Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her

By James Poniewozik

If she is in this movie, one thing you can tell just by looking at her is that she is famous. Director-writer Rodrigo Garcia snagged Glenn Close, left, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Holly Hunter and others for this showcase for actresses: five closely observed studies of loneliness and fleeting moments of connection in suburban Southern California. If the stories sometimes use Creative Writing 101 devices (like a quasi-prophetic homeless woman), the total effect is as spare and haunting as the film's arid, beautifully shot setting.

--By James Poniewozik