Potiche - 3 smiles

Watching “Potiche (Trophy Wife),” starring Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu, is like visiting old friends. They are the consummate professionals and they comport themselves with a blend of confidence and precision. Deneuve may wear the clothes of a dowdy housewife and Depardieu may assume some of the mannerisms of an anxious bureaucrat, but their charisma is evident. Suzanne Pujol (Deneuve) is a stay-at-home ‘trophy wife’ who steps in to manage the umbrella factory run by her tyrannical husband (Fabrice Luchini) after the workers go on strike and take him hostage. To everyone’s surprise, Suzanne turns out to be an intelligent, gifted leader. Things get complicated when her husbands returns to work after a period of rest. The city’s mayor Babin (Depardieu) is a former union leader and Suzanne’s ex-beau who still holds a flame for her.

Director François Ozon has dusted off a 1970s play, paying close attention to décor and costumes of that era. There are ascots and pantsuits – at one point, Deneuve even wears a red tracksuit and white Adidas with curlers tucked under a kerchief. Ozon also attempts to pay tribute to the feminist struggles of the 1970s, but he never loses sight of his goal of creating a comedy. His pacing, however, is often slow and the movie is longer than it needs to be. Nonetheless, the payoff for “Potiche” is seeing pros do great work, especially when they seem to be having so much fun. Subtitles. 3/27/11

Win Win - 4 smiles

For writer/director Tom McCarthy, family is important and it’s not always family in its strictest definition. McCarthy likes to throw his characters together knowing that, although they might jostle each other, they also need each other. And in the process, McCarthy explores the choices people make and the consequences they must live with. Struggling with a failing legal practice and mounting debt, Mike (Giamatti) devises an ethically questionable plan to take on the legal guardianship of an elderly client, Leo (Burt Young), in the early stages of dementia. Rather than take care of Leo on a daily basis, Mike puts him in a nursing facility and pockets the $1508 stipend every month. It’s a win-win, he figures. Leo gets better care and his family can use the extra money. Then Mike meets Leo’s runaway grandson, the introverted Kyle (Alex Shaffer) and, as the local high school wrestling coach, encourages the boy’s natural wrestling talents. Despite some trouble with the law, Kyle, whose junkie mother (Melanie Lynskey) has all but abandoned him, is really just a lost soul. Gradually, Kyle develops a bond with Mike and his family, but problems erupt when Kyle’s mother returns.

Paul Giamatti is excellent as he conveys every facet of Mike’s complex character, with those bug eyes, hunched shoulders and constant sense of impending doom. You want him to win even though you know he’s crossed the line morally and ethically. Bobby Cannavale is wonderful as Mike’s flamboyant best friend who offers to help with the coaching duties. Effective, too, is Amy Ryan as Mike’s no-nonsense wife. And McCarthy was right to pick a real high school wrestler as Kyle. Shaffer, who was the 120-pound New Jersey state wrestling champ when filming began, is convincing as the taciturn Kyle. McCarthy has a real knack for creating beautifully fleshed-out characters, full of humor and believable flaws. “Win Win” is well acted, expertly directed and laugh-out loud funny. 3/25/11.

I Am - 2 1/2 smiles

“I Am” is, for the most part, a talking-heads documentary written and directed by Tom Shadyac, known for such comedies as Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor and Bruce Almighty. Only this time around, Shadyac is serious in his pursuit of answers to the questions ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ and ‘What can we do about it?’ as he consults with top scientists, historians, spiritual leaders and philosophers. In 2007, Shadyac had a terrible cycling accident that resulted in something called post concussion syndrome, which means that the original concussion doesn’t go away. The horrible pain, mood swings and sensitivity to movement and light can lead to suicide. Luckily for Shadyac, relief does come, but his brush with death caused him to re-evaluate everything.

