auschwitz and is on trial for war crimes. The story begins 20 years after Hanna’s trial and we meet a grown-up David, played by the always excellent Ralph Fiennes. The story switches back and forth in time but never to the detriment of the narrative. This film and The Boy In The Striped Pajamas each offer a unique look at the most appalling atrocity of the 20th Century. The fact that in The Reader you actually feel some sympathy for Hanna does in no way lessen the appalling nature of her crime. It is entirely to Winslet’s credit that you understand and feel sympathy for the woman she portrays. One of the most powerful scenes in the film comes at the very end, and Lina Olin, playing a Holocaust survivor, deserves the credit for the scene’s emotional impact. The film was nominated for 4 Golden Globes and both reviewers on TV’s At The Movies put it on their 10-Best Lists. Barb--A; Gary--A- GRADE A/A-

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES: The strength of this independent film is in the remarkably unaffected performances of America Ferrera as Ana, and Lupe Ontiveros as Carmen, Ana's old-fashioned mother. Ontiveros has been in dozens of film, usually playing maids, but here she plays a fully realized character. The women in this film do have curves--generous ones--and they are more real than most of the women we see in typical Hollywood films. The relationship between mother and dauhter is completely credible and there are no stereotypes here. Ana has just graduated from High School. She is a good student, and her teacher (George Lopez) encourages her to go to college. Much as she would like to do so, her mother is determined that she should go to work in her sister's clothing factory, lose weight, and find a husband--in that order. But Ana is that rare full-figured young woman who truly likes herself. "You're fat too," she tells her mother, "why should I listen to you?" "But I'm married," responds her mother. The film was produced by HBO and won the audience award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Our local critic said this "warm, funny family drama brims with genuine characters that you could meet on any street. Even better, they act like real people instead of fictional constructs." We don't often agree with him, but he had it right this time. GRADE B.

THE RECRUIT: The story is a bit weak but Colin Farrell is well worth the price of admission. What a hunk! (Although I could do without the five o'clock shadow.) We were first impressed with him in the independent film, Tigerland, and if he makes good career choices, it looks like he will be a big star. In this film, Farrell is James Clayton, a whiz at computers who is recruited by the CIA. Walter Burke (Al Pacino) is his recruiter, and he tells Clayton from the beginning that "nothing is as it seems." That's the key phrase for the plot of this movie. Clayton gets his training at CIA headquarters in Langley, VA in a facility called "The Farm." There he falls in love with fellow recruit, Layla (Bridget Moynahan). The training scenes are interesting and Farrell and Moynahan make an appealing couple. And, of course, Pacino is always fun to watch. He has some great bits in this movie. But, while we thought the setup was good, we couldn't buy the finale. That's a typical problem with these CIA/Spook plots: the intrigue is purposely convoluted so you won't notice how silly it is. Still, the acting is first rate, and I'd probably pay to see Farrell read the telephone book. So we give this one a GRADE B.

RED DRAGON: This is the best serial killer-thriller since The Silence Of The Lambs. It's not surprising that both screenplays were written by Ted Tall, because both screenplays are excellent. Red Dragon predates the events in Silence, and introduces us to Hannibal Lecter before he was in custody. We meet Will Graham (Edward Norton), the FBI agent who captured Lecter, almost dying in the process. Now retired, Graham has agreed to help the FBI track a killer called "the tooth fairy" who has killed two entire families. Graham goes to Lecter for help. The scenes between the two of them are the best in the film. Anthony Hopkins certainly makes a delicious villain--an evil man with a sense of humor. Ralph Fiennes plays Francis Dolarhyde--the "tooth fairy"--with great sincerity and is able to arouse a modicum of sympathy. He is every bit as evil as Lecter, but he suffered monstrous things as a boy, and we almost understand his obsession. Emily Watson is a blind woman who befriends Dolarhyde and Mary-Louise Parker is Graham's wife, Molly. Philip Seymour Hoffman is wonderful as a slimy tabloid reporter. This film is much less gory than Hannibal. As Roger Ebert said in his review, "Red Dragon is all atmosphere and apprehension." We think this one deserves a GRADE A.

