Del Toro's Good; Berry's on Fire

Things We Lost in the Fire, the weepie opening today and starring Halle Berry as a newly bereaved widow and Benicio Del Toro as her heroin-addicted comforter, draws mixed reviews. Most agree with the Chicago Tribune that it's "consistently well acted," awarding special praise to Del Toro. But the movie gets no points for originality.

Stephen Holden of the Times calls it "someone’s misbegotten notion of an upscale art film with commercial appeal." Many reviews hit on the same nagging problems: Berry's ex (David Duchovny) is too saintly, Del Toro is just a little too twitchy, and Berry's hotness is a distraction. "The camera lingers so long and lusciously on its lead actress’s perfect little pores that it quickly starts to resemble a Neutrogena commercial," snipes LA Weekly. (More Halle Berry stories.)