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Geri Pare (Catholic News Service) is impressed: "Although neither Angelique nor Loic is particularly sympathetic, the filmmaker manages to hold interest for the most part with the way the script twists and turns in the second half. And although there is violent content, it doesn't sink to the level of over-the-top melodrama. Instead, in somewhat the manner of The Sixth Sense, viewers will find themselves reviewing the first half in their minds as they leave the theatre, which makes it an intriguing thriller overall."

Darrell Manson (Hollywood Jesus) calls it "a wonderful story. Tautou does a wonderful job in this role. She once again shows the endearing vulnerability that characterized Amélie, but here she also shows a darker side with just as much authenticity." He concludes, "He Loves Me … challenges us to look deeper before we judge someone else. As we watch the film, we make our judgments about this poor, lovelorn artist and the caddish doctor … only to have to rethink our perspectives and opinions."

Several mainstream critics heap superlatives on the film. James Berardinelli (ReelViews) raves, "It's difficult to overstate how much of a rare find this movie is. Colombani and her cast remind us that the best thrillers are built upon superb writing and strong acting." And Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle) says, Colombani's first time in the director's chair "represents about as assured a debut as they come."

Peter T. Chattaway, film critic for Books & Culture, The Vancouver Courier, and other publications, turns in a review of his favorite films of 2002 this week.

First, he offers a disclaimer: "This is not intended as a list of 'Christian' films, since I have no idea what such a term would mean. I think Changing Lanes and Frailty could be good discussion-starters for those who want to explore faith issues, perhaps in small groups, but neither film was top 10 material; and a number of films that were hyped in the Christian press, such as Signs and A Walk to Remember, were disappointingly mediocre. However, I myself am a Christian, and these are the films that stuck with me this year—films that impressed me, haunted me, entertained me or forced me to think deeper about art and faith and life in general."

Chattaway's list includes such critical favorites as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Punch-Drunk Love, but his top choice is a surprise—one that most moviegoers have not yet discovered.

For Chattaway's year in review, click here.

In the absence of other significant new releases, religious press critics shifted their focus to some of current releases that concern themselves with timely issues of war and peace.

Holly McClure (Crosswalk) caught up with Brian Godawa's film about faith during wartime, To End All Wars (GMT Pictures). She writes, "I salute [the filmmakers] for telling a story that needed to be told in the dramatic, realistic way that it occurred. This is a powerful example of the triumph of the human spirit over inhumanity and a valuable lesson about the courage and faith it takes to forgive our enemies in the midst of persecution. A lesson we might be forced to learn in the not so distant future."

Bob Waliszewski (Focus on the Family) calls Ron Maxwell's Gods and Generals (Turner Pictures) "fascinating history, but you'd better like your movies long. And you'd better not be adverse to embracing the Southern psyche as a means to an end." Also disappointed in the film, Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin (Cinema in Focus) turn in a review: "Maxwell's intentions are to create a film which is concerned with the theology of war. Taking this enterprise seriously has caused him to create a film which takes itself too seriously, as evidenced by requiring an almost four-hour commitment from the viewer and presenting a regrettable lack of personality or passion on the part of the 'generals.'"

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March (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47