RED EYE: This is an exciting and capable thriller by director Wes Craven. Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Wedding Crashers) is the heroine in peril and she acts with convincing realism. Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) is good villain because he looks, on the surface, like a nice guy, but there is a darkness lurking behind his eyes. The two meet in an airport and find themselves seated next to each other on their flight. This proximity turns out not to be an accident. McAdams is the concierge of a luxury Miami Hotel, and Murphy wants her to put the visiting Homeland Security Chief in a particular suite so that he can be assassinated. If McAdams refuses, her father will be killed. At no time during this film did we think, "Oh come on….that couldn’t happen." Craven manages to keep the tension alive without going over the top. We are quite taken with young McAdams. She is not just a very pretty face: She is able to bring both intelligence and a sense of humor to all her roles. We expect big things from her. We saw this with grandson Nathan and we all agreed it was worth a B+. GRADE B+

REIGN OVER ME: Both Gary and I have liked Adam Sandler in his more serious roles. We enjoyed Spanglish and also liked the unique Punch Drunk Love. This new Sandler movie is no exception. We liked it, although it has received some harsh criticism from a few reviewers. I think some critics simply can‘t accept Sandler when he steps out of his happy Gilmore persona. In Reign Over Me, Sandler plays Charlie Fineman, a man whose wife and and three daughters were on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on September 11th. Charlie is so devastated that even several years later he cannot bear to think about them. He does everything he can to keep from thinking: he never watches TV but plays a video game to the point of obsession and always wears headphones. The old rock music he listens to keeps him from remembering. He spends most nights tooling around the New York streets on a motorized scooter. When he bumps into his old college roommate, Alan (Don Cheadle), Charlie doesn’t remember him at first. They were together in dental school. Charlie has given up his career, but Alan is a successful dentist with a lovely wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) and two daughters. Alan and Charlie renew their friendship and the movie centers on how Alan tries to help Charlie. There is a lot of gentle humor and some very sad moments as well. Sandler and Cheadle are both excellent and their scenes together are the strength of the movie. The writing is not as good when it comes to some of the other characters. Also, there are times when Sandler’s diction is so slurred that he is difficult to understand. The film was written and directed by Mike Binder who appears as Charlie’s accountant. GRADE B

REINDEER GAMES: When the twists in a crime caper plot take ten or fifteen minutes to explain, the movie loses all its momentum. Gary thinks this was a script that shouldn't have been written. The cast sounds good: Ben Affleck , looking his usual handsome self, Gary Sinese as an over the top villain, and Charlize Theron, mostly looking confused. Even Theron's nude scene did nothing for the film because there isn't much there. Affleck is an ex-con who gets trapped into helping with a robbery. He had so many chances to get away from the bad guys, that he had to be an idiot to hang around until the end of the movie. In fact, making the movie at all wasn't a very bright move. GRADE: D-

RELIGULOUS: If comedian and talk show host Bill Maher is someone you tend to quickly move past as you scan TV channels, I’m guessing there is no danger you are likely to see this documentary. Maher was raised a Catholic, but in this film he makes it clear that he is an agnostic who delights in exposing to harsh light the irrationality of organized religions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Scientology, and Mormonism. He is especially hard on TV evangelism. I find Maher to be smart, quick and funny, and I found the movie entertaining. Barbara and I saw the Religulous on a Saturday afternoon and were a little surprised to find ourselves in a nearly full theater. Laughter and audience reaction was frequent and there was even applause after the hour and forty-minute globe trotting movie ended. Barb and I enjoyed the film and laughed frequently. GRADE B

REMEMBER THE TITANS: What can I say? It's manipulative, predictable, and melodramatic. BUT, it's football and it has Denzel Washington. I loved it! It does glorify violence on the football field, but only on the field. It preaches understanding everywhere else. And, it is a true story. The film gives an easy answer to race relations. Field a winning football team made up of black and white players, and the black and white fans will come together. I guess it worked in Alexandria Virginia in 1971, although I suspect it wasn't as easy as the movie makes it seem. But, Disney wanted a feel good movie, and they got one. Washington is Coach Boone, a black man who is brought in to lead the football team in a newly integrated high school. Will Patton is Coach Yoast, who is demoted to assistant coach when Boone is brought in. Yoast wants to quit, but when his white players refuse to go out for football without him, he swallows his pride and works as a defensive coach under Boone. I really don't think this is an "A" movie, so I had to give it a B+. Gary didn't feel as guilty as I did for liking it, and he gave it an A-. GRADE: B+/A-

