Problem: 1. Such an effective emotional roller coaster that its flaws seem diminished
2. A cinematic puzzle that's more schematic than natural, and one with a distinctly sour aftertaste, but despite the artificiality it still works.
3. Not simply a cynical view of modern romance but a statement about the poisons embracing the human condition.
4. As unflinching in its honesty as it is sharp in its observation and a great adaptation from stage to screen.
5. This is a must if you are into literary cinema.
6. This is the dark side of human interaction: ugly and cruel, but powerful and resonant nonetheless.
7. With outstanding performances from Rudd and Weisz, this is an unsettling, provocative and nasty little gem.
8. Anchored by two great leads and full of interesting, deeply debatable ideas, Shape still feels stagey and boxed in -- like a brilliantly unknowable friend existing in a world not your own.
9. The balanced struggle between and among sexes is engaging for a good chunk of the film.
10. LaBute would like us to know that neither sex has a monopoly on behaving very, very badly. Alert the media!
What is the consensus?
****
Answer: LaBute returns to his earlier themes of cruelty in relationships, and the results hit hard.


Problem: 1. In seeking to make a chick flick with fangs, the producers of the vampire franchise Underworld are doing a grave disservice to the genre.
2. This is the kind of werewolf flick that seems to have used up its entire special-effects budget on canine contact lenses.
3. Somewhere, Lon Chaney Jr. must be howling mad.
4. This film is not one of the worst I've ever seen, but it won't be winning any prizes either.It may find a secondary life as a DVD rental but in terms of where it stacks up against other werewolf films, it's a dog.
5. Anyone going to a PG-13 horror film called Blood and Chocolate thinking that it's going to be good has serious reality issues.
6. Despite a few shock cuts and some decently staged shootouts, Blood and Chocolate is rarely thrilling and never scary ... and it seems to have been designed that way. If anything, it's a romance masquerading as a horror film.
7. No effects and no cheese. Even one shot of Olivier Martinez howling at the moon would've been worth my matinee ticket.
8. The only creature this heavily accented leader of the pack [Olivier Martinez] resembles is Pepé Le Pew.
9. A silly werewolf movie without any fangs.
10. Moments of inspiration vie in vain with Goth cliché.
What is the consensus?
****
Answer: Cheap CG effects and laughable dialogue make Blood and Chocolate worse than the usual werewolf flick.


Problem: 1. A breath of fresh air within this genre...
2. A simple, slow-moving, shaggy-dog story that has enough charm to keep us involved but not enough dramatic tension to rise above the ordinary.
3. [S]mart and sweet but unsentimental and warmly genuine in its portrait of childhood innocence and the adventure of growing up...
4. I wanted to like Winn-Dixie ... I just didn't believe it.
5. There's bad, there's "so bad it's good"... and then there's this moronic film.
6. Because of Winn-Dixie-based on the beloved novel by Kate DiCamillo-turns out to be a modest success for the family crowd.
7. Most of the time, you can't go wrong with kids and dogs. Then there's Because of Winn-Dixie.
8. Sure, there's nothing here that hasn't already been covered in a Hallmark movie, but it's still refreshing to find a well-made, enjoyable film for families.
9. [The script] can never decide whether this is supposed to be an over-the-top comedy or a deeply moving drama -- and doesn't do that well at either.
10. In pace, sensibility, and big, beating heart, this is a child's first indie film, and it's the better for it.
What is the consensus?
****
Answer:
An old-fashioned, if bland, adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's novel.