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MOVIES PREVIOUSLY RELEASED
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A
"The Abandoned" (Lionsgate/After Dark Films)
Rated "R"
Routine horror film about a Russian-born woman (Anastasia Hille) who ventures from America to her remote birthplace and finds it haunted and her life in serious jeopardy along with that of the twin brother (Karel Roden) she never knew she had. In his feature-film debut, Spanish writer-director Nacho Cerda delivers sufficient scares without any glaringly exploitative elements but also without making total sense of the confusing plot. Violent and gory images, pervasive rough and crude language, nudity and one brief sequence in which sex is heard off-camera in a porn film. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Accepted" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Comedy about a savvy slacker (Justin Long) who, rejected by every college to which he applied, comes up with a face-saving scheme to create a fake school out of an abandoned hospital, which snowballs out of control when a motley mob of other misfits show up on the school's doorstep with acceptance letters. Displaying only occasional wit amid a "coarse" load of mindless humor, director Steve Pink's farce stealthily wraps its subversive nonconformity message in lighthearted, if lowbrow, satire that would seem to extol benign themes of acceptance and self-expression. Recurring crude sexual language and humor, including vulgar sight gags and innuendo, drug content, skimpy bikinis, some profanity and a use of the f-word. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Across the Universe" (Revolution)
Rated "PG-13"
At once spectacular and schizophrenic, this musical tribute to the Beatles chronicles the adventures of a Liverpool dockworker (Jim Sturgess) as he travels to America, befriends a rebellious preppy (Joe Anderson), falls in love with the preppy's sister (Evan Rachel Wood), pals around with his Janis Joplin-like singer-landlady (Dana Fuchs), her Jimi Hendrix-like bandmate (Martin Luther McCoy), and a former cheerleader turned bohemian (T.V. Carpio). As conceived and directed by Julie Taymor, the film is a highly imaginative, visually stunning fantasia, employing the music of the Fab Four to elucidate the 1960s, though its contrived story line too often leaves both cast and audience bogged down in a mire of cliches. Partial, rear and upper female nudity, cohabitation, a sexual embrace, a disrespectful sequence with a priest, drug use, occasional rough and much crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Adventureland" (Miramax)
Rated "R"
Sensitive but downbeat coming-of-age tale, set in 1987 Pittsburgh, about an awkward college graduate (Jesse Eisenberg) who takes a summer job at a third-rate amusement park and falls for one of his co-workers (Kristen Stewart, not realizing she is having an adulterous affair with an older employee (Ryan Reynolds). Though generally restrained in its presentation of sexuality, director Greg Mottola's wryly nostalgic romance takes a benign view of its characters' frequent indulgence in marijuana and reaches a morally unacceptable conclusion. Nongraphic adulterous and premarital sexual activity, brief partial nudity, repeated drug use, some sexual and fleeting scatological humor, pervasive rough and crude language, and a few uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"A Good Year" (Fox 2000)
Rated "PG-13"
Picturesque, leisurely paced comedy about a career-driven British bond trader (Russell Crowe) who inherits a dilapidated chateau and vineyard in France where as a child he had spent time with his raffish uncle (Albert Finney). He decides to sell the property, only to fall for the charms of the locale and a pretty cafe owner (Marion Cottilard), while a young American (Abbie Cornish) shows up and announces she's the uncle's illegitimate daughter. The film represents a laid-back change of pace for both Crowe and director Ridley Scott, but though old-fashioned romantic comedy is all too rare the often lame humor and workaday script, adapted from Peter Mayle's book, make for indifferent viewing. Frequent conversational expletives and some profanity, a nongraphic premarital encounter, some crass humor and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"A Lot Like Love" (Touchstone)
Rated PG-13"
Occasionally appealing but mostly forgettable romantic comedy about a button-down Internet entrepreneur (Ashton Kutcher) and an impulsive free spirit (Amanda Peet) who, after an anonymous sexual tryst on a cross-country flight, continue to wander in and out of each other's life as they search for love, only to be drawn closer together with each meeting. Directed by Nigel Cole, the kismet-themed love story is weighed down by a predictable opposites-attract plot and bland performances and its breezy message about "taking chances" is dampened by its casual attitude toward premarital sex. Several sexual encounters, including one with shadowy nudity, drunkenness and some crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"A Mighty Heart" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "R"
Tense recounting of the 2002 kidnapping of and frantic search for Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) in Karachi, Pakistan, as seen through the eyes of his pregnant wife, Mariane (Angelina Jolie), also a journalist. Director Michael Winterbottom superbly captures the tumult, and without histrionics (except for one searing outpouring of grief), deftly embodies the courageous Mariane Pearl who, after the tragic events, refused to succumb to bitterness or vengeance. Several uses of the f-word under duress, and a few other crude or crass words, fleeting newsreel footage of bombings and some dead bodies including a grim morgue image, a discreet torture scene, a brief nongraphic bedroom scene and a verbal description of Pearl's gruesome death. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"A Previous Engagement" (Buccaneer)
Rated "O"
A Seattle librarian (Juliet Stevenson), on holiday in Malta with her dull, inattentive husband (Daniel Stern), plans to rendezvous with her suave French lover (Tcheky Karyo) from 25 years earlier. Even allowing for its often farcical structure, writer-director Joan Carr-Wiggin's story, which strives for a light, whimsical tone, never seems remotely grounded in reality as the best comedies should be, the generally capable cast is undermined by dialogue that rarely rings true, and the narrative is marred by a shallow moral tone. Adultery, rough language, crude expressions, the acceptability of premarital sex and divorce, and brief drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

The Adventures of Ociee Nash   (Flying Zebra)
Rated “G”
"The Adventures of Ociee Nash” is a family-friendly drama set in 1898 which follows the modest adventures of a tomboyish 9-year-old (Skyler Day) who, leaving behind her widowed father (Keith Carradine), travels from rural Mississippi to North Carolina in order to live with an aunt (Mare Winningham) who is set on teaching her to become a "proper young lady."  Along the way she rubs elbows with such historical personalities as President McKinley (Daniel Burnley) and the Wright brothers (Ty Pennington and Sean Daniels). Directed by Kristen McGary and based on Milam McGraw Propst's children's novel, "A Flower Blooms on Charlotte Street," the film scores points for its disarmingly old-time-values tone but, sadly, neither its homespun charm nor its refreshingly wholesome message can fully mask its flat writing and performances. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D" (Dimension)
Rated "PG"
Entertaining family fantasy about a picked-on 10-year-old (Cayden Boyd) with a fertile imagination who finds himself recruited by the superheroes he created in his daydreams -- Shark Boy (Taylor Lautner) and Lava Girl (Taylor Dooley) -- and blasts off on a mission to save a distant world from the sinister machinations of Mr. Electric (George Lopez). Directed by Robert Rodriguez from characters created by his 10-year-old son, this kid-friendly film is full of whimsical visuals but the gimmicky 3-D effects distract from what is otherwise a genial tale about the importance of imagination and fostering creativity. Some light comic book violence and mildly rude humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Aeon Flux" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Stylish but nonsensical sci-fi action adventure set in a distant future where the last remnant of a plague-thinned humanity lives in a walled, socially engineered "perfect" society, and centers on a female assassin (a cat-suit-clad Charlize Theron) conflicted about her assigned target: the utopia's totalitarian ruler (Marton Csokas), whom she senses holds the secret to the unexplained disappearance of citizens as well as to her own shrouded past. Directed by Karyn Kusama and based on the popular series of MTV animated shorts, the film's "Matrix"-style acrobatics and visual panache can't disguise emotional flatness and a barely coherent script littered with video-game carnage. Much stylized violence, brief gore and a sexual encounter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"After the Sunset" (New Line)
Rated "PG-13"
Lackluster caper directed by Brett Ratner about a master thief (Pierce Brosnan) who, after calling it quits and retiring to a tropical island with his sexy accomplice (Salma Hayek), is tempted to steal a priceless gem aboard a cruise ship docked in port, while being watched by an FBI agent (Woody Harrelson) gunning to nail him. Despite good cat-and-mouse chemistry between Brosnan and Harrelson, the film's warmed-over premise doesn't really contribute anything new to the heist genre and in making light of the felonies committed suggests that crime pays handsomely. A glamorized portrayal of larceny, crime without consequence, brief violence, several implied sexual encounters and some racy images, as well as an instance of rough language and intermittent crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"The Air I Breathe" (THINKFilm)
Rated "R"
Energetic but seamy study of characters trapped by their own passions through four interconnected stories involving a gangster (Andy Garcia), a reckless gambler (Forest Whitaker) who's in debt to him, his vulgar nephew (Emile Hirsch), one of his enforcers (Brendan Fraser), a popular singer whose career he controls (Sarah Michelle Geller), and a doctor (Kevin Bacon) who's desperate to make contact with the pop star. Director Jieho Lee's film, though it shows marks of craftsmanship, ultimately registers as contrived, as well as excessively gory, with a nonstop stream of four-letter words. Graphic violence, including mutilation and beatings, upper female and rear nudity, themes of suicide, prostitution and abortion, pervasive rough and frequent crude and crass language, two uses of profanity, sexual references and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Akeelah and the Bee" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG"
Irresistible story about a South Los Angeles 11-year-old loner (Keke Palmer) who reluctantly agrees to compete in a national spelling bee -- under the tutelage of an emotionally fragile English professor (Laurence Fishburne) against the initial wishes of her hard-working mother (Angela Bassett), who worries the endeavor will interfere with the girl's flagging grades in other subjects. Writer-director Doug Atchison handles Akeelah's journey of self-discovery and growing empowerment deftly and builds suspense on the way to a satisfying if unabashedly formulaic conclusion, helped by his first-rate leads, and inspiring messages about conquering fears, winning by honest means, the strength of community, and, above all, the beauty and potency of words. A few crass expressions and a single use of a four-letter word can't detract from an overall warm endorsement for all audiences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Alexander" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Ambitious historical epic which explores the life of Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell), the fabled fourth-century B.C. Macedonian conqueror, chronicling his rise to power, stunning military victories and empire expansion, with breaks in the sword-and-sandal action for some Freudian forays into his bisexuality and estranged relationship with his conniving mother (Angelina Jolie) and roughhewn royal father (Val Kilmer). Though this "Alexander" is far from great, director Oliver Stone's visually impressive film features spectacular, though graphic, battles and lavish re-creations of antiquity which somewhat balance its epic flaws, which include campy acting and dialogue, a plodding pace and an interminable running time of three hours. Strong battlefield violence and associated gore, an attempted rape, several implied gay sexual situations, one involving shadowy rear nudity, an explicit straight bedroom scene and generalized background debauchery. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adult would find troubling.

"Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" (Weinstein)
Rated "PG"
Adequately entertaining action adventure based on the first volume of the popular children's book series by Anthony Horowitz, about a London teen (Alex Pettyfer) who, after learning that his recently deceased uncle (Ewan McGregor) was a secret agent for the British government, is recruited into the spy biz to investigate a shadowy American billionaire (Mickey Rourke) who's planning to use his high-tech "stormbreaker" computer to unleash global death. Despite a lightweight script padded with chases and explosions, director Geoffrey Sax keeps the action fast-paced and the tone amusingly campy, though some of the story elements may be a bit grim for some young viewers. Some nongraphic action violence and scenes of peril. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Alfie" (Paramount)
Rated "R"
Successfully competing with fond memories of the 1966 Michael Caine English film, this new version, set in Manhattan, features a superb Jude Law as the womanizing cad whose callous ways eventually catch up with him. Charles Shyer's beautifully crafted remake -- an exceedingly moral film even as it features a most amoral antihero -- follows the titular Cockney limo driver as he makes his amorous way through his best friend's girl (Nia Long), a wealthy older society matron (Susan Sarandon), a married woman (Jane Krakowski), a free-spirited party girl (Sienna Miller) and a single mom (Marisa Tomei), before feeling the emptiness of his self-centered life. Some rough and crude language, strong sexual content, nudity and recreational drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

Alien vs. Predator  (20th Century Fox) 
Rated "PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned."
 Horror film fans have always loved a good monster mash. Hollywood heavyweight bouts have included "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" (1943), "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962) and, of a more recent vintage, "Freddy vs. Jason" (2003).  Add to the frightfest fight card "Alien vs. Predator,"  a cross-pollinating of two popular sci-fi franchises which had been percolating in development offices for 10 years before making its way to the big screen. Unfortunately, it wasn't worth the wait.  In the film, a team of scientists and mercenaries (including Sanaa Lathan and Raoul Bova) are hired by a billionaire industrialist (Lance Henriksen, who also appeared in the 1986 "Alien" sequel "Aliens") to explore a mysterious ancient pyramid which is discovered buried far beneath the Antarctic ice cap.  Once there, the expedition members find themselves live bait in a battle royal between the two eponymous space species sparring for bragging rights in the galaxy.  Some scenes push the boundaries of the film's PG-13 rating, much of the carnage occurs off screen.  Due to gory action violence, an instance of rough language and scattered crude expressions, the USCCB classification is A-III -- adults. 

"Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "R"
Limp sequel to 2004's "Alien vs. Predator," set in a remote Colorado town having the misfortune to be near where a Predator spacecraft full of the slimy, fast-breeding, insectlike aliens (seen in five previous films) crash-lands. Directing brothers Colin and Greg Strause and screenwriter Shane Salerno opt for stale, predictable chaos rather than originality, and the Predator, a rogue warrior whose powers include invisibility, is reduced to plodding through a sewer. Brief partial nudity; rough, crude and profane language, nearly all of it by fighting teenagers; a very brief attempted seduction by a teenage girl; and aliens who, as expected, pop out of a couple of rubbery human midsections; but most of the gore consists of special-effects blood splashing on windows. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Alone in the Dark" (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Insufferably inane sci-fi action film directed by Uwe Boll about a paranormal detective (Christian Slater), who in investigating the disappearances of several missing people uncovers a plot by a mad scientist to open a virtual portal to hell which will unleash an evil race of savage creatures on the world. Based on the popular video game, the ludicrous film is as incoherent as it is violent, and is full of bafflingly bad acting and risible dialogue. Excessive gratuitous violence and gore, a suicide, an implied sexual encounter, as well as much rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Alpha Dog" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Extremely ugly drama, set amid the drug culture of affluent youths in Los Angeles and loosely based on true events, about a teenage dealer (Emile Hirsch) who, together with his clique (including Justin Timberlake), abducts the kid brother (Anton Yelchin) of a rival (Ben Foster) who owes him money, triggering unforeseen complications as their scheme spirals out of control. Writer-director Nick Cassavetes effectively conveys the nihilism and morally vacant lifestyles of his disaffected youths -- an indictment of irresponsible parenting as much as the corrosive influence of much of today's pop culture -- but the story is emotionally uninvolving and the overall raw tone and incessant sordidness, while perhaps accurately reflecting reality, are excessive. Pervasive rough and sexually explicit language, some strong violence, recurring drug content, delinquent behavior, several sexual situations with partial nudity, one involving minors, underage drinking and smoking, as well as scattered profanity and racial epithets. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Alvin and the Chipmunks" (Fox)
Rated "PG"
Entertaining comedy with music in which the three familiar animated warblers (voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) befriend a failing ad man and would-be composer (Jason Lee) and inspire him to write a hit Christmas song which they record, while also trying to reunite him with the ex-girlfriend (Cameron Richardson) to whom he could not commit, before then being tempted away by a greedy record producer (David Cross) who seeks to exploit them. Director Tim Hill's film is full of enjoyable chaos, yet manages to send messages about family solidarity and rule keeping that parents will appreciate. Some crude and scatological humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"ATL" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Familiar but satisfying coming-of-age-in-the-'hood drama set in Atlanta about a 17-year-old aspiring graphic artist (Tip Harris) forced to shoulder the load of raising himself and his wayward kid brother (Evan Ross) after their parents' death, a burden complicated by the younger boy's involvement with a local drug dealer and his own budding, star-crossed romance. His only release is roller skating with his friends (including Jackie Long). Despite a cliched script, director Chris Robinson's film is visually vibrant and wins over your emotions with its appealing performances and positive themes about the bonds of family and friendship, owning up to responsibilities, holding on to dreams and taking pride in your roots. Some violence and sexual situations, including an implied encounter between minors, suggestive roller-skating choreography, drug content, an instance of rough language and some crude language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Amazing Grace" (Samuel Goldwyn/Roadside)
Rated "PG"
Compelling historical biography about William Wilberforce (a dynamic Ioan Gruffudd), the great 18th century British abolitionist, who with the help of the young British Prime Minister William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch), and other like-minded friends in Parliament and elsewhere (Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Albert Finney, Youssou N'Dour), managed -- after tireless and courageous struggle -- to pass an anti-slave trade bill in Parliament. With its solid performances, accessible script and handsome production design, director Michael Apted's film recalls some of the best historical dramas from Hollywood's golden age, and is all the more admirable for its unabashed portrait of a passionate man of God. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"An American Affair" (Screen Media)
Rated "R"
Odd coming-of-age tale, set in 1963 Washington, about a 13-year-old Catholic schoolboy (Cameron Bright) who spies on, and becomes obsessed with, a free-spirited artist (Gretchen Mol) who lives in his neighborhood, despite being warned against her by his otherwise indifferent parents (Perrey Reeves and Noah Wyle). Director William Sten Olsson's cliche-ridden feature debut, which promotes wayward values while trashing nuns and parochial education, clumsily attempts to graft Camelot-era historical events -- the painter is one of President Kennedy's mistresses and the ex-wife of a CIA agent (Mark Pellegrino) -- onto a personal narrative of adolescent sexual yearning and aspirations for independence. Brief graphic adulterous sexual activity, masturbation, voyeurism, upper female nudity, a pornographic image, some rough and crude language, and a couple of uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"American Dreamz" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Fairly amusing satire of fame and politics as a would-be terrorist (Sam Golzari) enamored of American show tunes winds up on an "American Idol"-like talent show, where his Afghan superiors expect him to kill the U.S. president (Dennis Quaid) who is appearing as a celebrity judge to boost his image, while the show's host (Hugh Grant) falls for a "white trash" contestant from Ohio (Mandy Moore). The performances, including those of Marcia Gay Harden and Willem Dafoe, are good, and director-writer Paul Weitz carefully avoids most of the pitfalls of such a premise with a surprisingly sweet-natured story with no real villains, though the salvos about the today's vapid pop culture, the public's misplaced priorities, the need for understanding of our "enemies," and the obscenity of war could sometimes be more sharply focused. Scattered instances of four-letter words, profanity, and sexual and crass expressions, an implied premarital coupling and a suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"American Gangster" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Gritty, chaotically filmed 1970s New York true life story about a scrupulously honest if womanizing cop (Russell Crowe) investigating a notorious drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who's shipping heroin from Thailand to the States in Vietnam War soldiers' body bags all the while posing as an upstanding family man. Director Ridley Scott, working from Steven Zaillian's fact-based script, captures the tumultuous era's spirit and skillfully counterbalances the prosperous criminal with the struggling hero, but the squalid milieu and strong violence will not be to everyone's taste, despite a moderately redemptive ending. Pervasive rough language and profanity, racial epithets, upper female nudity, adultery, a graphic sexual encounter without nudity, violence, murder, suicide, brief torture and drug dealing. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"American Gun" (IFC)
Rated "R"
Disjointed, intermittently forceful drama that examines America's gun culture through the lens of three unrelated, but thematically linked, stories: an Oregon single mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and her teenage son (Christopher Marquette) struggling to cope with festering emotions three years after her older boy went on a Columbine-style shooting rampage and committed suicide; a Chicago principal (Forest Whitaker) trying to keep weapons out of his high school, while ignoring troubles at home; and a soft-spoken Virginian gunsmith (Donald Sutherland) at a loss over his granddaughter's (Linda Cardellini) remoteness. Director Aric Avelino follows the multiple narrative template of films like "Traffic" and "Crash," but despite earnestly showing how gun violence can have a domino effect in communities and wreak devastation beyond the immediate victims, the stories never coalesce into a cohesive whole, despite solid performances across the board. Several instances of violence, including a graphic shooting and a suggested attempted gang rape, a brief glimpse of a dead body and a few other disturbing images, a vulgar gesture, as well as much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"An American Haunting" (After Dark)
Rated "PG-13"
Spookily atmospheric, well-acted thriller based on the "true story" of the "Bell Witch" case, the only documented case in the U.S. of a spirit causing the death of a person, as the Bells, an 1818 Tennessee couple (Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek) battle ghostly horrors in their home and the possession of their daughter (Rachel Hurd-Ward), after a woman thought to be a witch curses the family. Writer-director Courtney Solomon builds up an atmosphere of heady suspense that never lets up, and although there's lots of generalized demonic violence, there's little bloodshed. Some intensely violent episodes including a hair-raising wolf attack, an attempted suicide, questioning of God's existence and omnipotence, and subtle sexual revelations of an adult nature. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Amityville Horror" (MGM)
Rated "R"
Schlocky and unnecessarily grisly remake of the 1979 horror movie based on the alleged true experiences of a Long Island couple (Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) who, along with their three children, move into a spooky new home with a suspiciously low asking price and an evil past involving its former residents -- a family slaughtered in their beds by their demonically possessed son. Directed by Andrew Douglas, the movie has a few jolts but lacks any real suspense and ultimately unravels into a muddled stew of sensory overload and confusion. Strong gratuitous violence and gore, torture images, a sexual encounter with shadowy nudity, several scenes of child peril, brief drug content and recurring rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid   (Screen Gems)
Rated “PG-13”
"Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid) is an atrocious action thriller about a scientific expedition (including Johnny Messner and Kadee Strickland) sent to Borneo by a pharmaceutical company to search for a rare flower with fountain-of-youth medicinal qualities, but winds up lost deep in a jungle slithering with giant man-eating snakes.   Made sillier by the fact that anacondas are not indigenous to Borneo, director Dwight Little's sequel manages to squeeze out a few cheap screams but, for the most part, the cheesy dialogue is scarier than the hokey computer-animated constrictors and the best acting is done by a rhesus monkey. Because of recurring action violence, some scary images, a crude gesture, an instance of rough language and scattered crass expressions and sexual innuendo, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"An American Affair" (Screen Media)
Rated "R"
Odd coming-of-age tale, set in 1963 Washington, about a 13-year-old Catholic schoolboy (Cameron Bright) who spies on, and becomes obsessed with, a free-spirited artist (Gretchen Mol) who lives in his neighborhood, despite being warned against her by his otherwise indifferent parents (Perrey Reeves and Noah Wyle). Director William Sten Olsson's cliche-ridden feature debut, which promotes wayward values while trashing nuns and parochial education, clumsily attempts to graft Camelot-era historical events -- the painter is one of President Kennedy's mistresses and the ex-wife of a CIA agent (Mark Pellegrino) -- onto a personal narrative of adolescent sexual yearning and aspirations for independence. Brief graphic adulterous sexual activity, masturbation, voyeurism, upper female nudity, a pornographic image, some rough and crude language, and a couple of uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"An American Carol" (Vivendi/Mpower)
Rated "PG-13"
Heavy-handed conservative satire in which a left-wing, America-hating filmmaker (Kevin Farley), out to abolish the Fourth of July, is visited by the ghosts of some of the nation's past leaders (Chriss Anglin, Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voight) who urge him to repent. Director and co-writer David Zucker's slapdash reworking of Charles Dickens is too busy hectoring to score many comic points. Brief partial nudity, some sexual and brief scatological humor, some crude language, one use of profanity and vulgar gestures. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"An American Haunting" (After Dark)
Rated "PG-13"
Spookily atmospheric, well-acted thriller based on the "true story" of the "Bell Witch" case, the only documented case in the U.S. of a spirit causing the death of a person, as the Bells, an 1818 Tennessee couple (Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek) battle ghostly horrors in their home and the possession of their daughter (Rachel Hurd-Ward), after a woman thought to be a witch curses the family. Writer-director Courtney Solomon builds up an atmosphere of heady suspense that never lets up, and although there's lots of generalized demonic violence, there's little bloodshed. Some intensely violent episodes including a hair-raising wolf attack, an attempted suicide, questioning of God's existence and omnipotence, and subtle sexual revelations of an adult nature. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Annapolis" (Touchstone)
Rated "PG-13"
Diverting but derivative drama about a scrappy shipyard worker (an appealing James Franco), who, after being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy, must prove his mettle while training for the school's boxing tournament against his no-nonsense drill instructor (Tyrese Gibson). Though director Justin Lin's adrenalized climax achieves its desired rousing effect, this retread of "An Officer and a Gentleman" is hollow and formulaic. Brutal boxing sequences, an attempted suicide, some sexually crude language and humor, as well as profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy   (DreamWorks)
Rated " PG-13" Parents are strongly cautioned.
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
The old boys' club gets clubbed when a feisty blonde joins an all-male TV news team in the lackluster spoof "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." It's 1970s' San Diego and local ratings champ Ron (Will Ferrell) is full of himself, as are his moronic anchor-desk sidekicks, Champ (David Koechner), Brian (Paul Rudd) and Brick (Steve Carell). They act out as if they are 11, which is probably their combined IQ as well.   The clueless quartet is instantly threatened when competent journalist Veronica (Christina Applegate) is hired and refuses to be relegated to covering cat fashions. In response, the guys, imagining themselves to be superstuds, make their clumsy passes and sexist wisecracks to her deaf ears and rolling eyes -- that is, until Ron shows Veronica how he plays the jazz flute. Inexplicably, she suddenly turns dumb blonde and lets him play with her. However, their little fling soon flops once Ron is late for the newscast and Veronica smartly subs for him. He's enraged, but she's promoted to co-anchor -- and the four fellows do all they can to make her stumble on-air. Veronica gets the last laugh, however, when Ron reads the outrageous news copy she altered on the teleprompter and he suffers the consequences. It would take a pit full of snarling bears to bring these two back together. A lame script and the stale chauvinist stereotypes that populate writer-director Adam McKay's comedy make for mostly dull viewing. Although Ferrell fans are likely to feel otherwise and Applegate handles her role with aplomb, this is a one-joke premise that's fine for a skit but is too much of a stretch for movie length.  One can't help but remember how much better the sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," fleshed out a similar newsroom situation with weekly wit and three-dimensional characters. Here the humor is puerile, yet too adult in its references and language to be appropriate for the 10- to 15-year-old mentality that would enjoy it. To its credit, the movie mocks the sexist attitudes that prevailed when women first sought equal status as on-air TV reporters and co-anchors. But satire succeeds when it's sharp, not insipid, and "Anchorman" is weighed down by its sheer silliness.  Because of an implied affair, several sexual references and crude expressions, occasional profanity and an instance of rough language, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Angels & Demons" (Sony/Columbia)
Rated "PG-13"
Highly improbable but mindlessly entertaining sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"  adapted from Dan Brown's prequel written in 2000 -- in which religious symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and a scientist (Ayelet Zurer) join forces with a church official (Ewan McGregor) to try to prevent the destruction of the Vatican and the murder of a quartet of kidnapped cardinals by following a trail of clues left across Rome by the secretive Illuminati cult of anti-Catholic intellectuals. Though director Ron Howard has toned down some of the book's most egregious elements, the historical church is still portrayed as a relentless and at times violent foe of science, but the film ends on a positive note from a faith perspective and the final image of the church is relatively positive. Much action violence, some grisly murders, factually dodgy church history and ritual, some crass language and a profanity, and a suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Ant Bully" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
Whimsically entertaining computer animated fable about a young boy (voiced by Zack Tyler Eisen) who, in response to havoc wreaked on an anthill in his front yard, is magically shrunk to bug size by an ant wizard (voiced by Nicolas Cage), put on trial and sentenced to remain miniaturized until he makes amends, which he does by saving the lawn's insect population from annihilation at the hands of a gung-ho exterminator (Paul Giamatti). Written and directed by John A. Davis from the John Nickle children's book, the pixilated parable wraps its might-doesn't-make-right moral and agreeable life lessons in vibrantly imaginative visuals, though the performances of the A-list voice talent (including Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, in addition to Cage) are bland and the writing is less than sharp. A few instances of mildly crude language and humor and a menacing sequence that may be scary for very young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Apocalypto" (Touchstone)
Rated "R"
Visually bold but extremely bloody action-adventure set in 15th-century Central America about the desperate odyssey of a jungle tribesman (Rudy Youngblood) to get back to his pregnant wife (Dalia Hernandez) and child after he and other members of his tribe are taken captive by the ruling Mayans following the massacre of his village. In what is essentially a chase movie, director Mel Gibson impressively re-creates the world of the Mayans -- the sights, sounds and savagery -- using an indigenous cast speaking entirely in Mayan dialects, but the intoxicating imagery and human drama are undermined by so much gore that, even if historically accurate, the cumulative result registers as gratuitous. Intense and graphic violence, including scenes of slaughter, human sacrifice, beheadings and a man being mauled by a jaguar, disturbing images, some sexual humor and innuendo, a suggested marital encounter, partial nudity, an instance of rough language and a few crude expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Appaloosa" (Warner Bros./New Line)
Rated "R"
Well-acted throwback to the westerns of yore as a city marshal (Ed Harris) and his deputy (versatile Viggo Mortensen) try to bring order to the titular fictional New Mexico town by daring to take a powerful rancher and gang leader (Jeremy Irons) into custody, while the sheriff's fickle fiancee (Renee Zellweger) brings minor triangular complications to the men's rock-solid alliance. Harris also co-wrote and directed this overlong but quality production adapted from a Robert B. Parker novel, and though it falls short of truly gripping, there's much to admire. Moderate gun violence, vigilante justice, brief long-shot rear nudity, implied nonmarital relationships, some innuendo, one use of the F-word, and some other crude words and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Apres Vous" ("After You") (Paramount Classics)
Rated "R"
Affecting and funny French comedy about a do-gooder (Daniel Auteuil) who rescues a suicidal sad sack (Jose Garcia) who's been dumped by his girlfriend (Sandrine Kiberlain), and attempts to secretly bring the couple back together, but finds himself falling in love with her instead. Director Pierre Salvadori's film, with perfectly judged performances, gets off to a leisurely start, but as the story builds so do the plot complications and the laughs, buttressed by good Samaritan messages about caring, generosity, friendship and kindness. Subtitles. Sporadic rough and crude words, mild profanity, some sexual banter, casual premarital relationships. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Are We There Yet?" (Columbia)
Rated "PG"
Leaden road comedy about a smooth-talking skirt-chaser (Ice Cube) with no patience for kids who gets more than he bargained for when he falls for a pretty divorcee (Nia Long) and volunteers to taxi her two mischievous children (Philip Daniel Bolden and Aleisha Allen) from Portland, Ore., to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is staying on business, so they can all be together on New Year's Eve. Directed by Brain Levant, this film runs out of gas early, leaving viewers to endure a bumpy ride of scatological sight gags and mean-spirited mishaps (making it unsuitable for younger adolescents) which, unfortunately, dampens its sincere, albeit sentimental, message about the importance of family and parenthood. Recurring crude humor and comic violence, and some mildly crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

