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Our rating system uses zero to four stars. If a movie has norating, it has not been reviewed. Signed reviews by Laura Boyes(LB), Godfrey Cheshire (GC), David Fellerath (DF), Kathy Justice(KJ), Marc Maximov (MM), Neil Morris (NM), Zack Smith (ZS), JPTrostle (JPT). Opening This Week THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS —In the decadent Paris of the 1820s, a handsome, sociallyawkward Napoleonic general (Guillaume Depardieu) pursues a marriedbut extravagantly flirtatious and elusive noblewoman (JeanneBalibar): it seems like a thankless one-way street until astartling reversal proves that unrequited ardor can run in bothdirections. Adapted from a Balzac story, the latest from JacquesRivette, once known as the French New Wave's most daringexperimentalist, has the grace, simplicity and intelligence of avenerable master attaining a kind of poised classicism is his latework. Chief among the film's beauties are the extraordinaryperformances Rivette coaxes from his two leads; Balibar's duchessmay be the year's best female acting. See review on page 95. Notrated. — GC THE FOOT FIST WAY —First spotted at the 2006 Sundance fest, this Tar Heel indiefrom director Jody Hill tells the story of an inept, small-town taekwon do instructor and his extremely disheveled personal life. Keyfilm personnel are from N.C. School of the Arts, including Hill andstar Danny McBride ( All the Real Girls ), and the project was film in Concord. Rated R. KUNG FU PANDA —Dreamworks' answer to the perennial Pixar smash is acharming, exciting and occasionally uproarious kid's fable set tothe familiar tune of overcoming adversity to realize one's fullpotential. Po the Panda (Jack Black), a pleasantly plump noodlewaiter and closet kung fu fanatic, becomes the improbable nomineeto assume the mantle of Dragon Warrior and save his ancient villagefrom the dastardly Tai Lung (Ian McShane). Po trains under thelaconic Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and a band of famous martial artistsknown as the Furious Five (voiced by Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen,Lucy Liu, David Cross and, yep, Jackie Chan). The film's two truestars, however, are Black's trademark oafish whimsy—a clevercontrast to the clichéd, faux-earnestness of the kung fusend-up—and the marvelous animated action sequences that givethe film its verve. Rated PG. — NM SARKAR RAJ (GODFATHER'S KINGDOM) —Director Ram Gopal Varma's biggest hit in recent years was Sarkar, an overt homage to The Godfather starring Amitabh Bachchan and his real life son Abhishek asfather-and-son Corleones. This latest drama of power and politicsadds Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Abhishek's new bride) as the CEO of acompany that becomes the nexus of a battle royal over ruralelectrification. Not rated. — LB STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE —Director Errol Morris' stylized documentary about the AbuGhraib prison scandal is both methodical and compelling,highlighted by an exhaustive examination of the photographic recordand Morris' onscreen interviews with many of the key players in thecontroversy, including Lynndie England (who, like some others, waspaid for her appearance). Admirers of Alex Gibney's Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side may find little new besides Morris' attuned filmmaking and DannyElfman's hypnotic, sometimes intrusive soundtrack. In truth, thefilm's impact as a cinematic rendering of this dark episode is bothmeta and highly personal. Morris seems torn at times over whetherto summon anger toward his subjects or sympathy for their professedscapegoat status. Whether this is a sign of confusion, gullibilityor being evenhanded is a matter of opinion. Still, Morris' flairmakes a subject that is difficult to watch nearly impossible toturn away from. Rated R. — NM YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN —The last Mossad movie to land in theaters was StevenSpielberg's grave drama of moral bookkeeping called Munich . The latest one concerns a Mossad agent who fakes his death tobecome a New York hair stylist. And it stars Adam Sandler. RatedPG-13. Current Releases BABY MAMA —The most cautionary—and perplexing—aspect ofthis Tina Fey vehicle is that she did not write the screenplay.That (dis)credit goes to ex- Saturday Night Live scribe Michael McCullers, who also directs this surprisingly tepidtake on pregnancy and surrogate motherhood. Fey, a new motherherself and the writer of Mean Girls and 30 Rock , appears more comfortable training her acerbic wit on milieus withwhich she is both familiar and disdainful of (high school, theworld of broadcast television) than the miracle of childbirth.Rated PG-13. — NM THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN —The four kings and queens of C.S. Lewis' classic children'stales return to the big screen older and wiser in this secondinstallment of the Narnia series. Here, the four Pevensie siblingsare magically pulled back into the alternate universe of Narniawhen Prince Caspian (British stage actor Ben Barnes) summons