Despite worthy performances by Billy Bob Thornton and Kathy Bates, readers of the book will come away scratching their heads about changes in the plot. Perhaps if Jeffrey Wright had been cast as Henry Burton - as the rumors initially had it - the protagonist might have retained the moral complexity to keep the rest of the story on track.

It’s not often that watching one movie changes my mind about another movie, but that’s exactly what happened when I watched “Hotel Rwanda”.

I had seen Sometimes in April just a week beforehand. It made a mixed impression on me. The performances were strong, and the cinematography made me feel like I was in Africa—but I found the script occasionally heavy-handed. After watching, “Hotel Rwanda”, however, “Sometimes in April” seems a model of restraint and nuance, and “Hotel Rwanda”, like a hollywood remake. And after seeing “Sometimes in April”, I could not believe “Hotel Rwanda”.

Perhaps a story with well-delineated heroes and villains is the only way that some people will come to understand what happened in Rwanda. But if this movie is their guide, I think they will miss the lesson that underlies this atrocity, and every atrocity of this kind: That man’s inhumanity to man is a very human thing, after all. And none of us are innocent.

“300” is a beautifully filmed and tolerably acted comic book movie, but Clash of the Titans may offer more insight into historical Greece. Imagine Red Dawn, only with shaved chests and spears. And a war rhinoceros. Well, never mind. I suppose I can do no better than to echo this appropriately laconic appraisal from my moviegoing companion: It was better than Gladiator.

I was surprised to find this movie ranked 30 in Rotten Tomatoes’ Worst Reviewed List . While it hardly changed my life, I thought it was effective for its genre. I really enjoy a good ghost story, but so few achieve anything like watchability. This one does, with a decent performance by Anna Paquin and a plot that relies more on spooking the psyche than shocking the nerves. I suspect the film is punished because it doesn’t appeal to the goremongers who keep the Horror industry afloat, but also doesn’t sell to people who don’t care for Horror, however well done. (Note: This review is based on the theatrical release.)

I watched this shortly after seeing Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, also with Kirk Douglas. Whereas that film had impressed me, this one seemed bogus both historically and psychologically. A lot of Hollywood here, and not so much Kubrick. It has moments (“I am Spartacus”), but you have to wade through the schmaltz to get to them.

This season has moments of inspiration like its predecessors. But it also meanders aimlessly. And oh god, that finale.

What in the name of goodness was George Sluizer thinking when he remade this film for American audiences?

He took the things which set the original version apart - the mystery, the philosophy, the surprisingly complex characterization, the haunting ending - and turned it all into just another psycho killer movie.

If the original wasn’t so great, it would be easy to overlook a mediocre offering like this. But since there is a precedent—this movie watches like a 109 minute insult. I wish I could blot it out of my memory.