Around the World in 80 Days  (Disney)
Rated "PG"
An eccentric inventor and his chop-socky sidekick embark on a globetrotting adventure in order to win an outrageous wager in the lavish, family-friendly romp, "Around the World in 80 Days." Based on the classic yarn by Jules Verne and directed by Frank Coraci, the film combines action, romance and heaping dollops of madcap comedy to serve up an entertaining, continent-hopping spectacle that is both campy and clever -- and, as an added attraction -- quite fun.  Opening in Victorian-era London, the film stars Steve Coogan as the visionary techno-tinkerer Phileas Fogg, an armchair adventurer who, desperate to gain the respect of his crusty critics at the stuffy Royal Academy of Science, makes an outlandish gentleman's bet to circumnavigate the globe in no more than 80 days. Action-star Jackie Chan co-stars as Passepartout (pronounced "passport to"), his lightning-limbed traveling companion whom viewers first meet fleeing a phalanx of bumbling Bobbies after robbing the Bank of London. As it turns out, Passepartout, whose real name is Lao Xing, was sent from China to recover from the bank's vault a sacred jade statue of Buddha which was stolen from his village by a female Asian assassin named General Fang (Karen Joy Morris). Also along for the riotous ride is Monique (Cecile de France), a French tart with an eye for art and a nose for adventure. Their journey by land, air and sea takes the trio on a whirlwind tour of the world's most exotic locales, including pit stops for centerpiece action sequences in Paris, Istanbul, India, China and the American West. But their path is fraught with obstacles, set by Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), the stuffed-shirt head of the Royal Academy who, working in cahoots with Fang, wants to discredit Phileas. Along the way they learn gushy lessons about friendship and loyalty, encountering a host of celebrity cameos including Luke and Owen Wilson as the Wright brothers, Kathy Bates as Queen Victoria and a shock-wigged Arnold Schwarzenegger as a vain Turkish vizier. Taken for what it is -- eye-candy -- "Around the World in 80 Days" is surprisingly satisfying. Like the helium that lifts Phileas' balloon high above the Champs d'Elysee, the film's refreshingly lighthearted levity elevates it above the smash-and-crash action clones glutting summer screens. Much of this is owed to the appealing pairing of Coogan and Chan (roles played by David Niven and the inimitable Cantinflas in the Oscar-winning 1956 film version), whose onscreen chemistry makes up for many of the flick's shortcomings. And while Jules Verne probably didn't envision kung-fu fights along the Rive Gauche, Chan never ceases to amaze with his high-flying feats, and feet. Though it runs a bit too long, "Around the World in 80 Days" is that rare kind of film that can be appreciated by the entire family, though some parents may feel the action is too intense for very young children. Older kids will have a ball with Fogg's goofy gizmos and will get a kick -- literally -- out of the martial-arts choreography, including one scene where a brawl turns into an impromptu lesson in impressionistic painting. Like Phileas Fogg, you may just want to bet on this one! Due to recurring action violence, some mildly crude language and humor, and brief drunkenness, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Arctic Tale" (Paramount Classics)
Rated "G"
Queen Latifah delightfully narrates an absorbing story charting the parallel journeys of a polar bear cub and a walrus pup in the Arctic Circle from birth to maturity, and showing how they manage to survive a changing environment with ever-decreasing ice seriously impeding both their natural habitat and their ability to obtain food. Co-directors and cinematographers Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson have fashioned an impressively photographed "fable" out of the challenges facing these creatures in light of global warming, rendering the film a vivid animal counterpart to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." Though restrained in its presentation, the film includes some images of animal violence and death, perhaps precluding viewing by the very young. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Unusual and compelling Western dramatizing the circumstances that lead up to the shooting of notorious outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) by Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), a member of his own gang, and the publicity generated afterward. Writer-director Andrew Dominik tells the story intelligently at a leisurely but controlled pace with penetrating close-ups of the excellent cast -- Affleck is particularly outstanding -- to probe psychological motivations, while the relatively restrained violence is presented with an admirable realism devoid of glamorization. Some crude language and profanity, innuendo, a nongraphic sexual encounter, several shooting deaths with blood and scenes of physical violence, suicide and brief rear male nudity, The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" (THINKFilm)
Rated "R"
Fictionalized fact-based drama set in 1974 about a sad-sack salesman (Sean Penn), pushed over the edge by personal and professional failure, who decides to make his presence felt by attempting to do what the title says by hijacking an airplane and crashing it into the White House. Though many viewers may feel its tone and subject matter are too bleak, the film, written and directed by Niels Mueller and anchored by a bravura performance by Penn, paints a chilling portrait of despair, and through its exploration of the dark side of the American dream tries to offer a deeper understanding of what would drive a "normal" person to such extreme acts. A scene of graphic violence, sporadic rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

"Assault on Precinct 13" (Rogue)
Rated "R"
Brutal and violent -- though reasonably gripping -- story of a desolate Detroit police precinct under siege by crooked police who are out to silence a criminal (Laurence Fishburne) incarcerated there, to cover up what he knows about corruption within their ranks, effecting an unusual alliance between the police and criminals within the station house who must unite to defend themselves. Jean-Francois Richet's remake of the 1976 film features good performances by Fishburne, Ethan Hawke and Brian Dennehy, but the bloodshed and violence seem unnecessarily explicit, and the improbable story calls for major suspension of disbelief. Graphic and bloody violence and related gore, much rough, crude and profane language, and some sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling

"Assisted Living" (Economic Projections)
Rated "NR"
Poignant docudrama that follows a 27-year-old, pot-smoking slacker (Michael Bonsignore) through his final day as a janitor at a nursing home, during which he gains deeper maturity through an unlikely friendship he develops with an elderly resident (Maggie Riley) suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who mistakes him for her absent son. Incorporating footage of real residents and staff at the facility where it was shot into the fictional story, this modest film by first-time director Elliot Greenebaum manages despite its no-frills look to offer a moving meditation on loneliness and the human need for contact and compassion. Some recreational drug usage and brief crude expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. It is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.  

"The Astronaut Farmer" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
Sweet if improbable film about a Texas rancher (Billy Bob Thornton) with dreams of blasting off into space in a homemade rocket ship, while contending with the admiration and derision of the townsfolk, and his generally supportive but sometimes exasperated family (including Virginia Madsen as his wife) on the verge of financial ruin, and interference from the FBI, CIA, and others who would impede his would-be mission. Director/co-writer Michael Polish trots out every clich, imaginable, and the film is stately paced, but gets points for its strong affirmation of family, more than the "follow-your-dream" philosophy which, in this case, seems fairly wacky, and the capable supporting performances from Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern and Tim Blake Nelson. A few expletives and crass expressions, brief innuendo and some domestic strife. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Asylum" (Paramount Classics)
Rated "R"
Lurid and somber tale of mental hospital doctor's wife (Natasha Richardson) having heavy-breathing affair with one of the patients (Marton Csokas) who works as a handyman, eventually leaving her priggish husband (Hugh Bonneville) and child for a bohemian life in a London tenement circa 1960. Director David MacKenzie's film has tedious stretches, with Patrick ("Closer") Marber's script a peculiar mix of "Anna Karenina" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover," but despite decent performances, including that of Ian McKellen, and overall classy trappings, the eroticism of the sexual encounters often suggests the sort of thing cable channels sometimes show after midnight. Strong sexual content, some of it graphic, partial and rear nudity, rough and crude language, adultery theme, suicide, violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Aquamarine" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG"
Sweetly told modern-day fairy tale about two 13-year-old best friends -- Claire (Emma Roberts) and Hailey (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) -- who help a mermaid (Sara Paxton), washed ashore during a storm, experience true love in the hopes that the magic wish rewarded them will undo Hailey's impending move to Australia. With a delightful mix of fantasy, comedy and romance, director Elizabeth Allen's wholesome and warmly sentimental, if admittedly lightweight, effort scores points for admirably showing that authentic love can express itself in varied ways. Some mild sensuality and suggestiveness, a few crass expressions and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters" (First Look)
Rated "R"
The cult TV cartoon about pointlessness becomes a highly uneven 86-minute feature film with series regulars Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad involved in a surreal plot about an exercise machine that threatens civilization. Some of the gags are funny, but writer-directors Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis repeat them to death, and use far raunchier material than even the highly flexible standards of basic cable allow. A great deal of rough and crude language and profanity, pervasive sexual and scatological humor and an implied sexual encounter, cartoon violence and drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Arctic Tale" (Paramount Classics)
Rated "G"
Queen Latifah delightfully narrates an absorbing story charting the parallel journeys of a polar bear cub and a walrus pup in the Arctic Circle from birth to maturity, and showing how they manage to survive a changing environment with ever-decreasing ice seriously impeding both their natural habitat and their ability to obtain food. Co-directors and cinematographers Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson have fashioned an impressively photographed "fable" out of the challenges facing these creatures in light of global warming, rendering the film a vivid animal counterpart to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." Though restrained in its presentation, the film includes some images of animal violence and death, perhaps precluding viewing by the very young. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"Art School Confidential" (United Artists/Sony Classics) *
Rated "R"
Oddball story that can't decide if it's a touching coming-of-age story, gross-out frat movie, murder mystery or mordant black comedy, though it does make some sharply satiric points about the art world. Director Terry Zwigoff's sporadically amusing film adapted by Daniel Clowes from his comic strip concerns a sensitive art school student (Max Minghella), smitten with an attractive artist's model (Sophia Myles) and struggling to find his artistic voice amid loutish roommates, colorful teachers (John Malkovich and Angelica Huston), and an embittered and alcoholic failed artist (Jim Broadbent), against the backdrop of a mysterious strangler killing off the students. Pervasive profanity, rough language and vulgarity, full-frontal male and partial female art-model nudity, much sexual banter and innuendo, a couple of minor gay characters, and a stylized strangling. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Atonement" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Moving World War II romance of a well-to-do young Englishwoman (Keira Knightley) serving as a nurse and the working-class soldier (James McAvoy) she has loved for years, but from whom she had been separated years before when her kid sister (Saoirse Ronan) wrongly accused him of a crime, an injustice that will haunt the accuser (now played by Romola Garai) ever after. Director Joe Wright, working from Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, persuasively limns an unusual story of betrayal, steadfast love, forgiveness and redemption with some surprising twists, and with further pluses in the sensitive performances and period detail. A fully clothed nonmarital sexual encounter, an implied encounter between an adult and an underage girl, use of the f-word among soldiers, brief profanity, wartime dead and wounded imagery, and a crude written sexual remark. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Australia" (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Sprawling, generally entertaining three-hour epic set just before and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a starchy English widow (Nicole Kidman) takes over her late husband's cattle station down under, and falls in love with a rough-hewn drover (Hugh Jackman) whom she hires to help drive cattle to sale ahead of a rival magnate's (Bryan Brown) villainous henchman (David Wenham). Despite some fanciful plot contrivances, director Baz Luhrmann's lavish homage to classic epics and Westerns brings back old-style Hollywood romance, courtesy of its magnetic leads, and carries an admirable message about racial tolerance. Moderate action violence, a mostly implied nonmarital relationship including a very brief sexual encounter without nudity, mild innuendo, one use of the F-word and some Aboriginal mysticism; acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Aurora Borealis" (Regent)
Rated "R"
Overly long tale of unmotivated Minnesota man (an appealing Joshua Jackson) who takes on a maintenance job at an assisted living facility to be near his ailing grandfather (Donald Sutherland) and falls in love with his granddad's home health aide (Juliette Lewis), while allowing his philandering brother (Steven Pasquale) to use his apartment for extramarital trysts. James Burke's downbeat film scores points for its compassionate portrayal of the elderly and their need for care and the acting is generally good, but the result is not terribly interesting. The script goes beyond empathizing with the grandfather's fervent wish to be spared a debilitating decline into almost making a case for euthanasia, despite a morally sound ending on all fronts. Pervasive rough and crude language, euthanasia theme, adultery, acceptance of premarital sex, some heavy groping and innuendo, a couple of violent brawls and a drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Avenue Montaigne" ("Fauteuils D'Orchestre") (ThinkFilm)
Rated "PG-13"
Bittersweet, colorful French comedy-drama about a waitress (Cecile de France) in a popular theater bistro in Paris who proves a catalyst for several of the regular customers: a classical pianist (Albert Dupontel) facing a midlife crisis in his career and marriage; a young man (Christopher Thompson, the director's son and the film's co-writer) who learns that his mistress has moved on to his father, the latter a widower (Claude Brasseur) sadly auctioning off the art collection he had amassed with his late wife; a popular soap opera star (Valerie Lemercier) about to open in a stage comedy but longing to play a serious movie role for a big Hollywood director (Sydney Pollock); and a theater concierge (Dani) on the eve of her retirement. Director and co-writer Daniele Thompson conveys a canny empathy with her characters, all searching to fill the emptiness in their lives. Subtitles. Sporadic rough and crude language and expressions, an implication of adultery, premarital relationships, sexual banter and the acceptability of divorce. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Aviator" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Absorbing and entertaining epic detailing the dramatic glory days of legendary billionaire Howard Hughes, in his myriad roles as aviation innovator and visionary, daredevil pilot, Hollywood producer and airline tycoon, while charting his well-publicized relationships with Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner, and ultimately his appearance before the Senate on charges of defrauding the public through wartime airplane contracts. This film is a career highpoint for both director Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio, who is onscreen almost every minute and gives a highly charismatic performance; and the supporting cast is mostly first-rate. A smattering of profanity and rough language, implied sexual situations, a violent plane crash and brief rear nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"August Rush" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
Unabashedly romantic fable in which an 11-year-old musical prodigy (Freddie Highmore) embarks on a search for the cellist mother (Keri Russell) and rock-singer father (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) from whom he was separated at birth through the machinations of his grandfather (William Sadler), encountering along the way a Fagin-like ex-musician (Robin Williams) who seeks to exploit him and a social worker (Terrence Howard) who tries to help him. Director Kristen Sheridan's warm-hearted tribute to the power of music blithely eschews all connection to reality, and will likely strike some as charmingly poetic and others as merely naive. An implied premarital sexual encounter, one use of profanity, one use of the s-word and one crass expression. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Australia" (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Sprawling, generally entertaining three-hour epic set just before and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a starchy English widow (Nicole Kidman) takes over her late husband's cattle station down under, and falls in love with a rough-hewn drover (Hugh Jackman) whom she hires to help drive cattle to sale ahead of a rival magnate's (Bryan Brown) villainous henchman (David Wenham). Despite some fanciful plot contrivances, director Baz Luhrmann's lavish homage to classic epics and Westerns brings back old-style Hollywood romance, courtesy of its magnetic leads, and carries an admirable message about racial tolerance. Moderate action violence, a mostly implied nonmarital relationship including a very brief sexual encounter without nudity, mild innuendo, one use of the F-word and some Aboriginal mysticism; acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Avenue Montaigne" ("Fauteuils D'Orchestre") (ThinkFilm)
Rated "PG-13"
Bittersweet, colorful French comedy-drama about a waitress (Cecile de France) in a popular theater bistro in Paris who proves a catalyst for several of the regular customers: a classical pianist (Albert Dupontel) facing a midlife crisis in his career and marriage; a young man (Christopher Thompson, the director's son and the film's co-writer) who learns that his mistress has moved on to his father, the latter a widower (Claude Brasseur) sadly auctioning off the art collection he had amassed with his late wife; a popular soap opera star (Valerie Lemercier) about to open in a stage comedy but longing to play a serious movie role for a big Hollywood director (Sydney Pollock); and a theater concierge (Dani) on the eve of her retirement. Director and co-writer Daniele Thompson conveys a canny empathy with her characters, all searching to fill the emptiness in their lives. Subtitles. Sporadic rough and crude language and expressions, an implication of adultery, premarital relationships, sexual banter and the acceptability of divorce. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Awake" (MGM/Weinstein)
Rated "R"
Softheaded, slightly sordid if effective thriller about a billionaire heart transplant patient (Hayden Christensen) torn between his possessive mother (Lena Olin) and the fiancee (Jessica Alba) he marries on an impulse. Writer-director Joby Harold builds this improbably twisty plot on a rare medical phenomenon in which anesthetized patients are awake during surgery and is fortunate to be working with a cast that lends plausibility, including Terrence Howard as the victim's friend and surgeon. Frequent rough language and profanity, a sequence in which one character experiences intense physical and psychological pain, graphic images of open-heart surgery, some violence, a fleeting instance of drug use, a few sexual references and partial upper nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Away From Her" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG-13"
Poignant story about a husband (Gordon Pinsent) coping with his wife's (Julie Christie) gradual decline from Alzheimer's disease, and his separation from her when she enters an assisted-living facility where she forms an emotional attachment to another patient (Michael Murphy). The luminous Christie in one of her finest performances makes an unavoidably downbeat film watchable, and writer-director Sarah Polley provides an uncompromising view of a situation that will no doubt resonate deeply with many, though the husband's brief affair with the wife (Olympia Dukakis) of the other patient is morally problematic, even under these tragic circumstances. Some rough expletives, a character's past infidelity and an adulterous affair. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

B
"Babel" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "R"
Quietly powerful film charting three interconnected stories: an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) stranded in Morocco when the wife is seriously wounded by a stray bullet on their tour bus; the deaf-mute teenage daughter (Rinko Kikuchi) of a widower father (Koji Yakusho) in Tokyo who achingly longs for love; and a Mexican governess (Adriana Barraza) and her nephew (Gael Garcia Bernal) who take her two young charges across the border to attend a wedding with tragic results. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's somber and lengthy film imparts an admirable message about a shared global humanity and the senselessness of violence, even as it blames U.S. foreign policy and bureaucracy as an obstacle, has superbly empathetic performances by an international cast, and ultimately packs an emotional wallop. Partially subtitled. Some rough language and profanity, crude expressions, some violence including a killing, full female nudity, some discreet sexual elements, and alcohol and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Baby Mama" (Universal/Relativity)
Rated "PG-13"
Frequently funny but morally problematic romantic comedy about a hard-driving grocery chain executive (Tina Fey) who, incapable of bearing a child, hires an unpolished woman (Amy Poehler) to be a surrogate mother, subsequently becoming her roommate when the latter splits from her deadbeat common-law husband (Dax Shepard) while herself becoming attached to an ex-lawyer turned juice-bar owner (Greg Kinnear). Writer-director Michael McCullers' partially improvised feature debut, with a cast that also includes Sigourney Weaver and Steve Martin, abounds in comic energy but implicitly accepts current mores regarding fertility that are contrary to Catholic values. Acceptability of surrogate parenting and artificial insemination, implied premarital sex, some crude and crass language, sexual and scatological humor, and a drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bad News Bears" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Bawdy, albeit entertaining, remake of the 1976 kiddie sports comedy about a boozing ex-big leaguer (Billy Bob Thornton in the Walter Matthau role) hired to coach a bungling team of Little League misfits and ends up turning their season and his own life around. Directed by Richard Linklater, the new version follows the original's coarsely sardonic lead, and, though ultimately redemptive, strikes out as recommendable family fare. Pervasive crude language and humor, as well as profanity by adults and children, drunkenness, some ethnic insensitivity, delinquent behavior, an implied sexual encounter and some risque situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Babel" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "R"
Quietly powerful film charting three interconnected stories: an American couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) stranded in Morocco when the wife is seriously wounded by a stray bullet on their tour bus; the deaf-mute teenage daughter (Rinko Kikuchi) of a widower father (Koji Yakusho) in Tokyo who achingly longs for love; and a Mexican governess (Adriana Barraza) and her nephew (Gael Garcia Bernal) who take her two young charges across the border to attend a wedding with tragic results. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's somber and lengthy film imparts an admirable message about a shared global humanity and the senselessness of violence, even as it blames U.S. foreign policy and bureaucracy as an obstacle, has superbly empathetic performances by an international cast, and ultimately packs an emotional wallop. Partially subtitled. Some rough language and profanity, crude expressions, some violence including a killing, full female nudity, some discreet sexual elements, and alcohol and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Babylon A.D." (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Pointless futuristic action outing in which a mobster (Gerard Depardieu) hires a mercenary (Vin Diesel) to escort a mysteriously gifted young woman (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh) from Mongolia to New York and deliver her to the minions of her cult's high priestess (Charlotte Rampling). Though not excessively violent, director Mathieu Kassovitz's leaden adaptation of French author Maurice G. Dantec's novel, "Babylon Babies," is driven by a muddled mythology that includes the repetition of a Gospel miracle, a plot turn requiring, though hardly meriting, mature interpretation. Moderate action violence, one use of the F-word, some crude language, a couple of profanities and a brief background view of a stripper. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (IFC)
Rated "R"
Offbeat, slow-moving film about a nonconformist with a bad heart condition (Daniel Day-Lewis) who lives alone with his teenage daughter (Camilla Belle) on a former island commune "off the East Coast of the United States," but then brings the woman he has been dating into the house (Catherine Keener), along with the woman's two teenage sons, disrupting the delicate balance of their solitary lifestyle, all the while fending off the encroachments of a real estate developer (Beau Bridges). Written and directed by Rebecca (daughter of late playwright Arthur) Miller, the disjointed film features an accomplished performance by her real-life husband, the always watchable Day-Lewis, and Miller has created an atmospheric backdrop for her strange tale, but the vaguely incestuous undertones between father and daughter and a scene where the daughter invites one of the boys to deflower her make for fitfully distasteful viewing. Some rough and crude language, sexual situations and innuendo, a brief incestuous kiss, some talk of suicide, partial nudity, some drug material. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Balls of Fury" (Rogue)
Rated "PG-13"
Exhausting comedy about a washed-up pingpong prodigy (Dan Fogler) who is asked by an FBI agent (George Lopez) to help catch a mysterious crime lord (Christopher Walken). Along the way the former champ turns to a blind pingpong master (James Hong) to regain his skills, falls in love with the master's daughter (Maggie Q) and eventually must play in a tournament with life-or-death stakes. Frequently crude and always preposterous, director and co-writer Ben Garant's film has some flashes of originality and gets in a few good satiric swipes, even as it revels in its own silliness. Much crude language, one instance of profanity, suggestive gestures, gross and scatological jokes, and mild gay-themed humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults (though it's acceptable for older adolescents). The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bangkok Dangerous" (Lionsgate)
Rated "R"
Grim shoot-'em-up about a solitary hit man (Nicolas Cage) who travels to the titular city to carry out four contract killings for a local crime boss (Nirattisai Kaljareuk), but finds his emotional isolation thawed by his friendship with the petty thief (Shahkrit Yamnarm) he hires as an assistant and his feelings for a pretty pharmacy clerk (Charlie Young). As directed by the Pang brothers, this remake of their 1999 Thai film features considerable violence and muddled moral values, with its hero instructing his protege in the art of killing even while ostensibly reassessing his own viciousness. Brief graphic sexual activity, upper female nudity, intense action violence with gore, a suicide, and occasional rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Bank Job" (Lionsgate)
Rated "R"
Stylish but lurid fact-based tale, set in 1971 London, about a car dealer and small-time criminal (Jason Statham) who, tipped off by an old friend (Saffron Burrows), organizes a gang (Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays and James Faulkner among others) to rob the safe deposit boxes of an upscale bank, only to find himself caught between a crime lord (David Suchet), allied with a militant black-power leader (Peter de Jersey), and an agent of the British counterintelligence service (Richard Lintern) intent on preserving royal secrets. Director Roger Donaldson's film is primarily an intelligent and engaging crime thriller, but it delves, along the way, into the seamy details of some of its characters' private lives, while also graphically portraying underworld brutality. Nongraphic sexual activity, some of it aberrant, upper female and rear nudity, torture, much rough, crude and crass language, adultery and pornography themes, drug and prostitution references, a passing anti-Catholic reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Barnyard" (Paramount)
Rated "PG"
Clumsy if colorful computer-animated tale set on a farm where, unbeknownst to the farmer, the animals can walk and talk like people, and centers on a callow young cow (voiced by Kevin James), who must grow up quickly, reluctantly assuming leadership to stand up to a marauding gang of coyotes after his father (Sam Elliott) is killed defending the barnyard from the predatory pack. Directed by Steve Oedekerk, the film's admirable, if heavy-handed, message about embracing responsibility and putting the common good ahead of one's own self-interest is undermined by a mediocre script padded with raucous, redundant mayhem and silly sight gags at the expense of story and character. Mildly crude humor, some menace and peril that may be upsetting to very young children, heedless theft and several mature story elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Basic Instinct 2" (Columbia)
Rated "R"
Sequel to the 1992 erotic thriller which finds that film's manipulative vamp character (Sharon Stone) relocated to London, where, implicated in the murder of a soccer star, she matches wits with a criminal psychiatrist (David Morrissey), leading him down a path of seduction, deception and murder. With its femme-fatale protagonist and murky style, director Michael Caton-Jones' potboiler aspires to film noir, but its shadowy sordidness can't hide a cartoonish lead performance and an insipid, tangled script which distracts with salaciousness to make up for its lack of suspense and intelligence. The film contains several graphic sexual encounters with partial frontal and rear nudity, a flash of full-frontal nudity, a shadowy orgy scene, violence, several lurid images, rough and sexually explicit language and several drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Batman Begins" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Dark and brooding prequel that explains how Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) became the costumed crimefighter and reveals the "hidden years," detailing his training as a member of a clandestine order of ninja-like vigilantes, leading up to his donning the cape and cowl to become Gotham City's self-appointed guardian. Director Christopher Nolan goes for a more gritty "reality-based" approach, focusing on the psychological dimension of Bruce/Batman's inner conflict rather than comic-book heroics. Intense action violence, some frightening images and mature thematic elements, as well as a few crude expressions and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Battle for Terra" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG"
Ambitious animated parable, set on a distant planet that's being invaded by aggressive refugees from earth, in which a downed human airman (voice of Luke Wilson) finds his loyalties divided when he's befriended by one of the peace-loving, tadpole-shaped locals (voice of Evan Rachel Wood) his warmongering commander (voice of Brian Cox) is intent on destroying. Director Aristomenis Tsirbas' feature debut is an honorable, if at times heavy-handed, cautionary tale about prejudice, violence and environmental degradation, but the battle scenes -- especially as intensified by the 3-D presentation in some theaters -- are too strong for the youngest viewers, and quasi-religious aspects of the aliens' culture may require family discussion. Moderate combat violence and a suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Beauty Shop" (MGM)
Rated "PG-13"
Amiable comedy about a widowed mother (Queen Latifah) working as a hairdresser who, after a falling-out with the shop's owner, flamboyant Jorge (scene-stealing Kevin Bacon), opens her own establishment in the ghetto and, thanks to her styling prowess and warm-hearted people skills, overcomes myriad obstacles to succeed. Bille Woodruff's engaging film is a perfect showcase for the likable Latifah, the eclectic ensemble cast (including Alfre Woodard, Alicia Silverstone, Djimon Hounsou and Andie MacDowell) makes for interesting watching, and despite some salty street language and salon sex chatter the movie imparts solid messages about loyalty, friendship, and parenting. Some profanity, crude language and crass expressions, sexual innuendo and suggestive dancing.   The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Be Cool" (MGM)
Rated "PG-13"
Flat follow-up to the 1994 comedy "Get Shorty" in which mobster-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) -- having grown disenchanted with the film industry -- sets his streetwise sights on the music business, and agrees to manage a promising young singer (Christina Milian) who is tied in with shady record producers (Harvey Keitel and Vince Vaughn). Based on the Elmore Leonard novel and directed by F. Gary Gray, the stale sequel lacks the sharpness and satirical edge of the far superior "Shorty," resulting in a film that, despite a charismatic, if retread, performance by Travolta, is contrary to its title only lukewarm. The movie contains recurring violence, an implied sexual encounter, images of smoking, drug content, some vulgar gestures, and much rough and crude language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Because I Said So" (Universal/Gold Circle)
Rated "PG-13"
Mediocre and unfunny comedy about an overbearing mother (Diane Keaton) who tries to match up her single daughter (Mandy Moore) with a shallow architect (Tom Everett Scott), while the daughter is more sensibly drawn to a decent single father (Gabriel Macht), but nonetheless engages in a sexual relationship with both. Director Michael Lehmann's appalling chick flick pushes the contemporary acceptance of premarital sex to new lows, as the permissive Keaton character and her three daughters blithely discuss their sexual experiences at every opportunity. Keaton's comic prowess, appealing performances from Moore, Macht and Stephen Collins, the absence of graphic sex, minimal expletives, and a reasonably moral tie-up fail to balance a script that is morally -- and dramatically -- askew at every turn. Several nongraphic sexual encounters, permissive sexual mores, much sexual banter, innuendo and other questionable elements, casual acceptance of porn and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Because of Winn-Dixie" (20th Century Fox)
Rated “PG”
Gentle and disarming story based on Kate DiCamillo's award-winning best-seller about a Baptist preacher (Jeff Daniels) and his little girl, Opal (AnnaSophia Robb), who move to a small Florida town, and the dog they take in which becomes the catalyst for Opal to make friends with several of the town's outcasts: an ex-alcoholic recluse (Cicely Tyson), a fearful, spinsterish librarian (Eva Marie Saint), and a guitar-strumming pet store manager with a prison record (Dave Matthews). Wayne Wang's film, based on a novel by Kate DiCamillo, is beautifully acted all around, and imparts a heart-tugging message about people's loneliness and need to connect, making satisfying entertainment for adults as well as children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Becoming Jane" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Interesting speculative drama, based on only a few known facts, about the bittersweet romance between writer Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) and an Irish lawyer (James McAvoy), and how the experience might have influenced her writings. Julian Jarrold directs with an authentic 18th-century feel, performances are good (with American Hathaway holding her own reasonably well among such British acting pros as Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and Ian Richardson) and though the film is somehow not entirely satisfying it nonetheless holds your interest up to its bittersweet ending. Though possibly acceptable for older teens, this film contains a couple of boxing sequences, a frisky but nongraphic husband and wife encounter, some prostitutes, an implied premarital encounter, mild innuendo and brief sexual allusions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bedtime Stories" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
The fanciful yarns a hotel handyman (Adam Sandler) spins about his own life while baby-sitting his niece and nephew (Laura Ann Kesling and Jonathan Morgan Heit) start to come true, affecting his competition with the hostelry's toadying manager (Guy Pearce) for their boss' (Richard Griffiths) favor, and shifting his romantic interest from his employer's glamorous daughter (Teresa Palmer) to his sister's (Courteney Cox) down-to-earth friend (Keri Russell). Aside from some mildly crude gags, director Adam Shankman's adventure comedy -- which affirms perseverance and family unity -- is unobjectionable, and the fantasy sequences are entertaining, though the humor is clearly geared to the grade-school set. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Bee Movie" (DreamWorks)
Rated "PG"
Generally delightful animated feature about a scrappy bee (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) who decides to sue the human race for stealing the honey manufactured by his hard-working bee brethren and brings the case to court, with the help of a sympathetic florist (Renee Zellweger). An often very funny script (by Seinfeld and others), terrific voice work from a cast including John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, and many more, and ultimately, a valuable ecological lesson, make this film -- directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner -- above-average family fare. Mild innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Bee Season" (Fox Searchlight)
Rated "PG-13"
Gently involving drama about a sixth-grade spelling prodigy (Flora Cross) whose father (Richard Gere), an academic who believes that words and letters "hold the secrets of the universe," obsessively tutors her for a national spelling bee to the detriment of his mentally unstable wife (Juliette Binoche) and religiously rebellious teenage son (Max Minghella). Co-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel couple domestic dysfunction and Jewish mysticism, thoughtfully crafting an intelligent, finely acted, and visually imaginative, but emotionally muted, exploration of faith and family. A sexual encounter, a scene involving a questionable distribution of Communion, minimal rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" (ThinkFilm)
Rated "R"
Grimly powerful, hypnotic drama about a robbery that goes horribly awry, and the tragic after-effects on two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and their families (Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei, among them). Veteran director Sidney Lumet has lost none of his prowess, and this film -- heavily imbued with a mood of inexorable doom -- almost has the feel of Greek tragedy, as the narrative methodically, grippingly unfolds, and there are sensational performances by all, including Rosemary Harris, Amy Ryan and Brian F. O'Byrne. Graphic violence and murder, vengeance, two sexual encounters with rear male and upper female nudity, pervasive rough and crude language, profanity, adultery, frank sexual talk and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Being Julia" (Sony Classics)
Rated "R"
A few bright spots in an otherwise tedious adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel, "Theatre," about a larger-than-life English stage actress (Annette Bening) who has an open marriage with her producer husband (Jeremy Irons), and takes up with an earnest young American accountant (Shaun Evans) in her husband's employ. Hungarian director Istvan Szabo is no stranger to period drama, having succeeded brilliantly with films like "Mephisto" and "Sunshine," but was perhaps the wrong choice for a film that doesn't quite ring true in its depiction of the 1938 period or very English locale (it was shot mainly in Budapest). Nor is American Bening completely convincing either, in spite of some effective moments. Evans as the young man is far too contemporary in his demeanor, though otherwise the blue chip cast -- including Juliet Stevenson, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gambon, Rosemary Harris and Rita Tushingham -- is fine. A few instances of crude language, casual depiction of extramarital sex and an instance of rear nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Be Kind Rewind" (New Line/Partizan)
Rated "PG-13"
Zany, warmhearted comedy about a New Jersey video store worker (Mos Def) who comes up with a scheme to create amateur video versions of classic films when his bungling friend (Jack Black) accidentally erases all the tapes after the manager (Danny Glover) leaves town to investigate saving the building from demolition. Despite its intentionally rough-hewn, indie ambience, a wildly improbable plotline, and too much low-comedy schtick, writer-director Michel Gondry's valentine to filmmaking ultimately delivers a touching story of friendship, with a strong affirmation of community and good fellowship, as the townspeople rally to the aid of the threatened business. Some vulgar humor, brief sexual references and mild comic violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bella" (Roadside)
Rated "PG-13"
Sweetly sentimental story about an unmarried New York waitress (an especially fine Tammy Blanchard) who loses her job after becoming pregnant, and her restaurant's empathetic chef (Mexican soap favorite Eduardo Verastegui) -- an ex-soccer star whose career ended after his car fatally struck a child -- who gives the young woman emotional support, takes her to visit his loving family, and gently tries to persuade her to keep the baby. Director and co-writer Alejandro Monteverde's impressive feature film debut is sometimes dramatically slack and implausible, but the sensitive performances, positive depiction of the chef's warm Latino family, and most of all, its affirmative pro-life message -- along with themes of self-forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption -- should resonate with Catholic viewers. Partially subtitled. A couple of crass words, a child's death, a drug reference, and the out-of-wedlock theme aside, film is admirably free of objectionable elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Producer of new 'Benji' movie touts faith as reason for making film
     Is it possible that lovable movie mutt Benji is back after 17 years? It's not some shaggy dog story.
      Joe Camp, producer of the first three "Benji" movies, is touting his Christian credentials in hopes of scoring, on a smaller scale, a Mel Gibson-like independent success with the latest in the "Benji" franchise, "Benji Off the Leash," which opens in theaters Aug. 20.
      "So many times I said, 'Benji can't change the world, God. Even you are having trouble doing that. Christ changed it once, but that was a long time ago,'" Camp said in a statement to parents to help promote the movie. "'Hang on,' said God. 'Keep your eyes and ears open.' And along came Mel Gibson. Once again, Christ changed the world."
      Camp, who was raised Presbyterian, never wore his faith on his sleeve in the heyday of "Benji." But now, he's happy to do so, he said in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service from Atlanta.
      "It was about time I took Christianity and my working life and shuffled the deck together," Camp said. Even before, though, he added, "God's always been a part of the process."
      Camp, who now worships at what he calls a "Bible church" in California, said the new dog who would be Benji was found at an animal shelter. When the movie crew did location filming in the same town where the shelter was located, they feared someone would "show up out of the woodwork and say, 'That's my little dog.' Nobody ever did show up," Camp said.
      The biggest complications arose close to the premiere date. Benji needed eye surgery just as Camp needed to promote the movie. Benji has healed sufficiently to go on tour with her -- this time Benji's a she -- new masters.
      Because the new Benji was found in a shelter and part of the plot of "Benji Off the Leash" deals with Benji being abandoned, Camp said he hopes it will spur more people to go to the pound and adopt dogs and puppies.
      "When we did our location filming, the next month the shelter emptied," Camp said. "It was the best (adoption) month they ever had."
      Camp told CNS that, like most producers, he's hoping for a big first-weekend box office. But, as an independent producer, the opening weekend means even more to him and the movie. A good box office take will prompt more theaters to show "Benji Off the Leash," and to show it for a longer time.
      Box office is the only leverage Camp says he has. "If I were Universal (Studios) and I wanted you to show a film, I'd say 'You show it or you won't get the next "Shrek," or any of 16 movies hanging over their heads,'" he said.
      Camp said he was offered production and distribution deals, but at the cost of creative control.
      "I saw what Mel Gibson was able to do without Hollywood, and I determined that we could do the same thing," he said. "Our core audience consists of families who truly care about what their children watch -- a very similar demographic to the families of faith who supported Mr. Gibson's film."
      While one target audience is children ages 3-10 who love cuddly animals, Camp said another target audience is parents who saw the original "Benji" flicks: 1974's "Benji," 1977's "For the Love of Benji" and 1987's "Benji the Hunted."
      "We've got comedy in the film to make the kids laugh, but we also have a good story in the movie for parents," Camp said. "There really is something for everybody."