themwith a mighty blow from a magic horn. It turns out the dishy Princeneeds the siblings to help him claim heir to the throne. But thisversion of Narnia is doubly dark and malevolent, with Telmarinewarlords ruling the forest and driving the innocent Narnians deepin the forest; the innocent charm of the first film is compromisedin the epic battles and violent clashing of swords. Although it'sstamped with a PG rating, this version of Narnia is Disney's Lord of the Rings -lite, with chatty bears, dwarves, mice and badgers thrown in tomake it kid-friendly and mother-approved. Rated PG. — KJ THE FALL —You will rarely see a film as visually arresting as directorTarsem Singh's follow-up to 2000's The Cell . However, this surrealist fever dream masks an incompressiblestoryline divorced from both reality and genuine emotion. Set a LosAngeles hospital circa 1915, a five-year-old girl named Alexandria(Catinca Untaru) is recovering from a broken collar bone when shemeets lonely Roy (Lee Pace), a silent movie stunt man convalescingfrom leg injuries. Roy spins a Fancy Yarn that's populated bycharacters played by people in the hospital and from Roy's life, ala The Wizard of Oz . High-brow cinephiles may wax poetic about Tarsem's daringpersonal vision and audacious storytelling. Frankly, The Fall is tailor-made for armchair aesthetes who gape at a canvas smearedwith dung and then breathlessly brood over the life force of theanimal that shat it. Rated R. — NM FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL —Judd Apatow gave his imprimatur to this Jason Segel-scriptedcomedy about getting over a heartbreak, but it is Segel who is thereal star. A Freaks and Geeks grad who now stars in the TV series How I Met Your Mother , Segel bares all and binds the film together, even through itsdraggy second half. Even if the specter of a dopey Everydude datinga famous celebrity, getting comped the penthouse suite at a Hawaiihotel and then scoring the prettiest girl at the resort is hard tobelieve, we somehow suspend our disbelief. Rated PG-13. — NM INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL —Sturdy, weathered Harrison Ford proves as worthy an actionhero as any 65-year-old could be (no jokes, please), and the otherelements of the Lucas-Spielberg blockbuster franchise remainrecognizably intact. Set in 1957, the third Raiders of the Lost Ark sequel encompasses atomic blasts, the Roswell incident, Commiesubversion, South American jungles, the usual f/x blizzard, pluslots of nods to '50s movies; its cast includes Karen Allen, ShiaLaBeouf, John Hurt and Cate Blanchett in a Louise Brooks bob.Ultimately, the movie is diminished not by its contents but itscontext: With so many current films modeled on its tropes, youngerviewers might well mistake it as a National Treasure rip-off. Rated PG-13. — GC IRON MAN —Though its efforts to make a contemporary comic-bookmorality play out of the war in Afghanistan are predictablyrisible, the summer's first would-be tentpole is several cuts abovethe norm, thanks to a witty script, Jon Favreau's energetic yetlight-handed direction and, especially, Robert Downey Jr.'sperformance in the title role, which brings the irreverent savoir faire of James Bond to a conscience-stricken armsmanufacturer-slash-playboy. Adapted from the Marvel comic, thespecial effects-laden action romp boasts a nifty titaniumaerodynamic suit for its hero and stellar supporting work fromGwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges, who brings elements of DaddyWarbucks, Dick Cheney and John Huston to the tale's devious baddie.Rated PG-13. — GC MADE OF HONOR —Yet another slack cut-and-paste rom com, Made of Honor is the reverse of My Best Friend's Wedding . Tom (TV's Patrick Dempsey, whose McDreaminess eludes me) doesn'tlove Hannah (stick-thin Michelle Monaghan) until she falls for aburly Scotsman on a business trip. Naturally, Tom consents to beher maid of honor to sabotage the wedding from within. Thiscobwebby plot can work, but with every interesting idea, likehaving Tom decide to take his duties seriously, the film puts onthe brakes. Obviously, the creative directors fell all overthemselves to keep even a hint of gayness from tainting Dempsey ina potentially girly situation—he's not MBFW 's Rupert Everett, he's straight! Rated PG-13. — LB PRICELESS —The irresistible pixie Audrey Tautou is a big reason to seethis romantic comedy in which she plays Irène, aprofessional gold digger working rich old men along the FrenchRiviera. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she mistakes ahotel factotum (Gad Elmaleh, also excellent) for a young swell.Pierre Salvadori's film is pure, unadulterated fluff, but it'sgloriously well-crafted and it takes a surprisingly benign look atthe folkways of the European elite. There's a Sex in the City -like wallow in material pleasures: In addition to theHermès scarves and Gucci handbags, the film's key bauble isa gem-encrusted Jaeger LeCoultre wristwatch—the rich man'sRolex. Priceless suggests we could all benefit from learning to hustle, and likeany good star-driven fantasy, we believe it could be true. Rated R.