The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Casanova" (Touchstone)
Handsome but leisurely paced period piece about history's most famous lover (Heath Ledger), focusing on a fictitious "secret" episode in his life: his incognito love affair with an 18th-century Venetian beauty (Sienna Miller) who writes feminist tracts under a male nom de plume. On the plus side, Lasse Hallstrom's film is well acted, farcical without overdoing the slapstick, remarkably restrained in sexual matters, and even has a reasonably moral ending, but there's a surfeit of troublesome Inquisition-era jibes at the Catholic Church (including a comically villainous bishop played by Jeremy Irons), and an episode involving seduction of a novice. Brief sexual episodes without nudity, innuendo, some crude expressions, pervasive anti-clerical view and a mild torture scene. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

"Cheaper By the Dozen 2" (20th Century Fox)
Agreeably entertaining sequel to the 2003 comedy which finds the Baker brood -- mom (Bonnie Hunt), dad (Steve Martin) and their 12 children -- vacationing at a lakefront cabin where their summer holiday unravels into a battle for bragging rights against a rival clan headed by a hypercompetitive blowhard (Eugene Levy). Director Adam Shankman serves up a similar helping of mildly amusing slapstick and heart-tugging sentiment, slightly more satisfying this time around, while again affirming a strong family-values message. Much comic mayhem, and some mildly crude humor, language and innuendo. 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.

"Fun With Dick and Jane" (Columbia)
Middling remake of the 1977 George Segal-Jane Fonda comedy about an affluent suburban couple who fall on hard times when they lose their jobs, and after failing to land something else turn to robbery in desperation. Director Dean Parisot's version starts out promisingly, but turns sour and unfunny, despite the skill of its two accomplished stars, while the basic premise, a satire on the American dream and corporate greed, is unconvincing from a dramatic, as much as a moral, standpoint. Some rough and crude language and profanity, brief bedroom encounters between husband and wife, some crude humor and innuendo, mild irreverence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Matador" (Weinstein)
Dark and vulgar black comedy about a mild-mannered traveling salesman (Greg Kinnear) who, while on business in Mexico, befriends a burned-out international hit man (Pierce Brosnan) who later shows up on the Denver doorstep of the former asking for help to get back his killer edge. Directed by Richard Shepard, the unconventional buddy movie's coarse tone and morally untenable ending outweigh its good performances, especially that of Brosnan, who makes his sleazy assassin more appealing than he deserves to be. A frivolous treatment of murder, strong sexual content, frontal and rear nudity, irreligious and lewd humor, and pervasive crude and rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

"Match Point" (DreamWorks)
Hypnotic London-based morality tale of lower-class tennis instructor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who marries a young woman (Emily Mortimer) from an affluent family and commences an affair with his brother-in-law's ex-fiancee (Scarlett Johansson). Writer-director Woody Allen is at the top of his serious, as opposed to humorous, form in a superbly acted psychological drama that makes its cautionary point even though, like its protagonist, the film delineates a universe governed not by God, but by pure luck. Several discreetly filmed sexual encounters but no overt nudity, some innuendo, adultery theme, scattered profanity and crass words, a couple of violent episodes discreetly filmed, abortion discussion and nihilistic worldview. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

"The New World" (New Line)
Visually exquisite, but listless and long-winded telling of the semi-legendary love affair between English explorer Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) and his Native American paramour, Pocahontas (Q'Orianka Kilcher), who saves his life in 1607 Virginia, with their star-crossed romance playing out against mounting tensions between their two peoples. Directed by Terrence Malick, the textured film is basically a series of tableaux -- meticulous in their attention to period detail -- held together by the largely embellished love story, which is saddled with pretentious voiceover narration and underdeveloped characters. Intense battle violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The Ringer" (Fox Searchlight)
Audacious but surprisingly sweet comedy about an office worker (Johnny Knoxville) who reluctantly conspires with his sleazy uncle (Brian Cox) to "fix" the Special Olympics by posing as a mentally challenged athlete in order to pay the medical expenses of an injured man he was forced to fire. Though some may find its premise distasteful, director Barry W. Blaustein's satire sensitively walks a fine line between indelicate and uplifting, ultimately imparting a feel-good message about looking beyond stereotypes and acknowledging the dignity and humanity we all share. Considerable off-color humor, an irreverent sight gag, some crude language and an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Rumor Has It..." (Warner Bros.)
Good cast wasted in mostly distasteful story of woman (Jennifer Aniston) who believes the 1967 film "The Graduate" was modeled on her family, and tracks down the man (Kevin Costner) once involved with both her late mother and her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine), and then falls for him herself. Director Rob Reiner gets decent performances from his actors, including Mark Ruffalo and Richard Jenkins, and the basic premise is mildly amusing, but the sentimental pro-family ending fails to eradicate the squishy morality throughout. Vaguely incestuous theme, permissive view of premarital sex, sexual situations, some profanity, crude language and expressions, drug references, condom reference and partial nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"The White Countess" (Sony Classics)
Lavish, final collaboration of director James Ivory and the late Ismail Merchant with an original screenplay by novelist Kazuo Ishiguro about an impoverished Russian countess (Natasha Richardson) supporting her young daughter and ungrateful family (Vanessa Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, John Wood, Madeleine Potter) while working as a hostess in a nightclub run by blind ex-diplomat (Ralph Fiennes) in 1930s' Shanghai, China, just before the Japanese invasion. Though the narrative isn't totally convincing, it has an epic sweep, and after an uncertain start builds to a satisfying conclusion with excellent performances. Some crass language, sexual innuendo, suggested prostitution, gambling, drunkenness, some barroom and wartime violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

"Wolf Creek" (Dimension)
Repulsive thriller inspired by true events about a trio of hikers (Cassandra Magrath, Nathan Phillips and Kestie Morassi) who, stranded in a remote region of the Australian Outback, find themselves in a nightmarish ordeal when they are "rescued" by a neighborly bushman (John Jarratt) who turns out to be a sadistic killer. Eliciting convincing performances out of his Aussie cast, director Greg McLean chillingly creates an unsettling sense of isolation, building suspense before detouring into dehumanizing and bloody depravity. Gratuitous realistic violence and gore, including vile scenes of mutilation and torture, sexual degradation, as well as recurring rough and sexually raw language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.