"The Benchwarmers" (Columbia)
Rated "PG-13"
Lame comedy about three grown nerds (Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder) who are recruited by a former geek turned billionaire (Jon Lovitz) into playing against various Little League teams of bullying jocks in a tournament he's sponsoring. By beating them, the trio will win respect for every picked-on kid. Despite a commendable underdog message and some occasional funny moments, director Dennis Dugan's film strikes out, its "Bad News Bears" script straining under forced laughs and sophomoric slapstick. Recurring crass humor and sight gags, some sex jokes including running gay innuendo and a crude gesture, as well as a smattering of crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

Benji Off the Leash! (Mulberry Square)
Rated  "PG"
      With the dearth of family-friendly movies, it is a doggone shame that when good-guy filmmaker Joe Camp comes along, his well-intentioned labors result in a woofer of a movie like "Benji Off the Leash
      The floppy-eared hero first strayed onto the big screen in "Benji" (1974), quickly followed by "For the Love of Benji" (1977) and a decade later by "Benji the Hunted" (1987). In addition to feature films, Benji also starred in numerous specials and even had his own TV series.
      In the new film, set in rural Mississippi, the eponymous mutt (the fourth mixed terrier to fill the leash) befriends a shaggy but spunky mongrel named -- appropriately enough -- Shaggy, and helps him rescue his ailing mother from a squalid backyard puppy mill run by greedy breeder Hatchett (Chris Kendrick). The doggie duo is aided in their canine capering by Hatchett's pet-loving stepson, Colby (Nick Whitaker), and hampered by two bumbling dogcatchers (Randall Newsome and Duane Stephens). The story, which is layered with such serious issues as domestic abuse, was allegedly inspired by the real-life search for a new dog to play the title role.
      Full of homespun charm, "Benji Off the Leash!" is the kind of little-movie-that-could which you desperately want to root for, but one which makes you leave the theater shaking your head in disappointment.
      Camp, Benji's creator -- whose Mulberry Square Productions specializes in family fare -- hopes the film will prove that not everyone in the entertainment industry subscribes to the prevalent lowest-common-denominator mentality. Referring to his new film a "true 'everybody' movie," he wanted to make a movie that didn't rely on violence and vulgarity as selling points.
      While such heart-in-the-right-place goals are certainly to be applauded and supported, neither the film's uplifting message nor its adorably scruffy stars can hide its poorly structured script, flat dialogue and stale performances, including the tedious slapstick antics of Newsome and Stephens. Sounds harsh, but to throw the film a more laudatory bone would be a clear case of letting the sentimental tail wag the dog of objectivity.
      Sadly, "Benji Off the Leash!" is nothing to bark about.
      Due to some mildly crude expressions, implied spousal abuse and images of animal cruelty, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents

"Beowulf & Grendel" (Union Station Media/Truly Indie)
Rated "R"
Grim and tepid, if earnest and ruggedly beautiful, retelling of the eighth-century Anglo-Saxon saga of the Norse hero Beowulf (Gerard Butler) who leads a troop of warriors across the sea to help the long-suffering Danish king Hrothgar (Stellan Skarsgard) rid his lands of a murderous troll, Grendel (Ingvar Sigurdsson), who is exacting revenge on Danes for an earlier wrong. Stripping the epic of both its fantasy and Christian elements while remaining faithful to its outline, director Sturla Gunnarsson does a good job at establishing the dark, dank and brutish world of the poem, breaking up the overall broodiness with savage swordplay and severed limbs, but what the film gains in pathos by humanizing the monster, and a contemporary feel by modernizing the dialogue (including frequent use of the f-word), it loses in mythic luster. Assorted bloody violence, including dismemberment, some gruesome images, a rape flashback, an implied sexual encounter, a crass scene of urination, and recurring rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" (Disney)
Rated “PG”
A pampered pooch (voice of Drew Barrymore) is kidnapped by a Mexican dog-fighting ring while on a junket in the custody of her doting owner's (Jamie Lee Curtis) self-absorbed niece (Piper Perabo), escapes with the help of a protective ex-police dog (voice of Andy Garcia) and discovers life on the streets while the ardent Chihuahua (voice of George Lopez) she once spurned leads the search for her. Along with entertaining adventures, director Raja Gosnell's sprightly live-action canine quest offers lessons about ethnic prejudice and class distinctions while also portraying the personality-warping effects of materialism. Mild menace. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Beyond the Gates" (IFC)
Rated "R"
Gripping dramatization about the 1994 siege of a Rwandan secondary school at the height of the genocide, as a dedicated Catholic priest (John Hurt) and an idealistic young British teacher (Hugh Dancy) -- both fictional characters -- attempt to protect some 2,500 Tutsi citizens from the machete-wielding Hutus hovering just outside the school gates. Director Michael Caton-Jones has filmed this powerful film at the actual locations of the horrific events with survivors among the cast and crew. This important film is acceptable for mature teens. Much disturbing if discreetly handled violence, description of atrocities, images of dead and wounded, some rough language and mild profanity uttered under duress, a childbirth scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Beyond the Sea" (Lions Gate)
Rated "PG-13"
Entertaining -- if dramatically uneven -- biopic about Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey, who also directed) which traces the singer's life from sickly child in the Bronx, where his bout with rheumatic fever had doctors predicting he wouldn't make it to his 15th birthday, through his early rise to fame, marriage to actress Sandra Dee, and triumphs in nightclubs, film and recording. He did all this while racing the clock with a bad heart, a condition that would fell him at the young age of 36, and coping with a devastating revelation about his parentage. Spacey's singing of the Darin hits is phenomenally good, and even if he looks a mite mature for the role, he pulls it off, and though the flashback framing device is initially awkward, once the story gets going the film is absorbing with several touching scenes. Some rough and profane language and one nonexplicit sexual encounter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Bewitched" (Columbia)
Rated "PG-13"
Amiable retread of the 1960s sitcom, as a washed-up movie actor (Will Ferrell) decides to revive the series (and his career), casting an unknown (Nicole Kidman) to play his wife, not realizing she's an actual witch, leading to romantic complications. Writer-director Nora Ephron's comedy is more pleasantly amusing than outright hilarious, but the mercurial Kidman is a total delight, Ferrell has some bright moments, and there are felicitous turns by Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine and Carole Shelley, as well as a positive message about honesty and friendship. Some crude expressions, sexual humor and innuendo, cartoonish witchcraft elements and partial blurred nudity make this best for adults and perhaps older adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Big Momma's House 2" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Stale sequel to the 2000 comedy in which FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence), while posing as a plus-size nanny to investigate a software designer tagged with compromising national security, winds up bringing the suspected man's family closer together. Directed by John Whitesell, this only fitfully funny and unnecessarily crude second helping rehashes much of the original's forced slapstick humor, with the perfunctory plot an afterthought to Lawrence' sassy shtick. Comic violence, some gun waving and an implied shooting, some crude and sexual humor and innuendo, a brief drug reference, age-inappropriate suggestive dance moves involving young children, scattered crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Big Question" (THINKfilm)
Rated "PG-13"
Curious documentary in which filmmakers Francesco Cabras and Alberto Molinari pose several direct questions to fellow cast and crew members on the set of "The Passion of the Christ" -- Mel Gibson among them -- about their personal religious beliefs, eliciting responses both poignant and pretentious from a diversity of creeds as well as from agnostics and atheists. Cleverly shot using the ancient Southern Italian town where Gibson's movie was shot as a backdrop, and with many of the respondents in full biblical costume, the film works for the most part, despite consisting of little more than people candidly discussing their ideas of the divine, interspersed with artsy images of a dog wandering the landscape. Subtitles. A brief drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Birth" (New Line)
Rated "R"
Unconventional love story about a New York widow (Nicole Kidman) who comes to believe that her dead husband has been reincarnated as a 10-year-old boy (Cameron Bright), much to the dismay of her new fiance (Danny Huston). Director Jonathan Glazer has crafted an elegiac meditation on love, loss and mortality, buttressed by exceptional performances from the assembled ensemble, hauntingly evocative visuals and a disquietingly plaintive score, but the film contains several controversial scenes between Kidman and Bright -- including one in a bathtub -- that many viewers may find extremely troubling. Suggestive situations involving an adult and a minor, and an explicit sexual encounter with nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Black Balloon" (NeoClassics)
Rated "PG-13"
Moving Australian film about a teenager (Rhys Wakefield) settling into a new neighborhood with his pregnant mother (Toni Collette) and army officer father (Erik Thomson) and caring for his autistic brother (Luke Ward) with the help of a sympathetic girlfriend (Gemma Ward). First-time feature director Elissa Down's semiautobiographical story is well-acted and conveys a strong pro-family message and compassionate view of the disabled. Some crass expressions, brief domestic violence, a few expletives including a single use of profanity and of the F-word, mild sexual elements with innuendo and a birth control reference, and some scatological elements; acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Black Book" (Sony Classics)
Rated "R"
Glossy, well-acted World War II saga set in Holland about a Jewish singer (a compelling Carice van Houten) who, after her family is gunned down by the Nazis, joins the Dutch Resistance who ask her to romance and spy on the local Gestapo chief (Sebastian Koch) with whom she then genuinely falls in love. Director Paul Verhoeven has made essentially an old-style Hollywood espionage story but with a good deal of present-day permissiveness, and though the film has some serious intent, it registers mainly as escapist entertainment, even if inspired by true events. In Dutch, German, English and Hebrew, with subtitles. Strong rough and crude language and profanity, sexual encounters, full male and female nudity, innuendo, wartime violence including shootings and beatings, vigilante justice. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. 

"The Black Dahlia" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Adaptation of James Ellroy's novel built around the never-solved, true-life case of a young Hollywood hopeful (Mia Kirshner) -- whose mutilated body was found in a vacant lot in 1947 -- focusing on two L.A. cops (Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart) who are involved in the case. The Hartnett character finds himself in a platonic menage with his partner and the latter's longtime girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson), then falls under the sway of a seductive rich girl (Hilary Swank) who resembles the murder victim. Brian DePalma's film-noir homage is uneven as drama (with its overly complex script), despite his customary stylish flourishes and good, if occasionally over-the-top, performances, but the pileup of sordid revelations, though expected in the noir genre, and sundry other lurid plot elements preclude recommendation. Rough and crude language, general decadence, sexual situations and innuendo, much violence, a couple of brutal boxing matches, some grisly imagery, a re-creation of the lesbian underworld, pornography, adultery, incest, rear nudity, murder, suicide and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Black Snake Moan" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "R"
Extremely lurid, but ultimately redemptive, melodrama set in rural Tennessee about an aging blues singer (Samuel L. Jackson) who nurses a badly beaten nymphomaniac (Christina Ricci) back to health, and gets her to overcome her drug and sexual addictions, conquering his own inner demons in the process. Writer-director Craig Brewer pulls out the stops with an intentionally florid style, while the impressive performances of the leads -- as well as those of John Cothran as a benevolent preacher, S. Epatha Merkerson as an empathetic friend and Justin Timberlake as an emotionally damaged soldier who loves the young woman -- overcome the more outrageous plot elements, The high quotient of sex, violence and foul language -- which walks the finest of lines between morally objectionable and dramatically valid -- will seriously limit the film's appeal to audiences, Catholic and otherwise. Pervasive rough and crude language and profanity, racial epithets, strong sexuality including a couple of graphic encounters without nudity, premarital situations, upper female nudity elsewhere, violence and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Blades of Glory" (Paramount/DreamWorks)
Rated "PG-13"
Fitfully amusing buddy comedy about rival skating champions -- a macho ladies' man (Will Ferrell) and a former child prodigy (Jon Heder) -- banned from the world championships after fighting on the ice, who reluctantly become a team when they learn it's the only way they'll be allowed back to compete, while a jealous brother-sister act (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) attempt to sabotage the duo. Will Speck and Josh Gordon direct the sophomoric proceedings capably, the skating stunts are well handled, the leads are well paired, and there are apt satirical barbs at the skating industry. The pervasive low humor and vulgarity preclude the younger viewers who would most appreciate the humor, even as predictable affirmations of friendship and good sportsmanship eventually prevail. Crude language, crass expressions, mild profanity, a couple of brief nongraphic sexual encounters, innuendo, comic violence and mayhem, including a decapitation, brief comic suggestion of incest and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Blade: Trinity" (New Line)
Rated "R"
Violent and vacuous fantasy action sequel, based on the titular Marvel Comics' character, a brooding half-mortal, half-vampire slayer (Wesley Snipes), who in this third go-round must join forces with a team of vampire-hunters (Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds) and battle an army of bloodsuckers (led by Parker Posey) bent on resurrecting the granddaddy of all undead, Dracula (Dominic Purcell) -- here re-imagined as an ancient Sumerian demon -- to spawn a vampiric master race. Directed by David S. Goyer, this bloodfest dishes out the same tedious gore and cheesy dialogue as the first two installments, and hopefully this one will drive a stake through any future films in this forgettable franchise. Excessive violence, much profanity and rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Blindness" (Miramax)
Rated "R"
Chilling parable in which an eye doctor (Mark Ruffalo) becomes an early victim in an epidemic of instant blindness and, voluntarily accompanied by his still-sighted wife (Julianne Moore), is forcibly quarantined in a dilapidated mental hospital where conditions, both physical and moral, rapidly deteriorate as the number of inmates (including Danny Glover, Alice Braga, Gael Garcia Bernal and Don McKellar, who also wrote the screenplay) grows. Director Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author Jose Saramago's 1995 novel plumbs the depths of human sinfulness, but never gives way to nihilism. Strong sexual content, adultery, brief scenes of full nudity, frequent rough and some crude language, and occasional uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Blood and Chocolate" (MGM)
Rated "PG-13"
Disposable tale about an American comic book artist (Hugh Dancy) researching folklore in Romania where he romances an alluring expatriate chocolatier (Agnes Bruckner) who turns out to be a werewolf, provoking the ire of her shape-shifting clan, especially her insolent cousin (Bryan Dick) and the feral leader of the pack (Olivier Martinez) to whom she is promised. While relatively restrained in terms of sex and violence, director Katja von Garnier's film doesn't work as a love story or a thriller, and despite its nocturnal Bucharest backdrop and some modestly stylish sequences the overall effect is bland. Some violence, a few bloody images, erotically suggestive dancing, fleeting glimpse of a nude photograph, drug references and sexual innuendo, as well as sporadic mildly crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Blood Diamond" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Compelling action-adventure set in Africa's Sierra Leone as a mercenary (a superb Leonardo DiCaprio), a crusading U.S. reporter (Jennifer Connelly) and a frantic African fisherman (Djimon Hounsou) who's been separated from his family join forces against a backdrop of bloody civil war and plundering of the country's natural resources. Director Edward Zwick masterfully balances the action sequences with the more intimate ones. The film, though overly long, delivers on entertainment value, while imparting a worthy message about the immoral origin of conflict diamonds and the exploitation of child soldiers, and delivers a strong affirmation of family, while the DiCaprio-Connelly romance is refreshingly devoid of overt sexual elements. Much violence and bloodshed though admirably restrained in its presentation, murder, rough language and profanity, crude expressions, threat of rape, underage drinking and smoking. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Bobby" (MGM/Weinstein)
Rated "R"
Fact and fiction are deftly blended in a multistoried drama about the intertwining lives of guests and workers at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles -- played by an all-star cast including William H. Macy, Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Laurence Fishburne, Demi Moore and many more -- leading up to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination. The presidential candidate is only seen sporadically in newsreel footage but director-writer Emilio Estevez's characters -- despite conflicts -- ultimately come to reflect the noble ideals of brotherhood and forgiveness expressed in some of Kennedy's stirring campaign speeches. Though there is some oversentimentality, on the whole it's a compelling dramatization with a worthy message whatever one's political stripe. Some rough expletives and an instance of profanity, drug use, brief side and rear nudity, brief violence and an adulterous affair. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Body of Lies" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Taut and engrossing Mideast thriller about a conscientious U.S. intelligence agent (Leonardo DiCaprio) who -- in an environment of deception and betrayals -- seeks out an Osama-like terrorist leader while taking orders from his longtime colleague, a hard-nosed CIA chief (Russell Crowe) back in Virginia. Director Ridley Scott maintains a good pace, and there are intelligent performances by all, including Mark Strong as the agent's Jordanian liaison, while the culturally enlightened script encourages humanistic understanding of the politically and socially volatile region. Relatively brief but graphic images of violence, torture, and medical procedures, pervasive rough language and profanity, and some blunt sexual expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Bolt" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
The canine star of a TV show (voice of John Travolta), raised to believe he has superpowers and that the program on which he continually rescues his beloved owner (voice of Miley Cyrus) is real, is accidentally shipped cross-country and must make his way back with the help of a streetwise cat (voice of Susie Essman) and an enthusiastic hamster (voice of Mark Walton). Directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard's endearing animated adventure, which sees its hero learning to believe in himself and his companions -- especially the formerly selfish feline -- discovering the value of friendship and teamwork, has chase sequences and cartoon action that might frighten the youngest children, but is otherwise unobjectionable. Conventional and 3-D formats. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Bonneville" (SenArt/Drop of Water)
Rated "PG"
Touching story of a widow (Jessica Lange) who treks by car from Idaho to California with her two girlfriends (Kathy Bates and Joan Allen) to turn over her late husband's ashes to her grown stepdaughter (Christine Baranski), who demands them in return for not evicting her stepmother from her home. First-time feature director Christopher Rowley -- with a sensitive script by Daniel D. Davis, who based the story on his grandmother and her friends -- sustains a gentle and easygoing tone throughout this mature "chick flick" road movie, the friendship of the women is beautifully dramatized, and there's an affectingly spiritual, if not specifically Catholic, quality in the healthy approach to dealing with death. A few instances of crass language, light violence and brief innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Boogeyman" (Screen Gems)
Rated "PG-13"
Hokey horror flick about a young man (Barry Watson) who has been haunted all his by memories of a traumatic incident he "witnessed" in his bedroom as a boy -- he is convinced the eponymous evil specter snatched his father -- and who is advised by his psychologist that in order to salvage his sanity, he must prove that the fearful episode was nothing more than a figment of his troubled imagination by spending a night alone in his creepy childhood home. Though not without some mild suspense and popcorn-tossing jolts, the movie, directed by Stephen Kay, is a muddled mess of failed frights, horror-movie cliches and backend-heavy special effects pieced together by a mostly incoherent script. Several sequences of menace, which involve horror-style violence as well as some sexually suggestive scenes, one which contains partial nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults

"Borat! Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "R"
Juvenile mock documentary about a clueless journalist (Sacha Baron Cohen) from Kazakhstan who travels to the United States to report on the American way of life and embarks on a cross-country odyssey to meet actress Pamela Anderson with whom he becomes infatuated after seeing her on television. Some of the outrageous pranks -- many involving real people not in on the joke -- are, admittedly, funny, but mostly the film wallows in vulgarity, with Cohen and director Larry Charles more often going for shock laughs over wit in satirizing American culture and politics. Pervasive coarse sexual and scatological humor, crass sight gags, masturbation, nudity, some irreverent remarks, and excessive rough and crude language, as well as some ethnic stereotypes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Bordertown" (THINKFilm)
Rated "R"
Worthy but bleak investigative drama in which, at the behest of her editor (Martin Sheen), a Chicago reporter (Jennifer Lopez) travels to Juarez, Mexico, to uncover the truth about a series of rapes and murders committed against female factory workers and, uniting with a former colleague and old flame (Antonio Banderas) as well as a wealthy local humanitarian (Sonia Braga), tries to protect the young survivor (Maya Zapata) of one such attack. Writer-director Gregory Nava's film, inspired by true events, is absorbing, despite some melodramatic elements and an oversimplified indictment of globalization. Brutal rape and attempted rape, nonmarital sexual activity, rear and upper female nudity, graphic images of blood and corpses, some rough, crude and profane language, and occasional crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
This lightning-paced, globe-trotting follow-up to "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" wraps up Bourne's (Matt Damon) quest to discover his true name and history even as CIA project head (David Strathairn) orders his immediate termination, but is continually stymied by Bourne's lethal skills at evasion and unexpected help from female CIA operatives (Joan Allen and Julia Stiles). Director Paul Greengrass orchestrates sustained and eye-popping action-excitement throughout while a top-notch cast (including a climactic appearance by Albert Finney) manages to flesh out their characters, resulting in a satisfying if somewhat exhausting thriller. Much intense and fierce violence and intermittent profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
The 8-year-old son (Asa Butterfield) of a Nazi concentration camp commander (David Thewlis) befriends a captive Jewish boy (Jack Scanlon) and is gradually exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust. Writer-director Mark Herman's luminous screen version of John Boyne's award-winning novel for both children and adults contrasts its protagonist's innocence with the brutal irrationality of the events he uncomprehendingly witnesses. Mature thematic material, including a disturbing but nongraphic mass extermination scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Boy A" (Weinstein)
Rated "R"
Achingly sad and touching story of a sensitive young man (stunning work by Andrew Garfield) -- released from prison after 14 years for a dreadful crime in which he took part as a child -- who, with the help of a concerned caseworker (Peter Mullan), tries to start anew with an assumed name working at a delivery company where he bonds with one co-worker (Shaun Evans) and falls in love with another (Katie Lyons). Director John Crowley's adaptation of John Trigell's novel is bleak, heart-wrenching, morally complex and thought-provoking in its themes of forgiveness, redemption, the negative influence of the media and the human tendency to judge without knowing the facts. Rough language and profanity, crude expressions, nongraphic sexual situations and frank discussion, fleeting upper female nudity, bodily violence, off-screen murder, suicide and brief drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Boynton Beach Club" (Roadside/Samuel Goldwyn)
Rated "NR"
Touching story about widowed and divorced seniors in Florida adult community who meet in a bereavement group and come to learn that life is far from over, as they forge friendships and romantic relationships. Director and co-writer Susan Seidelman has gathered a first-rate cast including Joe Bologna, Dyan Cannon, Len Cariou, Sally Kellerman, Michael Nouri, Renee Taylor and Brenda Vaccaro, and has, for the most part, avoided hackneyed treatment, and with good messages about recovery from grief, finding unexpected love, and rebuilding self-esteem. Casual view of premarital sex including condom use and pornography, acceptability of divorce, mild innuendo, nongraphic sexual encounters, partial female nudity, a few instances of rough and crude words, a nonsexual encounter with a prostitute, drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"Bratz" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG"
The sleazily dressed Bratz line of fashion dolls come to life in a fluffy, live-action movie about four empowered Southern California high-schoolers who are good to their parents and classmates, do well in school, follow their dreams, and stand up to the rigid and authority-abusing student body president, all while dressed like professional escorts or trashy music-video girls. Director Sean McNamara swerves from naturalistic drama to cartoon antics, and for all the girls' good works and admirable camaraderie, the Bratz (as they name their singing-dancing girl group) are insufferably self-satisfied hyperconsumers. Much tight and skimpy costuming, two brawls and two instances of crude physical humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Brave One" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Finely wrought but ultimately troubling tale of a radio personality (Jodie Foster) who gradually becomes a vigilante after her fiance (Naveen Andrews) is killed and she herself grievously wounded in an attack in New York's Central Park, and of her complex relationship with a police detective (Terrence Howard) who is determined to hunt down the vigilante. An unsettling meditation on the effects of fear -- and of its absence -- director Neil Jordan's film has virtually every element of a great work of art -- except, ultimately, a steadfast commitment to humane values. Brutal violence with blood and gore, some graphic sexual activity, rear and upper female nudity, outbursts of extremely rough language, and frequent crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Break-Up" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Tepid but fitfully affable romantic comedy charting the deterioration of the relationship of an art gallery assistant (Jennifer Aniston) and a loutish Chicago tour bus operator (Vince Vaughn) who ultimately learns to be a more considerate person. Director Peyton Reed draws good work from the stars, especially the effortlessly appealing Aniston and a scene-stealing Judy Davis, though the protagonists from the start seem distinctly incompatible. Underneath the not-very-funny funny business, there are some universal truths about relationships, but the setup never quite rings true, and the script should be way sharper. Considerable profanity and crude language and an instance of rough language, some crass sexual banter, partial nudity and a permissive view of premarital relationship. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Breach" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Interesting though, by its nature, downbeat dramatization about the case of FBI agent Robert Hanssen (a compelling Chris Cooper) who was revealed to be a spy for the Russians, called the worst breach in the history of U.S. intelligence, and how he was entrapped by young undercover agent Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe), assigned to work with him. Writer-director Billy Ray's gray-toned film is deliberately paced, but ultimately delivers on suspense. There is secondary interest for Catholic viewers in Hanssen's commitment to Catholicism, though given the unsavory aspects of his personality (not only treasonous, but an alleged sexual deviant as well), the connection is more unfortunate than not. Candid discussion of sexual matters, some crude language and profanity, a brief image of a pornographic video, domestic discord and mild violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Breaking and Entering" (Weinstein)
Rated "R"
So-so drama about a London architect (Jude Law) -- living with a Swedish-American divorcee (Robin Wright Penn) and her autistic 13-year-old daughter -- who has an affair with the widowed Bosnian mother (Juliette Binoche) of a troubled boy who has broken into the architect's inner-city office, prompting a re-evaluation of his life and relationships against the city's evolving cultural landscape. Writer-director Anthony Minghella's film features good performances, but interweaves its themes of immigration, motherhood and economic disparity into a plot that's not terribly compelling, though its moral resolution involves forgiveness and reconciliation. Some rough and crude language and profanity, upper female nudity, a prostitute character, a couple of nongraphic sexual encounters, some sexual banter, infidelity and a condom reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Brick" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Gritty low-budget murder mystery set in Southern California about a high school loner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) whose obsessive search for his missing ex-girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin) leads to danger and deception, with a list of suspects that includes her junkie boyfriend (Noah Segan), a manipulative socialite (Nora Zehetner), a drug dealer (Lukas Haas) and a volatile thug (Noah Fleiss). Inspired by the crime novels of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, director Rian Johnson cleverly gives the high school movie a noir twist, combining the teen and classic detective genres, resulting in a hard-boiled hybrid that proves intriguing despite its modest trappings, though its slangy dialogue may take some getting used to. Some violence, including several rough beatings and a shooting, recurring drug content, unflattering portrayal of authority figures, underage drinking and smoking, and sporadic crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Bride & Prejudice" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Daffy, but likable, updated subversion of "Pride & Prejudice" -- with leading man Darcy (Martin Henderson) now an American hotel magnate, and the Bennet girls now the Bakshis, a genteel lower middle-class Indian clan -- but most of the Jane Austen plot elements are more or less intact, including the duplicitous Wickham (Daniel Gillies). Gurinder ("Bend it Like Beckham") Chadha's retread is also a garish musical in the Bollywood tradition, and though much of it is -- intentionally -- way over the top, the central romance between Darcy and the beautiful Lalita (Austen's "Elizabeth") (Aishwarya Rai) comes through appealingly. Some off-color remarks, a fistfight, provocative dancing, and some thematic material make this best for older adolescents on up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Bride & Prejudice" (2005)
Daffy, but likable, updated subversion of "Pride and Prejudice" -- with leading man Darcy (Martin Henderson) now an American hotel magnate, and the Bennet girls now the Bakshis, a genteel lower-middle-class Indian clan -- but most of the Jane Austen plot elements are more or less intact, including the duplicitous Wickham (Daniel Gillies). Gurinder ("Bend It Like Beckham") Chadha's retread is also a garish musical in the Bollywood tradition, and though much of it -- intentionally -- is way over the top, the central romance between Darcy and the beautiful Lalita (Austen's "Elizabeth") (Aishwarya Rai) comes through appealingly. Some off-color remarks, a fistfight, provocative dancing and some thematic material make this best for older adolescents or adults. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (Buena Vista)

