Part of the fun of "Romance & Cigarettes" - and only the right mood will let you inhale this one - is the thought of John Turturro grinning, lighting up, puffing his film through the air.   ROMANCE & CIGARETTES' - Kate Winslet really lights up for an inflamed moment in John Turturro's sorta musical comedy 'Romance & Cigarettes.' CNS Photo courtesy of Boroturro. RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. ... [full story]

How do you even go about making a movie that has six actors (one a woman, one a child) playing approximations of Bob Dylan, none of whom is named Bob Dylan and all of whose stories careen through one another like the tracks of some demented railroad, and which further depicts a boy named Woody Guthrie being swallowed by a large, cartoon whale?   'I'M NOT THERE' - Christian Bale as Jack in 'I'm Not There.' ... [full story]

Stephen King's "The Mist" poses no threat to John Carpenter's "The Fog." Conceptually, it nuzzles "Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster," though it's a lot less fun.   'THE MIST' - Laurie Holden, Thomas Jane and Nathan Gamble star in Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Mist.' CNS Photo courtesy of Ronn Schmidt.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. 1 STAR - Poor. 0 - Forget It (a dog.) Back in ... [full story]

 "Quirk's not a sparkle." Weigh that dialogue line and you've got the floaty heft of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." The quirky movie often sparkles, and as Mr. Magorium, maybe this era's Mr. Magoo, there is Dustin Hoffman.   'MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM' - Dustin Hoffman hams it up as the owner of a magical shop in 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.' CNS Photo courtesy of Fox Walden.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS ... [full story]

"No Country for Old Men," the new startler from Joel and Ethan Coen, deals an odd hand confidently. The Texas crime story leads with aces high, but dips for some low and wild cards.   'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN' - Josh Brolin plays Llewelyn Moss in 'No Country for Old Men.' CNS Photo courtesy of Richard Foreman.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. 1 STAR - Poor. 0 - ... [full story]

NEW RELEASES I'M NOT THERE - How do you even go about making a movie that has six actors (one a woman, one a child) playing approximations of Bob Dylan, none of whom is named Bob Dylan and all of whose stories careen through one another like the tracks of some demented railroad, and which further   'I'M NOT THERE' - Cate Blanchett as Jude in Todd Haynes' 'I'm Not There.' CNS Photo courtesy of Jonathan ... [full story]

On the DVD extras of the exquisite little film "Waitress" (Fox, 4 stars), the writer-director-co-star Adrienne Shelly calls her movie a "love letter to Sophie," her young daughter who plays the toddler Lulu near the film's end.   PIE-MAKING GENIUS' - In 'Waitress,' Keri Russell plays a battered wife with a gift for making delicious pies. CNS Photo by Alan Markfield.  DVD RATINGS 4 stars: Don't miss: rent it/buy it 3 stars: Worth the risk: rent it ... [full story]

"Beowulf," a largely digital sword and sorcery, monster and dragon 3-D (in some theaters) flick, is taken from that very same 3,183-line Old English epic poem we were all force-fed a few lines of in high school.   'BEOWULF' - Queen Wealthow (voiced by Robin Wright Penn) appears in a dream fantasy of the hero of 'Beowulf.' CNS Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. 1 ... [full story]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera" is a hugely esteemed novel in the line of Latin magical realism that is his specialty. As your imagination curls inside its lush tendrils of prose, sensual pleasure (as in sex) pushes away an urge to think: This is ridiculous.   'LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA' - The young Florentino (Unax Ugaide) finds enchantment with Fermina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) before Javier Bardem assumes his role in 'Love ... [full story]

NEW RELEASES BEOWULF - You can't beat the source material. "Beowulf," a largely digital sword and sorcery, monster and dragon 3-D (in some theaters) flick, is taken from that very same 3,183-line Old English epic poem we were all   'BEOWULF' - The intrepid Viking hero of 'Beowulf,' voiced by Ray Winstone, prepares to confront Grendel's mother with the full force of animation. CNS Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - ... [full story]

When it comes to knocking heads, killing bad guys and jumping from speeding vehicles, supercop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is in his element. Maybe it is a tactile thing - the need to feel (and inflict) pain.   'LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD' - Bruce Willis finds himself up against cyber crooks bent on destroying the Internet in the action movie 'Live Free or Die Hard.' CNS Photo courtesy of Frank Masi.  DVD RATINGS 4 stars: Don't ... [full story]

Historians will long debate Jimmy Carter's presidency (1977-1981), and the blog-bog fever ticks will long despise him.   'JIMMY CARTER, MAN FROM PLAINS' - 'Jimmy Carter, Man From Plains,' directed by Jonathan Demme, examines the fruitful life of the former president since he left office more than 25 years ago. CNS Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. 1 STAR - Poor. 0 - Forget ... [full story]

"Lions for Lambs" shears a lion to find a sheep. Shearing off his talent as a moviemaker, though in a conscientious way, is Robert Redford.   'LIONS FOR LAMBS' - Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise star in Robert Redford's 'Lions for Lambs.' CNS Photo courtesy of David James.  RATINGS 4 STARS - Excellent. 3 STARS - Worthy. 2 STARS - Mixed. 1 STAR - Poor. 0 - Forget It (a dog.) Redford directed and stars, evidently working out ... [full story]