Things We Lost in the Fire

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After her husband Brian's murder, Audrey (Halle Berry) invites Brian's best friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), a recovering heroin addict, to move in with her and her two kids. Together, they try to cope with their loss and ignore any ill-advised temptation.

Big question: Can this drama from Susanne Bier ("After the Wedding") explore grief more deeply than "Reservation Road"?

Skip it: Too many scenes feel like they're being played not in a movie theater but on the big screen at the Academy Awards. Oscar season always brings in hard-hitting, depressing drama, but "Things We Lost" evolves as a story of sadness from the outside looking in, rather than a vivid depiction of hearts finding ways to become unbroken.

Catch it: To enjoy the ridiculousness of kids' logic. Apparently, when Brian (David Duchovny) was younger he peed in a pool because he didn't want to get his bathing suit wet!

Bottom line: Del Toro ("21 Grams") remains one of Hollywood's most compelling presences, and he's the most interesting character in a movie that offers little for the grieving wife to do. The potential is there for "Things We Lost" to burn but it's like a house with only three walls, with more emphasis on scenes of show-stopping acting than the process of confronting sudden death.

Bonus: Proof that Robert De Niro's legacy may not be what it once was. Trying to explain that her dad's favorite movie was "The Godfather Part II," Harper says it's the one with "the guy from 'Meet the Fockers.'" Let's not forget about "Stardust" and "Hide and Seek"!

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