Napoleon Dynamite

The concept is probably better than the execution, but this film still deserves attention and applause for its oddball sensibility. The auteurs do not fully commit to the details--it feels like the mid-80s, but some contemporary details sneak in to muddle the time frame--and that just seems sloppy. They also fail to be explicit in their thesis (that it's not so bad to be a geek, if you're strong about it). Subtlety is always welcome in this sledgehammer world, but in this case it might actually undermine the movie's statement. Overall, the movie is funny and offbeat enough to make it worth while, but it still leaves questions in the air.