NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Becoming Jane
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.

The Bourne Ultimatum
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.

Bratz
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.

El Cantante
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.

Hot Rod
Sweet-natured, occasionally surreal comedy about an aimless youth (Andy Samberg of "Saturday Night Live") who aspires to be a professional stuntman and wants nothing more than to raise enough money so his abusive stepfather can have a heart transplant — so he can beat him up. Director Akiva Schaffer (also of "Saturday Night Live") and screenwriter Pam Brady (lately of "South Park") adorn this flimsy plot with pop-culture references and dark satire, but unless you find every twitch and utterance of Samberg screamingly funny you're likely to miss some of the humor. Much cartoonish and bloodless violence, all played for laughs, and some coarse and crass language. 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.
I Know Who Killed Me
Perfectly dreadful thriller about a college student (Lindsay Lohan in a big career misstep) abducted and tortured by a serial killer (who amputates several of her body parts), and how, when she finds herself waking up in a hospital, she must convince everyone she is not the young woman everyone thinks she is. Chris Sivertson's direction, Jeffrey Hammond's ludicrous script, and the level of acting (by Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough and Brian Geraghty) is as crude as a grindhouse movie of the 1970s, with heaps of trashy violence, sex and bad language. Graphic violence and torture, gore, grisly images, pervasive rough language and some profanity, upper female nudity, skimpy costuming, a graphic sex scene, drug and alcohol use, and condom 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

The Simpsons Movie
Full-length, glossier version of long-running TV series with many clever gags has doltish Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) running afoul of the EPA head (Albert Brooks) after he dumps his pet pig's droppings in Springfield's pollution-free lake, resulting in the town being quarantined under a giant dome, which incites the townspeople to rise against Homer who flees with his family — Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) — to Alaska. Director David Silverman generates plenty of chuckles, but for all the foolery and family dysfunction, there's an underlying pro-family agenda, and the satiric jibes are generally not malicious. The content is slightly more permissive than the TV series, so parents will have to decide whether the film is acceptable for their youngsters. Fleeting frontal male nudity, an instance of profanity, irreverent worldview, some innuendo, a couple of vulgar gestures, crude expressions, brief sight gags ranging from a same-sex kiss to bigamy to underage drinking, and light cartoon 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.

Who's Your Caddy?
Witless attempt at a comedy about a rap mogul's (Antwan Patton, Big Boi of Outkast) entry to a South Carolina country club where his late father had been a caddy. Director Ron Paul, who co-wrote with Bradley Allenstein and Robert Henny, puts a competent cast through a series of uninspired sequences contrasting raucous hip-hop behavior and sedate, clueless white elites (for some unexplained reason, always male). Skimpy costuming in a brief filming of a hip-hop video, marijuana fed to a horse, some crude language, fleeting use of the n-word, partial female nudity, rear male nudity, and some mild sexual banter and frequent scatological humor. 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.

Hairspray
Highly enjoyable adaptation of the hit Broadway musical based on a 1988 film of the same title about an overweight 1960s Baltimore girl (Nikki Blonsky) whose parents (Christopher Walken and John Travolta, the latter in a cross-dressing role) support her dreams of competing on a racially segregated local dance program which the girl helps integrate. Director Adam Shankman keeps the pace moving and strikes a sensible balance between heightened realism and more fanciful elements. There are entertaining performances from a well-chosen cast, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron and James Marsden, and strong messages about racial tolerance and self-respect. Some crass expressions, innuendo, mild sexual banter and irreverence, and brief teen smoking make this best for older adolescents. 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.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Brooklyn firefighters Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) and Larry Valentine (Kevin James) pose as a gay couple to qualify for domestic partnership benefits in a crude exercise that makes a mockery of comedy more than matrimony. Homophobic and yet pro-gay marriage, the harsh and raunchy movie is overly long and inadequately funny, as three screenwriters and director Dennis Dugan strain to cover all the bases with lifeless and predictable tangents. Pervasive sexual content and references, frequent crude and crass language, one instance of profanity, vulgar gestures, some bathroom humor, fondling of a woman's breasts, rear male nudity, much skimpy female costuming, frequent racial, gender and homophobic slurs, a drug reference, and much violence including fisticuffs. 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.