"Brideshead Revisited" (Miramax/BBC)
Rated "PG-13"
Well acted and lushly outfitted, but substantially re-imagined, screen version of Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel about a middle-class 1920s Oxford University student (Matthew Goode) who becomes entangled with an aristocratic Catholic dynasty through his almost romantic friendship with its younger son (Ben Whishaw), subsequently clashing with its misguided matriarch (Emma Thompson) and pursuing an adulterous affair with her elder daughter (Hayley Atwell). Director Julian Jarrold's sweeping period drama transforms a Catholic convert's meditation on God's grace into a cautionary tale about the negative effects of guilt-inflicting religious fundamentalism. Nongraphic adulterous sexual activity, brief rear nudity, a passing same-sex kiss, and occasional crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bride Wars" (Fox 2000/Regency)
Rated "PG"
Amiable if predictable romantic bauble about longtime devoted pals (Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, both in good comic form), who have dreamt since childhood of June weddings at New York's Plaza Hotel, but then, as adults, have a falling-out just before their much-anticipated nuptials there, after which each sets out to sabotage the other. With the significant moral reservation that both gals are shown to be cohabiting with their fiances, director Gary Winick's fitfully amusing "chick flick" otherwise has no significant sex or language issues, and there are, at least, some worthy if pat messages of lasting friendship and sensible priorities. Premarital situations and some mildly suggestive dancing. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults, though it's acceptable for older teens. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Retread sequel to 2001's "Bridget Jones' Diary," which finds the plump, romantically challenged Brit once again navigating a minefield of jealousies and insecurities, while waffling between sincere affection for her dashing but strait-laced lawyer boyfriend (Colin Firth) and the temptation of her caddish ex-boss and former lover (Hugh Grant). It may be a new diary entry for Bridget but, as directed by Beeban Kidron, the story pretty much feels recycled from the first go-round, though Zellweger, Firth and Grant are at the top of their game. Several implied sexual encounters, a lesbian subplot, as well as an instance of rough language and recurring crude sexual language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Bridge to Terabithia" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Coming-of-age fantasy based on Katherine Paterson's children's novel about a young loner (Josh Hutcherson) who befriends a new girl in school (AnnaSophia Robb), who's also an outcast, and together they create a magical world -- Terabithia -- where they can escape their real-life troubles. The young leads are charming and the sweet story gently imparts worthy messages about friendship, family and the power of imagination, but director Gabor Csupo's faithful adaptation is a bit underwhelming, as the anticipated fantastical elements are minimal. Still, despite a plot twist that may upset sensitive young children, the movie is family-friendly. Mature thematic elements, including the death of a child, some minor peril and a few mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

Bright Young Things  (ThinkFilm)
Rated “R”
      Actor-writer Stephen Fry ("Wilde," "Gosford Park") makes a mostly successful directorial debut with "Bright Young Things," his own adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's famous novel, "Vile Bodies," an alternately funny and serious look at the upper-crust 1920s' Jazz Age sensation-seekers who partied till they dropped, obsessed with drink and drugs on the road to self-destruction.
      Overly fond of long, fast pan shots and annoying quick cutting (much like "Chicago") utilized to show the fast-paced lives these self-absorbed characters lead, the film barely slows down until the end, when the story takes a somber turn.
      At the center is writer Adam Symes (Stephen Campbell Moore), whose memoirs are seized by narrow-minded customs agents as he returns to England from Paris. This is particularly unfortunate, as he needs an advance of 1,000 British pounds from publishing magnate Lord Monomark (Dan Aykroyd) to be able to wed his fiancee, Nina (Emily Mortimer).
      At his boarding house, he wins an equivalent amount at cards, but then gambles the money on a horse called Indian Runner when a drunken major (Jim Broadbent) assures him the horse is a shoo-in. The major disappears, leading him to think he'll never see the money again. Lo and behold, the horse wins, and throughout the film Adam keeps running into the major, but for complicated reasons never seems to get his hands on the money he's owed.
      In desperation, he summons up the courage to ask Nina's loony father (Peter O'Toole) for the money. Surprisingly, the father agrees, but in his carelessness signs the check "Charlie Chaplin," rendering the check worthless.
      Since it appears Adam will never get the money, the pragmatic Nina decides to marry the wealthy Ginger (David Tennant), though she still loves Adam.
      Adam is eventually hired to be a gossip columnist -- "Mr. Chatterbox" -- after Simon Balcairn (James McAvoy), who had the job, writes an outrageous column filled with libelous fabrications of high-placed people, and then commits suicide. (At one point, Adam fleetingly considers suicide, too.)
      For a while, Adam fills his shoes admirably, until an unfortunate mishap.
      Eventually war comes, bringing the wanton frivolity of these bright young things to an end.
      Fry has seen in Waugh's story a searing indictment of a celebrity culture filled with gossip columnists and paparazzi, long before our present-day obsession with such gossip-generating engines as the National Enquirer and the E! channel.
      The film is peopled with various colorful characters, including Adam's kindly, eccentric landlady (a delightful turn by British musical star Julia MacKenzie), who's extraordinarily magnanimous about Adam's rent; a wild sophisticate named Agatha Runcible (Fenella Woolgar) who, in a pivotal scene, wreaks havoc as she tears off into the countryside in a racing car; and an effeminate fop named Miles (Michael Sheen) whose infatuation with another man leads him into serious trouble with the police.
      The film is extravagantly cast with some terrific English actors in roles large and small. Besides those mentioned, there are Sir John Mills, Richard E. Grant, Simon Callow, Margaret Tyzack and Jim Carter. Americans Aykroyd and Stockard Channing (as an evangelist traveling with a choir of attractive young ladies) hold their own.
      There's much decadent posing and snorting of cocaine and such in the party scenes, but, as in the book -- a classic of social criticism -- it's all for a moral purpose. "Oh, Nina, what a lot of parties," Adam sighs wearily at one point, voicing Waugh's sentiments. The central characters ultimately come to a realization of the more important things of life. Waugh himself was Catholic, and his Catholicism reached its popular apotheosis with the 1982 miniseries, "Brideshead Revisited."
      Fry has fiddled a bit with the time frame of the book so that the story now reaches its climax during World War II, and ties things up in a more neatly sentimental fashion than Waugh did. (The novel was published in 1928.) Otherwise, if the story isn't completely faithful in detail, it certainly is in spirit.
      The production is handsomely designed (by Michael Howells). The music score encompasses mostly period recordings, everything from "Sing, Sing, Sing" to Noel Coward ditties.
      Because of recreational drug and alcohol use, implied promiscuity, generalized decadence, amoral behavior and a suicide, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Brokeback Mountain" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Over-the-years love story between two emotionally fragile cowboys (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) who begin an intimate relationship during a solitary sheepherding assignment. Though shortly after, they try to go their separate ways, with one marrying his fiancee (Michelle Williams) and the other a former prom queen (Anne Hathaway), they continue to be drawn to each other. Director Ang Lee's well-crafted film, which is superbly acted, was adapted from a New Yorker short story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx. It treats the subject matter -- which a Catholic audience will find contrary to its moral principles -- with discretion. Tacit approval of same-sex relationships, adultery, two brief sex scenes without nudity, partial and shadowy brief nudity elsewhere, other implied sexual situations, profanity, rough and crude expressions, alcohol and brief drug use, brief violent images, a gruesome description of a murder, and some domestic violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Broken Flowers" (Focus)
Rated "R"
World-weary womanizer (Bill Murray), deserted by his latest amour (Julie Delpy), receives an anonymous letter from a long-ago flame informing him he has a 19-year-old son, leading his neighbor (Jeffrey Wright) to suggest he look up ex-girlfriends (Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange) and determine which one might have sent the letter. Writer-director Jim Jarmusch's quirky film is a telling commentary on relationships and human interconnection, the performances are fine, and Murray is effortlessly luminous. Scattered uses of rough language, brief full-frontal female nudity, implied premarital sex, underage drinking and brief drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Brooklyn Rules" (City Lights)
Rated "R"
A coming-of-age comedy-drama about three lifelong Catholic friends (Scott Caan, Jerry Ferrara and Freddie Prinze Jr.) facing young adulthood in 1980s New York and trying to resist the influence of a local Mafia lieutenant (Alec Baldwin). While nicely observed, with a focus on how friendships can transcend time and circumstances, director Michael Corrente's film lacks the depth of "The Sopranos." Pervasive rough and crude language; mild sexual innuendo and one nongraphic sex scene; much violence, including gunfire and beatings, with bloodshed; and a revenge killing without consequences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"The Brothers Grimm" (Dimension)
Rated "PG-13"
Visually inventive, highly atmospheric adult fantasy that presents the fairy-tale authors -- Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm (Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, with credible English accents) -- as con-artist characters in a story as fantastical as anything they might have written, incorporating familiar elements of many of their stories, as an autocratic French occupier (Jonathan Pryce) orders them to get to the bottom of strange happenings in a German forest involving missing children. Director Terry Gilliam gets high marks for creating an evocative, 19th-century world, and whipping up a good deal of excitement as the story races to its conclusion, but the film is marred by a slow start and an uneven screenplay by Ehren Krueger. Intense action violence, frightening images, many involving insects, torture scenes, scattered profanity and crude language, brief sexual situations, and brief irreligiousness. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Brothers Solomon" (Screen Gems)
Rated "R"
Excruciatingly dull comedy in the clueless-protagonist vein, in which two brothers (Will Forte, who scripted, and Will Arnett) must become fathers to come into an inheritance from comatose father Lee Majors, and they pay a woman they've met online (Kristin Wiig) to be artificially inseminated. Director Bob Odenkirk's slow pacing fails to propel the lifeless gags. Pregnancy out of wedlock; artificial insemination; rough, crude and crass language; one reference to pornography; and some mild sexual banter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Bucket List" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Unremarkable, formulaic, only mildly entertaining story of two cancer patients -- a wealthy, womanizing tycoon (Jack Nicholson) and a middle-class garage mechanic (Morgan Freeman) -- who decide to hit the road and experience all their wildest dreams in the time they have left, that is, until they "kick the bucket." We've seen all this before, and except for seeing the two stars in standard reliable form, director Rob Reiner's film is predictably routine, though some problematic elements aside, imparting a positive message about finding the joy in life and bringing joy to others. An instance of the f-word; some crude expletives, crass expressions and scattered profanity; a vulgar gesture; an implied nonmarital sexual encounter; sexual references and innuendo; and domestic discord. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Bug" (Lionsgate)
Rated "R"
Intense and ultimately repelling tale of a depressed cocktail waitress (Ashley Judd) who takes in an apparently gentle drifter (Michael Shannon) to her motel room while living in fear of her ex-con former husband (Harry Connick Jr.) and is soon persuaded by the stranger's increasingly hysterical conviction that their room is teeming with bugs as part of a widespread government conspiracy against them. Director William Friedkin's stage-bound adaptation of Tracy Letts' off-Broadway play is initially promising as a psychological study of vulnerable lost souls but eventually disintegrates into an ugly and unconvincing horror flick. Excessive gore and violence, constant rough language and profanity, a casual sex scene, full male and female nudity, recreational drug and alcohol abuse, same-sex kissing and suicidal behavior. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Burn After Reading" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Witty dark caper comedy about hapless Washington-based gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who find the memoirs of a fired CIA analyst (John Malkovich) on a computer disc and believe they're in possession of classified information they can sell to the Russians. Joel and Ethan Coen have written an extremely clever script, directed with assured timing, and their film showcases a top-flight cast including George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Richard Jenkins, all of whom reveal surprising comic chops. Overt sex and violence are minimal, but many will be disturbed by the strong language. Pervasive use of the F-word and some profanity; two brief instances of violence, one gruesome; implied nonmarital sexual activity; and a sexual sight gag. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
Darkly enchanting animated love story based on a Russian folk tale about a timid groom (voiced by Johnny Depp) whose arranged marriage to the shy daughter (voiced by Emily Watson) of stuffy aristocrats, is derailed the night before they are to wed when, practicing his vows alone in the woods, he finds himself betrothed to a dead girl (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) he inadvertently reanimates. Though a bit morose for young children, co-directors Tim Burton and Mike Johnson have crafted a delightfully macabre fable that imparts a gentle message of selfless love which should warm most hearts -- beating or not. Mature thematic elements, a villainous clerical character and folkloric fantasy content. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

