40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS (R) -- NOT RATED Hunky Josh Hartnett's post-breakup Lenten plans entail giving up women. As if! Meanwhile, his ex schemes to win him back. Chalmette, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
A BEAUTIFUL MIND (PG-13) -- B
Ron Howard's drama profiles a genius mathematician who struggles with mental illness. The picture offers another brilliant performance by Russell Crowe and fine supporting work by Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris. Nominated for eight Oscars. (Barton) Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
BIG FAT LIAR (PG) -- NOT RATED
Junior-high student Frankie Muniz (TV's Malcolm in the Middle) seeks revenge when seedy Hollywood producer Paul Giamatti (Planet of the Apes) makes a movie out of the boy's class essay without giving credit. Chalmette, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20, Plaza
BLACK HAWK DOWN (R) -- A
In this approximation of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, director Ridley Scott rolls out an amazingly choreographed chaos and then allows his actors to stand in the storm and deliver finely nuanced performances. Nominated for four Oscars. (Carlson) Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (R) -- NOT RATED
Christophe Gans directed this French horror-mystery (which has been all the rage in Europe) about an 18th century legend of a wolf monster terrorizing villagers. In French with English subtitles. Plaza
COLLATERAL DAMAGE (R) -- F-
Andrew Davis' direction and Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting would make this one bad under normal circumstances. Seen through the prism of Sept. 11, this story of a fireman pursuing the terrorist who killed his wife and child is simply unforgiveable. (Carlson) Downtown Joy, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
CORRECTIONS (NR) -- NOT RATED
Ashley Hunt's documentary takes a critical look at the burgeoning "for-profit" incarceration industry. 8 p.m. Tuesday at Zeitgeist
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (PG-13) -- C-
Director Kevin Reynolds squanders a great premise and a good cast in this poorly directed and distractingly edited version of Alexandre Dumas' enduring tale of betrayal and revenge. (Carlson) Galleria, Palace 16, Palace 20
CROSSROADS (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Britney Spears vehicle features the pride of Kentwood bonding with two friends on a road trip. Chalmette, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
DARK BLUE WORLD (R) -- NOT RATED
The epic relationship between two Czech fighter pilots flying for the United Kingdom during World War II's Battle of Britain starts with a love triangle and continues through their return home to their communist-ruled country. Canal Place
DRAGONFLY (PG-13) -- B
Kevin Costner stars as Joe Darrow, a Chicago doctor convinced his dead wife, Emily (Susanna Thompson), is trying to contact him. Costner's competent performance serves as a nice centerpiece for Tom Shadyac's (Patch Adams) otherwise tentative drama. (Carlson) (Reviewed in the issue.) Chalmette, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
GOSFORD PARK (R) -- A-
Robert Altman craftily recasts Jean Renoir's 1939 classic Rules of the Game as an Agatha Christie murder mystery with greater emphasis on social-class conflict. Nominated for seven Oscars. (Simmons) Canal Place
HART'S WAR (R) -- B+
Gregory Hoblit's World War II courtroom drama is set in a German POW camp where American commander Bruce Willis assigns a young lieutenant to defend a black pilot against charges of having murdered a vicious white racist. (Barton) Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
HOW HIGH (R) -- NOT RATED
Rappers Redman and Method Man play two stoners whose consumption of the evil weed makes them so smart they're able to get into Harvard. Plaza
I AM SAM (PG-13) -- D-
Sean Penn stars in this excruciating story of a retarded man's attempt to keep custody of his daughter. Michelle Pfeiffer is his lawyer. Director Jessie Nelson embarrasses both her stars while asking the audience to accept preposterous premises and arrive at astoundingly unwise conclusions. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) Palace 20
IN THE BEDROOM (R) -- A-
Todd Field's emotionally draining drama concerns a middle-age couple unable to recover from the death of their college-graduate son. Nominated for five Oscars. (Barton) Galleria
IRIS (R) -- NOT RATED
Dame Judi Dench and Kate Winslet each received Oscar nods for portraying British author/philosopher Iris Murdoch and her lifelong romance with John Bayley (Oscar-nominated Jim Broadbent) in this biopic by Richard Eyre. Palace 20
JOHN Q. (PG-13) -- NOT RATED
Protective dad Denzel Washington takes a hospital hostage until his kid gets a life-saving operation. Now that's health care reform! Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20, Plaza
JUNG (WAR): IN THE LAND OF THE MUJAHEDDIN -- NOT RATED
Documentary by Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Alberto Vendememmiati probes efforts to establish an Afghani hospital under the Taliban. 8 p.m. Saturday at Zeitgeist
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (PG-13) -- A
This first Lord of the Rings movie is better than fans of the books possibly could have imagined. Peter Jackson's masterful direction and devotion to Tolkien's tale create an epic of the highest order. Nominated for 13 Oscars. (Carlson) Palace 20
LANTANA (R) -- NOT RATED
The discovery of a murdered woman affects four different couples in this mystery starring Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia and Barbara Hershey. This film, completely ignored by the Oscars, virtually swept the Australian Film Institute Awards. Canal Place
MONSTER'S BALL (R) -- B-
Marc Forster's drama about a racist prison guard who falls for a black waitress offers an Oscar-nominated lead performance by Halle Berry and a convincing depiction of the way family members of criminals are among crime's victims. Nominated for two Oscars. (Barton) Canal Place, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (R) -- C+
Another adaptation of New Orleans' own Anne Rice's work suffers in its journey to the big screen. While Interview With the Vampire suffered from a poorly chosen all-star cast, this film is "damned" by a poorly chosen no-star cast and scattered direction. (Simmons) Chalmette, Downtown Joy, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20, Plaza, Prytania
RETURN TO NEVERLAND (G) -- NOT RATED
At long last, Disney finally offers a sequel to its 1953 animated classic, Peter Pan. Chalmette, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
ROLLERBALL (R) -- NOT RATED
John McTiernan remakes Jewison's 1975 futuristic story of a blood sport. Stars Chris Klein, LL Cool J, Jean Reno and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Palace 16, Palace 20
THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (R) -- A-
Director Wes Anderson progresses yet again with this scattered, frenetic ensemble comedy about a dysfunctional family of geniuses reunited by their manipulative father. Anderson and co-star Luke Wilson were Oscar-nominated for their script. (Simmons) Palace 20
SNOW DOGS (PG) -- NOT RATED
Cuba Gooding Jr. winds up in Alaska's Iditarod dog-sled race. Palace 16, Palace 20, Plaza
SUPER TROOPERS (R) -- NOT RATED
The Broken Lizard comedy team stars in this comedy of wacky Vermont State Troopers stumbling onto a drug operation. Palace 20
A WALK TO REMEMBER (PG) -- NOT RATED
Teen pop sensation Mandy Moore is a minister's daughter who falls for rich kid Shane West. Palace 16
WE WERE SOLDIERS (R) -- NOT RATED
Mel Gibson leads a battalion of outnumbered U.S. troops against the Vietnamese in the battle of la Drang, the first major battle of the Vietnam war in this fact-based war film by Randall Wallace. Chalmette, Galleria, Palace 12, Palace 16, Palace 20
WHEN ABORTION WAS ILLEGAL: UNTOLD STORIES (NR) and FRAGILE PROMISE OF CHOICE (NR) -- NOT RATED
As part of National Appreciation Day for Abortion Providers, these two films approach the subject from two different perspectives. 8 p.m. Sunday at Zeitgeist