At first, the answers are what you’d expect. Money is the root of all evil and society and the economy dictates that one’s success must come at another’s expense. But indigenous cultures, the experts say, take this as a sign of mental illness. And recent studies of human DNA and the heart and brain reveal that there is growing evidence that humans are more hard-wired for cooperation and compassion that we might expect. After all, what’s your reaction when you see a video clip of someone falling off his motorcycle and sliding across the asphalt? The general conclusion of those he consulted is that there is much that is right with the world rather than wrong. People do prefer to cooperate and do naturally feel compassion. It’s our society that superimposes ‘values’ that are contrary to natural man. But Shadyac also seems to be saying that each of us must do what we can to make the world a better place, even if it’s one kindness a day. So if the New Agey philosophy of interconnectedness feels right, you’ll enjoy “I Am.” Too bad the ‘Greed is good’ group, like oil companies, Wall Street, most billionaires, etc., behave as if they have no such links and too bad that Shadyac doesn't really address them. 3/24/11

Paul - 2 1/2 smiles

If you go by the previews, “Paul” is another one of those stupid comedies full of pratfalls and potty humor so I wasn’t expecting much. It also illustrates that if you set the bar low enough, you can be pleasantly surprised. “Paul” turns out to be a genial road trip and buddy movie that provides science fiction fans with numerous references to influential sci-fi movies, including Star Wars, Aliens, Close Encounters and E.T. Best buds Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are visiting the US from England to see, first, San Diego’s Comic Con and then take a RV trip though the Southwest to see classic UFO spots. Somewhere along the way they run into Paul (voiced by Seth Rogan), a laid-back, weed-smoking E.T. on the run from a US government agency that has kept him prisoner for 60 years. After some persuasion, Graeme and Clive agree to help Paul get to where he can be rescued and taken to his home planet. They try to avoid three Feds (Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio) and two vicious rednecks. They also adopt, maybe kidnap, Ruth Buggs (Kristin Wiif), a Christian fundamentalist who runs a RV park with her father. Sigourney Weaver is the mostly unseen voice of the head of the agency that wants to dissect Paul to see what’s in his brain.

The main problem with “Paul” is that the jokes become old after a while. Paul has a few magic powers, such as resurrecting the dead, but having languished in confinement for decades on Earth, he’s picked up a few bad habits. He drinks, he swears, he smokes both cigarettes and weed, and he wears short that hang dangerously low. But how many times can you joke about Paul’s habits? And because scriptwriters Pegg and Frost are Brits, the secondary characters are especially thin. Is it because they don’t really know people who populate America and have to resort to stereotypes? Part bromance, part sci-fi tribute, “Paul” is better than expected if you don’t expect too much. 3/21/11

Limitless - 2 1/2 smiles

The best thing “Limitless” has going for it is that the plot is uncommon – it focuses on the importance of intelligence. And while our hero makes decisions that a truly smart person wouldn’t, “Limitless” is enjoyable entertainment if you don’t think too much about what’s happening. When we first meet Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), he’s stumbling through life, stuck on the first page of his novel and drinking too much. Then he bumps into his ex-wife’s brother Vernon (Jonny Whitworth), who’s not a dealer but a ‘pharmaceutical consultant.’ Against his better judgment, Eddie downs NZT, the pill that Vernon says will help him with his book. Which it does because NZT allows him to tap into previously neglected areas of his brain. But when Eddie goes to Vernon for more, he finds Vernon dead and Eddie’s holding his stash. When Eddie uses his improved brainpower to get rich quick so he can get back with his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish), he also finds himself in the presence of uber-rich but menacing Carl Van Loon (Robert Di Nero). But, of course, the pills have a side effect and Eddie’s going to have to discover how to circumvent them if he’s to stay alive.

How do you show enhanced IQ on the screen? Director Neil Burger and cinematographer Jo Willems use clarity. When the pills kick in, the colors brighten and the world is in sharper focus. Of course, there’s a visual difference in Eddie, too. When he’s on NZT, he cares more about his appearance, which is a good thing if you’re a Bradley Cooper fan. Unfortunately, there are a lot of issues that go unexplained. He’s a writer but he only writes one book? He’s smart; wouldn’t he investigate the composition of NZT before his supply runs out? Why would he borrow money from a loan shark known for hurting his customers if they don’t pay? Nonetheless, what “Limitless” lacks in story cohesion it makes up for in energy and Bradley Cooper’s surprising leading-man charm. This is a satisfying, fast-paced thriller if you’re willing to just go with it. 3/19/11

