In the end, a sports movie is only as good as the adrenalin rush it provides in the climactic match, and there, finally, Glory Road hits on all cylinders with nonstop action and a powerful emotional impact.

A witty and engaging bit of fluff about sex, scandal, idleness, gossip, blackmail, guilty secrets and, most surprisingly, redemption.

The result is this infectious documentary, which combines some inspired musical performances with Chappelle's perpetually hilarious commentary.

Bradshaw, who is funnier than you might suspect, also turns out to be the most fearless of performers.

Turns out to be amusing and astute, a smart observation on the ups and downs of female friendships.

The aggressively over-the-top plot is sloppy and totally irrelevant. What counts are the jokes that fly so fast they're easy to miss.

Despite the film's sloppy structure, it feels weirdly good to hang out with these losers again.

When it comes to exploring our peculiar blindness as to what's important in our lives, the film is a disturbing but accurate road map.

In Keeping Mum, the writers poke gentle, broad fun at the absurdities of English country life and manners while creating a cozy malevolence that's all the more engaging because it lies so far from reality. We know we mustn't murder our loathsome neighbors. But how much fun it is to imagine that we might.

It's almost impossible not to respond emotionally to this fascinating, sobering and all-too-brief exploration of the politicized religious right and its hopes, dreams and power.

Coppola and her crew were allowed to shoot at Versailles -- family pedigree does pay dividends, apparently -- which gives the film a needed whiff of reality.

The film paints a fairly realistic portrait of four people bound by blood but -- like all of us -- all too capable of underestimating each other.

Screenwriter Shawn Slovo -- whose white parents were anti-apartheid activists in South Africa -- ends his finely tuned screenplay on a note not of violence and anger but of forgiveness. It's a breathtaking coda that reminds us of that undeniable human beauty: the ability to survive, to fight for right -- and then move peacefully on.

Stranger Than Fiction may not be the typical crowd-pleaser, but it's a sweet, funny, intelligent film that showcases just how much Ferrell can do, even when he's doing less.

This melding of comedic minds is one of the better holiday gifts we've received, cinematically speaking.

A film that's funny and entertaining for kids and adults.

Norton isn't the first guy who comes to mind when you think ''period piece,'' but he's starred in two such films this year (in addition to The Painted Veil, he stars in "The Illusionist"), and he is terrific in both.

Wonderfully energetic.

Equally thrilling and wrenching, the film is an absolute must for anyone who loves sports and an eloquent explanation for those who don't understand what the fuss is about.

Apted delivers a fine, righteous climax and packs his film with some of Britain's best character actors.

There is little trace of tragedy in this warm, refreshing Southern comedy, which is quirky without being idiotic, original despite some familiar developments.

Above all, this story is about the peril that lurks under life's surfaces.

It resonates with gleaming ferocity as it unspools a story of regret, longing and resolution in two generations of women.

Talk to Me is a welcome reminder of a time when radio truly listened to the people instead of just shouted at them.

Funny in the juvenile, crass way we expect.

For connoisseurs of stupidity, Hot Rod is that perfect delicacy: A silly movie about ridiculous characters that's also actually funny. Hilarious, even.

Amusingly raunchy.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Stardust is that its most winning element is neither its delightful story nor its special effects but its sly sense of humor.