Merle Bertrand

"We are who we are," is the mantra for this grim urban drama. That human escape velocity can be awfully hard to reach with all those bad influences hanging around.

By turns infuriating, charming, wistful and annoying, Kwik Stop winds up a touching, if frustrating film.

The resulting concoction is a cinematic elixir that disappoints, no matter how much hypnosis one is under.

ZigZag rests heavily on Jones III's sensational turn as the lead character. Capable of drawing empathy without pity from an audience, his ZigZag is the unlikely constant in a world swirling with change and intrigue.

This soothing, elegantly-crafted film is such a marvelous piece of work.

Ultimately sinks beneath the waves of the Caspian Sea.

Romantic comedies have become something of a tired staple in indie filmmaking, these days. Yet, odd as it may seem, it's the unlikely interracial geriatric chops on display in The Annihilation of Fish that breathe new life into the genre.

This white trash "War of the Roses" is a surprisingly engaging film.

Makes a good chick flick for guys who want to appear artsy by taking their date to a foreign language film. Just remember: front row...and don't forget the aspirin.

Solid debut effort from Lisa Cholodenko.

Highly entertaining film.

One of the most wildly original, dryly comical, and smartly structured films ever created.

The kind of film that requires a lot of work and patience on behalf of the viewer, not to mention a willingness to set aside prejudices and the fear inherent when we meet people different from us. As such, while you may not necessarily like By Hook or By Crook, you won't forget it, either.

For the most part, Gerry is a lot of self-indulgent baloney.

Unlikely but winning farce.

With its clumsy storytelling and lack of someone to filter Duvall's gushiness about the subject matter, Assassination Tango winds up shooting itself in its own dancing feet.

The best thing about The Slaughter Rule -- is that the film refuses to succumb to the temptation of a glorious Hollywood feel-good happy ending.

Secretary, like the type of relationship it explores, is not for everybody. But it does what good films do best; that is to provoke us, push our buttons, make us think and maybe even entertain us in the process.

Listless clunker.

This well made, slightly cornball and riotously comical romantic comedy not only extols the old fashioned American dream, but charmingly celebrates the virtues of the great American melting pot as well.

Takes a while to get rolling, but builds fairly well once it finally does. Part of the problem, no doubt, is Shokrina's decision to have the dialogue rapidly alternate between English and (presumably) Persian, with subtitles. This is a highly disorienting distraction.

An unusual tale about an often over-glorified era from our past, The Scoundrel's Wife exposes wartime America's sordid small town underbelly in a captivating, even entertaining manner.

Yes, there is a very palpable lesbian erotic undercurrent pervading this film. However, the reason it's so palpable is because it's so subtly and deftly handled...AND it's only one thread of the film's storyline.

One of those films where, even though you're pretty sure you know where it's going, it's still fun to get there.

Brilliantly scripted and full of a virtual Who's Who of familiar faces, The Big Lebowski is yet another golden hunk of totally unique celluloid from the versatile Brothers Cohen.

This has the unmistakable feel of a vanity project about it, which makes it a little tough to take either Dillon or the film seriously.

When all is said and done, then, the only thing this juvenile and shameless "Star Wars" knock-off does is whet your appetite for the real deal.

A powerful no-frills drama. It's a film that never flinches from its colorful, if sometimes cruel namesake neighborhood and the people who populate it.