The Lincoln Lawyer - 3 1/2 smiles

Matthew McConaughey is terrific as hotshot defense lawyer Mick Haller in “The Lincoln Lawyer,” based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novel. Of course, some of the subplots have been eliminated and some of the character development streamlined, but the essential story is there so kudos to John Romano, who adapted this screenplay. “The Lincoln Lawyer” is a typical courtroom drama that morphs into a thriller that forces an attorney to balance the ethics of his profession with the need to do the right thing. Self-assured, even a little smug, Mick Haller tools around town in a Lincoln Town Car and will defend anyone who can pay his fee. When he’s called to represent wealthy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who is accused of assault and attempted rape, Mick thinks he’s just hit the jackpot until some ugly facts of the cast start to surface. When Mick connects this case to a previous murder where another man went to prison, he realizes that this is a case he wants to lose, but he must do everything in his power to achieve a ‘not guilty’ verdict for Roulet. 3/18/11

Matthew McConaughey tends to choose roles that require little effort. Remember Fool’s Gold and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past? However, it takes a role like Mick Haller to remind us that McConaughey can be a compelling onscreen presence. Effective, too, is Marisa Tomei as Haller’s ex, mother of his daughter and his opposite, a prosecuting attorney, in the courtroom although she doesn’t get enough screen time. William H. Macy is good as Haller’s investigator and Ryan Phillippe is chilling as a baby-faced sociopath. “The Lincoln Lawyer” has a few twists and a satisfying conclusion. What more can you ask for?

Mars Needs Moms - 2 1/2 smiles

First of all, don’t see a 3D movie unless the director filmed it with 3D in mind, like James Cameron’s Avatar. Paying that extra 3D-glasses surcharge for a movie that really doesn’t benefit from 3D is just idiotic and the picture quality suffers when moves are shot with regular cameras and then converted to 3D. It’s an obvious grab by the studios to get more money from the movie-going public and I resent it. Tickets are expensive enough as it is. Okay. ‘Nuff said. Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she’s nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her parenting skills. Milo stows away aboard the spaceship and with the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), sets out to save his mom.

“Mars Needs Moms” has a message that all mothers will appreciate: value your mother even though she may nag you to do the right thing. But it could also be considered antifeminist because the ruling class consists of militant females who, like the Amazons of Greek myth, separate and discard the male babies shortly after birth. (This isn’t exactly a message you want the kiddies to grasp, however.) And because the females can’t be bothered with raising children, they create robots to raise the girl babies while sending the male babies to the vast garbage pits below the city, the place where the males, second-class citizens, live and work. And interestingly enough, the dialect the women speak sounds Asian and the leader even looks Asian while the men look and sound vaguely African. “Mars Needs Moms” isn’t enhanced by the motion-capture technology use to create the characters. Motion capture done well, like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy or in Avatar, can be both amazing and seamless. When you have all of the characters developed via motion capture, things seem awkward and it gives the film a creepy look. Although the film has a couple of genuine emotional moments, it’s not enough to give “Mars Needs Moms” a must-see recommendation. 3/14/11

Battle Los Angeles - 1 smile

If you don’t have a problem with shaky cams (i.e., hand-held cameras), then you’ll like “Battle Los Angeles” more than I did. But the ‘you are there’ perspective that director Jonathan Liebesman employs had me closing my eyes for most of this movie. So I had to rely on my sense of sound to determine what was happening and I heard a lot of shooting, explosions, shouting, and some dialogue. And ‘watching’ a movie this way gets tiresome long before the movie ends. Plus I couldn’t tell who was who, the soldiers being pretty much interchangeable with the exception of Aaron Eckhart. Here’s the gist of the story: Aliens are invading Earth for its water and Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Eckhart) and his new platoon to stop them. The story isn’t new; we saw it in Independence Day without the shaky cams. I had a huge headache by the time this movie ended. 3/11/11

