Movies Listed Alphabetically: A | B | C | D | E-G | H-I | J-K | L | M | N-O | P-R | S | T | U-Z
"D.E.B.S." (Destination/Samuel Goldwyn)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Daddy Day Care" (Columbia TriStar)
Entertaining family comedy about an unemployed ad exec (Eddie Murphy) who tries his hand at professional parenting by operating a day-care business out of his home. Directed by Steve Carr, the contrived fish-out-of-water premise is buoyed by a heartfelt -- albeit heavy-handed -- affirmation of fatherhood, making it easy to applaud and suitable even for many preteen youngsters. Some toilet jokes. 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.
"Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls" (Lionsgate)
Romantic drama about a hard-luck Atlanta mechanic and devoted single father (Idris Elba) battling to get custody of his three daughters (Sierra Aylina McClain, Lauryn Alisa McClain and China Anne McClain) from his ex-wife (Tasha Smith) and her drug-dealing boyfriend (Gary Sturgis). To help pay the bills, he chauffeurs a successful, but unlucky at love, attorney (Gabrielle Union) whose offer to help him with his legal fight leads to romance. Written and directed by Christian filmmaker Tyler Perry, the earnestly sentimental script is not without some formulaic elements, but the honest performances and strong affirmations of faith, family and community -- as well as its positive depiction of African-American fatherhood -- outshine the shortcomings. Sexual humor, including a brief crude sight gag, some violence, drug references, an implied sexual encounter, a false accusation of rape and some crude expressions. 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 Dancer Upstairs" (Fox Searchlight)
Low-key thriller set in an unnamed Latin American country where a police detective (Javier Bardem), undeterred by the political corruption around him, relentlessly tries to capture the leader of a terrorist organization causing widespread chaos, while at the same time drawn to his daughter's elusive ballet teacher (Laura Morante). Directed with subtle efficiency by John Malkovich, the drama explores one man's ongoing struggle with personal as well as professional integrity within the framework of a taut police procedural. Some intense violence with gore, flash of nudity and fleeting sexual reference, intermittent rough language and occasional profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"Danny Deckchair" (Lions Gate)
Delightful Australian comedy/fantasy about a cement worker who, bored with his job and disillusioned with his opportunistic -- and unfaithful -- girlfriend, attaches giant helium balloons to a patio chair at a family barbecue and is carried far away, eventually crash-landing in another town where he falls in love and wins the affection of the townsfolk. Writer/director Jeff Balsmeyer's first feature-length film is a heartwarming, refreshingly wholesome and uplifting fable about possibility and overcoming one's imagined limitations. Implied sexual situations. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Dark Water" (Touchstone)
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 Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- rents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"The Da Vinci Code" (Columbia)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Dawn of the Dead" (Universal)
Ultraviolent remake of George A. Romero's splatterfest about a mysterious epidemic that turns most of a Milwaukee suburb's populace into flesh-hungry zombies, leaving only a handful of survivors (including Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames) holed up in an abandoned shopping mall fighting for survival. Director Zack Snyder's re-imagining of the cult classic deviates little from the apocalyptic original's recipe of excessive and gratuitous gore peppered with pretensions of social commentary. Pervasive graphic violence, sexual encounters with shadowy nudity, and much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"The Day After Tomorrow" (20th Century Fox)
Visually spectacular doomsday drama about a scientist (Dennis Quaid) trying to reunite with his son (Jake Gyllenhaal) during a worldwide environmental catastrophe triggered by global warning which, in addition to unleashing monstrous hurricanes, killer tornadoes and biblical-proportion floods, threatens to rapidly plunge Earth into a new ice age. The film is brimming with eye-popping special-effects sequences; director Roland Emmerich plays fast and loose with scientific facts to craft a high-concept rollercoaster ride full of escapist thrills but without much of a story beyond its nature-gone-mad premise. Intense scenes of natural disasters. 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.
"Dead Silence" (Universal)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
"Dear Frankie" (Miramax)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Deck the Halls" (20th Century Fox)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
"Deep Blue" (Miramax)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences.
"Definitely, Maybe" (Universal)
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)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"De-Lovely" (MGM)
Disappointing musical biography about Broadway composer Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) and his wealthy wife, Linda (Ashley Judd), which traces their loving, but mostly platonic, relationship over the years, as it survives Porter's dalliances with men that strain but don't destroy the relationship. A well-acted, handsomely designed, sometimes affecting, alternately frenetic and slow-moving film, with mostly misguided musical numbers featuring ill-chosen contemporary pop and jazz singers. An unconventional marital relationship, implied promiscuity and discreetly presented sexual content. 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 are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Delta Farce" (Lionsgate)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"The Departed" (Warner Bros.)
