Uma Thurman

[7] It’s 18th century France and everyone’s the Vavavoom de Floofenberg dressed to the nines and powdered like a doughnut. Yes, Dangerous Liaisons is one of those dreaded costume dramas. But like any good one, if you strip away the gilding and highfalutin language, it’s really a tale as old as time — modern, even. Glenn Close is a horny, devious widow who employs her …

[6] Writer Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun) and director Michael Lehmann (Heathers, Hudson Hawk) deliver a better-than-average romantic comedy about a radio show host (Janeane Garofalo) who uses her fashion model neighbor (Uma Thurman) to get to know a handsome Australian dude (Ben Chaplin) who thinks the model is the radio show host he’s falling in love with. The Truth About Cats & Dogs …

[6] Philip Kaufman (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Right Stuff, Quills) directs this adaptation of Anais Nin’s autobiography, about her sexual escapades with Henry Miller and his wife June in 1930s Paris. Movies that turn sex into some sort of transcendental experience leave me cold and bored. If I appreciated the approach more, Henry & June is a fine film with good performances from …

[4] Director Chris Columbus hacks his own Harry Potter films with this knockoff that substitutes wizards with Greek Gods, Quidditch with swordplay, and Hogwarts for a corny renaissance festival in the woods. Young star Logan Lerman, the illegitimate son of Justin Bieber and Zac Efron, strikes a nice pose but lacks charisma. The only actors who leave an impression are Brandon T. Jackson as Percy’s …

[10] A breath of cinematic fresh air that magically dignifies exploitation and elevates dialgoue to an art form. Writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) assembles a stellar cast highlighted by the return of John Travolta, previously languishing in talking baby movie exile. In the chaptered non-linear screenplay, he’s paired with Samuel L. Jackson playing two hit men who wax philosophic between jobs. Bruce Willis …