Synopsis: The horrifying events that took place in the Hoyt family’s vacation home at 1801 Clark Road on Feb. 11, 2005, are still not entirely known. Champagne. Rose petals. Candlelight. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Kristen McKay and James Hoyt. But, after leaving a friend’s wedding reception and returning to the house, everything had collapsed for the happy couple. Then came a 4 a.m. knock on the door and a haunting voice. “Is Tamara here?” The Strangers is a terrifying suspense thriller about a couple whose remote getaway becomes a place of terror when masked strangers invade. The confrontation forces Kristen and James to go far beyond what they think themselves capable of if they hope to survive.

Review: Ripped off from about 30 other alone-in-the-dark horror flicks, The Strangers has few scares, weak acting and a by-the-numbers script.

Acting: Let’s face it, this is not the type of script that’s going to attract Meryl Streep. Liv Tyler is the nominal lead and although her rather expressionless, weepy doll school of acting is an acquired taste, she does prove she can scream with the best of ‘em when the knives finally come out. Unfortunately, much of The Strangers is ultimately reliant on the proposition that we care about this couple and their romantic woes. We don’t. Chemistry is nil between Tyler and co-star Scott Speedman, whose bland performance doesn’t help matters. There’s really not much to say about the masked “strangers” (Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks and Laura Margolis), who all act like zombies and speak in monotones. Glenn Howerton as James’ friend has some brief moments that threaten to liven up the proceedings, but he’s in and out too quickly to make much of an impression.

Direction: First time screenwriter/director Bryan Bertino pulls out all the clichés associated with this type of film. You’ve seen it all done many times before in any number of pictures from Straw Dogs to the recent Funny Games and Vacancy. Bertino’s gimmick seems to be letting the audience, not the characters, in on what’s about to happen. So often we see the killers lurking in the shadows, unnoticed by our clueless leads. Then they vanish. This pattern is repeated over and over milking the “suspense,” but not making much story sense. There are a couple of standard movie jolts here and there to mix things up but mostly Bertino proves himself to be a better tease than director. No Hitchcock, this dude!

SPOILER ALERT: We have a policy about not giving away the ending, but it sucks. Just like the movie.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 1 1/2 stars.

Synopsis: Following the separation from her husband and the death of her adopted mother, schoolteacher April Epner is contacted by her apparent birth mother, who turns out to be a local talk show host Bernice Graves. As Bernice tries to become the mother to April that she was never able to be, April seems to find solace in the arms of the parent of one of her students (Colin Firth), only to find that the mystery to life’s questions cannot be solved by a simple revelation.

Review: Helen Hunt tries to prove she can do it all – co-writing, directing, co-producing and starring – in this heartfelt dramedy about a schoolteacher in mid-life crisis. It’s not “as good as it gets” but commendable nonetheless.

Acting: Before taking matters into her own hands, Hunt – who a decade ago won an Oscar for As Good As It Gets and four Emmys for “Mad About You” – seemed past her creative peak. But this quiet independent labor of love may be just the ticket she needs to get back into the big leagues. With cheeks appearing more gaunt than usual, her shopworn appearance works well for a character in full crisis mode. Hunt very much convinces us she is resilient, if only hanging on through a series of sudden setbacks. Plus it’s fortunate as the co-writer and director she clearly knows what Hunt, the actress, needs. The starry supporting cast is generally effective, particularly Midler nicely underplaying the AWOL mother who shows up expectedly. Her scenes with Hunt have a sweet authenticity about them that could have been lost had Midler resorted to her usual theatrics. Broderick has a couple of decent scenes as the immature, whiny hubby while Firth is always good – even here in an uneven role that seems a bit too convenient to ring true.

Direction: Helen Hunt is the daughter of veteran director Gordon Hunt, and her seeming confidence behind the camera (along with some prior TV experience directing a few episodes of “Mad About You”) must have been inherited. It’s obvious she has also spent time watching the techniques of previous directors she has worked with, such as James L. Brooks and especially Woody Allen. Her feature debut has more than a few things in common with the Woodman’s work. Her screenplay (co-written with Alice Arden and Victor Levin), based on Elinor Lipman’s novel, nicely captures the Jewish milieu so prevalent in the book and a source of pride in the movie as well. It’s no easy task playing the roles of writer, director and star but like Allen does so often, Hunt appears at ease and fully capable of getting just what she wants on screen. Downside is the mixture of comedy and drama requires a little more balance than is evident here, but as a first attempt, this modest tale of a school teacher searching for a personal rebirth deserves a solid “B.”

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 2 1/2 stars.