RENDITION: Barbara and I were especially looking forward to this film based on the trailers and the relevancy of the subject matter. Rendition as a legal term simply means "handing over." This film deals with what has come to be known as "extraordinary rendition," or by its critics, " Torture by Proxy." The practice, introduced in Clinton’s Administration and arguably carried to extremes since 9/11, refers to the transfer of suspected terrorists to countries known to employ harsh interrogation techniques. The story was quite gripping and I was preparing to give the film a higher grade until near the end when a time-line surprise was, in my opinion, clumsily handled. The intertwining of stories in a non-linear fashion has worked quite well in films like Crash, Babel, and Syriana, but, in this film, it was confusing and distracting. The cast is lead by well known names like Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Peter Sarsgaard and Alan Arkin. Witherspoon plays the American wife of an Egyptian-born chemical engineer who disappears on a flight from South Africa to Washington D. C. Streep plays a seasoned D.C. power broker who sends suspected terrorists to foreign prisons and is convinced that she has saved thousands of lives using techniques many would find abhorrent. Gyllenhaal plays a CIA analyst who gradually comes to question the validity of the unorthodox interrogation techniques and to believe in the innocence of the man being held. Roger Ebert gave this movie an "A," but the majority rate it no higher than "C." Our rating falls between. Grade B

RENT: This is the film version of Jonathan Larson's rock 'n' roll updating of the opera, La Bohème. A.O. Scott (N.Y.Times) said in his review that the film’s director, Chris Columbus "has taken a source that is fiercely and jealously loved by its core fans and refrained from messing it up." I never saw the stage version so I can’t comment on the comparison between the two, but I did enjoy this film. I’ve been told by many who did see the play version that it was almost impossible to understand the lyrics. That’s not a problem in the movie version, but on the way out of the theater I heard a man tell his daughter that the stage version was much more intense. The rock music, with the exception of a couple of numbers, was not memorable for this first-time listener. I did like the acting and the enthusiasm of the singers and dancers. Rosario Dawson (Mimi) and Tracie Thoms (Joanne) are newcomers to the cast. The rest—Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Anthony Rapp, Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal—reprise their Broadway roles. Gary and I both thought that Wilson Jermaine Heredia was outstanding as Angel, the transvestite with a heart of gold. Dawson was incredibly sexy in her dance number and her final scene was very touching. The heavy AIDS message almost made the film seem dated and for me there were a few slow moments. I don’t think this film musical will go down as a great one, but it is a solid B. GRADE B

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM: This film deserves an A for the stunning filmmaking techniques used to tell the story of four people and their slide into the depths of drug addiction. Darren Aronofsky, who previously made the hallucinatory "Pi," uses a split-screen to show several things happening at once, frequently uses fast-motion to tell his story, and is fond of extreme clasps. Roger Ebert, commenting on the films riveting final sequence said, "In a virtuoso closing sequence, he (Aronofsky) cuts between all four major characters as they careen toward their final destinations." However, because the story is so unrelentingly grim, we feel the average moviegoer will want to avoid it. Unless you like an ugly story combined with creative filmmaking in which case, you should rush out to see it. Ellyn Burstyn will no doubt get an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Sara Goldfarb, an aging widow who wants to lose weight so that she will look good on TV. She visits a doctor who specializes in prescribing uppers for the weight loss coupled with downers so that she can sleep at night. Her ultimate mental breakdown is frightening. We also watch Sara's son, Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend, Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and his friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) start out as happy users, become mildly successful dealers and wind up as desperate junkies. Their stories are equally frightening. This film should be shown in schools to wam children against the horrors of addiction. It would be a lot more convincing than Reefer Madness ever was. However, it's R rating, richly deserved because of the fihn's sex, nudity, and lapguage, means you'll never see it in a school classroom. I expect that not many of you will see it either. GRADE: A/C

RESCUE DAWN: Barbara and I are both in awe of the powerful acting skills of Christian Bale. If you saw the film, you will remember him as the emaciated lead in The Machinist. Here Bale plays Dieter Dengler, a US Navy pilot who was shot down over Laos in 1966 and held in a jungle prison. Director Werner Herzog ("Grizzly Man") must be fascinated, if not obsessed, with the story. This is his second film about Dieter and both have gotten high marks from the critics. The first film was a documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Herzog keeps the action so realistic in Rescue Dawn that it almost plays like a documentary. As you might expect, the movie takes us through the horrors of being a prisoner of war. Through strength of will, resourcefulness, and incredible luck Dieter manages a barefoot escape through the Laos jungle. Steve Zahn is equally good as a fellow prisoner who escapes with Dieter. Zahn proves here that he can excel in drama as well as comedy. Knowing it is a true story may make us more sympathetic, but we think the film is well above average and deserves to be seen. GRADE B+