Red Riding Hood - 1 frown

Although “Red Riding Hood” has a striking production design, the script and dialogue are silly and the acting nonexistent. Even Gary Oldman’s overblown priest who’s ready to slay the werewolf can’t enliven this foolishness. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke who gained fame for the first Twilight movie, RRH seems like an attempt to cash in on the prepubescent demographic. For similarities, you’ve got a beautiful young girl, Amanda Seyfried’s Valerie, caught between suitors, the hunky peasant Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) and hunky rich guy Henry (Max Irons). And the script by David Leslie Johnson veers between serious, soapy teen angst (bickering between the rivals and various impassioned speeches) and camp (Julie Christie’s growling Grandmother and Oldman’s bombast). I have to admit, though, that Seyfried, Fernandez and Irons look hot – in a modern way. But since the story takes place some time around the Dark Ages, this contemporary look is at odds with the story Harwicke is trying to tell. Plus you have Christie in dreadlocks and Virginia Madsen (Valerie’s mother) in rouge and mascara. While Seyfried is a lively and expressive actress, she’s stuck between the two wooden performances of her costars. All in all, skip “Red Riding Hood.” It’s not worth your time or money. 3/13/11

Kill the Irishman - 3 smiles

When you think of mafia, you think New York City, right? How about Cleveland? “Kill the Irishman” is a crime drama about the rise and fall of 70s mobster Danny Greene and his involvement in a turf war in the summer of 1976 that resulted in 36 bombs being detonated in Cleveland. This highly entertaining movie, directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, uses vignettes and some archival footage to tell Danny’s story. Ray Stevenson imbues Danny with a charm you don’t expect from an Irish-American gangster who muscled his way up from longshoreman to racketeering union leader, and then becoming an enforcer for loan shark Shondor Burns (Christopher Walken). When that goes sour, he teams with gangster John Nardi (Vincent D’Onofrio) to take on the city’s Italian Mafia heavyweights (Tony Lo Bianco, Paul Sorvino). Along the way, Danny becomes a Robin Hood-style folk hero, helping poor families and even handing out free turkeys to city cops on holidays. His fame grows as he survives numerous attempted hits, leading the self-described descendant of Celtic warriors to believe in his own invincibility. Unfortunately, a hit man (Robert Davi) hired by the mob takes out Danny’s trusted associates and then closes in on him.

The movie is based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, by Rick Porrello, former Cleveland area police chief. As a direct result of Danny’s murder, Jimmy ‘Weasel’ Frantianno along with Angelo Lonardo, one-time Cleveland Mafia boss, turned government informants. Their testimony helped put away mob bosses Anthony ‘Fat Tony’ Salerno of New York’s Genovese Mafia family, Anthony ‘Tony Ducks’ Corallo of the Luchesse clan and Carmine Perisco of the Colombo family. Adding to the story’s authenticity, Hensleigh intersperses actual news footage between the episodes in Danny’s life. Danny Greene was larger than life and that’s the way Ray Stevenson portrays him. Also top notch are Vincent D’Onofrio, Val Kilmer as Greene’s boyhood friend now police chief, and Christopher Walken. The palette of grainy brown/orange/gold/beige, the many vintage cars and the dreary Detroit (doubling for Cleveland) locations evoke the gritty world Danny inhabited. 3/5/11

Rango - 3 1/2 smiles

“Rango” is available in 2D and 2D only. What a novel idea! You’ve got an animated film that’s bright and vivid with an engaging story and creative characters. It certainly doesn’t need the gimmick of 3D to be a hit. “Rango” celebrates the Western, using references to other Westerns and combining recognizable dialogue and music from the past. All of the Western motifs show up at one time or another, from the showdown at high noon to the dusty, parched landscape. One of the villains, Rattlesnake Jake, resembles Lee Van Cleef and The Man With No Name makes a cameo (with Timothy Oliphant doing a passable Clint Eastwood). Rango (voice of Johnny Depp) is a lizard living in a home aquarium until an accident strands him in the middle of the desert. Eventually he stumbles on the town of Dirt, a miniature version of an Old West frontier settlement with talking animals, including badgers, toads, owls and possums, with the mayor being a tortoise. Rango becomes the town’s hero through accident and his inventive bragging. And as the new sheriff, it falls to Rango to discover what has happened to the town’s water supply.

