Reviews of recently released movies

David
A young boy's odyssey from oppression to freedom becomes a journey of self-discovery in the life-affirming family adventure "I Am David" (Lions Gate).

Director Paul Feig's visually handsome adaptation of Anne Holm's novel is, plainly put, a wonderful movie. The small, simply told tale is intelligent yet unpretentious, tender without being trite, edifying as well as engaging. It has moments of genuine drama, but more importantly it has heart, and the gentle message it imparts --- that life is a gift --- is full of hope.

In other words, it is the perfect antidote for the formulaic and toxic excess of many mainstream movies.

Ben Tibber plays the hero of the title, a 12-year-old whose life has been defined by the barbed-wire boundaries of a dreary Bulgarian labor camp. David knows nothing of the outside world, not even the fate of his dissident parents, from whom he was separated years earlier.

Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Christ in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," plays Johannes, a protective fellow prisoner who looks out for the orphaned boy and becomes his mentor.

Set in 1952, the film opens with David attempting a daring late-night break, about which we hear an off-screen voice giving precise instructions for each step of the escape as it unfolds. The unseen ally tells the boy that, once outside, he must somehow make it to Denmark where he is to deliver a sealed envelope containing documents that hold the key to David's future happiness.

Equipped only with a loaf of bread and a compass --- as well as an uncanny ear for foreign languages --- David crosses the border into Greece and stows away on a freighter bound for Italy.

Lost and alone, he manages to get himself into and out of several scrapes as he works his way northward. Full of pluck and courage, but short on food, money and even the most rudimentary life skills, David finds himself relying for survival on the kindness of strangers, including an aristocratic Italian couple who open their home --- and their hearts --- to him after he saves their daughter's (Viola Carinci) life.

His wanderings lead him to Switzerland, where a maternally minded painter (Joan Plowright) helps him break through his inner wall of fear and suspicion, and begin to trust people again.

As with most "journey" stories, "I Am David" is episodic in nature, resulting in some narrative lags. But while the film squanders much of the momentum generated in the tautly paced setup, it rebounds nicely in the last half-hour and is capped by an emotionally satisfying ending.

The relationship between David and Johannes is economically constructed through splintered flashbacks --- interlaced throughout the main action --- which come to a tragic head during the film's revelatory climax, neatly tying together loose story threads.

Tibber admirably carries the film on his slight shoulders, his guarded expression suggesting the visage of a child, at once both innocent to the ways of the world, yet already hardened by its cruelty. At times, his face seems genetically incapable of softening into a smile.

Caviezel exudes a gravitas disproportionate to his extremely limited screen time. In an ironic twist, Hristo Shopov (who played Pontius Pilate in "The Passion of the Christ") once again stands in judgment over Caviezel as the prison camp's world-weary commandant. Francesco de Vito, who played St. Peter in the Gibson film, also appears as a friendly Italian sailor.

During his travels, David is told that he "cannot let the evil in the world blind you to the goodness." This goodness is symbolized by the natural beauty of the landscape, which stands in stark contrast to the gray ugliness of the gulag.

"I Am David" is the kind of rare treat that restores your faith in cinema, reminding audiences that films can still inspire and uplift rather than degrade and debase.

Due to mature themes and some brief violence, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II --- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG --- parental guidance suggested.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (Universal)
Retread sequel to 2001's "Bridget Jones' Diary," which finds the plump, romantically challenged Brit once again navigating a minefield of jealousies and insecurities, while waffling between sincere affection for her dashing but strait-laced lawyer boyfriend (Colin Firth) and the temptation of her caddish ex-boss and former lover (Hugh Grant). It may be a new diary entry for Bridget but, as directed by Beeban Kidron, the story pretty much feels recycled from the first go-round, though Zellweger, Firth and Grant are at the top of their game. Several implied sexual encounters, a lesbian subplot, as well as an instance of rough language and recurring crude sexual language and humor. The USCCB classification is L (limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling). The MPAA rating is R (restricted).

Finding Neverland (Miramax)
Beautifully crafted and affecting -- if occasionally somber -- fictionalized story about the fondness of playwright J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) for a widow (Kate Winslet) and her four young sons who inspire him to write his greatest success, "Peter Pan." Marc Forster deftly captures the 1903 period ambience, and has drawn fine performances from Depp (in one of his finest roles), Winslet, Julie Christie and Freddie Highmore as the boy who became the inspiration for Peter Pan. Some thematic material -- marital discord and the mother's tragic illness -- and some mildly coarse language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II (adults and adolescents). The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG (parental guidance suggested).

The Machinist (Paramount Classics)
Darkly arresting psychological thriller about a skeletal machine operator (Christian Bale) suffering from chronic insomnia, whose fragile psyche is edged toward madness by the presence of a menacing co-worker (John Sharian), and whose only solace is found in the companionship of a sympathetic coffee-shop waitress (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) and a comforting call girl (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Director Brad Anderson's grimly stylish meditation on guilt and paranoia is dripping with nightmarish noir atmospherics and bleak moodiness and is highlighted by a mesmerizing performance by Bale, who lost a jaw-dropping 63 pounds for the role. Several instances of violence, including a gruesome amputation, sexual situations with nudity, as well as recurring rough and crude language. The USCCB classification is L. The MPAA rating is R.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Paramount)
Wacky animated comedy-adventure about a yellow sea sponge (voiced by Tom Kenny) who, along with his starfish best friend (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke) must recover King Neptune's crown in order to save their underwater home from the diabolical plans of an evil amoeba (voiced by Doug Lawrence). Based on the hugely popular TV cartoon and directed by "SpongeBob" creator Stephen Hillenburg, the whimsical feature-length film plays like an extended episode of the television show, staying true to the series' kid-friendly tone and imparting a positive believe-in-yourself message that celebrates childhood innocence. A few scenes of menace and some mildly crude humor. The USCCB classification is A-I (general patronage). The MPAA rating is PG.

David DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.