RETURN TO ME: The moment you see Grace (Minnie Driver) in the hospital desperate for a heart transplant, and Bob (David Duchovny) bringing his wife into the emergency room, you know how this movie will end. But, after all, it is a love story, and they are almost always predictable. The supporting characters add a lot of interest to this film directed by Bonnie Hunt. Hunt plays Graces's best friend and James Belushi-nice to see him again-is her husband. It's fun to see them try to manage their five children. Carroll O'Connor plays Marty, Grace's doting grandfather, and Robert Loggia is the chef in Marty's Irish-Italian restaurant. Ebert commented that this movie could have been made in the 1950s and he's right: Can you imagine two people in this day and age who fall in love without ever making love? There is a definite sweetness to this film, and for that, I give it a B. Gary is a bit less enthusiastic and gives it a B-. GRADE: B/B-

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD: April Wheeler (Kate Winslett) and I share some common history. We were both married in the 1950s, had two children and a house in the suburbs. We both tried Community Theater to add some excitement to our lives. April’s venture into amateur acting was unsuccessful. I was luckier. The difference: April is bored and unhappy; I was a a little bit bored, but happy. The Wheeler’s, April and Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio), do not consider themselves "typical." They believe they are "special." However, they are living a typical life in a Connecticut suburb and April has difficulty coming to terms with that. When her plans to add adventure to their lives with a move to Paris are thwarted by an unexpected pregnancy, she spins out of control. Winslett and DiCaprio are excellent in this gloomy film. Kathy Bates plays the realtor who sold the Wheelers their "perfect" house, and she persuades them to meet her son, John, memorably played by Michael Shannon. John is on furlough from a mental institution and while his interpersonal skills are lacking, he sees right through the Wheeler’s façade of happiness. Shannon received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his role. Revolutionary Road is directed by Sam Mendes and you may remember his American Beauty (1999), another film of suburban desperation. The screenplay is drawn from the 1961 novel by Richard Yates, who has been called the voice of the postwar Age of Anxiety. Roger Ebert writes, "This film is so good it is devastating." We can agree that the film is both good and devastating, but we think many people will find it mostly depressing. Those of us who remember the 1950s will appreciate the attention to period detail in the furnishings and costuming. We will also be able to identify with the suburban angst of the film, but we may not want to be engulfed by it. The acting and the look of the film deserve an A, but for enjoyment alone we have to grade the film at B-. GRADE B-

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS: The strength of this movie is the script. Based on the book by Beverly Donofrio, it avoids all the typical Hollywood sentimental cliches and shows us real people trying their best to live their lives. It is a story about the "job" of parenting and how easy it is to love your children, but how hard it can be to do right by them. Drew Barrymore plays Beverly from the age of 15 to 35, and she is believable at every point. Beverly's parents (James Wood and Lorraine Bracco) love their daughter, but when she gets pregnant at 15, they seem more concerned with how she has disgraced them than with how they can help her. Beverly is a dutiful mother to her son, Jason, but her life hasn't turned out well, and she blames her son for much of the misery in her life. Jason, in turn, blames Beverly for being a self-involved, bad mother. Adam Garcia plays the grown-up Jason and he is very good. All the acting is top rate but the best character in the movie is Raymond (Steve Zahn), the loser that fathers Beverly's son. When they first meet, Raymond tells Beverly that she shouldn't get involved with him because he won't be good for her. He was right, and she should have listened to him. Instead, she marries him despite her own misgivings. She does it to appease her parents who want her to do the "right" thing. Zahn creates an amazing character: Raymond is a junkie who can't live without his daily fix. But, we also believe that he loves Beverly and Jason, and we feel sympathy for him. In the end, Raymond is the only one who admits responsibility for his actions. The film was directed by Penny Marshall who was able to soften Barrymore's mannerisms and help her turn in a fine performance. Gary, who usually doesn't care for Barrymore, was so impressed with her performance that he gave the film an A-. I can't quite put it in the "A" category, and settled on a grade of B. GRADE B/A-