C
"Cadillac Records" (Sony Music/Parkwood)
Rated "R"
Colorful if sometimes sordid chronicle of the rise of Chess Records throughout the 1950s and 1960s as owner Leonard Chess (Adrian Brody), a Polish emigre, assembles an array of rhythm-and-blues musicians -- including such legendary names as Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker) and Etta James (Beyonce Knowles) -- eventually leading his artists to "cross over" to mainstream audiences. Writer-director Darnell Martin presents a kaleidoscopic overview of their personal and professional lives with excellent performances and a flavorful earful of tunes, though some of the elements below may limit its appeal to Catholic viewers. Pervasive rough language and some profanity; some brief nongraphic sexual encounters; some nonmarital, implied underage sex; innuendo; some racial violence; drug use and infidelity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Callas Forever" (Regent Releasing)
Rated "NR"
Fictitious but true-in-spirit story of self-obsessed opera diva Maria Callas' lonely last years in Paris after she had lost her voice, wherein a gay former manager (Jeremy Irons) persuades her she can have a second career by making film versions of her most notable operas while lip-syncing to her old recordings. French accent notwithstanding, Fanny Ardant succeeds to a remarkable degree in capturing the Greek-American soprano's temperament and physical appearance, while director Franco Zeffirelli -- a close friend and colleague of Callas -- directs with the expected authority and brings special flair to the "Carmen" sequences, though the specialized subject matter will be of most interest to Callas fans and opera buffs. A few instances of rough and crude language and a couple of mild sexual situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"Capote" (Sony Classics)
Rated "R"
Gripping chronicle of writer Truman Capote (a superb Philip Seymour Hoffman) getting the inspiration to write his acclaimed "nonfiction novel," "In Cold Blood," after a Kansas farm family is brutally murdered, and his probing interviews with the townspeople and the killers, which walk a fine line between calculation and compassion. Director Bennett Miller's sobering film masterfully recreates the early 1960s as Capote travels back and forth from the superficial New York social scene to the bleak aura of death row at Leavenworth, with fine performances by Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Cooper and Amy Ryan. Brief violent images, an implied homosexual relationship, scattered profanity and rough language, crude expressions, a vulgar anecdote, sexual reference, and a hanging. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Captivity" (Lionsgate/After Dark)
Rated "R"
Nasty tale about a model (Elisha Cuthbert) abducted and subjected to unrelenting torture by a masked figure. Director Roland Joffe's film eventually comes up with some interesting elements and plot twists, but by then it is too late, demonstrating he has come a long way from earlier and loftier achievements such as "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission." Graphic sex, violence, sadism and torture. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Carandiru"  (Luis Carlos Vasconcelos)
Rated "R"
      "Carandiru" (Sony Classic) is a raw and rambling prison drama about life in an explosively overcrowded Latin American penitentiary, as seen through the eyes of a humanitarian-minded doctor (Luis Carlos Vasconcelos) brought in to implement an AIDS-prevention program.
     Based on actual events which occurred at Brazil's notorious Sao Paulo House of Detention, the film, directed by Hector Babenco, conveys an almost palpable sense of confinement and tinderbox volatility, but falls short of compelling, in large part due to an unfocused, episodic script, and, despite an underlying theme of redemption, the doctor's nonjudgmental acceptance of the inmates' aberrant behavior.
     Due to strong bloody violence including an intense riot sequence, several sexual encounters with partial nudity, a casual attitude toward homosexuality, recurring drug content and much rough and crude language, the USCCB classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Cars" (Disney)
Rated "G"
Delightful computer-animated movie set in a world of anthropomorphic autos about a cocky racecar (voiced by Owen Wilson) which, while en route cross-country to compete in a prestigious championship, is unexpectedly detained in a neglected desert town, where his growing friendship with the town's four-wheeled residents (voiced by Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt and Larry the Cable Guy, among others) effects a change of heart regarding fame in the fast lane. Co-directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft, the film has a full tank of humor and emotions -- not to mention bar-raising visuals -- while its solid storytelling imparts a charming message about taking the time to appreciate what really matters in life. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Cassandra's Dream" (Weinstein)
Rated "PG-13"
Fairly interesting but ultimately unconvincing London-based drama about two financially needy brothers (Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell) asked by their rich uncle (Tom Wilkinson) to kill a business associate for pay. The two leads are excellent, but writer-director Woody Allen's Hitchcockian script fails to avoid a sense of contrivance, and Allen's nihilistic worldview, as espoused here by McGregor's character, is beginning to grow tiresome. An off-screen murder, brief violence, much conversational profanity, drug references, some brief sexual banter and nonmarital relationships. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Casanova" (Touchstone)
Rated "R"
Handsome but leisurely paced period piece about history's most famous lover (Heath Ledger), focusing on a fictitious "secret" episode in his life: his incognito love affair with an 18th-century Venetian beauty (Sienna Miller) who writes feminist tracts under a male nom de plume. On the plus side, Lasse Hallstrom's film is well acted, farcical without overdoing the slapstick, remarkably restrained in sexual matters, and even has a reasonably moral ending, but there's a surfeit of troublesome Inquisition-era jibes at the Catholic Church (including a comically villainous bishop played by Jeremy Irons), and an episode involving seduction of a novice. Brief sexual episodes without nudity, innuendo, some crude expressions, pervasive anti-clerical view and a mild torture scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Casino Royale" (Columbia/MGM)
Rated "PG-13"
Adrenaline-charged adaptation of Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel (spoofed in a 1967 film of the same title) in which the iconic British superspy (Daniel Craig in his 007 debut) must infiltrate a high-stakes card game organized by a banker (Mads Mikkelsen) to international terrorists. Director Martin Campbell's addition to the franchise (the 21st overall) jettisons the campy elements of past films for a grittier, more serious return to the harder-edged tone of the books -- especially in regard to the violence -- blending virtuoso action sequences and substantial character development to show the origins of the Bond mythology. Virile yet vulnerable, Craig's secret agent is less the sophisticated playboy -- though there is the usual womanizing -- and more a brash and brooding assassin. Recurring strong action violence, including an intense torture scene, adultery, partial nudity, sexual situations, and some mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Catch and Release" (Columbia)
Rated "PG-13"
Dour, slow-moving romantic comedy about a woman (Jennifer Garner) whose fiancee is killed shortly before their wedding who learns that he fathered a child with an out-of-town massage therapist (Juliette Lewis) who eventually comes to town with the child in tow moving in with her and her fiance's buddies (Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger and Timothy Olyphant) with ensuing romantic complications. Writer-director Susannah Grant's formulaic chick flick strains for credibility, the acting is bland (especially Olyphant as her principal love interest), and is unredeemed by the overall message of forgiveness and a reasonably moral wrap-up. Permissive sexual mores, intimate encounters (one intense but fully clothed, the other gauzily photographed with no actual nudity), sexual banter and innuendo, some crude language and expressions and profanity, a suicide attempt and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Cave" (Screen Gems)
Rated "PG-13"
Schlocky horror action movie about a team of expert cave explorers (led by Cole Hauser and Eddie Cibrian) trapped miles beneath the surface, who, while struggling to find a way out, fall prey to an unknown subterranean species of ravenous creatures. Despite its creepy claustrophobic setting, Bruce Hunt's directorial debut provides few (even B-movie) jolts, resulting in a formulaic and forgettable group-peril flick that caves in under the weight of its illogical and hackneyed script. Recurring monster menace and bloody gore, as well as scattered crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Cellular" (New Line)
Rated "PG-13"
Somewhat satisfying fast-paced thriller about a kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger) whose life -- along with that of her young son -- hangs on the tenuous connection to a stranger's (Chris Evans) cell phone. Giving the old damsel-in-distress formula a wireless twist, director David R. Ellis' slim story about a good Samaritan slacker trying to save a woman he has never met is full of predictable popcorn thrills -- including high-octane car chases -- which, taken as a whole, add up to more than the sum of its B-movie parts. Recurring violence, some gore and terror situations, an instance of rough language, a crude gesture and some sexual humor, as well as crass language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Chandni Chowk to China" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
In this flavorful yet prolix fusion of Bollywood cinema and Hong Kong martial arts, a clownish cook (Akshay Kumar) from Delhi travels to China to vanquish a gangster exploiting villagers near the Great Wall. He crosses paths with a set of female twins and is transformed into a fighter by their father, a kung fu master. Director Nikhil Advani blends music and melodrama, cartoonish humor and stylized action into a colorful spectacle that proves to be too much of too many things, destined to test the patience of uninitiated moviegoers as well as ardent fans of both genres. Frequent martial arts violence that is occasionally intense and pervasive broad, if generally chaste, humor characteristic of the Bollywood idiom. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Changeling" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Gripping true-life drama set in 1928 Los Angeles recounting how the young son of a single telephone operator (a fine Angelina Jolie) goes missing, and how the corrupt Los Angeles police department tries to silence her when she protests that the child they subsequently return to her is not her son, while a crusading Presbyterian minister (John Malkovich) takes up her cause. Clint Eastwood directs with trademark austerity. Though the subject matter is often grim, with some necessarily unpleasant scenes, the story has historical significance as the case led to reform. There's also inspiration in the mother's stubborn determination to continue the search for the boy against all odds. Strong if nongraphic scenes of violence, murder, nonsexual child abuse, patient abuse in a mental institution, an execution, some rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
Entertaining and stylish remake of 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," as sweet-natured young Charlie (Freddie Highmore), along with four bratty children, wins a visit to a mysterious emporium, run by the reclusive candy-maker Wonka (Johnny Depp). Tim Burton's take on the Roald Dahl tale is predictably darker than the bright Gene Wilder version, but it's hugely inventive, combining Dickensian atmospherics with mordant wit and featuring an understated, slyly humorous performance by Depp who seems, at times, to be channeling Michael Jackson's Neverland persona. The plot contains positive messages about family, loyalty and unselfishness, and only a few scenes of tongue-in-cheek peril that might upset the very youngest viewers. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Charlie Bartlett" (Sidney Kimmel/MGM)
Rated "R"
Off-beat comic study of a troubled but charismatic teen (Anton Yelchin) who partners with a reformed bully (Tyler Hilton) to set up an informal psychiatric practice and prescription drug dispensary in the boys' room of his high school, thus becoming its most popular student, much to the amazement of his weak-willed mother (Hope Davis) and the chagrin of the inept principal (Robert Downey Jr.) whose daughter (Kat Dennings) he's dating. Director John Poll's often droll feature debut highlights the value of open communication, the dignity of the marginalized and the dangers of narcotics, but its worthy intentions are undercut by a barrage of swear words and some crude humor. Nongraphic premarital sexual activity, brief upper female nudity, frequent coarse language, two profanities, a suicide theme and a gay reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Adept, sophisticated political drama, based on real events, recounting how an obscure, high-living Texas congressman (Tom Hanks) united with a wealthy, ostensibly pious political supporter (Julia Roberts) and a gifted but volatile CIA agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to defeat the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Director Mike Nichols' rollicking film revels in the comic divide between its central character's disreputable lifestyle, which is portrayed at times quite graphically, and his historic achievement, with perhaps an invitation to excuse or even celebrate the one in light of the other. Sustained upper female and rear nudity, implied nonmarital sex, drug use, sexual humor, irreverent dialogue, pervasive rough and some crude and crass language, and scenes of wounded children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Charlotte's Web" (Paramount)
Rated "G"
Charming live-action adaptation of E.B. White's beloved children's classic about a runt pig (voiced by Dominic Scott Kay) who is saved from slaughter by the love of a young girl (Dakota Fanning), a barnyard of computer-enhanced talking animals (voiced by Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese and Robert Redford, among others), and the fancy web work of a sage spider, Charlotte (voiced by Julia Roberts). Hewing closely to the book, director Gary Winick makes sure that the techno-wizardry never overshadows the story and its simple, timeless themes of friendship and the bittersweet cycle of life. Some mildly crude humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Cheaper By the Dozen 2" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG"
Agreeably entertaining sequel to the 2003 comedy which finds the Baker brood -- mom (Bonnie Hunt), dad (Steve Martin) and their 12 children -- vacationing at a lakefront cabin where their summer holiday unravels into a battle for bragging rights against a rival clan headed by a hypercompetitive blowhard (Eugene Levy). Director Adam Shankman serves up a similar helping of mildly amusing slapstick and heart-tugging sentiment, slightly more satisfying this time around, while again affirming a strong family-values message. Much comic mayhem, and some mildly crude humor, language and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Chicken Little" (Disney)
Rated "G"
Disappointing computer-animated comedy adventure based on the classic nursery rhyme about a little chick (voiced by Zach Braff) who, after humiliating himself by sounding the alarm that the sky is falling, gets a chance to save face -- and his hometown -- when his apocalyptic announcement later proves true. Directed by Mark Dindal, the movie's vibrant, through unremarkable, animation goes for a more 3-D look, but the flat story and characterizations lack much emotion, charm or wit, undercutting the film's warm themes of family bonds and believing in oneself. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Children of Men" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Bleak futuristic political thriller in which a mysterious infertility has stopped the birth of babies, and a disillusioned London bureaucrat (an excellent Clive Owen) races to carry the world's only pregnant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to safety, while dodging refugee terrorists, the authorities, explosions and bullets at every turn. Director Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of a P.D. James novel is intentionally dark and disturbing, if exciting in its chase sequences, and though the first-rate cast includes Michael Caine, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor and more, some appearances are virtual cameos. The somber palette and relentlessly downbeat milieu may not be for every taste, though some may discern biblical parallels in the "miraculous" birth of the child. Pervasive rough and crude language and some mild profanity, crude expressions, heavy but not graphic violence including explosions and shootings, a childbirth sequence, brief partial nudity and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Choke" (Fox Searchlight)
Rated "R"
Generally repellant comedy with serious pretensions adapted from Chuck Palahniuk's novel about an inveterate sex addict (Sam Rockwell). When not pursuing a lucrative choking-in-a-restaurant scam, he works as a historical theme park performer to pay the mental hospital bills for his mother (Angelica Huston), whose compassionate physician (Kelly Macdonald) falls for him. Writer-director Clark Gregg has a good bit as one of the theme-park workers in a cast that also includes Brad William Henke, Jonah Bobo and Joel Grey. But the pervasive sexual encounters and various irreverent elements -- the doctor informs the son that he may be the offspring of Jesus, and there are two sexual encounters in the hospital's chapel -- cross the line, whatever their ostensible satiric and dramatic purpose. Strong sexual content with multiple encounters, most with upper female nudity, sacrilegious elements, some rough language and profanity, and scatological and drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Christmas at Maxwell's" (LauferFilm)
Rated "PG"
Ohio-based wine merchant (Andrew May) copes with the cancer-related illness of his wife (Jack Hourigan), while raising their two children (Charlie and Julia May), and struggling with profound guilt about the past, until an elderly nursing home resident (Angus May) changes their lives at Christmas time in this Ohio-set tale. Inspired by personal experience, director-writer William C. Laufer (who also plays a priest) has made a heartfelt film with admirable messages about God's forgiveness, the strength of family and being a Good Samaritan, and features a touching conclusion, but the picturesque film is handicapped by languid pacing, an episodic script and mostly colorless performances, except for a reasonably convincing Hourigan. Mild profanity, crass expressions, mild sexual innuendo and mature thematic material. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Christmas in the Clouds" (Slowhand Cinema/Majestic Films)
Rated "PG"
Romantic comedy about a young widow (Mariana Tosca) who travels from New York to Michigan to surprise her pen pal-suitor (Sam Vlahos), an elderly man whom she's never met, only to fall in love with his good-looking son (Tim Vahle), a ski resort owner. She mistakes the son for her correspondent, while the son, in turn, confuses her with a hotel critic. Producer-writer-director Kate Montgomery's Sundance, Utah-shot film has assembled an appealing largely Native American cast, offering an agreeable, refreshingly offbeat story of love and forgiveness during the holiday season. Smattering of crude language, mild sexual humor and innuendo, a nongraphic bedroom scene, and a permissive view of premarital sex. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"A Christmas Tale" ("Un Conte de Noel") (IFC)
Rated "NR"
Three grown siblings (Anne Consigny, Mathieu Amalric and Melvil Poupaud) of a dysfunctional French family gather at their parents' (Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon) home for Christmas after their mother is diagnosed with the same disease that killed their older brother in childhood. Though the angst-ridden proceedings, as written and directed by Arnaud Desplechin, inch toward reconciliation, uniformly fine acting from the ensemble cast only makes the discord along the way that much more uncomfortable to watch, while an ambivalent portrayal of faith and an indulgence of adultery add further complications. In French. Subtitles. Graphic adulterous sexual activity, partial upper female and brief rear nudity, cohabitation, occasional rough and crude language, and sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"Christmas With the Kranks" (Columbia)
Rated “PG”
Delightful yuletide comedy about a Chicago couple (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) who boycott Christmas after their daughter leaves home to join the Peace Corps, sparking unforeseen reactions from their militantly merry neighbors (led by Dan Aykroyd). The film is based on the novella "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham. Director Joe Roth delivers a dose of holly-jolly fun that is, by turns, extremely funny and poignantly tender, and its warmhearted message of selflessness, family and coming together as a community clearly embodies the truest spirit of the season. Some suggestive humor, comic violence and mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Captivating live-action fantasy adventure based on C.S. Lewis' beloved children's classic set in World War II-era England about four siblings (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell), who, having been evacuated from London to the home of an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent), stumble through a magical wardrobe into the enchanted realm of Narnia, where they help the wise and noble lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) defeat the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton), who holds the land under an icy spell of eternal winter. Seeded with Christian symbolism and subtext, director Andrew Adamson's faithful adaptation balances spectacle with storytelling while exploring themes of good and evil to capture the childlike wonder that underscores Lewis' tale. Some battlefield violence, intense scenes of child peril and menace, and several frightening sequences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Exciting and well-crafted if less emotionally absorbing follow-up to 2005's "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" has the Pevensie siblings (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley) returning to Narnia to help the title character (Ben Barnes) stage a revolt against his evil uncle. The bellicose nature of the proceedings and uneven attempts by director and co-writer Andrew Adamson to inject humor and romance don't prevent this faithful adaptation of the second volume in C.S. Lewis' classic series from being salubrious entertainment. Battlefield violence and deadly hand-to-hand combat, an implied decapitation, a brawl involving schoolchildren, some intense scenes of child peril and several frightening sequences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Chorus (LesChoristes)"  (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Glossily sentimental and heart-tugging French film about a failed musician (Gerard Jugnot) who takes a teaching job at a boarding school for troubled boys in the late 1940s, and helps them overcome their delinquent and violent ways by forming a choir, under the disapproving eye of the school's autocratic principal (Francois Berleand). Christophe Barratier's film about the healing power of music features first-rate performances, and heavenly singing by the boys -- once they get going -- making this a surefire audience pleaser even as the setup is transparently manipulative. Some crude language, a brief verbal suggestion of sexual impropriety and a few violent episodes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"The Chumscrubber" (Newmarket)
Rated "R"
Alternately funny and disturbing satire about suburban kids who kidnap the wrong boy after intending to target the younger brother of the school loner (Jamie Bell) to compel the latter to get them the drugs they believe he can secure from the home of a schoolmate dealer who's just committed suicide. Arie Posin's searing indictment of aloof, disengaged parents, alienated youths and our drug-saturated society is overly simplistic, but brilliantly acted by Bell, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Allison Janney, and ends on a satisfyingly redemptive note. Profanity and rough language, crude expressions, underage drug use and smoking, brief violence with blood, a sexual situation with brief partial nudity, and suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Cinderella Man" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Moving true-life story of Depression-era boxer Jimmy Braddock (Russell Crowe in top form) who -- after several years out of the ring, working on the docks -- took up fighting again to support his loving wife (Renee Zellweger) and their three young children, and against all odds made a tremendous comeback, eventually going up against the notorious Max Baer (Craig Bierko). Director Ron Howard has made an absorbing film with first-rate performances (including that of Paul Giamatti as his manager) and authentic period flavor; though the boxing sequences are strong they're far less graphic than similarly themed films, and the human story of Jimmy's devotion to his family is paramount. Much period profanity, some crude language, ring violence with blood. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"A Cinderella Story" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Light but lackluster teen romantic comedy set in Southern California about a slaving high school senior (Hilary Duff) whose hopes of happily-ever-aftering it with a quarterback Prince Charming (Chad Michael Murray) are stymied by her wicked stepmom (Jennifer Coolidge). Director Mark Rosman gives the familiar fairy tale a contemporary makeover, stripping it of its fantasy elements, while retaining its sweet sense of storybook romance. Some mildly crude language, humor and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"City of Ember" (Fox Walden)
Rated "PG"
Imaginative futuristic tale about a doomed underground city whose inhabitants know nothing of the world above, and a brave girl (Saoirse Ronan) and resourceful inventor's son (Harry Treadaway) who try to discover the secret way out before the city's failing generator breaks down completely. With an intricate and clever production design, and an interesting cast including Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau and Toby Jones, first-time feature director Gil Kenan's well-paced adaptation of Jeanne DuPrau's novel imparts good values and makes excellent family entertainment for all but the youngest viewers who might be frightened by a particularly scary monster and some other scenes of peril. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Civic Duty" (Freestyle)
Rated "R"
An out-of-work accountant (Peter Krause) begins to suspect that his next-door neighbor, a Muslim student (Khaled Abol Naga), may be a terrorist and reports him to a skeptical FBI agent (Richard Schiff), much to the consternation of his wife (Kari Matchett), who scoffs at his unfounded suspicions. Jeff Renfroe directs with the requisite tension and Krause is especially good mixing his average-Joe persona with increasingly loony paranoia, but although Andrew Joiner's script grapples with some interesting post-Sept. 11 themes, the presumably intentional ambiguity of certain plot elements undermines the message of an otherwise suspenseful thriller. Rough and crude language, mild profanity, innuendo, ethnic slurs, moderate violence including a shooting death, nongraphic husband-wife sexual encounter, domestic discord, and brief drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Changeling" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Gripping true-life drama set in 1928 Los Angeles recounting how the young son of a single telephone operator (a fine Angelina Jolie) goes missing, and how the corrupt Los Angeles police department tries to silence her when she protests that the child they subsequently return to her is not her son, while a crusading Presbyterian minister (John Malkovich) takes up her cause. Clint Eastwood directs with trademark austerity. Though the subject matter is often grim, with some necessarily unpleasant scenes, the story has historical significance as the case led to reform. There's also inspiration in the mother's stubborn determination to continue the search for the boy against all odds. Strong if nongraphic scenes of violence, murder, nonsexual child abuse, patient abuse in a mental institution, an execution, some rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Exciting and well-crafted if less emotionally absorbing follow-up to 2005's "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" has the Pevensie siblings (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley) returning to Narnia to help the title character (Ben Barnes) stage a revolt against his evil uncle. The bellicose nature of the proceedings and uneven attempts by director and co-writer Andrew Adamson to inject humor and romance don't prevent this faithful adaptation of the second volume in C.S. Lewis' classic series from being salubrious entertainment. Battlefield violence and deadly hand-to-hand combat, an implied decapitation, a brawl involving schoolchildren, some intense scenes of child peril and several frightening sequences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"CJ7" (Sony Classics)
Rated "PG"
Generally enchanting though somewhat flawed comic fable about an impoverished, shunned Chinese schoolboy (Xu Jiao) whose life is transformed when his hardworking, widowed father (Stephen Chow) brings a toy home from the garbage dump that turns out to be a doglike alien critter with supernatural powers. Chow, who also wrote and directed, hits the mark both humorously and dramatically, and his film offers a telling critique of cut-throat materialism, though its positive message and humane, even specifically Christian, values are undercut by a few distasteful scenes focused on the alien's doggy poop. Occasional crude language, comic book violence and scatological humor, though probably acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Class" (Sony Classics)
Rated "PG-13"
Thoughtful docudrama re-creating the experiences of an idealistic French literature teacher (Francois Begaudeau), over the course of an academic year, as he tries to connect with a class of ethnically mixed students in a depressed Paris neighborhood. Director and co-writer Laurent Cantet's innovative approach -- using actual students, and combining their stories with incidents recounted in real-life instructor Begaudeau's fact-based novel to shape the script -- yields an engrossing meditation on social and class divisions and on the possibilities, and limits, of an educator's vocation. In French. Subtitles. Probably acceptable for older teens. Some rough and crude language, sexual references, at least one use of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Clerks II" (Weinstein/MGM)
Rated "R"
Interminably lewd and infantile sequel to the 1994 indie cult hit, which finds New Jersey underachievers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) once again slacking off and engaging in foul-mouthed banter -- this time while flipping burgers at a fast-food joint after the Quick Time Grocery burns down -- with Dante in a relationship dilemma, torn between his rich-but-controlling fiance (Jennifer Schwalbach) and kindred-spirit boss (Rosario Dawson). Again directed by Kevin Smith, the film is capped with a message about friendship and staying true to yourself, but that hardly excuses the wall-to-wall vulgarity, much of which redefines distasteful, that precedes it. Pervasive rough and crude language and raunchy sexual humor, including a gag involving bestiality, some irreverence and profanity, drug references, masturbation, partial frontal and rear nudity, and some racial slurs. The USSCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Click" (Columbia/Revolution)
Rated "PG-13"
Fitfully compelling fantasy about a workaholic architect (Adam Sandler) who receives a remote-control device from a mysterious inventor (Christopher Walken) allowing him to fast-forward through life. Frank Coraci's uneven and predictable film begins as a comedy (and a fairly crude one at that), then turns almost tragic when the protagonist gets a chance to see into the future, leading him to regret his all-consuming work habits and coming to the profound realization that family comes first. Sandler's performance, too, is a mix of his old-style lowbrow antics and impressive growing maturity, but the script for this "It's a Wonderful Life" retread could have been better. Unneeded vulgar humor including flatulence, innuendo, and sexual sight gags, crude language and expressions, profanity, promiscuity, ethnic stereotyping, transgender character and drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Closer" (Columbia)
Rated "R"
Talky, occasionally sluggish adaptation of Patrick Marber's West End and Broadway stage hit about the shifting romantic and amoral entanglements among two couples (Jude Law and Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen) in London. Over-the-years narrative explores the foibles of human relationships, and how love evolves from the excitement of first meeting to myriad lies and betrayals, with first-rate performances and direction (by Mike Nichols) though none of the characters are particularly likable, and while there is virtually no sexual activity, except for risque gyrating by Portman's skimpily dressed character (an ex-stripper), the sex talk is as graphic and shocking in its bluntness as it was onstage. Much gratuitously rough and sexually explicit language, a suggestive striptease, partial nudity, freewheeling attitude towards sex. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Cloverfield" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Skillful, effective horror exercise in which the amateur videotaping of a going-away party for a young executive (Michael Stahl-David) hosted by his brother (Mike Vogel) and attended by the girl who's awakened his interest (Odette Yustman), as well as a number of other friends (Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas and T.J. Miller), is interrupted by the arrival in Manhattan of a rampaging monster. Director Matt Reeves' film cleverly contrasts the intimate feel of the ubiquitous camcorder with the vast scale of the havoc being unleashed and also benefits from believable characters and a script rich in deadpan humor. Some graphic images of the wounded, two uses of the f-word, pervasive crude and frequent profane language, and sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Coach Carter" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Formulaic but interesting story of real-life basketball coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) who accepts a job at a Richmond, Calif., high school with the stipulation that all the players sign contracts agreeing to uphold academic standards, and when some of them don't, he grounds the entire team, a controversial action that causes a great furor. The film directed by Thomas Carter (no relation) is reasonably absorbing, and Jackson gives a compellingly tough and unsentimental performance. Though parents may consider it important for inner-city kids to see this inspiring story with its message extolling academic achievement and teamwork, be warned that there's a good deal of crude language (unfortunately true to life) and an abortion subplot with questionable moral implications. Much crude language, drug dealing, some violence, abortion, suggestive dancing and sexual situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Code 46" (United Artists)
Rated "R"
     Bleak futuristic story about a married insurance investigator (Tim Robbins) solving a case of forged passports and falling in love with the perpetrator (Samantha Morton), told with elements of film noir and sci-fi while grappling pretentiously with heavyweight issues such as human cloning and even Oedipal attraction. A morally muddled story line glamorizes the investigator's adulterous affair, and proves only fitfully interesting. An explicit extramarital sexual encounter with full frontal nudity and perverse undertones.
USCCB classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Collateral" (DreamWorks)
Rated "R"
     Sleek and stylish crime thriller set in Los Angeles about a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) forced to drive a contract killer (Tom Cruise) on his appointed rounds to assassinate five federal witnesses in the span of one night. Returning to familiar genre terrain, director Michael Mann crafts a tautly paced, multilayered film oozing with L.A. noir moodiness and hardboiled menace, by turns violent and reflective in tone, featuring knockout performances by Cruise and Foxx. Recurring intense violence, autopsy gore and much rough language. USCCB classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"College" (MGM)
Rated "R"
Salacious, smile-free teen comedy about three high school seniors (Drake Bell, Andrew Caldwell and Kevin Covais) on a weekend campus tour who opt to stay in a fraternity house, drawn by its booze and strippers, but have to endure crude hazing by its loutish leader (Nick Zano), while one falls in love with a pretty coed (Haley Bennett) who takes him for a fellow freshman. Director Deb Hagan's spiritless film -- even the ostensible comedy falls flat -- briefly takes its protagonists into true romance and emotional maturity, but the emphasis is squarely on repulsive bullying and decadent partying. Strong sexual content, upper-female and rear nudity, much sexual and scatological humor, drug use, underage drinking, pervasive rough and crude language, and a few uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"College Road Trip" (Disney)
Rated "G""
Unobjectionable, though uninspired, family comedy in which a wildly overprotective father (Martin Lawrence), despite the misgivings of his sensible wife (Kym E. Whitley), insists on accompanying his 17-year-old daughter (Raven-Symone) on a visit to a distant university she's considering, meanwhile trying to convince her to attend a college much closer to home and discovering along the way that his small but precocious son (Eshaya Draper) has stowed away for the ride, accompanied by his pet pig. Director Roger Kumble's film is generally pleasant and conveys good messages about parental concern and the need for trust, but most of the humor is too implausible to really work. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"Code Name: The Cleaner" (New Line)
Rated "PG-13"
Forgettable comedy about a janitor (Cedric the Entertainer) who wakes up in a hotel room with total memory loss and, believing he's really a secret agent, sets out to piece together his past with the help of his waitress girlfriend (Lucy Liu). All the while, he's targeted by a siren (Nicollette Sheridan) who claims to be his wife but works for a high tech company whose shady CEO (Mark Dacascos) thinks the amnesiac has proof of his criminal activities. Saddled with such vacuous material, Cedric provides only modest laughs, and director Les Mayfield's unfunny, at times lewd, shenanigans could have been cleaner. Crude and sexual humor, including erotic comic interplay, and recurring crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"College Road Trip" (Disney)
Rated "G"
Unobjectionable, though uninspired, family comedy in which a wildly overprotective father (Martin Lawrence), despite the misgivings of his sensible wife (Kym E. Whitley), insists on accompanying his 17-year-old daughter (Raven-Symone) on a visit to a distant university she's considering, meanwhile trying to convince her to attend a college much closer to home and discovering along the way that his small but precocious son (Eshaya Draper) has stowed away for the ride, accompanied by his pet pig. Director Roger Kumble's film is generally pleasant and conveys good messages about parental concern and the need for trust, but most of the humor is too implausible to really work. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"The Comebacks" (Fox Atomic)
Rated "PG-13"
Absurd sports satire in which a perennially losing coach (David Koechner), at the request of a colleague (Carl Weathers), returns from retirement to try to lead a college football team to victory, even at the risk of alienating his wife (Melora Hardin), while two of his players (Matthew Lawrence and Jackie Long) compete for the affections of his daughter (Brooke Nevin). Director Tom Brady's broad, bawdy comedy is as much slapdash as slapstick, lurching incoherently from one gag to the next, scoring a few hits, but more often than not missing the ball. Pervasive sexual and scatological humor, nongraphic sexual activity, a same-sex kiss, some crude and crass language, five uses of profanity, adultery and drug references, and a transvestite character. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Condemned" (Lionsgate)
Rated "R"
In this punishing action movie produced by World Wrestling Entertainment and starring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a television producer (Robert Mammone) stages a reality event for the Internet during which 10 criminals fight to the death on a tropical island. Director and co-writer Scott Wiper tries to have it both ways by showcasing extreme violence and depraved behavior while simultaneously criticizing those who peddle such objectionable material. Pervasive brutal violence and degrading situations, including torture and rape, pervasive rough and crude language and some profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Confessions of a Shopaholic" (Touchstone/Bruckheimer)
Rated "PG"
Mostly silly romantic comedy set in New York about a ditsy compulsive shopper (Isla Fisher) who achieves improbable success writing an anonymous advice column for a financial magazine, despite being deeply in debt herself, and who falls for her good-looking boss (Hugh Dancy). Director P.J. Hogan's glossy adaptation of Sophie Kinsella's novels is lively and colorful, and the leads are not without charm, but the film is a paean to materialism even as it pretends to convey a contrary message, while an overabundance of slapstick greatly undermines the humor. A premarital relationship, a few crude words and expressions, mild innuendo, and an undue emphasis on materialism. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Confetti" (Fox Searchlight/BBC)
Rated "R"
Three couples -- played by Martin Freeman and Jessica Stevenson, Stephen Mangan and Meredith MacNeill, and Robert Webb and Olivia Colman -- vie for "most original wedding in Britain" in a competition run by the executives at a British bridal magazine, and plan themes of Hollywood musicals, tennis and nudism for their ceremonies, respectively, under the guidance of a couple of campy wedding planners (Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins). Director Debbie Isitt's largely improvised satire generates some laughs and contains truths about human relationships, but some may be put off by a fair amount of expletives and by the uninhibited -- if utterly nonsexual -- nudity of the naturalist pair. Conversational rough language and profanity, full male and female nudity, some innuendo, a brief hint of a gay marriage at end of film and a couple of rough brawls. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Constant Gardener" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Complex political thriller about an African-based British diplomat (Ralph Fiennes, in top form) who sets out to uncover the mystery behind the murder of his apparently unfaithful activist wife (Rachel Weisz), and uncovers a web of intrigue involving conspiracies, government corruption and betrayal at the highest levels of power and the pharmaceutical industry. Director Fernando Meirelles' adaptation of a John le Carre novel is a long, but generally absorbing, suspense story and a condemnation of drug testing on unsuspecting Third World people, with solid performances and flavorful location shooting in Kenya. Brief rear and partial nudity, scattered profanity, rough language and crude expressions, a restrained premarital bedroom scene, quick blurry shots of violence including lynching, and a gruesome description of death. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Constantine" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Intensely violent action film, based on the "Hellblazer" graphic novels, about a world-weary, chain-smoking exorcist (Keanu Reeves) fighting lung cancer and demonic forces with the help of a police detective (Rachel Weisz), whose twin sister either committed suicide or was murdered and is now consigned to the fires of hell. Though gussied up with all sorts of religious mumbo jumbo -- the powers of good versus the forces of evil, self-sacrifice, redemption, a Gabriel character (Tilda Swinton), and a "sword of destiny" (aka the weapon used to pierce Christ on the cross) -- Francis Lawrence's film is basically another formulaic action film -- think "The Exorcist," "Alien" and "The Matrix" rolled into one -- that's only fitfully interesting, when the gory bits aren't positively wince-inducing. Graphic violence with attendant gore, some rough and crude language, and some sacrilegious imagery. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Constantine's Sword" (First Run)
Rated "NR"
Earnest but unbalanced documentary, adapted from ex-priest James Carroll's "Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews -- A History," surveys the fraught history of Christian anti-Semitism, particularly as it plays out among American evangelicals today, and its roots dating back to the early days of the Roman Catholic Church, incorporating seminal episodes from his life story, including his sometimes conflicted relationship with his father, and his ultimate disillusionment with the institutional church. Director Oren Jacoby's film ignores some significant nuances in the historical record, as it broadly outlines the tragic conflict. Mature religious themes, one use of the f-word and occasional crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"Conversations With God" (Samuel Goldwyn)
Rated "PG-13"
Drama based on the successful series of spiritual self-help books by author Neale Donald Walsch (Henry Czerny), who, after losing his job and finding himself homeless, alleges that God, prompted by his questioning, began speaking to him directly, with their ongoing "conversation" resulting in his best-sellers. Earnestly directed by Stephen Simon, the film fluctuates between maudlin and genuinely moving, and while clearly containing ideas (a hodgepodge of gnosticism, pantheism and New Age mysticism) incompatible with Christian theology, nevertheless imparts a sincere message about God's unconditional love and abiding presence that should resonate with Catholic viewers. Questionable theological underpinnings, some mature themes and brief mild innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Cookout" (Lions Gate)
Rated "PG-13"
     Forgettable comedy about a young basketball player (Storm P) who, after striking it rich as the NBA's No. 1 draft pick, decides to throw a family barbeque at his palatial new home in an exclusive white suburban community, policed by an overzealous security guard (Queen Latifah).
     Mayhem ensues when the cookout turns into a tug-of-war between his eccentric relatives, who want to make sure that his newfound success doesn't go to his head, and his gold-digger girlfriend, (Meagan Good), who's just after his money. While imparting a message that family is more important than fame, much of Lance Rivera's unfunny directorial debut only serves to reinforce many of the African-American stereotypes it purports to discredit. Some crass sexual and racial humor, drug content and recurring crude language. 
     The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Conspiracy of Silence" (Watch Entertainment)
Not Rated
     Insipid thriller set in modern-day Ireland about a muckraking reporter (Jason Barry) who, while investigating the connections between two seemingly unrelated events -- the suicide of a local priest and the expulsion of a young, idealistic seminarian (Jonathan Forbes) -- uncovers a secret incriminating those in the highest ranks of the church. With little in the way of plausible suspense, director John Deery uses the film's slim story line as a rod on which to hang his grievances, including the church's stands on homosexuality and celibacy, employing caricature and distortion to position the hierarchy as one-dimensionally corrupt. A manipulative and sinister portrayal of the institutional church, including anti-clerical characterizations, a suicide, a sexual encounter with shadowy nudity, a shower scene with rear nudity, brief violence, and recurring rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Conversations With God" (Samuel Goldwyn)
Rated "PG-13"
Drama based on the successful series of spiritual self-help books by author Neale Donald Walsch (Henry Czerny), who, after losing his job and finding himself homeless, alleges that God, prompted by his questioning, began speaking to him directly, with their ongoing "conversation" resulting in his best-sellers. Earnestly directed by Stephen Simon, the film fluctuates between maudlin and genuinely moving, and while clearly containing ideas (a hodgepodge of gnosticism, pantheism and New Age mysticism) incompatible with Christian theology, nevertheless imparts a sincere message about God's unconditional love and abiding presence that should resonate with Catholic viewers. Questionable theological underpinnings, some mature themes and brief mild innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Coraline" (Focus)
Rated "PG"
Entrancing, though eerie, 3-D animated cautionary tale in which a bored girl (voice of Dakota Fanning) discovers an alternate world inhabited by more accommodating versions of her parents (voices of Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) but finds herself imperiled when the doubles reveal sinister plans for her. Writer-director Henry Selick's vibrantly colorful stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's best-selling, award-winning 2002 young adult novel sees its heroine overcoming selfishness, learning to appreciate her blessings and drawing closer to family and friends. Brief partial nudity, frightening images and a few mildly bawdy lyrics. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Counterfeiters" ("Die Falscher") (Sony Classics)
Rated "R"
Absorbing true story about the largest counterfeiting operation in history, as inmates of a German concentration camp are ordered to forge vast amounts of Allied currency to undermine England's and America's war effort, but courageously delay the production of American dollars that might have adversely altered World War II's outcome. Writer-director Stefan Ruzowitzky's frequent use of hand-held camera technique and Marius Ruhland's score add contemporary touches to a suspenseful tale bolstered by good performances including Karl Markovics as the expert criminal forger who's put in charge of the team, and August Diehl as the inmate who repeatedly sabotages the operation with the former's grudging allowance. In German. Subtitles. Some violence including brutal shootings, brief upper female and rear nudity, further brief shower nudity, brief nongraphic sexual encounters, a crass scene of urination, an irreverent joke, a few expletives including the f-word, and racial epithets. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Covenant" (Screen Gems)
Rated "PG-13"
Supernatural thriller set in a New England boarding prep school about four warlocks (Steven Strait, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway and Chase Crawford) -- all good-looking descendants of the infamous Salem witches -- who must battle a sinister student (Sebastian Stan) who wants their powers to augment his own magic, while navigating jealousies within their group. Director Renny Harlin keeps things dark and dank, but the moody atmospherics can't disguise a run-of-the-mill script which substitutes schlocky sorcery effects for story and suspense. Some supernatural violence, a few disturbing images, occult elements, rear nudity, sexually suggestive situations and humor, and recurring crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Crank" (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Noisy and endlessly unpleasant action film about a Los Angeles hit man (Jason Statham) who must keep in perpetual motion after he finds out that a rival thug (Jose Pablo Cantillo) has poisoned him with a substance designed to kill him within seconds if his heart rate drops. Co-writers and directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor load on the bloody video-game-style action in an empty and mindless exercise. Excessive and graphic violence and gore, lewd sexual content, vulgar humor, recurring partial nudity, drug use and pervasive rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Crash" (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Powerful, beautifully crafted film with a strong moral center about a disparate, racially mixed group of Los Angeles residents, including a district attorney and his wife (Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock), a hardened cop and a rookie (Matt Dillon and Ryan Phillippe), an immigrant store owner, a locksmith, a pair of carjackers, a television director, and a weary detective with professional and domestic problems (Don Cheadle), whose lives will intersect in unlikely and redemptive ways. Writer-director Paul Haggis takes a story and milieu that at first seems sordid and ugly, and with the help of a terrific ensemble cast, has fashioned a transcendently moving essay on the benevolence that may lie beneath racial intolerance, and the interconnectedness of human beings, showing how good and bad can coexist in all of us, and how the former generally prevails. Much rough and crude language, some violence, many racial epithets, sexual situations, including one encounter with partial nudity, another with suggestive groping and innuendo, and a bloody traffic-accident injury. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

The Joan Crawford Collection
In tandem with "The Bette Davis Collection" recently reviewed, Warner Bros. has released a similar set of five of the best films of Davis' sometime rival, Joan Crawford, all featuring vivid prints and some with short (eight- to nine-minute) features illuminating some aspect of the film. "The Women" and "Mildred Pierce" have been available, but they have been repackaged and included in the new box.

 "The Damned Don't Cry" (1950)
Slick but unconvincing melodrama of a woman (Crawford) leaving a small-town, blue-collar husband to seek her fortune in the big city where she uses an accountant (Kent Smith) infatuated with her to meet the big syndicate boss (David Brian), then becomes his mistress until learning that crime doesn't pay. Directed by Vincent Sherman, the Crawford vehicle showcases her emotional range from earnest housewife to cynical playgirl, though in the midst of all this corruption Smith's portrayal of a decent fellow steals the show. The DVD, which is the first home video release of this title, includes commentary by Sherman and the featurette "The Crawford Formula: Real and Reel." Stylized violence and sexual situations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Warner Bros.)

"Humoresque" (1946)
Crawford gave one of her best performances as socialite Helen Wright, "torn between selfless love and selfish impulses." John Garfield plays the driven violin virtuoso with whom she falls in love. Fine earful of music between the suds. Directed by Jean Negulesco, with a score by Frank Waxman. The DVD includes a featurette, "The Music of Humoresque," explaining how the great violinist Isaac Stern did the actual playing and finger movements for Garfield in the film, and featuring comments from Garfield's daughter and Waxman's son. Suicide in plot solution. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Warner Bros.)

"Mildred Pierce" (1945)
Misplaced ambition fuels James M. Cain's dark story of a driven woman (Crawford) who shucks a useless husband (Jack Carson) in rising from waitress to head a restaurant chain, then falls for a scoundrel (Zachary Scott) who turns his attentions to her adolescent daughter (Ann Blyth). Directed by Michael Curtiz, it's an acerbic tale of how obsession with material success ultimately destroys its misguided heroine, not the least of whose mistakes is raising her only child to be a spoiled brat. The double-sided DVD features a fully restored print and the excellent and comprehensive TCM documentary feature "Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star," narrated by Anjelica Huston. Mature theme and treatment. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Warner Bros.)

"Possessed" (1947)
Murky melodrama in which a troubled woman (Crawford) is rejected by her lover (Van Heflin), then marries a wealthy widower (Raymond Massey) in hopes of winning him back, only to go bonkers when he turns to another. Directed by Curtis Bernhardt, the convoluted story is told in flashbacks as the woman is treated by a psychiatrist, but the main interest is Crawford's vintage performance in a split-personality role. The DVD includes commentary by film historian Drew Casper and a featurette, "Possessed: The Ultimate Film Noir." Heavy-handed treatment of an emotionally unstable person, romantic complications and some stylized violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the
Motion Picture Association of America. (Lions Gate)

"The Women" (1939)
Lavish screen version of Clare Boothe Luce's satiric play in which a New York socialite (Norma Shearer) whose husband has fallen for a calculating gold digger (Crawford) goes to Reno for a divorce, then returns home to pick up the pieces. Directed by George Cukor, the all-female cast (Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland and many others) provides a comic compendium of feminine stereotypes and caustic comments on the battle of the sexes, much of which is unflattering to women, but it is the unseen males who get the worst of it. The DVD includes two vintage documentaries, an alternate fashion show sequence with different footage, and audio-only scoring session music cues. Comic treatment of sex and marriage. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Warner Bros.)

"Crazy Love" (Magnolia)
Rated "PG-13"
Perversely engrossing documentary charts how a married, ambulance-chasing lawyer fixated on a 20 year-old Bronx receptionist, wooed her, then had someone blind and disfigure her with lye in 1959 when she became engaged to another, only to marry her after serving 14 years in prison for the crime. Director Dan Klores conducts extensive on-camera interviews with the still-married couple as viewers are left to evaluate if this is just a bizarre story of obsession and co-dependency or one of enduring love and forgiveness. Intermittent violent, suicidal and sexual references, an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Criminal" (Warner Independent Pictures)
Rated "R"
Smartly crafted scam movie about a veteran con man (John C. Reilly) who takes a young street hustler (Diego Luna) under his wing in order to swindle a wealthy collector (Peter Mullan) into buying a forged, extremely rare currency note.     Director Gregory Jacobs' beat-for-beat remake of the 2002 Argentinian film "Nine Queens" fails to match the sharpness of the original, but its clever shell-game narrative still provides enough double-dealing plot twists to keep viewers guessing. However, the movie follows the original's morally muddy lead in suggesting that duplicity pays off. An implied sexual encounter and recurring rough language.      The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.    