— DF SEX AND THE CITY —When last we saw fashionista/ zeitgeist chronicler Carrie(Sarah Jessica Parker), hedonist Samantha (Kim Cattrall),upper-crust princess Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and brittle attorneyMiranda (Cynthia Nixon), their HBO TV series had bestowedpresumptive happy endings upon them. Four years later, their hotlyanticipated big-screen adventure finds them older, if not wiser ...at least until the end credits roll. Even if you're not a Sex and the City veteran, the actresses are so comfy with their characters that nobackground is really necessary. Half a century ago, women drove boxoffice revenues, flocking to theaters to see Joan Crawford, MarleneDietrich and Bette Davis suffer, love, weep and wear gorgeous gowns(by Adrian, Travis Banton and Orry Kelly, respectively). Sincethen, the shopping, the fabulous fashion and the angst haven'tchanged much. Is the day of the female-driven blockbuster about todawn? A feast for the fan, but make no mistake: If you've everbought a fancy cupcake or blithely let your bra strap show, you'realready part of the Sex and the City nation. Rated R. — LB THE SINGING REVOLUTION —In a little-known story from the Cold War, it seems thatsomehow Estonia sang its way to liberation from the Soviet Union.This documentary has the details. Not rated. SON OF RAMBOW —The happiest revelation in this British comedy is that thereis a lot more going on beyond its banal title and wispy premise.Produced by the filmmaking team of Hammer &Tongs—director Garth Jennings and producer NickGoldsmith—who were responsible for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste). A grade-schoolodd couple embarks on a mission to film an ultra-amateur sequel to First Blood : Will (Bill Milner) is a nebbishy, fatherless moppet whose motherbelongs to a devout religious sect, while Lee (Will Poulter) is achain-smoking, parentless miscreant being raised by his detachedyet domineering older brother. Writer-director Jennings packages asatisfying coming-of-age story with acute insights on the struggleto realize one's artistic vision and the perils and artificialityof celebrity. The two brilliant leads, the nimble integration of1980s' Euro-pop-culture references, and just enough biting wit togive the film some teeth enhance a lovely fable that isalternatively amusing, saddening and inspiring. Rated PG-13.— NM SPEED RACER —People might complain these days when movies look like videogames, but if ever a film needed to look like one it is Speed Racer , the long-awaited live-action adaptation of the 1960s"Japanamation" cartoon about auto racing phenom Speed Racer and hisfabulous gadget-filled car, the Mach 5. The Wachowski Brothers geta lot right in translating the animated cult hit to the big screen,including the dysfunctional but loving Racer family, the cheesysense of fun and adventure—and yes, the car—yet inbetween every clever thing they nail there's a little too muchgrinding of the gears. Never mind. The ham and cheese is served upon fever-dream Wonder Bread with a tall glass of Kool-Aid, just intime for summer. Rated PG. — JPT THE STRANGERS —Normally, a genuinely frightening horror film is one inwhich the terror can conceivably happen—e.g., no portals toother dimensions or impervious fiends set loose from your dreams.While this barebones white-knuckler, filmed near Florence, S.C.,satisfies that benchmark, writer-director Bryan Bertino elongatesits simple premise well beyond the point of curiosity. On the cuspof ending their relationship, James (Scott Speedman) and Kristen(Liv Tyler) spend one last night together at her family's vacationhome when three masked strangers knock at the door—at thevery moment of sexual congress, natch. The ensuing, protractedsadism lacks the social or cultural satire found in Funny Games , another home-invasion thriller. The frights are fueled more byceaseless clangs and bangs, most of them accompanied by somemusical flourish. The invaders are spooky enough, but theiromnipresence and complete control deprive the plot of any to andfro. Rated R. — NM THEN SHE FOUND ME —Emerging from a decade of relative obscurity since hercareer peaks of winning an Oscar for her role in As Good as It Gets and starring in the long-running sitcom Mad About You , Helen Hunt's directing debut is strikingly affecting. Hunt starsas April, a pushing-40 schoolteacher who loses her husband andmother and subsequently finds two newcomers pushing their way intoher life. This is an actor's film, filled with long, emotionallycomplex scenes with a topnotch cast that includes Bette Midler,Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Rated R. — DF THE VISITOR —Not all of us were enamored of the 2003 indie hit The Station Agent , finding it just too pat in its feel-good quirkiness. DirectorThomas McCarthy's follow-up looks to be more hard-headed: Aburned-out college professor makes an unexpected trip to an unusedNew York apartment he owns and finds an immigrant couple squattingthere. What seems to follow is a tale of regenerationa and adisquisition on what it means to be American. Rated PG-13.