THE ROAD TO PERDITION: This movie asks the question, can a mob hit man be a good father? Apparently he can, as long as he is Tom Hanks. Hanks is Michael Sullivan, an enforcer who works for the Rock Island, Illinois mob boss, John Rooney (Paul Newman). One of the problems with this movie is that we know very little about Sullivan. We only know that Rooney has been like a father to him; that Rooney has provided a home for Sullivan and his wife and two sons. Sullivan's older son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) is curious about what his father does for a living, and one night he hides in the car when his father goes on a "visit" with Rooney's son, Conner (Daniel Craig). Conner is a loose cannon, and the visit turns ugly. Because Michael Jr. has witnessed it, he becomes a threat to the Rooney organization, and Sullivan must do whatever he can to protect the boy. That whatever involves a lot of killing. Along the way, they must also elude a hired killer played effectively by Jude Law. It is difficult to see Hanks in the role of a hit man no matter how well he acts the part--it just doesn't seem right. When the movie ended, Gary said, "I thought the story was beautifully told, but it was a story I didn't want to hear." Sam Mendes has made an exquisite film--the mood of 1931 is perfectly evoked and the camera work is outstanding. It is impossible to fault the acting: Hanks, Newman, Hoechlin, Law and Craig are excellent. I wouldn't be surprised to see some Oscar nominations from this movie. Some critics have compared this film to The Godfather, but Road lacks the scope of that masterpiece. And, we don't get to know these people as well as we got to know the Corleones. We did, however, think that the ending was particularly effective and good enough to bring the film's grade up to a GRADE B+.

ROCKET SCIENCE: We went to see this Independent film because of some laudatory reviews, but we were disappointed. It’s the story of a adolescent who stutters. He’s bright, but hesitates to answer questions in class. When an attractive older girl approaches him with the idea of joining the debate team, he is baffled, but flattered. She claims to see potential in him, but in truth, she has her own agenda. What we liked: Reece Thompson as Hal, who's trying to find the answers to some of life’s biggest questions, but hampered by his stuttering; the fact that it was not predictable and didn’t follow the Hollywood formula; Maury Ginsberg as a counselor assigned to help two stuttering students—but he doesn’t know much about stuttering. He wishes they were hyper-active because he knows a lot about that. What we didn’t like: An exaggeration of how fast student debaters talk; teachers who call on Hal and put him in a public situation of ridicule; Our inability to discover the message, if any, in the film. According to the NY Times reviewer, "Hal’s sense of helplessness and frustration is a metaphor of the confusion felt by every sensitive soul inside the bubble of adolescence." He goes on to suggest that whether or not you like the film may depend on your own high school experience. We didn’t dislike the film, but we didn’t love it either. On Yahoo Movies, Rocket Science got a B+ average rating from the critics and a C+ from viewers. Roger Ebert puts the film in the league with Welcome to the Dollhouse, so if you liked that movie, you may like this one. Although Thompson was splendid as Hal, and Anna Kendrick was good as the manipulative champion debater, but we still can’t go higher than C for a grade. Gary is in the C– range. GRADE C/C-

ROCKNROLLA: This is Guy Ritchie’s third crime flick and I thought it was easier to understand than his two previous films, Snatch in 2000 and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998) Gary, however, had a lot of difficulty with the accents. Ritchie’s films have a unique visual style and he mixes humor with violence much like the Coen Brothers do. Rocknrolla is about a crooked London real estate deal and involves a wealthy Russian, his Mafia associates, and a number of local gangsters headed by Lenny Cole. A presumed dead rock star, a fabulous painting, and a group of hoodlums called The Wild Bunch are also in the mix. It’s a complicated plot with several robberies, quite a few bloody fights and numerous murders. Everything comes together in the end, and we‘re left with the feeling that a sequel will be along in a year or two. Tom Wilkinson is brilliant as Lenny, a character completely different from the kind of man he usually plays. Lenny’s right-hand man is Archie (Mark Strong), and he is the narrator of the story. Strong has been in several films that we’ve seen, but here he is a standout. We also liked Gerard Butler as One Two, a low-level gangster and member of The Wild Bunch. Thandie Newton appears as a bored accountant whose actions are responsible for a lot of the mayhem. Jeremy Piven and Ludacris, or Chris Bridges as he is credited here, are record promoters who get involved because of their relationship with Johnny Quid, the drugged out rocker whose reported death has spiked his record sales. It’s fiercely stylish and exceedingly well acted, so I have to give it a B+. Gary abstains. GRADE B+