Sunshine
Powerful contemporary science fiction tale set a half-century in our future when the sun in dying and an international expedition (Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis and Troy Garrity among them) hopes to regenerate the once powerful star. Director Danny Boyle pays homage to past cinematic space stories like "2001: A Space Odyssey" as the film delineates the consciences, fears and heroism of the crew, while generating admiration for the wonders of creation. Violence and strong 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.

License to Wed
Woefully unfunny tale about an engaged couple (chemistry-free Mandy Moore and John Krasinski) who undertake an arduous marriage preparation course run by their local Protestant minister (Robin Williams in subpar form) before he'll agree to marry them. Director Ken Kwapis' putative comedy plays like a B-level TV sitcom, but even in this comedic context, the reverend character is far too lenient about matters such as premarital cohabitation, is tiresomely irreverent throughout, and, though ostensibly all for the good, engages in such questionable behavior as wiretapping the couple's home and grilling them about their sex lives in a way that borders on prurience. Overall irreverent tone, acceptance of premarital living arrangement, sexual banter and innuendo, crude language and mild profanity, crass expressions and scatological humor. 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.

Brooklyn Rules
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 Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Delta Farce

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.

Even Money
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

The Ex
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 Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Grindhouse
Cinematically inventive but brutally sordid two-part homage to the cheapie exploitation films of the 1960s and '70s features writer-director Robert Rodriguez's zombie-inspired "Planet Terror" in which residents of a Texas town (Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton) face down plague-infested mutants; and writer-director Quentin Tarantino's revenge slasher "Death Proof" in which a sadistic killer (Kurt Russell) makes the mistake of targeting a group of movie stuntwomen (Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms and Zoe Bell), and gets more than he bargained for. Though both films have been made with skill and wry humor, all the unsavory elements that made those original B-movies so objectionable are now presented with a permissiveness that far eclipses the originals. Pervasive rough language and profanity, heavy-duty gore with bloodshed and worse, blatant sexuality including upper female nudity and attempted rape, a nongraphic encounter with partial nudity, sadism, innuendo, torture, much gross-out imagery and vigilante justice. 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.

Once
Gritty, award-winning Irish independent film about two struggling musicians (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) who, through a shared love of music, forge a friendship that leads to the creation of a band, making a demo recording. The two leads are so harmonious in their acting and in their music that the bittersweet resolution is both sad and uplifting, while writer-director John Carney's love for the craft of creating music shows in every frame. Alcohol use, a minor street scuffle and recurring rough language and mild 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 Wendell Baker Story
Minor but engaging story of a con artist (appealing Luke Wilson) who, paroled from prison after forging driver's licenses for Mexican migrant workers, takes a job at a senior retirement home run by corrupt administrators (Owen Wilson and Eddie Griffin) and helps the exploited residents (including Harry Dean Stanton, Seymour Cassel and Kris Kristofferson), while trying to win back his former girlfriend (Eva Mendes) now involved with a jealous supermarket manager (Will Ferrell). The quirky story from quadruple threat Wilson -- who also wrote, co-executive-produced and co-directed (with brother Andrew) -- has an intentionally ragtag feel, but some flagged material notwithstanding, keeps its heart firmly in the right place. Scattered profanity and crude language, sexual banter and innuendo, implied premarital situations and brief punching episodes. 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.

Away From Her
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

The Flying Scotsman
Carefully mining the potential for an underdog sports drama to uplift and inspire, this is the true story of melancholy cyclist Graeme Obree (Jonny Lee Miller). Director Douglas Mackinnon uses the lionhearted athlete's bouts of depression to generate suspense and avoid an overly formulaic ending, while Obree's friendship with a Protestant minister (Brian Cox) provides another interesting but not overplayed dimension to the narrative. Some rough language, a suicide attempt, implied lovemaking between husband and wife, brief violence and a crass scene of urination. 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 Invisible
Ghostlike teen (Justin Chatwin) wanders ineffectively through his town after a near-death beating, unable to communicate with anyone and generally moping behind the tough girl (Margarita Levieva) who had jumped him with two henchmen. Director David S. Goyer offers unconvincing plot points, inconsistent internal logic, a somnambulistic leading man and a preposterous and muddled climax that inspires unintended laughter. A few instances of crude and crass language, a mild scene of clothed groping, an implied night of premarital sex, brief shower-related female nudity and much violence, including beatings and a scene of gunfire, though handled with relative discretion. 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.

