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But\|how\|it\|washed\|out\|despite\|all\|of\|that\|is\|the\|project\|'s\|prime\|mystery\|.
Whatever\|the\|movie\|'s\|sentimental\|,\|hypocritical\|lessons\|about\|sexism\|,\|its\|true\|colors\|come\|out\|in\|various\|wet\|T-shirt\|and\|shower\|scenes\|.
As\|a\|hybrid\|teen\|thriller\|and\|murder\|mystery\|,\|Murder\|by\|Numbers\|fits\|the\|profile\|too\|closely\|.
There\|ai\|n't\|a\|lot\|more\|painful\|than\|an\|unfunny\|movie\|that\|thinks\|it\|'s\|hilarious\|.
I\|enjoyed\|the\|movie\|in\|a\|superficial\|way\|,\|while\|never\|sure\|what\|its\|purpose\|was\|.
What\|a\|pity\|...\|that\|the\|material\|is\|so\|second-rate\|.
Does\|n't\|deliver\|a\|great\|story\|,\|nor\|is\|the\|action\|as\|gripping\|as\|in\|past\|Seagal\|films\|.
The\|kind\|of\|film\|that\|leaves\|you\|scratching\|your\|head\|in\|amazement\|over\|the\|fact\|that\|so\|many\|talented\|people\|could\|participate\|in\|such\|an\|ill-advised\|and\|poorly\|executed\|idea\|.
Nicks\|refuses\|to\|let\|Slackers\|be\|seen\|as\|just\|another\|teen\|movie\|,\|which\|means\|he\|can\|be\|forgiven\|for\|frequently\|pandering\|to\|fans\|of\|the\|gross-out\|comedy\|.
Nothing\|about\|the\|film\|--\|with\|the\|possible\|exception\|of\|Elizabeth\|Hurley\|'s\|breasts\|--\|is\|authentic\|.
Amid\|the\|cliché\|and\|foreshadowing\|,\|Cage\|manages\|a\|degree\|of\|casual\|realism\|...\|that\|is\|routinely\|dynamited\|by\|Blethyn\|.
Mostly\|,\|Shafer\|and\|co-writer\|Gregory\|Hinton\|lack\|a\|strong-minded\|viewpoint\|,\|or\|a\|sense\|of\|humor\|.
No\|cliche\|escapes\|the\|perfervid\|treatment\|of\|gang\|warfare\|called\|ces\|Wild\|.
Eddie\|Murphy\|and\|Owen\|Wilson\|have\|a\|cute\|partnership\|in\|I\|Spy\|,\|but\|the\|movie\|around\|them\|is\|so\|often\|nearly\|nothing\|that\|their\|charm\|does\|n't\|do\|a\|load\|of\|good\|.
Strictly\|a\|`\|guy\|'s\|film\|'\|in\|the\|worst\|sense\|of\|the\|expression\|.
There\|'s\|some\|good\|material\|in\|their\|story\|about\|a\|retail\|clerk\|wanting\|more\|out\|of\|life\|,\|but\|the\|movie\|too\|often\|spins\|its\|wheels\|with\|familiar\|situations\|and\|repetitive\|scenes\|.
It\|'s\|a\|lot\|to\|ask\|people\|to\|sit\|still\|for\|two\|hours\|and\|change\|watching\|such\|a\|character\|,\|especially\|when\|rendered\|in\|as\|flat\|and\|impassive\|a\|manner\|as\|Phoenix\|'s\|.
There\|'s\|something\|fishy\|about\|a\|seasonal\|holiday\|kids\|'\|movie\|...\|that\|derives\|its\|moment\|of\|most\|convincing\|emotional\|gravity\|from\|a\|scene\|where\|Santa\|gives\|gifts\|to\|grownups\|.
We\|'re\|left\|with\|a\|story\|that\|tries\|to\|grab\|us\|,\|only\|to\|keep\|letting\|go\|at\|all\|the\|wrong\|moments\|.
Like\|many\|such\|biographical\|melodramas\|,\|it\|suffers\|from\|the\|awkwardness\|that\|results\|from\|adhering\|to\|the\|messiness\|of\|true\|stories\|.
There\|is\|nothing\|redeeming\|about\|this\|movie\|.
The\|film\|has\|(\|its\|)\|moments\|,\|but\|they\|are\|few\|and\|far\|between\|.
I\|was\|trying\|to\|decide\|what\|annoyed\|me\|most\|about\|God\|is\|Great\|...\|I\|'m\|Not\|,\|and\|then\|I\|realized\|that\|I\|just\|did\|n't\|care\|.