ROLE MODELS: Comedies of the 21st Century are not like the comedies we grew up with. Today’s comedies are often raunchy and filled with words that are forbidden in polite society. (Is there any polite society left?) But they can also be quite funny. Role Models is of the raunchy variety, but it does have some genuinely funny moments. The always watchable Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, forever remembered as Stiffler from American Pie ,work together giving "Say No To Drugs" speeches in schools while they hawk a poisonous energy drink called Minotaur. When Rudds’s girlfriend (the lovely Elizabeth Banks) breaks up with him, he gets high on multiple Minotaurs and crashes the company truck. Avoiding jail time, the two are sentenced to 150 hours of community service playing "big brother" in a youth-mentoring program called "Sturdy Wings." Jane Lynch (Best In Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) is Gayle Sweeney, the program director, and she is terrific. In Stephen Holden’s N.Y.Times review he says about Lynch: With the ferocity of a drill instructor and the boundless confidence of a self-help guru who combines psychobabble clichés with embarrassingly explicit confessions, Ms. Lynch’s Gayle redeems the movie from utter banality. Rudd’s "little brother," Augie, is played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the current go-to guy when a loveable geek is called for. Augie retreats from the real world into a live-action Middle Ages fantasy kingdom complete with knights and damsels and mock battles. This is another of those seemingly endless comedies about young men who act like arrested-adolescents, but there is a sweetness to the film that partly redeemed the silliness for me. I thought it was funnier than Gary did, so our grades are a bit different. GRADE B-/C+

THE ROOKIE: The Rookie is a good solid family movie. I don't mean that as a criticism. I say it so that you know going in you will see a film that couldn't possibly offend anyone. It is a good film for kids, because it teaches the lesson of following your dreams. It is based on a real life event: It tells the story of Jim Morris, a Texas southpaw whose youthful big-league fantasies were dashed by a devastating arm and shoulder injury. At age 35, Morris threw a 98-mph fastball at a tryout camp and soon was playing pro ball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Dennis Quaid is perfect as Morris, even though he is about 10 years older than Morris was when he made it to the majors. The movie begins by showing us scenes of the young baseball-obsessed Jimmy (Trevor Morgan). An Army brat, he must move frequently. The family's last move is to West Texas, where football is the game of choice, and the High School doesn't even have a baseball team. When we see Morris grown-up, he is a High School science teacher and is coaching baseball in a program that he started three years earlier. He is also married and the father of three young children. The always excellent Rachel Griffiths plays his supportive wife. To inspire his baseball team to put more effort into their playing, Coach Morris agrees to a wager: If they manage to win the District Championship, he will try out for big league baseball. The team does win, and the coach does tryout, and the rest is history. Quaid never played baseball as a kid, but he manages to look good in the closeup shots. They shouldn't, however, have shown him throwing from a distance, as they do when he is warming up in the bullpen. The movie's leisurely pace at times made me impatient, but then I realized that I feel the same way at a baseball game. It's no Bull Durham, but it's a baseball movie that you will enjoy. John Lee Hancock directed from a screenplay by Mike Rich. GRADE B

Quote from the New York Times Review: The film's greatest asset is Dennis Quaid, who brings a brooding gravity to the archetype of the all-American sports hero not seen since Gary Cooper swallowed his sentences and cast dark, worried glances.

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS: There is no doubt that Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson are good at creating quirky characters. The Tenebaums define the word "quirky." Royal (Gene Hackman) is the patriarch. He has been a bad husband and a bad father and has been separated from Etheline (Angelica Huston) for many years. Royal and Etheline have three children: Chas (Ben Stiller) a business genius, Richie (Luke Wilson) an award-winning tennis player, and Margo (Gwyneth Paltrow) a notable playwright. Margo is an adopted child, something her father never let her forget: He would introduce her as "my adopted daughter." All three siblings are dysfunctional and depressed--and, need I say, quirky. Unfortunately, two hours of quirky does not make for an absorbing movie. Owen Wilson plays a childhood friend who acts like part of the family. The movie has a few funny scenes, but it badly needs a plot that can capture your attention. Our attention wandered frequently during this movie. Most critics seem to rave about The Royal Tennenbaums, but they must be seeing something we missed. One critic said, "Tenenbaums is a terrific film, but a challenging one. It think, in order to be seen at all, is has to be seen twice: first to be dazzled, then to be moved." I was bored the first time and I have no desire to sit through it again. GRADE C