Hard-hitting if overlong tale of two rookie cops in South Boston -- one (Matt Damon) an informant for the mob, the other (Leonardo DiCaprio) secretly assigned by senior officers (Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg) to infiltrate the crime ring run by a notorious mob boss (over-the-top Jack Nicholson) -- with both young cops pushed to the mental breaking point in their double-dealing roles, and frantic to uncover the other's identity. Director Martin Scorsese has lost none of his flair for the genre, and DiCaprio and Damon are extremely good, but the setup seems far-fetched, and there's predictably a high quotient of violence, with the nonstop barrage of expletives excessive even for the underworld environment. Pervasive rough language, racial epithets, profanity, extremely crude expressions, heavy violence, grisly images, nongraphic sexual situations and encounters, irreverent remarks about the church. 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.
"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (Lions Gate)
Uplifting if at times heavy-handed melodrama set in Atlanta about a grievously wronged woman (Kimberly Elise) who tries to pick up the pieces of her life after her successful but coldhearted husband of 18 years (Steve Harris) demands a divorce, and who struggles to start anew with the support of a colorful extended family, including a plus-size, pistol packing grandmother figure (played in drag by screenwriter Tyler Perry) and a chivalrous new love interest (Shemar Moore). Based on the stage play by Perry and directed by Darren Grant, this woman-overcoming-adversity movie mixes emotional drama, zany dark-edged comedy, and rousing gospel music resulting in a moving, fitfully funny and occasionally spiritually soaring affirmation of faith and family that celebrates the healing power of forgiveness. Some violence, including domestic abuse, mature thematic elements, an implied sexual encounter, brief drug content, and crude sexual language and humor. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" (Paramount)
Surprisingly entertaining comedy about a washed-up former child celeb (David Spade) who, in order to prepare for a role which could reignite his career, hires a suburban family to experience what it is like to grow up normal. Directed by Sam Weisman, the film's otherwise positive, family-values message about the prizing of love over fame is muddied by several unnecessarily lewd scenes. Recurring crude, sexually related humor, a sensual encounter, as well as some crass language and drug references. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Diggers" (Magnolia)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
"Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" (Artisan)
Bland coming-of-age melodrama set in Havana on the eve of the Cuban revolution about an American Pollyanna (Romola Garai) dragged to the island by her father's new job, where she meets a seductive busboy (Diego Luna) with all the right moves who transforms her from a fox-trotting bookworm to hot-tamale samba sensation in just a few easy dance lessons. Directed by Guy Ferland, the film hits all the narrative beats of its "inspired-by" 1987 predecessor, "Dirty Dancing," but awkwardly saddles the formulaic clash-of-classes love affair with a political subplot. Many of the dance sequences are stymied by choppy editing, but the eroticism of the movie's bump-and-grind choreography imparts a misleading message that seems to equate personal expression with sensual liberation. An implied sexual encounter, brief violence, as well as some mild crass expressions and a racial slur. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Dirty Pretty Things" (Miramax)
Soulful tale set in a small London hotel where a Nigerian overnight desk clerk (Chiwetel Ejiofor) discovers the manager (Sergei Lopez) is exploiting other illegal immigrants in a passports-for-kidneys black-market operation that threatens to engulf his virginal friend, a desperate Turkish immigrant (Audrey Tautou). Director Stephen Frears skillfully blends suspense with a twist of black comedy in a sleek, very human story of impoverished aliens forced to take desperate measures. Theme of sexual exploitation, abortion reference, surgical gore, fleeting drug abuse, frequent rough language and minimal profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"A Dirty Shame" (Fine Line)
Only fitfully funny sex comedy set in a Baltimore neighborhood where anyone who gets a concussion becomes a sex addict. John ("Hairspray") Waters' latest film features Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair and Chris Isaak who gamely go through the paces. But whatever Waters' satiric intent, the humor inherent in sex addicts squaring off against conservative anti-sex "neuters" is fairly childish and quickly wears thin, substituting puerile humor for genuine wit. 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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is NC-17 -- no one 17 and under admitted.
"Disturbia" (Paramount)
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 Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax)
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.