Derailed\|by\|bad\|writing\|and\|possibly\|also\|by\|some\|of\|that\|extensive\|post-production\|reworking\|to\|aim\|the\|film\|at\|young\|males\|in\|the\|throes\|of\|their\|first\|full\|flush\|of\|testosterone\|.
Deserves\|high\|marks\|for\|political\|courage\|but\|barely\|gets\|by\|on\|its\|artistic\|merits\|.
...\|comes\|alive\|only\|when\|it\|switches\|gears\|to\|the\|sentimental\|.
Brosnan\|'s\|finest\|non-Bondish\|performance\|yet\|fails\|to\|overcome\|the\|film\|'s\|manipulative\|sentimentality\|and\|annoying\|stereotypes\|.
A\|film\|that\|will\|be\|best\|appreciated\|by\|those\|willing\|to\|endure\|its\|extremely\|languorous\|rhythms\|,\|Waiting\|for\|Happiness\|is\|ultimately\|thoughtful\|without\|having\|much\|dramatic\|impact\|.
To\|me\|,\|it\|sounds\|like\|a\|cruel\|deception\|carried\|out\|by\|men\|of\|marginal\|intelligence\|,\|with\|reactionary\|ideas\|about\|women\|and\|a\|total\|lack\|of\|empathy\|.
Tsai\|may\|be\|ploughing\|the\|same\|furrow\|once\|too\|often\|.
Flashy\|gadgets\|and\|whirling\|fight\|sequences\|may\|look\|cool\|,\|but\|they\|ca\|n't\|distract\|from\|the\|flawed\|support\|structure\|holding\|Equilibrium\|up\|.
ZigZag\|might\|have\|been\|richer\|and\|more\|observant\|if\|it\|were\|less\|densely\|plotted\|.
How\|can\|such\|a\|cold\|movie\|claim\|to\|express\|warmth\|and\|longing\|?
In\|truth\|,\|it\|has\|all\|the\|heart\|of\|a\|porno\|flick\|(\|but\|none\|of\|the\|sheer\|lust\|)\|.
Nicks\|and\|Steinberg\|match\|their\|own\|creations\|for\|pure\|venality\|--\|that\|'s\|giving\|it\|the\|old\|college\|try\|.
Episode\|II\|--\|Attack\|of\|the\|Clones\|is\|a\|technological\|exercise\|that\|lacks\|juice\|and\|delight\|.
The\|problem\|with\|all\|of\|this\|:\|It\|'s\|not\|really\|funny\|.
(\|Denis\|'\|)\|bare-bones\|narrative\|more\|closely\|resembles\|an\|outline\|for\|a\|'70s\|exploitation\|picture\|than\|the\|finished\|product\|.
Wanders\|all\|over\|the\|map\|thematically\|and\|stylistically\|,\|and\|borrows\|heavily\|from\|Lynch\|,\|Jeunet\|,\|and\|von\|Trier\|while\|failing\|to\|find\|a\|spark\|of\|its\|own\|.
Viewing\|this\|underdramatized\|but\|overstated\|film\|is\|like\|watching\|a\|transcript\|of\|a\|therapy\|session\|brought\|to\|humdrum\|life\|by\|some\|Freudian\|puppet\|.
Overall\|tomfoolery\|like\|this\|is\|a\|matter\|of\|taste\|.
The\|mantra\|behind\|the\|project\|seems\|to\|have\|been\|`\|it\|'s\|just\|a\|kids\|'\|flick\|.\|'
Translation\|:\|`\|We\|do\|n't\|need\|to\|try\|very\|hard\|.\|'
In\|all\|the\|annals\|of\|the\|movies\|,\|few\|films\|have\|been\|this\|odd\|,\|inexplicable\|and\|unpleasant\|.
It\|takes\|a\|really\|long\|,\|slow\|and\|dreary\|time\|to\|dope\|out\|what\|TUCK\|EVERLASTING\|is\|about\|.
So\|here\|it\|is\|:\|It\|'s\|about\|a\|family\|of\|sour\|immortals\|.
an\|essentially\|awkward\|version\|of\|the\|lightweight\|female\|empowerment\|picture\|we\|'ve\|been\|watching\|for\|decades
The\|author\|'s\|devotees\|will\|probably\|find\|it\|fascinating\|;\|others\|may\|find\|it\|baffling\|.
Writer-director\|Walter\|Hill\|and\|co-writer\|David\|Giler\|try\|to\|create\|characters\|out\|of\|the\|obvious\|cliches\|,\|but\|wind\|up\|using\|them\|as\|punching\|bags\|.