The voice cast is top notch, especially Johnny Depp whose chameleon-like voice is completely different from his Captain Jack persona. Able support comes from Isla Fisher (as Rango’s sarcastic love interest, Beans), Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Ned Beatty, and Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jake. A Greek chorus (of sorts) augments Rango’s story - four owls, dressed in sombreros, playing musical instruments and singing commentary to what’s happening. The screenplay by John Logan is much more sophisticated than you might expect from a non-Pixar film. The plot is more complex and there’s an ongoing theme of living up to expectations. Children will enjoy “Rango” although I think adults who remember the Western in its heyday will appreciate it more. 3/4/11

The Adjustment Bureau - 3 smiles

“The Adjustment Bureau” is more romance than science fiction, but that’s okay because its two central characters, portrayed by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, have such an onscreen chemistry that you root for them to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from being together. Damon has become quite a versatile actor; he can succeed in comedy, action and drama. And he’s not only believable in these genres, but he’s likable as well. Here he’s trying to follow clues and find his true love while outwitting adversaries with superhero-like powers. Blunt is a good match for Damon and their chemistry keeps the focus on their characters rather than on the mechanics of the plot, which is plausible, but doesn’t hold up to deep analysis, especially the conclusion. At the heart of this story is the conflict of true love and free will versus fate.

David Norris (Damon) is an up-and-coming politician running for a U.S. Senate seat from the state of New York. Then the New York Post gets a hold of a salacious photo and Norris finds his whole career path in jeopardy. At this low point in his life, he meets Elise Sellas (Blunt), a ballet-trained modern dancer in the men’s room of the Waldorf Astoria where she’s hiding from hotel security because she crashed a wedding. Elise’s wild antics inspire David, whose concession speech lays the groundwork for a future successful run at the Senate seat. But David is not supposed to see Elise again. Three years later, when chance reunites David and Elise, David learns about The Adjustment Bureau (Anthony Mackie and John Slattery). They tell David that he can’t see Elise again and he can’t tell anyone about The Adjustment Bureau. To do so would make him subject to immediate ‘resetting’ (lobotomization). From that point, David’s life becomes a struggle as he pursues Elise and The Adjustment Bureau throws obstacles in his path. Eventually, the Bureau brings in Thompson (Terence Stamp), ‘The Hammer,” to resolve the situation. “The Adjustment Bureau” is a stylish thriller that mixes science fiction and romance. You won’t be disappointed if you give this movie a try. 3/6/11

Gnomeo and Juliet - 1 1/2 smiles

What’s the deal with animated garden gnomes? And in 3D no less. If you have to see this sorry movie, at least you can opt for the non-3D version. “Gnomeo and Juliet” is a computer-generated version of Shakespeare’s tragic romance and any similarity to Romeo and Juliet is purely coincidental. It’s full of unfunny jokes, hackneyed scenarios and an overdose of Elton John tunes. And with nine writers getting credit for the script, you know something’s up. However, there is a formidable list of voice credits, including James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as the star-crossed lovers; Michael Caine as the leader of the red gnomes and Maggie Smith as the matriarch of the blues. Jason Statham supplies the voice for Tybalt, who, in this version, cheats at lawnmower racing. The only thing “Gnomeo and Juliet” succeeded in doing was causing me to think about adding a gnome to my garden. 2/27/11

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - 3 smiles

Justin Bieber is ubiquitous: you see him in commercials, on talk shows, even on Oscar’s red carpet. Who is this kid? Well, curious people, all you need to do is see “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” a well-engineered bio-pic/concert film that celebrates the very real talents of this teen phenom, who went from relative obscurity in Stratford, Ontario, to global fame in less than two years. Bieber first gained attention via YouTube videos of him singing Chris Brown songs. One of these videos caught the eye of Atlanta-based entrepreneur Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun. Braun introduced him to R&B star Usher and to record producer L.A. Reid. Replete with home movies of a young Justin banging drums and strumming a guitar, director Jon Chu jumps back and forth between the account of Bieber’s rise to the countdown to his sold-out August 2010 concert at Madison Square Garden.

