Bottom Line: This affecting man-and-dog tale largely steers clear of mawkishness.

SEATTLE — Tear-jerkers about lovable dogs are almost always boxoffice winners as “Marley & Me” proved last year. Lasse Hallstrom’s “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story” might not match that film’s performance, but it seems certain to win an appreciative family audience. At the Seattle International Film Festival, where the film recently received its North American premiere, sounds of sniffling permeated the large auditorium. The movie is …

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Bottom Line: Small gem features two star-making performances.
PARK CITY — A memorable romantic movie requires sharp writing and strong chemistry between the stars, commodities that are always in short supply. Miraculously, one of the least heralded Sundance movies has these two crucial qualities. “Peter and Vandy” needs careful handling to find the appreciative audience it deserves.

Twentysomethings Peter (Jason Ritter) and Vandy (Jess Weixler) meet by chance outside the courthouse where Vandy has jury duty, and …

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Bottom Line: Bromance with just the right chemistry between the leads.

From Laurel and Hardy to Butch and Sundance, Hollywood movies often have relied on the interplay of two buddies who play together with the cool precision of a jazz duo. Those classic teams find a neat contemporary counterpart in “I Love You, Man,” courtesy of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

The slight Rudd and the gangly Segel strike the right physical contrast for comedy. And they’re …

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How often these days do you see a movie that sends you out into the night engaged in heated conversation and debate?  That’s the rare pleasure and achievement of The Reader, one of the most haunting and thought-provoking films of recent years.  Bernhard Schlink’s novel scored an enormous success around the world, but it also stirred controversy by presenting a former concentration camp guard in a complex, at times sympathetic light.  The same controversy will …

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Milk may not be a great movie, but it comes at the right moment, and it turns out to be irresistibly moving.  Although it’s a fairly standard biopic, it’s directed with finesse by Gus Van Sant and beautifully acted by an excellent ensemble cast.  Would it have had the same impact if it opened at a different time?  Probably not.  But as Californians are reeling from the passage of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage initiative, …

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