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Capsule reviews by Thomas Delapa (T.D.) or Ingrid Vogelfanger (I.V.), as indicated.

Amelie. The publicity for this import touts that it has become one of Franceıs biggest critical and commercial successes of recent years. Just remember: This is the same country where Jerry Lewis is revered as a comic genius. Amelie is the product of the fertile imagination of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, one-half of the directing team behind Delicatessen. His latest film is a love letter to Paris, to childhood fantasy and to the expressive language of cinema. But itıs a letter that should be stamped "Contents: Perishable Froufrou." In her page-boy hairdo and elfin grin, actress Audrey Tatou is the movieıs Gallic delicacy. Sheıs Amelie, at 24 a shy Montmartre waitress. A narrator relates her life story, laced with droll details of the eccentric people around her. Francophiles may be the first to toast the film, if only for its postcard-pretty views of famous Paris sights. But Jeunetıs flagrant flaw has always been his baroque superficiality, which becomes more apparent as moves from loose anecdote into Amelieıs picaresque adventure story. Rated R. At Denverıs Mayan, Chez Artiste and Crossroads Commons. ‹TD

Band of Outsiders (1964). Please see review.

Behind Enemy Lines. As far as timing goes, score Enemy Lines as a direct hit. Made over a year ago, this unassuming war movie has been rushed into release, capitalizing on both the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, as well as on the swelling of patriotism at home in the aftermath of September's terrorist attacks. If you thought Top Gun was pro-military, then get a load of this picture, which might as well been produced by the Pentagon. Armed with compelling cinematics and a likable, laid-back star in Owen Wilson, the film swiftly tells the story of a downed Navy flier trapped in the middle of war-torn Bosnia. He's relentelessly pursued by a squad of Serbian soldiers out to kill him. The "most dangerous game" scenario plays out with suspense and simplicity, but it's strategically undercut by the film's xenophobic politics. For almost 90 minutes, director John Moore dodges the shootout-at-the-OK-Corral mentality that has shot down many a Hollywood action flick. The ending only exposes the film's intentions as a retro Rambo in camouflage. With Gene Hackman. Rated PG-13. At Flatirons Crossing, Colony Square, Twin Peaks and United Artists Village. ‹TD

Black Knight. Los Angeles homeboy Martin Lawrence goes back to 14th-century England, gets mad and kicks some medieval butt. Welcome to another shallow fish-out-of-water comedy, with the swaggering Lawrence magically transported to a castle of yore where heıs accidentally treated like visiting royalty by the king. At least the filmmakers didnıt skimp on the period production design, which looks as authentically medieval as anything this side of Braveheart. Plopped in the middle of the historical decor is the spastic, comically erratic Lawrence, who chills out the trippinı local barbarians with soul music, French kissing, and a few choice obscenities. Rated PG-13. At Twin Peaks. ‹TD

Bread and Tulips. This Italian comedy has all the ingredients to be an amusing dish, but never quite gels into anything more than a dainty appetizer. Left stranded by her tour bus, Alba (Licia Maglietta) hitch-hikes to Venice on a whim, leaving her fuming husband behind to take care of their two teenage sons. Taking a job in Venice, Alba meets a menu of eccentrics, including a suicidal waiter (Bruno Ganz) and a holistic masseuse (Marina Massironi). Director Silvio Soldiniıs pace is so light and whimsical that the movie floats along listlessly. Despite a tasty performance by Maglietta, Bread and Tulips is half a loaf of yeasty comedy, and even that half is undercooked. Rated PG-13. At Crossroads Commons. ‹TD

Harry Potter and the Sorcererıs Stone. I finally realized why writing a review of Harry Potter and the Sorcererıs Stone is so hard. Itıs not becuase the $125 million wizardry-and-witchcraft fantasy put a spell on me. Itıs not because the film is a magical experience beyond words. The reason is that this synthetic, over-stuffed version of J.K. Rowlingıs best-selling childrenıs novel is virtually critic-proof, in the same way that other blockbuster "event" movies such as Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace and Titanic were. Regardless of all the reviews, the film will conjure up long lines at theatres all over the English-speaking world. But be forewarned: Itıs the kiddie-meal counterpart to this yearıs yawning Pearl Harbor. Over two hours long, it could have easily been cut by 30 minutes. Though directed by Chris Columbus, it feels more like the book directed by him. Critics feared that Columbus would bring his Home Alone overkill with him and spoil the understated British tone. Just the opposite is true. Hollywood filmmakers adapting the life of Jesus for the screen were never so reverant. With Danial Radcliffe, Richard Harris and Robbie Coltrane. Rated PG. At Flatirons Crossing, Colony Square, Nederland Community Center, Crossroads Commons and Twin Peaks. ‹TD