"Crossover" (Sony)
Rated "PG-13"
Urban drama about lifelong Detroit friends Cruise and Tech -- a college-bound basketball prodigy (Wesley Jonathan) with med-school ambitions and a high-school dropout (Anthony Mackie) with dreams of his own -- who enter an underground "streetball" tournament run by a smooth-talking promoter (Wayne Brady) to dethrone the league's cocky star player (Phillip Champion), jeopardizing Cruise's promising future. Written and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, the film is commendable in its endorsement of education and integrity over money and fame, but, some energetic hoop sequences aside, the effort is weighed down by a trite, tired and predictable script. Some sexual content, including a subplot involving an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, lewd dance and cheerleading moves, suggestive wardrobe, sporadic crude language and humor and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Cry Wolf" (Rogue)
Rated "PG-13"
Modestly involving teen thriller set in a posh prep school where, following an off-campus murder, a group of students (including Lindy Booth and Jared Padalecki) initiate a new arrival (Julian Morris) into their clique and, as a prank, concoct a story about a masked killer only to find themselves menaced by a real stalker -- eerily echoing their fabrications -- with no one to believe them. Directed by Jeff Wadlow, the low-budget film's "Ten Little Indians" story line is reasonably suspenseful despite genre cliches, and its better than average script -- littered with red herrings and capped with a surprise twist -- emphasizes psychological tension over slasher gore. Some bloody violence, sexual humor and suggestiveness, and sporadic crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Overly long but imaginative expansion of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story set in New Orleans about a man born old (Brad Pitt) who ages backward from World War I to the present and his bittersweet romance with a dancer (Cate Blanchett). Under David Fincher's direction, the leads give fine performances and outstanding digital effects make the forward and backward aging remarkably believable, and the unusual story -- presenting a unique, often profound perspective on the transience of human life and how we deal with the people we meet and the things we experience, including death -- is thought-provoking and poignant. Implied nonmarital situations including nongraphic encounters, some rough language and brief profanity, mild innuendo, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, adultery, brief rear nudity and wartime violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Curious George" (Universal)
Rated "G"
Delightful and disarming animated adventure based on the beloved children's books by A.H. and Margaret Rey, about an inquisitive chimp -- George -- who befriends a museum curator (voiced by Will Ferrell) searching for a legendary idol for his failing museum, and who eventually stows away, leaving his jungle home for New York, where much monkey mischief ensues. Directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, the simply told but visually vibrant film stays faithful to the gentle tone of the books, imparting a warmhearted message about friendship, which though geared toward youngsters adults will find charming. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Cursed" (Dimension)
Rated "PG-13"
Banefully bad horror flick about a young television producer (Christina Ricci) and her geeky teenage brother (Jesse Eisenberg), who find themselves in increasingly hairy situations after being bitten by a werewolf-at-large in their Los Angeles neighborhood. Clumsily grafting themes of high school angst, homophobia and sexually transmitted diseases onto its B-movie script, this campy clunker directed by Wes Craven is all bark and no fright, and should have viewers howling for their money back. Recurring horror violence and gore, two instances of fleeting rear nudity, mild innuendo, scattered crude language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.
D
"Daddy Day Camp" (TriStar)
Rated "PG"
A few years after the events of "Daddy Day Care," the two entrepreneurial fathers (now played by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Paul Rae) buy a run-down summer camp and take up a rivalry with the big, mean bully camp next door. Director Fred Savage, the former child star now making his feature-film debut, runs through the checklist of crass jokes and heavy-handed messages about life and teamwork that would have been a lot more resonant if they had been grounded in reality. A few instances of crass language, some children's brawls, bathroom humor, light cartoonlike violence and an offhand sexual remark. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Daltry Calhoun" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Modestly endearing tale set in small-town Tennessee about a reformed good-for-nothing (Johnny Knoxville) who, with his rags-to-riches story facing a reversal of fortune, seeks reconciliation with the daughter he abandoned as an infant -- now a precocious, musically gifted teenager (Sophie Traub) -- when the girl's mother (Elizabeth Banks) shows up on his doorstep with news that she is dying and asks him to take over the parenting reins after she is gone. Directed by Katrina Holden Bronson, the film has its narrative bumps but they are smoothed over by its heartfelt emotion and redemptive message about hope and second chances. An implied sexual encounter, some sexual discussions, underage drinking and smoking, a mildly irreverent scene, brief fisticuffs, and scattered crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Dance Flick" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Flat-footed genre satire with a minimal plot about the unlikely romance between a would-be ballerina (Shoshana Bush) and a street dancer (Damon Wayans, Jr.). Stumbles far outnumber leaps in director and co-writer Damien Dante Wayans' rambling sendup, and a few of the gags are patently vulgar. Much sexual and some scatological humor, one use of the F-word, frequent crude and crass language, and occasional comic violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Dan in Real Life" (Touchstone/Focus)
Rated 'PG-13"
Steve Carrell shines as the widowed father of three girls who takes them to a family reunion at his parents' rambling house in Rhode Island, and while there falls in love with an empathetic woman (Juliette Binoche) he meets in a bookstore, only to learn she's the girlfriend of his younger brother (Dane Cook). Also on the plus side of director Peter Hedges' leisurely paced, likable but only mildly amusing film are the positive depiction of Carrell's large, loving family, and the almost total lack of objectionable elements. But the basic setup seems contrived, the ostensible romance earthbound, and the formulaic script not terribly funny. Mild innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros./Legendary)
Rated "PG-13"
Tumultuous, technically dazzling -- if overlong and excessively complex -- sequel to "Batman Begins" as the chiropteran crusader (Christian Bale) is challenged by the anarchic Joker (Heath Ledger) to reveal his true identity or else scores will die, while a romantic rival for his ex-girlfriend's (Maggie Gyllenhaal) affections -- the upstanding district attorney (Aaron Eckhart), working in tandem with the city's crime unit chief (Gary Oldman) -- strives to bring integrity to corrupt Gotham. Ledger is electrifying in his last completed performance, while director and co-writer Christopher Nolan brings consummate polish to the creation of a chaotic and brutal milieu, albeit one relieved by underlying decency. Bloodless but intense action violence including shootings, explosions and vehicular mayhem, but virtually no objectionable language or sexual elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Dark Water" (Touchstone)
Rated "PG-13"
Smartly crafted and suspenseful psychological thriller about a recently separated single mom (Jennifer Connelly) -- locked in an ugly custody battle with her estranged husband -- struggling to keep hold of her fragile sanity and 5-year-old daughter (Ariel Gade) when they move into a dilapidated apartment with a creepy chronic ceiling leak and a dark past. Director Walter Salles' stylish and sophisticated ghost story (a remake of a Japanese horror film) takes a more subtle approach to maintaining its taut-nerve tension, keeping viewers' cold sweat on a slow drip rather than going for cheap jolts with lots of gore or computer generated tricks. Mature thematic elements, recurring menace, some frightening moments, child peril, including a disturbing drowning sequence, a brief implied sexual situation and scattered crude language and profanity and an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Darjeeling Limited" (Fox Searchlight)
Rated "R"
Quirky, bittersweet odyssey about three estranged siblings -- the eldest, controlling brother recovering from a near-fatal injury (Owen Wilson), anxious father-to-be middle son (Adrien Brody), and the youngest, a writer (Jason Schwartzman) -- who set out on a spiritual journey on a train through India after their father's death, including a visit to a Himalayan monastery where their widowed mother (Angelica Huston) has become a nun. Though the colorful film, as per director and co-writer Wes Anderson's usual style, is not conventionally structured, it becomes more involving as well as genuinely touching as it progresses, with some off-putting antics of the brothers at the start of their trip yielding to reflection and transformation after a tragic occurrence along the way. A nonmarital sexual encounter without nudity, brief rough language and profanity, and a drug reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Date Movie" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Crudely sophomoric sendup of recent popular romantic comedies barely held together by a perfunctory plot involving the upcoming wedding of a formerly obese waitress (Alyson Hannigan) to the man of her dreams (Adam Campbell), a wedding that the latter's seductive ex-flame (Sophie Monk) threatens to sabotage. Following in the genre-skewering footprints of "Scary Movie," directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer spoof such films as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Hitch" and "My Best Friend's Wedding," among others, in a nonstop barrage of vulgar and unfunny juvenile sight gags that test the limits of its PG-13 rating. Pervasive raunchy and gross-out humor, some comic violence, recurring crude language and a few instances of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Da Vinci Code" (Columbia)
Rated "PG-13"
Dan Brown's record-breaking best-seller comes to the screen with most of its spurious historical, artistic, and theological misstatements intact. The film follows the book's plot of a Harvard "symbologist" (Tom Hanks) on the run from French police after the murder of a curator from the Louvre museum, with the latter's granddaughter (Audrey Tautou) in tow, as they piece together the motives for the killing, implicating the Catholic Church in a centuries-old conspiracy to suppress an explosive secret. As expected, director Ron Howard has made a glossy, competent thriller, though perhaps a little confusing for those unfamiliar with the book. The performances, including that of Sir Ian McKellen as another scholar and Paul Bettany as the albino monk assassin, are colorful; the underlying assertions -- particularly as they question Jesus' divinity -- and the obvious falsehoods about Opus Dei are deeply abhorrent. Partly subtitled. Violence including brutal murders, crude language, irreverent underpinning, rear male nudity, scenes of corporal mortification, fleeting hint of prostitution, glimpse of ritualistic sex. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Days and Clouds" ("Giorni e Nuvole") (Film Movement)
Rated "NR"
Mature, generally perceptive drama in which an idealistic middle-age Genoese executive (Antonio Albanese) and his art restorer wife (Margherita Buy) find their relationship strained after he is forced from his job by his business partners, an economic and social crisis they try to conceal from, among others, their 20-year-old daughter (Alba Rohrwacher). Director and co-writer Silvio Soldini's intimate, award-winning portrait of a marriage under siege upholds the value of long-term mutual commitment, though it downplays the devastating consequences of physical infidelity. In Italian. Subtitles. Brief, nongraphic adulterous sexual activity, much rough and crude language and sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Competent but inferior science-fiction remake about an alien (Keanu Reeves) who lands on earth to warn of the planet's doom, and gains the assistance of a top-flight scientist (Jennifer Connelly), escaping from government custody to continue his mission, despite the initial hostility of the scientist's distrustful young stepson (Jaden Smith). Director Scott Derrickson's version of Robert Wise's 1951 genre classic, which also features Kathy Bates as the wary U.S. secretary of defense, substitutes global warming for the threat of Cold War annihilation (both worthy themes), but though objectionable elements are minimal, the alien's deadpan emotion is a serious drawback. Moderate, mostly bloodless violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG--13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Death Race" (Universal/Relativity)
Rated "R"
Brooding dystopian futuristic action tale in which, after being framed for the murder of his wife, a factory worker (Jason Statham) is offered freedom by his warden (Joan Allen) if, with the assistance of a female convict navigator (Natalie Martinez) and a skilled pit crew (Ian McShane, Fred Koehler and Jacob Vargas), he competes in the car-races-to-the-death she supervises for public entertainment. Writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's updating of Paul Bartel's 1975 "Death Race 2000" is one long paean to brutality, as the speedway gladiators are decapitated, gored and napalmed. Pervasive graphic violence with blood, fleeting rear nudity, frequent rough and crude language, and a couple of profanities. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"D.E.B.S." (Destination/Samuel Goldwyn)
Rated "PG-13"
Satire of "Charlie's Angels"-type action films and teen movies, in which the high school-age secret agents take on the archcriminal Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster) with a surprising twist: Amy (Sara Foster), one of the leading D.E.B.S. (seniors chosen for an underground academy based on their abilities to lie, cheat and fight), comes face to face with Lucy, and instead of killing her, begins to feel the stirrings of a romantic attraction. Director and writer Angela Robinson's lesbian riff on a familiar genre -- surprisingly slick for an independent film (with some appealing performances) -- is not without bright moments, but despite imparting some worthy messages such as the value of friendship and being true to yourself, the ringing affirmation of physically giving vent to one's sexuality, gay or straight, particularly at the borderline age of consent, is troubling, even if presented as a lighthearted spoof. Some profane, rough and crude language, action violence, premarital sexual situations, overall thematic material, alcohol and tobacco use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Dead Silence" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Mechanical, relatively mayhem-free horror movie about a man (Jamie Ashen) who returns to his hometown seeking answers to his wife's murder. Director James Wan teases a bit of mystery out of an ordinary plot concerning the revenge of a female ventriloquist and her collection of dolls, but the film proves long on buildup and short on genuine frights. Some crass language, violence, bloody images and dead bodies. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Dear Frankie" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Captivating film set in Scotland about a loving single mother (Emily Mortimer), who pretends to her 9-year-old deaf son, Frankie (Jack McElhone), that his father -- whom the boy has never seen -- is simply away at sea, and forges letters purporting to be from the absent father, then pays a stranger (Gerard Butler) to pose as the father for a day. Shona Auerbach directs a beautifully written story that is immensely appealing, sensitively acted, and sure to bring a lump to the throat, resulting in superlative entertainment for adults and older adolescents. A few profane and rough words, a single lewd gesture from a child, some mature thematic material and some alcohol use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Dear Wendy" (Wellspring)
Rated "NR"
Oddly compelling and offbeat story about lonely teenagers in a small town who become enamored of guns, and though intending never to use them for violent means become swept up in the weapons' mystique and power in spite of themselves. Distinguished Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg's second English-language film features a standout performance by Jamie Bell (whose anthropomorphized revolver is the lady of the title), and the others (including Novella Nelson) are good, too. Though the admirable message is anti-guns and anti-violence, the moral issues are too muddled, and the film's inevitable bloodbath ending is dramatically unsatisfying. Profanity and rough language, violence and bloodshed. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Death at a Funeral" (MGM/Sidney Kimmel)
Rated "R"
Chaos reigns in this mordant British comedy as family members -- arrogant famous novelist son (Rupert Graves), insecure second son (Matthew MacFadyen) and his exasperated wife (Keeley Hawes), their cousin (Daisy Donovan) and her fiance (Alan Tudyk) -- gather for a patriarchal funeral and everything goes wildly wrong, including a mysterious guest (Peter Dinklage) who threatens a scandalous revelation. Director Frank Oz whips up a skillfully farcical frenzy, and the cast is game, but recommendation must be tempered by an overload of expletives as well as other elements that may offend viewers. Gratuitous and pervasive profanity, rough and crude language, rear male nudity, drug use, homosexual blackmail theme, innuendo and scatological humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"The Death of Mr. Lazarescu" (Tartan)
Rated "R"
Trenchant Romanian drama that follows the all-night odyssey of a dying old man, Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu), as he is shuttled from one hospital to the next, encountering indifference and insensitivity from the doctors and medical staff, with only a compassionate ambulance driver (Mioara Avram) to plead his case. Deliberately paced, filmed with an unvarnished look and featuring understated performances, director Cristi Puiu's perceptive commentary on health care, in charting Lazarescu's plight, poignantly brings attention to how uncaring bureaucracy and societal apathy can depreciate the dignity of a human being. Subtitles. Some rough and crude language and brief partial nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Death Sentence" (Fox)
Rated "R"
Mild-mannered financier (Kevin Bacon) commits capital murder against gang members to avenge the death of his son. For the first hour, director James Wan (best known for "Saw") and screenwriter Ian Jeffers follow the nuances of novelist Brian Garfield's 1975 sequel to "Death Wish" and sprinkle in mordant humor, but the last half-hour descends into splatter and heavy-handed symbolism. Rough, crude and crass language, profanity and extended scenes of bloody gun violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"December Boys" (Warner Independent)
Rated "PG-13"
Moving Australian coming-of-age drama as four boys from a convent orphanage (Daniel Radcliffe, Christian Byers, Lee Cormie and James Fraser) are sent on holiday to board with an elderly couple (Jack Thompson and Kris McQuade) by the seaside, where they learn that the childless couple nearby (Sullivan Stapleton and Victoria Hill) may adopt one of them, leading to rivalry among the friends. Besides sensitive performances and majestic cinematography, director Rod Hardy's adaptation of Michael Noonan's novel has a strong Catholic underpinning, including a bona fide miracle, and a compassionate humanistic viewpoint. An instance of crude language, mild profanity, dim upper female nudity, brief rear nudity, a clothed, nonexplicit sexual encounter, and brief underage drinking and smoking. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Deception" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "R"
Dull, sometimes obvious thriller about a lonely accountant (Ewan McGregor) who's befriended by a charismatic corporate lawyer (Hugh Jackman), who introduces him to a sex club offering "intimacy without intricacy" where he falls for one of the other members (Michelle Williams) and soon becomes a blackmail victim. Director Marcel Langenegger's feature debut -- nocturnal and claustrophobic -- glamorizes its main character's anonymous encounters before endorsing his more substantial relationship. Graphic nonmarital sexual activity, rear and upper-female nudity, scanty costuming, much rough and crude and some crass and profane language, sexual discussion, and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Deck the Halls" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG"
Yuletide comedy about an obsessively organized eye doctor (Matthew Broderick) whose regimental holiday zeal alienates his wife (Kristin Davis) and two kids (Alia Shawkat and Dylan Blue), and who meets his match when his new neighbor (Danny DeVito) challenges his reputation as the town's "king of Christmas" by decorating his own house with enough lights to be visible from outer space, prompting escalating attempts by the two men to outdo each other at the risk of losing what matters most to them, their families. Though brightly colored bulbs abound, the laughs are mostly low-wattage, as director John Whitesell decks his plot with clumsy slapstick and a few out-of-place off-color gags, but he ultimately proves that his heart is in the right place with an earnest endorsement of home, family and friendship. And while a secular view of Christmas dominates, things are brought to a predictably sentimental close that at least acknowledges in song the true meaning of the holiday. Some mildly crude language and humor, including a few suggestive images and a lightly irreverent sight gag, innuendo and an instance of profanity, limiting the film's suitability to older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Dedication" (Weinstein/Plum)
Rated "R"
Embittered, highly phobic children's book writer (Billy Crudup) is forced to work with a new illustrator (Mandy Moore) when his former collaborator and only friend (Tom Wilkinson) dies. Director Justin Theroux's unconventional love story begins sordidly in a porn theater and the expletive quotient is high, but the narrative ultimately takes a touching and redemptive turn, anchored by Crudup's mesmerizing performance. Pervasive rough language and profanity, some crude expressions and sexual remarks, implied premarital sexual encounter, fleeting porn imagery and other sexual elements. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Deep Blue" (Miramax)
Rated "G"
Visually spectacular nature documentary which explores Earth's final frontier, the ocean, from its wave-tossed surface teeming with myriad marine life to its unfathomable depths, revealing both its sublime beauty and indiscriminate cruelty. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt and narrated by Pierce Brosnan, this awe-inspiring tour through liquid space, with its breathtaking, up-close, underwater photography (culled from the BBC series "The Blue Planet"), is highly emotional and imparts a deeper appreciation for the wonders of God's creation. Some disturbing predatory images. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Defiance" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "R"
This is a well-acted and too lengthy but ultimately worthy history lesson about the Bielski brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell), Jewish farmers who chose not to be victimized by the Nazis, who sheltered hundreds of Jews, taking them to safety in the forests of Eastern Europe during World War II, and who violently fought off the Germans. Director and co-writer Edward Zwick keeps the episodic story moving reasonably well considering the three-year time span, and the script gives a different perspective than the typical Holocaust movie, but the brothers' heroism here is shown to be marred by several morally unacceptable instances of senseless slaughter. Strong sporadic violence, vigilante killing, rough language, mild sexuality and a rape reference. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Definitely, Maybe" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Carefully wrought romantic comedy, albeit with some problematic material, in which an advertiser (Ryan Reynolds) on the verge of divorce recounts to his inquiring daughter (Abigail Breslin) how he chose her mother from among the three women (Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz and Isla Fisher) he had once been dating. Writer-director Adam Brooks' generally well-written, often touching film is most suitable for mature viewers. Implied nonmarital sexual activity and cohabitation, some profanity, frank sexual talk and crass language, divorce theme, lesbian reference and political pro-choice allusion. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Deja Vu" (Touchstone)
Rated "PG-13"
Action thriller about a federal agent (Denzel Washington) who, in investigating a deadly explosion on a New Orleans ferry, is recruited into a top-secret project whose members (including Val Kilmer) have found a way to peer into the past to solve crimes, and, while helping them track down the bomber (Jim Caviezel), falls in love with one of the blast's casualties (Paula Patton) and decides to travel back in time to prevent her death. Managing to keep the twisting plot mostly lucid, director Tony Scott grafts inventive action sequences onto the intriguing premise resulting in a sufficiently engaging sci-fi mystery, despite some holes in story logic. Some intense action violence, disturbing images of death, blurred shower nudity, brief rear nudity, and some mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Delgo" (Freestyle)
Rated "PG"
Well-meaning but only average animated children's parable, set in a mythical land, about a part-human, part-reptile teenager (voice of Freddie Prinze Jr.) who falls for the winged, pixielike princess (voice of Jennifer Love Hewitt) of a rival nation and enlists the help of his bumbling best friend (voice of Chris Kattan) and a fearless general (Val Kilmer) to thwart the warmongering schemes of the princess' exiled aunt (voice of Anne Bancroft). This Romeo-and-Juliet tale, co-written and directed by Marc F. Adler and Jason F. Maurer, exalts peace, racial and ethnic harmony and the power of mercy to break a cycle of hatred, values which compensate for special effects well behind the vanguard and a sometimes unimpressive script. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Delirious" (Peace Arch/Thema/Artina)
Rated "NR"
The unlikely friendship between a lowlife "paparazzo" (Steve Buscemi) and a sympathetic street kid (Michael Pitt) is put to the test when an even more unlikely romance develops between the photographer's recently homeless protege and a world-famous pop-music star (Alison Lohman). The tone of writer-director Tom DiCillo's film veers disconcertingly from bleak cynicism to sophomoric fantasy, so that in the end neither the often witty script nor some genuinely impressive performances among the lead actors can save this story from degenerating into an unconvincing muddle. Relentless rough and crude language and some profanity, much crude humor, rear and partial nudity, some skimpy costuming, innuendo and implied unmarried sexual liaisons. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

"Delta Farce" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG-13
Stale, flat attempt at a military comedy starring Daniel Whitney in his guise of Larry the Cable Guy, supported by "Blue Collar TV" co-star Bill Engvall and the twitchy D.J. Qualls, playing amiable dumb-guy Army reservists called up to Fallujah, Iraq, but landing instead in a remote Mexican village, where they take on local bandits. Director D.B. Harding, evidently assuming a short attention span for the audience, chops the comedic scenes into annoyingly tiny bits, but is more successful turning Larry into a good-hearted, Southern-fried teddy bear. Some crude language, sexual innuendo, gay characters, a scatological sight gag and some ethnic slurs. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Derailed" (Weinstein)
Rated "R"
Forgettable thriller about two unhappily married strangers (Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen) whose chance meeting on a commuter train sparks an affair, cut short when their hotel room tryst is intruded on by a vicious thug (Vincent Cassel), who proceeds to blackmail them, entangling them in a spiral of violence and deception. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, what could have been a smart cautionary tale about the consequences of deceit is instead derailed by a predictable plot and a ridiculous, morally problematic ending, in which a character literally gets away with murder. An adulterous sexual encounter, a rape, bloody violence including several shootings and a stabbing, as well as much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Descent" (Lionsgate)
Rated "R"
Chiller about six adventurous female friends (including Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza and Alex Reid) whose thrill-seeking outing turns into a battle for subterranean survival when they become trapped in a maze of caves deep beneath the Appalachian Mountains, where they fall prey to a race of vicious humanoid creatures. What starts out as a highly effective horror film that conveys an unnerving, almost palpable sense of claustrophobia and primal fear becomes a routine monster flick, as director Neil Marshall increasingly indulges in easy jolts and grisly excess. Gratuitous bloody violence and gore, a mercy killing, a gruesome car accident, much rough and crude language. The USSCB Office for Film & Broadcasting is O -- morally offensive.

"Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo" (Columbia)
Rated "R"
Brainless and disastrously distasteful sequel to the 1999 comedy "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" which finds the doltish fish-tank-cleaner-turned-male prostitute (Rob Schneider) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he must solve the murders of Europe's top gigolos to clear the name of his friend and former pimp (Eddie Griffin) implicated in the crimes. Directed by Mike Bigelow, the much raunchier follow-up wallows in juvenile sexual and scatological sight gags that succeed in lowering the already rock-bottom bar set by the original. Pervasive sexual and gross-out humor, some partial frontal nudity and comic violence, comical treatment of physical and mental disabilities, and drug content, as well as much rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Devil's Rejects" (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Violently perverse horror sequel to "House of 1000 Corpses" which follows the bloody trail of the homicidal Firefly clan (Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie), as they flee the vigilante justice of a relentless sheriff (William Forsythe) determined to avenge his brother's murder. Laced with visual nods to Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah and Tobe Hopper, writer-director Rob Zombie's almost pornographic follow-up is as pointless as it is utterly revolting, sinking to nauseating lows in presenting depravity as entertainment. Pervasive dehumanizing violence, including grisly killings and mutilations and torture; sadistic sexual situations, including violation with a gun; a soft-core sexual encounter with partial nudity; full frontal shower nudity; drug content; themes of revenge; and much rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Devil Wears Prada" (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Entertaining comedy-drama about an aspiring writer (Anne Hathaway) who takes a job as junior assistant to an imperious editor (a delicious Meryl Streep) at a high-powered fashion magazine, while her friends, including her boyfriend (Adrian Grenier) chide her for losing sight of her real values as she gets caught up in the competitive environment. Director David Frankel's handsomely photographed adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 best-seller is a fast-moving morality tale with a simple but commendable message about staying true to your ideals and not selling out, with good performances all around, including those of Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Admirably light on objectionable content. A couple of implied premarital situations (but no sex scenes), some crass expressions, brief profanity and innuendo, and a couple of uses of the s-word, making this inappropriate for younger adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Diggers" (Magnolia)
Rated "R"
Mostly downbeat comedy-drama about the life and loves of Long Island clam diggers (Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Josh Hamilton and Ron Eldard) played out against the encroachment of a big fishing corporation wreaking havoc on their traditional way of life. Katherine Diekmann directs Marino's script capably, and there are good performances -- including those of Lauren Ambrose and Maura Tierney -- but the only mildly involving and sometimes sordid plot and the high quotient of expletives are detriments. Pervasive rough and crude language and profanity, drug and contraception references, rear male nudity, sexual encounters without overt nudity and sexual references, premarital situations, brief pornography images, domestic violence and gratuitous bathroom scenes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Dirty" (Silver Nitrate)
Rated "R"
Unremittingly ugly police drama set in Los Angeles about a former gang member-turned-cop (Clifton Collins Jr.) torn between conscience and loyalty to his out-of-control partner (Cuba Gooding Jr.) in deciding to come clean about their unit's illegal activities, while reluctantly agreeing to one last score for his crooked bosses on the force (Keith David and Cole Hauser). Written and directed by Chris Fisher, this gritty "Training Day" clone offers little illumination into corruption and violence, despite pretensions of social commentary, resulting less in a modern morality tale than an unpleasant stock urban action film. Much strong and bloody violence, including several graphic shootings and a tense game of Russian roulette resulting in death, some sexual situations, including suggestive groping of a teenage girl and brief, shadowy strip club partial nudity, recurring drug content, pervasive rough and sexually crude language, as well as some profanity and racial epithets. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

