The Shipping News

When people think about a good time at the movies, the word "somber" rarely comes to mind. You get plenty of that here. The story's thesis--that there's a place where everyone belongs--is not so bad, and it is gratifying when Kevin Spacey's hapless schlub finds some measure of redemption in the end. But that's not enough to lift this movie high enough for most viewers.

Training Day

Intense, troubling and all too real. Good work by Denzel Washington, but Ethan Hawke should not be overlooked here--he certainly holds his own against the award-winner. This is the sort of movie that gets you thinking about the state of society for many days after viewing, and the thoughts are not comforting.