K-PAX. A science-fiction fantasy that wants to grow up to be a realistic drama. The title refers to a distant planet that a New York City mental patient claims is his home. The benevolent "Prot" (Kevin Spacey) says heıs rode a beam of light to Earth and for five years heıs been a happy tourist. For one thing, we Earthlings have the best fruit in the galaxy. The plot is set up as a series of talky sessions between Prot and a psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) obsessed to prove that his patient is but a supremely delusional human. As the self-proclaimed spaceman, Spacey has a stellar ability to project childlike curiosity and kindness, combined with an adultıs impatience with condescending questions. Maybe the filmmakers thought that audiences wouldnıt buy an adult version of E.T. I do know that Bridgesı implausible detective journey to New Mexico in search of Protıs past sends the film spinning off course. The result is that weıre left with an unsatisifying ambiguity about who or what Prot really is. Rated PG-13. At Basemar Cinema Savers. ‹TD

Life as a House. Give me a wrecking ball. Kevin Kline is the only thing keeping this ramshackle domestic drama from total condemnation. Kline plays a dying, divorced architect who devotes his last few months to building the house of his dreams. In the process, he hopes to gain back the affection of his surly, glue-sniffing and multi-pierced son (Hayden Christensen). Do I have to draw you a picture on where this one is headed? Forceful yet sensitive, Kline seems like heıs acting in another picture, at least one not directed by the hackneyed Irwin Winkler. Heavy-handed is not the word for Mark Andrusı script‹itıs like someone dropping a ton of bricks on the audience. Almost everything on view is plastered with sentimentality, especially the way Kline and his ex-wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) patch up their relationship before he exits to the big drafting room in the sky. Rated R. At Flatirons Crossing. ‹TD

The Man Who Wasnıt There. At the very least, the Coen brothers keep you guessing. After their hair-raising Fargo, they made The Big Lebowski, the adventures of a deadbeat bowler. They struck again last year with their wacky musical odyssey, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Now bowing in theaters is their cutting comic ode to 1950s Americana, featuring a homicidal barber. Shot in rich black-and-white, The Man is another Coen foray into the fertile turf of film noir. Gaunt and aged, Billy Bob Thornton is Ed Crane, a man deadened by life. A barber in the sleepy California town, Edıs indifferently married to Doris (Frances McDormand), an accountant whoıs having an affair with her boss (James Gandolfini). As a way out of his situation, Ed hatches a plot to make him rich, or so he thinks. You can sit back and enjoy the Coenıs ambling plot, even if doesnıt lead anywhere special. This is most of all a clever exercise in style, particularly in Roger Deakinsı luscious cinematography and the juicy ensemble work. Tony Shalhoub makes a grand entrance playing the epitome of the fast-talking shyster lawyer and never lets up. Rated R. At Denverıs Esquire. ‹TD

Monsters, Inc. If itıs the holidays, it must be time for Pixar to download another computer-animated kiddie feature made in association with Disney. The story might as well been spit out by a computer, too. Billy Crystal and John Goodman lend their distinctive voices to two "scare monsters," who have 9-5 jobs scaring up screams from human kids in a Monstropolis factory. Those scares, somehow, fill the townıs energy needs. A crisis looms, as kids today just arenıt as easily frightened as they once were. The star of this show is the vibrant computer animation, which Pixar continues to improve in detail and depth. As the one-eyed Mike Wazowski, Crystal is always reliable for a few stand-up laughs. The scariest thing about this colorless feature is that Pixar obviously didnıt see the need to generate anything but a generic script to go along with the visuals. Rated G. At Flatirons Crossing, Colony Square, Crossroads Commons and Twin Peaks. ‹TD