Kickin' It Old Skool
During a school dance contest in 1986, a 5-year-old break dancer does a wrong move, ends up in a coma, and 20 years later, he wakes up as a man (Jamie Kennedy) still thinking he is a child. Harv Glazer directs with an inconsistent tone, going from sentimental to silly slapstick in a flash, and all the actors mug shamelessly, save for the dry wit of Michael Rosenbaum. Suggestive dancing, drinking, brief male rear nudity, a comic scene of cross-dressing, numerous scatological gags, a brief reference to Internet pornography, one use of the f-word, frequent crude and crass language, an instance of profanity and mild sexual banter. 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.

Lucky You
Mellow love story set in Las Vegas about an ace poker player (an especially good Eric Bana) who puts his randy ways behind him when he meets a decent young woman (Drew Barrymore) who gently encourages him to come to terms with his estranged father (Robert Duvall), also a poker champ. Director and co-writer Curtis Hanson gets appealing performances from his cast, but the emphasis is largely on the game (familiarity a plus) with several poker champs playing cameo roles, and though there are hardly any sex, violence or language concerns, and the values espoused -- honesty, fidelity, forgiveness, filial devotion and good sportsmanship -- are commendable (gambling notwithstanding), the result is only mildly involving. Acceptable for older teens. A couple of instances of crude language, an implied premarital encounter, brief sexual references and innuendo, and brief mild 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.

Spider-Man 3
Excellent second sequel has Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire), on the verge of proposing marriage to girlfriend Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) while Peter's friend-turned-nemesis Harry (James Franco) recovers from an amnesia-inducing accident which temporarily erases their enmity, though Peter's increasingly prideful behavior and two formidable villains, Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace), set the stage for trouble. Director and co-writer Sam Raimi mixes the expected action sequences (impressive digital effects) with a well-acted, very human story imbued with a strong moral focus resulting in a fine and surprisingly moving -- if somewhat overlong -- action film, with solid themes of good versus evil, forgiveness and redemption. Acceptable for older teens. Intense action violence, a couple of crass words, suicide reference, mild innuendo and a suggestive dance. 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.

Waitress
A young woman (Keri Russell) with a talent for baking delicious pies finds the strength to deal with her unhappy marriage in this sweet-and-savory independent comedy. Writer, director and co-star Adrienne Shelly -- who died under tragic circumstances months prior to the movie's premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival -- balances tart humor and mature themes with likeable characters and an affirmation of the joy of motherhood. Brief glimpse of partially nude pregnant women, groping, sexual innuendo including a condom reference, an instance of spousal abuse, some crass language and one use 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.

The Condemned
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. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Diggers
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.

In the Land of Women
Well-intentioned, sometimes touching, drama about a sensitive screenwriter (Adam Brody) of soft porn, who takes time off to care for his dying grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) and finds himself drawn into the lives of her unhappy neighbor (Meg Ryan) and the latter's daughter (Kristen Stewart). Writer-director Jon Kasdan's directorial debut is a gently paced version of the old formula of a big-city guy finding the real meaning of life around "ordinary people." Crude language, an instance of the f-word, a couple of crass expressions, some chemotherapy-related sickness, a brief violent scuffle, and pornography and adultery 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 PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Jindabyne
Meaty morality play, based on a Raymond Carver short story, reset in the visually stunning Australian Snowy Mountains about a weekend fisherman (Gabriel Byrne) and his three buddies who find the body of a murdered young women but fail to report the discovery immediately, leading to ostracism by his wife (Laura Linney) and community, forcing him to re-evaluate his good Samaritan duties. Beautifully realistic performances allow director Ray Lawrence to grittily explore the divide between the sexes, and unflinchingly examine the responsibility owed those outside one's own nuclear, religious and ethnic families. Murder (not shown), several disturbing images of a female cadaver with upper nudity, realistic fistfight with blood, a dead pet, rough and crude language and profanity, sexual language and groping, breast-feeding, discussion of abortion, discreetly depicted urination, alcohol use and domestic discord. 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.

Next
Taut, atmospheric thriller about a Las Vegas magician (Nicolas Cage), with the power of seeing into the near future, who flees both a hard-nosed FBI agent (Julianne Moore) who wants to use his precognitive power to detect where a nuclear weapon is about to be deployed, as well as the would-be perpetrators who want him killed, all the while trying to keep the young teacher (Jessica Biel) with whom he's in love out of harm's way. Director Lee Tamahori's adaptation of a Philip K. Dick sci-fi story requires some suspension of disbelief, but the likable leads, along with stylish design, special effects and cinematography are compelling with relatively little objectionable content. Action violence with shootings and killings, a premarital situation, some crude words and profanity, mild innuendo and a fistfight. 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.