There\|'s\|a\|scientific\|law\|to\|be\|discerned\|here\|that\|producers\|would\|be\|well\|to\|heed\|:\|Mediocre\|movies\|start\|to\|drag\|as\|soon\|as\|the\|action\|speeds\|up\|;\|when\|the\|explosions\|start\|,\|they\|fall\|to\|pieces\|.
A\|cockeyed\|shot\|all\|the\|way\|.
Lush\|and\|beautifully\|photographed\|(\|somebody\|suggested\|the\|stills\|might\|make\|a\|nice\|coffee\|table\|book\|)\|,\|but\|ultimately\|you\|'ll\|leave\|the\|theater\|wondering\|why\|these\|people\|mattered\|.
Unfortunately\|,\|One\|Hour\|Photo\|lives\|down\|to\|its\|title\|.
Thanks\|largely\|to\|Williams\|,\|all\|the\|interesting\|developments\|are\|processed\|in\|60\|minutes\|--\|the\|rest\|is\|just\|an\|overexposed\|waste\|of\|film\|.
Cold\|,\|Sterile\|And\|Lacking\|Any\|Color\|Or\|Warmth\|.
The\|film\|is\|undone\|by\|anachronistic\|quick\|edits\|and\|occasional\|jarring\|glimpses\|of\|a\|modern\|theater\|audience\|watching\|the\|events\|unfold\|.
Seems\|like\|someone\|going\|through\|the\|motions\|.
For\|a\|film\|about\|explosions\|and\|death\|and\|spies\|,\|``\|Ballistic\|:\|Ecks\|vs.\|Sever\|''\|seems\|as\|safe\|as\|a\|children\|'s\|film\|.
Well\|,\|in\|some\|of\|those\|,\|the\|mother\|deer\|even\|dies\|.
Wallace\|gets\|a\|bit\|heavy\|handed\|with\|his\|message\|at\|times\|,\|and\|has\|a\|visual\|flair\|that\|waxes\|poetic\|far\|too\|much\|for\|our\|taste\|.
Impostor\|does\|n't\|do\|much\|with\|its\|template\|,\|despite\|a\|remarkably\|strong\|cast\|.
Wraps\|itself\|in\|the\|guise\|of\|a\|dark\|and\|quirky\|comedy\|,\|but\|it\|is\|n't\|as\|quirky\|as\|it\|thinks\|it\|is\|and\|its\|comedy\|is\|generally\|mean-spirited\|.
Choppy\|,\|overlong\|documentary\|about\|`\|The\|Lifestyle\|.\|'
One\|sloughs\|one\|'s\|way\|through\|the\|mire\|of\|this\|alleged\|psychological\|thriller\|in\|search\|of\|purpose\|or\|even\|a\|plot\|.
A\|film\|which\|presses\|familiar\|Herzog\|tropes\|into\|the\|service\|of\|a\|limpid\|and\|conventional\|historical\|fiction\|,\|when\|really\|what\|we\|demand\|of\|the\|director\|is\|to\|be\|mesmerised\|.
It\|'s\|a\|fanboy\|`\|what\|if\|?\|'
brought\|to\|life\|on\|the\|big\|screen\|.
The\|story\|itself\|is\|actually\|quite\|vapid\|.
It\|'s\|a\|hellish\|,\|numbing\|experience\|to\|watch\|,\|and\|it\|does\|n't\|offer\|any\|insights\|that\|have\|n't\|been\|thoroughly\|debated\|in\|the\|media\|already\|,\|back\|in\|the\|Dahmer\|heyday\|of\|the\|mid\|-\|'90s\|.
Wait\|for\|pay\|per\|view\|or\|rental\|but\|do\|n't\|dismiss\|BarberShop\|out\|of\|hand\|.
A\|few\|zingers\|aside\|,\|the\|writing\|is\|indifferent\|,\|and\|Jordan\|Brady\|'s\|direction\|is\|prosaic\|.
Each\|scene\|drags\|,\|underscoring\|the\|obvious\|,\|and\|sentiment\|is\|slathered\|on\|top\|.
Would\|'ve\|been\|nice\|if\|the\|screenwriters\|had\|trusted\|audiences\|to\|understand\|a\|complex\|story\|,\|and\|left\|off\|the\|film\|'s\|predictable\|denouement\|.
Then\|Nadia\|'s\|birthday\|might\|not\|have\|been\|such\|a\|bad\|day\|after\|all\|.
