NEW YORK -- The conversation so far has been easygoing and amiable. It's only when the interviewer brings up the subject of shoemaking that his subject's eyes narrow and his voice, already softly modulated, drops an octave. "How did you know I worked on shoes?" Daniel Day-Lewis asks. (More)

Forgive yourself for thinking you've seen "The Great Debaters," oh, about three dozen times before: This Denzel Washington-directed drama -- loosely based on the real-life exploits of the 1935 debate team at Wiley College, a historically black college in Marshall, Texas -- falls right in line with any number of recent period pieces, including "Miracle," "Glory Road," "Remember the Titans" and "Invincible." It's yet another tear-jerking melodrama about hard-driving coaches, underdog teams and an American public that was spiritually reawakened by an unlikely triumph. (More)

This year's installment of the inexplicably lucrative "Saw" franchise, "Saw IV," opens today, but surprisingly it's not being screened for critics. Still, on the off chance it'll make sense to anybody, here's the plot synopsis anyway: (More)

A premier eight-day cultural event in historic downtown Savannah, the Savannah Film Festival, which runs from Saturday through Nov. 3, features more than 50 films selected from more than 600 entries submitted from all over the world. (More)

Like an emerald with wings, a parrot flutters onto the branch of a mango tree, ruffling iridescent feathers on leaves the color of new lettuce. (More)

"Bella" won the People's Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, but it's hard to say why. (More)

Joe Wright's doggedly faithful, emotionally stunted adaptation of Ian McEwan's "Atonement" centers on 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), who -- in 1935, at her family's estate in Surrey -- is busy writing and directing a play in honor of her older brother, Leon (Patrick Kennedy). (More)

When we first meet U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) he's sipping bourbon in a Las Vegas hot tub, surrounded by naked strippers while a few feet away more nude beauties snort lines of cocaine. (More)

The kind of disjointed, illogical logic that drove the original "National Treasure" has returned to haunt the sequel, "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets." In fact, everything about this film feels just like a reshoot of the original movie. (More)

1. "Knocked Up" -- The savior of film comedy has come, and his name is Judd Apatow. The director here reminds us of the time when the Bill Murrays, John Belushis and Gene Wilders were kings of R-rated comedy. (More)

Oscar winner Hilary Swank re-teams with her "Freedom Writers" writer-director, Richard LaGravenese, for a wistful romance that they both should have had the sense to avoid, "P.S. I Love You." (More)

No one should go to "I'm Not There," writer/director Todd Haynes' new film, which he describes as "inspired by the music and many lives of Bob Dylan," expecting to learn how Dylan came up with "Like a Rolling Stone," or what the real deal was with him and Edie Sedgwick. That's not there. (More)

Watching "The Perfect Holiday" is a lot like getting socks for Christmas: Better than finding coal in your stocking but not exactly as thrilling as unwrapping a big-screen HDTV. But at least these socks are comfortably warm and fuzzy, if not exactly stylish, and they fit as if you've worn them for years. (More)

In Kenneth Branagh's and Harold Pinter's very unnecessary reimagining of Anthony Shaffer's famed stage play "Sleuth," Michael Caine plays Andrew Wyke, a bestselling novelist who has invited to his mansion a callow young man named Milo Tindle, played by Jude Law. (More)

Watching "The Perfect Holiday" is a lot like getting socks for Christmas: Better than finding coal in your stocking but not exactly as thrilling as unwrapping a big-screen HDTV. But at least these socks are comfortably warm and fuzzy, if not exactly stylish, and they fit as if you've worn them for years. (More)

There was a lot of hullabaloo over the CGI film version of "Beowulf" last month, most of which was deserved: The film was written by superstar graphic novelist Neil Gaiman and features an animated Angelina Jolie, which is good. (More)

At an Alvin and the Chipmunks concert, every seat is a bad seat. (More)

Much like music, presents and dessert treats, Christmas tends to simultaneously bring out both the best and worst in films. The Guide offers this incomplete list of films from each category. (More)