2 stars = Mediocre
Ratings explained

"Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock probably never really intended to find the answer to the question posed by his documentary "Where in the World Is Osama bin Laden?"

To say it is a gimmick would be a gross understatement. It's also a given that's Spurlock's trademark modus operandi.

Just as no one put a gun to his head and made him eat McDonald's for 30 days straight in his amusing 2004 debut, no one forced him to visit some of the most dangerous places on the globe seeking the elusive al-Qaida leader.

The journey, which takes him from his New York home to such countries as Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, isn't just reckless but selfish.

He says he was inspired by the impending birth of his first child to find bin Laden and hoped to make the world a safer place. Yet he leaves his wife, Alexandra, at home to worry about him as he repeatedly puts himself in harm's way over several months.

The one useful thing to emerge from Spurlock's travels is the discussions he has with regular folks about bin Laden, America, world relations and their personal dreams.

PG-13 for some strong language (also deals with disturbing subject matter). Opens today at the Galleria.

-- Christy Lemire, Associated Press

2 stars = Mediocre
Ratings explained

Lovely girl, Norah Jones, with her sultry voice, armfuls of Grammys, a multiplatinum debut album that produced the ubiquitous hit "Don't Know Why."

But for all her charms and obvious talent, Jones seems outmatched in her first film, "My Blueberry Nights," opposite more seasoned actors Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman.

The camera certainly loves her: From the first moment you see her with her soulful brown eyes, pillowy lips and mass of dark hair, it's obvious why director Wong Kar Wai would be intrigued enough by her to create a starring role with her in mind.

But the Hong Kong director's first English-language film never feels like a comfortable fit for Jones. She seems childlike, stiff, unsure of herself.

Jones stars as Elizabeth, who has been saddened by a ruined romance. Night after night, she seeks solace after hours at a New York cafe, where the owner (Law) feeds her blueberry pie, listens to her stories and becomes intrigued by her himself.

A cross-country road trip takes her to Memphis, where she waitresses and witnesses the unraveling of a marriage (between Strathairn and Weisz). Then she ends up in a Nevada casino, where she befriends Portman's sassy poker player.

PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking. Opens today at the Galleria and Manor.

-- Lemire