One\|of\|those\|staggeringly\|well-produced\|,\|joylessly\|extravagant\|pictures\|that\|keep\|whooshing\|you\|from\|one\|visual\|marvel\|to\|the\|next\|,\|hastily\|,\|emptily\|.
Nair\|just\|does\|n't\|have\|the\|necessary\|self-control\|to\|guide\|a\|loose\|,\|poorly\|structured\|film\|through\|the\|pitfalls\|of\|incoherence\|and\|redundancy\|.
Enthusiastically\|taking\|up\|the\|current\|teen\|movie\|concern\|with\|bodily\|functions\|,\|Walt\|Becker\|'s\|film\|pushes\|all\|the\|demographically\|appropriate\|comic\|buttons\|.
It\|'s\|the\|funniest\|American\|comedy\|since\|Graffiti\|Bridge\|.
That\|neither\|protagonist\|has\|a\|distinguishable\|condition\|hardly\|matters\|because\|both\|are\|just\|actory\|concoctions\|,\|defined\|by\|childlike\|dimness\|and\|a\|handful\|of\|quirks\|.
What\|starts\|off\|as\|a\|possible\|Argentine\|American\|Beauty\|reeks\|like\|a\|room\|stacked\|with\|pungent\|flowers\|.
The\|project\|'s\|filmmakers\|forgot\|to\|include\|anything\|even\|halfway\|scary\|as\|they\|poorly\|rejigger\|Fatal\|Attraction\|into\|a\|high\|school\|setting\|.
In\|old-fashioned\|screenwriting\|parlance\|,\|Ms.\|Shreve\|'s\|novel\|proved\|too\|difficult\|a\|text\|to\|`\|lick\|,\|'\|despite\|the\|efforts\|of\|a\|first-rate\|cast\|.
Solondz\|may\|well\|be\|the\|only\|one\|laughing\|at\|his\|own\|joke
Stitch\|is\|a\|bad\|mannered\|,\|ugly\|and\|destructive\|little\|\\\\\|.
No\|cute\|factor\|here\|...\|Not\|that\|I\|mind\|ugly\|;\|the\|problem\|is\|he\|has\|no\|character\|,\|loveable\|or\|otherwise\|.
Deep\|down\|,\|I\|realized\|the\|harsh\|reality\|of\|my\|situation\|:\|I\|would\|leave\|the\|theater\|with\|a\|lower\|I.Q.\|than\|when\|I\|had\|entered\|.
A\|really\|funny\|fifteen-minute\|short\|stretched\|beyond\|its\|limits\|to\|fill\|an\|almost\|feature-length\|film\|.
Aside\|from\|the\|fact\|that\|the\|film\|idiotically\|uses\|the\|website\|feardotcom.com\|or\|the\|improperly\|hammy\|performance\|from\|poor\|Stephen\|Rea\|,\|the\|film\|gets\|added\|disdain\|for\|the\|fact\|that\|it\|is\|nearly\|impossible\|to\|look\|at\|or\|understand\|.
It\|is\|bad\|,\|but\|certainly\|not\|without\|merit\|as\|entertainment\|.
For\|its\|100\|minutes\|running\|time\|,\|you\|'ll\|wait\|in\|vain\|for\|a\|movie\|to\|happen\|.
A\|work\|that\|lacks\|both\|a\|purpose\|and\|a\|strong\|pulse\|.
A\|faster\|paced\|family\|flick\|.
Upper\|Teens\|may\|get\|cynical\|.
Smaller\|numbered\|kidlets\|will\|enjoy\|.
While\|this\|film\|has\|an\|`\|A\|'\|list\|cast\|and\|some\|strong\|supporting\|players\|,\|the\|tale\|--\|like\|its\|central\|figure\|,\|Vivi\|--\|is\|just\|a\|little\|bit\|hard\|to\|love\|.
It\|'s\|a\|road-trip\|drama\|with\|too\|many\|wrong\|turns\|.
Most\|fish\|stories\|are\|a\|little\|peculiar\|,\|but\|this\|is\|one\|that\|should\|be\|thrown\|back\|in\|the\|river\|.
It\|'s\|all\|gratuitous\|before\|long\|,\|as\|if\|Schwentke\|were\|fulfilling\|a\|gross-out\|quota\|for\|an\|anticipated\|audience\|demographic\|instead\|of\|shaping\|the\|material\|to\|fit\|the\|story\|.
``\|I\|blame\|all\|men\|for\|war\|,\|''\|(\|the\|warden\|'s\|daughter\|)\|tells\|her\|father\|.
The\|movie\|is\|about\|as\|deep\|as\|that\|sentiment\|.

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