Movies Update: Reviews of 'Higher Ground,' 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' and More

If you have trouble reading this e-mail, please click here

August 26, 2011 Movies Update

Movie Reviews Movie Review | 'Higher Ground' Navigating Between Faith and Skepticism By A. O. SCOTT Vera Farmiga stars in this film, her directorial debut, a drama that weighs the merits of faith against a secular sensibility. Anatomy of a Scene: 'Higher Ground' Movie Overview | Showtimes | Trailers | Rate and Review Movie Review | 'Circumstance' Where the Personal Is the Intensely Political By A. O. SCOTT Maryam Keshavarz's "Circumstance" chronicles the coming of age of two young women in contemporary Iran. Living and Loving Underground in Iran Movie Overview | Showtimes | Trailers | Rate and Review ADVERTISEMENT Movie Review | 'Brighton Rock' A Meek Rose Amid the Mods and Rockers in an English Resort Town By STEPHEN HOLDEN The director Rowan Joffe has turned "Brighton Rock," Graham Greene's novel rooted in Brighton's seedy underworld, into a full-scale film noir. Movie Overview | Showtimes | Trailers | Rate and Review Movie Review | 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' A Renovation Uncovers Nastier Things Than Dust By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is a reimagining of the 1973 television movie that terrified Guillermo del Toro as a boy. Video: The Horror, The Horror Movie Overview | Showtimes | Trailers | Rate and Review Movie Review | 'Our Idiot Brother' Joke Is on the Siblings of a Modern Holy Fool By A. O. SCOTT A goofy man-child of a brother ends up exposing the hypocrisy and unhappiness of everyone around him. This Is Not Their Lives. Really. It's Not. Movie Overview | Showtimes | Trailers | Rate and Review Movie Review | 'Tales From the Golden Age' They Have Coveted Christmas Meat, Now How Do They Eat It in Peace? By STEPHEN HOLDEN "Tales," overseen by Cristian Mungiu, is a hearty satirical guffaw of gallows humor that illustrates how laughter helped buoy the spirits of an oppressed citizenry. Tales From Cristian Mungiu Movie Overview | Trailers | Rate and Review Movie Review | 'Colombiana' She Walks in Beauty, and Brings Along a Bazooka By MIKE HALE In "Colombiana," directed by Olivier Megaton, Zoe Saldana takes her place among big-screen heroines who play very rough. Movie Overview | Trailers | Rate and Review More Reviews Movie Review | 'Special Treatment': It's All in Your Head or in Your Bed Movie Review | 'Chasing Madoff': The High Human Cost of Following the Money in the Madoff Fraud Case Movie Review | 'The Family Tree': For One Family in Serenity, Ohio, It Seems Life Is Anything but Serene Movie Review | 'Iron Crows': Documentary on Shipbreakers, and Where Tankers Go When They Die Movie Review | '3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy': Cantonese Erotic Fantasy: 3-D and One Lousy Lover Movie Review | 'A Proper Violence': Bittersweet Revenge Movie Review | 'Stripped Down': A Feminist Spin on the Sexploitation Genre News & Features Arts & Leisure Summer Cinema Worth Debating By A.O. SCOTT This summer, three movies, "The Tree of Life," "The Future" and "The Help," have provoked strong and interesting schisms among critics and also among people who actually buy tickets. Slide Show: Films to Love and Hate Jessica Chastain, a Star Not Quite Overnight Arts & Leisure A Star Not Quite Overnight By MARGY ROCHLIN Jessica Chastain, with roles in "The Help" and "The Tree of Life," seemingly burst out of nowhere a complete movie star. The truth's more complicated. Filmography: Jessica Chastain Up, Up and Away By BROOKS BARNES Useful connections and passion for a house led to a sherbet-colored abode like the one in the movie "Up," in Herriman, Utah. Slide Show The Struggles They Faced After That Day By FELICIA R. LEE In "Rebirth," a documentary by Jim Whitaker, five people whose lives were altered on Sept. 11, 2001, are tracked as they try to recover and move on. Interactive Feature: Portraits of Grief DVD VIDEO Streaming Video's Emerging Bounty By DAVE KEHR Streaming video services like Netflix Instant and Hulu Plus have a way to go, but are making some tantalizing rarities available for viewing. ADVERTISEMENT

Photos & Video Video: Anatomy of a Scene: 'Higher Ground' Vera Farmiga, the director and star of "Higher Ground," discusses a scene from her film. Slide Show: Films to Love and Hate A look at some of history's most polarizing films. Summer Cinema Worth Debating Slide Show: Real Estate Is Looking 'Up' Images of the Utah house that was inspired by the film "Up." A. O. Scott recommends: Higher Ground NYT Review Readers' Reviews Buy Tickets Watch Trailer Manohla Dargis recommends: Mysteries of Lisbon NYT Review Readers' Reviews Buy Tickets Watch Trailer Stephen Holden recommends: Brighton Rock NYT Review Readers' Reviews Buy Tickets Watch Trailer More Critics' Picks » Showtimes & Tickets Enter Title and/or Enter Zip Code Go to Showtimes & Tickets » Box Office Top 5 The Help Rise of the Planet of the Apes Spy Kids 4: All The Time in The World Fright Night Go to Box Office » Editor FeedBack Thanks for taking the time to read this e-mail. Feel free to send feedback; I enjoy hearing your opinions and will do my best to respond. Mekado Murphy Movies Producer The New York Times on the Web Coming Soon A Good Old Fashioned Orgy Gainsbourg Warrior Go to Coming Soon » Times Pulse The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers. Higher Ground Brighton Rock The Help Iron Crows Circumstance Go to Times Pulse » ADVERTISEMENT

About This E-Mail You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Movies Update newsletter. As a member of the TRUSTe privacy program, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe | Change Your E-Mail | Privacy Policy | Contact | Advertise Copyright 2011 | The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018