“When a film piles on this many problems for its characters, it’s often because it doesn’t really believe in any of them.”

“…highlights the absurdity of war, or possibly the absurdity of civilized behavior when war is going on just outside.”

“…captures the madness of a societal menace without ever losing sight of his humanity.”

“…the more ‘inventive’ the movie gets, the less interesting it becomes.”

“…captures our anguished striving to crawl out of our own morass.”

“…flirts with greatness, even if it doesn’t quite attain it.”

“In the subgenre of movies that capture (or at least artfully dramatize) the birth of beautiful music, Frank is a stunner.”

“Bacall slinks onto the screen asking Bogart for matches and walks away with the entire movie.”

“I can’t help but melt underneath this movie: it chisels away the cynic and gets at the sap.”

“…many implausibilities undermine the potency Sweet Nothing could have had.”