A Dirty Shame  (Fine Line) 
NC-17 -- no one 17 and under admitted
  Sex addicts run rampant in Harford Road, a blue-collar neighborhood of Baltimore, in the latest film from John Waters ("Hairspray," "Pink Flamingos"). Though he's got a name cast and his intent is to offer a humorous look at sexual anarchy, the film's content is predictably smutty, however satiric in intent, and the sophomoric humor quickly wears thin in.  Repressed housewife Sylvia (Tracey Ullman) and her square husband, Vaughn (Chris Isaak), keep their go-go dancer daughter, Caprice (Selma Blair), with her grotesquely enlarged breasts, locked in a room over their garage. A traffic collision soon gives Sylvia a head injury which transforms her from a puritanical prude to a wanton sex maniac. Truck driver Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville), a sexual minister, recognizes that the metamorphosed Sylvia is primed to be one of his sex disciples, and Sylvia is only too happy to give vent to her newfound urges. Her transformation is evident to all when she performs an obscene dance at a nursing home.  Because of almost nonstop rough, crude and profane language, full frontal nudity, sexual imagery, obscene gestures, scatological humor, casual portrayal and descriptions of deviant sexual practices, a glorification of freewheeling sex and some sacrilegious imagery, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Disaster Movie" (Lionsgate)
Rated "PG-13"
Wacky sophomoric spoof of the genre -- with takeoffs on every iconic movie character of the past year (e.g., Indiana Jones, Beowulf, Prince Caspian and the Love Guru) thrown in for good measure -- as a young man (Matt Lanter) and a motley crew (Gay "G-Thang" Johnson, Nicole Parker, Kim Kardashian and Crista Flanagan) attempt to rescue his girlfriend (Vanessa Minnillo) amid nonstop calamities. The film is by co-writers and directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. The cast is game, and some of the gags are funny, while others are considerably less so, but satirically intended or not the humor is relentlessly and unabashedly vulgar. Pervasive sexual and scatological humor, some crude language, crass expressions, and occasional profanity; strong comic violence; partial male nudity; and passing religious jibes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Disturbia" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Reasonably suspenseful thriller in the tradition of Hichcock's "Rear Window" about a teen (Shia LaBeouf) -- under house arrest after an emotional outburst stemming from his dad's death -- who begins to spy on the neighbors, eventually suspecting one (David Morse) of being a serial killer. Director D.J. Caruso ("Taking Lives") handles his serial-killer theme with relative restraint, with the emphasis squarely on suspense. Some violence including two murders, an image of a corpse and some discreet shots of other dead bodies, a disturbing car accident, some crude and crass language and profanity, skimpy costuming, underage drinking, suggestive dancing, brief suggestions of infidelity and underage viewing of pornography. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Inspiring if sobering true story of a French magazine editor (Mathieu Amalric) whose massive stroke left him completely paralyzed but who was able to tap into his imagination to take in the world around him, appreciate the important things in his life, and even dictate his memoirs by blinking his eye for every letter. Julian Schnabel's film begins entirely from the perspective of the paralyzed patient, but gradually expands to a third-person view. Though some may find his situation difficult to watch, the strongly life-affirming way he responded to adversity rather than succumb to despair is praiseworthy beyond measure. In French. Subtitles. References to past adultery, partial-male and upper-female nudity, nongraphic sexual encounter, and some crass words and sexual talk. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"DOA: Dead or Alive" (Dimension)
Rated "PG-13"
Mindless but bloodless action movie, based on a video-game series, pitting four bikini-clad young women (Devon Aoki, Jaime Pressly, Holly Valance and Sarah Carter) and others in an "ultimate fighter" tournament where athletes battle not to the death, but to the "knocked-out," while the master of ceremonies (Eric Roberts) has a secret agenda. Hong Kong action-movie director Corey Yuen fills the movie with wire-work stunts in which martial artists take superhuman leaps, and no one really gets hurt except for the bad guy. A few instances of crude language, frequent crass language, a couple instances of mild profanity, brief partial nudity, much skimpy costuming, crude humor, a morning-after bedroom scene and much action violence including explosions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story  (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
    With a running time just north of 90 minutes, "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story"  is about an hour and a half too long.
     Full of forced, crass humor, this doggedly dreadful movie tries to capitalize on viewers' childhood memories of gym-class trauma, resulting in an experience about as enjoyable as getting drilled in the kisser with a rubber ball hurled by some snotty seventh-grade sadist.
     Vince Vaughn stars as Peter LaFleur, a rakish underachiever and proprietor of a fleabag gym called Average Joe's. The rundown joint serves as a watering hole for a motley bunch of social rejects, including a self-styled pirate (Alan Tudyk) and a scrawny nerd (Justin Long) whose most common experience with a gym locker is getting stuffed into one.
     To make a dumb story short, LaFleur's nonexistent bookkeeping and kindhearted habit of letting his friends slide on paying membership dues leaves him $50,000 in arrears.
     Licking his faux tan chops at the prospect of bulldozing Average Joe's and turning it into a parking lot is White Goodman (Ben Stiller), LaFleur's cross-street rival, a narcissistic fitness freak and owner of the state-of-the-art Globo Gym where the sales pitch is, "We're better than you and you know it."
     With their beloved gym facing closure, the scrappy misfits come up with the idea of forming a dodgeball team with their hopes set on winning a high-stakes tournament in Las Vegas with a cash prize of $50,000.
     Predictably, the lovable losers prevail against all odds and make it to the final round. But in order to go the distance they must face Globo Gym's Purple Cobras -- a team of steroid-enhanced all-stars captained by Goodman -- in a winner-takes-all showdown.
     Christine Taylor plays Kate Veatch, an attorney sent by the bank to facilitate the foreclosing of Average Joe's, but who winds up being their team's secret weapon. Rip Torn plays the crotchety, wheelchair-bound Patches O'Houlihan, a legendary dodgeball icon who pilots LaFleur's sad-sack squad from geekdom to greatness and helps them connect with their inner champion.
     O'Houlihan teaches them that the key to success in the sport can be distilled down to the five-point mantra, "Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge" -- driving home the importance of each by firing wrenches at them, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."
     Moviegoers would be well advised to add "dash" to that list -- as in away from any theater playing this clunker.
     As directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, "Dodgeball" follows the well-worn David-vs.-Goliath formula of such comedies as "The Bad News Bears," but its love-yourself-for-who-you-are message is weighed down by the film's preponderance of puerility including jokes about lesbianism, penile pumps, S&M leatherwear and, of course, running sight gags of people getting smashed in the face -- or considerably lower -- with spherical projectiles. A few chuckles are provided by a peppering of campy cameos including David Hasselhoff and William Shatner.
     As viewers are reminded throughout the film, Average Joe's team motto is "aim low" -- a slogan which could just as easily be applied to the comedic aspirations of this movie.
     Due to recurring crude and sexual language and humor, an instance of rough language and profanity and same-sex kissing, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "R"
Subdued yet somewhat involved prequel to the 1973 horror classic set in 1949 British East Africa where lapsed priest Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard), wrestling with a crisis of faith wrought by wartime memories of Nazi atrocities, rediscovers his belief to help a possessed native boy after an ancient evil is unleashed by the excavation of a Byzantine church. Sparse on horror gimmicks, director Paul Schrader's more cerebral movie is a marked improvement over Renny Harlin's 2004 gorier "alternate" version of the same story, yet, while thoughtfully exploring the nature of evil, faith, doubt, guilt and forgiveness, the ultimately redemptive, if at times dry, film is hampered by laggard pacing, shaky theology and narrative gaps -- not to mention some cheesy computer-generated effects. Some strong violence, including a graphic suicide, and several grisly murders and executions, demonic violence, a disturbing childbirth scene, a bloody medical procedure and a few racial slurs. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Domino" (New Line)
Rated "R"
Trashy, repellent action-comedy film inspired by British actor Laurence Harvey's daughter Domino's (Keira Knightley) improbable career as a model turned bounty hunter. She and her team members (Mickey Rourke and Edgar Ramirez) get involved in a double-dealing plot to recover a large amount of cash and catch the culprits, while being filmed by a reality-TV show producer (Christopher Walken). Director Tony Scott's nonstop camera moves, quick cutting and pretentious lighting effects make for a disjointed, confusing, ugly and hardly funny mess, left unredeemed by some fleeting use of religious imagery and a "good deed" ending. Pervasive violence and bloodshed, over-the-top profanity, rough language, some sexuality, partial nudity, suggestive movements and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Don't Come Knocking" (Sony Classics)
Rated "R"
Unsatisfying story of hard-living actor (Sam Shepard) who, post-meltdown, goes AWOL and abandons his location Western movie set, returns home to his mother (Eva Marie Saint) in Nevada, and learns he has a grown son (Gabriel Mann) by a waitress (Jessica Lange) with whom he was involved years ago, while a private eye (Tim Roth) hired by the film studio attempts to find him. Director Wim Wenders, working again from a Shepard script after their "Paris, Texas" teaming, adds his artful cinematic vision to Shepard's familiar themes of the myth versus reality of the American West, the pitfalls of fame, the human capacity for violence, broken families, loneliness and loss, but there's a stilted quality to the story and the performances never quite ring true. Profanity, rough and crude language, some domestic violence, adult thematic material, brief drug references, a crass gesture, dispersal of cremated remains, brief nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Don't Move" (Northern Arts)
Rated "NR"
Heavy-breathing potboiler about a doctor (Sergio Castellitto) who's just learned that his daughter's been in a near-fatal motorcycle accident, and reminisces about a time 16 years earlier when his car broke down and he raped the young impoverished woman who let him use her phone (Penelope Cruz in an admirably intense performance), leading to an obsessively passionate and kinky relationship, even after his bourgeois wife (Claudia Gerini), who intuits the adulterous affair, learns she's pregnant. Castellitto directed this alternately sentimental and repellant adaptation of wife Margaret Mazzantini's best seller, though its high-caliber acting and artsy trappings can't erase the considerable sordidness of the plot even with its tacked-on "redemptive" ending, and a soul-searching protagonist who remains self-pityingly unsympathetic. In Italian. Subtitles. Rough and crude language, brutal sexual encounters, abortion, partial nudity, graphic operating room gore, and gratuitous scenes of bodily functions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Doogal" (Weinstein)
Rated "G"
Unobjectionable but bland computer animated story of dog and his unlikely friends -- a rabbit, a snail, a cow and a train -- who set out on an adventurous journey to find three diamonds that will release the pooch's best friend from an icy imprisonment and prevent a villainous wizard from freezing the sun. Co-directors Jean Duval, Frank Passingham, and Dave Borthwick's originally British film has been re-voiced with a big-name American cast (including Whoopi Goldberg, Chevy Chase and William H. Macy) -- and there's a commendable message about "friendship being the best weapon," but toddlers -- and even their indulgent parents -- may find this a tired retread of many other superior films. Some mild scenes of peril. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Doom" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Unremittingly violent sci-fi action adventure set in the future about a team of Marine commandos (led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) deployed to secure a remote scientific research facility on Mars that is crawling with nasty mutant creatures unwittingly unleashed by the facility's genetic experimentation gone awry. Based on the popular video game of the same name, director Andrzej Bartkowiak's film aspires to the claustrophobic suspense of "Alien," but is little more than stretches of mindless mayhem strung together by an absurd plot, which completely crumbles during the movie's carnage-heavy climax. Excessive bloody violence and gore, including dismemberment and decapitation, pervasive rough and crude language and some profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Doomsday" (Universal)
Rated "R"
Blood-soaked futuristic adventure tale in which a tough policewoman (Rhona Mitra) is ordered by the British prime minister (Alexander Siddig) and his scheming security chief (David O'Hara) to lead a team of soldiers into pandemic-ravaged Scotland, where they battle a cannibalistic tribal chieftain (Craig Conway) and the ruler of a medieval castle (Malcolm McDowell) to bring back an immune survivor. Writer-director Neil Marshall's thoroughly benighted film wallows in barbarism. Graphic violence, mutilation, torture, cannibalism theme, brief upper female and sustained rear nudity, pervasive swearing, including at least 45 uses of the f-word, four uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Dot the I" (Summit Entertainment)
Rated "R"
Convoluted, kinky story set in London about a temperamental flamenco dancer (Natalia Verbeke) who, recovering from an abusive relationship, agrees to marry a gentlemanly Brit (James D'Arcy), but at her bachelorette party encounters a video-camera-wielding Brazilian actor (Gael Garcia Bernal in his first English-speaking role), setting the scene for a romantic triangle. Writer-director Matthew Parkhill's story of seamy love is not quite what it seems to be, as there are some neat Hitchcockian twists along the way, but the plot is improbable in the extreme, and the execution -- despite some clever touches -- feels semiamateurish. Much rough and crude language, sexual situations, partial rear nudity, suicide with associated gore, murder without retribution. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Doubt" (Miramax)
Rated "PG-13"
Engrossing drama set in 1964 at a Bronx parochial grammar school where the nun (Meryl Streep) who serves as principal suspects a popular priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of impropriety with a 12-year-old black student, and together with a young teacher (Amy Adams), sets out to confront him. Writer-director John Patrick Shanley has successfully adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning stage hit, deftly recreating the Catholic milieu of the era, with outstanding performances, including that of Viola Davis as the distraught mother of the putative victim. Though sexual abuse is part of the story, it is the balance of doubt and certainty in society at large that forms the principal thematic subtext. Discreetly handled sexual abuse theme. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Downfall" (Newmarket)
Rated "R"
Vividly authentic recreation of the last days of Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) trapped in his Berlin-based underground hideout with other officials of the Third Reich and their families, as the Russian army closes in for certain victory at the end of World War II in 1945, all seen through the eyes of Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), his young personal secretary, who stayed with him through his suicide and that of his mistress, Eva Braun (Juliane Kohler), and managed to escape through enemy lines. Oliver Hirshbiegel's German-language film has impeccable production values, superb performances, and generates a good deal of suspense even though the outcome is known. Some crude language, multiple suicides and wartime violence, some with attendant gore, brief but brutal scenes of amputation, partial nudity, a brief sexual situation, heavy smoking and alcohol use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Down in the Valley" (THINKFilm)
Rated "R"
Offbeat but quite interesting story of easygoing South Dakota ranch hand (an impressive Edward Norton) who romances the much-younger, rebellious teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) of a San Fernando Valley police officer (David Morse), and befriends her painfully shy younger brother (Rory Culkin), against the father's wishes. Writer-director David Jacobson's initial "young lovers" romance shifts tone dramatically midway with a shocking twist, and becomes a suspenseful drama that pays homage to elements from the classic Westerns of John Ford and Howard Hawks. Considerable profanity, rough language and crude expressions, a couple of shootings, gun use by a minor, intense domestic discord, premarital sex and nongraphic sexual encounters, and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Drag Me to Hell" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Intentionally over-the-top horror tale in which a Los Angeles loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed to death and damnation by a woman (Lorna Raver) on whose home her bank is foreclosing and, with the reluctant support of her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long), enlists the aid of a fortuneteller (Dileep Rao) in her increasingly frantic efforts to undo the spell. Gross-out sight gags abound in director and co-writer Sam Raimi's canny shockfest, but bloodletting is generally minimal and the occult elements, like the dubious premise that one person can consign another to Hades, need not be taken seriously. Some hand-to-hand violence, a premarital situation, a couple of uses of profanity and of the S-word, and a few crass terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "G"
Enchanting animated adaptation of the classic children's book about a warmhearted elephant (voice of Jim Carrey) who discovers that a speck of dust is home to the microscopic town of Who-ville, led by a slightly eccentric mayor (Steve Carell), and who must find the particle a safe resting place despite the opposition of a closed-minded kangaroo (Carol Burnett) and a wicked but dim eagle (Will Arnett). The film, co-directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, promotes excellent values and the script, performances and animation all match the high quality of the original source material. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"Drag Me to Hell" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Intentionally over-the-top horror tale in which a Los Angeles loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed to death and damnation by a woman (Lorna Raver) on whose home her bank is foreclosing and, with the reluctant support of her skeptical boyfriend (Justin Long), enlists the aid of a fortuneteller (Dileep Rao) in her increasingly frantic efforts to undo the spell. Gross-out sight gags abound in director and co-writer Sam Raimi's canny shockfest, but bloodletting is generally minimal and the occult elements, like the dubious premise that one person can consign another to Hades, need not be taken seriously. Some hand-to-hand violence, a premarital situation, a couple of uses of profanity and of the S-word, and a few crass terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Dreamgirls" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Entertaining screen version of 1981 Broadway hit charting the rise of a Motown-like 1960s girl group (Beyonce Knowles, Anika Noni Rose and Sharon Leal), and the heavyset lead singer (Jennifer Hudson) they push out of the group when she doesn't match their new svelte image, as well as an R&B singer (Eddie Murphy), and the ruthless manager (Jamie Foxx) who guides all their careers. Director Bill Condon has skillfully refashioned the show for the screen turning most of the sung recitatives into spoken dialogue, and there are especially good performances from Murphy and newcomer Hudson. Despite some flagged material, the overarching themes of loyalty, doing the "right thing," dedication to family and friends, and overcoming adversity are key. Romantic complications including adultery, a child born out of wedlock, crude language, some innuendo, mild profanity, drug use and some onstage vulgarity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" (DreamWorks)
Rated "PG"
Warm and winning family film set in rural Kentucky about a dispirited racehorse trainer (Kurt Russell), his young daughter (Dakota Fanning) and estranged father (Kris Kristofferson), who nurse an injured Seabiscuit-like thoroughbred back to form and in the process mend their own broken relationships. Written and directed by John Gatins, the movie is a handsome and unapologetically sentimental old-fashioned crowd-pleaser, with tender performances by Fanning and Russell and heartfelt themes of family, the healing power of love and the importance of holding on to one's dreams. A few mildly rude expressions and a racetrack accident that may disturb sensitive young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage.

"Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "G"
Enchanting animated adaptation of the classic children's book about a warmhearted elephant (voice of Jim Carrey) who discovers that a speck of dust is home to the microscopic town of Who-ville, led by a slightly eccentric mayor (Steve Carell), and who must find the particle a safe resting place despite the opposition of a closed-minded kangaroo (Carol Burnett) and a wicked but dim eagle (Will Arnett). The film, co-directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, promotes excellent values and the script, performances and animation all match the high quality of the original source material. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"Drillbit Taylor" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Droll portrait of the unlikely friendship between a homeless veteran (Owen Wilson) and the three high school misfits (Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman) who hire him as a bodyguard to protect them from a malevolent bully (Alex Frost) and his thuggish sidekick (Josh Peck). Director Steven Brill's film, produced by the prolific Judd Apatow, emphasizes its titular character's evolution from con man to caring mentor, and his young clients' search for courage and solidarity, but dialogue rife with vulgar terms and a problematic central love story make it appropriate fare only for the mature. Brief rear nudity, implied premarital sex, frequent crude and pervasive crass language, six uses of profanity, and drug and pornography references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage)
Rated "PG-13"
Lavishly mounted, compellingly acted but somewhat morally lax costume drama, based on real events, recounting the tangled lives of the late-18th-century Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightley), her coldly indifferent husband (Ralph Fiennes), her best friend (Hayley Atwell), who becomes his live-in lover and the statesman (Dominic Cooper) for whom she falls. Director and co-writer Saul Dibb's adaptation of Amanda Foreman's biography, "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire," delineates the plight of aristocratic yet powerless women, but also tends to legitimize its subject's adultery. Strong sexual content, including a nongraphic but intense rape scene and adulterous sexual activity, brief rear nudity, domestic abuse theme and sexual references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Dukes" (CAVU)
Rated "PG-13"
Two cash-strapped cousins (Robert Davi and Chazz Palminteri) who once enjoyed fame as part of the titular doo-wop singing group join their two best friends -- a former stand-up comic (Frank D'Amico) and an out-of-work airline mechanic (Elya Baskin) -- in a bungling burglary scheme. Davi, who also directed and co-wrote, creates a low-key working-class drama far more concerned with friendship and perseverance than crime, though the comic treatment of one character's sexual exploits is unwelcome. Brief nongraphic, nonmarital sexual activity, drug use, some sexual humor, one use of the S-word, occasional crass language, and a couple of uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Dukes of Hazzard" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Sleazed-up film version of the popular television series about redneck rascals Luke and Bo Duke (Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott), who with the help of curvaceous cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson) foil the shady land dealings of crooked local politician "Boss" Hogg (Burt Reynolds). Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, the movie plays like an episode of the original TV show, capturing its rip-roaring spirit, but also introducing a raunchier brand of humor that pushes the envelope of its PG-13 rating. Recurring action violence, sexual situations and humor, drug references, Southern stereotypes, reckless behavior, flagrant if comical disregard for authority, as well as some crude language and gestures and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

Duma (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG"
First-rate coming-of-age adventure set in Africa about a headstrong young boy (Alexander Michaletos) who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when he resolves to trek across hundreds of miles of treacherous terrain in order return his pet cheetah -- which he raised since it was an orphaned cub -- to its rightful home in the wild. Beautifully crafted by director Carroll Ballard, the boy-and-his-cheetah buddy movie combines exceptional nature photography -- including some amazing shots of African wildlife -- with a warm and winning story about the bonds of family and friendship, resulting in a film that is sweetly charming without being overly sentimental. Some scenes of peril, and brief wildlife violence which may be frightening to some young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Duplicity" (Universal/Relativity)
Ratedf "PG-13"
Sophisticated romantic caper about two intelligence officers (Julia Roberts and Clive Owen) who turn to industrial espionage hoping to exploit the no-holds-barred feud between the CEOs (Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti) of rival pharmaceutical companies. Writer-director Tony Gilroy's tartly clever globe-trotting thriller, which boasts all the complexity of a master chess match, explores the paranoia produced by corporate greed and the redeeming potential of the love between its cynically untrusting lead characters, though their affection is expressed in an intense unwedded affair. Brief, nongraphic, premarital sexual activity; some sexual humor and references; occasional crude and crass language; and at least a dozen profanities. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Dust Factory" (MGM)
Rated "PG"
     Life-affirming family fantasy about a young boy (Ryan Kelley) -- mute since witnessing his father's tragic death -- who falls from a bridge into the titular dream realm somewhere between this world and the next, where he must confront his fears of mortality, guided by his grandfather (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and the friendship of a mercurial girl (Hayden Panettiere). Written and directed by Eric Small, the intriguing film wrestles with heavy issues -- death, loss and grief -- in an imaginative way, but its opaque narrative, freighted with surreal imagery, fogs the movie's underlying message: that despite its transience and unavoidable pain, life is ultimately worth embracing. Mature themes and some frightening images. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"D-War: Dragon Wars" (Freestyle)
Rated "PG-13"
Hilariously silly but never dull throwback to the old Godzilla movies, with a Los Angeles reporter (Jason Behr) protecting a young woman (Amanda Brooks) whose life-force is sought by a good giant serpent and a bad giant serpent. Writer-director Hyung-rae Shim gives undiscriminating young teens and tongue-in-cheek genre fans some terrifically choreographed battle scenes between the U.S. military and dinosaur-sized armadillo-thingies, raptors with wings, and a mystical mean guy in a black-leather trench coat and short white hair who occasionally morphs into what looks like a medieval Darth Vader. A couple of instances of crude language and some crass language, one background-dialog instance of mild sexual innuendo, much bloodless medieval and modern-day warfare, numerous explosions, crashed and crushed vehicles with unseen occupants, a leap from a cliff into the sea, and a woman who is chomped by a giant serpent and tossed away. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

E
"88 Minutes" (TriStar)
Rated "R"
Shoddy, B-level thriller about a forensic psychiatrist (Al Pacino) whose testimony leads to a serial killer's death sentence, but on the eve of the execution, copycat murders raise doubts, and the professional profiler gets a mysterious call informing him he will die in 88 minutes. Pacino does his best with the obvious and laughable script, with more red herrings than in a Scandinavian deli, but the result -- frenetically but dully directed by Jon Avnet -- is inferior to even run-of-the-mill television police procedurals. Torture and murder with blood, profanity, crude language, briefly glimpsed lesbian seduction, implied nonmarital encounter, some sexual talk and partial nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Eagle Eye" (DreamWorks)
Rated "PG-13"
Well-executed action yarn about two strangers, a gifted underachiever (Shia LaBeouf) and a divorced mother (Michelle Monaghan), who are thrown together when they become the unwilling agents of an anonymous, seemingly all-powerful entity that uses technology and personal information to blackmail them into obedience, while an FBI agent (Billy Bob Thornton) and an Air Force investigator (Rosario Dawson) try to track them down. Though its solution is hardly original, director D.J. Caruso's sleek puzzler provides sufficient diversion along the way. Moderate action violence, brief sexual humor, one use of the F-word, much crude language and some uses of profanity; possibly acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Earth" (Disneynature)
Rated "G"
Majestic and moving nature documentary chronicling a year in the lives of a variety of wild animals in different habitats, most prominently a polar bear, an elephant and a humpbacked whale. In this big-screen adaptation of their television series, "Planet Earth," co-directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield make the most of high definition technology to present a stunning portrait of creation and a subtle plea for environmental responsibility. A couple of bleeped exclamations. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

"Eastern Promises" (Focus)
Rated "R"
Taut, grippingly powerful story of the Russian underworld as a midwife in a London hospital (Naomi Watts) tries to locate the family of Russian girl who died giving birth; when she reveals she has the dead girl's incriminating diary, she becomes the target of a restaurateur-mobster (Armin Mueller-Stahl), his alcoholic bully of a son (Vincent Cassel) and their taciturn chauffeur (Viggo Mortensen). Director David Cronenberg's somber thriller is crafted with impressive artistry, and performances -- including those of Sinead Cusack and Jerzy Skolimowski -- are excellent, but though the violence is artistically valid extreme caution is advised as there are some graphic images and one intense sexual encounter. Brutal violence with bloodshed, the mutilation of a corpse, a graphic sexual act, rear and fleeting full-frontal-male and upper-female nudity, blood hemorrhaging, an extended tattooing sequence, rough language and profanity, and drug and rape references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Easy Virtue" (Sony Classics)
Rated "PG-13"
Glossy but ho-hum retread of an early Noel Coward play (1924), adapted by director and co-writer Stephen Elliott, wherein a landed young Englishman (Ben Barnes) brings home his vivacious new bride, a glamorous American widow (likable Jessica Biel) with a "past," who clashes with her husband's stodgy mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) and sisters, though winning the admiration of his more bohemian father (Colin Firth). The colorful period and background tunes are enjoyable, but performances are generally flat and the dated and unconvincing story is further sabotaged by a couple of morally problematic plot additions. Unconventional view of marriage, divorce, assisted suicide, nongraphic sexual marital encounters, brief rear and partial nudity, some crass language and heavy smoking. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Echoes of Innocence" (New World)
Rated "PG-13"
Well-intentioned, Christian-flavored teen "romantic thriller" about a high school senior (Sara Simmonds) who is obsessed with St. Joan of Arc and whose childhood vow to remain a virgin until she can marry her long-disappeared first love attracts the curiosity -- and eventually, affections -- of a reporter from the school paper (Jake McDorman), as well as the predatory interest of a menacingly mysterious student (Matt Vodvarka). Earnestly directed by Nathan Todd Sims, the film's positive portrayal of religious belief and admirable pro-chastity message is greatly handicapped by the uneven performances and clumsy story line, little of which makes sense. An implied teen sexual encounter and sexual thematic elements, minimal violence, scattered crude expressions, and a questionable -- but reverent -- treatment of the sacraments of penance and marriage, making it suitable for older adolescents and up. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Eight Below" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Winning family-friendly adventure inspired by real events about a team of sled dogs left behind during a forced evacuation of a remote Antarctic research station who struggle against the odds to survive in the inhospitable environment while their devoted handler (Paul Walker) races against time and indifference to mount a rescue mission. Set against spectacular South Pole vistas, director Frank Marshall's film balances action and heart-tugging emotion in telling its captivating tale of friendship and canine courage. Some human and animal peril, predatory violence, and a few sad scenes that may upset the youngest children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"El Cantante" (Picturehouse)
Rated "R"
Lively but sordid life of Puerto Rican salsa star Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony), who died at 46 of drug-related AIDS in 1993, and his tumultuous relationship with wife Puchi (Jennifer Lopez, exhibiting unaccustomed range), who relates their story in flashback. The stars are good, and co-writer and director Leon Ichaso re-creates the era convincingly in this over-the-decades saga (starting in the 1960s), with a fine musical earful throughout, but the couple's endless fights and the nonstop barrage of expletives are repetitious and ultimately wearying. Pervasive rough language, drug and alcohol abuse, attempted suicide, premarital situations, some nongraphic sexual encounters, innuendo, implied adultery and a brief suggestion of sexual kinkiness, and some skimpy costuming. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Elegy" (Goldwyn)
Rated "R"
Somber but absorbing and impressively acted adaptation of a Philip Roth novel about a womanizing professor (Ben Kingsley), the graduate student with whom he falls in love (Penelope Cruz), his poet friend (Dennis Hopper), longtime mistress (Patricia Clarkson) and estranged son (Peter Sarsgaard). Director Isabel Coixet sensitively captures the story's themes of love, aging and death, with Cruz and Kingsley in top form, and though characterized by the somewhat artificial air of many literary adaptations, the emotions are achingly authentic. Nonmarital situations and nongraphic sexual encounters, upper-female nudity, frank sexual talk, adultery, abortion reference, some rough language and brief profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Elektra" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Low-wattage action movie based on the titular Marvel Comics character (played by a buff Jennifer Garner in hellcat mode), a blade-wielding femme fatale who runs afoul of a super-powered crime syndicate when she decides to turn from her assassin ways and protect the two targets -- a young girl (newcomer Kirsten Prout) and her father (Goran Visnjic) -- whom she has been contracted to kill. Directed by Rob Bowman, this slick but stale "Daredevil" spinoff is little more than a series of frenetic death duels sloppily strung together in a hackneyed attempt to distract viewers from the lame dialogue and muddled plot, resulting in a viewing experience which is anything but "Elektra-fying." Recurring strong stylized violence, including several impalings and an implied decapitation, thematic moral ambiguities, a gratuitously erotic same-sex kiss, sporadic crude language and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
Sweeping, but historically slipshod biography in which England's "Virgin Queen" (Cate Blanchett), with the help of a wise counselor (Geoffrey Rush), prepares to fend off the Armada, sent against her by King Philip of Spain (Jordi Molla), and defeat the intrigues of the captive Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton), while also contending with one of her ladies-in-waiting (Abbie Cornish) for the affections of Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). The film, as directed by Shekhar Kapur, is rich in spectacle, yet it whitewashes its subject, even as it darkly caricatures the cause of Spain and of Catholicism. Rear and partial upper female nudity, scenes of torture, blood with gore and occasional crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Elizabethtown" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13" Parents are strongly cautioned
Sentimental, if not completely satisfying, romantic comedy drama about a disgraced sneaker designer (Orlando Bloom) who, after nearly sinking his employer's footwear empire and contemplating suicide, is dispatched by his mom (Susan Sarandon) to retrieve the remains of his father -- who died unexpectedly -- in rural Kentucky. There he reconnects with his roots and, while en route, encounters a sunny, free-spirited flight attendant (Kirsten Dunst) who brightens his view and appreciation of the world. Despite a miscast Bloom and a baggy script, director Cameron Crowe's film celebrates family and love, imparting a warm and welcome message that, though full of risk, life is ultimately worth living. An implied sexual encounter, an attempted suicide, a questionable (for Catholics) dispersal of ashes, and some rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Elsa & Fred" ("Elsa y Fred") (Distrimax/Mitropoulos)
Rated "PG"
Gentle, restrained song-at-twilight love story in which a buttoned-up Madrid widower (Manuel Alexandre) finds his horizons widened when he falls for his elegant but unconventional new neighbor (China Zorrilla). Though its central dynamic of attracted opposites is familiar, director and co-writer Marcos Carnevale's "carpe diem" comedy, which also features Blanca Portillo as the reticent Romeo's controlling daughter, is kept rolling by the verve of its veteran leads. In Spanish. Subtitles. A morally ambiguous relationship. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Enchanted" (Disney)
Rated "PG"
Delightful musical romance follows a maiden (the sparkling Amy Adams) from the world of animated fairy tales into contemporary, live-action Manhattan where she falls in love with a lawyer (Patrick Dempsey), despite the entreaties of her princely suitor (James Marsden) and the meddling of an evil queen (Susan Sarandon). With affection and wit, director Kevin Lima and his team gently spoof the cartoon fairy-tale genre on which Disney built its reputation, never losing sight of its traditional values and perennial charms. A few scary images, some sexual innuendo and a brief instance of scatological humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Enduring Love" (Paramount Classics)
Rated "R"
     Superbly acted and crafted but ultimately disappointing story about a university professor increasingly racked by guilt that he might have saved a man involved in a freak accident, while another participant in the failed rescue attempt stalks him and seems to offer to provide the key to what really happened. Roger Michell directed this adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed 1998 novel, which keeps you absorbed with its tense moral ambiguity even as it turns into a more prosaic tale of a stalker. Adult themes, some implied sexuality, some rough language and violence with associated blood. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" (Magnolia)
Rated "NR"
Absorbing documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the now-infamous energy giant, Enron, analyzing the Darwinian mind-set that dominated its upper echelons and created a moral vacuum which precipitated one of the greatest corporate corruption scandals in U.S. history. Directed by Alex Gibney and based on the best-selling expose of the same name, the film combines standard interviews with journalists, former employees and Wall Street insiders, archival news footage and re-enactments to craft a sobering portrait of hubris and blind greed. Strip-club images involving nudity, a dramatized suicide and sporadic rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Epic Movie" (Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Tired spinoff of the "Scary Movie" franchise which here spoofs blockbusters such as "The Chronicles of Narnia," "X-Men," "The Da Vinci Code" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," while it follows four orphans (Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Jayma Mays and Faune A. Chambers) battling to free a Narnia-like realm from an evil witch (Jennifer Coolidge). Directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer elicit few chuckles amid a mostly witless slog of sophomoric slapstick and lowbrow humor, amounting to an epic waste of time. Pervasive crass and sexual humor, lewd and irreverent sight gags, innuendo, comic violence, an instance of rough language and recurring crude language, as well as some profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Eragon" (Fox 2000)
Rated "PG"
Reasonably diverting, if predictable, fantasy adventure for youngsters about a farm boy (Ed Speleers) who, after the death of his uncle, learns it's his destiny to become a dragon rider battling an evil king (John Malkovich) and his henchman (Robert Carlyle) in a mythical kingdom, all the while assisted by a retired dragon rider (Jeremy Irons). The script, based on a novel by Christopher Paolini, trots out every cliche known to this genre, but the special effects, especially involving the hero's majestic dragon (voice of Rachel Weisz) are well done. Director Stefan Fangmeier's film is well paced, and the violence, though noisy and chaotic, avoids overt gore, while there are no sex or language concerns. Action violence, magical hocus pocus. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Eternal" (Regent Releasing/Here! Films)
Rated "NR"
Stylish but salacious thriller about a Montreal vice detective (Conrad Pla) whose investigation into the disappearance of his wife leads him to an alluring mystery woman (Caroline Neron) who may be Erszebet Bathory, a real-life 16th-century Hungarian countess responsible for slaughtering hundreds of virgins and bathing in their blood to quench her vampiric thirst for immortality. Directed by Wilhelm Liebenberg and Federico Sanchez, the racy film has some slick atmospherics, but the filmmakers seem more concerned with titillation than competently telling a story. Recurring lesbian erotica; several kinky sex scenes, one with partial nudity; some gory violence; and much rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"Eulogy" (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Uneven comedy about feuding family members (including Ray Romano, Debra Winger, Hank Azaria and Kelly Preston) brought together to mourn the death of their patriarch (Rip Torn), who must survive the days leading up to the funeral without killing each other. First-time director Michael Clancy has assembled a solid cast and displays some sharp wit but the mean-spirited tone of the humor and overall cynical view of family life are more than a bit off-putting. Gay and straight sexual encounters, drug content, two attempted suicides, as well as recurring rough and crude language and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Evan Almighty" (Universal/Spyglass)
Rated "PG"
Delightful contemporary spin on the Noah story, as a TV anchorman turned congressman (Steve Carell) is instructed by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark in light of an impending flood, much to the skeptical consternation of his colleagues on Capitol Hill (John Michael Higgins, Wanda Sykes and John Goodman), his wife (Lauren Graham) and three young sons. Imparting an overall message about how one act of random kindness can change the world, director Tom Shadyac and screenwriter Steve Oedekerk skillfully combine slapstick, sentiment and surprising reverence -- these elements beautifully embodied in Carell's seriocomic central performance -- while the paired animals and the flood effects are wonderfully done. A smattering of mildly crass language, humor, irreverence and innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Evening" (Focus)
Rated "PG-13"
Artful but studied story of a dying woman (Vanessa Redgrave) recalling the Newport wedding of her best friend (Mamie Gummer) years before, where, as a maid of honor (now played by Claire Danes) she had a romance with a young doctor (Patrick Wilson), an encounter with unexpectedly tragic consequences. Director Lajos Koltai's rendering of Susan Minot's novel is handsomely filmed, with predictably fine performances by an incredible cast that also includes Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Natasha Richardson, Toni Collette, Hugh Dancy and Eileen Atkins, but the narrative often feels contrived, despite some keen observations on mortality, mother-daughter dynamics, and how the actions of one generation can affect the next. An out-of-wedlock encounter, post-coital tableau, premarital pregnancy, innuendo, brief abortion discussion, alcohol abuse, some profanity and rough language, divorce, subliminal same-sex attraction and a car accident. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Even Money" (Yari)
Rated "R"
The smart money will steer clear of this trite ensemble drama about various troubled and indebted souls -- including characters played by Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker and Danny DeVito -- seeking redemption from the sins of gambling. Armed with mushy dialogue masquerading as hard-boiled jargon, veteran director Mark Rydell establishes an implausibly gritty atmosphere and allows proven actors to do subpar work. Pervasive rough and crude language, some graphic violence and gunplay, a sex act between a married couple and sexual banter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Everything Is Illuminated" (Warner Independent)
Rated "Pg-13"
Reflective road movie about a young Jewish-American (Elijah Wood) who travels to Ukraine where -- guided by a colorful local (Eugene Hutz) and his crusty grandpa (Boris Leskin) -- he searches for the woman who saved his own grandfather from the Nazis. Lyrically directed by Liev Schreiber, the intimately scaled adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's complex novel is by turns poignant and mutedly funny, resulting in a moving meditation on family, identity, memory, guilt, anti-Semitism and the human need for connectedness. Suggested wartime violence, including discreet death images, a suicide, a brief scene of a boy looking at a pornographic magazine, an instance of rough language, as well as some crude expressions and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.
 

