La Vie En Rose (2007)

"What's truly uncanny is the way Cotillard makes you feel as though you are seeing a life not just recreated, but lived. She portrays Piaf as a willful, pathetic, substance-abusing diva, who is also charming, touching and tragically vulnerable."

Lady in the Water (2006)

"It is a lovely, sincere movie with a nice message about believing in both otherworldly magic and the more mundane power of a community."

The Lake House (2006)

"The Lake House is the type of movie you hear friends groan about Hollywood not making anymore. It's an old-fashioned romance that scoffs at today's frantic pacing, leisurely seducing us with its heartfelt story about the timeless value of love."

Last Holiday (2006)

"Really what Holiday is about is Latifah."

The Last Kiss (2006)

"If The Last Kiss were truly honest, it might make a statement about young people compromising and settling."

The Last Samurai (2003)

"Based loosely on the real story of Saigo Takamori, Katsumoto is a fictional character, but Watanabe, a Japanese film and television star, makes us believe in him."

Layer Cake (2005)

"Features a plot anyone over 16 has seen at least a dozen times, with slick but completely unoriginal directing by Matthew Vaughn."

Legally Blonde (2001)

"As usual, [Witherspoon's] a joy to watch ... although the movie itself leaves something to be desired."

The Legend of Bagger Vance (1999)

"If it's such a feel-good movie, why does it feel so bad?"

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

"The movie looks fantastic, Victorian Gothic by way of Edward Gorey, with just the right element of storybook fantasy."

The Libertine (2005)

"Depp achieves one of his mightiest feats, rescuing the overly theatrical Libertine from itself."

Life as a House (2001)

"Kline is steadfastly great, rising above the schmaltz to lay bare both George's fear and his quiet resignation."

Little Children (2006)

"The real force of the movie is its compassion, which is so all encompassing as to be almost religious in nature. Field doesn't turn away from anyone's flaws, and he's always multidimensional in his viewpoint."

Little Nicky (2000)

"This is what your children will want to see this weekend. Don't let them."

The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)

"The movie is sweet and fun and so much like the Gidget movies I grew up with that I fully expected Moondoggie to show up with his surfboard."

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2006)

"Looking for Comedy takes a smart premise and then clubs the comic and satirical possibilities out of it."

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

"Jackson's vision of Middle-earth is worthy of Tolkien, and there's probably no better compliment one could pay the film."

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

"As in Fellowship, the actors are all vivid realizations of Tolkien's characters, and there is not a weak note in the cast."

Lost Souls (2000)

"Its examination of our current cynical age of faithlessness is betrayed by largely rote directorship and its own occasional knee-jerk reflexes of horror cinema."

Love Actually (2003)

"If you missed Four Weddings or Notting Hill, there's a good chance Love Actually will seem refreshing and delightful."

A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)

"In the earnest A Love Song for Bobby Long, [Travolta] is a veritable cinematic pollutant."

Lower City (2006)

"Machado asks us to believe in the love between Karinna, Deco and Naldinho without ever making us feel anything but the tug of their sexual attraction."

Lucky Numbers (1999)

"A rather snappy comedy."