It seems like a weirdly cross-cultural idea: Chinese master Zhang Yimou does a remake of the Coen brothers' debut film, Blood Simple. If the film lacks the dryly mordant Coen wit, it offers other pleasures -- but also some problems.

Robert Rodriguez is one of those rare filmmakers whose movies -- for better or worse -- always come alive with his sheer enjoyment of making them. In the case of Machete, that's a good thing.

Max Manus is not just about the derring-do and narrow escapes. It is also about the strain of living an underground life and the courage to fight for one's beliefs against seemingly impossible odds.

Remakes? They hold no interest for award-winning Chinese director Zhang Yimou. And yet here he comes with A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop, his remak...

Going the Distance is a surprisingly funny movie. It's not great - not by a long shot. But it made me laugh on a much more regular basis than I expected. And that's not something I can discount easily.

Where his films once excited a certain keenness, I often read reviews of a new Woody Allen film these days that convey the attitude of, "Oh, give it a rest already."

At the age of 42, director Francois Ozon is known in the U.S. primarily for films such as 8 Women and Swimming Pool. A student of Eric Rohmer, he sees...

Heartbreaker is the kind of romantic comedy that Hollywood doesn't seem to know how to make anymore -- one that's actually both witty and romantic, with just the right accent of sadness and loss thrown in.

Called Ahead of Time, the film by director Bob Richman follows Gruber's remarkable career as a pioneering journalist and writer from the 1920s onward.

Hideaway (Le Refuge) is a bitter little tale of life and loss, with the latter coloring the former. You will either buy into this film or find yourself irritated and impatient.

Legendary isn't awful; it's just not particularly memorable. At best, it will wrestle your attention span to a draw.

The Romantics has its minor pleasures. But they are too few and far between to warrant sitting through the entire film.

The most persistent feeling one has at a big event like the Toronto International Film Festival -- other than the feeling of exhaustion -- is that you're somehow running behind.

Never Let Me Go is a staid, lifeless tale that never talks about what it's about, or at least not enough to provoke deep thoughts on the subject. Deep sleep is more like it.

I had decided before today even started to use the idea of "audience films vs. festival films" as a theme for my discussion of the day's screenings. ...

My last full day at the Toronto International Film Festival was a day of hits and misses.

Emma Stone is a bright young actress who knows her way around a one-liner. But the flimsy writing here barely evokes giggles, let alone actual laughs.

Jack Goes Boating, which played at both Sundance and Toronto, is a noteworthy directing debut for the Oscar-winning Hoffman, who proves himself as sure-handed behind the camera as in front.

It's hard to describe Catfish without giving too much away. And, really, the mystery of the film and the surprise it produces are fascinating -- so much so that you can overlook the film's weaknesses.

Raw and emotionally truthful, The Freebie is an intriguing two-hander (mostly), about the dangers of temptation and the freedom of monogamy. Which may seem like a contradiction in terms.

Gripping and moving at the same time, The Town is a solid heist movie whose fleshed-out characters give the story the weight it requires to be more than just a caper film.

The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but, in Woody Allen's world, it's not merely an illusion. Rather, it's the thread that starts ...

Oliver Stone is never content to just make one movie; he always makes several, then squeezes them all together into one engorged package, chockablock with gaudy visuals, oversized characters and unchecked passion.

Is a movie like Buried an actor's greatest dream -- or his worst nightmare? On the one hand, the camera is on you for the whole film. On the other hand, you spend the entire movie confined to a space the size of a coffin.

Howl is a gutsy, inventive film about an important moment. It's not for everyone but should please those who are open to the chances it takes.