Into Great Silence
Poetically filmed documentary about a Carthusian monastery in the French Alps, which follows the cloistered monks in their daily -- mostly silent and solitary -- routines. German filmmaker Philip Groning's respectful no-frills approach utilizes no narration or background music, but by combining alternately a painterly formality and a verite intimacy, skillfully captures the textures and rhythms of their highly structured existence, resulting in a rewarding -- and, due to the film's austerity and nearly three-hour length -- somewhat demanding cinematic and spiritual experience. In French and Latin. Subtitles. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Two Weeks
Heartfelt yet unflinchingly frank story of a dying mother (the transcendent Sally Field) and the four adult children who've come to be with her in her last days including her eldest son, a filmmaker (Ben Chaplin), who hopes to tape her for posterity. First-time feature director Steve Stockman accomplishes the near-impossible in mixing naturalistic tragedy with genuine laughter that rises from the human condition, generating tears from each. Some rough and crude language and a graphic depiction of the ravages of cancer. 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.

Wild Hogs
Four middle-age biker buddies from suburbia (Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy) seize the day by taking a cross-country road trip and suffering various humiliating mishaps as they attempt to recapture their youthful vitality. The sputtering comedy of director Walt Becker ("National Lampoon's Van Wilder") subjects the audience to an exhausting barrage of crude humor and off-color banter. Pervasive crude language, much sexual innuendo, rear male nudity, fleeting images and sounds from Internet pornography sites, bathroom humor, a drug reference and some 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.

The Last Sin Eater
Engaging if rather colorless adaptation of Francine Rivers' novel set in 19th-century Appalachia about a guilt-ridden girl (Liana Liberato) who, blaming herself for her younger sister's death, seeks out a mysterious mountain man (Peter Wingfield) alleged to be able to take upon himself the sins of others. Learning that Jesus is the only source of forgiveness after her meeting with a Bible-preaching stranger (Henry Thomas), she helps rid the community of its collective guilt with the help of the son (Soren Fulton) of an abusive father (Stewart Finlay-McLennan). Director Michael Landon Jr.'s film is short on period atmosphere but holds your interest despite plot improbabilities. The performances are above-average for this genre, especially the two youngsters and Louise Fletcher as a wise woman who knows something of the community's mysterious past, and along with some decent plot twists, there are fine Christian messages about redemption, reconciliation and renewal. Some nongraphic violence, murder and domestic abuse. 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 Lives of Others (Das Leben Der Anderen)
Gripping German political thriller set in the East Berlin of 1984 -- five years before the fall of the Berlin Wall -- in which a hard-bitten interrogator for the secret police (Ulrich Muhe) wiretaps the apartment of a celebrated playwright (Sebastian Koch) and his actress companion (Martina Gedeck), and discovers his own humanity in the process. Writer-director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, making an auspicious feature film debut, has crafted a suspenseful and profoundly moving story that, besides bringing to life the ambience of pre-glasnost Germany, vividly demonstrates the transformative power of art while elucidating the conflict between ideology and conscience. A modern classic. Subtitles. Some sexual encounters, one involving a prostitute, with rear and partial nudity; a premarital relationship; innuendo; a few crude words; drug addiction; and suicide. 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 Messengers
Supernatural thriller about a husband (Dylan McDermott) and his wife (Penelope Ann Miller) who relocate their family from Chicago to a creepy North Dakota farmhouse haunted by ghosts of its murdered former residents visible only to the couple's toddler son and teenage daughter (Kristen Stewart), who tries to unravel the property's violent past. Directing brothers Oxide and Danny Pang bring their less-is-more Asian horror sensibilities to the standard haunted house genre, but while adroit at creating eerie visuals, they fail to generate much sustained suspense, mustering only modest chills as they navigate a predictable plot capped by a ludicrous climax. Horror images, violence, sequences of terror and menace with blood, including a disturbing but nongraphic scene of murder, an instance of mild sexual innuendo, as well as some crude language and 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.

Copyright ©2007 Catholic News Service.  All rights reserved.