Clips written by John Boonstra and Kendra Thurlow. Ratings range from * (the pits) to *****(classic).

***** CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS Director Andrew Jarecki utilizes on-camera interviews and a treasure trove of home movies and bitter videos to tell the tangled true story of a Long Island family charged with child sex abuse. Mass hysteria? Witch hunt? Every time you think you've found an answer, ten more questions emerge. Yet it's the persistence of these contradictions which are, paradoxically, the core of this fascinating, endlessly enigmatic tragedy. The year's best documentary, regardless of what happens between now and Christmas. (R: descriptions of heinous sexual misconduct ) (Pleasant Street)

DICKIE ROBERTS: FORMER CHILD STAR David Spade is rumored to be actually tolerable in director Sam Weisman's comedy about an ex-kiddie star reduced to a job in a parking lot. A promising supporting cast includes Mary McCormack, Jon Lovitz, Craig Bierko, Rob Reiner -- along with a raft of, yep, former child stars. (PG-13) (Megastar)

**** DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (2002, England). Stephen Frears provides taut direction for this unusual drama about a Nigerian (Chiwetel Ejoifor) whose illegal presence in London causes him endless grief as he tries to solve a most peculiar apparent murder and simultaneously befriend a Turkish woman (Amelie 's Audrey Tautou) seeking asylum. The plot occasionally gets a tad too thick for its own good, but the picture of this urban underbelly is stark and the performances are top-notch. (R: bloody medical situations; grim sex; language ) (Latchis, Pleasant Street)

*** FREAKY FRIDAY Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a quarrelsome mother and teen daughter who are forced to empathize with one another when a magic fortune cookie results in a one-day mind-body swap. It's a grand showcase for both stars, even if some of the material with Mom's hubby-to-be (Mark Harmon) and the girl's would-be boyfriend (Chad Murray) skirts potentially complicated erogenous zones. By and large, clever, frisky entertainment. (PG) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Kipling, Megastar, Tower)

* 1/2 FREDDY VS. JASON Wow -- >Nightmare on Elm St. 27 meets Friday the 13th XXXIV ! Robert Englund returns as the dream-demon Freddy, and this time reincarnates the goalie-masked maniac Jason (Ken Kirzinger) for his teenager-killing schemes ... but you know it's only a matter of time before these legendary predators turn on one another. Monica Keena, Kelly Rowland top the list of potential victims; Ronny Yu directs. All the ferocious wit of the Elm St. flicks is swamped by the addition of the dull, lumbering Jason and an insipid cast we never, ever care about: kill 'em all, fellas. (R: the anticipated ultraviolence; a bit of female nudity ) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Kipling, Megastar)

* 1/2 LE DIVORCE The celebrated Merchant-Ivory production team stumbles in this adaptation of Diane Johnson's novel about two American sisters in Paris. One (Kate Hudson) is young and flighty and carrying on with a 55-year-old right-wing politician (Thierry Lhermitte); the other (Naomi Watts, deserving far better than the character she portrays here) is pregnant and abandoned by her lout of a husband. Many familiar players in the supporting cast: Glenn Close, Matthew Modine, Leslie Caron, Sam Waterston, Stockard Channing. It only gets more maddening as it goes along -- brimming with fey whimsy and jarring bloodshed (a wrist-slashing; a murder; hostages held at gunpoint), and unable to sustain a single coherent plotline. What a mess! (PG-13: those moments of violence ) (Cinemark, Latchis, Megastar, Tower)

MADE-UP This coming-of-middle-age comedy takes a reality-based look at issues of beauty and aging. Translation: A mother gets a makeover from her teenaged daughter with radical results. Tony Shalhoub (TV's germ-obsessed Monk star) directs and stars along with Brooke Adams, Eva Amurri and Ashfield resident Lynne Adams. (Pothole Pictures)

**** THE MAGDALENE SISTERS (Ireland/UK). A vivid dramatization of the lives of several young Irish women who endured the virtual slavery of being sent away to the care of an order of nuns dedicated to saving the souls of "loose" girls -- anyone who'd looked the wrong way at the opposite sex, or had a child out of wedlock, or a victim of rape. Geraldine McEwan is the demon-nun in charge; Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy are entrusted to her less-than-tender mercies. Peter Mullan writes and directs. Splendidly acted, with flashes of narrative brilliance. (R: language, nudity, appalling treatment of innocent human beings ) (Latchis, Pleasant Street)

MARCI X Lisa Kudrow as an heiress who takes control of a hip-hip label when her conglomerate-owning dad (Richard Benjamin, who also directs) lands in the hospital; it'll be up to her to rein in a controversial rapper (Damon Wayans). (R) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Megastar)

THE MEDALLION Jackie Chan as a Hong Kong cop suddenly endowed with superhuman abilities thanks to an enchanted medallion. Claire Forlani, Lee Evans, Julian Sands are featured; Gordon Chan directs. (PG-13) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Kipling, Megastar)