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: You really want Col. Terry Childers (Samuel L. Jackson) to be innocent of the murders for which he is being court-martialed, but you aren't quite sure that he is. That niggling doubt adds tension to the story of a decorated combat veteran who is sent on a so-called peace-keeping mission in Yemen. Tommy Lee Jones is Col. Hays Hodges. He agrees to defend his friend although he believes that Childers needs a better lawyer. Samuel Jackson said on an interview that this film is about friendship, and although I don't agree with him, I did find the friendship Childers and Hodges an interesting aspect of the story. I thought the government bad guy was too convenient a target, but I liked the fact that the trial avoided easy answers. Guy Pearce (L. A. Confidential) was the prosecuting attorney, and Ben Kingsley played a weakling ambassador. Gary liked it a + better than I did. We both thought Jackson and Jones were the outstanding. GRADE: B/B+

RUMOR HAS IT: This perfectly delightful romantic comedy has an all star cast. Everyone is good, but Shirley MacLaine as Grandma Catherine steals every scene she’s in. I don’t think there’s another actress who can touch her when it comes to playing incredibly cool grandmothers. When Jennifer Aniston brings her boyfriend home for her sister’s wedding, she discovers some disturbing secrets. It appears that her family may be the inspiration for the book and film "The Graduate." She learns that both her mother and her grandmother slept with the same man—Beau Burroughs. Aniston honed her comedy skills in TV’s Friends and this film is perfect for her. Mark Ruffalo is convincing and sympathetic as her patient boyfriend, and Mena Suvari is adorable as Aniston’s younger sister." Richard Jenkins, so good as the dead father on TV’s Six Feet Under, is every bit as good as a live father in Rumor Has It. I don’t like to overuse the word "perfect," but it certainly fits Kesin Costner as Beau Burroughs. This is an entertaining romp, expertly directed by Rob Reiner. Gary gives it an unequivocal "A" and I agree. GRADE A

RUNAWAY JURY: It's true that John Grisham's novels are formulaic potboilers, but they are pretty good reading and usually very good watching. We enjoyed this one, mostly because the actors are so wonderful. Gene Hackman is a terrific villain--such a charming snake! Dustin Hoffman is the attorney on the "good" side of this gun case, trying to get a gun manufacturer to take responsibility for its irresponsible sale of assault weapons. (The screenwriters even wrote a special scene just so these two actors could go at each other one-on-one.) In the Grisham novel, the plaintiff was suing a cigarette company, but, because The Insider already did a job on the cigarette industry, the filmmakers decided to change the case to one about guns. I won't relate the plot because it would take too long and wouldn't be fair to those of you who haven't read the book. It's enough to say that it's about jury tampering. The gun manufacturer has hired Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) to manipulate the jury, but Nicholas Easter (John Cusak) and his girlfriend Marlee (Rachel Weisz) have their own plans. Bruce Davison is one of the defense attorneys and Jeremy Piven is a jury consultant helping Dustin Hoffman. As you know, Cusak is one of my all-time favorite actors and we are both impressed with Rachel Weisz. Intelligence radiates from her beautiful face and she can play strong and vulnerable with equal credibility. (Weisz was the woman Hugh Grant fell in love with in About A Boy. She was also in this year's Confidence and The Shape of Things.) GRADE B+

THE RUNDOWN: Barbara didn't want to see this one, so I took grandson Nathan even though it is a genre I usually avoid. If you like action/comedy films, this may be the movie for you. It not only has "the Rock" as the action hero, but the genius of Christopher Walken brings the role of villain to a whole new level. In addition, Seann William Scott, who played Stiffler in the American Pie series, does a superb job of bringing a touch of comedy to the film. Capably filling out the cast with the obligatory female role is Rosario Dawson. The Rundown follows the usual formula for action films, but the individual performances elevate it to a level of B. Nathan says a B+. GRADE B