In scene after scene, we see the hardest-working 16-year-old in show business, going on the road, singing in big and little markets, strumming for D.J.’s until crowds of screaming girls begin to mass outside the radio stations and malls where he’s performing. As befitting this slick Bieber promo, “Never Say Never” has a parade of guests, including Usher, Boyz II Men, Sean Kingston, Jaden Smith, Ludacris, and Miley Cyrus. Justin Bieber is unquestionably gifted, and if he continues to listen to the grounded, talented folk around him, then there’s every reason to believe that he’ll turn out just fine when he grows up. 2/11/11

The Last Lions - 3 smiles

In the past 50 years, the lion population has dropped from 450,000 to 20,000 and the filmmakers don’t shy away from the brutal nature of lions. However, their documentary, “The Last Lions” is a stunning portrait of an African lioness while also providing some reasons the numbers of lions is dwindling. When the documentary opens, a group of lions invades from the north, descending on the Okavango Delta of Botswana. The newcomers have been displaced by human encroachment and are in search of a new home, which leads to conflict between two groups of lions. When the invaders win and kill the lioness’s mate, Ma di Tau (mother of lions), as she is called, and her three cubs, are left homeless. She ends up fording a river, something lions rarely do, in order to start a new life that includes dramatic battles against massive buffalo, confrontations with hyenas and a strategic alliance to ensure the safety of her cubs.

The suspenseful action sequences and emotional drama is enhanced by a moving score as well as solid narration from Jeremy Irons. And the South African husband-and-wife documentary team, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, have a knack for capturing both the big picture as well as the tiny details, such as the bloodied tip of a buffalo’s horn, which portends a tragic end for one of the cubs. Some of the violence is hard to watch, especially one scene in which Ma di Tau takes on a defenseless baby buffalo. However, she ends up battling with the calf’s mother, who comes to the defense of her baby. It’s hard to decide who to root for when you know defeat for Ma di Tau means she and her cubs will go hungry. “The Last Lions” is a story of a mother’s love, of survival, of triumph, a story that certainly stretches beyond the animal kingdom. 2/21/11

Drive Angry - 2 1/2 smiles

“Drive Angry,” starring Nicholas Cage, is an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek comic book revenge story about John Milton (or at least that’s what he calls himself). He chases down the bad guys, finds out the information he wants and then blows them away. After saving waitress Piper (Amber Heard) from her boyfriend, he joins her on a road trip to Louisiana, where he hopes to find cult leader Jonah King (Billy Burke) and reclaim his infant granddaughter, whom King plans to sacrifice during the next full moon. While Milton tracks King, he is, in turn, being chased by the mysterious entity known only as The Accountant (William Fitchner).

Cage, an Oscar winner, seems determined to throw his more gifted talents into the garbage bin. How else can you explain last month’s “Season of the Witch” and now “Drive Angry”? Nonetheless, his tongue-in-cheek performance raises this film above most straightforward actioners. And it’s good that director/cowriter Patrick Lussier never takes his movie too seriously. Burke seems to be having a good time in his satin shirt, long fingernails and atrocious Southern accent while Heard gives as many knocks as she takes. Best of all, though, is the hilarious Fitchner, who steals every scene he wanders into. Lussier takes good advantage of 3D technology that actually earns the higher ticket price although I still resent paying it. All in all, “Drive Angry” is a fun romp. Just don’t take all of the violence too seriously. 2/27/11

Of Gods and Men - 1 1/2 smiles

In 1996, seven French monks in Algeria were kidnapped by Muslim terrorists and then later killed. Since we already know the outcome of this event, it’s a pity director Xavier Beauvois does not delve into the monks’ motivation to stay. One monk does express his fears, but the ultimate decision to stay seems a foregone conclusion. The monks are indistinguishable from each other because all of them are pious and selfless. Only two stand out: the doctor (Michael Lonsdale), who ministers to the sick from the nearby village and their leader Christian (Lambert Wilson), who guides them in prayers and songs. There are eight individual decisions to be made here, yet Beauvois never humanizes any of his monks. Instead, the film is filled with songs, communal prayers and daily chores to the point of ponderousness. What is gained by their deaths, for them or the church? Will it do any good for the local community they profess to honor and serve?

To his credit, Beauvois doesn’t focus on good Christians vs. evil Muslims. The monks are caught between the Algerian army, who are searching for Islamist terrorists and distrust the monks and the Islamist fundamentalists, who want all foreigners to leave their country. Nonetheless, the pacing of “Of Gods and Men” is too lethargic to make for enjoyable movie going. Subtitles. 2/25/11