Mulholland Drive. You have to admire David Lynch for even attempting such a strange, surreal crime drama about... well, Iım not sure. It begins when a woman escapes from a car accident in the Hollywood Hills. The amnesiac "Rita" (Laura Elena Harding) finds a friend in the preternaturally perky blonde Peggy (Naomi Watts), fresh off the bus to start her career as an actress. Rita has no idea who she is, yet Peggy is determined to find out, even if it means searching around for clues all through Los Angeles. Among this "Twin Peaks"-style mystery is a dozen more, including the adventures of a film director with mob trouble, an assassin looking for a black book, and a mysterious urban cowboy who surfaces when youıre least expecting him. Whatever you think of Lynchıs absurdities and visual non-sequitors, he knows how to photograph faces. Both Watts and Harding are treated with adoring care by the camera. In fact, what really seems to driving Mulholland Drive is a lesbian love story, and the only time the action seems to make any real sense is during the erotic interludes. Rated R. At Boulder Theater, Basemar Cinema Savers and Denverıs Esquire. ‹TD

Novocaine. A painfully miscast Steve Martin plays a dentist whoıs lured by a sexy patient (Helena Bonham Carter) into a nightmare world of drugs, crime and murder. Writer/director David Atkins drills the standard film noir femme fatale plot for the umpteenth time, with Martin as the hapless male dupe. Narrating the story in an almost comatose monotone, Martin is too light an actor to play the role, but I doubt even Robert Mitchum could have saved Atkinsı toothless film. Youıll need an anaesthetic to sit through the gross climax, which really bites. With Laura Dern. Rated R. At Denverıs Chez Artiste. ‹TD

Oceanıs Eleven. Please see review, page 53. At Flatirons Crossing, Arapahoe Village, Colony Square and Twin Peaks.

Out Cold. Dude, whereıs my snowmobile? Stoner snowboarders must stick together to save their backwoods Alaska resort when a slick Colorado developer (Lee Majors) moves in and threatens to Aspenize the mountain. If Kevin Smith ever made a ski movie, it would probably look and sound a lot like this one, which also features a blizzard of cool snowboard stunts. Otherwise, the hot action begins with a scene of bikini-clad females getting stuck in a gondola, and goes downhill from there. Directed by "the Malloys." Rated PG-13. At Twins Peaks. ‹TD

Shallow Hal. Welcome to another Farrelly brothers freakish geek show. If you can believe it, this is filmmakers Peter and Bobby Farrellyıs comedic plea for tolerance towards fat people. For the less tolerant, there are plenty of jokes at the expense of fat folk, too. Hooked on good looks in his women, superficial Hal (Jack Black) turns a new leaf when heıs given shock therapy by a self-help guru in a stuck elevator. Now Hal sees inner beauty in women, no matter how obese or ungainly they might be. He falls in love with Rosemary (Gwyenth Paltrow), a woman who only looks like she weighs 300 pounds. Inside sheıs as gorgeous as a supermodel. Notably, we rarely see how gross she is. Instead, we get to gaze on Paltrow, who who must have thought this would be her Cameron Diaz Thereıs Something About Mary role. Itıs not. Beauty may be only skin deep, but this movieıs plug ugliness goes all the way down to the bone. With Jason Alexander, wishing he was still on "Seinfield." Rated R. At United Artists Village. ‹TD

Sidewalks of New York. One of the themes of Edward Burns' sex comedy is how our affluent society has become obsessed with sex and other diversions. And it's marginal films like this one that make Burns' own point about how our culture has been trivialized. Sidewalks is an ensemble piece that dwells on the love lives of a handful of mismatched New Yorkers. Structurally, Burns employs the overused device of the man-on-the-street interview, with the characters answering questions about their sex lives put by someone offscreen. But it's Burns' technique that really runs into a dead end. He opts for a shaky hand-held camera throughout, which made me feel like I was watching the film from inside a taxi speeding down Broadway. With Stanley Tucci and Heather Graham. Rated R. At Denverıs Esquire and United Artists Village. ‹TD

Spy Game. Itıs spy vs. spy as Robert Redford plays a retiring CIA agent who has 24 hours to outwit his superiors in his bid to free his ex-protegé (Brad Pitt) from execution in a Chinese prison. There are really two skimpy espionage stories here, and director Tony Scott struggles to connect them. One is the murky past history involving Redford and Pitt, which spans four or five continents, 20 years and two or three ways. Set later, the other story has to do with Redfordıs willy attempts to bamboozle his doltish CIA honchos who are willing to let Pitt die in prison. The name of this game is Scottıs distracting cinematic excesses, which provide deep cover for the filmıs underdeveloped characters. One thingıs for sure about the ruddy whethered Redford‹this is one man who doesnıt know the meaning of the phrase "sun screen." Rated R. At Flatirons Crossing, Colony Square, Twin Peaks and United Artists Village. ‹TD