*** MY BOSS'S DAUGHTER Ashton Kutcher as a lad who takes a shine to the comely daughter (Tara Reid) of his exacting employer (Terence Stamp). Molly Shannon, Andy Richter, Michael Madsen add to the increasing strange mix; David Zucker directs this unexpectedly weird farce. The bizarre mix (which includes a cocaine-fueled owl, Richter's ass painted red and copious quantities of urination) doesn't quite jell, but the effort is appreciated -- it's much more entertaining than the standard-fare romantic comedy it might've been. (PG-13: all that urine; cusswords; Carmen Electra gets a breast exam ) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Megastar)

NOSEY PARKER Innovative Vermont filmmaker John O'Brien, tells a story about love and friendship between two oh-so-lonely locals, a farmer and someone else's trophy wife. Guaranteed to include shots of animals. (Not Rated) (Latchis)

*** 1/2 OPEN RANGE Kevin Costner directs and costars in this classically-styled Western about a burgeoning battle between cowboys (Robert Duvall, Costner) and a mightily mean rancher (Michael Gambon) who want to restrict access to the wide-open Plains. Annette Bening shows up as a potential romantic interest. A bit overlong, but the stark simplicity of the story is appreciated and the lead characters truly hold our interest. (R: a chaotic, violent ending ) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Kipling, Megastar)

THE ORDER Heath Ledger as a priest who takes it upon himself to investigate the death of a fellow cleric. He stumbles upon evidence of occult goings-on within the walls of the Vatican, and a centuries-old secret organization determined to keep him from going public. Hey, it's the Church -- what else should he expect? Shannyn Sossamon, Peter Weller are along for the ride; Brian Helgeland directs. (R) (Kipling, Megastar)

**** 1/2 SEABISCUIT Splendid, natural performances abound here; Tobey Maguire as the half-blind jockey who rides the celebrated racehorse into the record books. Jeff Bridges is the owner; Chris Cooper is the trainer; real-life jock Gary Stevens almost steals the show as the substitute rider who shows up exactly when he's needed. Gary Ross (Pleasantville ) writes and directs this superb film of the nonfiction bestseller, which takes the time to establish the backgrounds of its three principal characters and, in so doing, becomes what might just be the finest film about the Great Depression. Yeah, it gets sentimental: so what. (PG-13: a fleeting sexual situation; one or two mile epithets ) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Latchis, Tower)

*** 1/2 THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS Alan Rudolph directs this often painful drama about a husband (Campbell Scott) who suspects his wife (Hope Davis) is cheating on him, but refuses to raise the issue in the increasingly tenuous hope of saving their marriage. Denis Leary, Robin Tunney offer worthy support. A few of the film's devices (like having an imaginary Leary constantly commenting on the action) fall flat, and the exposition is occasionally too sparse for its own good -- but the acting is top-notch and the subject matter has rarely been treated this way. (R: language; sexual situations ) (Real Art Ways-Hartford)

SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS This new DreamWorks animated feature dips into the Arabian Nights for inspiration. Top-heavy with voice talent: Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer. (PG) (Agawam)

***** SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER Robert Rodriguez writes and directs what he swears is the final installment of this surprisingly successful, terrifically entertaining series. The third turns out to be the best of the bunch as Juni (Daryl Sabara) dives headlong into a video game we all get to vicariously experience in the most exhilarating 3-D ever seen on the screen. Can Juni and Grandpa (Ricardo Montalban, up and walking in cyberspace) defeat the evil Toymaker (a smartly cast Sylvester Stallone)? With the help of more star cameos than you can possibly imagine, you bet. The greatest Saturday matinee movie of the modern era, and a canny use of new and old technologies. Alexa Vega, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas are featured. (PG) (Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Megastar)

** 1/2 S.W.A.T. Supercops (Colin Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez) are called in when a supercriminal (Olivier Martinez) offers a whopping cash reward for anyone who can bust him out of custody. Clark Johnson directs, surprisingly spry, considering how standard this TV-based action opus actually is. But the mix works well enough; Farrell and Jackson are viewable, and the elaborate climax does generate a few gasps. Hey: it's a couple of hours in air conditioning. (PG-13: violence, language ) (Cinemark, Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Kipling, Megastar)

UPTOWN GIRLS Spoiled rich girl (Brittany Murphy) loses her comfy trust fund and must resort to seeking real-world employment as a nanny to a smug little kid (I Am Sam 's Dakota Fanning) whose workaholic mom (Heather Locklear) is often absent. Will anyone be shocked to discover that the unlikely pair become the best of friends, and teach each other Valuable Life Lessons? Boaz Yakin directs, and pours on the syrup. (PG-13) (Eastfield Mall, Hoyts-Enfield, Megastar)

*** 1/2 WINGED MIGRATION (France). Exquisitely filmed documentary tracking many different varieties of birds as they make their annual trek north, then south. Occasionally appalling soundtrack music, mars an often hypnotic experience -- surely a birder's delight. (G) (Academy)

**** X2: X-MEN UNITED All the original mutant crew (Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin) are back, along with a couple of previously unseen heroes (Alan Cummings, for one) and villains -- though Professor X's arch-foe Magneto (Ian McKellen) may have to join forces with the good guys when a military leader (Brian Cox) seeks to round up any and all mutants. Bryan Singer returns to direct a rare sequel which outshines its predecessor: more intensity, more action, more fully-developed characters -- no mean feat in a project this size. (PG-13: moments of shocking violence ) (Agawam)