"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" (20th Century Fox)
Failed laugher about a bunch of scrappy misfits (led by Vince Vaughn) who form a dodgeball team to compete in a high-stakes tournament in Las Vegas in order to save their rundown neighborhood gym from being taken over by a state-of-the-art competitor (owned by Ben Stiller). As directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, "Dodgeball" follows a tried-and-true David-vs.-Goliath formula, but its love-yourself-for-who-you-are message is weighed down by its puerile brand of crass comedy. 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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Dogville" (Lions Gate)
Dismal drama in which a young woman (Nicole Kidman) is protected from gangsters by impoverished villagers (including Paul Bettany, Ben Gazzara and Lauren Bacall) in exchange for her servitude in their tiny Depression-era town nestled in the Rockies. But despite hard-won acceptance, the young woman is brutally betrayed and ultimately exacts her own appalling reprisals. Although artistically noteworthy, director Lars von Trier's thoroughly misanthropic, anti-American piece makes transparent sociopolitical statements on immigration and the economics of poverty while focusing solely on the depravity of humans as it is weighted down by an oppressive, morally bankrupt tone. Nihilistic view of society, several scenes of rape and forced prostitution, brief nudity and some brutal violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist" (Warner Bros.)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"Don't Move" (Northern Arts)
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. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
"Don't Tempt Me" (First Look)
Curious satire in which a nightclub singer (Victoria Abril) from heaven and a waitress (Penelope Cruz) from hell are dispatched to Earth by their respective bosses (Fanny Ardant and Gael Garcia Bernal) to battle for the soul of a boxer (Demian Bichir) who is suffering from brain damage. Director Agustin Diaz Yanes creatively portrays heaven as 1930s Paris and hell as a backstabbing corporation, but the film cannot maintain its quirky tone while muddling through the sometimes thought-provoking but often banal ideas about God and life after death. Subtitles. An implied sexual encounter and several sexual references, some harsh violence, much rough language and some profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"Dot the I" (Summit Entertainment)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"Doubt" (Miramax)
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.
"Down With Love" (Fox)
Retro-stylish romantic comedy about a sassy author (Renee Zellweger) of a best-selling who-needs-men manual charmed into falling in love by a playboy ace journalist (Ewan McGregor), as part of his underhanded scheme to debunk her man-hating manifesto and expose her as a fraud. Borrowing heavily from '60s-era Doris Day-Rock Hudson collaborations and chock full of whip-smart double entendres, director Peyton Reed offers a ringside view of a jazzy battle of the sexes, but the film's questionable view of gender roles and suggestion that promiscuity is liberating is a bit off-putting. Implied sexual situations, racy double entendres and sexually suggestive humor, as well as a misguided attitude toward sexual intimacy. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Downfall" (Newmarket)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"The Dukes of Hazzard" (Warner Bros.)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Somematerial may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Duplicity" (Universal/Relativity)
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 Dreamers" (Fox Searchlight)
Insufferably pretentious and gratuitously explicit film about a quiet American student (Michael Pitt) studying in Paris, whose love of old movies leads to an unwholesome triangular relationship with a brother (Louis Garrel) and sister (Eva Green), left alone to turn their apartment into a sexual playground while their parents are away on holiday during the tumultuous summer of 1968. Based on the ironically titled novel "Holy Innocents" by Gilbert Adair, director Bernardo Bertolucci's soft-core erotic tale, though clearly the product of a man in love with movies, says about as much about sex and politics as his controversial "Last Tango in Paris" said about sex and alienation -- which is absolutely nothing. Graphic sexual encounters with extended full frontal nudity, an incestuous relationship, an attempted suicide, some mob violence, as well as recurring rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is NC-17 -- no one 17 and under admitted.
"Dreamgirls" (Paramount)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Duma" (Warner Bros.)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
"Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd" (New Line)
Mindless prequel to the 1994 no-brainer "Dumb and Dumber," in which the idiot clock is rewound to find the title halfwits (played this time around by Eric Christian Olsen and Harry Richardson) in high school and involved in a scam by the school's crooked principal (Eugene Levy) to abscond with thousands in grant money. Directed by Troy Miller and full of flat jokes and vulgar humor, this unfunny stinker fails on every level and plummets lowest-common-denominator laughs to new depths. Some profanity, much crude bathroom humor, an instance of same-sex kissing, exaggerated violence played for laughs and sexual innuendo. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Duplex" (Miramax)
A young New York couple (Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore) move into a picture-perfect townhouse, only to discover that it comes equipped with a chronically intrusive elderly tenant, whom they contemplate bumping off in order to prevent their dream home from turning into a nightmare. Though frequently funny, the film, directed by Danny DeVito, is fueled by an ugly brand of dark humor which treats cruelty as an occasion for laughter. A black comedy murder plot, an implied sexual encounter, recurring vulgar humor and sporadic crude language. 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. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"The Dust Factory" (MGM)
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
"Dysfunktional Family" (Miramax)
Raw and raucous portrait of comedian Eddie Griffin in which director George Gallo weaves live concert footage of Griffin performing stand-up with video interviews of family members in the funnyman's home town of Kansas City, Mo. Unfortunately, Griffin's unremitting foul-mouthed rants and lewd tirades detract from his comic wit. Incessant rough language and profanities, fleeting nudity, sexually explicit references, racial epithets and a pejorative view of religion. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
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