"The Ex" (MGM/Weinstein)
Rated "PG-13"
Sour and simple-minded comedy about a husband (Zach Braff) who feels his manliness threatened by one of his wife's (Amanda Peet) old lovers (Jason Bateman), a paraplegic known for his sexual prowess. Director Jesse Peretz and two first-time screenwriters are neither clever nor satiric enough to transcend formula, and their film is gratuitously vulgar. Some crude and crass language, one instance each of the f-word and of mild profanity, some sexual banter and innuendo, condom use, a mild scene of clothed marital groping, some slapstick violence and several inadvisable scenes of a child trying to swallow a hamburger whole. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" (Screen Gems)
Rated "PG-13"
Sober, theologically oriented thriller based, in part, on true events surrounding a Catholic priest (Tom Wilkinson) on trial for negligent homicide in connection with an exorcism he performed on a young woman (Jennifer Carpenter) believed to be possessed that resulted in her death. Thoughtfully directed by Scott Derrickson and with a solid performance by Laura Linney as the priest's skeptical attorney, the film eschews horror-movie cliches (though not entirely) in favor of serious reflection on faith and the mystery of evil. Disturbing scenes of demonic possession, a brief but violent vehicular homicide, a grisly death image, as well as minimal crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

Exorcist: The Beginning  (Warner Bros.)
Rated “R”
Saints and sages concur that nothing irks the devil's pride more than being mocked. That being true, Lucifer should consider investing in a pair of earplugs before seeing the laughably bad "Exorcist: The Beginning.” Director Renny Harlin must have been possessed if he actually thought audiences would take seriously this poorly crafted prequel to William Friedkin's 1973 horror classic based on the William Peter Blatty novel. Playing a considerably younger version of the role originated by Max von Sydow, fellow Swede Stellan Skarsgard stars as the reluctant exorcist Father Lankester Merrin. Set in 1949, the film attempts to fill in the biographical blanks about the enigmatic priest's early life. Apparently, 24 years before finding his way to the infamous upper room in Georgetown, Father Merrin, haunted by memories of Nazi atrocities witnessed as a parish priest in his native Holland, had abandoned both his ministry and his faith. Boozing his way through Cairo, the priest is approached by a rare antiquities dealer (Ben Cross) who, aware of his archeological expertise, hires him to retrieve an ancient religious artifact in a Byzantine Christian church, recently unearthed -- in pristine condition -- in a remote region of Kenya by British troops. What makes the find so astonishing is that the anachronistic structure dates back to the fifth century, long before Christianity had spread to sub-Saharan Africa. Once Father Merrin arrives at the dig site, the movie shifts into a more conventional fright mode. Strange but predictable occurrences begin to unfold: beds shake, crucifixes are desecrated, a pack of hyenas savage a young boy, and a baby is born covered with maggots -- just the sort of things to shake Father Merrin out of his dark night of the soul. And though he first looks for rational explanations, Father Merrin slowly begins to suspect what the local Turkana tribesmen -- and the audience -- have known all along: Some things are best left buried, especially if it happens to be a church adorned with satanic mosaics. Izabella Scorupco plays Dr. Sarah Novack, a Holocaust survivor working among the villagers, who dabbles in the occult and is attracted to Father Merrin. James D'Arcy plays Father Francis, an idealistic young missionary rerouted to Kenya by the Vatican to help with the investigation. Alan Ford plays the racist foreman of the excavation who suffers from an increasingly severe case of demonic dermatitis. The film opens with a puzzling prologue on an ancient corpse-strewn battlefield, which should have served as an omen for the muddled narrative to come. The dialogue is at times hellishly hackneyed. The script's explanation as to why the church is a satanic ground zero of sorts is staggeringly ridiculous. Forget an exorcist; some one should have summoned a better screenwriter. While not without some cheap chills, Harlin has exorcised any real eeriness out the film, substituting more-silly-than-scary supernatural special effects for genuine suspense. Maybe the devil made him do it? Father Merrin does perform an exorcism but it comes very late in the game, and, unlike the creepy battle of wills in the original, plays out here like a diabolic WWF Smackdown. The cinematography, from legendary light master Vittorio Storaro, is underwhelming, as is the derivative "possession" make-up. Apparently one side effect of being infested by evil is that you end up looking surprisingly like Linda Blair. And, as with Blair, the demoniac in this film displays a similar proclivity for derisive foul-mouthed rants, as well as a total disregard for vertebrae. To be fair, "Exorcist: The Beginning" is a few infernal levels above any of the original's subsequent sequels, with the lowest ring reserved for "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977). However, while on shaky ground theologically, the film maintains a respectful tone toward Catholicism. Father Merrin's spiritual struggles are not aimed at denigrating his priesthood, but are part of his character's emotional arc, a trajectory that ultimately leads him back to re-embrace his lost faith. Underneath its spooky atmospherics, the film grapples with deeper questions concerning belief and doubt, good and evil. Its heavy-handed denouement also points to man's inhumanity as the surest proof of the demonic in the world, reminding us that if we want to see the devil we do not need to look any farther than the evening news.
Due to grisly scenes of demonic possession, two graphic suicides, some battlefield violence and associated gore, strong sexual references and rough language, and some instances of defiled religious symbols, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" (Premise/Rampant)
Rated "PG"
Provocative documentary intended to show that academics and research scientists are penalized for merely suggesting that there might be flaws in the prevailing theory of Neo-Darwinian evolution and that purported scientific evidence for the alternate theory of intelligent design is being systematically ignored. Director Nathan Frankowski's unabashedly partisan film -- using old movie clips to humorously underscore the film's themes of suppression and duplicity, and with at least some of the interviewees seemingly caught off guard by the line of questioning -- is impishly hosted and co-written by former presidential speechwriter, economist and sometime actor Ben Stein. Holocaust imagery and mature philosophical issues. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Express" (Universal)
Rated "PG"
Inspiring fact-based sports drama, set against the background of the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and early '60s, in which a hard-driving Syracuse University coach (Dennis Quaid) hones the skills of a gifted African-American football player (Rob Brown) while he, in turn, challenges the coach's conservative reaction to changing times. Director Gary Fleder's rousing tribute to the first African-American recipient of the Heisman Trophy, which also features Omar Benson Miller as the star's best friend, highlights the role faith played in shaping his values while effectively personalizing the problems and lessons of the era. Brief nongraphic premarital sexual activity, occasional crude and crass language, some uses of profanity and racial slurs; possibly acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Eye" (Lionsgate/Paramount Vantage)
Rated "PG-13"
Reasonably effective suspense yarn about a blind concert violinist (a believable Jessica Alba) who, after receiving corneal transplants, begins to envision harrowing scenes of devastation and spectral spirits for reasons she connects with her anonymous eye donor, while she tries to convince her doctor (Alessandro Nivola), sister (Parker Posey) and conductor (Rade Serbedzija) that she's not hallucinating. Co-directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud's remake of a 2002 Taiwanese film delivers the requisite scary jolts, despite plot improbabilities, and is devoid of sex and language concerns. Some brief and nongraphic but disturbing violent images, including fires and explosions, and a suicide flashback. Acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

F
"Facing the Giants" (Samuel Goldwyn)
Rated "PG"
Evangelical sports drama about a losing football coach (Alex Kendrick, who also directs) at a Christian high school in Georgia, who, experiencing personal and professional adversity, revives his team's season by turning to his faith. The earnest performances from the nonprofessional cast are surprisingly competent and the movie's look is reasonably polished, but while the film's heart is in the right place, its positive message about putting one's trust in God is undermined by a prosaic script that tends toward the preachy. Some mature thematic elements, including discussions about infertility. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Factory Girl" (Weinstein/MGM)
Rated "R"
The sad, sordid rise and fall of socialite Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller), who shone briefly in the spotlight as part of Andy Warhol's (Guy Pearce) artistic center, the Factory, in the 1960s, appearing in his underground movies until the pop artist tired of her, showing how the over-the-top lifestyle led to her eventual burnout despite a nurturing interlude with a legendary singer (Hayden Christensen). Director George Hickenlooper's film takes an episodic approach in telling the story as Sedgwick, near the end of her short life (which ended at 28 from a drug overdose), relates her experiences to a psychiatrist. The milieu is downbeat and often seamy, but presented with relative restraint, and Miller is immensely appealing in her sensitive portrait of the trusting, vulnerable waif. Nongraphic premarital sexual encounters, upper female and partial nudity, brief sexual banter and innuendo, drug use, some rough and crude language, gay references, references to child abuse and suicide. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Factotum" (IFC)
Rated "R"
Bleak adaptation of novelist-poet Charles Bukowski's 1975 novel (his second) about a heavy-drinking, often brutish, aspiring writer (a superb Matt Dillon), drifting from one menial job to another, and his relationships with a couple of equally self-destructive losers (Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei). Writer-director Bent Hamer captures the desolate world of the writer (Bukowski's alter ego) with uncompromising exactitude, and the performances are perfectly realized, but the unrelenting ugliness of the story and language, strong sexual elements and overall amoral behavior of its protagonists -- despite the film's literary pedigree -- will seriously limit its appeal. Pervasive rough and crude language and profanity, rear male and partial female nudity, premarital sexual encounters, gambling, heavy drinking and occasional violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Failure to Launch" (Paramount)
Rated "PG-13"
Uneven but oddly likable comedy about professional "intervention" consultant (Sarah Jessica Parker) hired by the parents (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) of a 35-year-old, still-living-at-home jock (Matthew McConaughey) in the hopes of making him independent enough to move out, with predictable romantic complications. Director Tom Dey maintains a spirited pace, there are some pleasing performances, the sylvan and aquatic settings are easy on the eyes, and the ending is morally sound, outweighing too many conversational expletives and a permissive view of premarital sex. Profanity, rough and crude language and expressions, implied sexual situations and banter, and a comic instance of rear male nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"5X2" (ThinkFilm)
Rated “R”
Finely acted, perceptive story of the disintegration of a contemporary relationship, told in five sequences in reverse order from divorce to first romantic meeting. Francois Ozon's measuredly paced "scenes from a marriage" is quite fascinating, as it reveals layer by layer the over-the-years affection, betrayals, foibles, and idiosyncracies of the couple played impeccably by Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Stephane Freiss. Subtitles. A graphic sex scene with female frontal nudity, gay subplot, frank sexual talk, premarital and postmarital sexual situations, discussion of artificial insemination, and rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

Fahrenheit 9/11 (Lions Gate)
Rated "R"
Michael Moore's feature-length documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11"  is a scathing indictment of the Bush administration's domestic and international policies leading up to and following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Unabashedly biased in its inflammatory assertions, the controversial film is certain to provoke strong reactions from bashers and backers alike of President George W. Bush. However, in mounting such a one-sided ad hominem attack, director Moore walks a perilous line between investigative journalism and partisan propaganda. And, though artfully packaged and engagingly entertaining, as a political polemic the case made by Moore ultimately falls short of convincing. The terrain covered by "Fahrenheit 9/11" is as sprawling as it is contentious. The film begins by revisiting the events surrounding the hotly disputed presidential election of 2000, before rushing full throttle into a relentless pillorying of Bush, who is caricatured throughout as a lazy, incompetent buffoon. Moore's livid litany consists mainly of warmed-over accusations, leading him to investigate territory already charted in exposes by Bush insiders like Richard Clarke and Paul O'Neill. While Moore lands some solid body blows in taking Bush to task, his rant offers little in the way of new information or stop-the-presses revelations. In a nutshell, Moore contends that, after lollygagging it in Crawford, Texas, for most of his first months in office, Bush sought to capitalize on the tragedy of Sept. 11 by fanning the flames of fear in order to stifle dissent and hoodwink the American public into an immoral war with Iraq. Moore also rehashes allegations that Bush both profited from and was influenced by his family's financial ties to prominent Saudi oil sheiks, including members of the ultra-wealthy bin Laden clan. The film -- its title a play on a Ray Bradbury novel -- loses focus midway through, unraveling into a shapeless and discursive diatribe which goes everywhere and nowhere. In one sequence he exposes gaping holes in homeland security defenses along the expansive Pacific Northwest coastline. In another he reads the Patriot Act to Congress over the speaker of a Mr. Softee ice cream truck. While such antics make for good entertainment, the accompanying analysis is superficial at best. Its title notwithstanding, while the film has certainly generated much heat, it provides little light. Using the proverbial hammer, Moore hits viewers over the head with an angry screed of statistics, jettisoning any pretense of impartiality. Nowhere is this lack of objectivity more evident than in his choice of interviewees, all of whom are in lockstep agreement with the film's overriding thesis. Such an unbalanced approach mutes the credibility of his arguments, a pitfall that could have been avoided by a more evenhanded inclusion of voices from both sides of the political divide. In connecting the dots, the film unfairly subscribes to a blame-Bush-for-everything attitude that fails to take into account wider geopolitical realities, including the foreign-policy missteps of previous administrations.
Moore buttresses his version of the story with carefully selected images and sound bites -- strung together without context or, in some cases, even sources -- which conveniently support his oversimplified conspiracy theories, resulting in a misleading, manipulative and at times self-contradicting interpretation of facts. However, the film is not entirely without merit. "Fahrenheit 9/11" contains sobering footage which unflinchingly illustrates the obscenity of war, including wince-inducing pictures of dead Iraqi children killed during U.S. air strikes. It also shows the charred remains of American soldiers dragged through the streets of Fallujah, Iraq, by angry mobs. While such vile imagery is hard to watch, Moore refrains from wallowing in it, using it sparingly to accentuate his points. Perhaps the most indelible images are those of Lila Lipscomb, a patriotic resident of Moore's home town of Flint, Mich., who does a 180-degree turn concerning her views on the war in Iraq after her son is killed in combat. Her heart-wrenching grief transcends all political stripes. The pugnacious provocateur leavens the weighty subject matter with his signature acerbic wit, including a comedic play on the old TV Western "Bonanza" staring Bush and his cronies. The Midwestern muckraker also stages one of his trademark ambush interviews, asking congressmen if they would like to enlist their children in the armed forces to fight the war they voted for -- a war whose price, Moore argues, is disproportionately paid by the blood of America's poor.  "Fahrenheit 9/11" is by turns outrageous, inflammatory, extremely emotional, at times compelling and occasionally quite funny. Viewers will most likely leave the theater with the same political baggage that they came in with. To critics of Bush, Moore's hoop-jumping is simply preaching to the choir. However, the question remains: Will the choir loft become more crowded as a result? You can agree or disagree with Moore -- or even have mixed emotions -- but he raises troubling questions that are not easily dismissed. Still, from a filmmaker with his evident passion and satirical skill, one would have expected more. Due to footage of battlefield violence, graphic images of combat casualties including children, and some rough language, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Fall" (Roadside)
Rated "R"
Exceedingly strange but fitfully affecting tale set in a Los Angeles hospital circa 1915 about the unlikely relationship between two patients: a spunky 5-year-old girl (adorable Catinca Untaru with, alas, an often impenetrable accent), and an embittered movie stuntman (Lee Pace) who keeps her enthralled with a story of bandits mirroring his devastating real-life breakup with his girlfriend. Director Tarsem's film -- imaginative in many ways -- goes on far too long and its elaborate fantasy sequences (alternately sophomoric and serious) are more wearying than illuminating, while the redemptive ending fails to compensate for a pervasively heavy and lachrymose tone. Action violence with bloodshed, a suicide attempt, and a couple of instances of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (Fox)
Rated "PG"
The wedding of Mister Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) is interrupted by a cosmic force set to destroy the planet, and the pair must join with the Human Torch (Chris Evans) and the Thing (Michael Chiklis) to avert disaster, trying to dissuade the evil force's emissary, a silver man (voice of Laurence Fishburne) on a flying surf board, from his dastardly mission, while contending with an overbearing army general (Andre Braugher) and duplicitous Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon). Apart from the elements listed below, director Tim Story's superior sequel -- with its personable leads, above-average special effects, and not-taking-itself-too-seriously tone -- makes for an engaging B-level adventure with a commendable message about making the right choices in life. Some mild innuendo and crass expressions, moderate action violence and implied nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Fateless" (ThinkFilm)
Rated "R"
Holocaust drama about a Hungarian Jewish boy's (Marcell Nagy) coming-of-age experiences in various concentration camps, where, through relationships with fellow prisoners, he struggles to make sense of the atrocities around him and gain deeper insights about himself. Directed by Lajos Koltai from a script by Imre Kertesz based on the latter's semiautobiographical novel, the film, despite its grim subject matter, is visually graceful, and the intimate story conveys universal themes, such as the resiliency of the human spirit and its ability to discern beauty in even the darkest situations. Disturbing Holocaust images, brief partial and full prison camp nudity, and some rough and crude language. Subtitles. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"The Family Stone" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Bittersweet Christmas comedy-drama as a New York businessman (Dermot Mulroney) brings his controlling but socially awkward fiancee (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to New England to meet the family (played by Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Craig T. Nelson among others), but sensing that everyone dislikes her, the woman invites her sister (Claire Danes) to join her for moral support, leading to romantic complications. Writer-director Thomas Bezucha's low-keyed film takes its time getting started, and is not devoid of contrivances, but the cast is excellent, and the plot ultimately leads to a moving, life-affirming conclusion. Some profanity and crude language, light sexual banter, partial nudity, a same-sex couple and their adopting a child, premarital situations, and drug references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Fantastic Four" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13" (Parents strongly cautioned)
Occasionally fun, but mostly unfantastic, superhero movie based on the Marvel comic-book series about four scientists endowed by cosmic rays with superpowers -- the elastic Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba), self-combustible Human Torch (Chris Evans) and superstrong rocklike "Thing" (Michael Chiklis) -- who come together to stop the villainous Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon). Despite ham-fisted dialogue, bad acting, chintzy sets and, at times, cheesy special effects, director Tim Story's film has a goofy campiness but doesn't take itself too seriously, and manages to impart a positive message about teamwork and accepting those who are different. Intense comic-book action violence, some sexual innuendo and brief mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Fast & Furious" (Universal/Relativity)
Rated "PG-13"
Overheated, morally swerving action sequel in which an ex-con (Vin Diesel) pursuing a vendetta and an undercover FBI agent (Paul Walker) renew their rivalry as they both use their driving skills to infiltrate a cross-border drug smuggling ring and identify its secretive leader. As directed by Justin Lin, the thin story is no more than an excuse for long sequences of reckless racing, while the characters move from one side of the law to the other as it suits them. Vigilantism, brief nongraphic sexual activity, partial nudity, cohabitation, occasional rough language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (Universal)
Rated "PG-13"
In this loud and ludicrous third installment of the adrenaline-charged series, a drag-racing rebel (Lucas Black) is sent to live with his estranged father in Japan, where he befriends a fellow American (rap artist Bow Wow) who introduces him to Tokyo's underground racing scene, running afoul of its mob-connected champ (Brian Tee) when he falls for the gangster's girlfriend (Nathalie Kelley). Director Justin Lin delivers more of the same requisite high-octane race sequences, but, as before, there's little plot under the film's flashy hood, and its glamorization of reckless driving is troubling. Much hazardous and illegal behavior involving teens, some violence, objectification of women, several implied sexual situations including same-sex kissing, suggestive wardrobe and dancing, and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.
 

"Fat Albert" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG"
Flat live-action comedy based on the characters of the long-running animated series created by Bill Cosby, in which the heavyset hero (Kenan Thompson) and his junkyard gang step out of their cartoon world in order to help a troubled teen (Kyla Pratt) believe in herself. While imparting the same sort of positive, family-value life lessons, director Joel Zwick's film lacks the intelligence, originality and fun of the groundbreaking Saturday morning show. Brief crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Fay Grim" (Magnolia)
Rated "R
Engagingly off-kilter farce about a woman (Parker Posey) pressed into service by the CIA to recover the diaries of her husband (Thomas Jay Ryan), a mysterious fugitive suspected of consorting with terrorists. In the sequel to his 1998 independent sensation "Henry Fool," writer-director Hal Hartley manages to send up spy movies, offer droll reflections on literature and geopolitics, and create an intriguing if frustrating espionage thriller-cum-romance of his own. Occasional rough and crude language, some violence and sexual references and one sexual encounter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Feast of Love" (MGM)
Rated "R"
Moving but excessively graphic examination of romantic love as experienced by a college professor (Morgan Freeman), his wife (Jane Alexander), the owner of a local cafe (Greg Kinnear), the two women for whom he sequentially falls (Selma Blair and Radha Mitchell), a hardened businessman (Billy Burke) and a young, Romeo and Juliet-like couple (Alexa Davalos and Toby Hemingway). The film, as directed by Robert Benton, is beautifully atmospheric and features some excellent performances, yet its script offers the audience a set of false choices, making an idol of erotic love and portraying that love with an intrusive frankness. Extensive frontal, rear and upper female nudity, sexual encounters, some of them graphic and adulterous, same-sex coupling, some rough language, occasional profanity, drug use and pornography. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Feel the Noise" (TriStar)
Rated "PG-13"
Pleasant if naive musical in which an aspiring rapper (Omarion Grandberry) must leave his Harlem home and the single mother who raised him (Kellita Smith) after attempting to steal the wrong person's hubcaps, and goes to stay with his father (Giancarlo Esposito) and stepmother (Rosa Arredando) in Puerto Rico, where he befriends his musically inclined stepbrother (Victor Rasuk), falls in love with a local dancer (Zulay Henao), discovers the pop music genre called reggaeton, and manages to impress a New York-based music producer (James McCaffrey). Director Alejandro Chomski's film is mostly just a showcase for the singing and dancing, but fans of world music, and of reggaeton in particular, will no doubt enjoy what they hear. Sexual activity without nudity, drug use, skimpy clothing, suggestive dancing, one use of the f-word, two uses of the n-word, and occasional crass and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Fever Pitch" (20th Century Fox)
Rated "PG-13"
Sweet and funny romantic comedy set in Boston about a 30-year-old workaholic (Drew Barrymore) whose relationship with a goofy but charming high school math teacher (Jimmy Fallon) is strained when she discovers that underneath his "normal" exterior is a rabid Red Sox fan who is torn between his commitment to her and the boys from Beantown. Directed by Bob and Peter Farrelly and loosely based on a novel by Nick Hornby, the film -- which plays out against the improbable 2004 Red Sox season -- features pitch-perfect performances from Fallon and Barrymore and imparts a feel-good message about how love ultimately demands both acceptance and sacrifice. Implied premarital sex, some comic violence and crude humor, as well as scattered crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned.

"Fighting" (Rogue)
Rated "PG-13"
Intermittently violent, but otherwise engaging boxing drama about a failed street salesman (Channing Tatum) who turns to underground fighting to survive, and bonds with his manager (Terrence Howard) while romancing a waitress (Zulay Henao). Scenes of punishing brutality and approval of premature sexual relations mar director and co-writer Dito Montiel's mostly moving portrait of a friendship between two down-on-their-luck New Yorkers. Graphic beatings, a premarital sexual encounter, and some crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Final Cut" (Lions Gate)
Rated “PG-13”
Gloomy sci-fi thriller set in a future where humans can have memory chips implanted at birth which record their entire lives and which are edited into sanitized memorial films to be shown at their funerals. The story centers on the best editor -- or "cutter" -- in the business (Robin Williams), who becomes entangled in a dangerous game with a former associate (Jim Caviezel) over the implant of a corrupt corporate bigwig. Directed by Omar Naim, the film raises some intriguing ethical questions but is weighed down by its cheerless performances and slumberous pacing. Brief violence, an implied sexual encounter and some crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

"Final Destination 3" (New Line)
Rated "R"
Mindless third installment in the horror franchise, this time involving a group of high school students (including Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman) who escape death by getting off a roller coaster moments before it derails killing everyone else on board, only to find out you can't cheat the Grim Reaper as each survivor subsequently meets a gory demise. Little more than a tedious series of gratuitously grisly fatalities, director James Wong's film tries to out-gross its predecessors with increasingly intricate ways to kill its young cast, using them as mere props for sadistic sight gags. Excessive graphic and bloody violence, including impalings and dismemberments, partial frontal nudity, much rough and sexually crude language, some profanity and recurring crass humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive.

"The Final Season" (Yari)
Rated "PG"
Low-key but good-hearted sports drama in which a new high school baseball coach (Sean Astin) tries to extend the winning streak established by his formidable predecessor (Powers Boothe) even as his small town's citizens battle over their school's future, meanwhile romancing a state education official (Rachael Leigh Cook) and having a positive influence on a troubled team member (Michael Angarano) who has been sent to live with his grandparents (James Gammon and Angela Paton) by his widowed, workaholic father (Tom Arnold). Director David Mickey Evans' film, based on true events, is as much an examination of contemporary challenges to small-town America as a celebration of baseball, and it works competently in both capacities. Occasional crude and some crass language, underage smoking, and drug and underage drinking references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Finding Amanda" (Magnolia)
Rated "R"
Pungent semi-autobiographical black comedy about a floundering, addictive Los Angeles TV writer (Matthew Broderick) who travels to Las Vegas to convince his prostitute niece (Brittany Snow) to enter rehab and to prove to his disaffected wife (Maura Tierney) that he can resist his gambling compulsion. Writer-director Peter Tolan's feature directing debut takes on some unlikely topics for comedy, but a redemptive trajectory keeps the film from ranking as sheer exploitation. Nongraphic sexual activity, implied nonmarital sex and cohabitation, rear and upper female nudity, drug use, prostitution, strong sexual themes and humor, pervasive rough and crude language, several uses of profanity and obscene gestures. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

"Finding Neverland" (Miramax)
Rated “PG”
Beautifully crafted and affecting -- if occasionally somber -- fictionalized story about the fondness of playwright J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) for a widow (Kate Winslet) and her four young sons who inspire him to write his greatest success, "Peter Pan." Marc Forster deftly captures the 1903 period ambience, and has drawn fine performances from Depp (in one of his finest roles), Winslet, Julie Christie and Freddie Highmore as the boy who became the inspiration for Peter Pan. Some thematic material -- marital discord and the mother's tragic illness -- and some mildly coarse language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Find Me Guilty" (Yari)
Rated "R"
Fact-based drama from veteran director Sidney Lumet concerning one of the longest criminal trials in U.S. history (it lasted 21 months in 1987-88), during which New Jersey's Lucchese family mobster Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio (Vin Diesel in a credible change of pace from his usual action films) defends himself in court, providing disruption and comic relief, but also scoring points against dogged prosecuting attorney Sean Kierney (Linus Roache). Lumet's assured guidance, and some excellent supporting performances (Roache, Ron Silver, Raul Esparza, Peter Dinklage) provide some interest but, the historical record aside, it's difficult to care about the travails of this lowlife wise guy. Nonstop rough language and crude expressions, instances of profanity, ethnic slurs, some violence including a shooting, a steamy sexual encounter, sexual banter and innuendo, drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling.

"Fired Up!" (Screen Gems)
Rated "PG-13"
Banal sex comedy in which two philandering high school football players (Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen) attend a mostly female cheerleading camp, racking up conquests till one falls for the captain of his squad (Sarah Roemer) and the other for the wife (Molly Sims) of the head coach (John Michael Higgins). Director Will Gluck's feature debut treats the pursuit of sexual gratification as just another sport, and most of the attempts at humor are tasteless as well as flat-footed. Nongraphic nonmarital and adulterous sexual activity, homosexual comic elements, brief rear nudity, much sexual humor, underage drinking, frequent crude and crass language, and a few uses of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Firehouse Dog" (Fox)
Rated "PG"
A pampered Hollywood pooch rescues an inner-city station house from closure and helps a father and son (Bruce Greenwood and Josh Hutcherson) bond in this catch-all family comedy, which tries to be parody, mystery, and action-adventure rolled into one. Director Todd Holland's too-long-for-the-kids movie has too many plot strands and some cruder than expected language, toilet humor and innuendo, although mostly in reference to canines. Mild crass language and gags, scenes of action peril and one brief instance of physical violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents.

"Fireproof" (Goldwyn)
Rated "PG"
Modest but heartwarming drama about a small-town fireman (a fine Kirk Cameron) who, under the guidance of his born-again father (Harris Malcom), works to save his seven-year-old marriage, despite the unyielding obstinacy of his wife (Erin Bethea). The message -- that a successful marriage is grounded in the knowledge that God loves us with all our faults -- is the overriding virtue of co-writers and directors Alex and Stephen Kendrick's nicely shot, evangelical-flavored film in which the former "Growing Pains" star is supported by a mostly volunteer but surprisingly capable cast. Domestic discord, extramarital flirtation and pornography references. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"Firewall" (Warner Bros.)
Rated "PG-13"
Tense noirish thriller of upstanding bank security executive (Harrison Ford), his architect wife (Virginia Madsen), and two young children (Carly Schroeder and Jimmy Bennett) held hostage by master criminal (Paul Bettany) and his gang who force the banker to break into the bank's computer system, which the executive designed, and extract millions. Director Richard Loncraine maintains a white-knuckle pace throughout, the performances are good (including Mary Lynn Rajskub as a loyal secretary)